HBBMAWH Chapter 104

Gu Ren observed Jiang Manyue and Yan Cai, while Jiang Manyue also observed him. He hardly had any memories of Gu Ren, only recalling that there seemed to be a strategist by Liu Neng’s side in the past.

But later, this person disappeared. It was said that he died, but no one had seen the body. He was suspicious of Gu Ren’s identity.

He was suspicious of Gu Ren’s identity.

Seeing that he was not tall, with a gentle and proper appearance, dressed in a blue robe like an ordinary scholar, there was nothing remarkable about him. It’s hard not to feel like he’s overthinking, being to suspicious.

Although Gu Ren’s gaze was not intense, and he even appeared quite calm, Yan Cai immediately sensed something, instinctively disliking this kind of gaze, so he glared at Gu Ren.

Gu Ren quickly lowered his head, as if nothing had happened, thinking to himself that this person was quite sharp. The letter he received mentioned that these two individuals were not to be underestimated, but when it came to matters on the battlefield, they probably wouldn’t understand much.

From the letter sent by Gu Zhuo, it could be seen that the two still had personal grudges and seemed to want his help in seeking revenge.

This was the fate of their tribe, as well as the fate of their brothers—they all embarked on the fate of leaving their homeland and “parasitizing” in a foreign land.

Their mother had Chen Dynasty blood, and they happened to inherit their mother’s appearance. Therefore, their appearance seemed out of place compared to the rugged and profound appearance of the Beirong people.

Compared to his elder brother, Gu Zhuo, Gu Ren looked even less like a Beirong native. His elder brother was at least tall and imposing, with deep facial features, proficient in archery and riding, while Gu Ren couldn’t even tie up a chicken.

Even walking in the cities of Beirong, he would be mistaken for a foreigner. On the other hand, after arriving in the Chen Dynasty, no one had ever been able to recognize their true ethnicity.

Because of this, even though they were nobles of Beirong, they were looked down upon and discriminated against by other nobles. Not being favored, they were deprived of their inheritance rights from birth.

Of course, this was also because their father, although entitled to inheritance, had always been a noble who held a meaningless position and lived off others.

Since the failure of his great-grandfather’s attempt to seize power, their branch had become completely idle nobles and had never produced anyone who could possibly ascend to that noble throne.

But it was not entirely impossible.

As it stands, the current general commanding the troops, Zhuogu Xierli, is the outstanding figure of their branch.

Zhuogu is their father’s surname. Not wanting to lose the glory of their Zhuogu clan, even in the Chen Dynasty, his brother did not hesitate to change his name into Gu Zhuo, which is something similar.

As for Gu Ren, he simply chose the surname of the Chen Dynasty, Gu, to follow his elder brother.

In Gu Ren’s eyes, the current king of Beirong is just a waste, and the only one truly qualified is General Xierli.

The king of Beirong acts recklessly, doing things purely on whims, regardless of consequences. So, every time he causes trouble, it’s General Xierli who ends up cleaning up the mess.

For example, this time, he suddenly provoked the Chen Dynasty. If it weren’t for General Xierli stationed here, who knows if the Chen Dynasty army would have breached the city gates already.

Even if he stays here quietly without affecting Liu Neng, he can’t resist the numerous Chen Dynasty troops. Moreover, there are also capable individuals in this army, and many people resent Liu Neng.

Liu Neng is not very smart and easily offends people. However, precisely because he’s not clever, he’s easier to control. The smarter someone is, the harder they are to control.

“Who are you? How dare you trespass into the military camp!” Liu Neng’s words were unkind. He instinctively felt that the two individuals in front of him posed a threat to him.

Before the camp guards could even retract their swords, one of their own immediately stepped forward and created a zone of separation about a meter wide. The entire area fell silent for a moment.

It was only then that Chen Nan had the opportunity to shout, “Nobody move! This is the Carefree Prince!”

Yan Cai timely took out his official seal and the imperial decree given by the Emperor, and everyone immediately knelt down. The soldiers in front saw the imperial decree and knelt down, while those behind didn’t know what was happening, but seeing others kneeling, they also knelt down one after another.

Liu Neng’s expression suddenly changed. Kneeling down, he was really unwilling. As the leader of an army fighting on the front lines, what could he possibly fear?

What he fears is that a layman from the capital would come here and give orders, and unfortunately, the other party held the official seal and imperial decree. Holding the imperial decree meant speaking on behalf of the Emperor. Even if he didn’t want to listen, he had to give some face.

“The imperial decree is here; why haven’t you knelt down? To not kneel upon seeing the imperial decree is a grave offense!” Yan Cai actually didn’t like to kneel to others, nor did he want others to kneel to him, but now was the time to establish authority. Even if he didn’t want to, he absolutely couldn’t just let it slide.

Jiang Manyue knew this very well and immediately knelt down. Otherwise, if he received special treatment, it would surely be misinterpreted by others, which would greatly undermine Yan Cai’s prestige.

It is not easy to stand in a fiery furnace-like environment like a military camp, not to mention that Yan Cai is a prince who parachuted into this place.

Even holding the seal of a grand commander, the imperial decree, and the royal sword, he couldn’t easily win over these people’s hearts.

When almost everyone knelt down, the only one standing, Liu Neng, stood out conspicuously.

“No…” Liu Neng was forced to kneel down, his eyes filled with resentment. In his eyes, Yan Cai, this prince, was as weak as a canary that could be strangled with one hand. Although exquisite and beautiful, it is only suitable for viewing in a cage.

Furthermore, what place did this person have in the military? Liu Neng couldn’t understand why the Emperor would send him here. It seemed like he was here just for sightseeing, and he even brought a child. Liu Neng wanted to question this.

However, before he could speak, Yan Cai had already guessed what he wanted to say. Knowing that Yan Cai was worried about leaving his young son at home, the Emperor unexpectedly added a sentence to the imperial decree, allowing him to bring his child as long as it didn’t affect anything.

This sentence surprised Yan Cai greatly. After the surprise, came gratitude.

He wondered, was the Emperor under some kind of spell?

Without a chance to question further, Liu Neng swallowed his words and began to reconsider his plans. He didn’t want someone watching over him and restricting his actions. Moreover, he was concerned about Yan Cai’s ability to lead.

There can’t be two leaders in one army.

Yan Cai didn’t let them kneel for too long and soon had everyone stand up. Jiang Manyue was willing to kneel, but Yan Cai didn’t want Jiang Manyue to kneel. It was truly the evil of the old society.

So, on the first day of Yan Cai’s arrival at the military camp, he showed Liu Neng his authority.

Back in his tent, Liu Neng sought help from Gu Ren.

Naturally, Gu Ren didn’t want a prince with great power under the Emperor’s decree to hinder his affairs. Of course, Liu Neng could be easily controlled, but it may not be possible if there is one more person…

“Master Gu, what should we do about this?”

“Why are you anxious? You are the commander-in-chief of the army, and the soldiers trust you. What does a sudden prince count for? Even if he has a noble status, he has no influence. Besides, it’s strength that matters in this army. Whoever has the bigger fist, is the toughest. Who do you think would appreciate a soft chicken like him?”

Gu Ren’s words were very arrogant, yet Liu Neng seemed to fall for them. For some reason, he not only disliked the prince but was even more annoyed by the pretty boy next to him.

Exactly. Although he wasn’t universally loved, he had managed to win over some people. Here, it’s survival of the fittest, and anyone who needs others to protect them will only be a burden, forever scorned and despised.

In the midst of war, there’s no one who should protect anyone else; everyone’s only concern should be their own protection. Even if your status is noble, so what?

He had already figured out how to steal their limelight tomorrow. He couldn’t provoke the noble status of the prince, but the pretty boy next to him was a different story.

Liu Neng was naturally hostile towards those who had good looks.

This place isn’t about appearances.

Life in the military camp was far from comfortable. The tents were not soundproof, and the sounds from outside were always clear. Qingke slept quite well. After traveling a long way, he was already very tired and soon started snoring.

Yan Cai felt relieved. He was worried that his son wouldn’t adapt to this kind of environment. Seeing him sleep so soundly, he had nothing to worry about.

It was Jiang Manyue who hadn’t come back for a long time. Yan Cai opened the curtain and walked out, seeing him staring at the soldiers patrolling outside. The torchlight cast a red glow on his face.

“What are you looking at?”

“Look at them.” Jiang Manyue didn’t look back. He felt Yan Cai come to his side, his fingers touched the back of his hand, and he then reached back and held Yan Cai’s hand.

“After so many years, returning here… it feels like a dream. It doesn’t feel real.” He paused. “But you are real.”

So he cherished this hard-won life very much.

“Let’s not talk about that. Will it be cold at night? The weather here isn’t very good.” Jiang Manyue turned around, touched Yan Cai’s clothes, and rubbed his hand. “It’ll be a bit colder here, you’re dressed too lightly.”

“It’s not cold. Although my clothes look thin, they’re actually quite thick. Hong Yu filled them with thick goose down, very warm.”

Liu Neng saw the intimate actions between the two. His suspicions became even more certain. This Jiang Manyue was indeed a pretty boy.

He looked forward to deflating the confidence of this pretty boy the next day.

The military drills in the camp started very early. Before dawn broke, when the sky was still dark, the drums sounded, and everyone had to gather at the training ground for an hour of drills before they could have breakfast.

Exercising on an empty stomach was quite uncomfortable, especially considering the recent shortage of food. The ordinary soldiers didn’t know what Yan Cai had brought with him on this trip.

Yan Cai didn’t need to get up as early as they did, but Jiang Manyue’s biological clock had developed over the years. When the others in the army woke up, he woke up too.

When Jiang Manyue moved, Yan Cai woke up as well. Jiang Manyue wanted him to sleep a little longer, but Yan Cai didn’t agree.

“I’d better get up. Always having privileges isn’t a good thing. Besides, you’ve forgotten, I’m not someone who hasn’t suffered.”

Jiang Manyue didn’t stop him.

At the training ground, there were still people competing on the platform. Liu Neng was instructing the soldiers. When he saw Yan Cai’s figure, he waved his hand in a perfunctory greeting, not looking very sincere.

Yan Cai chuckled inwardly. This person was still too young and couldn’t handle things calmly—he couldn’t fake it. And Liu Neng didn’t even look at Jiang Manyue directly.

This was the only person in so many years who had truly ignored Jiang Manyue from start to finish, and Yan Cai felt quite impressed.

After all, even strangers would give Jiang Manyue a second glance when they saw him.

Liu Neng said somewhat casually, “Good morning, Your Highness. Are you here to inspect?”

“Yeah. I—I mean, I’m here to see how our soldiers are doing. It seems they’re all doing very well. They’re brave and strong. If the Emperor could see this, he would surely be pleased.”

“Thank you for the compliment, Your Highness. It seems that Your Highness is quite knowledgeable about martial arts?” Liu Neng deliberately said, confident that the person in front of him had no clue.

To his surprise, Yan Cai blinked and said without modesty, “Yes.”

Liu Neng: “…” You’re not very polite, are you? He was just making casual conversation.

“Your Highness is truly humorous and witty,” Liu Neng said.

“Hehe,” Yan Cai chuckled dryly.

Liu Neng felt that the conversation couldn’t go on like this. He quickly changed the subject. Damn it, he had been led into a trap by him. He couldn’t challenge a prince favored by the Emperor, so why bother about whether he understood martial arts or not?

“This brother here must have excellent martial arts skills, considering he spends so much time with Your Highness and serves you closely,” Liu Neng said sarcastically.

*(Oh, I forgot to mention that Yan Cai didn’t explain his relationship with Jiang Manyue, or even introduce Jiang Manyue. That was Jiang Manyue’s request.)

Yan Cai nodded confidently, “Yes, his martial arts skills are indeed excellent.”

Liu Neng fell silent again. Who doesn’t brag? By the time Liu Neng fell silent, others had already started clamoring.

“Let’s have a contest! A contest!”

In the military, martial prowess was valued. When Yan Cai claimed that Jiang Manyue had excellent martial arts skills, almost no one believed it. They thought Yan Cai was just boasting. But even so, there were still people who wanted to challenge Jiang Manyue.

A young man who looked like a junior officer jumped onto the platform and waved at Jiang Manyue, saying, “I’ll challenge this supposedly skilled young man. Are you up for it?”

This attitude—it seemed he was also a person who didn’t trust easily.

*Author’s Note

The author has something to say:

This chapter was particularly difficult. I’ve been writing since 7 a.m. until now, and I’ve only written this much. I almost got blacklisted…

We’re almost at the end, just wrapping things up. The appearance of Gu Zhuo here was mentioned earlier. I think you’ve forgotten about him an official from the Ministry of War.

Translator’s Note:

In Chinese slang, “小白脸” (pretty boy) refers to a young man who is handsome and well-groomed but may not possess much substance beyond his appearance. It can sometimes carry negative connotations, implying that the person relies on their looks to get by or is seen as superficial. Kinda like a sugar baby or a kept man, maybe

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