Chapter 69: Draping the Cloak – Little Xie is Angry + Bixia Calls His Nickname~…
“Bixia!”
“Bixia, are you alright?”
“Bixia…”
A clamor of voices arose on the small boat.
The orange-red light of the torches illuminated the nearby waters.
Ying Xi emerged from the water. Even though it was early summer, falling into the river late at night left his entire body freezing cold. Being blown by the river wind upon surfacing brought an even more bone-piercing chill.
With the Imperial Carriage present and the small boat crowded with people, it was inconvenient for everyone to perform formal salutes; they merely cupped their fists toward Ying Xi.
Ying Xi waved his hand and stood firm, not fussing over it too much.
As the boats neared the riverbank and came within bowshot, the archers released their arrows one after another. Accompanied by the twang of bowstrings, the rebels let out miserable shrieks; after struggling for only a short while, they fell into the river one by one.
At this time, a fast boat approached from a diagonal rear angle, and a hearty voice rang out: “Hahaha, truly worthy of the Longwujun after its integration! Its prestige surpasses what I saw in Chang’an. Your troop training has the style of your father; a hero father begets a brave son. If your uncle knew, he would surely smile in the netherworld.”
Wearing the armor of the Jingzhou water forces, Xie Meng, standing over nine chi tall with a booming voice that could even suppress the sound of the river, approached the small boat and said to Ying Xi: “The Commander-in-Chief of the Jingzhou Water Forces, deeply grateful to Bixia for appointing me as the commander of the southern expedition, pays his respects to Bixia!”
The men of the Xie family were all remarkably tall and sturdy.
Xie Meng was a rough and rugged man; Ying Xi didn’t mince words with him, speaking briefly and forcefully: “Knowing Chen is brave and skilled in battle, Zhen hopes Chen will not disappoint Zhen’s expectations.”
Xie Meng naturally expressed profound gratitude.
Xie Meng thought to himself: Their Xie family, vital military ministers for several generations and frequently intermarrying with the imperial family, once enjoyed incomparable favor and honor.
But ever since his uncle Xie Ji died, many rumors claimed the new monarch intended to target the Xie clan. Now, having seen the new monarch with his own eyes, those rumors were highly questionable.
Furthermore… Xie Meng subtly smacked his lips in a way no one noticed.
Tonight, when the Emperor went missing, Xie Qianli rushed his boat into the water fortress and demanded he immediately dispatch dozens of fast boats to search along the river.
This younger cousin of his had always been meticulous about his appearance. Yet when the brothers met just now, Xie Qianli hadn’t even bothered to don his battle armor, hastily tying his hair up instead. During the search, he was weighed down by anxiety and didn’t exchange a word with him. The depth of the affection between this ruler and subject seemed evident.
Xie Meng was naturally happy that the Xie clan could continue to enjoy imperial favor.
However, there was one thing Xie Meng couldn’t understand, which struck him as extremely bizarre.
Now that they had actually found the Emperor, why did Xie Qianli’s expression become even colder?
— Shouldn’t this be the moment for the ruler and subject to reunite and express great loyalty to each other???
Xie Meng just felt his cousin’s behavior was very strange.
On another small boat, Ying Xi urgently monitored the battle situation, as his jump into the water had drawn away all the rebels. The hostages were unharmed.
The fleet of fast boats docked, the rebels were eradicated, and the commoners were rescued.
Lian Qing practically burst into tears: “General, you arrived just in time, General… Gen—”
Lian Qing’s words abruptly cut off.
Lian Qing met Xie Qianli’s gaze. It felt as if chilling needles were suspended everywhere; he distinctly felt a bone-piercing coldness, yet the other man didn’t utter a single word.
The pressure brought on by the silence made Lian Qing endlessly guilty.
Lian Qing finally, sluggishly realized: The General is… angry? Sulking?
Luring the enemy alone was a decision made by the Emperor; as a subject, one could only obey. Where did the General’s anger come from?
That dangerous thought spun around in his mind a few more times. Sweat beaded on Lian Qing’s forehead, and he hastily retreated back into the crowd.
At this time, four or five soldiers escorted Yingzi over, shouting sternly: “Kneel!”
Yingzi was forcefully pushed down.
His bamboo hat was lowered, but he burst into a sinister laugh. His shoulders heaved as he laughed, causing extreme discomfort to everyone present!
Ying Xi flipped up that bamboo hat!
Yingzi raised his eyes; it wasn’t the assassin from the Longchuan, merely someone with similar physical traits. No wonder he had kept his back to them the whole time!
A fake.
The official troops drew their snow-bright Mo Dao. Xie Meng walked over, grabbed the counterfeit by the collar, hoisted him up, and interrogated: “Where is Jia Ruzhen?”
“Master he… Ha, haha…”
“Master said you all have to die!!!”
A trail of black blood slowly trickled down the corner of the counterfeit’s mouth.
He had taken poison.
Seeing this, Xie Meng was furious. The Guangling Commandery Governor was putting up a desperate resistance; the man surnamed Jia was sinister, ruthless, and full of cunning schemes. He had already suffered many unspoken losses at his hands.
Xie Meng tossed the counterfeit aside, his chest heaving continuously.
Xie Qianli reminded Xie Meng at this point: “Jia Ruzhen might have seen the formidable strength of the official army, abandoned his accomplices, and swiftly fled. Or it’s possible he wasn’t even here tonight. If he is in Guangling City, while I brought my elder brother to the banks of the Hanshui, I fear this person might launch a surprise attack tonight.”
Xie Meng nodded: “You and I will split our forces into two routes. You continue searching along the Hanshui, and I will lead the naval forces to surround Guangling. I want to see how a Jianghu bandit can handle both ends!”
Xie Meng moved first, vanishing into the river fog aboard a fast boat in the blink of an eye.
Xie Qianli had a search and capture mission to execute.
His gaze focused on Ying Xi for a moment, and then his lip line pulled even tighter. He seemed to be desperately suppressing words he shouldn’t say—worries and reproaches that couldn’t be voiced solely from the status of a subject.
Xie Qianli’s breathing was heavy.
He commanded his attendants: “Escort Bixia back to the camp.”
“Yes.”
Several soldiers approached Ying Xi. Lian Qing had already committed the grave error of knowing the situation but not reporting it, so he didn’t dare lean in close again.
Ying Xi had tossed and turned all night, which had finally come to a temporary pause. Water droplets still trickled down his sleeves, hair ends, and the hem of his robe. The weight of the water made all his clothes cling tightly to his skin, dripping wet and heavily laden.
Even if Ying Xi still wanted to follow the Longwujun to track down Jia Ruzhen’s whereabouts, he was in too wretched a state now; he knew his own body.
Ying Xi’s footsteps were heavy.
He trailed behind a few young Longwujun generals toward the small rescue boat by the water, deciding to return to camp to regroup. But just then, stimulated by a passing gust of river wind, he sneezed.
Mindful of his bearing, Ying Xi only made a very slight sound.
“Achoo.”
“Bixia.”
Ying Xi stopped.
The soles of his boots scraped against the gravel on the riverbank.
Actually, at this moment, Ying Xi somewhat realized he was in the wrong.
He had appointed Xie Qianli to protect him, yet, thinking he had some sense of propriety, he acted on his own initiative and didn’t tell the other party the plan from start to finish.
If he had truly drowned in the Hanshui just now, Xie Qianli would have been unable to shirk the blame.
As an Emperor, one cannot easily admit mistakes, but Ying Xi was reasonable.
Putting himself in the other’s shoes, realizing how deeply this must have troubled Xie Qianli, and having seen with his own eyes how urgently he had rushed to save the Emperor—so rushed that he only draped a garment over himself and tied his hair.
Ying Xi decided that if Xie Qianli intended to stop and offer admonishments, then the Emperor could also make an exception, humbly accept the advice, and soften his attitude a bit.
He waited.
Closed his eyes.
What he waited for, however, was the chill of the river wind around his body being completely cut off. A comfortable warmth wrapped around Ying Xi.
He felt as if he had become a young silkworm, wrapped inside a soft cocoon. That sensation made him lose control; a surge of heat rushed up his nose.
Ying Xi opened his eyes. Xie Qianli had taken off his battle cloak and wrapped it around him.
The act of draping the cloak felt like an embrace. Ying Xi’s body trembled slightly, and the tip of his heart quivered along with it.
Xie Qianli tied the sash tightly for him.
Those fingers, which possessed immense power when gripping a spear, moved with extreme caution, as if he were trying to control the overwhelming strength in his entire body.
Ying Xi’s guilt multiplied several times over.
In that moment, all the painful memories belonging to Fanglan Dian evolved into an emotion that choked his throat right in front of this person.
Clearly, it was still deep night, yet Ying Xi felt as if he saw the brilliant rays of light behind that magnolia tree once again.
Ying Xi lowered his eyes, the tip of his nose trembling slightly.
Xie Qianli kept his handsome face taut: “Please take care of yourself, Bixia. Chen will go and return shortly.”
The Emperor nodded.
At this point, Ying Xi added in a low voice: “Good Ju’er.”
That voice could only be heard by the two of them.
Xie Qianli instantly stiffened!
His pent-up anger was actually scattered unreasonably by Ying Xi.
For a moment, he was entranced, realizing that the high and mighty bright moon was actually attempting to confuse his senses.
That was an apology unique to Ying Xi’s style.
In Xie Qianli’s field of vision, all that could be contained were Ying Xi’s thick eyelashes.
Perhaps to the Emperor, he was just a tiny bit special. Unable to suppress his excitement, the corners of Xie Qianli’s mouth began to rise, but he immediately turned and strode away.
Digesting a heart full of joy alone, Xie Qianli led a Longwujun squad and rode off!
The boat sailed on the river, the waves rolling.
The Emperor sat in the boat.
In the open-air small boat, surrounded by the deep blue river night, the river wind made Ying Xi wrap the cloak tighter around himself. Warmth then spread all over his body, and a familiar scent lingered in his nose.
That day in the cabin, he had deeply experienced the scent belonging to Xie Qianli.
Lifting the fabric of the cloak and sniffing it lightly by his nose, Ying Xi thought of a docile male beast lying dormant among the vegetation.
His movements were so subtle that no one noticed.
Ying Xi’s deep grey eyes moistened.
Splash.
“Bixia,” the soldier escorting him said, “General Xie and General Xie Meng have merged their forces. The camp is backed against Guiyang; Bixia can rest there temporarily. Once Guangling Commandery is taken, you can advance with the southern expeditionary army to surround the enemy’s capital.”
Ying Xi nodded. His Imperial expedition was not to personally engage in slaughter. He knew his own limits.
“How is the current battle situation?” Ying Xi asked.
The soldier replied: “On the eastern front, Huainan and Danyang, the two commanderies, have been taken. On the western front, General Xie Meng just conquered Yuzhang. They are hesitating and unable to advance at Guangling. The two fronts have been in a stalemate for days and cannot merge.”
Ying Xi calculated the time he had been out.
“It must be done quickly.”
The soldier nodded; the water surface grew even wider.
The boat traveled for about the time it takes to drink two or three cups of tea.
In the river fog, the tall silhouette of a ship appeared opposite the small boat. Instantly, the entire army went on alert, thinking it was an enemy vessel.
But the navigation ban here was the strictest; how could this ship not have been discovered by the patrol soldiers?
Ying Xi stood up.
The large ship drew closer and closer.
The ship had two decks, its ship lanterns glowing red. Gauze curtains fluttered along the hull, dancers swayed gracefully on board, and the sound of singing drifted far:
“Everyone says Jiangnan is good, travelers should only grow old in Jiangnan.”
“The spring water is greener than the sky; in a painted boat, listen to the rain and sleep. The person by the wine shop is like the moon, her pale wrists congealed with frost and snow.”
“Do not return home until you are old, returning home will surely break your heart.”
The soft Wu dialect was soul-stirring, and the ending words “break your heart” were like hooks, seemingly filled with a plea for the wanderer to stay, inducing infinite yearning.
The Longwujun soldiers had strict military discipline and didn’t go so far as to stare blankly.
Each soldier gripped his saber and slightly arched his upper body, adopting a posture ready to strike.
Just how much audacity and how powerful a background must a merchant have to dare sail this kind of thing into the river waters?
“Be careful, Bixia,” the young general beside Ying Xi reminded him. “Searching for Bixia tonight is a secret operation; logically, Bixia’s identity should not be exposed. The origins of this large ship are unknown, and Bixia’s dragon body is paramount. We will bypass this painted pleasure boat and investigate its origins after escorting Bixia back.”
Ying Xi nodded. He didn’t want any more unexpected complications tonight either.
The young general raised the flag, and the flag flapped crisply in the wind.
The other small boats received the flag signal and all scattered, preparing to bypass the pleasure boat like a school of fish bypassing a rock.
But who would have known that at this moment, the massive pleasure boat would sluggishly turn sideways.
The large ship directly blocked Ying Xi’s main boat, casting deep and light red lantern shadows onto the small boat’s hull. Such a provocative action naturally made everyone in the fleet feel threatened.
The Longwujun young general commanded: “Fire the first volley!”
The bowstrings twanged. The crackling sound was like thunder rising on the river surface.
The dancers and actors on the flower boat knew that war had broken out between the North and South and had long since ceased their night tour business. When had they ever seen such a scene?
The dancers fled screaming. Flower lanterns fell, rolling into the river water, then bobbing up and down with the waves.
Cries for mercy instantly filled the river:
“Help…”
“Don’t shoot! Stop shooting!”
“Officers, we are on the same side!”
They didn’t fight back, and those delicate, tragic cries undeniably made one feel tender toward the fairer sex.
The soldiers didn’t want to slaughter innocents indiscriminately, and they certainly didn’t want to fall for a honey trap.
Thus, the Longwujun young general shouted: “Tell whoever is in charge to come out!”
The dancers became even more terrified and said in pretty voices: “The ship owner’s identity is exalted, his background is powerful, and he spends lavishly. He is currently resting on the ship; we servants absolutely dare not disturb him…”
It would have been better if she hadn’t said this.
As soon as the words left her mouth, the Longwujun soldiers were filled with righteous indignation.
It wasn’t that they didn’t know Jiangnan was full of wealthy merchants and tycoons.
But during a time of war, instead of thinking of repaying the country, these rich people actually dared to obstruct military affairs, and might even endanger the Emperor. This was simply intolerable!
The young general said angrily: “I don’t care how powerful his background is; tell him to get the hell out immediately!”
The dancers hurriedly dispersed.
The light silk curtains were soft, like the breath of a graceful woman.
A figure holding a wine pot swayed unsteadily from the depths of the flower boat to the deck railing.
Yong Wang must have been drunk; his phoenix eyes were hazy as he leaned against the railing, looking down in a stupor.
Seeing Ying Xi, the corners of Yong Wang’s mouth hooked up slightly. His eyes suddenly lit up, and then he revealed a wicked, pale smile, tossing the wine pot into the water.
“Huangxiong. Hic~”
One could almost smell the alcohol.
Yong Wang slurred drunkenly: “The dog from Fangzhi Dian… isn’t fierce enough… Chendi specifically came down to Jiangnan to reunite with Huangxiong…”
“Huangxiong… Huangxiong…”
“Are you keeping something from me?”
“Huangxiong…”
The river wind was too strong, making it difficult to discern what he was saying.
Ying Xi felt a headache coming on. He had no spare energy to deal with Yong Wang, so he ordered: “Bypass the large ship first.”
The soldiers were just about to row backward.
At this moment, a golden light flashed before his eyes.
The Dating System, which had just exhausted all its energy, tremblingly unfolded its interface before Ying Xi’s eyes.
Tiantong called out feebly: “Bixia.”
System Task: Please praise and reward Yong Wang (0/1)
Current system energy is extremely low; please execute immediately!
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