Several more days passed.
The General’s Estate had been searching for Xiao Biehe across the entire Kingdom of Liang. After a long time with no results, and with malicious rumors spreading through the streets, Xiao Changfeng’s fury reached its breaking point. As a man who valued face above all else and demanded absolute authority, his objective had shifted. He no longer merely sought to find the Young General to ensure the family lineage; he now wanted him dragged back at any cost.
Xiao Changfeng dispatched several veteran generals who had served him for years with a brutal command: find Xiao Biehe and break his arms and legs. If he still refused to submit, they were to destroy his martial cultivation just bring him back!
The General’s Estate could afford to lose a Young General on the battlefield, but the Xiao family could not tolerate a rebellious son who showed such flagrant disregard for his parents and elders.
Furthermore, in Xiao Changfeng’s eyes, Xiao Biehe’s very birth had been a mistake. If not for Xiao Biehe if not for that one night perhaps he could have slowly won over Xu’er’s heart. He could have made her forget her former lover and convinced her to spend her life with him willingly. They could have had children together in happiness.
Xiao Jinshi’s birth had been perfect; his wife doted on Jinshi. Even the arrival of their adopted daughter, Qingqu, had helped. Because of Qingqu, his wife had finally begun to open her heart and accept him.
See? he thought. She was capable of accepting me. If not for that blight, Xiao Biehe, his wife wouldn’t have hated him for so long. They might have lived in perfect harmony. Even now, the mere mention of Xiao Biehe’s name triggered her heart condition.
Xiao Changfeng recalled the year they were married. His wife had been deeply depressed and refused to see him. Shortly after learning she was pregnant with his child, Xiao Changfeng led his army back to the front lines. During that time, he met a mysterious seer.
The seer performed a divination and declared: “Once this child is born, he will surely cause great upheaval.”
Xiao Changfeng was immediately wary, fearing that the child would bring further harm to his wife. Later, his wife gave birth three months premature. Though she remained physically weak afterward, both mother and son survived.
The wariness in Xiao Changfeng’s heart remained. His wife refused to look at the infant, and Xiao Changfeng, sharing her distaste, handed the boy over to the servants to be raised. He felt he had done his duty; surely the servants of a Great General wouldn’t mistreat his progeny. At the time, he felt he had shown great benevolence. He gave strict orders to the entire household: protect and care for the Lady at all costs, and never under any circumstances mention the child in her presence.
His wife’s health improved significantly. In addition to their first son, they took in an obedient foster son and later gave birth to their own biological child, the lively and adorable Xiao Jinshi.
With Jinshi in her life, his wife clearly found a new reason to hope. She even began to smile at him occasionally. Though she still couldn’t forget her old flame, she promised she would try to make a life with him.
Xiao Changfeng went to war again, returning only a few times. He had a wife he loved and a second son who was the light of their lives. Since the eldest son was the source of his wife’s pain and illness, Xiao Changfeng never once visited him. He never even asked if the boy was still alive.
Then, one winter night years later, while walking through the estate, Xiao Changfeng noticed a light in the kitchen and a suspicious shadow moving inside.
In a rare good mood, he walked over and called out, “Who is in there?”
A young boy emerged. His clothes were tattered, the fabric washed until it was thin and faded, but they were clean. He was small and thin, yet remarkably agile; upon hearing the voice, he immediately tried to hide.
An ordinary person would never have spotted where he had tucked himself away, but this was Xiao Changfeng.
Walking to the back of the kitchen, Xiao Changfeng looked up at the ceiling beams. “Come down. This General has already seen you.”
The boy was terrified, his frail frame trembling, but he jumped down from the beam nonetheless.
Though his voice was commanding, Xiao Changfeng actually felt a spark of appreciation for the boy’s skills. “Such a young age, yet such decent kung fu. What is your name? Why are you stealing food in the middle of the night? Do you know the penalty for this?”
At that first glance, Xiao Changfeng had truly taken a liking to the lad. He thought that if the boy were willing, he could take him to the army, where he would surely become a great man.
However, the moment the boy whispered that his name was Xiao Biehe, Xiao Changfeng’s face twisted. In a fit of uncontrollable rage, he raised his foot and kicked the starving, tattered child squarely in the chest, sending him flying across the floor.
The young Xiao Biehe was stunned. He spat out a mouthful of blood and struggled for a long time to stand, yet he didn’t cry out in pain.
That was the first time Xiao Changfeng had truly looked at his eldest son. He had roared in fury: “I didn’t know the son of this General had grown into such a common thief! You are a disgrace to my name!”
Xiao Changfeng didn’t know or perhaps didn’t care that ever since the wet nurse who raised the young Xiao Biehe died, no one had looked after him. No one brought him food. Because the Lady of the house loathed him, Xiao Biehe grew up as the punching bag of the General’s Estate. There were several times he had nearly died of illness because he was denied medicine.
But he was, after all, his wife’s flesh and blood. Even if he was a “vile seed,” his veins carried the blood of the woman Xiao Changfeng loved.
When it was time for Xiao Changfeng to return to the military camp, he summoned the young Xiao Biehe and asked if he would follow him.
Xiao Changfeng’s reasoning was simple: his wife hated the boy. Now that the child was older, a chance encounter was inevitable. If he stayed and triggered another of her heart attacks, it would be a sin of the highest order. Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to simply make his own son “disappear.”
The battlefield, however, was a place where swords had no eyes. Even a Great General couldn’t guarantee his own survival, let alone that of a sickly, frail seven-year-old child. He decided to take the boy and let him fend for himself. If he died in battle, it would be considered a sacrifice for the country a way to atone to his mother for the sin of his birth.
That was truly Xiao Changfeng’s intent. Even his loyal lieutenants had urged him to reconsider such a reckless move.
But when the seven-year-old boy heard the offer, he thought his father was finally placing his hopes in him. His eyes lit up. Not only did he agree, but he was so excited he couldn’t sleep a wink that night, terrified that his father would leave without him the next morning.
Later, Xiao Biehe surpassed everyone’s expectations. He was a natural at military strategy and possessed an incredible tolerance for hardship. He never complained of exhaustion or pain. His martial arts progressed at a lightning pace; by age fifteen, he could already defeat veteran generals in the camp.
The soldiers who had followed Xiao Changfeng for years were utterly won over by the Young General. They adored him. The only person in the entire camp who never gave Xiao Biehe a kind look was his own father. When Xiao Changfeng punished his son, it was usually without cause.
Whenever the young Xiao Biehe was punished, the old veterans would snap at Xiao Changfeng: “You old fossil! You’re the one who insisted on bringing Little He to the front to win glory. Now that he’s actually doing it, you’re miserable? What exactly is wrong with our Young General?”
The Eastern Palace
Mu Yunfei leaned back on a daybed, surrounded by a troupe of male attendants in white robes. When the report arrived, he crushed a five-colored glazed cup in his hand. Shards of glass, mixed with blood and tea, sprayed across the face of the attendant kneeling at his feet.
“Useless! A ‘Great General of the Realm’ has searched for ten days and can’t even find his own son?” Mu Yunfei hissed. “Send word to the General. Tell him I have acquired a rare flower. Three days from now, I invite my future Crown Princess to appreciate it. The Eldest Young Master of the General’s Estate must attend.”
Mu Yunfei spoke through gritted teeth. The refined, “gentle-as-jade” persona he wore in public was gone; he looked like a vengeful ghost crawled out of hell. Everyone in the Eastern Palace fell to their knees, trembling.
“Also, since the Imperial Guard can’t catch that Prince from the Kingdom of Yan, isn’t the General’s Estate supposed to be all-powerful? Hand the matter over to them. Tell the Great General that he must spare no effort in helping me and the Emperor capture the Third Prince who broke into the palace!”
“Brother!”
Because Xiao Biehe’s internal power had returned, Lu Guanyan hadn’t been able to kiss the “beauty” for several days. He wasn’t even allowed to touch him. The youth felt rather wronged.
However, more than that, he was happy for him. Seeing the beauty finally stand up after all this time, Lu Guanyan was so excited he looked like he wanted to dance. “Brother’s legs are really healed! This is wonderful!”
Xiao Biehe nodded. “Yes.”
The youth knelt down, intending to feel the beauty’s legs, but Xiao Biehe took a step back to avoid him.
Lu Guanyan was slightly discouraged, but his excitement remained. He didn’t actually want the beauty to be submissive; he preferred his “Brother” to have a spine. After all, such a magnificent person shouldn’t—and couldn’t—depend on anyone.
It was just that Lu Guanyan loved him too much. He couldn’t control the urge to be close, to possess him, and to make the beauty belong to him willingly and forever.
But he knew Xiao Biehe would never love him. Lu Guanyan understood his place; he didn’t harbor delusions of being loved back. Because of that, he sometimes enjoyed the sight of the beauty’s reluctant submission under his force.
The little madman narrowed his eyes and smiled. Even if “Brother” had his power back, he still had a chance. After all, he was a bad person. And a bad person has many “bad things” at his disposal.
Lu Guanyan stood up and chased after him, blocking Xiao Biehe’s path and snatching one of his hands.
Xiao Biehe tried to withdraw, but it was too late. His hand was held firmly and stroked repeatedly. The youth looked up, his white teeth gleaming in a grin. “Brother, now that you’re healed, don’t you think it’s thanks to me?”
Despite their opposing identities and the unspeakable things, the youth had done to him, Xiao Biehe had always been a man who settled his debts clearly. He nodded. “Yes. Thank you for treating my wounds and caring for me these past days.”
The youth’s smile widened, his blue eyes sparkling. “Then shouldn’t Brother reward me? For example, by promising yourself to me in marriage?”
Xiao Biehe’s cold face grew even chillier. He frowned slightly.
Lu Guanyan quickly changed his tune, rubbing the beauty’s long, slender fingers. “Then I shall promise myself to Brother.”
Xiao Biehe pulled his hand away. He was about to say that if Lu Guanyan ever needed help in the future, he would provide it. But then he remembered he likely wouldn’t live long enough to see a “future.” He simply gave a slight nod and said apologetically, “I have nothing to give you.”
Lu Guanyan didn’t seem disappointed. He hadn’t expected to get anything, nor did he truly think a marriage proposal would work. He leaned in toward Xiao Biehe and smiled. “Then… will Brother let me kiss you one more time?”
Xiao Biehe was startled, unsure how to answer.
They had already kissed many times. He was not a man who enjoyed physical contact with others, but the youth had forced himself on him so often that one more time didn’t seem to make a difference. He truly did owe Lu Guanyan.
Without the expensive medicines the boy brought, he might have died. Without the boy’s care the constant application of salves and the use of his own internal energy to soothe his meridians Xiao Biehe wouldn’t have been able to recover his strength and walk again within ten days.
While Xiao Biehe was still hesitating, the youth’s lips were already upon his. Xiao Biehe realized then that the boy wasn’t actually asking for permission.
Whether he was willing or not, the youth was going to kiss him.
Xiao Biehe’s fingers tightened and then relaxed. He was pulled into a tight embrace and pressed onto the daybed, where he was kissed for a long time. The boy touched his legs, his waist, and everywhere else.
The strange thing was, even though Xiao Biehe’s internal power had returned, he found himself unable to resist. It was as if his body were being controlled by someone else, leaving only his consciousness his own.