CHAPTER 1838: CHAPTER 1839: IF I DIE, I WANT TO DIE BY YOUR SIDE

You suddenly stood up, reaching out to press her onto the bed. You stepped forward and grabbed He Xie’s long, elegant hair, pulling her head close to your face, glaring at her with malicious eyes: "Are you hiding something else from me?"

"I, I dare not, my lord!"

"Dare not? Hmph!" You reached where He Xie was just looking, and from under the bed, you pulled out a wooden box. Opening it, you found it empty, frowning slightly, and dug under the bed again, this time directly using your hands to dig into the soil, quickly uncovering another wooden box of the same size.

"What’s this?" You didn’t open the wooden box but threw it in front of He Xie.

"This...this..." He Xie appeared extremely nervous, fearing that her actions might bring calamity upon her son. She didn’t care about her own life, but she absolutely couldn’t let her son suffer.

You looked coldly at He Xie and said with an icy tone, "This is your last chance. If you don’t tell the truth, you know what the consequence will be."

"I’ll tell, I’ll tell!" He Xie hurriedly opened the wooden box in front of you. Once opened, you found an oddly-shaped jade object, resembling a dragon totem, and beneath the divine beast was a seal. Needless to say, this must be the most famous Imperial Seal in history!

Historical records state that the Imperial Seal was sculpted by Qin Shi Huang from the He Shi Bi, a treasure treasured by Liu Bang since he obtained it from Zi Ying. Initially, you thought Sun Jian had it, but unexpectedly, it was in He Xie’s hands. If it were anyone else, you might have doubted, but given He Xie is the Empress Dowager and had ruled the court for years, the seal from her hand is most likely genuine.

However, what shocked He Xie was how you tossed the Imperial Seal around in your hand as if it were a regular item. If it were others, they would treat it with utmost respect, unlike your casual demeanor.

Seeing He Xie’s astonished face, you sneered, "Isn’t it just a broken stone? Without holding a million soldiers and seizing strongholds across the land, this thing is no better than ten wastes. For now, you keep it for me, its sight irritates me."

With that, you casually handed the Imperial Seal back to He Xie, then stood up and said to her, "Let’s go."

"Yes, yes!" He Xie was utterly bewildered by your unpredictable means and could only numbly follow you.

When you and He Xie walked out of the wooden hut, He Xie no longer had her past splendor, resembling a maid just purchased by her master, timidly following behind you, her steps small and delicate, keeping a constant distance, neither daring to advance nor fall behind.

One could say, your initial training was quite successful.

Of course, it also brought a never-felt-before thrill and passion from her.

There’s a saying: A wife cannot compare to a concubine, a concubine cannot compare to stealing, stealing cannot compare to snatching.

Hehe, interesting.

After leaping onto the horse, you casually lifted He Xie up, seating her before you. As for Liu Bian, you said to Little Liu, "Let this boy be under your care for now, and after reaching the base, find a dedicated room to keep him."

"Yes!"

Little Liu’s eyes twinkled, understanding your intentions. This woman, whose figure made Little Liu steal an extra glance, and the boy, seemingly the emperor’s son, were no small matters. To Little Liu, your actions indicate a resolve to vie for the empire.

For safety reasons, you didn’t pass through Hulao Pass, opting for the winding and steep mountain paths to bypass it while keeping a distance from the allied forces, resulting in nearly a week’s extra travel to reach Wuji County.

During this time, you instructed Little Liu to take four people and escort He Xie and Liu Bian to the Lake Heart Island in Guangping Prefecture, relaying to Lü Dai that Liu Bian is the emperor’s illegitimate child and He Xie is your woman, who should be well cared for.

Since your rise to fame, naturally, you’ve become a target of many, with your actions falling under the observation of those with intentions. Lake Heart Island, being your secret base, must remain unknown to outsiders, prompting your decision to not set foot in Guangping Prefecture again, instead using Longmen Escort Agency as your foundation to recruit skilled youth from across the regions.

Under Yu Jin and Yue Jin’s management, Longmen Escort Agency has steadily grown in scale, now with two hundred escorts and two thousand guards. They cover all business projects across the Nine Provinces, with distribution in Jizhou, Qing Zhou, Yan Province, Xuzhou, and Yang Zhou.

Moreover, what delights you is the lack of any competition at present, the weak dare not meddle and the powerful find it beneath them.

Returning to Wuji for over half a month, one day, while idly sketching in your study, the door burst open and a floating figure threw itself into your arms. Taken by shock, you were knocked to the ground, and examining the intruder, you found it was Ren Hongchang, overseeing the situation at Lake Heart Island.

"Why have you come?" It was already winter, Wuji County could be seen covered in fog-like snow, and even your breath was visibly chill.

Ren Hongchang lay stubbornly in your arms, snuggling coyly, pressing her face against your chest, listening to your heartbeat.

"You silly girl, aren’t you afraid of the cold floor? Look how thin my clothes are."

You favor Ren Hongchang, after all, she is your woman. You can sense Ren Hongchang’s profound love for you. Therefore, you don’t blame her wilfulness, but rather feel a bit touched.

Finding it impossible to rise, you simply lay there, not fearing the cold. With your current constitution, be it early winter or sub-zero temperatures, you could still take a cold bath in the snowy wilderness.

You scolded with a laugh: "Say, why did you leave your post? Are you not afraid of me handling you with military law?"

"Hmph! Just punish me then, even in death I want to die by your side!"

Ren Hongchang is always headstrong, possessing her dignity and beliefs.

Before meeting you, she lived like a walking corpse, unsure of her end. To avoid becoming a mere tool for lust for those aristocratic masters, Ren Hongchang desperately learned fighting and equestrian skills. After dozens of selections, killing several opponents, she became a sharp tool in their hands. No one treated her as a woman due to her sharpness, and the cowardly aristocrats dare not risk their lives for a bit of beauty, no matter how minor the injury.

After following you, Ren Hongchang was gradually attracted to you, and you gradually changed her worldview and values.

In Ren Hongchang’s eyes, you are her entire world, her life’s purpose is to stay by your side, becoming your shield and your spear!

You thought your heart was already hardened, yet didn’t expect Ren Hongchang’s simple, stubborn words to move you so deeply.

"Silly girl, don’t mention death in front of me." You slapped Ren Hongchang heavily on her little mound, eliciting a soft moan from the lady in your embrace, "Will you dare again?"