Chapter 77: Almost a Hint of Affection

Chapter 77: A Hint of Tenderness

Although she didn't speak, Tuo Baxiao could sense the speechlessness in her eyes.

A hint of unease flashed across his face. It was just a momentary slip-up, after all, he had never done such attending to others before. He had even wiped his own hair with even more force and never felt any pain.

"Should I be gentler?"

Jiang Congyan stared at him for a while, her expression conflicted.

She truly didn't trust the man's ability to serve others. He was like a man of great strength, no, a bull, always using excessive strength in everything he did. Last time, it was grinding ink, and now, wiping her hair. That one tug felt like her scalp was about to be yanked out.

But she was too lethargic to muster any energy, her body feeling sluggish. Calling a maid in would be too embarrassing, so she had no choice but to relent. Still, she warned him, "If you pull my hair that hard again and cause me pain, you'll be sleeping in the royal tent tonight."

"Alright, alright, don't worry. It was just a mistake. I won't do it again," the man said confidently.

With that, Jiang Congyan had no choice but to let him continue drying her hair, though she remained slightly vigilant, not falling asleep immediately, and watched him from the corner of her eye.

Having made one mistake, Tuo Baxiao was determined not to repeat it. This time, his movements were as gentle as possible, almost with great caution.

His tall, imposing, and dignified figure, with sharp, commanding eyes, made him look like a king who should be giving orders to everyone. Yet here he was, performing the tasks of a maid, his movements stiff and awkward due to his inexperience, making the scene somewhat comical.

His subordinates would never imagine their wise and mighty king doing such things, and even she herself had never expected it.

Seeing his clumsy efforts, Jiang Congyan's anger subsided. He was just a beginner, so she decided to be forgiving.

She quietly watched him, her dark pupils reflecting the warm, yellow candlelight. The small flame made her gaze unusually soft, almost hinting at a trace of tenderness.

Tuo Baxiao seemed to sense something, his eyes shifting from the black hair in his hands to her face.

His gaze lingered on her eyes, and for a moment, he didn't speak.

The bed curtains were left open, and the bronze lampstand with floral designs by the bed held several bright candles, flickering gently in the night breeze. The room shimmered like a galaxy, the soft light enveloping the two of them.

They stared at each other for a while, until Jiang Congyan finally looked away.

"Is that it?" she murmured.

Tuo Baxiao snapped out of his thoughts and touched her hair. "A little more."

The man had finally gotten the hang of it, and drowsiness began to overtake her. Jiang Congyan decided to let him be, burying half her face in the pillow and closing her eyes, ready to sleep.

Finally, in her half-asleep state, she felt the man move closer, pulling her into his embrace.

His body temperature was high, and the closeness made her feel a bit warm. She gave a slight push but couldn't move him, muttering, "It's hot."

The man's hand slid down her back, feeling her skin. "You're not even sweating."

Jiang Congyan was too tired to argue further. Since the heat wasn't unbearable, she let it go and fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, she woke up half an hour later than usual, already past the late Mao hour.

She assessed herself and found that, aside from some soreness in her waist and legs, there was no significant swelling or pain, which was much better than the first few times.

The bed was empty; Tuo Baxiao had already left.

She asked A Fei and learned that the man had risen at the beginning of Mao, a full hour earlier than her. He really had boundless energy.

"The king is convening a meeting with the officials in the royal court," A Fei said.

Jiang Congyan knew they must be discussing the matter of attacking the Jie tribe.

Over ten days ago, Tuo Baxiao had already become busy. At that time, she thought he was preparing to defend against the Xiongnu, but now it seemed he had been preparing for the upcoming campaign against the Jie tribe.

She didn't know that if it weren't for their reluctance to part so soon after their marriage, Tuo Baxiao would have led his troops to battle as soon as he returned to the royal court, when morale was at its peak.

The grassland tribes were scattered, and the royal court had limited military strength. Apart from General Modolou and Chigan Balie, who led ten thousand cavalry stationed at the royal court, the rest of his direct forces were spread across the nearby grasslands, forming a protective ring around the royal court—they had to be spread out to ensure adequate food supplies, as the vast grasslands made transporting food from elsewhere a significant burden.

In addition to his thirty thousand central cavalry and approximately twenty thousand flank troops, the other tribes each had between ten and twenty thousand soldiers. Although they were subjects of Tuo Baxiao, they were actually led by local tribal leaders. They herded in peacetime and rode into battle when needed, not as elite as Tuo Baxiao's direct forces but still a force to be reckoned with. Fortunately, most of the current tribal leaders had been appointed after Tuo Baxiao ascended the throne, ensuring their loyalty.

Nearly all Xianbei men could ride and shoot arrows. There was a saying that they could ride horses as soon as they could walk, a testament to their upbringing. With vast lands and sparse populations, they relied on horses as their main means of transportation, growing up on horseback, a way of life ingrained in their culture.

Jiang Congyan estimated that the entire Xianbei tribe could muster up to three hundred thousand cavalry, but this didn't mean they could deploy all three hundred thousand simultaneously. Logistics were a major issue. Unless they adopted a strategy of sustaining war through war, it would only be a temporary fix, not a long-term solution.

The Xianbei could typically mobilize approximately one hundred and fifty thousand troops, which was more than sufficient to deal with the Jie tribe.

She wasn't sure exactly what Tuo Baxiao had in mind.

Thinking of something, she instructed A Fei to notify Si Zi and summon Gan Luo.

The craftsmen's team was originally managed by Ruo Lan. After Ruo Lan left the royal court for Tumochuan, it was handed over to Gan Luo.

With so many workshops and workers, it was fortunate that she had a few managers to assist her, or else she would have been overwhelmed.

Jiang Congyan had brought quite a few people with her, but she hadn't expected her development in Xianbei to progress so quickly, leaving her short-handed now.

There were many people in Liangzhou. Perhaps she could write to her grandfather and ask him to send some over?

But that was a matter for later.

Putting this thought aside for now, while waiting for Gan Luo to arrive, Jiang Congyan went to the study to write a letter, asking the Liangzhou Imperial Guard to deliver it quickly to Ruo Lan and Zhang Zheng in Tumochuan.

——

Inside the royal tent.

Everyone was arguing over who would follow the king into battle. Of course, they weren't arguing to send each other to their deaths but to secure the opportunity to fight for themselves.

Their king was the bravest general on the grasslands, and following him into battle meant never losing.

Whoever went to war meant that tribe could plunder the enemy's resources, occupy their land, and gain more slaves. It was a fool who would pass up such an opportunity.

Chigan Balie was the most proud, puffing out his chest and looking down at the others. He was the king's most trusted subordinate. The king had forgiven his previous mistakes, restored his position as a general, and would surely take him along.

Su Li also felt confident.

Tuoba Wuxi, however, crossed his arms and watched coldly as they argued, snorting. He knew Tuo Baxiao wouldn't take him no matter what.

The Jie were less than a third the size of the Xianbei and posed no real threat. The only reason they had survived this long was thanks to the Xiongnu diverting attention, especially four years ago when a hundred thousand Xiongnu cavalry nearly shattered the Xianbei, causing so many deaths that it took two to three years to recover.

Now that Wudati Hou had lost power, it was the perfect opportunity for Tuo Baxiao.

Tuoba Wuxi sat carelessly in his chair, acting as if it had nothing to do with him, even closing his eyes. But suddenly, he heard his name.

He opened his eyes abruptly, sat up straight, and looked at Tuo Baxiao on the throne. "You called me?"

"I order you to lead ten thousand cavalry and follow me into battle in ten days."

Tuo Baxiao tossed him this command and then continued issuing other orders, mobilizing five thousand troops each from the Duan and Kumo Xi tribes, along with his own twenty thousand central army, totaling forty thousand cavalry.

Tuoba Wuxi still couldn’t believe it—was Tuoba Baxiao actually taking him on the campaign? Could he really be that kind-hearted?

Chigan Balie was equally incredulous. Hadn’t he heard his own name called? The king had chosen Su Li to lead the troops instead?

After repeatedly confirming that the king hadn’t assigned him, Chigan Balie began to complain indignantly, “My king, why are you taking Su Li and not me? Am I not as brave as him?”

Su Li grew furious. “Are you saying I’m inferior to you? Since the king chose me, there must be a reason.”

Though they were arguing, Su Li’s tone was clearly smug.

He then added, “You made a mistake before, and the king reinstated you as a general. Isn’t that enough? How dare you ask for more?”

Provoked by Su Li’s sarcastic taunts, Chigan Balie swung a fist at him.

“Stop!”

A deep, authoritative voice filled the royal tent. Both men instinctively froze and turned toward the source of the sound. There stood the king, his face dark, his eagle-like eyes sharp with displeasure.

“Get out of my sight!”

Both men were unwilling but dared not disobey the king’s order. They could only leave, seething with anger.

As soon as they stepped out of the tent, they were ready to fight again. A Long intervened, “If the king finds out, he’ll surely punish us.”

Reluctantly, they glared at each other and stood on opposite sides of the tent, keeping their distance.

Tuoba Baxiao quickly issued orders one after another. By the end, everyone had received their commands and left, except for Tuoba Wuxi, who remained in the tent.

He stood up and stepped closer to Tuoba Baxiao. “Why are you taking me with you? Have you finally had enough of me and want to take my life during the campaign?”

Tuoba Wuxi had thought it over and concluded that this was the only explanation for why Tuoba Baxiao would bring him along.

Tuoba Baxiao sneered disdainfully and looked up at him. “If I wanted your life, I could take it right now!”

Though seated and shorter than Tuoba Wuxi, his presence completely overwhelmed him.

Tuoba Wuxi was infuriated by these words. He suppressed his anger, remembering the outcome of their recent duel, and resisted the urge to throw a punch.

“Then why?”

Tuoba Baxiao replied, “You’ve always wanted to rebel against me. Having you under my watch during the campaign is more convenient.”

“If you already know, why not kill me?”

Tuoba Baxiao lifted his eyelids and gave him a scornful look. “A defeated subordinate like you—what do I have to fear even if I don’t kill you?”

“You…”

Tuoba Wuxi was too angry to speak. Tuoba Baxiao’s arrogance knew no bounds.

Yet he knew Tuoba Baxiao was telling the truth. He had no way to defeat him and reclaim the throne.

In the end, Tuoba Wuxi could only leave, filled with resentment.

Tuoba Baxiao had one more reason he didn’t mention: with him away on the campaign, the royal court would be left with only her. He feared Tuoba Wuxi might be swayed by others to rebel in his absence. He wasn’t afraid of rebellion, but if she were harmed… well, that was another matter.

Thus, it was better to keep Tuoba Wuxi under his watch.

Meanwhile, after Gan Luo arrived, Jiang Congyan asked about the recent situation with the craftsmen. Having a rough idea, she asked Gan Luo to wait in the hall and then headed toward the royal tent.

On her way, she ran into Tuoba Wuxi storming out of the tent. He glared at her and snorted disdainfully before she could say anything, then walked away.

These Xianbei people—each one more hot-tempered than the last.

When she reached the tent, she saw that everyone else had left, leaving only Tuoba Baxiao inside. She walked straight in.