Fu Tian gnawed on two rabbit legs, then ate nearly half a small bird before his stomach was full. He held the hot soup Dai Fu had served him and drank it slowly.
Worried that the coachman might see something he shouldn’t, Dai Fu had already forcibly taken the coachman away, saying he wanted to check around for any dangerous beasts to avoid risks at night.
Although the coachman found it strange that such a small forest could harbor any fierce beasts, he still followed him.
Only two people remained by the campfire.
Approaching October, the weather had turned chilly after a recent rain. Fu Tian stretched out his hands to warm them by the flames.
The flickering orange firelight blurred his face, giving it a kind of unreal beauty in Chu Xiangtian’s eyes.
Chu Xiangtian grasped his restless hand as it tried to reach for the flames. “Be careful not to burn yourself.”
Caught, the hand’s owner reluctantly stayed still, but before long, he couldn’t resist fidgeting again. His head tilted, resting lightly on Chu Xiangtian’s shoulder.
“Did you often sleep outdoors when you were younger?”
Chu Xiangtian’s touch was practiced, just like when they roasted fish at the manor before, and again now.
“Mm.” Chu Xiangtian adjusted his posture to make Fu Tian more comfortable leaning against him. “Want to hear about it?”
“Want to.” Fu Tian’s head gave a soft nod, then he grabbed Chu Xiangtian’s fingers and toyed with them.
Chu Xiangtian’s hands were rough; his fingers long but knuckles thick, calloused palms and the webbing between thumb and index finger hardened.
He looked nothing like a pampered prince, but rather someone who had endured countless hardships.
After a moment’s thought, Chu Xiangtian chose to tell some lighter stories.
“I went to the battlefield at twelve. Back then, the border was still unstable. You could easily fake an identity and get by.”
“The Wuzhang who led my squad was a middle-aged man with a bad temper. He always thought I was too delicate and useless. When he was in a bad mood, he’d drag me out to train.”
“At first, I came home with bruises all over every day. Even the cook couldn’t bear to see it and secretly slipped me steamed buns.” Chu Xiangtian laughed.
“I was stubborn too, too proud to show weakness or give in, so I never ran away. Just kept getting beaten up. Later, I got the hang of it. One time, when the Wuzhang called me out again, I came up with a little trick and knocked him down…”
Fu Tian frowned, anxiously pressing, “And then?”
“Then he became my master. Said I was a good seed and needed more training. So he trained me for three years. Got beaten up for three years.”
Recalling that time, a smile crept onto Chu Xiangtian’s face.
Those three years were probably the happiest and easiest he had in the army: the irritable but protective Wuzhang, the cook who secretly gave him steamed buns, and the two young soldiers who always dragged him aside to complain about the Wuzhang.
Fu Tian felt a mix of sympathy and amusement, hardly able to picture Chu Xiangtian bruised and battered like that.
Seeing him trying to suppress his smile, Chu Xiangtian pinched his cheek. “If you want to laugh, just laugh. Don’t hold it in.”
Before he finished speaking, Fu Tian buried his face in Chu Xiangtian’s shoulder, trembling with laughter. “I really want to see what you looked like as a kid.”
Chu Xiangtian leaned closer, his gaze darkening. “What’s so good about childhood? I wouldn’t let you…” The rest of his words were too low to hear, but Fu Tian’s face visibly flushed.
Suddenly sitting upright, Fu Tian put some distance between them as if escaping a lecherous rogue, yet his curiosity couldn’t be quelled. He eagerly asked, “What happened after that?”
Chu Xiangtian’s eyes dimmed briefly, but he smiled as he stroked Fu Tian’s hair.
“After that, my identity was discovered. I was taken to the Central Army under the old general’s direct command, personally taught by the old general.”
Fu Tian propped his chin on his hand, imagining how everyone must have nervously stopped joking once they knew his true identity.
Chu Xiangtian chuckled softly, hiding the shadow from the past.
Before being taken by the old general, there was a part he hadn’t told.
Back then, the border tribes hadn’t split into factions; they were united under a powerful leader and frequently invaded Great Chu, pillaging the borderlands. So war could break out anytime.
His unit was not highly regarded; most of the time they just followed the main army cleaning up the aftermath.
Although there was no peace on the battlefield, they were much safer than other vanguard units. It wasn’t until he was fifteen that he truly understood the cruelty of war.
That autumn, the tribes suddenly launched a massive attack. His unit received orders to cooperate with the Central Army to cut off the enemy from behind and prevent reinforcements.
This previously disregarded unit was instantly fired up by the order and rushed to the battlefield. But the situation was worse than expected.
No sooner had they arrived than nearly two thousand enemy cavalry reinforcements charged in. They had fewer than two hundred men and could only grit their teeth and face the enemy.
Only Chu Xiangtian survived that battle.
Outnumbered and outmatched in equipment, they formed a human shield to block the enemy, hoping to hold on for as long as possible.
The Wuzhang was the strongest and bravest, always charging ahead. Everyone fought with bloodshot eyes, Chu Xiangtian no exception.
Now, recalling that battle, all he saw was red — blood and flying chunks of flesh.
They held off the enemy for half an hour. Chu Xiangtian was stabbed in the chest and trampled by hooves on his leg, which was broken.
He fell among the corpses, watching the Wuzhang and two soldiers fight until the last moment.
This bad-tempered man always complained about not getting a chance to fight enemies. In this battle, he fulfilled his wish alone, killing countless enemies.
Even at his dying breath, he used his battered body to shield the barely breathing Chu Xiangtian.
Nearly two hundred men were wiped out. The enemy’s iron hooves thundered over their bodies. Chu Xiangtian clung to life, eyes open among the corpses, waiting for death.
Unexpectedly, the old general’s army arrived.
The bodies of the two hundred soldiers were cleaned up one by one. The barely living Chu Xiangtian was found by chance.
The old general probably recognized him and summoned the best military doctors to save him. It took half a year of care before he recovered.
The old general often came to visit him. At the time, Chu Xiangtian didn’t understand why the general looked at him with guilt.
***
Later, he realized that the supposed reinforcements order was a setup to save him.
The Central Army didn’t actually need reinforcements. They had laid a trap behind, waiting for the two thousand cavalry to walk into it.
But Chu Xiangtian’s unit had blocked them for half an hour. If he had died, the false order and conspiracy would have remained a secret forever.
Fortunately, he was strong-willed and survived.
Putting away the past and its bitterness carefully, Chu Xiangtian looked at the sleepy figure resting on his shoulder and smiled gently. “Want to sleep in the carriage?”
Fu Tian hummed softly, hugging his arm in a spoiled way. “Don’t want to move.”
“I’ll carry you.” Chu Xiangtian lifted him effortlessly and carried him to the carriage.
It was large enough inside, with a soft couch where Fu Tian could lie down. After laying out the bedding, he gently placed him inside.
Fu Tian, still groggy, held onto his hand. “Together.”
Chu Xiangtian pressed a light kiss between his brows, feeling his own heart soften. “There’s not enough room here. I’ll keep watch outside. You sleep first.”
Fu Tian yawned, tears welling at the corners of his eyes, clinging to Chu Xiangtian’s hand, unwilling to let go.
Chu Xiangtian could only wait until he fell asleep before withdrawing his fingers and standing watch outside.
The night passed without incident. At dawn, they resumed their journey. The road was bumpy, and before long, Fu Tian woke up, rubbing his eyes and instinctively searching for Chu Xiangtian.
Chu Xiangtian sat at the front. Seeing him awake, he poured him a cup of water. “Almost there. Wake up and stay alert. We can rest properly after we enter the city.”
After drinking, Fu Tian pulled back the carriage curtain and looked outside, the city walls faintly visible ahead.
Their destination was Qu Lin County, the largest city in Xingdong Commandery.
Qu Lin County was built at the intersection of two official roads. Merchants and travelers all passed through, so many outsiders stopped here to rest.
Early in the morning, local farmers brought fresh vegetables and game to sell near the city gate, gradually forming a unique morning market.
Fu Tian watched curiously. There was everything for sale here. Besides local farmers, some outsiders who didn’t want to pay the city entry fee stayed to sell fresh goods.
The carriage moved slowly, then suddenly loud shouting came from ahead. The coachman stopped the carriage, and Dai Fu ran forward to see.
“There’s a commotion. Some people are demanding to enter the city but can’t pay the entry fee. They’re causing a scene, claiming to be sons of noble families. The city gate is completely blocked with people watching the chaos.”
More and more people crowded ahead, making it impossible for the carriage to move. They had to wait for the crowd to disperse. But after a while, the uproar not only didn’t lessen, it suddenly grew louder.
No one knew what happened, but a scream rang out from the front. Then the crowd scattered like birds, leaving only a thin young man lying on the ground, his fate unknown.
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