Chapter 1287

Weisa, from hauling ice blocks back and forth, had her lips turned blue from the cold; seeing Hu Xiaotian's appearance, she was both worried and afraid, and in a trembling voice said: "No, I must go call Sister Yutong."

Hu Xiaotian shook his head, then suddenly stood up and swept Weisa into a horizontal embrace, his throat emitting a suppressed, low voice: "Only you can help me…"

In the middle of the night, Hu Xiaotian woke up, seeing Weisa still slumped in his arms asleep, her golden hair scattered messily across his chest, her delicate skin glowing in the night with a moonlight-like pure radiance. Hu Xiaotian gently moved her arm aside, discovering several bruises on her fair wrist, obviously left by him; then looking at her delicate, jade-like neck, there were also several obvious bruises. Hu Xiaotian shook his head, suddenly recalling a saying: "Rabbits don't eat the grass by their burrow," but only after actually eating it did he realize how tempting and delicious that burrow-side grass is— not eating it would be stupid.

He tucked Weisa in with a blanket, then quietly slipped out of bed, put on his clothes, and came to the courtyard. A round moon hung like thin ice in the night sky. Hu Xiaotian stretched his arms, feeling utterly relaxed. Recalling what he had done the previous night, he couldn't help but blush a little; his actions toward Weisa had been truly too rough, and he hadn't expected that Weisa, after wandering about like duckweed, would still be a virgin. He hoped his violent "plowing" hadn't caused her too much psychological trauma.

Standing in the moonlight, silently regulating his breath, Hu Xiaotian was astonished to find that his Dantian Qi Sea seemed to have expanded considerably compared to before, meaning his Dantian Qi Sea could now hold more inner force. This was the best he had felt since taking the Five-Colored Spider King's inner elixir, although it also had to do with the large amount of inner force he had expended tonight using the Sun-Shooting True Classic.

The door behind him stirred slightly, and it was Weisa coming to find him. Hu Xiaotian turned around, and Weisa, with a bashful expression, flung herself into his arms.

Hu Xiaotian whispered: "Be careful of the cold night wind; don't catch a chill."

Weisa gently nodded. In a soft voice she said: "Why did you abandon me alone and run out?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "You're too beautiful; being by your side, I worry I won't be able to restrain myself and will end up doing something bad to you."

Weisa blushed and said: "No matter what the master does, I like it very much in my heart."

Hearing those words from Weisa, Hu Xiaotian could no longer restrain himself; he reached out and lifted her again, whispering: "Then I'll make you like me even more…"

Hu Xiaotian wasn't in a hurry to go to Kangdu. He first sent Xia Zhangming to Kangdu to gather information, and also dispatched Zhan Peng and Liang Yinghao to go ahead to Fengyi Shan Zhuang outside Kangdu to secure a foothold. In the blink of an eye, half a month passed; Xia Zhangming had already returned from Kangdu with the latest news, and it was time for Hu Xiaotian to depart.

Zhao Wusheng and Li Yongfu were in charge of naval logistics, while Yan Xuanning handled internal affairs. After suffering a setback at Yunze, Ye Tianxing had fallen ill and been recuperating in Wuxing Jun; only these past two days had he arrived at Dongliang Jun.

Before departing, Hu Xiaotian specially went to visit Ye Tianxing. Upon arriving at Ye Tianxing's residence, he heard from inside Ye Tianxing's angry shout: "Bring the wine…"

"'Military Advisor, you can't drink any more…'"

"'Damn it! Even you look down on me? Even you dare to look down on me?'"

Hu Xiaotian furrowed his brows, walked in slowly, and saw Ye Tianxing, face flushed and ears red, berating the servants. Obviously he had drunk too much.

Hu Xiaotian walked over, Ye Tianxing still hadn't noticed, and roared: "Bring the wine, or I'll have you all executed!" A basin of cold water poured down over his head. Ye Tianxing was drenched to the bone, and he flew into a rage. Turning his head, he saw that the person who had splashed him was Hu Xiaotian; startled, he sobered up instantly, slipped from his chair, and with a thud knelt down: "My lord… Tianxing didn't know you had arrived, my words and conduct were out of line… I beg forgiveness for my rudeness… Ah-choo…"

Hu Xiaotian couldn't help laughing, and told him to hurry back and change clothes.

Ye Tianxing changed into a clean robe and came out; at this point he was mostly sober, and recalling how Hu Xiaotian had witnessed his drunken state just moments before, he became even more restrained.

Hu Xiaotian patted the chair beside him, gesturing for Ye Tianxing to sit next to him, and smiled: "I recall, Military Advisor, you rarely drink."

Ye Tianxing's face was red, whether from shame or the alcohol's effect, he couldn't tell.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Are you unhappy inside? Tell me what's on your mind so I can listen."

Ye Tianxing pressed his lips together, then suddenly knelt before Hu Xiaotian: "Please, my lord, punish me!"

Hu Xiaotian said: "You are forgiven; rise. A man's knees hold gold—Ye Tianxing, are you short of money?"

Ye Tianxing said embarrassedly: "In the Battle of Blackwater Fort, I, Tianxing, was overly contemptuous and careless, which led to our side suffering such heavy casualties; please, my lord, punish me!" This matter has already become a shadow looming over his heart. Although Hu Xiaotian didn't blame him, the officers and soldiers of the Yongjiang Navy nevertheless questioned his ability because of this battle. In fact, those Yongjiang Navy officers have never respected him from start to finish, including Zhao Wusheng and Li Yongfu, who think Hu Xiaotian values Ye Tianxing too highly, believing Ye Tianxing lacks actual combat experience and cannot bear the responsibility of military advisor. Originally, Hu Xiaotian had entrusted Ye Tianxing with an important role in the Battle of Blackwater Fort, hoping to establish his prestige through that battle, but he hadn't expected the outcome to backfire.

During his recuperation in Wuxing Jun, Ye Tianxing had already encountered many cold stares, so he was deeply troubled during this period—otherwise he wouldn't have turned to drink to drown his sorrows. Of humble origins, he had finally earned Hu Xiaotian's favor, gaining the opportunity to display his talents and ambitions. After becoming military advisor, he had thought he could achieve great things and gain fame across the world, but this sudden setback has instead ruined his previous reputation and brought his ability into question.

Hu Xiaotian said softly: "I've said before, the Blackwater Fort affair isn't your fault; if anyone should bear responsibility, it should be me. The military advisor's strategy was not wrong—we simply underestimated the ferocity of the Blackwater Fort river bandits, and didn't expect Ma Xingkong to hold the resolve to perish together with the fort. Please rise."

Only then did Ye Tianxing rise, tears of gratitude streaming down his face, and said: "My lord, your benevolence and virtue make me feel ever more unworthy to face you; please relieve me of my post as military advisor as a punishment."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Ye Tianxing, Ye Tianxing, I always thought you were a person of broad vision, but I never expected you to be so narrow-minded. What can a single setback prove? Could it erase all your previous achievements? Without your strategies, how could we have first defeated Tang Bohui, then beaten Qin Yangming, seized East Lu Granary, and established a firm foothold in the lower reaches of the Yongjiang River?"

Ye Tianxing shed tears and said: "It is entirely due to my lord's boundless fortune; it is certainly not my personal merit!" Hearing Hu Xiaotian praise his achievements, Ye Tianxing secretly felt relieved, seeing that Hu Xiaotian had not looked down on him because of the Blackwater Fort setback.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Since no sage is without fault, if the military advisor hasn't become arrogant after a few victories, why should he belittle himself over a single battle's setback? Learning from a loss brings wisdom. For us, this Blackwater Fort battle isn't necessarily a bad thing; at least I have realized one truth: we must never let our guard down, no matter how small a skirmish, we must treat it as if it were a major campaign. Military advisor, if you sink into despair now, who will I rely on in the future to pacify the realm and contend for supremacy under heaven?"

Ye Tianxing was stirred by Hu Xiaotian's words; after days of despondency, he again recalled his lofty ambitions and grand plans. Indeed, how could he belittle himself over a single battle's setback? If he remained despondent, not only would the prejudiced officers look down on him, but even Hu Xiaotian would look down on him.

Ye Tianxing said: "My lord, a single sentence has awakened me from my dream; I am ashamed."

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "There's nothing to be ashamed of, Military Advisor! I will be going out for a while soon."

Only then did Ye Tianxing recall the recent rumors spreading like wildfire about Hu Xiaotian's impending marriage to the Yongyang Princess, and he asked anxiously: "My lord, are you really going to Kangdu to marry the Yongyang Princess?"

Hu Xiaotian gave a light smile; this matter is now known throughout the world.

Ye Tianxing said: "My lord, I have a few words I'm not sure whether I should speak or not."

"'Go ahead! I was just wanting to hear your opinion.'"

Ye Tianxing said: "My lord, the foolish emperor's pretense of arranging your marriage to the Yongyang Princess is false; his true intention is to use this opportunity to harm you. Your going to Kangdu is no different from entering a tiger's den; in my view, there's no need for you to make this trip personally."

Hu Xiaotian said: "If I don't go, it would be tantamount to breaking the marriage pact."

Ye Tianxing said: "Those who accomplish great things are not bound by trivialities. My lord, you have already secured your position in the Yongjiang waters, and Wang Chunjiang and Yunze are also under our control; we now face an unprecedentedly favorable situation. The foolish emperor's push for your marriage at this time is merely fear that your power will grow too large. The journey to Kangdu is fraught with danger; why, for the sake of propriety, should you personally risk it?"

Hu Xiaotian secretly thought, integrity is the foundation of one's standing; if I couldn't even do that, how could I win others' allegiance? In life there are things we must do and things we must not do; the trip to Kangdu has become inevitable. He had thought Ye Tianxing would agree with his view, but he hadn't expected Ye Tianxing to oppose him just like the majority.

Ye Tianxing said: "Actually, my lord could easily send someone to infiltrate Kangdu and explain the situation to the Yongyang Princess; if she truly cares for you, she certainly wouldn't be angry just because you refused to go to Kangdu this time."

Hu Xiaotian said: "You don't understand her!" In fact, he still had half a sentence left unsaid in his heart: "You also don't understand me." Although Ye Tianxing's suggestion was well-intentioned, Hu Xiaotian still felt somewhat displeased.

Ye Tianxing said: "If my lord decides to go to Kangdu, I, though lacking talent, am willing to accompany you."

Hu Xiaotian chuckled: "You'd better stay here; there are still many things for you to do. Without the military pressure from the rear, Laohuangdi might become even more reckless."

Ye Tianxing still felt somewhat unwilling, and continued to persuade: "Actually, my lord already possesses the strength to dominate a region; why must he bow to the court?"

Hu Xiaotian shook his head and said: "Going to Kangdu isn't about bowing to admit fault; it's to settle some matters. Military advisor, rest assured—since I dare to go, I will return completely unharmed."

Only then did Ye Tianxing realize Hu Xiaotian's decision to go was final, and he said respectfully: "I, Tianxing, will await your good news here."

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