Chapter 66: Troubled Times

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“Hurry, you see, right now everywhere in the court is bleak and gloomy, let’s talk about your misfortune for some fun.”

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It was easy to be impulsive. What comes after being impulsive was the problem.

If there was no such catastrophe in the capital, Chang Geng would never have done such bold thing. Before the war, he did not even harbor any unrealistic hope for Gu Yun, otherwise he would have not hidden for four or five years.

Gu Yun was his life-long consolation, but according to the normal development, perhaps it would only end here. He had already expressed his mind to this point. Gu Yun had also used the most gentle and flexible way to respond. With Chang Geng’s self-esteem, he would never linger on any further.

What he did and what path he took for Gu Yun, these were his own decisions.

He had a lot of motives, but he did not want to use this against Gu Yun – for it was too cheap.

The two of them would treat this feeling as a kind of an embarra.s.sing secret, continuing for a long time, waiting for Chang Geng to hone himself little by little, until he could joke about this matter, or after a long time, that heartless Gu Yun would forget the matter on his own.

Chang Geng had been used to restraint since childhood. As long as he had not turned completely mad, he would restrain himself until he died.

Desire, especially unrealistic desire, was a very painful thing. Whether it was desire for money, power, or anything else, they were the shackles on the body. The deeper one was trapped, the tighter one would be bound. This truth was too clear in Chang Geng’s mind, thus he dared not indulge for even a moment.

Unfortunately, even if he understood it any clearer, it was useless – it was too late to say anything now.

One wrong thought under the city wall had let him take this step forward, coupled with an absence of response from Gu Yun…

Not mentioning whether Chang Geng could still let go as happily as before when he never had any hope, could Gu Yun’s heart continue on as if nothing had happened?

As for General Gu, who was both injured and sick, his head was being stretched twice as much.

He believed that in this matter, his responsibility was greater. He truly felt guilty, because under normal circ.u.mstances, Chang Geng would never touch him unless he acquiesced to it.

And even if he had not yet managed to steady himself in the midst of chaos, even if it was an ‘accident’, his reaction afterwards shouldn’t have been to simply let it slide.

In fact, Gu Yun himself could not tell what he had thought at that time. Perhaps there was no time to think about anything. When he closed his eyes, it was as if he could still see Chang Geng’s deep gaze on him in the midst of the sound of artillery fire coming down the city, as if in this heaven and earth, those eyes could only contain him.

n.o.body, especially men, could be indifferent towards that kind of look.

Gu Yun had one nose and two eyes, he was no special than the others. He also had pa.s.sions and desires.

He could not simply regard Chang Geng as a close descendant as before, but raising him like a son for so many years, he momentarily could not be accustomed to it.

At this time, Chang Geng slowly bent down, reached out to cover Gu Yun’s ineffective eyes, not letting him see his current appearance.

There was not a single part on Gu Yun’s body that listened to his command. He could not hear, see, nor speak, and for the first time in his life, he was powerless to someone’s disrespectful actions. Dumbfounded, he thought to himself: “Would he dare bully the wounded? Where is justice!”

Then he felt a soft breath sweep by his face, and the scent of another person approaching was so close he could hardly ignore it.

Gu Yun: “…”

Mother, this kid truly dare to!

Gu Yun’s throat moved involuntarily, but Chang Geng did not do anything. He seemed to stay still for a long time, then kissed the corner of Gu Yun’s lips gently.

Gu Yun’s eyes were covered, he involuntarily unfolded his rich and sentimental imagination along with the delicate touch. He felt that the boy resembled a small pitiful animal, jumping into his arms after surviving a life threatening situation, giving him a wet lick.

At that time, his heart instantly softened. Although he had no time to ask about the casualties in the army, Gu Yun could already come to a general conclusion. After a moment’s thought, he could not help but feel grief.

But even so, Chang Geng could still sit by his bed safe and sound at this moment. To him, this was much like finding something again after a.s.suming it had been lost. Gu Yun suddenly did not want to worry too much, wanting to reach out and embrace Chang Geng. But unfortunately, he could not even lift his hand.

Gu Yun’s pity and unspeakable concerns soon inextricably mingled with each other. He could not bear to reprimand Chang Geng. He only wished he could go back to the moment when the city was besieged and slap his past self – look what you’ve done!

“Zi Xi.” Chang Geng cried in his ear, Gu Yun’s eyelashes grazed his palm. At this time, it seemed that only by hugging the other, crying and laughing aloud to his heart’s content could he vent this continuous panic and fear. Unfortunately, he was also powerless to do so at this moment.

In order to avoid intense emotions from breaking out, Miss Chen had restricted him to the state of having facial paralysis, he could not squeeze out smile with all his strength, thus he had to make a small opening in his mind, letting his feelings flow out like a stream of water.

Gu Yun was badly wounded, there was not enough energy. Even after trying his best to support himself, he soon fell into unconsciousness in the midst of complex emotions.

Chang Geng quietly pulled the quilt up for him, reluctantly watching Gu Yun for a while. It was not until the stiff joints of his body could not endure the torment and made a crisp sound did he slowly stand up holding the bedpost, dragging his corpse-like pair of legs to leave.

As soon as he pushed open the door, Chang Geng saw Chen Qing Xu who had been waiting outside for a long time. She strolled back and forth at Gu Yun’s door, the green gra.s.s had all been stamped on.

Chang Geng pretended not to see dead gra.s.s everywhere and greeted her earnestly. However, due to his wooden look, he seemed all the more sincere and grave: “I have troubled Miss Chen, I don’t know what I would do if you hadn’t risk danger to come at this time.”

Chen Qing Xu absently waved her hand: “It is what I should do. Ah yes, well, Your Highness, wait for me for a moment, I’ll perform acupuncture for you… That, that is…”

The tongue of the Chen family woman who was used to every kind of shocking affairs stuttered, her forever dignified sculpted face rarely let out a little hesitation.

The attack of Chang Geng’s Bone of Impurity was not known to people. To outsiders, she could only use the excuse that he was seriously wounded and had not yet recovered.

Regarding the matter of using needles to suppress his poison, Chen Qing Xu would not dare to let anyone else do it. Thus she was forced to listen to all of his sleep talks by herself, unluckily putting together a terrifying truth. It had troubled her all night, wrinkles were about to show on her face.

Chang Geng meant to nod to her, but his neck could not be bent. He could only bow, making himself appear more courteous: “No, I can manage it myself. I will have to go to the palace later on, I will not bother Miss Chen.”

The capital had one of its wall collapse. Although the siege was temporarily relieved, but what followed after was still a complete mess. Excluding those who could not get up like Marshal Gu, other people dared not relax, their breaths suspended in the middle.

Chen Qing Xu listened and nodded, swallowing back what she intended to ask.

Who knew that at this moment, Chang Geng suddenly said, “But if you want to ask…”

He paused slightly and looked sideways at Gu Yun’s closed door. Chen Qing Xu became nervous.

Then His Royal Highness used immovable coffin face and admitted frankly, “I truly harbor improper thoughts for my yifu.”

Chen Qing Xu: “…”

This sentence… to say it aloud in such a frank and calm tone, it was quite magical.

“He also knows of it, Miss Chen please…”

Chen Qing Xu responded unconsciously: “I would not tell anyone!”

Chang Geng put his hands together, his clothes floating lightly over his body. In a graceful manner, he brushed past Chen Qing Xu like a wind fairy stepping on the sky… no one could tell that there was a hedgehog wrapped in it.

If there ever was a moment where Gu Yun would be grateful to Li Feng in this life, it was the next day when he heard that Li Feng had kept Chang Geng in the palace.

That was no greater relief to him. He wished he could write a request to the Emperor to open a single room next to the Warm Pavilion for the prince, for him to stay there for good and never come out.

On the battlefield, injuries were common, Gu Yun had long been accustomed to them. Being able to wake up meant it already pa.s.sed the most dangerous stage. After another day in bed, he already had enough strength to speak and greet guests.

The first guest he met with was Shen Yi.

Due to Chen Qing Xu refusing to let Gu Yun take the medicine, he could only wear liuli gla.s.s in a deaf and blind state, beginning the conversation with Shen by shouting and sign language.

The two had separated for more than half a year. When seeing the other off, they were still in high spirits. When they reunited, one of them was lying on the bed, covered in bandage resembling a mummy, could breathe in but cannot breathe out. The other straying, wasting away for a few months, withered like an old turnip planted in the countryside.

Old turnip Shen Yi loudly expressed his sentiments towards Gu Yun: “We all thought we would have to come collect your body. We did not expect to see a Marquis of Order who could still breathe! Marshal, you did not die even at the face of great catastrophe, this truly is a sign of future blessing!”

Gu Yun’s face was full of saliva from his ‘expressing’, anger immediately arose. He could not see where his ‘future blessing’ was. Regret already piled up to a basketful, he said angrily: “You still have the face to mention that? G.o.dd.a.m.nit, those foreigners landed in Da Gu Port for more than a month, burning the Palace in the western suburb like a stove. Where did your good-for-nothing self disappear to? Even a pile of s.h.i.t has already cooled!”

Shen Yi: “…”

Gu Yun: “Get away, stay away from me. Is your mouth broken? Spraying all over my face!”

“I didn’t want to mention this to you, for fear of causing you to be irritated.” Shen Yi sighed, rolled up his sleeves and sat down beside Gu Yun without care.

“At that time, I did not see any one from the Ministry of War coming to withdraw the Drumming Order, perhaps they were already intercepted as soon as they set foot outside the capital. Those numerous small countries in the Southern Sea resembling pieces of goat’s feces took this opportunity for their own gain, there was no telling how they managed to discovered the secret pa.s.sages left behind by the bandits, they fell right out of the sky during the night. I was caught off guard, letting them explode the supply storage.”

Without the Drumming Order, Shen Yi, the newcomer commander, could not mobilize the garrison in Southern Frontier at all.

“I completely had my hands full on that side, suppressing one problem, another one came up. Coincidentally, Xiao Ge also came to find me and brought along a letter from His Highness. At that time, as soon as I read it, I already know it was bad, but unfortunately, I could not clone myself.”

Shen Yi shook his head. “Later, the wooden bird sent the Black Tiger Emblem and the Feng Huo Order issued by yourself personally. Although I did not expect for that the capital city would be besieged to this point, I still managed to divide half of the men and Ziliujin in stock and personally led the troops back.”

The rest of the words, he did not need to elaborate, Gu Yun also understood after hearing this, the problem was Ziliujin.

The northwest was entangled by tigers and wolves, the Black Iron Camp and the Northern Defense Army did not dare to move, otherwise not mentioning whether they could defend the country or not, if they were to be slightly careless, they would easily be surrounded and pursued. At that time, the capital would truly face the Western Navy in the south, the iron armors of the Wolf Tribes in the north.

The trouble from Shen Yi’s southwestern side could be easily resolved. The true problem was Ziliujin, the stocks of the garrison in the Southern Frontier were already very limited, the remaining amount was not enough to support long-term raids.

“I had to go north first to find General Cai to find food,” Shen Yi sighed, “Who would have expected that on the way there, I would be hindered repeatedly? Do you know who is holding the Central Plains garrison back?”

Gu Yun’s expression turned grave.

“An insurgent army of refugees.” Shen Yi said, “Old Cai’s troops were divided more than half by the Black Iron Camp and the Northern Defense Army, only a small amount of troops stayed behind in the Central Plains, struggling back and forth with them everyday. They are only commoners who were forced into a dead end, not beating them would be no good, but directly beating them would not be alright either. Old Cai was too distressed that half of his hair have gone grey.”

Gu Yun leaned against the bedhead: “How could it be so chaotic?”

“The problem concerning the riot of unemployed refugees from the area of the Central Plains to the south of Sichuan had always been there, just that before now, it had not reached a higher scale.” Shen Yi said. “This time, someone had taken advantage of the situation and persuaded these refugees to form a few forces. Seeing that the country will soon fall into chaos, even the Black Iron Camp can be lost by a half overnight, their courage had also become considerably bigger.”

“In fact, you know, Zi Xi, over the years, I have always felt that it is not quite a good thing for the Black Iron Camp to be too renowned and vigorous. Being cautious of by the one above is one thing. On the other hand, there are too many folk tales. In previous years, it can be used to deter some people with ulterior motives. But once the Black Iron Camp has an accident, even if it is only a blow of the wind, it is too easy to shake the hearts of the army and the people.”

The two men were relatively silent for a moment, then Gu Yun said: “Don’t talk about this useless insipidity, how is the situation now? How many brothers of the Northern Camp are left?”

Shen Yi’s face changed, momentarily not responding.

As Gu Yun saw his expression, his heart turned colder by a half: “Where’s Old Tan?”

Shen Yi put his hand on his chest to untie a Wind Slasher under the Light Armor and put it silently beside Gu Yun’s pillow.

Gu Yun was stunned for a moment, caught off guard. He accidentally touched a wound, gritting his teeth silently, he huddled over in pain.

Shen Yi reached out to hold him. “No, Zi Xi… Zi Xi!”

Gu Yun waved his hand and said in a hoa.r.s.e voice: “Where did the Westerners retreat to?”

Shen Yi looked at his face carefully: “After the Westerners broke through the Southern Sea Navy, their troops were divided into two routes. One branch was personally led by the Pope, pressing from Da Gu Port to the capital. The other was mainly comprised of suicidal Dong Ying men they hired by money. They drove their armored chariots up north along the ca.n.a.l and across the two provinces of Zhili, Shandong. Local garrisons had never met with a battle before, they instantly suffered defeat. We had also clashed with them on the way, they truly are hard to deal with. Later, General Zhong appeared in Jiangnan and helped Yao Chong Ze to reorganize the ruined Naval Army and go north to help us. That group of people finally made way and retreated back to Shandong Province.

“As of right now, the Western Army from the two routes had combined into one, returned to the sea, settling down on the areas of Dong Ying Islands. I’m afraid it is not over yet.”

Gu Yun’s eyebrows tightly frowned, making an ‘Mm’ sound in response.

Shen Yi had been shouting incessantly to the point of his mouth turning dry, he poured himself a cup of cool herbal tea, chucking it down and sighed, “Don’t think too much, what you should do right now is to rest and heal up completely, nothing can be done without you.”

Gu Yun half closed his eyes and said nothing.

In order to ease the atmosphere, Shen Yi shifted the topic and said: “Your little Highness had changed so much. Before, he had hidden his talents ever so tightly, but in the face of a national disaster, he single-handedly stepped up to bear heavy responsibilities. I almost could not recognize him anymore.

“Did you know that the Emperor had taken the word ‘Bei’ from his t.i.tle ‘Yan Bei w.a.n.g?'”

Yan Bei w.a.n.g to Yan w.a.n.g – although it was a difference of only one word, it was moving from being a Jun w.a.n.g to a Qin w.a.n.g*.

A reminder of the statuses from chapter 17: a t.i.tle of one character was called Qin w.a.n.g (Prince). For example, the Second Prince was granted the t.i.tle of “Wei w.a.n.g”. A t.i.tle made of two characters was called Jun w.a.n.g – they were slightly lower in status compared to the former, usually separated from the members of the royal family by a grade.

Gu Yun returned to reality and muttered tiredly: “What good would it do… getting promoted now.”

In order to cheer him up, Shen Yi directly got to the main sensitive topic: “Just now I saw him coming out of the palace with Chong Ze, they are on the way, perhaps he will soon come back.”

Gu Yun: “…”

Shen Yi saw his expression as bleak as the bottom of a pot, he asked, “What happened?”

Gu Yun’s body was sore all over from lying on bed for too long. He wanted to change his posture, but it was inconvenient to move. That old maid Shen had sharp vision, but as he saw him struggling hard at the head of the bed, he did not even come up to help but continued the incessant chatter: “In the first few days, when you were playing chess with old man h.e.l.l King, His Royal Highness had watched over you all day and night without resting, regardless of his injuries. His body was covered in needles, even his neck cannot be bent, we all could not bear to look. I’m telling you Zi Xi ah, he is even better than blood-related…”

Gu Yun had no patience left, grumpily interrupting: “Blood-related my a.s.s, where do you find so much bulls.h.i.t? Get out of here!”

Instead of being frightened, Shen Yi even approached with his face held high and pressed on: “Why, what unfortunate deed did you commit to offend the other? I’m telling you Zi Xi, His Highness is not the child you can bend and mold however you please anymore, you’re almost…”

Gu Yun whispered: “Brother Ji Ping, please consider how I had nearly sacrificed myself for the country and go away.”

Shen Yi keenly caught the words ‘a difficult to express ordeal’ written on his face.

General Shen had been bullied by Gu Yun for many years, he could not win against him, nor could he talk against him, a long history of hatred had built up. It was difficult to finally be able to laugh at him, there was no chance he would let go of it easily, his curiosity was about explode. “Hurry, you see, right now everywhere in the court is bleak and gloomy, let’s talk about your misfortune for some fun.”

Gu Yun: “…”

Thus there was no more sound in the room, two people who were shouting at each other started exchanging words through sign language.

After a period of an incense, Shen Yi carried the expression as if he had been struck by lightning, rigidly flying out of Gu Yun’s room.

Speaking of the devil, the devil arrived. Coincidentally, His Highness Yan w.a.n.g had also returned, meeting with Shen Yi face to face.

Chang Geng greeted him: “General Shen had come, how is my yifu doing?”

Shen Yi: “…”

In the face of Chang Geng, General Shen, the governor of the Southwest, changed through several expressions. At last, not even a fart could be let out. As if seeing the devil, he hugged the wall and disappeared.