{"id":7970,"date":"2026-05-12T07:47:49","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T05:47:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/?p=7970"},"modified":"2026-05-12T07:47:49","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T05:47:49","slug":"your-majesty-you-mustnt-chapter-117-defending-the-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/2026\/05\/12\/your-majesty-you-mustnt-chapter-117-defending-the-city\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Majesty, you mustn&#8217;t! &#8211; Chapter 117 Defending the City"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong slept until he woke up naturally. He not only missed breakfast but also lunch.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By now, he hadn\u2019t eaten for a long time, it was no wonder he felt like he was a paper-thin person when he woke.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As expected, he had missed not only two meals but also the first wave of Qu Yunmie\u2019s attack.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before the gates of Hanzhong, corpses lay everywhere\u2014that was all Qu Yunmie\u2019s doing. The Hanzhong garrison numbered less than ten thousand. If they had come out, not a full morning, just an hour would\u2019ve 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.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It sounded troublesome, but it would take only a day or two. If not tonight, then tomorrow morning, Hanzhong would inevitably fall.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having endured the wolf-like Xianbei battles, these irregular troops, weak both in equipment and skill, could no longer pass Qu Yunmie\u2019s scrutiny.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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\u2019t 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.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong entered. This time, the marching conditions weren\u2019t 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.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He turned his head and sat on a nearby bed.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie: \u201c\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gao Xunzhi: \u201c\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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\u2019t know that Xiao Rong had heard everything, it was enough to make him uneasy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The other reason was that he didn\u2019t know what to say, or where to stand. It felt wrong either way, so he simply pretended to know nothing.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bite after bite, his eyes kept shifting between Qu Yunmie and Gao Xunzhi.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie tried to ignore the gaze and continued. &#8220;In two days, at most three, our remaining troops will arrive.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gao Xunzhi said, &#8220;Shen Yangrui must\u2019ve learned that His Majesty has arrived by now. If I\u2019m not mistaken, they will have Yuan Baifu come to repel us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the mention of Yuan Baifu, Qu Yunmie\u2019s gaze darkened instantly, followed by a merciless cold laugh. \u201cHim?!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gao Xunzhi couldn\u2019t mock him as fiercely. His feelings toward Yuan Baifu remained very complex. Even now, he couldn\u2019t accept Yuan Baifu\u2019s betrayal, and he didn\u2019t understand why. Why would this happen to such an extent for no reason?<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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\u2019s 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\u2026 he would prefer to kill him personally.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thinking of Wang Xinyong, Gao Xunzhi felt even worse.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nine years. He has known Wang Xinyong for nine years. Through all the storms, they had been together. Yuan Baifu had been Qu Yunmie\u2019s childhood friend, not Gao Xunzhi\u2019s. 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\u2019s perspective, his feelings for those four men were roughly the same.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie remained silent.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since he had spoken those three words, Gao Xunzhi, for some reason, became quiet. Qu Yunmie\u2019s expression gradually sank in the quiet atmosphere. He stared at Gao Xunzhi, about to question him.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Did he think Qu Yunmie couldn\u2019t defeat Yuan Baifu?<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fine. If he thought that, he might as well leave with Yuan Baifu!<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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\u2019d survived a disaster.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He wiped his non-existent sweat and smiled at them. \u201cIt\u2019s fine. I just choked a little by accident.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie: \u201c\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He looked at Xiao Rong quietly, then sat back down heavily.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gao Xunzhi didn\u2019t 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.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The atmosphere no longer seemed so heavy. Xiao Rong bit off another piece of bread and asked, &#8220;Has anyone gone to find General Wang\u2019s body?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gao Xunzhi nodded silently. \u201cAccording to Yao Xian\u2019s personal guard, Wang Xinyong was killed on the Lianyun plank road. Yesterday, I sent a small team to retrieve his body. Hopefully, it wasn\u2019t eaten by beasts, but it\u2019s already October, and many days have passed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie remained silent, saying nothing.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong was quiet for a short time, then asked, &#8220;I remember General Wang had family?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gao Xunzhi said, &#8220;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.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They weren\u2019t purged, but it was almost like it. They left no record because Wang Xinyong himself was capable. His family didn\u2019t know if he would rise again, so they left a path for themselves.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If it were the wealthy Xiao family, saying someone was purged would\u2019ve been final.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It felt even sadder. In his thirties, alone, with only an elderly mother, and a bloodless original family.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In peacetime, Wang Xinyong would\u2019ve been Qu Yunmie\u2019s solitary loyalist, deserving protection.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This wasn\u2019t peacetime. It was war. So he died quickly and quietly. What were others doing when he died? Xiao Rong couldn\u2019t remember. This was one of the emotional barriers for him.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To him, an otherwise unimportant time\u2014one he could barely remember\u2014marked the end of Wang Xinyong\u2019s life.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong stayed quiet longer, then asked Gao Xunzhi, \u201cWhat about Yuan Baifu? Does he have a family?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gao Xunzhi paused. He first looked at Qu Yunmie, but Qu Yunmie lowered his head, so he couldn\u2019t see his reaction.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After a moment, Gao Xunzhi said, &#8220;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\u2019s father had four brothers, all married. Yuan Baifu has a sister who married into Pingyang City years ago. As for himself\u2026 he has two concubines, but no wife.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong looked puzzled. This was his knowledge blind spot, so he asked subtly, \u201cIn the Northern Army, are there many like Yuan Baifu who take concubines before marriage?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gao Xunzhi quietly glanced at Qu Yunmie, then thought, why worry? Controlling the soldiers was Qu Yunmie\u2019s issue. As an elder scholar, he had been away from the army for half a year.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So Gao Xunzhi calmed down and answered Xiao Rong. \u201cNot many. Soldiers either marry directly or have affairs. Some take concubines first but have to maintain them and worry about their future wives\u2019 displeasure. Why bother?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indeed, why bother.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yet Yuan Baifu did it. Perhaps he wanted to reserve the official wife\u2019s position for the woman he truly loved or for a woman of higher status.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whatever the reason, Xiao Rong felt awkward. Like the current betrayal, he could only understand half of Yuan Baifu\u2019s motives. The rest made no sense, so he couldn\u2019t answer Qu Yunmie\u2019s questions.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sighing, Xiao Rong put down the bread he couldn\u2019t chew and asked Gao Xunzhi, \u201cHow does the Chancellor plan to deal with his family?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Seeing this, Gao Xunzhi\u2019s heart skipped a beat. He didn\u2019t dare let Xiao Rong notice. Their hidden tension was already enough. No need for an obvious act to widen the gap.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He hurriedly said to Xiao Rong, \u201cNaturally, 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!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong: \u201c\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Seeing Gao Xunzhi\u2019s resolute manner, he blinked. It felt a little excessive, as Yuan Baifu\u2019s 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?<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even so, Yuan Baifu\u2019s special position required such actions to appease Qu Yunmie\u2019s anger. After this disaster, Yuan Baifu\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong didn\u2019t know this, so he felt it was okay. The bread was choking him, and these tactical matters weren\u2019t his concern, so he went to fetch hot water.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He informed Gao Xunzhi, who smiled and saw him off. As soon as Xiao Rong left, Gao Xunzhi\u2019s expression changed instantly.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He watched Qu Yunmie warily. \u201cWhat are you planning?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie looked up. \u201cDo you remember how I handled Li Xiuheng\u2019s family?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gao Xunzhi\u2019s face darkened further. \u201cThat was ten years ago! The situation then wasn\u2019t the same as now!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie said, &#8220;How\u2019s 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\u2019t kill Yuan Baifu directly. I\u2019ll first kill his family, then kill him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gao Xunzhi opened his mouth. He knew this was wrong, but he couldn\u2019t say anything to stop Qu Yunmie. This is the way of the world. Everyone handled traitors like this. Human nature was the same:<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 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\u2019s soul allowed them to experience revenge most thoroughly.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While Qu Yunmie planned how to execute Yuan Baifu\u2019s entire clan, Xiao Rong was still outside boiling water.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">His body had no problems, just some fatigue\u2014a consequence of two days of continuous high-intensity work, not the system\u2019s effect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yuan Baifu has gone too far this time. People of this era were accustomed to collective punishment, so Xiao Rong didn\u2019t notice anything unusual.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When the water boiled, Qu Yunmie came out of the tent and saw Xiao Rong sitting in the open space. He paused. \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you boil it inside?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong sniffled. He seemed a little cold. \u201cIt\u2019s stuffy in the tent. I came out to get some air. Does Your Majesty want water?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie asked, &#8220;Why not tea?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong touched his nose. \u201cI didn\u2019t bring tea leaves.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Such a simple sentence suddenly made Qu Yunmie feel a pang in his heart. If this hadn\u2019t 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 \u201cautumn fattening.\u201d That autumn, he didn\u2019t gain a single ounce, but lost several pounds. Once they returned to the King\u2019s Palace, he would make up for it all.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong squatted and looked up at Qu Yunmie strangely. He hadn\u2019t said anything so why did Qu Yunmie suddenly look so down?<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong thought for a moment and decided it was still Yuan Baifu\u2019s fault. Since Yuan Baifu\u2019s betrayal, Qu Yunmie has acted like someone suddenly thrust into middle age, unpredictable to an absurd degree. He couldn\u2019t help with this, so he tried to distract Qu Yunmie. \u201cLord, are you going to attack the city?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie adjusted his chest armor, then lowered his head and hummed in acknowledgment.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong blinked. \u201cThen\u2026 have a safe journey, My Lord?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie: \u201c&#8230;\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The gloom vanished. Qu Yunmie lifted his head sharply and returned to his displeased state.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He held his breath and turned to leave. After just two steps, someone gently grabbed his hand.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie turned, and before he could do anything, a cup of hot water was placed in his hand. It should\u2019ve been scalding, but the cup was a thick ceramic one, poorly made, so it felt merely warm.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong looked up at him and smiled. \u201cHot water warms your body, prevents your hands and feet from stiffening. The sooner you go, the sooner you\u2019ll return.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie held the cup. This small cup drove away some of the cold, but he didn\u2019t lower his head to drink. He hesitated while looking at Xiao Rong. \u201cYou\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019re not angry with me?<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why are you suddenly being so nice to me?<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Did you wake up last night and hear what I said?<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If Xiao Rong had really heard, Qu Yunmie wouldn\u2019t feel ashamed\u2014after all, no one could embarrass him in front of Xiao Rong\u2014but he would feel annoyed. It would be as if this water had been forced upon him rather than given willingly.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie: \u201c\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes he even annoyed himself.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong said, &#8220;It\u2019s still hot! You can\u2019t drink it!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie felt wronged. \u201cWeren\u2019t you the one who told me to drink it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong rolled his eyes. \u201cIf I told you to drink poison, would you? King of the North, don\u2019t you have any judgment at all?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie: \u201c\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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\u2019s wrists and moved the cup closer, then blew lightly over the water.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">His head hovered over Qu Yunmie\u2019s chest bone, lightly moving. After blowing, Xiao Rong still couldn\u2019t tell if the water had cooled enough, but given the cold outside, it should have.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong held Qu Yunmie\u2019s arms and brought the cup to his lips. \u201cTake a small sip first. If it\u2019s still hot, let it sit a bit longer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie looked at him and drank the whole cup in two sips.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong: \u201c&#8230;\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He stared at Qu Yunmie. \u201cIt\u2026 it\u2019s not hot??\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie kept silent, returned the cup, and strode outside.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether it was hot or not, Xiao Rong didn\u2019t know. Two hours later, news arrived: Qu Yunmie had led his troops to break through Hanzhong\u2019s gates. The city commander surrendered immediately. The defenders dropped their weapons, and Gao Xunzhi has already gone to take over the city.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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\u2019t excessively loot. Small losses were accepted. Being alive was fortunate enough.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie quickly moved the thirty-thousand-plus troops into Hanzhong. He didn\u2019t plan to wait for the remaining infantry, he wanted to continue the attack on Zitong first thing tomorrow.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zitong, however, was some distance from Hanzhong, about 300km, with rough roads. To arrive quickly, they had to march urgently.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Killing Yuan Baifu was a secondary reason. Rescuing the rear army was the main reason.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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\u2019s actions, and the restrained soldiers could no longer hold back.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The two sides didn\u2019t fight, only dozens of bodies were buried at a distance. Scouts exhumed two corpses, recognizing them as Wang Xinyong\u2019s regular subordinates. They had no knife wounds, but instead appeared to have been strangled to death.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the armies had fought, no one would\u2019ve had time to strangle someone. This was probably a public execution.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hearing the scouts report, Xiao Rong immediately recalled Gao Xunzhi\u2019s historical death.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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\u2014it was the public nature.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yuan Baifu had a strange sense of revenge. He required an audience. Whether it was Xiao Rong\u2019s imagination or not, Yuan Baifu seemed to enjoy deciding someone\u2019s life or death.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It wasn\u2019t just this. Executing a rear army officer publicly\u2014wouldn\u2019t that anger the soldiers? They were already not united with him, yet he used such high-pressure measures. Strange. What exactly did he want?<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong couldn\u2019t understand. Qu Yunmie, meanwhile, was furious. He grabbed a nearby teacup and threw it at the wall. The impact shattered it completely.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No one stopped him. After throwing the cup, Qu Yunmie ordered the soldiers not to rest, they would march again first thing tomorrow.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lives were at stake. Xiao Rong couldn\u2019t tell him to wait. He nodded, indicating he would go too.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie turned suddenly. \u201cYou stay here and guard Hanzhong.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong: \u201c&#8230;\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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\u2019t be defended. If Qu Yunmie was fine, Hanzhong didn\u2019t need a guard.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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\u2019t want Xiao Rong to follow.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong refused. \u201cNo. 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\u2019t delay your plans. No matter what you say, I will follow.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie was more stubborn than him. No matter what, he wouldn\u2019t let him follow. Seeing the two about to clash, Gao Xunzhi panicked. This was no time for arguing.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gao Xunzhi hurriedly tried to persuade Xiao Rong. \u201cRong, don\u2019t worry. I will stay by the King\u2019s side and ensure no harm comes from the Southern Yong forces.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong was surprised. He looked at Gao Xunzhi. \u201cChancellor is going too?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gao Xunzhi answered, \u201cYes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong stared for a long moment, then changed his mind. \u201cFine, I\u2019ll stay and guard the city, but I cannot do it alone. Chancellor, you should stay to help me. His Majesty is fine. Don\u2019t worry about him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie: \u201c&#8230;\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You just said otherwise!<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Liar. If I trust you again, I won\u2019t be the King of North!!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>Edited by: Antiope<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Support translation:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/bePatron?u=25191841\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"217\" height=\"51\" class=\"wp-image-338 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ontimestory.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/become_a_patron_button.png?resize=217%2C51\" alt=\"\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 217px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 217\/51;\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ko-fi.com\/lajnaa\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ontimestory.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/kofi3-3.png?resize=185%2C47\" alt=\"This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is kofi3-3.png\" width=\"185\" height=\"47\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 185px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 185\/47;\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n<p><!--EndFragment--><\/p>\r\n<p><!--EndFragment--><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Xiao Rong slept until he woke up naturally. He not only missed breakfast but also lunch. By now, he hadn\u2019t 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 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6644,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[107],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7970","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-your-majesty","entry","has-media"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ontimestory.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240106180053_200_280-1.jpg?fit=199%2C280&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7970","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7970"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7970\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7971,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7970\/revisions\/7971"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6644"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7970"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7970"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7970"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}