Chapter 64 Urgently awaiting, the master used his finger, or his...
When Ji Chengning woke up, the first thing he saw was a hand.
His skin was so pale that he could easily count the bluish veins in his palm. The lines on his palm were so faint that they were almost invisible, exquisite yet lifeless.
With his palm so close, he realized that his chin was firmly pressed against the other's palm, and the owner of the hand was raising two fingers to casually brush away the stray hairs hanging down.
Ji Chengning jumped up, and the little dog on his back, caught off guard, whimpered as it landed on the soft cushion.
Cui Yao looked up, her expression somewhat puzzled, "Your Highness?"
As the morning light began to fall upon Cui Yao, she appeared both beautiful and unreal.
Ji Chengnin bit his tongue hard. "You, no, how am I, next to you?"
Cui Yao silently curled her fingers inward.
“That’s a question for the young master,” he said slowly, rising to his feet and picking up Lin Yuan. The little dog was incredibly mischievous, yet unusually docile in Cui Yao’s hands, rubbing its nose against his palm incessantly. “I’m just a weak and frail civil official, unable to move the armor,” he glanced at the armor that had been pushed aside, his gaze pointedly adding, “and I can’t push the young master away either.”
He bent down.
The young marquis sat on the ground, propping up one leg and casually resting his hand on it. Despite his imposing appearance, his hair was all messy, his eyes were wide open from fright, and there were red marks on his face. He had no trace of menace and looked exceptionally easy to bully.
A cool fragrance wafted towards Cui Yao as she approached.
Ji Chengnin awkwardly touched his nose and hastily changed the subject, "A-Yao, did you change your perfume?"
"Yes." Cui Yao smiled. "Your Highness has a very keen sense of smell."
Ji Chengnin reached out his hand.
Cui Yao remained motionless, letting him approach her.
Then, seeing Ji Chengning grab the puppy and shove it into his arms, before casually pushing Cui Yao away, he clicked his tongue and said, "You don't mean anything nice."
Cui Yao chuckled, "Praising the young master," he casually tucked a stray strand of Ji Chengning's hair behind his ear, his tender, smiling voice brushing against his lips along with the cool fragrance, "How can it not be a compliment?"
Ji Chengning leaned back, avoiding Cui Yao's outstretched hand.
Ah Yao is acting strange today.
"No," Ji Chengnin retorted. "Ever since we set off together, he's been acting strangely every single day."
He then circled the puppy and commanded, "Nephew, bite him."
After speaking, without waiting for Cui Yao's reaction, he went behind the screen to change his clothes.
Cui Yao turned her head.
The puppy struggled and scratched at the crack in the screen, and after a long time, it finally poked its little head out.
Behind the puppy's thick, soft fur, stood a white patch.
With her back to him, the back of her ankle was slightly concave, and further up, her lean and powerful calves were faintly visible.
Cui Yao paused, her gaze lingering.
Unlike Cui Yao's ghostly pallor, this skin, which rarely sees the light, is also very white, but it's a lustrous, oily white, like a piece of smooth, beautiful jade.
It eagerly awaits to be played with by its owner's fingers, or by something else that is wetter.
Although he and Ji Chengnin had several intimate encounters, these were all kept secret.
His Adam's apple bobbed slowly.
"Whoosh—"
Ji Chengnin put on his clothes, then suddenly realized something and asked incredulously, "Why are you still here?"
Cui Yao remained silent for a few seconds.
Then, she said softly, "I don't know if the young master wants me to serve him. Without his permission, I dare not leave."
It is as soft as ever, yet it has a dullness that comes from being polished by sand and gravel.
Ji Chengnin hurriedly fastened his belt. He felt so hot inside the carriage that he could hardly fit inside, and his neck was flushed red. He said decisively, "Get out, I don't need you!"
“Okay.” Cui Yao’s voice became even gentler. “I’ll get out of the carriage first, and I’ll get back in when the young master needs me.”
Ji Chengnin: "..." Gritting his teeth, he said, "Get out of here."
Cui Yao lowered her head and said, "Yes."
Ji Chengning heard a rustling sound behind him, which meant that Cui Yao had gotten up.
He had just breathed a sigh of relief.
But I felt a chill on my ankle.
Ji Chengnin: "!"
Half horrified, half thrilled, he felt a chill run down his spine. He looked down in disbelief and saw a hand reaching in through the crack in the screen, encircling the puppy and pulling it out.
It seemed that the cold touch he felt earlier was just his imagination.
What was originally a thin, long crack has now become a hole the size of an adult's fist.
Cui Yao asked gently, "I'll take it out so as not to disturb the young master."
Ji Chengnin finally couldn't hold back any longer, "Get out of here!"
The noise was so loud that even Li Bi outside the carriage heard it.
He was so frightened that he shrank back.
Did the adults and Mr. Cui have a fight?
Then, he saw Cui Yao float down from the carriage without her feet touching the ground.
The smile lingered on her lips.
What's there to be happy about when your boss yells at you?
Li Bi was shocked.
Thanks to Cui Yao's thoughtfulness and willingness to serve Ji Chengning as a servant, the young marquis ignored him for two whole days. When he woke up on the third day, he found himself resting his head on Cui Yao's arm with his face pressed tightly against the other's palm. He was so shocked that he jumped up.
He was dissatisfied with Cui Yao's overly intimate attitude towards him, but in the end, he still snuggled into Cui Yao's arms, instinctively craving the coolness that made him feel comfortable.
Ji Chengnin was so ashamed that he almost wanted to draw his sword and commit suicide.
He covered his face with his hands and said, "Cousin, why don't you stab me?"
Although it was early morning, the air was already hot, making people feel irritable.
Young Master Ji looked as if he had just been pulled out of a warm spring; the tips of his ears were red, his face, which was covered, was red, and the collar of his inner garment was wide open. From Cui Yao's angle, he could see the powerful rise and fall of the young general's well-trained chest, which was also tinged with a bright red.
I don't know if it was because of embarrassment or because the weather was just too hot.
Cui Yao frowned.
Indeed, it's too hot.
The puppy lay on Ji Chengning's lap. Seeing its once arrogant master with his head down, it assumed that its master had been wronged and boldly adopted an attacking stance, baring its teeth at Cui Yao.
Cui Yao found it amusing.
He ignored the smaller one and instead took out a handkerchief to tease the larger one.
Ji Chengning paused, startled, and instinctively reached out to grasp Cui Yao's hand as he wiped the beads of sweat from his chin with a snow-white handkerchief.
The first thing I grabbed into my palm was a handkerchief.
The silk is cool and smooth, like a clear spring falling into your hand.
The owner of the handkerchief naturally withdrew his hand.
After a long pause, Ji Chengnin finally said, "It's too hot."
Cui Yao looked at him.
He opened his mouth and raised his voice, "Li Bi, send someone to ask a few households how long it has been since it rained."
"yes!"
Cui Yao stared silently at Ji Chengning, only to be chased off the carriage by the young marquis who wanted to change his clothes.
As Ji Chengning got dressed and stepped off the carriage, he felt a wave of heat wash over him, making his exposed skin ache.
He was so hot from the sun that his forehead and nose were covered in a fine layer of sweat. He turned to look at Cui Yao, whose face was completely dry, still looking like a snow-white body that would never melt.
Ji Chengning couldn't help but touch Cui Yao's hand.
The cool touch against his skin almost made him sigh out loud.
"Ah Yao," he said in a low voice.
Cui Yao turned her head to listen.
Ji Chengning said with concern, "Don't take your cold body lightly; see a doctor as soon as possible."
Cui Yao glanced at him.
Although he didn't say anything, Ji Chengnin inexplicably sensed a meaning that was hard to put into words.
He didn't understand.
Just then, the sentry returned with the news and reported, "General, this is Pingcheng. The nearest major city, Yan County," which is where Chen Chong and his group are currently staying, is still about a hundred li away. According to the people of Pingcheng, it hasn't rained in Pingcheng for more than four months. And this is not the worst situation. The further west you go, the worse the drought becomes. Since last autumn, not a single drop of rain has fallen!"
Ji Chengnin's expression changed slightly. "I understand. You may leave."
To the west, Luanyang.
He silently murmured those two words to himself.
With the sun high in the sky, not only was the top of my head burning, but the ground beneath my feet seemed to be radiating heat as well, like being surrounded by charcoal fire.
When they arrived, the grass was lush and the willows were swaying; the closer they got to Luanyang, the less greenery they saw.
Ji Chengnin's ominous premonition grew stronger.
"Thump!"
There was a sound like something hitting the ground.
Ji Chengning looked up abruptly and saw two soldiers helping an unconscious person to the side of the road and putting him down.
Ji Chengning frowned. "Quickly call the military doctors over," he added. "Have the military doctors prepare a medicinal soup to relieve the heat and keep it ready. If there are any oral pills, give them to the squad leaders of each team for safekeeping."
He pondered for a few seconds, then issued the order: the entire army should rest by the river or in a shady place, and continue marching at sunset.
"yes!"
Upon hearing this, a hint of joy appeared on the faces of the soldiers, whose skin was tanned dark and shiny.
Li Bi hesitated for a moment, "General, is it not safe to march at night?"
Ji Chengnin looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Who's not safe?"
Li Bi was taken aback, then remembered that they had brought several thousand men, a fully armed army. Which bandit or thief would dare to harass them? They would have no choice but to avoid them.
"Yes," Li Bi awkwardly touched his nose, "I am dull-witted."
“What you said makes sense,” Ji Chengnin said slowly. “Send out more sentries to survey the terrain and official roads, with cavalry in front and infantry behind.”
Li Bi clasped his hands in a fist salute, "Yes!"
Ji Chengnin's order was quickly relayed to the entire army.
Inside the carriage.
Zhou Yan opened his eyes in annoyance. "Why did you stop?"
"Your Highness, General Ji said to find a shady place to rest first, and then march after the sun sets and it cools down."
"Nonsense!" Zhou Yan sneered, "I have read through countless military books and have never seen anyone march at night, yet Ruan Min did not stop him!"
The subordinate stood outside the carriage, where there was no shade. He felt his back get soaked instantly, the fabric sticking to his body. He couldn't help but mutter a protest in a low voice: "Your Highness, it's just too hot."
"Can it really kill people if it gets hotter?" Zhou Yan scoffed. "If something happens during the night march, Ji Chengning..." He paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, "Never mind, let him be."
The subordinate withdrew silently.
Outside the carriage, the army finally found a shady spot to set up camp, rest, and cook.
Ji Chengnin then rode his horse around the vicinity.
The ground is very clean.
It was eerily clean; there was nothing but sand and soil, and you couldn't even see many grass roots.
Cui Yao bent down, picked up a handful of soil, and her expression was somewhat subtle.
Ji Chengning copied him, picking up a handful of dirt from the ground as well.
He dug deeper than Cui Yao and felt something soft, sticky mixed in with the soil. It was oval-shaped and densely packed together. With a little pressure from his fingers, sticky juice would overflow.
The young Marquis Ji, who remained unmoved even as the sharp blade grazed his face, suddenly felt half of his body go numb.
He stiffly patted Cui Yao's shoulder, absentmindedly took the handkerchief, and then rubbed his fingers hard with a force that could rub off his own skin.
The sticky liquid and dust mingled, instantly staining the handkerchief black.
Ji Chengnin seemed to see his own departed soul. After a long while, he spoke dryly, "What...what is that?"
"They resemble locusts that haven't yet taken shape," Cui Yao said softly.
Ji Chengning regained his senses immediately.
Severe droughts are often followed by locust plagues. Locusts swarm everywhere, devouring everything in their path. Therefore, locust plagues are often followed by [unspecified event], and then, inevitably, a major epidemic.
Ji Chengnin looked somber.
The people of Pingcheng say that it hasn't rained in Luanyang County for almost a year, and the situation there is simply unbearable to contemplate.
Ji Chengnin threw down the handkerchief. "Let's go back."
The two rode back side by side.
Upon returning to the camp, Cui Yao said he wanted to go forward with the sentries to take a look.
Li Bi was so hot that he was practically panting like a puppy, but he still volunteered, "General, I would like to go with Mr. Cui."
Ji Chengnin seemed to be deep in thought. He glanced hesitantly at Cui Yao, and finally waved his hand, "Go ahead."
The two accepted the order and left.
The further inland you go, the drier and crackier the land becomes; though there are trees all around, they have no branches or leaves.
Not only were there no leaves, but the bark was also pitted and uneven, as if it had been violently torn apart, revealing the grayish-white core inside.
"Whoosh—"
Li Bi drew his sword and shouted, "Who's there?!" He yelled, "Come out!"
The tree branch trembled slightly, and after a moment, something shakily emerged from behind it. It was a dark, indistinct creature, lying weakly on the ground, slowly approaching him.
Cui Yao squinted.
Li Bi was startled. He even thought it was some kind of wild beast. As it got closer, a strong stench filled the air.
It was a mixture of the stench of rotting flesh and sour smell, so strong that Li Bi almost cried. He forced himself to look closely, and his expression changed drastically.
It was a living, breathing person!
It was a man, so thin that he was just a skeleton. The dark things they saw were actually the rags wrapped around his body and his messy hair. He walked weakly, hunched over, close to the ground, so he looked very short from a distance.
His cloudy eyes stared warily at Li Bi and Cui Yao, then quickly turned into an indescribable covetousness.
Especially when he saw Cui Yao, his withered Adam's apple bobbed violently a few times, and his eyes were filled with longing and greed.
But it wasn't lust for beauty.
Instead, Li Bi felt a chill run down his spine and was starving.
In his eyes, these two strong, fair-skinned, and well-proportioned young men were the ultimate delicacy; he actually wanted to eat them!
Li Bi reached out his hand to him, "Old man, sir."
The man suddenly took half a step back, one hand still tightly tucked into his chest, as if protecting something.
Li Bi looked at Cui Yao with a somewhat bewildered expression.
But then he saw Cui Yao reach into his sleeve, and he was terrified, fearing that this ill-tempered Mr. Cui would make a move. He instinctively wanted to stop him, and then—Cui Yao took out a pancake.
Before Li Bi could even relax, Cui Duyun, who was weak and powerless, stepped forward and offered the pancake to the man.
The man's eyes lit up immediately.
He looked at Cui Yao in disbelief, then suddenly stretched out his two withered, dark hands and grabbed the pancake. Cui Yao let go, and he effortlessly pulled the pancake into his arms.
"Bang."
The thing he had been protecting fell to the ground.
The man was startled, and his ferocious nature was immediately revealed. He suddenly opened his mouth, revealing teeth that had turned completely black and were crooked. His foul-smelling mouth lunged at Cui Yao's hand.
Meat, plump, live meat!
“Cui…” Li Bi was about to draw his sword.
"Smack!"
Cui Yao suddenly drew her knife, her teeth clashing against the blade. The man was terrified and staggered back several steps before running away as fast as he could, using both his hands and feet.
All that show of weakness just now was actually to lower their guard.
Li Bi rushed forward, "Mr. Cui, are you alright?"
Cui Yao shook her head. "I'm fine."
He picked up the bone.
It was a long, thin section, slightly curved, covered with a layer of blood streaks, and with several crooked teeth marks on the fleshy parts.
Human teeth marks.
Li Bi's pupils suddenly contracted. "These are human bones?!"
Judging from its size, it should be the forearm bone of a four or five-year-old child.
Cui Yao nodded slightly.
He wrapped his bones in a handkerchief and went straight into the woods.
Li Biqiang suppressed his overwhelming nausea and quickly followed.
A strong, pungent stench filled the air.
He then realized that the smell they had just caught was not only the man's stench, but also the foul stench emanating from the woods.
It was an ominous smell that defied description, one that made you want to run away immediately.
The trees had long since withered and died from lack of water, their dark gray branches stretching menacingly toward the sky. The ground was also a deathly dark gray. Only, the two of them suddenly stopped in their tracks, because in the trench in front of them, there were various colors of red, white, yellow, and green reflecting each other.
Yes, there were rotting, disemboweled corpses, and layers upon layers of white bones.
"Huff—"
Li Bi turned around and vomited violently.
Is it disgust, fear, or pain?
He was overwhelmed by a mix of emotions and couldn't tell them apart.
Through his blurry, tear-filled eyes, he saw Cui Yao standing before thousands of dead people, her face expressionless.
Li Bi even felt anger; he wanted to question Cui Yao about why she was so calm, as if she had no human emotions at all.
But the next moment, Cui Yao carefully and attentively wrapped the small bone in her hand with a handkerchief and put it into her sleeve.
Li Bi doubted that he had seen correctly.
Otherwise, how could he have seen a fleeting trace of sorrow on that icy, jade-like face?
Cui Yao turned and left.
Li Bi was dizzy from vomiting, but she forced herself to keep up.
The two quickly returned to the camp.
With a pale face, Li Bi reported the matter truthfully.
To his surprise, General Ji's reaction was very, very calm.
No, it's not calm.
Li Bi stared at Ji Chengnin's face and thought.
It is a kind of numbness caused by extreme disappointment and hatred.
He ordered the military doctor to prepare protective coverings and personally led more than two hundred people back to the place where the mass grave had just been discovered.
This place is not shallow to begin with.
The stone walls are still faintly visible on all four sides. It was probably a deep pool used to store water in the past, but too many people died and there was nowhere to bury them. Or rather, they had no family to bury them, so they all had to lie in the deep pool.
The soldiers remained silent.
Night had fallen, and the firelight illuminated the silent faces, which appeared as if cast in iron, except for the wide, trembling pupils that revealed the extent of their shock.
Following Ji Chengning's orders, the group acted swiftly, digging up the soil beside the deep pool to fill it in, and then building a three-foot-high mound on top to prevent anyone from digging up the grave and stealing the corpse.
As for the bone fragment, Cui Yao also put it into the pit.
After burying the body, Ji Chengnin waved his hand, silently signaling everyone to go back with him.
They remained silent the entire way.
...
Three days later, in Yan County.
Since Luanyang had fallen into the hands of the rebels, the imperial court initially sent them to Yan County, the largest city closest to Luanyang, to rest and recuperate.
It seemed that Zhang Wenzhi, the governor of Yan County, had known for some time that Ji Chengnin and his party were coming, and specially led all the officials of Yan County to wait at the city gate.
The army galloped in.
Zhang Wenzhi was overjoyed and hurried forward, taking the reins of Ji Chengning first. "This must be General Ji, right? He is indeed dashing and handsome!"
Ji Chengnin's expression was indifferent. "Lord Li, you're too kind."
The prefect didn't care about Ji Chengning's attitude. After all, anyone who came from the capital would want to be on top of the imperial palace. He smiled and said, "This is not the place to talk. Please come with me, gentlemen."
The army was taken to the original garrison of the Yan County garrison and stationed there.
Ji Chengnin and others were then led into the guesthouse.
Although it is called an inn, it is more appropriate to describe it as a separate courtyard.
Ji Chengnin, Zhou Yan, several officials from the capital who accompanied them, and Cui Yao, whom Ji Chengnin had specially instructed to bring, all took a bath and changed clothes before being led inside by beautiful maids.
The villa was extremely secluded and tranquil.
After passing through the winding, intricately carved corridor, Ji Chengning's view suddenly opened up.
Before them lay a flowerbed over a hundred feet long and a hundred feet wide.
The lotus flowers grow in abundance, exuding a rich fragrance. Beneath the flowers, each the size of a human head, live koi carp with shimmering golden scales.
Even the rivers outside have mostly dried up, but the water in this flower pond is so clear. Standing by the pond, you can feel the cool breeze on your face and hear the gurgling sound of water.
In the very center of the flower pond stands a waterside pavilion, entirely constructed of sandalwood, layered upon layered, totaling four stories and seven feet in height. The pavilion varies in height, its light gauze resembling mist, swaying gently in the breeze on the water's surface, creating a scene reminiscent of a fairyland.
Ji Chengnin followed the servants into the waterside pavilion step by step.
Upon entering, a blast of cold air hits you, sending a shiver down your spine.
His eyes slowly moved and he saw the entire screen in front of them. No, what he thought was a screen was actually made of a whole block of ice, decorated with gold powder by skilled craftsmen, and painted with a fleeting picture of a fairy mountain.
When the prefect saw Ji Chengnin arrive, he stepped forward with great enthusiasm and said with a smile, "Yan County is remote and we have not been able to entertain you properly. Please forgive us, General."
Ji Chengnin seemed to have just come to his senses.
He smiled.
"Not at all, sir, you are too modest."
There wasn't a trace of a smile in his eyes.
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Author's note: I finally finished writing it, but it broke my computer.
A red envelope has been dropped in this chapter. Goodnight, my wife.
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