Chapter 48

After the matter of increasing troops, He Xuan didn’t immediately respond. Mo Yin noticed his distraction and saw that the contents of the letter were of great importance. So, he decided to take his leave promptly. He Xuan nodded, and as the tent curtains rolled down, his slender figure vanished from sight. He then reopened the letter and carefully read through it.

The letter provided detailed information about Mo Yin’s background. It described him as being over seven feet tall with delicate features resembling those of a woman. General Wuxi only had a list of names, without any portraits, but he had already informed acquaintances in the court about Mo Yin, and the portraits would arrive soon. He hoped He Xuan would assist in the search.

In the past, when Chang Sansi was stationed in the army, General Wuxi had a good relationship with him. However, He Xuan wasn’t acquainted with Chang Sansi. In reality, He Xuan could choose to help or not.

But the name of the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Revenue…

Mo Yin.

He Xuan was always deep in thought, never revealing his emotions. If it were anyone else, upon seeing a wanted criminal with the same name as his trusted military advisor, they would likely react immediately.

He Xuan put down the letter, his chest slightly heaving.

Could this Mo Yin be the same person?

If so, Mo Yin’s audacity was remarkable!

Could this be just a coincidence? If he was Mo Yin, being a fugitive, he would have changed his identity and fled the border quickly. Why would he join the army, knowing it could be a trap?

Thinking about the timing of Mo Yin’s appearance at the border, his old injury, and the background of Mo Yin, who was a scholar, seemed far from the Mo Yin he knew. He Xuan was uncertain, his brows furrowing as he glanced at the corner of the letter.

—”The portraits will arrive soon.”

After leaving the general’s tent, Mo Yin walked a few steps, his expression thoughtful. What could make He Xuan suddenly change the subject when they were discussing the matter of increasing troops?

It was evident that He Xuan suspected him of maintaining private troops, his expression dangerously oppressive. Mo Yin was prepared for a confrontation, but after He Xuan read the letter, his demeanor unexpectedly shifted.

If the letter concerned military matters, He Xuan could have discussed it with him after putting down the letter. Could it be a family matter? Unlikely, as He Xuan didn’t receive family letters. Most importantly, Mo Yin had a faint feeling that He Xuan didn’t want him to know about this matter.

Mo Yin strolled leisurely through the camp, having a look around. He often wandered around the camp, and the soldiers respectfully saluted him when they saw him.

The first battle of the Glorious Army had a profound impact on the other soldiers. The casualties were minimal, and the rewards were generous. Even the strategist allocated his share to the Glorious Army. Soldiers on the battlefield could not only preserve their lives but also earn money. Who wouldn’t be tempted by such a perfect arrangement? Hearing that the strategist was going to train another Glorious Army, the soldiers no longer dodged the conscription like they did when Mo Yin first recruited them. Instead, they eagerly paid attention to Mo Yin.

Mo Yin’s purpose wasn’t to recruit soldiers. He casually strolled through the camp, and in the stable, he saw a horse tethered separately – the horse from the inn.

Someone from Wuxi had arrived.

Mo Yin’s gaze swept over the docile old horse, then he walked back to his tent, arms crossed, holding the hand stove to his chest.

The journey of exile was long, and there could be many unforeseen circumstances. It was common for prisoners to arrive later than expected. However, it had been delayed for so long without explanation. General Wuxi, responsible for the prisoner, should have realized that something was wrong and sought help from the stationed troops.

He Xuan’s aura had changed slightly at that time, but he didn’t immediately confront Mo Yin, indicating that He Xuan wasn’t certain of his identity yet.

General Wuxi had a list of the prisoners, but not their portraits. Some prisoners who could afford it might swap identities to escape, and the guards escorting them had hinted multiple times that as long as the money was enough, they could arrange a deal with General Wuxi.

Mo Yin didn’t use an alias, partly out of pride and partly because of the lax management by General Wuxi. Even if he hadn’t arrived at General Wuxi’s location, based on the general’s usual practice, he would likely fabricate information to avoid trouble.

But General Wuxi didn’t choose to cover up the situation this time. Instead, he sought help from He Xuan with great fanfare.

Perhaps someone in the court had inquired about his whereabouts, or maybe it was just bad luck that he was being shunned by this world.

This was the life of an antagonist, always facing obstacles unlike the protagonist, where every turn brings opportunity.

Mo Yin held the hand stove, his expression calm, with a faint glint in his eyes.

However, as major antagonists, they wouldn’t give up until the very end, even if there was only a glimmer of hope.

He Xuan’s mind was unsettled. He called for a guard and inquired about what Mo Yin had done after leaving the tent. The guard said that the strategist had returned to his tent after inspecting the camp. He Xuan lightly tapped the tabletop, then stood up and said, “I’ll go see him.”

As the commander, He Xuan not only trained troops but also had many administrative tasks to handle. When Chang Sansi was in office, several towns were left to their own devices without supervision. He Xuan didn’t come to the border just to fight battles. The purpose of warfare was to ensure peace for the people. If one city fell, how could they protect the entire country? Therefore, he personally handled various matters in each city, keeping himself extremely busy. Both he and Mo Yin had their own matters to attend to, and although they were in the same camp, one was a general and the other a strategist, so they rarely met.

Mo Yin’s camp was extremely quiet. The soldiers of the Glorious Army were grooming their horses. Upon seeing the general arrive, they saluted indifferently.

He Xuan’s gaze swept over these people, feeling that they didn’t look like soldiers but rather like tamed beasts.

Tamed beasts.

Suddenly, in his mind, he saw the silver moonlight, the thin sword, and the blood-stained ground, with one person facing a pack of wolves.

He Xuan halted, his hand resting on the tent curtain, his eyelashes lowered, his brows slightly furrowed.

As the tent curtain was lifted, He Xuan was slightly stunned when he saw the scene inside.

Mo Yin was sitting cross-legged on the bed, his hands inserted into the furry sleeves, his head slightly lowered, his eyelashes closed, as if he were asleep.

He Xuan had intended to speak up to wake him, but after standing still for a while and surveying Mo Yin’s tent, which was very plain with no distinguishing features, he wondered if it was just his imagination, but he felt that the place seemed unusually desolate.

He Xuan took a few gentle steps forward, his footsteps silent, and as he approached, he realized that Mo Yin was indeed dozing off. The furry sleeves rested on his folded legs, resembling a sleeping rabbit, with a hint of copper peeking out from the middle – the hand stove.

He’s actually using it.

A faint smile involuntarily appeared at the corner of He Xuan’s mouth. When he snapped out of it, he realized he had been staring at the man’s sleeping face for quite some time. He immediately straightened up, clasped his hands behind his back, and turned his head around, coughing heavily, “Strategist.”

In fact, Mo Yin had long sensed someone entering. From the almost imperceptible footsteps, he was certain it was He Xuan. He pretended not to notice and continued to feign sleep, intending to wait for He Xuan to call him before waking up unsuspectingly. However, he had been pretending for a while, yet He Xuan still didn’t call him.

Such a deep calculation. Was he testing if Mo Yin was pretending to sleep? Mo Yin secretly took note and pretended to sleep even more deeply. When He Xuan finally finished his test and called him, Mo Yin also pretended to startle awake, rubbing his eyes sleepily and opening them from a slightly vacant look to a calm and indifferent one, completing the entire act before feigning surprise at the sight of an additional person in the tent. “General?”

He Xuan said, “Why are you dozing off here in broad daylight?”

“Tired.”

Mo Yin adjusted the hand stove, his shoulders slightly slumping to the left, lazily saying, “Does the general have any business?”

He Xuan kneeled slightly, his hands resting on his knees, casually saying, “Today, someone from Wuxi came.”

As expected, he’s testing me.

Mo Yin said, “I saw the horse from the inn.”

He Xuan looked at him, Mo Yin’s expression unchanged, seeming somewhat sleepy, “What’s the matter?”

He Xuan’s knees slightly parted, his hands falling on his thighs, he casually said, “The court has lost track of a high-ranking criminal and wants me to help find him.”

Mo Yin sneered disdainfully, a cold look of contempt in his eyes, “Such trivial matters bother you?”

“Hunting down a high-ranking criminal is not a trivial matter,” He Xuan said.

Mo Yin smirked, showing little interest in the matter. “Regarding the conscription, will the general permit it?”

“We’ll discuss it later,” He Xuan said casually.

Mo Yin had no objections. “Very well, then I want to visit Yongcheng,” he said with a hint of nostalgia, “Winter is coming again.”

He Xuan had personally witnessed Mo Yin’s affection for Yongcheng, so he had no reason to doubt it. After a brief pause, he said, “Very well, I’ll grant you a few days off.”

Mo Yin smiled, raised his hand, holding the hand stove in his palm, “Then I’ll thank the general on behalf of Zigui.”

After He Xuan left Mo Yin’s tent, he continued to ponder. Mo Yin suddenly wants to return to Yongcheng… Could it be that he realized the situation was unraveling and wanted to escape? When he returned to his own tent, he summoned a guard and said, “The strategist wants to go back to Yongcheng. Go and accompany him.” The guard received the order, confused, then was called back by He Xuan, “Forget it, you may leave.” The guard left, still puzzled.

He Xuan sat behind the desk for a long time, lost in thought. Finally, he picked up a pen and paper. He had learned calligraphy from his father since he was young, and his strokes were sharp and precise. After a moment of contemplation, he began to write, his penmanship flowing smoothly. He quickly finished a simple petition letter, then set the pen down. He waited for the ink to dry before sealing the letter with his official seal.

Talent was hard to find, and Mo Yin had contributed to the defense of Yongcheng and the training of the Glorious Army. Although his merits didn’t outweigh his faults, it was still an opportunity for him to make amends.

After completing this task, He Xuan still felt uneasy. If Mo Yin really fled, it would only compound his guilt. Thinking of this, He Xuan summoned a guard and issued the order to “secretly protect the strategist.”

The guard was somewhat confused. Did the strategist, who could handle a hundred enemies alone, really need him to protect him secretly?

“Don’t let him notice your presence,” He Xuan reiterated. After another instruction, the guard’s eyes became sharper. “Yes, I understand, sir.”

When Mo Yin left the camp, he felt someone following him. He sneered inwardly. Indeed, He Xuan suspected him. It didn’t matter; he would let He Xuan see whether he was the same person as the wanted criminal from the court.

Yongcheng was busy preparing for winter, and Mo Yin’s sudden appearance caused a stir throughout the city. The first person to spot Mo Yin widened his eyes in disbelief, then jumped up excitedly. “The gentleman is back!”

Cheng Wu, who was slaughtering sheep, threw down his knife upon hearing the news and rushed out. When he saw Mo Yin in the crowd, he was ecstatic and tried to hug Mo Yin, but Mo Yin dodged him. “What’s that smell?”

“What smell?” Cheng Wu’s joy knew no bounds. “It’s the smell of your favorite lamb. You heartless man!”

“Heartless?” Mo Yin raised an eyebrow.

“Absolutely,” Zhang Zhi appeared out of nowhere, his arm draped over Cheng Wu’s shoulder, grinning. “Sir, we’ve all been missing you. Last time, when we led your horse to the camp, we thought we would see you, but we didn’t. Cheng Wu cursed you the whole way for being heartless!”

“Get lost.”

The crowd laughed, and Mo Yin found himself surrounded by warmth. Cheng Wu and Zhang Zhi had come to the camp while he was there but had never seen him.

“We’re slaughtering sheep inside. You’re really lucky to come back at this time.”

Cheng Wu happily patted his own belly, looking even more cheerful. “Come on, which piece do you want? Pick one yourself.”

“Brother Wu you’re really stingy. Since the gentleman is back, let’s roast a whole lamb for him. What do you say, everyone?”

“Agreed!”

The crowd cheered, and laughter filled the air. Mo Yin remained calm amidst the excitement. His sleeve was lightly tugged, and he lowered his head to see a child with big eyes reaching out his hand. “Sir, have some candy.”

“Does Sir still remember Xiao Hao?” a woman with a beautiful smile picked up the child. “Last year when you were here, he wasn’t even up to your thighs. Little Hao is so well-behaved. Give the candy to Sir.”

“I don’t eat candy.”

Before he could finish speaking, the child had already brought the candy to his lips, smiling brightly. “Sir, eat it. It’s sweet.”

“Aunt Huan, don’t tease him. Despite his fair complexion, he loves spicy food and alcohol but not childish things like candy.”

Cheng Wu came over and pulled Mo Yin’s arm. Mo Yin followed him, and the candy on his lips was rolled onto his tongue. It had a faint sweetness to it. He was surrounded by people, his hands clasped behind his back, sweating lightly as he walked forward with the crowd.

That day, when he was in the camp, a messenger said that many people from Yongcheng had come outside the camp, bringing horses. Mo Yin had a book in his hand and waved it, indicating that he didn’t want to see anyone. When the horses were brought back, there were several packages on their backs, containing food, clothes, and other items. The soldiers asked him how to handle them. Mo Yin was about to say to discard them when he thought about how willing they were to offer these items. He accepted them. Wearing new socks and chewing on beef jerky, he felt strangely perplexed.

Perhaps it was that strange feeling that made him not go out to meet the people of Yongcheng and allowed himself to be dragged into this bustling crowd by these non-human people who were weaker than him in every way.