EHW Ch54

The capital couldn’t be left unattended for too long.

Now that Wucheng had fallen and the Cangsheng Sect was in full retreat, Pei Xin didn’t want to waste time, he decided they would begin the journey back to the capital the next morning.

But before leaving, he wanted to hold a celebration banquet for the soldiers.

Huge cauldrons simmered with rich cuts of meat they normally couldn’t afford to eat.

The fat rendered into the broth until it glowed golden and fragrant.

Barrels of wine were rolled out one after another, and a warm, savory aroma filled the entire camp.

Pei Xin stood at the head of the table, lifting a silver cup.

He poured the first drink onto the ground, dedicating it to all the soldiers who had fallen in battle.

Someone refilled his cup.

Pei Xin’s sharp gaze swept over the men below him, each had just returned from war, many still in tattered, bloodstained clothes, dust clinging to their armor.

Raising his voice, he said, “Today’s victory was not easily won. It is your courage that has granted peace to the common people.”

He lifted his cup higher.

“The Great Qi honors you. The people honor you. I honor you.”

Simple words, yet they stirred every heart on the field.

The soldiers raised their cups and drank with a thunderous cheer.

Gu Fangzhi too was swept up in the moment.

He imitated the soldiers and downed his wine in one gulp, but compared to the refined grape wine served in the palace, this military brew was brutally strong.

He coughed violently, face flushing red.

He was just about to reload a save when someone beside him spoke.
“So tell me,” the man said, “you all trust him that much?”

Gu Fangzhi looked up.

It was Ye Bao, sitting with arms folded, his eyes narrowed as he watched Gu Fangzhi.

Gu Fangzhi knew what he meant, Pei Xin had decided to let Ye Bao remain in Liangshan under Qin Xuan’s command, helping to hunt down the remaining Cangsheng Sect forces.

“You read the letters we found in Wucheng, didn’t you?” Gu Fangzhi smiled.

“His Majesty can tell right from wrong. He knows men of true virtue, of course we can trust him.”

Whether Pei Xin actually trusted Ye Bao or not, Gu Fangzhi had no idea.

He was just bluffing with confidence.

Still, it worked, eighteen-year-olds were easy to sway.

Ye Bao’s lips curved upward by a few pixels almost involuntarily.

But as soon as he smiled, he felt a chill.

Looking up, he saw Pei Xin at the head of the banquet table, watching him.

Ye Bao’s teeth ached. “…Tch.”

He turned away and suddenly asked, “Your emperor, he doesn’t have an empress, does he?”

“No,” Gu Fangzhi replied. “Why ask all of a sudden?”

“Any consorts?”

“None either,” said Gu Fangzhi. “His Majesty’s heart is undivided, his only focus is bringing peace to the realm.”

Ye Bao snorted. “And heirs?”

“Without a wife, naturally no heirs,” Gu Fangzhi said.

Ye Bao made a low sound of acknowledgment.

He felt like he now understood everything.

“What is it?” Gu Fangzhi asked, puzzled.

Ye Bao replied, “Nothing. Just thinking… your future looks pretty bleak.”

“?”

“Bleak,” Ye Bao thought, “because one day you’ll stand by his side, but as the emperor’s beloved male concubine.”

He crossed his arms, eyes deep and thoughtful.

As the night wore on and the wine flowed freely, the camp grew even livelier.

The soldiers were all large, boisterous men, and someone as delicate and beautiful as Gu Fangzhi stood out like the village’s only college graduate.

Naturally, people kept coming up to talk to him.

But these men had a bad habit of talking with their hands, slapping shoulders and backs with terrifying strength.

After being pounded half to death and yelling “Stop! Stop!” several times, Gu Fangzhi finally retreated to the sidelines with his cup, defeated.

Once quiet, his thoughts began to wander.

He thought about their victory.

About Gu Yunchuan’s triumph on the battlefield.

About how Ye Bao had actually agreed to join the Great Qi army.

And finally, about how Pei Xin had complimented him earlier.

Heh.

The last few times Pei Xin had praised him, Gu Fangzhi hadn’t remembered to save,
but this time, he had.

Gu Fangzhi reloaded the save.

In an instant, the bustling banquet faded away, replaced by the warm glow of a quiet military tent.

A familiar young voice said earnestly, “All thanks to Teacher.”

Heh.

Once more.

Once more!

Meanwhile-

Up ahead, a few officers who had fought beside Pei Xin came forward to toast him.

Pei Xin, in rare good spirits, drank more than usual and spoke more freely than he should have.

He said, “It’s thanks to your- your blades and your courage… thanks to Teacher- uh- thanks to Teacher’s tearing down of Wucheng’s- thanks to Teacher’s defense- no- wait, thanks to your- Teacher’s- honor, thanks to…”

Pei Xin: “?”

Soldiers: “???”

He had clearly drunk too much.

His vision blurred; his sense of place slipped, one moment he thought he was still at the banquet, the next in the tent.

Then he realized, Gu Fangzhi must have rewound time again.

He abruptly fell silent, shut his eyes, and refused to open them.

He could hear the good-natured laughter of his soldiers.

“Haha, His Majesty can’t hold his liquor.”

“Just a moment ago he was talking fine, then bam! Out like a light. Youth really can sleep anywhere.”

“Haha, wonder what he’s dreaming about? A nightmare? Look at that frown!”

“Haha, nah, he’s probably dreaming about that young Lord Gu! He keeps mumbling his name!”

Their laughter echoed around him.

Pei Xin, meanwhile, was being rewound over and over by Gu Fangzhi.

Whatever tenderness he’d felt earlier had long since evaporated.

He looked at Gu Fangzhi and very nearly raised a hand to pinch the man’s cheek hard,
but when he saw the way Gu Fangzhi’s eyes curved with that bright, happy smile, he restrained himself.

Thankfully, the torment was brief.

After replaying it two more times, Gu Fangzhi finally felt satisfied and mercifully stopped.

Pei Xin opened his eyes.

The deep, knowing looks from the surrounding soldiers were now what he feared most.

Without meeting anyone’s gaze, he stood up.

“I’ve had too much. I’ll return to my tent,” he said flatly.

Back in his quarters, Pei Xin had meant to review the reports again, but the words on the page seemed to dance and sway, making his head ache.

He gave up, collapsing onto the bed still in his armor.

Sleep hovered at the edge of his consciousness.

He wasn’t fully asleep, but his mind kept drifting, images flashing in and out: Snowball (his dog) running wild, barking, darting here and there like a lunatic.

Pei Xin’s head throbbed from the noise.

He clicked his tongue irritably.

Then he heard a soft exclamation.

“Huh, frowning even in your sleep.”

A cool fingertip pressed gently between his brows, as if to smooth out the crease.

A faint scent of osmanthus lingered in the air.

The finger began to withdraw, but Pei Xin suddenly reached out, caught the person’s wrist, and pulled them down hard.