Chapter 137
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Han Jiao didn’t expect that he would easily set his boyfriend on the “way back home.”
To prove that he could go without sleep for two days and still stand tall.
At this momyent.
It was already past midnight.
Great Chu’s Royal Chief Vase still sat on the grandmaster’s chair, earnestly leafing through Han Jiao’s little yellow book.
Because his view was obstructed by a screen, Han Jiao could only see Xie Duo’s beautiful profile leaning against the screen but couldn’t see the emotions he displayed regarding that book.
“Your Highness, if you don’t sleep soon, it will be daylight,” Han Jiao earnestly advised for the twenty-seventh time.
“Why are you still awake?” The shadow of that side face lifted slightly as his eyes left the little yellow book in his hand.
“If Your Highness doesn’t sleep, I can’t sleep either.” Han Jiao rolled around, crawled to the edge of the bed, and said, “Can you stop being so stubborn? Tomorrow, you’ll have to return to the palace and attend to state affairs.”
“Just two days without sleep isn’t considered exhausting. You should go to sleep. No matter what, I won’t let you rest in two days.”
“Your Highness, you don’t really want to stay up all night!” Han Jiao got agitated, got up, put on clogs, and walked around the screen, confronting this stinky little brother. “I just think that the hero in the book is portrayed too impressively. I have no intention of challenging Your Highness!”
Xie Duo smirked. “I’m more impressive than him.”
“There’s no need for such comparisons!” Han Jiao couldn’t bear it anymore. “The hero in the book isn’t real!”
“Why are you so engrossed in it?” Xie Duo sat at the table, raising an eyebrow as he scrutinized the little child prodigy. “Do you like him?”
Han Jiao: “……”
Did this guy even have to feel jealous of male characters in books?
Xie Duo flipped open a page in the book and pointed to a passage, launching a well-reasoned attack on the imaginary rival, “This person, a top-notch martial artist, originally had a great reputation and influence. However, upon uncovering the fact that the sect leader was misappropriating defense funds collected from various alliances, rather than attempting to expose the extent of the losses, he actively sought to transfer the authority to collect these fees to other leaders. This led to his own sect members labeling him a traitor and attracting hostilities from various factions. Given these circumstances, if you were the Third Miss Lin from the book, would you be willing to elope with him?”
Han Jiao: “……”
Faced with the big boss, who was once named “Genius Antagonist of the Year,” critiquing the intelligence of male leads in other stories, Han Jiao unexpectedly found himself unable to argue.
If this matter were brought before the big boss, the deceitful sect leader would have been entirely exposed. In the following plot, all major sects would surely feel grateful to the righteous big boss, willingly paying extra for protection.
The big boss continued to make a reasoned deduction, “This Third Miss Lin fell seriously ill during their escape. He didn’t earn money for her medicine, instead, he often ranted in the rain about ‘fate playing tricks on us,’ making the Third Miss unable to sleep and cry endlessly. She must have regretted getting involved with him.”
Han Jiao: “……”
Xie Duo’s gaze sharpened. “Are you defending him?”
“Alright, alright! The Third Miss regrets it! She regrets it!” Han Jiao conceded. “I don’t even like that hero. Your Highness is the most impressive one! The hero only managed to defeat his enemies in the end because he found his long-lost master, who taught him extraordinary skills! By himself, he couldn’t have united the martial world!”
Xie Duo was puzzled by this and lowered his eyes, flipping through the end of the book. After a while, he murmured softly, “Can a person’s fate only be changed by their background?”
Han Jiao suddenly felt a pang in his heart, swiftly took the little yellow book, tossed it aside, and gently held Xie Duo’s face. He said seriously, “People with true talent don’t need to rely solely on their background. Competing with strength is more dependable than relying on luck. Many remarkable predecessors became masters through their own abilities. Your Highness, think about it. The historical records even cast doubt on Confucius’ background, and there’s also Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, two rare military geniuses. They came from humble beginnings, yet they’re considered great heroes by later generations.”
Xie Duo’s eyes glittered as he looked up at the little child prodigy. “Do you admire them too?”
“Of course!” Han Jiao’s hands wrapped around Xie Duo’s nape. “But I admire Your Highness even more. At sixteen, you ambushed and annihilated the Tatar army, and our side suffered almost no casualties. That’s a brilliant page in history!”
Xie Duo gazed at him, his eyes filled with nervous anticipation. “If the nomads had not invaded the border in the past, and they had not been discarded after their usefulness had run out, would you still be willing to follow them?”
Han Jiao tensed all over, the hands wrapped around Xie Duo’s nape instinctively tightening.
He couldn’t afford to be casual or overly sweet. He needed to answer this question convincingly to truly put Xie Duo’s mind at ease.
Han Jiao replied with a serious expression, “Why would I want to follow them?”
The gleam in Xie Duo’s eyes instantly dimmed.
“I’m a civilian,” Han Jiao analyzed earnestly. “Even if they spent their entire lives at the pinnacle, I wouldn’t try to flatter or curry favor with them. Instead, I’d silently admire and appreciate them for protecting the nation and its people. I have my own mission, and I’ll work in my own way to benefit the people and make the country prosperous. It’s equally important.”
Xie Duo still appeared somewhat disappointed. “Your reasoning is well put.”
Han Jiao continued without haste, “I believe I should hold myself to high standards rather than concern myself with others’ power or status. If I had to follow someone, it would be the person I love for life. I’m a man, and frankly, I used to dream of marrying a girl from an ordinary family and leading a simple life. I wanted to be capable of taking care of the one I love completely because I’m not the type to aspire to great heights. But fate played a trick on me. Heaven made me fall in love with you. I tried to hide from it before, but I couldn’t resist my own heart. Xie Duo, whether you’re high above or in the depths, I can only follow you because I can’t live without you.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Han Jiao’s vision blurred. Xie Duo lifted him into his arms, turning around the screen and placing him on the bed in a flash.
Han Jiao’s excitement grew. He discreetly glanced at the cabinet where the ointments were kept.
To his surprise, the big boss, brimming with desire, gazed at him excitedly and said, “Get some rest, recharge your energy. I won’t let you rest a moment the day after tomorrow.”
Han Jiao: “……”
It turned out, this husband really was a man of his word!
Even though this stinky little brother had risen to the heavens, his self-control hadn’t diminished in the slightest.
Looking at it positively, Xie Duo seemed to regain a lot of security during the night. At least, he wouldn’t leave Han Jiao before daybreak, and he wouldn’t be afraid of the light in front of Han Jiao.
On the downside, this stinky little brother was truly intent on staying awake for two days—determined not to lose to any man Han Jiao had ever seen.
Additionally, Han Jiao noticed a potentially dangerous fact: the big boss had an unusually abundant supply of energy. As long as he was in a good mood, he showed no signs of fatigue after two days without sleep. This clearly indicated that if he were to release his restraints in bed and “work,” Han Jiao would eventually exhaust himself.
Realizing this, Han Jiao discreetly stashed two out of three bottles of ointment in the underground storage room to prevent Xie Duo from losing control after holding back for so long.
Moving on to the third day, knowing that he would face a night of intense activity, Han Jiao scheduled his official duties for the following day, seizing every opportunity to rest and recharge his energy.
However, in the afternoon, an urgent military report suddenly reached the capital—Prince Yan’s army was besieged at Yucheng Pass.
Prince Yan’s troops hadn’t yet reached Luozhou to join the main forces when they were ambushed on the way.
The attacking enemy forces were an elite rebel group from Luozhou, acting on the orders of the local chieftain to gather military intelligence.
They quickly gathered information: The commander wasn’t the legendary War God, and the troops were not the northwest cavalry but instead from the three main army camps, with the majority being soldiers from the firearms battalion.
This presented an opportunity—the supply train of the firearms battalion was more challenging to transport than provisions. In other words, the main strength of this force had been cut by more than eighty percent in terms of combat power.
Due to their prolonged harassment of neighboring tribes, the rebel commander had extensive combat experience. He knew that the soldiers of the Great Chu firearms battalion were highly valuable. If they initiated a surprise attack now, they could severely damage the firearms battalion, significantly reducing Great Chu’s military advantage.
Consequently, the rebel commander urgently devised an ambush plan and struck at the Chu army in a mountain defile.
Prince Yan was caught completely off guard.
He believed the Luozhou rebels would remain holed up in their stronghold, using the terrain to defend and not venturing out, so he never expected them to proactively leave the mountains and ambush.
The main fighting strength he had brought on this expedition to Luozhou was comprised of eighty thousand militiamen recruited over the past few months in the Sichuan-Guizhou region. So, Prince Yan didn’t bring a large army as he had done the previous time. Sixty percent of the reinforcement troops were specialized firearms troops, and their supply train was still many miles away.
Fortunately, the enemy was outnumbered and unable to encircle the Great Chu forces. Also, Prince Yan reacted promptly, preventing significant casualties in this ambush.
Prince Yan, accompanied by the specialized firearms troops, retreated to the nearest small pass, and sent messengers to the capital seeking reinforcement.
A day later, scouts dispatched by Prince Yan brought back intelligence, reporting that the enemy numbered no more than five thousand, approximately three thousand, and there were no signs of hidden troops nearby.
Prince Yan considered this intelligence quite reliable, as otherwise, the enemy forces lurking in that mountain defile wouldn’t be so few.
Faced with just two thousand rebels, Prince Yan had brought over ten thousand firearms troops. While they weren’t proficient in melee combat, his officers believed they could organize a counterattack.
However, Prince Yan hesitated to make a decision.
This was because the specialized firearms troops were in short supply.
Training soldiers in firearms accuracy alone consumed a significant portion of the annual military budget. If they suffered losses among these thousands of troops, it would take at least five years to train another batch of soldiers capable of going into battle.
In this situation, Prince Yan believed acting recklessly wasn’t wise. After careful consideration, he opted to fortify the defenses urgently and stay on the defensive.
Nevertheless, refraining from engaging despite a numerical advantage soon led to mockery and insults from the enemy.
The enemy became increasingly brazen, taunting Prince Yan at the city gates. Despite this, Prince Yan remained reluctant to venture out for battle. This caused deep humiliation and discontent among his subordinates.
Prince Yan lacked significant combat experience and was unsure if his decision was excessively timid. After two days, he began to waver.
The first urgent military report reached the capital: Prince Yan had been ambushed, besieged at Yucheng Pass, and hadn’t ascertained the enemy’s strength or the extent of the danger.
This news sent shockwaves through the entire empire.
There was widespread discontent among the court officials.
The last time Prince Yan led troops into battle, he returned with the sacrifice of four thousand elite soldiers and no accomplishments. This time, he volunteered for the campaign, taking a substantial number of firearms troops with him. If they suffered heavy casualties due to an ambush, the cost would be much higher than the previous expedition.
In contrast to the complaints in the court, the palace was filled with cries.
Mainly, these were cries meant for the Empress.
Upon hearing the military report, the Empress fainted on the spot. When she woke up, she couldn’t stop crying, and all the consorts, princes, and princesses who came to comfort her were shooed away.
She completely shed her armor of diplomacy, sinking into the despair and sorrow of a mother. She spent her days kneeling in the Buddhist hall, praying for her eldest son.
What surprised Han Jiao was that Xie Duo displayed an unprecedented fear about this unexpected ambush.
When the Tatars attacked the capital, Xie Duo showed no hint of fear. However, the predicament of Prince Yan made him frantic. He even had disputes with the ministers regarding the method of relief.
Due to the lack of information about the enemy who ambushed Prince Yan, Xie Duo, in his urgency, contemplated dispatching a large force of the Forbidden Army for relief.
However, the court officials were concerned about leaving the capital defenseless, fearing a repeat of the Tatar invasion, and vehemently opposed reallocating a significant portion of the garrison within the capital. Many requested the Crown Prince to dispatch garrison troops for relief.
As a result, considerable time was lost, and Prince Yan’s situation remained uncertain.
After the morning court session, Han Jiao immediately went to seek an audience at Xiyuan Hall.
Xie Duo appeared extremely uneasy upon Han Jiao’s arrival and couldn’t even meet his gaze.
After a moment of contemplation, Han Jiao finally understood that Xie Duo might be worrying about the potential blame that would fall on him if something happened to Prince Yan.
“Dispatching troops from elsewhere will at least double the time it takes,” Xie Duo complained helplessly. “The defenses in the northwest and the capital are more than sufficient. There’s no real danger. Those officials are just looking out for their own well-being, especially that group of Prince Yan’s supporters. Not a single one of them has stepped forward to consider the safety of my Sixth Brother. These selfish rodents!”
“Your Highness, please calm down. While we’re not yet clear about the enemy’s details, the urgent report from the capital indicates that this ambush resulted in around a hundred casualties. It suggests that the enemy isn’t a significant threat. Even I can see that you, the renowned War God, are feeling anxious.”
Xie Duo turned to look at him and asked, “So, what do you think we should do for the relief efforts?”
“You’re asking me? Your Highness knows I’m not well-versed in military matters.”
Xie Duo looked at him with puzzlement. “In the past, you were reluctant to let me deal with Prince Yan’s supporters. But now, my Sixth Brother is in danger, and you seem surprisingly calm.”
Han Jiao honestly admitted, “In the past, I didn’t want you to have conflicts with Prince Yan primarily out of concern that it might bring trouble to you. But you always thought I favored your brother. Now that Prince Yan is in a precarious situation, who do you think I care more about? I assume you’ve figured it out by now.”
This statement hit Xie Duo like a thunderclap, waking him from his confusion.
The fear and helplessness that had filled his heart were completely blown away by a sudden gust of wind, and his panicked thoughts became clear again.
Xie Duo seemed to recall something suddenly and immediately whispered to Han Jiao, “I understand, Han Jiao. Wait for me here. We’ll talk in detail when I return.”
Before Han Jiao could ask further questions, he saw Xie Duo hurrying out of Xiyuan Hall.
Inside the Buddhist hall, the Empress suddenly heard the shrill voice of a eunuch from the courtyard, as if trying to prevent someone from entering.
The Empress raised one hand, and her personal handmaiden quickly reached out to assist.
Due to prolonged kneeling, the Empress’ legs had gone numb. Several palace maids had to carefully help her up.
Her swollen eyes struggled to adjust to the light from outside, and for a moment, she couldn’t discern who had rushed in.
Until the person outside called out, “Mother Empress.”
“A’Duo?” The Empress, her voice weak, approached and asked, “Has the reinforcement set out?”
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