BLHO Chapter 62

Chapter 62: Come with Me

Chapter 62: Come with Me

Outside the city, the stars and moon shone brightly, boundless and free.

At this late hour, the military camp was bustling with activity.

He Yuncheng sat at the head table, leading his soldiers in drinking the oath-taking wine.

Everyone was in high spirits, full of fighting spirit for the fierce battle ahead.

The Ministry of War was deliberately making things difficult, and the Emperor was indifferent, so they couldn’t count on anyone.

So what if there was no support from the imperial court? At worst, they would offer their heads and blood. The He family army was here, and they would never allow jackals to devour even half of Bei Sheng’s territory.

Wine bowls clinked together, and everyone drank heartily.

As the atmosphere reached its peak, someone arrived at the military camp.

Lin Shuangxu got out of the carriage and hurried through the parade ground, heading straight for the oath-taking banquet.

Hundreds of officers and soldiers in the camp, from squad leaders upwards, were at the banquet. Seeing Lin Shuangxu’s sudden arrival, they didn’t react for a moment, each holding their wine cups in a daze.

Why did the young master look so unwell?

What had happened?

Lin Shuangxu certainly couldn’t smile right now.

The air around him was thick with the smell of wine. He walked past the crowd, not looking at anyone, only staring at He Yuncheng ahead.

And He Yuncheng, seeing the figure approaching, was also somewhat bewildered.

When Lin Shuangxu came closer, he quickly put down his wine and stood up, about to ask how he had come, when Lin Shuangxu grabbed his wrist and, without a word, dragged him away.

Seeing this, everyone was even more confused, their eyes following the two figures as they pulled and tugged, wondering where they were going.

He Yuncheng could naturally feel the anger emanating from Lin Shuangxu, and not daring to resist, obediently followed him.

As he left the table, he didn’t forget to wave to the crowd and say, “It’s nothing, carry on.”

The noise resumed, and everyone continued drinking.

Lin Shuangxu dragged him across half the military camp and back to his military tent.

After entering, he still didn’t say anything, pushing him onto the bed and immediately starting to strip off his clothes.

He Yuncheng finally panicked, struggling and using his hands to block, looking like an innocent woman, “What are you doing? Calm down, there are so many people outside…”

Lin Shuangxu didn’t waste words with him, pushing his hands aside, pulling open his belt, and tugging down his collar, quickly exposing his upper body.

“Wait until we get home, wait until we get home before…”

He Yuncheng was still trying to distract him with jokes, but Lin Shuangxu had already discovered the location of his injury.

His left forearm was wrapped in white gauze, already bandaged.

He stopped moving, staring blankly at the injured area.

He Yuncheng couldn’t hide it any longer, sighing helplessly, guessing that the steward had been too talkative.

He smiled softly, reassuring Lin Shuangxu, “It’s just a superficial wound, it’s nothing.”

“Why did you clash with the Ministry of War?” Lin Shuangxu asked, frowning.

He Yuncheng sat up straight, nonchalantly saying, “I didn’t clash with the Ministry of War. I ran into Han Mao today, and he provoked me. He deserved a beating, so I taught him a lesson. Who knew that guy would resort to dirty tricks? I wasn’t paying attention and got ambushed. It’s just a minor injury, it’ll be fine in a few days.”

Lin Shuangxu didn’t speak.

He Yuncheng observed his expression, and seeing that he didn’t seem to be getting angry, he straightened his clothes, stood up, put his arm around his shoulder, made him sit down, and leaned down to say to him, “I didn’t tell you because I was afraid you’d worry. Are you angry?”

In Lin Shuangxu’s eyes was an unyielding sorrow, he looked up and asked him, “Did the Ministry of War approve the military pay?”

He Yuncheng lowered his eyes, not knowing how to say it without making him worry.

But by saying nothing, Lin Shuangxu understood.

It was the expected result.

“When do you plan to depart?” Lin Shuangxu asked.

He Yuncheng lowered his head even further, truthfully saying, “Three days to allow the soldiers to visit their families, two days to reorganize the troops, and then we’ll set off immediately.”

Leaving time for family visits, this battle meant they were prepared to never return.

Lin Shuangxu’s hands, hanging by his sides, clenched unconsciously, he looked away, no longer looking at He Yuncheng.

He Yuncheng licked his lips, and when he looked back, he was smiling again.

He pinched Lin Shuangxu’s chin, turned his face, and said to him, “The soldiers are still waiting at the banquet. I have to finish this oath-taking wine today. You rest here for a while, and I’ll come back and let you vent your anger properly.”

What anger did Lin Shuangxu have towards him?

Resentment?

Resentment that since he couldn’t be with him, why did he have to recklessly provoke him?

However, it wasn’t He Yuncheng who had provoked him.

If there was any sin between them, he should be the first to be punished.

He Yuncheng straightened his belt and left the military tent.

Outside the tent, the military advisor and deputy general were waiting not far away. Seeing him come out, they quickly stepped forward to ask, “Is the young master alright? Coming here late at night, does he have other ideas about the dispatch of troops?”

Lin Shuangxu always acted cautiously, unlike He Yuncheng, who charged headlong without leaving a way out.

Several of them had followed the He family for many years, and naturally understood Lin Shuangxu’s temperament. In the current situation, he definitely couldn’t rest assured.

He Yuncheng looked back at the military tent, which was dimly lit, without a sound.

He shook his head and said to the others, “It’s nothing, let’s go.”

The atmosphere of the oath-taking banquet continued to rise.

After He Yuncheng returned, he continued to raise his glass with the soldiers.

After a few rounds of drinks, someone, having drunk too much, stood up and shouted, “I clearly saw the young master come just now, how did he disappear in the blink of an eye? General, why didn’t you ask the young master to join us in drinking!”

As he cheered, the people next to him joined in the fun, “Yes, we’re about to go on an expedition. Who knows if we’ll be able to return. If the young master comes, it’ll be good to boost the morale of the brothers!”

With everyone chiming in, He Yuncheng couldn’t get a word in.

He picked up his wine, about to find an excuse to refuse, when he heard someone speak first from the dimly lit area.

“For the oath-taking banquet, I should naturally be here.”

It was Lin Shuangxu’s voice.

As the words fell, his figure appeared, walking from afar to near.

When he reached the head table where He Yuncheng was, the deputy general sitting next to him immediately gave up his seat and brought over a chair.

“Young master, please.”

Lin Shuangxu’s face showed none of the previous gloom and sadness. Facing the soldiers about to go on an expedition, his eyes were firm, fearless.

He picked up the wine bowl in front of him and raised his voice, “In this battle, may our He family soldiers be invincible and achieve victory!”

He Yuncheng watched him from the side, silently not saying a word.

Since he didn’t speak, the people below naturally couldn’t respond first.

After a moment of silence, Guo Yao saw the worry in He Yuncheng’s eyes, so he stepped forward and said, “The young master’s injuries haven’t healed yet, so he can use water instead of wine today. The soldiers understand his intentions, come!”

He went to replace Lin Shuangxu’s wine with water, but Lin Shuangxu dodged it.

“Thank you, Advisor Guo, my wound is no longer a major problem.”

Guo Yao looked at He Yuncheng, who nodded after thinking, so he took the water away.

Then He Yuncheng also raised his wine bowl, shouted “Cheers,” and everyone responded in unison, drinking it all in one gulp.

From then on, the banquet reached another climax.

Toasting and exchanging cups, the noise rose and fell, and the passionate people, filled with wine, were boiling with enthusiasm, wishing they could immediately rush to the front line, kill the barbarians, and devour their flesh and blood.

And since Lin Shuangxu had come, he wouldn’t disappoint everyone, and even though his alcohol tolerance was poor, he drank bowl after bowl, completely forgetting how he had sworn not to touch a drop of alcohol after his last embarrassing episode.

He Yuncheng watched as a layer of red gradually appeared on his face, and his eyes gradually became hazy, knowing that even if he tried to persuade him not to drink, he wouldn’t listen. He could only feel silent heartache.

The way he was now made He Yuncheng feel like a heartless man.

Knowing that he would worry and be sad, he still insisted on taking the path to death.

And the soldiers, who had also drunk too much, couldn’t escape the sadness after the noise.

The three days of family visits were the general’s consideration for them, and they had to cherish them. If they missed this time, wanting to see their families again would probably have to wait until the next life.

The deputy general hiccuped, put his arm around the shoulder of a captain next to him, and asked him, “Who are you going to see tomorrow when you visit your family?”

The captain said, “I’m going home to see my wife and son. The last time I saw my son, he was just born, just this big…” He gestured with his hand to indicate the length, and continued, “In the blink of an eye, it’s been two years. He should be able to call me ‘Dad’ now, but I don’t know if he’ll recognize me. What about you? Who are you going to see?”

“Of course, I’m going home to see my wife too,” the deputy general said, “But I’m not like you, my wife hasn’t given me a child yet.”

The captain laughed at him, teasing, “Then aren’t you going to have no descendants!”

The deputy general waved his hand, his tongue stiff from drinking, “No descendants, so be it. My wife is still young, and without a child to hold her back, she can remarry and find a good family!”

After he finished speaking, he put his arm around another person on the other side, a young soldier who looked to be only eighteen or nineteen years old.

“What about you, little brother? Young and promising, becoming a military officer at such a young age. Is your wife especially beautiful? You must be reluctant to leave her, right?”

The young military officer was embarrassed by the teasing, “I’m not married yet, I don’t have a wife.”

“Not married? No way? At your age, you should have matchmakers coming to propose!”

The deputy general was surprised here, and the captain leaned over from the other side, staring at the young military officer mysteriously, “Could it be that those things about you are true or false?”

The young military officer was bewildered, “What’s true or false?”

The captain nudged the deputy general with his elbow, “You ask him.”

The deputy general was also confused, “Ask what?”

The captain shook his head helplessly and asked the young military officer himself, “Hey, I heard that you don’t get married when you reach a certain age because you’re not interested in women. We’re all happy drinking today, so tell your brother the truth, are you really a ‘cut sleeve’?”

Hearing these two words, the young military officer’s eyes almost popped out, “Who did you hear that nonsense from! I just haven’t saved enough money to propose to a girl, how did I become a ‘cut… cut sleeve’…”

The deputy general was a straightforward rough man, and hearing this, he also felt it was outrageous, “That’s right, don’t talk nonsense, he’s a good man, how could he be a ‘cut sleeve’?”

“So what if he’s a ‘cut sleeve’?” The captain had a righteous expression, “Why are you all looking so disgusted? Being a ‘cut sleeve’ isn’t against the law. Look at our general, brave and invincible, with illustrious military achievements, who dares to say he has a problem?”

It was getting further and further off topic. The deputy general couldn’t listen anymore and retorted, “Wait a minute, who told you our general is a ‘cut sleeve’?”

“This…” The captain said as a matter of course, “During the joint trial by the Three Departments, didn’t they say that the general and the young master were…”

“Those were the words of villains framing them!” The deputy general angrily lectured him, “Why do you believe everything you hear? Don’t you know that the general was framed in that lawsuit? I’ve been following the general for so many years, how could I not know what kind of person he is? First of all, the general can’t possibly be a ‘cut sleeve’. Secondly, even if he really does, as the rumors say, occasionally get close to men, he could never lay a hand on the young master, or else would he still be human…”

Is… that so?

The three argued without reaching a conclusion, and tacitly turned their heads to look in the direction of He Yuncheng.

At the head table, Lin Shuangxu was clearly drunk, sitting there without saying a word, unable to see his emotions.

His cheeks were flushed, and his eyes were also red. He had spilled a lot of the bowl of wine he had just drunk, staining his chin and neck. The general next to him was carefully wiping it off with a handkerchief.

“Are you alright?” The banquet table was too noisy, so He Yuncheng leaned close to his ear to speak to him.

The warm breath fluttered beside his ear, and his drunken body felt weak and numb.

Lin Shuangxu’s mind became even more chaotic, and his internal organs were unbearably hot.

He parted his lips slightly, turned his head, and looked at He Yuncheng from a distance of only a few inches.

He could only see his face clearly. Everyone else in his vision had become a blur.

It was too close, their noses were almost touching.

But this was really not a place to be reckless.

The remaining sanity prevented a kiss.

But this extent was already frightening to onlookers.

The deputy general, captain, and young military officer were all out of their souls, not moving at all.

When they came back to their senses, they realized that they were still in a shoulder-to-shoulder position.

Not knowing what they were thinking, at the same time, they violently pushed each other away, sitting back in their respective positions in an orderly manner, stuffing their mouths with food.

They saw nothing, they knew nothing.

He Yuncheng naturally didn’t care what others were doing, his eyes only on the person next to him.

Having drunk so much, he didn’t know what kind of trouble he would cause tonight.

He stroked Lin Shuangxu’s back, trying to comfort him, and then sat up straight, intending to pick up some food and feed him.

He had only been drinking all night, not eating anything, and he was afraid his stomach wouldn’t be able to handle it.

But as soon as he moved, Lin Shuangxu suddenly grabbed his hand under the table.

“He Yuncheng,” he called him vaguely.

He Yuncheng put down his chopsticks and patiently responded, “I’m here.”

Lin Shuangxu supported his forehead with his other hand, so drunk that he couldn’t open his eyes, and called him again, “He Yuncheng…”

“Yes.”

His breathing began to be heavy, Lin Shuangxu’s chest rose and fell noticeably, and he gripped He Yuncheng’s hand even more forcefully under the table.

When he spoke again, his voice trembled, sounding like a sob, almost inaudible, “Come with me…”

The tone was a willful one that didn’t suit his identity, he wouldn’t normally be like this.

“Come with me.”