Outside the barracks, cries of battle shook the heavens.
The horn of the barbarians sounded like a death summons, blowing faster and more urgently with each passing moment.
Yet Su Tang had no time to be afraid; she was sprinting toward the mess hall at top speed.
Because through the System’s radar scan, she had just uncovered a terrifying fact—even though that damned Zhao Tiezhu had been captured, the “enhanced croton powder” he had secretly poured into the grain wagons earlier was currently being cooked into porridge with rice by the unsuspecting mess hall crew!
At this very moment, dozens of large pots were billowing with steam, and the fragrant white porridge was about to be served to the soldiers who were heading into battle.
【We’re completely screwed! If they drink this down, how are they supposed to fight? They’ll all be squatting over the latrines until they collapse from exhaustion!】
【When the barbarians charge in, Great Zhou’s soldiers will have to fight while holding up their pants… That scene would be way too magnificent, I wouldn’t even dare to watch!】
Su Tang burst into the mess hall just as a chubby chef scooped up a ladle of porridge to pour into a bucket. Without a second thought, she launched a flying kick—
Clatter!
The half-man-high porridge bucket was kicked over, sending scalding white porridge pouring across the ground, sizzling and steaming.
“Don’t drink it! The porridge is poisoned!” Su Tang screamed at the top of her lungs.
The entire mess hall instantly fell dead silent.
Dozens of eyes stared in unison at this dirt-faced “soldier.”
“Insolent!”
A furious shout thundered from deep within the tent.
A man with a fierce, fleshy face wearing vice-general armor stepped out. His eyes were sinister, and he held a whip dripping with fresh blood in his hand—it was Vice-General Wang, who was in charge of logistics.
【Ding! Gossip Radar Alert!】
【Gossip Target: Vice-General Wang.】
【Gossip Report: Host, be careful! This guy is Zhao Tiezhu’s sworn brother! He’s also one of the spies! He deliberately rushed the mess hall crew to cook the porridge just now because he wanted the whole army to fall for it! Now that you’ve ruined his plans, he wants to kill you to silence you!】
Su Tang’s heart skipped a beat.
【Holy crap! I’ve poked a hornet’s nest!】
Seeing the porridge on the ground, a flash of ruthlessness crossed Vice-General Wang’s eyes as he pointed at Su Tang and roared, “Where did this scoundrel come from?! How dare you waste military grain! Disrupting army morale at a critical moment like this—I see you’re clearly a spy sent by the barbarians!”
“Men! Take him down and execute him on the spot!”
At his command, several close subordinates immediately drew their blades and surrounded her.
Su Tang backed up step by step, trying to explain, “No! I’m saying someone put croton powder in this porridge…”
“Shut up!” Vice-General Wang gave her no chance to speak, drawing the saber at his waist and grinning maliciously as he pressed forward. “A spy needs no excuses! Die!”
A flash of cold light erupted as the broadsword cut straight toward Su Tang’s neck with a howling wind!
If this strike landed, Su Tang’s pretty little head would be separated from her body.
【Ahhhh! Lu Ci, save me!】
【I’m gonna die! I haven’t even finished spending my money! I haven’t bought Lu Ci tiger penis wine yet! I haven’t seen Great Zhou unite the world… I’m so unwilling!】
【Lu Ci! Your wife is about to get chopped up! Where the hell are you, you dead man?!】
Just as the blade was a mere 0.01 centimeters from Su Tang’s neck—
Clang!!!
An ear-splitting sound of clashing metal rang out.
A long sword glinting with cold light shot into the tent from outside like a crack of thunder, striking Vice-General Wang’s broadsword with absolute precision.
The immense force shattered the webbing of Vice-General Wang’s thumb, causing the broadsword to fly out of his grip and embed itself deeply into a nearby wooden post, vibrating with a heavy buzz.
“Ah!” Vice-General Wang shrieked, clutching his blood-soaked wrist as he stumbled back.
Immediately after, the curtain of the tent was blown open by a powerful gust of wind.
A tall, upright figure strode in against the light.
Clad in heavy dark iron armor, his cloak was stained with the blood of his enemies, and wet bloodstains still remained on his face. The man looked like a god of slaughter freshly crawled out of Asura’s hell.
His phoenix eyes, in particular, flickered with an aura of brutal, bloodthirsty red light as he glared fixedly at Vice-General Wang as if staring at a dead man.
“The… The Regent?!”
The surrounding soldiers fell to their knees in sheer terror.
Ignoring the crowd, Lu Ci strode up to the terrified Su Tang, bent down, reached out, and scooped her up off the ground, holding her tightly against his chest.
His hands were trembling slightly—a lingering fear after extreme dread.
Earlier at the front line, he had suddenly heard Su Tang’s heart-wrenching inner thoughts, and in that moment, his heart had nearly stopped. Throwing aside the retreating barbarian army, he had sprinted back without a second thought.
Thank goodness.
Thank goodness he made it in time.
“Y-Your Highness…” Su Tang huddled in his arms, smelling the thick scent of blood on him, yet feeling indescribably safe. 【Waaah, scared me to death! You’re finally here! If you were one step late, I would’ve turned into a headless female ghost!】
Lu Ci took a deep breath, patting her back reassuringly, before turning his head to glare frostily at Vice-General Wang.
“Vice-General Wang.” Lu Ci’s voice was light, yet it sent a chilling shudder down everyone’s spine. “You wish to kill This Regent’s person?”
Scared out of his wits, Vice-General Wang knelt on the ground and kowtowed frantically. “Your Highness, please see clearly! Not only did this person waste military grain, but he also spread rumors that the porridge was poisoned! This officer was only trying to enforce military discipline…”
“If she says it’s poisoned, then it is poisoned.”
Lu Ci cut him off directly, his tone domineering and unquestionable.
“This Regent believes her.”
Those five short words silenced the entire camp into dead quiet.
Su Tang was moved to tears in his arms: 【Waaah, so handsome! Is this what it feels like to be mindlessly spoiled by a CEO? Loving it, loving it! I must give him an extra chicken leg later!】
Ignoring her swooning, Lu Ci said coldly, “Zhao Tiezhu has already confessed that you are his accomplice. As for whether there is poison in this porridge…”
Reaching down, he grabbed a handful of the steaming porridge from the ground and stuffed it straight into Vice-General Wang’s mouth. “Why don’t you taste it and find out?”
“Mmph! Mmph-mmph!”
Vice-General Wang struggled frantically, but how could he match Lu Ci? He was forced to swallow a large mouthful of porridge.
Not even three seconds passed.
Gurgle, gurgle—
An earth-shattering rumble echoed from Vice-General Wang’s stomach. Immediately after, his expression shifted drastically; clutching his rear, he let out an agonizing scream, curled up on the ground, and instantly lost control of his bowels.
The crowd went wild with uproar.
“It really is poisoned!” “My goodness! If we had drunk this porridge, the ones messily shitting our pants right now would be us!” “Thanks to this little brother… wait, no, thanks to His Highness!”
Lu Ci took a step back in disgust and waved the long sword in his hand.
A human head rolled across the ground.
“Traitors shall not be spared.”
Lu Ci sheathed his sword, his gaze sweeping across everyone present before finally landing on the dirt-faced little woman in his arms who was still wearing ill-fitting men’s clothing.
He suddenly reached out and pulled off the soldier’s cap on Su Tang’s head.
A cascade of jet-black, silky hair tumbled down like a waterfall, shimmering with a breathtaking luster in the firelight.
Everyone gasped in shock.
“A… A female?”
Lu Ci scooped her up in a princess carry and, facing the shocked gazes of the entire army, spoke in a steady, powerful voice that echoed across the camp:
“Pass down This Regent’s order! From this day forward, seeing her is equivalent to seeing This Regent.”
“She is This Regent’s Princess Consort. If anyone dares touch a single hair on her head…” Lu Ci paused, his eyes sharp as blades. “Their entire clan shall be executed!”
Boom!
The entire mess hall exploded with noise.
The Princess Consort?
That pampered Eldest Young Miss Su of legend? She had actually followed His Highness to the front line? And she had even saved the entire army?
The soldiers’ gazes instantly changed from shock to awe and gratitude.
“Long live the Princess Consort!”
No one knew who led the shout, but soon, deafening cheers echoed into the clouds.
Burrowed in Lu Ci’s arms, Su Tang’s face was as red as a ripe apple.
【Oh my goodness, this is way too high-profile! Total social death, total social death!】
【Though… getting called ‘long live’ by thousands of burly men actually feels pretty awesome?】
【Hehe, Lu Ci’s protective streak gets full marks from me! Not afraid of him getting arrogant!】
Lu Ci looked down at her expression—wanting to laugh yet not daring to—and his tense nerves finally relaxed.
“Done making a fuss?” he whispered in her ear. “If you’re done, go back and sleep. Tonight… This Regent will personally guard you.”
Su Tang froze, screaming frantically in her heart:
【Personally guard me? Is it that kind of guarding?】
【A lonely man and a single woman, dry wood and fire, right after winning a battle with adrenaline pumping…】
【Tongzi! Quick, fetch my ‘Victory Suit’ (sexy nightgown)! Tonight I’m going to take down this abstinent Regent!】
Lu Ci stumbled, nearly dropping her as he walked.
A Victory Suit?
Just how many strange things did this woman bring to the front line?!