CH 145

February 19, 2023Merchie

Not far away, Zhao Litang’s troops had been staying by the Celestial Dynasty’s border this entire time, but they couldn’t rashly cross into the foreign tribe’s border, because the moment the troops rushed in, war would immediately break out between the two nations.

In order for Zhao Litang’s troops to enter the foreign tribe, there had to be a reason that would leave everyone speechless.

After Yue Nu was taken back to the military camp, the first thing he wanted to do was see Zhao Litang.

But Zhao Litang avoided him, because Zhao Litang knew that he was unwilling to return to the General’s Manor, so he believed that this was the reason why Yue Nu wanted to meet with him.

“General! General, Yue Nu really does have something urgent to report! General, I’m begging you, please let me in!”

Yue Nu ignored Wu Quan’s attempts to stop him and knelt on the ground in front of the general’s tent. He refused to move, and insisted on staying there until he saw Zhao Litang.

“The general said that he won’t be seeing you. You’ll have to wait until the battle has died down. You should just go back to the General’s Manor-”

“No!” Yue Nu interrupted Wu Quan, “If we wait any longer, it’ll really be too late! We won’t be able to bear the consequences of this!”

Wu Quan didn’t know why Yue Nu needed to see the general, but judging by how anxious the boy looked, he imagined that it really was an urgent matter.

“Why don’t you tell me first? I can go in and inform the general on your behalf.”

Yue Nu opened his mouth, but promptly swallowed the words he was about to speak.

Shen Huan and Shen Shijiu’s return to the foreign tribe had been carried out in secret, so no one knew about it. And in that moment, Yue Nu didn’t know if he could tell anyone else about their whereabouts; right now, he refused to trust anyone besides Zhao Litang.

“Lieutenant Wu, I’m begging you, let me in to see the general for a moment. I promise, after I’m done, I’ll leave.” Tears rolled down from the corners of Yue Nu’s eyes.

“I’ll listen to the general, I’ll go back to the General’s Manor, I won’t follow you back to the military camp again, I won’t disturb the general either, please?”

Wu Quan hesitated. He knew that the general had always been incredibly caring towards Yue Nu, but it was the kind of attentiveness that one would have when caring for a child. Whether or not he had any other feelings, Wu Quan couldn’t tell at the moment.

While Wu Quan wasn’t paying attention, Yue Nu suddenly stood up and ran toward the tent.

Wu Quan stood where he was and didn’t stop him, but the guard at the entrance of the tent blocked Yue Nu’s path, and shoved Yue Nu, who was running like a madman, right onto the ground.

Yue Nu hadn’t even climbed back up yet, when the tent flap was lifted from the inside, and a figure dressed in golden armor and red tassels came out.

When Yue Nu saw Zhao Litang, his eyes turned warm, “General…”

In truth, beforehand, he hadn’t seen the general in a long time. Zhao Litang had been extremely busy during this period; the borderlands were currently in a state of unrest, so his mind was always taut with stress.

But Zhao Litang didn’t even look at Yue Nu. Instead, he looked over at Wu Quan, who was standing not far away.

“You just let him barge in here?”

“Uh, General, perhaps there really is an urgent matter-”

Wu Quan bowed his head. He felt he had quite a difficult decision to make; it was getting harder and harder to read the general’s mood. He thought that the general had also wanted to see Yue Nu; had he actually guessed wrong?

Zhao Litang waved his hand at the guard at the entrance, “Help him up.”

That guard obeyed, and hurriedly walked over to help Yue Nu up. Then, he began to drag Yue Nu into another army tent at the side.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Litang ordered, “Bring him inside.”

Then, he turned and walked into his tent.

Wu Quan hurriedly came forward and had that guard leave. He helped Yue Nu up himself and walked into Zhao Litang’s tent.

It seemed that he had guessed correctly.

Zhao Litang stood beside the sand table, fiddling with a Celestial Dynasty army banner.

“What is it? Tell me.”

Yue Nu glanced at Wu Quan.

Zhao Litang said, “It’s fine. Whatever it is, just say it.”

Yue Nu immediately knelt back down onto the ground.

“General, I’m begging you, please save Master Shen and Shi!”

Zhao Litang’s hands froze, “What are you saying? What happened to them, why do I need to save them? Where’s Pei Zheng?”

Yue Nu’s eyes were shining with tears, “General, it’s a long story, but Master Shen and Shi were framed! Right now, they’re locked in the foreign tribe’s prison, it’s really dangerous! General, since you were able to take me out of the prison, you must be able to save the two of them as well, right?”

Zhao Litang’s brow tightened, and he was silent for a moment.

He had been able to save Yue Nu because he promised the new chief of the foreign tribe, Hu Lan, that under no circumstances would he invade foreign territory, nor would he rashly start a war with the foreign tribe.

So how could he enter the foreign tribe to save the two of them now?

“Reporting in!”

Suddenly, someone arrived with a military intelligence report. That man entered the tent and knelt down, “General, Lieutenant, there is news from the foreign tribe. The newly appointed chief, Hu Lan, was killed in the prison, so currently, the position of chief is empty.”

Wu Quan was incredibly shocked, “Hu Lan’s dead? He just signed a peace treaty with us, does that mean it’s void now?”

That soldier continued, “Also, I heard, that the people who killed Hu Lan, were from a mysterious organization originating in the Celestial Dynasty, it should be… be-”

He stuttered twice but was unable to finish.

Wu Quan was impatient, “Tell us who it was! ”

“It was Pei Zheng and the shadow guards from the Prime Minister’s Manor.”

***

The small man had already slept for half a day. The effects of the needles Shen Huan had pricked into his body had worn off, so at this moment, he should have been feeling extreme pain, but he was still sleeping soundly, his eyes closed.

Pei Zheng didn’t go anywhere; he stayed at his bedside, gripping his little hand. His fingers were clenched tightly, as though it were the only way for him to ease a bit of the panic in his heart.

Earlier, when the small man had awoken, the gaze with which he looked at Pei Zheng was as though he were looking at a stranger, even more so than the first time they had met after Shen Shijiu had lost his memory.

This time, it didn’t seem like he had lost his memories. Rather, it was as though he had lost his emotions and will; he was so indifferent that nobody knew how to approach him.

Shen Huan had already finished decocting his evening medicine and came to deliver it.

She took the small man’s pulse, and her brow creased deeply.

“Lord Pei-”

Pei Zheng placed a finger on his tips and shushed her. He placed that little hand back under the blanket, before he and Shen Huan walked over to the side.

“His condition is still terrible, we can’t keep dragging this on, we have to find a new source of blood for him quickly. Also, we’re still trapped near the border of the desert, we’ll run out of medicine soon.”

“We can find a source of blood.”

Pei Zheng gazed at the serene, shadowy woods in the distance, his gaze dark.

“Is there anyone else from the royal family who is suitable? I know that the prince has an older brother from the same mother, the Fourth Prince, Qi Changfeng. But to have the prince make the journey here to give blood might not be possible. No one would ever be willing to exchange their life for another’s.”

“He isn’t an option,” Pei Zheng said, “But there’s someone else who would definitely be willing.”

Shen Huan said, “That’s good, we’ve solved the issue of finding a blood source, but how are we supposed to get out of here? That’s the most important thing right now.”

Pei Zheng’s eyes narrowed slightly, “I have a way.”

Shen Huan believed Pei Zheng, so she didn’t inquire any further.

But the next day, after Cheng Feng hurried inside, he reported the current situation to Pei Zheng.

“Master, people from all over have received our letter. The news has already been released. It’s probably spread to where it needs to go by now. Everyone should know about it already.”

Pei Zheng “mm”d lightly, before he tucked the blanket back over the small man on the bed.

But Shen Huan’s eyelids began to twitch in unease. The more relaxed Pei Zheng was, the more Shen Huan felt that something terrible was about to happen.

“W-what news?”

Cheng Feng glanced at Shen Huan, “Master Shen, you don’t know? The Celestial Dynasty’s Prince Qi Changyi isn’t dead. On top of that, he has been detained within the foreign tribe’s borders.”

“What did you say?!”

Shen Huan’s mouth dropped open in shock. She never though that this was the news that Pei Zheng had released to the world.

Now, there was no way to hide her little disciple’s identity anymore, so everyone would know that he was the prince who disappeared after jumping off a cliff three years ago.

“Lord Pei! What the hell are you trying to do?! You didn’t even think to tell me about something this important, and you just hastily announced it to the world?!”

“It wasn’t done hastily.”

Cheng Feng explained, “At this critical moment of unrest, the Celestial Dynasty’s army can’t just break through the foreign tribe’s border. However, if Zhao Litang’s soldiers can’t come in, it’ll be impossible for us to leave as well. So, we have to give them a reason to invade.”

He paused, before continuing, “Also, if we want the Third Princess to come and provide blood, we must give a good reason. Only if we tell her that the infected person in the prince will she actually come to the borderlands.”

Shen Huan was silent for a while, “The prince… is that reason?”

Pei Zheng nodded lightly.

Shen Huan asked, “But what do we do after? General Zhao’s soldiers come in and save us, and my little disciple’s illness is cured, then what? Are you actually going to send us back to that ruthless royal palace?”

Pei Zheng didn’t say a word.

Shen Huan looked at Pei Zheng, and felt extremely upset. She turned and left the room, and Cheng Feng followed her out.

Only Pei Zheng and the sleeping prince were left in the room.

The small man beside him suddenly moved, He still had no idea that an earth-shattering change had occurred outside. He only knew that he had finally had a long, comfortable nap.

He didn’t have any nightmares, he didn’t have any nonsensical thoughts, and every dream he had was sweet and beautiful. So once he woke up, his complexion had improved quite a bit.

However, a heart-tearing pain came from his lower body, especially his stomach. It was as though there had been something in there that had been violently torn out of him.

His brow creased, and he groaned softly in an extremely aggrieved voice, “It hurts… it hurts so much…”

Pei Zheng leaned toward him, his expression tight with nervous, “Where does it hurt?”

The small man pointed at his stomach.

Pei Zheng reached out and placed his hand over his stomach. He didn’t dare to exert any strength. He could only gently rub it a few times.

“Does it feel a little better?”

The small man’s eyes suddenly reddened, “No, it hurts even more.”

Pei Zheng’s heart ached terribly, but he didn’t know what to do. He could only lean down and kiss the corners of the small man’s eyes.

“Darling, don’t cry. I’m hurting even more than you.”

Notes

Did he actually just say that to someone who just miscarried…

Anyway, our explanation for why Qi Changfeng is not a viable candidate as well is… reasons.

Thanks for reading~