Hot flashes

The black smoke rising from the walls of Hengshui took three days to gradually dissipate, leaving behind with the thick, lingering stench of blood and an even more complex and somber atmosphere following the victory.

The first thing Xiao Jue did after taking over the Hengshui City Guard was not to celebrate his victory, but to settle scores.

Inside and outside the city gates, on and off the city walls, and at the corners of streets and alleys, there were mutilated corpses and congealed, blackened bloodstains that had not been cleared away in time.

The defenders and the attackers were all mixed together, and the smell was nauseating when the early spring wind blew on them.

The surviving residents of Hengshui hid in their homes with doors and windows tightly shut, their eyes filled with fear as they occasionally peeked out through the cracks.

Xiao Jue sat upright in the main hall, which originally belonged to the garrison commander of Hengshui but had been wiped clean yet still exuded a solemn atmosphere, listening to the reports from his generals and temporarily appointed officials one by one.

"The inventory is complete. More than 7,300 enemy soldiers were killed, 4,200 were captured, and a quantity of grain and military equipment were seized."

Our army suffered over 3,800 dead, over 900 seriously wounded, and countless minor wounded.

Zhao Ting's voice was weary, and blood was still seeping from the bandages on his body. "Of the three thousand brothers who held off the enemy at 'Wo Niu Po'... less than eight hundred survived."

His voice choked with emotion as he finished speaking. It was a battle destined to be fierce, a desperate resistance that used flesh and blood to slow down the cavalry and buy the main force time to breach the city.

Xiao Jue remained silent, his fingers tapping lightly on the cold iron armrest, each tap resonating in the hearts of those below.

"The fallen soldiers will be registered and their families will receive generous compensation. The wounded will receive the best possible medical treatment." He began, his voice steady. "The captured soldiers will be separated into officers and regular soldiers. Those soldiers who are willing to surrender will be dispersed and incorporated into the auxiliary troops. Those who resist... will have a mound of skulls built in the east of the city."

The words "Jingguan" (京观) caused the temperature below the hall to drop sharply.

It was a high mound built by covering the corpses of enemy soldiers with earth, used to demonstrate military prowess and deter disobedience.

"The grain stored in the city should be inventoried and used to replenish our army's supplies first. The remainder..." Xiao Jue's gaze swept over Shen Yu, who was temporarily in charge of civil administration in Hengshui, "Open the granaries and distribute the grain to the people in the city in fixed amounts to reassure them. At the same time, post notices to reassure the people that no one under my jurisdiction will be harmed, but any illegal acts will be dealt with according to military law."

"Yes." Shen Yu bowed. He understood that in chaotic times, harsh measures were necessary, and that appeasement needed to be combined with establishing authority.

"Where did Li Chong retreat to?" Xiao Jue asked Chen Shen, who was in charge of scouting.

"They retreated to the area around 'Black Mountain Fortress' eighty miles away and set up camp, but did not flee far. Scouts discovered that messengers were constantly coming and going in their camp, seemingly contacting the surrounding prefectures and counties."

Chen Shen reported, "Furthermore, the Southern Capital's secret envoys have been 'invited' to a separate residence outside the city to await an audience with the lord."

A hint of sneer flashed in Xiao Jue's eyes. Li Chong was unwilling to accept defeat and still wanted to coordinate a counterattack. The arrival of the envoy from Nandu at this moment was indeed "clever."

"Tell Li Chong," Xiao Jue said calmly, "Hengshui has fallen, and Luancheng is just around the corner. If he knows what's good for him and retreats to his original defenses, I can hold off on pursuing him for now. But if he makes any further rash moves, the next time we meet won't be at 'Sleeping Ox Slope'."

This is a blatant threat. If Li Chong fails to provide adequate relief, he will surely face reprimand from the court upon his return. If he continues to resist, he will suffer heavy losses, and his situation will worsen.

"As for the envoy from Nandu," Xiao Jue paused on the armrest, "let him wait. Await news from Luancheng."

The briefing continued late into the night. All the tedious yet crucial follow-up matters were finalized one by one.

After everyone had left in accordance with their orders, only Xiao Jue remained in the hall.

His personal guards brought him a simple meal, which he ate a few bites of hastily before putting down his chopsticks. He got up, walked to the window, and opened the shutter.

The night wind swept in, carrying lingering smoke and faint cries. The city, which had just changed hands, lay silent in the darkness, its wounds exposed, trembling.

"Is he still outside?" Xiao Jue suddenly asked.

The guard was taken aback for a moment before realizing who he was asking about, and hurriedly replied, "Mr. Zhou has been waiting in the next room and has not left."

Xiao Jue hummed in agreement, paused, and said, "Let him go back and rest. There's no need to wait." Despite saying this, he turned and walked towards the side room.

The room was dimly lit by only a small lamp. Zhou Heng, fully clothed, leaned against the couch, nodding off, a half-read map clutched in his hand.

Hearing footsteps, he suddenly woke up, looked up and saw Xiao Jue, and quickly stood up: "Are you done with your work?"

"Hmm." Xiao Jue approached and looked at him in the lamplight.

"Have you eaten? I've had someone keep the porridge warm," Zhou Heng asked.

"I've already used it." Xiao Jue's gaze fell on the small patch of skin beneath his slightly open collar, which appeared exceptionally fair in the dim light.

He reached out and touched Zhou Heng's cheek with his fingertips; it was a little cool. "Were you frightened?"

Zhou Heng stiffened for a moment, but didn't flinch. He nodded honestly, "A little. A lot of people have died outside."

Xiao Jue's fingers slid from his cheek to the back of his neck, gently massaging the tense muscles there. "That's what war is like."

His voice was low and devoid of emotion, yet strangely possessed a calming power: "It's either them or me. There is no room for mercy."

Zhou Heng understood this principle, of course, but understanding and experiencing it firsthand are two different things. He hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Did...many of us die?"

"Yes." Xiao Jue didn't hide anything, "But taking Hengshui was worth it."

Zhou Heng felt a heavy weight in his heart. He suddenly reached out and hugged Xiao Jue's waist, burying his face in Xiao Jue's clothes, which were covered in the smell of gunpowder and blood.

Xiao Jue raised his arm and wrapped it around Zhou Heng's shoulder, pulling him closer to himself. Neither of them spoke, they simply embraced in silence.

Xiao Jue rested his chin on the top of Zhou Heng's head and slowly closed his eyes.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhou Heng's muffled voice came: "Are you injured?"

"It's a minor injury, nothing serious," Xiao Jue said. An arrow had grazed his arm armor during the siege, leaving a shallow bloodstain, which had already been treated.

"Let me see." Zhou Heng looked up, still uneasy.

Xiao Jue released him, untied the straps of his arm armor and inner garment, revealing his strong forearm with a scratch about an inch long that had already scabbed over.

Zhou Heng looked carefully and, after confirming that everything was alright, breathed a sigh of relief.

He took out a small porcelain bottle from his pocket—one of the wound medicines he had brought with him when he left the Marquis's residence—and carefully applied some more medicine around the scabbed wound.

The cool touch of his fingertips and the feel of the ointment made Xiao Jue's arm muscles tense slightly, but he didn't move. He just looked down at Zhou Heng's focused profile.

The candlelight cast a fan-shaped shadow on his long eyelashes, and his lips were slightly pursed, his serious expression somewhat endearing.

After applying the medicine, Zhou Heng looked up and met Xiao Jue's gaze. That gaze was deep, churning with emotions that Zhou Heng couldn't quite understand, yet made his heart race.

"What are you looking at?" Zhou Heng looked away uncomfortably.

Xiao Jue didn't answer, but simply reached out, lifted his chin, and kissed him.

When the kiss ended, both of them were breathing heavily. Xiao Jue pressed his forehead against his and whispered, "Sleep. There's a lot to do tomorrow."

He blew out the lamp and lay down on the cramped couch with Zhou Heng in his arms. The blankets were damp and had an unfamiliar smell, but the warmth of their embrace was enough to dispel the chill of the spring night.

Zhou Heng lay awake in the darkness, listening to Xiao Jue's breathing gradually become steady, the familiar yet blood-and-fire scent lingering around him.

He shifted slightly, pressing himself even closer to the heat source behind him, and closed his eyes.