Ride Horsie?
“Report!”
At that shout, the ruler of Liu Kingdom was so startled that he sprang up from his seat and nearly tumbled down the steps.
“Have they come?” The ruler of Liu Kingdom grabbed hold of the messenger, his whole body trembling.
The man bringing the news was in no better shape. Shivering, he nodded repeatedly. “Your Majesty, Prince Li has led three hundred thousand troops and has already reached our northern border.”
“Wh-what?!” Even though the ruler of Liu Kingdom had already guessed the result in his heart, he had still clung to a sliver of luck. Now reality had struck him a vicious slap across the face.
“It is over...” The ruler of Liu Kingdom slackened his grip as though all strength had left him. Staggering backward, he dropped onto the steps, and even his crown had come loose.
“Your Majesty!” The eunuch beside him hurried forward to help him up.
The ruler of Liu Kingdom paid him no heed at all. His gaze was scattered as he looked outside and muttered, “It is over now. He will not let this Ruler go...”
“Your Majesty, since matters have come to this, we should still think of a way out first.”
“What way is there!” The ruler of Liu Kingdom was ablaze with fury. His eyes stared hatefully outside, though it was unclear whom he was glaring at. His expression was nearly mad. “This Ruler never should have agreed to send troops for Kang Kingdom. This Ruler was wrong... This Ruler cannot let Liu Kingdom be ruined in this Ruler’s hands...”
“Father, Father...” Liu Yuehong rushed in shouting. He had clearly received the news as well and ran before the ruler of Liu Kingdom with anxiety written all over his face. “Father, Lu Ronghuai has attacked. This son is willing to lead troops into battle and swear to defend Liu Kingdom to the last breath.”
Liu Yuehong’s words caused the ruler of Liu Kingdom’s rigid eyes to move. Slowly, he looked toward his third son before him.
“Lead troops? Can you defeat Lu Ronghuai?”
“...”
Liu Yuehong gritted his teeth. “This son is willing to try.”
The ruler of Liu Kingdom stared at his face, and the words at the tip of his tongue were swallowed back down again.
He knew his son was no match at all for Lu Ronghuai. To stand against that man would be no different from hurling an egg against a stone.
Seeing that he said nothing, Liu Yuehong spoke in desperation. “Father, if we meet them in battle, there is still one line of life left. If it truly does not work... then we... we can seek peace again.”
“Seek peace?” The Liu ruler received this as though it were a great joke. He began to laugh foolishly and blankly. “Useless. All of it is useless.”
Liu Yuehong said, “Did Duan Kingdom not submit a letter seeking peace to Lu Ronghuai?”
The ruler of Liu Kingdom ignored him.
The eunuch said in a small voice, “Prince Li not only tore up the letter of peace in public, he also declared that if he did not destroy the Six Kingdoms, he would not return.”
Liu Yuehong’s eyes reddened with anger. “He speaks with an enormous mouth!”
“Hehe...” The ruler of Liu Kingdom let out another laugh, one eerie enough to make one’s heart turn cold. “Yuehong, he used one year to take Shi Kingdom, Yu Kingdom, Western Qiang, and Kang Kingdom one after another. If it were you, could you do it?”
Liu Yuehong: “...”
He could not.
Helped up by the eunuch, the ruler of Liu Kingdom staggered toward the outside. His voice was dead and heavy. “Forget it. Wait and see. In less than three months, he will destroy Liu Kingdom as well.”
Liu Yuehong watched the ruler of Liu Kingdom gradually walk away. Clenching his fists tight, he still did not give up. He cast one last look at the royal seat behind him, then turned and charged out.
On the other side, Lu Ronghuai’s great army had halted ten li outside the city.
“Lu Duoyu, come back.” Holding a bowl in his hands, Lu Ronghuai looked speechless as he watched the little fellow run outside the tent.
“No. Ride little horsey, dudu-du.” The little fellow spoke clearly, his voice milky and soft. Hugging his little wooden horse, he pattered about at the entrance.
He even ran over before a soldier, tilted up his head, blinked his large eyes, and asked obediently with a smile, “Mister, ride horsie?”
The sunlight of the seventh month was fierce. The little fellow wore a lotus-green jacket and knee-length little trousers, exposing his white, tender arms and legs. That rosy, fair little face of his was enough to melt the hearts of everyone in the army.
The soldiers standing guard outside the tent could not help but grin foolishly at such a lovable milk-scented child.
Before they could even grin twice, a tall figure appeared before them.
The smile vanished from the soldier’s face at once. He immediately stood ramrod straight, eyes fixed ahead, while sweat sprang from his brow in the blink of an eye.
Seeing this, Lu Duoyu pursed his rosy little mouth and understood that this would not work after all.
Lu Ronghuai lowered his head. It was as though he had seen through every little scheme in the boy’s belly. He let out a soft laugh through his nose. “Lu Duoyu, if you do not finish your meal today, there will be no activities at all.”
Turning his little head, Lu Duoyu first glanced at the bowl in Lu Ronghuai’s hand, then turned away and said in all seriousness, “Little Fish is not hungry.”
In the next instant, he saw Nie Siran walking toward them, and bright delight immediately burst into his large eyes.
“Uncle~” Throwing open his little arms, he ran joyfully toward Nie Siran.
Nie Siran’s fox-like eyes curved like spring wind as he bent and lifted the little fellow into his arms.
Lu Duoyu wrapped his arms around his neck and even pressed his little head against him, acting spoiled in a soft, milky voice. “Uncle, Little Fish missed you so much.”
“Take Little Fish to play~”
They had only seen each other yesterday. Nie Siran swept a smiling glance toward Lu Ronghuai. How could he fail to guess his little nephew’s thoughts?
“Little Fish, you must not be picky with food.”
Lu Duoyu said, “Little Fish is not picky.”
“Truly?”
“Mm.”
He bent his large eyes and smiled at him, then nodded his little head with utter solemnity.
Nie Siran laughed aloud.
Lu Ronghuai: “Tsk!”
Not picky with food, my foot.
The sun was too harsh. Nie Siran carried the child and went inside with Lu Ronghuai.
“Where is Ah-Yuan?” Nie Siran looked around once, then asked.
Lu Ronghuai set down the bowl of spinach and shredded chicken porridge and pinched at the bridge of his nose. “He went into the mountains with Ah-Die to dig medicinal herbs.”
The south had many mountains and a damp climate. There were many fine medicinal herbs in the mountains. As a physician, Jiang Ni could never move his feet away whenever he passed a great mountain. This time, the army had happened to camp beside one, so naturally Jiang Ni would not let the chance pass.
Moreover, the herbs he dug up were basically all used upon the soldiers in the camp. For that reason, every time he went into the mountains, Lu Ronghuai sent one team of men along with him to protect them.
As for Chu Yuan, he was simply curious and wanted to go into the mountains to play. Because of that, Lu Ronghuai, who was worried beyond measure, sent yet another group of men along.
The moment Lu Duoyu heard Chu Yuan’s name, he puckered his mouth and began to complain.
“Ah-Die left Little Fish behind. Little Fish wanted to go.”
At just over one year old, while children in other households were still muddle-headed and just learning to speak, many words could already come from that little mouth of his, and he could even understand adult speech.
Lu Ronghuai folded his arms and gave a cold laugh, deliberately frightening him. “There are tigers on the mountain.”
Lu Duoyu’s milky voice rang out brightly. “Little Fish is not afraid!”
Nie Siran smiled and narrowed his eyes. “Little Fish, there are many great mosquitoes on the mountain. They will bite many great lumps onto your body.”
In an instant, the little fellow’s face tightened. Pressing his lips together, he stopped speaking.
The little one truly hated mosquitoes. There were many mosquitoes in the south, and he did not like smearing on the herbal juice used to drive them away. Because of that, his arms and legs would often be covered in bites, itchy and miserable.
Seeing that he had wilted, Lu Ronghuai picked the bowl up again and, with one hand, lifted the child onto his lap.
“Drink the porridge obediently, and I will take you to ride a horse.”
Lu Duoyu’s eyes lit up. Yet when he looked at the green, green spinach porridge, he still refused to eat.
“What did you promise Ah-Die this morning? When Ah-Die comes back later, if he learns you would not eat, Ah-Die will be sad.” Lu Ronghuai brought out Chu Yuan, and as expected, hesitation gradually showed on the little fellow’s face.
Lu Ronghuai’s expression eased. He scooped up a spoonful of porridge and brought it to his mouth.
The little fellow truly hated spinach. The moment the spoon drew near, he caught the smell of it and immediately scrunched up his face.
Every part of him resisted it.
Nie Siran leaned back against the chair, his smile warm and gentle as he deliberately said in surprise, “Wah, this porridge smells so fragrant. Your Highness, why not let me have a taste? I have not eaten my midday meal yet.”
Lu Ronghuai curved his lips and played along. “Ah-Yuan cooked this porridge himself. There is no share for you.”
Nie Siran leaned a little closer. “What Ah-Yuan cooks must certainly be delicious. Little Fish, if you are not going to eat it, Uncle will have it, all right?”
The little fellow’s dark eyes widened. Hugging Lu Ronghuai’s neck, he looked twice at the spinach porridge, then asked uncertainly in a small voice, “Ah-Die?”
Lu Ronghuai understood at once what he meant. His face did not change in the slightest as he nodded. “That is right. Ah-Die cooked this porridge. He cooked it especially for you. If you do not eat it, would that not let his feelings down?”
The person Lu Duoyu liked most was Ah-Die. The moment he heard this, he quickly sat down obediently on Lu Ronghuai’s lap, then patted Lu Ronghuai’s arm and urged him on.
“Eat. Little Fish eats.”
Lu Ronghuai fed the porridge into his mouth with satisfaction.
At last, after coaxing him into opening his mouth to eat, Lu Ronghuai let out a breath of relief almost too slight to detect. Before leaving, Chu Yuan had especially instructed him that their son was in his care today. If anyone learned that while taking care of his son he could not even feed him a meal, then would he not be made to sleep on the cold floor tonight?
At the side, Nie Siran found it all highly amusing. He slowly raised two fingers toward Lu Ronghuai.
“Your Highness, two cities.”
At once, Lu Ronghuai felt his teeth ache. “You are opening a lion’s mouth.”
Nie Siran glanced at Lu Duoyu, his meaning clear. “Just now, I helped Your Highness greatly. Surely Your Highness is not reluctant to part with a mere two cities?”
Lu Ronghuai was naturally willing to part with them, yet he simply disliked the sight of that belly full of schemes in Nie Siran.
On the road to Liu Kingdom, he had declared that Liu Kingdom would be theirs to fight, and whoever took a city would keep it. Every last one of them had grown excited enough to rub their fists and palms.
He had simply never expected that Nie Siran, a mere scholar, would also take part in it.
He deliberately asked, “What do you want two cities for?”
Nie Siran gave a light laugh. “Naturally, I wish to put together a bit more betrothal gift.”
“Betroth...” Lu Ronghuai reacted at once. Raising his brows, he teased, “Has the other party agreed? Do not tell me this is only your own wishful thinking.”
“Could you not hope for something good for me?” Nie Siran laughed in exasperation.
Lu Ronghuai gave a light cough and turned serious again. “Then let me congratulate you in advance. Still, you have never led troops into battle before, so it would be better if I went. I will take the two cities and give them to you.”
Nie Siran refused. “If I do not try, how will I know whether I can or cannot? Moreover, I am the one who wishes to take a wife. These two cities must be taken by my own hand.”
Lu Ronghuai said, “I understand your meaning, but the battlefield is dangerous. Do not force yourself recklessly.”
Nie Siran rose to his feet and leisurely dusted the dirt from his sleeve. “Rest assured. Rather than worry over this, Your Highness would do better to worry over yourself.”
“Mm?” While wiping Lu Duoyu’s mouth, Lu Ronghuai lifted his eyes at those words and looked toward him.
Nie Siran walked to the doorway. Standing there against the light, his face could not be seen clearly, yet Lu Ronghuai somehow felt certain he was smiling.
A smile full of gloating.
“News has come from Ye Jing. Imperial Consort Ning publicly announced upon the ritual altar that she is severing the mother-son bond with you.”
✧ A Word from the Author ✧
Lu Ronghuai: And this is supposed to be bad news?
0 Comments