Marrying a Disabled General and be His Wife

Compared to Feng Chilie’s urgency, Li Suran appeared somewhat unhurried.

She ascended the steps slowly and halted in front of Feng Chilie. “Your Highness, as long as you agree to my request and protect our mother and son, I will divulge everything you wish to know. Don’t you think this is a fair deal?”

Feng Chilie raised his head, his expression indifferent. “Yes, it’s indeed a fair deal, but I don’t wish to hear it any longer.”

Surprised, Li Suran gazed at Feng Chilie. Before she could comprehend his words, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her chest.

Glancing down, she saw a beautiful dagger lodged entirely in her body, with Feng Chilie gripping its handle.

“You—” Li Suran uttered.

Blood seeped out, staining Feng Chilie’s fingertips crimson.

His dark eyes remained fixed on Li Suran, as he uttered each word deliberately, “While I do wish to uncover the true culprit, I detest being threatened even more.”

With those words, Feng Chilie withdrew the dagger, causing Li Suran’s body to tumble backwards, rolling down the steps until she collided with a pillar in silence.

Ji Bei and Jiang Che exchanged a glance, neither daring to utter a word.

Feng Chilie glanced at Li Suran’s fallen form and the blood trail she left behind, then turned to his subordinates. “Ji Bei, Jiang Che.”

“We are here, Your Highness,” they both responded simultaneously.

Feng Chilie furrowed his brow. “Cleanse this place. He dislikes the presence of blood.”

Jiang Che hesitated, while Ji Bei stifled a retort.

Yet, despite their internal criticisms, they complied without complaint, turning away to carry out the task.

However, they were a moment too late. Upon turning back, they witnessed Tan Chuyan entering against the light.

Tan Chuyan discarded his cloak, tossing it to Ji Bei, before signaling for both him and Jiang Che to depart.

With a shared understanding, the two withdrew, closing the door behind them.

.

Tan Chuyan approached step by step, treading on the bloodstains until he stood before Feng Chilie.

He took the dagger from Feng Chilie’s hand and threw it to the ground, then retrieved a handkerchief from his attire and wiped away the blood from Feng Chilie’s fingers.

Feng Chilie’s fingers were elegant, with well-proportioned and slender joints, yet marked with rough calluses on the fingertips.

“What’s troubling you?” Tan Chuyan lowered his gaze, meeting Feng Chilie’s eyes. “You seem quite upset.”

Feng Chilie raised his hand, clasping Tan Chuyan’s, and pulled him onto his lap. His voice carried a hint of distress. “She threatened me, Yanyan.”

Tan Chuyan chuckled. “And what was the nature of her threat?”

Resting against Tan Chuyan, Feng Chilie held him tightly around the waist, but remained silent.

Tan Chuyan let go of the handkerchief and reached up to stroke Feng Chilie’s hair. “Why the silence? Am I not worthy of hearing it?”

After a brief pause, Feng Chilie spoke in a low tone. “She mentioned there was another culprit in my mother’s murder.” He hesitated, then asked, “Who do you think it could be?”

The smile on Tan Chuyan’s lips faded gradually.

Who else could it be?

The answer was glaringly apparent; it could only be Baili Ronghua, who likely instigated Li Suran’s actions in secret.

Baili Ronghua was the eldest princess of Dayong Dynasty and it was implausible for Feng Mingyuan to remain oblivious to this, perhaps even orchestrating Baili Ronghua’s involvement.

Yet, this revelation would strain their relationship with Baili Chengzhi. Despite any reservations he harbored about Feng Mingyuan’s actions, they were still mother and son bound by blood.

Consequently, they would inevitably find themselves on opposing sides, as the irreconcilable hatred stemming from their mother’s murder could not be ignored.

Similarly, this news didn’t bode well for Tan Chuyan, but fortunately, he had already anticipated such plots.

.

Tan Chuyan’s fingers trailed along Feng Chilie’s hair until they reached his chin, prompting him to lift his head.

“Whoever it may be,” Tan Chuyan murmured, gently stroking Feng Chilie’s stubble with his thumb, “My sword will slay human and my fist will crush mountains.”

Feng Chilie grasped his hand. “So audacious.”

With a playful smile, Tan Chuyan intertwined their fingers. “I learned from the best.”

Feng Chilie couldn’t help but laugh. After a moment, he rubbed his chin, now adorned with his stubble against Tan Chuyan’s hand. “Yanyan, is it time for me to shave?”

“Yes,” Tan Chuyan retrieved the mask Feng Chilie had pinned to his waist and presented it before him. “But shouldn’t you explain this first, Yan Lie, Master Yan?”

Feng Chilie accepted the mask, placing it over Tan Chuyan’s face. “Why, is it not permissible for me to have an alias too?”

“Of course, you’re allowed,” Tan Chuyan said as he stood up and shook Feng Chilie’s arm. “Now, get up and let’s go shave.”

Feng Chilie retorted, “Pull me up. Get up.”

Tan Chuyan exerted force and pulled his hand away. “Get up on your own.”

.

In the Battle of Lingjiang, casualties seemed minimal, but Cui Yuanqing suffered significant losses. Losing control of Lingjiang made it harder for him to move southward.

Meanwhile, Jing Kingdom returned to Feng Chilie’s control, further pressuring Cui Yuanqing from both sides.

However, attacking Dayong Dynasty from the south wasn’t as straightforward as taking the water route. They could also detour through Xibo. Yet, traversing mountains and rivers, including a region where snow never melted, posed logistical challenges.

Watching Tuoba Rou enduring punishment, Cui Yuanqing lamented. If she hadn’t failed to defend Lingjiang, they wouldn’t face this predicament.

Furious, he cursed the executioner, “Haven’t you eaten? Beat her harder until she’s dead!”

“General Manager, please calm down!” Wu Guangping intervened hastily. “Please spare Princess Changle’s life.”

Cui Yuanqing erupted, “What’s the point of sparing her? Losing Lingjiang today, she’ll cost us more tomorrow. I’ve planned this for decades! It was all gone in a day!”

“Don’t blame Princess Changle,” Wu Guangping urged. “Tan Chuyan’s stratagem was impeccable. And only Princess Changle and the Xibo Army can fulfill our mission. We can’t afford to lose their support. Please reconsider, General Manager.”

Cui Yuanqing relented, gesturing to spare Tuoba Rou for the moment. “I’ll spare you today, but next time, your family won’t be so lucky!”

Despite the pain, Tuoba Rou stood up and thanked him. “Thank you, General Manager.”

“Get out,” Cui Yuanqing dismissed her impatiently. “I don’t want to see you.”

As Tuoba Rou retreated, Wu Guangping redirected Cui Yuanqing’s attention, “General Manager, crossing Lingjiang involves more than just water.”

“Am I a fool?” Cui Yuanqing scoffed. “We can detour, but before we enter Dayong Dynasty’s territory, we’ll exhaust our provisions and have to engage in battle.”

“The General Manager misunderstood,” Wu Guangping clarified, pointing to the sky. “The alternative route I mentioned is up here.”