Chapter 141: You Can Howl All You Want, But I'll Lose My Ears If I Don't Knock You Out.

When he saw Xiao YuAn was defenselessly sleeping in the inner part of the bed, Yan HeQing raised his eyebrows with light surprise: "You're quite at ease with me around."

Xiao YuAn was so tired that he had already entered a state of shallow sleep, he didn't care whether Yan HeQing will understand his words or not: "Yan-ge, even though you're a Tyrannical President, I know you're not the type of Tyrannical President who thinks with the lower half of his body."

Yan HeQing, on the other hand, no longer bothered him and blew out the candle light placed on the low table. Then, he continued to read the military book with the help of the moonlight shining down from outside the tent.

Although Xiao YuAn was so sleepy that he couldn't speak well, he still said after feeling that the light had dimmed: "Light up the… candle, I… I can sleep, you…. don't damage your eyes… light, light it up."

However, Yan HeQing didn't light the candle, so Xiao YuAn kept talking until the tent was lit by candlelight again.

The next morning, when Xiao YuAn woke up, he found that last night he was sleeping alone when his eyes closed, and after opening his eyes, he was still sleeping all by himself.

The tent was also empty, and Yan HeQing was nowhere to be seen.

Xiao YuAn put the mask on his face and walked out of the tent quite confused. Outside the tent, he found that the entire barracks was empty, so he went to a stationed guard and asked: "Where's your Emperor?"

"Xiao, Physician Xiao? His Majesty led his troops to battle early this morning." The guard replied.

"In such a hurry?! But he's still wounded!" Xiao YuAn shouted.

"Ah…? Isn't it a common thing to be wounded in a war?" The guard was dumbfounded by Xiao YuAn's sudden outburst.

AD

"…." Xiao YuAn found that he was being a bit impolite, so he covered his mouth and coughed. Then he bowed his head and waved his hands, but didn't say anything else as he got up, walking towards the tent where the injured and disabled soldiers were resting.

For the next few days, the wounded soldiers were constantly sent from the battlefield to the military tent. Most of them were covered entirely in blood, and the lucky ones would only suffer from knife and arrow wounds. The unfortunate ones will lack arms and legs, and the most unfortunate of them will directly lose their lives.

Xiao YuAn can easily smell the blood in the air, making him feel nauseous. At one time, a soldier whose face was cut open to the point that the jawbone was visible, was sent into the military tent. Xiao YuAn had desperately tried everything he could to save him, but in the end he still failed to pull that soldier back from Guimen Pass. The only thing he could do was watch the soldier dying in pain after losing his vital energy.

After the corpse of that soldier was wrapped in white cloth and carried out of the tent, Xiao YuAn couldn't help but hold his throat outside the tent as he vomited for a little while. A soldier helped him, patting him on his back: "Physician Xiao, are you alright?"

Xiao YuAn waved his hand and then wiped it clean with clear water. Then he patted the young soldier's shoulder and said earnestly: "If in your next life you become a CEO, remember to support the medical system when you do charity."

The young soldier was very confused: "Huh? Wha-? What? Ah?"

Before Xiao YuAn could recover his strength, someone entered the tent while shouting out loud: "Physician! Save him! Quickly save him! Physician!"

"Thi-….. this way." After vomiting, Xiao YuAn's voice was a little weak, so he simply shut up and directed the soldier carrying another soldier to put him down. He then took the gauze and the medicine to stop the bleeding, but when he saw the soldier's face, he was stunned: "Deputy General Chen?!"

Chen Ge's right shoulder was pierced by a sharp arrow and his abdomen was also hit by another arrow. He must've passed out due to the blood loss, so Xiao YuAn didn't dare to neglect him and began to take out the arrow. Unexpectedly, the arrow of the Eastern Wu Kingdom had a hook and couldn't be taken out without cutting the flesh open, worsening the wound. At this, Xiao YuAn grit his teeth and used a knife to take out the arrow.

Probably because it hurt so much, Chen Ge surprisingly woke up in the middle of the process, and then he began to howl. Xiao YuAn almost lost his hearing by Chen Ge's howling, so he knocked him unconscious with a knife hand strike1, which had stunned the young soldiers around them.

When Deputy General Chen woke up for the second time, his first words were: "Don't knock me out! I have something to say!"

Xiao YuAn was wrapping the final bandage, so he raised his chin to indicate that Chen Ge could say it. Then, Deputy General Chen howled: "This battle will soon be over! We're about to win! Aahhhhhhh it hurts! Motherfucker it really hurts! Holy shit!"

"

"

Xiao YuAn rubbed his ear, and without hesitation, he knocked Chen Ge out with a knife hand strike again.

Chapter 142: You Can Say Anything You Want, But I'll Lose If I Don't Know What You're Thinking.

When Deputy General Chen woke up for the third time, it was already the middle of the night. Once he was conscious, and he was about to begin shouting again, Xiao YuAn covered his mouth: "Don't scream, everyone's sleeping right now."

Chen Ge looked around the tent and found that the wounded soldiers lying around were sleeping soundly, so he had to bear the pain and groan silently: "Physician Xiao, your hand is too strong. After hitting me I'm afraid you've twisted my neck."

Xiao YuAn: "You should be glad I stopped you from shouting just now."

Chen Ge shrunk his neck and asked: "Physician Xiao, why aren't you sleeping?"

Xiao YuAn's eyebrows showed how tired he was, as he pointed at a young soldier next to him. The young soldier's body was covered in cloth, looking extremely pitiful: "He has a fever, and I have to constantly change the wet cloth on his forehead to cool him down. I have to watch his progress."

Chen Ge replied: "Physician Xiao, if you overwork yourself, His Majesty will feel distressed once he comes back."

Xiao YuAn was stunned at first, but then he replied with a smile: "How did you find out?"

Chen Ge: "I've been following His Majesty for so long, and yet, I've never seen him get close to anyone. However, not only did you two ride a horse together, but he also invited you to his tent at night. That has never happened before."

Xiao YuAn removed the cloth from the forehead of the young soldier, which was warm due to the body's fever, and placed it in the basin with cold water: "Riding together may be because I saved his life. As for him asking to see me late at night, that may also have been because he felt pain from his wounds and called for me to check on them. Your two arguments are too far-fetched."

Chen Ge's eyes were wide: "Physician Xiao, His Majesty wasn't injured to the extent in which he couldn't stand, so he would never call a military physician to check on him. He would just get over it by himself! And, do you know how much he has changed ever since you appeared? He used to lead his troops to war, rushing to the forefront as if he didn't care about his own life, hoping that Yama1 would take his life as soon as possible! Now, he's taking care of his life!"

Xiao YuAn, who was rubbing the cloth in the cold water, became stunned at Chen Ge's words. After a short while, he folded the cloth and put it back on the young soldier's forehead: "Alright, alright, don't speak about it."

AD

"No, I must say it. Otherwise, you won't understand His Majesty's feelings!" Chen Ge didn't give up.

Xiao YuAn raised a smile, and with his hand, he gestured at Chen Ge that he would knock him out again, making Chen Ge shrink on the bed and shout: "I'm an injured patient! Injured!"

Xiao YuAn then pretended to wave his hand at him, scaring Chen Ge into shutting up. Once he saw that he finally had quieted down, Xiao YuAn asked: "You said that you're afraid of pain, so why did you want to become a soldier?"

Chen Ge replied sheepishly: "In fact, I know that although I look big and strong, in nature I'm actually quite weak. But, you know that the Northern Kingdom attacked the Southern Yan Kingdom some years ago? My family was slaughtered by those bastards, and when they thought that I might've some strength, they wanted to capture me as well. At that precise moment, General Xue Yan saved me, so I have been following him ever since. Before, the only thing I thought about day and night, was about how to avenge my people; but now that the Northern Kingdom has been conquered by His Majesty, I feel less hatred inside of me."

Xiao YuAn: "Do you hate the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom?"

Chen Ge slapped his leg: "I definitely hate him to the core. Damn, back then, when their iron cavalry trampled into our town and set it on fire, they didn't leave any survivors! They're a bunch of beasts, so all of the Northern Emperor's descendents should've been fucking evil!"

Xiao YuAn then asked again: "Then, what do you think of me?"

Chen Ge replied: "Physician Xiao, you're the most gentle person I've ever met! You're so nice, no wonder His Majesty would be attracted to you!"

Xiao YuAn: "Damn, you're a big pig's hoof2!"

Then, Chen Ge was, once again, struck unconscious by the most gentle person he had ever met with a knife hand strike3.

Chapter 143: You Can Flirt All You Want, But I'll Lose If Something Doesn't Happen.

When Chen Ge woke up again, he was awakened by a round of cheering. His eyes were full of sparks as he asked: "Huh? What happened?"

Someone shouted in his ear: "The front line has won! The army is already stationed there! We'll leave tomorrow and follow the troops there!"

"Oh!" After cheering for a while, Chen Ge turned his head around to look for someone, and when he didn't find that person, he asked: "Hey, where's Physician Xiao?"

Someone replied: "I don't know why, but as soon as His Majesty won the battle, he rushed back overnight, leaving a few Generals stationed at the front line. Just now, Physician Xiao asked if His Majesty was injured; after that, he hurriedly went to find His Majesty."

Deputy General Chen, who was a single person by nature, sneered: "My heart is so lonely, it's really fucking sour."

Yan HeQing's shoulder was cut by a sharp blade, even though it had already been bandaged, Xiao YuAn disliked the roughness of the bandage and was currently reapplying medicine on him. Xiao YuAn brought a basin with clean water, carefully wiping away the dry blood and sticky dirt from Yan HeQing's wound: "Does it hurt?"

Yan HeQing slightly lowered his head to look at the person in front of him, unwilling to look away: "It doesn't hurt."

Xiao YuAn replied with a smile: "I can't help you if it hurts, so you have to bear with it."

Yan HeQing: "I know a way to stop the pain."

Xiao YuAn: "Oh? You mean a compress with herbal medicine to stop the pain? The effect of that method is not that good. I applied it to Chen Ge before, but he still kept on squealing like a pig."

AD

Yan HeQing shook his head: "No."

Xiao YuAn: "Then what else can I do?"

Yan HeQing slightly leaned over and whispered in Xiao YuAn's ear with a soft seductive voice: "If you kiss me, it won't hurt anymore."

Xiao YuAn: "….. You, y-you don't flirt with me. I-I'll tell you how to apply h-herbal medicine, wa-wait. I, m-my hand is trembling, you have to pr-press it into the wound, the-then i-it wo-won't hurt anymore."

The corners of Yan HeQing's mouth raised slightly: "You do it, you're responsible for stopping the pain."

'Why is this phrase so similar to 'you stirred up the fire, you have to extinguish it yourself'?'

'So you showed me that you decided to be a considerate and protective man, but you secretly decided to become a Tyrannical President?'

Xiao YuAn didn't reply to him, he just lowered his head and proceeded to clean Yan HeQing's wound. Then he applied the medicine, bandaged it with clean cloth, and half supported Yan HeQing's shoulder, then gently kissed his wound.

The candlelight in the tent was flickering slightly, making their shadows move. Somehow, these shaking shadows were reflected into the bottom of his eyes, making his eyes become extremely deep and dark.

As soon as Xiao YuAn raised his head, his chin was pinched by Yan HeQing's hand, who also tightly wrapped his other hand around Xiao YuAn's waist, as he raised his chin up. Xiao YuAn's eyes gradually widened until he ended up closing them the moment he thought he would be kissed.

"I've come to report!" A soldier outside the tent suddenly lifted the curtain and ran inside, then he proceeded to kneel down with one fist clasping his knee. When he saw the situation inside the tent, the overbearing soldier instantly turned shy: "I-I've co-come to re-re-report Ge-general Hu-huang, he, he, he, he asked to see His Majesty."

Xiao YuAn: "…"

"

"

Yan HeQing: "…"

The soldier's hands were shaking, his legs were shaking, his internal organs were shaking. He has lived for 35 years and reported news for seven years now. But, for fuck's sake! He has never! Seen! A situation like this!

What should he do? Would it be useful to hit his own Tiangling acupuncture point1 and then pretend to faint?

Xiao YuAn coughed lightly and with a small voice he said: "Yan, Yan-ge can you re-remove your ha-hand?"

Yan HeQing let go of Xiao YuAn's chin and wrapped his arms around his waist instead. Then he turned his head to look at the reporting soldier and said: "Let the General know that he can come in."

The soldier's voice trembled as he replied a small 'yes', and then he ran out of the tent in the blink of an eye.

As soon as the soldier ran out of the tent, Yan HeQing quickly turned his head around, looking at the corner of Xiao YuAn's mouth, who had not yet reacted, and kissed him before he had to reluctantly release him.

Chapter 144: You Can Do Whatever You Want, But I'll Lose If The Rebellion Is Successful.

When General Huang Yue lifted the curtain and stepped into the tent, he saw Yan HeQing solemnly sitting at the low table. A man wearing a silver mask, with his head lowered, was carrying a basin to go outside.

Huang Yue couldn't help but look at him for a few moments: "Hey? Are you Physician Xiao?"

Xiao YuAn raised his head: "Hmm? Yes, that's me."

"I've heard about you. Recently, the battlefield is burning, and you've been working hard, but why are you wearing a mask? Are you perhaps ashamed to show your face to others?" Even though this was the first time they met, Huang Yue's reproaching tone wasn't hidden.

Before Xiao YuAn could answer, Yan HeQing spoke coldly: "General Huang, what did you come to report?"

Huang Yue no longer embarrassed Xiao YuAn, and quickly reported the war's situation to Yan HeQing. Xiao YuAn took advantage of this, and with the basin in hand, he walked out of the tent.

After he poured the water out of the basin, Xiao YuAn suddenly remembered something after he muttered 'General Huang' a few times. Then he turned his head to ask the soldier guarding the tent: "Xiaoge1, let me ask you, is the General who went in just now named Huang Yue?"

After receiving an affirmative reply, Xiao YuAn frowned slightly.

In the original book, Huang Yue was a General who thought he wasn't successful enough. As one of the Generals of the Southern Yan Kingdom, he acts with undue confidence of his own ability, and looks down upon others2. He's also arrogant and conceited, always thinking that he's the most powerful General beside the Emperor, but then, Li Wuding appeared.

Huang Yue depised Li Wuding, because to him, Li Wuding was nothing more than a dirty traitor. However, Yan HeQing thought very highly of him, and discussed everything with him before making a final decision. These acts made Huang Yue develop a grudge towards Li Wuding. The final straw occurred when Yan HeQing gave Li Wuding the position of Great General after he conquered the Four Kingdoms, and unified them into one great Country.

A General, who was once an enemy, was now granted a powerful position. Huang Yue didn't say anything on the surface, but in fact, he was secretly colluding with his allies; seeking power and wanting to usurp the throne.

AD

Naturally, Yan HeQing cut his head off with his sword, and his attempt of rebellion became a failure.

This man, with his own strength, slightly pulled the second part of this harem novel back to the plot of a historical novel. Even though his death was extremely stupid, this self-sacrifice and high dedication was worthy of respect!

So, in order to express their respect for this cannon fodder, the readers filled three whole pages of the comment section with nothing more than "hahahaha".

Xiao YuAn hugged the basin, thinking that now that Li Wuding was dead, Huang Yue won't feel frustrated, or at least, he won't become a villain, right?

Meanwhile, inside the tent, Huang Yue was analyzing the current situation with Yan HeQing: "Your Majesty, although we have won the battle this time, the enemy's main General still hasn't been caught. I think that we should take advantage of the victory and pursue another attack, annihilating them in one fell swoop."

Yan HeQing frowned: "This victory was a bit too easy. I'm worried that something is wrong."

"Your Majesty, you must not hesitate!" Huang Yue advised.

Yan HeQing rubbed his eyebrows: "I'll think about it."

Huang Yue couldn't help but retire. He walked out of the tent, and his Deputy General, who had been waiting for him for a long time, greeted him: "General, what's the situation? Will His Majesty chase down the deserters?"

"Humph." Huang Yue snorted and gave him a disdainful look: "The Emperor is actually quite indecisive. If he cut the grass without removing the roots, there are bound to be problems in the future. By the way, you should pay more attention to the new physician in the barracks. I have a feeling that his body resembles the former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom. Besides, he's wearing a mask as if he shouldn't be recognized. Something is definitely not right."

"What? But if he really is the former Northern Kingdom's Emperor, how could His Majesty not recognize him?" The Deputy General stared at him with wide eyes.

Huang Yue, with his hands hidden behind his back, deliberately dragged out his words as he said meaningfully: "I'm afraid that it is because he was recognized, that he can stay around. In the past, the Emperor was indeed-… cough, it doesn't matter, you just have to pay attention to him. Don't let him disturb the Emperor's mind. If it's true that the Northern Emperor is hiding here, and he tries to take an opportunity to get revenge, then that would be a huge problem."

AD

The Deputy General cupped his fist, showing that he understood what he should do.

Huang Yue waved his hand: "Watch over him more. Alright, you can go rest now."

The Deputy General saluted him with respect, turned around and went to his tent. The moon was dark and the wind was high. There weren't many guards inside the barracks, so when the Deputy General suddenly looked around, he saw no one. At that moment, he silently ran out of the barracks. After running for about a quarter of an hour, he found an ancient tree. The Deputy General took a piece of cloth from his sleeve, bit his finger, and wrote something on it with his blood. Then he buried it under the tree, got up, and went back to the barracks.

Chapter 145: You Can Gossip All You Want, But I'll Lose If I Don't Understand.

Xiao YuAn returned to the tent where the wounded soldiers were recuperating. However, when Chen Ge saw him, he asked incredulously with wide eyes: "Physician Xiao, why did you come back? Shouldn't you be sleeping in the Emperor's tent tonight?"

Xiao YuAn: "…. Did I hear wrong, or did you mean it in 'that way'?"

Chen Ge replied straightforwardly: "I mean it, shouldn't you be with His Majesty at this moment-… Ow!"

Xiao YuAn slapped Chen Ge on the wound before he could say anything embarrassing. While he heard Chen Ge's howling, Xiao YuAn said with a smile: "If I don't come back, then who will change your bandages and apply the medicine?"

Chen Ge shouted: "Ahhh Physician Xiao ahhhh! I'm not begging you to change my bandages! I only beg you to not hit my wounds!"

After Chen Ge finally calmed down, Xiao YuAn carefully applied the new medicine.

They were silent for a while, until Chen Ge whispered: "Physician Xiao, have you expressed your feelings for His Majesty yet? I can see you didn't, otherwise, you wouldn't be back here tonight."

Xiao YuAn laughed: "You have the appearance of a 2 meters tall, rough man, but you're actually someone with a soft and delicate heart."

Chen Ge hmmed twice, taking it as a compliment.

Xiao YuAn finished applying the herbal medicine, and then said: "I can't help it. After all, in this world one must be very careful. The more you care, the more you will hesitate. In fact, I'm not someone who worries a lot, and I'm not concerned about myself; but when I think about him, I can't help but worry all the time. We have different statuses, and I'm afraid that gossip will drown him."

Chen Ge replied: "Physician Xiao, you shouldn't care about this. You just need to know that His Majesty is fond of you. If you think that you're helping him by worrying this much, in fact, you're harming him. Right now, you two are in front of an abyss, in which His Majesty won't hesitate to jump into. But if you're too worried thinking about this and that, you'll turn around at any time, and then you will leave him alone, wandering in the depths of the abyss. Sigh, His Majesty is so pitiful."

AD

Xiao YuAn: "…. My friend, you're awesome! If you were to open a relationship consulting shop in modern times, you will definitely become famous!"

Chen Ge pressed down on Xiao YuAn's shoulder, as he shook him back and forth while yelling at him: "Physician Xiao, stop talking nonsense! Did you even understand what I just said?!"

"I understood, I understood." Xiao YuAn, who was shaken back and forth by Chen Ge, was so dizzy that he leaned backwards and then forward. After steading himself, he clenched his fist bravely and said: "Alright then! Tomorrow I'll go to Yan HeQing and I'll strip his clothes! Then I'll make love to him, 'this way' and 'that way'!"

Chen Ge no longer tried to shake him, but he still shouted out loud hesitantly: "Physician Xiao, what? I thought you were 'under' His Majesty…."

XIao YuAn slapped his wound again: "Do you have to expose me like this?! Comrade Chen! A man should have aspirations! And a great man should have high aspirations!"

Chen Ge inhaled and exhaled, he still couldn't help but cover his wound and rolled around on the ground. It was so painful that he almost lost his breath, so he said unforgivingly: "Physician Xiao, those who… suit their actions to the time… are wise1!"

Xiao YuAn stopped talking as he went forward and swung his arm, mercilessly beating Deputy General Chen with a broken cloth.

The next day, Xiao YuAn really went to find Yan HeQing. However, the war situation unexpectedly changed, and Yan HeQing was discussing major decisions with several Generals.

The reason behind this, was that the scouts had found traces of the remaining Eastern Wu troops. The report mentioned that they were retreating to the next line of defense, which was at a town in the Eastern Wu Kingdom. If these news were to be true, then as long as they lead elite soldiers to chase after them, they can effortlessly attack them in one fell swoop.

However, some Generals felt that these battles were won way too smoothly, so they suspected this was actually a trap. Their next movement should be extremely cautious. For a moment, the tent was so noisy that it seemed the people inside were quarreling instead of having a conversation.

Naturally, Xiao YuAn couldn't disturb Yan HeQing at this time, so he simply turned around, and left. Huang Yue's Deputy General, who had been guarding the gate of the tent, narrowed his eyes slightly, and quietly followed behind him.

Chapter 146: Learn More About The Spy's Treason.

Outside the tent, Deputy General Chen, who was now basically healed, was twisting his waist and swinging his hands to stretch out his stiff body. When he saw that Xiao YuAn came back, he couldn't help but ask: "Physician Xiao, why did you come back? Weren't you going to look for His Majesty?"

Xiao YuAn shrugged his shoulders and spread out his hands: "Yan-ge is busy, I didn't see him."

"How come he's never been busy in the mornings or late at night until now?! But he happens to be busy right now?!" Chen Ge howled.

Xiao YuAn laughed out loud: "I'm not in a hurry, so why are you acting all impatient for? It's alright, the guard in front of Yan-ge's tent said that once Yan-ge finishes discussing with the Generals, he would inform him that I went to go see him."

Chen Ge wanted to say something, but stopped himself the moment he saw a young soldier running out from the tent. When the young soldier saw Xiao YuAn, he quickly pulled him inside: "Physician Xiao, you're here! I've finally found you! It seems that one of the soldiers' wounds became extremely serious. Quick, go to check on him."

Xiao YuAn didn't dare to be slow as he quickly opened the curtain and walked in. The wounded soldier was the one who had a poor healing ability, and since the weather was hot, the wound didn't scab over; instead, it turned into pus. Fortunately, it wasn't very serious, so Xiao YuAn simply asked someone to bring him a strong wine so that he could clean the soldier's wound. After several tosses, the wounded soldier was finally better, but Xiao YuAn ended up dirtying himself.

Xiao YuAn felt disgusting, so he took some clean clothes and a wooden basin, intending to go to the river half a mile away from the barracks to clean himself. No officer below the rank of a Deputy General was allowed to leave the barracks without permission, so Xiao YuAn took a permission slip given to him by Yan HeQing, which stated that he could wander in and out of the barracks at will.

After such a busy day, in the twinkling of an eye, the moon and stars appeared in the night sky again. Xiao YuAn then untied his clothes, took off his mask, and scooped a handful of water to wash his cheeks. Then he scooped more river water and slowly poured it on his body, slowly adapting himself to the slightly cool water temperature.

The temperature was slightly cold in the countryside, and the moonlight shining on the surface of the river was gently stirred by Xiao YuAn's movements. Because of the sound of water, Xiao YuAn didn't notice the strange soft sound coming from the grass behind him.

Huang Yue's Deputy General rushed back to the barracks, heading towards the tent where a group of Generals argued from day to night, until finally, they were finally able to make a final decision. At that moment, the Deputy General leaned over Huang Yue and whispered a few words in his ear.

Huang Yue's eyes widened and led him to a deserted place, then he asked: "Did you see him clearly? Are you completely sure that he's the former Northern Kingdom's Emperor?"

AD

The Deputy General nodded with certainty: "General Huang, should we take him-…?"

"No. The Emperor will never allow such a thing. Tomorrow His Majesty will personally go after the Eastern Wu deserters, so we can't do anything right now." Huang Yue frowned, stroked his chin, and whispered: "We shall wait until we defeat the Eastern Wu Kingdom, and then discuss this matter with General Xue."

The Deputy General's eyes suddenly lit up for some unknown reason as he hastily lowered his head in order to suppress his thoughts, then he cautiously asked: "General Huang, is His Majesty really going to chase after the Eastern Wu deserters tomorrow?"

"Yes, the Emperor intends to lead elite troops to sneak attack. Even if there's a trap, he can still catch them off guard. I think that His Majesty is being too cautious. The enemy's army is already in ruins and their General has already been defeated once, so why bother?" Huang Yue said.

The Deputy General saluted him: "The General is wise, wise, wise."

He said three times in a row, and every time he said it, his head would lower a bit more; his tone would be a bit higher, and the last letter would be a bit longer.

"Alright, let's have a rest. The matter concerning the former Northern Kingdom's Emperor will have to wait until the war is over." Huang Yue waved his hand and turned around to leave.

On the other hand, the Deputy General bent down and clasped his fist. Once Huang Yue was long gone, he got up and took advantage of the night's darkness, once again going to the ancient tree outside the barracks.

This time, there was a remnant of the piece of cloth he buried under the ancient tree last time, and with the help of the moonlight, the Deputy General saw a big word written on it: "Withdraw."

As the white moonlight fell, the Deputy General showed a sinister smile, then he bit his finger and wrote: "Don't worry, we have a scapegoat."

Chapter 147: Learn More About The Lost Clothes In The River.

Xiao YuAn was shivering while he was taking a bath in the river under the cool night, and illuminated only by the moonlight, the water turned even colder. Xiao YuAn was in a hurry to rub himself clean, stirring the water from the bottom of the river. Then, he half-walked, half-swam towards the shore, where he had put his clean clothes; only to find a monkey playing around with his clothes.

Xiao YuAn threw a small stone next to the monkey, trying to scare it away: "My clothes aren't food, so why are you so curious about them?"

The monkey was startled at this, and he bared his teeth while screeching at Xiao YuAn. Then he picked up one of Xiao YuAn's shoes and threw it towards the river with force.

"Hey!" Xiao YuAn shouted and turned around to catch the shoe mid-air; but in the end, he couldn't catch it, and the shoe floated away.

That monkey was still on the shore, making threatening screams at Xiao YuAn: "You're mean, really mean, but you can't be evil."

'Without a shoe, would it be difficult to jump back to the barracks on one foot?' Xiao YuAn walked up the shore with a headache and reached for his clothes. However, the monkey unexpectedly picked up the clothes on the ground and ran away, screaming all the way into the woods.

Xiao YuAn was stunned for a full second, and when he reacted, he wanted to chase after the monkey: "Hey! Stop!"

At that moment, he saw that a man was approaching this place, and Xiao YuAn immediately thought that it might be a soldier who came to take a bath in the river. Instantly, Xiao YuAn didn't care about the monkey anymore, turned his head around, and jumped back into the river.

Yan HeQing: "…"

Xiao YuAn got out of the river and wiped off the water on his face: "Yan-ge! A monkey stole my clothes! Quick, quickly help me chase after it!"

Yan HeQing looked at the direction he pointed, but after a while passed, he didn't see any monkey around.

At that, Xiao YuAn submerged himself in the river, hoping that he would drown due to the embarrassment.

Yan HeQing leaned over the river and stretched out his hand: "Come up, the water is cold."

Xiao YuAn came to the surface of the water again, spat out a mouthful of water, and said: "I'm not wearing any clothes, and I don't have any clothes to wear."

Yan HeQing coughed lightly, took off his outer robe, and handed it to him. Then he said: "You can wear this for now. Now, come out."

Xiao YuAn hesitantly walked up the shore, took Yan HeQing's outer robe, and quickly put it on, then hurriedly walked towards the barracks: "Let's g-go back to find clothes, it's cold."

Yan HeQing, with a few steps, caught up with Xiao YuAn and picked him up: "There's no need to rush back. Besides, you don't have any shoes. If you go back like this, you'll hurt your feet."

For a moment, Xiao YuAn unconsciously reached out and hugged Yan HeQing's neck to prevent himself from falling. When he came back to reality, he found that he was thinking too much, and Yan HeQing was walking like a flying, stable and steady horse.

Xiao YuAn couldn't help but say: "Yan-ge, I'm a full grown man, so if I hug you like this, wouldn't that make you lose face? Even though you're really cool, this is still about saving face, wouldn't it be better to carry me on your back?"

Yan HeQing replied: "You're not wearing any pants, I can't carry you like that."

Xiao YuAn: "Oh alright, alright…. yes, that's reasonable. I suddenly miss my own body, because even though you'll still be able to lift me, at least I can make you stumble a little."

At that moment, Xiao YuAn inexplicably remembered the Prince of the Western Shu Kingdom, who looked exactly like himself in his past life, and immediately shook his head.

Yan HeQing glanced at him and asked him: "Are you feeling cold?"

AD

"Huh? What?" Xiao YuAn came back to his senses and said: "Cold? Ah, I seem to feel a little bit cold."

When he came out of the river, Xiao YuAn didn't dry off his body. Unexpectedly, Yan HeQing's outer robe, which was wrapped around Xiao YuAn, wasn't soaked; but since the outer robe couldn't cover his entire body, he could still feel a little chill run through his body.

Without saying a word, Yan HeQing hugged Xiao YuAn tightly, and started to walk faster towards the barracks. When the patrolling soldiers saw the Emperor hugging an almost naked boy, dressed only in a thin robe, they were so surprised that their long spears fell to the ground.

Xiao YuAn looked at the sky and then at the ground, coughed two times, and shouted at them: "I went to take a bath and a monkey stole my clothes! What are you looking at? Me being held? What's wrong with being held like this? This only shows that your Emperor is very kind towards other people's circumstances, am I right? Did you know that your Emperor adheres to the leadership method, and working policy, of 'From the masses, to the masses1'? Don't think of strange things only because you're still young."

The young soldiers were characterized as being selectively deaf and blind, but they still couldn't help roaring inside their minds: 'Who the hell would believe you!'

Chapter 148: Learn More About The Flirtatious Jade Flute.

Yan HeQing carried Xiao YuAn towards his tent and Xiao YuAn was surprised: "Yan-ge, the tent in which I'm resting for the moment is not this way."

Yan HeQing hmmed but didn't stop walking.

Xiao YuAn: "I know that you want me to sleep in your tent, but my clothes are in my tent. You must let me get my clothes, right?"

Yan HeQing looked at him: "You can wear mine."

Xiao YuAn: "….. your clothes don't fit me."

Yan HeQing: "Yes, I know. Wear my clothes."

Xiao YuAn: "….. Alright, fine."

Yan HeQing continued carrying Xiao YuAn towards his tent, and when they arrived, he placed Xiao YuAn on the bed. Xiao YuAn dried himself with the already wet robe, and his body was trembling as he covered himself with the warm blanket. Then he looked up and saw that Yan HeQing was getting him a pair of clothes: "Yan-ge, did Chen Ge tell you that I was at the river?"

Yan HeQing hmmed as he gave him a clean pair of outer garments and white inner clothes. Xiao YuAn took the clothes and asked again: "Yan-ge, didn't you say that you wanted to show me something last time?"

"Yes." After he said that, Yan HeQing took out a small wooden box from a relatively secret place. The wooden box was padded with red silk cloth when he opened it, and on top of the silk cloth, laid a transparent white jade flute. The red tassels on the jade flute were slightly old, as if they could describe the joy and sorrows from more than a year ago.

Xiao YuAn had just put on the inner clothes and was still holding the outer robe in his hand, when he stood frozen in place, with his mouth slightly opened out of surprise.

AD

When he gave that jade flute to Yan HeQing at the time, he hadn't thought too much about it. But now, when he recalled that moment a bit more, there really seemed to be some other kind of thoughts inside his mind.

Yan HeQing took out the jade flute from the wooden box and asked Xiao YuAn: "Would you listen?"

Xiao YuAn grabbed Yan HeQing and made him sit beside him: "I'll listen!"

Yan HeQing nodded his head and then proceeded to place the jade flute on his lips. That year, when they were at the market decorated with lanterns, the sound of the flute spoke about his feelings, but no one knew about them. Later, when he was all alone, the sound of the flute spoke about his greving love, and again, no one knew about it.

And now, seeing Xiao YuAn in front of him, the corners of his mouth raised with a gentle smile, and his eyes were imprinted with a lifetime of spring warmth as well as the cold of autumn.

After playing a song, Yan HeQing removed the jade flute from his lips and flipped the flute with his opposite hand towards Xiao YuAn, handing it over without saying a word.

"Huh? Do you want me to give it a try?" Even though he was puzzled, Xiao YuAn reached out to take the jade flute regardless. Then he followed Yan HeQing's instructions on how to hold the flute and placed it on his lips. However, in the end, he couldn't produce any sound even though he blew air for a while.

Xiao YuAn looked at Yan HeQing helplessly, and when their eyes met, Yan HeQing suddenly leaned down to kiss the other end of the jade flute on top of Xiao YuAn's lips.

Their lips and tongues were separated by a flute who was only a finger bone wide.

Xiao YuAn's eyes suddenly widened, as he unconsciously tried to move back. However, Yan HeQing pressed the back of his neck, and the only thing he could do was watch how Yan HeQing stretched out his other hand to hold the end of the flute, and little by little, he began to move it away.

The cold body of the jade flute slowly passed by Xiao YuAn's lips, and every time a flute hole passed over, Xiao YuAn's heart jumped a bit. When Yan HeQing moved the flute away, their breaths immediately mixed together, however, their lips were still an inch away from the other; which made Xiao YuAn feel that if he moved a little, he could touch Yan HeQing's lips.

The cold flute that was held by Yan HeQing, slowly touched the corner of Xiao YuAn's mouth, gradually passing past his chin, until it finally reached Xiao YuAn's Adam's apple; which was rolling up and down due to his nervousness.

AD

Xiao YuAn opened his mouth slightly as if he wanted to say something, but at that moment, Yan HeQing lifted his chin with the jade flute and leaned over to kiss his lips. At first, the kiss was tentative and gentle, tender and loving. But then, as if he couldn't get enough, Yan HeQing pressed the back of Xiao YuAn's neck and gradually deepened the kiss, beginning to invade Xiao YuAn's mouth with his tongue. After a while, Xiao YuAn could no longer breathe due to the intense kiss, and Yan HeQing mercifully let him go.

Yan HeQing lightly licked the corner of Xiao YuAn's mouth, straightened up, looked at him and said: "Xiao YuAn, I need an answer."

Chapter 149: Learn More About A Sleepless Night.

Xiao YuAn covered his face with one hand, taking some time to calm his breathing. When he finally lowered his hand, he mumbled something and then said: "Yan-ge, I just think that after I made you wait for an answer for so long, if I give you such a simple reply, then I will be too insensitive…"

Yan HeQing held Xiao YuAn's shoulder with one hand, while with the other hand, which was still holding the flute, he started opening Xiao YuAn's undergarments. Then, Yan HeQing slowly slid the flute down Xiao YuAn's abdomen, making a slow circle around his belly button, only to gradually go down to his lower body.

Xiao YuAn blushed, and when he was about to stop Yan HeQing's mischievous hand, he saw Yan HeQing leaning over his ear. Yan HeQing's voice was raspy and his breath was slightly hot: "Since a simple answer would make you look too insensitive, then would it be too insensitive of me if I press you against the bed? If I make you tremble with pleasure until you can't cry anymore, to the point in which you'll have to beg for mercy, until you can give a concise answer? Would that make you seem less insensitive?"

Xiao YuAn: "….."

'Damn, why couldn't I figure out the essence of the 300 quotes of a Tyrannical President at that time? But you're able to say such golden sentences the moment you open your mouth?'

Xiao YuAn: "T-th-this, m-m-me, y-yo-you, h-h-he…."

Yan HeQIng: "… He?"

Xiao YuAn: "Nonono! It's not 'he'! It's your hand! Your Hand!"

Yan HeQing withdrew his hand and hugged Xiao YuAn tightly. While resting his forehead on Xiao YuAn's shoulder, he said: "I always feel like this is just a dream, and that if I wake up, you'll be gone."

Xiao YuAn's throat constricted as he reached out to stroke Yan HeQing's back: "Yan-ge…."

Yan HeQing interrupted him and continued: "When we parted ways in the Northern Kingdom, you left with such determination, and at the time I felt that this was the way it should be. However, now that you're clearly beside me, I'm worried all day long, afraid that I will lose you."

AD

Xiao YuAn's heart was filled with mixed feelings for a moment. 'How can you speak as if you were an arrogant, cold and ruthless man? When in fact, you're showing such a soft and tender attitude, as if you were afraid that one single sentence would hurt you?'

Xiao YuAn stretched out his hands and hugged him back: "Yan-ge, I… how about… why don't you just fuck me?"

Yan HeQing: "…"

Xiao YuAn coughed twice as his eyes shifted around, and then finally said: "Uhm… I just think that after you said all that stuff, then you might as well take action, right? Hu-human efforts can achieve anything1. Yo-you can't be an empty talker, after all, pr-…. practice is the source of knowledge! It's the driving force of cognitive development! It's a standard to test whether the knowledge is correct or not! It's the ultimate goal of knowledge!"

Yan HeQing couldn't bear it any longer as he pressed Xiao YuAn down and fiercely kissed him on the lips. When the kiss ended, Xiao YuAn was short of breath and his chest was violently moving up and down. Then, when his clothes were torn open, and his bare snow-white chest was half exposed, Yan HeQing nibbled on his collarbone and shoulders trying to calm himself. As he relaxed his breath, Yan HeQing showed an extremely patient expression on his face as he backed away.

Xiao YuAn's voice was still trembling as he asked: "Wh-what's wrong?"

Yan HeQing scolded himself angrily, covered his mouth with one hand and said: "Not tonight…."

"Ah, yes, you're going to lead the army to war tomorrow morning, right?" Xiao YuAn sat up on the bed as he fixed his clothes.

'Wait, shouldn't I be the one who's worried about not being able to get up?'

As if understanding Xiao YuAn's doubts, Yan HeQing put his hand on Xiao YuAn's head, and while rubbing his temples, he said: "Leaving aside one sleepless night. For the next few days, I'll be thinking about you all the time, and I'll be unable to think about anything else."

'A sleepless night?!'

'Night?!'

AD

'A whole night? Is that what he understood?!'

Inexplicably, Xiao YuAn remembered the episode in which Yan HeQing 'spent' a whole night with ten women in the original work, and his face suddenly became unnatural.

'Can we go back? Can we stop "practicing"? How about I give you an answer instead? Communication is very important after all!'

Yan HeQing's face showed reluctance as he impatiently weighed the pros and cons inside his mind.

Xiao YuAn thought about it for a moment, patted him on his shoulder and said: "Yan-ge, you can go. I'll be here anyway, so I won't leave you. I'll wait for you to come back, and when you come back, we'll make things clear. I'll give you a proper reply, and we'll do everything that we should do."

Yan HeQing looked at him but didn't say anything for a long time. He still looked as if he couldn't wait, so Xiao YuAn thought about it and gave him a kiss on the lips.

As soon as Xiao YuAn kissed him, Yan HeQing's eyes darkened, kissing Xiao YuAn again and again. However, because he was afraid that he won't be able to control himself, he let Xiao YuAn go back to the physician's tent.

Since Yan HeQing was in a bad mood, he poured cold water on his body to calm himself down.

Chapter 150: Learn More About The News Of Someone's Death.

The next day, Xiao YuAn woke up early in the morning, since he wanted to look at Yan HeQing's battlefield appearance from a distance and feel how strong he was. However, who would've thought that they would set out when the stars and the moon were still out in the night sky. So in the end, Xiao YuAn couldn't bid him farewell and had to return to his tent feeling a bit unhappy.

In the next few days, Xiao YuAn treated the soldier's wounds as per usual, looking the same as always.

However, Deputy General Chen had something to say.

A lot to say!

Deputy General Chen hesitated to say it, but in the end, he couldn't help but stammer: "Physician Xiao, what's this? I have a wound on my right shoulder, so why are you putting medicine on my arm?"

Xiao YuAn calmly and unhurriedly applied medicine to his shoulder, only to say next: "The medicine can be used in many ways. It can be applied to the shoulder ten times, and be delivered to the arm once."

Chen Ge: "Physician Xiao don't worry, His Majesty will be back soon."

Xiao YuAn chuckled. "I'm not worried."

'Yan HeQing has the aura of the Male Lead, so what should I be worried about?'

Chen Ge grimaced: "Physician Xiao, my right shoulder is the injured one, not the left shoulder, and yet you're still saying that you're not worried. You've been restless the past few days, you-…"

Before he could finish saying what he wanted to say, Xiao YuAn took some medicine and pressed it on Deputy General Chen's wound. Instantly, a miserable howl came out of his throat and his next words were immediately blocked.

Suddenly, from outside the tent, a young soldier lifted the curtain and screamed: "Is Deputy General Chen here?! General Huang is urgently requesting his presence!"

"What happened?!" Chen Ge stood up in a hurry. The young soldier's face was extremely pale, and his forehead was full dripping with sweat as he rushed towards Chen Ge. Then he leaned over to his ear, and whispered a few words. Meanwhile, Xiao YuAn, who was cleaning the medicine jar, vaguely heard the words 'His Majesty' and 'front line'. At this, he couldn't help but raise his head to look at Chen Ge, only to see his face suddenly turning blue!

"How could this happen?!" Chen Ge stood up abruptly. He was so shocked that he didn't even pay attention to Xiao YuAn as he quickly followed the young soldier.

Chen Ge, with his upper body naked and his shoulders wrapped with cloth stained with blood, rushed towards General Huang Yue's tent, where several Generals and Deputy Generals were still present. At that moment, Chen Ge ignored the proper etiquette and shouted in a trembling voice: "What happened?! What do you mean that the elite troops were ambushed by the enemy and the Emperor was killed? Where did you get this information from? Lying about military information without any confirmation is a huge crime!"

Huang Yue's face was also extremely distorted as he scolded Chen Ge: "Deputy General Chen! I called you over here but I didn't summon you to yell! Calm down!"

Chen Ge was still very agitated as he waved his arms and began shouting again: "How can I calm down?! What do you mean His Majesty has died? Where on earth did this news come from?!"

Next to him, the other Generals came forward and patted Chen Ge's shoulder, trying to calm him down. Then, they explained the situation with a sullen face.

It turned out that Yan HeQing, who led a small elite team, originally wanted to launch a sneak attack on the defeated soldiers of the Eastern Wu Kingdom. However, who would've thought that the enemy's arrival to that Eastern Wu town was in fact a trap! Everything was done to make the Southern Yan Kingdom ease their vigilance, but because Yan HeQing was extremely cautious, this trap shouldn't have been a problem for him. But in reality, the enemy seemed to know everything about their tactics, managing to ambush Yan HeQing early on the road he must've traveled on. The elite team, which was supposed to sneakily attack the Easter Wu soldiers, had entered the enemy's encirclement and was immediately surrounded by 100,000 elite enemy soldiers!

After hearing this, Chen Ge's body trembled and he didn't know what to do. He had to take several deep breaths before he could recover from the shock: "Why don't we send troops to support them?'

Huang Yue shook his head: "It's too late, the only soldier who could escape death said that he saw with his own eyes how the Emperor, in a desperate attempt to escape, fell off the cliff. He's… already…" Huang Yue sighed heavily and then continued: "The Emperor has been ambushed by the enemy, so sending troops right now would be a careless move, and it will cause unnecessary casualties."

The several Generals and Deputy Generals present at the moment took a long breath, everyone showing expressions of shock, grief and indignation.

At one moment, a General began to curse with an extremely angry face: "There's a spy in our barracks!"

AD

"A traitor? A spy?" Chen Ge asked incredulously.

Huang Yue clenched his teeth and tightened his jaw for a long time before saying: "I should've done it earlier… Hey, you don't need to worry, I already know who the spy is, and I won't let him go. Please appease your mood first, we still have a few vicious battles to fight ahead of us. You must not feel dejected. The most important thing right now, is to think about how to stabilize the military situation and appease the morale of the army. I'll inform General Xue about this and I'll ask him how to deal with the Emperor's affairs before making any decisions."

Chapter 151: Of Course I Choose To Protect Him.

At the hazy dusk of twilight, Xiao YuAn finished bandaging the last wounded soldier in the tent. He then went out to wash the dirty cotton cloths stained with blood, when unexpectedly, as soon as he stepped out of the tent with a basin in hand, two soldiers approached him with straight postures. With a rude tone of voice, one of them said: "Are you Physician Xiao?"

"Yes, that's me." Xiao YuAn replied suspiciously. "What's the matter?"

After finishing that sentence, Xiao YuAn suddenly remembered something and his eyes glowed. He then covered his mouth and after coughing lightly, he asked: "Has your Emperor returned from war? Does he want to see me?"

The two soldiers looked at each other, and one of them finally said: "General Huang is summoning you."

'General Huang? Huang Yue? What does he want with me?'

Although Xiao YuAn was confused, he still put down the basin, wiped his hands that were stained with blood from treating the wounded soldiers, and followed the two soldiers towards Huang Yue's tent.

The two soldiers didn't have any intention to follow him inside the tent. Instead, they let Xiao YuAn enter the tent with cold expressions on their faces.

Xiao YuAn was puzzled with their treatment as he lifted the tent's curtain and walked in.

Huang Yue, who was standing in the center of the tent with his hands behind his back, heard the sound of the curtain being lifted and turned around. When he saw Xiao YuAn, he frowned slightly as he stared at the silver mask on Xiao YuAn's face. After staying completely silent for a while, he said: "The former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom was actually hidden deep inside our Southern Yan barracks."

Suddenly, his former title was said in such a cold manner. Xiao YuAn, who had long since gotten used to getting addressed with his original name, couldn't react for a while. However, when he came back to reality, he opened his mouth slightly.

Huang Yue saw that there was a faint confusion in his eyes, and he couldn't help but sneer: "The former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom is not trying to pretend to be dumb, right? I don't know if you acted like this when His Majesty told you about the Southern Yan's sneak attack plan. Maybe you made him feel safe with this amazing act of ignorance?"

AD

"The Emperor? Yan HeQing? What happened to Yan-ge? What sneak attack?!" Xiao YuAn's mind was in turmoil, as he stepped forward to desperately ask one question after the other. Who could've thought that Huang Yue would suddenly snap and swing his arm, slapping Xiao YuAn across the face, which resulted in his mask falling off.

Already knowing that he was the one to blame for his identity being exposed, Xiao YuAn had long expected this would happen. Even though he felt extremely uncomfortable at the moment, he appeared calm on the surface as he bent down to pick up the mask from the floor.

Huang Yue stepped forward. Without any hesitation, he reached out his hand and grabbed Xiao YuAn's throat, forcing Xiao YuAn to straighten up and look at him.

"….." Xiao YuAn frowned and grasped Huang Yue's wrist, stopping him from exerting too much force. His eyes couldn't help but stare at the silver mask on the ground.

Huang Yue narrowed his eyes as he looked at the man in front of him. 'I've once heard that the former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom was so beautiful, that he didn't look like a human. Now, I'm able to see that his skin is as beautiful as the snow, and his eyebrows and eyes are extremely charming. He looks just like the vivid painting of an Immortal.' Huang Yue sneered: "The Emperor is also a mere mortal that is deceived by beauty."

Xiao YuAn withdrew his gaze, frowned and then coldly looked at Huang Yue: "I know that you're a General of the Southern Yan Kingdom, so you must hate everything about the Northern Kingdom. In that case, what do you have to say to me? Is it that interesting to insult others behind their backs?"

"Insult?" Huang Yue narrowed his eyes as his hand lightly squeezed Xiao YuAn's throat: "He hid the enemy, the former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom, by his side. He disregarded the Southern Yan Kingdom's homeland hatred. He disregarded the soldiers and the people, whose families were destroyed by the Northern Kingdom. And disregarded the blood, tears and bones of the former Southern Yan Emperor buried in the ground. Aren't these an insult for the Emperor? His Majesty used to be a male concubine while he stayed in the Northern Kingdom, his pride has long since been shattered into pieces and it will remain so for the rest of his life. It's extremely sad and pathetic but-…."

Before Huang Yue could finish his speech, Xiao YuAn suddenly twisted Huang Yue's hand with some force, and then fiercely punched him in the face, causing his face to turn sideways. At that moment, Huang Yue felt a burning pain in his face.

Huang Yue was extremely stunned. He didn't expect that the former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom, who seemed weak and defenseless, would actually punch him in the face. It was so sudden, that he was caught off guard.

"What the hell do you know?!" Xiao YuAn grabbed Huang Yue's collar, and his eyes were wide open when he started to scream with a great amount of anger: "Do you even know how much humiliation and abuse Yan HeQing had to experience while in the Northern Kingdom?! Can you even guarantee that you won't collapse if you were put in his position at that time?! But he survived! Isn't he working extremely hard for the rise of the Southern Yan Kingdom right now?! When did he forget all the hardships the Southern Yan Kingdom went through? What makes you say such things about him?!"

Chapter 152: Of Course I Choose To Go To Him.

Now that Huang Yue's face was punched, he no longer tried to pretend in front of Xiao YuAn and attacked back. Even though the body of the former Northern Emperor was too weak, and even though Huang Yue was an experienced General, Xiao YuAn was able to deal with Huang Yue's several moves with the self-defense skills he learnt in his previous life. However, in the end, he was still trampled by Huang Yue after all.

Huang Yue mercilessly kicked Xiao YuAn's body twice, and then he stepped on Xiao YuAn's head.

Xiao YuAn's chest and lungs hurt after being kicked with such great power, and suddenly he began to cough fiercely. Just when he was about to struggle to free himself, he heard Huang Yue sneer: "Former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom, your goal has already been achieved, you don't need to keep acting anymore. Look at you, showing the appearance of someone who's in love even now. I wonder, how will the deceased Emperor feel when he finds himself under the Nine Springs1?"

Xiao YuAn, who was stepped on by Huang Yue, suddenly stopped struggling and his body stiffened. His face showed disdain as he laughed out loud, as if he had just heard a big joke: "Destined to die? Yan-ge is destined to die? Are you kidding me?!2"

Huang Yue didn't have the intention to entangle with him anymore, so he fiercely kicked Xiao YuAn's lower abdomen. After he kicked him with great force, Xiao YuAn ended up rolling several meters away. At that moment, Huang Yue called the soldiers who were outside the tent.

That kick was so heavy that Xiao YuAn felt an immeasurable amount of pain, as if his abdomen was being stabbed a hundred times by a sharp knife. He had to press down on his abdomen, laying on his side to slowly inhale and exhale air, trying to relieve the pain.

Before the pain could disappear, Xiao YuAn was sent to where the captives were held. His hands and body were tied up with ropes, and his whole body was suspended in the air.

He didn't know how long it had been, but at that moment, Xiao YuAn's eyes were extremely blurry, and he felt sick. He could feel a burst of nausea coming from his aching abdomen all the way to his throat. To make things worse, his hands were tied on the hook from which he was hanging from, and the ropes were rubbing his wrists raw, making him feel tremendous pain.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of footsteps coming from outside, and when Xiao YuAn raised his head, the person he saw in front of him wasn't the one he wished to see.

Chen Ge walked slowly towards Xiao YuAn, until he stood in front of him. His face was pale and he seemed to be thinking about what to say for a while before he finally said: "Physician Xiao, you…. are you really the former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom?"

Xiao YuAn slightly smiled at him, but he didn't reply.

AD

'So what if I am? So what if I'm not? Even if I want to be myself, even if I want to tell everyone that my actual name is Xiao YuAn, I'm still stuck inside this body. Even if I could explain everything, all the sins that this body has made are still on my shoulders.'

When Chen Ge saw that he didn't want to answer, he slowly drew out a long sword from the scabbard around his waist, and with his eyes lowered, he asked: "Physician Xiao, answer me. Are you really the former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom?"

However, Xiao YuAn remained silent, and Chen Ge's expression collapsed a little. He clasped his head with one hand and said anxiously: "Physician Xiao, are you really the spy they said you are? Why aren't you trying to defend yourself? You can say something, even by shaking your head!"

Xiao YuAn laughed, and raised the corners of his mouth with a trace of bitterness: "If you don't believe me, will it be useful for me to say anything? If you believe me, is there anything that you need me to say?"

Chen Ge froze in place as he put down his hand holding his head, hesitated for a while, looked straight into Xiao YuAn's eyes, and slowly raised his sword. The silver light crossed over the blade, its glow was so piercing that one couldn't look directly at it.

Chen Ge tightly squeezed the hilt of the sword, and his hands were vaguely trembling because of his inner struggle. However, in the end, he finally made a decision.

Chen Ge took a deep breath and dropped the sword violently.

As soon as the sword fell down, Xiao YuAn's hands were loosened and he fell to the ground. Chen Ge then put the sword away and reached out to help him.

At that moment, Xiao YuAn regained consciousness and looked at Chen Ge with slight surprise: "You…"

"Physician Xiao, even though I don't know if you're the former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom or not, I've seen you treat the wounded soldiers of the Southern Yan Kingdom for the past couple of days, and I can clearly see that you're sincere. Our Southern Yan soldiers aren't ungrateful, so there must be some kind of misunderstanding." Chen Ge said seriously.

"I…. forget it…." Xiao YuAn removed the rope from his hands and slowly rubbed the red marks on his wrists.

"Physician Xiao, you can't stay here. General Huang thinks that you're a spy, and he will probably issue a military order to get rid of you tomorrow. The guards at the door were already distracted by me, so you better go right now." Chen Ge urged.

AD

When Chen Ge was about to lead the way for him, away from the land of right and wrong3, Xiao YuAn suddenly grabbed his arm: "I can't go. Where's Yan-ge? When will he come back? Is there any news from the front line? I want to see him."

Chen Ge's face showed a complicated expression for a moment. He took a deep breath, mumbled something for a while without knowing what to say, and then he finally replied: "Physician Xiao, it's better for you to not ask about it. You must leave quickly, if you don't, then it will be too late."

At that instant, Xiao YuAn remembered what Huang Yue had said earlier and realized that something must have happened at the front line. He grabbed Chen Ge's hand and refused to go: "What is it? What happened?"

Chen Ge couldn't stand being questioned at this, and he hesitantly said: "His Majesty…. he…. something bad happened to him."

Xiao YuAn pressed Chen Ge's shoulders with both hands, straightening him up. His tone of voice was anxious as he spoke: "Is he hurt? Is it a serious injury? Is he unconscious in his tent?"

Chen Ge took a deep breath, having to use all of his courage to blurt out: "Physician Xiao! His Majesty is dead! There was a spy in our barracks, and the team led by His Majesty was ambushed. All… all of them are…." Chen Ge suddenly clenched his fist and his face turned pale, not being able to say another word anymore.

However, there was no shock or denial coming from Xiao YuAn as Chen Ge expected, nor was there any crying as he had anticipated. Instead, Cheng Ge saw how Xiao YuAn slightly opened his mouth and slowly withdrew his hands from Chen Ge's shoulders.

As if he could finally understand the meaning behind Chen Ge's words after a long time, Xiao YuAn took a deep breath and then looked straight at Chen Ge: "No, Yan-ge will not die."

Even though Xiao YuAn's voice was trembling, his words and eyes were firm. As if the faith and adoration that had been firmly established for many years, couldn't be easily shaken by a mere statement without any basis.

"Something must have happened to Yan-ge. I have to go find him. Where was he ambushed? Tell me right now." Xiao YuAn's voice was still faintly shaking, and yet it carried a sobbing calmness. He was anxious but not desperate.

"Physician Xiao…." Chen Ge's voice was helpless and sorrowful.

"Or you can simply show me the direction, indicating to me which way I should go." Xiao YuAn said while walking out. If not for the fact that Xiao YuAn's eyes began to gradually turn red, Chen Ge would actually believe that Xiao YuAn was as calm as usual.

AD

"Anyway, I can't stay here any longer. Give me directions, is it in the South, West, East or North? Yan-ge is really not dead, you have to believe me. He can't die, but he must be in trouble right now. Maybe he's seriously injured and he's not able to move anywhere, so he might be waiting for someone to find him." Xiao YuAn gradually lost his voice, and when he saw Chen Ge standing in place looking at him with indifference, he said: "Chen Ge, just tell me in which direction I should go. I'll go by myself, I…. I beg you."

"Physician Xiao don't…. don't do this…." Chen Ge rudely rubbed his own hair, only to finally ruthlessly say: "Well, Physician Xiao, to be honest, there are many Generals who don't believe that His Majesty has died."

Chen Ge took out a scroll from his pocket, in which the surrounding terrain was scribbled, spread out the map, and pointed at a certain point: "His Majesty fell off the cliff here, but the terrain of the cliff isn't high, and there are several caves underneath. As the saying goes, we must see the body of the dead to know they're dead. Until we see the dead body of His Majesty, we won't believe that he died. However, because General Huang is afraid that the troops would be ambushed again by the enemy, considering that the enemy's troops are still nearby that area; we decided that instead of sending a large army, we should send one single person to search under the cliff, since it won't attract the attention of the enemy-….. Hey! Physician Xiao, where are you going?! Physician Xiao don't be in a hurry! Hey! Don't pull me, I will stop talking bullshit, alright? Let's go. Ah, by the way, you can't ride a horse, right? I'll take you. Wait a minute, I remember that last time…. Alright, alright, I won't force you. Let's hurry up and get going."

Chapter 153: The Bones Of War Will Be Exposed In Daylight.1

The night was long, the city was far away, the trees were pale and the twilight was dark. In front of a cave, several soldiers were carefully searching for someone with torches in their hands. After confirming that there was no one there, a soldier rushed out of the cave and knelt down on one knee in front of a General on horseback: "Reporting to General Yang! There's no sign of the enemy's Emperor, Yan HeQing, in this cave!"

General Yang, whose name was Yang Liye, frowned and coldly asked: "Have you searched every inch of the cave? Every cup of soil, every blade of grass? If there's any spot unchecked, your stupid head won't be on top of your shoulders anymore. It will be on the grass and used as a ball for the horses to play with, since it's useless anyway."

The kneeling soldier clenched his hands and replied: "Replying to General Yang, I've searched everywhere."

"Alright then. Let's go to the next cave." Yang Liye pulled the reins of his horse tightly and turned the horse's head around to leave.

However, before he could move, a General beside him asked him in a low voice: "General, perhaps after falling off the cliff, the Emperor of the Southern Yan Kingdom ended up getting eaten by wild dogs, and no bones were left behi-?"

Before the General could finish his words, he was whipped by Yang Liye's horsewhip, making him immediately shut up and sweat in fear.

Yang Liye glanced at him and replied: "Even if the Emperor of the Southern Yan Kingdom was eaten by a wild dog, and only one finger bone was left behind, you must find that finger bone for me; so that we can tell the world about it, and then we will bury that bone. Stop talking bullshit and speed up the progress of the search."

Right at that moment, Yang Liye suddenly saw the corpse of a Southern Yan soldier leaning against the cliff in front of him.

The cliff had just experienced a vicious battle, so it wasn't a surprise to see a corpse like this. Yang Liye simply rode past the corpse, completely expressionless. Once he passed the body, he whipped it, making it fall unsteadily on the road. Then, Yang Liye deliberately pulled the horse's head, letting the horse step over the corpse. Yang Liye had a satisfied and penetrating smile on his face, as he led the Eastern Wu Kingdom's army to continue looking for the body of the Emperor of the Southern Yan Kingdom, Yan HeQing, near the cliff.

From a distance, two dark shadows were hidden behind the leafy branches of a tree, watching from afar what Yang Liye had just done. At this, that dark shadow couldn't help but curse: "Motherfucker."

AD

After the army of the Eastern Wu Kingdom had disappeared from their sight, the two shadows climbed down from the tree. As they climbed down, Chen Ge said: "The Eastern Wu Kingdom won't stop until the Emperor is found. They were afraid of being defeated by His Majesty before, right? It wasn't easy for them to successfully ambush our elite troops, so they're desperate to kill everyone. Physician Xiao, we have to find His Majesty before they do."

"Mmm-hmm." Xiao YuAn nodded.

"They've already searched the caves behind us, so we must move forward." Chen Ge climbed down the tree and planned to go around the mountain stream path, so that they would be ahead of the Eastern Wu army. At this proposal, Xiao YuAn didn't have any objections.

Once they started walking, and passed by the trampled corpse, they stopped at the same time. The corpse of the Southern Yan soldier, that was mercilessly trampled on by the horse's hooves, was so deformed that it was hard to see what the man used to look like.

Chen Ge sighed a long sigh, dragged the corpse towards an uninhabited path, and casually dug up a pit, fearing that Xiao YuAn would be in a hurry. However, when Chen Ge turned his head to look at him, he saw Xiao YuAn nodding his head, so Chen Ge started to dig out a shallow pit with all his might. Once he was done with the pit, he put the corpse inside.

After that, Xiao YuAn bent down to pay his respects. When he raised his head, he saw that the corpse was holding a wooden plate tightly in his hand. At that moment, Xiao YuAn carefully pulled out the wooden plate from the corpse's hand. He would hand it to Chen Ge later, so that he could take it back to the Southern Yan barracks. At least this way the people who once knew this soldier, would know that he died fighting for his country; knowing that his body didn't end up in the wilderness of the battlefield, where his bones couldn't be found.

Chen Ge patted off the dust from his hands, and asked Xiao YuAn: "What's his name?"

Xiao YuAn looked at the wooden plate in his hand with the help of the bleak moonlight. As soon as he read the characters engraved on the wooden plate, his breath stagnated, and his eyes suddenly shrank.

"Physician Xiao, what's wrong?" Chen Ge saw that something was wrong with Xiao YuAn and confusedly asked him.

Xiao YuAn's chest fluctuated sharply, and he was short of breath. He was unable to say a word for a long time. The only thing he could do, was to hand over the wooden plate to Chen Ge. At this sudden action, Chen Ge took the wooden plate with a confused expression, seeing that there were some barely recognizable words engraved on the wooden plate: At the back… the roof of the cave… save His Majesty….

That General Yang is scum ?

CG is as adorable and good as always ? and what does that wooden plate say? Can they find YHQ? YHQ is truly the ML, how can a ML die? This is not Game of Thrones *badum tss* ?

Chapter 154: You Have To Miss Me Deeply.1

The two of them stared at each other and hurriedly ran towards the cave that the Eastern Wu soldiers had just searched.

The cave wasn't large, but it was dark, damp, and cold. Chen Ge acted quickly to make a simple torch to illuminate the whole cave, but there was nothing inside the cave that could work. There were only leaves and mud.

"The roof of the cave… the roof of the cave…" Xiao YuAn looked up at the roof of the cave, which was formed by the erosion and dissolution of groundwater, and saw that it was full of holes. Some of them were higher, and some were lower. Since there weren't any kind of light inside the cave, it was so dark that the roof looked extremely creepy.

"Yan-ge! Can you hear me? Yan-ge, are you here?!" Xiao YuAn put his hands around his mouth and started to shout loudly. His voice echoed every corner of the cave, over and over again. However, as if a stone sunking at the bottom of the sea2, no one replied.

"Physician Xiao, do you think that the words 'roof of the cave' written on that wooden plate mean something else?" Chen Ge yelled as he knocked at the walls of the cave, only to end up disappointed when he found out that every wall was as solid as stone. Chen Ge then turned around to discuss this with Xiao YuAn, but saw him standing in place, quietly looking up without saying a word.

"Physician Xiao?" Chen Ge walked closer to him: "What are you… looking a-?"

Chen Ge couldn't finish what he wanted to say, because Xiao YuAn suddenly pressed hard on his shoulders, making him squat down.

"Help me go up." Xiao YuAn firmly said as he stepped on Chen Ge's shoulders.

Chen Ge, while exerting some strength, replied: "Physician Xiao, be careful. It's so dark in here, that I'm afraid of making you hit your head against the roof of the cave."

Xiao YuAn jumped up and went into a specific hole at the roof of the cave. The hole in front of him was more spacious than what he thought it would be, and since the inside of the hole was vertical, Xiao YuAn had to rely solely on the strength of his arms and feet to support himself. However, because he wasn't careful enough, he ended up falling.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Chen Ge couldn't react in time, and only saw how Xiao YuAn fell heavily on the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

AD

Xiao YuAn immediately propped himself up, because he didn't have the time to check on himself. Without saying a single word, Xiao YuAn pressed Chen Ge down again and stepped on his shoulders one more time. In the end, Chen Ge didn't have any other choice than to help him go up the hole again. This time, Xiao YuAn took a posture that allowed him to move bit by bit.

At that moment, Chen Ge lit up a torch with what he could find at the last minute, and held it high to help Xiao YuAn see what was inside the hole: "Physician Xiao, be careful. It's too dark to see clearly. What if there's a stone wall at the end of the hole? Won't you end up hitting your head?"

However, after a while passed, Chen Ge could barely see Xiao YuAn's ankles, until he suddenly heard Xiao YuAn express an 'ah!', followed by Xiao YuAn disappearing from sight.

"Physician Xiao! Owowowowaahh where are you?! This is awful! Can you hear me?! Answer me ahhh!" Chen Ge, who held the torch as high as he could, began to swing it back and forth, while he kept on stubbornly staring at the hole, not daring to move his eyes away.

"I can hear you! I'm not deaf!" Xiao YuAn's voice suddenly came from the depths of the hole, across the stone wall, sounding distant and hollow: "Chen Ge, since you're there, you have to catch him…."

Chen Ge replied confused: "Catch… catch what?"

He soon discovered what Xiao YuAn meant when he heard a sound coming from the hole and saw a pair of feet appearing at the entrance of the hole. Such a scene was so bizarre that Chen Ge blurted out 'oh for my mother-', and then the torch in his hand fell on the ground, as he raised his hands to catch the man coming out of the roof of the cave. Since Xiao YuAn wasn't able to hold on any longer, when Chen Ge finally caught that person, his weight instantly caught Chen Ge off guard as he fell on the ground, ending up acting as a human cushion.

"Ouch! Ah mother, it hurts! It hurts!" Chen Ge subconsciously reached out to push that person away from him, but when he saw who it was, he suddenly froze and stared at him wide eyed: "Your Majesty?!"

As soon as he said this, Xiao YuAn fell down from the roof. He fell so heavily, that he ended up rolling twice on the ground. However, he couldn't care less whether he was hurt or not. He simply turned over and grabbed the man, who had just fallen on top of Chen Ge, into his arms.

Xiao YuAn's hands were shaking as he held that man tightly. He was so lost in thought, that he murmured something a few times. Then he took a deep breath to force himself to calm down, lowered his head, and gently kissed Yan HeQing's closed eyes and cold lips: "Yan-ge, it's me, can you hear me? I've found you. I've finally found you."

Chapter 155: You'll Understand How Hard It's For People To Say Goodbye.1

"The Emperor, how is the Emperor? He… is he…" Chen Ge couldn't say it.

"He's still alive." Xiao YuAn un-tied Yan HeQing's clothes and started to treat his wounds.

Yan HeQing's face was extremely pale due to the excessive blood loss, making him fall into a coma. His pulse and breathing were very weak, so Xiao YuAn treated him with some herbal medicine to stop the bleeding. Then he took off his coat and wrapped Yan HeQing tightly with it. After Chen Ge saw this, he quickly did the same thing.

"We have to get him back to the barracks as soon as possible." When Xiao YuAn finished speaking, Chen Ge instantly carried Yan HeQing on his back.

"Physician Xiao, it's not too late outside, let's go now."

Xiao YuAn nodded, took the torch, and followed Chen Ge towards the exit of the cave. However, before they could step outside the cave, they saw a distant firelight shaking, and they heard the sound of disordered footsteps.

Xiao YuAn was so frightened that he hurriedly put out the fire, and Chen Ge quickly returned to the cave. They then held their breaths, hiding inside the depths of the dark cave, not daring to make a single move.

From the outside, they could faintly hear the voice of a man passing through the entrance of the cave: "General Yang is too cautious ah. He's making us search through the first caves again."

"Do you really think that he'll make us spend the whole night here?"

"I heard that General Yang doesn't have the intention of resting until he finds that Emperor."

"Even though it's a boring and hard job, I can understand why General Yang is doing this. After all, he has to cut the grass to get rid of the roots. Anyway, this place is already covered with traps. It's not like the Emperor of the Southern Yan Kingdom can grow wings and fly away."

AD

"Alright, alright. You two, stop gossiping around and hurry up! General Yang will personally come back here at any given moment, and if he catches you two gossiping around, instead of doing your job, you two will lose your heads!"

After the soldier said that, the outside of the cave was surrounded by complete silence. Only the sound of footsteps could be heard from afar and near the cave.

On the other hand, inside the darkness of the cave, Chen Ge gritted his teeth as he said in a low voice: "Physician Xiao, what should we do? Should we hide on the roof of the cave?"

Xiao YuAn rubbed his hands until they were warm, and then covered Yan HeQing's cold cheeks. Then he said with a worried voice: "The roof of the cave can't hide three people. Besides, we don't know when the Eastern Wu soldiers will retreat, and Yan-ge won't survive much longer in his current condition."

The burning light outside the cave drove away the moonlight, meaning that the soldiers were wandering around the cave. With this, the two of them clung to the stone wall as much as they could, not daring to come out of the dark. It was a good thing that the soldiers of the Eastern Wu Kingdom were mainly paying close attention to the outside of the cave, rather than the inside.

"No, if we continue like this, we will be discovered." Chen Ge put down Yan HeQing, who was resting on his back, and said: "I'll make them go away. Once I do that, Physician Xiao, you have to run away with His Majesty!"

Before Chen Ge could rush outside, he was stopped by Xiao YuAn, who held his arm tightly, and then said: "Make them go away?"

Chen Ge gritted his teeth: "Yes, Physician Xiao. When there's no firelight coming from the outside, and you don't hear any noise, then you have to immediately carry His Majesty and take him to the East. Don't look back! And don't wait for me!"

Xiao YuAn looked at him and calmly replied: "Let me do it instead."

Chen Ge immediately spoke out with an urgent and angry tone of voice: "Physician Xiao! How can I possibly let you do it?! You-….."

"Chen Ge, I'm not interested in this rotten entanglement bullshit, you can go and play your role. Besides, you should also know that Huang Yue wants my life. Since Yan-ge is still in a coma, he can't protect me, so I can't simply go back to the Southern Yan barracks just like that; and even if I did go back, it will only be a dead end for the both of us. Yan-ge can only be carried back by you. Chen Ge, you're a wise man, think about it more carefully." Xiao YuAn calmly analyzed the situation. His tone of voice and attitude were so soft, that even Chen Ge felt that he was being suffocated.

"I….." Chen Ge wanted to defend himself, but in the end he couldn't speak. He was so angry at this, that he punched himself on the head. Then he held his head and cursed several dirty words one after the other.

AD

Xiao YuAn looked at Yan HeQing for a moment as he interlocked his fingers with Yan HeQing's hand, and softly caressed Yan HeQing's face with his other hand. Xiao YuAn's fingertips were like a paintbrush made out of clouds as he fondly depicted Yan HeQing's eyebrows: "Chen Ge, I'll have to trouble you with one more thing."

Chapter 156: The Yearning Has Been Deeply Rooted In My Bones.1

Xiao YuAn tried to smile, but his eyes stung and his mouth was bitter. As he pursed his lips, he took a breath, and said: "If… if there's no news of me being alive before Yan-ge wakes up…."

"Physician Xiao?"

"If there's no news of me being alive, then you have to write a letter for me. Yan-ge doesn't recognize my handwriting, so you don't have to worry about that issue. As for the content of the letter…." Xiao YuAn paused for a moment. The hand that was interlocked with Yan HeQing's fingers clasped slightly, and his lips began to tremble: "You have to tell him with the letter that I'm gone, and that I don't like him; that I was only willing to be with him because that way, I could enjoy the glory and the wealth without any worries. However, since my identity was exposed, I found that being by his side was not safe after all, so I chose to leave him. You also have to let him know that I'm asking him to not come find me. With this letter, you have to let him understand that he's human after all. Tell him: 'You said that you'll search all over the world for me. Even if that means that you'll have to dig three feet underground to get me.' But, the world is so big, and there are so many paths, where is he going to dig those three feet to begin with?"

Chen Ge choked with sobs, almost unable to speak: "Physician Xiao, do you have to be like this? His Majesty… he… he…"

Xiao YuAn wiped his face, and continued: "You must write decisively, don't leave him any trace that could make him have doubts. It's best to show him my disgust and tell him that I won't ever let him find me again. Let him walk his own path, I already have my own unique road. Tell him that without him around, I will definitely live a happier life than now. It's been said since ancient times, that the Imperial Family is the most ruthless and heartless of all, and that I've been longing for a life of idle clouds and wild cranes2. But his destiny is to be the Emperor. I just hope that I won't have to get entangled with these things for the rest of my life. Chen Ge, please, make sure to write all these words for me in the letter, and tell him to forget about me."

Chen Ge smashed his fist against the stone wall, hitting his hand so hard that it turned bright red. After this, he managed to calm down: "Physician Xiao, I…. I understand."

Xiao YuAn nodded his head, cupped Yan HeQing's face in his hands, and kissed his cold lips. After that kiss, tears fell down his cheeks, crossing over the corners of his mouth, and when he licked them with the tip of his tongue, he felt that they tasted bitter and astringent.

"I'm going now." At the distance, they were able to hear the faint sound of horse hooves approaching, so Xiao YuAn didn't dare to be slow. He hurriedly got up, and ran towards the entrance of the cave.

One step, two steps, three steps. Xiao YuAn's footsteps were slow to fast, and fast to slow. Once he stood at the entrance of the cave and looked at the outside, he saw that in the twilight, the moon and stars were dim. Seeing how this frost light fell on the wilderness, Xiao YuAn took a step forward. As the cold wind blew by, he felt that this wind couldn't blow away the loneliness and coldness he felt right now.

All of a sudden, Xiao YuAn wasn't able to stop his tears. As if he could see the interminable yellow sand of that day, in which Yan HeQing had chased after him on horseback, only to say to him: "I won't forget, I would definitely never forget."

'There are eight hardships in life3; you can't avoid them, and you can't stop them. But, why do I have to become Yan HeQing's life hardships… why?'

AD

Xiao YuAn wiped his eyes and suddenly turned around, running back to the cave. He then tightly grabbed Chen Ge's shoulders, who was extremely shocked, and said: "Forget about everything I just said! When Yan-ge wakes up, you have to tell him that I, Xiao YuAn, likes him! I really love him! I don't even know when this feeling began, but as long as I'm with him, I'm extremely happy. I want to stay by his side all the time, and whenever he goes, I'll go as well. I'm not afraid of the ruthless Imperial Family, nor am I afraid that the deep Palace will feel like a cage. As long as he's around, as long as he's with me…."

The last few words have turned into choked sobs. After this, Xiao YuAn took advantage that Chen Ge hasn't fully regained his senses, and turned around, rushing outside the cave.

It was like a drama filled with joys and sorrows. At the end, the guests left a lonely scene, but the actors on the stage kept playing their roles, and singing their stories. As the main actor waved his sleeves, he sings: "I was surprised to find that my feelings weren't visible, but it was because my love was already deep rooted in my bones. I don't even know where these feelings came from, I just know that they exist."

This song was so lingering and incessant, that one can listen to it without end. However, it was such a pity that no one was listening.

No one heard.

No one knew.

Chapter 157: There's No Greater Sorrow Than A Recent Parting.1

"General Yang! We've captured a suspect!"

The soldiers of the Eastern Wu Kingdom, who were searching the first caves, suddenly came back in a hurry to report. Once Yang Liye heard this, he snorted: "Only one person?"

"Answering to the General, yes."

Yang Liye rubbed his chin and replied: "Bring that man over here first, and then send someone to search the surrounding area carefully."

After receiving their orders, the soldiers hurriedly got up to comply. After a while, they brought back a man, whose hands were tightly tied. One of the soldiers kicked the man's knee, making him fall down and kneel.

Yang Liye dismounted, bent down and reached out to pinch the man's chin; raising his head and twisting it from left to right. After looking at his face with the help of the firelight, Yang Liye hissed meaningfully: "You don't look like a soldier, with such thin skin and tender flesh. Tell me, who are you?"

Xiao YuAn pretended to be afraid, and while lowering his head, he trembled like a leaf: "Answering to Daren2, I'm from a nearby village. I don't know what I have done that offended Daren. Please spare my life!"

Yang Liye retracted his hand and stood up straight. He then paced back and forth around Xiao YuAn: "Oh, a villager. As far as I know, all the nearby villages have been emptied because of the war. Young brother3, you said that you're a mere villager, but what are you doing walking around this battlefield at night? Hmm?"

Xiao YuAn, with his head still lowered, replied: "Daren, I wanted to take refuge in the Western Shu Kingdom, so I just happened to pass by here. I didn't expect to cause such a big misunderstanding!"

Yang Liye paused and nodded his head approvingly: "Yes, that's reasonable. But, why didn't you bring your relatives with you?"

Xiao YuAn replied: "Daren, I'm on my own. One person eats and the whole family doesn't have to worry4."

AD

"Alright, alright." Yang Liye waved his hand: "In that case, let's have a good time. Where's my sword?"

Xiao YuAn lowered his head even more: "Have a good time? What does Daren mean by this?"

Yan Liye smiled and nodded his head: "Young brother, don't worry. I can kill you with one single slash, you won't feel any pain."

A Deputy General beside Yang Liye came over with his sword and asked him: "General Yang, what if this man is really just a villager?"

"What if he's a villager? I'd rather kill a thousand by mistake than let a suspect go!" Yang Liye said with disdain on his face, as his smile turned terrifying. His words were extremely poisonous, and his tone was very vicious. Once he grabbed the sword, he suddenly heard someone yelling 'Report!' coming from the other side.

"Reporting to the General. We didn't find any other abnormalities around there!"

The soldier, who had just knelt down with one knee, finished his report when he was suddenly kicked by Yang Liye, who had a fierce look on his face. Yang Liye then started to curse out loud: "Did you all hear the commotion this man made and you decided to go after him?"

The soldier was confused by the sudden kick, and even though he answered in time, his voice trembled: "A-an-answering to the General, we thought he was… he was an enemy from the Southern Yan Kingdom, so…"

"Oh?" Yang Liye turned back and walked towards Xiao YuAn. He then took a deep breath, squatted in front of Xiao YuAn, and again changed his expression into a smiling face: "Young brother, you are a villager, right?"

"Answering to Daren, yes…." Xiao YuAn couldn't finish his sentence when his eyes suddenly narrowed.

Yang Liye had raised his sword with one hand and mercilessly stabbed him in one leg. Xiao YuAn violently bowed and fiercely bit his lips, to the point of almost making his lips bleed; but in the end, the pain he felt from his lips couldn't relieve the pain coming from his leg.

"You went away from home, all alone, but you don't have any luggage with you. Are you really a refugee?" Yang Liye's tone was relaxed, and his words were also kind of lighthearted, as if he wasn't the one holding a sword still stained with blood.

AD

Xiao YuAn gasped several breaths before he could slightly recover: "Daren, I'm really-…"

Yang Liye didn't even hesitate when he slashed Xiao YuAn's leg once again. The cut was so deep, that the bone near his knee was vaguely exposed.

A painful scream finally overflowed from Xiao YuAn's throat, unable to suppress it anymore. He then gritted his teeth with such force, that he was covered in sweat. He was in so much pain, that he could no longer say a complete word.

Xiao YuAn suddenly was amused. After all his efforts, he thought that he had finally escaped the fate of ending up being tortured to death. However, he didn't expect to end up buried here. In the end, the Heavens are so merciless, they just like to play with people.

When Yang Liye pulled the sword out of Xiao YuAn's wound, the blood splashed and splattered all over him, but Yang Liye didn't care to wipe the side of his face. When the sword dropped down again, Xiao YuAn's hands were free, and the rope that bound his hands fell to the ground.

Yang Liye stood up, and he slowly wiped the blood off the blade with his fingers. "Young brother, I've untied you, so why don't you show me the way? I can see that you're a smart man. You should know which way I'm talking about."

The pain in his leg was piercing, as Xiao YuAn pinched on his wound, and breathed heavily. He then dry swallowed a mouthful of air, and didn't make a sound.

Yang Liye wasn't in a hurry, and as he wiped off the blood from his hand with his sleeve, he began to count slowly.

"5, 4, 3…."

Yang Liye was unhurriedly counting down the numbers, purposely dragging the words intonation to 'make' the countdown seem longer. However, it didn't matter how much he dragged saying the numbers, they were only 5, so it was obvious he would finish counting immediately.

At this, Xiao YuAn finally moved. He took a quick breath, as if he was struggling inside his heart, and finally raised his hand; hesitantly and slowly pointing in a direction.

When Yang Liye looked towards the direction that finger was pointing at, under the vast starry sky, at a road far away, Yang Liye nodded with satisfaction. He then kicked Xiao YuAn, pulled out the dagger hanging on his waist, and pinned Xiao YuAn's hand to the ground, the one that had just pointed a direction!

AD

The dagger pierced through Xiao YuAn's palm, and plunged into the earth. The blood and the painful screams penetrated into the soil together, as Xiao YuAn unconsciously grabbed his wrist with his uninjured hand, and slightly curled his body, due to the pain he was feeling.

"Young brother, please show me the way once more. You should understand the consequences of pointing the wrong way, am I correct? If you point the wrong way, then what I'll do next won't be as simple as cutting out your flesh and stabbing your hand. So, you must show me the right path, and grasp your last chance." Yang Liye played with the dagger in his hand and said slowly, as if he was talking to Xiao YuAn about his family matters.

Xiao YuAn put his head against the ground. The rough sand and small stones were hurting his forehead, but he kept it that way, as if that other pain could relieve the pain coming from his palm and leg. In the end, he didn't dare to make a big move; because if he moved even for a little bit, then the dagger pinned to the ground piercing his palm would cut his hand even more, and the pain that would follow that action would also increase drastically.

Yang Liye expressionlessly looked at the trembling man on the ground. As he stared at him, Xiao YuAn slowly raised his hand again, and pointed in the same direction he pointed a few moments ago.

Certainly, there was no doubt.

Xiao YuAn's voice was shaking, as if he was crying, and said: "I really don't want to die. There's someone that I want to see more than anything. I want to see him again."

Yang Liye stared at him without saying a word. After thinking for a while, he turned around, mounted his horse, and led his soldiers towards the direction Xiao YuAn had just pointed at.

At that moment, no one knew that the end of the direction pointed by Xiao YuAn, was actually a cliff with no road at all.

And, in the opposite direction, Chen Ge was running as fast as he could with Yan HeQing on his back.

Xiao YuAn half hugged himself with his uninjured hand, as he kept murmuring to himself: "I really…. really…. really want to… see him again."

His thin words gradually dissipated in the cold night air, wasted under the three thousand floating worlds5.

More often than not, the words you say might not match your actions, and sometimes, you might even talk insincerely6.

Chapter 158: I Remember My Lover, Who Is Far Away From Me.1

"Is General Yang not relieved yet? How long have they been beating him? If they continue to beat him, that man will be killed, right?"

"You're still asking about this when you know how General Yang's temper is? That man will certainly die!"

"Tsk, General Yang has been kicking that man's stomach for so long, that sooner or later, he'll end up vomiting blood."

"Didn't you see how angry General Yang was when he came back just now? He even made his horse step directly over that man's leg! Even if he survives, how can his leg recuperate? He'll be destined to become a cripple for the rest of his life!"

"After all, the Emperor of the Southern Yan Kingdom slipped away from under his nose. Right now, General Yang's temperament is… even worse…. sigh."

"Huh? Where's xiao-Bao? I didn't see him today."

Under the starry sky in the wilderness, the morning light in the sky was dim. Yang Liye, who was ruthlessly venting his anger, finally got tired of kicking Xiao YuAn and stood aside to rest for a while. Then, he squatted down in front of Xiao YuAn, pinched his chin, and said: "What was it that you wanted to achieve? Was it worth it? Wouldn't it have been better to not lie to me? You wouldn't have been in this situation if you were sincere."

Xiao YuAn couldn't hear what Yang Liye was saying to him. After all, his ears were full of lingering hissing sounds. His hands were nailed to the ground with daggers, and the exposed skin of his body was covered with black and purple bruises. Because of the strong beating, almost all of his internal organs were displaced, and the blood he spit out, who knows how many times, had stained his chin and chest. Except for his eyes that could barely see, his whole body was numb with pain, and Xiao YuAn felt that none of his limbs and bones were under his control.

Naturally, Yang Liye didn't get an answer. He was filled with anger, but he was also tired of beating Xiao YuAn. So he simply stood up, put his arms on his hips, and took a long breath. Then, he reached out and pulled out the dagger from Xiao YuAn's left hand.

A faint whimper came from Xiao YuAn's mouth, which was more like he didn't even have the strength to complain about the pain rather than try to suppress a scream.

AD

"Let me think." Yang Liye grabbed his sleeve with one hand and wiped the blood on the dagger with it. "It would be too easy to end your life with just one strike. Would you prefer to bleed to death? Or would you rather have your flesh cut out bit by bit? Maybe I should cut out your flesh, because this way it will hurt even more… But, can you even still feel the pain? Hmm?"

After Yang Liye said this, he used his foot to turn Xiao YuAn over and kicked him in the knee again: "Hmm? If I ask you something, you have to answer it."

Xiao YuAn's knee had been trampled by the horse before, and the bone had long been fractured. At this point, when he was kicked again, he unconsciously shrank up in pain. As a result, his right hand, which was still nailed to the ground by a dagger, was inevitably cut open a bit more.

Yang Liye looked at Xiao YuAn laying on the ground, as if he were looking at a dead man, and while doing so, he was playing with the dagger in his hand for a while. Then he finally made a decision, squatted down slowly, gesticulated something, and finally moved his hand towards Xiao YuAn's eyes.

"Report! General Yang!"

Suddenly, a Deputy General came to report. He knelt in front of Yang Liye, clasped his fists, and shouted: "The rear urgently summoned General Yang back to discuss matters!"

However, Yang Liye continued to squat irrationally in front of Xiao YuAn. After a while, he finally stood up, patted the dust on his body, and heard the Deputy General say: "General, we shouldn't be late. We must hurry!"

"Yes, we've already used that trick, so it's time to reorganize the troops and snatch back the towns that were taken away before." Yang Liye muttered to himself. Then he waved at the Deputy General, and pointed at Xiao YuAn: "Find some people and bury him alive. Remember to bury him alive, you hear me?"

The Deputy General nodded and bowed head.

Satisfied with the response, Yang Liye squatted down and patted Xiao YuAn's face: "Young brother, have a nice trip, I won't send you. You see, I'm being merciful to you. At least, I didn't let your body be exposed to the wilderness where the wild dogs would eat your flesh, didn't I?"

Xiao YuAn was still unable to hear anything, when he suddenly felt as if the sky was spinning and struggled to open his eyes to look upward. It was daybreak, and there was no moon nor sun in the sky. There was only one star shining in the East. Xiao YuAn swallowed a mouthful of blood and felt that his body heat and consciousness were being pulled away from his body. At this, Xiao YuAn tried to raise a hand and reach for that lonely star in the sky, but in the end, he could only move his fingers. He then exhausted all the strength he had left to murmur: "Yan-ge….."

After he managed to say that, he fell into the chaos of darkness.

Chapter 159: Of Course I Choose To Save His Life.

When consciousness returned to Xiao YuAn's body again, it took him a while to realize that he was being carried on someone's back.

At this, Xiao YuAn struggled to understand what was going on; but his head was exploding in pain from a strong headache, and the pain of his injured body, that was numb before, was now devouring him relentlessly. His mouth was bitter and his eyes were blurry. In the end, Xiao YuAn couldn't help moaning in pain.

When the man carrying him noticed that Xiao YuAn had regained consciousness, he said: "Are you awake? Don't talk, it's better for you to save your strength. We'll be in Taoyuan Village soon."

"You… who are you?" Xiao YuAn opened his mouth, and of course, he wanted to say more, but right now he was only able to let out a few whispers. The qi and blood in his chest gradually surged up, and he felt the bitter taste of blood on his mouth.

There was also more than a trace of the taste of blood, as if he had tried to say anything else, he would have coughed up blood. At this, Xiao YuAn had to shut up.

"Benefactor, is me! Bao Yinxin. Do you still remember me?" The young soldier surnamed Bao was walking as fast as he could, and his feet were quite steady.

It took Xiao YuAn a while to remember that name: "Ah yes. It's you… why-…"

"Benefactor, several of the soldiers of our Eastern Wu Kingdom were saved by you in the past, do you still remember? How could we let you die like this? So we thought of a way to save you and send you back to Taoyuan Village." Bao Yinxin explained.

"But… but I'm already…. South-cough…" Before Xiao YuAn finished what he wanted to say, he suddenly began to cough violently.

"Benefactor, we don't have the heart of a wolf nor the lungs of a dog1. No matter who you're now, you still saved our lives. A drop of kindness should be repaid with a spring2, so please, stop talking and take a good rest." He said, concerned for Xiao YuAn after seeing him cough so violently.

"Thank you…." Xiao YuAn stopped coughing and replied almost whispering. After a long time, he vaguely said: "I can't let him down….. can't let down….. Thank you….."

AD

"What? What did you say?" Bao Yinxin couldn't hear Xiao YuAn's last words clearly, since Xiao YuAn had fallen unconscious again. Once he realized this, Bao Yinxin didn't dare to waste any more time, and hastened to speed up his pace.

When Xiao YuAn woke up again, he saw the sunset on the horizon, making the bamboo shadows look inclined.

It hurts, there wasn't a single spot in his body that didn't hurt. He felt a stabbing kind of pain coming from his abdomen, a dull pain coming from his legs, a terrible headache, and a tear-like pain coming from his hands. Xiao YuAn then took a deep breath, when suddenly, a shout exploded right next to his ear: "Xiao-ge is awake!"

A few seconds ago, Xie Chungui was lying on the edge of the bed, with his hands acting as a pillow, taking a nap. When he heard some noise, he woke up and rubbed his eyes as he raised his head to see what was going on, only to see Xiao YuAn with his eyes wide open. At this, he excitedly jumped up and ran outside.

Xiao YuAn, on the other hand, couldn't help but be puzzled. 'Didn't Xie Chungui go to the Western Shu Kingdom for medical treatment? Why is he still acting like a child?'

Xiao YuAn wanted to speak, but soon he realized that he wasn't able to produce any sound. He then wanted to raise his hand and touch his throat, but when he saw the white cloth wrapped around his injured hand, he stopped mid-air.

After a short while, a group of people entered his room. All of them were familiar faces.

"Young Master, you've suffered." Yang LiuAn's face showed how distressed he was.

As Xiao Fengyue patted Yang LiuAn's back soothingly, he softly said to Xiao YuAn: "Don't worry, Young Master, we will take good care of you until your body heals."

Third Aunt rubbed her eyes as she kept sobbing: "I- I said- wuwuwuwu, I told you that there isn't any war without any danger. You child, why couldn't you be more careful?! You had us worried to death, you know? You better get well soon! Didn't you say that you wanted to eat Auntie's braised pork, roasted chicken and marinated duck? How can you eat all that if you don't get well soon?"

Lin Shenling supported Third Aunt and told her not to be too sad. Zhang Baizhu, who has always been heartless, when he saw Xiao YuAn's tragic state, his eyes turned red: "Didn't you say that you'll be my baby's godfather?! You better get well soon, I want you to help me organize the One-month Banquet3, you have to attend."

AD

Xiao YuAn tried to smile at them, but because he was under an immeasurable amount of pain, his smile was distorted, startling everyone present: 'Where does it hurt? What's wrong? Why are you showing such a horrible expression?'

Then, a wide and warm palm caressed the top of Xiao YuAn's head. When Xiao YuAn raised his eyes to look at the owner of that hand, he pouted at his Shifu.

Zhang Changsong, who has always been a grumpy man, and was rarely amiable, patted Xiao YuAn's head with tenderness. Then he stroked his white beard, and said: "If you don't die after a great disaster, then you'll be blessed in the future. Rest well and don't worry, because we're all here for you. There's nothing to be worried about."

For some reason, Xiao YuAn suddenly felt as if all the pain he felt in his body had greatly diminished.

Chapter 160: Delivering A Letter? Arrange It.

Xiao YuAn made a few sounds, and Zhang Changsong half-guessed what he meant: "Are you trying to ask why you can't talk?"

Xiao YuAn nodded his head.

Zhang Changsong replied: "You have internal injuries. Your qi is disorganized and is pressing against your throat. Since your chest and lungs are wounded, if you try to speak, your chest will tighten, and you will be short of breath; which will make you cough, and even breathing would bring you pain. I have prescribed medicine for you. This medicine will make you temporarily unable to speak, but you don't have to worry. After some time, when your body has slightly recovered, you won't need to keep taking this medicine, and you'll be able to speak normally again."

Xiao YuAn suddenly realized something as his eyes fell on Xie Chungui, who was playing on the side, and made some sounds at Yang LiuAn and Xiao Fengyue.

Yang LiuAn rubbed the back of his head, unable to understand what Xiao YuAn wanted. But since Xiao Fengyue was more perceptive than him, he immediately understood what Xiao YuAn was trying to ask them: "Young Master, do you want to ask about Chungui? And why is he sometimes depressed, and sometimes acting like a child? Originally, LiuAn and I took Chungui to the Western Shu Kingdom to look for a miracle physician. That miracle physician said that Chungui's obsession and resentment was too deep, and that if he were to recover consciousness, he might collapse. The miracle physician told us that we should let Chungui live the rest of his life as a child."

Xiao Fengyue then sighed helplessly.

Xiao YuAn nodded his head, and looked back at Xie Chungui again.

The 20 year old young man was standing in front of the window, observing the afterglow coming from the window. The sunset looked like melting gold, and as the dust flew in front of the sunlight, the young man curiously reached out his hand, letting the golden glow fall on his palm. The glow was slightly hot and bright, making the young man giggle, just like an innocent child, extremely carefree.

Xiao YuAn's eyes were bitter as he retracted his gaze, and sobbed something unintelligible to the crowd.

However, this time, no one could guess what he tried to say.

Xiao YuAn: "Mhnn, waaah, uhhu."

Third Aunt: "What? Do you want to eat? But Physician Zhang said that you shouldn't eat greasy food ah."

Xiao YuAn shook his head: "Wawaa!"

Lin Shenling said: "Is Xiao-gongzi thirsty?"

Xiao YuAn shook his head again.

Zhang Baizhu clasped his hands and said: "Why don't we give him a pen and let him write?"

Zhang Changsong glared at him: "Look at his hands! If he writes, the wounds on his hands will tear open again. He's not allowed to write!"

Xiao YuAn: "Wuwu!"

"Does your body hurt somewhere?"

"Does the bedding feel uncomfortable?"

"Is it too hot?"

"Are you feeling cold?"

"Neither? Ah, I can't guess…"

AD

Zhang Baizhu suddenly smashed his fist, and his tone was very certain: "I know!"

Everyone looked at him in unison.

Zhang Baizhu proudly said: "Xiao YuAn! He!"

Everyone: "He…."

Zhang Baizhu sank his qi into his Dantian1 as he shouted word by word: "He! Must! Be! Having! One! Of! The! Three! Urgency2!"

Xiao YuAn: "…."

If it weren't because Xiao YuAn's body wouldn't allow him to, he would've jumped up from the bed at this moment to choke Zhang Baizhu, shaking him back and forth.

'Three urgency my ass!'

'Who will send a letter to Yan HeQing for me? Letting him know that I'm not dead ah?!'

It wasn't until the eleventh day that Xiao YuAn was able to speak. After he struggled to express what he wanted to say, Xiao Fengyue and Yang LiuAn looked at each other, both unable to speak for a while.

Yang LiuAn finally couldn't help himself as he spoke: "Young Master, why do you…. why did you have to put yourself in such a situation, because of Yan HeQing? You used to be… why do you have to treat yourself like this?!"

Xiao YuAn: "What?!"

AD

'Imperial Bodyguard Yang! What kind of sadistic and deep love drama are you imagining right now?!'

Xiao Fengyue immediately sighed afterwards, however, he didn't try to persuade him.

Xiao YuAn looked at the expression on their faces, and felt that the current version of himself in their eyes, should be close to the scum gong x cheap shou3 relationship in a "Cheap Shou" novel. In this scenario, even though his dignity was humiliated, he was still unable to let go of that scum gong. Unable to forget about him, even after years had passed, and in order to get in contact with him again, he had taken the place of Zhang Changsong as a military physician. Now, when he was finally saved from an incident, he was quickly trying to shamelessly send that scum gong a letter…

Xiao YuAn tried to explain: "Yan-ge is not what you think…."

Xiao Fengyue sighed, and Yang LiuAn knitted his eyebrows.

Xiao YuAn continued: "I'm quite happy with him… really…."

Xiao Fengyue's face was unforgiving, so he lowered his head. Yang LiuAn, on the other hand, sighed and looked at the sky in grief.

Xiao YuAn: "…."

'Can you two stop being like this?! Can you stop acting like you two are sad and angry?! So, in the end, my own words have become empty and unconvincing?!'

'If I don't show him properly, you two would never know how capable my Yan-ge is!'