UCTOOT CH98

Shi Shu no longer found it strange now, yet he didn’t want Xie Wuchi acting recklessly. Holding the back of his hand with one of his own, he attempted to rein in a fraction of him, fair and delicate fingers clasping a hand laced with prominent veins.

After a brief kiss, Shi Shu thought it was over, only to be turned around and gathered onto his lap to sit once more. Shi Shu slung an arm around his shoulder: “Are you free right now?”

“I am free. I returned to have lunch with you,” Xie Wuchi murmured softly, cupping his face to lean in for another kiss. Shi Shu instinctively glanced toward the doorway, one hand clutching downward at the cool silk bedding, letting Xie Wuchi kiss him again.

Xie Wuchi was a man of intense desires; Shi Shu was prepared for him to kiss for a long time, and this seated posture was quite accommodating. Yet just as their breathing grew ragged and heat rushed to Shi Shu’s head, Xie Wuchi suddenly drew to a halt and pulled back.

Shi Shu’s face flushed hot, his lips rubbed crimson and glistening with fine silver threads. Yet Xie Wuchi remained still, dark eyes watching him as the pad of his finger gently stroked Shi Shu’s chin.

Meeting his gaze, the sensation of not having had enough only burned brighter, leaving him baffled by Xie Wuchi’s pause: “…What is it? Do you have something to attend to?”

Xie Wuchi: “No.”

Having answered, he merely held Shi Shu close, smoothing a few stray, bristling hairs beside his ear. Shi Shu couldn’t resist reaching up to pat his hair, finding nothing amiss, yet Xie Wuchi truly just continued holding him.

Shi Shu: “Huh?!” Say something!

Xie Wuchi’s dark pupils shifted over, carrying a heavy, brooding intensity. In that split second, understanding suddenly dawned on Shi Shu. Gripping his shoulder with one hand, he leaned his body slightly forward; but being thoroughly unversed in flirtation, he first kissed Xie Wuchi’s chin before working his way upward.

Cupping his face, Xie Wuchi deepened the kiss—both clingy and laced with a punitive edge that seemed to say finally you understand. His chest fluttering in disarray, Shi Shu thought to himself that Xie Wuchi was really putting on airs, while his other hand gripped the man’s wrist, the pad of his fingers tracing the crisscrossing scabs.

Touching those scars, Shi Shu’s entire back went limp. Xie Wuchi’s kiss was swift and demanding, parting his lips to entwine with his tongue in relentless teasing. Saliva welled in Shi Shu’s mouth; before he could manage, he swallowed softly with a faint sound, yet refused to tighten the grip of his palm.

He had no idea how long they kissed. He only remembered that barely moments after parting, before they could exchange more than a few words, their lips tangled together again—until someone called from outside: “My Lord, when shall the meal be served?”

Shi Shu slipped down from his lap, instantly feeling like a normal guy once more. Looking toward Xie Wuchi, the man stripped bare without the slightest self-consciousness, changing into fresh robes.

When it came to fastening the ties, he said, “Come here.”

Shi Shu thought that Xie Wuchi might be the exact kind of partner certain people desperately craved in a relationship—keeping the other person in mind at all times. Stepping closer, Xie Wuchi expected him to help tie his sash as anticipated, so Shi Shu reached out to knot the silk cords for him.

Attendants streamed in from outside carrying dishes, arranging them across the wooden table. Xie Wuchi asked Lin Yan offhandedly, “Any word from Ping Yichun and Miao Yuanliang?”

Lin Yan: “Word has arrived. Battle has just commenced, but there is no progress yet.”

“Step down for now.” Xie Wuchi dismissed everyone from the room. Before sitting down, Shi Shu swept a glance over the dishes; it was still the same light, nourishing fare. One look annoyed him, and he took up his bowl.

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

“The wounds are inflamed. Eat light for a few more days, and once you have recovered, you may feast to your heart’s content.” Xie Wuchi ladled pigeon soup for him. Reaching out his arm to pick up some stir-fried luffa, the movement tugged at Shi Shu’s wounds, and his brow furrowed in a wince of pain.

Setting down the soup, Xie Wuchi took Shi Shu’s bowl, refilled it with rice, and scooped dishes into it for him. Whenever Shi Shu ate, the moment he opened his mouth, food was placed in his bowl. Comprehension dawned on Shi Shu: “Xie Wuchi, did you specifically come back to eat with me just because my arms are indisposed?”

Xie Wuchi: “Your sense of self is unyielding; telling you not to do something is virtually impossible. I can only do my best to clear away some of the obstacles after you have done it.”

Shi Shu chuckled sheepishly, “Heh heh.”

Even the prawns had their shells peeled by him before being dipped in soy sauce and placed into Shi Shu’s round white jade bowl. Shi Shu simply focused on eating from his bowl, scarfing it down while lifting one eye to peek at him. When he ate too hastily, Xie Wuchi held a prawn to his lips; after Shi Shu took a bite, he dipped it in sauce again for the second bite, continuing until it was finished and Shi Shu’s lips were lightly brushed by his fingertip.

Romantic intimacy—it was far too deliberate an indulgence.

Blushing profusely, Shi Shu shoved food into his mouth with cool detachment.

Barely had they finished eating when Lin Yan hurried through the door in a fluster: “My Lord, Feng Zhongshan has arrived to pay condolences for the Deputy Commissioner of Military Affairs, and has come to pay his respects to Your Lordship first!”

Xie Wuchi hummed an “Mm,” washing his hands clean in a gilded basin. Drying the water with a cloth, an understanding glint settled in his eyes as he said, “Let us go.”

Shi Shu followed him outside. Unexpectedly, upon stepping into the courtyard, he spotted from afar an aged, weather-beaten silhouette. Catching sight of Xie Wuchi four or five paces away, the man dropped to both knees with a heavy thud: “General Commander, I thank you for saving the lives of the soldiers and officers of Yunzhou!”

Xie Wuchi took two swift strides to help him up: “General Feng, what is the meaning of this?”

Feng Zhongshan said, “I have heard that the allocated grain is already on the road and reinforcements will arrive momentarily. I thank Your Lordship for understanding the nation’s plight and coming to the rescue of the city’s populace!”

Hearing this, Shi Shu raised an eyebrow. Having eliminated Jia Wu, that peace-faction official who could accomplish nothing but ruin everything, Xie Wuchi had commenced the transport of relief supplies to Yunzhou, demonstrating decisive reinforcement. Understanding this fully, Feng Zhongshan had specifically come to express his gratitude.

Xie Wuchi said in a gentle tone, “This junior came to your aid under His Majesty’s imperial decree; it is merely within the scope of my duty. Delivering the common people from fire and flood is an obligation we all share. General Feng is a senior frontier official; how could you kneel before a junior? It truly shames me.”

Tears welled in Feng Zhongshan’s eyes: “This Feng has remained at the frontier for many years. More than twenty years of peace bred in me a habit of arrogant complacency—chasing only fame and wealth while neglecting military drills. Only upon seeing a spirited, formidable young man like General Commander Xie did I realize that we are indeed old, and it is time to make way for the next generation.”

Xie Wuchi said, “An old horse knows the way. General Feng has served in the army for years, and your discipline has its merits. Now that Dajing faces imminent peril, we must unite as one mind and weather the storm together. How could General Feng belittle yourself? Please rise quickly, and let us share a drink.”

Weary and weathered, Feng Zhongshan sighed heavily: “Alas! Beimin has besieged the city for two months. Fearing the brutal Min would breach the pass, I resisted with all my might, leaving the Central Army battered into an empty shell. From this day forward, Old Feng shall follow Lord Xie’s lead!”

Xie Wuchi merely said, “Do not speak in dispirited terms. Please be seated.”

The two walked together toward the front hall designated for receiving officials. Shi Shu did not follow along. Looking at him with a cheerful grin, Lin Yan shook his head and said, “General Feng is a wise man who recognizes the times!”

Halting his forward step, Shi Shu asked, “How so?”

“Over these three months, the Central Line Army suffered terribly, with city after city falling in succession until the enemy reached the gates of Yunzhou. Any reinforcements were slaughtered to the last man, and the guards atop the ramparts were blasted apart by enemy artillery. The casualties were catastrophic.”

His bright brown eyes turned toward him, Shi Shu said, “I know. I’ve been to Yunzhou and saw the devastation inside the city.”

Lin Yan was about to leave, but kindly finished his thought with Shi Shu: “Yes, you saw it yourself: corpses piled high inside the walls, the common folk fleeing in every direction. When preventing pestilence, the flesh of the dead in those burial pits soaked into rancid, swaying sludge. Not to mention the scorched-earth devastation across all of Taiyin Prefecture, where every city along the way was plundered, burned, and slaughtered. Civilians’ homes were burned to cinders; with such ruin, it will take decades before it can ever recover its former glory.”

Shi Shu’s heart sank, chilled to the core as he recalled the scene of sheer desolation when he first stepped inside Yunzhou: corpses strewn about haphazardly, everyone gaunt and sallow, and according to Lin Yangchun, with no food supply, some had succumbed in the dead of night and quietly begun eating human flesh.

It was an outrage against nature, the very image of hell on earth.

“Such are the crimes of war. That is why I say Feng Zhongshan is wise. In this battle, he did everything within his power—a true man who lived up to his reputation as Jiedushi, sacrificing his entire fortune to hold the Min army outside Yunzhou for two months and buying time for victory. Yet the century-old foundation of his Feng clan has been wiped out, his roots within the Central Army thoroughly severed. From now on, the most formidable force is our Northern Army under Lord Xie. He can no longer compete for dominance among the realm’s sovereigns, so he comes to pledge allegiance to His Lordship.”

Ripples stirred deep within Shi Shu’s heart. Before him, the thundering crashes of artillery from Yunzhou had yet to cease.

For generations, the Feng family had guarded the frontier. Twenty years ago, when his sworn brother fell in battle, he had relied on peace negotiations to rise to the position of border commander.

Twenty years spent in drunken revelry and dreams; yet when war descended like a hammer blow, he had pulled himself together swiftly, striving with all his might to make amends for the errors of the past two decades.

Countless bones lay bleached within the walls. This victory did not belong to Feng Zhongshan alone—a single general’s triumph bought by the rotting bones of ten thousand.

In this battle, Xie Wuchi had seized the greatest spoils of all.

Lifting his head toward the cloudless blue sky, Shi Shu asked, “Is Yunzhou going to hold out?”

“Yes. His Lordship recovered the grain and set fire to their supply depot. Without provisions to replenish their ranks, the enemy will inevitably withdraw within ten days.”

“Good. Once they retreat, I want to go up on the ramparts and see.”

Servants bearing tea approached, and Lin Yan followed them inside toward the hall where honored guests were received. Shi Shu wandered idly for a turn, then leaned against the doorway looking across the street. Outside the compound of Deputy Commissioner Jia Wu, a mournful wailing played out, funeral paper scattering in the wind like a flurry of snow. His remains had been placed in a coffin packed with ice, meant to be transported intact to the Eastern Capital so that his sister, the Empress, could gaze upon his visage one final time.

This battle was drawing to a close, its turning point being Jia Wu’s death. The moment he died, everything became simple to resolve.

While Shi Shu was watching the commotion, several figures hurried through the gates. It was Xin Bin and a few personal guards who had vanished for the better part of the day. They had already washed themselves in the river, yet stepping close, Shi Shu caught an inescapable, heavy stench of coppery blood clinging to them—fierce and sinister, as though capable of terrifying ghosts into submission.

Xie Wuchi was an ambitious hegemon, but not an executioner. The dirty work of killing was left to professional enforcers, keeping his own hands pristine. Xin Bin and his men were his most loyal hatchet men.

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

Shi Shu: “…”

Shi Shu stepped aside: “Please come in.”

Xin Bin shook out his collar, sniffing at it: “Is there still a scent? Seeing your expression, Second Young Master.”

Shi Shu: “It’s fine. But my gege is currently speaking with Feng Zhongshan. Are you heading in to report?”

“Then we shall wait a moment.” Xin Bin raised a hand, and behind them, someone ushered a woman down from a carriage, ordering, “Take her away.”