Chapter 98: Going for Home Base? Part 1

Gu Huaiyu didn’t give Yelü Chi’s “peace talks” farce a second thought.

For one, he had already purged the spineless cowards of the pro-peace faction. The imperial court was now filled with his hand-picked loyalists; none dared to cross his will.

Secondly, his power now eclipsed the throne itself. His word was law. Even if some harbored secret dissent, they only dared to whisper in the shadows. Who would have the courage to mention the word “peace” to his face?

With the first battle won and morale soaring, the next move was to extract the thorn in the border’s side: Heshuo City.

While not a major stronghold in the heart of Eastern Liao, Heshuo City was the throat of the frontier. Its walls stood over a hundred feet tall, reinforced until they were as solid as a mountain of iron.

The Eastern Liao cavalry were not specialized in siege defense, but by relying on the geographical advantage of such a fortified city, they remained a tough nut to crack.

A direct assault would inevitably lead to a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood—the casualties would be devastating. If they chose to besiege the city without attacking, it could take six months to a year to starve them out. While that would eventually force Yelü Chi out for a decisive battle, the drain on provisions would be astronomical. Gu Huaiyu couldn’t afford to wait that long.

Furthermore, Heshuo City was only the first gate. If they stalled here for months, the army’s edge would be blunted long before they reached the heart of Eastern Liao.

However, these were not matters for Gu Huaiyu to worry about.

He had already delegated authority. The headaches of war belonged to Pei Jingyi.

After seeing off the last group of officials offering their congratulations on the victory, Pei Jingyi reached back and closed the door to the study.

He strode to the desk in a few steps, bracing one hand against the edge of the sandalwood table as he leaned over Gu Huaiyu. With a cold sneer, he huffed, “He certainly has a vivid imagination. A toad lusting after swan meat… sooner or later, I’ll cut his head off and use it as a chamber pot.”

Gu Huaiyu let out a delayed, “Hmm?” Looking somewhat dazed, it finally clicked what Yelü Chi’s true intentions had been.

Now that Pei Jingyi finally had him alone, he had no interest in discussing Yelü Chi. He stared intently at those soft, moist lips. “Is the Lord Chancellor in a good mood?”

Gu Huaiyu looked up at him, his expression indifferent. “Acceptable.”

Pei Jingyi pressed his nose against Gu Huaiyu’s, his breath hot as he complained softly, “When does Little Yu intend to give me an official status?”

The man had barely stepped over the threshold of the Chancellor’s Estate before he began pestering for a “status.” He truly didn’t waste a single moment.

Gu Huaiyu blinked, feigning ignorance. “Has this Chancellor not already named you Grand Marshal of the Three Armies? What more could you want?”

Pei Jingyi ground his teeth, wanting nothing more than to take a bite out of him. This man clearly knew exactly what he meant but insisted on playing dumb.

Deciding to be blunt, he spoke one word at a time: “I want to be the Chancellor’s man. The kind who gets to hold you while we sleep stark naked at night.”

The sheer lewdness of the statement sent a heat blooming across the tips of Gu Huaiyu’s ears. He leaned back slowly, asking lazily, “Why is Marshal Pei in such a hurry?”

Pei Jingyi seethed inwardly—How could I not be in a hurry?

Setting aside the fact that he frequently had to leave for campaigns during wartime, one only had to look at the pack of wolves surrounding Gu Huaiyu. Shen Jun looked human on the surface but was deep and calculating; Xie Shaoling was young, fervent, and stubborn; even that Wei Qingya was constantly finding excuses to hover around the Chancellor.

Every one of them was staring hungrily at his beautiful “wife.”

“The Lord Chancellor asks what he already knows.”

Pei Jingyi reached out to cradle the back of Gu Huaiyu’s head, his thumb gently stroking through the silky strands of hair. “I’m simply afraid that once the Chancellor has had his fun with me, he’ll discard me like a pair of old shoes.”

Gu Huaiyu was momentarily stunned by the accusation. He remained seated and still, asking coolly, “When has this Chancellor ever ‘played’ with you?”

Their breaths mingled. At this distance, Pei Jingyi could clearly catch the sweet, faint fragrance lingering on Gu Huaiyu’s lips.

Watching those moist lips part and close made Pei Jingyi’s throat tighten. He couldn’t help but lick his own dry lips.

“Every time the Lord Chancellor gets me all… perked up, he just leaves me hanging,” Pei Jingyi rasped, his voice full of grievance. “If that isn’t playing with me, what is?”

Gu Huaiyu could feel the scorching breath against his face. The inescapable, cramped distance forced him to turn his head to avoid eye contact. “That is because you… perk up too easily,” he whispered.

Pei Jingyi let out a low chuckle. His other hand firmly cupped Gu Huaiyu’s jaw, and he leaned in close to his ear. “I have the most powerful man in the world by my side. He’s breathtakingly beautiful, his methods are ruthless and absolute, yet his heart is softer than anyone’s. If I could look at a treasure like this and not perk up, would I even be a man?”

Gu Huaiyu shot him a sidelong glance, maintaining a cold mask. “Weren’t you here to claim a reward? Why waste your breath on nonsense?”