UCTOOT CH98

Shi Shu didn’t find it strange anymore, but he didn’t want Xie Wuchi to mess around. One hand grasped the back of his hand, attempting to control part of him. A fair, delicate hand held a hand with protruding veins.

After a kiss, Shi Shu thought it was over, but he was turned around and placed sitting on his lap again. Shi Shu hugged his shoulder: “Are you free now?”

“Free. Came back to have lunch with you.” Xie Wuchi said softly, cupping his face to kiss him again. Shi Shu subconsciously looked out the door, one hand grabbing the cool silk bedding below, letting Xie Wuchi kiss him again.

Xie Wuchi was a man of heavy desires. Shi Shu was prepared for him to kiss for a long time, and this sitting posture was also convenient. However, his breathing was chaotic. Just as Shi Shu was getting into it, Xie Wuchi suddenly stopped and separated.

Shi Shu’s face was flushed, his lips rubbed red, stained with silvery threads. But Xie Wuchi stopped, looking at him with pitch-black eyes, fingertips gently rubbing Shi Shu’s chin.

Shi Shu met his gaze, the thought of not having kissed enough growing stronger, wondering why Xie Wuchi stopped: “…What’s wrong? Do you have something to do?”

Xie Wuchi: “No.”

After speaking, he just held Shi Shu, tidying the few stray hairs by his ear. Shi Shu couldn’t help raising his hand to scratch his hair, seeing nothing unusual, but Xie Wuchi really just held him.

Shi Shu: “Ah?!” Speak!

Xie Wuchi’s pupils were distinct black and white, turning to look at him with a somewhat heavy feeling. In this instant, Shi Shu seemed to suddenly understand. One hand grasping his shoulder, leaning slightly forward, but he really wasn’t good at flirting. He kissed Xie Wuchi’s chin first, then kissed upwards.

Xie Wuchi cupped his face and deepened the kiss, both clinging and carrying a bit of “you finally understand” punishment. Shi Shu’s heart was hooked up and down, thinking Xie Wuchi, you’re putting on an act. His other hand held his wrist, palm caressing the crisscrossing scars.

Touching the scars, Shi Shu’s back went completely soft. Xie Wuchi’s kiss was swift, prying into his mouth and entangling with the tip of his tongue, teasing in every way. Shi Shu salivated, swallowing lightly too late, making a noise, only not increasing the strength of his palm.

He didn’t know how long they kissed, only remembering separating for a moment, saying a few words, then kissing again, until someone outside the door asked: “My lord, when should the meal be served?”

Shi Shu got down from him, instantly feeling like a normal boy again. Looking at Xie Wuchi, he stripped completely as if no one was around and changed into new clothes.

When buttoning up, he said: “Come here.”

Shi Shu thought Xie Wuchi might be the kind of partner someone really needs in a relationship, always remembering the other person. Shi Shu walked closer, and sure enough, Xie Wuchi wanted him to help tie the belt, reaching out to tie the silk belt into a knot.

People outside the door brought in dishes one after another, placing them on the wooden table. Xie Wuchi casually asked Lin Yan: “Is there any news from Ping Yichun and Miao Yuanliang?”

Lin Yan: “News came. The battle just started, but there’s no progress yet.”

“You can go down first.” Xie Wuchi dismissed everyone in the room. Before sitting down, Shi Shu glanced at the dishes. It was still light and nutritious food. He was unhappy at a glance, holding up his bowl.

“How many more days do I have to eat this?”

“The wound is inflamed. Eat light for a few more days. When you’re better, you can feast.” Xie Wuchi scooped pigeon soup for him. Shi Shu straightened his arm to pick up the stir-fried loofah, pulling the wound which seemed a bit painful, frowning.

Xie Wuchi handed over the soup, took Shi Shu’s bowl, added rice, and then picked up dishes. When Shi Shu ate, as long as he opened his mouth, food was placed in his bowl. Shi Shu understood: “Xie Wuchi, you came back specially to eat with me because you saw my hands were inconvenient?”

Xie Wuchi: “Your ego is very solid. It’s almost impossible to stop you from doing something. I can only clear some obstacles for you after you’ve done it.”

Shi Shu felt guilty: “Hehe.”

Even the shrimp were peeled by him, dipped in soy sauce, and placed in Shi Shu’s round white jade bowl. Shi Shu just ate from the bowl, eating noisily while looking at him with one eye raised. Occasionally eating too hurriedly, Xie Wuchi held the shrimp to his mouth, waited for Shi Shu to take a bite, dipped it in sauce before giving him a second bite, until it was all eaten, his fingertips lightly touching his lips.

Romance, truly too much romance.

Shi Shu blushed and ate heartily.

Just after finishing the meal, Lin Yan rushed in anxiously: “My lord, Feng Chongshan came to offer condolences to the Deputy Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs and came to visit my lord first!”

Xie Wuchi gave an “mm”, washed his hands clean in the golden basin, and was picking up a towel to wipe off the water. There was a look of understanding in his brows and eyes as he said: “Let’s go.”

Shi Shu followed him out the door. Unexpectedly, just walking into the side courtyard, he saw a weather-beaten old back from afar. Seeing him four or five steps away, the man suddenly bent his knees and knelt on the ground: “Commander-in-Chief, thank you for saving the lives of the Yinzhou officers and soldiers!”

Xie Wuchi walked quickly two steps and helped him up: “General Feng, what are you doing?”

Feng Chongshan said: “I heard that the allocated grain and fodder are on the way, and reinforcements will arrive immediately. Thank you, my lord, for understanding the national crisis and saving the people of the whole city!”

Hearing this, Shi Shu raised an eyebrow. After eliminating Jia Wu, a pro-peace official who couldn’t accomplish anything but ruined everything, Xie Wuchi began the transportation of supplies to save Yinzhou, expressing strong support. Feng Chongshan understood in his heart and came specially to thank him.

Xie Wuchi said peacefully: “This junior is acting on His Majesty’s imperial decree to come and save, a duty within my office; saving the common people from fire and water is even more our responsibility. General Feng is a high-ranking official of the frontier. How can you kneel to a junior? It really kills me.”

Feng Chongshan had tears in his eyes: “Feng has stayed at the border for many years. More than twenty years of peace has actually cultivated a habit of arrogance, seeking only fame and fortune while forgetting military training. Now seeing a young man full of heroic spirit like Commander-in-Chief Xie, I realized that we are indeed old and should make way for the next generation.”

Xie Wuchi said: “An old horse knows the way. General Feng has been in the army for many years, and his strict discipline is well-known. Now that Great Jing is in imminent danger, I hope we can be united and help each other. How can General Feng belittle himself? Please rise quickly and drink a cup together.”

Feng Chongshan’s face was weather-beaten, and he sighed heavily: “Sigh! Bei Min has besieged the city for two months. Fearing the violent Min would enter the pass, I did my best to resist, and the Central Army was beaten into an empty shell. From now on, Old Feng will follow Lord Xie!”

Xie Wuchi only said: “Don’t say discouraging words. Please sit.”

The two walked together to the front hall where officials were received. Shi Shu didn’t follow. Lin Yan looked at him happily, shook his head and said: “General Feng is a smart person who understands the times!”

Shi Shu stopped one foot he had just stepped out and asked: “How so?”

“The Central Route Army suffered greatly in these three months. Cities were captured one after another until the army reached the walls of Yinzhou. Any reinforcements were killed without exception. The guards on the city tower were also dispersed by enemy artillery fire. Casualties can be described as heavy.”

Shi Shu’s brown eyes were bright as he turned to look at him: “I know. I’ve been to Yinzhou and seen the tragic state inside the city.”

Lin Yan prepared to leave but finished speaking to Shi Shu kindly: “Yes, you saw it too. The city is full of piles of bones, and the people have all fled. When preventing the plague, the human flesh in that corpse pit was soaked into stinking water, sloshing around. Not to mention the entire Taiyin Prefecture cleared the fields and fortified the walls; cities along the way were all slaughtered, burned, and looted. Civilians’ houses were burned to the ground. With such a tragic state, it will take decades to restore and reappear in glory.”

Shi Shu’s heart thumped, extremely cold, recalling the devastated scene when he first went to Yinzhou City. Corpses lay in disorder; everyone was sallow and emaciated. According to Lin Yangchun, without grain supply, some people couldn’t resist secretly eating human flesh at night.

Simply against the laws of heaven, a state of hell on earth.

“This is the crime of war. So I say Feng Chongshan is smart. He did his best in this battle and is a man. He lived up to the reputation of a Military Commissioner, using his entire family fortune to block the Min army outside Yinzhou City for two months, striving for victory. But the foundation of the Feng family for hundreds of years is gone, and his foundation in the Central Army has been completely uprooted—from now on, the most powerful army is our Northern Army, that is, under Lord Xie’s command. He can no longer participate in the competition of overlords, so he came to show goodwill to my lord.”

Ripples rose in Shi Shu’s heart. Before his eyes, the sound of artillery fire in Yinzhou City had not yet ceased.

Feng Chongshan had guarded the border for generations. Twenty years ago, his sworn brother died in battle, and he became the commander of the border army through peace negotiations.

Twenty years of living in a dream, but when war came, a blow to the head made him cheer up quickly, doing his best to make up for the mistakes of the past twenty years.

Piles of white bones in the city; this victory was not Feng Chongshan’s alone. A general’s success is built on ten thousand withering bones.

Xie Wuchi gained the greatest rights and interests in this battle.

Shi Shu looked up at the azure cloudless sky and asked: “Is Yinzhou going to hold on?”

“Yes. My lord retrieved the grain and burned the opponent’s granary. Without military supplies, the opponent will definitely withdraw troops within ten days.”

“Good. If they withdraw, I want to go up to the city tower to have a look.”

Someone serving tea came up from the side. Lin Yan followed forward into the hall where distinguished guests were received. Shi Shu boredly circled around, leaning against the door to look across the street. The entrance to Deputy Commissioner Jia Wu’s courtyard was a tragic scene of mourning. White paper filled the air, fluttering down. He was placed in a coffin wrapped in ice blocks, to be transported intact to the Eastern Capital for his sister, the Empress, to pay final respects.

This war was about to end. The turning point was Jia Wu’s death. Once he died, everything became easier to handle.

While Shi Shu was watching the excitement, several people walked hurriedly into the door. It turned out to be Xin Bin, who had disappeared for most of the day, and several close guards. They had already washed their bodies clean in the river water, but when approaching, Shi Shu smelled a lingering strong scent of blood. Fierce and malicious, they seemed capable of suppressing even ghosts.

Xie Wuchi was an overlord, not an executioner. Killing was left to professional hitmen, while he remained clean. Xin Bin and others were the most loyal axe-men.

Seeing him, Xin Bin smiled: “Second Young Master.”

Shi Shu: “…”

Shi Shu stepped back: “Please come in.”

Xin Bin shook his collar and smelled it again: “Is there still a smell? Second Young Master, your face.”

Shi Shu: “It’s okay. But my brother is talking to Feng Chongshan now. You want to report?”

“Then wait a bit,” Xin Bin raised a hand. Someone behind them drove a woman down from the carriage and said, “Take her away.”

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