Yan Le is dead, the two main commanders of the Hu people who invaded the Yan were both killed. They were originally an alliance, but suddenly they lost the one who could take charge of the situation, and the rest became scattered soldiers.
On the third day of the New Year, Yuping Pass was recaptured. A few days later, good news gradually came from Huanzhou Prefecture and other places as well.
When the news was passed back to Hanzhou, Cen Yelan was ordered by Su Chenzhao to rest. The young physician was furious and scolded Cen Yelan with a stern face and stammering, saying that if he continued to abuse it, his right hand would be disabled and he would not even be able to lift a spear in the future.
Cen Yelan didn’t dare to say a word. It was the first time Yuan Zheng saw someone dare to point at Cen Yelan’s nose and scold him. Although he thought that he had done a good job at scolding. Cen Yelan didn’t care about himself, so he really needed to be scolded. But he felt a little unhappy when he heard it. The young man’s possessiveness took over. Cen Yelan was his person. Should someone else, a physician, get mad at him? Even the physician is not allowed to.
But Cen Yelan was not angry at all. If it were him, Cen Yelan might have turned hostile already.
Yuan Zheng became angrier as he thought about it. Fortunately, even though Li Jingchuo looked like a rough warrior, but he was actually careful. Seeing that the prince sitting next to him looked increasingly unhappy, he covered Su Chenzhao’s mouth with his hand even though he didn’t understand why, and said, “Little Physician, please take a break. I’m tired of listening to you talk.”
Su Chenzhao was unhappy and pried Li Jingchuo’s hand. Li Jingchuo said, “Alright, alright, General Cen’s ointment has been changed. Let General Cen rest, hmm? Physician Xiao Su, take a look at me. I—” He made up an excuse randomly, “My waist hurts.”
Su Chenzhao blinked slowly, looked up at him for a while, and finally calmed down and let Li Jingchuo pull him out of the room.
The two of them went outside. Su Chenzhao was a physician, and he only cared about the patient. He touched Li Jingchuo’s waist and said, “Where, where does it hurt?”
Li Jingchuo took a breath and teased Su Chenzhao, “It hurts, hurts here.”
Su Chenzhao frowned and pinched his eyebrows again. He was about to untie Li Jingchuo’s belt, which immediately startled him. Li Jingchuo hurriedly grabbed his hand and laughed softly, “This is outside.”
Su Chenzhao said, “So what? I’m treating a patient. Take your hand away and let me see.”
Li Jingchuo liked his dazed and serious look and said with a smile, “It doesn’t hurt anymore, Little Divine Physician, it really doesn’t hurt anymore.”
Su Chenzhao muttered, “Why doesn’t it hurt anymore? Don’t be afraid to seek medical attention. Waist injury is not a small matter.”
“……” Li Jingchuo didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “My waist really doesn’t hurt. It’s fine.”
Su Chenzhao looked up at Li Jingchuo. He was not tall, he was a head shorter than Li Jingchuo. Su Chenzhao realized it belatedly and said, “You lied to me.”
Li Jingchuo laughed and said, “How could I, how could I lie to Little Divine Physician?1Fyi, he imitated Su Chenzhao’s stutter that occurs when he’s angry”
He whispered, “Little Divine Physician, I will be back to Hedong in a few days.”
Su Chenzhao was stunned for a moment, then nodded, not showing any reluctance. Li Jingchuo was a little angry but also helpless and threatened him, “Little Divine Physician, I will be punished by military law when I go back.”
Su Chenzhao asked in confusion, “Why?”
Li Jingchuo said, “I came to the northern border without permission. It would be light if I was just punished by being hit by the military baton when I go back. But who knows if I will be framed by the general and banished to a remote place in Hedong or be executed by military law too?”
Su Chenzhao was stunned and said, “…Then what to do?”
Li Jingchuo sighed pretentiously, “What can I do? I’ll just wait for death.”
“That’s not good.” Su Chenzhao frowned and muttered, “I asked you to come to the Northern Territory… Ah Lan, I’ll ask Ah Lan to speak for you and transfer you to the Northern Territory.”
Li Jingchuo was overjoyed. He stroked Su Chenzhao’s frowning brows like he was teasing a cat and said, “Is Little Divine Physician worried about me?”
Su Chenzhao nodded as a matter of course, “You saved Ah Lan, I can’t let you die because of me.”
When Li Jingchuo heard the two words ‘Ah Lan’, he sighed and suddenly said, “I am willing to die for you.”
Su Chenzhao was stunned and looked at Li Jingchuo. Li Jingchuo pinched his cheek and coaxed him, “How about this, you come to Hedong with me. If I am sentenced to military punishment, Little Divine Physician can rescue me from the gates of hell. Is that alright?”
Su Chenzhao thought seriously for a moment and said hesitantly: “Then let me think about it.”
Li Jingchuo smiled immediately.
Su Chenzhao added, “If the person really dies, there is also nothing I can do.”
Li Jingchuo: “….. ”
When the war was about to end, the border troops of Dayan had the custom of offering sacrifices to heaven. After every major war, they would offer sacrifices to heaven in the city to comfort the soldiers who died on the battlefield and the people who suffered from the war and pray for peace and prosperity for the country and the people.
It was a fine day that day. Cen Yelan wore a black robe with wide sleeves, a golden crown on his hair, and a solemn and calm face. Behind him were the soldiers of Hanzhou City, and in the distance, there were also the people of the city, all of whom watched the memorial ceremony in silence.
Yuan Zheng watched quietly, and faces that were either familiar or unfamiliar flashed through his mind. Cen Yelan had already climbed the steps to the altar, and a fire was burning in the square cauldron with a Pixiu carved on it. The raging flames distorted Cen Yelan’s slender and thin figure.
Yuan Zheng thought, The general died in hundreds of battles, and the Cen family has rarely laid down their arms and retired in the hundreds of years since the founding of the country. Will there be a day when Cen Yelan will also be the one being commemorated on this altar as well?
Just thinking about it made Yuan Zheng feel unbearable. He even vaguely felt that the fire was alive and wanted to burn Cen Yelan into powder and suck him into the cauldron.
That night, a bonfire was lit in the Hanzhou parade ground. People sat around it in groups, celebrating the victory of the war.
After three rounds of drinking, Li Jingchuo said, “General Cen, I will return to Hedong tomorrow. I am sorry for bothering you for so many days. I want to toast you.”
Cen Yelan looked at Li Jingchuo and said, “Feng Ning has helped me a lot in the northern border. Why should I be bothered?”
He drank it all in one gulp, poured another glass, and said, “It’s all in the wine, Feng Ning, I’ll toast you another glass.”
Li Jingchuo smiled and looked quite high-spirited. He clinked glasses with Cen Yelan and said, “It is Feng Ning’s honor to be able to fight side by side with General Cen.”
Cen Yelan’s eyes fell on him and said, “There will be a chance.”
Yuan Zheng and Cen Yelan were sitting close to each other, both in the main seats. He said sourly, “Why doesn’t General Cen toast me?”
Cen Yelan tilted his head to look at Yuan Zheng and simply said, “This is for Your Highness.”
Yuan Zheng snorted and laughed and said, “What are you toasting me for?”
Cen Yelan said, “To thank Your Highness for saving my life at Beicang Pass and for risking your life in Luoyun Valley.”
Yuan Zheng: “Then it’s just one cup?”
He thought to himself, You even drank two cups with Li Jingchuo.
Cen Yelan didn’t hesitate either and said directly, “Three cups.”
He tilted his head back and drank the wine in the glass. Yuan Zheng looked at his slender neck, his clothes buttoned tightly, his adam apple rolling, and his fair skin taking on a somewhat warm hue under the firelight.
Seeing that Cen Yelan was about to pour a second cup, Yuan Zheng grabbed his hand and said, “You’re injured, why do you take my teasing so seriously?”
Cen Yelan’s eyelashes trembled, and he looked up at Yuan Zheng, trying to pull his hand back, but Yuan Zheng held it tighter.
Cen Yelan whispered, “Don’t cause trouble, there are so many people here.”
Yuan Zheng pinched his fingers and said, “If General Cen won’t struggle, they won’t be able to see it.”
Cen Yelan glanced at the two rows of soldiers sitting opposite each other drinking and felt that Yuan Zheng’s palms were as hot as fire. The touch of his thumb rubbing against his palms was particularly clear, and he actually felt a little hot.
Yuan Zheng looked at the redness on Cen Yelan’s ears and was also a little distracted. He leaned over, pinched Cen Yelan’s palm, and smiled in his ear, “General Cen, are you feeling hot? Even your palms are wet.”
He was so close that his breath was hot. Cen Yelan sat up straight with the sudden movement, pushing the wooden table in front of him. The people below looked up one after another.
Cen Yelan was thin-skinned and froze for a moment. Yuan Zheng tried to smooth things over and said, “General Cen has drunk too much. I will accompany him to sober up. You all can continue.”
Accompanying to sober up my a$$ 😄
That’s exactly what I was about to comment 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Sobering up being the euphemism for getting it on
Lol right 🤭😛