The Slender Waist-Chapter 242 - 170: Xiao Cheng’s Retribution_2

"General, the Qi Army has caught up with us,"

The soldiers of the Northern Yong Army from Bingzhou City had already begun to withdraw in succession, and once the main force of the Qi Army entered the city, they would soon be able to take control of it.

Xiao Cheng had suffered a blow this time, and naturally, he wouldn’t let it go without retaliation—pursuit was certain to follow.

But for them to be this fast was somewhat unexpected.

Pei Jue stood on the deck, facing the wind and watching the Qi Army surge towards the shore, silent.

"Formation!" Shi Yin shouted forcefully, commanding with confidence.

"Hold them back!"

When it came to campaigning in the field, storming cities, and retreating in defeat, the Northern Yong Army had a set of familiar formations ready for various situations—heavy cavalry, light cavalry, shieldmen, archers, each fulfilling their roles, standing by in strict formation.

"Your Majesty!"

Among the Qi Army pursuing them out of the city, the Emperor, in his silver helmet and white horse, was very conspicuous. Xiao Cheng, naturally tall and majestic, was easily spotted as he held the reins and, looking towards the departing ships, spurred his horse forward.

Ping’an followed on horseback, and seeing the Emperor charge toward the Northern Yong Army lines as if he was throwing his life away, he broke out into a cold sweat.

"Your Majesty, you must not!"

The fact that the Emperor personally led the chase was worrisome enough.

Where was it heard of an Emperor leading the charge into battle?

Xie Congguang also widened his eyes, furious and anxious.

"Do not pursue a desperate enemy! Your Majesty! Come back!"

The afternoon sun was glaring, shining from the sharp angle of a warship, dazzlingly bright.

Xiao Cheng’s lips tightened as he stared at the warships in the cold wind and the fluttering flags, momentarily in a daze.

This scene was so familiar, yet so absurd.

In his previous life at Shiguan Dock, the person pursuing from the shore was Pei Jue.

And the one by Feng Yun’s side, watching his defeated subordinate frantically spurring his horse, was him.

Roles reversed...

And wasn’t he now also a defeated general?

A large number of Qi soldiers followed behind the Emperor, attacking the Northern Yong Army.

The sound of horse hooves thundered, the army’s roar surged as they clashed, and in an instant, the clamor of battle pierced the sky. The earth stained with the color of blood, merging with the dusk light on the horizon...

Old grudges and new, everyone was seeing red.

"Issue the command," said Pei Jue, his voice cold and resolute.

"Whoever takes Xiao Cheng’s life will be rewarded with a hundred taels of gold."

"Understood!" they shouted in unison.

From the warships to the ferry point, the Northern Yong Army cried out loudly.

"Kill the dog Emperor!"

"Earn a hundred taels of gold!"

"Kill!"

The cold wind was bleak, the trees swayed.

The sounds of killing seemed to come from another world.

Xiao Cheng saw himself on the warship at Shiguan Dock, looked at Feng Yun’s gentle sleeping face, and said lightly and softly,

"Whoever takes Pei Jue’s life, I shall reward handsomely."

The Northern Yong Army, with a fierce gaze, was within close range.

In the Qi Army, there were urgent drumbeats and shouts, the flag bearers waving their flags to direct the assault, and Xie Congguang, watching the reckless fighting of the Emperor, twisted his face in a helpless grimace, shouting frantically and desperately.

And in Xiao Cheng’s ears, there were always different voices.

Voices that did not belong to this world existed.

All around him, there was silence.

He saw Ping’an opening his mouth wide to shout at him, saw Xie Congguang risking his life to shield him, and saw the soldiers of the Qi Army fighting the Northern Yong Army to the death, but he could neither see himself nor hear any sound around him.

All the voices came from memories, a chaotic mess...

"Your Majesty..." that woman approached gracefully, as if from some void, bowing deeply to him.

"The Imperial Concubine overstepped, insulted my royal mother, I couldn’t bear it any longer, that’s why I punished her to kneel," she said.

She had lost a lot of weight.

She was already very thin back then.

Her beautiful face seemed to have shrunk by a whole size.

But he did not take another look at her, instead he gently wrapped Feng Ying into his arms, lowered his head to console her, "Don’t cry, I don’t like it when your makeup is ruined by tears."

Feng Ying, comforted, cried even harder, her tears soaking his robe.

"Your Majesty, please don’t blame Sister Ayun, whatever punishment she gives me is deserved..."

He was fastidious about cleanliness, somewhat disdainful of tears on his body, but he held back.

"Shall I summon the Imperial Physician to have a look? If she injured you, my beloved, I will never forgive her."

The woman’s face finally changed, her eyes fixed on him, dark as ink.

"The Imperial Concubine disrespected her superiors, spoke rudely, as the Empress, a little punishment, and yet Your Majesty is heartbroken?"

His expression was mild, but his words were laced with chill.

"My woman can only be punished by me."

The woman in the void laughed, her laughter piercing, "What Your Majesty says is very true, it’s improper for me to be jealous of the Imperial Concubine, against the virtue of a wife... Please, Your Majesty, punish me by grounding me to Yuzhao Hall and forbidding me from sharing Your Majesty’s bed."

He was annoyed.

So she didn’t want to serve in bed?

She came up with all these excuses.

"Very well, I will confine you to the palace, you’d better never beg me for anything for the rest of your life!"

"Thank you for Your Majesty’s grace."

She bowed again, her posture dignified and graceful, her pale face showing none of the pain and grievances he wished to see. She turned away in front of him and Feng Ying, striding off without a hint of jealousy or disappointment.

At the time, Xiao Cheng didn’t feel much pain.

But now, that silent, suffocating sensation, like a cat’s claws scratching into the flesh, was relentlessly closing in, hitting him in the chest as if echoing from a previous lifetime. The emotions were strikingly different from before, as if suddenly about to tear his heart into shreds, the painfulness leaving him riddled with holes.

That was their first major argument.

As for the cause of the whole affair, he somehow couldn’t remember...

How they got to that point, and why he said those heartless words, it all became a blur.

On this battlefield that seemed to be a manifestation of past events, Xiao Cheng’s numb nerves throbbed with dull pain, endlessly flashing back to the scenes from his previous life, as if someone were taking a knife and slowly carving out the tenderest part of his heart...

"Ayun!"

He heard himself calling out.

"Come back with me."

"Let’s start over."

He’d give her anything she wanted, he could be kind to that child, he wouldn’t send her to the Cold Palace again, he wouldn’t strip her of the Empress title, he wouldn’t allow others to insult or humiliate her, he would have her back, giving her all the splendor of the world, just to see her in front of him again, smiling, telling him:

"As long as Your Majesty is well, I am content."