Chapter 96: I Am Angry
Ying Xi rose from his seat. Hearing that his brother had returned to camp, the Emperor intended to stand and greet him.
Prince Yongâs heart warmed. The bone-chilling terror that had just swept over him gradually subsided.
Returning from fantasy to reality, Prince Yong finally realized he was injured. Having forced himself for nearly two days to keep his wounds from flaring up, he finally relaxed slightly.
Prince Yong stumbled and fell through the tent door.
“Dang’er.” Ying Xi moved to help him.
Xie Qianli was faster than the Emperor, extending an arm to firmly catch Prince Yong. “Your Majestyâs dragon body is unwell, and His Highness is injured. This subject will handle it.”
As he spoke, he dragged a chair over and placed Prince Yong far across from the Emperor, separating the wounded from the sick.
Prince Yong was so angry his phoenix eyes twitched!
He wanted to push him away but couldn’t. He was clamped by the otherâs iron arm and pressed into the chair with a semblance of politeness.
The wound on his chest throbbed with sharp pain. Seeing the “Vile Dog” approach with a medicine box, Prince Yong shouted in disgust, “Don’t touch me!”
But resistance was futile.
Ying Xi said worriedly, “General Xie, let Me see the wound.”
“Yes.” Xie Qianli grew even more expressionless as he pulled open Prince Yongâs filthy clothes.
Prince Yong was covered in goosebumps, but wanting to show off his misery in front of his Imperial Brother, he endured the discomfort and revealed the saber wound on his chest.
That wound had been treated once before.
However, after that, Prince Yong had been too active. He had no idea how many times he had torn the wound open. Now, the area was a bloody mess, even leaking translucent pus.
Prince Yong said piteously, “Brother…”
“Itâs an external injury,” Xie Qianli judged. “The wound isn’t deep, but His Highness will likely fall ill.”
Xie Qianli pulled the stopper from a medicine bottle and was about to sprinkle powder when he reported: “His Highness should clean up and change his clothes before treating the wound. This subject will not apply the medicine for now.”
This was indeed the truth.
But Prince Yong was so angry his hair nearly stood on end.
He wouldn’t even apply the medicine!
Ying Xi arranged: “Then let Dang’er handle that first. We can talk about business afterward.”
“Let’s talk now!” Prince Yong said urgently.
Prince Yong knew his own condition well. Once this burst of energy dissipated, he would definitely have to recuperate for a long time.
Ying Xi nodded slightly, assuming a listening posture.
Xie Qianli took a piece of white cloth from the medicine box, soaked it, wrung it dry, and plastered it onto Prince Yongâs face, wiping away the dirt.
Only then did Prince Yong look somewhat human. His mind cleared quite a bit.
“Vile Dog. Woof woof.”
There was only a sound but no retort; Prince Yongâs provocation was in vain.
But this “tame big dog” suddenly reminded Prince Yong of that terrifying power outside the tent.
This dog was a top-tier master.
Did he know there was a situation outside the tent? Why didn’t he eliminate it? Or did he not notice it at all?
Questions swirled in Prince Yongâs mind, causing him to steal a glance at Xie Qianliâs right hand: that hand was clearly accustomed to slaughter, yet now it had just finished wiping him, was washed clean, and was hanging the white cloth out to dry.
Prince Yong knit his brows and said hoarsely, “Thereâs a strategist named Fan who came up with an idea to instigate Li Yilong into locking up the families of the soldiers. This younger brother caused some trouble and let them all out.”
He then gave a brief account of the chaos in the city and Mingren Hall, intentionally highlighting the conflict.
“This younger brother couldn’t stand the sight of them.”
Ying Xi thought for a moment and said, “That explains why the rebel soldiers are fighting so desperately. Itâs because their families are all in Li Yilongâs hands. You did well. You’ve given Li Yilong a massive problem.”
As a troublemaker who only sought instant gratification, Prince Yong hadn’t thought that far.
Ying Xi said, “Li Yilong must either punish these family members or not. If he chooses not to punish them, it proves he admits he was wrong.”
“And if he does punish them?” Prince Yong asked.
“If he dares to punish them…” Ying Xiâs tone dropped. His brows pressed down, revealing a chilling murderous intent, though his voice remained slow. “Then heâs in big trouble.”
Prince Yong nodded, gazing at Ying Xi with longing under the lamplight. Even after having his face wiped, his spirit couldn’t hold out for much longer.
Prince Yong used both hands to support himself on the chair arms, intending to stand, but his body felt heavy and he sank back down.
The exhaustion of his injuries finally overwhelmed him. He said intermittently, “And… and…”
“And what?”
Prince Yong half-opened his phoenix eyes, struggling to spit out the words: “Fan Zhiai… told them to grant fiefs. Granting them in advance. Giving them good places. Chang’an, Xindu, all over the place. Theyâre everywhere.”
Fan Zhiai should be that strategist surnamed Fan.
Ying Xi understood, filing away the information his brother brought back. Prince Yongâs eyes could no longer stay open and drifted shut.
Without waiting for Ying Xiâs order, Xie Qianli approached Prince Yong and first checked his breathing, confirming he was still alive. He then called two Longwu soldiers from outside: “Carry His Highness to the military doctor.”
The two soldiers immediately complied.
The tent flap was lifted and then closed.
When he turned back, Ying Xiâs face had already gone cold. His sharp gaze locked onto Xie Qianli, and his voice was icy: “Xie Qianli.”
Xie Qianli stood by the tent door.
The candlelight made Xie Qianliâs gaze dart away. The handsome general, who had just been sitting by the Emperorâs side, was now the only one left. He stood at the tent entrance like a tree, his feet seemingly rooted to the spot, unable to move forward or back comfortably.
“This subject is here.”
“Why didn’t you dare let Dang’er see you without your clothes? To see that the saber wound on your stomach hasn’t healed, and that you’re not much better off than him? Were you afraid heâd mock you with a few words?”
Tian Tong reminded him: [Your Majesty, it’s ‘without his armor,’ not ‘without his clothes.’ Wait, no.]
[If you’re willing to think of it as ‘without clothes,’ I will be very happy to ship this hard!]
[Is the big wolfdog’s abdominal muscle good to touch?]
Tian Tong was in high spirits.
Ying Xi did not respond to Tian Tong.
The Emperor’s aura in the tent grew colder and thinner.
This made Xie Qianli recall how Ying Xi had entered the tent today and immediately ordered him to disarm, removing his bandages to inspect his wounds. The Emperor had used his cool fingertips to touch the newly scabbed wound on his abdomen.
At that time, the jade-white skin and the deep red of the blood scabs had clashed in color.
As the wound was poked by the other, his abdominal muscles had jumped uncontrollably.
He couldn’t have any stray thoughts, because his beloved wasn’t giving any seductive hints. He had looked up to stare him down, his dragon countenance extremely displeased.
Xie Qianli was filled with trepidation.
He didn’t want to anger his beloved, fearing he would lose even a tiny bit of the other’s good impression: “This subject knows his crime.”
“You have never known your crime,” Ying Xi interrupted him.
The Emperor sat back and lifted his gaze. His dark gray eyes reflected Xie Qianliâs tall, upright figure.
Clearly, the other party had fulfilled his promise and done nothing but the most loyal of things, yet it made a stronger surge of anger rise in Ying Xi than the one after the naval battle at Linchuan.
“This subject deserves ten thousand deaths.”
“Don’t you dare kneel!”
Ascending the throne and being worshipped by all subjects was supposed to be the Emperorâs daily routine.
But seeing the other party go through the motions of protocolâa perfectly normal actionâonly added fuel to Ying Xiâs fire. He raised his voice to stop him, preventing a situation where one sat and the other knelt.
Xie Qianli could only stand ramrod straight, not daring to approach.
Confessing and asking for punishment were useless. He didn’t know what he should do.
He had a pair of bright, energetic black eyes that were usually either calm or filled with a killing edge.
But now he had retracted all his sharp edges, revealing only a heart full of sincerity outside the blade, wishing to offer it all to Ying Xi.
Yet Ying Xi used words to pierce him, nearly tearing his soul apart:
“A war that could have been finished in two months still has no result. Su Xueyi sends no fewer than ten letters to the camp every dayâall urgent matters, none pleasant. My heart is already a mess of a thousand threads.”
“Che Chengren has killed countless of My generals.”
“You ask people to petition for your return to battle. Your heart is commendable, but I don’t want to hear it for a fourth time, nor do I want to have to personally inspect your wounds again. Xie Qianli, I loathe your stubborn bravery.”
Ying Xi set down his teacup. The bottom of the cup clattered against the table.
The sound was like thunder in the absolute silence. The Emperor was about to break out into a coughing fit.
Ying Xi covered his sleeve to suppress it, his eyes turning a flushed red. He couldn’t say another word at the end and simply flicked his sleeve, representing the Emperorâs final rejection of the request to fight Che Chengren.
With Ying Xiâs attitude so clear, Xie Qianli didn’t dare chase him out of the tent.
Because the tent curtain was like a barrier. On the other side of that barrier, Ying Xi had drawn a prison for him, forcing him to recuperate right here.
Xie Qianli felt lost.
He couldn’t tell if he still possessed Xiao Xiâs deep affection.
How terrifying a word “loathe” was!
It took a long time for Xie Qianli to recover.
His gaze was scattered. He realized it was possible he might even lose the chance to be the beloved general by his side.
Was he being too excessive?
In his urgency to give to the other, he had instead made Ying Xi clearly express his discomfort.
Xie Qianli was taking that one wordâ”loathe”âand layering it with infinite self-blame, brewing it into a cold, bitter wine that seeped into every vein.
How could he ever resent Xiao Xi?
Falling for Ying Xi was a result he could not resist, even after ten years.
However, his admiration could not be voiced. His gains and losses were his alone to bear.
He could only suffer through the torture in his long solitude.
Xie Qianli lifted his wrist. His right wrist was still tied with a strand of Ying Xiâs long hair, glowing with a soft chestnut brown.
Usually, he protected that hair very well. He wore it before going into battle and took it off during the fight.
Now, he pressed the tip of his nose against the surface of the hair, nuzzling it as if he could still smell the ethereal and familiar imperial incense lingering on Xiao Xiâs body.
He could also take the distance that had been pulled apart and, like this, deceptively pull it a few inches closer.
By coaxing himself, it hurt a little less.
“Your Majesty was so mean.”
“The big wolfdog is so obedient; heâs so pitiful.”
Leaving the tent, Ying Xi was nagged by the low voice of the little Sweet System all along the way.
Ying Xi raised an eyebrow. “In which sentence did I wrong him?”
“Every word You said was right, but…” Tian Tong didn’t dare offend him and said diplomatically, “You are very good to everyone.”
The meaning was that he was only bad to General Xie, losing his temper at him.
Ying Xi straightened his back. “I am the Emperor.”
“Even an Emperor shouldn’t bully people.”
Ying Xiâs voice was cool. Regarding the order for Xie Qianli to nurse his wounds, he was not wrong: “If he were truly obedient, he would have learned his lesson days ago. Why would he need to endure this scolding from Me?”
Tian Tong thought for a moment and teased: “Then You’re just worried about him~”
Ying Xi didn’t speak.
Those tiny emotions were sometimes things he didn’t have time to process.
He was angry at his “Foal.” Now, reminded by Tian Tong, he also felt that his words were a bit too much, and he felt some discomfort in his heart, but the deed was done.
Ying Xi thought of Xie Qianliâs dark, moist eyes. His Foal must have been at a loss then.
Ying Xi lowered his gaze.
A handful of sand was rubbed into his heart, grinding away.
Ying Xi diverted the topic. Even facing Tian Tong, he couldn’t admit to any regret.
“Imprisoning the families and pre-granting landâthe information Dang’er brought back is very important. I don’t need to lose any more great generals. I know how to kill Che Chengren now.”
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