I’m the Useless Counterpart to an Overachieving Transmigrator

UCTOOT CH90

“At a time like this, these pampered young masters are still eating so luxuriously.”

Shi Shu couldn’t resist muttering, “If I were a troll, I’d toss them straight onto the ramparts of Yunzhou. A few arrows in their hides and they’d learn some manners.”

Stepping through the doorway, the council hall looked entirely different from its usual state filled with wind-battered military officers. Several portly officials clad in fine silks and satins stood along the corridor or sat sipping tea, their expressions laden with indignant fury as they swept their broad sleeves.

“Who are they?”

“The Deputy Commissioner of Military Affairs and dignitaries from the Eastern Capital! The grain officer who was kicked a few days ago was a young noble scion. Their side is furious, so they came here to stir up trouble and demand an explanation!” Lin Yan whispered.

Shi Shu peered inside. Sure enough, another lavishly dressed official was slamming his hand down, arguing heatedly with Xie Wuchi: “Commander Xie, although the court allocated five hundred thousand dan of grain, water transport incurs transit losses, and the surrounding prefectures cannot spare provisions either. How could anyone scrape together the full sum of five hundred thousand? Over such a trivial delay, you actually kicked a young master of a ducal estate!”

“To put it bluntly, the Duke of Ning has enjoyed imperial favors for generations and rode across battlefields alongside the Dynastic Founder. At that time, Commander Xie’s parents were probably still toiling in the mud of the fields, were they not?”

Shi Shu rolled an ice cube over his tongue: “Failing to deliver military grain in time—execution would be getting off easy. For a single kick, they dare come here and make a scene?”

Lin Yan replied, “The Second Young Master might not know: grain is grain, but human relationships are human relationships. There are open ledgers and covert ledgers. On the open ledger, Commander Xie can press charges; on the covert ledger, these are noble scions seeking opportunistic gains, sent to the border during wartime just to freeload military merits. Behind them stand dukes and marquises; they cannot be lightly offended.”

Shi Shu said, “Open ledgers, covert ledgers—makes no sense to me. If Yunzhou falls, what will these people have left to say?”

Lin Yan sighed, “If Yunzhou falls, the blame lands on Feng Zhongshan. Better a comrade die than oneself; why would they ever be punished?”

Shi Shu raised a brow and peered further in. A perfectly good frontline council chamber had turned into a den for bickering and passing the buck. Jia Wu, Deputy Commissioner of Military Affairs and a maternal cousin of the current Empress, was posturing with overbearing arrogance.

Xie Wuchi sat calmly sipping tea, his voice completely level: “Under current dynastic law, there is indeed a rule forbidding the harsh censure of scholar-officials, let alone the use of physical force. However, once in Yunzhou, a grain officer holds a martial post! The court also observes the precedent that a general in the field is not bound by every imperial decree. His chronic delays in transporting grain jeopardize critical border defense and the security of the nation!”

Jia Wu scoffed, “What security of the nation? Could having these five hundred thousand dan of grain actually save Yunzhou?!”

Xie Wuchi replied, “Without it, it definitely cannot be held.”

“Hahaha, hahahaha!” Jia Wu burst into sudden, harsh laughter, his expression twisting. “Commander Xie is full of talk about national peril! I hear that Changping Prefecture has engaged in military farming for a long time and has abundant grain stores. Why doesn’t Commander Xie demonstrate his loyalty and public virtue by hauling provisions from your own garrison to relieve the siege of Yunzhou?!”

A viciously sharp stroke, trading blood for venom.

Shi Shu caught on immediately, thinking: This Jia Wu is a sharp operator. He sees right through Lanxian behind Yunzhou—a nest of people running their mouths while sitting on the sidelines watching the fire burn across the river.

That retort was practically accusing Xie Wuchi of hypocrisy—preserving his own strength while forcing others to bleed.

To lift the siege of Yunzhou, the imperial court had mobilized fifty thousand Imperial Guards and ordered Xie Wuchi, Chen Rulian, and others to lead reinforcements from their respective stations. In reality, all of these commanders were waiting for someone else to make the first move. After all, everyone had limited troops and supplies. Yunzhou was an obvious meat grinder, a bottomless pit that consumed human lives; who would willingly throw their own forces in to fill it?

Such was bureaucratic evasion: the moment self-interest was threatened, everyone scrambled to pass the buck.

Xie Wuchi said, “Oh? Lord Jia means to requisition the harvest of the military colonies from Changping and Xingu Prefectures?”

Jia Wu sneered, “Precisely!”

Xie Wuchi nodded, smiling faintly: “Has Lord Jia forgotten that Changping and Xingu are currently fixing their sights on the northern Min army, holding them in check? It was only because the Min forces could not breach them after prolonged assault that they detoured to strike Yunzhou! If we strip the provisions of the Northern Army, what will they eat? And if the northern frontier falls, who will shoulder the blame?!”

Shi Shu thought: Checkmate. Trying to corner Xie Wuchi? Not a chance.

Jia Wu was left speechless: “You…”

Xie Wuchi set down his teacup. His pleasant facade dropped in an instant, replaced by stern thunder: “Lord Jia has only newly assumed charge of vital council affairs; your status is prestigious, yet you understand nothing of military protocol! His Majesty bestowed this imperial sword commanding us to guard the border. Any matter that damages the state, we shall never tolerate! Lord Jia, please take your leave. If the grain is not delivered within five days, not only that noble scion, but every official implicated along the transport route shall be held accountable together!”

Furious, Jia Wu slammed his palm down onto the table with a resounding bang!

Xie Wuchi did not flinch in the slightest, while the guards behind him took a collective step forward.

With a chorus of metallic rattles, swords were partially unsheathed. Jia Wu’s guards stepped forward as well.

Jia Wu spat, “I had long heard that frontier soldiers were a pack of savage beasts, gnawing marrow and drinking blood. Today, I have truly witnessed it! Let’s go!“

With that, Jia Wu and his retinue of military aristocrats marched out of the council hall in towering fury.

Xie Wuchi smashed his teacup against the floor with a sharp crash.

Attendants hurriedly rushed in to clear the porcelain shards as Xie Wuchi rose to his feet.

Shi Shu stepped aside, watching the group march into the distance before stepping inside. In the stifling heat, seeing that the outsiders were gone, Xie Wuchi loosened the stiff collar of his official robe, revealing the lines of his collarbone. When Shi Shu entered, the mung bean ice in his mouth had already melted, lending his breath a faint, sweet aroma.

“Which family was that grain officer from?”

Xie Wuchi said, “The Marquis of Dongyang, related to Jia Wu by marriage. Unimportant.”

Shi Shu remarked, “Unimportant… On the front lines of Yunzhou, the bodies of fallen soldiers are left ungathered with no one to care. Yet here, a pampered young master takes a single kick from you, and it mobilizes the Deputy Commissioner of Military Affairs.”

Straightening his cuffs, Xie Wuchi tilted his ear to listen to Shi Shu speak.

Shi Shu continued, “Death is death, yet even dying is unequal. Are human lives categorized by noble and base? How is it that when some die, it shakes heaven and earth, while when others perish, it goes entirely unnoticed?”

Xin Bin chimed in, “And he isn’t even dead! Yet they come wailing as if for a funeral!”

Xie Wuchi shot him a cool glance: “Guarding the Second Young Master these past few days has loosened your tongue as well.”

Lin Yan chuckled, “In one’s early twenties, it is precisely the age to ponder such questions.”

Shi Shu’s eyes flicked across his fair face, taking everything in.

Unlike Xie Wuchi, who had long seen through the world with absolute clarity. Wherever he went, he intended to stand above others, grinding them beneath his heel. He refused to stomach anyone’s temper, took orders from no one, and if crossed, struck back with swift, decisive blows—always carrying himself with unapologetic arrogance.

Shi Shu sat down in a chair, his eyes dropping to the robes Xie Wuchi wore. Having been roughly pulled open the night before, this set was clearly a spare, looking slightly more worn.

Shi Shu lifted his hands to inspect his palms. After grinding herbs for days, his fair, slender hands were crisscrossed with faint marks.

How strange. In principle, they were walking entirely separate paths, yet in the dead of night, Xie Wuchi would press Shi Shu’s hand over the tattoo on his inner thigh, stroking it in countless ways.

Merely thinking about it for a second made Shi Shu feel that Xie Wuchi was remarkably abnormal—lacking both a healthy concept of sex and an ordinary understanding of romance.

Just make do then: a friend-with-benefits disguised in the wrapper of a boyfriend.

Shi Shu waited for him a short while. Once Xie Wuchi finished his official business, they returned together for dinner. Shi Shu stayed in the rear courtyard of the apothecary; practically every night, Xie Wuchi came over to share his meals and rest with him.

Four dishes and a soup were laid out on the table. Riding on Xie Wuchi’s coattails, Shi Shu ate rather lavishly. Having changed his clothes for the meal, Xie Wuchi said, “I received an imperial decree this morning, commanding me to reinforce Feng Zhongshan at all costs. In the afternoon, I met two vice-generals from Yunzhou City and had some military supplies escorted inside.“

Shi Shu: “Mm.”

“It was too hot at noon, so I didn’t have much of an appetite. Lanxian has a cold noodle dish served with ice; I had some.”

Shi Shu: “Oh.”

Xie Wuchi: “In the afternoon, I granted an audience to envoys from Beimin to discuss whether a peace negotiation was viable. No sooner had I sent them off than Jia Wu arrived to argue.”

Chewing his food, Shi Shu hadn’t grasped why Xie Wuchi was detailing all this.

A moment later, sensing a presence overhead, Shi Shu looked up. Xie Wuchi paused briefly before asking, “And you?”

Shi Shu understood at once: He’s doing his boyfriend check-in. He said, “I did chores all day. Came back in the afternoon, had that mung bean ice which tasted pretty good, and that’s it for today. Nothing else.”

Xie Wuchi gave a soft hum of acknowledgment and went back to eating.

Shi Shu’s scalp prickled. Xie Wuchi was ruthless enough to swallow people whole without spitting out bones; reading his thoughts was impossible. Before long, the dining table was cleared. It was late into the night. Fresh from a bath and preparing for bed, guards brought the ice blocks originally allocated for Xie Wuchi’s room over to Shi Shu’s quarters.

Shortly after, the oppressive heat indeed dissipated. Shi Shu recalled what Du Zihan had said when they first got together: You went with him? You really refuse to suffer even a single drop of hardship, don’t you!

Shi Shu rubbed the faint scrapes on his palm. Xie Wuchi loosened his robes and climbed onto the bed. Shi Shu held out his hands to show him: “Um, bro, can’t give you a handjob tonight.”

Xie Wuchi: “Does it hurt?”

Shi Shu: “Doesn’t hurt, I just don’t feel like touching things.”

Xie Wuchi: “Then don’t.”

Shi Shu studied the ice blocks in the basin, scooped up a small piece, and popped it into his mouth, his tongue turning ice-cold. He had heard the entire confrontation with Jia Wu earlier. A ruler who weighs every variable before moving. With tens of thousands of troops encamped nearby, regardless of the life and death inside Yunzhou City, Xie Wuchi would never strike unless the timing promised concrete gain.

Chewing on the ice cube, Shi Shu stepped forward, straddled Xie Wuchi’s lap, and leaned in to kiss him.

Shi Shu was reflecting internally, realizing that he had taken his confusion and frustration toward this world and vented it all onto Xie Wuchi.

As Xie Wuchi caught the marble-sized piece of ice between their mouths, their lips met. Sitting in his lap, Shi Shu began unfastening his robes. Once Xie Wuchi’s upper body was bared, Shi Shu’s hands caressed his neck and broad, lean back, the muscles ridged like a wolf’s spine. Beneath his touch, Xie Wuchi’s hands tightened their grip.

Shi Shu only knew how to kiss and touch him simply; he possessed no other flirtatious techniques. Gradually, he was pressed back against the bedding.

Even with ice in the room, it remained stifling, especially as both their temperatures rose. Xie Wuchi shifted his approach: after licking Shi Shu’s earlobe, he pressed a kiss against his Adam’s apple, trailing down toward the pale expanse below his collarbone.

In the sweltering heat, a layer of sweat broke out across their bodies. Beneath the straw-stuffed mat, the mattress let out soft rustles under pressure. Tangling his fingers into Xie Wuchi’s hair, Shi Shu tugged lightly, their noses brushing as warm breath mingled.

Above him, Xie Wuchi’s back muscles flexed with each breath, their most sensitive points pressed flush together. Beads of sweat clung to Shi Shu’s pale nose. Just as he tried to turn his head away, his attention was captured by a gentle kiss.

With their mouths and tongues locked in a deep tangle, Shi Shu’s breath was crushed away. Reaching out, he wrapped his arms around Xie Wuchi’s powerful back, trembling from the sheer sensory rush, cursing internally: Damn it…

He heard Xie Wuchi’s breathing grow heavier in his ear. Shi Shu periodically snapped into clarity amid the haze of desire, acutely aware that Xie Wuchi was entirely a man—taller than him, stronger than him, possessing staggering physical power. Yet that didn’t stop Shi Shu’s heart from softening at the sound of his husky, sensual pants.

Whenever Shi Shu showed the slightest initiative, Xie Wuchi became even more ravenous. The aura of desire radiating from his entire being could melt a person’s bones—whether in his voice, his breath, his feverish warmth, or his handsome, arresting features.

A wanton man. Truly shameless in passion.

Held tight in his embrace, Xie Wuchi pressed one hand over Shi Shu’s arm, his legs parting Shi Shu’s thighs, licking the youth’s pale earlobe before tracing downward.

Because he moved deliberately, afraid of frightening Shi Shu, the pace was drawn out and lingering. Everything between them remained non-penetrative: tangled frames, skin pressed to skin, mingling breaths.

When Shi Shu came back to his senses, Xie Wuchi had already slipped out of bed to wipe the sweat from the mat. Shi Shu stepped down as well, tossing his soiled clothes into the laundry basin.

Lying back down to sleep, Shi Shu caught sight of his wrists again. At night, he no longer wore the white gauze, brazenly exposing the unsightly scars. Shi Shu reached out and took his hand.

In the cool of the late night, Shi Shu traced his wrist: “I’ve always wanted to ask: did you do this before you met me too?”

Xie Wuchi: “During high school abroad.”

Shi Shu: “Why?”

“Among the people I met, there was no one I liked.”

“No wonder. I know you—you look at everyone like they’re stray dogs.” Shi Shu idly stroked the raised scars. Xie Wuchi’s hands were handsome, broad-knuckled yet lean, his fingers naturally carrying a sense of strength.

Spurred by a whim, Shi Shu kept stroking his wrist until a soft murmur sounded: “Shi Shu.”

Shi Shu: “What? Does touching your wrist make you uncomfortable?”

These scars led straight to Xie Wuchi’s softest vulnerabilities. Perhaps the unease of having his inner core caressed made him awkward.

Feeling a sudden flush of warmth, Shi Shu leaned in, pressing against his hot lips. Once his emotions settled, Xie Wuchi’s features were aloof, his eyes naturally cold as frost, his handsome face looking severe until Shi Shu kissed him.

A flicker stirred in Xie Wuchi’s eyes as he looked down at him. Barely clothed, Shi Shu couldn’t resist planting another peck on his lips.

Xie Wuchi is actually quite easy to kiss, haha.

Shi Shu kissed him, and Xie Wuchi didn’t pull away. When Shi Shu slipped his tongue inside, cupping his face, the kiss deepened.

After a while, Shi Shu was breathless, fine threads of saliva connecting their parted lips. A faint flush of desire lingered at the corners of Xie Wuchi’s eyes, though far less intense than when he had held Shi Shu down earlier.

Seeing this icy facade submit completely to being kissed—a total inversion of his public persona—Shi Shu couldn’t help leaning in for more. Clamping his hand tightly around Xie Wuchi’s scarred wrist, the man didn’t move an inch, allowing their tongues to tangle and linger for a long, drawn-out moment.

“…Xie Wuchi, you’re… surprisingly docile sometimes,” Shi Shu muttered with burning cheeks.

Xie Wuchi lowered his eyes in silence, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe both their faces.

Blushing profusely, Shi Shu rolled back onto his side of the bed.

Early the next morning, the space beside Shi Shu was empty again. Shi Shu clicked his tongue at this workaholic who seemed to harbor no thoughts beyond official duties and bedtime. Just as he sat up to head out, the door opened.

Clad in crimson-purple robes with fine brigandine armor beneath an outer tunic embroidered with silver thread, Xie Wuchi had his dark hair bound high, wearing plain leather vambraces. Dressed in the dignified attire of his official post, he was adjusting his cuffs when he looked up at the sound.

His expression was as cold and detached as ever, sharp brows hooded over deep eyes, the bridge of his nose prominent, exuding an aloof, unapproachable air. Seeing Shi Shu, however, he asked, “Awake?”

Shi Shu blinked.

Truth be told, Shi Shu loved this contrast: buttoned up tighter than anyone before outsiders, yet stripping bare the moment he reached his bed—a monster draped in human skin.

After staring for two seconds, Shi Shu smacked his own forehead: Damn it! I’m falling under his spell.

Shi Shu bolted out the door with muffled shrieks, returning moments later carrying their morning meal. Xie Wuchi was still seated by the table, preparing to eat while casually discussing the day’s schedule.

Xie Wuchi said, “The battle in Yunzhou is growing more critical by the day. Currently, the various factions in Lanxian are at an impasse, all refusing to lend aid while watching from the sidelines. Continuing like this is disastrous.”

Shi Shu: “Do you have a plan?”

Xie Wuchi: “The remaining three hundred thousand dan of grain likely won’t arrive. The urgent priority is to bolster Yunzhou first, then exploit openings within the Min army.”

Shi Shu understood; that was all Xie Wuchi’s domain. He said, “Alright. Master Lin and I can only ensure an epidemic doesn’t break out; the grand strategy is up to you.”

Xie Wuchi nodded, “Good.”

After breakfast, they parted ways. Xie Wuchi headed to the command headquarters, while Shi Shu, Lin Yangchun, and the other imperial physicians returned to the makeshift bamboo shed outside Yunzhou to brew herbs and oversee the mass burial of corpses.

Shi Shu’s assignment was critical. An epidemic spawned from rotting corpses possessed destructive power far exceeding tens of thousands of troops; historical conquerors had frequently weaponized such pestilence.

Reaching the bamboo shed, Shi Shu psyched himself up: “Time to work!”

From the moment he opened his eyes, it was non-stop labor. Burying the corpses was merely a stopgap measure; once Yunzhou weathered the worst period, the bodies still had to be incinerated. Otherwise, decomposing remains beneath the soil could contaminate groundwater sources, perpetuating the spread of plague.

Standing on the earth, the ground felt unnervingly soft, floating like foam over layers of buried dead, dark blood periodically seeping through the mud.

Watching the endless stream of corpses being hauled out, Shi Shu stepped over to Lin Yangchun: “Can Yunzhou hold out?”

Lin Yangchun sighed, “If it holds, the disaster remains contained within Yunzhou. If it falls, the ensuing slaughter will sweep straight into Dajing’s heartland, multiplying this living hell a million times over. May the Bodhisattva bless Yunzhou to survive this calamity.”

Looking toward the city gates, Shi Shu silently prayed for the same.

Over the days that followed, Shi Shu remained constantly occupied in the bamboo shed, returning to the city only once every two days to rest. They simply brought their own cookware and basic rations, stringing hammocks beneath the bamboo frame to sleep through the night.

Rumble—

The thundering crashes of siege engines outside the city grew louder, rolling across the distance day and night.

Lin Yangchun’s other apprentice, Lin Baihe, had arrived, and Shi Shu chatted with him daily. Setting down a bundle of herbs around dusk, with the shed situated near the post road and the burial pits tucked into the valley of the adjacent woods, the rumble of wheels echoed continuously as wagons and mounted couriers sped toward the front.

Watching several carriages pass, Shi Shu pursed his lips. “Here they come again.”

“What’s coming again?” Lin Baihe asked.

Shi Shu: “Those specific carriages. I recognize them now—either loaded with courtesans or packed with delicacies.”

Lin Baihe: “Those belong to the high officials in Lanxian. That crowd knows how to indulge themselves.”

Washing his hands, Shi Shu asked, “Where does that fork lead? Logically, transporting delicacies from the Eastern Capital shouldn’t use this route, right?”

Lin Baihe: “I couldn’t say.”

Shi Shu watched for a moment longer as three carriages turned down a side road into the mountain woods before vanishing from sight.

Because the combat inside the city raged day and night without pause, Shi Shu had no time to return to Lanxian, sleeping in his clothes beneath the shed. Mount Dongtu was a massive range spanning hundreds of li, serving as a natural bulwark defending Dajing, thick with dense forests and prowling wild beasts. Waking once in the middle of the night, while horses routinely dashed past along the post road, what caught his attention this time was the familiar creak of carriage wheels.

In the dead of night, the carriages he had seen departing at dusk were returning through the early morning dew. The curtains fluttered, leaving a lingering trail of cosmetic fragrance in their wake.

They’re back again.

Having noticed this movement two days in a row, Shi Shu had someone report it to Xie Wuchi. After investigating, the guards reported back that these were carriages dedicated to transporting beauties; they had monitored them closely, finding only ordinary women on board without any irregularities.

Shi Shu: “Is that so? But I saw Min women among them.”

“Young Master didn’t know? Min women are renowned for their beauty, spirited nature, and graceful dances. Keeping Min courtesans is a popular trend among Eastern Capital elites, very common!”

Shi Shu: “I see.”

That afternoon, having a brief moment of leisure, Shi Shu spotted the carriages rolling past again. Deciding to satisfy his curiosity, he trailed behind them to see the transport process for himself. The carriages made no effort to conceal their movements, traveling openly along the post road.

After walking for nearly an hour, they reached a ferry landing. Beside a small shelter pavilion, a ferryboat was moored. Several veiled women sat gracefully within the pavilion, their figures supple and slender.

A few men were assisting the women onto the carriages, laughing and bantering.

Shi Shu watched from hiding for a while, finding nothing amiss. Aside from the foreign features of the Min women, everything mirrored ordinary travelers of Dajing. Just as Shi Shu prepared to turn back, two men emerged one after the other down the narrow mountain path.

The first was a dashing young man clad in luxurious white silk robes, fanning himself with an elegant folding fan as he stepped into the crowd. His features were handsome yet carried a sinister edge; Shi Shu felt he looked vaguely familiar, though he couldn’t place him.

The other was slightly older, slender and frail, with pale lips, dressed similarly in scholar’s robes. He exuded a gentle, melancholy air, his refined, fair face marked by an invalid’s pallor.

Looking at him, Shi Shu found his features instantly familiar. A name surfaced in his memory: “Yuan Guan!”

Three years ago, Xiangnan Temple, the Street of Northern Slaves!

The Beimin descendants captured by Dajing’s founding emperors to parade the dynasty’s glory! Forbidden from intermarrying, driven to incestuous tragedy! Later, because his daughter had been intercepted by rogue soldiers and banned literature had invited lethal disaster, he had struck back, slain government bailiffs, and fled north!

Shi Shu had never dreamed he would encounter him here. He was of Min descent, but born of a Dajing mother, his appearance virtually indistinguishable from a native of Dajing—just like the man beside him.

A smiling voice called out: “Old Wu, you’ve arrived?”

“Just waiting on you. Come on, let’s have a drink!”

UCTOOT CH90

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