Chapter 58 – Ancient Era: A Dance to Enchant the City—The Emperor’s Celestial Fairy (28)
It took a long time for Bai Tang to finally stop crying. Jiang Liangwu now fully understood the hardships Bai Tang had endured these past few days, and he hated himself for not realizing it sooner.
He had been sleeping on a proper bed, while his precious Bai Tang had been sleeping on the cold, hard ground. Just the thought of it hurt him more than when he learned that the late emperor had ordered the slaughter of all the children.
“Tang Tang, I’m so sorry…”
Since Bai Tang had chased after him all this way, Jiang Liangwu’s longing had finally been eased. How could he bear to send him back to the palace now?
And so, Bai Tang stayed.
When he first appeared in front of the soldiers, they were all stunned to learn that he was the empress-consort. But Bai Tang’s delicate, soft features and gentle personality quickly won them over. He never made excessive demands and even helped out in the kitchen from time to time. As days passed, their initial shock turned into admiration.
The emperor was truly blessed. They all secretly wished they had such an adorable empress-consort too.
However, the army was not here for leisure—they were here to fight a war.
By the time they reached the border, the soldiers stationed there, who had been desperately defending the city gates, couldn’t hold back their tears.
The Xiongnu forces had been relentless. Their general had fallen, the vice general had betrayed them and defected, and before fleeing, he had even poisoned the army’s food supply. There were barely any soldiers left with the strength to fight. The only ones remaining were those holding the gates with their last breath, tirelessly standing guard night and day.
They endured the enemy’s daily taunts and provocations. For the sake of the citizens within the city, they swallowed their rage, even as their ancestors were cursed and insulted without mercy.
To make matters worse, many of their food supplies had been contaminated by poison, leaving them on the brink of starvation.
“Brothers, you’ve all fought hard.”
Jiang Liangwu’s arrival, along with a massive supply of provisions, finally alleviated their desperate situation. With the emperor himself leading the charge, the soldiers now had a backbone to rely on.
After a day of rest, the Xiongnu once again gathered outside the city, hurling insults at the gates.
But this time, the city unexpectedly responded to the challenge.
The enemy soldiers, still shouting curses, were completely stunned.
With the emperor personally overseeing the battle, the soldiers regained their confidence. This was their ruler—the sovereign of Yi Dynasty, the emperor who restored peace and stability to the people.
Jiang Liangwu commanded the troops with precision, and the Yi Dynasty’s army swept through the battlefield like an unstoppable force. The once-aggressive Xiongnu forces were repeatedly pushed back. By the third battle, Jiang Liangwu personally beheaded the enemy commander.
With their leader gone, the enemy troops were thrown into complete disarray. Like a scattered mob, they had no choice but to retreat, fleeing from Yi Dynasty’s territory in humiliation.
That night, the small border town celebrated without sleep.
Victorious, the soldiers held a grand feast in celebration, indulging in meat and wine.
As Jiang Liangwu gave his speech, a tiny head suddenly peeked out from inside a large wine jar.
Its sharp little ears dripped with liquid, and its tiny pink nose twitched as it sniffed the air. Clinging to the edge of the jar with its small paws, the little creature slowly slid down—its soft “plop” lost amidst the soldiers’ roaring cheers.
“Tang Tang! Tang Tang! You’re drunk!”
The system had been busy collecting leftover food from the banquet and was having the time of its life—until it turned around and saw Bai Tang had fallen into a wine jar and turned into a drunken little mouse.
“Hehehe, Qiu’er… why are there four… five… six… seven of you…?”
Bai Tang swayed, attempting to count with his tiny paws. His head wobbled, his vision spun, and he mumbled in confusion, “Why is the ground moving…?”
Just then, someone picked up the jar.
With a tilt, Bai Tang felt himself tumbling through the air, completely out of control.
“A rat?!” A burly soldier bellowed. “It actually dared to steal my wine!”
Furious, he grabbed a bowl, intending to slam it down on the drunken little rodent.
Even in his intoxicated state, Bai Tang’s instincts were still sharp.
Every time the man lunged forward to catch him, Bai Tang barely managed to evade. The half-drunk soldier grew more and more enraged.
“D*mn it! I’m a grown man, and I can’t even catch a tiny rat?!”
The burly man flipped the table over, and Bai Tang, caught off guard, landed on his backside with a thud.
“Ah Wu, it hurts~” Bai Tang whined, rubbing his sore bottom.
Just then, the time limit for his transformation ran out.
“Tang Tang—!” The system’s panicked cry rang out as Bai Tang involuntarily shifted back into human form.
A… a person suddenly appeared?!
The burly soldier’s eyes widened in sheer terror. Was he drunk, or had he just witnessed something supernatural?!
Before he could process it, a gust of wind swept past him.
Jiang Liangwu swiftly appeared, wrapped Bai Tang in his cloak, and cast a murderous glare at the soldier.
The man shuddered violently, stumbling over his words, “Y-Your Majesty, stay back! That… that thing is a demon!” He pointed at Bai Tang, his face pale.
Jiang Liangwu’s right hand, hidden behind his back, tightened around a dagger.
“What did you see?”
The soldier stammered incoherently, his mind a jumbled mess. “I-I swear it was a rat! Just a rat!”
Seeing that the man hadn’t fully comprehended what had happened, Jiang Liangwu finally relaxed his grip on the dagger.
Unaware that he’d just narrowly escaped death, the soldier tried to warn the emperor again.
But Jiang Liangwu had no patience for nonsense.
Especially when the boy in his arms kept squirming and softly mumbling about how hot he was—rubbing against him like a little fire starter.
…
To provide Bai Tang with a comfortable place to stay, Jiang Liangwu arranged for a courtyard in the city.
Back in the room, Bai Tang’s face was flushed red, and he wrapped his arms around Jiang Liangwu’s neck. “Ah Wu, Ah Wu~~”
Half-asleep, he suddenly lifted his head and, with a loud “smooch!”, planted a firm kiss on Jiang Liangwu’s face.
Giggling, he said, “Ah Wu~ you’re so handsome…”
Drunken Bai Tang had no inhibitions.
Everything he didn’t dare to say or do before—he was doing now.
“Tang Tang, you’re drunk.” Jiang Liangwu’s voice was husky, as if suppressing something.
He patted Bai Tang’s small backside, but the boy reflexively bit down on his shoulder—hard.
“Mmh~ not tasty. Too tough.”
Bai Tang mumbled sleepily, leaving only a faint bite mark on Jiang Liangwu’s skin.
Jiang Liangwu grabbed Bai Tang’s restless hands, his voice even lower now.
“Tang Tang, you’re the one who started this.”
…
That night, passion stirred the still waters of spring.
After hours of playful chaos, Bai Tang finally fell into a deep, sweet sleep, nestled in Jiang Liangwu’s arms.
But just as the night seemed peaceful—
A shadow silently descended from the rooftop.
In the darkness, a cold blade glinted as it shot straight toward the bed.
Jiang Liangwu swiftly flipped over and knocked the intruder’s weapon to the ground.
The black-clad assassin showed a flicker of surprise.
Jiang Liangwu’s gaze darkened as he let down the bed curtains to shield the inside from view, then engaged in battle with the assassin.
The black-clad man was from a demonic sect, long accustomed to assassination. He remained calm even in unexpected situations and fought Jiang Liangwu on equal footing.
However, as time passed, he found himself at a disadvantage.
Despite his experience, he couldn’t land a single blow on Jiang Liangwu, while he himself grew increasingly disheveled, dodging Jiang Liangwu’s attacks.
He realized, too late, that he had messed with the wrong man.
Just then, a drowsy voice interrupted the fight—
“Ah Wu, why is it so noisy?”
Bai Tang, still groggy, rubbed his eyes as he stepped out.
The assassin’s eyes gleamed with an opportunity.
Without hesitation, he hurled a poisoned projectile straight at Bai Tang.
“Tang Tang—!”
Jiang Liangwu kicked the assassin aside, but he was too late to stop the projectile.
With no other choice, he lunged forward—shielding Bai Tang with his own body.
“Pfft—”
Jiang Liangwu coughed up a mouthful of blood as he clutched Bai Tang.
“Ah Wu! Ah Wu! Don’t scare me…”
Bai Tang’s hands were stained with fresh blood as he stared in horror at Jiang Liangwu’s face—
Turning a sickly shade of black and purple.
Without even uttering a final word, Jiang Liangwu collapsed against Bai Tang.
Author’s Note:
My little cuties are all innocent, so I’m slamming the brakes here!
Tomorrow is the weekend! I hope you’ll all come back to see me~ o(^＠^)o
Also, I’m not feeling too great (you know, that time of the month 😭), so updates might be a little slower. But don’t worry, they’ll still come! Please don’t abandon your silly author~ o(TヘTo)