Chapter 52.1 Chip Chip Chip Chip Chip Chip Chip…
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Beyond the city walls at the border, the dying rays of the setting sun painted a melancholic golden glow upon the scattered bodies.
Flames still danced on the battlefield, occasionally accompanied by the sound of fading breaths.
Huo Caiyu walked upon the charred earth, his face slightly pale, and his gaze weighed down by the gravity of the scene before him. However, there was no hint of avoidance as he took in the full extent of the infernal tableau.
Suddenly, a motionless warrior of the Jiao Kingdom sprung up from the ground, bellowing a battle cry as he descended upon Huo Caiyu with a swift overhead strike—
Huo Caiyu remained composed, not even batting an eyelid. With two fingers of his right hand, he delicately caught hold of the Jiao Kingdom warrior’s longsword, effortlessly applying a slight pressure that caused the blade to snap in two. The fractured shards of steel shot backward, propelling the Jiao Kingdom soldier through the air until he came crashing down, bloodied and motionless.
Limping his way over, Chi Zhongming remarked with a hint of disapproval, “You should exercise more caution. How can a commanding general be found running about?”
Huo Caiyu glanced at him and inquired, “Has your leg injury improved?”
“It was on the mend, but I tested it against those wretches, and it reopened,” Chi Zhongming grimaced, wearing the expression of a pained child. “Sigh, I can’t wait for this war to end. I miss Chonky.”
Initially, there had been a strain in the relationship between Chi Zhongming and Huo Caiyu. Huo Caiyu believed himself responsible for the demise of Chi Zhongming’s beloved, and Chi Zhongming couldn’t entirely shake off his unease around Huo Caiyu.
However, after fighting side by side at the border for two months, those tensions swiftly dissolved within the camaraderie shared among comrades.
Compared to the endless inferno, the scattered bodies, and the anxious burden of safeguarding this land, what significance did their past internal conflicts hold?
“Winter has arrived, and if we can endure this trial, Jiao Kingdom will undoubtedly falter,” Huo Caiyu squatted down, scooping up a handful of dry, coarse sand and methodically crumbling it between his fingers. “By failing to breach our defenses in the initial onslaught, Jiao Kingdom has already forfeited half of its chances for success.”
The Jiao Kingdom’s Wolf Riders were experts in swift ambushes and agile skirmishes. They didn’t carry an abundance of provisions themselves; instead, they relied on plundering and hunting for sustenance.
Throughout several generations, the previous emperors of the Di Dynasty had poured their hearts into erecting sturdy walls along the borders, effectively neutralizing the Jiao Kingdom’s cavalry advantage. Thus, the current scene unfolded with the Jiao Kingdom’s massive army of hundreds of thousands stationed outside, unable to breach the defenses.
“Jiao Kingdom probably never expected such substantial support from the court for the borderlands,” Chi Zhongming commented as he pulled a roasted sweet potato from his pocket. Without bothering to peel it, he took a bite and continued, “They made a grave mistake by using their previous standards to underestimate us.”
A slight smile tugged at the corners of Huo Caiyu’s lips, providing a momentary relief from the weight of the battlefield’s casualties.
He knew deep down that His Majesty would never disappoint him.
“However, the weather will soon grow colder, and our soldiers will require winter clothing,” Chi Zhongming observed, quickly finishing the sweet potato and patting his chest contentedly. “Otherwise, the winter will prove difficult to endure.”
Especially when the Jiao Kingdom prepared for their final, overwhelming charge. If the soldiers were left shivering, struggling to steady their weapons, how could they effectively resist their assault?
Currently, they managed to withstand the Jiao Kingdom’s sudden attacks only by relying on the defensive city walls. However, once winter arrived, the Jiao Kingdom warriors and Great Di’s own soldiers would equally endure hardships.
They needed to endure this counterattack to earn themselves a longer breather…
“Send a letter to the court, requesting winter supplies.”
Chi Zhongming made a disapproving face. “It was already sent last month, but now there is no news.”
“His Majesty will take care of it.”
Chi Zhongming glanced at him skeptically. “It would be interesting to see the soldiers’ reactions if they saw your current expression. Are you still the same stern Regent Prince?”
Whenever the Emperor was mentioned, Huo Caiyu’s face softened, almost as if the biting winds from the frontier were instantly calmed.
Huo Caiyu gave him a brief glance, stood up, and dusted off the soil from his hands. “Let’s go back. We’ll clean up the battlefield and assess the losses.”
This defensive battle against the invaders yielded no gains, only losses for them.
Upon their return to the barracks, Huo Caiyu and Chi Zhongming noticed a lively crowd gathered nearby, causing them to furrow their brows. “There should be no commotion within the military camp.”
A passing officer quickly explained, “The capital has sent us warm cotton clothing. These comrades are receiving them to deliver to the infirmary for the wounded soldiers.”
“Has the capital sent us cotton clothing?”
Huo Caiyu and Chi Zhongming shared a glance and curiously approached to see what was happening.
A dozen carts were stacked with cotton jackets, pants, gloves, and hats. The fabric felt thick and warm to the touch, and merely looking at them seemed to lessen the harshness of the weather.
The border soldiers had never seen such high-quality cotton clothing. They gingerly touched the fabric, hesitant to put them on. “I’ve never worn clothes this nice, not even at home.”
“They look incredibly warm!”
“No kidding! Are all of these for us?”
The supply officer stood on a cart, using a stick to bang a copper gong and shouted, “Take your share according to your camp, prioritize the wounded soldiers! There’s more to come, so don’t rush! Ah, is the Regent Prince here?”
Huo Caiyu nodded and walked up to the supply officer, motioning for the others to continue their tasks. “How much has been sent this time?”
“Eighteen carts,” the supply officer checked the ledger briefly. “They said the weather is getting colder, so they sent an emergency batch first, and there’s more on the way.”
Huo Caiyu nodded and was about to turn away when the supply officer grabbed his arm.
“Regent Prince, there’s something for you here.”
Huo Caiyu assumed it was cotton clothing and politely declined, “I don’t need it.”
With his deep inner strength, cotton clothing was unnecessary for him. In times of limited resources, it was best to prioritize providing them to the soldiers.
“It’s not cotton clothing, it’s a letter.” The supply officer pulled it out from his pocket. “It was sent along with the supplies.”
What kind of letter would be delivered together with the supplies? Could it be from Mother?
Huo Caiyu accepted it with confusion and broke the seal. Inside, there was only a folded piece of snowy white paper.
On the paper, there were two large words, drawn in vibrant red ink, that read, “Add oil!!”
Two exclamation marks followed the words, emphasizing the message.
With just one look, he knew who had written it.
The supply officer leaned in boldly, curious to take a glance. “What does ‘add oil’ mean?”
Huo Caiyu didn’t quite understand—His Majesty often used words that were unfamiliar to him.
However, Huo Caiyu didn’t solely rely on the literal meaning of the words to comprehend His Majesty’s intentions.
The handwriting of Li Jinyu was something he had personally taught, and even though he tried his best not to influence Li Jinyu’s style, there were inevitably some traces of his own influence.
Although His Majesty’s letter consisted of only two words, the brushstrokes flowed smoothly without pause, indicating that it was written in one go. The last two exclamation marks were saturated with red ink, revealing His Majesty’s undoubtedly excited state of mind.
Holding the delicate paper in his hands, Huo Caiyu could almost imagine His Majesty sitting at the green jade desk, writing with graceful and forceful strokes, evoking a sense of warmth within his heart.
“‘Add oil’ is an encouragement, urging you to work hard and keep going,” Chi Zhongming said, approaching with a cheerful smile.
Huo Caiyu was momentarily taken aback, then lowered his head to glance at the tender snowy paper once again, quietly nurturing a glimmer of hope.
It seemed that His Majesty didn’t harbor strong aversion towards him?
Handwriting revealed the heart’s intentions.
From these two words written by His Majesty, Huo Caiyu couldn’t perceive any rejection or desire for distance.
Could it be that His Majesty also has him in his heart?
Just two simple words ignited a spark of hope in Huo Caiyu’s heart.
Even though he had already made up his mind to protect the empire for His Majesty, to focus solely on leading the troops in battle without indulging in fantasies about the future with the Emperor… the Emperor only needed two words to make his delusions flourish once again.
Huo Caiyu lowered his head slightly, a trace of a willing bitter smile flashed in his eyes.
He truly fell deep without any chance of recovery.
He yearned to sprout wings and fly back to the capital, to face the Emperor directly and inquire about the Emperor’s true thoughts. However, the cold wind and the laughter and mocking of the soldiers brought Huo Caiyu back to reality.
Now he had more important matters at hand.
Only when the world was at peace could other matters be discussed.
Huo Caiyu pursed his lips, neatly folded the paper, and carefully placed it in his sleeve. He turned around and headed back to the main tent in the military camp.
Chi Zhongming stood still, gently patting the cotton clothes on the supply cart with his right hand, his expression subtly complex.
The meaning of the words “add oil” reminded him of his former beloved, who casually mentioned it a long time ago, before he went to Qingshui Prefecture.
At that time, he didn’t understand the meaning of those words and kept pestering the other person to explain. He was curious if it was a regional dialect and wanted to take the opportunity to inquire about his beloved’s hometown.
The enigmatic person he affectionately called “Black Cat Boy” impatiently explained that it was a phrase used among supernatural beings.
Chi Zhongming withdrew his hand and narrowed his eyes.
Why did His Majesty use this phrase when writing a letter to the Regent?
………
Little did Li Jinyu know that his passionate encouragement to Huo Caiyu carried the risk of endangering him.
By the time Li Jinyu’s words reached Huo Caiyu’s hands, Huo Caiyu was face-to-face with the Madam Huo in the Huo residence, and sitting beside them was the long-absent Huo Caijin.
Huo Caijin returned triumphant from suppressing the rebellion in the southwest. Not only did she achieve a great victory, but she also brought back relevant texts on the “Art of Procreation” that Madam Huo needed.
After studying the texts for two days, Madam Huo specifically requested Li Jinyu to come over.
Huo Caijin already knew that the Young Master surnamed Li was the current Emperor’s representative.
She had no favorable impression of the current Emperor before.
Huo Caiyu had a fiery temperament and had even gone to intercept the dragon carriage when his blood boiled. On the other hand, Huo Caijin had a slightly calmer disposition, but her feelings toward the court and her brother remained consistent.
Later, when her brother did not return, he came back as an official of the court.
Gradually, as the state of affairs improved and the court implemented one good policy after another, her father’s reputation was also well preserved after his death.
It was only after the situation gradually improved that Huo Caijin reluctantly recognized the court—especially when her brother became the Regent, she could genuinely consider the court’s interests.
When she found out that the somewhat timid but polite Young Master Li, was the current Emperor, Huo Caijin was shocked.
She had always believed that the Emperor was a despicable, cruel, and fat man.
Never did she expect that he would turn out to be a handsome and refined young man…
Huo Caijin’s gaze swept across Li Jinyu, who was sitting across from Madam Huo, and a hint of contemplation flickered in her eyes.
She was not the kind of secluded lady who stayed at home, oblivious to the world outside.
She had heard various rumors about the relationship between the Emperor and the Regent.
She had always brushed them off with a smile. Huo Caijin knew her own brother’s temperament, and she believed he would rather die than become a foolish and tyrannical ruler’s favorite.
But if the Emperor was the well-behaved and handsome young man before her…
Huo Caijin examined her heart and admitted that if it weren’t for the fact that he was the Emperor, she might have been slightly moved.
According to her mother, the young man named Li had once been involved with □□, perhaps having a relationship with another man… Huo Caijin touched her chin thoughtfully.
Calculating the dates, it seemed that after the Emperor’s birthday, A’Yu’s mood had become somewhat peculiar. At the time, she had thought A’Yu was troubled by important national matters. But now, it seemed that the key influencing factor might be His Majesty.
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