Chapter 91 Like little fruits, they tempt one to reach for them...
The next day.
As dawn broke, the soft sunlight filtered through the bed curtains and fell gently on people's faces.
Ji Chengning frowned as he was shaken, and subconsciously turned his head, trying to bury his head in Zhong Mei's neck, but he missed.
He jerked back and opened his eyes impatiently.
The next moment, the movement abruptly stopped.
The other side was empty, and the disheveled brocade quilt was completely devoid of warmth.
Only the undergarments that had been changed out of last night, stained and soiled by something extremely vulgar, proved that this was not a dream.
Underwear… Ji Chengnin’s eyes widened suddenly. Where is my underwear?
The person who was just drowsy suddenly became fully awake.
There was no one else in the room last night except him and Zhong Mei. It was obvious who took the undergarment. However, he and Zhong Mei were not similar in size, and besides, he had made a mess of his clothes earlier, so it was impossible for him to wear them again.
Ji Chengning laughed in exasperation. When Zhong Mei came again, he would definitely catch him and see what kind of nonsense was going on in his head!
...
A few days later, the wind and waves subsided.
At least on the surface, things appear calm.
The first test firing of the new cannon went very smoothly, and there was no further incident of the cannon exploding. As for its power—the soldiers who went to the test firing site remained tight-lipped, shaking their heads mysteriously, but their expressions were very excited.
As a result, the speed at which Tielu was casting cannon parts increased instantly.
The only thing that annoyed Ji Chengning was that the imperial court kept sending him documents, one after another, questioning why he was holding back. The enemy was so close, why not send troops with overwhelming force to quell the rebellion? Did he really want to raise an enemy to enhance his own power?
Young Master Ji was speechless at the Ministry of War's meddlesome behavior.
Raising bandits to respect themselves?
What does he rely on? Does he rely on the five thousand men under his command? If these five thousand soldiers were scattered vagrants recruited one by one, they might indeed be loyal to him. However, every soldier in this army is a native of Zhongzhou. Even if they are not from powerful families, they are still respectable people from Zhongzhou, whose ancestors have lived there for generations. If he were to lead this group to rebel, it would only be possible if the emperor went mad one day and killed them according to their family genealogy.
“This is childish talk,” Ji Chengnin replied impatiently while polishing the parts in his hands, “not worth refuting.”
Cui Yao replied softly, "Yes."
With a flick of his fingers, the document floated lightly into the charcoal brazier, where it was instantly consumed by the flames.
Meng Qi was greatly surprised.
Just as rumored, this Mr. Cui was highly trusted and relied upon by the general!
These past few days, whenever Young Master Ji had a spare moment, he would run to the Iron Pavilion. The parts for the new cannons had already been cast, and now all that was needed was to polish and assemble them.
Meng Qi had assumed that Young Master Ji had come to Tielu to be a humble and respectful man, sharing weal and woe with the entire army. However, Ji Chengning stayed for most of the day. If there were no urgent official business, he could stay in Tielu for a whole day and seemed to enjoy it.
The craftsmen mostly disliked the heat inside the room and were unwilling to be restrained by their superiors. After all, even though Ji Chengning didn't say a word, being in the same room with them still made them feel very pressured. So they all went to the pear tree in the Iron House courtyard to assemble and polish their work.
Next to it were two large vats of cold tea, and refreshing snacks such as mung bean cakes.
Inside the room, the young marquis moved methodically, his expression calm. He seemed oblivious to the heat; though a layer of sweat beaded on his forehead, his demeanor remained unchanged, as if he held not freshly fired parts, but a scroll of scripture that brought peace of mind.
But this serene and beautiful scene was immediately interrupted by Cui Yao reading out the next document.
"The Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites impeached the General for being disrespectful to His Highness the Third Prince, for failing to consult beforehand or report afterward on official business, showing utter disregard for the dignity of the imperial family."
Although Meng Qi knew nothing about the situation in the court, he could tell that something was wrong.
He didn't understand, so he simply kept his head down and polished the parts while secretly watching Ji Chengnin's reaction.
Ji Chengning gripped the machine, but heard a click. The two ends were locked in place. He sneered, not even raising his head, "That old bastard Zhang Wenyan has nothing better to do than come here to burn charcoal and smelt iron. At least that's more useful than him writing this nonsense."
Furthermore, Zhou Yan was merely a figurehead, at most holding a higher status, but he wasn't even a military supervisor. He still had to ask for instructions beforehand and report afterward, which was not enough to delay the opportunity. Was Zhang Wenyan bookish to the point of stupidity or madness?
The urgent message, delivered over 800 li, wastes manpower and resources to send such nonsense?
Cui Yao looked at him.
Ji Chengning said, "Just go back like this."
With that, Mr. Cui gave a definitive reply, his words in a refined and literary style, essentially saying that if Lord Zhang had the time, he could go to Yan County to burn charcoal, which would be far better than engaging in literary pursuits.
One letter after another.
Ji Chengnin's expression remained unchanged, only his movements slowed slightly.
These words may be absurd, but without the emperor's permission, who would dare to disrupt the morale of the army?
Ji Chengnin brought down the hammer heavily, smashing the slightly deformed parts back in, making them fit perfectly.
"Click!"
Sparks flew everywhere.
Cui Yao stared at Ji Chengnin's fingers for a long time.
The young marquis half-raised his head, his cheeks damp with sweat, and a few strands of hair clung to his side, giving him a vibrant and energetic appearance.
Wet and steaming, Cui Yao looked away from Ji Chengning's lips. Yes, they looked rather unpleasant.
It seems like something just happened, something very, indescribable.
"What are you looking at?"
Ji Chengning casually threw down the hammer, his little finger twitching slightly from the excessive force.
Meng Qi stared blankly at Ji Chengning and Cui Yao, holding the parts.
One of them stood, bowing slightly to speak to Ji Chengnin, while the other sat on a small stool, looking up at him with no regard for decorum.
The two men were standing so close together; it looked strange, yet incredibly intimate.
An intimate relationship that does not allow anyone to intrude.
Cui Yao turned her head and met Meng Qi's gaze.
Ji Chengning followed Cui Yao's gaze and looked over in confusion.
Meng Qi couldn't sit still any longer.
It felt like he had accidentally stumbled into someone's wedding night, and the newlyweds were looking at him, but he couldn't say anything openly.
The chair felt like it was burning his bottom, so Mengqi jumped up and quickly walked away.
They even thoughtfully closed the door behind them.
"Creak—"
Ji Chengnin was even more confused. "What's wrong?"
Cui Yao said casually, "I don't know, maybe it's too hot." He pulled out a handkerchief from his sleeve and carefully wiped the sweat from Ji Chengning's face. His fingertips accidentally brushed against the latter's flushed cheek. "Your Highness, you're sweating a lot."
Ji Chengning was almost used to his constant affection, so this time he didn't shout about the proper distance between men and women and back off. He glanced at Cui Yao, took the handkerchief to wipe his sweat, and asked, "Why were you looking at me just now?"
Cui Yao seemed to only then realize what was happening, and smiled slightly, "It's nothing serious, I just wanted to say," he curved his lips, his soft voice and cool breath brushing against Ji Chengning's earlobe, "I've bothered the young master a lot these past few days, and I'm very ashamed."
Ji Chengnin shrank back, becoming a little wary of him. "Speak your mind."
"I have a gift to give to the Crown Prince as a token of my gratitude. Please do not refuse it."
After saying that, he left with his heart pounding wildly.
But he didn't show it on his face; he still had a calm, very handsome smile.
Ji Chengnin blinked.
Then, he reached out his hand to Cui Yao.
Cui Yao paused for a moment, then asked, "Hmm?"
Ji Chengnin was completely unceremonious, acting more like a thug robbing someone than accepting a gift. "Give it to me."
Cui Yao chuckled.
The gloomy and tense atmosphere inside the iron hut vanished instantly.
Cui Yao's gaze fell unintentionally on Ji Chengning's earlobe. The earlobe was snow-white. There were few fleshy parts on Ji Chengning's body, and his earlobe was one of them, which was very full.
They look like little fruits, tempting you to pick them up with your fingertips and pluck them.
"Wait a moment," Cui Yao's hand naturally landed on Ji Chengning's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze, her tone becoming increasingly soft and tender, penetrating to the bone, "The young master's patience is always so poor."
With her earlobe so close, Cui Yao had to be patient, and patient some more.
Only then can one barely control the urge to touch it.
Ten days later, night fell.
Dark clouds filled the sky, and not a single star could be seen. The night was still and humid, and even the slightest movement would leave one covered in sticky sweat, making one irritable and restless.
Outside the city, all was quiet except for the occasional, half-dead chirping of cicadas.
"Snap!"
Someone stepped on a dry branch.
The soldiers on patrol were all startled, their hands instinctively gripping the hilts of their swords, but then they relaxed them.
They had seen mountains of dead bodies near Yan County before. The timid were afraid of ghosts and spirits, but when patrolling at night, what they least wanted to see were living people.
Both Yan County and Luanyang were short of water, and the soldiers and civilians in the city relied on the river that flowed through the inner city for their water supply. Therefore, Ji Chengning ordered the soldiers to patrol the upper reaches of the river outside the city every night in case of emergency.
“Look at your guts, I think it’s only this tiny bit,” he said, extending a little finger and deliberately pinching most of it, “just this tiny bit.”
"You've got guts! You've got guts, why did you draw your sword? Besides, Commander Li was startled too. You're a real hero! Go tell the commander you're so brave!" The soldier being laughed at pushed his comrade, "Go on!"
The three young men were laughing and joking when Li Bi suddenly turned around.
It was so dark that it was almost impossible to see faces, but they were very close together, so by the dim light, Li Bi's face could be seen.
Li Bi's face was expressionless. He neither laughed with them nor got angry. Instead, he stared at the three of them with his eyes fixed on them, as if he had lost his soul!
The soldier who had just been laughing at others suddenly felt a lump in his throat.
He gasped, nearly collapsing to the ground, and cried out in anguish, "I've been... I've been possessed!" His hand moved faster than his brain, slamming down on the hilt of the knife.
Upon hearing the scream, Li Bi couldn't help but burst into laughter.
The three men, still shaken, stared at Li Bi, then suddenly realized, "Commander, you, you..."
"What about me?" Li Bi grabbed his hand holding the knife and moved him aside, suppressing a laugh. "What a brave and fearless man!" Suddenly realizing something was wrong, his expression turned cold, and he demanded sharply, "Who's there?"
Before the words were finished, a rustling sound was heard. It wasn't loud, but it was extremely fast. The four of them rushed over in an instant.
"Whoosh—"
The long sword was drawn from its sheath.
The thing being held down cried out in pain. Li Bi reacted quickly, grabbing his throat with one hand and ruthlessly dislocating his jaw with the other.
The other person who was pinned down kicked a few times before collapsing limply to the ground, a stream of black blood flowing from his lips.
A soldier took out a flint and steel and quickly lit the torch.
Once inside the forest, the commander forbade anyone to light a fire, firstly because he feared the dry weather might accidentally ignite the dead leaves, and secondly because he didn't want to alert anyone with malicious intent.
They hadn't taken it seriously before, but now it seems the commander had anticipated their moves!
Li Bi tore off the rope and had someone tie up the one who was still alive.
He then took the torch and went around to the water's edge to look.
The water flow isn't very strong right now, and you can vaguely see something buried underneath through the water.
Li Bi squinted, raised the torch, and bent down to look.
Upon seeing it clearly, his expression changed drastically.
The thing whose abdomen was being pressed down by the large rock was none other than a corpse!
They were swollen from being soaked, and their hair was sticky and messy like seaweed on their faces, making it impossible to tell if they were male or female.
However, large patches of red rashes could be seen on her bare legs and arms!
The rash was patchy and had been soaked in water. The flesh was as crumbly as soft tofu, and the liquid kept crumbling as it was washed away by the running water.
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