UCTOOT CH89

Shi Shu didn’t know what to say. Someone liked you and was unsatisfied with his desire for you.

Did this still need Shi Shu to climb into bed? Xie Wuchi would probably climb into his bed.

But there was no further move. The roar and hoofbeats in the distance reminded them that everything was not peaceful. Xie Wuchi tidied his clothes, suppressing the rising temperature, like a hidden sword in a box returning to its sheath, and said: “Just finished official business. Thinking you just came to this place, worried you might be scared, I came to see you.”

Shi Shu’s fingertips still touched the back of his hand. After thinking, he gently covered the back of his hand. Naturally holding hands.

Shi Shu felt uncomfortable all over, staring at the dark air, finding some topics to ask: “Scared? Not particularly scared. How about you?”

Xie Wuchi: “Been here for a while. The battle situation is unresolved, and the situation is rather unoptimistic.”

Shi Shu turned to look at him. Xie Wuchi’s hardness also disappeared, sitting and talking to him. The room was slightly stuffy. Shi Shu thought of going outside, but felt it was inappropriate.

He remembered he was wearing too thin clothes, reaching out to add another piece, but felt hot as soon as he touched it. Instead, he asked Xie Wuchi: “Are you hot?”

Xie Wuchi: “Hot. There are ice blocks in the meeting hall, so it’s okay, but there’s nothing here.”

Shi Shu ignored the clothes: “What exactly is going on? Before I came, I heard people say the Min army threw corpses into Yunzhou city.”

Xie Wuchi said flatly: “Mm, this is ancient germ warfare. Germ warfare is often the most time-saving, labor-saving, and efficient, capable of quickly disintegrating the opponent from within the enemy army. Even, in summer, soldiers’ corpses are hard to deal with. Throwing them to the opponent’s camp removes the burden and can harm the opposite side.”

Shi Shu paused, ripples in his heart: “I know the crime of insulting corpses. Soldiers are pitiful, risking their lives for others when alive, and their corpses still have uses after death. Unheard of.”

Xie Wuchi nodded lightly: “In the Central Plains, anyone educated by ghosts and gods rarely uses this method, but the opposite is the Min army.”

The Min army, a group that rose from the valleys by streams, chanting bravery and freedom, launching conquests against the world.

Iron hooves and scimitars were their friends. Grazing during the day, at night on the boundless vast wilderness, leaning against haystacks, roasting cattle and sheep with firewood, drinking animal milk, singing and dancing together.

Innocent cruelty remained in the bone marrow.

When exiled three thousand miles and just arrived in Senzhou, Shi Shu saw with his own eyes how the Northern Min army trampled over the frozen Cha River while laughing wildly, slashing the crying Great Jing immigrants into pieces with scimitars.

Since then, Shi Shu had an impression of barbarism and cruelty towards the Min army.

Xie Wuchi looked at Shi Shu’s thin collar, the fair collarbone showing through: “Soldiers are the same, especially in desperate places. If the enemy army is terrifying and cruel, and the soldiers are intimidated, fear will inevitably arise. There is a saying that soldiers don’t need brains, just charge forward when told to charge, and retreat when told to retreat. But they are also human, swallowing mountains and rivers when brave, collapsing a thousand miles when fearful.”

Shi Shu listened to him speak. In the quiet room, there were only the soft whispers of two people.

“Yunzhou is now in a situation of certain defeat. The Min army is menacing and arrogant, while the morale of the soldiers defending the city is low, frightened sleepless by the Min army’s brutality, with many deserters and broken troops. Because someone is holding a knife behind them, killing those who flee. Forward is death, backward is also death, and backward is faster death, so they barely dare to stand on the city wall to face the enemy.”

Shi Shu felt complicated, clutching his fan: “The soldiers really… have no choice.”

Every person who dares to stand on the frontline disregarding life and death makes people feel the strength of the human soul, but there are thousands of them, so they are not remembered.

Xie Wuchi said: “Morale is low, grain and fodder support is insufficient, and reinforcements are all watching, holding their troops still. If this continues, the collapse of Yunzhou will be within ten days. You must be careful on the way.”

Shi Shu: “What if it’s defeated?”

Xie Wuchi’s eyebrows rose steeply, deep in thought: “Yunzhou occupies a natural danger. If even it is defeated, Great Jing’s first line of defense will almost collapse. The burning destruction of this war will spread from the border to Great Jing’s heartland. By then, more cities will face war, and millions more people will flee from the disaster of war, becoming a hell on earth.”

Shi Shu was stunned, hearing a rumble. War horses galloped, reporting news from the frontline to anyone in the rear concerned about this battle.

Frontline, sleeping on spears waiting for dawn, eating late at night.

Horses, travel-worn, worried and exhausted.

Shi Shu suddenly remembered: “Are you tired during this time?”

Xie Wuchi: “When you came just now, you saw me wrangling with the grain official. When impacted by the huge force of Northern Min, Great Jing has its own centrifugal force internally, weakening the wall bearing the heavy burden. I’m always handling these things.”

Shi Shu’s mind moved slightly. Reading so many letters was not as good as these few sentences now to understand Xie Wuchi’s daily life.

Shi Shu originally had nothing to say to him. Shi Shu asked: “Are you done with your work today?”

Xie Wuchi: “Almost finished.”

Shi Shu: “Not going back, then where will you sleep?”

Xie Wuchi was quiet.

“You asked Xin Bin to get two pieces of clothes, sleeping here?” Shi Shu looked away, “But can’t do anything else. Imperial Physician Lin’s eyes are too scary. He can tell if I stay up late. If I do something shameful, he hits the nail on the head too, simply leaving no face for people.”

Xie Wuchi said: “Did he scold you?”

Shi Shu: “No. Very shameful.”

After Shi Shu finished speaking, he guessed Xie Wuchi didn’t think so. This kind of cyber exhibitionist, if people knew he just slept with Shi Shu, he would probably feel very cool.

And very likely a plot of taking a call while fucking Shi Shu.

Shi Shu discarded the rumors about Xie Wuchi: “You take a shower and get ready to sleep. There’s still work to do tomorrow, and I have to go to the Yunzhou frontline too.”

Xie Wuchi got out of bed and went out to ask Xin Bin to get a change of clothes. There was a large bucket of cold water in the room. Shi Shu wiped the bed again. Xie Wuchi took off his clothes aside. Moonlight fell on the bone shape of his neck and back, back muscles broad, the whole person healthy, tall, straight, slender, and vigorous, wolf waist and tiger arms, full of sexual tension.

Water flowed on his back. Xie Wuchi seemed to always have an abstinent feeling of craving intimate touch.

Shi Shu withdrew his gaze, looking at the roof beam covered with spider webs, returning to when he slept in the same room with him at Xiangnan Temple. Damn, intuition was the same, similar to that time, a kind of explosive feeling that Xie Wuchi would come to fuck him immediately after showering!

Shi Shu discarded these random thoughts and handed his official uniform to Xin Bin: “Take it to wash first, have to change later.”

Xin Bin looked at him and didn’t make a sound.

Shi Shu returned to the room. Xie Wuchi washed up, put on underpants, and walked to the bedside shirtless. Shi Shu lay on the inner side of the bed, and Xie Wuchi also got into bed. The two breathed quietly, preparing to sleep, but the unrelenting summer heat at night intensified the restlessness.

Shi Shu wasn’t sure. Xie Wuchi wouldn’t touch him actively now. To practice the “want to change” he said, Shi Shu didn’t like unprovoked contact, so he didn’t touch at all. However, Shi Shu tasted other meanings from these behaviors.

Xie Wuchi liked him.

Thinking of this, he dazed.

Sex addiction is a disease; craving for intimate relationships is also a disease. To get Xie Wuchi’s heart, verbal love alone is not enough; really have to embrace his body closely, temperature entangled, even merge and entangle bodies with him.

Climbing into bed and having sexual relations with Xie Wuchi was actually the choice where he could advance to attack and retreat to defend best.

Thinking carefully, Xie Wuchi’s pathology was very bad, almost becoming his weakness. Without intimate contact, he would be anxious, especially with the person he liked. Xie Wuchi happened to be a clean freak who loved cleanliness. If he didn’t love cleanliness, he could choose promiscuity, venting simply and easily without burden; but he happened to love cleanliness, destined to want sex only with love, then he wouldn’t force and hurt the person he liked, ultimately consuming himself internally.

Xie Wuchi, vigorous and resolute, with fierce means, but this problem caused him to be in a torn state all the time. If the person he loved didn’t love him, it was destined to be a tragedy.

While Shi Shu was thinking randomly, he found Xie Wuchi breathing calmly but not asleep.

Shi Shu turned over and sat up: “Not asleep?”

Xie Wuchi: “Will fall asleep soon.”

Shi Shu’s heart moved. Xie Wuchi seemed to be waiting for him. What was going on, like that monster who would reveal its original form if it didn’t absorb men’s essence for a day.

Shi Shu thought for a while, touched the burning arm to the left, and turned sideways reaching out. When his hand was placed on his shoulder and lips touched his, Xie Wuchi seemed to gasp hoarsely with relief.

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If Xie Wuchi knew about the group transmigration system, maybe at the last step, the two might become opponents who must fight to the death, what would he think? What people love most is still themselves.

Skin covered with thin sweat, a sweatier and moister color than before. Shi Shu felt in his heart while jerking: Xie Wuchi, someone like you is really rare. No one is like you, possessing incredibly powerful cognition and ability simultaneously, but cognition of feelings is completely twisted.

Sometimes, felt Xie Wuchi was crying for help.

Shi Shu curled his fingers and grasped. At Xiangnan Temple, he and Xie Wuchi shared the same bed, and both slept deeply. But the current Xie Wuchi, it seemed since he left, never recovered from his illness.

So twisted, such deformed feelings.

No, is there really a man among men like Xie Wuchi who likes his good brother giving him a handjob every night?

Shi Shu’s straight male soul was always struggling.

Shi Shu’s fingertips gently stroked the tattooed skin. Xie Wuchi kept staring at him. Shi Shu’s gaze would give him sexual pleasure. When Shi Shu looked at his tattoo, Xie Wuchi lazily displayed the part he was proud of and found attractive in sexual relationships. Sure enough, under Shi Shu’s gaze, he was obviously more pleased.

In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, this belongs to paraphilic disorders. Ordinary people won’t feel excitement from exposing body parts and usually feel shame. However, Xie Wuchi only showed this behavior in romantic relationships, not to the extent of offending public decency.

Shi Shu had a headache, thinking Xie Wuchi was full of problems, but didn’t know what to say, kissing him: “I’ll only say it once, not allowed to take off clothes for others casually, understand?”

Xie Wuchi released in his hand, this tough and sexy demon.

Shi Shu finished, convinced, playing play with Xie Wuchi.

Shi Shu clearly felt Xie Wuchi didn’t have much security in intimate relationships. After he finished, he nestled in his arms and kissed him again. And the previous two times, Shi Shu had implications of abuse and humiliation in the sexual relationship where Xie Wuchi perceived love.

Xie Wuchi’s arms wrapped around Shi Shu’s back, holding his narrow and lean body in his arms. Shi Shu could feel he was still in the afterglow of high emotion, hot breath falling on his cheeks and ears, turning into misty vapor.

Early morning, Shi Shu woke up. A chirping sound in the yard, everyone got up, the time when people were busy.

“Everyone eat quickly. Take advantage of the cool weather now; we hurry to Yunzhou!”

The seat next to Shi Shu was already empty. He hurriedly got up to wash and clean his face with cold water. Under the corridor, Xie Wuchi changed back to the vermillion robe and fine fish-scale armor for official business in front of people. Shoulders and back broad, stature extremely tall, full of imposing manner, the folds of his nose bridge having a cold arrogance, listening to someone beside him talking about last night’s urgent report.

One hand slowly pressed the horsewhip against his leg. Shi Shu smiled at him. He said: “Go eat. I’ll come later; I have to go back to the public office now.”

Shi Shu asked casually: “What’s wrong?”

Fierce light was revealed in Xie Wuchi’s eyes: “Kicked the grain official yesterday; someone came to find trouble with me.”

After speaking, Xie Wuchi nodded to him, looking thoughtful, and left the courtyard surrounded by the crowd.

Seeing this large crowd leaving, the people in the courtyard barely breathed a sigh of relief. Shi Shu was brushing his teeth. Seeing Xie Wuchi gone, he always felt the daytime Xie Wuchi and the nighttime Xie Wuchi were not the same person.

He yawned. After sobering up with cold water on his face, he turned to find Lin Yangchun: “What to eat in the morning?”

“Buns, mantou, porridge, and a chicken leg. Not bad.”

After Shi Shu finished eating, the group set foot on the road to Yunzhou.

Yunzhou occupied a natural danger, with mountain ranges and natural water flows blocking it, able to have a small city not far away. Only the side Shi Shu walked was safe; other sides of the city were long surrounded by the Min army.

At this time, carts and horses ran on the road. There were garrisons and defense lines along the way, a post every five steps, a sentry every ten steps. The road was blocked by abatis, requiring a pass document to go forward.

Lin Yangchun carried a pack on his back, wiping sweat from his forehead: “In the battlefield, those commanding thousands of troops and horses are the center of everyone’s attention. We are really not worth mentioning.”

Shi Shu also carried herbs on his back. Seeing the solemnity along the way, his mood was no longer calm. After riding a horse for about ten miles, the city tower of Yunzhou appeared before Shi Shu’s eyes.

Yunzhou had been besieged by the Min army for over a month. Occasionally there were grain and fodder supplies. Although insufficient, everyone tightened their belts, and the tragic state of people eating people hadn’t appeared yet. However, when Shi Shu walked into the city, he saw sallow and emaciated soldiers moving corpses out of the city one by one to discard. Now it was scorching summer; once vital signs were gone, people would rot and stink rapidly. At this time, bursts of foul smell came from the road pits where corpses were piled.

Shi Shu covered his nose and mouth, wanting to vomit, blackened by the fumes: “Why not burn them to end it?”

“Too many, can’t burn them all. One batch after another dies on the city tower; no firewood to burn.”

Lin Yangchun flew into a rage: “Short-sighted! Shallow! You people only know how to deal with pre-war opportunities but don’t know how to handle post-war residues. That’s why the opponent found a loophole to throw corpses inside, wanting to kill everyone in the city, and you still don’t pay attention!”

This person was scolded and pointed: “Go into the city and tell General Feng; telling me is useless!”

Lin Yangchun rolled up his sleeves, looking like he was going to talk to the chief general.

Shi Shu followed closely. Bypassing generals, they finally walked into Yunzhou city. The current Yunzhou city was no different from hell on earth. War reached the late stage; people who hadn’t fled were forbidden to leave the city to prevent spies or traitors from mixing in. The current city was one where all materials had been consumed for a month, about to run out of ammunition and food.

In the scorching summer, blood stains coagulated everywhere in the city, obviously war had broken out. People would go up the city tower to cheer for our army in the first few days; now they were all starving at home. Every family crying at graves, burning paper in front of doors, foul atmosphere mixed with foul smells.

Shi Shu had already sealed his mouth and nose with a homemade mask. Walking forward, the sounds of shouting and killing on the city tower became louder and louder. Within the city, giant stones smashed by catapults rolled down from time to time, even messy corpses, smashed to pieces.

Shi Shu had to stop and rest after walking for a while. The accompanying guards really couldn’t hold it back, vomiting wildly aside: “No wonder those supervising armies and grain officials set up residences in Lanxian. No one wants to come to this ghost place at all!”

Shi Shu wiped his sweat. Many corpses were uncleaned, allowed to stink in place. Lin Yangchun watched maniacally: “Why the ghost poison lingered in Shukang Prefecture back then was precisely this reason! How come it’s still like this now! I want to see Feng Chongshan!”

Shi Shu recalled what Xie Wuchi said last night: Yunzhou is a strategically extremely important city pass. Now, the attention of all parties is gathered here.

If Yunzhou withstands the invasion, it can interrupt Northern Min’s offensive and dampen its spirit. If it can’t resist, the war zone will spread to the heartland. Next, more places will become hell on earth like this.

Preventing Yunzhou from being defeated by pestilence and increasing the duration of his resistance against foreign aggression was precisely the purpose of their trip.

For the whole morning and noon, Shi Shu followed Lin Yangchun looking around on the city wall, discovering Yunzhou’s helplessness and negligence in handling corpses. Hurriedly requested to see Feng Chongshan.

After hearing his name so many times, Shi Shu finally saw the real person. He was recuperating from an injury. A few days ago, he went up the city tower to watch the battle and was hit in the arm by a sharp arrow from the enemy.

Lin Yangchun was a doctor, caring about the life and death of a city. Through Xie Wuchi’s reminder, Shi Shu cared about more and more people about to be involved.

Feng Chongshan’s face was green, voice weak: “Doctors, how would this General not know corpses need to be burned? But the city is out of ammunition and food. Gunpowder, tung oil, have long rolled down the city wall to burn and kill Min dogs. As for corpses, really have no heart to deal with them.”

Lin Yangchun: “The South Gate is still safe. Why doesn’t the court transport supplies?”

Feng Chongshan: “Hehehe, doctors save the dying and heal the wounded, how would you understand the difficulty of being an official. Life-saving grain and fodder are shirked and delayed, not to mention gunpowder, tung oil, firewood, sigh…”

Shi Shu looked at him, and not far away, soldiers almost numb on the front line of war.

Lin Yangchun jumped anxiously: “Anyway! If these corpses are not handled properly, causing a human plague in the future, everyone in your Yunzhou city will die! Don’t say I didn’t warn you!”

Feng Chongshan propped himself up: “Doctors, are there any other ways?”

Shi Shu understood Xie Wuchi’s policy of stationing troops and farming in his heart. Relying on others is never reliable. Just waiting, will never arrive.

Lin Yangchun pondered again and again, saying: “Then dig big pits first, bury them, survive this most difficult period, absolutely cannot ignore it.”

Feng Chongshan: “Then do as the doctor says, go quickly.”

Shi Shu and Lin Yangchun went down the city tower, preparing herbs to dispel plague. However, before leaving, Shi Shu stood on the city tower and glanced downstairs quickly—

Siege. The so-called siege is generally a war of attrition. The army supplies outside the city increase as they fight, while materials and personnel inside the city decrease. Without reinforcements, nor ability to break out for a way of life, the city breaking and becoming a dead city is only a matter of time.

Shi Shu saw the Northern Min army. Outside the city tower, camps and towers blotted out the sky and sun. Snow-white flags fluttered on golden-topped tents. An army of over a hundred thousand with strict armor formed distinct black areas on the flat ground. This was almost one of the few characteristics of alien invasion, while other scaling ladders, battering rams, carriages, siege forms were exactly the same as any Great Jing army.

The barbaric skin of Northern Min was fading, seemingly becoming a state of ceremonies.

The wolf-like attack momentum under the city, and the dying down of drums and flags on the city, reaching a dead end.

When Shi Shu went downstairs, he accidentally kicked someone’s foot. That person turned his face and smiled at Shi Shu.

Shi Shu’s heart felt like needle pricking, not knowing who could come to save them.

Almost in a powerless desperate situation, but still hoping someone would save them.

Shi Shu walked down the city tower because inside Yunzhou city was too dangerous.

Outsider doctors like them were arranged outside the city, building bamboo sheds, delivering herbs. This was specifically for dispelling epidemics. Once made, they had people send them into the city, simultaneously supervising corpse burial.

For the next few days, Shi Shu had to come to this shed to work during the day and return to Lanxian to sleep at night.

Busy until late at night, Shi Shu finally rushed back. Entering the door, he showered first. Hearing Xie Wuchi was still handling official business, he followed Xin Bin to his meeting hall.

In summer, people in the city made mung bean ice blocks. The taste was barely acceptable, but good for quenching thirst. Doctors in the courtyard were also distributed a small piece. Shi Shu walked outside the government office biting an ice block, but saw several carriages lined up. The carriages were full of flowers, fruits, vegetables, beef, lamb, fatty meat, even crabs and seafood, iced with huge blocks of ice, emitting bursts of cold air in the hot weather.

The mung bean paste in Shi Shu’s mouth was instantly not fragrant: “Xie Wuchi eats this well?”

Xin Bin said: “No. Even if the Lord is extravagant and lustful, with ponds of wine and forests of meat, he wouldn’t be so blatant.”

Shi Shu’s fair face was pushed out like a bun by the ice block, asking: “Then who are they?”

Xin Bin said: “Golden branches and jade leaves from the Eastern Capital. Can’t get used to the food here, asked to send these.”

“Eastern Capital?”

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