Chapter 14 Will You Help Me?
"No matter the outcome, a war between Xuanyuan and the Chenrong insurgent army is inevitable." Xiangliu's face remained completely expressionless.
Xiaoyao stared into his eyes:
"Not necessarily. The grand trend of the world is unstoppable. In fact, both Lord Hong Jiang and you know very well in your hearts that Chenrong is impossible to restore. Hong Jiang is simply refusing to accept defeat. Leading a bunch of remnants and stragglers, hiding deep in the mountains and forests to eke out a meager existence, swearing to the death not to surrender—he does this to display his backbone to the world, to fulfill his honorable reputation of loyalty by dying on the battlefield in the end, isn't that right?"
Xiangliu said nothing. He neither agreed nor disagreed; there was not the slightest expression on his face.
"If Cang Xuan is an enlightened monarch, under whose rule the rivers are clear, the seas are calm, the world is at peace, the people live and work in contentment, and all nations come to pay homage, then whether it is Haoling or Zhongyuan, the hearts of the world will surely turn toward him, and nations far and wide will pledge allegiance. By then, Cang Xuan might not even need to dispatch a massive army to encircle and suppress a mere few tens of thousands of Chenrong soldiers. With the way Hong Jiang is currently operating, I'm afraid before Cang Xuan even has to lift a finger, you guys might not even last a few more years. On the contrary, if Hong Jiang still stubbornly resists, provoking the flames of war to fulfill his so-called loyalty, then he is stepping over the corpses of countless soldiers to achieve his own reputation. That is not loyalty; that is despicable. Xiangliu, although you honor your word and keep your promises, you are not a foolish person, are you?"
At this point, Xiaoyao paused for a moment before continuing:
"Conversely, if Cang Xuan is unworthy of his position, dissolute, and lawless, he will inevitably arouse the fury of the common people, and the whole world will rise up to attack him. By then, without the Chenrong army having to lift a finger, I, Haoling Jiuyao, will be the first one to refuse." Xiaoyao stood up and gazed out at the horizon. "I am the daughter of the great demon Chichen and the Grand Princess and General. If you aren't convinced, come and fight me!"
Against the lingering crimson of the sunset, Xiangliu saw a genuine murderous aura on Xiaoyao's face. He stood up. For a split second, he suddenly felt as though he had never truly known the woman before him. She was so confident, so proud, so noble, yet at the same time so lonely and so frail. He suddenly felt a strong impulse to protect this woman, to keep her safe and sound, so that from then on she would never have to fear anyone or anything. He looked into her eyes, and one hand slowly raised from his side, reaching out toward her face. Gradually, his fingertips brushed against her cheek. She stared at his fingers and into his eyes, pressing her cheek against his palm and rubbing gently.
In their silent mutual gaze, the setting sun, like blood, dyed both their faces red and set their hearts ablaze...
After a long while, Xiaoyao clasped his hand and asked softly:
"So, Xiangliu, will you help me?"
"I cannot make the decision regarding troop deployments alone. I must discuss it with my adoptive father."
Xiaoyao took a step back, gave him a full bow, and said:
"Whether Lord Hong Jiang agrees or not, with these words of yours, Jiuyao is grateful."
Xiangliu reached out to support her. Xiaoyao looked up at his peerless face and said softly:
"Xiangliu, I want to hug you so badly!"
Before he could react, Xiaoyao wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in the crook of his neck. She felt his entire body stiffen, standing as motionless as if under a spell. The next moment, as if having made up his mind, he slowly stretched his arms forward, wrapped them around her waist, and pulled her tightly into his embrace... His heart beat wildly and uncontrollably...
After a long moment, Xiaoyao raised her head. Her boneless, slender arms rested lightly around his waist, and her eyes, clear as water and shining as though about to overflow, looked at him with a smile. The unique fragrance of her body instantly overwhelmed him. His gaze swept across her trembling eyelashes and dainty nose, coming to rest upon her rosy... lips. Those lips were parted slightly in a smile. With his eyes, he traced that alluring curve over and over again, and as if spellbound, he slowly lowered his head, inching closer toward that fragrance of his dreams...
Just as they were about to touch, Xiaoyao tilted her head slightly. One hand stroked upward from his waist, came to his chest, grasped a strand of his cascading white hair, and began to stroke it slowly and gently...
Xiangliu felt a bit exasperated—she truly was a bane. Her soft voice drifted lightly into his ear:
"You... you aren't angry anymore, are you?!"He truly was a menace. With just that embrace, just that fleeting brush of a touch, he had completely forgotten all about his anger. His mind was entirely filled with her rosy lips... He had been lost in the thought for so long that he forgot to reply.
"Mmm?" Her voice sounded so sweet...
"Mmm!" His voice was so hoarse...
"I'll go learn martial arts with you tomorrow."
"Alright, I'll come pick you up tomorrow!"
On the way back to the mountain that night, General Xiangliu thought with self-derision: Neither the King of Xiyan nor the King of Haoling had ever driven him an inch, yet now, facing this Grand Princess, this gentle and delicate young woman, he actually wanted to rush forward and let her order him about, to shield her from the wind and rain, to charge into battle for her, and to protect her from any further harm from this moment on. As long as she frowned at him, blinked at him, or rested her mischievous little head against his chest, stroking his white hair with her fair and tender little hand, his head would spin and his whole body would go weak as if poisoned—though he had never known what being poisoned felt like, he thought: If this is what poison feels like, then the sensation is really not bad at all...
Early the next morning, after finishing breakfast, Xiaoyao briefed Rushou on various matters concerning Qingshui City and her fief. She thought to herself: Royal Father is truly so thoughtful. Rushou is indeed the most capable commander under Royal Father; with his assistance, a great burden has been lifted from her shoulders. Right now, both the complex affairs of Qingshui City and the fief were proceeding step-by-step and in an orderly fashion, and a grand blueprint drawn in Xiaoyao's mind was slowly unfolding across the Great Wasteland.
"Grand Princess, the elders proposed yesterday that we hold a grand celebration to commemorate your taking charge of Qingshui City!"
"Let's not rush into these superficialities just yet. Taking charge of Qingshui City cannot be as simple as just holding a celebration; it requires a joint proclamation to the world by Royal Father, Grandfather, and Brother so that it is entirely justified. The time is not right yet."
"Understood. Grand Princess, the various clans have already selected their able-bodied young men, and troop training will begin shortly. However, these are all new recruits, and it might be unwise to send them directly to garrison the surrounding areas without proper training. Do you need me to mobilize personnel from the fief?"
"No need. The fief is sparsely populated, and humans and demons live mixed together; Royal Father's army is already stretched thin there. I will mobilize troops from elsewhere later to garrison the surrounding areas of Qingshui City, and then send forces to help out in the fief."
While answering "Understood," Rushou cast a glance at Xiaoyao, thinking: Where are you going to mobilize troops from? The few soldiers you currently have in your fief were brought over from Haoling by me in the first place. Borrow from Xiyan? Even if you borrowed, you wouldn't get many; besides, Xiyan is far away and the climate is completely different. Soldiers traveling such long distances easily fall ill, and if they really came, it wouldn't even be enough to cover the cost of treating their illnesses!
"The most important matter right now is selecting talent, and you must oversee this personally. I'll have someone else take over the troop training later. Post recruitment notices across the Great Wasteland and widely gather people of insight from all over the realm, ensuring we select a batch of shrewd, quick-witted, and efficient capable individuals."
"Understood. Grand Princess, the funds donated by the various clans have already arrived, but the amount is truly very small, whereas a lot of people have come, and I have already settled them all. Yet money is needed everywhere right now..."
"Very well, I'll go ask Cang Xuan and Grandfather for another mountain of gold later."
"Ah!?"
Seeing Rushou's wide eyes and gaping mouth, Xiaoyao said dismissively:
"Look at how unworldly you are! What? Whenever my name comes up, you're always talking about the Grand Princess of two nations left and right. Royal Father gave this Grand Princess a mountain of gold; there's no reason to let Brother and Grandfather off easy while making Royal Father look down on the two of them.
Now, do this: go to the Yu residence yourself a bit later and see Yu Xin. Tell him the Grand Princess thanks him for the congratulatory gift."
"What congratulatory gift?"
"Oh! A few days ago, Yu Xin came to pay his respects and brought a congratulatory gift, saying it was to celebrate my taking office as the Lord of Qingshui City. Have him pass a word to Tushan Jing: tell him that Haoling Jiuyao, the Lord of Qingshui City, thanks Clan Leader Tushan for his generous gift!"
"This..."
"Grand Princess, General Xiangliu is here!" Miaopu hurried forward.
As soon as she heard Xiangliu's name, a smile immediately bloomed at the corners of Xiaoyao's mouth. She stood up and ran out, running right into the visitor. Xiaoyao walked up to him with a beaming smile:
"Why did you come over here?"
"Miaopu brought me over, saying you were discussing matters here."
"Have you eaten breakfast?"
"I have!"