Chapter 83 Nineteen Missing: This year's birthday gift, I'll bestow upon you a prosperous era, how about it?
As dawn was about to sink into darkness, a mighty army of ten thousand men marched into the city. The sound of hooves echoed throughout the entire city of Guyue. The dust, covered by snow, did not spread, but the slippery road made it difficult to walk. Every now and then, a voice would come from the entrance of the camp, "Slow down, slow down!"
"Be careful, everyone! The ice is thick here!"
They didn't get much grain on this trip, but they didn't leave empty-handed either. Gu Huizhou estimated that the reinforcements from Xiao Kingdom that arrived at the front lines during the day numbered around 50,000. As for the others...
He vaguely heard the diplomats from Xiao Kingdom say that they could not fight any longer, as the country's military strength could no longer withstand such a large-scale war. But Xiao Zhuyue would not listen to the old emperor.
If he were Xiao Zhuyue, he would...
"To fight to the death."
As the man uttered those words, the veins on the back of Gu Huizhou's hand bulged, and the madness in his eyes was undisguised, causing the people around him to turn pale.
"this!"
"Has Xiao Zhuyue gone mad?!"
Jiang Shuang's eyes widened. "Their camp now has at least 60,000 to 70,000 men. Even if it can't compare to the strength of Xiao Kingdom at its peak, it will still be a tough battle. Besides, what are they going to fight with? Are they going to send their soldiers up the mountain to eat those bare tree trunks?"
The burly man's voice was rough and his shout shook the entire tent.
"Do you think we can eat the soil from the mountain as if it were white rice?"
Jiang Shuang was furious. Only after speaking did she realize that the emperor was standing opposite her. Her face turned pale, and she immediately knelt down to beg for forgiveness, "Your Majesty, I misspoke!"
Gu Huizhou didn't speak, but Yao Ruyi touched his nose. He wanted to taste the frozen soil on the mountain, which should be similar to the icicle that Thirteen ate, crunchy when bitten, but he hadn't found the opportunity yet.
"stand up."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Han Jiqing pursed his lips. Xiao Kingdom was now out of war supplies and food, and the populations of the two countries were roughly the same. If Xiao Zhuyue wanted to fight to the death, then only this final battle remained. As long as they won this last battle, no matter how crazy Xiao Zhuyue became, the old emperor would not let her continue her antics!
"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will fight with all my might!"
“Hmm,” Gu Huizhou sat down in a chair, pulled Yao Ruyi’s hand and drew her over. In front of the two generals, he winked at Yao Ruyi, the meaning of which was clear: “Don’t let me see you eating things you shouldn’t.”
Mushroom felt guilty, and its gaze wandered around.
"Go down."
"yes."
Only Yao Ruyi and Gu Huizhou remained in the tent. Seeing that everyone had left, Yao Ruyi quickly grasped Gu Huizhou's hand in return.
The other party had countless injuries, big and small, but Gu Huizhou seemed not to notice them unless he pointed them out. His gaze, which had been somewhat guilty just moments before, suddenly sharpened as he looked Gu Huizhou up and down.
If anyone in the Yun Kingdom dared to treat the emperor like this, they would have been dragged out of the city and their body dumped by the Shadows long ago. But this person happened to be Yao Ruyi. Gu Huizhou coaxed her gently, "I will be more careful in the future."
"You're talking nonsense!"
Gu Huizhou raised an eyebrow. He had learned something from that sentence: "I keep my word."
"You've said that many times before."
As the two spoke, white light spread out from where their fingers were clasped, and as if it had gained sentience, it entered various parts of Gu Huizhou's body. The number of white light strands indicated how many wounds the man had.
As Yao Ruyi read on, her expression grew increasingly grim. She secretly increased the force of her grip, and Gu Huizhou instantly felt as if his healing flesh was being pulled and ripped apart, roughly slapped back on like a torn rag. He let out a soft cry, "My lord, it hurts."
"Aren't you not afraid of pain?" Yao Ruyi didn't care. He always treated people's wounds gently. Now, Gu Huizhou didn't care how many wounds he had. The more he thought about it, the angrier he got.
Mushroom's voice was icy, "So, if Xiao Zhuyue's sword were pressed against your chest, would you still charge in? What if I couldn't save you in time?"
As he spoke, Yao Ruyi's eyes reddened. He could always recall the day he heard the news of Gu Huizhou's death on the grassland battlefield. That day seemed to have become his nightmare, and he could think of it whenever Gu Huizhou was not by his side.
"If you die, where will this immortal lord find someone to transform me into human form? Wouldn't I have to go back to Qinghua Mountain to cultivate?"
Yao Ruyi felt wronged. Seeing that Gu Huizhou's wound had healed, he immediately shook off Gu Huizhou's hand. Before turning around, he was still angry and kicked the emperor's leg to relieve his frustration.
Gu Huizhou didn't speak. Hearing Yao Ruyi say this, he wished he could go back a few months and strangle himself. He wanted to deceive the people in Xiao Kingdom and the people in the capital, but he never thought of deceiving this mushroom.
Suddenly, Yao Ruyi's movement to get into bed was stopped, and he fell into a hot embrace. He was held like a precious treasure, and the man's warm breath brushed against his ear. Yao Ruyi frowned, "I don't want to talk to you right now."
"I have angered and saddened you, my lord. I apologize to you."
The muffled, low murmurs seemed to have a seductive power, and Yao Ruyi's ears softened as she listened. "Gu Huizhou!"
The man held her tighter and tighter, and Yao Ruyi couldn't break free. He turned his head and bit Gu Huizhou's earlobe without pulling back. "Hiss—" Gu Huizhou gasped. "My lord, be a little heavier. It's not enough."
"You're sick!" After biting, Yao Ruyi leaned against Gu Huizhou's chest, her body limp. The flesh there was broken, and he licked it a couple of times with his eyes downcast.
The man chuckled softly and pulled her into his arms. "Yao Ruyi, I cherish you."
He couldn't bear to see the person in his arms reveal their original expression. It was as if his heart had been ripped out, and the pain spread from the bottom of his heart to his limbs, even his veins, as if coated with poison and wrapped in vines, all undergoing the baptism of heavenly lightning.
He didn't want to see Yao Ruyi's expression again, and gently kissed the corner of her eye. "Be good, I'm here."
"Um."
Yao Ruyi was so coaxed into a drowsy state that, just as she was about to fall asleep, she was still thinking, "Is he too easy to coax?"
Before he could think any further, he fell asleep in Gu Huizhou's arms. He was a heavy sleeper and hadn't slept all night, so he was too tired to think of anything else. He drifted off to sleep in an instant.
"I want to sleep, don't touch me."
"Gu Huizhou, I want to sleep more."
Before dawn the next day, Yao Ruyi's voice was hoarse and filled with the grievance of not having slept enough. Gu Huizhou chuckled and hugged her, saying softly, "Today is the birthday of the Nineteenth Prince. I'll take you out."
"birthday?"
Half-asleep, Yao Ruyi heard those two words and woke up. He stretched the blanket out with one hand, his eyes still blurry. "It snowed heavily in Beiyuan a long time ago, so why is today my birthday?"
Gu Huizhou thought for a while, "I found an expert who calculated that it will snow in the capital today."
Yao Ruyi, "...Really?"
"really."
Regardless of whether what he said was true or not, Yao Ruyi believed him. He woke up at this moment, propped himself up and sat up, excitedly asking, "Where are we going?"
"Come with me."
The two seemed like spoiled brats who had run away from school, slipping out of a small gate in the camp at the crack of dawn.
Thirteen yawned, then chuckled as he watched the two sneaking out. He patted the two guards he had dragged in without a second thought, and said, "Alright, go back now."
The guard looked bewildered. "Sir?"
"It's alright, I just misremembered. You can go back now."
"Yes, sir."
After leaving the city, the two changed horses and galloped towards the Yun Kingdom. The horses ran across the desolate open space for an hour before slowly coming to a stop.
We stopped at the foot of a mountain, which was much lower than the mountain the soldiers had climbed the night before. The snow on the sunny side shone golden in the sunlight.
Yao Ruyi was stunned for a moment, "Beautiful."
He felt that the distant snow-capped mountains under the golden light resembled his mushroom cap, and wondered if Gu Huizhou had brought him here for that reason.
Gu Huizhou said in a light tone, "It looks good, let's go."
He thought they had arrived at their destination, but now Yao Ruyi realized that Gu Huizhou was going to take him to the top of the mountain. "Okay."
The mountain slopes were gentle, covered with tree trunks that blocked patches of snow. After some time, the two climbed the nearest peak. The golden light shining on the opposite snow-capped mountain had faded by half, but it remained majestic and imposing.
This is the middle area where Guyue City and Qianyan City meet. If there are no unforeseen circumstances, both cities will eventually fall under the jurisdiction of the Yun Kingdom.
Gu Huizhou smiled and kissed Yao Ruyi's hand. The two looked towards the snow-capped mountains. Behind them was the boundless Great Yun Kingdom, which seemed to be bathed in golden light and warm sunshine, just as Great Yun was about to enter a golden age.
"Yao Ruyi, for your birthday this year, I will bestow upon you a prosperous era, how does that sound?"
A golden age?
Bathed in the morning light, he was momentarily stunned by Gu Huizhou's words, "Like what you wrote during last year's New Year's Day?"
Peace reigns throughout the land, and tranquility prevails in all directions.
"Yes, just as I wrote."
Neither of them spoke, but the palpitations that spread between them were beyond words. The man gently lowered his head and kissed the person he held dearest in his heart, a person as pure as a clear spring, yet who allowed him to pour ink into it.
In an instant, blackness permeated the spring water.
"I have heard that this mountain is called Qishen Mountain."
“A hundred years ago, a fortune teller predicted that a man would be destitute and alone. He climbed up the mountain with great difficulty. He waited from the first light of dawn until the golden light filled the sky. He became the child chosen by the gods. On that day, the golden light surrounded him, as if the gods and Buddhas had descended to earth and rewrote his destiny.”
Yao Ruyi asked, "And then?"
"Later, after the golden light dissipated, he went down the mountain, and within a few years he passed the imperial examination, entered officialdom, married a virtuous wife, and had many children and grandchildren."
Yao Ruyi's eyes were filled with laughter, and his eyes were bathed in the light shining from the snow-capped mountains. Gu Huizhou was so captivated by his gaze that he almost forgot to say what he was about to say: "Since then, this mountain has been named Qishen Mountain. Legend has it that if a person who climbs the mountain at dawn is enveloped in the golden light sprinkled by the gods, their destiny can be changed."
The so-called golden light was nothing more than the sunlight that appears every day, but since the sunlight came out today, he believed it.
"Yao Ruyi, I have brought you here today. There is also golden light today, and from now on you will have to stay by my side forever."
Even if he is destined to be alone and his fate will change in the future, he dares not come alone. He wants to bring Yao Ruyi with him. If the golden light appears, he can keep this person by his side forever.
"Gu Huizhou..."
The biting wind seemed to want to keep people there, but Gu Huizhou's passion could melt Yao Ruyi. He was kissed so hard that his breath came out in a hurry, and he managed to reply to Gu Huizhou, "Then, then you are mine too."
"Very well, I have always been yours."
Yao Ruyi was overjoyed. He had only celebrated his birthday twice so far, both times with Gu Huizhou, and he loved them both.
The two stayed on the mountaintop until the golden light faded. Gu Huizhou got up and pulled the other person up, saying, "Let's go."
"Back to camp?"
The man nodded and said casually, "Back to camp, back to fight Xiao Zhuyue to the death."
"A fight to the death..."
"It's a fight to the death, so let's make sure he never comes back!" Jiang Shuang roared from the city wall.
Amidst the roar of battle, tens of thousands of troops from the Xiao Kingdom, like an overwhelming dark cloud, pressed straight towards the gates of Guyue City. Warriors gathered on the city walls, pouring countless amounts of oil down from them. Gu Huizhou clutched a string of cinnabar beads in his palm, looking down at the army as if he were looking at countless puppets.
With a massive army pressing in from afar, many were determined to die. Behind the city gate, Han Jiqing listened to the resounding drumbeats. He closed his eyes, thinking that if he were to die for his country, he would have done right by everyone.
But his daughter...
"Enough!" he shouted, his eyes bloodshot. "Soldiers!" "Today, the Xiao Kingdom is coming to fight, and this may very well be our last! We must hold on!"
"Hold on!"
"Let them never return!"
"Hold on!"
The shouts from below the city walls could even be heard on the walls themselves; the cries of 100,000 soldiers resounded throughout the land.
The banner of the Xiao Kingdom commander in the distance grew closer, and Xiao Zhuyue, riding on horseback, could be seen. After a long while, the emperor said calmly, "Release."
"put--"
"put--"
"put--"
One shout after another echoed across the city wall. A long rumbling sound could be heard. The boulder, wrapped in winter clothes, was soaking in a large vat on the ground before being thrown off the city wall. The oil spilled on the ground made people dizzy.
"boom--"
The moment it touched the tinderbox, the boulder turned into a burning fireball, which was then flicked by the iron rod and smashed onto the ground with a "bang."
The boulder then reignited the oil that had been spilled on the ground, and a towering fire swept towards the Xiao Kingdom's army.
Xiao Zhuyue laughed, then gritted his teeth, "Kill—"
Meanwhile, Gu Huizhou, atop the city wall, also raised his hand, placing it against his neck in the shape of a blade, and silently said, "Die."
"Whoosh—"
"Whoosh—"
On the hilltops on both sides outside the city walls, arrows, like silver needles, shot towards the Xiao Kingdom's army. The arrows struck the shields, producing sharp vibrations. Xiao Zhuyue sneered, his fingers clenching so tightly they made a crisp sound. With a glance, Xiao Han disappeared from the side.
Gu Huizhou, today one of us will lose our life here.
It's either me or you!
The fire dragon burned for a whole day, and no more snow could be seen on the ground. Countless people in Xiao Kingdom died. The city gates of Guyue City finally opened, and inside the city gates were countless soldiers. After the commander-in-chief shouted, he rushed towards the enemy army on the other side.
"Charge!"
"kill--"
The two groups of hungry men were like a pack of wolves, ready to devour each other alive for a piece of rotten flesh. They would live a life worth living if they could win a bite to eat.
Yao Ruyi stood atop the city wall, watching the two sides clashing. This was the largest war he had ever witnessed, with nearly 200,000 people craving the vast battlefield. His eyes reddened with rage.
Suddenly, "Bang—"
A loud crash came from behind. Yao Ruyi turned around abruptly, his pupils contracting. Gu Huizhou was leaning against the stone pillar behind him, unconscious. "Gu Huizhou!"
"Gu Huizhou!"
How could this be!
Yao Ruyi stepped forward and hugged the man. He dared not make a sound for fear of disturbing the morale of the troops. The huge stone in his heart was hanging high again. He forced himself to calm down. He grabbed Gu Huizhou's hand. The faint white light did not reveal any wounds on the man's body. While Yao Ruyi was relieved, he could not help but think of the worst possible outcome.
He didn't even have any injuries, so how could he have fainted?
Yao Ruyi didn't have time to think much. He hurriedly brought Gu Huizhou back to the command tent and called for the army doctor. "Army doctor, what happened!"
His sharp, intelligent eyes had taken on the general's shrewdness. The army doctor was startled; he had thought something terrible had happened. When he saw the emperor lying on the bed, he almost knelt down first. "Deputy General Yao, Deputy General Yao, please don't worry!"
"His Majesty is not seriously ill. It's just that he has been overworked these past few days and his diet has been irregular due to his heavy mind. His body has not had a chance to rest for a long time, so he suddenly fainted."
"I will prepare a few doses of medicine for His Majesty, and he will recover after taking it."
"Go quickly." Yao Ruyi couldn't help but laugh when he heard this. He let out a breath, knowing that Gu Huizhou didn't even have a single wound, but he still couldn't control himself.
"Gu Huizhou," he said coldly to the person lying on the bed, "you lied to me again."
He got angry when he thought about what the army doctor had said about men's irregular eating habits. "Eat it or don't, I'll eat it if you don't want to." With that, Yao Ruyi picked up the bowl of congee next to her and gulped down a big mouthful.
It can hardly be called porridge; it's more like rice water.
Thinking about the battle while keeping an eye on Gu Huizhou, Yao Ruyi kept watch until nightfall. The battle was still ongoing, and he couldn't rest easy. "Someone come here!"
Just then, Thirteen lifted the curtain and walked in, frowning as he asked, "Nineteen, how is His Majesty?"
"It's alright, His Majesty is just too tired." Yao Ruyi was relieved to see Thirteen. "Thirteen, you stay here and watch over His Majesty. I'll go to the city wall to take a look."
"It's good that you're alright," Thirteen breathed a sigh of relief.
"You stay here, your brother will go." He said to Yao Ruyi with a smile. He had been so busy for the past six months that he had almost forgotten that he was the one who took care of his younger brother, Xiao Shijiu. Now he had become a deputy general.
He is indeed the most promising among them.
"It's nothing, I'd like to go take a look."
After thirteen paused, he stopped trying to stop him, saying, "Alright, go ahead."
As Yao Ruyi was leaving, he said, "Be careful."
"rest assured."
The battle raged for three days and three nights from the moment the boulder was thrown down the city gate. Gu Huizhou only woke up on the last night, his head throbbing and his mind filled with a constant roaring sound. He sat up, pressing his hand to his forehead, and the army doctor beside him rushed over to take his pulse.
"His Majesty has been unconscious for three days and is still weak. He needs to rest."
The tent was silent. Han Jiqing clenched his fists. After a long while, he suddenly knelt down. The sound of his knees hitting the ground made everyone in the tent tremble.
"Thump—"
"Thump—"
"His Majesty!"
Gu Huizhou's forehead twitched. He felt something was missing. Before the two could speak, he asked, "Where's Yao Ruyi?"
A deathly silence fell.
He asked again, "Where is Yao Ruyi?"
Thirteen gritted his teeth, "Your Majesty, Fourteen and Nineteen have... have been missing for a day!"
"Bang!"
The teacup on the table was accidentally knocked to the ground by the army doctor, who immediately knelt down, "Your Majesty, please forgive me!"
The man on the bed threw off the covers and strode toward the armor rack. No one could see his bloodshot eyes as he spoke in a strained voice, "Tell me about the war."
Han Jiqing shouted, "Yes! The two countries have been at war for three days. More than 20,000 of our side have died, and the number of deaths in Xiao Kingdom is even greater, roughly estimated at 40,000!"
Half a day ago, Xiao Zhuyue led her troops in retreat, and her subordinates did not order any pursuit.
"Judging from the current situation, the final battle will definitely..." will definitely drive Xiao Zhuyue back to the capital of Xiao Kingdom!
Han Jiqing paused; they dared not gamble.
The atmosphere inside the tent was extremely tense, and after a moment, a cold laugh could be heard.
Veins bulged on his neck; no one knew how much effort he had used to calm himself down. A smile played on his lips, and Gu Huizhou's voice was like that of a demon emerging from hell: "Gather your troops, begin the war!"
"His Majesty!"
Are we just going to start a war like this?
Thirteen was frantic. "Since the Xiao Kingdom has resorted to underhanded tactics, they will send someone to deliver a message for peace talks!"
"I hate being threatened more than anything in my life. I have said it: war."
Meanwhile, at the Xiao Kingdom's main camp.
Countless wounded soldiers were carried to the back, amidst sharp cries of pain and noisy arguments. Xiao Han watched coldly, clutching medicine in his hand. He secretly applied the medicine to his shoulder and walked forward with a cold face, arriving at the commander's tent in the blink of an eye.
"Your Highness."
"Come in."
Xiao Han stepped into the tent, which was different from the previous few days. The once magnificent tent had been renovated and was now covered with calligraphy and paintings by famous people and trinkets that showed off the refined taste of literati. Xiao Han was stunned for a moment before bowing his head and saying, "Your Highness, His Majesty has sent a message."
"say what?"
"His Majesty said that he would negotiate peace with the Yun Kingdom."
"Peace talks?" Xiao Zhuyue seemed to have heard a joke. Now he held Gu Huizhou's lifeline in his hands, and this lifeline... He sneered, "Wait a while longer, let Father Emperor rest assured. I know what I'm doing."
Xiao Han paused for a moment, then said, "Yes."
"Your Majesty, there is still no news from the capital regarding the supply of provisions."
"Supplies...supplies..." These past few days, the word he heard most often was "supplies." "I understand."
"Your Highness..."
Xiao Zhuyue said coldly, "Step back!"
Xiao Han choked, "Yes."
After a moment, the person left, and the tent was silent once again.
In front of Xiao Zhuyue was a piece of paper with bold and powerful characters. He admired it for a long time after writing it before putting it aside, revealing the blank space below.
He removed his armor early and put on a scholar's robe. If Yao Ruyi still remembered, he would recognize that it was the same robe Xiao Zhuyue wore on the day they met in Jiangzhou City.
With an elegant smile on his lips, Xiao Zhuyue held a fan in his hand. He leisurely walked behind the screen, a sword wound on his face making him look ferocious. Even though he had been pretending to be a scholar for more than 20 years, he still could not hide the murderous aura in his eyes.
Behind the screen was a large bed. The person on the bed was dressed in a white robe that was stained with a lot of dust. The person was tightly bound with rope and thrown on the bed, and has not woken up yet.
However, just as Xiao Zhuyue approached, Yao Ruyi frowned slightly, writhing in pain at the back of his neck, "Ugh—"
His mouth was covered.
Yao Ruyi struggled to think, and after a moment, he opened his eyes.
Xiao Zhuyue stood by the bed, cupped her hands in greeting to him, and said with a gentle smile, "Ruyi, it's been a long time."
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