Xiao Rong slept until he woke up naturally. He not only missed breakfast but also lunch.

By now, he hadn’t eaten for a long time, it was no wonder he felt like he was a paper-thin person when he woke.

No one called him, but judging by the sky, Xiao Rong knew that the morning had certainly long passed. Biting into the hard, dry rations, he tried to swallow the pebble-like dough while searching for Qu Yunmie and Gao Xunzhi.

As expected, he had missed not only two meals but also the first wave of Qu Yunmie’s attack.

Before the gates of Hanzhong, corpses lay everywhere—that was all Qu Yunmie’s doing. The Hanzhong garrison numbered less than ten thousand. If they had come out, not a full morning, just an hour would’ve been needed for Qu Yunmie to make them all surrender, but they hid in the city. So those outside had to lay siege again and again.

It sounded troublesome, but it would take only a day or two. If not tonight, then tomorrow morning, Hanzhong would inevitably fall.

Having endured the wolf-like Xianbei battles, these irregular troops, weak both in equipment and skill, could no longer pass Qu Yunmie’s scrutiny.

…

When Xiao Rong entered, Qu Yunmie was discussing battle plans with Gao Xunzhi. At the moment, the only person who dared stay in front of Qu Yunmie was Gao Xunzhi. Others couldn’t remain long before finding an excuse to leave. Although only the unlucky messenger had almost been killed by the King, afterwards Qu Yunmie never raised his weapons against anyone else. Even being scolded was harsh enough. None of them had been scolded in a long time, so returning to past practices made them feel uncomfortable.

…

Xiao Rong entered. This time, the marching conditions weren’t good, and there was no time to build a stove, so Qu Yunmie and Gao Xunzhi sat on the ground by the charcoal brazier. Xiao Rong looked and realized that if he sat with them, he would have nowhere to place his legs and would have to squeeze in between the two of them.

He turned his head and sat on a nearby bed.

Qu Yunmie: “…”

Gao Xunzhi: “…”

It was a very ordinary action, yet both felt a subtle shift in mood. One reason was that yesterday Xiao Rong had done two bad things. First, he had spoken ill of someone, then he had gone without dignity to apply medicine. Even though Qu Yunmie didn’t know that Xiao Rong had heard everything, it was enough to make him uneasy.

The other reason was that he didn’t know what to say, or where to stand. It felt wrong either way, so he simply pretended to know nothing.

Xiao Rong looked at the two of them, bit the edge of his large flatbread, and gradually exerted force until a crack sounded, biting off a piece. Then he began the long process of chewing.

Bite after bite, his eyes kept shifting between Qu Yunmie and Gao Xunzhi.

Qu Yunmie tried to ignore the gaze and continued. “In two days, at most three, our remaining troops will arrive.”

Gao Xunzhi said, “Shen Yangrui must’ve learned that His Majesty has arrived by now. If I’m not mistaken, they will have Yuan Baifu come to repel us.”

At the mention of Yuan Baifu, Qu Yunmie’s gaze darkened instantly, followed by a merciless cold laugh. “Him?!”

Gao Xunzhi couldn’t mock him as fiercely. His feelings toward Yuan Baifu remained very complex. Even now, he couldn’t accept Yuan Baifu’s betrayal, and he didn’t understand why. Why would this happen to such an extent for no reason?

Gao Xunzhi felt he would ponder this for the rest of his life. Yuan Baifu had acted so ruthlessly, as if deliberately doing so. Everyone knew Qu Yunmie’s character: he loved those he wished to live and hated those he wished to die. Having killed Wang Xinyong, Yuan Baifu could never be accepted by the Northern Army again. As for his Majesty himself… he would prefer to kill him personally.

Thinking of Wang Xinyong, Gao Xunzhi felt even worse.

Nine years. He has known Wang Xinyong for nine years. Through all the storms, they had been together. Yuan Baifu had been Qu Yunmie’s childhood friend, not Gao Xunzhi’s. After the Xianbei massacre at Yanmen Pass, Qu Yunmie became the commander of the remaining Northern troops. Only then did Yuan Baifu, as a young man, finally speak to Gao Xunzhi. From Gao Xunzhi’s perspective, his feelings for those four men were roughly the same.

Qu Yunmie remained silent.

Since he had spoken those three words, Gao Xunzhi, for some reason, became quiet. Qu Yunmie’s expression gradually sank in the quiet atmosphere. He stared at Gao Xunzhi, about to question him.

Did he think Qu Yunmie couldn’t defeat Yuan Baifu?

Fine. If he thought that, he might as well leave with Yuan Baifu!

Just as he was about to speak, Xiao Rong, sitting on the bed, suddenly coughed. He coughed forcefully while patting his chest. The commotion drew the attention of the other two. Gao Xunzhi and Qu Yunmie stood up. As they prepared to rush over, Xiao Rong swallowed hard and let out a sigh of relief as if he’d survived a disaster.

He wiped his non-existent sweat and smiled at them. “It’s fine. I just choked a little by accident.”

Qu Yunmie: “…”

He looked at Xiao Rong quietly, then sat back down heavily.

Gao Xunzhi didn’t know Xiao Rong as well. He watched him suspiciously, intending to send for a medic, but seeing him fine, he returned to his seat, half-doubtful.

The atmosphere no longer seemed so heavy. Xiao Rong bit off another piece of bread and asked, “Has anyone gone to find General Wang’s body?”

Gao Xunzhi nodded silently. “According to Yao Xian’s personal guard, Wang Xinyong was killed on the Lianyun plank road. Yesterday, I sent a small team to retrieve his body. Hopefully, it wasn’t eaten by beasts, but it’s already October, and many days have passed.”

Qu Yunmie remained silent, saying nothing.

Xiao Rong was quiet for a short time, then asked, “I remember General Wang had family?”

Gao Xunzhi said, “Only an elderly mother. Wang Xinyong came from the Wang family of Wu. Not a great family, but still a large clan. When he joined the Northern Army, the Wangs treated his mother and elder brother harshly. Seven years ago, his brother died of a sudden illness. Wang secretly brought his mother out. The family knew, but made no move to stop it.”

They weren’t purged, but it was almost like it. They left no record because Wang Xinyong himself was capable. His family didn’t know if he would rise again, so they left a path for themselves.

If it were the wealthy Xiao family, saying someone was purged would’ve been final.

…

It felt even sadder. In his thirties, alone, with only an elderly mother, and a bloodless original family.

In peacetime, Wang Xinyong would’ve been Qu Yunmie’s solitary loyalist, deserving protection.

This wasn’t peacetime. It was war. So he died quickly and quietly. What were others doing when he died? Xiao Rong couldn’t remember. This was one of the emotional barriers for him.

To him, an otherwise unimportant time—one he could barely remember—marked the end of Wang Xinyong’s life.

Xiao Rong stayed quiet longer, then asked Gao Xunzhi, “What about Yuan Baifu? Does he have a family?”

Gao Xunzhi paused. He first looked at Qu Yunmie, but Qu Yunmie lowered his head, so he couldn’t see his reaction.

After a moment, Gao Xunzhi said, “Yes, quite a few. Yuan Baifu comes from a village where half the villagers shared the surname Yuan. They fled and later joined the Northern Army. Yuan Baifu’s father had four brothers, all married. Yuan Baifu has a sister who married into Pingyang City years ago. As for himself… he has two concubines, but no wife.”

Xiao Rong looked puzzled. This was his knowledge blind spot, so he asked subtly, “In the Northern Army, are there many like Yuan Baifu who take concubines before marriage?”

Gao Xunzhi quietly glanced at Qu Yunmie, then thought, why worry? Controlling the soldiers was Qu Yunmie’s issue. As an elder scholar, he had been away from the army for half a year.

So Gao Xunzhi calmed down and answered Xiao Rong. “Not many. Soldiers either marry directly or have affairs. Some take concubines first but have to maintain them and worry about their future wives’ displeasure. Why bother?”

Indeed, why bother.

Yet Yuan Baifu did it. Perhaps he wanted to reserve the official wife’s position for the woman he truly loved or for a woman of higher status.

Whatever the reason, Xiao Rong felt awkward. Like the current betrayal, he could only understand half of Yuan Baifu’s motives. The rest made no sense, so he couldn’t answer Qu Yunmie’s questions.

Before, Qu Yunmie had roared, questioning everyone, hoping for an answer, but only Yuan Baifu could answer. The answer would certainly not be what Qu Yunmie wanted to hear.

Sighing, Xiao Rong put down the bread he couldn’t chew and asked Gao Xunzhi, “How does the Chancellor plan to deal with his family?”

Gao Xunzhi looked at Qu Yunmie, who reacted slightly, his hand moving back as if instinctively reaching for the Snow-Drinking Vengeance Spear behind him, then falling again.

Seeing this, Gao Xunzhi’s heart skipped a beat. He didn’t dare let Xiao Rong notice. Their hidden tension was already enough. No need for an obvious act to widen the gap.

He hurriedly said to Xiao Rong, “Naturally, they will be sent away! Direct relatives and the two concubines will be exiled from the Northern Army. As for the rest of the clan, let them guard the passes. They are forbidden to return to Chenliu!”

Xiao Rong: “…”

Seeing Gao Xunzhi’s resolute manner, he blinked. It felt a little excessive, as Yuan Baifu’s actions were spontaneous. His clan would be unaware. Moreover, all those with the same surname would be sent away. How many people would that be?

Even so, Yuan Baifu’s special position required such actions to appease Qu Yunmie’s anger. After this disaster, Yuan Baifu’s clan will have a hard life anywhere. Chenliu, as the political center, would gather many generals later. They would be bullied to death if they stayed. It is better if they go far away to places unknown to both Yuan Baifu and Wang Xinyong.

…

Even this was tricky. The generals guarding the passes for the most part knew Wang Xinyong, having trained under him. Even if the training failed, the bonds remained.

Xiao Rong didn’t know this, so he felt it was okay. The bread was choking him, and these tactical matters weren’t his concern, so he went to fetch hot water.

He informed Gao Xunzhi, who smiled and saw him off. As soon as Xiao Rong left, Gao Xunzhi’s expression changed instantly.

He watched Qu Yunmie warily. “What are you planning?”

Qu Yunmie looked up. “Do you remember how I handled Li Xiuheng’s family?”

Gao Xunzhi’s face darkened further. “That was ten years ago! The situation then wasn’t the same as now!”

Qu Yunmie said, “How’s it different? Both are high-ranking people that have betrayed the Northern Army. Li Xiuheng abandoned his army and fled. Yuan Baifu killed his comrades, defied military orders, and sold his subordinates for glory. I won’t kill Yuan Baifu directly. I’ll first kill his family, then kill him.”

Gao Xunzhi opened his mouth. He knew this was wrong, but he couldn’t say anything to stop Qu Yunmie. This is the way of the world. Everyone handled traitors like this. Human nature was the same: if someone hated a person deeply and wanted them to suffer unbearably, aside from torturing them physically, one could also torture them psychologically. Most people chose the latter because destroying someone’s soul allowed them to experience revenge most thoroughly.

Yet, generally, people chose this method only for someone they knew. Understanding the person allowed them to know how to destroy them. If it was a stranger, they would be more lenient, willing to give the opponent some satisfaction.

While Qu Yunmie planned how to execute Yuan Baifu’s entire clan, Xiao Rong was still outside boiling water.

His body had no problems, just some fatigue—a consequence of two days of continuous high-intensity work, not the system’s effect.

Yuan Baifu has gone too far this time. People of this era were accustomed to collective punishment, so Xiao Rong didn’t notice anything unusual.

When the water boiled, Qu Yunmie came out of the tent and saw Xiao Rong sitting in the open space. He paused. “Why didn’t you boil it inside?”

Xiao Rong sniffled. He seemed a little cold. “It’s stuffy in the tent. I came out to get some air. Does Your Majesty want water?”

Qu Yunmie asked, “Why not tea?”

Xiao Rong touched his nose. “I didn’t bring tea leaves.”

Such a simple sentence suddenly made Qu Yunmie feel a pang in his heart. If this hadn’t happened, Xiao Rong would still be sitting in the carriage, reading his books, planning what delicacies to eat when they returned to Chenliu. He called it “autumn fattening.” That autumn, he didn’t gain a single ounce, but lost several pounds. Once they returned to the King’s Palace, he would make up for it all.

Sometimes Qu Yunmie blamed Xiao Rong, sometimes he felt guilty toward him. Sometimes he felt like the greatest ruler in the world and sometimes he thought following him meant only suffering. He wanted to give Xiao Rong many good things, yet what actually reached him was only endless toil and hardship.

Xiao Rong squatted and looked up at Qu Yunmie strangely. He hadn’t said anything so why did Qu Yunmie suddenly look so down?

Xiao Rong thought for a moment and decided it was still Yuan Baifu’s fault. Since Yuan Baifu’s betrayal, Qu Yunmie has acted like someone suddenly thrust into middle age, unpredictable to an absurd degree. He couldn’t help with this, so he tried to distract Qu Yunmie. “Lord, are you going to attack the city?”

Qu Yunmie adjusted his chest armor, then lowered his head and hummed in acknowledgment.

Xiao Rong blinked. “Then… have a safe journey, My Lord?”

Qu Yunmie: “…”

The gloom vanished. Qu Yunmie lifted his head sharply and returned to his displeased state.

He held his breath and turned to leave. After just two steps, someone gently grabbed his hand.

Qu Yunmie turned, and before he could do anything, a cup of hot water was placed in his hand. It should’ve been scalding, but the cup was a thick ceramic one, poorly made, so it felt merely warm.

Xiao Rong looked up at him and smiled. “Hot water warms your body, prevents your hands and feet from stiffening. The sooner you go, the sooner you’ll return.”

Qu Yunmie held the cup. This small cup drove away some of the cold, but he didn’t lower his head to drink. He hesitated while looking at Xiao Rong. “You…”

You’re not angry with me?

Why are you suddenly being so nice to me?

Did you wake up last night and hear what I said?

If Xiao Rong had really heard, Qu Yunmie wouldn’t feel ashamed—after all, no one could embarrass him in front of Xiao Rong—but he would feel annoyed. It would be as if this water had been forced upon him rather than given willingly.

Qu Yunmie: “…”

Sometimes he even annoyed himself.

After a moment, Qu Yunmie stopped overthinking and raised the cup to drink. Xiao Rong suddenly reached out and tapped the back of his hand.

Xiao Rong said, “It’s still hot! You can’t drink it!”

Qu Yunmie felt wronged. “Weren’t you the one who told me to drink it?”

Xiao Rong rolled his eyes. “If I told you to drink poison, would you? King of the North, don’t you have any judgment at all?”

Qu Yunmie: “…”

This time he felt even more wronged. He wanted to argue, but Xiao Rong was busy. He fanned the ceramic cup lightly, causing the white steam to increase. Xiao Rong grabbed Qu Yunmie’s wrists and moved the cup closer, then blew lightly over the water.

His head hovered over Qu Yunmie’s chest bone, lightly moving. After blowing, Xiao Rong still couldn’t tell if the water had cooled enough, but given the cold outside, it should have.

Xiao Rong held Qu Yunmie’s arms and brought the cup to his lips. “Take a small sip first. If it’s still hot, let it sit a bit longer.”

Qu Yunmie looked at him and drank the whole cup in two sips.

Xiao Rong: “…”

He stared at Qu Yunmie. “It… it’s not hot??”

Qu Yunmie kept silent, returned the cup, and strode outside.

Whether it was hot or not, Xiao Rong didn’t know. Two hours later, news arrived: Qu Yunmie had led his troops to break through Hanzhong’s gates. The city commander surrendered immediately. The defenders dropped their weapons, and Gao Xunzhi has already gone to take over the city.

The Hanzhong civilians were unlucky. Twice in one month, the city changed hands. Soldiers searched the streets each time. The residents crouched obediently. Fortunately, both Shen Yangrui and Qu Yunmie treated Hanzhong as their own territory, so they didn’t excessively loot. Small losses were accepted. Being alive was fortunate enough.

…

Qu Yunmie quickly moved the thirty-thousand-plus troops into Hanzhong. He didn’t plan to wait for the remaining infantry, he wanted to continue the attack on Zitong first thing tomorrow.

Zitong, however, was some distance from Hanzhong, about 300km, with rough roads. To arrive quickly, they had to march urgently.

Killing Yuan Baifu was a secondary reason. Rescuing the rear army was the main reason.

Scouts reported that the garrison outside Zitong was retreating into the city. Over seventy thousand troops had mutinied, likely because the rear army discovered Yuan Baifu’s actions, and the restrained soldiers could no longer hold back.

The two sides didn’t fight, only dozens of bodies were buried at a distance. Scouts exhumed two corpses, recognizing them as Wang Xinyong’s regular subordinates. They had no knife wounds, but instead appeared to have been strangled to death.

…

If the armies had fought, no one would’ve had time to strangle someone. This was probably a public execution.

Hearing the scouts report, Xiao Rong immediately recalled Gao Xunzhi’s historical death.

He had been publicly beheaded by Yuan Baifu. Xiao Rong wondered why Yuan Baifu killed Gao Xunzhi, but now it seemed the point had never been the killing itself—it was the public nature.

Yuan Baifu had a strange sense of revenge. He required an audience. Whether it was Xiao Rong’s imagination or not, Yuan Baifu seemed to enjoy deciding someone’s life or death.

It wasn’t just this. Executing a rear army officer publicly—wouldn’t that anger the soldiers? They were already not united with him, yet he used such high-pressure measures. Strange. What exactly did he want?

Xiao Rong couldn’t understand. Qu Yunmie, meanwhile, was furious. He grabbed a nearby teacup and threw it at the wall. The impact shattered it completely.

No one stopped him. After throwing the cup, Qu Yunmie ordered the soldiers not to rest, they would march again first thing tomorrow.

Lives were at stake. Xiao Rong couldn’t tell him to wait. He nodded, indicating he would go too.

Qu Yunmie turned suddenly. “You stay here and guard Hanzhong.”

Xiao Rong: “…”

What was there to guard in Hanzhong? Qu Yunmie never knew how to retreat. He would only attack continuously. If Qu Yunmie got into trouble, Hanzhong couldn’t be defended. If Qu Yunmie was fine, Hanzhong didn’t need a guard.

It was only a few hundred km from Chenliu. Moreover, the enemy was close to Qu Yunmie, and the rear was all their own troops. This excuse was poor, he might as well have said he didn’t want Xiao Rong to follow.

Xiao Rong refused. “No. Two fists cannot beat four hands. Your Majesty, you have only thirty thousand troops. How can I rest assured? I know I cannot help much, but I won’t delay your plans. No matter what you say, I will follow.”

Qu Yunmie was more stubborn than him. No matter what, he wouldn’t let him follow. Seeing the two about to clash, Gao Xunzhi panicked. This was no time for arguing.

Gao Xunzhi hurriedly tried to persuade Xiao Rong. “Rong, don’t worry. I will stay by the King’s side and ensure no harm comes from the Southern Yong forces.”

Xiao Rong was surprised. He looked at Gao Xunzhi. “Chancellor is going too?”

Gao Xunzhi answered, “Yes.”

Xiao Rong stared for a long moment, then changed his mind. “Fine, I’ll stay and guard the city, but I cannot do it alone. Chancellor, you should stay to help me. His Majesty is fine. Don’t worry about him.”

Qu Yunmie: “…”

You just said otherwise!

Liar. If I trust you again, I won’t be the King of North!!

 

Edited by: Antiope

 

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