novelhk Chapter 837 The embarrassed Xiao He rarely relaxes!
Chapter 837 The embarrassed Xiao He rarely relaxes!
The heavy gate of the pass creaked shut behind him, shutting out the torrential rain and the thick, bloody, muddy air of the battlefield. Gao Yao entered Yangping Pass, shielded from the pounding downpour, yet the air inside was still filled with a damp, chilling atmosphere. Rainwater meandered down the inner walls, forming tiny streams on the bluestone pavement. The air mingled with the scent of damp wood, rust, sweat, and an indescribable tension.
He leaned against the cold inner wall, unable to support himself any longer. His body slowly slid down the rough stone, finally landing heavily on the wet ground. The heavy armor thudded against the ground with a dull thud. He gasped for breath, his chest heaving violently. Every breath burned with a burning pain, as if to force the cold, damp air into his lungs. A mixture of sweat, rain, and mud streamed down his angular face, gathering at his chin in muddy drops that pattered onto his mud-covered breastplate.
The muscles trembled and swelled uncontrollably in the aftermath of the fierce confrontation, especially the arms that were gripping the weapons, which now felt heavy and numb as if filled with lead.
A young guard guarding the doorway saw this and quickly took off the water bag from his waist and handed it over respectfully with both hands, his eyes full of awe and concern: "Your Majesty, water!"
Gao Yao grabbed the water bag almost as if he were snatching it, unplugged it, tilted his head back, and gulped it down. The cool water flowed down his parched and burning throat, bringing a brief moment of clarity and comfort, as if extinguishing the flames burning within him from the intense battle, slightly soothing the emptiness brought on by the intense consumption.
Just as he closed his eyes and gasped, trying to calm his turbulent blood, a figure stumbled out from the dim corridor next to him, bringing with it a strong smell of mud, and rushed straight in front of him.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Are you...are you okay?!" His voice was hoarse and urgent, filled with uncontrollable panic.
Gao Yao's eyes snapped open, caught off guard by the sudden appearance of the figure. He jerked back, his brow furrowing in a subconscious frown. This person before him... was truly unsightly! His clothing, which should have been a scholar's robe, was now practically unrecognizable in its original color. It was completely coated in thick, wet mud, clinging to his body in patches, and even dripping mud from the hem.
His face was pitch black, with only the whites of his eyes and teeth standing out amidst the filth. His hair lay tangled and plastered to his forehead and cheeks, making him look like a beggar who had just crawled out of a quagmire. Gao Yao instinctively felt a hint of resistance, not disgust, but rather the natural alertness his tense nerves on the battlefield had for such an abrupt, unkempt approach.
"How dare you! Who are you?! How dare you..." Gao Yao's shout was barely halfway out when his gaze suddenly fixed on the other man's eyes, filled with anxiety and familiarity. He narrowed his eyes, carefully examining the outline covered in mud, and a name blurted out with disbelief and astonishment: "...Xiao He?!"
Gao Yao looked up and down at the disheveled Prime Minister and almost laughed out of anger: "My great Prime Minister Xiao! Are you... are you rolling in the mud? Xiang Yu and I fought in the rain for a long time, but I didn't end up like you!" He pointed to his own body, which was also soaked in mud, but at least the shape of his armor and general features could be seen, forming a sharp contrast with the clay sculpture image of Xiao He.
Confirming it was Gao Yao himself, and that he appeared exhausted but uninjured, Xiao He's taut nerves finally relaxed with a snap. It was as if all his strength had been drained from him. He no longer cared about his manners or the cold, slippery ground. He slumped down on the stone steps at Gao Yao's feet, splashing a small amount of mud. He exhaled long and deeply, as if to release all the fear and worry pent up in his chest, and his whole body sagged.
"Your Majesty... please don't make fun of me," Xiao He's voice was filled with fatigue and a hint of embarrassment after surviving a disaster. "I... I received the news that Your Majesty was personally coming to the pass, and I was anxious and rushed here from Hanzhong... My horse was frightened on the way, and I accidentally... fell into a big mud pit beside the official road... I struggled for a long time before I climbed out... I was afraid of missing the time, so I hurried all the way... and... it became like this..." He helplessly tugged at his hard, mud-stained robe, with a bitter smile on his face.
Listening to Xiao He's fragmented explanation, Gao Yao understood. What did he mean by a frightened horse? It was obvious that the old man was worried about his own safety, and in his haste, he had lost his composure, leading to such a mess. A warm feeling quietly surged through his heart, dispelling the fatigue and chill of the fierce battle. Without the slightest hint of blame, he extended his equally muddy hand and, with a feeling of helplessness and emotion, patted Xiao He's mud-covered, cold, and wet shoulder.
"You, you," Gao Yao's voice deepened, a hint of subtle gentleness in it. "You're just being anxious! If I really can't defend Yangping Pass, what good will it do you to come here with your weak old arms and legs? Can you help me withstand Xiang Yu's halberd, or..." He paused deliberately, and said in a tone that was half joking and half serious, "...or are you going to collect my body in advance?"
"Your Majesty!" Xiao He raised his head suddenly like a cat whose tail was stepped on, his dirty face full of horror and anger, and his voice became higher, "Be careful with your words! Be careful with your words! How can you say such unlucky words lightly?! You are worth a million gold and the foundation of the country! This... if the soldiers inside the pass heard this, how would they feel?! The morale of the army... How can the morale of the army be at peace!" He was so anxious that he slapped his thigh, splashing a few mud stars.
"Hahahaha-!"
Seeing Xiao He's exasperated, anxious, and frightened expression, Gao Yao could no longer hold back and burst into laughter. This deep and hearty laughter penetrated the oppressive sound of rain and the tense atmosphere in the pass, echoing between the doorway and the corridor.
This sudden laughter also infected the surrounding guards, who had been standing guard with tense nerves, and the soldiers taking shelter nearby. They had previously stood in awe or in silence, but now, seeing the usually majestic king laughing so heartily, and then seeing the powerful Prime Minister Xiao sitting on the steps like a mud monkey, sulking, a strange contrast arose.
First, someone couldn't help but twitch their lips, followed by a few suppressed "chuckles," and finally, the entire doorway erupted in a low, relieved laugh. The soldiers exchanged glances, their tense faces breaking into rare smiles. This laughter, like a warm current, briefly dispelled the gloom of the impending battle.