Chapter 227: Male Concubine?

Looking at the genuine affection in his eyes, saying I'm not shocked would be a lie.

She knew Mo Junyan's heart was delighted with her, yet she had underestimated the depth of that affection.

"Mo Junyan." Chi Nan Yi lifted her eyes, a tremor in her gaze, and softly said, "Fortunately, the one whose heart delights in you is also me; from now on, for the rest of our lives, we walk together."

Receiving her affirmative reply, Mo Junyan's eyes seemed lit by starlight; the once cold, deep as a frozen pool, pupils now overflowed with scorching warmth, and the hand that had rested on her shoulder rose slowly.

At that moment, a trembling voice from outside the tent, Yun Shui's, rang out.

"Prince... Prince... Prince."

The ambiguous atmosphere inside shattered, the hand about to touch Chi Nan Yi's face halted; Mo Junyan's brows knit tightly, a flash of anger in his eyes, cold aura enveloping him, and even from outside the tent, Yun Shui could sense his master's fury.

It's over!

My life is over!

Yun Shui almost burst into tears.

Why does misfortune always fall on me, why do such incidents always land on his head.

Chi Nan Yi stared at the blue veins rising at Mo Junyan's temples and couldn't help laughing aloud: "Alright, Yun Shui isn't a person without sense; there must be urgent military news."

Mo Junyan swept his arm, a surge of inner force flinging the tent flap open; Yun Shui, seeing this, understood he was granted entry, swallowed, and stepped in slowly. The moment he entered, he was met head‑on by a gaze as cold as a frozen pool.

"You'd better have something you must say, otherwise This Prince will tear you apart right now."

Yun Shui hurried to explain, fearing he would be cut to pieces in an instant that night.

"Prince, the squad we sent to receive the cargo returned only one man, the brother at the camp gate just discovered; that man fell dozens of meters from the camp, severely wounded." Yun Shui said anxiously, "He must have been ambushed, the cargo vanished, and the one who came back is Deputy General Zhao's younger brother Zhao Shuai, who clutched a wooden tablet tightly in his hand when he returned."

Upon hearing this, Mo Junyan's aura suddenly dropped to freezing, his fists clenched, knuckles whitening, and his brows furrowed tightly as he stared at the wooden tablet Yun Shui handed over.

"The Western Region Royal Family's token."

The Western Region and Daqi have had no contact for years; how could it suddenly appear?

"Prince, what should we do now? Zhao Shuai returned with this, meaning the Western Region Royal Family seized our goods—real gold and silver, the camp brothers' rations!"

Mo Junyan turned his head toward Chi Nan Yi: "I'll step out for a while; you wait here."

"Alright."

Soon after Mo Junyan and Yun Shui left, a voice came from outside the camp tent: Zhao Yan.

"Prince, the army doctor says his injuries are too severe; I'm afraid... it's hopeless."

Zhao Shuai is his only brother; now gravely wounded, his life hanging by a thread, he was understandably devastated beyond words.

Seeing no sound from inside the tent, Zhao Yan lowered his voice and repeated it.

"Where is the person?"

The tent flap was lifted, and a slender yet upright figure stepped out.

Chi Nan Yi stopped before Zhao Yan, watched his momentary stunned expression, and said calmly, "The person, where?"

Zhao Yan and the surrounding soldiers' gazes all fell on her, most of them filled with contempt and disdain.

For a moment, the scene was extremely quiet.

Regaining his senses, Zhao Yan suddenly stepped back, brows furrowed, his gaze at Chi Nan Yi full of revulsion, as if seeing a repulsive, filthy thing.

"This is a military camp, a strategic stronghold; the Prince handles affairs here, and you—" Zhao Yan's lips moved, the words "male concubine" never left his mouth, and he said coldly, "This is not a place for you. If you have any sense, leave immediately; if you jeopardize a major matter, you'll lose your head."

Those words acted like a fuse, and the surrounding soldiers no longer concealed their rejection and disgust toward her.

The male concubine indeed possessed a face that could enchant all beings; a man ten or a hundred times more beautiful than any woman, yet no matter how stunning, his status could not change. They simply could not accept that the Prince, revered like a deity, would favor such a male.

"All she does is use her face to lure and cling, relying on the Prince glancing at her twice, and now she even meddles in camp affairs. She truly knows no limits—just a male concubine, yet she pretends to be the master?"

"Exactly, look at how delicate and soft his skin is; even a small cut would make him whine for a while. What does he know about injuries? He strikes a pose as if he could heal, yet even the army doctor is powerless. What big wolf is this male concubine pretending to be here?"

"Deputy General Zhao is right; such a shameless person should be driven out of the camp. Standing here, they only defile the camp's grounds."

……

The murmurs grew increasingly harsh; Chi Nan Yi glanced at her own attire, feeling helpless.

She was being treated as Mo Junyan's male concubine; these people are truly blind!

Their Prince could never be a good male lover with a broken sleeve!

At that moment, a few older soldiers hurried out of the crowd.

With a grim face, they approached Chi Nan Yi and said coldly, "This is a military camp; idle people may not wander here. You belong to the Prince; this time we will not pursue the matter. Return to the camp tent immediately. Without the Prince's order, you may not go out, otherwise you will be dealt with according to military regulations!"

One of the men said disgustedly, "If you get your bones broken and tendons snapped, you won't be able to serve anyone."

Their gaze at Chi Nan Yi was as if looking at a toy clinging to power, ignorant of limits; a mere male concubine—aside from that face, what else does she have to offer?

Zhao Yan stared at her even more intensely, his eyes cold and sharp, as if harboring a deep grudge against Chi Nan Yi.

Chi Nan Yi, too lazy for idle talk, said, "Didn't you say the sick one is dying? If you have time to berate me here, why not see him off on his final journey; perhaps you might even hear his last words."

Those words were undoubtedly a knife to Zhao Yan's heart.

Everyone in the camp knew that Zhao Yan and Zhao Shuai were extremely close; the two brothers had served together, stood by Prince Li for many years, and now being ridiculed by a male concubine— even if Zhao Yan wanted to tolerate it, the surrounding soldiers could not.

"Silence! How dare you curse! I will kill you!" Zhao Yan, enraged to near madness, drew his long sword from his waist and lunged at Chi Nan Yi.

"Stop!" several soldiers stepped forward, urging softly, "She belongs to the Prince; if anything happens, the Prince will be furious, and we will all suffer the consequences!"

"Don't stop me; even if the Prince slashes me, I must remove this scourge for the Prince."

"Think of your wife and children; if you die, what will become of them?"