Chapter 28 – Unsheathing The Sword For Him

Xiao Weixin stare remained fixed on his face, making You Shu’s heart pound. Although he was a bit thick-skinned and could be quite narcissistic on occasion, he was not narcissistic enough to think that the male protagonist just liked looking at his face¹Me to You Shu: Sooo… you are NEVER going to believe this… [because of how good-looking it was].

Could it be that he was looking past his handsome face and wanted to perceive something deeper?

He wished he could declare to Xiao Weixin right now that he is [as] beautiful on the inside [as he is on the outside] and has many qualities. Investing in him will yield high returns and no losses²Is this wrong? I have no idea about investment terminologies so this was mostly off the top of my head. But you get the idea (hopefully).. Kindly uncover my talents and shining points quickly!

You Shu tried his best to look more trustworthy and reliable, looking straight ahead with a calm expression, pretending that he was a clear-water white lotus³清水白莲. My best guess at this is that it means someone who can remain clean as clear water even in a murky environment and someone who can stay true to their ideals and beliefs even in a difficult and challenging situation. Like a white lotus but a good one lol..

Xiao Weixin finally saw in person the face that had appeared in his dreams countless times, and felt very conflicted in his heart.

This time, he just wanted to obey his own desires.

The words “Sleep with me tonight⁴More specifically, it means “Serve me in bed tonight”. Should I change to that?” were [on the tip of his tongue and] nearly spoken.

You Shu had excellent hearing and he easily heard the sound of a horse galloping towards them from a distance. He quickly turned around to put the mask back on and then returned to his original position, his face hidden behind the ordinary passerby⁵Someone with a very ordinary and forgettable face which does not attract attention. face again.

Xiao Weixin was really not interested in this passerby [face]. After thinking about it for a long time, he had finally decided to say it but was unable to, making him angry to the point of having internal injuries⁶Being angry but having to hold it in so it becomes like a pressure and hurts your insides..

Soon enough, the sound of the horse’s hooves arrived close to them. Xiao Weixin looked up and saw a big black horse come to a stop, outside the pavilion. On the horse’s back sat a girl wearing red-colored riding robes. Like the men, she had a bow in her hand and a sword at her waist. Her face was heroic yet beautiful in the way only a girl’s could be, her expression was high-spirited and proud and her eyes clear.

She also noticed Xiao Weixin [sitting] in the pavilion and immediately dismounted and took two steps forward, but instead of curtsying⁷福身 (Fú shēn) used to refer to an ancient woman’s curtsy like other girls, she saluted like a man⁸行礼 (Xínglǐ) and spoke loudly: “This subordinate greets the prince!”

Xiao Weixin had an impression of her, nodded slightly and said gently: “Deputy General Yang, please get up.”

Yang Nanruo’s expression filled with joy as soon as she heard the words “Deputy General Yang”. Although she is a girl, she has never felt that she is, in any way, inferior to men. When fighting, she fought with all her strength and won the position of Deputy General based entirely on her own merit. The credit for her achievements belonged only to her, and had nothing to do with her father and brother.

But after she returned to the capital, it seemed that no one cared about her status as a Deputy General and everyone still preferred to address her as “Fourth Young Lady Yang”. No one took her title seriously and merely dismissed it as a young girl’s whimsy and desire for attention and fame. They even thought she was just a woman who would just end up getting married anyway and it was unseemly and inappropriate to fight on the battlefield and kill people like a man. Even the emperor’s words implied that he wanted her to stop staying with men all the time.

The contemptuous treatment of all those people made Yang Nanruo feel very sad in her heart. It seemed as if, [to them], all her efforts and hard work were meaningless when compared to her marriage prospects.

But Xiao Weixin’s words “Deputy General Yang” made Yang Nanruo feel respected. His Royal Highness Ling Wang was indeed different from others.

She straightened [from her bow] and stood with an upright posture, her back ramrod straight. Unlike most girls, she was neither timid nor shy and looked directly at Xiao Weixin, with calm eyes: “Why has the prince stopped here, instead of enjoying himself in the hunting ground?”

Xiao Weixin laughed slightly and easily entered his acting state, looking like a weak willow that could be bent over with simply a breeze, and said, “Deputy General Yang must be joking. With such a weak physique, how could this king have the energy to hunt personally? This king is merely taking a rest for a while here, so that my Imperial Brother cannot blame me [for not participating at all].”

Yang Nanruo had heard rumors before that the prince has been frail and sick since childhood. After witnessing it personally, she realized that [those rumors were] indeed correct and she couldn’t help but sympathize with him and comforted him: “Your Highness, please don’t belittle yourself. This subordinate feels that although Your Highness is sick and frail, you are far more capable than ordinary men. This subordinate admires you greatly.”

You Shu stood to the side with his head lowered his head, minimizing his sense of presence, and listened to their conversation with relief.

Good, good, although the relationship between the protagonist and the female lead has completely derailed, his relationship with the second female lead is still developing normally, which proves that the plot has not changed much.

In the original novel, Yang Nanruo’s character was portrayed as a heroic girl like Hua Mulan⁹花木兰— historical character. You can search her up if you want., but she is better than Hua Mulan in her ability to escape societal norms and etiquettes. She admired Xiao Weixin just like many other girls but she wasn’t as timid in romantic matters as ordinary girls. Instead, she chose to pursue him confidently and straightforwardly, without any shyness or coyness. Although they did not end up together in the end, she gave her blessings sincerely and left, never marrying anyone else for the rest of her life. Instead, she continued to shine brightly on the battlefield and spent her whole life, standing by her ideals and principles.

She is a very handsome girl.

You Shu also likes such a girl. Xia Yinxiu is his goddess, but Yang Nanruo also deserves his respect.

In the novel, she liked Xiao Weixin because Xiao Weixin is indeed different from other men. Xiao Weixin does not think that women are useless. On the contrary, he thinks that, at certain times, women are even more capable than men. In the backward society of ancient times, his mindset is very progressive and modern. Therefore, Yang Nanruo felt that she received true respect from him, unlike the condescending attitude the others treated her with, and respected him in turn, gradually developing affection for him.

Yang Nanruo had a lot of prey, but one of them, a fat silver-gray rabbit, caught Xiao Weixin’s attention. The rabbit was really eye-catching. It was round, furry, chubby, and, unlike other rabbits, had very bright, gleaming eyes, making people feel that it could turn into a spirit the next second¹⁰spirit= an animal or plant that has gained consciousness and is as intelligent as humans..

Yang Nanruo noticed his gaze and pulled out the fat rabbit and held it up by the ears, happily showing off: “This is a little pet that this subordinate just caught. Even though it is fat, its movements are very agile and quick, and this subordinate almost didn’t manage to catch it.”

“Deputy General Yang is very skilled.” Xiao Weixin smiled slightly, “This rabbit is really lovable.”

You Shu’s mind was filled with a rapidly scrolling barrage¹¹ , and he eagerly waited for the classic scene about to take place.

In ancient times, men were always the ones to give gifts to girls but our Deputy General Yang is different and insists on doing the opposite. She gave the protagonist the little rabbit she hunted by herself and, in a serious manner, explained to him exactly how she hunted it. What a contrast! What an adorable gap moe!

Yang Nanruo also smiled, seemingly agreeing with [Xiao Weixin’s] words.

Then, she put the rabbit back into the cage, without any intention of giving it to Xiao Weixin. “If the prince likes it, there are several like this one in the forest ahead. You can try your luck. It’s just that before I entered [the hunting ground], I promised Young Lady Xia that I would hunt a unique little pet and bring it back to her as a gift. So I’m afraid I won’t be able to offer this little rabbit to the prince.

“This subordinate has already made a promise so it won’t be good to break it.”

Xiao Weixin had no intention of forcing her and calmly replied: “In that case, Deputy General Yang may go.”

Yang Nanruo climbed back onto her horse, saluted once again and then rode away. The sound of the horse’s hooves gradually faded away and she didn’t look back once.

You Shu was stunned.

What pet?

What about the rabbit you were supposed to gift [to Xiao Weixin]???

You leave that rabbit here for me!!!!

What bullshit world did he transmigrate into?

Xiao Weixin turned around after she left. Unexpectedly, he saw that his little shadow guard was acting strangely and looked unwell, as if frozen. He could even feel the strong shock and despair in his eyes.

Xiao Weixin was completely perplexed. Wasn’t this person fine just now? Why did this happen all of a sudden?

He thought of the rabbit Yang Nanruo put back [into the cage] just now. Was he disappointed because of that rabbit?

In a sense, Xiao Weixin had guessed correctly but instead of continuing to delve into the correct line of thought, he shifted to another line and began to speculate in the opposite direction.

That rabbit was indeed not an ordinary creature, and was the kind of thing one can encounter but not find¹²can only be found inadvertently not purposefully, can only be found serendipitiously. Perhaps the little shadow guard really likes it.

At that moment, Xiao Weixin had the sudden urge to call Yang Nanruo back and snatch her rabbit on the spot. It had great potential of making him look like a foolish king¹³a foolish king basically refers to one who indulges his lover and ignores the country and his duties., but of course he did not do so.

It’s just a rabbit. If he wants it, there are plenty more in the forest.

Xiao Weixin stood up and said coldly: “Let’s go.”

However, You Shu felt very emotionally exhausted and just wanted to lie down right there.

I broke my heart worrying over your relationship, but what about you?

You don’t care at all. You only care about whether you can leave or not¹⁴He’s so dramatic plz ahhaha I love him so much. This day is really making me doubt my will to live.

This terrible world is against me at every turn.

You Shu brought the horse over with an expressionless face and waited until Xiao Weixin mounted before he himself mounted the other horse. Although his face was still calm and serious, when Xiao Weixin turned around, he felt like he could see a black aura surrounding him and couldn’t help laughing angrily.

“For a rabbit, huh?”

You Shu returned to his senses, looked into Xiao Weixin’s eyes that were smiling yet not, and almost couldn’t hold himself back from breaking his image [of being cold, serious and emotionless].

So you also know it is because of the rabbit?

Then go and chase the rabbit for me! Bring! It! Back!

What would happen in the future with the rabbit gone? How would the second female lead interact more with you because of it [when it’s not there in the first place]? How would the female lead be jealous?

“This subordinate knows his mistake.” He confessed habitually, with the tone of smashing a cracked pot¹⁵to allow a bad situation to worsen without trying to remedy it..

For some reason, Xiao Weixin liked this appearance of his very much and spoke, with a hint of indulgence and connivance: “Deputy General Yang said that there are many more in the forest ahead. Perhaps we will be lucky and can find an even better one.”

You Shu stared straight ahead expressionlessly, feeling disdainful in his heart.

Heh, so what? If it’s not gifted by the second female lead, it’s completely pointless [to have a rabbit].

Who cares about little rabbits, unless they are in a bowl¹⁶*sighs* Why is he like this??

The two entered the dense forest ahead, one after another. Although today’s weather was very pleasant, the depths of the forest were filled with fog. You Shu immediately became alert. He remembered the plot in the book, where Xiao Weixin was used as a human shield by the dog emperor, to block the [assassin’s] sword!

His rationality clashed severely with his emotions. On one hand, he knows that he cannot change the plot at will because it can affect the subsequent events, but on the other hand, he wants to stop all of this. He does not want to see Xiao Weixin injured and dying.

In the end, love and care for Xiao Weixin prevailed¹⁷He didn’t manage to hit the dog emperor but he hit my heart instead. You Shuuuuu TT <3<3.

“My lord, this place seems strange and unusual. Shall we leave?”

Xiao Weixin looked around and the visibility was indeed very low. After thinking for some time, he felt that there were still four days left before the spring hunt would end and there was no need to rush, so he agreed and the two of them walked back together.

Just as they were about to walk out of the dense forest, there was a sudden noise behind them, mixed with the sharp sound of weapons clashing. It was obvious that someone was fighting.

You Shu’s expression changed, he grabbed the reins of Xiao Weixin’s horse and rode forward, fearing that Xiao Weishen would catch up.

Xiao Weixin didn’t know why he was so frightened but he didn’t ask anything and spurred his horse ahead. Not long after the two rode out of the dense forest, Xiao Weishen suddenly jumped out from somewhere, his bright yellow robe was completely stained with blood and he was running like death was on his tail.

His eyes lit up when he saw Xiao Weixin and he rushed over as if he had seen a life-saving straw. Xiao Weixin had no time to escape and was grabbed by him. He was disgusted and made to push him away but at this moment, You Shu noticed a few black-robed people run out from the forest, chasing Xiao Weixin.

His face became dark and he drew the sword hanging at his waist, leaped up from his horse and started fighting with those black-robed men. He shouted loudly: “My lord, leave quickly!”

Xiao Weixin knew that, with Xiao Weishen present, he would not be able to take action and he also knew that continuing to stay here would only add to the chaos, but he was held tightly by Xiao Weishen and was unable to move, so he could only pull him to the side to hide together.

Just when he was thinking about knocking Xiao Weishen unconscious and pushing him away, Xiao Weishen’s face suddenly filled with horror and he suddenly pushed him out.

Xiao Weixin was completely unprepared. As soon as he turned around, he saw a sword shining with cold light coming towards him.

He couldn’t avoid it at all but, in the next second, a figure quickly rushed over and stood in front of him, taking the sword for him.

You Shu endured the pain in his chest and raised his sword to slit the attacker’s throat. He gripped his chest and swayed slightly, refusing to fall down.

Xiao Weishen had fainted, probably due to excessive fright, while Xiao Weixin eyes had turned red and he looked shocked as he looked at You Shu, who had been stabbed through the chest by a sharp blade. Some of the blood that had spurted out had splashed onto his face and felt warm on his skin.

Xiao Weixin quickly reached out to hold him, half-hugging him, and carefully leaned him against the tree and set him down, with a gentle expression.

Immediately after this, he turned around quickly, picked up the sword that You Shu had dropped and, with a cold look in his eyes, headed straight towards the three remaining assassins.

Prior to this [incident], Xiao Weixin was like a treasured sword¹⁸宝刀 (bǎo dāo); rare and precious sword, also generally refers to war swords. that had never been unsheathed. Although he had strength [and ability], he had never killed anyone.

But now, for the first time, his blade was stained with human blood.

For his little shadow guard.

T/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I had an unexpected holiday today and have no classes tomorrow either so here’s a chapter for you guys 😀 (with a questionable title but that was the best I could do that wasn’t a mouthful).

So, I don’t know if it’s obvious or not but I am kinda sorta winging it with the military titles. I could go as close to accurate as possible with modern military ranks but were those even supposed to exist in Ancient China? If I went with modern, then YNR would be a Major General while YQX would be a Lieutenant General. Do you want me to go with those or should I just stick with these (bc he military part isn’t actually the focus)?

Anyways, have a nice day (or night)!

P.S. If you notice any typos or errors, please tell me. I might have missed something after I edited this.

• 1
  Me to You Shu: Sooo… you are NEVER going to believe this… ↩︎
• 2
  Is this wrong? I have no idea about investment terminologies so this was mostly off the top of my head. But you get the idea (hopefully). ↩︎
• 3
  清水白莲. My best guess at this is that it means someone who can remain clean as clear water even in a murky environment and someone who can stay true to their ideals and beliefs even in a difficult and challenging situation. Like a white lotus but a good one lol. ↩︎
• 4
  More specifically, it means “Serve me in bed tonight”. Should I change to that? ↩︎
• 5
  Someone with a very ordinary and forgettable face which does not attract attention. ↩︎
• 6
  Being angry but having to hold it in so it becomes like a pressure and hurts your insides. ↩︎
• 7
  福身 (Fú shēn) used to refer to an ancient woman’s curtsy ↩︎
• 8
  行礼 (Xínglǐ) ↩︎
• 9
  花木兰— historical character. You can search her up if you want. ↩︎
• 10
  spirit= an animal or plant that has gained consciousness and is as intelligent as humans. ↩︎
• 11
  ↩︎
• 12
  can only be found inadvertently not purposefully, can only be found serendipitiously ↩︎
• 13
  a foolish king basically refers to one who indulges his lover and ignores the country and his duties. ↩︎
• 14
  He’s so dramatic plz ahhaha I love him so much ↩︎
• 15
  to allow a bad situation to worsen without trying to remedy it. ↩︎
• 16
  *sighs* Why is he like this? ↩︎
• 17
  He didn’t manage to hit the dog emperor but he hit my heart instead. You Shuuuuu TT <3<3 ↩︎
• 18
  宝刀 (bǎo dāo); rare and precious sword, also generally refers to war swords. ↩︎