Chapter 26: Exchange

January 18th, 2023

Fang Li looked at that face that was exactly the same as Xie Huai’s.
He picked up the nuptial wine and walked forward.
The beauty’s face looked up at him with deep affection, reaching out to exchange wine cups with him and drink.
His lowered eyes were full of tenderness and careful attentiveness, an appearance that Fang Li wouldn’t dare imagine even in his dreams.

Fang Li suddenly started to fret a little.
Since it was their wedding night…… next, would they……

Cough cough.

Although Xie Huai was indeed extremely beautiful, his sharpness was as evident as icicles on a lofty peak.
It was definitely impossible to mistake him for a woman.
Besides, even if he were a woman, even if Fang Li was willing to disgust him a little in other aspects, he couldn’t possibly force him to do that…… This was Fang Li’s absolute limit.

It looked like he’d celebrated too early.

He hadn’t thought that this dream would be this stimulating in just the opening act, and that he would encounter a problem so early.

But, who knew what Xie Huai was thinking at this moment? He must surely be in an even more awkward state than himself……

Fang Li saw himself stretch out his hand and place it on the lapels of Xie Huai’s robes, gently sliding off the outer garment…… Taking off the layers and layers of embroidered wedding robes took quite a while…… Just when he saw that things were no longer going to be family-friendly……

A clamor suddenly arose from outside.
“Assassins—Protect the grand duke—”

Immediately after, accompanied by loud rustling, countless sharp arrows shot into the room at once!

Fang Li’s expression abruptly changed, and he wrapped his arm around the beauty and turned sharply and swiftly, raising his hand to unsheathe the blade on the table, cutting the sharp arrow before his eyes directly into two halves! Then, he turned to look at the beauty in his embrace and asked anxiously, “Wife, are you hurt?”

The beauty shook his head.
Although he had a tranquil face, he couldn’t conceal his concern, but before he could speak, his pupils suddenly shrank, and he pushed Fang Li aside fiercely—

The next moment, an arrow pierced his shoulder!

The beauty staggered and fell into Fang Li’s embrace, his face devoid of color, but his lips trembling as he said, “My lord, you, you’re not hurt, are you……”

Fang Li held the soft and gentle beauty in one hand, his entire being numb from shock.
What kind of direction was this plot going in?

But after his shock was over, he rejoiced.
These assassins had really picked a good time to appear.
It looked like they wouldn’t be able to go through with tonight’s wedding night.
The beauty had been injured this badly, and it would take at least a month before he’d be able to do that.
Seeing as he was deeply in love with him, it was more impossible for Fang Li to make a move while he was recovering from his injury, so it was safe for now.

The weight in Fang Li’s chest fell off.
Although the plot was a little cliché, if he didn’t feel awkward, then the awkward ones were everyone else.

When he thought of it this way, his state of mind immediately settled.

He held the injured beauty tightly in his arms, yelling angrily at the guards who had arrived late, “Quickly call for the imperial doctor!”

Having said that, he carefully placed the beauty on the bed and spoke in a heavy voice.
“This lord will make sure nothing happens to you!”

The beauty’s face was sickly.
Although he’d suffered a serious injury, and his life hung by a thread, he still slowly revealed a smile, saying, “Mn, I believe in my lord……”

Fang Li looked carefully at the person before him.
Although he had the exact same facial features as Xie Huai, his manner and bearing didn’t share the least bit of similarity with him.
Thinking of how Xie Huai had been trapped in this shell, when he saw his own dainty, artificial appearance, he wouldn’t be so disgusted that he’d go into qi deviation on the spot, would he?

Fang Li only wished he could look at Xie Huai face to face to see just what expression he had on right now.

Who knew that the conversation hadn’t ended yet?

Fang Li looked at Xie Huai, who was tightly holding his hand, and said in a hoarse, sorrowful voice, “Why are you such a fool? You must never do this again in the future.
This lord doesn’t need your protection.”

Although the beauty was incomparably weak, he was tender yet staunch.
“I owe my lord for your love, to be able to become husband and wife with my lord for a lifetime.
Even if I were to die for you, I would do it gladly.”

Fang Li, “……”

【 Fang Li: System, are you still there? 】

【 The System’s life was hanging by a thread, as if it’d suffered serious bodily injury: I’m here.
】

【 For the first time, Fang Li spoke in an uncertain voice: Did I overdo it a little? Will Xie Huai want to kill me as soon as we get out? 】

【 System: …… 】 What do you think?

Before coming here, Fang Li had strategized that this lovely dream could be used to disgust Xie Huai, but only after actually arriving did he discover that its potency far surpassed his imagination.
Even though he no longer cared about life and death, for some reason, at this moment, he felt a little uneasy……

Forget it, forget it, this was his own doing.
He was a big, strong, grown man, how could he cower here? That couldn’t happen!

Watching himself and Xie Huai embracing each other with sappy adoration again, comforting one another and whispering in each other’s ears…… Fang Li was already totally numb.
He was starting to suspect that the high customer satisfaction rate of Lover’s Pass was the clerk’s exaggeration.
Of course salesmen would only pick good things to say.
To think that he’d even believed it; that was his mistake.

Very quickly, the imperial physician rushed over.

Fang Li heard himself say in an ice-cold voice, “If you can’t cure this lord’s consort, this lord will chop off your hands and feet!”

The imperial physician was shaking with terror as he took Xie Huai’s pulse over a silk handkerchief.
After a moment, he knelt on the ground.
“My lord, no need to worry.
The grand duchess did not receive a fatal injury, and there is no threat to his life.
Only, the wound has harmed his vitality, and he will need proper rest and care.
This one will prescribe medicine for the grand duchess.”

At this, Fang Li’s tone finally relaxed.
“Very well.”

He held the beauty’s hand and comforted, “Wife, be at ease and recuperate well.
This lord will investigate the matter of the assassins thoroughly.”

The beauty nodded docilely, then quickly sank into sleep.

Fang Li walked out with a heavy face and called his subordinate, asking about the matter with the assassins.
The subordinate shook his head and said, “Those assassins were suicide agents.
Some of them escaped, and the rest who weren’t able to escape all took poison and killed themselves.
This subordinate is incapable and wasn’t able to capture anyone alive.”

Fang Li revealed a pensive expression.

Following that, a rush of information appeared in his mind; it was the thoughts of this character.
Although they hadn’t captured any of the assassins, it was highly possible that they had a grudge against him.
As the greatest general in the country, these years, he’d slaughtered countless foes in endless campaigns all over.
There were far too many people who wanted him to die.

The problem was that the grand duke’s estate was tightly guarded and virtually airtight, yet these assassins had appeared without any warning.
That was in fact somewhat strange.

He ordered his subordinates to continue investigating and report back if there was any news, then returned inside.

………………………………

Because Xie Huai had been injured to “save” him, Fang Li was completely “moved” and fell even “deeper in love” with his wife, staying by Xie Huai’s side night and day.

The news of the grand duke’s singular adoration for his consort spread around.

Previously, many people had looked down on Xie Huai, thinking that his origins were unclear and that other than a pretty face, he had nothing else…… Someone like that, and he was even a man, so what right did he have to become the Grand Duke of Li’s grand duchess?

A beauty with nothing more than a pretty face could be a plaything at most.
Even if the Grand Duke of Li had been temporarily possessed and had married that man as his bride, surely after some time, he would get tired of him and throw him away.

But what was outside of everyone’s expectations was that, as the seasons passed, they didn’t hear word of the Grand Duke of Li discarding or abandoning his consort, but actually received stories about the couple being deeply in love.

No matter who sent over other beauties, the Grand Duke of Li didn’t accept a single one.
Even the ones conferred by the emperor were all chased away.
After several months had passed, the Grand Duke of Li still only had his one consort by his side, treating him well with single-minded devotion.

Not a single person had thought that the cold-blooded, heartless Grand Duke of Li with his hands full of blood would actually be the devoted type.

Fang Li was actually pretty relaxed during this period of time.

After all, it was only a fleeting dream.
The lovers who came here couldn’t possibly actually stay in a dream for several years, so this period of time passed in the blink of an eye.
It didn’t actually unfold in great detail, much like time skips in a movie, and soon, it was several months later.

Just as he saw that his consort’s wound was about to be healed, he received a summons from the emperor.

Fang Li finally left the rear court.

Inside the imperial palace, he finally saw the current reigning emperor, his nephew, a muddle-headed ruler who was passive and mediocre yet was most adept at suspecting others.
The emperor needed to rely on his royal uncle to stabilize the country, yet he was also afraid of him, fearing that someday, he would scheme to seize the throne.

On the surface, the emperor seemed to disapprove of him taking a male wife and had even attempted to send people into his rear court, but in truth, watching his infatuation with his consort and seeing that he would have no descendents, who knew how happy the emperor was?

Fang Li guessed that this cannon fodder emperor wouldn’t have too many scenes, and he was probably just a bystander character, so he didn’t know what this summons was for.

The emperor ordered him to go on a campaign to the north to quell the barbarian uprising.

Fang Li accepted the imperial edict and returned to the grand duke estate, rushing toward the rear court without rest, and saw the consort who was on his mind at every moment.

Xie Huai’s wound was almost healed.

Fang Li walked over and held his hand, saying in a heavy voice, “This lord has to leave for a while.
Stay in the estate and wait for this lord to return.”

The beauty looked at him with worry.
“Is my lord setting out on a campaign?”

Fang Li said, “That’s right.”

The beauty immediately revealed an uneasy expression, as if wholly anxious and reluctant to part, but still restrained himself and only said slowly, “My lord must return safe and sound.”

Fang Li felt endlessly touched in his heart.
He wrapped his arms around his consort and touched their heads together, giving a teasing laugh.
“Of course, this lord still hasn’t made up for the wedding night with my consort.
This lord will definitely return and sound.
My consort, you must sit tight and wait for this lord……”

The beauty revealed a bashful expression.

【 Fang Li said blandly: I think, with how dog-blooded this plot is, I definitely won’t be able to return safe and sound.
This flag has been raised here today.
】

【 System: …… 】 Aren’t you the one who doesn’t want to return safe and sound?!

Fang Li said farewell to his consort, then led his troops off on the campaign.

Because this dream was primarily about romance, the campaign naturally wasn’t the emphasis.
Every day, he would just go out and slaughter a little; regardless of whether it was arranging battle formations or coming up with schemes, it was all over in a flash.
Only when the fast messenger horse came from the grand duke estate bearing a letter would he carefully read it over several times, then pick up a pen to write a response to the consort waiting far away in the grand duke estate.

No matter how worrisome the state of the war, no matter if he was hurt or injured, no matter how tired he was…… The thing that he looked forward to the most was always the letter from the estate.

As if just by receiving that letter from far away, just by thinking of that beloved person waiting for him in the distance, he would have reason to persevere.

This war lasted for three years.

During these three years, the consort wrote every month, never missing a single one.

Although the letters were all about daily trifles, the endless affection in them was evident.
For example, today, he made new clothes for him again to wait for him to wear when he returned; or yesterday, the peach trees in the grand duke estate blossomed, and he had plucked some peach flowers to brew into wine; or how he had already waited for three years, and he would definitely wait for the grand duke to return……

Every time Fang Li saw those letters, when he thought of Xie Huai’s appearance as he wrote those letters, he couldn’t help a smile from creeping onto his lips.
This was truly making things awkward for him……

This was probably the online dating of ancient times, right?

At this point, carriages and horses were all extremely slow, so a lifetime was only enough to love one person with.

After all, he could only receive one letter a month! The amount of anticipation was naturally completely unique.

The only thing that made Fang Li a little worried was that the state of the war on this side was going without a hitch.
In a couple more months, they would be able to withdraw the troops and return in triumph…… He wasn’t really going to return safe and sound, was he?

No way……

It couldn’t be that the accident was going to happen on the journey back? For example, the emperor was afraid Fang Li’s triumph would overshadow him, so he’d send people to intercept and kill him?

Amidst Fang Li’s worries, two months passed in the blink of an eye.

He led the troops and prisoners back together, smoothly returning to the capital.
After visiting the palace to report his success, he hastily hurried back to the grand duke estate.

【 Fang Li: To think that I actually didn’t get in an accident on the way back…… 】

【 System: ……  】

This really didn’t make sense.

Such a bizarre, dog-blooded plot wasn’t actually full of plot twists.
They were just going to have a perfect happily ever after?

Although the character’s feelings were joyous and full of expectation, Fang Li’s were disappointed and solemn.

The joy and disappointment intermingled, and for a while, a hundred different feelings were jumbled in his heart.

Only, as soon as Fang Li stepped into the grand duke state, he sensed that the atmosphere wasn’t quite right.
According to reason, he had just returned in great triumph, so the grand duke estate should be joyous and festive…… But right now, the estate was silent as a grave, and all the servants were trembling in fear.
When they saw them, they were so scared they fell kneeling to the ground with a plop, not daring to speak even a word.

What had happened?

The flame of hope ignited in Fang Li’s heart again.

His face was frosty as he asked the estate’s caretaker, “What happened in the estate? Where is my consort? Why hasn’t he come out to welcome this lord back?”

The news that he was returning had long been sent out.
His consort was deeply faithful and in love with him, yet he wasn’t waiting at the door to welcome him back.
This truly went against common sense.

The caretaker was close to sixty years old and had watched the grand duke grow up and was like an elder to him.
He knelt, trembling, and said, “This old servant is incompetent and allowed the consort to be kidnapped!”

Fang Li, “……”

Was this the so-called return from death’s door?

It turned out that the one who’d gotten in an accident wasn’t himself, but Xie Huai!

Although his heart was full of endless joy, what appeared were feelings of grief and rage.
He heard his own voice become unsteady.
“When did this happen, why did no one tell this lord?”

The caretaker said in a trembling voice, “That, that shouldn’t be…… This old servant sent my lord a letter some time ago.
My lord didn’t receive it?”

Fang Li seemed to be startled, then a furious expression appeared on his face, and he bit out word by word, “Good, good, good.”

Saying that, he turned and left in big strides.

He hadn’t even removed his sword when, ignoring the barring of the guards, he burst directly into the imperial palace!

The emperor was currently in the imperial palace enjoying himself with his concubines.
Seeing Fang Li barging in holding a sword, he was so scared his face became deathly white, and he crawled up, his clothes still in disarray, and said in a trembling voice.
“Royal Uncle, what are you doing? Q-quickly put your sword down!”

Fang Li stuck his sword into the ground and said in a frigid voice, “The news that this lord’s consort was captured, did Your Majesty intercept it?”

The emperor had originally wanted to deny it, but seeing Fang Li’s murderous face, he was so scared that his soul escaped him, and he stammered, “This, this emperor only didn’t want such a trifling matter, to disturb Royal Uncle, and affect the critical affairs of war over there…… Besides, Royal Uncle didn’t have a way to return at that time, either.
Even if you knew, it wouldn’t make a difference……”

Fang Li was angered to the point that he laughed instead.
“Very good, what ‘wouldn’t make a difference’!”

His chest heaved violently, the expression in his eyes ice-cold, and he looked at the emperor as if seeing a corpse.

But in the end,

Finally, he still turned and left in great strides.

The emperor finally fell limply to the ground, paralyzed.

……………………

He returned to the grand duke estate in a rage, staggering as he arrived at the rear court.
He saw the building that his consort had once passed through, the daily items that he had once used, and the writing paper that was laid out on the table, imagining that he was there, writing stroke by stroke, his appearance as he tenderly and earnestly wrote a letter to him, and Fang Li was in so much pain he didn’t want to live anymore.

It turned out that just two months ago, his consort had gone alone to the temple to pray for him, and on the way, he had been captured by a monster.

The monster was a spirit of great renown, and although Fang Li was a noble grand duke with great military strength in hand, in the end, he was a common mortal.
How could he be a match for a monster? In order to rescue his consort, he stopped at nothing, forgoing sleep and rest to search for cultivators, hoping to plead for an immortal to go to Nothing Left Peak to mount a rescue.

But cultivators were usually like drifting clouds and wild cranes, difficult to catch more than a glimpse of.
Even using up every method he had, he wasn’t able to find a trace of a cultivator.

Fang Li watched himself busying about everywhere.

It looked like in this story’s setting, monsters and cultivators were both very rare, and they weren’t things mortals could contend with, to the point that even a grand duke with great authority throughout the land had his hands tied in this matter.

As for Xie Huai’s safety……

Fang Li wasn’t the least bit worried.

They’d already said this was a lovely dream, so he would definitely be alright.
No reward came without struggle; all of the twists and turns right now were for the sake of the future happy ending, after all.

Although Fang Li knew everything was just a dream, he still experienced it all for himself and saw himself searching as if he’d gone mad.
That anxiety, that sorrow, that worry swirled in his guts, making his emotions complicated.

So these were the feelings of caring for someone.
They were a bit foreign, a bit intriguing.

In order to save Xie Huai, he used every last resort.

Since the heaven’s couldn’t be reached.

Then he would look to hell.

He knew that an evil demon was enshrined in the temple at Thousand Burials Pit.
That demon had existed for a very, very long time, and the entire area within a hundred li of Thousand Burials Pit were a forbidden zone that no one dared approach.

But he still went.

Alone, sword in hand, he arrived before the evil shrine.

The demon saw him arrive and transformed into a shroud of black mist.
He let out a cruel, uncanny laugh and said, “What is sire here for?”

Fang Li spoke steadily.
“This lord wants unsurpassable power, endless might.”

The demon said, “I can give you all of that, but what are you willing to give in exchange?”

Fang Li said, “Whatever you want.”

The demon had actually coveted the Grand Duke of Li for a long time now.

The Grand Duke of Li was of the noble imperial bloodline.
He had fought and slaughtered his whole life, and his hands were full of blood, yet he guarded the country and protected the people…… If it could devour his soul, its cultivation would definitely improve greatly.

But although the Grand Duke of Li was a mortal, he was no normal mortal.
Such a god of war would naturally possess a ferocious energy.
If he wasn’t willing, then it wouldn’t be able to devour him.

The demon revealed a greedy expression and said sinisterly, “I want your eyes, and your soul after death.”

Fang Li said blandly, “This lord can allow all of that, but if this lord dies now, what point is there in acquiring unsurpassable power?”

The demon said, “I can leave you with three years of life.
I’ll wait until after you’ve died to retrieve your soul.”

Fang Li nodded.
“Very well, this lord agrees.”

The demon was overjoyed.
“Don’t regret what you’ve promised me.”

Fang Li laughed.
“Of course not.”

……………………

The Author Has Something To Say:

Fang Li: Tyrannical prince, charming princess ✓

Xie Huai: ……

…………………….

TL Note:

1 It has just come to mind that I should probably clarify that the “Li” in Grand Duke of Li is not the “Li” in Fang Li.
The Li in the grand duke’s title is “历,” as in harsh, strict, or fierce.
The Li in Fang Li is “黎,” which can mean a lot of things: multitudinous, a black color, (archaically) sluggishly or unhurriedly.
It shows up more commonly in phrases like “黎民百姓 (the people of the world)” and “黎明 (dawn).”

2 Also, the title that Fang Li’s character has is “王爷,” which is technically a title of peerage that’s above “duke” and just below the emperor and is often but not always conferred to royalty, but the more direct and literal translation in some cases would be “prince.” (Except that “prince” has the connotation of successorship in English which I felt might be confusing, hence why I have it as “grand duke” here.)

I mention this mostly because when Xie Huai’s character is referred to as “consort” or “grand duchess,” they’re the same word in Chinese, “王妃,” which is the title of spouse correspondent with Fang Li’s title.
In other words, it’s more like they’re calling him “princess,” which is more fitting for the sappy fairy tale vibe of the dream.

The reason I have it as two different words in translation is because in my opinion, when others are addressing him as such, they are emphasizing the rank (hence “grand duchess”), whereas when Fang Li’s character does it, it’s more to express the intimacy and spousal bond (hence “consort”).
It’s like the difference between saying “the princess” and “my princess.”