At three quarters of Maoshi[mfn]5-7am[/mfn], Shen Qingzhuo was awakened by a slight rustling sound.
With his eyes still closed, he instinctively felt for the person beside him, but he only felt a residual warmth.
Xiao Shen was quick to notice the movement behind him and immediately returned to the bed, leaned over, and kissed his master on the forehead, “It’s still early, Master, take a nap.”
“No more sleep…” Shen Qingzhuo opened his mouth and found that his voice was hoarse.
The clear voice became low and soft, sounding particularly alluring. Xiao Shen couldn’t help but pinch the slender neck, then held the red and swollen lips for a long kiss.
“Master has only been asleep for less than two hours.” After a while, he loosened his lips and teeth and stepped back, “Don’t send me off.”
While speaking, his eyes never left his master’s face, as if it would be good to look at him one more time.
Shen Qingzhuo shook his head and tried to prop up his upper body, but it caused pain all over his body, and he couldn’t help but gasp.
Last night he finally understood that Xiao Qi was not lying when he said he was restrained. When he really went crazy…
“Master’s back hurts?” Xiao Shen finally felt guilty and rubbed his lower back with his warm hands. He defended himself, “It’s really not my fault this time. Master, you took the initiative to kiss me, how could I resist—”
“Alright, stop talking.” Shen Qingzhuo’s ears felt hot, and he interrupted him, trembling and getting off the dragon bed.
Xiao Shen spread his arms, his tone helpless and doting: “Master, you can’t even stand steadily, aren’t you deliberately making me worry?”
Shen Qingzhuo gathered his undergarments and covered the red marks on his body carefully, then he slowly walked to the table where the armor was placed. “Come here.”
Xiao Shen walked over obediently. “Master, do you want to put on armor for me?”
“Yes.” Shen Qingzhuo suppressed his discomfort and put on the armor for him piece by piece, including the neck guard, chest guard, shoulder guard, and battle robe, and finally fastened the golden corset tightly.
Xiao Shen stared at his master the whole time. After he was dressed, he smiled and asked, “Master, do I look impressive?”
The young emperor was wearing golden armor, which made him look even taller. His handsome face was very aggressive, but his eyes were still gentle.
“So majestic, so majestic.” Shen Qingzhuo praised with a smile, leaning on the edge of the table and panting slightly.
After he recovered from his shock, he took out a pair of scissors, cut off a strand of hair, and stuffed it into the sachet, saying calmly, “On the battlefield, life and death are determined by fate, but your life is not just your own, so I want you to come back alive.”
Xiao Shen took the sachet in a daze, as if it was filled with his master’s heavy thoughts, and his chest was suddenly filled with a full feeling of satisfaction.
He placed the sachet against his chest, leaned over to hug his master, buried his face in the slightly sweaty neck, and promised solemnly, “I promised Master that I would bring myself back intact.”
Shen Qingzhuo couldn’t help but shudder when the cold armor touched his soft body, but he still raised his hand to hug him back.
His thin lips repeatedly kissed the smooth skin on the neck, and Xiao Shen pleaded in a weak voice, “Why doesn’t Master give me a few more undergarments, so that when I miss Master in Youbei, I can pick up the clothes…”
Instantly, Shen Qingzhuo’s bitterness disappeared. He pushed his head and said unhappily, “It’s getting late. You’d better leave quickly.”
Xiao Shen reluctantly let go of his hands, kissed his red lips once, and then kissed them again, “Master, I’m really leaving ah…”
“Go ahead.” Shen Qingzhuo curled his lips. “Master will wait for your triumphant return.”
“Alright.” Xiao Shen turned and walked towards the palace gate. When he was about to step out of the threshold, he suddenly turned around and strode back, hugging his light-as-a-willow master tightly in his arms. “When I’m not around, Master is not allowed to look at other people or get too close to them.”
Shen Qingzhuo patted his heavy armor and said, “When you return triumphant, me and Your Majesty will take off our battle robes.”
***
The emperor, with his majesty, personally led the army to conquer Youbei.
Eight thousand elite cavalrymen crossed mountains and rivers, traveled a long distance, and advanced deep into enemy territory. The first battle was a victory, and the morale of the Youbei soldiers was immediately boosted.
At the same time, Grand Tutor Shen sat in the court, managing the government affairs in an orderly manner so that the emperor, who was bravely killing the enemy, had no worries.
As for every battle report from Youbei, it was a heart-pounding experience for him.
Fortunately, every letter sent back to Jingdu was a report of victory. After the emperor led the cavalry into the Youbei territory, he fought together with General Shen, using roundabout tactics and rapid assaults to reverse the situation where Youbei’s defense was passive.
But Shen Qingzhuo knew very well that there would be no war without casualties. He was even more aware of Xiao Qi’s habit of reporting good news but not sorrow. So he had no choice but to write letters to his eldest brother frequently to repeatedly confirm the safety of the emperor.
As autumn turned to winter, Shen Qingzhuo worked at his desk day and night to handle state affairs and could not help coughing again.
But he was more worried about the Youbei battlefield in his heart. The people of Darong were used to the cold weather, and the soldiers of Dayong’s cold resistance were not comparable to them. The longer the battle line dragged on, the more disadvantageous it would be for the soldiers on the Youbei front.
However, he had previously ordered the arsenal responsible for manufacturing armor to urgently produce tens of thousands of improved cotton armor. Soon, good news came that the first batch of cotton armor had been produced. He immediately ordered people to transport the cotton armor to Youbei and at the same time ordered Yuzhou to supply 30,000 chickens, ducks, and geese to Youbei.
As winter approached, the divine physician returned to the palace with the prescription.
Shen Qingzhuo, wearing a furry fox fur coat and still looking frail, walked out from behind the desk. “Divine Physician, long time no see.”
“Lord Shen.” Miao Shou looked at him carefully for a moment and shook his head. “It seems that Lord Shen did not take the physician’s instructions to heart.”
“I, cough, cough…” Shen Qingzhuo smiled helplessly, “It’s not that I don’t take Divine Physician’s instructions to heart, but His Majesty is fighting in Youbei, and the national affairs are all on me and the lords.”
Lin Jinyu stepped into Yu’s study and complained loudly, “Lord Pei and I have already tried to persuade the Grand Tutor, but it was useless. The Divine Physician still has to come in person.”
Miao Shou took out a white porcelain bottle from his sleeve and handed it to Lord Shen, saying, “After returning to the Divine Physician Valley, the humble physician has read all the medical books in the valley and formulated a detailed treatment prescription, which may help the Grand Tutor recover.”
“Are you serious?” Shen Qingzhuo’s face was filled with joy. “The Divine Physician is indeed a Divine Physician.”
“Don’t be too happy too soon either, Grand Tutor.” Miao Shou frowned, looking serious. “During the treatment process, Grand Tutor must follow the humble physician’s instructions. Otherwise, if something goes wrong, all the previous efforts will be wasted.”
Lin Jinyu quickly responded for him: “Of course, everything will be arranged according to Divine Physician!”
Shen Qingzhuo took a deep breath and responded, “I’ll try my best.”
Soon, the end of the year is approaching.
Under the arrangement of the divine physician, Shen Qingzhuo finished the first course of treatment and felt that he was in good health. He happily wrote a letter from home and sent it to Youbei.
However, by the time the letter reached the person he missed, the New Year should have already passed.
New Year’s Eve arrived as scheduled. Since the master of the palace was not in the palace, and there were no concubines or princes, there was no New Year’s Eve banquet. However, the fireworks were still set off with a deafening sound.
Shen Qingzhuo picked up a pot of wine, climbed onto the roof, and headed towards the north amid the brilliant fireworks. It was like he spent another New Year’s Eve with his little disciple.
At the beginning of the new year, victory news came from Youbei. The emperor personally killed two generals of Darong. The morale of Darong was frustrated. The emperor led the cavalry to pursue the victory and continued to penetrate deep into the enemy’s hinterland, vowing to drive the barbarians who invaded Dayong out of the border.
The whole court was filled with cheers, including the old officials, who had some complaints about the new emperor, who changed their attitudes and praised him generously.
Only the Grand Tutor frowned, unable to relax.
At the beginning of February, good news came from Youbei again. The Emperor bravely killed the leader of the Darong, causing great chaos in the morale of the Rong barbarian army. They were unable to form an army, and the defeat had become a fixed pattern.
However, before Shen Qingzhuo could rejoice, a secret letter suddenly sent him to hell.
The emperor was stabbed in the abdomen and almost died in the depths of the desert.
Shen Qingzhuo’s legs went limp, and he immediately fell to his knees.
“Qingzhuo!” Pei Yanqi hurriedly stepped forward to help him up and placed him on a chair. He picked up the secret letter and took a look at it. His expression changed drastically.
But soon, he breathed a sigh of relief, “Qingzhuo, you haven’t finished reading the letter. It also says that His Majesty’s life is safe for now.”
Taking a stagnant breath, Shen Qingzhuo snatched the secret letter back with trembling fingertips. He checked every word with his own eyes and read it over and over again.
“The leader of the Darong tribe is dead, and the Darong tribe is no longer a threat. There will be no danger in Youbei now.” Pei Yanqi raised his hand to press on the thin shoulder and comforted him in a calm voice, “When His Majesty’s injury recovers, he will definitely set off to return to the capital. Before that, you must take care of your body first.”
Shen Qingzhuo put away the secret letter and said in a low voice, “Alright.”
***
Ten days later, in Youbei Territory.
The emperor was lying on the camp bed, discussing the next pursuit tactics with General Shen.
As the saying goes, don’t chase a desperate enemy, but they have driven the Darong barbarians from the southernmost part of the territory to the central desert. Now the Darong barbarians are leaderless, so they must take the opportunity to kill them all and prevent the Darong barbarians from recovering for at least ten years and from harassing the people living on the border again.
Therefore, after Xiao Shen’s condition improved, he returned to the front line, intending to win a quick victory and return to Jingdu before the spring to see the person he had been thinking about day and night.
“If Your Majesty trusts the general, it is better to leave the task of cleaning up the Youbei battlefield to the general.” Shen Fenglan’s armor was stained with blood, and he stood upright in the military tent. “In this way, Your Majesty can set off for the capital as soon as possible.”
Xiao Shen closed his eyes, took out the sachet from his arms, and rubbed it repeatedly. “Do you think Zhen doesn’t want to return to the capital as soon as possible?”
The sachet containing his master’s hair had become worn out due to his long-term playing with it. However, when he touched it, he could imagine in his mind that he was stroking his master’s black hair.
Shen Fenglan was silent for a moment, then asked in a deep voice, “Does Your Majesty have other concerns?”
“Look at Zhen’s current state, the big hole in Zhen’s stomach hasn’t healed yet.” Xiao Shen opened his robe, revealing the blood-soaked bandage on his abdomen. “It’s better to finish the fight before going back.”
Before leaving, he sincerely promised his master that he would bring him back intact, but he still broke his promise.
His master was about to cry when he saw the wound on his back, and what would happen if he saw the big hole in his stomach?
The tent fell into silence for a while. After a while, a voice came from outside the tent: “Report—a Jinyiwei from Jingdu requests an audience!”
Shen Fenglan frowned and turned around. “Jinyiwei from Jingdu?”
As soon as he finished speaking, the military tent was opened.
Xiao Shen couldn’t help but look up at the person who came. The next moment, he was struck by lightning, and his whole body was stiff from his eyes to his fingertips.
The person at the door, wearing a Jinyiwei’s Feiyu uniform, was covered in dust, but his gorgeous face could not be concealed at all. His peach blossom eyes, full of affection and worry, stared at him without blinking.
“Mas…” Xiao Shen squeezed out a word from his throat and couldn’t help wondering if he was hallucinating because he missed his master too much.
Shen Fenglan was obviously also shocked and walked forward quickly. “Xiao Zhuo? Why are you here?”
Shen Qingzhuo turned his gaze to his elder brother and smiled tiredly, “Big Brother, long time no see.”
After hearing this, Xiao Shen was finally sure that he was not crazy. He was so anxious that he completely forgot about his injuries and almost fell to the ground when he got out of bed. “Master!”
Shen Qingzhuo was startled and quickly pushed his elder brother aside and ran inside, “Lie down and don’t move!”
As if he was under a spell, Xiao Shen dared not move.
He was helped to sit back on the camp bed, his dark eyes staring at his master’s face. When he spoke again, his voice was completely hoarse, “Master… Why is Master here?”
Shen Qingzhuo’s eyes were red, and he choked up a little as he replied, “Only you are allowed to run to Master from a thousand miles away, but Master is not allowed to run to you?”
After receiving the news, he tried his best to restrain himself but ultimately failed.
He wanted to see Xiao Qi immediately, he wanted to confirm with his own eyes that Xiao Qi was alive, and he wanted to come to Youbei in person to bring his hero home.
In his life, he had never let his emotions control him and make irrational decisions. But this time, he just wanted to follow the crazy voice in his heart.
The author has something to say:
Elder Brother Shen: Maybe I shouldn’t be here…
This was very touching. Thank you for your translation !