HBBMAWH Chapter 100

Seeing the strong sense of distrust in the Emperor's eyes, Yan Cai vouched for himself.

"I can do it, really! Besides, Your Majesty, you're not sending me there to go lead the troops into battle. I'm just going to oversee the army."

The Emperor nodded. Indeed, he had this idea in mind. Originally, he wanted to send a few sons over to toughen them up a bit, but the idea was essentially the same. He couldn't really expect people who had never fought before to go and give random orders.

Ultimately, such actions were meant to demonstrate the true colors of the Chen Dynasty to the outside world and to intimidate other enemies and to boost morale internally, as well as to reassure the people that the court cared for them.

There was another point. Although the Emperor had chosen Liu Neng to succeed Wang Yifa as the commander of the northern desert army among the recommendations of the ministers, he still harbored some mistrust.

So he wanted to keep an eye on Liu Neng. If he didn't perform well, he would be replaced directly. If he did well, everyone would be happy.

Such an important task couldn't just be assigned to anyone. It had to be someone the Emperor trusted. Although Wang Xie was deeply trusted by Emperor Taifeng, he was a weak literary man, always sickly, always having one illness or another, taking medicine more diligently than eating.

It was okay to let him go to Jiangnan to inspect on behalf of himself; it could even be considered a vacation.

But the climate in the northern desert border was harsh and cold, making it too miserable for Wang Xie to go there. This was not only because of Wang Xie's considerations but also why Emperor Taifeng disagreed with Yan Cai's suggestion.

However, the actions of the previous princes had hurt his heart. But to be fair, their actions were understandable. After all, for the princes, the cost of going to the border was too high.

There was a possibility of him dying while they were on the way, and even if they rushed back from afar, others might have already seized the opportunity.

"Okay." But Emperor Taifeng finally agreed to Yan Cai, "But in this case, I will not let you go alone. I will give you a team of my own soldiers to protect you personally. As for Jiang Manyue, let him go with you as your military advisor. I see he cares a lot about this matter."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Yan Cai was very happy.

"Don't be too happy too soon. I'm entrusting you with a task," It was exactly the time when spring and summer were changing, the army was running out of food, and Yan Cai had to lead a convoy of supplies along with his mission.

"Mm-hmm, understood! I will definitely complete the task satisfactorily," Yan Cai promised.

When Yan Cai returned home, he told Jiang Manyue about the matter, expecting Jiang Manyue to worship him wholeheartedly. In any case, he wanted to be praised! He's so excellent!

But Yan Cai waited for a long time and didn't receive Jiang Manyue's praise. He put away his smile and looked up at Jiang Manyue. Jiang Manyue's expression was strange, somewhat shattered, unable to tell whether it was happiness, sadness, or excitement.

This wasn't what Yan Cai had imagined...

"Hey, you!"

Before Yan Cai could speak, he was hugged. It was so tight that he couldn't breathe.

"Let go, let go!"

He pushed, but it didn't budge. Yan Cai held his breath, pushed hard, and finally managed to push Jiang Manyue away.

With a thud, Jiang Manyue was pushed and fell out, luckily onto the bed, so he didn't fall too hard. However, Jiang Manyue's face turned completely dark.

This was so embarrassing. Jiang Manyue looked embarrassed and somewhat helpless as he looked at Yan Cai. Yan Cai's hands were behind his back as if nothing had happened.

"Cough, this isn't my fault, you fell by yourself."

"Yeah, I fell by myself."

"I know you're very moved, and I feel your emotions. But, is there nothing else?" He waited for a long time and didn't hear any praise. It's often said that praise is an essential form of communication in a happy family, which can enhance harmony and affection among family members.

"What about this?" Jiang Manyue hugged him from behind and bit his lip.

Well, although there was no praise, this form of communication was quite "harmonious and affectionate" as well.

It was late at night, after Yan Cai fell asleep.

"The best luck in my life must be meeting you." Jiang Manyue pecked Yan Cai's face, which was flushed from sleep. The praise Yan Cai didn't hear when he woke up, finally received while he was asleep.

But he was destined not to hear it.

When the Emperor's decree came out, the court was in an uproar. No one expected this task to fall on Yan Cai's shoulders.

At first, when the Emperor bestowed the title of king upon Yan Cai, everyone was very interested and wanted to get to know him, probing into Yan Cai's background. But after a period of observation, everyone finally became convinced that this so-called carefree king was indeed just a leisurely person who had no interest in politics, but instead had opened a restaurant in the city.

It was said that the Emperor liked the taste of this restaurant, which attracted some officials who were not particularly interested in gourmet food to follow suit and patronize this establishment just to taste what the Emperor liked to eat. 

Business was much better that month.

However, now that one of the proprietors was going on a long journey, Lin Shu was worried. Fortunately, he had long thought about minimizing the influence of Yan Cai on Jixiangju, so that after Yan Cai left, the entire shop wouldn't be left in a lurch due to ingredient shortages.

Although some of the dishes that Yan Cai provided with better flavors were now missing, as long as the chefs were skilled, business in the restaurant didn't decline much. Only the most discerning gourmets could detect subtle changes in the taste of the dishes.

Also, with Yan Cai's departure, the supply of fresh vegetables that the palace was supposed to receive daily was also cut off.

No one expected this idle person to meddle in official affairs. Moreover, the Emperor even instructed Jiang Manyue to accompany him to the border.

Some people secretly speculated whether they were being sent to do real work or just given an opportunity for the couple to go sightseeing.

However, once the Emperor had spoken, no one could stop it. On the day of departure, the Emperor bid them farewell at the city gate.

The supply troops responsible for transporting provisions to the border had already left several days earlier. The only troops accompanying Yan Cai were a hundred imperial guards.

Everyone saw this and were even more surprised that Yan Cai was trusted by the Emperor. However, what surprised them even more was the Emperor's next move.

In front of everyone, the Emperor bestowed upon Yan Cai the Shangfang sword.

"I bestow upon you the Shangfang sword. With this sword, you can strike down tyrants and traitors. In times of urgency, you can use it to execute first and report later!" The Emperor implied that if there were traitors in the army, this sword could be used to kill them.

Yan Cai held the sword dumbfoundedly, feeling a bit at a loss. Oh, Your Majesty, forget about whether he would use it or not, he didn't even know how to wield a sword! Could he exchange it for a smaller and more portable token or something?

Too ostentatious! A treasure sword!

But seeing Yan Cai standing there dumbfounded, the Emperor thought he was so happy that he was in a daze, so he patted Yan Cai's shoulder.

"Zhen knows you're happy about receiving the Shangfang sword. It's alright, there's no need to say it, I understand. Go now. As you depart, I will await your return with news of victory in the capital," the Emperor said.

Yan Cai could only maintain a smile.

Once aboard the carriage, Jiang Manyue, who had been playing the role of a wooden figure, couldn't help but burst out laughing, looking at Yan Cai, who was dumbfoundedly holding the sword, finding the situation somewhat amusing.

"What are you laughing at? You laugh so much, here, take the sword," Yan Cai quickly tossed the sword to Jiang Manyue, not caring.

There were some concerns about their son.

Yan Cai gently touched his son, who had been sitting in the corner of the carriage obediently munching on cookies. They were reluctant to leave their son alone in the capital, even though they had loyal Hong Yu to take care of him, Jiang Manxing who would come back from school every day to play with his nephew, and Lin Shu and Lin Zhu, who had always had a good relationship with them.

It sounds unreliable to take your son to the border. Even thought with Qingke's own abilities, he could live safely. But after all, he was still a child, and no one knew what might happen.

However, the two of them couldn't bear to leave him behind, so they brought him along. For this reason, they made a lot of plans, such as finding a small house outside the military camp where Zhu Hua, who also came along, could take care of him during the day, and they also wanted to leave the imperial guards given by the Emperor by their son's side.

During this trip, although Yan Cai was nominally the supreme commander in charge of affairs as the commanding general, in reality, it was Jiang Manyue who was really in charge. Yan Cai had already given up; he had originally wanted to earn this opportunity for Jiang Manyue.

After all, those few princes didn't seem willing to go. Perhaps in the end, they might reluctantly agree because of the Emperor, but it wasn't sincere.

Yan Cai found it very strange. Did the old Emperor look like he was about to die soon? He had examined the old Emperor's body, and unless he encountered illness or a special accident, the old Emperor could easily live for another ten years.

Worrying that the Emperor might suddenly pass away and they would be far away in the Northern Desert was just overthinking it.

But maybe it was because they thought too much that tthe person who went to the Northern Desert in his last life became the eldest prince. The eldest prince has a reckless personality and doesn't think much. Maybe he hasn't thought about this job yet. He probably just doesn't want to go because he's afraid of death.

In the military camp in the far North, Liu Neng, who had officially taken over the military seal, was talking with his military adviser, Gu Ren.

It was mealtime, and soldiers took turns lining up for food. Food in the army has been tight recently, and the food that Yan Cai is responsible for is still on the way, so the food for the soldiers were not very good.

But as a general, Liu Neng's food was much better than that of ordinary soldiers. There were almost no slices of meat in the soldiers' bowls. When the mess hall cooked, only a few pieces of meat were placed in each big pot, and it was considered lucky if someone managed to get a piece of meat.

Seeing Liu Neng's bowl covered with meat, many people couldn't help but salivate. But they didn't have much to complain about; it was normal for a commander to have better meals.

However, it still left a bitter taste in people's mouths.

The previous commander, Wang Yifa, was a general who loved his soldiers like his own children. He always shared weal and woe with them, eating meat together when there was meat and going vegetarian together when there wasn't. So, suddenly having someone like Liu Neng, who was a normal general, was a bit uncomfortable for them, and they couldn't help feeling a little sour in their hearts.

People always compare. When they have experienced something good, they naturally won't forget it. But who could compare to Liu Neng in terms of status and position?

As Liu Neng ate his meat, he felt the eyes of others, and he felt a bit strange, unable to eat anymore.

He pushed the bowl of meat in front of his military adviser, Gu Ren.

"Master Gu, have some more." Gu Ren had shown favor to Liu Neng, and over the years, without Gu Ren's guidance, he might not have reached his current position.

The reason Wang Yifa was able to promote Liu Neng to be his deputy was also because Liu Neng had made several major contributions.

What he didn't know was that all these accomplishments had been guided by Gu Ren. So Liu Neng always trusted Gu Ren and respected him, always addressing him as "Master Gu."

"Why, can't eat anymore?" Gu Ren had a faint smile on his face. This was his usual trademark smile, looking very friendly, but it also made some people feel uncomfortable.

For example, Chen Nan, who was now a deputy general. He always felt that Gu Ren was a smiling tiger, but he couldn't find any evidence, so he could only keep his distance from Gu Ren.

Liu Neng didn't say anything but tacitly agreed.

Gu Ren said, "As a general, you are naturally supposed to be more noble than them. Why care about their opinions? Your cultivation is still lacking; the first priority in cultivation is to cultivate the mind. Your mind is still too chaotic, and you are not ruthless enough."

"I understand," Liu Neng replied gloomily.

"It's good that you understand. The Grand Commander sent by the Emperor to supervise is about to arrive here. You must be extra careful and cautious, lest anyone find fault with you. I heard that this Grand Commander is highly favored by the Emperor. Before departing, the Emperor even bestowed upon him a Shangfang sword!"

Twenty miles outside the camp, Chen Nan led a small team of men hunting wild rabbits. The camp had been short of food and resources for a long time, and the soldiers were craving meat. Unable to bear it, Chen Nan had to take some of his men out to hunt for food.

"Boss, will General Liu be upset if we come out like this? Last time, when you suddenly took us on a mission, we were punished," a soldier said, "If we get punished again this time, boss, do you still have money to pay the fine?"

Although their subordinates were not punished because they were only following orders and the law does not hold them responsible as a group, Chen Nan was punished quite severely. He received thirty lashes and had a year's salary deducted.

"Get lost," Chen Nan cursed with a smile, shooting down a hare before turning back, "You, kid, tell me, do you want to eat meat or not?"

"Eat, eat, eat!" The soldier swung his spear enthusiastically, "Following the boss means meat to eat!"

"Too much nonsense. Hurry up and pick up that rabbit. It might be taken away a wolf later!"

"Yes, yes!" The soldier scratched his head and answered, riding forward on his horse, only to see that the hare, still twitching, being held by a delicate and charming child. The child blinked innocently upon seeing him, appearing utterly adorable.

Why would there be a child here? The soldier was shocked and panicked!

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