Chapter 71 After much deliberation, it still comes down to His Majesty…

The sandstorm raged all night, and Long Langyue couldn't sleep a wink.

He closed his eyes and saw Seventeen's face; he suddenly felt a pang of regret.

No matter how he calculated, he couldn't have foreseen the sudden sandstorm. He could only silently pray that the experienced soldier with him would help them escape safely.

No, no, perhaps they haven't even left the city yet. If they're still inside, then they're definitely not in danger.

No matter how much one thinks or pleads, the scorching sun ultimately triumphs over the yellow sand, tearing a crack in it and scattering golden light indistinguishable from the sand itself.

Yuanfu Gonggong came to check on Long Langyue three times, and each time he saw that Long Langyue was still in the same posture, which made him somewhat worried.

"Your Majesty, the dust storm has stopped. Should we send someone in to search for it?"

Deputy General Wu was also worried. Those were his soldiers, and although he trusted their abilities, his concerns were unavoidable.

After pondering for a while, Long Langyue asked, "Will this dust storm return?"

"Not necessarily. The weather in the desert is unpredictable, and I cannot make a certainty."

"Enough. Perhaps they are still in Beirong and have not returned. If others suffer, I will not be able to eat or sleep in peace."

Vice General Wu clasped his hands and said, "Your Majesty is very considerate."

Two more days passed, and Long Langyue's unease intensified, but he still had to pretend to be calm and reassure the other soldiers.

Long Langyue couldn't stay idle. Whenever she had free time, she would think of Seventeen and decided to deal with the traitor who had stabbed Long Xiaoyun.

Actually, the matter is quite simple. This traitor is also a mixed-race child of Dajing and Beirong. However, unlike others, he was brainwashed by his Beirong father and buried deep in the Northern Army for many years. Finally, he sent a message to him to take advantage of the chaos to assassinate Long Xiaoyun.

Unexpectedly, this person was not skilled in martial arts and failed to kill Long Xiaoyun in one blow.

Just hearing him say that, Long Langyue could imagine how dangerous the scene was.

No matter how talented Long Xiaoyun is, he is still just a teenager, which is why he was assigned to assist Vice General Wu.

This time it was luck, but who knows what will happen next time.

So, for the past two days, Eunuch Yuanfu has seen his emperor return late at night covered in blood. In just a few days, the veterans recalled Long Langyue's decisive and ruthless methods when he led his troops into battle, and the new recruits also learned what a "God of War" was.

Another night, Long Langyue did not go to the prison, but instead sat at the table and painted a picture.

Eunuch Yuanfu glanced at them discreetly and recognized them as the seventeenth guard.

He was also a little worried. So much had passed, yet not a single letter had been sent back. He wondered what the situation was.

＊

Seventeen spat out the sand from her mouth and wiped herself with a gauze towel.

The sandstorm came suddenly; they only had time to protect the camels, and the rest were swept away by the sand.

This includes their food and water.

This was already their second day without food or water. The good news was that the experienced soldier had determined that they were not far from the North and might be able to reach it before sunset that day.

Because they were so hungry, the group could only find something to eat in the desert to barely fill their stomachs.

It was really uncomfortable not having water to drink, and Seventeen's round little face visibly became much thinner.

Sugan's face still bore the bloodstains from the wind and sand, but she couldn't care less about them at the moment.

Survival is the most important thing.

The group led their camels in the direction the soldier had pointed, praying that they would reach the North before sunset.

Seventeen was somewhat exhausted and his vision was blurry, but his years of martial arts training allowed him to maintain a sliver of clarity.

"...They're back!"

The soldiers guarding the city shouted at the top of their lungs, and the sound quickly reached Long Langyue's ears. He hurriedly got up, his foot hitting the edge of the table. The pain couldn't hide his panic. He put on his outer robe and strode outside.

Yuanfu quickly jogged to catch up, overjoyed, knowing that His Majesty could finally get a good night's sleep.

As soon as Seventeen entered the city, he was taken away and brought before Shen Weige. After looking him over, the other party's solemn expression relaxed considerably.

"It's nothing serious, just a little weak from not eating for a few days. Remember not to overeat and be sure to eat gradually."

After nodding, the others were taken away to rest, while Seventeen was taken back directly by Long Langyue.

"Yuanfu, pass on the order that the rest of you should also get some rest. Everyone has worked hard these past few days."

The implication was that good food and wine would be prepared, and as long as one didn't do anything too outrageous or violate military orders, they would turn a blind eye.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Yuanfu clicked his tongue in amazement. This was all thanks to the Seventeenth Prince. He remembered that even after winning a battle, His Majesty would not allow the Northern Army to be too complacent.

I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing, but His Majesty seems to be starting to look like a lustful ruler.

Yuanfu was worried, but dared not say it aloud, and hurriedly ran down to give instructions.

Seventeen was dizzy and didn't know where he was taken. He just felt very tired, very hungry, and wanted to sleep.

But Long Langyue wouldn't let him sleep. She insisted that he drink half a bowl of porridge to fill his stomach first, and then carefully wiped his whole body, changed his clothes, and tucked him into the quilt.

As soon as he pulled the covers over himself, Seventeen seemed to receive some kind of command, completely relaxing and falling into a deep sleep.

Long Langyue had no time to think about anything else at this moment; she was only concerned about Seventeen's pointed chin.

I never thought this person was so thin before, but ever since I fattened them up, looking at that pointed chin now only makes me feel sorry for them.

But he also knew he couldn't stop Seventeen from doing this.

Long Langyue tossed the dirty clothes aside, wiped her hands clean, and then sat down on the edge of the bed to look at the sleeping person.

After thinking for a moment, he got up and went outside. Yuanfu had already returned and was waiting outside. He quickly went to greet him when he saw him come out.

"I need to rest for a while. Do not let anyone disturb me."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Yuanfu accepted the order with his hands at his sides, watching the curtain fall in front of him. He wondered if His Majesty would really do that, since the Seventeen Guards hadn't recovered yet.

Long Langyue lay down beside Seventeen, fully clothed. Perhaps sensing the familiar warmth, Seventeen, who was asleep, instinctively moved to the side, just like he and Mingyue had slept side by side many times before.

Feeling Seventeen's indulgence, Long Langyue was a little stunned, but after realizing what was happening, she gently moved closer with her eyes softened.

He really hadn't rested well; he fell into a deep sleep almost as soon as the seventeenth of his cycle arrived.

I slept without any dreams.

Seventeen slept so soundly that he almost couldn't wake up, but his strong sense of vigilance during his desert survival attempt finally brought him back to his senses.

After regaining consciousness, he felt that the sensations around him were not right.

After a while, his eyes, which had been somewhat dazed, widened slightly as he looked at the person next to him in disbelief.

Why is His Majesty sleeping next to me? No, I'm sleeping on the dragon bed!

Seventeen almost fainted again, but the slight noise woke Long Langyue up. Long Langyue's black hair fell down and wrapped around Seventeen's wrist. Then he raised his other hand and pressed Seventeen down.

Seventeen, who was suddenly pinned down, was completely unaware of what was happening, but Long Langyue didn't care and just lowered her head slightly.

Her black hair was intertwined, like a winding, swirling pool of water, making one's heart soften.

At seventeen, she was still young and soft all over, unlike Long Langyue, who was a grown man with a hard, unsettling physique.

But those lips were incredibly soft.

Seventeen was so dizzy from his kisses that her already somewhat confused mind became even more disoriented.

Why, why did Your Majesty suddenly kiss me?

But the feeling was really good. Seventeen's lips were gently parted by him, and sticky sounds echoed in the tent.

As they kissed, Seventeen became somewhat engrossed. He was completely ignorant about love and had never experienced anything like it before. The few kisses he had ever shared were all with His Majesty.

Even Mingyue only briefly revealed her feelings back then and never engaged in such intimate behavior.

After much thought, it still comes down to His Majesty.

As they continued kissing, Seventeen started to feel dizzy again, and his stomach was growling with hunger. He tried to push Long Langyue away, but his hands were too weak, and he could only let the other person kiss him randomly on the lips.

When Long Langyue finished kissing, he looked down at Seventeen, who was panting softly. Seventeen's lips were red from his kiss, like the most delicious fruit.

"Go back to sleep. I'll go and call someone to bring some food."

Seventeen had no time to think about anything else; he was so hungry he was almost fainting.

When the light side dishes were served, Seventeen devoured them in a few bites without a second thought, only to realize that Long Langyue hadn't eaten a single bite.

"Your Majesty, would you like some more dishes?"

He glanced at the empty plate in front of him, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Long Langyue raised an eyebrow and asked, "Not full? But you're quite hungry, so it's not advisable to eat too much right now."

Seventeen shook his head, his long hair swaying with his movements, and a few strands slipped off the edge of the bed.

"I'm full, but Your Majesty hasn't eaten yet."

Long Langyue took a deep breath and said gently, "I'll eat it later. This was made especially for you."

"Oh, I see."

Seventeen didn't notice the other person's slightly changed expression, nodded obediently, and then became a little sleepy.

"Go to sleep for a while."

Seventeen had just closed his eyes and was about to go back to sleep when he suddenly remembered something and shouted, "Your Majesty! I've found Vice General Long!"

After saying that, he quickly touched his body, only to find that it was not the one he was wearing before.

"His Majesty changed my clothes?"

Long Langyue smiled and said, "Your clothes are filthy, I believe I saw them. Go to sleep."

Hearing this, Seventeen felt relieved and continued to sleep, sleeping for a full day and night before finally waking up the next morning.

When Seventeen woke up, she felt incredibly refreshed, both mentally and physically.

He peeked inside and saw that he was still lying on the dragon bed, but Long Langyue was not in the tent; he was probably busy with something.

Seventeen got up, dressed in the clothes that had been prepared beforehand, tightened her belt, and lifted the curtain to go out, but bumped into someone's arms.

He gasped softly, rubbed his nose, and looked up to see... the bright moon.

When that familiar face appeared before him again, Seventeen was completely bewildered.

In truth, His Majesty had never personally acknowledged that he was Mingyue. Seeing Mingyue again now evoked some... inexplicable emotions in him.

"...Brother Yue?"

Mingyue nodded and led Seventeen back into the tent, saying, "Seventeen."

It's... Yue-ge's voice, not His Majesty's.

A sudden sense of panic rose in Seventeen's heart. Could it be... that His Majesty is not Mingyue?

But he soon realized something was wrong. Mingyue's voice was fine if you didn't think about it, but when you compared the two voices side by side, Mingyue's voice sounded like His Majesty's voice, but lowered.

He sat in front of Mingyue without saying a word, staring intently at her.

Mingyue felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze, and all the prepared remarks she had made vanished. After a moment of silence, she reached out and touched her ear.

Seventeen stared wide-eyed as Mingyue tore a... human skin mask off her face.