MLIAM Chapter 37
by VolareChapter 37: Staying Overnight at the Camp – The Military Camp is Really Not a Place for Nonsense…
The wine trickled down Wei Yan’s face, the sharp line of his jaw glistening with water, carrying a hint of ambiguous sensuality. Combined with Wei Yan’s aloof and refined face, it was a unique kind of charm.
Everyone in the military camp was stunned. Several people blushed crimson and subtly turned their heads away.
“No need to be polite, it’s a welcoming gift,” Yu Shuli said. He wanted to give Wei Yan a lesson, to let him know the consequences of not discussing things with him and always acting first and reporting later.
Wei Yan chuckled softly, his tongue darting out to lick the corner of his lips, “Sweet? Is this rice wine?”
His gaze landed intensely on Yu Shuli’s face, discerning Yu Shuli’s drunkenness. “The young general has had a bit too much, hasn’t he?” He was still trying to excuse Yu Shuli’s rude behavior.
How could anyone get drunk on rice wine? They were setting off tonight. Even if they got drunk, everyone had to be aware of their limits, drunk while staying sober.
The surroundings fell silent.
Zhong Nian and Thirteen shivered to the side, afraid that Prime Minister Wei was hiding a knife behind his smile, suddenly turning hostile and affecting them as collateral damage.
However, Wei Yan was, after all, an old fox, with obscure intentions and an unfathomable depth of character.
He was probably the only one who could still smile after being splashed with wine.
He wiped his face with his hand, accepted the cloth handed over by Zhong Nian, who was beside him with his head almost buried in the ground and trembling with fear, and calmly said, “Well, it’s not the first time I’ve received the young general’s welcoming gift.”
The implication of these words was profound.
Even Yu Shuli, who didn’t want to pay attention to him, couldn’t help but get exasperated, “Wu Qingqing! Where have I ever given you any gifts?!”
Zhong Nian knew that the young general and the prime minister had some small conflicts, harmless but still sharp and antagonistic. So, let them argue.
But even he, a rough man, could easily see that Prime Minister Wei was subtly trying to reveal his identity, and the young general suddenly called out “Wu Qingqing,” abruptly and abruptly interrupting him.
Zhong Nian was stunned for a moment before he realized that he was deliberately assigning a new identity to the prime minister, preventing him from being exposed.
So… they were arguing, but not completely.
Had they all become pawns in their game?
And Wei Yan… it was hard to say whether he really wanted to expose himself or was playing hard to get, forcing the young general to come out and protect him.
These two were really…
It had to be said, the games of smart people were not suitable for them, the simpletons. Zhong Nian sincerely praised in his heart.
Wei Yan raised an eyebrow and looked at Yu Shuli, his fingers gently pressed against his own lips, his eyes speaking volumes.
Yu Shuli’s face flushed crimson.
Not long ago, the scorching hot sensation on his lips and the explosive joy in his mind were still vivid in his memory.
He bit his lip and glared at Wei Yan. His meaning was: Are you going to mess around again?
Wei Yan finally received a serious response from Yu Shuli, who was no longer trying to avoid him, so he didn’t dare to push his luck and annoy him further. Instead, he spread his hands, indicating that he was wrong.
“So, you two know each other?” Commander Mu noticed the back-and-forth between the two of them. He smiled and glanced at Yu Shuli, then turned his gaze to Wei Yan, “Well, it’s not strange for someone like the young general to know such a divine figure. Master Wu’s name is as good as his person, truly a beautiful woman.”
Yu Shuli followed Commander Mu’s gaze and looked at Wei Yan.
Wei Yan’s skin was already fair and delicate like jade. Now, with his hair slightly damp, and illuminated by the wine, his whole face was charming and full of allure.
His movements of wiping away the wine stains were calm and unhurried, and the smile at the corner of his lips was faint and elusive, truly pleasing to the eye.
Wei Yan allowed Yu Shuli’s gaze to fall on him, and slowly and carefully wiped the wine from his face and body, “You flatter me.”
Zhong Nian couldn’t care less about admiring Prime Minister Wei’s beautiful appearance. He was only thinking about rescuing Prime Minister Wei from the center of the topic, so he hurriedly retorted Commander Mu’s words, “Not a divine figure, not a divine figure.”
He looked at Yu Shuli, “General, can you give me some face today and not pursue the previous matter… Wei… Ow…” Yu Shuli inexplicably threw a small stone at his leg, and Zhong Nian could only look at Wei Yan with an expression of helplessness.
I’m sorry, Prime Minister Wei… I really can’t help you.
“How did you two meet?” Captain Mu smiled, “Could it be that you became friends after a fight?”
Yu Shuli mumbled, “More or less.”
He couldn’t help but glance at Wei Yan again. Seeing that he had dried the water stains with a good temper, but was still sitting there, he glared at him again, “Master Wu, if you’re not afraid that the soldiers below will get drunk and pounce on you, you’d better go back and change your clothes as soon as possible. The quality of my men here is not very high, and there are many who sleep with men in private. Master Wu’s appearance is really pitiful.”
Wei Yan asked, “Then do you sleep with them?”
Yu Shuli glanced at him disdainfully, but didn’t say he didn’t sleep with them. He only said, “Do you think you’re worthy of me?” He “hmph”-ed, “Wait until your achievements surpass mine before you talk.”
Wei Yan smiled, “Alright.”
After a bit of fooling around, Wei Yan knew that Yu Shuli’s reaction meant that he had agreed to let him stay. He didn’t dare to push his luck further. He put down the cloth, got up, and left.
Only after Wei Yan left did everyone take a breath of relief from the oppressive atmosphere.
No one dared to provoke the young general, who was clearly angry.
Ding Sheng took a sip of wine and sighed, “This Master Wu has quite a big mouth.” He turned his head and asked Zhong Nian, “Is he here at the military camp because he’s in love with our young general? Tell him not to mess around and go back soon. This is not a place for romance. Not to mention…” he lowered his voice a little, “The marriage agreement between the young general and that person is still in effect…”
Yu Shuli glanced at him, “Don’t ruin my reputation, the marriage agreement was canceled long ago.”
“Yes, yes, yes…” Ding Sheng was usually sharp-tongued, but he was most afraid of Yu Shuli, so he quickly echoed, “No matter how beautiful Master Wu is, our young general wouldn’t look up to such a person. He’s frivolous in speech, has a gorgeous appearance, and his body is like boneless. Zhong Nian too, bringing all sorts of people to you…”
Zhong Nian, who was forced to take the blame, walked up to Yu Shuli, “General…” He couldn’t take the pressure anymore… The acting skills of the young general and Prime Minister Wei were obviously much higher than his.
“It has nothing to do with Zhong Nian.” Yu Shuli received Zhong Nian’s distress signal and explained, “This Master Wu saved me once, and he’s been chasing after me for a reward. Everyone doesn’t need to care about him, and don’t blame Zhong Nian. Just let this person suffer a bit in the military camp, and he will naturally go back.”
Old Fourth said, “Why don’t the general hand him over to me? I will definitely train him to be obedient and make him dare not threaten the general again.”
“Do you want to train him, or do you want to make fun of him?” Yu Shuli glanced at him, “He’s my savior after all, I wouldn’t make things difficult for him. Put away your little thoughts.”
Old Fourth, who was hit by the truth, scratched his head, smiled, and said nothing.
Ding Sheng said, “There’s nothing suitable for him to do in the military. How does the general want to arrange him?”
Yu Shuli pondered for a moment and said, “Put him by my side first. Zhong Nian can take care of him too. When he can’t stand the military camp life, let him leave on his own.”
Commander Mu twitched the corner of his mouth, “General, that’s not appropriate, is it?”
“What’s inappropriate?”
“The military camp is now a mixed bag of people. Although he is Zhong Nian’s relative, he is a distant relative after all, and his background is unknown. Putting him by the general’s side is too dangerous.”
Yu Shuli raised an eyebrow and looked at him, “Do you think that his body can threaten this general? Are you looking down on someone?”
“No…” Commander Mu hurriedly cupped his hands, “How dare I look down on the general… It’s just that this person is an outsider after all, and the mole inside hasn’t been eliminated yet…” At this point, everyone present, whether they had status or not, felt a chill.
Although smart people knew it tacitly, to bring up the matter of the mole in the open… Commander Mu’s courage was very big.
Sure enough, Yu Shuli said with a fake smile, “Where did the mole come from? Who told you there was a mole?”
“Isn’t this something that everyone knows?” Commander Mu, emboldened by the alcohol, straightened his neck and said to the crowd, “I don’t know what you’re being so kind on the surface for. Who knows what kind of thing is hidden inside us, a beast in human skin. Even the military pay and military rations are being touched, truly a sinner of Da Liang.”
“Mu Shaoyang, shut up.” Yu Shuli was indeed furious. He slapped the table and stood up, looking around, “There is no mole here, I said so. Whoever dares to mention it again, shaking the morale of the army, will be punished by military law.”
Commander Mu touched his nose, sat down with a dissatisfied expression, and muttered at the end, “It’s not even okay to tell the truth.”
Captain Zhang hurried to pull him, “Commander Mu, you’ve had too much to drink, say a few words less!”
“Alright.” Yu Shuli rubbed his temples, “It’s getting late today, everyone go back and pack your luggage. Rest and get ready to leave.”
When the general gave the order, no one dared to disobey.
The banquet ended on an unhappy note.
Yu Shuli returned to his room, which was pitch black.
He was about to light the lamp when a gust of wind suddenly passed in front of him.
Yu Shuli’s face tightened, his palm quickly stretched out, and he turned around and grabbed the wrist of the person who came over, slamming him against the wall with a “bang.”
“Young general, what great strength.” The man didn’t struggle, but instead smiled and spoke.
Yu Shuli heard the familiar voice, his hand loosened a little, but he didn’t let go of him. He only frowned, “What are you doing again? Attacking me at night, aren’t you afraid that I’ll really kill you with one blow in a moment of desperation?”
“Recommending myself for your bed…” Wei Yan said, “The young general doesn’t look up to someone like me, it’s a pity, but I just happen to only know how to please people with my looks.”
His fingers stroked Yu Shuli’s wrist, ambiguous and passionate, “So there’s no way, I had to turn off the candlelight and try my luck.”
He said these things with confidence, and the fire in Yu Shuli’s heart rose three feet high in an instant.
“Wei Yan, what exactly do you want to do?” He complained, “The military camp is really not a place for you to mess around.”
Seeing his serious and troubled look, Wei Yan also restrained his smile.
He broke free from Yu Shuli’s hand, pressed the other person’s shoulders, and in an instant, the positions of the two were reversed.
Wei Yan’s fingers pressed on Yu Shuli’s face, which was flushed with rice wine, “I’m worried about you.”
“Not for His Majesty, not for the people,” he said, “I’m just simply worried about you.”
Seeing Wei Yan’s serious appearance, Yu Shuli’s eyes turned a little red. After looking at Wei Yan’s face, he silently moved his gaze away and muttered, “If His Majesty knows…”
“He won’t know,” Wei Yan said, “My trip this time was originally ordered by His Majesty to go to Quzhou. Cang Xu is pretending to be me, claiming to be sick along the way, so he can avoid people’s eyes and ears. No one in Quzhou knows Wei Yan. I’ll help you solve the mole first, and then go over there to replace my identity without anyone knowing.”
“Quzhou?” Hearing the familiar name, Yu Shuli frowned, “What’s going on in Quzhou?”
Wei Yan looked at him.
Yu Shuli was stunned. The two of them had been too intimate recently, and they had gradually lost their boundaries, causing Yu Shuli not to realize that the words he asked were crossing the line.
Realizing that he was inquiring about his official business, he quickly pressed his fingers on Wei Yan’s lips, “I’m sorry, if it’s not convenient for you to say, you don’t have to.”
“There’s nothing inconvenient,” Wei Yan leaned over and kissed his fingertips, smiling, “If you want to know, I can tell you everything.”
Yu Shuli’s face flushed, and he pushed him away. “You’re always up to no good.”
“Qiu Mei, Jiangning’s biological mother, you know, right?” Wei Yan said, “Her cousin Qiu Shuchun has a theater in Quzhou, which looks bright and elegant on the surface, but is actually a wine pool and meat forest inside, extravagant and indulgent. Not long ago, Qiu Shuchun was found assassinated on the couch of an actor. His Majesty wants me to investigate this matter thoroughly.”
“Qiu Shuchun?” Yu Shuli pondered for a moment, “But Qiu Mei is, after all, His Majesty’s adoptive sister. It’s the same to have someone from the Censorate investigate this case. How could he be willing to let you out?”
“I’ve thought about this too. Some time ago, Jiangning was rejected by you for marriage, and he didn’t even think about seeking justice for her. How would he care about Qiu Shuchun now? The Qiu family is not as good as it used to be, and it’s not a high-ranking family, so it can’t cause any trouble. So it’s precisely this that’s suspicious, and I wanted to go take a look.” Wei Yan looked at Yu Shuli, “I know you’ve been in Quzhou for many years, and you must have many acquaintances there. I’ll inform you in advance.”
“Refused marriage? I also refused Jiangning?” Yu Shuli was stunned.
“Yes.”
“I don’t remember… Forget it, that’s not important. Do you mean His Majesty wants to make a move in Quzhou? Do you suspect there’s a problem with Quzhou?” Yu Shuli shook his head, “Impossible, I know the governor of Quzhou, he’s a very good person.”
“Ji An.” Wei Yan softened his gaze, “Don’t worry, I won’t wrong anyone indiscriminately. Besides, Qiu Shuchun is not a good person, he died, he died.”
“Then you said you wanted to investigate Quzhou…”
Wei Yan nodded and asked, “The Second Prince is about to return to the Palace, right?”
Yu Shuli took a long breath and met Wei Yan’s gaze.
Finally, after a long time, he nodded and admitted, “Yes.”
Wei Yan smiled.
He raised Yu Shuli’s chin and kissed the corner of his lips as a reward.
Yu Shuli pushed him away with a blushing face. “You old lecher.”
“Ji An, it’s good that you can believe me.” He reached out and hugged him, and whispered to him the whole story, “Guess, who doesn’t want the Second Prince to return to the Palace?”
“The Crown Prince?” Yu Shuli paused, and then added in a low voice, “The Third Prince?”
“Both.” Wei Yan said, “So… the fastest way to prevent him from returning to the Palace… is…”
The two looked at each other and said in unison, “Frame him.”