Chapter 0149 Laughing Away Enemies, Army and Bandits; Twice-Blooming Plum, Xie Chengze
The third match was undoubtedly the most fiercely contested, with the scores constantly neck and neck. Even the Red Team soldiers had to admit that this bandit army possessed remarkable puck skills.
As time wore on, the game escalated into a white-hot climax. Cheers from the sidelines surged like ocean waves, one after another. Even the prefect and county magistrate couldn’t resist standing up, craning their necks to stare intently at the puck on the ice. Their hearts raced with every push and return of the puck, their eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets.
The score was tied once again.
With the match nearing its end, the Red Team captain of the third squad calmly analyzed the situation on the ice. Opposite him, the Blue Team captain, who was blocking his path, squinted as he assessed the battle.
This Red Team captain was exceptionally skilled, sharing the highest individual goal score with his teammate, Number 7. At that moment, Number 7 stood in the center lane—a weak spot in the Blue Team’s defense, completely unguarded. If the Red Team captain passed the puck to Number 7, they would undoubtedly win the match. However, he would only receive a Silver Cake, while Number 7 would claim a Gold Cake.
It was equivalent to handing the Gold Cake directly to someone else.
But if the Red Team captain coveted the Gold Cake and chose not to pass the puck to Number 7, the Blue Team would have a chance to counterattack—either to win the match or force a draw.
If the score remained tied, an overtime period would follow, giving the Red Team captain another opportunity to secure the Gold Cake. However, if the match ended now, the Gold Cake would unquestionably belong to another.
To block the Red Team captain, the Blue Team had already deployed two players. They couldn’t spare anyone to guard Number 7 without risking the superior Red Team captain breaking through. Thus, the decision had to be made in an instant.
The Blue Team captain was gambling, betting on that sliver of human nature in the Red Team captain.
But he clearly lost the bet.
The soldiers under Xie Shoujun followed orders as steadfastly as mountains, and the Red Team’s primary goal from the start was to win the match.
Without hesitation, the puck was passed to Red Team Number 7. Amid deafening, exhilarated cheers, Number 7 lived up to expectations and drove the puck into the Blue Team’s goal, securing the final victory.
“Number 7! Number 7! Number 7!”
The soldiers on the sidelines shouted the player’s number excitedly. Even some of the bandit soldiers couldn’t help but join in the cheers. They didn’t know this soldier’s name, but they knew he was Number 7.
At that moment, the honor and glory of the victory rested entirely on that one individual.
The sky-high shouts were both ear-splitting and heart-stirring. As all the soldiers flooded onto the ice to embrace and congratulate Number 7, the Blue Team captain looked at the Red Team captain before him, his expression complex.
He asked, “Was it worth it?”
The soldier was taken aback for a moment, then smiled. His pure, unadulterated grin was tinged with moisture in his eyes, evoking a myriad of emotions. “Why wouldn’t it be worth it? Now our entire army can eat mutton.”
Do you know? The borderlands are cold and impoverished. Court provisions are always delayed, and the people there often suffer from hunger and cold, while also enduring harassment and raids from the Xiongnu.
They haven’t tasted fresh mutton in a very long time.
They often told their comrades that once they defeated the Xiongnu, they would drive all the fat sheep from the grasslands into the Central Plains. They would eat their fill and let the common people eat their fill too, so that no one would ever fear war or famine again.
For this dream, comrades fell one after another. For this dream, men from the northern lands surged forward in waves to replenish the troops. For ten years, they guarded the entire border defense line and protected all of Jian’an, fully prepared to sacrifice themselves.
In their previous lives, they had indeed succeeded. Fighting bloodily alongside the Crown Prince, they died heroically, securing peace in official records and the opening of trade markets in reality.
In this life, they also succeeded. But the difference was, they were all still alive—alive to eat steaming hot lamb soup, alive to enjoy Puck competitions with others, alive to return home and reunite with their families.
They had a new future.
In this battle, both sides had come to view each other differently.
They had fought and competed, and in this rugged and open-minded northern land, both sides laughed away past grievances. The soldiers took freshly cooked lamb and shared half with the rebel army, telling them they had worked hard.
The rebel soldiers, in turn, took off their fur coats and gifted them to the opponents they respected, wishing them freedom from the harsh cold in the days to come.
This once-in-a-century winter of snow disasters no longer felt so bitterly cold.
Shen Yuan watched this scene, his gaze unconsciously drifting to Xie Chengze not far away. The young man smiled gently and reservedly, his bright eyes like the moon in the sky, illuminating the places sunlight could not reach in the darkness, cleansing all shadows and filth, making the world seem a little purer.
As if sensing his gaze, the young man slightly turned his head, curling his lips and raising his brows in a smile. It was a dazzling, radiant smile, like a blessed celestial being sent from the heavens—so captivating it could steal one’s soul, so beautiful it could command submission.
He was within reach, yet at that moment, Shen Yuan suddenly felt that Xie Chengze was beyond his grasp.
Like a mirage that could vanish at any moment, it abruptly stirred panic in his heart.
Xie Chengze…
Would he always remain Xie Chengze?
…
“I am still me, after all—a different kind of firework!”
Xie Chengze held a brush between his philtrum, and as his lips twitched, the brush wiggled along with them.
On the desk before him lay a stack of letters covered in writing:
“I wonder if my slacking, cunning father has been diligent in governance lately? Has he been doting on his consorts? Has he been spending time with my younger sister?
During my journey to Yi Province, I came to understand the bond between father and son. Now, dispatched to Liaozhou, I have also gained much and deeply reflected.
I have observed that local couples often support each other. The husband toils diligently, farming and hunting, while the wife mines coal, educates the children, and manages the household frugally. If the wife contributes greatly to the family, the husband should spare no effort to make her happy, making it his duty to cherish his wife and love his daughter—this is the mark of a true man. If the husband is lazy, cunning, and neglects his responsibilities, he will be despised by his wife. Scolding and even physical confrontations become the norm. In extreme cases, their children may become the last choice for marriage, leading to the end of the family line—truly terrifying!
I have been deeply moved by this. Reflecting on the past, my elder and younger brothers, both outstanding talents, have campaigned and governed on behalf of our father. My younger sister, in times of crisis at the border, stepped forward to protect Jian’an. This is truly a testament to the consorts’ excellent upbringing and their significant contributions.
The Empress is virtuous and elegant, ensuring peace in the imperial harem; Rou Fei is kind-hearted and wealthy, offering discreet support; Xi Fei comes from a noble family and staunchly supports Your Majesty; Da Guiren possesses exceptional martial skills, guaranteeing safety. All the consorts are virtuous wives and loving mothers, more than worthy of Your Majesty’s favor. In contrast, Your Majesty, despite your striking beauty, lacks any affection for your wives, treats the consorts with stinginess, and is indolent and negligent in state affairs. If the people of Liaozhou were to learn of this, they would surely condemn you with harsh words and scorn!
Your child fears that Your Majesty will be left with a tarnished reputation, and worries that my siblings and I will become the last choice for marriage among the youths of Jingcheng. Thus, I have organized an ice and snow banquet in Liaozhou, inviting commoners and wealthy merchants from all regions to attend with their families. Together, we shall celebrate the beauty of Jian’an’s northern lands and witness its prosperity, all to win the favor of potential wives and daughters!
I implore Your Majesty, during the Spring Festival, to bring your virtuous wives and beloved daughters to this familial ice and snow feast. This would acknowledge the years of dedication from the consorts, prevent your child from bearing shame because of you, and spare me the anguish of envying others for their fathers’ devotion to their wives, while lamenting that my own father fails to appreciate the blessings he has!
If Your Majesty refuses, I fear I shall end up lonely and desolate, forced to spend my life with someone lazy, cunning, and irresponsible—the mere thought is unbearable, driving me to despair! Only Your Majesty and the consorts’ presence can dispel this dread!
I have said all that needs to be said. The winds in Liaozhou are cold, the inkstone has dried, and I shall write no more.
Wishing Jian’an prosperity, Your Majesty longevity and health, and may your child encounter a dozen beauties in the future~