Chapter 90: The Dragon Boat Sets Sail; His Majesty’s Highlight Moment + His Majesty is Angry with Little Xie…
Xu Youyi thought this man surnamed Xie was crazy!
Who could have imagined that during the confrontation between two naval armies, the enemy’s commander-in-chief would suddenly close in?
By the time Xu Youyi reacted, one of his two escort frigates had already been smashed aside by Xie Qianli’s ship, while the crew of the other ship was completely embroiled in a bitter struggle.
The enemy ship was of hard quality and equipped with many archers.
That man surnamed Xie wasn’t wearing heavy armor. He was currently using a silver spear to deflect flying arrows, having already speared six or seven naval soldiers overboard.
Heroic, fierce, and wild—his eyes were red with the thrill of slaughter, and his face was stained with blood, yet he didn’t linger in the fight, instead boarding this flagship.
Xu Youyi had never seen such a way of fighting.
The situation didn’t warrant it. The circumstances didn’t warrant it.
Jiangbei was currently on the winning side—it was even less warranted…
He naturally didn’t know that Xie Qianli had to do this because the Dragon Boat behind him was carrying the Emperor.
Xu Youyi’s single eye exploded with killing intent!
He thrust his great saber forward, advancing instead of retreating. The bows of the two flagships collided. The great saber slashed toward Xie Qianli, clashing with the Youlong Edge.
The Youlong Edge had a massive attack range. The spearhead swatted away Xu Youyi’s guards, locking onto him alone!
“Watch the blade!”
In weapons, an inch longer means an inch stronger. Even for the head of the Twenty-four General Stars, with equal skill levels, the saber was at a disadvantage.
Xu Youyi’s arms felt numb and sore, and his webbing tore, blood flowing down his arm.
There was about a ten-year age gap between Xu Youyi in his prime and the hot-blooded Xie Qianli. Xu Youyi gritted his teeth and endured.
The sound of heavy metal impacts made the ears ring!
The Youlong Edge swung with such force it couldn’t be intercepted directly; the blade of the great saber would surely be snapped by the spear shaft.
Xu Youyi realized he would inevitably run out of strength.
At this moment, countless hazy silhouettes of sails appeared behind the two flagships.
It was the Jiangnan Army’s rescue ships!
Reinforcements were continuously returning to defend. The various ships gradually sealed off Xie Qianli’s path of retreat.
Xu Youyi brandished his saber and shouted, “No way forward, no way back! I will surely kill you!!!”
“Kill the enemy general—”
Ying Xi pushed aside Prince Yong and stood at the very edge of the deck.
The Emperor looked out at the river. The battle had already reached the far side of the water; the combat situation there was unclear.
Cries of “General Xie’s flagship is charging the formation” were heard everywhere on the river. He only then realized that before danger could arrive, it had already been averted.
Prince Yong followed behind, his phoenix eyes staring blankly. “This damn guy really is a mad dog…”
However, he was given a harsh glare by Ying Xi. Ying Xi’s gaze then moved to Lian Qing, and he said in a voice of suppressed rage: “Kneel!”
Lian Qing tremblingly kowtowed: “Your… Your Majesty.”
“What are you hiding?”
“You knew long ago that he was going to charge the formation???”
At the Emperor’s feet and before his own eyes, raindrops splashed down. Lian Qing almost buried his head into the deck.
Lian Qing: “The North…”
His voice was hoarse.
“Northern soldiers are not good at naval warfare; there have been no exceptions since ancient times. In an encounter on water, a forced crossing must be decided quickly.”
“Decapitating the enemy commander—this was a tactic discussed long ago… But, but who… also isn’t as… as brave and peerless as General Xie…”
“He is suitable.”
Lian Qing didn’t dare say another word.
He felt as if there were killing intent in the Emperor’s gaze.
He couldn’t tell where the Emperor’s anger was coming from.
Having a subordinate like General Xie, who was brave enough to charge into the fray, should have been exactly what an Emperor dreamed of in a general.
Yet he only felt that the normally calm Emperor had actually become so furious that the Ying Xi he saw now was looking across the rain curtain, his eyes almost piercing through the river water.
As if he were about to lose something, Ying Xi’s heart constricted in that instant.
That sense of panic made his heart feel anchorless. He took a deep breath, but it felt as if a giant rock were blocking his chest, so heavy he could hardly breathe.
He faced the escort frigates and issued a decree: “Go and bring him back.”
The escort frigates didn’t dare move: “Your Majesty!” Who would dare to privately leave the post of guarding the Emperor?
Lian Qing knelt and looked up to explain: “Your Majesty, right now, two small boats entering the enemy camp is like a mud cow entering the sea. Distant water cannot put out a nearby fire…”
Ying Xi went still.
Could it be that he could only wait for Xie Qianli’s decapitation mission to succeed? Or watch helplessly as more enemy troops surrounded Ju’er?
In that split second, a surge of tension burned through his entire body.
His throat felt parched and painful as he exhaled a breath of scalding air that was completely at odds with the rainy day.
Ying Xi yanked Lian Qing up and said with majesty:
—”Sound the drums of advancement. My Dragon Boat sets sail.”
Prince Yong froze on the spot, unable to believe it.
Prince Yong currently wasn’t so petty as to ignore the big picture just to compete with Xie Qianli out of jealousy. However, Prince Yong thought that right now, the one ignoring the big picture was the Emperor in front of him.
“How can there be a principle in this world where a sovereign risks himself to save a subject!!!”
Lian Qing had received instructions long ago that the Emperor’s safety surpassed all else: “Your Majesty, you must not!”
Ying Xi brushed these two aside.
An impulse so rare he had almost never experienced it before pushed his back tight. He suppressed his emotions and said in a cold voice: “I know what I am doing.”
How could Lian Qing disobey the Imperial decree?
The order was passed to the flag-bearers. The strongmen rowed with all their might, moving the massive Dragon Boat. The great ship was like a giant mountain moving across the water.
Ying Xi demanded they create as much of a scene as possible, so the entire Dragon Boat, along with its two escort frigates, shouted together: “The Emperor personally campaigns! The Dragon Boat sets sail!”
“The Emperor personally campaigns! The Dragon Boat sets sail!”
—”That’s Ying Xi’s ship! Look quickly!”
The Dragon Boat approached the battle formation; no one could fail to see it.
The reinforcements coming to rescue Xu Youyi had originally intended to move toward the flagship, but how could they have expected the Emperor of Great Qin to take the initiative to approach them?
Signal flares rose into the sky from various ships. Several red lines pierced through the water and sky.
The lookout tower of the Jiangnan flagship reported: “Ying Xi’s Dragon Boat has come out!”
Xu Youyi had just taken several of Xie Qianli’s spear strikes. Seeing the reinforcements, he felt a slight relief. Whether to kill a general or kill an Emperor—there was no need to think.
Xu Youyi said as he fought: “Fast ships at the rear, turn around! Surround Ying Xi and take his head!!!”
The flag signals passed the order to the rear.
Fully half of the enemy ships abandoned their return rescue and instead went to attack the solitary Dragon Boat on the water.
The enemy ship formation came with a menacing momentum; it was too spectacular.
Prince Yong and Lian Qing blocked the Emperor behind them.
The Dragon Boat became the absolute core of the vast water. Amidst the vastness of the sky and river, even the largest hull was as small as a grain of millet.
“How much energy do you have left?” Ying Xi asked.
Ying Xi looked at the approaching hulls and said to Sweetie: “Turn all your energy into wind and blow the enemy ships before my eyes away. I need you to use all your strength.”
[Sweetie: If Your Majesty’s rescue of General Xie comes from love, I will be full of energy.]
The Jiangnan enemy ships were closing in!
Ying Xi gritted his teeth: “—He is my beloved general.”
There is only one character’s difference between “beloved” (lover) and “beloved general” in Chinese, but the Dating System similarly recognized Ying Xi’s feedback.
A powerful emotional energy poured into Sweetie and then acted upon reality. Between the Dragon Boat and the enemy ships, a sudden, fierce gale rose out of thin air.
All the raindrops instantly changed direction.
The waves overturned small boats, and the strong wind filled the sails. Enemy ships, large and small, were all blown far away as they approached the Dragon Boat, as if driven by ghosts or gods.
This was the unknown number of times the Jiangnan rebels terrifyingly believed that Ying Xi possessed the power to communicate with heaven and earth.
“The… the Son of Heaven.”
“It’s the Son of Heaven…”
On the other side, aboard the flagship.
Xu Youyi’s order to attack the Dragon Boat had just been issued. The man who had charged onto the enemy ship suddenly erupted with power like a god of war.
His life-disregarding style of fighting left him covered in blade wounds, yet he seemed oblivious to the pain. He gave up his heavy armor, gave up his defense, and moved forward against Xu Youyi’s saber. His spear struck the saber blade, breaking Xu Youyi’s guard, and he thrust a spear strike directly into him!
The spearhead pierced through the abdomen, and blood flowed out gurglingly. Xu Youyi was impaled by the Youlong Edge, then spat out a mouthful of bright red blood.
He couldn’t understand the strong wind just now. Could it be that the Mandate of Heaven still resides in Great Qin?
Xu Youyi’s body was in intense pain, and his vision slowly narrowed. Facing him was the enemy general who killed him, and also the powerful enemy who was about to overthrow their Jiangnan court.
Xu Youyi said unwillingly: “Eldest Brother…”
From almost starving and freezing to death to becoming the top military general in Jiangnan.
The experiences of his forty-odd years flashed through his mind like lightning. His single eye shone, and his lips hooked up fiercely.
“Repaying the favor of a meal with my death.”
“Kill! Kill them!!!”
Xu Youyi roared to gather his breath. Even with the Youlong Edge through his abdomen and the silver metal spear shaft covered in blood, he lunged at Xie Qianli and pulled out a dagger, stabbing the point two inches into Xie Qianli’s abdomen.
Blood spilled from Xu Youyi’s fingertips.
Blood flowed from Xie Qianli’s teeth.
The commanders of both sides seemed to have perished together.
Subsequently, the enemy general let go, the Jiangnan Army collapsed, and the Jiangbei Longwu Army surrounded the enemy ship. Xie Qianli closed his eyes, temporarily losing consciousness.
Linchuan was broken!
The city was a mess.
The Prefect’s Mansion was occupied by the Jiangbei Army. Xie Meng led the troops to welcome the Emperor; the two sides had coordinated perfectly to take the city.
Several enemy naval camps were hidden in the waters north of Linchuan. Xie Meng requested to lead troops to dismantle them, and Ying Xi granted permission.
He transferred two reliable advisors from Xie Meng’s camp to temporarily handle the city’s trivial matters on his behalf.
Xie Meng didn’t think much of it. The two advisors, however, were almost scared to death; how many levels were between them and the Emperor? Could they easily make decisions?
After entering the city, the Emperor only stayed in the front hall of the Prefect’s Mansion for a short while.
Once tasks were assigned, he strode to the back hall. Coughing and panting, he suppressed his anger and stood outside the bedroom door.
The summer rain had temporarily ceased.
“Your… Your… Your Majesty, please stop…” Lian Qing spread his arms to block the bedroom.
“Get out.”
Lian Qing felt as if his soul was about to leave his body.
Ever since General Xie had charged the formation and speared Xu Youyi, the entire imperial army had been talking about this naval battle. General Xie had not only brought great glory to Jiangbei’s naval capabilities but also added the feat of defeating the Jiangnan star general, earning him the title of the world’s number one fierce general. Right now, the entire Longwu Army was praising him.
Was the enemy camp somewhere an ordinary person would dare to charge? General Xie dared; he had done it twice in his military career.
Lian Qing thought General Xie was incredibly formidable, honorably wounded, and returning in victory. But the Emperor was clearly very unhappy, to the point that Lian Qing had never seen the Emperor throw such a temper. It was almost…
It almost gave Lian Qing the impression that the Emperor was going in there to raise his blade and kill the world’s number one general while he was wounded.
Lian Qing knelt again: “The physician just finished. The scene inside is not suitable for Your Majesty to see. Please stay back.”
The Emperor reached out and pushed Lian Qing aside.
For the first time, Lian Qing stumbled; he hadn’t expected the Emperor to have so much strength. He really didn’t dare block anymore. For some reason, he trembled for General Xie and sheepishly closed the door for the two of them.
The room was filled with the smell of medicine! No matter how strong the medicine was, it couldn’t cover the smell of blood.
Ying Xi became even more solemn. He went into the inner room and lifted the curtain, only to see Xie Qianli facing him shirtless. His face tightened slightly.
“You—”
The general’s well-defined muscles entered Ying Xi’s vision without warning. Blade wounds crisscrossed his body, and the torn flesh was terrifying to behold.
There was a wound on his abdomen that had already been wrapped in bandages—many layers—but the faint red of blood still seeped through from underneath.
Xie Qianli leaned halfway against the headboard, his deep wheat-colored skin showing a layer of intense paleness. His normally bright eyes were half-open, and his reactions were several beats slower than usual.
“Your Majesty…” Seeing Ying Xi, his half-closed eyes widened a fraction.
He slowed his speech, trying his best to pull over the quilt to cover the wounds on his body, but this small movement made his wounds hurt even more intensely.
Ying Xi’s anger was doused halfway. His expression was no longer severe as he took a few steps closer.
Xie Qianli unexpectedly gained a bit of vitality. The corners of his mouth lifted, his voice intermittent: “Greetings, Your Majesty… Please forgive… this subject… for being unable to come down… to meet you.”
“This subject…”
Loss of blood made him sluggish. He slowly opened and closed his eyes, then used them to gaze at Ying Xi, yet he couldn’t say anything specific. He was like a huge animal, made clumsy by injury.
Xie Qianli still insisted on leaning his body toward Ying Xi. It was unclear if he wanted to bow or do something else.
The remaining anger in Ying Xi was doused another two points. He approached further and sighed.
“Don’t move.”
Translator’s Note:
- Peacocking (开屏): The title uses kāipíng, which refers to a peacock spreading its tail. In slang, it means a man showing off his best qualities to attract someone. Xie Qianli’s “highlight moment” on the battlefield is essentially him “peacocking” for Ying Xi.
- Xu Youyi (徐有义/徐有衣): This is a pun. His original name Yǒuyī (有衣) means “To Have Clothes,” reflecting his poverty. His new name Yǒuyì (有义) means “To Have Righteousness,” reflecting his loyalty to Li Yilong.
- Li Yilong (李义隆/李一垄): Similarly, Yīlǒng (一垄) means “One Ridge of a Field,” while his rebel name Yìlóng (义隆) means “Magnificent Righteousness.”
- Decapitation Strike (斩首行动): A military term for an attack aimed at the enemy’s leadership. Xie Qianli is a fan of this high-risk, high-reward move!
- Beloved General (爱将) vs Beloved (爱人): In Chinese, these are àijiàng and àirén. Ying Xi almost admitted his feelings to the system, but used the “general” qualifier to save face. The system ship is sailing!
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