The Xiao soldier frantically shot several arrows backward, but Zhang San knocked them all aside with his saber.
The distance between them was simply too great. Zhang San could not even reach him with a thrown blade, so he removed the bow from his back and drew it.
He was not originally an archer, but after years of warfare, he had studied every kind of weapon. He had even used Wang Xu’s Golden Crow Bow before and could kill enemies with it. It was just that, like Wang Xu, his accuracy over long distances could not compare to Li Si’s.
When he drew a bow, he pinched the string with two fingers rather than hooking it with his thumb and wearing a thumb ring like Li Si. This method was not a Xuan archery technique, but one he had learned in actual combat from the Northern Lang people and the Western Xia people. While it lacked the precision of the Xuan thumb-draw, it was faster and heavier, making it well suited to his arm strength.
He loosed several arrows at the Xiao soldier in rapid succession, but the jolting of the horse and the excessive distance caused every shot to miss.
Irritation churned inside him. If only Sisi were here. The little fool was genuinely useful when it mattered most. And right now the little fool was still lying unconscious all alone. What if he caught a chill…
Lost in his agitation, he clamped his legs fiercely around the horse’s sides. The steed let out an angry neigh and surged forward in a burst of speed, nearly throwing him from the saddle.
He fired several more arrows, and only then did one finally bring the Xiao soldier down. Riding up, he finished the man with a slash before leaning forward to pat the horse’s neck, signaling it to turn around.
–
He hurried back to Li Si’s side, dropped to his knees, and gathered Li Si into his arms.
“Sisi? Sisi?”
Li Si’s eyes were shut tightly, pain etched across his face. Zhang San cupped his cheeks and warmed them for quite some time, calling his name again and again before he finally stirred awake. Even then, he remained dazed and weak, unable to speak.
This was no place to stay.
Li Si was weak, and Zhang San himself was soaked through after plunging into the icy river. No matter how tough he was, the cold still made him shiver.
He quickly helped Li Si onto the horse, wrapped his arms around him, and hurried back.
–
The moonlight remained bright as snow, scattering across the sparse stones of the plain like countless stars spilled upon the earth.
Zhang San still held Li Si tightly, just as he had beneath the garden corridor earlier. His heart still thundered in his chest.
Yet all the reckless passion that had consumed him before, all those impulses he had struggled to suppress, had finally quieted.
One fierce battle and one night of bitter wind had completely awakened him.
During these ten-odd days since they had met, he had always protected Sisi as though he were a child. Later, he had even liked him as though he were a child.
But he had forgotten that this “child,” despite his youth, was already an instructor of the Upper Four Armies. The number of soldiers he had trained likely exceeded hundreds, perhaps even thousands. This “child” could shoot down an enemy general from three hundred paces away. Despite having no battlefield experience, he could fight Zhang San, a veteran of countless wars, to a standstill. This “child” had been capable enough to be chosen to escort a secret message on behalf of the Emperor, capable enough to lead a group of soldiers, and even capable enough to command men in the midst of darkness and chaos to defeat the enemy and force them into retreat.
Perhaps Sisi was not a little flying colt after all.
Perhaps he truly was a young immortal who had only recently descended into the mortal world and still understood little of it.
And immortals, in the end, were destined to return to the heavens.
Tonight, he had learned that Sisi liked him too.
Sisi actually liked him too.
But Sisi still did not understand that it was affection, nor did he understand what that affection meant.
And Zhang San, who understood everything, had no right—and should not selfishly try—to keep Sisi by his side.
The words hidden in his heart should never be spoken aloud.
What he ought to do was cherish the time they had together even more and treat Sisi even better. He must not let Sisi discover his feelings. He must not make Sisi sad.
When the time came, he would send Sisi safely away to return to the capital and live a peaceful life.
Even if it meant they might never meet again.
Holding Li Si tightly in his arms, overwhelmed by surging joy and sorrow alike, he endured it for a long while before finally lowering his head and burying his face against the back of Li Si’s shoulder.
–
After the fierce battle, Li Si had exerted himself too much while drawing his bow. His wounds, already aching from being pulled open, had suffered another brutal impact when he fell. Now his entire body hurt so badly that he had gone numb.
He felt as though he was about to lose consciousness again.
But he did not dare.
He somehow felt that Brother Xiao would worry terribly if he fainted again, so he stubbornly forced himself to stay awake, concentrating on every breath.
When Brother Xiao suddenly buried his face against his shoulder, the cold ear chilled by the wind brushed against his neck.
The touch tickled slightly.
At the same time, being held so warmly made the pain throughout his body seem lighter.
A sense of peace settled over him.
Deliberately, he tilted his head a little farther toward Brother Xiao until they were pressed together.
He thought to himself that he should not have spoken to Brother Xiao that way tonight.
How hurtful it must have been to say things like, “Seeing you only makes me feel worse.”
When Brother Xiao had called him “silly Sisi,” his eyes had turned red. He had looked genuinely heartbroken.
He was stupid.
He was awful.
He had made Brother Xiao so sad.
Even though seeing Brother Xiao and thinking about how they would soon part did make him miserable, whenever they were pressed tightly together like this, that misery disappeared.
Perhaps this was the cure for the strange illness.
“Brother Xiao…” he said softly.
Zhang San did not lift his head from where it rested against him. He merely answered in a low voice.
“Mhm.”
“Can we keep sleeping together from now on… okay?”
A long while passed before Zhang San finally replied softly.
“Mhm.”
Li Si thought seriously for a long time before speaking again.
“Brother Xiao…”
“Mhm.”
“You were wrong before. We can still see each other many times in this lifetime… After I return to the capital and meet the Emperor, I’ll tell him about Kuiyuan and Ant County, just like Chief Commander Wang said… I’ll ask the Emperor to send me back to find you. I’ll ask him to let me help you fight the war… Once I’ve settled Grandma down, I’ll come find you… Grandma is old now. Someone has to take care of her… When I go back, I can receive the reward of three thousand strings of cash. I can buy a house and hire a maidservant to look after Grandma…”
Author’s Notes: Maidservant – The Great Xuan term for a female servant or maid, generally referring to a woman hired through an employment broker.
Zhang San finally lifted his face.
Li Si could not turn around and therefore could not see the expression on his face.
All he heard was Zhang San’s low voice beside his ear.
“You still have a grandmother at home?”
“Mhm.”
“Any other family?”
“No.”
“Silly Sisi,” Zhang San said.
Li Si did not understand what made him silly again. Beside his ear, Zhang San said, “Stay in the capital and take good care of Grandma. There’s a good chance war will break out in the capital too. Protect Grandma and stay put. Once the war is over, I’ll come to the capital to see you.”
Li Si’s eyes widened with anticipation. “Really?”
A low chuckle escaped Zhang San. Li Si felt there was something strange about the way he laughed, but he could not see his expression.
The arm wrapped around his waist lifted, and Zhang San gently rubbed his cheek. “Little fool, when have I ever lied to you?”
Li Si: “…”
When you said there was someone in the Fortress who could read.
But he did not want to argue with Zhang San over being deceived, and he trusted Zhang San’s promise completely. At that moment, he felt very happy. The sadness that had plagued him for days vanished in an instant.
So all they needed to do was promise to meet again in the future.
It seemed that whenever something painful happened, the answer was not to avoid each other and hide away, but to find each other and have a proper heart-to-heart. Brother Xiao was wonderful. Brother Xiao was clever. After they had talked things through, all the sadness disappeared immediately.
Li Si leaned back a little farther, entrusting the full weight of his body to Zhang San. He felt even more peaceful and at ease.
“Brother Xiao.”
“Mhm.”
“Can we have noodle soup tomorrow?”
“Sure.”
“Can we go to Elder Sister Zhang’s house for steamed meat pies again?”
“Yes.”
“I also want mole crickets.”
“I’ll have Zhou Qi and Zhou Ba dig some up.”
Li Si went on and on, asking for all sorts of food. He even arranged meals for the day after tomorrow and the day after that. The more he thought about food, the more energetic he became. He no longer felt injured or miserable.
–
The two returned by the same route. Along the way, Zhang San jumped off the horse and retrieved the treasured blade Wang Xu had given him. Sure enough, the tip had been damaged when it struck a stone, but it could still be sharpened by a blacksmith and used again.
Li Si’s imperial saber, however, was completely ruined.
First, a section of it had snapped off. Then it had been used to knock aside a flying arrow, leaving numerous chips along the blade.
Li Si: “…”
Zhang San: “Don’t cry!”
Li Si: “I’m not crying…”
Zhang San: “Then stop making that face! Aren’t there still several crates of Tang sabers in the county yamen? When we get back, I’ll let you pick one. No, pick three. Pick five. Take a whole crate if you want.”
Li Si: “…”
Who gives someone an entire crate of sabers? Brother Xiao really was wasteful.
Zhang San: “What kind of look is that? I’m offering you a whole crate and you’re still dissatisfied?”
When they returned to the riverbank, more than ten of the Xiao soldiers’ horses were still lingering nearby. The horses could not cross the river, and leaving them here would draw the attention of passing Xiao scouts. Zhang San drew his saber, only to be stopped by Li Si.
“I’m taking off the saddles and harnesses and sinking them in the river. Then I’ll release all the horses,” Zhang San explained.
Only then did Li Si let go.
–
Zhang San kept several good saddles and bridles, placing one set on General Sun’s fine steed. The two crossed the river and made their way back through the maze to the Fortress.
Zhou Qi, Zhou Ba, and the five soldiers left behind were still guarding the Fortress gate. The other soldiers were also resting inside the Fortress. The farmers had lit several fires to keep everyone warm and dry their clothing.
General She had already been carried back to Ant County by two soldiers. Liu Wu, who had arrived later, arranged for him to stay in the training grounds’ quarters and summoned a physician overnight to treat him. Several lightly wounded soldiers also received treatment.
Zhang San first thanked all the brothers-in-arms and arranged for them to rest. After changing into dry clothes, he hurried off to visit General She. Seeing that the general was asleep and hearing from the physician that his injuries were severe but not life-threatening, he finally relaxed. He then had the physician examine Li Si’s injuries. Upon hearing that those were likewise not serious, he felt completely relieved.
He dumped all the remaining cleanup work onto Liu Wu. Seeing that no outsiders were present, he immediately scooped Li Si up in his arms again and prepared to carry him back to the county yamen to sleep.
Liu Wu, who was apparently not considered an outsider: “…”
This was not the first time Liu Wu had seen the two of them hugging and carrying each other around, and the more he looked, the stranger it seemed!
It was true that Envoy Li was injured, but not so badly that he could not walk! Even if he truly could not walk, carrying him on one’s back or helping him along would make more sense. Who carried someone around like this all day long?
If Envoy Li were a delicate little child, perhaps it would be understandable. But he was obviously tall and sturdy! If it were anyone other than Zhang San, they probably could not even lift him!
Yet just like a few days ago, Commander Zhang’s expression remained perfectly open and honest.
And Envoy Li’s expression remained perfectly innocent.
—Did neither of them realize how strange this looked?
Envoy Li truly did not realize it looked strange. He had already fallen asleep with his face resting against Commander Zhang’s shoulder.
Commander Zhang absolutely knew it looked strange.
He was simply shameless.
“Brother Liu, I’ll leave things here to you. If General She wakes up, please send someone to let me know.”
After saying that, he continued walking away with complete composure, carrying Envoy Li in his arms.
–
Zhang San carried him all the way back to the county yamen.
Cook Wu rose before dawn every day to prepare breakfast for the clerks and constables on duty. She had gone to bed early and was already in the kitchen kneading dough when she spotted Zhang San’s tall figure entering the courtyard. From a distance, it looked as though he was carrying someone.
She did not know that a fierce battle had taken place during the night, but she knew the person being carried was Young Master Li. She hurried after him and asked, “Boss, has Young Master Li been injured again?”
Zhang San replied, “No. He’s just exhausted.”
“Would you like something to eat?”
Zhang San glanced at Li Si’s sleeping profile. Seeing how peacefully he slept, he lowered his voice. “He’s sleeping deeply. He’ll probably sleep until noon. When he wakes up, please make two bowls of noodle soup for us.”
“Of course.”
Zhang San carried him back to his large bed. As before, he warmed a cloth and gently wiped Li Si’s face.
But just as he stood up, Li Si grabbed the corner of his clothing.
“You’re awake? Go back to sleep.”
Li Si had been awakened while having his face wiped. Though groggy, he remained unusually alert, clutching Zhang San’s clothing tightly.
—They had promised to sleep together!
“I’ll come back after washing up,” Zhang San coaxed.
Li Si was aching, exhausted, and sleepy. His eyelids would barely stay open. Mumbling with effort, he slurred, “Brother… sleep… mm…” Before he could finish speaking, he fell asleep again.
Zhang San had originally planned to wash up nearby before getting into bed. But Li Si held onto his clothing so tightly that even prying at his fingers could not free him.
He could only give up.
Using the cloth in his hand, he carelessly wiped his own face a few times and tossed it aside.
Then he slipped beneath the blankets as well.
In the past, they either slept shoulder to shoulder, or Zhang San bundled Li Si up securely and protected him while they slept.
But after several days apart, his state of mind was no longer the same.
—I like Sisi.
—And Sisi likes me too.
—But I can’t keep him here.
—I can’t be with him.
—But can’t I at least hold him?
—I’m not ruining him. I’m not bullying him.
—I’m not actually sleeping with him!
—Besides, he doesn’t understand anything!
—Can’t I secretly indulge myself a little?
—He’ll be leaving in a few days. If I don’t indulge myself now, I might never get another chance in this lifetime!
The tiger in Zhang San burst free.
He grabbed the sleeping Li Si and pulled him over, pinning him tightly against his chest until their bodies were pressed firmly together.
Then he secretly bit Li Si’s flushed cheek once.
Only then did he close his eyes, his emotions in turmoil, and allow exhaustion and darkness to swallow him whole.
–
By noon, daylight flooded the room.
Cook Wu came twice to knock softly at the door, but no one answered. Assuming they were still resting, she refrained from disturbing them.
Even she and her husband worked quietly in the courtyard. She even had her husband carry the firewood to the side yard before chopping it.
Another half hour passed. Worried that Young Master Li might wake up hungry, Cook Wu came a third time and knocked softly.
This time, Li Si’s voice answered from inside.
“Elder Sister Wu.”
“You’re awake? Shall I make two bowls of noodle soup?”
Li Si’s voice trembled slightly, as though weakened by injury.
“Yes… thank you, Elder Sister…”
Cook Wu turned and left.
–
What she did not know was that on the other side of the door, Li Si was lying flat on the bed with a face as red as fire.
Last time, Brother Xiao had wrapped him up in a blanket by himself, half climbing onto him while resting his face against his shoulder. Unable to move, Li Si’s face had burned hot.
This time, Brother Xiao had wrapped himself into the blanket with him!
The two of them were bundled together like two giant caterpillars tightly entwined!
Brother Xiao still had half his body draped over him and was nearly crushing the breath out of him!
He had literally been squashed awake!
Why did Brother Xiao bully people even in his sleep?
Li Si’s face felt hot enough to explode. Both embarrassed and exasperated, he shoved Zhang San several times.
He could not move him at all.
At some point during the night, Zhang San had rolled around while holding him, tangling the blanket hopelessly around both of them.
Their cheeks, ears, and even hair were pressed tightly together. A thin layer of damp sweat clung between them. No matter how Li Si turned his head, he could not escape.
Flustered and panicked, his throat felt swollen. He was too embarrassed even to say “Brother Xiao,” so he croaked hoarsely:
“The Xiao army is here!”
Zhang San, who had been sleeping like the dead, snapped his eyes open and instinctively reached toward the head of the bed for his saber. But his arm was still wrapped around Li Si, and the sudden movement made both of them cry out in pain.
“Your… saber…” Li Si hissed painfully.
Still lying on top of him, Zhang San blinked groggily.
“Huh? Saber?”
“Saber… poking me…”
Zhang San thought groggily: What saber? Why would I be sleeping with a saber?
Li Si thought just as blankly: Did Brother Xiao get so tired last night that he forgot to remove his saber before sleeping?
Both of them were hopelessly confused.
Still dazed, Li Si added, “The saber is really hot…”
Zhang San: “…”
His tiger eyes widened instantly.
He sprang up at once!
But the two of them were hopelessly tangled in the blanket. His sudden leap only made both of them yelp in pain as they became even more entangled.
And the “saber” hidden beneath the blanket became even more noticeable.
A series of cries rang through the room, followed by a loud thump as bodies tumbled onto the floor.
At last, they separated!
Clutching the blanket around himself, Zhang San scrambled backward until he hit the wall.
Li Si sat frozen in place. Wearing only a thin undergarment, he immediately sneezed once the blanket was gone.
“Put on your coat! Don’t catch cold!” Zhang San shouted awkwardly from across the room.
Li Si got up, intending to help him. Zhang San immediately cried out:
“Don’t come over!”
Still worried about the saber in the blanket and whether it might injure Zhang San, Li Si asked innocently,
“The saber…”
With a red face, Zhang San blurted,
“There’s no saber! No, there is a saber! There’s definitely a saber! Just stop worrying about the saber and get dressed!”
–
The “saber” embarrassed Zhang San so thoroughly that he could barely eat his noodle soup.
Li Si sat inside the room slurping noodles while Zhang San crouched in the courtyard washing clothes.
As Li Si ate, he kept one eye on Zhang San’s untouched bowl. When even the steam had disappeared, he put down his chopsticks and leaned out the doorway.
“Brother Xiao, it’s gone cold!”
Zhang San scrubbed at the clothes with a face red as fire. The winter water had left all ten fingers bright red as well.
“Eat your own food! Don’t worry about me!”
Cook Wu entered from outside the courtyard and found the Boss hunched over a basin that was nearly freezing solid, vigorously washing clothes.
“Boss! You’ll ruin your hands in this cold! Put that down. I’ll heat some water and wash them for you!”
Panicked, Zhang San blocked her.
“No! No! They’re underclothes. I’ll wash them myself!”
Cook Wu had not even asked him anything, yet he rushed to explain.
“Last… last night there was a battle down by the Fortress. I ended up in the water. These are the dirty clothes I changed out of…” As he spoke, he quietly shoved a pair of trousers deeper into the basin.
Neither Cook Wu nor Li Si noticed anything unusual.
They simply urged him to eat a hot meal first before continuing the laundry.
Looking thoroughly embarrassed, Zhang San returned to the table, picked up his chopsticks, and muddle-headedly finished his meal.
The moment he put down his bowl, Li Si said,
“Brother Xiao, my saber…”
Zhang San nearly launched himself off the stool.
“What happened to your saber?”
Li Si looked at him hopefully.
“You ruined my saber. Can we go pick out a new one now?”
Zhang San: “…”
So it was that saber.
Half exasperated that Li Si understood nothing, and half relieved that Li Si understood nothing, Zhang San tapped him on the head with his chopsticks.
“You little fool! Let me finish the laundry first, then I’ll take you!”
Futile Devices Scans 
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