Back in the room, Xie Chang'an was extremely eager to fetch bath water for Ye Jingchen, and no one could stop him.
The young master of the prestigious Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, who was a king who ruled the world in his previous life, was treated as worthless in front of him.
Ye Jingchen felt both annoyed and amused.
The magic of love is truly wondrous; it can even make those in positions of power bow down for love.
After Ye Jingchen finished his bath, Xie Chang'an diligently emptied the bathwater.
Then, he prepared hot water for Ye Jingchen to soak his feet and offered to massage his legs.
Ye Jingchen didn't dare let him massage her, worried that, like yesterday, Xie Shaoling would come while he was massaging her.
“I locked the door hinges today, so he can’t get in,” Xie Chang’an said, pointing towards the door.
“If you’re worried, you can have Chenxi stand guard at the door. That way, even if Father comes, he’ll know in advance.”
Xie Chang'an's words reminded Ye Jingchen that Chenxi was also a martial artist and was proficient in acupoints and meridians.
“Instead of having Chenxi guard the gate, I’d rather have him massage my legs,” he said deliberately.
Xie Chang'an's face instantly turned cold, his heart filled with bitterness, but he didn't forget to find a reason to refute Ye Jingchen, "But his technique is not as skillful as mine!"
"Besides, it's a waste to have your personal bodyguard do this kind of thing."
"Wouldn't it be a waste to have Chenxi guard the gate?" Ye Jingchen asked him with a half-smile.
"You two are flirting, can you please leave me out? I'm just a bodyguard!" Chenxi appeared behind the two and said coldly.
Ye Jingchen: ......
Xie Chang'an: ......
"That's not how you use flirting!" Ye Jingchen muttered to himself.
Xie Chang'an, on the other hand, massaged Ye Jingchen's legs with a cold face, thinking to himself that a qualified bodyguard would not dare to treat his master with such an attitude!
It's all Ye Jingchen's fault for spoiling him too much!
Soaking his feet in hot water before bed was a habit Ye Jingchen developed on his journey to northern Xinjiang, while massaging his legs while soaking his feet was a habit Xie Chang'an instilled in him.
In both his past and present lives, Ye Jingchen had never experienced such meticulous care.
He wasn't unmoved, but he dared not become infatuated, for fear that he too would develop a love-struck mind.
With internal troubles still unresolved and external threats yet to be dealt with, how could Da Yuan dare to let his romantic mind wander?
However, Xie Chang'an pressed on relentlessly.
He understands Xie Chang'an, just as Xie Chang'an understands him.
He simply cannot accept the kindness others show him with a clear conscience, as this goes against his principles of conduct.
Seeing Xie Chang'an go to such lengths for him, he felt his conscience was being tormented.
"If you think two years is too long, how about we make a new agreement?" Ye Jingchen only gave Xie Chang'an the cold shoulder for one day before deciding to be more lenient with him.
He wanted to give Xie Chang'an a tangible goal so that Xie Chang'an would focus his energy on that goal, rather than on him.
"What agreement?" Xie Chang'an asked, both pleased and wary.
“I will agree to be with you if you completely drive out the northern barbarians. I will gain the approval of your family and also the approval of my father, the emperor.”
Xie Chang'an became even more wary after hearing this, "Such a good thing is possible?"
"Is it easy to completely expel the Northern Barbarians? The Duke of Zhenguo has been trying for more than 30 years and has not succeeded. Don't be complacent just because you succeeded once and take the Northern Barbarians for granted!" Ye Jingchen warned.
He had always believed in Xie Chang'an's abilities, but he felt that Xie Chang'an didn't take the Northern Barbarians seriously enough.
With a major battle imminent, he was still indulging in romance and causing trouble at every opportunity!
Xie Chang'an's lips curled up slightly. "What you said before, 'Despise the enemy strategically, but take the enemy seriously tactically,' I think makes a lot of sense. Aren't you putting that into practice now?"
"I hope you're not just talking, but that you can really do it," Ye Jingchen said.
“Of course I can do it! I came to the Northern Frontier to drive out the Northern Barbarians. But what if you change your mind when that day comes?” Xie Chang’an asked.
Ye Jingchen's consistent attitude made him feel very insecure.
"I have three conditions. If you can agree to all of them, I will write the contract in my own hand and affix my personal seal. That way, you won't have to worry about me going back on my word, right?" Ye Jingchen said, looking at Xie Chang'an.
Xie Chang'an was initially pleased, but he quickly put on a stern face and said, "Tell me your three conditions first."
"First of all, although I know you value the lives of the Shenwei Army soldiers very much, the Duke of Zhenguo and your father have both said that you like to take risks and win by surprise when using troops. I don't object to you using surprise tactics and risky moves, but that is on the premise of not making unnecessary sacrifices. Your victory cannot be based on sacrificing the lives of the Shenwei Army soldiers!" Ye Jingchen said.
"Of course I wouldn't sacrifice the lives of the Divine Might Army soldiers without a reason, but—" Xie Chang'an paused for a moment before finally speaking, "Your request is unfair to me!"
“War inevitably involves sacrifices. Every year, the war between Dayuan and the Northern Barbarians results in many deaths. I cannot guarantee that I can drive out the Northern Barbarians without losing a single soldier! If I win in the end, but you refuse me on the grounds of heavy casualties, who can I complain to?”
War casualties are a cruel and unavoidable fact. The standard for judging whether a general is qualified is to minimize casualties while ensuring victory.
“The annual casualties in the battles between Dayuan and the Northern Barbarians are usually less than 20%. As long as you can keep the casualties below 20%, you will have met my requirements,” Ye Jingchen said.
“I will also write this into the contract.” He knew Xie Chang’an was suspicious, so he would write it very clearly in the contract.
"And what's the second request?" Xie Chang'an asked.
"I have a kind of emotional purity complex. If I like someone, I will only like that person, body and soul. So similarly, if you are with me, you can only like me. I don't want anything that has been touched by others!" Ye Jingchen said this with great domineering confidence.
Xie Chang'an looked at Ye Jingchen and couldn't help but hug him tightly. When he spoke, his voice was full of laughter.
"That's a great request, because that's what I think too!"
“Now that we’ve reached a consensus on these two points, let me move on to the third requirement—” Ye Jingchen reached out and nudged Xie Chang’an.
Xie Chang'an reluctantly let go of him.
Ye Jingchen took a few steps back before saying, "My third request is that after you have completely driven out the Northern Barbarians, I will personally inform your parents of our relationship. Until then, you must keep your distance from me in public and not let your parents discover our relationship. If you cannot do this, then our agreement is null and void, and I will never be able to be with you!"
The smile in Xie Chang'an's eyes gradually disappeared, replaced by deep disappointment. He stared at Ye Jingchen, "The reason you made this agreement with me was for this, wasn't it?"
"I like you. If you like me too, why can't you let my parents know about our relationship?!" Xie Chang'an asked coldly.
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