Chapter 10 Baiyu Pass

“Patience,” said Chu Yunshen as he looked at the little fellow in his arms while the lion cat’s eyes glinted as though she had met her savior.

The little fellow was always fearless. Why was she so terrified of a nobody like a gardener?

Then was he merely a gardener?

“When did you start working as a gardener in the residence?” asked Chu Yunshen unhurriedly as he stroked Cheng Xiaoxiao’s fur as though he was making small talk.

“Your Highness, I started working in the residence three years ago,” said the gardener with his head bowed as he knelt before Chu Yunshen.

He had already worked in the residence for three years. No wonder…

A gardener.

It was truly a particularly invisible identity.

Chu Yunshen gradually stopped stroking the cat and said, “Xiaowu, take care of this.”

The gardener implored, “Your Highness, please spare me!”

“Yes, Master!” replied Xiaowu. When Chu Yunshen’s eyes darkened, Xiaowu immediately understood that the prince wanted to keep this a private affair.

Xiaowu lifted the gardener and yelled deliberately, “Come with me! You are getting flogged for sure. That’s what you get for touching High Highness’ cat.”

“Meow meow!”

Was the gardener only getting flogged?

But he was a spy!

Cheng Xiaoxiao hastily jumped off Chu Yunshen to leap towards the gardener and refused to let him leave.

Xiaowu handed the gardener to a guard before carrying the white cat and walking over to the prince. “Little fellow, we’re going to the barracks, so behave.”

“Meow! Meow!”

Don’t let him go!

He’s a spy.

An intense murderous look was concealed in his eyes as the gardener kept his head lowered.

He must find the opportunity to slaughter that animal!

Chu Yunshen glanced at the lion cat while she brandished her claws in Xiaowu’s arms. Then his eyes paused on the gardener as he was taken away by the guard. If he didn’t have to go to the barracks this afternoon…

Military matters were of utmost importance. Chu Yunshen glanced at Xiaowu. Then Xiaowu cast his eyes on the gardener and nodded to Chu Yunshen knowingly.

Chu Yunshen knew that Xiaowu caught his drift. He looked at the female cooks who were kneeling in front of him and complaining up the cat. Then he rose to take the cat from Xiaowu and said, “You are excused.”

“Your Highness!”

The female cooks glanced at the cat in the prince’s arms and felt angry and indignant.

　　

They had been complaining to the prince for a long time. Now that the culprit appeared right before them, the prince acted as though it had nothing to do with him.

Just as the prince was about to leave with the cat in his arms, he suddenly turned. All the female cooks’ eyes lit up, but he only said, “Prepare three servings of milk paste.”

　　

“Yes, Your Highness,” replied the female cooks as their eyes turned dusky immediately. It seemed the prince never had the intention to punish the cat.

Chu Yunshen was keenly aware now that the little fellow would follow anyone who had food.

　　

He was going to the barracks this afternoon and probably had to stay a long time, so it would be wiser to prepare more food. Or else the little fellow might scurry off looking for food when she became hungry. With the milk paste, he could control her better.

　　

“Don’t worry. There’s no escape for him,” said Chu Yunshen as he looked down at the angry little fellow in his arms. Then he stroked downwards from the back of her neck and said, “I’ll interrogate him after returning from the barracks.”

“Meow, meow.”

It seemed the prince knew that the gardener was a spy.

Then Cheng Xiaoxiao acted adorably and rubbed Chu Yunshen’s arm with her head.

　　

But they were going to the barracks again!

She didn’t want to see that Mo Chen at all.

Chu Yunshen tied a bell to Cheng Xiaoxiao’s paw as usual.

She continued resting on Chu Yunshen’s shoulder with him dressed in his armor while the baby bird sat on her head. Then they valiantly entered the main tent in the barracks, where the officers had waited for a long time. The moment Chu Yunshen entered the tent, the officers who were in heated discussion instantly stopped. Then they turned to kneel in unison as they greeted him, “Your Highness.”

“Rise. Continue,” said Chu Yunshen as he waved his hand and walked into the tent.

Mo Chen, He Xiang, and the officers looked at Chu Yunshen from behind as he walked into the tent. Then they glanced at each other.

“That wound on His Highness’ face…” said He Xiang as he quickly closed his mouth, which was gaping in surprise. Then he clicked his tongue at Mo Chen, who was standing across him, and asked, “Is that cat still alive?” Mo Chen looked away from the prince’s shoulder. Then Mo Chen shook his head, telling He Xiang to shut up.

The white cat resting on the prince’s shoulder had only one of her paws bandaged. It appeared that the decisive prince had his soft moments too.

He Xiang couldn’t help looking at the cat again.

After getting to the back of the tent, Chu Yunshen removed Cheng Xiaoxiao from his shoulder and placed her on the only bed in the tent, which had a mink bedspread. Then he tapped Cheng Xiaoxiao’s round head with his large hands and flicked the baby bird’s head as well and said, “Don’t go running around. Someone will send you milk paste and jerky later.”

Chu Yunshen felt that if he didn’t make it clear to the little fellow, she might just run off and cause trouble.

“Meow,” said Cheng Xiaoxiao softly as she nodded her head obediently.

“Chirp,” went the baby bird as it bounced around happily. It instantly pulled off some mink with its tiny claws. “Meow.”

After Chu Yunshen strode out of the tent, Cheng Xiaoxiao raised her paws and gently pushed the baby bird, who was jumping hyperactively away.

Baby bird, don’t block her way.

Chu Yunshen had a tall and mesmerizing figure, but it was a pity she was only a cat.

Shortly after Chu Yunshen left the tent, Cheng Xiaoxiao planned on finding the chance to sneak out.

Then she spotted two soldiers coming in with a big bucket.

The soldiers placed the bucket in front of Cheng Xiaoxiao. Then one of the soldiers scrutinized Cheng Xiaoxiao and made her feel like he was looking at a rare treasure.

“Xiao Ge, His Highness’ cat is so small. Can she eat such a huge bucket of milk paste?” asked the soldier who was staring at Cheng Xiaoxiao as he turned to ask the other soldier who was filling a bowl with milk paste.

The soldier placed the bowl in front of Cheng Xiaoxiao and looked at her ingratiatingly as he said to the other soldier, “Just do as High Highness ordered and quit yapping. Hurry up and feed the bird jerky. There is work waiting for us in the kitchen.”

Cheng Xiaoxiao finished the bucket of milk paste while the soldiers stared in shock.

Then the soldiers rubbed their eyes, and they shook their heads in disbelief as they left the tent. The cat reached her paw out and rubbed her tummy. She was already restraining her appetite. If she didn’t transmigrate into a cat, she could eat not just one but ten buckets of milk paste.

“Meow.”

She told the baby bird to stay where it was and finish its food.

Cheng Xiaoxiao raised her paw and stuffed the jerky into the baby bird’s chests. Then she darted off the bed and toured the tent.

　　

Other than some military books, there were some weapons.

It was utterly cold and only filled with dull and uninteresting things.

Cheng Xiaoxiao had just promised Chu Yunshen that she wouldn’t run around.

Whatever it was, on account of the bucket of milk paste, she had to keep her promise.

“Chirp,” cried the baby bird as it jumped around Cheng Xiaoxiao with a slice of jerky in its beak.

Cheng Xiaoxiao slumped her ears and lay back on the mink covered bed. It was so boring.

　　

From outside the tent, a furious voice suddenly shouted, “Coward!”

Cheng Xiaoxiao hastily straightened her head up from the bed with her contrastingly colored eyes gleaming.

There was some action going on!

“Meow.”

Cheng Xiaoxiao poked the baby bird, who had jerky in its beaks with her paws.

“Meow, meow.”

　　

She told the baby bird to stop eating and get on her head so that they could check out the commotion.

Then Cheng Xiaoxiao lowered her round head and gestured for the baby bird to hop on.

“Chirp chirp!”

The baby bird flung its head backward and swallowed the jerky in is beak before jumping onto Cheng Xiaoxiao’s head.

Once Cheng Xiaoxiao got out of the tent, she found a discrete corner and huddled there to secretly watch the action.

She saw Chu Yunshen sitting above on the main seat while a group of officers dressed in shiny armor stood around a square sand table.

The man who attracted Cheng Xiaoxiao’s attention was a boorish man, who stood on Chu Yunshen’s left, and had a booming voice.

The brawny man was eight feet tall and appeared vicious. He was speaking to the soldiers standing on Chu Yunshen’s right without restraint as he said, “If we sue for peace, we are surrendering without a fight! Shut your damned mouths, you cowards!”

The officer standing on the right who kept getting scolded by the brawny officer was about nine feet tall and looked dignified. His face was red as he clenched his fists tightly and retorted, “How dare you! General Zhang, you better watch your tongue! His Highness is here too! We lost a city the last time because you were reckless and underestimated the enemy!”

“If it weren’t for that bastard, Sun Mingquan, I wouldn’t have underestimated our enemy!” roared Zhang Mang as he blew up instantly like a cat that got its tail stepped on.

Mo Chen was standing next to Zhang Mang. He patted Zhang Mang’s shoulder as he signaled for him not to get so agitated while he glared at Zhao Tianheng and said faintly, “General Zhao, Sun Mingquan seems to be your man.”

　　

“Okay, okay. It’s water under the bridge. We should focus on how to attack Baiyu Pass now instead,” said He Xiang when he spotted the dusky look on the prince’s face and hurriedly changed the subject of the discussion. That battle was a pain point for the prince. But these officers were arguing so heatedly that they clean forgot about it.

After He Xiang spoke, they recalled how angry the prince felt about the incident and instantly looked at him as he sat on the main seat. The prince only raised his brow and signaled for them to continue as he sipped on his tea.

Mo Chen stepped forward and took the military baton from He Xiang’s hand. Then he pointed at the landmark marked as Baiyu Pass on the sand table and said, “Baiyu Pass is above Bailing. Wu sent a lot of troops to guard the area. We don’t need to confront them head-on, but…”

As he spoke, he pointed the military baton to the east of Baiyu Pass and went up Bai River in the sand table all the way to Bai City, which was to the north of Baiyu pass. Then he pointed at it hard and continued, “We just need to send a platoon to infiltrate Bai City through Bai River and burn their food and cut off their reinforcements. Without Bai City, Baiyu Pass is like a defanged tiger. Then we can attack it anytime we want!”

Zhao Tianheng coldly laughed as he pointed to Bai River with his sword and said, “That’s easier said than done. Bai River is located in the 100 Foot Pass to the east of Bailing. The rivers are narrow, and its water is rapid, so only small vessels can go through it. Also, there is a high risk of capsizing. We might lose half our troops before we make it to Bai City!”

“I got some soldiers to experiment. We just need to wrap cowhide outside the raft like so in this picture to reduce the river’s impact,” said Mo Chen as he placed the military baton on the sand table and removed a piece of paper from his chest to show it to the other officers.

Some of them nodded while others shook their heads.

“Your Highness, Baiyu Pass is a rich land. If we conquer it, then Wu will fall quickly!” said Mo Chen as he handed the paper to Chu Yunshen on the main seat. Then he went back below and made obeisance as he said, “Please let us attack it!”

After they planned for so long, the prince wouldn’t surrender without a battle just because of a few objections.

“Your Highness, although General Mo makes sense, we have no intel about the troops that the enemy has deployed to Bailing, so we can’t fight them!” said Zhao Tianheng as he pulled his sword away from the sand table. Then he walked up to the main seat to frown as he made obeisance to Chu Yunshen and begged for instruction.

　　

Mo Chen turned his head to glance at Zhao Tianheng and said angrily, “If we don’t fight them now, we are giving Wu the chance to take a breather. They will increase their defenses and make Baiyu Pass impenetrable.”