Chapter 393: Exploiting His Weakness and Establishing Village Rules (1)
Chapter 393: Exploiting His Weakness and Establishing Village Rules (1)
After an intense battle, Xiao Ruiyuan returned to the main tent, utterly exhausted. He hadn't closed his eyes for two days and nights.
Lifting the tent flap, he ignored the heavy, cold armor weighing him down and headed straight for the bed in the corner. In the middle of the bed lay a furry creature, sound asleep. It was none other than Mao Mao, the messenger. But what was that thing tied to its back?
Xiao Ruiyuan's heart skipped a beat. He quickly, yet carefully, untied the small cloth bundle from Mao Mao's back.
The sudden movement woke Mao Mao from its slumber. It blinked sleepily, then, seeing the bundle in its master's hands, it perked up and bounced around the bed, chirping excitedly.
Xiao Ruiyuan, however, was entirely focused on the bundle, ignoring Mao Mao's noise.
The bundle was tightly bound, and it took some effort to untie it. Inside were two peculiar items that resembled hands. Curiously, he picked one up and examined it before slipping his hand inside.
The soft fur snugly enveloped his hand and fingers, feeling slightly unfamiliar but wonderfully warm. He clenched his fist, finding his hand movement unimpeded. Satisfied, he confirmed they were indeed gloves for keeping warm.
He put on the other glove, finding both fit perfectly. Seeing the fine stitching, the corners of his stern lips lifted slightly, and a gentle warmth spread across his usually cold face. His eyes softened with an inexplicable tenderness.
Did this mean Yan'er had feelings for him?
Once this thought took hold, it wouldn't let go, causing his heart to beat faster. Unconsciously stroking the soft gloves, Xiao Ruiyuan's eyes were filled with overflowing affection.
"Squeak—squeak—"
Sensing its master's good mood, the ever-attention-seeking Mao Mao jumped onto his shoulder, chirping proudly: Master, wasn't I great? Praise me!
Xiao Ruiyuan shot it a cold glance, carefully took off the gloves, and placed them back into the small bundle. Then, with a swift motion, he grabbed Mao Mao, opened the message tube attached to its leg, and took out the letter, tossing Mao Mao to the ground as if the previous tenderness had been an illusion.
Mao Mao scrambled to its feet, standing cautiously, not daring to misbehave again. It knew it was lucky to be merely thrown to the ground after "offending" its master.
Holding the letter, Xiao Ruiyuan walked to the desk and sat down, unfolding the paper. He spent a moment reading each word carefully. Only during these moments did he feel truly relaxed.
Noticing the concern hidden in the letter, Xiao Ruiyuan's eyebrows lifted with joy, but the underlying worry made his heart ache.
He refrained from mentioning the battlefield conditions in his letters, as each battle was filled with death and bloodshed—something unimaginable to those who hadn't experienced it firsthand. Despite this, he couldn’t bear to tell her, fearing it would plunge her back into the nightmares she had before.
After reading the letter multiple times until he could recite it by heart, Xiao Ruiyuan took out a fire starter, lit the edge of the pages, and watched as the flames slowly consumed them. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
Although he was the emperor’s appointed commander of the 100,000-strong army, the accompanying generals were pushed forward by princes vying for the crown. As the situation at the border remained uncertain and the lost cities had yet to be recaptured, these men remained cautious. But once they reclaimed the territory and drove the enemy back to the north, those men would undoubtedly unite against him.
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