The Glory After Rebirth [ɇÇ”Ÿä¹‹Å°Šè£] Chapter 337- 339

Chapter 337: A Great Victory

“You have to tough it out,” said Yuwen Tong, who had checked the temperature and knew that the water was fairly scalding but not unbearable.

Enduring the heat with a grimace, Ling Zhang said, “It turns out I’m still too weak. I just hurled a saber and it drained my energy.”

Yuwen Tong wet a towel and gently toweled Ling Zhang’s face. Although it had been a single throw, given the long distance between the two of them at that time and the level of Ling Zhang’s internal energy, he had had to hurl it with all his might to make sure the saber traveled fast enough to intercept that arrow before it could reach Yuwen Tong’s back. Ling Zhang had subconsciously summoned all the internal energy he had, and this consequence was not really surprising, but although Ling Zhang was the one enduring the physical pain, Yuwen Tong’s heart ached for him.

At first the heat had been the only thing Ling Zhang had to put up with, but slowly the medicine permeated through his body and a mixture of numbness and anguish filled every fibre of his being, rendering him unable to speak, droplets of sweat trickling down his forehead and cheeks continuously. Teeth clenched, he had to concentrate all his efforts on fighting the painful and numb sensation.

Yuwen Tong wiped the sweat off Ling Zhang’s brow, eyes and cheeks without saying anything, stabs of distress sweeping over him as he stood beside the barrel watching Ling Zhang suffering from the aches.

‘I went too easy on Dong Gao. I should’ve given him the slowest and most painful death,’ thought Yuwen Tong, a flicker of resentment crossing his eyes.

As moments ticked away, the bathwater cooled down by degrees and the battle cries from the distance gradually lessened.

When the water had entirely gone cold, Ling Zhang’s whole body relaxed completely and he limply toppled backwards. Yuwen Tong, quick of eye and deft of hand, immediately caught him. “How do you feel?”

“Much better,” answered Ling Zhang in a weak voice.

In the beginning it had been itchy, agonizing and intolerably miserable, but that had been because the medicine was restoring his meridians. As his meridians had been repaired, the pain had ebbed, but it would take another medicated bath to nurse him back to health.

Yuwen Tong scooped him out of the barrel, quickly toweled him dry, clothed him in thin robes and then settled him onto a couch in the corner.

Ling Zhang had just sat onto the couch when Qiu Bing showed up in the doorway with a bowl of decoction in his hands, as though he had calculated beforehand how much time the process would take. “Young Master, Marshal, I brought the medicine here.”

“Come in,” said Yuwen Tong.

Qiu Bing walked inside and proffered the bowl of decoction which was quite black in color. “Young Master, the medicine is ready. It’s perfectly warm.”

Ling Zhang inclined his head, took the bowl and inhaled deeply before drinking the decoction in one gulp. Screwing up his face, he returned the bowl to Qiu Bing and said, “I’m very tired and could use some sleep. When am I supposed to take the next medicated bath?”

“When you wake up, Young Master,” answered Qiu Bing.

On hearing this, Ling Zhang directly sank down onto the sloping couch, feeling utterly exhausted. He was so weary that the only thing he wanted to do was have a sound sleep, his eyelids drooping. Before closing his eyes, he said to Yuwen Tong, “I need to sleep. Qiu Bing will be here taking care of me. There are still a lot of things you need to attend to out there. You should go right away. The soldiers need their commander-in-chief to be with them.”

Yuwen Tong didn’t want to leave, for Jiang Xi and his men were more than enough to finish up the fighting. Besides, right now the battle was probably almost over.

“There’s a difference between you personally being there and someone else being there. Winning a great victory in this war against the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom is extremely important for building up your reputation. I’m really fine. It’s just momentary overfatigue. I’ll fully recover after a rest cure. It’s nothing serious. Besides, I’ve just drunk the medicine and want to have a good sleep. If you stay here, I’ll be worrying about the situation out there and have trouble sleeping.” Ling Zhang was so drowsy that he had closed his eyes, struggling to finish speaking without drifting off.

Seeing this, Yuwen Tong came to know that Ling Zhang wouldn’t be able to sleep well if he stayed, so he said resignedly, “Okay. I’ll go and check. Set you mind at ease and sleep.”

It was after hearing this that Ling Zhang was relieved, his hold on Yuwen Tong’s hand gradually loosening, falling asleep.

Yuwen Tong covered Ling Zhang’s abdomen with a thin blanket, enjoined Qiu Bing to watch over Ling Zhang and then left.

…

The Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom had taken advantage of the civil strife in the Great Yue and waged an aggressive war, but now they had been defeated and almost wiped out, which gladdened the people’s hearts. Yuwen Tong gave the order to kill most of the surviving enemies, sparing only a small number of them to let them return to their respective countries to deliver a message: he would lead his army to attack the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom unless they sent envoys to the Great Yue to negotiate peace agreements with terms he found satisfying.

Scared out of their wits, the soldiers of the two countries who had been spared fled the battlefield as quick as they could and went back to relay the message.

If the conditions were right, Yuwen Tong would directly take the couple of cities of the Luohai Kingdom nearest to the border, but given the circumstances, he couldn’t stay in the north-west for too long. It was about time he returned to the capital city. No matter how many cities he took, he wouldn’t be able to keep them if the situation on the home front was not stable.

Yuwen Tong’s imposing and forbidding presence made every soldier of the Great Yue on the battlefield feel exceptionally proud and gratified. They heartily idolized Yuwen Tong, convinced that he would lead them to victory in this war, which he did. This was what raised their spirits the most.

After flattening the encampment of the allied forces of the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom and sending some men back to deliver the message, Yuwen Tong instructed the troops to clear the battlefield of the dead.

“Jiang Xi, you and the others are to make arrangements for the battleground to be cleared and establish the casualty number. On top of that, I need you to put up barricades where the encampment of the allied forces once was and wait there for the envoys of the the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom to come.”

“Yes, Marshal.”

“Shao Feng, you’re to return to the encampment with me.”

“Yes, Marshal.”

Beneath the gaze of large numbers of soldiers of the Great Yue, Yuwen Tong and Shao Feng went back to the encampment to loud cheers.

“Have our men strike camp and move back into the city after the clear-up is finished and the casualty number is established. Tell them the victory banquet will be held after they return to the city. There’s no point celebrating when everything is a mess,” said Yuwen Tong.

Shao Feng raised no objections, for these instructions from Yuwen Tong would actually make things easier for him. “May I go and start making arrangements straight away, Marshal?” he asked.

“Go. Ling Zhang hurt himself and I need to go back and check on him,” said Yuwen Tong.

Back on the battlefield, everybody had been engaged in the fighting, and Shao Feng had merely heard someone briefly mention this matter but didn’t know any details about it. He concernedly inquired, “How’s Childe Ling’s injury? Is it necessary to get him back into the city immediately?”

Yuwen Tong shook his head, gave a sketchy account of what had happened previously, and then said, “He needs to take a medicated bath on a daily basis in the next two days. For the moment there’s no hurry about getting him back to the city. I’ve had the required medicinal herbs delivered here from downtown already, so you may save the medicinal supplies for the troops.”

Shao Feng made no more remarks about it. “Okay. If there’s anything you need me to do, just give the word, Marshal. I can have them transport some medicinal herbs to this place from Youzhou very quick.”

Yuwen Tong inclined his head. “I see. You may go and get on with your day.”

“Yes, Marshal.”

With the clean-up in Shao Feng’s and Jiang Xi’s capable hands, Yuwen Tong didn’t have to personally intervene in it. He paid a visit to the infirmary and offered words of consolation to the many severely wounded soldiers before leaving. At this time, it was full dark already.

Yuwen Tong hastened back to his tent. The whole place was hushed, for his personal bodyguards were guarding the tent and nobody dared to approach. Ling Zhang’s tent, guarded by Wang Dashan and some others, was even quieter. From inside the tent issued the breathing of someone fast asleep, along with that of someone awake.

On entering the tent, Yuwen Tong saw Ling Zhang who was still sleeping, Qiu Bing sitting on the side, wiping his needles.

“Marshal.” Qiu Bing sprang to his feet at the sight of Yuwen Tong.

Yuwen Tong signaled him to keep his voice down, standing still. “He’s been asleep all along? Did he ever wake up?”

Qiu Bing shook his head. “No. Young Master’s body is still absorbing the medicine. I think it’ll be another two hours or so before he awakes.”

Staying a few paces away from the bed, Yuwen Tong carefully checked on Ling Zhang. It was after confirming that he was sound asleep and some color had returned to his face that Yuwen Tong said, “I’ll go and change clothes and come back later.”

Qiu Bing inclined his head.

Yuwen Tong, who was still wearing dusty and blood-stained armor, returned to the main tent in haste, changed out of the armor and into clean clothes before going back to the tent where Ling Zhang was sleeping. This was a “bath tent”, and a screen divided off the left part of it in which placed a couch on which Ling Zhang was sleeping at this time.

After entering the tent, Yuwen Tong first went to get himself some water to wash. Qiu Bing had already taken his leave.

When he had washed himself clean and changed into clean clothes, Yuwen Tong walked out from behind the screen and to the couch. Eyes on Ling Zhang’s placid sleeping face, the concern that he had been feeling all this time slowly ebbed away. He reached out a hand to hold Ling Zhang’s which was placed on his abdomen, then settled himself on a round stool beside the couch, looking at Ling Zhang with his deep gentle eyes.

…

It was two hours later that Ling Zhang woke up. On opening his eyes, he came in sight of Yuwen Tong who was sitting beside his couch, reading a handbook with his head down, a calm expression on his face. He cocked an ear at the outside and found that the battle cries could no longer be heard. There were only faint footsteps and the noises of soldiers breaking camp. Candles in this tent had been lit and there was no telling what time it was.

Yuwen Tong noticed the moment he awoke. He closed the handbook, put it aside and said, “You’ve woken up. How are you feeling now?”

Ling Zhang exhaled deeply, appearing languid. “Better than I did before the sleep. I’ll fully recover after another couple of medicated baths. What time is it now? How long have you been sitting here? Have you got everything handled?”

Yuwen Tong answered the questions one by one. “The night watchman has just struck Hai Hour (21:00–22:59). I’ve dealt with everything I’m supposed to deal with. Jiang Xi and Shao Feng will take care of the clean-up. Are you hungry? I had them prepare some food.”

Remaining on the couch, Ling Zhang stretched out a hand.

Yuwen Tong immediately took his hand, holding it tight. “What’s the matter?” he asked.

Ling Zhang replied, “Nothing. I just don’t feel like getting up. I’m indeed a little hungry, but I won’t starve anything time soon.”

Yuwen Tong could tell from Ling Zhang’s face that he was not experiencing any discomfort, that he just looked languid and a bit down. He said, “You’ve slept for quite some time and it’ll take a heavy toll on you if you don’t get something to eat right away. I’ll have them deliver the food to this tent. You may lie here for a while longer and wait until they bring the food here to get up and eat.”

Happy to hear that he didn’t have to get up right away, Ling Zhang slightly raised his eyebrows, shifted his position and breezily answered, “Okay.”

Yuwen Tong gave a smile, put Ling Zhang’s hand back onto his abdomen, rose to his feet and walked out. Before long, he returned, sat back onto the stool and held Ling Zhang’s hand again.

Ling Zhang looked at him. “Isn’t there supposed to be a celebratory banquet tonight?”

Yuwen Tong answered, “We need to clear the battlefield and establish the casualty number first, so the banquet will be held after we return to the city. On top of that… right now I’m not really in the mood for a banquet.”

Aware of what he was thinking about, Ling Zhang said, “Are you not worried your soldiers will be disappointed?”

“The battle has just finished and everybody is tired. Besides, we suffered rather heavy casualties as well, and those who have just seen the dead bodies of their close comrade-in-arms are probably not in the mood for celebrating either,” observed Yuwen Tong.

Chapter 338: A Quick Recovery

Ling Zhang had only known by hearsay that it was a convention in the army to throw a celebratory banquet after winning a victory, that all soldiers needed liquor to help them relax after a battle. However, things were different in the army under the command of Yuwen Tong. They had all become accustomed to clearing the battlefield and establishing the numbers of the dead and the injured first before holding a victory banquet. Firstly, this could help stabilize the chaotic situation as soon as possible; secondly, it was a habit they had developed during the many years of war. Although they had won, they still had to stay alert, because if they got drunk and the enemies launched a sneak attack, things would be very tricky. As a result, Yuwen Tong’s soldiers had all made a habit of this, and none of them would raise any objections.

“Young Master, Marshal, we’re here to deliver the food.”

“Come in.”

Wang Dashan and Qiu Bing entered carrying food, accompanied by Xie Shi, who examined Ling Zhang.

“Childe Ling, you’re recuperating quicker than I expected. The medicine Qiu Bing prepared turns out to be quite effective. Take a medicated bath before you sleep tonight and another one tomorrow, and you’ll fully recover,” said Xie Shi.

Ling Zhang cast an appreciative look at Qiu Bing, who scratched his head and said, “Young Master’s strong constitution was the reason why the medicine worked so soon.”

Previously, when Yuwen Tong had been unblocking Ling Zhang’s meridians, he had been intentionally strengthening his meridians, too. Also, the cultivation method that Ling Zhang had adopted afterward suited his constitution perfectly, so although this time his meridians had been damaged, he was recovering much faster than common people would.

There was some color back in Ling Zhang’s cheeks. Although his face still appeared pasty, he looked much better than he had during the day.

After having a meal, Ling Zhang got out of bed and walked around the tent with Yuwen Tong, slowly stretching his muscles.

During the process, Ling Zhang stole several glances at Yuwen Tong and eventually, Yuwen Tong was unable to pretend not to notice even if he wanted to. “Why are you sneaking looks at me? Is there anything you’re not telling me?”

Ling Zhang hurriedly said, “Of course not. It’s just…” He gave a cough and then continued, “I was just observing the look on your face, trying to find out whether or not you’re going to tell me off.”

Yuwen Tong paused, looking at him. “Why would I do that?”

Ling Zhang said, “Because I didn’t stay in the city as you told me to.”

Yuwen Tong gazed deeply at him. “I should indeed be angry, but more with myself than with you.”

Ling Zhang was confused. “Ah?”

Yuwen Tong explained, “You wouldn’t have got hurt if it weren’t for me.”

Ling Zhang caught on and immediately said, “What are you talking about? This injury of mine is nothing. I probably would’ve taken my own life had you died there! You know what? During the day, I originally planned to stay in the city as you’d told me to, but when I was on the gate tower, I suddenly felt very uneasy and I kept having this foreboding feeling that something bad was going to happen. I was worried, so I went to the battlefield, and fortunately it was not too late.”

Yuwen Tong raised his hand to stroke Ling Zhang’s face. “Then why do you think I’d be angry with you?”

Ling Zhang was at a loss for words for a brief moment. “Well, it would seem I asked the wrong question, but you need to wipe that look off your face. It makes me upset.”

Then he took Yuwen Tong’s hand which was caressing his cheek, kissed it and then looked at Yuwen Tong with gleaming eyes. “Now I’ve given you a kiss. Stop overthinking it.”

Yuwen Tong, who was staring at him with burning eyes, abruptly pulled him into his embrace and started kissing him.

…

The two of them kissed for quite some time before parting. Though fully aroused, Ling Zhang knew that he was still weak and not in a fit state to have sex.

“Let’s stop it. This kiss turned me on, but right now we can’t do that,” muttered Ling Zhang under his breath.

Chuckling, Yuwen Tong carried him back to the couch and sat down. In a somewhat hoarse voice, he said, “Just now you seduced me first.”

Ling Zhang slid him a sideward glance. “I just gave you a kiss.”

Yuwen Tong said, “A single kiss from you is more than enough to send me giddy.”

A smile curled the corners of Ling Zhang’s mouth. “Then why are you not giddy? Just now we had more than one kiss.”

Yuwen Tong drew Ling Zhang’s hand to a certain part of his body and, as his hand gently touched it, he gasped lightly and croaked, “What about now? Are you feeling it?”

Ling Zhang, “…”

He quickly tried to withdraw his hand but Yuwen Tong didn’t let him.

“You…You… It’s almost time for the medicated bath. Qiu Bing might come in at any moment. Let go of me!”

Yuwen Tong said, “I believe he knows better than that.”

“Are you not afraid people might hear us?” Ling Zhang glared at him. “I feel weak and I don’t want to move. Get your hands off me.”

Yuwen Tong said, “It’s okay. I’ll help you move.”

Ling Zhang, “…”

He was utterly resigned.

…

Eventually, with Yuwen Tong holding his hands, they did it. Ling Zhang had been somewhat quiet during the process, because what with his physical conditions, there was not much he could do. Yuwen Tong, however, was quite contented.

Holding Ling Zhang in his arms, Yuwen Tong kissed and coaxed him for a few moments and it was only when Qiu Bing asked for permission to come in to prepare the medicated bath that he stopped.

Ling Zhang, who was finally rid of him, lay back onto the couch with his butt to Yuwen Tong, as though telling him he didn’t want to speak with him right now.

With a gentle look in his eyes, Yuwen Tong reached out a hand to feel Ling Zhang’s Dantian. “Does this part feel uncomfortable?”

Ling Zhang was briefly stiff and then replied, “Just a little, but now the discomfort is gone.”

Yuwen Tong disbelieved. A Dantian drained of internal energy usually caused more misery than damaged meridians did, and there was no doubt the misery would deepen when people tried to treat it with medication. Ling Zhang had just been hiding it all along. At first Yuwen Tong hadn’t been unaware of this, and it had been a moment ago that he faintly sensed it. Just now when he’d been doing his thing, Ling Zhang had clearly been aroused, but soon discomfort had appeared on his face. Although Ling Zhang had quickly concealed it, it had still failed to escape Yuwen Tong’s notice.

“I’m going back to the main tent. You may lie here and rest. I’ll be back soon,” Yuwen Tong said before leaving the tent.

Puzzled, Ling Zhang rolled over and watched Yuwen Tong leave. He left just like this? What did he want to do there?

Yuwen Tong came back very soon. He walked to the couch and shoved a pill into Ling Zhang’s mouth. The pill was giving off a faint scent of medicine and quickly melted after being put into his mouth. When he had swallowed it, a stream of something warm flowed straight into his stomach. Eventually, his abdomen warmed up and his injured Dantian seemed to have been enwrapped by some kind of warm force. Ling Zhang felt so comfortable that he could barely keep from letting out a long sigh.

“What was it that you just gave me?” asked Ling Zhang. Considering how effective the pill was, it must be uncommonly rare and precious. Yuwen Tong gave it to him just like this?

“It was a pill that helped heal internal injury. My grandfather bought it at a high price from a miracle-working physician who was very famous in Jianghu. I’ve been saving it all these years,” responded Yuwen Tong.

Ling Zhang was both astonished and anxious. “Then why did you have me swallow it without telling me anything about it?! This pill’s so precious. It’s a life-saving pill your grandfather left to you, and now you’ve used it on me. What if some day you yourself… you yourself… My injury was just momentary and I was already recovering. Why did you make such a rash decision? Are you trying to have me killed by my own anger?!”

However, he had already swallowed the pill and there was no way to get it out of his body. Ling Zhang bitterly regretted it.

Yuwen Tong said, “I won’t be needing it. Besides, it’s very likely that the pill would lose its efficacy if I keep it for too long, which is something neither of us want to see happen, right? What you hurt is your Dantian, not some non-vital part. You have to take it seriously, but instead, you kept it back from me, showing a total disregard for your own health. If it caused some kind of sequela, I’d regret it for the rest of my life. I’m glad that you swallowed it. At least I can now relax safe in the knowledge that you’ll be fine.”

Ling Zhang went berserk. “I told you I was already recovering!”

Yuwen Tong said, “Quickly healing your injured Dantian is not the only thing the pill could do. Given your physical conditions, it’s probably also beneficial to you in some other ways. Try circulating your internal energy when you’re having a medicated bath and see if it has brought any changes.”

Ling Zhang stared at him. It was quite a while before his sulky face returned to normal. He had already ingested the pill, and what was done was done. Yuwen Tong clearly didn’t begrudge it at all and there was no point reasoning with him.

“I see. I’ll try it later, but you must promise me you won’t ever again make such decisions without telling me first!”

Yuwen Tong said, “Okay.”

Ling Zhang, “…”

He was still angry.

Qiu Bing got the medicated bathwater ready, delivered it to the tent and poured it into the bathing barrel. It was only when Ling Zhang had sat into the barrel that his attention was gradually distracted. The numb and itchy sensation in his meridians was still there, but not as intense as it had been during the day. Sitting cross-legged in the bathing barrel, he tried circulating his internal energy as Yuwen Tong had told him to a moment ago.

At first Ling Zhang didn’t feel anything special, all his attention focused on the numbness and pain caused by the medicine which was restoring his meridians. It was not until that warm force in his Dantian, by degrees, started stirring in an unusual fashion that he became aware that the circulation of his internal energy was producing some kind of effect.

The injury in his Dantian was healing rapidly, and at the same time, as the circulation went on, trickles of internal energy were converging in his Dantian, making it burn…

Moments were ticking away. During the process, Yuwen Tong had utilized his internal energy to heat the bathwater in the barrel several times, so Ling Zhang had stayed in the barrel longer than usual. When he had absorbed all the active ingredient of the medicine, Ling Zhang opened his eyes which were sparkling and piercing. Not only were his cheeks ruddy, his every fibre seemed to be filled with energy!

“My Dantian is larger than before, and it also feels more substantial. Even the wounds in my meridians have almost healed completely. I don’t have to take an extra medicated bath tomorrow. Tonight I’ll be performing Qi circulation and I believe I’ll fully recover by tomorrow. In addition, I have this feeling that I’ll be able to make a breakthrough and reach the third layer of the mental cultivation method this time!” said Ling Zhang cheerfully immediately after opening his eyes.

Yuwen Tong gave a heartfelt smile. “It seems that the pill’s pretty effective.”

Then he stretched out a hand and added, “Get out of there. You’ve been in it long enough.”

Ling Zhang placed his hand onto Yuwen Tong’s palm and was drawn out of the bathing barrel. Then he toweled himself dry and dressed.

Qiu Bing was called in to examine Ling Zhang. After feeling his pulse, Qiu Bing gawked at Ling Zhang and asked, “Young Master, how did you… come to recover so soon?”

This was too soon. Qiu Bing didn’t dare believe that this was the result of his consummate medical skills, because he knew that was untrue. He was fully aware that he had only learned a very small part of his master’s medical knowledge, that there was still a lot for him to learn.

But Ling Zhang had recuperated from his internal injury so quick that Qiu Bing could hardly forbear to doubt himself.

“The mental cultivation method of internal energy I’ve been following seems to be tailor-made for me. Just now, when I was having a medicated bath in the bathing barrel, I tried performing Qi circulation and it had some amazing effects,” said Ling Zhang.

He was uncertain as to whether or not he should disclose his swallowing the pill given by Yuwen Tong, so he kept it from Qiu Bing. Yuwen Tong was listening on the side, his countenance remaining unchanged, seeming to have no inclination to tell anybody about it either.

Chapter 339: A Return Trip to the Capital City

Two days later, all troops stationed outside the city had moved back into the city, and the numbers of the dead and the injured had been established, and all the clean-up work had been finished, so Yuwen Tong gave the order to hold a celebratory banquet on this night.

Ling Zhang, who had recovered from his injury already, also attended the banquet.

“When are you going back to the capital city?” Ling Zhang inquired of Yuwen Tong after the banquet.

Having drunk a lot of liquor at the banquet, Yuwen Tong was tipsy and fondling the back side of Ling Zhang’s neck. He buried his face in Ling Zhang’s neck, sniffed deeply and then replied in a low, deep voice, “I’ll return in two days.”

What with this act of his, Ling Zhang’s waist went somewhat limp, but he still had his sense of perspective. “What about the peace talk? Whom will you put in charge of that before leaving?”

“Jiang Xi and Jiang Ke will be in charge of it temporarily. I’ve already written him a letter, telling him to come here. This won’t be the last time that the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom launch an offensive on us. Sooner or later we’ll have to get rid of these troubles once and for all. The main purpose of the peace talk will be to buy our country a couple of years’ time to recover from the aftermath of the war. From the vantage point of the present, the Wan Kingdom won’t be able to wage another war on its own any time soon. As for the Luohai Kingdom, their troops were almost wiped out during this battle, so they wouldn’t dare make another move in the near future,” said Yuwen Tong.

Ling Zhang pondered over these words for a few moments and then asked, “Are you saying that you’ll attack the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom in a few years?”

Yuwen Tong confided, “Which is why the next couple of years’ time is of great importance to us.”

Indeed, right now Yuwen Tong still had a long way to go to take the throne, and after his enthronement, there would be even more affairs he had to attend to. Presently, the situation in the Great Yue was fraught with hidden dangers which they had to adopt necessary measures to tackle, and it would take time. Also, the country needed time to recuperate and build up strength, which would take four or five years.

“But we need some envoys and the emperor’s seal to hold a peace talk. Right now the Great Yue doesn’t have an emperor, and the lack of imperial authorization will compromise our leverage at the peace talk,” observed Ling Zhang.

Yuwen Tong said, “Which is why we have to go back to the capital city as soon as possible. We don’t have any time to waste. Jiang Xi and Jiang Ke will stall the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom to buy us some time.”

…

“How are you feeling?” After sex, Yuwen Tong pulled a thin quilt over to cover Ling Zhang with it.

Ling Zhang’s hair was wet with sweat, some of which was sticking to his brow. There was a pink flush all over his face, and even his neck and ears were red. He felt lazy and limp and didn’t want to move an inch. When Yuwen Tong put the thin quilt over him, he wanted it removed and said with the air of a spoiled child in spite of himself, “I feel hot. Take it away.”

While saying this, he raised his arm to remove the quilt. Resigned, Yuwen Tong had no choice but to roll over, get out of bed stark naked, walk to a long-legged wooden towel holder in the corner, take the towel off and then return to the bed to wipe the sweat off Ling Zhang’s body, his hands caressing Ling Zhang, longing appearing in his eyes again.

Ling Zhang’s white skin had become ruddy and was now covered in sweat, bearing quite some marks caused by the vigorous sex the two of them had just had…

“Stop it.” Ling Zhang’s voice was a little hoarse, his breathing still uneven, which naturally made him sound like a pampered kid. Yuwen Tong’s warm palms sliding on his body made him quiver involuntarily, and the intense pleasure he had just had seemed to be quickly coming back, but they had just finished a long sex and if they did it again, he felt that his waist bones would break.

Yuwen Tong toweled him dry, tossed the towel aside and reached out a hand to roll him over. “Let me take a look.”

Ling Zhang instantly grabbed his hand, his breath coming in short gasps. “No. What are you doing? Stop it. I’m fine. Go and have them prepare some water. I want to have a bath.”

Yuwen Tong’s hand paused and then moved to Ling Zhang’s upper Dantian. “What about here? How does it feel?”

Ling Zhang replied, “Nothing unusual. I’ve been recovering well during the past couple of days. My internal energy has been partially restored and the discomfort in my Dantian has some time ago disappeared. The pill you gave me has almost been absorbed completely, and I feel that I’ve been regaining my internal energy at a rapid pace.”

“I see,” Yuwen Tong said in a deep voice and stroked his Dantian for quite a while before reluctantly withdrawing his hand. “Pull the quilt back onto your belly. I’ll go and have them get the water ready.”

“Um,” Ling Zhang distantly answered, casually pulled up the quilt to cover only a small part of his abdomen and stretched his muscles with some small body movements. His waist and back were somewhat sore. His crotch was okay, except for the still distinct sensation of something being stuck in there. On top of that…

Ling Zhang blushed and paused, the expression on his face quite awkward, particularly so when that thing started flowing more quickly after he made those movements.

After a while, Yuwen Tong had some warm water delivered to the tent. It was after the two of them finished their baths that Ling Zhang felt comfortable and his face softened.

“Your father also drank quite some liquor tonight and probably won’t get up as early as usual tomorrow morning. I’ve enjoined Xie Shi to keep an eye on your father and examine him immediately if he feels any discomfort,” said Yuwen Tong.

Ling Zhang inclined his head. “The journey back to the capital city will be yet another ordeal for him. I’m worried that he might be tired out, so I want to let him travel slow and have some men protect him.”

Yuwen Tong gave it some thought and said, “Okay.”

…

At noon the next day, Ling Zhaowu had lunch with Ling Zhang and some others.

“Father, I want Brother Donglin to have five of his men stay and protect you. Do you think it’s okay? Apart from them, some of Yuwen Tong’s personal bodyguards will be with you as well. You may travel slowly. There’s no need for you to hurry. Yuwen Tong and I will return to the capital city first.” Ling Zhang told Ling Zhaowu about his suggestion.

Ling Zhaowu flicked a glance at him and Yuwen Tong and then responded, “Okay. My physical condition is still not good enough, so maybe it’s better if I go slowly.”

In the two days since he had made arrangements for the journey back to the capital city, Yuwen Tong was fully occupied and Ling Zhang didn’t see him once.

On the third day, Yuwen Tong returned early in the morning. Ling Zhang had had their baggage ready.

“All necessary arrangements have been made. We may get going now,” said Yuwen Tong.

Ling Zhang bobbed his head and then bade farewell to Jiang Xi, Shao Feng and Jiang Ke who had just hurried over from the border city in Shengzhou.

“Childe Ling, we’ll go back to the capital city to attend your and the Marshal’s wedding after we get everything handled here,” said Jiang Xi.

At the mention of the wedding, Jiang Ke’s and Shao Feng’s interest was also piqued, as though they also had been meaning to go to the capital city to attend Ling Zhang’s and Yuwen Tong’s wedding.

Naturally, Ling Zhang was glad to hear that they would make it back to the capital city in time.

“You will have your chances,” said Yuwen Tong.

Jiang Xi exchanged meaningful looks with the other two and then said to Yuwen Tong, “Marshal, are you sure you don’t want any of us to go back to the capital city with you?”

Yuwen Tong said, “That won’t be necessary. I’ve had Qi San secretly draft the Shadow Battalion back to the capital city.”

Jiang Xi’s eyes lit up. “It turns out Lao Qi has gone back.”

Shao Feng said, “Marshal, we’ll make arrangements for some men to covertly keep watch on the road connecting the capital city and Youzhou, just in case.”

Yuwen Tong gave a bob of the head. “You’ll have to deal with the Wan Kingdom’s and the Luohai Kingdom’s envoys for some time. Make sure you stall them long enough for the envoy from the capital city to arrive.”

Shao Feng and the other two chorused, “We will, Marshal.”

The matters in the capital city brooked no delay, and Yuwen Tong had made detailed arrangements for all affairs in this city, so after bidding them farewell, he and Ling Zhang each mounted a fast horse and galloped out of the border city.

…

Although they traveled very fast, it still took them several days to reach the capital city. People in the capital city had received the message when the two of them approached the city.

‘Thank God, they’re back,’ a lot of people in the capital city thought relievedly.

The current situation in the capital city was really quite peculiar. The Right Prime Minister and some others feared very much that Yuwen Tong might not be able to bring the war to an end until half a year or even a solid year later, and in that case, things in this city would definitely change in unforeseen ways sooner or later.

Fortunately, Yuwen Tong had resolved the crisis in the north-west very soon. As long as Yuwen Tong returned to the capital city, everything would be settled.

…

The Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom had been defeated. The King Ming’en of the Wan Kingdom and Dong Gao, general-in-chief of the Luohai Kingdom’s army, were both dead, the allied forces of the two countries almost wiped out. News of this caused great sensation when it spread back to the two countries.

“I heard that the Great Yue still hasn’t selected a new emperor yet, and the whole country is literally under Yuwen Tong’s sole dominion. Once Yuwen Tong is crowned Emperor of the Great Yue, all our lives will be in danger.”

The emperor of the Wan Kingdom summoned his trusted courtiers to have a meeting, all of whom had worried faces, mainly because Shan Congwen, the King Ming’en, had died by Yuwen Tong’s knife.

“But we are not capable of waging another war. Our country was never as rich as the Great Yue. After several years of war and the many defeats Yuwen Tong inflicted on us in succession, our people cannot afford to take another blow. Currently, our first priority is to let the troops rest and the economy to recover. It’s inadvisable for us to cross swords with another country.”

“I agree. Although the Luohai Kingdom suffered heavy casualties, they’re clearly in better battle-readiness than us. If by any chance the Luohai Kingdom change their standing and turn on us, we’ll be put in a very disadvantageous position. We should start to build up strength immediately to regain our abilities to defend against attack first and then consider other matters.”

“Yes. I’ll second that.”

The emperor of the Wan Kingdom looked rather sulky. He also knew that he couldn’t wage another war, but why were all these people trying to dissuade him when he hadn’t said anything yet? Were they trying to shift the blame for the failure of this concerted military operation with the Luohai Kingdom? Previously these people had all been quite enthusiastic when they proposed cooperating with the Luohai Kingdom to launch an offensive on the Great Yue.

“I called you here to discuss the peace talk with the Great Yue.”

“Well…”

“Sire, may I ask what terms the Luohai Kingdom is going to offer? Should we consult with them first? Although we lost the war, we cannot let the Great Yue look down upon us. What if they claim huge amounts of compensation like they did the last time? If we talk with the Luohai Kingdom beforehand and join hands to bargain with the Great Yue over the peace terms, we’ll be at an advantage.”

The emperor’s face went even colder. Even if he was capable of getting information about the Luohai Kingdom’s terms, it would take more time!

“The way I see it, we might as well make an excuse to delay the peace talk, so that we can consult with the Luohai Kingdom before departure.”

“Good idea.”

The emperor was consumed with anger, but he didn’t really have a choice, so eventually he took the advice and had someone write a secret letter to the emperor of the Luohai Kingdom.

The emperor of the Luohai Kingdom, after reading the secret letter from his counterpart of the Wan Kingdom, gave several sneers. “The Wan Kingdom has ended up like this, yet he still thinks he’s on equal terms with me. What a whimsical fool.”

“What kind of reply do you think we should make to this letter, sire?” asked a courtier of the Luohai Kingdom.

“A perfunctory one. If we are not to get the worst of it during the peace talk with the Great Yue, we’ll have to make sure the Wan Kingdom gets it,” said the emperor of the Luohai Kingdom.

When the emperor of the Luohai Kingdom was writing a letter back to his counterpart of the Wan Kingdom fencing with him, Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang had returned to the capital city. The Right Prime Minister immediately paid them a visit.

“Finally, you’re back, Marshal!” said the Right Prime Minister, looking on the verge of tears.