Chapter 86: Harboring Malicious Intent; The Malicious Intent of the Jiangnan Lord + Little Xie Continues…
Hua Ling lowered her eyes, her head lowered as far as it could go.
The light in the main tent reflected her exquisite face, and her small face was slightly flushed, like a juicy peach.
The Emperor cast his gaze toward Hua Ling.
“Get up. Dang-er is being rude; what is he acting like?”
Only then did Hua Ling change from kneeling to sitting, looking a bit constrained. “This commoner woman thanks Your Majesty.”
The two soldiers outside the tent secretly peeked inside.
Hua Ling’s beauty had already attracted many people’s attention. She had been brought back by General Lian and treated with favor by the Emperor.
Until just now, when Prince Yong mentioned taking a concubine, the Emperor still hadn’t clarified. This was quite different from the Emperor’s usual style.
The details seemed to point to Hua Ling being special.
The soldiers guarding the door looked at each other and nodded in unspoken understanding, each moving their gaze away with a look of trepidation.
Inside the tent, the air seemed to have stagnated, so quiet that the burning of the candle could be heard.
Snap! Crackle!
The candle wick jumped, and a bean-sized spark hit the table, brightening before extinguishing.
The dim candlelight outlined Xie Qianli’s handsome face, shining on his fingers peeling the loquat. Juice dripped from his fingertips.
There were thick calluses on those fingertips.
Xie Qianli lowered his eyes to look. In comparison, no matter how hard he tried, the loquat was still peeled unevenly and looked very ugly.
He was a military man, and his hands were a bit clumsy.
He was fine with a spear or a bow, but he couldn’t do things that were too delicate. He actually felt sad because he couldn’t peel a loquat as well as others.
Xie Qianli was momentarily silent.
On the seat, Hua Ling and Ying Xi looked like a perfect pair. What monarch wouldn’t like a passionate young girl?
Taking ten thousand steps back, even if he didn’t love soft girls, how could the Emperor… be in love with a military man who was full of killing intent?
In the past, he wasn’t a sensitive or overthinking person. Now, he couldn’t control himself, focusing his thoughts on Ying Xi’s every word and action, searching through ten thousand details for a sign that the other person also liked him.
But Ying Xi’s special treatment of him was likely limited to appreciation, right?
And all his extravagant hopes for Ying Xi were merely extra fantasies based on that appreciation.
“Not talking? I’m asking you! Are you going to control whether my brother marries and has children?” Prince Yong knew his weakness and laughed as he beat the “beast.”
Xie Qianli gave an irreproachable answer: “His Majesty appointed the Longwu Army to protect him. I bear primary responsibility for His Majesty’s safety, so of course I am cautious in everything.”
“If there is someone trustworthy by His Majesty’s side in the future, I shall only be gratified and will naturally no longer interfere.”
Ying Xi remained calm, but he lowered his eyes to stare at the plate of shepherd’s purse and Fish Mint that was already empty.
[Sweet System: Tsk, ironclad straight man, deathly dense.]
Only Prince Yong felt comfortable, continuing the topic smoothly: “That’s natural! The person my brother will trust most in the future is my Imperial Sister-in-law, and they’ll be together day and night, right, Brother?” The love rival before him deserved to be struck down; the Empress, based on rumors, was not a concern.
Prince Yong crossed his legs and hummed.
Xie Qianli’s brow twitched again, unnoticed.
The summer tent made the Emperor feel stifled.
Ying Xi’s already burning throat grew even more scorched, the feeling spreading down to his lungs.
“Imperial Brother.”
“Dang-er?”
Ying Dang took Ying Xi’s hand, stroking it like he was petting a cat. “Brother, it’s time for you to marry. Which family’s lady do you favor?”
Ying Xi pulled his hand back.
He wasn’t unable to sense that his brother still had wicked thoughts.
Since a grand wedding was mentioned, the Emperor used this to calmly cut off his brother’s thoughts, correcting Prince Yong: “What ‘day and night’? Do you take the Imperial Palace for a brothel? You needn’t worry; I shall surely live in harmony with your Sister-in-law.”
“As for you,” Ying Xi said, “once the three-year mourning period is over, if you still haven’t learned to be good, then get out and go to your fief. I will surely choose the most formidable Princess Consort for you to take with you.”
“……” Ying Dang was suddenly silenced, a knife having been driven into his heart. No matter how foolish Prince Yong was, he could hear the meaning behind his brother’s words.
The one named Xie at least held a key position; even if he didn’t get what he wanted, he could still remain in Chang’an to serve.
But if his brother wanted to get rid of him, it would be very simple.
Ying Dang took a hard gulp of the cold tofu soup!
The Sweet System was excited in Ying Xi’s mind: [Do you really want to marry?]
“I’m lying to him.”
[Sweet System: I knew it.]
The two spirited roosters suddenly stopped fighting, each harboring their own thoughts in silence.
In the tent, Hua Ling had naturally won.
Ying Xi picked up a wild fruit.
Hua Ling hurried to hand him the empty plate to catch the pits. The two seemed to have a tacit understanding.
Ying Xi casually diverted the topic, asking about the situation in Xindu and the Jiangnan Lord Li Yilong.
As the Emperor asked, Hua Ling answered.
Hua Ling described the situation in Xindu to Ying Xi in a sweet, soft voice.
She said that at the time, the Jiangnan court was being attacked from two sides, and the strategists suggested saving the north and not the south, having placed too much trust in Jia Ruzhen.
In the end, Guangling was defeated, and the danger in the north remained unresolved.
Li Yilong was furious about this.
Thus, the strategists shifted the blame onto each other, none willing to take responsibility for losing the city. In the struggle, countless lives were lost.
Ying Xi already knew this.
It was the reason Hua Ling gave for her flight south.
As for the clues he had already heard, Ying Xi was uninterested and remained calm.
But the strategy of “saving the north and not the south” truly surprised him.
If he were Li Yilong, he would surely have supported the south.
After all, by shrinking the battle line, he could continue to live in peace in a small corner.
At the very least, he could take a boat out to sea and flee south, far away from everything.
“Why did Li Yilong head north?”
Hua Ling said, “At that time, the people in Xindu said that if the defense line moved south, it would be harder and harder to fight back. If they could hold on, they could head north and conquer the Great Qin.”
“Ha, hahahahahaha…”
Clear laughter filled the tent.
“Parochial arrogance.” Ying Xi found it hilarious.
Although he indeed found the battle for Yangzhou incredibly difficult, he possessed the lands of eight provinces, yet the rebel Li was so ambitious.
In his consciousness, Ying Xi had sliced this rebel ten thousand times.
The Emperor’s voice was like jade striking jade, possessing an inherent nobility.
The Sweet System was very pleased, silently saying: [Heavy breathing]
However, after the laughter came a fit of raspy coughing. Ying Xi had moved his heart and lungs. Compared to his carefree attitude just now, his small cough sounded a bit helpless.
Xie Qianli and Ying Dang couldn’t sit still in their seats.
Ying Xi waved his hand. The Emperor waved his dragon sleeve, indicating he was fine.
He picked up another wild fruit, placed it behind the empty plate, and pushed it hard toward the plate.
The wild fruit hit the porcelain plate, which triggered the next porcelain plate; the plates were connected.
Ying Xi: “North? I shall pierce his heart through!”
The Emperor possessed supreme power, yet he carried an air of fragility—like colorful clouds easily scattered—that became a fatal attraction to outsiders.
Hua Ling’s eyes flickered as she took Ying Xi into her gaze.
Xie Qianli suggested: “If the enemy changes tactics and moves south to rescue Cheng Qingtam, it will put a lot of pressure on our army. I request Your Majesty to listen to all sides and be clear-minded.”
Ying Xi nodded slightly. “Tell me about Cheng Qingtam.”
Hua Ling replied: “He is Li Yilong’s brother-in-law.”
“Li Yilong’s wife died early, and the two were very close. Afterward, the Lord took dozens of concubines in Yangzhou but never remarried.”
The Longwu Army had already investigated the background of the Linchuan commander.
But the rumors about Li Yilong… this was the first time they had heard them. Who doesn’t love gossip?
“Dozens of concubines?”
Hua Ling nodded. “Yes.”
Although the several commanderiers of Yangzhou weren’t small, dozens of concubines was truly a lot!
Prince Yong’s lip lifted sharply. Back then, no matter how arrogantly he, a dignified Prince, had played, at most it was visiting brothels. Now he had been forced to retire.
Li Yilong was merely a Lord of a small corner.
Prince Yong’s words were always sharp: “He takes so many; don’t they fight in the harem!?”
It was the same reason: everyone loved listening to secret histories. Everyone became more and more curious about Li Yilong’s private life.
Hua Ling lowered her eyes slightly, her voice as small as could be:
“The Lord wanted heirs.”
Ying Xi was startled.
Ying Xi was silent for a while. He had always been able to see the big picture from small details; hearing this, he felt a wave of malice coming toward him, and the roots of his teeth began to itch.
Sure enough, Hua Ling continued:
“Actually, the concubines in the palace have already given birth to many, yet the Lord still says that a ruler of a country must have heirs… to ensure eternal continuity.”
The silence in the tent became somewhat piercing.
Ying Xi suddenly slapped the table. “——He wants to outlive me!?”
In that instant, the Imperial face was filled with fury.
The Emperor, who had been full of high spirits just now, had a layer of cold sweat on his nose and forehead.
Ying Xi was indeed handsome, but he wasn’t the “heroic and dashing” type. His face was mixed with a pitiable sense of illness. Ying Xi was already twenty years old.
No matter who the Emperor was, he should at least have concubines, even if an Empress hadn’t been established. He should have had Imperial sons by now.
And if Ying Xi had none…
Ying Xi couldn’t help but judge himself through the eyes of the world—the rebels must think his body was failing, and that he even had the same “problem” as Emperor Yuantai.
If Ying Xi died, the Great Qin would immediately explode into chaos due to the struggle for the throne.
Li Yilong had this intention, and it was also a form of contempt toward him.
His heart deserved to be executed!
The Emperor’s chest rose and fell as he tried to suppress his emotions, but he burst into an even more violent fit of coughing.
That burning throat went from being unbearably scorched to feeling as if it were being cut by countless knives.
The lamplight flickered constantly, and the gauze lamp buzzed.
Ying Xi pressed one hand on the table, fighting against his still-useless body after rebirth. His eyes were already red from coughing.
“I beg Your Majesty to calm your anger!”
“Cough, cough-cough…”
“Your Majesty?”
“Water. Give me——water!!!”
Having high ambitions but being unable to lead on horseback was Ying Xi’s lifelong regret.
His eyes were full of tears, his eye sockets both stinging and painful. He felt as if his lungs were about to tear. At this time, a cup was pressed into his palm. He closed his eyes to take it.
His fingertips touched the hand handing over the cup. He drank the water.
He put down the cup. Opening his eyes, his dark gray pupils trembled slightly.
Ju-er had moved in front of him at some point.
He hadn’t seen Xie Qianli’s look of frantic concern as he pushed away Hua Ling before Prince Yong just now.
Before him was a valiant body, kneeling halfway by his side. His arm touched his left leg almost imperceptibly.
Ying Xi hooked his lips weakly.
In his eyes, those shoulders were wide and straight, with a solid thickness.
“Your Majesty, please take care of your Dragon body.” Xie Qianli’s arms were long and strong, and he was very skilled when he reached out to take the cup. His knuckles were hard and hot; Ying Xi’s thin, soft skin was even slightly pricked by the sensation.
Ying Xi suddenly hesitated between closeness and wariness, actually wanting to reach out and touch the top of the other’s head.
He suppressed his far-fetched imagination. Ju-er looked handsome and cold, yet he actually felt the other had a fuzzy tail.
And he felt as if the tip of that fuzzy tail was slowly brushing over his heart. And again.
The corners of Ying Xi’s mouth lifted.
The light of the candle on the table gradually stabilized. Ying Xi caught his breath and consoled them: “Everyone get up. I am fine now. My anger just now had nothing to do with you. After you finish eating, go down and rest. Don’t kneel there.”
the invisible silken strings in the tent relaxed.
Prince Yong crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, dusting off the dust on his robes as he looked down on Xie Qianli with contempt.
Since the beast had beaten him to it just now, Prince Yong’s tone was unpleasant: “You named Xie, quickly issue me some bedding. I’m tired now. After you’ve paid your respects, leave quickly.”
Prince Yong wanted to take an advantage and stay with Ying Xi.
Xie Qianli ignored him completely.
He had already arranged a place for Prince Yong to stay—the tent was as far away from the Emperor as possible. It was useless for Prince Yong to resist.
“Fifth camp, first row, third flag. Sleep there.”
“On the outer perimeter and in a common dormitory! Gu won’t!” Ying Dang sought help. “Brother…”
The two were on the verge of another argument.
But before they could truly start fighting, the two soldiers guarding the door moved to the sides as a general entered the tent.
This man looked smiling and was slightly plump compared to others in the Longwu Army; he was likely a logistics officer.
The general said: “This subordinate is the Quartermaster. The camp is about to enter night curfew. I still have matters I cannot decide, so I request Your Majesty’s Imperial judgment.”
Ying Xi was slightly displeased. “Why do you need to report across levels? Is your commander not right here in front of me?”
Quartermaster: “I’m afraid General Xie cannot decide this matter either.”
Ying Xi glared at him. “Speak.”
Quartermaster: “How should Miss Hua Ling be arranged?”
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