Chapter 132 Xie Pei's Drunkenness
The soldiers set up large pots on the training ground, cooking porridge with dried vegetables and minced meat. The air was filled with the rich aroma of wine. Zhu Mingyue sniffed her sleeves and felt like she was being suffocated by the smell.
Zhu Mingyue also sat by the campfire. The firelight made her feel warm all over, and her face looked like a ripe apple in the light.
He raised his hand and rubbed his face, his eyes sparkling: "Shall we begin?"
Sun Kan stirred the meat and vegetable porridge in the large pot and explained with a smile, "It'll be soon. General Guan might come to inspect, and we can start after he finishes his inspection."
As Zhu Mingyue tended the fire, she waited expectantly, and finally Guan Shao arrived.
Guan Shao was merely going through the motions as usual, saying a few words to boost morale before letting the soldiers go about their own business.
After Guan Shao finished speaking, he walked over.
"Mingyue!" Guan Shao patted Zhu Mingyue's arm. "These lads in the army are full of energy. They're lively at night. You can watch them."
Zhu Mingyue smiled so hard her eyes crinkled, nodding repeatedly, revealing a rare childlike side: "I heard there's also pitch-pot!"
"It's not just pitch-pot; there are also martial arts performances and swordplay demonstrations—you name it." As he spoke, his eyes suddenly darted around, his gaze sweeping lightly over Xie Pei. "I remember some of you have some talents; perhaps it's not appropriate to keep them to yourselves in this kind of setting?"
Xie Pei said in a serious tone, "I didn't keep anything to myself." He then looked at Zhu Mingyue with a completely honest gaze.
Zhu Mingyue: ...What does this have to do with me?
Guan Shao, that old fox, immediately caught on and sneered inwardly. This kid couldn't hide his desire to show off his love in front of him.
Guan Shao was so angry that he immediately gave the order, "Your rope dart skills are superb. Everyone should have a chance to see them. Take advantage of the festival today and show your skills to the soldiers later, so as to set an example for them."
"No..." Xie Pei was about to refuse when he caught a glimpse of the expectant light in Zhu Mingyue's eyes. In the end, he swallowed his words and conceded in a low voice, "Okay."
Since Xie Pei left home to come to Jizhou Army, Zhu Mingyue had never had the chance to see Xie Pei practice darts again. How could she not be excited when she heard this now?
Zhu Mingyue happily drank two bowls of vegetable and meat porridge, wiped her mouth, and watched the soldiers drink heartily.
This wine was a grain liquor transported from a distillery in the city. It had a spicy taste, and Zhu Mingyue dared not touch it at all. She could only watch others toast and drink with envy.
Xie Pei also drank two bowls of wine, and was led by Zhong Hui to step forward and perform rope darts.
Zhu Mingyue's ears twitched, and she immediately perked up.
Xie Pei didn't refuse. With a cold face, he untied the rope from his waist and struck with extreme speed. The dart flew out with a whoosh, and with just a slight movement, Xie Pei made the rope dart move like a snake in his hand.
Zhu Mingyue's eyes were almost glued to Xie Pei's tall and upright figure, and the more she looked, the more her heart fluttered.
In this world, perhaps no one is more suited to darts than Xie Pei.
Zhu Mingyue's heart pounded faster as she continued to stare intently at Xie Pei.
After watching for an unknown amount of time, Xie Pei leaped into the air and kicked out with his toes. A whooshing sound came from the air as the head镖头 (镖头 is a type of镖头) flew towards Zhu Mingyue with lightning speed.
Zhu Mingyue sat there blankly, showing no panic as the rope dart flew towards him.
Xie Peicai couldn't bear to hurt him.
A crisp clang rang out beside me, followed by a scream that exploded in my ears.
Zhu Mingyue slowly raised her head and saw that Zhong Hui had already stood up, holding his broken iron knife in both hands, his face pale.
After a brief silence, a cheer suddenly erupted from the crowd, and the scene instantly became abuzz with excitement.
"General, you are mighty!"
The shouts rose and fell, and it took a long time for them to completely subside.
With Xie Pei leading the way, everyone's enthusiasm soared, and they eagerly took turns going on stage to perform their talents.
Some performed acrobatics, others somersaults, and even Sun Kan was eager to try. After discussing it with Yuan Fei, he led his men in a battle performance.
Everyone was instantly excited, even Zhu Mingyue, who was only good at joining in the fun, was extremely envious.
Only Zhong Hui held his broken sword, looking miserable and utterly dejected.
"Are you alright?" Zhu Mingyue leaned closer and asked with concern.
Zhong Hui was on the verge of tears, yet dared not accuse the culprit, and reluctantly said, "It's nothing."
He said he was fine, but his heart was bleeding. Sun Kan, of all people, patted him on the shoulder and offered a fake consolation: "You've made a contribution to ensuring that everyone can see a wonderful performance."
His words made Zhong Hui feel even worse.
While others performed with swords and knives, his performance was simply providing props for Xie Pei's performance.
At this moment, Zhong Kai walked over and said, "The general wants you to go to the armory to get a good knife."
Sun Kan's playful expression instantly turned into envy. He thought that Zhong Hui had been punished by the general for stirring up trouble, but unexpectedly, he had turned misfortune into blessing.
He said sourly, "Your knife is chipped; you should get a better one."
Zhong Hui was overjoyed, chuckling to himself, completely oblivious to the sourness in his voice. He immediately beamed and repeatedly thanked the general.
Xie Pei ignored him completely, draped a coat over Zhu Mingyue's shoulders, bent down and whispered in his ear, "Does it look good?"
Zhu Mingyue nodded, somewhat excited: "It's beautiful!"
Xie Pei's eyes darkened, and she coaxed him gently, "If you like it, I can show it to you often in the future."
As night deepened, the training ground became noisy and filled with the stench of alcohol.
Zhu Mingyue yawned, and her eyelids began to droop.
"Tired?" Xie Pei asked.
Zhu Mingyue shook her head, "It's alright." Then she forced herself to cheer up and continued watching the excitement.
Zhong Hui and Yuan Fei were laughing hysterically, Yuan Fei's laughter was deafening.
This year, after enduring hunger, war, and countless life-or-death battles with the southern barbarians, all the pent-up emotions were released on this day.
Even Xie Pei drank silently bowl after bowl, sometimes staring at him with love in his eyes that seemed to burst forth in the flickering firelight.
A strange feeling welled up in Zhu Mingyue's heart. He didn't drink and didn't know how to respond, so he could only open his mouth slightly amidst the clamor of the crowd.
The two silent words resonated deeply, causing Xie Pei's pupils to shrink sharply. Then, his face turned as if parched ground had suddenly received a refreshing rain, instantly sprouting new life.
Zhu Mingyue smiled, thinking, "She's so easy to please!"
As night fell, the campfire gradually died down.
Some soldiers were tired, some were drunk, and they returned to their tents in twos and threes.
Sun Kan supported the sleeping Yuan Fei with his left hand and the muttering Zhong Hui with his right, and said with difficulty, "Zhong Kai, you're not drunk, so the general is in your hands."
Zhong Kai was sweating profusely and tried to help the person up, but was repeatedly refused.
Xie Pei's aura was so intense that even when he was drunk, the pressure he exuded was still terrifying.
He pushed Zhong Kai's hand away, tilted his head back, and drank another bowl. The spicy taste went down his throat, and Xie Pei narrowed his eyes, then casually threw the bowl on the ground.
Zhu Mingyue picked up the bowl and looked at Zhong Kai, gently advising, "Lord Zhong, it's getting late. Why don't you go back and rest first?"
Zhong Kai said anxiously, "Young Master Zhu, you mustn't. Winter nights are cold, and you absolutely mustn't let the general sleep on the ground."
The general was clearly not a heavy drinker. Even after winning a battle, he would only drink a little at the victory banquet with those officials. So why did he silently drink half a jar tonight?
Zhong Kai had doubts, but no time to investigate. The most urgent task now was to send the person back to the camp to rest.
Zhu Mingyue twitched her lips and explained, "I'll help him back, don't worry."
Zhong Kai clearly didn't believe it. Zhu Mingyue was slender and, although not weak, she was obviously no match for their army.
He wasn't worried about the general getting hurt; he was more concerned that Zhu Mingyue would be crushed by the general's weight.
Zhu Mingyue understood the other party's concerns, so she could only make up a reason to fool him: "General Xie used to drink at home often, but when he was drunk, his steps were not unsteady, and he could walk back by himself with someone leading him."
Zhong Kai's concerns were indeed dispelled, but he was secretly amazed that the general had such ability, still able to walk briskly even when drunk.
After Zhu Mingyue dismissed the person, she took advantage of the fact that no one was around and hooked Xie Pei's chin with her fingertip, "Would you like to come back with me?"
The next second, a warm, rough hand precisely enveloped Zhu Mingyue's fingers.
Zhu Mingyue frowned and tentatively asked, "Xie Pei, you're not drunk, are you? Stop pretending."
His response was Xie Pei's heavy breathing and the overwhelming smell of alcohol.
In the dim light of the campfire, Zhu Mingyue and Xie Pei's eyes met.
Xie Pei blinked, and when he opened his eyes again, there was an undeniable intoxication in them.
His dark pupils looked exceptionally innocent because they were out of focus.
Could I have misunderstood something?
Perhaps Xie Pei really let himself get drunk tonight.
Zhu Mingyue lowered her eyes, inwardly condemned herself for three seconds, and then spoke with a gentler tone.
"Xie Pei, will you come back with me?"
Xie Pei sat on the ground, unmoved.
Zhu Mingyue looked around to make sure no one was nearby, then took a deep breath: "Husband, will you come back with me?"
Zhu Mingyue deliberately used a high-pitched voice, and when she shouted it out, the end of the sound trembled slightly, and the tone seemed to contain a hook.
Xie Pei's eyelids twitched, and he finally made a move. Although he was very steady on his feet, half of his body was lying on Zhu Mingyue.
Xie Pei's breathing became increasingly heavy, the patter on his neck like feathers brushing against it, causing an unbearable itch. Zhu Mingyue steadied herself and, suppressing the itch, led him back to the tent.
An oil lamp was lit inside the house, but it was not as bright as the campfire; it was barely enough to dispel the darkness.
Zhu Mingyue led him to the bedside and fed him a bowl of cold water.
Xie Pei was extremely compliant throughout the entire process. He would open his mouth when asked to do so, and raise his hand when asked to do so.
Zhu Mingyue directed him to remove his outer garment, revealing Xie Pei sitting upright on the edge of the couch in a plain white fur coat. He had the same expression as usual, but now, due to his drunkenness, he seemed inexplicably dazed, creating a striking contrast.
Zhu Mingyue chuckled, remembering Xie Pei's promise to him during the day, and suddenly a mischievous thought came to her mind.
He pulled out the red clothes he had just bought yesterday from his package and said in a coaxing tone, "Xie Pei, put on your clothes."
Originally, I was just going to give it a try, and I didn't expect Xie Pei to be able to do such a complicated action as dressing while drunk.
Unexpectedly, Xie Pei actually put on the clothes after hearing this, though he didn't put them on very neatly.
Zhu Mingyue was surprised for a moment, but soon her attention was completely drawn to Xie Pei, who was wearing new clothes.
He reached out and smoothed out the slightly upturned collar, then took two steps back to examine it closely.
Xie Pei was dressed in plain-colored, close-fitting clothes. Before tonight, he could never have imagined Xie Pei wearing such a red, wide robe.
If he hadn't had a sudden inspiration after seeing this garment, he wouldn't have even associated the red-clad man with someone like Xie Pei.
But it must be said that the results were completely unexpected.
Just then, Xie Pei's face contorted with unbearable pain, and he uttered a sound of "hot." He then raised his hand, pulling open his collar, which had just been straightened, to reveal a patch of light brown chest that rose and fell with his heavy breathing.
Zhu Mingyue glanced in that direction unconsciously, then her breath hitched.
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