Love and Crown

"Amidst ten thousand troops, a beauty in my arms."

When I leisurely uttered these eight words in the central command tent, Kumoer immediately burst into laughter so hard he nearly fell off his chair: "Cang Cang, hold that pose—perfect! Don't let Xiao Bai get up no matter what..."

My posture was indeed perfect. Leaning back against the spacious recliner, one leg draped entirely over the chair following its curve while the other extended leisurely off the edge.

Half-reclined in this soft, comfortable chair, I had someone resting in my arms—Xiao Huan, his long hair cascading loosely as he leaned lightly against my shoulder. Still somewhat drowsy, his eyes beneath long lashes were half-open as he lay on the recliner, a pale green fleece blanket draped over his waist, his pure white robes hanging loosely off his shoulders.

The situation had been tense these past few days, with Esen making frequent moves that kept Kumoer running around constantly. Though Xiao Huan remained in the tent, he often stayed up late into the night reviewing documents. By this afternoon, I couldn't bear seeing his pale complexion any longer and forced him onto the recliner for a nap with me.

So when Kumoer returned from a quick inspection outside, he was greeted by the sight of me holding a disheveled Xiao Huan in the recliner.

With a beauty in my arms and in high spirits, I couldn't be bothered with Kumoer, lying there completely unperturbed without even glancing his way.

Frowning slightly, Xiao Huan gave a light cough and lifted his eyes to look at Kumoer. "Too noisy. You're disturbing my rest," he said mildly, pushing himself up with the armrest. "Any movements from Esen?"

"The troops on the city walls have withdrawn. The attack will likely come in the next couple of days," Kumoer replied, tossing his horsewhip onto the table before grabbing a leather flask and taking a big swig. "Let's see what tricks this kid has up his sleeve."

Xiao Huan nodded but showed no further interest in discussing the battle, his gaze lingering indifferently on the flask in Kumoer's hand.

Before I could grasp the meaning behind that look, Kumoer chuckled and grinned at him. "Xiao Bai, craving a drink?"

I was momentarily speechless... Back in the day, Xiao Huan was never without a cup, often keeping a flask of Bamboo Leaf Green Wine nearby because alcohol helped suppress the Cold Poison in his body—it was practically medicine to him. But after repeated damage to his health and the eventual cure of his Cold Poison, Li Mingshang had strictly forbidden him from touching even a drop of liquor.

Something that was once ever-present in his life was now completely off-limits. Even with his usual self-control, there were moments when the craving got the better of him—manifesting as the occasional glance at a wine flask when others were drinking.

Still expressionless, Xiao Huan shifted his gaze upward to meet Kumoer's eyes without responding. He braced against the armrest to stand, but as soon as he straightened, his steps faltered slightly, nearly causing him to stumble.

My heart nearly stopped. I quickly caught him in my arms. "Brother Xiao, what's wrong?"

Kumoer also rushed over, hovering protectively. "Xiao Bai, I was just teasing you—don't scare us like that!"

After a few light coughs, Xiao Huan turned to look at me. "Just a bit dizzy. It's nothing, Cang Cang."

I bit my lip. "Do you get some kind of thrill from scaring me every other day?"

He smiled faintly. "My apologies, Cang Cang."I rolled my eyes inwardly—his apologies were so frequent they’d worn my ears out!

I stepped up beside him, supporting his hand as we walked together to the large table at the center of the tent.

Pointing at the newly marked symbols on the expansive map, he said to Kumoer, “This is the deployment plan against Esen. What do you think?”

The map, densely covered with geographical details, was now filled with countless new routes and annotations, a meticulous web of red and black.

Kumoer sighed lightly. “No wonder your health never improves. Can’t you delegate such mentally taxing work to someone else?”

“In a battle between two armies, even the slightest misstep can determine victory or defeat, with casualties numbering in the thousands or tens of thousands,” Xiao Huan replied, turning to look at Kumoer before coughing a few times. “If I handed this to someone else, I wouldn’t deserve to be the commander.”

Kumoer smiled faintly, raising an eyebrow. “True. It’s precisely because of a commander like you that I’m willing to serve as a vanguard.”

Xiao Huan chuckled, his lips curving. “No need to pretend you care more about my health than the gains and losses of your Jurchen tribe. Since I’ve borrowed your men, I won’t let you return empty-handed.”

Called out so bluntly, Kumoer wasn’t offended and instead laughed heartily. “Even so, Xiao Bai, I really am worried about your health.”

Xiao Huan smiled lightly. “Thank you, Great Khan.”

At this point, I could tune out whatever these two old foxes said. I tugged at Xiao Huan’s sleeve. “Brother Xiao, would you like something to eat?”

He turned to me with a smile. “Sure.”

He agreed so readily, yet when I brought him the White Fungus Porridge, he barely took two sips before vomiting it all up. From morning till now, he hadn’t eaten anything, so after the porridge, only a few mouthfuls of clear water came up.

Supporting his body as he leaned weakly by the couch, coughing and gasping, I felt tears welling up. When he finally calmed down, I helped him rest against the couch, pressing his icy palm to my cheek. “Brother Xiao.”

Though exhaustion weighed heavily on his brow, he still looked at me with a comforting smile. “I’ll be fine after some rest… It’s nothing.”

I bent down and hugged him, burying my face in his shoulder, letting his faint medicinal scent fill my senses. In that moment, like so many other women, I murmured words—whether to him or myself, I didn’t know: “Brother Xiao, no matter the outcome of this battle, I just want you to be safe.”

Datong had been besieged for over a month. Whether it was the unusual calm in the city these past days or Esen’s constant dispatch of scouts to gather intelligence, all signs pointed to one thing—the city’s provisions were running out.

As a key fortress in the northwest, Datong had originally stockpiled ample provisions. But when the city fell and Liu Zhen, the garrison commander, died defending it, the granaries were burned to the ground. The Datong Esen captured was already an empty shell.

This time, with multiple armies launching a full-scale attack, Esen must have staked everything he had. After failing at the capital and losing his most capable general, he retreated to Datong. At this stage, Esen’s defeat was all but certain—he was merely clinging to his remaining forces, hoping for a last-ditch reversal.

In any case, once the provisions ran out, Datong would inevitably fall. Knowing Esen’s temperament, he would never accept retreat without a fight. He was preparing for a desperate final stand.For Esen, this was his final battle in the southern campaign—a desperate, all-out counterattack from a cornered beast, not to be underestimated in the slightest.

For the Great Wu soldiers stationed beneath the walls of Datong City, this was the battle to drive out the invaders and reclaim their homeland. Their fighting spirit burned just as fiercely, their morale soaring high.

The eerie silence before the great clash seemed to condense the air with the impending scent of gunpowder. And then, the battle began even sooner than expected.

On the fifteenth day of the eleventh month, Esen's forces launched a surprise attack from the city, met head-on by the Great Wu army. The war both sides had staked everything on finally erupted. The clamor of battle even reached beyond the command tent.

The neighing of warhorses, the roar of soldiers, the clashing of weapons, and the distant thunder of artillery intertwined, stirring the blood of all who heard it.

Clad in soft armor, gripping the gun loaded with gunpowder at my waist, I itched to join the fray. Yet I could only stand guard inside the command tent alongside Hong Qing and Shi Yan.

At the head of the tent, Xiao Huan remained as composed as ever, dressed in pale blue robes, his long hair tied high with a jade crown. His expression was unreadable as he studied the topographical map spread across the table before him.

The battle raged on, and messengers streamed in and out with updates.

At the first quarter of the hour of Si, Datong City's southern and northern gates swung open. Esen led his troops out from the south, while his deputy Na Hai charged from the north.

By the third quarter of the hour of Wu, Na Hai's cavalry failed to break through the encirclement, and the infantry on both sides became locked in a stalemate.

At the second quarter of the hour of Wei, Esen's forces fought with increasing ferocity, their elite cavalry cutting through all opposition, causing the southern encirclement to waver slightly.

Standing in the tent, I glanced at Xiao Huan, who still hadn't looked up from the map. Unable to hold back, I stepped to his side and took his hand. "Brother Xiao."

The sounds of battle outside grew ever closer. My palm was slick with sweat, but his hand remained dry and steady.

A faint warmth radiated from his grasp as he lifted his head and smiled at me. "Cang Cang, don't worry."

Strangely, my heart settled. I exhaled softly. Seeing that aside from Hong Qing and Shi Yan, only a few soldiers remained in the tent, I vaulted over the table and squeezed in beside him, wrapping my arms around his waist.

I couldn't explain why, but I'd grown increasingly attached to him. Apart from those two years after his return from Jade Dragon Snow Mountain—when I'd needed to clutch his hand tightly every night to sleep soundly—I'd gradually grown accustomed to brief separations in recent years. With the many affairs of Phoenix Come Pavilion, I often left the capital for short trips, sometimes for two or three days, other times for a month or more. Of course, I missed him during those times, but it had never felt unbearable.

Yet before this great battle, just a few days apart had felt like years. Perhaps, even without Esen's threat, I wouldn't have lasted much longer before abandoning everything at Phoenix Come Pavilion to come to Datong and see him.

It wasn't just because his health had been poor lately—more than that, it was my own state of mind that had changed.

He patted my shoulder lightly, letting me cling to him without shifting his gaze from the map on the table.

The brief moment of peace was shattered by the sudden arrival of a messenger. The handsome young officer, his silver armor smeared with blood and dust, stumbled into the tent in disarray. Without even kneeling, he shouted his report: "Your Majesty, you must retreat at once! Esen is leading his troops straight for the central army!"My heart skipped a beat as Xiao Huan beside me lightly tapped the table with his fingers and looked up. "They've finally come," he said.

Taking my hand to stand, he smiled at me. "Cang Cang, let's go out. Be careful."

I nodded. Even though I had some understanding of his and Kumoer's plans beforehand, I couldn't help feeling uneasy. I took a dark blue cape from the rack nearby and draped it over his shoulders, gripping his hand. "Brother Xiao, you must be careful."

He smiled at me and nodded before letting go of my hand and stepping out first.

Outside the tent, warhorses were already prepared. Shi Yan helped Xiao Huan mount, then got on his own horse. I rode closely behind Xiao Huan.

Once we left the main tent, the sounds of battle outside the camp became clearer. Stray arrows had already reached the front of the tent, thudding into the ground with lingering echoes.

Xiao Huan gently tugged the reins, his gaze lingering on the distant skirmish for a moment before he turned away and calmly ordered, "Let's go."

A few light cavalry dashed out, kicking up dust as they headed straight for the hills behind the camp. The dark blue figure surrounded by black-clad Imperial Bodyguards was impossible to miss amidst the battlefield.

Gripping my rifle tightly, I stayed close behind Xiao Huan, keeping my senses sharp.

The sounds of battle gradually faded, leaving only the rhythm of our horses' hooves and the howling wind.

Suddenly, the hoofbeats nearby became chaotic!

A faint noise broke through the orderly rhythm, gradually separating from the chaos of the battlefield, growing louder—like the rolling thunder of a summer storm, bearing down with dark clouds before it even arrived.

The thunderous hoofbeats grew increasingly intense, and the whistle of an arrow shot through the air from behind, swift as a shooting star!

I turned with my rifle, and the bullet flew from the barrel with a hum, striking the arrow aimed straight at Xiao Huan's back. The arrow shattered into pieces and fell to the ground.

A loud laugh rang out from behind. "Fine marksmanship!"

Without turning back on my horse, I fired a second shot before the praise even finished, aiming straight for Esen's forehead.

The distance between us wasn't great. As he shouted his compliment, Esen's figure leapt up, his iron armor twisting like a black dragon, barely dodging the bullet as it grazed his arm. In one fluid motion, he settled firmly back into his saddle.

Throughout this, both sides' horses never stopped galloping, gradually entering a low valley between the hills.

With an angry shout, Hong Qing pulled his horse around and drew his sword, slashing toward Esen.

Esen laughed heartily, casually grabbing the saber hanging from his saddle to meet the attack, slowing his pace.

Xiao Huan, who had been riding ahead, also tightened the reins, slowing his horse to a stop in the valley.

I held my rifle and rode beside him, slightly turning my horse to position myself between him and Esen.

Meanwhile, Shi Yan also drew his sword and joined Hong Qing in fighting Esen, while the remaining Imperial Bodyguards silently formed a protective circle around Xiao Huan and me, swords drawn against the enemy.

Though Esen's pursuit was swift, he had only brought a few dozen trusted followers. Even as they closed in, the dozen or so Imperial Bodyguards held them off effortlessly.

In the tense days leading up to the battle, Esen had still found time to harass Xiao Huan daily at the camp. Fortunately, after Hong Qing arrived, he and Shi Yan managed to keep him outside the tent.I knew Esen was fixated on Xiao Huan, but I never expected his obsession to run this deep. In the midst of battle between two armies, upon seeing Xiao Huan depart, he actually abandoned his troops and pursued alone with a handful of men.

What makes Esen most troublesome isn’t his extraordinary martial prowess or his formidable forces—it’s that his actions are utterly unpredictable to the point of absurdity.

Even while fighting Hong Qing and Shi Yan single-handedly, Esen still seemed to have energy to spare. He raised his head and grinned at Xiao Huan from across the field, eyebrows lifting. "Xiao Bai, I’ve finally found you. Did you miss me?"

Mounted on his horse, Xiao Huan covered his mouth with a light cough, his gaze indifferent, refusing to acknowledge him.

This man had the audacity to flirt with my husband right in front of me, as if I didn’t exist. I scoffed coldly. "Rest assured, Young Prince, he absolutely did not miss you."

Still swinging his blade, Esen continued grinning at Xiao Huan. "Xiao Bai, I know—even if you won’t say it, you missed me too, didn’t you?"

I was speechless. Did this man have a habit of talking to himself?

Xiao Huan lowered his eyes faintly. After a moment, he nodded to me. "You can release it now, Cang Cang."

I quickly nodded, retrieving the Signal Flare I had been carrying in my sleeve and lighting it with a flint. A brilliant flame immediately shot up from my hand.

The quiet mountain ridges around us instantly echoed with the faint clatter of weapons. The hidden army behind the hills slowly revealed themselves, while several cavalry units galloped out from the valley entrance, their rifles raised, black muzzles aimed at Esen in the clearing.

Even Esen was momentarily stunned by this sudden turn of events before bursting into laughter. "Xiao Bai, even if you wanted to kill me, was it necessary to arrange such a grand reception?"

"You flatter yourself, Young Prince," Xiao Huan finally spoke, lifting his head with a detached tone. "To kill you, this might still not be enough."

Abruptly withdrawing his saber, Esen clasped his hands behind his back and leaped back several feet in an instant. Hong Qing and Shi Yan’s swords, unable to retract in time, grazed his body, leaving two bloody gashes on his arm.

Blood gushed from the wounds, yet Esen acted as if he didn’t feel a thing, his golden pupils still fixed on Xiao Huan, his smile unwavering. "Xiao Bai, I’m honored that you hold me in such high regard."

Slowly, he drew the longsword at his waist. "Xiao Bai, when I was young, I wandered the Central Plains for three years. Do you know what I admired most back then?"

He lifted his head with a grin, his golden eyes gleaming brilliantly. "Bai Chi Fan—the undefeated Bai Chi Fan, the man who forged the legends of the Martial World. My greatest aspiration in my youth was to defeat the sword in his hand with my own!"

A sudden, eerie crimson flickered in his pupils. Before I could even process what this ominous hue signified, a blinding scarlet light exploded before my eyes.

Sometimes, life unfolds in an instant—every pain and joy laid bare with unbearable clarity.

As that scarlet light surged toward me, I heard Xiao Huan’s sharp cry beside me, filled with a panic I had never heard before:

"Cang Cang!"