General 13
Half a month had passed since Nie Rong made his promise to him. In that time, a lot had happened.
Everyone in the military camp now knew Tang Xi. They knew he was the general’s beloved. Some members of the Broken Feather Army had even seen the young emperor before. It was impossible to hide the truth forever. With Nie Rong’s silent approval, the entire camp became aware of Tang Xi’s true identity.
He was delicate—needed coaxing to eat, insisted on wearing special fabrics, and would cling to the general for a hug whenever he got tired from walking.
And yet, everyone found him utterly endearing.
Aside from the initial awkwardness upon learning his identity, the soldiers grew fond of him. As they spent time together, they realized the young emperor was nothing like the cruel tyrant rumors had painted him to be.
Whenever he saw something novel, his eyes would widen with curiosity. He would hesitantly reach out to touch it, only to withdraw his hand at the last moment, unsure.
He was just like a kitten.
Before long, these rough, battle-hardened men began racking their brains, searching for little trinkets to amuse him.
Even a tiny grasshopper woven from blades of grass could earn them a bright, cheerful smile from the young emperor.
Xiong Cheng’s favorite thing to say lately was: “Even my five or six-year-old little brother isn’t this easy to please.”
Of course, getting caught by the general while giving gifts to the young emperor meant suffering under his sharp gaze—and doubled training sessions. But even so, they enjoyed it.
Nie Rong had achieved his goal when he impulsively took the young emperor away. Tang Xi had visibly grown more dependent on him.
Though in Tang Xi’s eyes, all it meant was that he had trained his poop scooper to serve him better.
Meanwhile, 1551 had long grown tired of their lovey-dovey moments and took it upon itself to monitor the situation in the palace.
Then, one day, it detected movement from Shen Xing.
1551: [Shen Xing has discovered that the emperor in the palace is a fake!]
Ye Baishang had figured it out after just a few brief encounters, so it wasn’t surprising that Shen Xing had as well.
Tang Xi was playing with a pearl inside his tent. Upon hearing the news, he remained indifferent. [My poop scooper will cover for me.]
Shen Xing had no evidence. Even if he knew the truth, so what?
[He’s planning to abduct you,] 1551 warned.
[Abduct me?] Tang Xi nearly dropped the pearl in surprise.
1551 bobbed up and down in confirmation. [To take back the authority over reviewing memorials. The fake you in the palace has been working with Nie Rong’s faction, forcing Shen Xing into a desperate corner. The moment he confirmed the imposter, he immediately set his sights on this place.]
[His only way to turn the tables now is to find the real emperor. That way, the royalist faction will lose their leverage, and he’ll have the upper hand in negotiations with Nie Rong.]
[As for Ye Baishang, the task you assigned to him has been successfully completed. He is now on his way here as well. It seems he has also learned that the real you was taken away by Nie Rong.]
As expected of the child of fate—Nie Rong had executed his plan flawlessly, yet he was still discovered.
The carefree days of being a lazy freeloader were coming to an end.
Tang Xi felt a little reluctant, but he had his own mission to fulfill. The young emperor was not supposed to know about these things. Even if he did, he couldn’t show any reaction. He could only wait for Shen Xing’s people to come and take him away.
1551 comforted the little cat: [This just happens to push the plot forward.]
Tang Xi slumped, even losing interest in playing with his beads.
When Nie Rong walked in, this was the scene that greeted him.
“Bored?” He frowned.
The young emperor had been taken from the palace for quite some time now. Compared to the luxurious and magnificent imperial palace, staying here for too long would naturally make one long to return.
But with the current political turmoil, Nie Rong wanted to eliminate Shen Xing and his faction before sending the young emperor back, ensuring his safety.
“There’s an opera troupe performing in the next town tonight. How about I take you there?” Nie Rong’s voice was gentle as he carefully took the beads from Tang Xi’s hands.
Tang Xi stared at him blankly. In truth, he wasn’t bored at all. Being here was far more interesting than being trapped in the palace. The people around him were all soldiers, and compared to the palace servants who had been by the original character’s side for years, he felt much more at ease. He didn’t have to constantly worry about maintaining his character facade.
He no longer had to painstakingly figure out how to instill fear in his servants without actually punishing them.
He could even have the system play movies for him or let him play games.
Seeing the young emperor looking dazed, Nie Rong felt even more tender toward him. “Tonight, I will take you there.”
Still confused, Tang Xi was taken away and placed on the white horse Nie Rong had given him. The two of them rode together.
Aside from stealing kisses now and then, Nie Rong always treated him with respect—at most, just a little teasing. Even now, though Tang Xi could clearly feel something hard pressing against him, when he turned around, all he saw was a serious face.
As if that rebellious, boundary-crossing act had nothing to do with him at all, maintaining the perfect facade of a loyal subject.
The performance was by a traveling troupe from Jiangnan. These folk troupes were usually a mix of various acts—not just opera, but also stunts like breaking stones on their chests.
Tang Xi clapped happily and even asked Nie Rong for some silver pieces to give as a reward.
1551: [Shen Xing’s people are mixed in with these performers.]
Tang Xi carefully observed the actors on stage, trying to figure out who it was.
Was it the delicate-looking performer in a pink dress? Or the black-faced actor waving a fake sword and shouting threats?
Nie Rong, however, had no interest in the show. His attention was solely on the little cat beside him.
His little cat seemed particularly focused on this performance.
Nie Rong’s thoughts stirred. “Would Your Majesty like to get a closer look?”
Their seats were quite far back, and with so many people in front, the view was somewhat obstructed.
For the first time, Tang Xi felt that being overly doted on wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
Nie Rong was a man of his word. With the little cat in tow, he started pushing forward. His tall and imposing figure, coupled with his fierce expression, made people instinctively step aside.
As they moved closer, the tension rose. Tang Xi kept his eyes locked on the stage, afraid that at any moment, one of the performers might suddenly pull out a dagger and attack him.
He instinctively reached for Nie Rong’s hand, but 1551 immediately stopped him.
[Do you want to push the plot forward or not? Don’t worry, even if you’re captured now, Shen Xing won’t harm you.]
Tang Xi, feeling wronged: [But I don’t want to be separated from my poop scooper…]
1551: [Mission first! Follow Shen Xing’s plan and wipe them all out in one go. Only then will both you and your caretaker be safe.]
As he was conversing with the system, someone suddenly rammed into him from behind—several children holding sugar-coated hawthorns. Without thinking, Tang Xi instinctively stepped aside to make way for them.
By the time he realized what was happening, it was too late. Someone had rushed out from backstage and covered his mouth and nose with a cloth.
Chaos erupted at the scene.
It wasn’t the performers on stage causing trouble—it was the audience below.
With the last bit of his consciousness, Tang Xi turned his gaze toward Nie Rong. A man was lunging at him with a short blade, aiming for his abdomen.
Tang Xi opened his mouth to shout a warning, but before he could make a sound, everything went dark.
. . . . .
[Host? Host!]
[Dumb cat, wake up!]
1551’s mechanical voice was filled with urgency as Tang Xi slowly regained consciousness, his head throbbing.
The first thing he did upon waking was ask if his poop scooper was safe.
1551’s voice held a guilty tone: [The villain is fine, but… you might not be.]
What could be wrong with me?
Tang Xi blinked blankly. A strange heat spread through his body.
[1551, my body feels weird…]
1551 hesitated before responding: [You were drugged… an aphrodisiac.]
A deep sense of guilt washed over 1551—it felt like it had corrupted an innocent kitten. It quickly tried to soothe the increasingly feverish cat.
[The villain is on the way. Don’t be scared.]
As soon as those words fell, footsteps sounded from outside.
Tang Xi perked up expectantly. [Is it my poop scooper?]
There was a brief silence from 1551. [It’s Shen Xing.]
[What is he doing here?]
Recalling the way Shen Xing had looked at the host before, and now considering the presence of the aphrodisiac, 1551 had a terrible feeling. [This can’t be good. You should hide.]
At this moment, it was extremely grateful that its host was a cat—small enough to escape easily.
Tang Xi obediently followed the advice and transformed back into a tiny kitten. His palm-sized fluffy body curled into a corner, completely concealed from view.
Just as he finished hiding, the door was pushed open. Shen Xing entered, wearing a black mask that only revealed his eyes.
Without hesitation, he headed straight for the bed—clearly with an agenda.
1551: [Ugh, disgusting.]
Tang Xi, feeling increasingly dazed: [1551, I feel awful…]
1551 immediately performed a body scan.
The drug was incredibly potent. 1551 was furious.
[Don’t be afraid, the villain is here.]
“Where is he?” Shen Xing turned angrily, about to call for his subordinates, but the moment he moved, a cold blade pressed against his neck.
Nie Rong’s eyes were filled with hostility. “Where did you take him?”
Shen Xing replied, “I don’t know.”
The knife pressed in further, drawing blood. The prime minister’s composed expression finally cracked, his face paling. “I really don’t know. He ran away.”
Nie Rong’s eyes were frighteningly red as he asked, word by word, “Where. Did. He. Go?”
As if this was the only thing he could say, the only thing that mattered—forcing an answer about the boy’s whereabouts.
Fear coiled around Nie Rong’s heart, ready to strike him down at any moment.
At that moment, he realized—he could no longer be without the little emperor.
Shen Xing’s vision started to darken—a sign of excessive blood loss. “I really don’t know.”
Nie Rong knocked him unconscious with a swift strike, but his hands didn’t stop. Instead, they instinctively tightened around Shen Xing’s throat. A voice in his mind urged him to end it—to strangle the man right then and there.
His grip tightened. Shen Xing’s face turned purple, consciousness slipping away. He was on the verge of suffocating.
“Meow!”
A weak cat’s cry came from the corner.
Nie Rong’s entire body trembled. He instantly released Shen Xing, throwing him aside as he turned toward the sound. Finally, in the dim corner, he spotted a small, trembling figure.
With shaking hands, he gently scooped up the tiny cat. Without a doubt, he knew—this was his little emperor.
Tang Xi, once a curled-up ball of fur, now lay limply in Nie Rong’s hands, letting out soft whimpers of discomfort.
Nie Rong panicked, holding the little cat close as he prepared to rush out.
But just as he stepped forward, Tang Xi transformed back into his human form, his arms wrapping around Nie Rong’s neck.
Nie Rong instinctively caught him, his movements practiced and steady. But as he looked down at the flushed face of the boy in his arms, his gaze faltered, unsure where to land. Just one glance, and his body reacted instantly.
A dangerous allure shimmered in the little emperor’s eyes, an intoxicating mix of innocence and seduction—contradictory yet irresistibly captivating.
Tang Xi’s breath carried a sweet, lingering scent. “General Nie… I feel awful… help me…”
Author’s Note: Help the kitty! Hurry and help the kitty!
Lmao the author’s note 😂