Helian Cang stood before the enormous sand table, his brows knitted tightly.
On the sand table, the little red flags representing the Great Sheng army were scattered like sparks across the outskirts of Yanguai Plain and Baishui Pass.
At times, they seemed to make a move, only for it to appear as though nothing had been accomplished. Yet he couldn’t discern any pattern to their actions.
He had thought he had long since seen through Xiao Yuan’s intentions and understood the full extent of his capabilities.
But at this moment, he felt that perhaps he hadn’t understood the man completely after all.
“Great Marshal, the latest battle report from Yanguai Plain.” His deputy general handed him a rolled piece of parchment with both hands.
Helian Cang took it and quickly scanned the figures. His gaze gradually deepened.
“Fewer than four hundred dead… yet nearly two thousand wounded, and close to a hundred warhorses injured?”
He tossed the report onto the desk.
“What kind of war is Xiao Yuan fighting? Every time we engage in a field battle, the moment we press forward with our formation, he clearly has a chance to bite off a chunk of our forces, yet he always withdraws his troops!”
This wasn’t how Xiao Yuan had fought in the past.
However, Helian Cang knew that Xiao Yuan had a remarkably resourceful chief secretary, Xia Lanshi, by his side. He had already suffered at that man’s hands once, wasting a great deal of time and manpower only to seize a pile of useless grain.
Perhaps that man was plotting something again this time.
“Great Marshal,” the deputy general said hesitantly, “there’s something strange. According to our scouts, after last winter’s food shortage, the Great Sheng soldiers should have been emaciated and weak. Yet in our recent engagements, their troops have shown remarkable endurance. By contrast, our own men…” He paused. “Three years of famine and devastating snow disasters have taken their toll. Although we’ve purchased grain from the south, our soldiers’ physical strength still hasn’t recovered to its former level.”
“So Xiao Yuan is trying to wear me down.” Helian Cang’s eyes gleamed.
An idea began to take shape in his mind.
Casualties were inevitable in war, but when he compared the figures with those from previous campaigns, he found that the number of Ch苍yuan Khanate soldiers killed had dropped considerably.
Xiao Yuan’s army was tenacious, but based on their recent reconnaissance, the forces actually operating along the Yanguai Plain front numbered no more than twenty thousand.
He recalled the intelligence he had received earlier: the Great Sheng Emperor had given Prince Su fifty thousand elite soldiers.
Where were the rest?
Were they still hidden in Linbei City to lull him into lowering his guard?
Had they been redeployed elsewhere?
Or did Xiao Yuan simply not have that many troops to begin with?
“…He has only three months. Now there’s just a month and a half left.”
Helian Cang muttered to himself, “If he isn’t in a hurry, then there’s no need for me to be in a hurry, either.”
The deadline the emperor had imposed on Xiao Yuan was practically a death warrant, and it had become a trump card in Helian Cang’s hands.
So what if Xiao Yuan had someone supplying him with grain from the rear?
Once the deadline arrived, Helian Cang wouldn’t even need to deal with him. The emperor of Great Sheng would personally take Xiao Yuan’s life.
Meanwhile, Helian Cang had grain, an army of a hundred thousand, more horses, and warships.
Most importantly, he had time—and he could afford to wait.
Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the tent. A scout covered in dust dropped to one knee.
“Reporting to the Great Marshal! There’s been another incident along the grain supply route to Duanyun Fortress!”
Helian Cang whipped around. “Has the supply route been cut off?”
“No!”
The scout hurriedly lowered his head. “It’s just that… while passing through Hukou Gorge, a small landslide occurred on the mountainside, forcing the grain convoy to take a detour through Heishi Valley. At the entrance to the valley, they were ambushed by several dozen Great Sheng light cavalrymen. They didn’t stay to fight. They fired several volleys of fire arrows, burned seven grain carts, wounded more than a dozen packhorses, and then fled. Most of the provisions were saved, but… the journey was delayed by half a day.”
Helian Cang took a deep breath.
This was already the sixth incident this month.
Not one of them had been a large-scale grain raid.
The first time, rocks had fallen from the mountainside. The second time, several planks had been removed from a bridge. The third time, caltrops had been scattered across the road. The fourth time, the draft horses had inexplicably been startled. The fifth time, an axle had broken.
Each time, he had assigned another dozen or twenty men to escort the convoy. Yet this time, the enemy had actually laid a trap and sent light cavalry to ambush them.
Now the men transporting the grain were growing increasingly nervous, dreading every supply run.
It was as though the supply route had become entangled in a web. Those people lurking in the shadows were like stray dogs nipping at their ankles, slowing their progress bite by bite.
“The grain is still there, but the transportation is getting slower and slower…”
Helian Cang stared at the supply lines on the sand table, then looked at the latest inventory report.
Duanyun Fortress still had enough provisions for a full five months. By tightening their belts, they could stretch that to six. On paper, the fortress was practically impregnable. But he couldn’t tolerate his supply line being harassed endlessly like this.
“Pass down my orders.” Helian Cang issued his commands decisively. “Double the escort force for the grain convoys heading to Duanyun Fortress. In addition, withdraw a thousand light cavalrymen from the frontline reserves and have them patrol day and night within a ten-li radius along the route. If they encounter small enemy units, they are not to pursue them. They are only to protect the grain carts and packhorses. At the same time, send our own men to attack Great Sheng’s supply routes. If they can seize the provisions, do so. If not, burn them!”
“Yes, sir!”
The scout had barely withdrawn when the naval commander stationed at Yanqi Ferry entered the tent, his forehead drenched in sweat.
“Great Marshal… there’s been a problem with the navy.”
Helian Cang’s eyes instantly turned cold. “Have the Great Sheng troops damaged our warships?”
“It’s not the enemy’s doing, but it’s even more troublesome than enemy sabotage.”
The naval commander wiped away his sweat. “The steering mechanism on the Wavebreaker has jammed. Water is seeping through the hull seams of the Windpiercer. Several other ships have severely worn winches, and they can no longer even raise their sails.”
Helian Cang’s brows drew together even more tightly. “How could so many things go wrong at once?”
“Most of these warships were captured from Great Sheng over the past twenty-five years. We don’t have complete blueprints, and their specifications differ. Our shipwrights’ skills are inferior to those of the southerners to begin with. They can manage routine repairs and patchwork, but the ships have been redeployed so frequently lately that the old mortise-and-tenon joints and gears have finally given out. Parts taken from a ship on the eastern side can’t simply be fitted onto one on the western side. If we want to repair several ships simultaneously, it’ll take at least half a month.”
After taking control of Yanqi Ferry twenty-five years ago, they had secretly purchased skilled craftsmen to learn shipbuilding techniques, but qualified shipwrights remained few and far between. Most of their funds had gone toward logistical supplies, and the chronic problem of aging ships had never been resolved.
Helian Cang fell silent.
This wasn’t a conspiracy. It was the fatal weakness of the Ch苍yuan Khanate’s industrial capabilities compared with those of its rival.
“How many ships are still fit for battle?”
“Less than sixty percent. The shipwrights are running back and forth between vessels, patching one here and hammering another there. They simply can’t keep up.”
“Idiots!” Helian Cang snapped. “If you don’t have enough manpower, why are you spreading them so thin? Pass down my orders: gather all the shipwrights together and focus on repairing only the ten main warships in the best condition. All the others, even those with only minor problems, are to remain moored in the harbor. None may leave port. Without my orders, the Yanqi Ferry navy is forbidden from launching any offensive!”
“Yes, sir!”
The naval commander withdrew, visibly relieved.
Silence descended upon the main tent once more.
Helian Cang turned his attention back to the sand table, his mind racing.
Pei Yi was filling in trenches, measuring distances, and building siege engines outside Baishui Pass every day. The activity was enormous, yet he still hadn’t launched an all-out assault.
Xiao Yuan and Qin Feng repeatedly engaged Helian Cang in field battles at Yanguai Plain, only to withdraw as soon as they made contact. It looked as though they were trying to pin him down and probe his defenses.
The ships at Yanqi Ferry could now do little more than defend.
Meanwhile, the supply route to Duanyun Fortress was being harassed, but it hadn’t been completely severed.
“Where exactly does he intend to strike…?”
Helian Cang muttered to himself.
Suddenly, he remembered a strange report from one of his scouts a few days earlier: the movements of the Great Sheng army were unnervingly precise.
The scout had seen occasional flashes of light on a distant mountaintop. Shortly afterward, two Great Sheng units more than ten li apart had launched simultaneous charges, despite being unable to see each other.
Even on foggy mornings, the Great Sheng troops seemed to have agreed upon their movements in advance. They arrived at designated positions with impeccable timing, never losing their way and maneuvering with extraordinary precision.
This was not the Great Sheng army he remembered—the one that relied on fast horses and beacon fires to relay military orders.
It was as though they were connected by an invisible web, fighting in a manner he had never witnessed before.
Helian Cang’s pupils suddenly contracted.
Amid the tangled mess of clues, he felt he had finally grasped the main thread.
“I see…” He stared intently at the sand table, a cold smile curling at the corners of his mouth. “Xiao Yuan, what a clever scheme you’ve devised.”
The deputy general stared at him in bewilderment. “Great Marshal, have you seen through his plan?”
“He’s waiting.”
Helian Cang pointed at Baishui Pass on the sand table. “Pei Yi’s preparations for a siege are genuine. Xiao Yuan deliberately stationed his troops at Yanguai Plain. He doesn’t actually want Baishui Pass, nor does he want Yanguai Plain. If I withdraw troops from Baishui Pass, he’ll attack Baishui Pass. If I pull troops out of Duanyun Fortress, he’ll attack Duanyun Fortress.”
Then his finger moved toward Yanqi Ferry.
“He knows our warships are aging. As long as he forces us to redeploy them frequently, they’ll break down on their own. He wants me to focus my attention on the navy.”
Finally, Helian Cang’s finger came to rest firmly over Duanyun Fortress.
“What he really wants… is probably this place.”
The deputy general was shocked. “Duanyun Fortress? But it has five months’ worth of provisions and is easy to defend but difficult to attack. Xiao Yuan hasn’t even sent his main army in that direction!”
“That’s precisely what makes him so devious.”
Helian Cang sneered, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. “He harasses the supply route every day, not to cut off our provisions, but to force us to divert our own frontline troops to escort the grain. Once my frontline forces are depleted and he’s figured out the secret passageways and defenses, he’ll launch a thunderous strike!”
“Then how should we respond?”
Helian Cang straightened, murderous intent filling his eyes.
Ever since Xiao Yuan had left Linbei City and stationed himself at Yanguai Plain, Helian Cang had wanted nothing more than to muster his troops, march to Yanguai Plain, slaughter the Great Sheng army to the last man, and take Xiao Yuan’s head.
But he knew he couldn’t make a move.
If he weakened Baishui Pass, Pei Yi would immediately launch an assault. If he withdrew troops from Duanyun Fortress, Qin Feng would exploit the opening. And if he moved the forces stationed at Yanqi Ferry, he might be playing right into Xiao Yuan’s hands.
So he didn’t need to move at all. He only had to drag things out for the remaining month and a half, and he would win.
It wasn’t the kind of victory he truly wanted, but for the sake of the bigger picture, he had to exercise restraint.
“If he wants to attack Duanyun Fortress, then I’ll make sure he doesn’t get his wish.”
Helian Cang issued his orders. “Pass down my command! Reinforce the garrison at Baishui Pass with another five hundred crossbowmen. Even if Pei Yi really attacks, I want him to lose every last tooth trying! Strengthen the defenses at Duanyun Fortress across the board. Double the manpower guarding the two granaries in particular. I won’t allow even a mosquito to get inside! As for Yanqi Ferry, the navy is to remain on standby for now.”
“Yes, sir!”
After the deputy general left, Helian Cang’s eyes held nothing but cold resolve.
As long as he endured another month and a half, Xiao Yuan would have to withdraw and return to the capital. Then Helian Cang could lead his army south, taking Linbei City first and Hanchuan City next.
By then, the grain, the farmland, and everything within those cities would belong to them.
At least this winter, they would have food. They wouldn’t have to endure another famine, forced to watch helplessly as their people starved to death.
His thoughts involuntarily turned to a conversation he’d once had with that person.
Helian Yue was always gentle and courteous, speaking slowly and deliberately.
He never challenged his elder brother’s authority, but Helian Cang knew that he had never agreed with his path, either.
Helian Cang believed war was their only way to survive. Helian Yue, however, believed war would lead only to death.
Helian Cang thought his younger brother was too weak and too short-sighted.
The Ch苍yuan Khanate’s land was barren. If they didn’t conquer Great Sheng, what would their people eat when famine struck?
Yet Helian Yue had asked him, “Brother, even if we conquer Great Sheng, what about the next three years?”
Helian Cang pulled himself out of his memories and looked at the sand table before him.
Now was the best opportunity. All he had to do was hold on to his hundred-thousand-strong army and defend for another month and a half. That would be enough.
If they didn’t conquer Great Sheng, the next three-year famine would come all over again.
◇◆◇◆◇
After a chaotic and exhausting morning of work, Shen An took advantage of a brief lull to eat beside a supply wagon sheltered from the wind.
His personal guards stood watch at a discreet distance. He knew that hidden guards must also be keeping an eye on him from the shadows. At that moment, forget assassins—even a fly couldn’t get anywhere near him.
He had gradually grown accustomed to this daily routine of being closely protected—or, more accurately, watched.
He took a bite of his hardtack and thought to himself: This must be the fate of someone who serves as the “key.”
Unexpectedly, faint voices drifted from behind a supply wagon not far away. It sounded as though several people had taken advantage of the break to hide there and wolf down their meals.
“Hasn’t that military physician named Shen An been getting a little too arrogant lately?”
The moment he heard his own name, Shen An stopped chewing and immediately pricked up his ears.
Another man hurriedly lowered his voice. “Shh! Keep it down! Do you want to get yourself killed? He’s a favorite in His Highness’s tent now.”
“I’m just telling the truth! I’m sticking up for the staff officer. Think about it. How impressive was the staff officer before? His Highness used to take him on camp inspections all the time and even personally helped him onto his horse before expeditions. And now? That Shen An sleeps in His Highness’s main tent every day, while the staff officer has been pushed aside…”
A piece of hardtack lodged in Shen An’s throat. He nearly choked to death on the spot.
He pounded his chest and hurriedly gulped down some water.
How can I end up hearing gossip just by sitting down to eat? And this is gossip I’ve practically created myself!
“Just think how good the staff officer was to him! He promoted him to be a records clerk, and now he’s even been elevated to military physician. And how does Shen An repay him? By biting the hand that fed him! What an ungrateful bastard!”
Shen An silently appealed to the heavens, wishing he could rush out and shout, The staff officer Su and Shen An are the same person, okay?!
How had he somehow become not only an ungrateful wretch in other people’s eyes, but also the third party interfering in the relationship between Prince Su and Staff Officer Su?
He was literally starring in a ridiculous drama about someone coming between himself and himself. What kind of nonsense was this?
“Still, I think Physician Shen really knows his stuff. He’s got the wounded soldiers’ camp completely under control these days. Don’t let his delicate, scholarly appearance fool you. A few days ago, he dealt with a troublemaking soldier, and the look on his face when he turned cold… Good heavens, even I got chills.”
“Even so, that doesn’t mean he can just climb into His Highness’s bed!”
“Enough, enough. We know you’re the staff officer’s biggest admirer. But I don’t think the staff officer himself is worried. Sometimes he even summons Shen An to his own tent to discuss official business. If you ask me, the staff officer’s position as the ‘principal wife’ is as secure as a mountain. No matter how much Shen An stirs things up, he’ll at most become a concubine. He won’t threaten the staff officer’s position.”
Listening from nearby, Shen An rolled his eyes so hard he nearly hurt himself. He couldn’t help raising a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.
He felt full already. Just listening to this gossip was enough to stuff him to the brim.
He looked up at the personal guard standing watch in the distance with an utterly defeated expression.
The guard, who knew the truth, had pressed his lips tightly together, desperately maintaining a stern, expressionless face. But his slightly trembling shoulders had already betrayed him.
Shen An sighed and was about to pack up the rest of his meal and leave this hotbed of gossip when the conversation abruptly shifted to another topic.
“Speaking of which, I’ve noticed that Mr. Liu Chu has been going to His Highness’s tent every day lately. He stays for half an hour each time, and they’re always alone together…”
“Huh? Isn’t Mr. Liu Chu together with Chief Secretary Xia? Surely they’re just discussing official business?”
“Does discussing official business require a daily visit? And why do they kick everyone else out?”
“Wait a minute. If it’s His Highness and Mr. Liu Chu, then… who’s on top?”
“…”
Shen An silently tucked away his waterskin.
Although the conversation was so absurd that he didn’t even know where to begin criticizing it, from another perspective, it proved that the strategy of hiding a tree in a forest had been an enormous success.
In everyone’s eyes, Shen An and Staff Officer Su now led completely separate lives. People had even invented an entire tale of love and jealousy between them.
He brushed the dust off his clothes and decided to end his break early and hurry back to the wounded soldiers’ camp.
If he kept listening, the gossip in this military camp would soon be enough to fill an entire book titled Romantic Affairs of the Northern Frontier’s Great Men, complete with a scandalous relationship chart that looked like a spiderweb.
◇◆◇◆◇
After finishing an exhausting day of work under his two identities as “Physician Shen” and “Staff Officer Su,” Su Muchen trudged back toward the central command tent, his steps betraying his fatigue.
Just as he reached the entrance, he ran into Xiao, who was lifting the tent flap and stepping out.
Recently, Xiao had been coming to meet with Xiao Yuan in the main tent every day, where the two would speak privately for half an hour at a time.
When Su Muchen looked up and saw Xiao’s cold, stern face, the words he’d overheard that afternoon—Who’s on top?—flashed through his mind. The corner of his mouth twitched, and he awkwardly pinched the bridge of his nose.
Of course, he didn’t believe such ridiculous rumors. It was just that the image was rather too jarring.
Xiao keenly noticed the odd look in his eyes and raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing…” Su Muchen cleared his throat. “I might just be a little tired.”
For once, Xiao didn’t tease him.
He knew how exhausted Su Muchen had been lately and how much pressure he was under. The new medical and logistical systems were undergoing their first real test, and countless details needed adjustment. On top of that, he still had to fulfill his military duties as a physician. Even with Mu Li helping shoulder the burden, he was working practically around the clock.
“Go inside and get some rest,” Xiao said, unusually gentle for him.
“Mm.”
After Xiao left, Su Muchen lifted the tent flap and went inside. He saw Xiao Yuan sitting at the desk, reviewing military reports.
Hearing the noise, Xiao Yuan looked up and immediately noticed the exhaustion that Su Muchen could barely conceal.
His brows furrowed. He put down his brush at once, strode over, and guided Su Muchen with an arm around him to a cushioned chair nearby.
Then he turned, fetched a bowl of hot soup that had been kept warm over the charcoal brazier, and placed it in Su Muchen’s hands.
“Drink it while it’s hot,” Xiao Yuan said in a tone that allowed no refusal.
He knew Su Muchen hadn’t had much of an appetite lately. When work got busy, he often forgot to eat altogether.
Seeing how much thinner Su Muchen’s jawline had become in such a short time filled Xiao Yuan’s eyes with heartache.
Several times, he had nearly given in to the impulse to open the door and send Su Muchen back to his soft bed in the modern world, letting him rest properly for a few days before bringing him back. But he also knew that Su Muchen would never agree.
Although Su Muchen had no appetite, under Xiao Yuan’s watchful gaze, he obediently drank the entire bowl of soup. The warmth settled in his stomach, and his tense body relaxed a little.
“Tired?” Xiao Yuan asked, taking the empty bowl and brushing aside the loose strands of hair falling over Su Muchen’s forehead.
“I’m all right.”
Su Muchen casually picked up a military report from the table and skimmed through it. “What do you think Helian Cang will do next? His engagements with us at Yanguai Plain seem to have grown increasingly cautious over the past few days.”
During this period, the two sides had engaged in several skirmishes of varying sizes around Yanguai Plain, but none had developed into a decisive battle. Neither side had committed its main forces. Both were testing the other, trying to gauge their opponent’s intentions.
Each was concealing their trump cards. Xiao Yuan hadn’t revealed his true killing move, and Helian Cang’s main forces had yet to move.
“As long as he firmly believes I have only another month and a half, he’ll restrain his urge to lead troops here personally and kill me.”
Xiao Yuan sat down beside Su Muchen. His tone was calm, yet carried an icy certainty.
“According to our scouts, he’s strengthening the defenses at Baishui Pass and Duanyun Fortress. As long as he holds his ground and refuses to engage me, my time will run out even without him lifting a finger. When it comes to the bigger picture, he values it more than his personal grudges.”
“Then we need to make sure he continues believing it without a doubt.” A glimmer of understanding appeared in Su Muchen’s eyes.
Although, in reality, they truly did have only another month and a half.
Xiao Yuan continued slowly, “My former Grand Tutor once said that in a game of chess, the person who loses patience first is often the first to expose a weakness.”
This was a psychological battle in which both sides knew the limits they faced, yet understood those limits in completely different ways.
Xiao Yuan gave a soft laugh and casually wrapped an arm around Su Muchen, drawing him into his embrace.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he remains convinced.”
He lowered his head and looked at the sleepy expression on the face nestled in his arms, softening his voice.
“What Staff Officer Su needs to do now is get some rest. If you collapse at a time like this, it’ll give me more trouble than Helian Cang leading a hundred thousand troops against us.”
As he spoke, Xiao Yuan naturally lowered his head to seek Su Muchen’s lips.
A hand promptly covered his mouth without the slightest courtesy.
Xiao Yuan narrowed his long, slender eyes and stared at him dangerously through the gaps between his fingers.
“Don’t start,” Su Muchen said, keeping his hand over Xiao Yuan’s mouth. “I’ve been working all day, and I haven’t even washed up. I smell like medicine and blood.”
The northern frontier’s climate was dry, so he didn’t sweat much. Even so, spending every day in the wounded soldiers’ camp left him feeling uncomfortably unclean.
But firewood was a precious strategic resource in the military camp. He couldn’t burn a whole barrel of hot water for a bath every day the way he could in the modern world.
At present, all he could usually do was wipe himself down with a cloth dipped in hot water. He only managed to take a proper bath occasionally.
Xiao Yuan knew how particular he was about cleanliness. He took hold of Su Muchen’s wrist and lowered his hand.
“I’ll have someone heat some water and bring it in for you.”
“No need. I’ll just wipe myself down with some hot water.” Su Muchen refused decisively.
If people found out that “Physician Shen” was using large quantities of precious firewood to heat bathwater every day, it would have a terrible effect on morale. He didn’t want to invite criticism toward Xiao Yuan over something so trivial.
Seeing how firmly Su Muchen stood his ground, Xiao Yuan thought for a moment.
“Then… how about I open the door and let you return to Guichen Studio to take a bath before coming back? It would only take a moment.”
“That won’t do, either.” Su Muchen rejected the idea without a second thought. “If you open the door, you’ll have to come with me. What if Helian Cang launches a surprise attack at night?”
He immediately imagined a chaotic scene in which a group of generals ran around like ants on a hot griddle, only to discover that Prince Su had vanished into thin air.
Xiao Yuan couldn’t help laughing softly at this. “Qin Feng, Huaiyu, and Xiao are all still in the camp. If my army can’t hold off the enemy just because I’m away for half an hour, then my army is far too incompetent.”
Su Muchen considered this seriously, but in the end, he still shook his head firmly.
He didn’t want to introduce even the slightest strategic risk at such a critical moment.
More importantly—
“Jingyuan, I have to get used to life in Great Sheng, don’t I?” He looked Xiao Yuan in the eyes, speaking seriously, as though it were only natural.
Life here was certainly less convenient than in the modern world. There was no hot water available at the turn of a tap, no soft beds, and sometimes even getting a hot meal depended on the state of the war. Many aspects of daily life made him uncomfortable.
But since he had chosen to stand here and take part in this struggle, one that concerned life and death, he couldn’t retreat to the comforts of the modern world every time he encountered a little discomfort.
If he intended to live here for the long term and stand shoulder to shoulder with Xiao Yuan on this land, he had to become a genuine part of this world.
The smile at the corners of Xiao Yuan’s mouth faltered slightly.
He stared at the person before him, feeling something soft strike him hard in the chest, leaving him both achingly tender and burning with emotion.
Those words had come so naturally from Su Muchen’s lips, yet they landed heavily on Xiao Yuan’s heart.
Xiao Yuan gazed deeply at him.
He had personally experienced just how convenient and comfortable the modern world was. More than anyone, he understood how much courage and endurance it took for someone accustomed to modern life to come to the harsh northern frontier, where death could strike at any moment.
For the sake of staying by his side, how much had Su Muchen given up? How much had he endured?
Su Muchen rarely spoke romantic words, yet time and again, he moved Xiao Yuan through his genuine actions without even realizing it.
This willing acceptance of hardship, this wholehearted readiness to make compromises for him, was more moving than any sweet words could ever be.
Xiao Yuan no longer gave him a chance to refuse. He pulled Su Muchen’s hand away from his mouth and, before the other man could react, turned his head and kissed his cool lips deeply.
It was a kiss without lust, filled instead with cherishing affection and tenderness.
When the kiss ended, Xiao Yuan rested his forehead against Su Muchen’s. The dim, yellow candlelight was reflected in his eyes.
His voice was hoarse with affection.
“My Muan is always clean, no matter the circumstances. You’re not dirty at all.”
Caught off guard by such blunt words, Su Muchen felt as though they had burned him. Even the tips of his ears quickly turned a faint red.
He pushed Xiao Yuan’s chest away in a fluster, his gaze wandering everywhere but toward him.
“You… Why are you always flirting with me?! Hurry up and finish your work. If we can rest tonight, then getting a few more hours of sleep is what really matters!”
He couldn’t help thinking that if Helian Cang received intelligence that Prince Su had brought his “principal wife” to the front lines and kept his “concubine” in his tent, he’d probably find the whole thing absurd. He might even become so furious that he marched his army over that very night.
Watching the person in his arms try so desperately to hide his embarrassment, Xiao Yuan let out a low chuckle and obediently released him.
With Su Muchen by his side, even the heaviest burdens of war and the tightest deadlines seemed to make him steadier and more resolute.
He couldn’t bear to imagine how he would live if Su Muchen weren’t there.