Chapter 18: Sharing the Quilt, Drinking Together

Chapter 18: Sharing a Bed, Sharing a Drink

Ning Xishi had made the southern trip possible, but there was still fierce debate over who should be sent to suppress the bandits.

The factions were politically divided, and the list of proposed candidates was long and messy. Ning Xishi didn't know how Xie Jingxing had managed to secure this opportunity—anyway, on the morning of the third day, he was finally able to head south with Xie Jingxing's contingent.

Lying in the bumpy carriage, Ning Xishi suddenly realized that the Prince of Huaixi, General of the Western Expedition—the man who, in the original story, had shown no ambition for the throne—wasn't as innocent and harmless as he seemed.

Ning Xishi didn't believe for a moment that the emperor, paranoid as hell, would just let Xie Jingxing march south.

Oh, the troops weren't many, sure.

But eight hundred cavalrymen was still no small number.

Xie Jingxing had originally been against bringing Ning Xishi south for the bandit suppression, but Ning Xishi had produced his medical records from years past and brought up the recent flare-up of his severe chest pains—

"General, every year in early autumn I set out to my maternal grandfather's home to recuperate for a while. This year, my symptoms seem to have flared up earlier than usual, and I'm afraid I can't afford to wait much longer."

Xie Jingxing was well aware of Ning Xishi's physical condition—these same records had once been placed on his desk.

But bringing family along to fight bandits was something Xie Jingxing had never done.

Seeming to guess what Xie Jingxing was thinking, Ning Xishi walked up to him, crouched down, and idly swung a stalk of foxtail grass he'd plucked from who-knows-where, sounding sincere: "General, there's no precedent for this, but first of all, I'm not asking to go on campaign with you—I'm just heading south the same way. Once we reach the Jiangnan region, we can split up. I absolutely won't get in the way of your bandit hunting. Secondly, if I can't head south with you this time, then as a member of the imperial clan, I'll have to get approval from the Empress Dowager and the Empress. I might not even make it to Shaozhou by winter..."

The grass that had been cheerfully swaying now drooped pitifully, and a pleading look crept into his eyes: "General, in that case, I'd die."

As his words faded, only silence hung between them.

Seeing that Xie Jingxing remained unmoved even after all he'd said, Ning Xishi sighed, thinking his acting skills must be getting rusty—or perhaps it was that the ones he usually pleaded with were the sweet couple who'd brought him into this world. That kind couple really liked him, which was why they agreed to all his little requests.

So now he had to get on the General's good side?

Ning Xishi didn't even notice he was swinging the grass so fast it was a blur, but luckily, he finally made up his mind.

He edged forward a little, bracing both hands on Xie Jingxing's knees. Beneath his palms, aside from the soft fabric, there wasn't much warmth—Ning Xishi instinctively squeezed.

—That squeeze nearly made Xie Jingxing jump out of his skin.

Luckily, his legs really couldn't move, so he stayed put.

If it had been their wedding day, and Ning Xishi had made such a bold move right off the bat, he'd probably have been sent flying twenty meters by the General's internal energy by now.

But on the day he fell in the water, they'd been even closer than this...

Xie Jingxing shook off the stray thoughts and heard Ning Xishi say: "General, there's no precedent for this—is it because you weren't married before, so you never had this need?"

Xie Jingxing wondered what need he could possibly have. Or rather, now that he was married, what need was there supposed to be?

Seeing that Ning Xishi was about to say something else outrageous, Xie Jingxing suddenly spoke up: "Li Yuan."

Steward Li emerged from who-knows-where and quickly replied, "I'm here, sir."

"Where's Qiu Changyu? Did today's military reports come in?"

The change of subject was super abrupt, but it worked—while Ning Xishi was caught off guard, Li Yuan, as if his feet were on fire, whisked away his sick, immobile general at lightning speed.

Ning Xishi: "..." Wait, was that a no?

Ning Xishi thought his trip south was about to be canceled, but that afternoon, Li Yuan came and told him to pack. However, since they were moving fast, he could only spare one carriage for his luggage.

Ning Xishi agreed on the spot: "As long as I can get to Shaozhou, I don't even need my luggage."

Hearing this, Dongshuang looked at Li Yuan in despair, his eyes full of helplessness—his young master truly had no idea what things cost since he'd never had to worry about money. In past years, when he went south, he never traveled with fewer than six carriages of luggage.

Sometimes ten carriages' worth of stuff.

Moreover, his young master had no idea how high-maintenance he was. Forget his clothes and belongings—after all, his maternal grandfather, Old Master Qin, had made his fortune in silk, so the young master had worn the best fabrics since he was a kid. Just in terms of food and drink, his young master only drank spring water from Green Mountain on the outskirts of the capital, and only ate pastries straight out of the steamer. He might look like he ate out all the time, but if a restaurant used subpar ingredients, his chopsticks would just stop.

Yes, he wasn't picky—he wouldn't complain if something tasted bad—but he simply wouldn't eat it!

His young master was already seventeen, still growing like a weed, but skinny and frail. Someone needed to get him to eat more.

Speaking of food, Dongshuang had to admit the General's estate had really put in the effort—that little kitchen was clearly set up just for his young master! That alone made him think a lot better of the General's household.

These past few days, Dongshuang had worked hard to cut things down, barely squeezing everything into one carriage, and finally he got to head out with the army, alongside his young master.

Unfortunately, in past trips back to Shaozhou, it had always been just the two of them in one carriage. Now all he could do was watch his young master climb into the General's carriage.

Inside the carriage, Xie Jingxing tried hard to ignore the guy lying next to him staring at him, but that only made Ning Xishi stare even harder.

Xie Jingxing was about to lose it when he heard Ning Xishi ask: "General, you've been sitting this whole time. Tired?"

With that, he scooted over, pressed himself against the wall of the carriage, and said: "Wanna lie down together?"

Xie Jingxing took a deep breath. Between sitting there and lying down together, he chose option three: making Ning Xishi go ride a horse.

The second he was kicked out, Ning Xishi protested: "I always lie down like this with Dongshuang when we travel! Why are you kicking me out?"

Xie Jingxing took another deep breath, feeling that this guy would be the death of him. His voice went even colder: "Out."

When the General got stern, he was scarier than Minister Ning. Ning Xishi slunk out, looking totally wronged.

Xie Jingxing watched his dejected, drooping figure and felt a pang of guilt. After all, based on the intel he had on Second Young Master Ning, this was a guy who'd lie down whenever he could instead of sitting—making him ride a horse was really asking too much.

But once he'd given a military order, calling the guy back would make him look weak.

Xie Jingxing thought for a long time before finally lifting a finger to pull back the carriage curtain. Qiu Changyu, riding outside, immediately spurred his horse closer. "General, what's up?"

Xie Jingxing kept his face stern, but his eyes were looking for Ning Xishi.

Qiu Changyu was totally confused, but somehow he hit the nail on the head: "That Young Master Ning you just kicked out—he grabbed a fast horse and went back up the hill to mess around. I've sent a few men to keep an eye on him. Nothing to worry about."

Xie Jingxing wondered if Qiu Changyu had figured something out—why else would he start with where Ning Xishi was?

Qiu Changyu's next words set Xie Jingxing's mind at ease: "Does the General not want to share a carriage with him anymore? How about I switch with him...?"

The last few words had barely left Qiu Changyu's mouth before they died under Xie Jingxing's cold stare.

There were often rumors in the army that the General and his strategist were thick as thieves, but the two had definitely never shared a carriage to sleep.

Qiu Changyu thought about that and shuddered.

Forget it, forget it—too weird. Sleeping with the General would be worse than sleeping with Second Young Master Ning. At least the kid was fun. Chatting with him would probably be interesting.

·

The carriage suddenly went quiet, and Xie Jingxing found it weirdly hard to get used to.

The curtain swayed against the carriage wall, making the light filtering in flicker and dance. Xie Jingxing couldn't help but let his gaze fall on the spot where Ning Xishi had been lying—there lay a roll of fine silk bedding, looking soft and comfortable.

Almost without thinking, Xie Jingxing bent down and lightly touched the place where Ning Xishi had lain. The silk fabric felt smooth against his fingers, like the softest hair in the world, brushing gently past his fingertips.

He gave a start, immediately straightening up, both hands gripping the armrests at his sides, a flash of panic crossing his face.

Before long, the sun had climbed to its zenith. To keep the march efficient, they only ate two meals a day—breakfast and dinner. Li Yuan had already explained this to Dongshuang, but Dongshuang had raised his own concerns, pointing out that his young master was frail, and even while traveling, they should still stick to three meals a day.

Li Yuan couldn't make decisions about military matters, so the matter landed on Xie Jingxing's desk.

Xie Jingxing then had extra dried food and jerky packed into his own gear, so Ning Xishi could have a midday snack.

But as it turned out, Ning Xishi never showed up at noon.

Xie Jingxing thought again about how Ning Xishi had said he wasn't in good health—could the ride have worn him out? Had the cavalrymen with him been taking good care of him?

So, the carriage curtain was lifted once more by the general, and Qiu Changyu came trotting over: "General, what are your orders?"

Xie Jingxing hesitated for a moment, then said, "Go fetch Ning Xishi back."

Qiu Changyu instinctively replied, "On it!"

Then he looked puzzled and turned back to ask, "But out here in the middle of nowhere, how are we supposed to find him anytime soon? Besides, doesn't the general want a little peace and quiet?"

Xie Jingxing didn't want to answer the second question.

But he did feel it was too quiet.

It was strange—when that person was around, even if they both stayed silent, it felt like there was a lively, joyful energy around them, like wild grass sprouting up everywhere.

Xie Jingxing felt his thoughts were getting more and more improper.

He said, "Forget it. Since he doesn't want to eat, let him go play outside."

After all, if Ning Xishi really had a health problem, that servant Dongshuang would've reported it long ago.

That servant was a damn good rider. Though young, he hadn't been the least bit intimidated when he showed up at the general's residence—he clearly had some real skills. Xie Jingxing felt fairly reassured by him.

Ning Xishi didn't ride back until dusk. By then, the sun was setting, and the orange sunset painted the endless fields into a gorgeous scene. The young man rode in looking sharp, his hair tied back loosely and streaming behind him, his eyes and brows full of laughter.

Xie Jingxing took one look and couldn't help but think of that painting of a youth leaning on a bridge, breaking off a willow branch. The Ning Xishi before him was even more wild and free than the one in that painting.

It wasn't until the hoofbeats drew near that Xie Jingxing noticed something odd about how each rider was sitting. They all seemed to be hunched over a bit too much, like they were hiding something in their arms.

The cavalrymen who had gone out with Ning Xishi immediately scattered back into formation the moment they arrived, desperately trying to get out of General Xie's sight.

Watching Ning Xishi trot up eagerly, Xie Jingxing didn't have time to worry about the others.

As Ning Xishi reined in his horse and drew closer, Xie Jingxing first caught a whiff of alcohol, and his brows furrowed—these men had actually snuck off mid-march to drink?

Xie Jingxing ran a tight camp with clear rewards and punishments. Drinking during a march was a serious offense—at least fifty lashes, minimum.

Ning Xishi, seeing his expression, quickly said, "Only I drank. No one else did."

Xie Jingxing's thin lips curled, a coldness in his sharp brows and eyes. Ning Xishi's back went stiff, but since those men had gone out with him, he had to take the brunt of the general's anger.

So he steeled himself, laughed nervously, and edged closer, then lifted the robe he had wrapped around himself.

By now, the troops had made camp, and Xie Jingxing had long since moved from the carriage to a spot by the fire. There was no cover anywhere, and Ning Xishi actually dared to just open his robes like that!

Xie Jingxing was, at his core, still that stern, proper general. Even with a pretty face right in front of him, he was plenty angry and had been about to send the man off—but then a little gray bird head poked out of Ning Xishi's robe.

The bird tilted its head to look at the man in front of it, its round eyes clear and bright: "Chirp?"

Ning Xishi said, "When we were riding through the valley, we spotted this bird. It must've gotten into a fight with other birds and gotten its wing pecked so bad it can't fly anymore."

With that, he cupped the bird in his hands. He'd been holding it the whole way, so it probably thought of him as its mommy bird by now, sitting obediently in his palm.

"I took a look—if we set the wing right and take good care of it, it should heal." Ning Xishi looked at Xie Jingxing. "I don't know why, but when I saw it, I just thought of you, General, so I brought it back to keep you company."

Xie Jingxing's mind was stirred by Ning Xishi's vague words, but every time he looked into those eyes, they seemed to carry that mischievous smile, like they were baiting him, making him fall without warning.

Xie Jingxing reached out his hand, and Ning Xishi froze for a moment.

"Didn't you say it was for me?"

Ning Xishi quickly seized the chance, stepped closer to Xie Jingxing, and placed the bird in his palm.

Only then did he say, "General, I've traveled this road many times. The second I saw those markers, I remembered the good wine I'd buried under the trees... I swear, only I drank. No one else did."

With that, he pulled out another small jar from his waist, wrapped in red silk, though it looked quite aged.

"Actually, there are quite a few places along this route where I've buried wine. It started because I was frail as a child, and my grandfather consulted a fortune-teller who said my condition would improve greatly after marriage. To live long enough to marry, it was best to come to Shaozhou every winter to recuperate."

Xie Jingxing had already investigated most of these matters, but this was the first time he'd heard about the fortune-telling.

"The fortune-teller also said that burying good wine along the road from Shaozhou to the capital would ensure my travels were safe all these years." Ning Xishi smiled openly, his eyes looking tender in the last remnants of the sun's light. "I don't know if the fortune-telling is reliable, but I've indeed had smooth journeys back and forth all these years."

"The fortune-teller also said that once I married, I could dig up the wine and savor it slowly."

Ning Xishi handed the wine to Xie Jingxing. "I only had a couple sips just now. The rest is all yours, General."

Xie Jingxing thought of the nuptial wine common families made—buried by the father when a child was born, then dug up and drunk at the wedding.

Both were good omens.

Xie Jingxing heard himself ask, "You gave all the other wine to them?"

By "them," he naturally meant the cavalrymen. Earlier, Qiu Changyu had said that when these men were sent to accompany Ning Xishi, they'd all been reluctant. But now, as they returned, they were practically ready to become Ning Xishi's followers.

Young Master Ning's charm was truly remarkable.

Ning Xishi shook his head. "My grandfather only buried one jar in each place—this one. The others were wines I'd bought along the way whenever I came across something good."

Xie Jingxing took the wine jar from Ning Xishi's hands, weighed it in his palm, and looked at Ning Xishi, but addressed Qiu Changyu instead: "Qiu Changyu."

"At your command."

"Distribute the wine the Young Master brought among the soldiers to boost morale! On this southern campaign against the bandits, we will surely destroy their stronghold and uproot their foundation!"

Qiu Changyu had already caught the scent of the wine, his eyes lighting up as he bowed with clasped hands: "As you command!"

Only Ning Xishi was a bit bewildered. Did they really have to clean it all out like that? Huh?

==========Author's Note:==========

Ning·Sighing like a kitten·Xishi: What's a leader of the Beggar Gang supposed to do?

Dear readers, the story of Little Ning and Little Xie enters the paid chapters next chapter. On July 1st, three chapters will be posted. The update time might be a bit late, but there will definitely be three chapters.

Please continue to show your support, everyone.