General 3
Tang Xi pretended to be calm. “Explain yourself.”
In reality, he was quite pleased.
The poop scooper is here. I knew he wouldn’t stand me up.
1551 sensed his excited brainwaves and whispered, [Look at you, so pathetic.]
Tang Xi ignored it and put on a serious expression as he listened to Nie Rong’s explanation.
Nie Rong casually recounted how he had encountered assassins on the way, his tone as relaxed as if he had merely rescued a stray puppy.
The poop scooper was attacked by assassins?! Was he hurt?
Tang Xi wanted to rush down and check, but he could only sit high above, lifting his chin with feigned composure as if granting him pardon for his late arrival.
Nie Rong’s gaze was locked onto him. He noticed the delicate chin and his eyes darkened slightly. It was supposed to be an overbearing gesture, yet somehow, it wasn’t irritating at all.
In fact, it made people want to bully him—just to see if that arrogant little expression would turn into one of panic.
Nie Rong was seated quite close to the young emperor, directly across from Shen Xing.
After he sat down, Shen Xing raised his wine glass in a distant salute, but Nie Rong acted as if he didn’t see it, completely ignoring him.
Shen Xing didn’t seem offended either, drinking his wine without the slightest hint of awkwardness.
What a sly fox.
Tang Xi watched discreetly out of the corner of his eye. He had just asked the system and even spent some points to bribe it, learning that it was Shen Xing who had released the assassins.
Yet Shen Xing still managed to act as if nothing had happened.
His motives were obvious—he had gone to great lengths and sacrificed his own men just to drive a wedge between the emperor and Nie Rong, the leader of the royalist faction. If the emperor eliminated Nie Rong himself, it would pave the way for Shen Xing’s ambitions.
The best outcome for him would be for the little tyrant and Nie Rong to start fighting, allowing him to reap the benefits. But the so-called idiot emperor couldn’t even fight Nie Rong—Nie Rong could flick his finger and have him thrown off the throne.
Even though Shen Xing had always looked down on rough warriors who only knew how to fight, he had to admit that military power was crucial. Outsiders believed that he and Nie Rong were evenly matched, but only he knew that he was actually being controlled by that man.
The banquet continued, and a new group of dancers entered, their movements even more alluring than the previous ones. They did their best to captivate the high-ranking officials.
The Prime Minister and the General received the most flirtatious glances.
Even the righteous-looking young General Huang wasn’t spared.
Tang Xi had been happily enjoying the performance, but now he looked displeased.
[1551, why are they…]
1551 thought the little cat was jealous, but then the next sentence came.
[Why aren’t they throwing seductive glances at me? I’m the emperor!]
Disappointed cat.jpg
1551 dismissed him mercilessly. [Because you’re a tyrant.]
In truth, many of these dancers came from the common folk. The emperor’s bad reputation was mostly confined to the palace. Among the people, all they knew was the undefeated war god and the capable Prime Minister—there was little impression of the young emperor himself.
So, there was no love or hate.
For a wise ruler, this would be a tragedy, but for a foolish emperor, this was already a pretty good outcome.
The real reason the dancers didn’t flirt with the emperor was simple:
His eyes were more captivating than theirs.
His skin was smoother than theirs.
His lips looked softer than theirs.
Who would flirt with a man who looks better than them?
Tang Xi comforted himself. At least this proves I have presence.
1551: [As long as you’re happy.]
While chatting with the system, Tang Xi’s gaze had been fixed on the dancer in the center—the one with the slimmest waist.
She blushed under his stare and glanced back at him with a hint of longing.
Who wouldn’t want to enter the palace and become an imperial consort? For dancers like her, this was the ultimate dream.
Though she preferred a husband like the great general, if the emperor desired her…
An elderly minister sitting beside Nie Rong wiped his sweat nervously.
Just now, Nie Rong’s expression had darkened abruptly, and the temperature around him seemed to drop several degrees.
Could it be that the general and the emperor are interested in the same dancer?
The old minister watched as Nie Rong’s face grew darker and darker, until he finally crushed a wine cup in his hand.
Expressionless, Nie Rong opened his hand, letting the shards fall, his heart unknowingly tinged with jealousy.
As expected of a foolish ruler—so brazenly flirting with a dancer, completely oblivious to the situation.
Even he wasn’t sure what he was so angry about.
His gaze shifted back and forth between them, his thoughts turning wicked.
This little emperor looks softer than a woman. Does he even know how to please one?
On the bed, he’d probably be the one getting pampered instead.
Once this rebellious thought took root in his mind, it refused to leave.
His mouth instantly went dry.
Tang Xi wasn’t quite in the right state of mind—he just sensed that the atmosphere of the banquet had suddenly become tense.
Even the musicians made mistakes in their performance. The guests cautiously and discreetly glanced toward a particular spot below.
Following their gaze, Tang Xi saw Nie Rong with a serious expression, lost in thought, and an old minister beside him who looked on the verge of fainting.
Just as Tang Xi was about to ask what was wrong with the old minister, Nie Rong suddenly stood up.
His voice was inexplicably hoarse: “Your Majesty, I would like to offer you a toast.”
Without waiting for the emperor’s approval, he raised his cup on his own. On him, such defiant behavior seemed completely natural.
Tang Xi gave a slight nod, and Eunuch De immediately stepped forward to fill his cup.
He had heard that ancient wines were low in alcohol content. Having never drunk alcohol before, Tang Xi felt inexplicably confident and downed it in one go.
Nie Rong, however, wasn’t satisfied. His gaze lingered on the young emperor’s slightly wet lips and the blush rapidly spreading across his face. Lazily, he remarked, “Your Majesty, I wish to sit beside you and reminisce about old times.”
That seat had always been reserved for the empress. But since the young emperor had no empress, the only person beside him was Eunuch De.
“That would be improper,” a minister murmured below.
Nie Rong’s gaze swept lightly across the room, and the murmurs instantly ceased.
“Your Majesty, when you were a child, I used to hold you in my arms. It has been so long since we last met—I only wish to sit closer and catch up. Please grant me this request.”
Tang Xi’s face instantly turned red, but since he had already been drinking and his face was flushed, it wasn’t noticeable at first.
What did he mean by “used to hold him”? That made it sound as if he were some sort of elder.
Tang Xi was twenty-eight now. Nie Rong had entered the palace with his father as a teenager, so it wasn’t entirely unreasonable that he might have once held the former crown prince.
Reluctantly, Tang Xi nodded, though inwardly, he was so pleased that his invisible tail might as well have been wagging.
Of course, this was just a ploy to deceive the young emperor. Back then, teenage Nie Rong had always worn a cold expression, keeping to himself. He had no memory of ever interacting with the prince.
Nie Rong lifted the corner of his black robe and sat down beside him, admiring the emperor’s drunken, dazed expression up close.
His eyes sparkled as if they held light, but unfortunately, they were focused on the dancing girls below.
If only they were looking at me instead.
With this thought, Nie Rong took the initiative to strike up a conversation.
But as a hardened military man, he found it difficult to find common ground with a pampered young emperor.
After some thought, he noticed Tang Xi picking at a piece of fish and blurted out, “You’ve only eaten this little all night? No wonder you’re as skinny as a cat.”
The moment he said it, he regretted it.
Sure enough, the young emperor was offended. Feeling insulted but unable to throw a tantrum at Nie Rong, he puffed up his cheeks and shot him an indignant glare.
His round eyes widened in displeasure.
Nie Rong, however, felt satisfied. The stifled frustration in his heart dissipated under that glare.
“Mind your words, General Nie.” The last three words were emphasized heavily.
“I’d rather hear Your Majesty call me by my name,” Nie Rong chuckled, his tone roguish and still utterly lacking in deference.
Tang Xi could lash out at anyone else, but never at Nie Rong. He could only let out a cold laugh. “Nie Rong, you truly are my most loyal subject.”
Hearing his own name roll off the emperor’s tongue filled Nie Rong with an inexplicable sense of pleasure. He was so delighted that he even overlooked the sarcasm in Tang Xi’s voice.
Why had he never realized his own name sounded so good before?
Nie Rong rubbed his chin in amusement. “Your Majesty, from now on, why not call me that in private as well? I enjoy hearing it.”
Tang Xi’s expression shifted slightly. “I never realized before how thick-skinned General Nie could be.”
Nie Rong felt a pang of disappointment when he noticed the emperor had reverted to formal address.
To outsiders, their conversation seemed cordial, though in reality, the atmosphere between them was anything but harmonious.
Nie Rong kept leaning in toward the young emperor, the two of them speaking in hushed voices, their proximity drawing them closer.
Shen Xing observed them with a faint smile, but there was no warmth in his eyes. His fingers tightened around his wine cup, though he himself wasn’t sure what exactly he was upset about.
Huang Peifan, too, felt unsettled.
He had always idolized General Nie, but for the first time, he experienced an emotion other than admiration.
Nie Rong had won great military merit and now had the opportunity to be so close to the emperor.
If given the chance, he wouldn’t lose to Nie Rong either.
But he never really had the chance to set foot on the battlefield. He had only commanded two small skirmishes from behind the scenes and spent the rest of his time in the imperial city. His ambitions had simply never been given the opportunity to flourish—he might not necessarily lose to General Nie.
Unlike Shen Xing, Huang Peifan didn’t bother to restrain his gaze. Tang Xi noticed and glanced in his direction.
Their eyes met, and both were momentarily stunned.
Tang Xi quickly looked away, but Nie Rong, standing beside him, caught the exchange immediately.
He’s right here, yet Tang Xi doesn’t look at him. Instead, he glances at the dancing girls one moment and other men the next.
Nie Rong let out a cold snort, his gaze toward Huang Peifan turning rather unfriendly.
This colleague’s father had once been a general as well, but it seemed that being skilled in war didn’t necessarily mean he knew how to raise a son. He figured he ought to help that general train his son properly—otherwise, with that reckless and blunt personality, the kid might one day offend the emperor and end up losing his head.
Completely ignoring the fact that he was the only one who dared to openly challenge the emperor.
. . . . .
By the time the banquet was nearing its end, Tang Xi’s eyes were already misty.
Nie Rong had toasted him several times. The wine was sweet and delicious, so he happily drank an entire pot.
To Nie Rong, that amount of alcohol was nothing—what kind of soldier didn’t know how to drink? Even he hadn’t expected that just a few cups would be enough to get the young emperor half-drunk.
Is this even a man? Nie Rong scoffed inwardly, but at the same time, he subtly let the swaying little emperor lean against his shoulder. Then, with full confidence, he waved to Eunuch De.
“The emperor is drunk. I’ll take him back—you handle the aftermath.”
Without waiting for Eunuch De’s reaction, he grabbed the emperor and strode out.
“Respectfully seeing off His Majesty—”
The officials, still unaware of the situation, quickly stood up to send them off as they watched them walk away.
At a banquet, only those of high status had the privilege of leaving first. Even if the banquet’s main guest and the emperor had departed, most people could only stay until the very end.
Tang Xi was brought back to his room. He had been obedient along the way, but as soon as the door closed, he suddenly started making a fuss.
“I want meat!”
Nie Rong touched his small belly and sighed helplessly. “Your Majesty, you’re already full.”
“I still want meat!”
He must really be drunk—he even forgot to refer to himself properly.
Nie Rong, who had initially intended to tease him, suddenly felt his heart soften. After all, he was still just a young boy. Now that he was drunk, he wasn’t even putting on airs—just acting spoiled.
Tang Xi suddenly felt an itch—he wanted to turn back into a cat.
Luckily, he still had a shred of rationality left and hurriedly pushed Nie Rong out of the room.
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his poop scooper, but this was an ancient world. Though he no longer feared being taken away for dissection, he now worried about being captured as a monster.
1551 fanned the flames: [And you might even get burned alive.]
Tang Xi struggled even harder, shouting, “I don’t want you!”
Nie Rong’s good mood was instantly ruined. His face darkened as he growled fiercely, “If you don’t want me, then who do you want?”
Tang Xi: [1551, help me! I’m really about to transform!]
He never expected that drinking alcohol would make it so hard to maintain his human form. He swore he would never be greedy for food again QAQ.