CH 65

October 30, 2022Merchie

The moment he heard the familiar voice, Qi Changyi’s body visibly froze, and his gaze immediately filled with panic.

Zhao Litang pulled the quilt back over the small man’s body, before gently patting him through the blanket. “Don’t worry, I’ll go see what’s going on.”

Qi Changyi wiped his tears and nodded. He was shaking uncontrollably and covered his head with the blanket.

“Brother Tang, come back as fast as you can.”

Zhao Litang responded with an “mm”, before he walked out of the barracks.

He was greeted by the sight of Cheng Feng, who had pinned someone beneath his foot, surrounded by several soldiers. They all had nervous looks on their faces as they pointed their swords at him.

“What do you all think you’re doing?” Zhao Litang said, “Hurry up and put away your weapons!”

The soldiers slowly sheathed their swords.

Zhao Litang turned to Cheng Feng, “Bodyguard Feng…”

Cheng Feng’s foot didn’t shift at all.

A figure emerged from the darkness behind him. Only when Pei Zheng hooked his finger did Cheng Feng lift his boot.

Zhao Litang smelled the pungent fragrance of alcohol in the cold air. He looked at Pei Zheng again; although half of his face was hidden in the shadows and couldn’t be seen clearly, Zhao Litang could feel the frigid pressure coming from him.

“Lord Pei is clearly drunk, why hasn’t anyone escorted him back to rest yet?”

“General Zhao also hasn’t gone to bed yet, isn’t that right?” Pei Zheng stepped closer, and the entirety of his face was now visible. The cruel arch at the corners of his eyes and brows was completely exposed, “Or are you resting here for the night?”

“I can rest wherever I’d like in these barracks. Lord Pei needn’t worry about me.”

Pei Zheng sneered, “You’re not the one I’m worried about.”

His eyes flashed, and Cheng Feng immediately stepped forward to block Zhao Litang’s path.

Pei Zheng lifted the curtain and walked straight into the little building.

“Ai, my Lord, you can’t go in there…”

Wu Quan, who was standing at the side, was anxious and wanted to stop him, but Zhao Litang grabbed him and pulled him back.

“It doesn’t matter. You all, stay out here. Without my order, none of you are to enter.”

He walked around Cheng Feng and followed Pei Zheng into the barracks.

Cheng Feng stayed outside with the other soldiers, who kept stealing glances at him, watching his every move.

Pei Zheng’s eyes swept over the small room. Everything was simple and slightly crude. Because of the charcoal fire, it was much warmer here than it was outside.

It was basically the same as the other barracks; the only noteworthy difference was that the large bed looked slightly softer and warmer.

There was also a hill-shaped bulge on the mattress; who knew what was hidden underneath it.

Pei Zheng’s breath suddenly hitched and turned hot. He walked toward the bed, grabbed a corner of the blanket, and was about to yank it upward.

He was absolutely positive that, beneath this white quilt, was that little prince who invaded his thoughts at every hour of the day.

His mind was filled with visions of what the little prince looked like under the blanket. Maybe he was only half-clothed, with tears streaming down his cheeks, his face filled with panic and fear. Or maybe, maybe he had already been stained with filth.

This little pet, who he had once squeezed in the palm of his hand, had been on the run for far too long. It was about time that he recaptured it, and taught it a little lesson in obedience.

As he gripped the blanket, he seemed to feel a few silky locks of hair beneath his fingertips as well. Just as he was about to tear the quilt away, an arm suddenly stretched out from beside him and forcefully pressed down on his hand.

Pei Zheng raised his eyes in impatience, “General Zhao, what do you think you’re doing?”

“Lord Pei has barged into my barracks in the middle of the night, yet he still has the gall to ask me what I’m doing. I’d like to ask Lord Pei, what are your intentions in coming here at this hour?”

As he spoke, he pressed down even harder with his hand. Both he and Pei Zheng were secretly competing, channeling spiritual energy into their palms.

The atmosphere was thick with tension; neither side could overpower the other.

Suddenly, Pei Zheng smiled and let go of the quilt.

“General Zhao, why are you so worried about the person underneath the blanket? Could it be that you’re hiding your army mistress1 here?”

“…I am, so what?”

Pei Zheng looked at Zhao Litang, whose expression was quite ugly, “Nothing. Life in the barracks is so dry and boring, it’s important to find other ways to have fun.”

“If Lord Pei understands, why must you stay here and continue to disturb us?”

“Disturb you? General Zhao, is that what you think? I just wanted to give you a few tips, that’s all.”

“No need.” Zhao Litang hugged the little lump on the bed to his chest, “The two of us are having enough fun as is. Since you have so much time on your hands, you should go take care of your flock of orioles and swallows2.”

Pei Zheng’s eyes narrowed slightly. He stared at the bundle in Zhao Litang’s arms and didn’t say a word. His gaze seemed to pierce through the quilt and drill into the small figure wrapped inside.

It was unfortunate that the little bundle stayed silent and didn’t react in the slightest.

Good, very good.

His patience had not yet been exhausted; in fact, he was almost enjoying himself. What he really desired was this exhilarating feeling of slowly closing in on his prey.

Pei Zheng clenched and stretched his fingers underneath his wide sleeves. The few cups of wine he drank weren’t enough to suppress the turmoil in his heart. He closed his eyes and took several breaths, to ensure that his voice would be as even and polite as possible.

“If that’s the case, then please carry on, General Zhao.”

Pei Zheng stood at the door to the barracks. As he raised the curtain, he noticed Zhao Litang watching him closely, and a smile crossed his lips.

“I forgot to tell you, General Zhao; I still have some business here in the city, so I have no choice but to stay here for a little while longer.”

Zhao Litang’s expression instantly stiffened.

“In other words, I have plenty of time, and I’ll spend it as I please.”

The curtain fluttered, and Pei Zheng’s black-robed figure disappeared into the night.

A bone-chilling gust of wind blew inside, and the barracks were plunged into silence once more.

Zhao Litang ripped the blanket open. He wanted to check on the small man’s condition; he had been unsettlingly quiet this entire time.

The little prince’s eyes were tightly shut, and he wouldn’t wake up no matter how much Zhao Litang shouted. His cheeks, which had been slightly rosy just a moment ago, were now white as paper.

He wasn’t being quiet on purpose; he had been unconscious this entire time!

“Wu Quan!”

Zhao Litang shouted at the top of his lungs.

Wu Quan sprinted inside, and immediately panicked at the sight of the small man’s pale complexion. He quickly ordered someone to decoct the herbs for the little prince’s medicine, before taking his pulse.

“How is he?” Zhao Litang asked anxiously.

“General, no need to panic. He simply fainted due to being overwhelmed by his emotions. Just now, His Highness must have been extremely nervous, and his body couldn’t keep up with his brain, so he fell unconscious. He’ll be fine after a little rest.”

Zhao Litang sighed a soft breath of relief at these words.

The medicinal soup was done. Zhao Litang fed the small man a few mouthfuls. Though he spat out more medicine than he drank, it would still be helpful to his body.

Zhao Litang knew that when Qi Changyi saw Pei Zheng again, his emotions would be intense and uncontrollable, but he didn’t expect the little prince to actually faint. The psychological damage that Pei Zheng had inflicted must have left deep wounds on his heart.

Zhao Litang and Wu Quan didn’t dare leave the small man alone in the barracks, and they stayed with him all night. They were worried that Qi Changyi would suddenly start burning up. Fortunately, the night came and went without any issues.

Just as the darkness of the sky was fading, Qi Changyi finally woke up. He was soaked in sweat; it looked as though he had just been fished out of the sea.

Zhao Litang stared at the little prince until he drank the rest of the medicinal soup. Only then did he leave to deal with the affairs of the army.

Wu Quan stayed behind in the barracks to take care of him. The small man who was able to go out for a stroll just a day before was now weak and completely bedridden.

There was no doubt that someone’s overbearing presence had influenced and aggravated his condition.

A few days passed; Pei Zheng did not come by again.

Qi Changyi never asked about Pei Zheng, but it was inevitable that the soldiers would gossip amongst themselves about him.

“Ai, screaming like that in the middle of the day, that Luo Yu is absolutely shameless!”

“I know, this lord from the Imperial City is always so openly promiscuous during the day. But nothing ever happens at night. Don’t you think that’s strange?”

“I’ve heard a lot about this lord; he’s reckless and doesn’t care about what anyone thinks of him. He’s got the guts to act like this in the palace, so he’s probably even worse when he’s here! He acts like the best thing in the world is to do it all day!”

“There’s more! Have you heard, lately, a ton of prisoners in the city have been dying, and they were all tortured to death by him! Their deaths were all terribly gruesome and tragic!”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.”

The small man was lying on the bed with his eyes shut, but he could hear every word.

Though he could only understand a few bits and pieces, there was a name that stood out to him. A name that he knew.

Luo Yu.

Did Pei Zheng really like him? It seemed that no matter where he went, he took Luo Yu with him.

He wouldn’t have bought Luo Yu if he didn’t like him, right?

Stop thinking about it, stop thinking about it, don’t think about it anymore…

Qi Changyi’s fingers trembled, and he mustered all his strength to pull the blanket over his head. He covered his ears to drown out the soldiers’ voices.

A sudden noise rang from the door to the barracks. It sounded like someone was carrying a heavy object inside.

Qi Changyi peeked out from under the covers and saw several soldiers walk inside, carrying a large wooden bucket.

“Set the screen up over here, and put the tub over there.”

Instructed by Wu Quan, several people rearranged the furniture and divided the room into two parts with a wood-framed paper screen.

“All right, you all can leave now. Boil some extra water, and deliver it in the evening.”

The group of soldiers affirmed the order and left.

Qi Changyi was confused, and asked in a hoarse, feeble voice, “Brother Wu…why are they…doing this…”

“Your Highness, this is so you can take a medicinal bath in the evening.”

“Medicinal bath?”

“This was specially ordered by the general.” Wu Quan said, “There was a conflict at the border; he had to hurry away to repel the enemy forces, so he didn’t have time to say goodbye to you. The prescription for this medicinal bath was also specially obtained by the general. Someone has already tested it, so this subordinate can assure you that it’s safe.”

Qi Changyi still looked a little uneasy, so Wu Quan coaxed in a comforting voice, “Don’t be afraid, Your Highness. It won’t hurt. It’s just like taking a normal bath. You just need to lie down comfortably and take a nap in it, it will definitely be good for your body.”

“Okay…” Qi Changyi meekly nodded his head.

It was getting dark. The medicinal bath was ready.

Wu Quan called a younger private from the barracks to help Qi Changyi bathe.

It was that same private whose face had been smashed in by Cheng Feng. He was known for being nimble and quick.

He lit a candle and poured the hot water into the tub. He adjusted the temperature of the water until it was slightly hot by adding a few more pieces of charcoal to the stove, which in turn, warmed up the entire room. A strong medicinal scent began to waft through the air.

“Your Highness, I’ll help you get into the tub.”

Qi Changyi let the little private help him off the bed before he slowly walked behind the screen.

He removed his garments one by one until his smooth white back was covered only by silky locks of black hair, and he was only wearing a short pair of underpants. The little private immediately averted his eyes away from that pair of thin, marble-like legs.

“Y-Your Highness, you should get in now, it wouldn’t be good if you caught a cold.”

“Okay…” Qi Changyi said softly.

He dipped his foot into the water, but it was scalding hot, and his white toes were immediately scorched red.

“Wah…it’s so hot…”

“Your Highness, only hot water can help you recover. The water isn’t hot enough to burn you, it’ll be fine once you get used to it.”

“A-all right…”

The small man pursed his lips and braced himself. He clutched the side of the wooden tub and sat down. His whole body was immediately submerged in the hot water; his delicate white skin turned pink, and even his pale cheeks were flushed red from the steam.

It was as though his body was being wrapped in a warm, soft embrace. Qi Changyi’s mouth opened slightly and he sighed blissfully. He didn’t even realize that the little private had left.

The door to the barracks suddenly opened again, and a gust of freezing wind rushed in and extinguished the candle, plunging the room into darkness.

A figure walked in. His footsteps were neither fast nor slow as he strode toward the paper screen.

Notes

Noooo…just let him bathe in peace

Sorry it took longer than usual ;-;

Thanks for reading~

1.藏娇 (cáng jiāo): it’s actually a term for a brothel, or where prostitutes live, but it’s also part of another term, 金屋藏娇 (jīn wū cáng jiāo), which means ‘to keep one’s mistress/wife/woman (?) in a luxurious house’

2.莺莺燕燕 (yīng yīng yàn yàn): orioles and swallows. In this case, it refers to a group of prostitutes, but it can also represent the coming of spring.