Husband, Let Me Touch Your Abs - Chapter 161

Extra 11: Killing the Enemy

Xue’s father thought these two kids were just acting on impulse. After all, they had never suffered hardships since childhood. He doubted they could even endure the journey, figuring that once they couldn’t hold on any longer, he would simply arrange for a few people to escort them back.

Unexpectedly, not only did these two boys persist, but they also bonded with the soldiers in the kitchen squad. Or rather, it should be said that Jingshu’s ability to socialize was simply too strong.

At first, the kitchen squad soldiers found them unpleasant and secretly gave them a hard time in various ways.

However, Xue Ning resolved these difficulties behind the scenes. But constantly being targeted wasn’t a sustainable situation. Just when he was worrying about it, Zhao Jingshu unexpectedly befriended the young cook and began teaching him how to make tastier food.

“You can’t just add water straight into the pot after putting in the cabbage, or else the taste will be bad—bland and watery with no flavor.”

Wang Erhu scratched his head and asked, “Then what should I do?”

“Here, watch me.” Zhao Jingshu rolled up his sleeves, picked up a knife, and swiftly chopped the cabbage into uniform shreds. He had learned this knife skill from his second uncle, who was an apprentice to the top chef in the capital. Do you think that’s a joke?

He scooped a large spoonful of pork fat into the pot. Once the oil melted and started smoking, he tossed in the cabbage and stir-fried it over high heat until it was just cooked and began releasing its own juices. Then, he added water to simmer.

Before long, the aroma of the dish filled the air. The taste was indeed different from before.

Wang Erhu looked at him in admiration and exclaimed, “Brother Zhao, you’re amazing at cooking!”

As the dish finished cooking, more and more people gathered around. They all looked at Zhao Jingshu in disbelief. A wealthy young master who could cook? Wasn’t he supposed to be someone who knew nothing about manual labor or food?

This pot of stewed cabbage completely dissolved the barrier between them. It turned out that the young master wasn’t so different from them after all…

The further north they traveled, the colder it became. In the past few mornings, they had even seen a layer of frost covering the wild grass by the roadside when they went to relieve themselves.

Zhao Jingshu and Xue Ning didn’t dare to take chances and put on their cotton-padded clothes early, fearing that catching a cold would make the journey miserable.

When they reached Changling Pass, Xue Wangyun finally couldn’t sit still any longer. Once they crossed the mountain ahead, they would truly be in Liangzhou. Going back home would no longer be an easy option!

After dinner that night, he sent his subordinates to call the two of them into the tent.

As soon as they saw him, both of them looked like mice encountering a cat. Zhao Jingshu didn’t know why, but he always felt nervous around Xue Wangyun, as if a chill ran down his spine every time they met. Xue Ning was no different—he had been afraid of his father since childhood. If he ever made his father angry, the consequences would be severe!

Xue Wangyun stared at the two of them for a long moment before speaking: “Are you truly determined to go to the northern frontier?”

The two exchanged a glance and nodded in unison.

“I won’t stop you, nor will I give you any special treatment. Once you step onto the battlefield, there’s no turning back. Even if you’re my son, if you desert, you’ll be the first to be executed!”

Xue Ning’s eyes gleamed with determination. “Father, don’t worry! I will never desert!”

Zhao Jingshu quickly added, “Uncle, rest assured, I won’t run either.”

Xue Wangyun’s gaze softened as he looked at Zhao Jingshu. “Be careful on the battlefield and stay alert. Ah Ning, take care of Jingshu.”

“Understood!”

As they walked out of the tent, their blood was boiling with excitement. The feeling of being acknowledged by an elder was exhilarating. They could finally step onto the battlefield with honor!

Far away in the capital, Lu Yao worried day and night. He finally understood the saying: “You won’t understand a parent’s love until you have a child of your own.”

These days, whenever he encountered travelers from outside the capital in the restaurant, he couldn’t help but approach them for news.

Today, a group of merchants from the northern frontier arrived at the restaurant. As soon as they entered, Lu Yao hurried forward. “Are you gentlemen coming from the border?”

“Yes, we traveled from Liangzhou.”

Lu Yao’s expression brightened. He quickly asked, “Has the fighting started over there?”

“Heh, it’s intense! We couldn’t take it anymore and ran to the capital to hide.”

Lu Yao’s heart tightened. “Are we winning more, or are the Turks?”

“How could we know? All we know is that a lot of people have died. Before we left, we often saw carts going to the battlefield to collect corpses—cart after cart, bringing bodies back. The blood outside the city gates stained the ground red…”

Lu Yao didn’t hear the rest. His mind went blank, his ears buzzing.

“Sister-in-law!” Zhang Qiulan quickly stepped forward to support him onto a chair.

It took a long while before Lu Yao recovered. He exhaled deeply, an indescribable pain gripping his heart. What if Quanbao got injured on the battlefield? What if something happened to him… He couldn’t even bear to imagine it. His heart felt as if it were being torn apart.

Zhang Qiulan didn’t know how to console him and quickly sent a waiter to fetch the eldest brother from the back.

Zhao Beichuan hurried over and, seeing Lu Yao’s pale face, asked anxiously, “What happened?”

Lu Yao waved his hand weakly. “Nothing, let’s go home first.”

Back at home, Lu Yao lay on the bed without saying a word. He didn’t eat for several days.

Zhao Beichuan was extremely worried. No matter how he tried to persuade him, nothing worked. In desperation, he called over the neighboring Madam Xue.

As soon as Madam Xue saw Lu Yao’s state, she shed tears as well. “Lu Yao, listen to me.”

Lu Yao lifted his head. “Madam, please speak.”

“I know you love Quanbao. How could I not love Xue Ning? But these two children are not meant for an ordinary life. Would you rather tie them to your side and let them live out their lives in mediocrity just for your own comfort?”

“Besides, even though Quanbao is a ger, his abilities are no less than Xue Ning’s. Over the years, he has learned a lot from the Marquis. Do you really think so little of your own son?”

Hearing this, Lu Yao immediately retorted, “Of course not! Our Quanbao is the best!”

“Exactly. So have faith in him. Those two children are blessed—they will not perish in the harsh northern frontier.”

Madam Xue’s words helped Lu Yao see things differently. By noon, he managed to eat a bowl of rice, and by the afternoon, he started contacting the merchant guild to arrange another donation.

Since his son had chosen the battlefield, as his mother, he would not hold him back.

Far away on the border, Zhao Jingshu and Xue Ning had just experienced their first battle.

The battle took place north of Mount Su. The army was heading north, and they were supposed to set up camp and rest that night. However, they were suddenly ambushed in the middle of the night.

No one had expected enemy forces to penetrate this far, yet they did—three thousand cavalry, no less. Their goal was clear: burn the supply wagons and hinder the army’s advance.

The army was stretched over a long distance, with cavalry at the front and the supply troops twenty miles behind. Marshal Xue had planned for the cavalry to go ahead for reinforcement, never expecting the rear to be attacked.

Chaos broke out among the supply troops.

Zhao Jingshu was awakened by the sound of gongs. As he sat up, Xue Ning pressed him down. “Shh, we’re under attack!”

“How did they find us here?!”

“I don’t know. There are Turkic cavalry outside right now. We can’t fight them head-on. Follow me, we’ll circle around to the perimeter.” Xue Bing had taught them never to engage cavalry in direct combat when unarmed on the battlefield, especially when outnumbered.

Zhao Jingshu nodded. The two bent low, using the darkness as cover, and slowly withdrew from the center of the battlefield.

They watched as the supply wagons were set ablaze by the barbarians, and the comrades they had laughed and played with along the way were slaughtered. Their eyes turned red with fury.

“What do we do?”

“Wait.” They needed to wait for a lone cavalryman, seize his horse and weapon, and then fight back.

Finally, a lone Turkic cavalryman approached their position, holding a torch, ready to throw it onto a haystack. Unexpectedly, a shadow suddenly darted out from the haystack, grabbed the reins, and kicked him off the horse. Hiding below, Xue Ning swung his blade without hesitation, slicing the Turkic soldier’s throat. Their coordination was seamless!

“Take the sword!” Xue Ning tossed the weapon from the corpse to Zhao Jingshu, who was now on horseback.

He clamped his legs against the horse’s belly, lowered his body, and turned to charge at a few more Turkic soldiers nearby. The curved blade didn’t feel quite right in his hands—he needed two strikes to kill one enemy.

Xue Ning followed closely behind, seizing another Turkic soldier’s sword and horse. The two of them galloped around the perimeter, cutting down enemies. In just a few moments, they had already killed more than thirty people and rescued dozens of their comrades.

The fire continued to grow. Half an hour later, the cavalry reinforcements arrived, their hooves thundering. Seeing that their mission was nearly complete, the Turkic soldiers blew their long whistle. They had no intention of engaging in prolonged combat and quickly retreated.

Zhao Jingshu, eyes bloodshot with rage, chased after them, hacking at their retreating figures. The enemy fired arrows at him, but luckily, the darkness threw off their aim, and several arrows missed. Still, Xue Ning was terrified—he tackled Zhao Jingshu off his horse like a madman.

The two tumbled into the nearby shrubbery. Xue Ning patted Zhao Jingshu’s back repeatedly, trying to calm him. “It’s over, Quanbao. It’s over… You’re safe now.”

“…Don’t call me Quanbao.”

Xue Ning froze for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter. His chuckles grew louder and louder until he was shaking, forehead resting against Zhao Jingshu’s neck.

“Are you insane?” Zhao Jingshu shivered as Xue Ning’s warm breath tickled his skin. He shoved him away, discarded his dulled blade, and spat twice to rid his mouth of the metallic taste of blood.

Xue Ning sat up beside him. “Aren’t you afraid?”

“Of what?”

“Killing so many people just now?”

Zhao Jingshu had been fine before, but now that Xue Ning mentioned it, he immediately doubled over and vomited.

Xue Ning quickly got up to rub his back.

Zhao Jingshu retched for a long time, his face streaked with involuntary tears. The sour stench in his mouth made him gag again. “Damn those barbarians. Next time, I’ll kill them all!”

General Xue had arrived with the cavalry. His first priority was to assess the supply losses. This ambush had been devastating—more than half of their rations had been burned. His face was ashen with rage, yet he did not order the cavalry to pursue.

The fact that the enemy dared to launch this attack meant they had planned it thoroughly. Chasing them now could lead straight into a trap.

“Gather whatever supplies can still be used. Bury the fallen soldiers on-site. The wounded will be transported to the next station for treatment. Everyone else, continue the march!”

“Yes, sir…” General Zhang hesitated.

“What is it?”

“Xue Ning and the others were caught in the fighting… Should we send someone to look for them?”

General Xue replied coldly, “Ignore them. If they dare to come, they must be prepared to face the brutality of war.”

General Zhang sucked in a sharp breath. Damn, this man was ruthless—he wouldn’t even check on his own son. No wonder he could command an entire army.

Just then, Xue Ning and Zhao Jingshu returned from the battlefield.

General Zhang quickly approached and grabbed their arms. Seeing them covered in blood, he was startled. “Where did you two go?”

“We just killed a few Turkic soldiers.”

“Good! For a first battle, you both did well!”

Xue Ning accepted the praise, but his expression was subdued. He had overheard his father’s words earlier.

Logically, he understood that his father was right. But that didn’t make it hurt any less.

He had heard people say that his father was cold-blooded and unfeeling, but only now, experiencing it firsthand, did he realize just how chilling it was—like the biting northern winds cutting straight to his bones.

Despite the ambush, the army’s march remained on schedule. At the end of November, they successfully reached Liangzhou.

The two forces joined together, forming an army of nearly 120,000 strong—a wall of steel that blocked the Turkic forces outside the Yin Mountains.

[Author’s Note]

Quanbao’s extra chapters will wrap up in about two or three more installments. Then, I’ll move on to the modern AU “What If” storyline. Xiaochun and Zhang Qiulan will appear in the bonus extras!