Chapter 97: 96

Chapter 96: Fuma?

Yuchi Li felt as though she were drowning in the intensity of her desire. For a moment, she did not have the chance to think of anything else; Liu Luoyi’s voice, her scent, overwhelmed her. 

Yuchi Li lifted her head and pecked Liu Luoyi on the lips. Liu Luoyi trembled, her hands on Yuchi Li’s shoulder clenching tightly. Yuchi Li felt around and slowly pressed her hands flat. 

Her hands, which were previously ice cold, had now warmed up, feeling smooth and limp in her own. 

“Xiao Liu’er.” She sighed, her voice breathy. 

Their fingers laced together. Yuchi Li pulled Liu Luoyi’s hands away, so she fell forward uncontrollably, their lips pressing together once again. 

Yuchi Li truly came to know the irresistibility of the so-called ‘deepening of feeling.’ What started as gentleness gradually grew fiercer. Liu Luoyi subconsciously made to pull away but was held in place by Yuchi Li’s hands behind her neck. 

Liu Luoyi’s scent, like a soul-snatching drug, wafted through the room. 

Liu Luoyi’s eyes were shut tight as she bashfully and cooperatively followed along with Yuchi Li. Even though her eyes were red, in her heart, she felt the sweetness of honey. She liked the taste of Yuchi Li like this. 

Yuchi Li was different than before; she seemed to both be restrained and overcome. She was forceful, like she wanted to swallow Liu Luoyi whole, and would not let her pull away. 

By the time they separated, Liu Luoyi was resting gently in her arms. Their heartbeats galloped in their chests, only slowing after some time. 

Liu Luoyi rubbed her own lips. Other than a sense of breathlessness, she also felt a twinge of pain. She softly tugged at her lips, tasting a metallic rust. 

Her lip had split open at some point and started bleeding, but she did not care one whit about it; all she felt now was happiness. 

Their hands were still pressed together. In contrast to Liu Luoyi’s happiness, Yuchi Li was a little reticent. After a moment, Yuchi Li finally spoke: “Xiao Liu’er, I’d like some tea.”

Hearing this, Liu Luoyi leapt off of her nimbly. She felt the teapot, found it rather cold, and made to leave the room and pour it out but was blocked by Yuchi Li. 

“No need, cold is for the best.” Yuchi Li said. She took the teapot from her hands and brought it directly to her mouth, draining it in one gulp before putting it down. 

She sighed in relief, her expression relaxing. She stood up and smiled at the uncomprehending Liu Luoyi, then lowered her hand and wiped away the blood on Liu Luoyi’s mouth with a thumb. 

Her movements were gentle, like she was polishing a priceless treasure. Her black hair cascaded down, her eyes full of tenderness. 

“Does it hurt?” Yuchi Li asked, her conscience chiding her. She really had gone too far just then and used too much force. 

Liu Luoyi shook her head, then took a few steps forward and held Yuchi Li’s hand: “Let’s go check on the Eldest Princess and An Ge. We haven’t heard anything in a while.”

Yuchi Li agreed. The two of them walked to the neighboring door and rapped on it lightly. The door opened. An Ge was standing in the doorway. Her clothing was in perfect order, but her swollen lips and red marks on her neck gave her away. 

An Ge, her expression entirely unnatural, nodded at Yuchi Li and brought her into the room. All she saw was Yuchi Die laying on a woman’s divan. Her clothing was disheveled, and neither did she make any move to right it. She crooked her legs and shifted her body, smiling at Yuchi Li and the others in a charming manner. 

She wiped away the lip rouge streaks audaciously. She winked at Yuchi Li, who coughed guiltily and looked away. 

“Princess, l-let’s go back.” An Ge said, flushed. She reached out to help Yuchi Die up, but her hand was smacked away. 

“I feel weak, carry me.” Yuchi Die said with remarkable self-confidence, then reached out and hung her arms off of An Ge. An Ge hurriedly pulled her up onto her back, smiling apologetically at Yuchi Li. 

After their figures retreated from view, Yuchi Li let out a sigh of relief and followed them out after paying the manager. 

Days of relaxation do not last. Yuchi Li rode with the Northern King the following day to a military camp far away from E’Gu. 

Before they even drew close, they could hear the rumble of footsteps, the whinnies of horses, the shouts of the men as they resounded across the expansiveness of the grass plains. Yuchi Li looked out into the distance, her head held high. A tremendous sense of glorious strength surged up within her heart. 

“You have just returned. This king has already greeted the commander of the Wolf Cavalry, General Mu, and asked that you learn and practice with the men for a few days. You’ve wasted away in the Yan Kingdom for far too long; let’s see what you can do.” The Northern King said, stiff-faced, as he rode aloft on his horse. 

“Understood.” Yuchi Li answered. 

The Northern King looked at Yuchi for a moment before patting her on the shoulder. 

“News from the Yan Kingdom. Shen Hao is dead.”

“What?” Yuchi Li was startled. Shen Hao was the emperor; how could he die just like that?

“Unexpectedly, before war broke out, they had their own internal strife. The southern front siphoned away a portion of their troops, and Shen Hao also attempted to fight with me, drawing the rest of their forces to the north. The emperor passed away in his own imperial sleeping chamber. The crown prince, Shen Sheng, had long already brought the officials under his control and smoothly ascended the throne.”

“How things can change in one short night.” The Northern King said, shaking his head. 

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“How did he pass?” Yuchi Li queried. 

“Suicide by hanging. This is just the excuse issued to the people. The real reason can be inferred by anyone. Shen Hao condemned himself. From your time spent in the Yan Kingdom, you must have seen it, too. Aside from the affluence of the capital, many other regions have been struck by disaster after disaster. The people live in abject poverty while sinecure officials and soldiers run amuck.”

Yuchi Li thought to herself, it indeed was so. While fleeing they had seen very few lands of prosperity, particularly villages. The land was abound with crops, but so many would starve each year. 

“While I was in the Yan Kingdom I noticed Shen Sheng’s irregularities. He was the crown prince but did very little each day and did not take part in even the most basic of governmental affairs. Thinking back on it now, it must have been Shen Hao who deliberately took precautions against him.” Yuchi Li reckoned, her speech slow and measured. Her eyes suddenly widened, “Then, the one Zhou Qing sold out to was Shen Sheng, not Shen Hao?”

The Northern King nodded in approval, “You know what you should. Go on. The Wolf Cavalry is the strongest in my Northern Kingdom. If you can lead them to a victory, then you will have the ability to succeed me.”

Yuchi Li nodded and paid her obeisances, then brought Xin Ran along and rode back to the military camp. The earth-shattering shouts of the men grew louder, galvanizing Yuchi Li’s blood into soaring. She stood up on high, looking out below her, where the dense lines of men were wielding their weapons, moving as a cohesive unit in vigorous bursts. 

With a command, they all dropped to one knee at once. Then, a deafening, thunderous roar reached her ears. Yuchi Li’s hair stood on end, her nose tingling with unshed tears. 

“The Northern Kingdom’s Wolf Cavalry greets Her Highness, the Princess!”

The cry, shouted in perfect unison, seemed to pierce the heavens. Each soldier knelt with back straight, their gazes filled with reverence and determination as they looked up at her. The wind whipped past, her hem sent dancing. A profound conviction and fierce, heroic ambition welled up within her. 

Cry after cry rang out. Yuchi Li slowly raised her arms, cupping her hands in salute with the same respect and grace they had afforded her. 

This was her country. These were her future subjects. 

“Your Highness, you’re here.” A voice sounded from behind her, the timbre somewhat gravelly but robust. Yuchi Li turned to look. The voice belonged to a man of sturdy make, his angular face roughened by the wind of the grassy plains but his eyes full of spirit. 

Yuchi Li nodded. 

“From today onwards, Your Highness, you will be following me. I, Your Subject, have been instructed to pass all of my skills on to you. If I offend you at any time, Your Highness, I hope you will understand.” The man smiled modestly, but his eyes did not hold much respect. Perhaps he looks down on me, thought Yuchi Li. 

“Good.” She smiled as she nodded. 

“The men carry sandbags around the drilling grounds for five circuits every day. You arrived late today, Your Highness. If you cannot catch up with them, then you will have to do it on your own.” The man said, grabbing two enormous sandbags from behind him and placing them courteously at her feet. 

Yuchi Li’s smile stiffened for a moment before she relaxed again. She lifted those sandbags onto her back, their combined weight just about flattening her. 

These men ran five laps every day with these things on their backs? She was unconvinced, but it would not do to challenge it. She simply straightened her waist and turned to go without a word. 

“Right, General Mu, what was your full name?” Yuchi Li turned to ask. 

“Mu Yang.” The man answered. 

“Oh, understood, General Sheepdog[1].” She snapped her fingers before running off, leaving him standing in place in a daze. 

Mu Yang shook his head, not wanting to pay her any more attention. He had long heard of this princess’ reputation, but based on what he had just observed, she was not as witless as the rumors would have him believe. Regardless, the Wolf Cavalry was not a group anyone could join. She was, after all, a princess raised in the lap of luxury. She would probably run away in tears in two days. 

Yuchi Li dashed to the drilling grounds by herself. Even though she was comparatively strong, in a situation like this where she could not use her internal force, as a woman, she was a little weaker. To carry these two gargantuan sandbags for five laps, Yuchi Li felt exhausted just thinking about it. 

She was really starting to suspect that he, that General Sheepdog, was deliberately messing with her. 

But, it is what it is. If she were to fall out so easily—practically admitting defeat—how would she be able to lead them in the future? She set her jaw and bellowed a roar before sprinting forward. 

While Yuchi Li was suffering these hardships, Liu Luoyi was faring no better. 

Liu Luoyi was sitting, her face cold, with a fragrant cup of tea before her. A man in red clothing was smiling at her, his appearance rather handsome and even a little enchanting. 

She had only just gone out for a walk, hoping to stop by at the place Yuchi Li had given her, when she had been stopped by this man claiming to be a childhood playmate of Yuchi Li and that he wanted to invite her over to his residence for a cup of tea.  

She wanted to refuse, at first, but she grew infuriated by the way he spoke of Yuchi Li with affection and devotion in his voice, so she had come along. 

“I heard that the Second Princess had returned, so I went to pay her a visit today. She wasn’t home, unfortunately, so I could only leave. Unexpectedly, I ran into you. I heard you were a friend that the Second Princess made in the Yan Kingdom, so I wanted to invite you over for some tea. Thank you for your indulgence.” The man lifted his cup and took a sip. He smiled, revealing his white teeth. 

“To tell you the truth, miss, I have an arranged marriage with the Princess. His Majesty has intended for me to be her Fuma since I was a child, but she had someone else in her heart. I was saddened, but could only wait for her.” His expression was aggrieved as he spoke on the subject. 

Hearing the word ‘Fuma,’ Liu Luoyi clenched her fists under the table, her gaze turning even frostier. 

The author has something to say:

Liu Luoyi: “Look at the peach blossom debt[2] you’ve incurred!”

Yuchi Li, wearing a frightened look: “Ah? What? I don’t know either…”

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