Chapter 75.1 Chip Chip Chip~
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Li Jinyu blinked in confusion, not comprehending Huo Caiyu’s meaning.
Huo Caiyu didn’t provide an explanation, simply embracing Li Jinyu and relishing this rare moment of closeness.
“How much further do we have to travel to reach the royal city of Jiao Kingdom?”
“It might take a few more days.” Huo Caiyu pondered for a moment. “Are you feeling anxious?”
“Not particularly… I’m just a bit worried. What if, when we arrive, Sister Huo has already seized control of the royal city of Jiao Kingdom?”
Huo Caiyu chuckled, “Not that swiftly. Capturing the royal city is merely the first step. To fully conquer Jiao Kingdom, we must weaken their spirits and disperse their loyalty.”
Otherwise, if resentful individuals from Jiao Kingdom were left behind, it wouldn’t be advantageous for the Di Dynasty.
Li Jinyu, who hadn’t encountered the part in the novel where Huo Caiyu conquered Jiao Kingdom, suddenly felt a surge of curiosity. “How will we accomplish that?”
“Appeasement, manipulation, and division, these are the usual tactics.” Huo Caiyu lightly kissed Li Jinyu’s cheek, with a hint of amusement in his tone. “But the King of Jiao Kingdom has paved his own path to destruction, providing us with a splendid leverage.”
Li Jinyu slightly furrowed his brow, then his eyes brightened. “Drought?”
“Exactly. Drought is a calamity of epic proportions for the people of the Jiao Kingdom’s grasslands. If the Jiao Kingdom inhabitants learn that their King, driven by ambition, is willing to sacrifice vast stretches of pasture, livestock, and even his own subjects, what would they think?”
Throughout their journey, they had come across numerous carcasses of cattle, sheep, and horses, and even the remains of elderly people from Jiao Kingdom.
Human hearts were made of flesh. With the Jiao Kingdom’s ruler descending into madness like this, it was unlikely that the people of Jiao Kingdom would harbor much loyalty towards their kingdom.
Li Jinyu scratched his ear. “But how can we make the people of Jiao Kingdom believe that the drought is orchestrated by their King?”
“On the day when His Majesty caused snowfall in Great Di, such a phenomenon surely wouldn’t have eluded Jiao Kingdom either.” Huo Caiyu released his grip and took out a handful of melon seeds from his bag, offering them to Li Jinyu. “Once we reach the royal city of Jiao Kingdom, we will assess the situation.”
Li Jinyu took a melon seed and watched as Huo Caiyu produced a walnut to crack open.He quickly said, “You don’t have to peel the walnut for me.”
Huo Caiyu looked at him with a hint of confusion.
Li Jinyu had been wanting to say this for a long time, and finally managed to speak up, “I crack walnuts to sharpen my teeth, not just for the meat inside.”
Huo Caiyu looked at Li Jinyu’s teeth in astonishment. “Do you still need to sharpen your teeth, Jinyu?”
“Well, it’s a habit for us rodents,” Li Jinyu felt a little embarrassed and quickly explained, “It’s not that I don’t want to eat the ones you peel for me.”
Huo Caiyu couldn’t help but laugh and handed over a whole walnut. “Then Your Majesty can bite into this one.”
Li Jinyu happily began gnawed on the walnut, making a cracking sound.
Huo Caiyu found Li Jinyu’s puffed-up mouth extremely adorable. He nibbled on his own provisions, his gaze fixed on his beloved Emperor without wavering.
Spending too much time dealing with state affairs in the capital, he hadn’t enjoyed such leisurely moments for a long time.
Moreover, the person by his side was the one he loved the most.
Even though there was nothing around them except for the vast expanse of sky and earth, Huo Caiyu felt as if he were in the most beautiful palace.
………
During their journey towards the royal city, they would occasionally come across scattered people from Jiao Kingdom.
The appearance of the Jiao Kingdom people was somewhat different from those in the Central Plains, and since Huo Caiyu didn’t deliberately disguise himself, it was easy to tell he wasn’t one of them.
Whenever they encountered Jiao Kingdom people, they would first be taken aback and then cautiously step back to observe.
While they observed Huo Caiyu, he also observed them.
Most of the people of Jiao Kingdom they encountered along the way were not the main force of Jiao Kingdom. The able-bodied men had been conscripted into the military.
Jiao Kingdom had a much smaller population compared to the Di Dynasty, and last year they had mobilized hundreds of thousands of troops, hoping for a swift victory that nearly depleted Jiao Kingdom’s resources.
Initially, Jiao Kingdom’s cavalry was formidable, and the Jiao Kingdom ruler believed that with such a massive force, they could quickly breach Beiyue Pass and dominate the Central Plains.
However, to their surprise, due to the efforts of Huo Caiyu and Chi Zhongming, Beiyue Pass held out for four months, pushing Jiao Kingdom to the brink of collapse, forcing them to retreat their forces.
Now that the Di Dynasty’s army had entered Jiao Kingdom’s territory, the few remaining able-bodied men had joined the defense, while those wandering on the grasslands were the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled who couldn’t serve as cavalry.
At least from the people of Jiao Kingdom that Huo Caiyu had seen on a few occasions, they were mostly elderly individuals with graying hair, accompanied by children not yet as tall as a horse.
These people of Jiao Kingdom, upon encountering Huo Caiyu who clearly appeared to be from the Di Dynasty, displayed a subtle hostility. However, upon observing Huo Caiyu’s youthful vigor, they cautiously withdrew without impulsively causing trouble.
When riding swiftly on horseback, Li Jinyu would lie against Huo Caiyu’s collar. Huo Caiyu had sewn a small pocket there that was just enough for Li Jinyu to comfortably nestle inside. He could enjoy the scenery by peeking out with only half of his head exposed.
This time, as Li Jinyu glanced at the elderly person opposite him, he saw a hint of sorrow in his gaze.
He could understand the people of Jiao Kingdom’s animosity towards them, especially since the Di Dynasty’s army was currently within Jiao Kingdom’s borders.
However, Jiao Kingdom was the one who struck first. If the Di Dynasty didn’t find a way to resolve this issue completely, countless Di Dynasty soldiers and civilians would pay a great price in the future to fend off Jiao Kingdom’s invasion.
However, the person they encountered this time were somewhat peculiar.
In the past, when the people of Jiao Kingdom assessed the difference in military strength, they would gradually move away. But this person stood in their way, neither retreating nor stepping aside. It seemed as though he was waiting for Huo Caiyu to evade.
Ahead was a small pond, and Huo Caiyu was considering allowing the horses to drink some water.
Li Jinyu twitched his nose and quietly whispered to Huo Caiyu, “I smell blood and medicine.”
Huo Caiyu furrowed his brow slightly, casting a scrutinizing gaze at the elderly Jiao Kingdom person. After a moment of contemplation, he dismounted and approached him.
The man wasn’t on horseback and grew more nervous upon seeing Huo Caiyu approaching. He rambled in a hurried manner.
Li Jinyu couldn’t understand the words, but he could discern the intensifying hostility and a willingness to face death in the man’s eyes.
As Huo Caiyu approached, the man couldn’t hold back any longer. He shouted loudly and swung his curved blade at him!
This man appeared to be over sixty years old, completely unable to withstand a single strike from Huo Caiyu.
Huo Caiyu effortlessly swung his arm, disarming the man and then throwing him aside with a single motion.
He crouched down, his gaze falling behind the spot where the man had stood.
Lying beside the pond was an unconscious little girl, her face flushed with a fever. A damp piece of tattered cloth lay on her forehead, and there were clearly bite wounds on her legs, inflicted by wild animals. Some crushed herbs were scattered over the wounds.
Two pieces of soaked tattered cloth were also on the ground.
Huo Caiyu had been taught basic medical skills by his mother, and he could tell that the child’s current condition was not good.
If it were an adult, it would be one thing, but such a young child having a fever could potentially be life-threatening.
The man had placed the child by the edge of the pond, apparently intending to use the water to help cool her down.
Li Jinyu poked his head out again, looking somewhat concerned. He asked, “Was she bitten by a wolf?”
“Seems like it,” Huo Caiyu crouched down, placing his fingers on the little girl’s pulse. After a moment, he furrowed his brows and said, “The wound is already infected. If we don’t treat it soon, it will be too late.”
The man, still limping from being thrown, rushed over while muttering curses under his breath.
Huo Caiyu turned his head and spoke to him in the Jiao Kingdom language.
The man froze, looking at Huo Caiyu and then at the child lying on the ground. His face displayed evident suspicion.
Huo Caiyu said a few more words, and the man gritted his teeth before turning and running off.
“Where did he go?”
“I asked him to find some herbs,” Huo Caiyu crouched down again, using his inner energy to help the girl sweat while explaining to Li Jinyu, “There are several herbs that, when combined, can reduce inflammation.”
Neither of them questioned whether or not to treat this child, who was currently from an enemy nation. It was as if they had already reached an unspoken understanding.
Before long, the man returned, stumbling and clutching the herbs.
Huo Caiyu instructed the man to crush the herbs and took out some of his own medicine. He had prepared a supply of commonly used medicinal powder in case of injuries while entering enemy territory.
He mixed the medicinal powder with water and had the little girl drink it, while applying the crushed herbs to her cleaned wounds.
After busying themselves for a while, the girl’s breathing gradually became steady, and the heat on her forehead subsided under the old man’s anxious gaze.
Overjoyed, the old man held the girl tightly and spoke in a rapid, emotional manner.
Huo Caiyu wasn’t particularly interested in the situation of the elderly and the child. He had only acted with the intention of saving lives. Now that the girl was out of immediate danger, he gave a brief instruction before preparing to leave.
However, the old man raised his head, shouting with excitement a few times, before turning and walking away while holding the girl.
Li Jinyu couldn’t understand and whispered, “What did he say?”
Huo Caiyu’s expression became slightly perplexed. “He said there is a battle ahead and told me not to go there.”
“A battle?” Li Jinyu suddenly showed some excitement. “Is it between Jiao Kingdom and our army?”
They had traversed through Mount Yuan, unable to locate the Di Dynasty’s army. They could only rely on Li Jinyu’s observation of the direction of Jiao Kingdom’s aura to move forward.
If there was a battle ahead between the Di Dynasty’s army and Jiao Kingdom, they might be able to find their own people and gain insight into the current situation, allowing them to reach the capital faster.
After discussing with Li Jinyu, Huo Caiyu made sure the horses drank enough water before dashing forward towards the front.
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