Chapter 128

Once the army had settled in, it was already past midnight, but the entire Hua residence remained brightly lit. Soldiers stood guard along the roads at intervals of every fifteen paces.

In the main room of the Hua residence, Yun Yaoyao and Tu Shanjin exchanged information about what had happened during the day.

“…And that’s the whole situation. If you’re wondering whether there was anything else, I can only tell you that this was all there was today.”

As she spoke, Yun Yaoyao nibbled on the little desserts Hua Bufang had sent over, one leg crossed over the other and bouncing lazily.

When she finished one bowl, Tu Shanjin pushed his own bowl over to her without fail. A smile played at the corners of his lips as he quietly watched her devour it.

In the past, Tu Shanjin had felt both love and irritation whenever he saw this sight. After all, Yun Yaoyao had been occupying his body.

Watching his own face make such smug, irritating, and greedy expressions had often made his fists itch. He had repeatedly reminded himself that he loved the soul within—that falling in love with a person from the Book of Life and Death was simply what he deserved.

But now that they had switched back, everything about Yun Yaoyao looked adorable to him.

Her vivid, beautiful brows and eyes, her forthright and genuine nature, her brilliant mind, and that soul of hers—one that had weathered the rise and fall of the world and seen all the vicissitudes of life, yet still held compassion and benevolence toward the weak.

Even if she ate a little more than most people, that only meant she was blessed. Being able to eat was a blessing in itself.

Tu Shanjin felt as if he absolutely adored every last bit of her.

Fortunately, Yun Yaoyao did not possess some cheat ability that allowed her to hear other people’s thoughts. If she could hear what was going through Tu Shanjin’s mind right now, her expression would surely be one of a dead pig falling out of sheer astonishment.

They said beauty was in the eye of the beholder, but the filter in your eyes is far too powerful. It’s practically a frosted-glass version.

Even the legendary love-brain ancestor Wang Baochuan would have surrendered her mountain of wild greens to you overnight and let you dig it all up!

“What about your side?” Yun Yaoyao asked.

Tu Shanjin briefly explained what had happened. General Long had led part of the army to Foping, where they had engaged Ruan Xiangsong’s forces in their first official battle.

Shu was indeed a land of natural fortresses, easy to defend but difficult to attack. General Long’s troops were elite and had been planning for a long time, yet they had barely managed to fight Ruan Xiangsong’s army to a draw.

After the battle, Ruan’s army was filled with confidence. They declared that the Son of Heaven must have been possessed by a Calamitous Demon Consort, and that he had refused to appear on the battlefield because he was afraid of being exposed. The battle had also convinced many local commoners who had previously been skeptical that the emperor truly was a Calamitous Demon Consort.

The situation could only be described as unfavorable. Their first battle had ended in defeat.

Yet Yun Yaoyao immediately sensed that something was off.

“If you personally led the expedition, then you clearly intended to crush this rumor. So why didn’t you appear during the first battle…”

Tu Shanjin said nothing. He merely smiled faintly.

Their eyes met, and Yun Yaoyao instantly understood.

This little brat was definitely plotting something nasty.

He intended to follow those two traitors back to their lair and then unleash something huge at the end!

“You’re no longer the simple and upright Tu Shanjin you used to be…” Yun Yaoyao gave him an approving little look. “You’re now Jin the Unpredictable Underhanded Schemer!”

Tu Shanjin smiled helplessly and continued, “Shu is controlled by three major powers. The first is the southern army led by Ruan Xiangsong. The second is the three great clans of Shu. The third is the newly risen rebel army.”

“The southern army and the clans are wary of each other, yet secretly collude. As for the rebel army, it hates every faction equally.”

“On the night before our army arrived in Shu, the heads of all three great clans fell ill at the same time. They took to their beds and refused to receive any visitors.”

“All three of them fell ill and refused to see anyone?” A mocking curve touched Yun Yaoyao’s lips. “They don’t want to offend the imperial family openly, but they also don’t want to have any connection with us. Meanwhile, they secretly support the southern army. What a fine little scheme.”

“It doesn’t matter. The heads of the households may be sick, but surely the women of their families are not. Tomorrow morning, I’ll send people to notify the three great clans and invite all their female relatives to the Hua residence to admire the flowers. I’d like to see whether they plan to keep hiding like frightened turtles or tear all pretense away and openly break with the imperial family.”

Yun Yaoyao poured herself a cup of tea. Then, remembering something, she asked casually, “By the way, what about the prefect of Shu? After the rebellion was put down, the imperial court must have appointed a prefect. What has become of him?”

“The prefect of Shu is Yin Ziyang. He came from a poor family and was born in the capital. During his first year in Shu, he was still full of lofty ambitions. Unfortunately, reality defeated him. By the following year, he had become the son-in-law of one of the clans—and one of their lackeys as well. When he learned that I was personally leading the expedition, he fell ill that very night. He claims to be seriously sick and unable to receive visitors.”

Yun Yaoyao curled her lips. “That makes things even easier. If he’s so sick that he can’t see anyone, then he should resign and return home. Tomorrow, post notices throughout the city: the former prefect, Yin Ziyang, is stepping down due to illness. The Son of Heaven is personally calling upon talented people throughout Shu to take up the position of prefect!”

“If Yin Ziyang comes forward to refute the notice, he’ll be guilty of deceiving the emperor. Who wouldn’t be tempted by the position of prefect? This will stir up the already tangled power structure in Shu and turn it into a whirlwind. Yaoyao, you’re as clever as ever.”

As he spoke, Tu Shanjin’s hand began to wander. It climbed up her slender, supple waist and tried to move higher, apparently intent on greeting the pair of soft white rabbits he could never get enough of.

Smack!

Yun Yaoyao slapped his hand away without the slightest hesitation.

“You lecher! We’re still discussing serious matters!”

Tu Shanjin did not get angry at being struck. Instead, he pulled her even closer, his fingers slowly tracing circles over the small of her back.

“We’ve already finished discussing serious matters. Besides, we’ve been working all day. Why don’t you and I…” Tu Shanjin lowered his head, his lips immediately closing around her ear as he slowly nibbled and grazed it. “Do something less serious?”

Her ears, neck, and lower back had always been Yun Yaoyao’s most sensitive spots. With him teasing two of them at once, even Yun Yaoyao—who had always insisted on keeping her distance from men—could not help growing flustered.

Yet she still had her concerns, and she pushed him away. “No. This is a critical period. The reason we switched back was because of… cosmic harmony. If we harmonize again now, what if we switch bodies again?”

“Then we’ll harmonize again,” Tu Shanjin replied, the smile in his eyes growing even more tender.

Yun Yaoyao’s little face flushed. “But what if we don’t switch back this time?”

Soul-switching was bizarre to begin with, and neither of them knew what might happen next. With the pacification of Shu’s rebellion at such a crucial stage, Tu Shanjin ultimately gave up on trying again.

But although he had abandoned the idea, Yun Yaoyao, sitting on top of him, could clearly sense that the great beast he had awakened had not.

She glanced at the dark circles beneath Tu Shanjin’s eyes and the exhaustion he could no longer conceal, and her heart softened.

On the journey south, she had not had a moment’s rest—and Tu Shanjin had rested even less.

The affairs of the court, the affairs of the border, the affairs of the army, the affairs of the rebels… As the Son of Heaven, he carried an unbearably heavy burden, to say nothing of personally leading an expedition.

So Yun Yaoyao leaned close to his ear and whispered a few words.

This time, it was Tu Shanjin’s turn for his face to flush.

Before long, soft breaths drifted from within the room.

The sky was hazy, the moonlight cold and sharp, and the candlelight inside the room flickered. As it illuminated their faces, it also cast the warmth between them onto the window.

When General Long and the others arrived outside the main room, this was the scene that greeted them.

The shadows on the window merged together, …

General Long and the others instantly froze where they stood, their faces flushing as their eyes nevertheless remained fixed on the window.

How utterly improper! Truly, utterly improper!

General Long gave an awkward cough and tried to smooth things over. “His Majesty attends to state affairs day and night and never spares himself. Perhaps all that traveling these past few days has tired out his legs. The Empress, out of concern for His Majesty, is giving him a foot massage.”

The moment he finished speaking, faint voices drifted out from the room.

“There are practically sparks flying already. Still not done?”

“Yaoyao, hold on a little longer. Almost there…”

General Long and the others: “…”

Ahem. The moonlight was intoxicating tonight, and they had all been completely absorbed in admiring it. They had heard absolutely nothing just now.

Another half-incense stick passed before voices came from the room again.

“Wow, as expected of Little Tu Bird!”

“…You gave it another name?”

Outside, General Long and the others pinched their thighs until they were black and blue, barely managing to keep the true thoughts in their hearts from showing on their faces.

Little Tu Bird?

Hahahahahaha!

His Majesty was always solemn and stern in front of them, never one to smile. Yet in private, his dragonhood—the mighty foundation of Yan Chi—was actually being called Little Tu Bird by the Empress?!

As expected of the Empress. She was truly fearless!

Pffft—hahahaha!

The group finally waited until the two of them were finished and were just about to send someone in to deliver their message.

But then more sounds came from inside, this time tinged with gritted teeth.

“Yaoyao, courtesy demands reciprocity. This time, let me satisfy you…”

General Long and the others: “…”

Right, then. It seemed there was going to be another round. They would come back at dawn.