BLHO Chapter 67

Chapter 67: Don’t leave tonight, okay…?

Lin Shuangxu’s character was something He Yuncheng knew all too well; he wouldn’t be swayed by Han Mao’s clumsy tricks.

He was angry with himself.

Watching his beloved being bothered by someone else, yet having to consider the so-called big picture, he could only swallow his anger and do nothing.

How pathetic.

Of course, Lin Shuangxu understood his mood. The He family had been suppressed by the court for so many years. On the battlefield, they had endured hardship and difficulty, but never this kind of stifling frustration.

He Yuncheng’s temper hadn’t yet led him to twist Han Mao’s head off, entirely thanks to Lin Shuangxu’s constant persuasion.

He had to persuade him. Having come along on this trip, he couldn’t allow He Yuncheng to make even the slightest mistake.

Night fell, and a wind picked up outside.

The tent shook back and forth, buffeted by the wind. It was very late, and Lin Shuangxu tossed and turned, still unable to fall asleep.

Han Mao was at least a man of some semblance of decency. After that day, he hadn’t come to harass him again. These past few days of travel, the two armies had moved along one in front of the other, not interfering with each other, and things had been relatively peaceful.

Every night, He Yuncheng would take advantage of the late hours to secretly come to his tent and say a few words to him.

After arriving, Lin Shuangxu would verbally warn him not to go too far, but would always indulge him in doing things that were excessive, but not *too* excessive.

Tonight, He Yuncheng hadn’t come.

Listening to the sounds outside, Lin Shuangxu heard the patrolling soldiers walking away, leaving only the sound of the wind.

He hesitated for a moment, then got up and went out.

At the other end of the camp, outside the military advisor Guo Yao’s tent.

He Yuncheng hadn’t called for anyone else. Deep in the night, he was having a private discussion with Advisor Guo.

For three days in a row, Advisor Guo had gone to Han Mao to request provisions three times, and each time, Han Mao had used excuses to brush him off.

He was willing to discuss anything, but he was stubbornly refusing to release the supplies.

Advisor Guo’s face was etched with worry. “I’ll tell the cooks tomorrow to reduce each person’s rations by thirty percent. We’ll stretch out the remaining supplies for as long as possible.”

“Absolutely not.” He Yuncheng rejected the idea without even thinking. “Before even reaching the battlefield, we’ll have the soldiers going hungry. That would damage morale. Besides, we only have so much food in reserve. No matter how much we conserve, how long can we delay?”

That was indeed the truth. Advisor Guo lowered his head, his eyes dim. “Han Mao was ordered to supervise the army. We expected him to deliberately make things difficult, but I didn’t expect him to be so recklessly selfish. Is his personal desire more important than the peace of the country? Has he considered that if we lose this battle, and the Yan and Zhao armies attack the city, Bei Sheng will fall, and his schemes will be worthless?”

“He just wants to see me lower my head.”

He Yuncheng suppressed his anger, a threatening aura emanating from him.

“He ignores you when you go to him because he’s waiting for me to come to his door and be humiliated.”

Guo Yao didn’t dare tell He Yuncheng that Han Mao had actually hinted to him that matters of the military were not something he wanted to discuss with a mere military advisor.

He just wanted He Yuncheng to beg him.

Guo Yao thought long and hard, and still felt it was inappropriate.

Han Mao wanted to use the provisions to manipulate He Yuncheng. This was an abuse of power for personal gain. Whether out of protectiveness for a junior, or out of defending the dignity of the He family’s army, knowing Han Mao’s intentions, he couldn’t let him succeed.

Guo Yao said, “I’ll go again tomorrow.”

“There’s no need.” He Yuncheng said, “No matter how many times you go, the result will be the same. Unless he vents his anger, he won’t release the supplies.”

Advisor Guo felt a mix of sorrow and anger. “The He family has produced heroes for generations, with glorious achievements. You are a dignified General of the Nation, yet you have to endure the humiliation of that petty young man for the sake of food. If the spirits of the late Generals knew about this, I don’t know how disheartened they would be toward the court.”

He Yuncheng smiled indifferently. “My pride and face are worthless. My father entrusted the lives of hundreds of thousands of soldiers into my hands. I must be responsible for their future. Without them, I’m just a nobody of a General of the Nation.”

Guo Yao looked at He Yuncheng’s profile. The former mischievous tyrant had long become a pillar of strength. The youthful immaturity and impulsiveness had faded away, replaced by an understanding of forbearance and consideration for the greater good.

He sighed softly and didn’t try to persuade him further.

He Yuncheng smiled and comforted him: “Isn’t it just getting bitten by a rabid dog? It’s a small matter. I’ve seen plenty of rabid dogs. The louder they bark, the sooner they get beaten to death.”

…

After their private conversation, Advisor Guo left first.

He Yuncheng stayed alone in the shadows for a while longer, his expression gradually darkening, before he also departed.

It was already the third watch of the night. Lin Shuangxu should have been asleep long ago. He Yuncheng originally didn’t want to disturb him, but as he walked near his tent, he couldn’t help but want to take a look.

Just a quick peek, without waking him.

Acting like a thief, He Yuncheng carefully pulled open the entrance to the tent, sticking half his head inside, only to find it empty.

Where was he?

Where had he gone so late?

Overwhelmed by concern, he immediately began to panic, searching around the tent for several circles, but couldn’t find a single trace of him.

Sensing that something was wrong, he raised his voice and called for someone.

The patrolling soldiers rushed over at the sound of his voice. “General!”

“Where’s the Young Master?!” He Yuncheng asked.

The patrol team of five men exchanged confused glances. One of them quickly ran to Lin Shuangxu’s tent, peered inside, and confirmed that it was indeed empty.

He replied blankly, “Reporting to the General, we’ve been patrolling nearby and haven’t seen the Young Master come out at any point.”

“Has anyone been near here?!”

The men looked at each other and shook their heads. “Reporting to the General, we haven’t discovered any suspicious individuals either.”

In the wilderness, Lin Shuangxu wouldn’t have run off on his own for no reason. The camp was heavily guarded, so it was unlikely that any enemies could have sneaked in. That only left one possibility…

He Yuncheng’s anger burned in his eyes as he ordered, “You few, come with me!”

He started walking, with the team following behind him, realizing that the General was leading them toward the Han family’s army.

The squad leader of the team couldn’t help but feel that something was off. He had personally led the patrol, so there was no way he could have made a mistake, let alone lost the Young Master right under his nose.

He cautiously reminded He Yuncheng, “General, the way ahead leads to General Han’s camp. The Young Master shouldn’t be there, right?”

He Yuncheng didn’t answer, his face full of anger, as if he was going to settle a score with someone.

But the squad leader was certain that no outsiders had come to their camp. Otherwise, with his sharp eyes, he would have noticed not just a person, but even a fly buzzing past.

He thought for a moment, then asked He Yuncheng again, “Are you sure the Young Master isn’t in your tent, General?”

He Yuncheng suddenly stopped walking.

The squad leader had been following him too quickly and couldn’t slow down in time, nearly causing the entire team to crash into him.

“What did you say?”

He Yuncheng turned back in confusion.

The squad leader felt that there was nothing difficult to understand about what he had just said. How could he have confused the General with his question?

He explained, “I thought the General must have just returned. If the Young Master isn’t in his own tent, he must be in your tent. Have you checked?”

He Yuncheng blinked blankly. “In my tent?”

Now it was He Yuncheng’s turn to confuse the squad leader.

If not, then where else would he be?

If the Young Master wasn’t with you, could he be with Han Mao?

“Why don’t you go back and take a look first?” the squad leader suggested.

He Yuncheng’s expression stiffened slightly. After thinking about it, he turned around and went back to his tent.

The team waited not far outside the tent. He Yuncheng lifted the curtain and went inside alone. Using the firelight from outside the tent, he saw a soundly sleeping person lying in his bedding, half of their face pressed against the pillow. Asleep, they had none of the usual reserve of the Young Master, instead appearing charming and lovable.

Who else could it be but Lin Shuangxu?

He stared at that sleeping face for a few seconds, swallowed, then lowered the curtain and went out.

The team craned their necks, waiting. Seeing He Yuncheng come over, they quickly asked him, “Is the Young Master there?”

“Cough.” He Yuncheng held his fist to his lips and coughed dryly. He said to the team, “You can go back to your duties. It’s nothing.”

Hearing this, the squad leader said triumphantly, “It’s good that he’s there. I knew it! I’m leading the patrol, General, so you can rest assured that there won’t be the slightest mistake!”

He Yuncheng nodded awkwardly. “Oh, right… the Young Master came to discuss some matters with me. Yeah, important matters.”

“Oh, important matters.” The squad leader nodded casually, then raised his voice and ordered his team, “All troops, listen up! Continue patrolling!”

“Yes!!!”

The camp was filled with the resounding slogans. The men were showing their spirit in front of the General, not caring about whether or not they were disturbing the person who was already asleep.

The smile on He Yuncheng’s face froze as he waved and watched them leave. Then, he turned back to the tent and found that Lin Shuangxu had already been awakened.

They had shouted too loudly.

“You’re back?” Lin Shuangxu propped himself up. “I accidentally fell asleep. What time is it? Where did you go?”

“I went to discuss some things with the military advisor.” He Yuncheng crouched beside him, looking at his messy hair and feeling a pang of tenderness. “Instead of sleeping properly at night, you came running over here. Do you miss me that much?”

Of course, Lin Shuangxu wouldn’t admit to such a thing. Even if he missed him, he wouldn’t say it.

“I was worried that you might have difficulties you weren’t telling me about.” He asked He Yuncheng, “What did you discuss with the military advisor? Is it still about the provisions? Han Mao won’t give them?”

The situation was right in front of him. No matter how much He Yuncheng tried to avoid the topic, he couldn’t hide it from him.

The night was dark, but He Yuncheng still didn’t want to tell him too much. He reached out and pulled him into his arms, his weary body finding a moment of respite at such a time.

“Don’t worry about it. I can handle it.”

“Are you going to go to him personally?” Lin Shuangxu asked.

“Mm.”

“Beg him to release the provisions?”

“I’ll beg.”

“You’ll inevitably be humiliated.”

He Yuncheng smiled. “It’s not like I’ll lose a piece of flesh. A great man knows when to yield and when to stand firm. Isn’t that what you always taught me?”

Lin Shuangxu also smiled. “So you *can* listen to what I say.”

“Of course. From childhood until now, have I ever not listened to what you say?”

He Yuncheng squinted his eyes, his voice gradually becoming deeper and more hoarse. He nuzzled Lin Shuangxu’s neck, beginning to seek further comfort.

It had been many days since they left Fengdu City. These days, the two could only embrace each other in the dead of night, when no one was around. Even the briefest of encounters was enough to drive He Yuncheng crazy.

“Don’t leave tonight, okay…?” He began to coax him again.

“I can’t.” Lin Shuangxu pushed his unrestrained hands away. “Didn’t someone come by outside just now? What happened?”

He Yuncheng didn’t want to describe the farce from just now, so he summarized it briefly: “Some patrolling soldiers. I was giving them some instructions. It’s nothing now.”

“Did they see me here?”

“Mm… they saw… it doesn’t matter.”

“What do you mean, it doesn’t matter?” Lin Shuangxu said cautiously. “If people see me spending the night in your tent, rumors will spread. How will we explain it?”

“Don’t worry.” He Yuncheng was full of confidence. “The soldiers in my camp are all simple-minded people. They won’t believe any rumors, and they won’t think of you and me in that way.”

“Really?”

“Why would I lie to you? We’ve been so careful with our words and actions. Don’t mention those careless soldiers, even a god wouldn’t be able to discover that we have a secret affair.”

Lin Shuangxu blinked, still feeling very uneasy.

“So, don’t leave tonight…” He Yuncheng shamelessly leaned in again, only to be pushed away by Lin Shuangxu.

“No way!”

–

In the camp, the patrol team marched in neat steps, already far away.

Having found no unusual circumstances, the men began to chat idly out of boredom.

One of them said, “What was up with the General just now? Did the two lovebirds have a fight? Playing hide-and-seek in the middle of the night?”

Another said, “Don’t talk nonsense. Anyone with eyes can see that the General and the Young Master have a great relationship.”

Yet another said, “Why don’t they live in the same tent? They’re running back and forth every night. Isn’t that a hassle?”

Someone next to him said, “You don’t know anything. That’s called adding spice to life.”

The squad leader said, “Alright, stop gossiping. Stay alert! Keep patrolling!”

The men replied in unison, “Yes!”