Chapter 57 – Ancient Era: A Dance to Enchant the City—The Emperor’s Celestial Fairy (27)
Bai Tang’s face was too dirty to make out his features. The campfire worker, who had grown up in poverty himself, saw Bai Tang’s tearful eyes and—though he knew it violated military regulations—couldn’t help but soften. He handed Bai Tang a steamed bun.
Seeing Bai Tang still standing there in a daze, the worker assumed one wasn’t enough and gave him another. Worried that someone else might catch and interrogate him, he gruffly urged, “Eat up and leave quickly—don’t get in the way.”
Was he being a nuisance?
Squirrels were sensitive creatures prone to overthinking. Holding the two steaming buns, Bai Tang looked crestfallen. He never wanted to cause trouble for anyone.
“I don’t have any more to give. Just eat and get going,” the campfire worker muttered as he gathered fallen grain stalks and loaded them onto the cart.
Just then, a voice called out from behind him.
“Who are you talking to?”
The newcomer was another logistics worker. He had just received news from the front—the Emperor had ordered a full military inspection, seemingly searching for someone.
The campfire worker’s brows furrowed in surprise. His gaze flickered to Bai Tang, who was quietly nibbling on his bun. D*mn, could this kid actually be a spy?
“Where’d this kid come from? Don’t tell me he’s your brother.”
“Of course, he’s my brother.” The campfire worker made a split-second decision to cover for Bai Tang. “You know my situation—there’s no one left at home. If I left my little brother alone, he’d just get bullied by others.”
He didn’t care whether Bai Tang was really a spy or not—he just wanted him gone as soon as possible.
But Bai Tang never got the chance to escape.
By then, the inspection team had already reached the logistics division.
The soldiers conducting the search had no idea they were looking for the Empress Consort. They assumed the Emperor had uncovered something important.
They weren’t gentle when they dragged Bai Tang forward, shoving him roughly.
“Your Majesty! We’ve found a suspicious individual in the logistics unit!”
Bai Tang never expected to meet Jiang Liangwu again under these circumstances. He stood there awkwardly, completely at a loss, not daring to meet Jiang Liangwu’s eyes. His hands tightened around the half-eaten steamed bun, his fingers leaving smudges on its white surface.
Jiang Liangwu’s gaze flickered to Bai Tang’s hands. The steamed bun was marked with several black fingerprints. Had Tang Tang been eating this kind of food for the past few days?
“Come here.”
Perhaps because they were in front of others, Jiang Liangwu’s deep voice carried no warmth, making Bai Tang feel even more aggrieved.
Bai Tang refused to move, but the soldiers behind him had no patience for his stubbornness. A firm push from behind sent him stumbling forward.
Yet, the expected pain never came. Instead, he fell into a firm, ice-cold embrace—Jiang Liangwu’s armored chest.
“Who told you to push him? Acting without orders—punish him according to military law.”
At that moment, Jiang Liangwu was a stranger—cold, ruthless, and utterly intimidating.
Bai Tang was taken back to Jiang Liangwu’s tent. The moment his feet touched the ground and he could move freely again, he immediately turned his back to him.
“Tang Tang, didn’t I tell you to stay in the palace like a good boy? Why did you run off by yourself?”
Jiang Liangwu’s voice carried both anger and fear. The journey had taken six days. He couldn’t imagine how much hardship Bai Tang had endured, hiding within the army all this time without being discovered.
Tears welled up in Bai Tang’s eyes instantly. He had come all this way to find Jiang Liangwu, yet the first thing he got was a scolding.
“The front lines are dangerous. How could you just run off like that?”
Jiang Liangwu lifted Bai Tang into his arms. At some point when he had transformed into a squirrel, Bai Tang had lost his shoes. His fair little feet were now covered in dust and crisscrossed with tiny cuts from walking barefoot.
Jiang Liangwu gently wiped Bai Tang’s hands and feet, his movements filled with tenderness.
“Where have you been staying these past few days?”
Shedding his heavy armor, Jiang Liangwu cradled Bai Tang in his arms. Now back in his familiar embrace, Bai Tang sobbed uncontrollably. For the first time, he mustered the courage to talk back.
“Why do you care where I’ve been staying? You scolded me…”
“Baby, don’t cry. I shouldn’t have scolded you. I’m sorry…”
Before Bai Tang, the domineering emperor had no principles, no pride—his only goal was to coax the little one in his arms, who was shedding golden teardrops.