Chapter 1432: Beauty Undercover General's 23rd Trick

Jin Chen ended the meeting early, brought a bowl of meat congee cooked until soft, entered the main tent……no one was there.

Jin Chen stood there a while, then went out again, 'Where is Muyue?'

The two guards exchanged a glance, bewildered: 'Reporting, General, we did not see Mister Muyue enter the main tent today.'

Jin Chen stood dazed in the wind for a moment, and the guard said, 'I'll go fetch Mister right away.'

No need.

Jin Chen raised his hand, roughly knowing where Muyue was.

The tent flap was lifted; Muyue first poked his head out to look, confirmed it was Jin Chen and relaxed, yet he hugged his knees, back to Jin Chen, seeming sulky.

Jin Chen set down the bowl, glanced at the spilled teacup, then sat beside the bed to explain: 'I had a soldier bring you into the tent; he brought you to the wrong place, but it's not my fault.'

'Hmph.' Muyue didn't respond, continuing to sulk.

Jin Chen placed his hand on his shoulder, trying to turn him, 'Good Muyue, are you mad at me?'

'…Hmph.'

'Then I'll leave.'

Muyue widened his beautiful eyes in disbelief, turned to stare at Jin Chen, a tear hanging on the verge of falling, as if writing: 'Won't you coax me a few more words?'

Jin Chen ruffled his messy hair, pulled him into his arms, 'Coaxing, don't be angry.'

This time Muyue didn't huff, obediently curling into Jin Chen's embrace, cheek rubbing against his chest, voice choked with sobs.

'Brother, do you still want me?'

'Of course I do; there's only one Muyue under heaven and earth, I can't do without him.'

Jin Chen gently patted Muyue's back, rubbed a few times, only satisfied after warming him up, 'Don't cry, get up and eat some congee; you've lost weight after just half a month away.'

Muyue refused to move, only with difficulty could he snuggle against Brother; he lifted his head and opened his mouth, the meaning clear without words.

Jin Chen fed him bite by bite; after he finished, he then spoke of the news concerning the wet nurse.

Muyue stared for two seconds, then suddenly sat up straight from the embrace, seemingly not reacting, 'Mother… she hasn't died, she's still alive.'

According to the timing in the secret letter, Muyue's return probably coincided exactly after a palace maid died in his stead; Jin Chen felt a pang of heartache, held him and rubbed his chin against the top of his head, 'She didn't die; I had Shiyou go fetch her, she should be able to enter the city in a few days.'

Muyue still took a long time to react, and then recalled that the few days he delayed returning were spent in Xiwu holding a funerary ceremony for his mother grand enough to shock all officials.

He wanted both to cry and to laugh; after a long deep breath, he buried his face in Jin Chen's neck and kissed, voice sticky, 'Brother, brother… I really like you.'

'Brother, tell me a secret.'

Muyue quietly hooked his finger around Jin Chen's, without force, both of them soft and limp as they are now.

'Brother, I am now the State Lord of Xiwu State.'

'Huh… huh?'

Jin Chen pondered a moment, 'You seized the throne.'

Muyue narrowed his beautiful eyes, nodded: 'I killed the State Lord.'

'My former self was truly foolish; that worthless person actually feared submission for a long, long time.'

Formerly, before meeting Jin Chen, Muyue was sinister and ruthless, yet could not escape the prohibition against submission and reprimand.

'Very impressive.'

Jin Chen lowered his gaze to the youth in his arms, pinched his cool cheek, then lifted him to lightly kiss his brow, his indulgent tone full of praise.

'As State Lord, from now on no one will dare bully you.'

'No, I don't want that.'

Muyue, however, seriously shook his head, 'I don't want Xiwu State; I'm giving it to Brother.'

Jin Chen: '…Ah?'

Muyue changed posture, kneeling before Jin Chen and embracing his neck, his tone almost reverent.

'Brother, the governance of Xiwu State is flawed from top to bottom; I know the common people and warriors have suffered for a long time, I am sending Xiwu to the Red Void State as your military merit.'

'I'm giving you all the land and rivers; can I marry Brother then? Will Brother's family not dislike me?'

Jin Chen: '……'

Wait a moment.

How about that, gaining military merit for destroying a state out of nowhere.

And it's even Muyue's 'betrothal gift'.

Jin Chen's heart felt somewhat complicated, both fond and helpless; in the end he only held Muyue, kissing again and again, until he had bullied him into utter weakness, face flushed, limp in his arms before finally letting go.

'I don't want the military merit from Xiwu State,' Jin Chen embraced him, chest pressed against Muyue's cheek, this let Muyue feel at ease, able to hear Brother's strong heartbeat.

'But…'

Before Muyue could finish speaking, a fingertip lightly pressed his lips; he could only open his watery eyes, silently listening to Jin Chen speak.

'Xiwu is vast; a hasty merger would cause many troubles; I will report this to the Emperor after returning to the capital, ask him to make a decision; by then Muyue, as State Lord, will accompany me.'

Thus, even if Muyue's former identity as a performer were exposed in the capital, no one would dare bully him.

'Just stay obediently by my side, that's the best betrothal gift; no more running about.'

This truly matches Muyue's wishes; his heart brimmed with joy almost overflowing, he clasped Jin Chen's wrist and lightly kissed it.

'Brother, I want to go home with you.'

【Detected Villain Blackening Value -15, total 70!】

【Detected Villain Heartthrob Value +5, total 70!】

Three days later, no one dared to block the Xiwu State already under Muyue's control; upon hearing the news of the State Lord's change of rule, Shiyou was astonished, Ping'an received An Yu and An Feng, as well as the wet nurse who had been placed under protection.

Jin Chen arranged for them to meet at the Snowfall Pavilion.

Upon seeing Mother again, Muyue did not cry, instead like a warrior who could protect him; this was also what Mother wished to see.

'Mother, from now on we will not return to Xiwu; we will go to the capital together with Brother, where the food is delicious and the clothes beautiful.'

Muyue obediently took her mother's hand, "From now on, you will never be bullied again."

Her mother had been only a serving palace maid, but by a fortunate coincidence became Muyue's wet nurse; at that time the whole imperial palace was spreading that Muyue was born of a prostitute and would later be a slave not protected by the heavens, yet she raised her as if she were her own son.

Twenty years have passed, and her mother embraced the now much taller Muyue, tears of relief falling.

On the day the imperial edict reached the Divine Might Camp, the Divine Might Army returned to the court and the capital.

Before departing, Muyue kept her promise, handing over the found fallen flower plum fruit to Xuefeng Ao and also taking A Yan with her.

The returning to the capital troop was mighty magnificent, Jin Chen specially bought a fine carriage, which was also the first time such a fine thing appeared in the Divine Might Army.

Muyue was overjoyed, all the way enjoying sightseeing with Jin Chen, unaware that in the capital where he had once gone undercover, a new round of danger was approaching one after another.