Chapter 434 Why did I get sick?
The once quiet night became chaotic again.
Shang Ruyi immediately had Yuwen Ye lie down on the bed and asked Wo Xue to bring a cold towel. She was about to ask her to go and fetch a doctor, but Yuwen Ye, whose breath was getting hotter, stopped her.
He squinted his eyes, which were red from the fever, and said in a deep voice, "At a time like this, stop making a fuss."
"...!"
Shang Ruyi immediately became angry—what do you mean by making a scene?
He was the one with a fever, so what was wrong with him calling someone to fetch a doctor? Even if he usually doesn't care about his health and endures minor illnesses, he's in Fufeng now, with Xue Xian watching him from the outside. As a general, how can he be so indifferent to his health?
Just as Shang Ruyi was about to argue with him, Yuwen Ye frowned and said in a deep voice, "I am the Grand General. It would be bad to spread the news at this time."
"..."
Shang Ruyi was taken aback, but then she came to her senses.
Yes, he is a great general.
Moreover, he is the great general who just won a great victory, repelled Xue Xian's tens of thousands of troops, and restored the confidence of the people of Fufeng. Right now, he is the spiritual pillar and the hope of everyone here!
If news of his illness were to spread at this time, not only would it give those outside the city an immediate opportunity to take advantage, but it would also inevitably cause those inside the city to feel panicked and discouraged, losing confidence.
But—his illness cannot be ignored.
Shang Ruyi thought for a moment, then turned to Wo Xue and said, "Go find Dai Junliang and tell him to invite a doctor—"
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Ye frowned. Although the low-grade fever made him increasingly dizzy and weak, he still tried to sit up to stop her. But before he could speak, he heard Shang Ruyi say, "Tell them I'm sick."
"..."
"Remember to tell them that I caught a cold while beating the drum on the city wall. The doctor should stay with me for a few more days. The doctor cannot leave the government office until I recover."
Wo Xue immediately replied, "This servant understands."
After saying that, he turned and ran out.
Shang Ruyi then turned to look at Yuwen Ye, who was propped up on the bed, his face growing increasingly pale: "Now, are you relieved?"
"..."
Yuwen Ye finally let out a long sigh of relief.
She fell back onto the bed.
After just this little tumble, he seemed even weaker, and his breath was scalding hot. Even though Shang Ruyi was a little distance away from him, she could feel a burning sensation on her cheeks where his breath had touched her.
In just a short while, his condition seemed to have worsened considerably.
So she immediately took the towel that Wo Xue had brought, soaked it in cold water, wrung it out until it was wet, and began to wipe Yuwen Ye's cheeks, red neck, and burning palms. She then said softly, "You know you are a great general with heavy responsibilities, so you should not take your health lightly. If you fall ill, who can the people of this city rely on?"
"..."
Yuwen Ye remained silent.
He wiped his feverish skin with a towel soaked in cold water, and the stinging sensation made his already weakened state even more unbearable. He could only grit his teeth and endure it. After a long silence, he whispered, "I just find it strange."
Shang Ruyi looked up at him: "What's strange?"
"Strange, why am I sick?"
"..."
"Why did I fall ill at this time?"
Shang Ruyi was both annoyed and amused. She took the towel, soaked it in water, wrung it out, and used it to wipe his palms. She said, "Everyone gets sick when they eat grains. Besides, you haven't had a proper rest these past few days. Today, you came here and had a big battle with Xue Xian, and then you rode your horse into the river and got soaked."
"..."
"How can they not catch a cold in this situation?"
Even though she said that, Yuwen Ye's brows furrowed even more, and he said in a deep voice, "But I shouldn't be sick either."
"..."
“In the past, I have encountered times that were more tiring, colder, and hotter than now, and I have never been sick.”
Shang Ruyi couldn't help but glare at him.
This man's body is indeed strong, but his mouth is even tougher.
As Yuwen Ye spoke, he seemed increasingly unwilling to accept it. His body, which had already been lying on the bed, began to move again. In a hurry, Shang Ruyi could only throw away the towel, sit on the edge of the bed, reach out and press his shoulder down, then bend down and press her forehead against his, pushing him down.
"...!"
Yuwen Ye's breath hitched.
However, the scalding heat emanating from him still made Shang Ruyi, who was standing close by, feel a burning sensation in her heart. Her face involuntarily turned slightly red. Looking down at his eyes, which were red from the low fever and showed a rare hint of vulnerability, her gaze began to flicker.
For a moment, the two people, who were so close together, were both moved by emotions that were hard to express.
But no one moved.
It was as if they were afraid that if they touched something at this moment, it would be truly irreversible.
After a long silence, Shang Ruyi pressed her forehead against his, their eyes meeting closely, and she whispered, "Why don't you just focus on getting better?"
"..."
"The people of this city depend on you... and so do I."
"..."
“I’m more worried about you than anyone else if you don’t get better.”
Yuwen Ye's previously weak breathing suddenly became heavy.
Even his breath was hotter than before, brushing against Shang Ruyi's cheeks and almost burning her face red.
He slowly raised his hand.
He seemed to be about to put his arm around the woman's slender waist, but after a moment of silence, he reached out to her shoulder and gently pushed her away.
"...?"
Shang Ruyi was stunned and stared at him with wide eyes.
Yuwen Ye's face seemed to be flushed as well, but he turned his face to the side and his eyes flickered: "Don't let you have it."
"..."
Seeing him like that, Shang Ruyi felt her face burning even hotter.
She silently sat back down on the edge of the bed, picked up a towel, soaked it in water, and continued to wipe the sweat off his body. Yuwen Ye stopped struggling and just quietly let her take care of him.
The night gradually passed.
The next morning, as dawn broke, the Xiaolin River, which had been flowing quietly all night, finally washed away the blood-red stains of the previous day and returned to its clear, pristine state. A gentle breeze rippled across the river, and the shimmering waves sparkled continuously in the sunlight.
But the next moment, these calm ripples were shattered.
A rider galloped from the silent distance and soon arrived at the city gate. The rider took out a token and the city gate immediately opened. A group of people came out to greet them, led by Mu Xian.
The soldier who returned from outside the city was one of the soldiers he had placed along the upper reaches of the Xiaolin River to monitor every move on the opposite bank. As soon as he saw Mu Xian, the man immediately dismounted and bowed to Mu Xian, saying, "Brother."
Why are you back?
Mu Xian frowned, vaguely sensing something: "Could it be—"
The man, panting, said, "Xue Xian is leading tens of thousands of troops and is preparing to cross the river."
"What?!"
Mu Xian's face immediately showed surprise, and his brows furrowed into a knot—Xue Xian was about to cross the river again to attack Fufeng.
However, they had just suffered a defeat yesterday. Although it wasn't a complete rout, their morale was low for a while. In addition, they had also suffered some casualties. Under normal circumstances, they would need to rest for a while before they could continue fighting.
What, you just finished playing last night, and you're coming again so early this morning?
The man had obviously ridden back at full speed and was now out of breath. He said intermittently, "I left a few brothers on the bank to continue monitoring their movements, but they have too few men to destroy the pontoon bridge they are using to cross the river. Besides, the Xiaolin River is not wide, and the pontoon bridge is not difficult to build. They should be crossing soon."
"..."
"Big brother, what we need to do now is—"
"The General made it very clear yesterday that the most important thing in this battle against Xue Xian is to hold the line, deplete their supplies, and wear down their morale..."
Mu Xian repeated the sentence to himself, then immediately said, "Go and inform your men immediately, tell them not to act rashly, to all retreat, and remember not to have a direct confrontation with Xue Xian's forces."
"yes!"
The man caught his breath, immediately mounted his horse again, turned it around, and left the city.
Mu Xian had already turned around and ordered, "Close the city gates immediately! I'll go inform the General right now!"
Upon hearing this, the soldiers guarding the city hurriedly responded, and several of them had already walked to the tall city gate and were about to close the heavy and tall gate.
Just as Mu Xian turned around to head towards the government office, a group of people blocked his way.
Leading the way was Song Yu, the Grand Commander of the expedition.
The man, clad in armor and with a long sword at his waist, strode out of the city with an imposing air. He immediately blocked Mu Xian's path and coldly asked, "What's going on?"
Mu Xian recalled his argument with him last night. Although his expression was not good, he was only Yuwen Ye's deputy general after all. He could only bow and salute to the Grand Commander and said, "Lord Song, I have just received a military report. I need to go back and report to the General immediately."
"oh?"
Song Yu raised an eyebrow slightly: "What military intelligence? Tell me about it."
Although Mu Xian was somewhat impatient, he couldn't turn around and leave at this moment. He could only hold his breath and said in a deep voice, "The scouts ahead have reported that Xue Xian is leading tens of thousands of troops to build a pontoon bridge to cross the river. His target should be Fufeng again."
Upon hearing this, Song Yu's eyes lit up.
Upon hearing this, his lieutenants also showed eager expressions and said one after another, "You've come at just the right time!"
"Lord Song, this time, we cannot let them escape back again."
"Yesterday's battle was abandoned halfway through, which is a disgrace to our army. Lord Song, we cannot let Xue Xian think that Fufeng is just a city made of clay!"
Listening to their incessant chatter and arrogant pronouncements, Mu Xian, though unwilling to pay them any attention, couldn't help but speak in a deep voice: "Yesterday in the council hall, the General made it very clear that yesterday's battle was merely to rebuild the confidence of the people and soldiers of Fufeng. However, Xue Xian commands 300,000 troops, a formidable force, making a direct confrontation unwise. Our best course of action is to fortify our city and wear them down—"
Before he could finish speaking, Song Yu waved his hand to interrupt him.
Song Yu glanced at him with a cold smile and said coldly, "As expected, a useless general can only lead useless soldiers."
Mu Xian's brows furrowed instantly: "What did you say!?"
Before he could finish speaking, several of Song Yu's other lieutenants rushed forward and surrounded him, their faces contorted with rage and menacing expressions. They snarled, "What did you say now?"
"How dare you speak to Lord Song like that?!"
"Lord Song is the Grand Commander of the Army, who do you think you are!"
...
Mu Xian's hands, hanging at his sides, were clenched into fists, with veins bulging on the backs of his hands. He was almost about to swing them, but when he looked at Song Yu, who was standing in front of him with his arms crossed and looking at him with a cold smile, he gritted his teeth and ultimately held back.
After all, I am just a deputy general.
This Grand Commander was an official appointed by the imperial court. If he clashed with his men, it would be a violation of military orders, and he would not only be punished, but his superior, Yuwen Ye, would also be implicated.
He let out a deep breath and then said, "Gentlemen, I must keep you company. I need to report this matter to the General immediately!"
After saying that, he walked past the group of people.
But as soon as he lifted his foot, he heard Song Yu coldly say, "Open the city gates and immediately dispatch 30,000 troops to accompany me on this expedition!"
"...!?"
Upon hearing this, Mu Xian immediately stopped and turned to look at him: "Lord Song, this—this is absolutely not allowed!"
Song Yu coldly replied, "Is it not allowed? I am the Grand Commander appointed by the imperial court, just like your General. I have the authority and responsibility to send troops. What, you allow your General to fight recklessly at the city gate yesterday and then give up halfway, but you forbid me from sending troops to kill the enemy?"
"..."
"Are you soldiers of the imperial court, or spies from Longxi?"
Unexpectedly, he was so adept at twisting the truth. Mu Xian's clenched fist tightened again, but he still patiently gritted his teeth and said, "Lord Song, Grand Steward, you certainly have the authority to lead the troops into battle, but the General has already made arrangements yesterday. He wants us to—"
"Shut up!"
Song Yu suddenly revealed a ferocious expression and said viciously, "I don't want to hear your nonsense now, and I don't want to hear what Yuwen Ye has planned. Since ancient times, battles are won by fighting, not by dragging them out. If he's incompetent, then let him stay in the government office, stay in his wife's arms as a coward. I'm going to go out and fight the enemy, and make contributions to the court!"
After saying that, he waved his hand and said, "Beat the drums, let's accept the challenge!"
His lieutenants had been itching to act, and upon hearing his command, they immediately mounted their horses and led the troops in the city to assemble and form ranks. Meanwhile, those on the city walls, having received his order, began to beat the drums.
Immediately, the thunderous sound of drums rose from the city tower, and the tall city gate was pushed open completely after emitting a long and hoarse hiss.
Song Yu mounted his horse, his eyes red with excitement, and waved to the soldiers gathered behind him.
"Marching into battle!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com