Transmigrator meets Reincarnator

351-400

Chapter 351: Perfect Match (2)

Despite the dimness of the tent, he was still able to see the patterns embroidered on the cloth.

Male clothing usually had less embroidery than female clothing. However, on inner clothing like this, the sleeves and collar would still have some simple patterns sewn on. The most common were cloud lattices and geometric patterns.

He Sanlang had once inadvertently heard Xiyan mentioning that Chu Lian's embroidery wasn't very good, so she hadn't been able to make any clothes for him. Xiyan had requested that he forgive Chu Lian for the lapse in her wifely duties.

As he stroked the crooked square patterns on the collar of the indigo shirt, his cold face slowly shifted to a warm and gentle expression.

He Changdi didn't say anything. He touched the clumsy embroidery again before taking it out and placing it carefully by his pillow, intending to wear it the next day. As for the grey clothing with more uniform embroidery, he rolled it up and wrapped it in the package before tossing it into his trunk of clothes.

The army's supplies were also running low on lantern oil, so He Changdi put away the rest of the package’s contents before blowing out the lamp and heading to bed.

Some distance away in Liangzhou City, Chu Lian was still awake.

After dinner, Manager Qin had come to report everything he had been able to find about Liangzhou City. He had also found a few middle-aged ladies to act as servants for her after thoroughly vetting them.

Once Chu Lian had settled all of that, it was already late.

Wenlan escorted Chu Lian back to her room while Wenqing brought over a basin of hot water for her to soak her feet in.

Chu Lian suddenly recalled that Wenqing had brought a huge package out to He Sanlang, so she casually asked, "Wenqing, what did you secretly give away to your Third Young Master?"

Wenqing knew that Third Young Madam would ask her about the package sooner or later, so she didn't try to hide anything from Chu Lian. She replied honestly, "I gave Third Young Master two sets of clothing and the jade thumb ring that Third Young Madam bought from Jinshi Pavilion."

Chu Lian was stunned for a moment. She hadn't expected Wenqing to give away the green jade ring on her behalf. She had mentioned it in front of her personal maidservants before, saying that she was intending to give one of the rings to her husband, He Changdi. However, she hadn't found the right time yet when the barbarian ambush came, and then there she had been busy with settling down in Liangzhou City’s He Estate... so she had completely forgotten about the thumb ring.

Chu Lian wasn't bothered by Wenqing taking initiative. That thumb ring was meant for He Changdi anyway; it didn't matter how it was given to him.

Chu Lian stopped thinking about the ring and asked, "Which two sets of clothes did you give him?"

She had prepared plenty of things for this trip to the north. Matriarch He was also biased towards He Changdi, so she had prepared lots of food for him. Adding up Matriarch He's and her own contributions, Chu Lian had brought three whole trunks filled with things for He Sanlang alone.

When Wenqing saw that Third Young Madam didn't blame her for her actions, she brightened up and pointed at a red painted trunk in the corner of the room. "This servant took out two sets of inner clothes from that trunk there, one indigo and one grey."

Chu Lian had been soaking her lily white feet in the hot water. She was supposed to be relaxing, but upon hearing Wenqing's reply, she abruptly stiffened up.

Chu Lian didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Wenqing, why didn't you check the clothes when you took them out?"

Wenqing didn't understand what Third Young Madam meant. "Aren't the clothes in that trunk the ones that the matriarch prepared for Third Young Master? This servant was in a rush, so this servant placed the clothes in the package without checking..."

Chu Lian couldn't hold back the urge to laugh any longer. "There's a set of clothing in there that Ah Yue embroidered. Don't you remember?"

Chu Lian had a good memory, so she clearly remembered that the clothes Li Yue had embroidered were indigo in colour.

Chapter 352: Idea (1)

On the route to the north, Wenqing and Welan had been bored stiff sitting in the carriage all day. Thus, they took up sewing and embroidery to pass the time.

In addition to Wenqing and Wenlan, the sibling guards sent by Princess Wei followed Chu Lian all the time. Since Li Yue was female, Chu Lian would regularly invite her into the carriage to pass some time together.

Li Yue had been training in martial arts ever since she was young, so her martial arts skills were even stronger than some of the generals out there. However, when it came to the more womanly arts, she was a complete stranger to them.

She had already gotten engaged to her childhood sweetheart, so when she saw that Wenqing and Wenlan were so good at the womanly arts, she had gotten the urge to try her own hand at them. Chu Lian had then told Wenqing to give her one of He Changdi's tunics to practise on.

Although Li Yue was very earnest at learning, her skills weren't very good. It was just a simple square pattern, but she had somehow made it all crooked.

Later on, she had completely given up on fighting against her natural 'talents' and abandoned the art of the needle.

Back then, Chu Lian had been absolutely stoked by the whole chain of events. She couldn't have expected that Li Yue's embroidery practice would have been inadvertently sent to He Changdi.

With how her lunatic husband’s mind worked, he couldn't have possibly thought that that crooked embroidery was done by her, right?

Chu Lian resisted the urge to sigh. If that really happened, He Sanlang would still be overestimating her. She didn't even know how to make a tunic, let alone embroider it with some patterns... Hehe...

After Chu Lian reminded her about the incident, Wenqing recalled what had happened and slapped her own forehead. "Third Young Madam, what should we do?"

She had been the one to teach Li Yue embroidery in the first place. To be honest, Li Yue's embroidery was a little ugly.

In contrast to Wenqing's regret about the mistake, Chu Lian was calm.

"It's okay, forget about it. It's just some embroidery. Anyway, your young master is a man, and he's in the army. Who would look at the embroidery on his undershirts? It's good enough as long as he has clothes to wear."

That indigo tunic had been ready-made; it was just a simple piece of clothing with some loose threads. Although Li Yue's embroidery wasn't that good-looking, it didn't affect the undershirt's usability in any way.

Wenqing was comforted by Chu Lian's words and stopped thinking about the mistake.

After soaking her feet, Chu Lian laid down on the warm hearth bed. Wenqing blew out the lights for her and shut the door.

However, Chu Lian remained wide awake. She stared at the dark ceiling above her head without any hint of sleepiness.

Her head was filled with thoughts about the army's supply problem. The original story had only briefly mentioned how fierce the battles had been in the northern border war. Of the fifty thousand soldiers in the border troops, less than ten percent of them had managed to survive the war.

Since that was all that was mentioned, Chu Lian had no way of finding out more information.

Right now, the biggest problem was the snow blocking the paths to the north. As long as the paths were cleared, they would be able to bring supplies into the northern border, solving all their problems.

However, there was no way they could control the weather. The Great Wu Dynasty wasn't a technologically advanced civilisation, either. While the modern world could still travel by air if the land and water routes were blocked, that was impossible here.

Up till her sleepiness got the better of her, Chu Lian still hadn't thought of a solution.

Back at the capital, the officials gathered for court were already arguing furiously over the situation at the northern border. Xiao Bojian had been appointed as secretary for the reinforcements marching towards the north and was now following the troops stationed at Chongzhou Prefecture as they made haste towards Su City. They were to make camp next to Lake Qianshan outside Su City and act as the first line of defence in the case that the fortress at Liangzhou City were to fall.

Chapter 353: Idea (2)

The next day, Chu Lian was on her way to the center of the courtyard when she saw Li Xing and the other guards shovelling snow. In just a single night, the snow covering the ground already reached their knees! The whole He Estate had practically been buried in snow.

Wenlan spotted Chu Lian coming out of her room ill-suited for the current weather, so she quickly rushed back in and grabbed a cloak. She took the time to help Chu Lian into it, as well as stuff a hand warmer into her hands.

"Third Young Madam, the wound on your leg has just healed. Please be careful not to get a chill, or Third Young Master will blame this servant."

Chu Lian glared at Wenlan in response. "It snowed a lot last night."

Wenlan also found it strange. She had grown up in the capital. Although it snowed there every year as well, it had never snowed as much as it did here.

"That's right, Third Young Madam. Last night, my sister and I came out to check the surroundings and the amount of snow falling was enough to block our vision completely. If we were to go out on such a snowy day, wouldn't we be buried by the snow?"

Chu Lian turned to look in the direction of the border camp with worry filling her heart. She wondered how the border troops were doing now.

"Where's Manager Qin?"

"In the outer court. He's probably taking care of the carriage horses we brought with us. It snowed so much last night that the stables collapsed. Two of the horses froze to death."

"Have someone bring him to me. I have some tasks for him."

Wenlan quickly went to do as ordered. Chu Lian stood in front of her room door and watched as the estate's guards shovelled snow. The heap of snow that they cleared was as tall as a small hill. It took the five men an hour before they managed to clear the snow that had piled up in Chu Lian's small courtyard.

After twenty minutes or so, Manager Qin rushed over from the outer court.

The He Estate was quite large; there were five small courtyards within. They couldn't clear all the snow in the estate so quickly, so Manager Qin had designated Chu Lian's courtyard as the first to be cleared out.

They would only start on the outer court after Chu Lian's courtyard had been completely cleared, so the paths in the outer court hadn't been cleared yet!

As Chu Lian stood in the corridor, she watched as Manager Qin, who wore enough layers to resemble a plump little ball, waddled into her courtyard.

Manager Qin had seen Chu Lian standing at the door from afar. He was already gasping for breath before he even got to the courtyard and had to shout, "Third Young Madam, it's cold outside! Please enter the room first, I'm walking rather slowly."

Of course he was walking slowly! He had tied two wooden boards onto his feet!

Chu Lian didn't speak and simply smiled at him. When her gaze landed on Manager Qin's feet, she abruptly fell into a daze. Her almond-shaped eyes were obscured by haze as if she had suddenly sunk deep into her own thoughts.

Manager Qin found it strange. He looked down at his feet and the boots that he had tied wooden boards to. It didn't seem like anything was wrong?

Manager Qin struggled as he fought with the snow, and though his progress was slow, he finally managed to enter the courtyard where it was clear of snow. Feeling the cobblestone path beneath his feet again made him sigh in relief. He bent down and took off the wooden boards tied to his boots, stomping his feet to clear the snow stuck there. When he was free of his burden at last, Manager Qin began to walk towards Chu Lian with a significantly brisker pace.

Chu Lian's gaze was still fixed on the wooden boards that Manager Qin had set down not too far away. Manager Qin followed her gaze and looked at the boards as well. They were just two normal pieces of willow wood. There were still quite a few in the estate’s storehouses.Having been left abandoned for years, there didn't seem to be anything special about them.

However, since Chu Lian seemed to be interested in them, Manager Qin began to explain as he walked towards her.

"Third Young Madam, that was something that the old servants of the estate taught me. They said that it would be easier to walk with the wooden boards tied to your feet and you wouldn't fall into the snow. I followed exactly as they said and it actually worked pretty well. I did have to use more strength while walking, but I didn't have to worry about falling into a deep pile of snow and freezing my legs off."

When Manager Qin turned back to look at his young mistress, he found that her almond-shaped eyes were lit up and sparkling.

Chu Lian began to bounce excitedly as she exclaimed, "I was so stupid! Why didn't I think of such a simple method?"

After blurting that out, she completely forgot about Manager Qin and rushed back into the room.

Manager Qin continued standing in the corridor with a dazed expression on his face, his hand still left hanging from Chu Lian’s hasty departure. He didn't know what had gotten into his mistress.

When Wenqing came out of the side room and saw that he was still standing in the same spot with a silly look on his face, she didn't know what to do either.

"Manager Qin, come into the side hall and take a seat first. There's hot water on the stove, too. I'm going inside to see what happened to Third Young Madam."

Manager Qin waved his hand at Wenqing and said, "Please go, quickly!"

That excited expression on Third Young Madam's face had been a little frightening. After he had been informed bright and early that morning that the stables had collapsed, he was now rather cautious and careful about protecting his mistress.

Chapter 354: Dissatisfaction (1)

When Wenqing pushed open the doors and entered the room, she saw Chu Lian sitting in front of her desk with her head slightly bent forward. She was using some black eyebrow dye to draw on some paper.

Wenqing walked over as soundlessly as she could and stood to one side. She tried to take a peek at the paper, but she couldn't tell what Chu Lian was drawing at all. It was just a bunch of strange symbols.

Before Wenqing could ask, Chu Lian spoke up first. "Quick, tell Manager Qin to find the best carpenter in Liangzhou City and bring him here! Quickly!"

Chu Lian's tone was so firm that Wenqing couldn't help but treat it as a very serious matter. She had absolute trust in her Third Young Madam. As absurd as Chu Lian's actions might look to others, Wenqing would never doubt her mistress. After experiencing the power of her young madam's ideas so many times, Wenqing had already become a loyal fan of Chu Lian's.

"Third Young Madam, rest assured. This servant will go and look for Manager Qin right now!"

After Manager Qin had been given his orders, although he found it rather strange as well, he set to work immediately.

Manager Qin was quite capable. In just half a day, he managed to find the best carpenter in Liangzhou City and invited him to the He Estate.

Just as they entered the estate, they bumped into the leader of the He Family's soldiers, Mo Chenggui.

Mo Chenggui was dressed in only a single layer of clothing. He was drenched in sweat from shovelling snow, even to the point that there seemed to be steam coming off of his hair.

The private soldiers behind him were all panting for breath as well.

When Mo Chenggui looked up, what he saw was Manager Qin with a bright, almost ingratiating smile on his face as he lead an old man into the estate.

Mo Chenggui was a stubborn man who had no forbearance for anything. He was already biased against Chu Lian, so he never had anything nice to say to Chu Lian's subordinate, Manager Qin.

Normally, the two of them would mind their own business, somewhat keeping the peace in the estate. However, Mo Chenggui wasn't going to let him off so easily today.

Everyone in the estate had been put to shovelling snow. Even the two sibling guards from Chu Lian's courtyard, Li Xing and Li Yue, hadn't been exempt. However, look at this Manager Qin. It was fine if he didn't help out, but he had even gone out for an early morning walk. Now he was bringing back some random stranger to the estate!

Mo Chenggui shot a glance at Manager Qin from the corner of his eye. Then, he mocked, "While everyone in the estate is working so hard, Manager Qin seems to have plenty of free time. Even the knee-high snow isn't enough to stop your feet from wandering out."

Manager Qin didn't have the time to argue with Mo Chenggui. He bowed towards Mo Chenggui before quickly leading the carpenter towards Chu Lian's courtyard.

Mo Chenggui's wrinkled old face turned dark with anger.

"Look at what a good dog he is!"

The private soldiers next to him kept silent, afraid that they would accidentally spark the temper of their volatile old brother.

After getting ignored by Manager Qin, Mo Chenggui couldn't restrain his frustration any longer. He spit on the ground before saying, "Send someone to see what kind of trouble Third Young Madam is trying to cause now!"

One of the soldiers acknowledged the order and left.

When Manager Qin led the carpenter into the courtyard, Chu Lian was already seated in the parlour with some papers in hand.

Manager Qin was very reliable when it came to business. Although the carpenter he had found wasn't literate, he was the best in the woodworking business around here. Chu Lian need only explain the concept of her blueprints to him and he immediately understood. Then, the old carpenter took only around fifteen minutes to examine the three sheets, each with a different angle of the design, to know exactly what he had to do.

"Old Master, how fast can you make this?" Chu Lian asked impatiently.

The old carpenter looked at the blueprints in his hands. Then, he said, "Esteemed Madam, this old man has never done anything like this after living for so long. This old man will speak to you honestly. If this old man were to do it alone, it would take at least five days. If you would allow this old man to bring in this old man's sons and grandsons to help, then it can be done in about two to three days."

Chapter 355: Dissatisfaction (2)

Chu Lian looked carefully at the old carpenter. Although his face was already wrinkled, his eyes weren't hazy or unfocused in the slightest. On the contrary, they were bright and filled with intelligence.

She laughed in response. "Old Master has indeed lived much longer than I have. I can agree to your conditions, but I have a condition of my own. If this design were to leak out without my express permission, then we won't be standing here having a nice discussion like we are today."

The old carpenter's eyes lit up. He clutched the blueprints in his hands and immediately knelt down before Chu Lian, kowtowing twice to her. The sound of his forehead meeting the floor made resounding thuds echo throughout the room. "If this old man were to act against Esteemed Madam's wishes, then this old man will die without any heirs!"

The ancients placed a lot of importance on passing on their legacies. They were also rather superstitious and revered the gods. Chu Lian wasn't too worried now that the old carpenter had made such a solemn vow.

"Old Master, I'm entrusting this to you. You can bring any number of helpers you want. I'm only giving you three days. In three days’ time, I want to see that design built!"

"This old man won't betray Esteemed Madam's expectations."

Chu Lian turned now to instruct Manager Qin. "Manager Qin, you are to arrange for anything that Old Master needs as soon as possible."

Manager Qin was very efficient with his work, so he immediately pulled the old carpenter over to one of the side rooms to discuss what was needed.

Thus, before it was even midday, the old carpenter had already started work.

Manager Qin sent someone to bring the old carpenter's three sons and eldest grandson into the estate. Chu Lian's courtyard wasn't very big in the first place, so the sudden increase in the number of people coming to and fro was very eye-catching.

Due to the absolute secrecy of the blueprints, Chu Lian had arranged for the old carpenter and his family to work in one of the empty storehouses on the side of the courtyard. She also had the Li siblings take turns standing guard.

The entire He Estate was startled by how serious Chu Lian was treating her little project. Even Tang Yan sent someone over to inquire about what she was doing, only to be sent back with some excuse.

All of this made Mo Chenggui very unhappy.

While Chu Lian had been able to deflect Tang Yan, Mo Chenggui wasn't one to back down so easily.

It snowed heavily the next few days. The streets of Liangzhou City were practically buried by the snowfall, so it became even harder to travel out of the estate.

Mo Chenggui sent some men to check on the situation at the border camp early in the morning. When his men returned and reported on what they had found, Mo Chenggui frowned and shook his head silently. They were all old and grizzled soldiers who had fought on countless battlefields, so they knew that the situation was taking a turn for the worse.

Mo Chenggui had gotten a good overview of the border troops' situation from He Changdi, but he couldn't do anything but sit and wait anxiously. These few days, due to his worries and stress, he had even gotten two large blisters at the corner of his mouth.

Since he was biased against Chu Lian, he had never eaten the meals that she sent over. Even though the food was fragrant and looked extremely delicious, he never took a single bite. He would order his men to send all the meals back unopened. Not only that, he never allowed his soldiers to eat those meals either.

Chu Lian had only sent meals over out of basic courtesy in the first place. After getting rejected by Mo Chenggui, she got the hint and stopped sending food over.

Up till now, Chu Lian's party had been eating dishes made out of dried vegetables for at least a few days every week. Thanks to the good nutritional balance of their meals, their faces were glowing pink with health.

However, it was a whole other story for the private soldiers under Mo Chenggui's command. Since they weren't eating the meals cooked by Chu Lian's party, all they ate every day was the dry and hard wheat pancakes made by the border camp's cooks. Occasionally, they would be able to have a bowl of thin gruel and a piece of salted meat. As more time passed, their faces became more and more sallow and their health declined.

Whenever the private soldiers went out of the estate with Chu Lian's subordinates, they looked like they had come from completely different places.

By this time, the men that Mo Chenggui had sent to spy on Chu Lian had also returned.

Mo Chenggui sat at the head of the room. To the old soldier who had gone to check on Chu Lian, he asked, "What is Third Young Madam doing now?"

Chapter 356: Chu Lian Loses Her Temper (1)

The old soldier shook his head awkwardly. It was hard for him to admit he hadn't been able to find out what Chu Lian was up to. That small courtyard of hers was now bustling with activity, and there were people hauling wooden planks in and out all the time.

Ultimately, the old soldier was unable to come up with anything to report. Mo Chenggui saw right through his silence and understood what hadn’t been said. He had already been simmering with anger towards Chu Lian before this. Now, this strange new activity of hers was the last bit of fuel needed to blow his temper sky-high!

Mo Chenggui slammed his palm on the table, making the porcelain teacups clatter from the force. "Is Third Young Madam completely ignoring our presence?!"

Back then, he hadn't been very approving of the matriarch sending Third Young Madam here to the north. She was just a little girl, barely come of age, who was probably used to being spoiled all day and night. What would she be able to achieve out here?

Just look at what she had done on the way here.

She had been sent here to help Third Young Master, but her actions said otherwise. She had clearly come out to sightsee on a personal leisure trip- only at public expense!

The moment she arrived at the northern border, she had already caused trouble for Third Young Master, and he had been punished by martial law.

Previously, Mo Chenggui had been held back by He Changdi's orders. Even though he was extremely unhappy with Chu Lian, he had suppressed his anger towards her and hadn't done anything. They had each minded their own business.

However, this sudden snow storm was like the last piece of straw that broke the camel's back. All of the negative emotions within Mo Chenggui had accumulated to a point where he could no longer suppress them. Right now, he felt like a volcano about to explode.

For Chu Lian, the first thing that she did every morning for the past two days after waking up was to visit the old carpenter in the storehouse and check on the progress of her project.

Although the old carpenter was a little too shrewd, he was an utmost professional and skilled at his craft. After making a promise to Chu Lian, he had devoted his heart to his work. Now Chu Lian's project was almost complete after two days and two nights of working with his sons and grandsons.

The old carpenter had started working before the sun had even risen. When he heard the door opening, he knew that it was Chu Lian who had come to visit. Every day at this hour, the esteemed madam would personally come over and take a look at his progress.

The old carpenter set down the woodworking plane in his hands and hurried over to welcome her. "This old man gives greetings to Esteemed Madam."

Chu Lian waved her hand and asked, "Old Master, will you be able to finish your work today?"

When it came to the topic of woodworking, the old carpenter's originally bent back immediately straightened up with pride.

He turned to gaze at the object in the center of the storehouse as if he were looking at his very own child. "Esteemed Madam, please don't worry. This old man is as good as his word. This old man will be able to finish this before night falls."

Chu Lian moved a little closer to the object. The old carpenter was right; it looked exactly like the object she had drawn out in her blueprints.

She glanced at the rest of the storehouse and noticed that the old carpenter's sons and grandsons were standing respectfully to one side. Chu Lian found it strange and said, "You don't have to care about my presence here, please be at ease and continue your work!"

The old carpenter let out an unabashed bark of laughter that was as honest as the man it had come from. "Esteemed Madam, these kids aren't purposely standing around because of you. We've used up all the wood we had, so Master Qin went out early in the morning to buy more. This old man's just waiting for the materials. Once Master Qin returns, we'll be able to finish our work in just one hour."

Although Chu Lian knew what the rough design should be, she wasn't very sure about the kind of materials she should use for it since it was her first time making something like this. After discussing with the old carpenter, she had decided on using fir wood, which was harder and more robust.

After testing their first prototype, they wouldn't have to be so rigid with the choice of materials later on.

Chu Lian nodded and left the storehouse. Once she reached the entrance, she ordered Wenlan to send the old carpenter and his helpers something nice to eat.

Chapter 357: Chu Lian Loses Her Temper (2)

After a short moment, the old carpenter and his workers sat on the floor together with a large bowl of vegetable porridge each. They gulped down the porridge as if they hadn't eaten in days. The spark of shrewdness that the old carpenter had shown during his negotiations with Chu Lian had completely disappeared in the face of delicious food.

His sons and grandsons were acting just the same as the old carpenter. They buried their heads in their bowls, only looking up once the bowl was emptied.

After eating up all of his vegetable porridge and gulping down some extra cabbage and meat buns, the old carpenter wiped his mouth on his sleeve with utmost satisfaction. He sighed with deep feeling and said, "Heavens!"

Having vegetables to eat on a winter day, let alone such fresh and juicy green vegetables, was nothing short of a miracle! The first morning had been given such amazing food for breakfast, the old carpenter had been frightened half to death!

Green vegetables in the middle of a harsh winter! Surely even the Emperor wouldn't be able to have much better food than this!

The old carpenter mulled over his thoughts.

Furthermore, there seemed to be something added to this vegetable porridge that made it taste extremely fresh. He lamented the fact that he couldn't just have three heaping bowls of this for every meal.

Whenever the old servant who brought their meals came to take the bowls away, the bowls used by the old carpenter's family were always gleaming. They hardly had to be washed after taking them back to the kitchen.

When Chu Lian returned to her room, she took a seat on the heart rather absentmindedly. From time to time, she would send Wenqing and Wenlan out to check if Manager Qin had returned.

Wenqing found it strange, but she took her task even more seriously. No matter how bad the situation, their Third Young Madam had always been able to keep a smile on her face. This was the first time she had seen such an anxious, worried expression on her mistress.

Unfortunately, this time, Chu Lian's worst fears came true.

After one hour had passed, Li Xing hurriedly rushed in to report.

"Honoured Lady, Manager Qin and the others have been taken to another courtyard by Old Mo."

Chu Lian frowned and ordered Wenlan to help her up from the hearth bed. With a solemn expression, she announced, "Let's go there quickly!"

The shadows in her eyes and the graveness in her visage made Chu Lian look a little more like He Sanlang.

In the side courtyard of the He Estate, Manager Qin and his men had been forced to kneel on the snow-covered ground. The old soldiers were skilled in martial arts, so Manager Qin and the other manservants didn't have a chance against them.

Mo Chenggui stood in the corridor facing the yard and stared with cold eyes at Manager Qin. He began to denounce him to the entire courtyard. "Third Young Madam is just a little girl, so it's fine if she doesn't know better. However, you, as her loyal servant, how could you let her act so frivolously without persuading otherwise? While you were acting so recklessly in this estate, did you give any thought to how the commoners and soldiers outside are faring?"

Manager Qin's mouth had been stuffed with a piece of cloth and his hands were tied behind his back. His slightly plump face was flushed red with effort as he tried to speak and explain, but he just couldn't make a sound!

Mo Chenggui harrumphed. When he cast his gaze at the high quality fir piled up at the side, his temper flared up once again.

Fir wood! That type of wood was expensive everywhere. In Liangzhou City, where they couldn't even use money, it was likely bought back by exchanging huge amounts of material goods.

These few days, he and the other soldiers had been trying their best to eat less and save up what they could. However, on the other hand, Third Young Madam had taken their food supplies and gone out to spend it lavishly on some useless materials!

Mo Chenggui's temper was burning high in his heart. He stared coldly at the 'dogs' acting for Third Young Madam and sinisterly said, "Third Young Madam is of the weaker sex, so she probably can't bear to use bloodier measures. Since the matriarch gave orders for me to protect Third Young Madam on this journey, then I'll take action on behalf of Third Young Madam today to punish these infidels!

"Men, reward him with fifty strikes of the rod!"

Once Mo Chenggui gave the order, two old soldiers pushed Manager Qin to the ground and pulled away the fur cloak he had wrapped around him.

The soldiers were each carrying large wooden rods thicker than their arms. They raised them high up in the air and prepared to aim them at Manager Qin's body.

Mo Chenggui had retired from the army, but he still kept the habit of using the military's style of punishment.

Without even giving the other party a chance to defend himself, he had immediately decided to punish him with fifty strikes. Even the strongest elite soldiers wouldn't be able to withstand fifty strikes of the rod, let alone Manager Qin, who wasn't trained in any martial arts at all. He was clearly trying to sentence Manager Qin to death.

The first rod landed on Manager Qin with a muffled thump thanks to the protection of his thick winter clothing. Although Manager Qin didn't seem to react much, he actually wanted to cry out in pain. Unfortunately, his mouth was covered so he couldn't make any sound apart from a stifled grunt.

Before the next rod could land, an enraged shout carried over from the entrance of the courtyard. "Stop right now!"

Chapter 358: Chu Lian Loses Her Temper (3)

Mo Chenggui hadn't expected Chu Lian to have come over so quickly. However, he had already set his heart on punishing her subordinate to give her a warning today. Thus, he simply frowned without any intention of calling off the punishment.

Others might be afraid of Third Young Madam's power and influence, but he wasn't afraid! He had already experienced countless battles as a soldier. It was already a blessing from the heavens to have survived battle after battle with his life intact. Although his family was already gone, he had pledged his loyalty to Old Count Jing'an and his House. His life and death were no longer of any consequence. If he could make the young and naive Third Young Madam wake up with this show of military punishment today, it wouldn't matter even if she demanded his life in return.

The old soldiers carrying out the punishment froze. However, Mo Chenggui waved his hand and ordered, "Continue the punishment! No one is allowed to stop unless I say so! Anyone who disobeys this order will serve the same punishment themselves!"

Although they were old comrades in arms, everyone understood Mo Chenggui's temper. They knew that the old fellow was dead set on his path and wouldn't change for anything.

Hearing this, Chu Lian was similarly straightforward in her actions. She shot a look at the Li siblings behind her.

Li Xing and Li Yue had been sent by Princess Wei, so they naturally only listened to Chu Lian's commands.

The Li siblings quickly captured the two soldiers. Mo Chenggui watched with wide, angry eyes as his two subordinates were subdued by Li Xing and Li Yue. He ran forward and picked up one of the rods on the floor, intending to carry out the punishment himself.

Chu Lian's expression tensed and she sneered, "Uncle Mo, if you let that rod land, there'll be no more hope for the border troops!"

When Mo Chenggui heard Chu Lian's words, his features contorted into a wretched expression. He was a retired soldier, so he could never bear to hear anyone talk bad about the army. Those words were like a curse upon the border troops, dooming them to defeat.

He abruptly stopped his actions and rushed towards Chu Lian instead. "Third Young Madam, you can't be careless with your words!"

Chu Lian's sneer was as frosty as her tone. "Oh? I'm not allowed to speak carelessly? Then how is it that Uncle Mo is allowed to beat others indiscriminately?"

Mo Chenggui's face turned as black as a pot. "Third Young Madam, this treasonous servant used valuable food supplies to buy these useless pieces of wood. Why shouldn't he be punished? Or are you saying that he's an exception to the rule just because he's your subordinate?"

Seeing that Manager Qin hadn't been harmed too badly, Chu Lian had slowly calmed down. She turned her bright and clear gaze on Mo Chenggui.

There wasn't a trace of a smile on her porcelain-like face. "Fine. You said that he deserves to be beaten. Then let me ask you, Uncle Mo. Since you're so worried for the border troops, have you thought of an idea to save them and help those fifty thousand warriors out of the situation they're in?"

Mo Chenggui hadn't expected Chu Lian to throw such a question at him at this time.

What a joke. If he had thought of a good idea, would he still be staying in this tiny He Estate? He would have sprinted over to the border camp to share his plans with Third Young Master by now.

He wasn't the only one trying to think of a solution either. Even those highly regarded officials in court back at the capital hadn't been able to come up with a good idea. What kind of ideas could a rough military man like him have? Third Young Madam was clearly just trying to put him on the spot and make things difficult for him.

There was nothing good about this Third Young Madam, except that she was a glutton and fiercely protective of her own people.

Chapter 359: Chu Lian Loses Her Temper (4)

Mo Chenggui's disdain for her only grew. He stood ramrod straight, chest puffed and chin raised as he said, "Third Young Madam, are you joking with me?! An idea!? I really do have to ask for your pardon, Third Young Madam. I'm just a simple boor without any magic powers."

The mockery in his tone was so thick and infuriating that Wenqing and Wenlan lost their patience. They glared at Mo Chenggui with anger. If not for Chu Lian holding them back, the two ladies would have started fighting with Mo Chenggui on the spot.

Mo Chenggui snorted at the sight. "Hmph! Third Young Madam's subordinates are really united, huh? Did you bribe them with your food?"

Chu Lian really didn't understand how this fellow's mind worked. He couldn't think of a solution on his own, so he had decided that everyone else was just as stupid as he was. Who knew if it was due to his unwarranted self-confidence or because he thought too highly of himself? If all the soldiers in the army shared the same level of wit as this guy, then the Great Wu Dynasty should just throw down their weapons and admit defeat!

While Chu Lian normally looked like a young, soft, warm and gentle lady, anyone who assumed that she was an easy target to bully would be the first to face defeat.

She wasn't the kind to leave grudges to fester overnight. That was because she would take revenge on the spot the moment anyone dared to bully her!

Mo Chenggui had already crossed the line. Chu Lian had neither patience nor tolerance left for him.

As Wenqing and Wenlan stood behind their Third Young Madam, they noticed that her eyes were shining brightly and her pink lips were drawn up into a smirk despite her grave expression. Although their mistress clearly looked even more vibrant and livelier than normal, the two maidservants shivered in unison.

Mo Chenggui was doomed. Third Young Madam was really angry this time!

Wenqing and Wenlan exchanged looks with a minor twitch of their eyes. They must have been brain dead just now to think that Third Young Madam could be bullied. It would be considered a good day if Third Young Madam didn't bully someone herself!

"Mo. Cheng. Gui! I really don't know what Grandfather saw in you to make you one of House Jing'an's family soldiers! You're so blinded by your own presumptuous self-conceit; why haven't you ascended yet?"

She no longer called him 'Uncle Mo' out of respect for his age and changed to calling his full name directly.

Chu Lian had been holding down her discontent for so long that she felt refreshed upon letting loose her tirade.

However, Mo Chenggui and the others in the courtyard were all stiff with shock. They directed similar expressions of disbelief at Chu Lian and gulped in unorchestrated unison. As they trembled, they couldn’t help but think, 'Third... Third Young Madam is scolding Leader Mo?'

Although Third Young Madam was so young, her daring knew no bounds!

Even the heir's wife wouldn't dare to scold Leader Mo right to his face like that...

For some reason, although they knew that Third Young Madam's bold approach wasn't right either, they still felt a mysterious sense of satisfaction!

Everyone silently stood by without moving, hiding their intention to watch the drama unfold.

Mo Chenggui had clearly been dealt a blow by Chu Lian's words. He opened his eyes wide and glared right back at her. Although he had never heard the word 'ascended' being used to scold someone, he could tell that it didn't mean anything good from her tone.

Mo Chenggui was just a boorish man to the core. He was the best at using his fists, not his tongue.

Before he was able to retort, Chu Lian continued her tirade. "Mo Chenggui, let me tell you this now! Anything that is impossible to you becomes a real possibility in my hands! Don't use that narrow-minded gaze of yours to judge others! Just because you can't do it doesn't mean that others can't either! I'll reveal a little more to you; these useless pieces of fir wood might not even be worth a wheat pancake to you, but they're going to do what you couldn't and save those fifty thousand soldiers!"

Leaving behind her words, Chu Lian turned and left. Tang Yan, who had been standing right outside the courtyard for some time, had heard her. She trusted that he would be able to take care of the rest.

Actually, Mo Chenggui wasn't as bad as Chu Lian made him out to be. He was just too stubborn and didn't know how to adapt to new changes. She believed that her words would be enough to wake him up and prevent him from becoming an obstacle on their northern journey.

Chu Lian left as quickly as she came, disappearing just like a breeze.

However, this wasn't the average gentle, refreshing breeze; it was a fearsome hurricane that had completely bowled over everyone present in the courtyard.

Mo Chenggui was so stunned by the chain of events that all the nerves in his body seemed to be frozen. He couldn't move at all.

Chapter 360: Shut Out (1)

Had he been hallucinating?

What had Third Young Madam said just now?

Did she say... that she had a way to help the border troops out of their dangerous situation?

Mo Chenggui stood dazed for twenty whole seconds before the haziness in his eyes cleared and he seemed to come back to life. He looked around the courtyard in a panic, but Chu Lian's figure had long since disappeared.

Agitated, he roared, "Where is Third Young Madam?!"

The old soldiers who had been carrying out Manager Qin's punishment were stricken with terror. Although they were already getting on in age, their hearing was still working fine. They had heard Third Young Madam's words just now. Manager Qin had gone out to find these planks of fir for the sake of saving the fifty thousand border troops. However, they had not only blamed him unjustly for his actions, but they had also almost beaten him to death...

When the soldiers thought of what they had almost wrought, cold sweat ran down their backs, regardless of the fact that it was the middle of a cold winter day. The soldiers stared at Mo Chenggui with condemning gazes and said, "Brother Mo, Third Young Madam is already gone..."

Mo Chenggui ran after her without thinking. Although he didn't quite dare to trust her yet, since Chu Lian had spoken, that meant that there was hope- even if he had no idea how fir wood, of all things, would be able to save the troops.

The people of the Great Wu Dynasty placed great emphasis on keeping to one's word. This wasn't the modern era where even the most binding contracts could be broken. This was an era where a promise was worth a thousand taels of gold. All families, no matter their size or influence, would keep the promises made by their ancestors for generations upon generations.

Thus, when Chu Lian made her outrageous claim in front of Mo Chenggui, he didn't have an ounce of suspicion that she was spinning up a story. Since she had said it was so, then there was definitely hope!

It was indeed so. The old carpenter had already finished building Chu Lian's idea. It was just a matter of time before they were able to put it to use.

At this moment, Mo Chenggui had instantly forgotten all the disdain he had for Chu Lian. He chased right after her without any shame at all.

When the old soldiers saw their Leader Mo acting so shamelessly, they wanted to turn their cheeks and pretend they didn't know him.

This was entirely different from what they had imagined would happen!

O Great Leader, shouldn't you be scolding her right back with anger and arrogance?

Mo Chenggui ran off quickly, leaving a huge mess behind him!

Manager Qin and the manservants were still tied up, and there was still a pile of fir wood at the side.

One of the old soldiers hurriedly ran off to ask about what they were supposed to do. Mo Chenggui then ordered them to untie Manager Qin and help send the fir to Chu Lian's courtyard.

Tang Yan stood at the entrance of the side courtyard with his guards. When he heard what was going on, he shook his head. Even he had been frightened by Chu Lian's words just now. He had thought to come out to mediate at first, but who knew that the whole scene would come to such a dramatic end?

Honoured Lady Jinyi was really full of surprises.

"Sir, will you step in to this matter?" One of the guards next to Tang Yan inquired.

Tang Yan shook his head with a smile. "This matter has already been settled. Didn't you hear? Honoured Lady has already found a solution. Come on, let's go and take a look."

Tang Yan turned and started walking towards Chu Lian's courtyard as well.

When he reached the entrance, he was met with the sight of Mo Chenggui being blocked from entering the courtyard. When he saw the old soldier pacing back and forth at the entrance without care for the feather-sized snow falling from the sky, Tang Yan hesitated before going up to him.

"Leader Mo, why are you standing out here? Why don't you go in and take a look?"

Leader Mo hated literary officials like Tang Yan the most. After glaring at him, he continued pacing with his hands behind his back.

Tang Yan didn't mind the frosty reception. He turned towards the entrance and was about to stride right in when Li Xing used a sword to block his path.

"Sir Tang, please stop right there. Honoured Lady has given us instructions to prevent anyone from entering, with the exception of the people who work in this courtyard."

Chapter 361: Shut Out (2)

Tang Yan hadn't thought that he would be blocked from entering as well. He ended up standing right next to Mo Chenggui in the corridor.

Tang Yan shook his head helplessly and turned to Mo Chenggui. He complained, "Leader Mo, I've been dragged down by you!"

Mo Chenggui had no desire whatsoever to acknowledge a literary official, who was just a weak chicken in his eyes. He simply harrumphed.

Tang Yan wasn't deterred by the cold response and said, "Li Xing, see here. I'm not Leader Mo and I didn't argue with your mistress. Why can't you let me in?"

"Sir, please don't make it difficult for this subordinate. This subordinate is simply following Honoured Lady's orders. Honoured Lady said that this matter is top secret. Even when it's finished, she won't be able to give you a demonstration. The first priority is to send it to the border camp."

Fine! He was dealing with another stick in the mud! Tang Yan finally gave up on trying to enter. His heart was itching with curiosity and he really wanted to know what miracle Chu Lian had somehow come up with to save fifty thousand border troops. However, since she wasn't willing to divulge the secret to him, he had no other choice.

Tang Yan immediately turned around and left. He wasn't going to stand there in the cold wind and snow like that silly Mo Chenggui.

On the way back to his own courtyard, Tang Yan was still trying to guess at what Chu Lian's solution was.

What kind of magic powers did that Chu Lian have? Why was it that every single person by her side was so loyal to her? Even the guards from Prince Wei's estate, Li Xing and Li Yue, were already treating her like their real master. Could it be due to her foodie ways?

As expected, foodies were full of potential.

Tang Yan was shamelessly disregarding how he had taken every chance he could to take a meal over at Chu Lian's courtyard. During the past few days of heavy snowfall, he had constantly been sending guards over to check on what Chu Lian was eating in her courtyard...

Once the old carpenter had the rest of the materials in hand, he was able to work fast. They had already planned out the designs. Before actually starting the project, they had also made prototypes.

Even so, they wasted a portion of the wood that had been gathered while working. Now on the brink of finishing, their materials fell short: they still needed one last plank...

Chu Lian had been watching from the side this whole time. The old carpenter stopped working and hurried over to Chu Lian a little anxiously. "Esteemed Madam, we're still lacking one more piece of wood. It was all this old man's fault for having such clumsy skills... We wasted some of the wood earlier..."

Chu Lian looked at the project. It did indeed look like it was nearly finished, so she sent the orders down to her subordinates.

Wenqing quickly ran out to inform Manager Qin.

Manager Qin had only gotten hit once with the rod, so he could bear with the pain in his buttocks. However, he could only stand and he wasn't able to sit. It would take a few days for him to recover enough to sit and lay on his back.

When he saw Wenqing rushing out of the workroom, he moved forward to meet her. "What's wrong? Are we lacking something?"

Wenqing sighed. "We just need one more piece of fir wood! Why didn't you buy just one more this morning?"

Manager Qin sighed bitterly. It really wasn't because he hadn't bought enough materials. He had been captured by Mo Chenggui while on the way back and Mo Chenggui had burned some of it as firewood. If not for him struggling and shouting that the fir wood was expensive, they might not have even had what they did.

However, it wasn't the time to explain this to Wenqing.

"Ask Third Young Madam to wait a little longer. I'll go out right now and look for more fir. Rest assured, I'll definitely bring the remaining materials to Third Young Madam today."

"Alright, go quickly. I'll pass your words on to Third Young Madam."

Manager Qin rubbed his backside gingerly and hobbled towards the courtyard entrance.

He cursed and swore at Mo Chenggui hundreds and thousands of times over in his heart.

When he reached the entrance and looked up, only to see the man he had been cursing at, Manager Qin was so frightened he almost fell onto the ground. Once he could see the man's face clearly, Manager Qin spat on the ground and mumbled angrily under his breath, "How unlucky!"

Although Mo Chenggui found it awkward as well, he still reached out to help Manager Qin find his feet before asking anxiously, "Manager Qin, how is that thing that Third Young Madam is building? I definitely won't interfere or leak any information, could you let me in to look at it?"

Manager Qin snatched his arm back in a cold manner before sending a side-eyed glance at Mo Chenggui. Then, he said, "Thanks to Leader Mo's heroic actions, we're now short on fir wood so we can't complete the project. This humble one is about to go out and search for more!"

Chapter 362: Snowboat (1)

What?! They were lacking one more plank of fir?

Leader Mo was filled with regret as he remembered the pieces of wood he had carelessly burned earlier.

When he looked at how Manager Qin hobbled away while clutching his behind, he felt even more anxious. At this rate, wouldn't he take too long to find more fir wood?

Mo Chenggui followed closely behind Manager Qin and said, "Manager Qin, you're injured, so leave this matter to me!"

Manager Qin looked him up and down and snorted in his heart. This Mo Chenggui was making his two-faced act so obvious that he felt irritated just looking at him.

"If you want to go, then go ahead. I'm not holding you back. However, since this is something that Third Young Madam has ordered me to do, I have to do my best to complete my task no matter what!"

After saying so, Manager Qin tossed his sleeves and hurried away. He tolerated with the pain from his injury the best he could and completely ignored Mo Chenggui.

Mo Chenggui knew that he had gone overboard with his previous actions. However, what was done was done. He couldn't turn back time. Thus, he gritted his teeth and led a party of his men to help search for more fir wood.

After four hours, it was still Manager Qin who found some stock of fir first and sent it back to the He Estate. He had already gone out to buy wood a few times, so he had some connections.

In just a short moment, the object that Chu Lian had entrusted to the old carpenter to build was completed.

Chu Lian ordered her people to move the object to one of the more deserted courtyards. She then ordered them to harness horses to the object and test how it moved over an area covered in knee-deep snow.

When she saw that there were only two shallow tracks where the horses had passed, Chu Lian then passed orders to Manager Qin to have heavy items put on top of the object for another test.

The result? The horses were actually able to maintain a normal speed even as they pulled a load of goods!

Manager Qin couldn't help but cry out in surprise, "Third Young Madam, it was a success!"

Chu Lian heaved a sigh of relief and let out a refreshed smile. With this, they wouldn't have to worry about the problem of transporting goods through heavy snow!

Wenqing and Wenlan had similar expressions of joy. Wenlan asked excitedly, "Third Young Madam, what is this thing called?"

Chu Lian's almond-shaped eyes were all smiles as she affectionately called it, "A snowboat."

"A snowboat? A boat that can travel over snow?" Manager Qin's eyes lit up.  "What a fitting name," he praised.

The old carpenter and his helpers were already smiling from ear to ear as they watched from the side.

Chu Lian came closer to examine the 'snowboat'. In actuality, it was a sleigh that was commonly used during winter in northeastern China back in the modern world. It could also be called a sled, but there were some differences between sleds and sleighs.

There were many different types of sleighs, but the one Chu Lian picked for her blueprints was the most suitable for transporting goods. It was slightly larger than most sleighs and should be able to withstand the same load that normal carriages could. They could even create a small warm pen on top by putting up a tent of animal skins and leaving small windows at the side for ventilation. With braziers within for warmth, they would be able to travel long distances without risk of frostbite.

Chapter 363: Snowboat (2)

With a wave of Chu Lian's hand, Manager Qin ordered their men to move the sleigh back to the courtyard. On their way back, the joy on everyone's faces shone through undisguised.

Manager Qin was smart enough to realise how important the sleigh was. He moved into a room close to the sleigh's storehouse and even ordered some guards to keep a close watch on the carpenter and his family.

Wenqing and Wenlan helped Chu Lian back to her room. Wenlan's face was flushed red from the icy winds outside, but her joyful mood wasn't affected. "Third Young Madam, are we going to send the snowboat to the border camp now?"

Chu Lian shook her head. "It's too late now. Night is about to fall, and it's still snowing outside, too. It's not safe to travel. Besides, I still have a few more designs to draw."

While Wenlan was a little disappointed with her answer, she didn't question further.

Just as Chu Lian had settled down at her desk with a fresh sheet of paper, preparing to draw out the design for the warm pen, Li Yue quickly strode into the room with a report to make.

Chu Lian paused with a charcoal pencil in hand and turned to her with a strange look. "What's wrong?"

Li Yue frowned, but she still honestly replied, "Honoured Lady, Leader Mo is outside the courtyard. He and his subordinates are carrying a large plank of fir wood, and they're requesting entrance."

Chu Lian stayed silent for a moment. Mo Chenggui was seriously out to make her mad today.

Wenlan huffed. "So it's only now that he realises our Third Young Madam wasn't doing all that for nothing?! Why didn't he mind his own business earlier? If not for him, we might have been able to send the snowboat to camp today! Our Third Young Madam's snowboat is already completed, so we don't even need that piece of wood! Why bother come so late?"

Chu Lian waved her hand, indicating for Li Yue to send them away.

Li Yue pressed her lips together and decided to report everything she had heard. "Third Young Madam, this subordinate knows that Leader Mo and his men have committed wrongs. However, this subordinate heard from the old soldiers that Leader Mo traded all of his winter clothing and cloaks in order to buy that one piece of fir. He’s only standing outside in his inner clothing right now. Although he's an experienced soldier, he'll likely fall sick from the cold sooner or later."

Chu Lian's brows finally drew together. Li Yue wasn't trying to speak for Mo Chenggui at all. She was simply worried that He Changdi would blame Chu Lian if anything really happened to him due to exposure to the cold. Chu Lian could sense Li Yue's good intentions.

"Tell him to put the fir wood down and return to his courtyard with his men." Chu Lian paused before turning to Wenlan and ordering, "Go over personally and give them something to eat."

After hearing her orders, Li Yue was clearly relieved. She quickly went off to carry out the task she had been given.

Once Li Yue had left the room, Wenlan began to mumble her complaints. "Third Young Madam, are you really going to have this servant send them something to eat, even after what he did?"

Chu Lian looked up and shot her a look. "It's just some porridge and buns. When did you become so stingy, you little rascal? Furthermore, those are just some simple items. If we're able to 'bribe' Leader Mo with those, won't it save us more time and energy?"

Chu Lian wouldn't even have to speak then!

Wenlan gaped.

Fine, she was worrying for nothing then. Their Third Young Madam probably already had some sort of plan already in mind.

Wenlan figured she should be lighting a candle and praying for that Leader Mo instead.

As expected, once Wenlan sent over a pot of porridge and a box of buns to Leader Mo's courtyard, that stubborn old soldier really ended up getting bought over by the food...

The man who had refused to eat anything from Chu Lian's courtyard was now the most fervent fan of her food. He even snatched more than half of the buns in the box just for himself and refused to let anyone have them.

All of the old soldiers were now ashamed to be part of Mo Chenggui's party.

However, the scar-faced Leader Mo was so thick-skinned that his eyes didn't even twitch when faced with his old comrades' mocking remarks.

Early in the morning, Great General Qian gathered his most trusted subordinates in the commander's tent.

Once everyone left the commander's tent, most of their faces looked about the same as He Sanlang's usual icy expression.

Xiao Hongyu patted He Changdi's shoulder with a bitter smile. "I'm not used to there being so many Brother Hes in the camp so suddenly."

When Zhang Mai saw that he still had the mood to joke around, he glared fiercely at the brat.

Xiao Hongyu pouted with a wronged expression.

Even the officers had been forced to eat bean paste these few days. Couldn't he just crack a joke to lift the mood a little?

He Sanlang, ignoring his brothers around him, stood in the camp’s observation tower and looked towards the horizon. Urgency was like a raging beast in his heart. Why hadn't they come yet?!

Chapter 364: Immediate Needs (1)

Of course, he wasn't waiting for Chu Lian.

The Chu Lian of this lifetime seemed to be a whole other person from the previous one, and He Sanlang's feelings for her were growing the more he interacted with her.

However, He Changdi had never thought that Chu Lian might have a solution for the border troops' situation. In his eyes, as clever and cunning as Chu Lian was, she wasn't capable enough to take on the burden of helping the border troops.

Although he only had a rough understanding of what had happened in this war from his previous life, He Changdi had already managed to cheat death once. He wouldn't be so silly as to sit and wait for his second death.

Once he saw the border troops' situation for himself, He Changdi grew worried. He understood that his preparations were far from enough. It might still be able to help the border troops out of trouble for the time being, but it wouldn't be able to treat the root of their problems.

It hadn't been that long since He Changdi had come to the border, so it was already pretty impressive that he had been able to take some preemptive measures.

"Captain, it looks like there's someone over there!"

He Changdi's thoughts were pulled back into reality by the guards on duty. His gaze lifted and focused on the swirling snow in the distance.

The wind-propelled snow blocked most of his vision, but he could still make out the vague outline of a party of men and horses.

He Changdi's eyes shone with life, and the eternal ice that covered his face seemed to melt a little. He signalled the soldiers up on the watchtower and began to stride towards it himself. When he reached the foot of the tower, he shouted for his personal guards and mounted his horse. In a short moment, He Changdi was already leading his soldiers out of the main camp and sprinting towards the barely visible group of people in front.

The guards on the watchtower waved a small red flag and made a few signals towards the camp. The soldiers on patrol immediately informed their leaders, rousing the camp. Barely a few moments later, a few hundred people had charged out of the camp, hot on the heels of He Sanlang.

Before he even reached the group trudging through the snow, He Changdi leaped from his horse, making a somersault before landing soundly right in front of the leader of the party.

It was only after they had drawn close that He Changdi's guards finally saw that it was a merchant caravan they were facing. They formed a long line of men with twenty or more carriages following behind. The carriages were clearly used for transport and loaded down with goods.

The guards' eyes lit up the moment they realised what the caravan was transporting. They couldn't resist gulping down some drool. This... this carriage couldn't possibly be transporting... food?

They hadn't been able to eat their fill for many days by now.

The leader of the caravan was seated at the front of the first carriage. He was completely wrapped up in a fur cloak and topped off with a fur hat, such that only his eyes could be seen.

By this time, his gaze had also landed on He Sanlang. The caravan leader stumbled off the carriage and almost fell into the snow. With staggering steps, he ran towards He Changdi and made it in front of him in just two strides.

The caravan leader immediately kneeled down without a care for the snow that had already reached his calves. "Third Young Master, this servant has finally returned!” he wailed. “This servant hasn't failed you!"

Laiyue's voice was hoarse and dry; even the skin on his face had cracked up from the harsh winds.

He completely disregarded his image and sobbed his heart out, snot and tears free-flowing down his face, making an absolutely pitiful picture.

He Changdi felt that his manservant was being ridiculous, but his heart was filled with warmth. He hadn't trusted the wrong person this lifetime.

"Alright, alright. Get up. Don't tell me you're planning to sleep here overnight in the snow?" While He Sanlang still spoke rather coldly, everyone could sense the unusual amount of care in his words.

Laiyue immediately scrambled up. He roughly brushed away the tears left on his face before pulling down the fur hood wrapped around his neck. It was only then that He Sanlang could finally see his manservant's face.

After so many months apart, Laiyue's originally chubby face had slimmed down. He looked a little more mature than he was before.

However, with his disheveled stubble, dry and cracked lips, as well as frost-reddened skin, Laiyue didn't make for a pretty picture. His heart had been in his throat for the whole journey here to the north with the supply caravan. Now that he had finally accomplished his mission, it was as if a great burden had been lifted from his heart. He smiled like a silly fool at He Changdi.

As for He Changdi's guards, when they heard what their captain and the wretched-looking man before them had said, their jaws dropped.

Despite his appearance, the leader of the caravan was one of their captain's subordinates?

Didn't that mean that all of the supplies in this caravan were meant for the border camp?

The guards couldn't hide their joy at all.

The winds were harsh and snow was beating on their faces. It was cold and painful, but the hearts of the soldiers were brimming with warmth.

He Changdi gave out straightforward orders and had his personal guards take over the supply caravan that Laiyue had brought. He told Laiyue to get on a horse and follow him back to the main camp to report the good news first.

Laiyue knew that time was of the essence, so he gathered up the last of his strength. On the way back to the camp, he explained everything he had done to He Changdi.

"Third Young Master, this servant followed your orders and bought supplies near the Yueqin Mountains. Even after two months, this servant was only able to gather up 200,000kg of food. When we were crossing the border into Liangzhou, we were attacked by barbarians and we lost around 20,000kg of our supplies. Taking away the supplies we used on the journey here, we only had 150,000kg worth left by the time we came to the heart of Liangzhou."

150,000kg of food! If they went by the normal amount of army rations, it would only be enough to feed fifty thousand troops for six to seven days. Even in these extreme circumstances, it wouldn't last more than ten days.

The border troops were already running out of supplies. This 150,000kg of food could only buy them a few more days- they weren’t out of the danger zone yet!

He had to find another way!

He Changdi's hands curled up into fists so tight that he almost snapped his reins!

He gazed at the camp in the distance with unreadable eyes and a resolute expression, cheering himself on in his heart.

He was no longer the He Changdi of the past. He was going to find a way to get the border troops out of this crisis!

The current snowstorm was likely to last for another month. They had to survive this month somehow and mount a counterattack to take down the Tuhuns once and for all!

Chapter 365: Immediate Needs (2)

He Changdi brought Laiyue back to camp. As they dismounted from their horses at the entrance, he realised that Great General Qian was already waiting there with the other officers in tow.

Great General Qian was smiling from ear to ear and eyeing He Changdi as if he was carrying a whole store of grain. Some of the soldiers had likely run ahead of him and reported the good news to Great General Qian first.

He Sanlang kept his face cool and calm as usual, but General Qian didn't show any hint of dislike this time. He came forward and slapped He Changdi's shoulder, stopping him before he could salute. Then he said, "You brat! So you were still keeping this ace up your sleeve! Come, let's go to my tent and have a talk!"

He Changdi shot a look at Laiyue to indicate that he should follow.

It was only after two whole hours that General Qian finally let He Sanlang and Laiyue go.

Laiyue's face was full of happiness. He followed behind his young master like an annoying little duckling and prattled, "Third Young Master, did you hear that? The general said that you've made a huge contribution this time, so you'll be able to return to the capital once the war is over! Hehehe, too bad the roads are all blocked by the snowstorm, otherwise this servant would definitely write back to the estate with this piece of good news! If Third Young Madam were to find out, wouldn't she be over the moon?"

He Changdi had calmed down by now. He didn't share Laiyue's joy, as the biggest cause of the problem hadn't been solved yet. The food that Laiyue had sent over was only enough to solve their immediate needs, and they were merely delaying the ticking time bomb about to explode in their faces.

He just couldn't cheer up at all.

While worries still dominated He Changdi’s heart, it was easy for his mood to shift… And Laiyue just had to mention Chu Lian.

He Changdi's eyes narrowed into slits. That wicked woman Chu Lian!

If not for her, he wouldn't have met such a terrible fate. He wouldn't have reincarnated and come running out to this dratted border to fight for a slim chance of survival!

He Changdi snorted and said, "So you were bought over by just a single bowl of Third Young Madam's braised pork? How cheap!"

Laiyue shrunk back. He instantly realised that his master was angry, judging from that mocking tone of his. However, hadn't He Changdi been perfectly fine moments ago? Why was he so unhappy now?

Laiyue scratched his head in confusion. He just couldn't understand the complicated nuances of his young master's moods.

"Then this servant won't write any letters to Third Young Madam. This servant will only write to the matriarch and Madam. They'll be extremely delighted for sure!"

He Changdi sneered. Could his manservant get any more stupid? If he wrote back to the estate, wouldn't his doting grandmother tell that wicked woman everything anyway?

When He Sanlang abruptly realised that his mind was drifting to meaningless possibilities, he blanked out for a moment before pressing his lips together.

He said, "You don't have to think about writing back. Your Third Young Madam is right here in Liangzhou City."

He Changdi's tone was emotionless, but Laiyue jumped in surprise after hearing his words. His eyes blew wide open as he exclaimed, "Third Young Master, what did you say?! Third Young Madam is here in Liangzhou?!"

The only reply that Laiyue got from He Sanlang was a cold sneer frosty enough to freeze his nose off.

This time, Laiyue finally believed that Third Young Madam had really come to Liangzhou.

He quickly said, "Then, this servant will rest for two days and go to visit Third Young Madam after this servant's body has warmed up. It's not easy for Third Young Madam to come all the way to Liangzhou as a young lady..."

As Laiyue mumbled by his ear about how it wasn't easy for a woman to travel this far out, the ice block that was He Changdi's face slowly started to melt.

His imagination brought forth an image to his mind. He thought of how Chu Lian must have trudged through the snow while holding up her thin skirt, showing how her pretty embroidered shoes had been soaked through. Her cheeks had most likely been flushed red from the cold winds while her wide eyes had been filled with unshed tears as she soldiered on.

A strong breeze almost pushed the Chu Lian of his imagination into the snow. That wicked woman abruptly looked up towards him with two watery, aggrieved eyes. He Changdi froze. He was filled with the urge to reach out and pull her into his arms, maybe wrap her entire person into his warm cloak and embrace.

However, the reality was vastly different from He Sanlang's imagination. On her way here, Chu Lian had simply sat in a brazier-warmed carriage with hand warmers to boot. She had been wrapped in a fur coat coupled with fur-lined boots, and not even a single chilblain had marred her hand or foot. How could she possibly have come to the north by walking through the snow?

If the overly imaginative He Sanlang were to find out the truth, who knows if he would be angry with himself or the wicked woman Chu Lian?

This time, He Changdi kept his calm and didn't speak a word of agreement or disapproval. However, Laiyue had been serving his master for a long time, so of course he understood his master's thoughts.

Actually, their Third Young Master was a really kind person. He was just held back by his pride sometimes.

Laiyue chuckled and took He Sanlang's silence as approval.

After he finished chatting about happier matters, the smile on Laiyue's face slowly vanished.

In a grave tone, Laiyue said, "Third Young Master, while this servant was in the Yueqin Mountains, this servant wanted to buy more food, but this servant didn't have enough silver on hand. This servant used up all the silver and traded away the jade amulets and accessories you gave, but this servant was only able to bring back this much."

Chapter 366: Where is She Now!? (1)

Even before Laiyue had explained his actions, He Changdi had already guessed the situation.

"No matter. This isn't your fault. You've done well this time. Let's head back and have a meal and some rest."

Laiyue made a sound of agreement before following one of He Changdi's guards to a tent to rest.

As Laiyue watched his young master turn back into his own tent with his brows tightly knitted together, he couldn’t help but lament their current state.

Third Young Master had really put his all into this gamble. His master had once been just like any of the other young noblemen living in the capital- compared to his current penniless state, it was too large a difference. Laiyue couldn’t help but feel extremely sad.

He didn't understand why his young master had been so resolute in his decision to come to the northern border. His initial dissatisfaction towards Third Young Madam definitely wasn't one of the reasons.

They had used up all of the money they had brought from the capital, along with all the properties in Third Young Master's name. There wasn’t a single valuable left. Right now, other than his rank as Captain He, Third Young Master had nothing else to his name. He was probably even poorer than those concubine-born sons from the third-rate noble houses...

Through letters from home, Laiyue had also heard of the things that Chu Lian had done back in the capital. Third Young Madam was a really capable person. Who could have thought that a noble young lady would be so good at earning money? Just going by 'Guilin Restaurant' alone, Third Young Madam's pockets were likely filled to bursting.

In the entire House Jing'an, it was probably Third Young Madam who had the most money now.

Now that Third Young Madam had also come to Liangzhou, did that mean his wise and mighty young master would have to rely on his wife to keep himself fed?

As Laiyue's mind continued wandering through these thoughts, he felt that his foresight was excellent. He had to quickly recover from his fatigue and toss his lot in with the wealthy Third Young Madam.

If He Sanlang were to find out that his manservant was thinking of switching sides, he would probably break all of the little bastard's legs!

The lights in He Changdi's tent remained on until late in the night. Exhausted, He Changdi rubbed his temples as he fell back onto his bed. His eyes stared straight up at the dark canopy of the tent as he listened to the howling wind outside. No matter how tired he was, He Changdi couldn’t muster up the slightest bit of sleepiness.

He went through solutions in his mind the entire night, but none of them were actually useful.

With Xiao Hongyu's rhythmic snores as accompaniment, He Changdi subconsciously smoothed his elegant hands over the fluffy, warm fleece blanket covering him. The memory of the day Chu Lian had come to visit the camp floated into his mind.

He turned on his side and took in a deep breath, wanting to get rid of the images in his head. However, there was a faint fragrance on the blanket covering him that made his memory even clearer.

He Changdi’s brows drew together in frustration, and he almost made to throw the blanket onto the ground. Although that urge lingered in his mind, the hand he had placed on the blanket refused to move.

It wasn't until the faint light of day had broken over the horizon that He Sanlang was finally able to slip into slumber.

Time passed quickly. The Tuhuns had practically stopped all attacks on the frontline. They would only send small parties to launch sneak attacks from time to time, clearly trying to play the waiting game with the border troops.

The Tuhuns' living conditions had been poor from the start. This wasn't the first time they had started eyeing the Great Wu Dynasty's rich, fertile fields.

The Tuhuns weren't like the people of the Great Wu. They had been living on the grasslands and icy mountains of the region for generation after generation, and as a result, they were well-used to the harsh, bitter conditions, particularly the winter’s icy winds and snowstorms that the border troops had difficulties with. Furthermore, the Tuhuns had been plotting an invasion for years. They had their ways to pass this harsh winter.

As the snow fell even harder and the days grew even colder, the conditions were turning more and more to their favour.

It was an entirely different matter on the side of the Liangzhou border troops. The government had been spending huge sums to maintain the army at the border. There were quotas set on the military supplies sent every season. The relative peacetime of the Great Wu Dynasty meant that the military officials didn’t have as much influence and respect in court. Meanwhile, the literary officials spread ideals of leading the nation with virtue rather than weaponry. This was most evident in the previous year, when the cabinet had argued for months over the budget set for military expenditure.

When the turn of the year had come around, military spending had been cut down even further, rather than increased.

Thus, the border troops were in imminent danger.

Due to the early snows in Liangzhou this year, the army's winter supplies hadn't been able to make it here in time. It was as if their lifeline had been cut.

The Tuhuns had spent a decade sharpening their blades, waiting for this chance. Although their weapons couldn't be compared to the Great Wu's, they had the advantage, having prepared enough food to last the whole of winter. It was the Liangzhou border troops who couldn't afford to wait.

One of the officers had bristled with anger at the Tuhuns' tactics. He suggested gathering all fifty thousand soldiers and feeding them a good meal before sending them out to trample the Tuhun army without leaving a trace!

The Liangzhou army was under the command of Duke Lu, so they weren't a bunch of cowardly soldiers. They had the courage to die on the battlefields to protect their country.

The soldiers were good soldiers and the leaders were good leaders. However, the Tuhun army wasn't stupid. They weren't going to stand out and let the border troops attack them without fighting back, nor did they leave their supplies out for just anyone to discover.

The northern border was a huge land with a sparse population. Sometimes they wouldn't even see a single soul out there on the grass plains.

The Tuhuns were used to living in these conditions and scrabbling for survival. Guerilla warfare and hiding were what they were good at, and this was well-suited to the northern border’s large space.

The most likely result from the angry officer's suggestion would be their fifty thousand soldiers dying of hunger or exposure after crossing the river without finding a single hint of the Tuhuns...

Thus, all they could do was wait as their supplies dwindled down. If they wanted to bring supplies in, they would have to think of a way to get to the heartlands of the Great Wu.

Chapter 367: Where is She Now!? (2)

Another officer brought up a suggestion: how about raiding the barbarians?

Heh heh. The barbarians were even poorer than the Tuhuns. They only knew how to graze their livestock and they didn't even know if they would be able to survive the winter themselves. There was nothing for them to raid there.

The barbarians were much fewer in number than the Tuhuns anyway. Most of them were scattered all throughout the plains. They also suffered from regular raids by the Tuhuns, so they were likely all hiding under a pile of snow somewhere. The troops couldn't depend on finding ten thousand nomadic barbarians to feed their fifty thousand soldiers. Even the suggestion of having one last meal and fighting it out with the Tuhuns was better.

In the end, no one had a solution that was sound enough.

Most of the leaders in the army were old generals who had experienced many battles. Despite their many successes and ideas in the past, when it came to the current situation, all of them could only scratch their heads in futile search of a good solution.

It wasn't as if General Qian hadn't tried sending men to Su City to bring back their supplies. However, half of the party had already suffered frostbite even before making it out of Liangzhou. Their carriages hadn't been able to move in the knee-deep snow. If they did miraculously make it to Su City, then how were they supposed to get the supplies back? They couldn’t possibly rely on just men and packhorses.

Transporting supplies for fifty thousand soldiers on just the backs of men and horses?

That was impossible!

In the blink of an eye, two days had already passed. Right now, each passing day meant that their food supplies were shortened by a day. The secretary of the army was so worried about the food left in their stores, his originally white hair had grown even whiter.

No matter how much they tried to scrimp and save, the food wasn't enough to last a single month.

Early in the morning, Laiyue packed up a small bag. There was a red, rod-shaped object sticking out of it.

Right before he left, Laiyue came to He Changdi's tent to report.

Xiao Hongyu was away leading his subordinates on a morning training exercise, so only He Sanlang was left in the tent.

Laiyue set down the bag he was carrying and stared at its contents while trying not to drool. "Third Young Master, are you really not going to eat some of this? This servant can put some of this aside for you. All you've been eating has been bean gruel day in, day out. Wouldn't it be nice to have some of this to chew on for a change of pace?"

He Sanlang was holding a book on military tactics. He cast a cool glance at Laiyue. "No need. These are all women's snacks; why leave them for me? Give them all to your Third Young Madam."

Laiyue could only take up the bag once again. "Third Young Master, is there any message you would like this servant to pass on to Third Young Madam?"

He Changdi thought for a moment before walking over to his bedside and taking out a letter from under his pillow. He casually passed it over to Laiyue.

Laiyue received the letter with both hands and smiled eagerly. It seemed like his master was warming up to his mistress.

When He Sanlang caught sight of Laiyue's silly, joyful smile, his expression stiffened and he aimed a kick at Laiyue's behind. "Why haven't you gone yet? Are you waiting for me to escort you out?"

Laiyue skillfully dodged his young master's kick, chuckling as he said, "Third Young Master, please calm down. This servant will leave right now! This servant is good at riding, so Third Young Madam will definitely get your letter as soon as possible!"

After saying so, Laiyue carefully placed He Changdi's letter in the bag with the stalks of sugarcane.

When he left He Sanlang's tent, Laiyue was still carrying a smile on his face. Even though Third Young Master had claimed not to like Third Young Madam, just look at what he was doing now. He had spent so much effort to bring back this sugarcane, but Third Young Master wasn't keeping a single piece. Instead, he was sending them all to Third Young Madam!

After an hour had passed, a familiar voice called out to He Changdi from outside the tent. He Changdi looked up from his strategy books with a frown.

What was wrong with Laiyue? Hadn't he left just a while ago? Why was he back so soon?

He Changdi's cold and handsome face contorted into an ugly expression.

Had something happened to that wicked woman Chu Lian?

When he thought of the possibility, He Sanlang couldn't hold still any longer. He stood up in a panic, almost toppling his chair over. Just as he was about to grab his cloak and sword and rush out of his tent, the tent flap lifted and Laiyue entered from outside. His face was filled with joy and he immediately started shouting even before he had completely entered the tent. "Third Young Master, good news!"

He Changdi could sense Laiyue's excitement and uncontainable joy from his voice alone, so all his tension and fright drained away.

His grip on his scabbard loosened, although there was still some frost in his tone as he said, "What happened? If you don't give me a good reason for all this, I'll sentence you to a suitable military punishment!"

The news was just too uplifting. Laiyue completely disregarded his master's threat and finished stepping into the tent. When he saw what He Changdi was holding in hand, he curiously asked, "Third Young Master, are you on the way out?"

He Sanlang harrumphed and set his cloak and sword back to their original places.

Laiyue felt shivers go down his spine from the cold aura that his master was emanating, so he quickly reported everything he had just heard.

"This servant was on the way to Liangzhou's He Estate this morning, but while on the way there, this servant met Sir Tang and Uncle Mo with a party of men and horses. On such a cold day with so much snow on the ground, they actually brought out a large carriage. This servant was stunned speechless, so this servant was about to go up and ask about what was going on when Third Young Madam spoke from the carriage..."

After He Sanlang finished listening to Laiyue's explanation, the depths of his eyes grew darker. "What did you say? The carriage that Chu Lian was sitting in didn't have any wheels?"

Laiyue nodded furiously, disbelief still clear on his face.

"This servant doesn't know how Third Young Madam's carriage was built. It's strange enough that it doesn't have any wheels, but it can move really fast over snow, as if it's flying! It won't sink into the snow either!"

Thoughts flew through He Changdi's mind at lightning fast speeds. Almost in the same instant, he thought of how this wheel-less carriage could be used.

His eyes lit up like stars in the night sky. Even the cool and reserved He Sanlang had moments of excitement like this. "Where is she now?! Tell me! Where is she?"

Chapter 368: Because I'm Lazy (1)

Laiyue suffered a fright from seeing his master's sudden agitated state. He froze for a moment before quickly replying, "Third Young Madam is still on the way here. This servant came back first to report the news. Judging by the time, Third Young Madam must have reached here by now. Third Young Madam..."

Before Laiyue could finish speaking, He Sanlang rushed out of the tent like a whirlwind.

Chu Lian wasn't going to report to Great General Qian about the sleigh herself. Firstly, it wasn't appropriate for her to do so as a woman according to the customs of the time period. Secondly, it was because she had a personal wish she wanted to fulfill.

Although her lunatic husband was rather abnormal compared to most people, in the days after coming to the northern border and interacting with He Sanlang, her impression of him was much better than the day they had first met.

Many times, it was just He Changdi's pride getting in the way of him speaking up. Chu Lian was a generous person, so she decided not to be as narrow-minded as he was.

Furthermore, even though she had been given the title of 'Honoured Lady Jinyi' by the Emperor and was considered part of the imperial family, when others mentioned Sixth Miss Chu, the first thing that would come to mind would be her position as House Jing'an's Third Young Madam, He Sanlang's wife.

Married daughters were cut off from their family trees. Her honour or disgrace would reflect on the He Family.

Since she had a good idea and since she wasn't a hare-brained person, the first person she had thought of was He Sanlang.

Thus, before He Sanlang could ride out to find her, Chu Lian had already sent Mo Chenggui to find He Sanlang.

Mo Chenggui found He Changdi right as he had just mounted his horse, all prepared to leave camp. Before he could say anything, however, He Changdi had already fired off a question at him.

“Where’s Third Young Madam?”

Mo Chenggui’s old face reflected his undisguised joy as he said, "Replying to Third Young Master, Third Young Madam is right behind and will reach the main camp in fifteen minutes. Third Young Madam requests that you wait for her outside camp. She has something she wants to say to you."

With a wave of his whip, He Sanlang blazed off, leaving only the words, "I'm going to look for her."

When he found her, he personally escorted Chu Lian to his tent.

Chu Lian stared at the clearly anxious He Changdi with wide eyes and guessed that he had most likely thought of why she was here. She didn't intend to beat around the bush. Chu Lian immediately said, "He Changdi, you saw the carriage I came here in. Here, these are the blueprints. I've also brought over the carpenter. Take a look and see if these will be useful."

He Changdi reached out with his long fingers to take the blueprints from Chu Lian's slender hands. When his warm fingertips touched her chilled skin, despite the difference in temperature, a fuzzy feeling came to life in both their hearts.

Chu Lian hurriedly retracted her hands and coughed.

For some reason, she felt that their interaction was somewhat awkward today. He Sanlang's attitude was very different from the norm. She had been calm at first, but now she was starting to feel a little fidgety.

He Changdi was quick-witted. The snowboat that Chu Lian had brought to him set the ball rolling in his mind, instantly sparking plenty of ideas.

He Sanlang's unfathomable gaze fell upon the frail young lady before him who seemed like a little bunny who needed his protection. In that single instant, all sorts of emotions flashed through his eyes, and after a moment, there was only joy and warmth left as he looked at her.

When He Changdi finally spoke, his tone was a little hoarse, but strangely sexy.

Although it was just two short words, 'thank you', Chu Lian could feel the sincerity behind them.

She saw the urgency in He Changdi's expression. Without waiting for him to prompt her, Chu Lian started explaining how the snowboats could be used.

Following that, Chu Lian took He Sanlang over to the snowboat she had brought over, complete with an added heated pen. After fifteen minutes, He Sanlang took the blueprints and headed to the commander's tent.

A short while later, Great General Qian's trusted officers were all summoned to the commander's tent.

Meanwhile, Chu Lian stayed in He Changdi's tent. Laiyue kept watch of the goings-on outside. Only when he re-entered to report that Great General Qian had summoned all of his officers did Chu Lian finally relax.

It looked like General Qian was taking the snowboats seriously.

Chu Lian heaved a long sigh of relief. Now that she had finally set down her burden, her body felt light and loose. She even had the mood to direct Wenqing and Wenlan in an effort to pack up the tent for He Changdi.

Only Chu Lian and her maidservants were left inside. As slow as they were, Wenqing and Wenlan had already understood the true reason as to why their mistress had ordered the snowboat to be built. The moment had dawned on them when Third Young Madam had handed over the blueprints to Third Young Master.

The respect that the two rascals had for their Third Young Madam only increased.

They turned to Chu Lian with eyes sparkling like miniature suns.

Chu Lian could feel the hairs on her arms stand on end from their combined stares, even though she was seated by the warm brazier at the foot of the bed. She glared at Wenqing and Wenlan and said, "What are you looking at me like that for? I'm getting goosebumps."

Wenlan had been serving Chu Lian for long enough that she was starting to come out of her introverted shell.

She exclaimed, "Third Young Madam, you're so smart. How did you come up with the idea of a snowboat?"

Chu Lian was speechless. She couldn't just say that she had gotten the idea from the sleighs of the modern world, after all!

Thus, she could only do her best to come up with an explanation. "Think about it. We can travel over water using boats. This snowboat is exactly the same as a boat on water. However, a boat can only travel over water while a snowboat only travels over snow. Although they're used in different locations, the principle behind them is the same."

Wenlan nodded seriously. She didn't forget to add in some praise while she was at it. "Although the idea is simple, we servants weren't able to think of it at all. It's still Third Young Madam who's the smartest of us all."

Chu Lian didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Chapter 369: Because I'm Lazy (2)

Wenqing noticed that Chu Lian was rubbing her hands together and huffing out her breath to warm them, so she quickly stuffed a new handwarmer into her hands. She hesitated before asking, "Third Young Madam, since you were the one who came up with the idea, why didn't you give the blueprints directly to General Qian?"

After Wenqing blurted out the question, she immediately realised that it wasn't appropriate.

She rushed to try and make up for it. "Third Young Madam, please don't blame this servant. This servant crossed the line. This servant shouldn't have cast doubt on Third Young Madam's decision."

Chu Lian looked up just in time to catch the fear that flashed across Wenqing's face. However, instead of getting angry, Chu Lian gave her a bright, yet cunning smile. Her beautiful almond-shaped eyes curved into upturned crescent moons.

"I have nothing to hide from the two of you. If you want to know, I'll just tell you. Of course it's because I'm lazy!"

There was a saying that went something like, 'self-preservation is the first law of nature'. Everyone had moments of selfishness before, where they’d even put themselves above their own partners. After all, wasn’t it sillier not to put your own survival first?

If you didn’t even treat yourself well, how could you expect others to do it for you?

There was nothing wrong about Wenqing's question. If Chu Lian had presented the snowboat to Great General Qian today, then she would have definitely gotten credited for the major contribution.

From their understanding of General Qian's personality, if the northern border troops managed to overcome this trial, he would likely push for a promotion for Chu Lian. Even if she didn't mention anything to him, she would most likely rise up another rank or even become a Royal Princess.

However, Chu Lian had gone straight to Third Young Master the moment she had arrived. She had even ordered the men in her party not to reveal that she had been the one to design the snowboat.

Wenqing and Wenlan had been waiting with bated breath to hear what kind of righteous reason Chu Lian had for doing so.

Could it be that Third Young Madam's heart was filled with Third Young Master, and that her goal was to become her husband's silent supporter? Or perhaps she wanted to become a hidden hero...?

Although there were plenty of hot-blooded reasons, those were completely unrelated to Chu Lian.

She had actually revealed without any shame at all that she had just been too lazy!

The flames burning in Wenqing and Wenlan's eyes instantly went out, extinguished by a basin of ice cold water. There wasn’t even the slightest trace of smoke left...

Wenqing and Wenlan's faces turned stiff. The corners of their lips twitched as they tried to think of a reply for their mistress.

Third Young Madam kept mumbling about Third Young Master being a 'lunatic', but from their point of view, Third Young Madam wasn't any better.

Just take a look at the other noble madams. They fought for their husband's favour all the time, but when their Third Young Master wasn't around the estate, their Third Young Madam lived even more happily than when he was around. Other noble madams cared about their reputation. Their Third Young Madam treated her Honoured Lady title as if it was just for show. Other noble madams loved to dress up. Their Third Young Madam was only occupied with eating...

Wenqing and Wenlan went on a crazy rant in the safety of their own minds.

Chu Lian glanced at her abnormally 'silent' maidservants and noticed that their expressions were quite blank, so she kindly explained further.

"Think about it. If I were to give the snowboat blueprints directly to General Qian, he would definitely keep me in his tent for questioning. Later on, the rest of the officers would also have to ask me tons of questions..." Following that, it would be having to coordinate the mass production of the snowboats, setting the principles, discussing the usage of the snowboats...

The moment she thought of all that had to be done, Chu Lian felt dizzy. Rather than working herself to the bone, why not hand over the tiring stuff to He Sanlang? He would definitely be willing to do it!

Wenqing and Wenlan: .....

The two of them were a little exasperated by Third Young Madam's reasoning. "Don't you want everyone to see you in a new light, Third Young Madam?"

If the Emperor ever found out about this, he might even praise their Third Young Madam in front of the whole court. That was an honour that most people couldn't even dream about. With that, every time anyone in the capital mentioned Chu Lian, the first thing they would think about wouldn't be how her fertility had caught House Jing'an's eye, but her miraculous invention.

Everyone would have to be respectful towards their Third Young Madam so as to not offend the Emperor. That lady from House Dingyuan, Zou Yuanqin, wouldn't have the guts to frame Third Young Madam any longer!

Chu Lian stared curiously at Wenqing and Wenlan. She hadn't expected her two maidservants to be so competitive. She found it funny and smiled as she said, "Why do I have to make others see me in a new light? I think that it's good enough for me to eat well and live well. Why do I need approval from others? It's not like I'm living for other people's attention. It's good enough if I'm happy. I like to be comfortable and I don't like to worry about so many things. Let me tell you girls: if you worry too much, you'll age faster!"

Chu Lian reached out to poke Wenqing and Wenlan's foreheads, copying the mannerisms of an elder educating her juniors.

Wenqing and Wenlan were shocked stiff by Third Young Madam's strange worldview. Their jaws dropped in amazement.

Chu Lian smiled. "Does this mean that you girls think General Sima is impressive?"

Wenqing and Wenlan nodded furiously. Of course! General Sima was quite well-known in the army despite her young age. Even they had heard of General Sima during their time in the capital. Any woman who knew a bit of martial arts would admire General Sima!

She was the modern 'Hua Mulan'!

Even the Empress Dowager, who usually remained a recluse in the palace and never talked about court matters, had personally praised Sima Hui at the national banquet and awarded her with a set of custom-made armour.

Chapter 370: Teppanyaki (1)

Chu Lian smiled in response without any intention of blaming Wenqing and Wenlan. Instead, she said, “Lady General Sima is already twenty this year, yet she has not wed. After her grandfather, Old General Sima, passed on, she has never returned to her hometown in Shandong. Her female soldiers often receive harsh criticism from others, so other than those affiliated with Old General Sima, Lady General Sima rarely has dealings with aristocratic families. General Sima seems to have spent the past three New Years in camp…”

Despite Chu Lian’s calm tone, Wenqing and Wenlan were already gaping with surprise.

They had no idea that the almighty General Sima’s life wasn’t as good as they imagined it to be.

Wenqing and Wenlan instantly felt that General Sima’s tiresome life was nowhere as good as theirs. They had the pleasure of eating delicacies alongside Third Young Madam while living idle lives...

The two young ladies didn’t realise that their worldview was gradually being thwarted by their mistress…

A rare glint of wit shone in Chu Lian’s eyes. Wasn’t there a saying about how the nail that sticks out gets hammered down? She didn’t want to draw unwanted attention! In any case, as He Changdi’s wife, she could use him as a shield for anything. It would be a waste if she didn’t use such a conveniently placed scapegoat.

As for her, she just had to live happily as a lazy layabout. She wasn’t the original Chu Lian, so what revenge was there to take?

“Go out and ask around the camp. What are they having for dinner now?”

Wenqing and Wenlan hadn’t even recovered yet from their Chu Lian-induced daze. When they heard Third Young Madam’s question, the two of them channelled He Sanlang’s spirit and their expressions turned dark.

In the end, Wenqing sighed. Fine! Their Third Young Madam was clearly intent on keeping her head in the sand like an ostrich for the rest of her life. Since their mistress couldn’t be bothered, what did they, as her servants, have to worry about?

Wenqing accepted her fate and headed out to carry her orders.

A short while later, Wenqing returned and reported her findings to Chu Lian in detail.

Chu Lian’s mouth was agape, her face filled with shock. She swallowed hard and uttered incredulously, “Bean paste?”

Chu Lian thought back to the last time she had eaten with He Sanlang, when she had been served that weird-smelling bowl of disgusting black porridge and lost all appetite.

“Third Young Madam, should we eat with them?” When in an army camp, most visitors simply shared what the soldiers had.

With lingering fear, Chu Lian quickly shook her head and said, “I think it’s better if we prepare our own!”

They could start up their own stove and use their own ingredients instead of army supplies. Her status was also different from most people, so no one would dare to gossip about her actions. Besides, He Changdi hadn’t returned yet; it wasn’t appropriate for her to leave without saying her goodbyes.

As expected, Great General Qian’s meeting with his officers took a long time. Although the sky had darkened and the snow had also lightened up, the officers of the Right Wing Army still hadn’t returned.

Chu Lian was already feeling hungry, so she chose not to wait for He Sanlang and ordered Wenqing and Wenlan to make preparations.

Wenqing carefully held a round piece of metal with trembling hands. She asked, “Third Young Madam, are you really going to use Third Young Master’s chestplate?”

Chu Lian nodded. She had searched all over the tent and this chestplate was the closest to what she wanted. It was round and approximately the same size as a regular frying pan. She rapped on its metallic surface, confirming that this was indeed the most suitable item for teppanyaki!

Chu Lian was satisfied with it, so she naturally didn’t want to wait any longer. “Why are you wasting time? Hurry up and place it on the brazier.”

Wenlan was close to tears. “Third Young Madam, why don’t you let this servant look for something else more suitable instead? It doesn’t seem like a good idea to use Third Young Master’s chestplate… Th-Third Young Master has to use this on the battlefield!”

Chu Lian turned to look at the armor displayed on the wooden frame and shook her head with a chuckle.

Going to war in armor that looked like it weighed a hundred kilograms?

It was truly miraculous that He Changdi hadn’t gotten injured on the battlefield thus far!

“Don’t worry. If my husband comes looking for someone to blame, just say that you did it under my orders.”

Unable to change Chu Lian’s mind, they could only submit to her orders.

The chestplate even had a slight depression in its center, like it had been born to be a frying pan. Chu Lian had Wenqing wash the chestplate before she placed it over the brazier.

After heating it up, she placed a piece of lard on top of it. There was no way around it; vegetable oil hadn’t been invented yet in the Great Wu Dynasty, so she could only make do with lard.

The snow-white piece of lard quickly dissolved on the chestplate, turning into a pool of aromatic oil. Next, Chu Lian took a plate of thin marinated beef slices from Wenlan and placed them one by one on the makeshift frying pan.

When the thin slices of beef came into contact with the hot greasy lard, it instantly began to sizzle. The originally flat slices of beef began to shrink; they turned from interspersed pale red and white to a nice and even brown. The aroma of cooking meat filled the air, permeating throughout the whole tent.

Chu Lian used a specially made spatula to slap the beef a few times before she took out a small white bottle and began to season it. For some reason, the unknown seasoning made the originally mouth-watering aroma several times better!

Her fair and delicate hands handled the spatula nimbly, flipping the pieces of meat with deft movements. She then added more seasoning before using a pair of chopsticks to place them on an empty plate.

Chu Lian glanced at the two girls who were swallowing their saliva with all their might. With a smile, she asked, “Wenqing, do you want to give it a taste?”

Wenqing’s eyes lit up like fireworks. She quickly picked up a pair of chopsticks and stuffed a slice of beef into her mouth without any care for how hot it was. Even as Wenqing frantically tried to cool her mouth with air, she couldn’t bear to spit the hot coal out of her mouth. When she finally managed to swallow, her lips were all red.

Chapter 371: Teppanyaki (2)

Before Chu Lian could ask, Wenlan had already impatiently said, “How was it, Sis? Is it good, is it tasty?!”

Wenqing couldn’t spare any thought to being reserved at this moment; she nodded enthusiastically with a hand over her mouth.

Wenlan was dying of envy inside. She didn’t know what Third Young Madam used, but this aroma was just too overwhelming. She stared expectantly at Chu Lian and complained, “Third Young Madam, you’re being biased!”

Chu Lian laughed. “Don’t you like spicy food? I’ll make a spicy one for you.”

Wenlan’s eyes sparkled. So this could also be made spicy.

Chu Lian followed the same steps as before, but added some chili powder while she was grilling the beef slices. As expected, Wenlan enjoyed it so much that she felt like swallowing her tongue along with the food.

They had been serving Chu Lian for a while now. When Chu Lian cooked, she had never avoided her close aides. Wenqing and Wenlan were no longer the same girls who didn’t even know how to make candied kumquats back when they had just entered Songtao Court. While serving Chu Lian, they had eaten plenty of delicacies, but it was the first time that they had tasted such an amazing dish.

Wenqing and Wenlan’s eyes were sparkling. Cooking teppanyaki was incredibly simple. As long as they prepared some good seasoning, it would be easy for a beginner to put out a decent tasting dish.

They were in the thick of winter now, where water turned to ice. Winters in the northern border had always been colder than the capital’s. Not to mention, there were only grasslands here, which meant little to no available vegetation. The main sources of food for the people in this area were beef and mutton. Grain crops, on the other hand, were pure extravagance.

This could be seen from how the officers still had meat in their meals despite the lack of provisions.

Back in Liangzhou City, she had ordered the He Estate’s guards to slaughter several yaks and sheep. Half of the meat had been taken outside to be frozen and stored.

At this point in time, the northern border was like a natural refrigerator. Meat could be kept even without curing.

When it was time to eat, they just had to take out and prepare the frozen meat.

The beef and mutton Chu Lian ate were all stored like this. At such low temperatures, the freshness wasn’t really affected at all.

Chu Lian demonstrated the process a few times in front of Wenqing and Wenlan before completely handing over the task to the two maidservants.

She watched over the bowl of lamb organ soup boiling in another earthenware pot and stirred it with a wooden ladle from time to time. She tasted it and nodded. The fire was just right, and it was almost done.

Wenlan placed a plate of slightly spicy grilled beef slices on the small table in front of Chu Lian before serving her a bowl of warm and nourishing lamb organ soup.

Chu Lian picked up her chopsticks and sniffed lightly. Ah, only this kind of aroma could be called dinner!

As for that bean paste, she would leave it to the officers and soldiers of the camp to finish!

While Chu Lian and her servants were happily cooking up delicacies in the tent, the soldiers guarding the tent outside were suffering.

Although the tent entrance was covered with a thick felt curtain to block the wind and snow, it couldn’t hold back the aroma of food at all!

From a small gap in the tent entrance, an enticing aroma drifted out, testing the hungry guards’ restraint and making their eyes turn red.

That maidservant had only brought two pieces of frozen meat into the tent. They couldn’t understand how she could produce such an alluring fragrance in such a short amount of time!

Damn it! Today’s guard shift was going to be torture!

The two soldiers wanted to rush in and ask Honoured Lady what she was doing. If only she might award them with a piece of whatever smelled so good. However, the memory of He Sanlang’s cold expression kept them at bay. The two guards really didn’t have the guts to disregard their orders, so they could only cry in their hearts.

Each of the officers leaving the commander’s tent had the same expression: as if dark clouds had finally been chased away.

Even the atmosphere around camp had suddenly warmed up.

He Changdi was met with smiles and praise from everyone that he met. Gao Zhangwei stood at the entrance of the commander’s tent. His jealous gaze was fixed on He Sanlang’s ramrod straight back.

He watched as Captain Guo and some other officers slung their arms around He Sanlang’s shoulder and massaged his back a little. Even Sima Hui was standing not too far away, looking at He Changdi with a complex gaze.

The veins on Gao Zhangwei’s forehead bulged, and his hands curled into fists so tight that his bones ground against each other with a popping sound. Unfortunately, the slight noise was covered by the howling of wind, so no one heard it at all.

When Sima Hui recalled the blueprint that He Changdi had spread out in front of Great General Qian, she followed behind the officers of the Right Wing Army in a daze, along with her female adjutant.

As she watched how close Xiao Hongyu, Captain Guo, and Zhang Mai seemed to be to He Sanlang, she couldn’t help but feel envious.

Sima Hui’s bold eyebrows drew together with a trace of sadness as the worried Xiaoju watched her general’s reaction from the side.

Captain Guo and the others in front quickly reached He Changdi’s tent.

The moment they arrived, a faint, tantalising aroma drifted over. Mixed in with the cold wind, the aroma became even more distinct.

Xiao Hongyu’s first reaction was to scold the culprit behind the aroma. “Damn! Which bastard is eating secretly by himself!? Why does it smell so good?”

He sniffed the air, posing just like a dog would, before his gaze landed on He Changdi’s tent.

Xiao Hongyu was stunned for a moment, but he quickly recovered. In a joyous, excited manner, he asked, “Brother He, is Sister-in-Law here?”

By the time He Sanlang finally regained his senses, he realised that the wicked woman was cooking something up again.

Sima Hui stared blankly upon hearing this from behind their party. He Sanlang’s wife, Honoured Lady Jinyi?

That delicious aroma piqued her curiosity. She suddenly wanted to meet Honoured Lady Jinyi.

Chapter 372: Gathering for a Meal (1)

Thus, Xiao Hongyu and his friends witnessed a very strange scene.

The normally solitary, aloof General Sima suddenly started chasing after their group.

Xiao Hongyu shot a sneaky, teasing look at He Changdi. He looked like he was preparing to settle down and watch a good show. When Zhang Mai spotted what their youngest member had done, he slapped the back of Xiao Hongyu's head.

Captain Guo was the eldest of the group and the most mature one. He peeked at He Sanlang's cold expression and realised that he wasn't going to speak up. In the end, Captain Guo had to take up the role of speaking for the group and made a greeting bow towards Sima Hui. "How may we assist you, General Sima?"

Although Sima Hui's features gave off a certain heroic spirit that most girls wouldn't have, she looked especially gentle when she smiled. Her actions were also upright and straightforward, so most of the officers in the army held a good impression of her.

Since Sima Hui was trying to be friendly, they couldn't just reject her overtures. She was a woman too, so that meant that it would be an even greater faux pas if they didn't respond to her.

"This general heard that Honoured Lady Jinyi has come to the camp today. The last time Honoured Lady came over with extra supplies, this general wasn't able to meet her, so this time, this general has to pay her a visit today at the very least."

General Sima's reason made it hard for them to reject her. Since the general was here to visit Chu Lian and they were both female, they couldn't really stop them as a bunch of guys.

Furthermore, it was already pretty late. Honoured Lady Jinyi definitely wouldn't be able to return to Liangzhou City tonight. He Sanlang shared a tent with Xiao Hongyu and it wasn't appropriate for them to let He Sanlang and his wife have the tent by themselves. They would have to request for assistance from General Sima in the end anyway.

If they offended her at this point, it wouldn't be good for them.

Captain Guo's thoughts ran quickly. He politely replied, "We're on our way to visit Honoured Lady as well. Since General Sima has the same intention, why don't we go together?"

Xiao Hongyu saw that He Changdi's gaze hadn't even grazed Sima Hui's body for a second. He rubbed the back of his head. Without any exciting gossip or drama to look at, he felt a little bored.

Zhang Mai and Xiao Hongyu had no objections to Sima Hui's addition to their party. Only He Changdi seemed to be emanating an icy aura to keep people thousands of miles away from his person, but his unspoken opinion was automatically disregarded.

Sima Hui's gaze drifted casually over to He Changdi. When she realised that his eyes hadn't turned to her direction even once, a pang of pain rose in her heart before abruptly fading into nothing.

Inwardly, General Sima sent herself a mocking smile. It wouldn't have been possible between them anyway; it was better if she could let it go.

After finally letting go of the twisted emotions in her heart, self-confidence returned to Sima Hui's expression and she started exuding a charismatic and magnetic aura.

"Since that's so, let's go together!"

Today's teppanyaki had been rather good, especially when paired with that warming lamb organ soup. After Chu Lian had gulped down the entire bowl, she finally felt like she could feel her limbs again.

Chu Lian held her plate in hand as she ate her late dinner. However, she was only able to eat a few bites of the delicious grilled beef slices before the guards outside announced, "Reporting to Honoured Lady, General Sima, Captain Guo, Captain He, Lieutenant Xiao, and Lieutenant Zhang are here."

The corners of her lips twitched. What was up with this group of people? Their noses were even better than those of dogs! They were somehow able to come by every time she was having a meal.

Wenqing and Wenlan both stiffened and froze at the same time, their faces turning pale. They exchanged troubled looks. What were they to do? Third Young Master's chest plate was still serving as the frying pan over the fire...

Chu Lian demolished the remaining beef slices on her plate in record speed and with absolute calm before standing up and straightening out her clothes.

As expected, in a short moment, the tent flap was lifted from outside and her visitors poured into the tent.

The tent wasn't that big, so there was hardly any space left once everyone had entered.

Everyone's eyes turned to the brazier next to Chu Lian the moment they entered the tent. They were all curious and expected to see something amazing.

Xiao Hongyu was the first to lose the battle between politeness and curiosity. He strode over to Chu Lian, not forgetting to give her a greeting bow, before asking with wide, sparkling eyes, "Sister-in-Law, what are you cooking now? It smells delicious!"

Chu Lian couldn't hold back the twitch in her eyes any longer.

These gluttons! The first thing on their minds wasn't asking after her wellbeing, but eyeing the table and plates in front of her...

Was this really how they should be acting?

However, Chu Lian couldn't share her honest thoughts with these gluttons, so she could only summon up her well of patience and reply, "I'm not used to the food here in the army and I had nothing to do, so I made these with my maidservants. They're just some small snacks. If it seems interesting to you, please feel free to have a taste."

That invite was exactly what the gluttons had been waiting for. When they heard her words, their faces lit up with delight. They had been stuck in the meeting in the commander's tent for almost the entire day. In the afternoon, all they had was bean paste. They were absolutely starving right now. If not for Chu Lian's status and gender, they would probably have come charging in to snatch her food when they had first smelled that delicious aroma, rather than trying to be polite.

Sima Hui formed a cupped fist salute with her hands in Chu Lian's direction. The manly gesture didn't seem out of place with her military outfit. Instead, it made her seem even more dashing and bold.

"Honoured Lady Jinyi, my name is Sima Hui. I'll be troubling you today."

Sima Hui was half a head taller than Chu Lian. She had long legs, a narrow waist, and a heroic aura. Her eyes were slightly uplifted at their corners, giving her sharp features a hint of loveliness. Chu Lian met her eyes and saw the resolution in her gaze, so she bobbed in reply and smiled with good intentions.

As she expected, Sima Hui wasn't a narrow-minded woman, nor was she a stickler for social conventions.

Chapter 373: Gathering for a Meal (2)

He Changdi hadn't looked at Sima Hui since the start, although it wasn't clear if he was simply presenting his best behaviour in front of Chu Lian or trying to avoid suspicion. His gaze darted to Chu Lian's tiny face from time to time.

When he saw that her almond-shaped eyes were gazing at Sima Hui with open admiration, he felt a sudden wave of dissatisfaction within.

Heh! This wicked woman had never looked at him like that. What? Could it be that he couldn't be compared to Sima Hui in her eyes?

He Sanlang's hands curled into fists, and his dislike of Sima Hui grew even more.

Captain Guo poked his head out of the tent and ordered the nearby guards to bring over a few more tables. There were six of them here, and the tiny side table wasn't enough to accomodate all of them.

The guards worked quickly and brought over four tables in just fifteen minutes.

All of them were part of the army, and Sima Hui was a female general. Chu Lian was a married woman with her husband right there with them, so they sat together without any restraint.

The person with the highest status, Sima Hui, was given the right to pick her seat first. However, she shook her head and smiled before allowing Chu Lian to find a seat before her. Following that, before the rest had a chance to speak, she sat herself right next to Chu Lian.

Chu Lian admired how outspoken and straightforward Sima Hui was, so she had no issue with having the general right next to her.

About half a metre away from Chu Lian's side, Wenqing and Wenlan were still grilling slices of beef and mutton. She turned and gave them some orders. When she turned back, she was met with the sight of an expressionless He Changdi pulling a wailing Xiao Hongyu away from her side and seating himself in the remaining seat next to her.

Xiao Hongyu couldn't beat He Sanlang, so he could only admit defeat and sit next to him instead.

Captain Guo and Zhang Mai were already old friends, so they picked a seat without any fuss.

Actually, Xiao Hongyu didn't have any other intentions. He just wanted to sit a little closer to the brazier where the amazing food was being cooked, all so he could eat a little more.

It was just a teeny tiny request, but Brother He refused to fulfill it. Xiao Hongyu sulked. What a gold-star sworn brother he had!

Chu Lian took two plates of grilled beef slices from Wenlan and placed them in the center of the combined table. She pointed at a plate with lighter coloured slices and explained, "These are teppanyaki beef slices. The ones in this plate are just plain, and the ones in this other plate are spicy. If you've never eaten spicy food before, be careful when you're eating these. Take a small bite so you won't choke on the spiciness."

Captain Guo and the rest weren't going to stand on ceremony before a delicious spread like this, especially Xiao Hongyu. He had eaten at the He Estate before, so he knew that Honoured Lady Jinyi's servants cooked very tasty food. If not for Sima Hui's presence, he would probably have stolen one of the plates for himself and run off.

Right before Chu Lian finished speaking, the men before her were already gulping down the food voraciously. The grilled beef slices were lean and seasoned well. The special seasoning complimented the natural taste of the beef, bringing tears to the eyes of the men who had been eating bean paste for a month.

Sob sob sob... This was proper human food! Bean paste? That was only fit for feeding pigs!

The wretched sight of the three men eating didn't faze He Sanlang at all. He sat ramrod straight at the table without touching his chopsticks. His eyes seemed to be fixed on the table, but he was actually watching Chu Lian from the corner of his gaze.

Chu Lian was already used to seeing reactions like those of Captain Guo and the rest after opening Guilin Restaurant. Thus, even as the army men gobbled up food like a pack of wolves around her, she appeared completely unfazed.

On the other hand was Sima Hui. It was her first time seeing Captain Guo and the rest eat like that. The image they made was so shocking that she could only stare blankly at them for some time. Sima Hui was starting to wonder if she was the abnormal one for not reacting like that.

It took Chu Lian’s kind reminder to wake Sima Hui from her stupor.

"General Sima, please have a taste. They're eating really fast."

It was only then that Sima Hui picked up her chopsticks and reached towards the plate. Unfortunately, she was still too late; the last slice of spicy beef was quickly taken away by Xiao Hongyu.

Sima Hui: ......

Chu Lian: ......

Xiao Hongyu didn't notice that he was being judged at all. He was still immersed in the delicious food!

Mm, the spicy ones seemed to carry more flavour and were even better than the normal beef slices.

Chu Lian was too lazy to reason with a glutton like Xiao Hongyu. She shot a look at the busy Wenqing, who quickly passed over a smaller plate to Chu Lian. There were two freshly grilled beef slices on the small dish.

She set the dish in front of Sima Hui and smiled. "General Sima, please try this."

As thick-skinned as Xiao Hongyu was, he still didn't have the guts to steal from Sima Hui's dish. He could only chew on his chopsticks with a pitiful look on his face.

Sima Hui used her chopsticks to pick up a slice of beef. She blew on it first before putting it into her mouth.

She chewed once, twice before a fire sparked in her eyes. Her chewing got faster and faster...

Sima Hui had eaten plenty of good food back in Shandong. She had been raised on the best delicacies that money could buy, and yet, Chu Lian's little beef slices had already conquered her taste buds in a matter of seconds.

Chapter 374: Not Afraid of A Little Spice? (1)

Chu Lian smiled after seeing Sima Hui's reaction. It looked like the teppanyaki suited her tastes.

Wenlan served up another bowl of lamb organ soup for everyone.

Chu Lian held up her bowl with two hands and sipped slowly. Since the soup was piping hot, her cheeks were flushed a rosy red. She said, "This isn't anything fancy, but it’s good for keeping your body warm. It's made from lamb intestines."

The intestines of cows, sheep, and pigs were not considered good ingredients in the Great Wu Dynasty. They were seen as byproducts of killing livestock. Only the families who were really poor and couldn't afford other types of ingredients would eat them.

Everyone had been happily drinking their soup, but upon hearing the truth from Chu Lian, their eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

Captain Guo was in absolute disbelief. He looked at his empty bowl and looked again at the steaming pot of soup boiling over the brazier. "Is this really made from lamb intestines?"

Chu Lian blinked. "Didn't you just try it for yourself?"

Once Captain Guo had confirmed the truth with Chu Lian, he slapped his leg in anger and his whole person seemed to sag. He looked rather depressed.

Chu Lian found it strange and didn't understand why Captain Guo had such a huge reaction. She set down the bowl in her hands and said, "Brother Guo, please don't worry. Although this soup is made from lamb intestines, Wenqing and Wenlan made sure to clean them thoroughly before cooking. You won't get ill from eating this."

The people of the Great Wu Dynasty didn't dare to eat intestines because some people had fallen ill after eating them. As the news passed by word of mouth, it became that no one dared to eat intestines any longer.

It was true that it was easy to get infected with some sort of bacteria or virus by eating unclean animal organs. However, as long as the organs were washed carefully, there wouldn't be any problems.

He Changdi drank a mouthful of the soup. For some reason, although he was absolutely starving, he just couldn't muster up an appetite when he saw how Chu Lian was ignoring him.

Zhang Mai shook his head. He was the one who understood Captain Guo the most here. "Honoured Lady, it's not what you think. Captain Guo is regretting how he threw away all the intestines before this!"

The border army had slaughtered livestock like cows and sheep to preserve their meat for winter. The intestines and organs had been immediately thrown away and buried.

If they had known that these organs could be made into such a delicious soup, they wouldn't have wasted a single cow intestine. If they had kept those organs, their army would have had a few more days of supplies!

The party had only come over for a free meal; no one expected the mood to turn depressing so suddenly.

Captain Guo, Zhang Mai, and Xiao Hongyu all sunk into silence. He Changdi's face had been cold from the start. Sima Hui joined them with an expression of deep thought.

Chu Lian really hadn't expected a simple bowl of lamb organ soup to provoke such reactions from them. She rolled her eyes speechlessly. What was the use of regretting it now? Those organs had long been buried. By now, the organs must be decomposing naturally. Even if they regretted it, it wasn't as if they could dig up the organs and eat them now.

Wasn't it good enough to take note of this knowledge and apply it in the future?

While Chu Lian remained calm, it didn't mean that the others shared her open-mindedness.

Wenqing and Wenlan were getting anxious watching them. Once the atmosphere in the tent had taken a turn for the worse, the two sisters' actions had become more careful as they continued grilling meat.

Wenlan's hand trembled, accidentally moving the chest plate and causing it to make an ear-piercing screech as it rubbed against the steel wire mesh it was balanced upon. Following that, it wobbled and fell off the wire mesh... letting out a clear 'cling clang'.

Everyone was jolted back to their senses and they turned towards the sound in unison.

Wenqing and Wenlan's faces turned pale as they tried their best to blend into the walls.

When six pairs of eyes focused on the object still shaking and wobbling on the floor, they shared a sense of familiarity.

Hmm... This round plate didn't seem like a wok... Although it had been charred black by the fire and was covered in glistening oil, the sides that hadn't been burned looked like shiny golden metal.

They were all officers in the army and for all soldiers shared the same style of armour apart from the generals. Even Sima Hui's armour looked about the same, except for the two chest plates in the front.

Suddenly, in uncoordinated unison, everyone turned towards the armour hanging on the wooden rack. Sweat drops seemed to form simultaneously on their faces.

Chu Lian immediately realised that they had found out that her teppanyaki plate was the chest plate on He Sanlang's armour. However, she had already used it right in front of them so it wasn't good to explain too much at this moment. Anyway, they had all eaten it together. They couldn't scold her now after eating her food.

Chu Lian was very thick-skinned. She acted as if it were nothing.

He Changdi was the first to lose his temper. He cast a cold gaze over the defaced chest plate and pressed his lips together. With gritted teeth, he shouted, "Chu Lian! Is this your doing?!"

After getting shouted at by He Sanlang, Chu Lian did feel a little guilty. She tried to soften him up by giving him a sweet smile.

The group saw that tension was rising between the couple, so they immediately made their escape.

Sima Hui hadn't expected that the normally cool and reserved He Sanlang had moments where his anger bled through; she stared at the scene in stunned astonishment.

Xiao Hongyu stood outside the tent in the cold, breezy night and whisper-shouted, "Brother Guo, Brother Zhang, let me sleep in your tent tonight! Brother He was way too scary just now."

The two of them completely ignored Xiao Hongyu's request and ran away as fast as they could.

Sima Hui stood outside the tent with a smile. She really hadn't expected to see that that was how He Changdi and his wife got along.

When that calm, intelligent, cold He Sanlang was in front of Honoured Lady Jinyi, it was as if his divine aura had suddenly been lifted and he became a living, breathing human being with emotions, rather than a cruel and heartless robot.

The couple seemed to be getting along very well. How could anyone possibly get in between them? Xiaoyan had really been too naive.

When she thought of Xiaoyan, Sima Hui let a long sigh. She left Xiaoju behind with some instructions before bringing the rest of her party back to her tent.

Chapter 375: Not Afraid of A Little Spice? (2)

Only He Sanlang and Chu Lian were left in the tent. Wenqing and Wenlan had already made their escape.

If this had been a normal day, Chu Lian would have definitely been more stubborn and hardheaded. However, she just couldn't summon up her courage today. She snuck a glance at the missing space in front of the armour and made a silent prayer for herself.

Her body had just been warmed up by the soup, but now her lunatic husband had gone and made things all cold again.

When she looked at how He Sanlang was sitting up straight at the side without moving, as if he were a statue, Chu Lian felt extremely awkward.

After a long moment of silence, Chu Lian lost her patience first.

"It was my mistake today. I'll compensate you with another set of armour."

He Changdi looked straight at his wife, who had her head slightly lowered. All the anger in him had already disappeared when their guests had left.

Seeing how she had shrunk back into herself like a scared little bunny, the reprimand that he had been about to unleash remained stuck in his throat.

Thinking back to the 'snowboat' that she had gifted to him this morning, He Changdi's heart softened.

This woman had put him first in her thoughts. She had given him that precious blueprint without any caution at all. No one knew the value of that snowboat better than he did.

His image of her was slowly pulling away from the wicked woman of his previous life.

When he thought of that, He Sanlang's frozen heart melted into a pile of water, as if spring had come early. The issue with the armour became inconsequential to him.

Looking again at the timid-looking Chu Lian, he just couldn't bear to scold her.

Luckily, He Changdi was the kind of person who kept his guard up and his thoughts to himself. He wouldn't share his thoughts just like that. Otherwise, if Chu Lian were to reveal the real reason for giving him the snowboat blueprints, he would be the one to puke blood in anger.

Chu Lian was still waiting for her lunatic husband to scold her. Who could have thought that she wouldn't hear anything from He Changdi at all, even though her neck was already starting to hurt from keeping it lowered?

She looked up and cast a quick glance at He Changdi...

...Only to realise that he was looking right back at her with that deep gaze of his. The emotions swirling in his eyes were just too strange. Chu Lian shivered; why did she feel like he was going to eat her up in the next instant...

After getting caught by Chu Lian, He Changdi shifted his gaze away and coughed awkwardly. He picked up the chest plate from the floor. Under Chu Lian's frightened gaze, he wiped the chest plate clean and placed it back over the brazier.

He moved a plate of raw beef slices that hadn't been grilled in front of Chu Lian and said, "Cook this."

Chu Lian thought that she was hallucinating. She replied with a dazed, "Ah?"

He Changdi tried his best to adjust his expression and make it as neutral as possible instead of cold and unapproachable.

"I didn't eat just now. I'm still hungry."

Chu Lian shot a doubtful glance at him. She hadn't been watching him just now, so she didn't know if he was speaking the truth. Among that pack of  hungry wolves, had he really not eaten at all?

When He Changdi's eyes met hers, Chu Lian could only admit defeat and help him grill the meat...

As Chu Lian skilfully flipped the beef slices on the metal plate, the sound of the meat sizzling was audible.

She took up the plate of seasoning and asked, "Do you eat spicy food?"

He Changdi was staring at Chu Lian's fair hands, lost in thought. He didn't seem to hear Chu Lian's question at all.

Chu Lian made an exaggerated roll of her eyes.

What was going on with her lunatic husband? It was bad enough that he had chased everyone out of the tent. Now he was making her cook for him personally. However, when she asked him what flavour he would like to have, he actually had the audacity to doze off.

Chu Lian continued complaining in her heart and 'accidentally' shook her hand twice, adding in twice the usual amount of chilli powder.

Hehe... Since you're not going to reply, I'll let you have all the spice!

She finished grilling the beef slices and placed them neatly on a plate. They looked delicious and alluring.

Chu Lian personally set the dish in front of He Sanlang.

He Sanlang stared at the grilled beef slices in front of him, finally feeling satisfied.

His wife should only care and cook for him alone.

Although He Changdi felt happy inside, there wasn't much change in his expression. Chu Lian sat back down next to him and watched as he used his wooden chopsticks to put a slice of meat into his mouth.

In the next second, He Changdi's body stiffened for an instant before returning to normal.

He Sanlang ate very elegantly. Even though his chopsticks moved at a rapid pace, his motions were still a joy to watch.

As Chu Lian watched him devour piece after piece until all the meat on the plate was gone, her eyes widened in shock.

What was going on? Had He Changdi been born in Sichuan in his previous life? How was he so good at eating spicy food?

She had been the one to grill the meat and she had been the one who personally brought the chilli powder all the way from the capital. She knew very well how spicy it was.

Chu Lian was already considered someone who could hold her spice, and she considered a fingernail’s worth of powder to be good enough. But when she had been cooking the meat for He Changdi, she had used two to three times that amount!

He Changdi’s expression hadn't even changed, like he hadn’t noticed the spice at all.

If not for the lack of any spicy seasoning like this chilli powder in the Great Wu Dynasty, Chu Lian might have suspected that he was the kind to eat exclusively spicy food.

However, Chu Lian found out very quickly that she was wrong.

Chapter 376: It's Hard to Say Sorry (1)

Chu Lian stared at He Sanlang in astonishment. "Isn't it spicy?"

He Changdi's thin lips were slightly swollen. He licked them and, continuing his pretense of calm, said, "It was okay."

Chu Lian's eyes focused on his face, her almond-shaped eyes trying to discern whether he had been telling the truth.

Her gaze drifted down to his neck. He Changdi's skin was fair, and the clothes he wore were a dark colour, making the colour of his neck even more obvious.

His originally pale skin was now completely flushed red. There was a thin layer of sweat coating his neck, indicating that He Changdi probably hadn't been telling the truth.

Chu Lian went into a daze for a moment before she shifted her gaze away to the unassuming dark green collar resting against his neck.

The collar peeking out was from his undershirt. Although it was just a tiny sliver of collar, Chu Lian managed to recognise it instantly.

This was definitely the undershirt that Li Yue had embroidered, the one that Wenqing had accidentally packed for him...

Dark green was an unassuming colour, so it shouldn't be noticeable when worn on the inside.

However, since it was Li Yue's first time embroidering, she wasn't very good at picking a matching thread colour. While it was true she needed a different colour for her patterns, she should have picked something closer to the shirt's colour. Instead, Li Yue had picked out some shiny thread with the colour of autumn leaves, thus making the crooked embroidery on the collar especially obvious.

It was extremely eye-catching.

Chu Lian was so captivated by the collar that He Sanlang finally noticed that something was wrong. He looked downwards and realised that he was still wearing the undershirt that his wife had embroidered for him. His ears flushed red instantly.

The atmosphere within the tent was slowly turning a little weird.

When Chu Lian finally regained her senses, her face wrinkled up into a strange expression. She knew that He Changdi had probably assumed that that undershirt was her handiwork.

She was trapped in a dilemma now. Should she tell him the truth or not?

Once she thought of the fits of insanity that He Changdi seemed prone to from time to time, she decided to remain silent on the matter for the sake of her own safety... If the truth ever came to light, she could honestly say that she had never claimed to have any part in making that undershirt.

However, Chu Lian still couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. She turned and poured a cup of warm water for him, kindly explaining, "The taste of the grilled beef is a little strong. Why don't you have some warm water to rinse away the flavour?"

He Sanlang coughed twice to hide his struggle before nodding. When he took the cup, he immediately drained it in one gulp...

Chu Lian secretly watched from the side. Upon seeing how urgently he was drinking the water, she knew that she had guessed correctly.

She thought back to how he had been eating so fervently and felt a little touched. If they had switched places and she had been the one served those extremely spicy beef slices, she probably wouldn't have been able to down a single one.

They were just like a loving couple. The husband would eat his wife's cooking without complaint, regardless of how it tasted, because it was made by his wife. For the sake of making her happy, he would pretend to love eating her food and polish off every last bit on the plate.

Chu Lian realised that He Changdi had the habit of never wasting any food.

He had been like this even back at Songtao Court and even more so when eating that terrible bean paste.

Although He Sanlang's personality was too aloof and he would have random periods of insanity from time to time, her heart couldn’t help but soften to him. She wanted to treat him a little better. Chu Lian promised herself that she would never tease him in that manner ever again, and that she would always cook delicious food for him.

Once He Sanlang got over the burning feeling in his mouth, he sipped a mouthful of lamb organ soup and pressed his lips together. Though he was hesitant, He Sanlang finally gathered his courage and said, "Chu Lian, many thanks to you for your help."

Chu Lian blinked in surprise. The corners of her lips curled up as she said, "It was just a small suggestion. It's good if it'll be useful to you."

She acted so casually that He Sanlang didn't know what else to say.

As many different thoughts ran through his mind, the depths of He Changdi’s eyes grew as fathomless as the night sky dotted with the light of faraway stars. He finally let go of the unseen chains tying his mind to his past life.

Although there were many similarities between this life and his old one, there were just as many differences. Everything seemed to have been reset. How could he be sure that the Chu Lian before him was the same Chu Lian from his past life?

Other than sharing the same face, their personalities were completely different!

He no longer wanted to escape reality. Despite how much he wanted to argue against it, a voice was calling out to him from deep within, reminding him that he had already fallen in love with the Chu Lian right in front of him.

This was an unavoidable truth that he didn't want to admit.

Chu Lian had described how she had invented the snowboat as if it was a normal everyday thing to do, and it had indeed been as easy as drinking and eating for her. However, that wasn't what He Sanlang thought.

After getting hurt so deeply and encasing himself in unbreakable ice, He Changdi had thought that he would never develop feelings for any woman ever again. Who could have expected that his heart would fall for his greatest sworn enemy?

It was fortunate that his personality was strong enough to withstand this turn of events, or he might have made himself go crazy for real.

There was a period of silence within the tent that made Chu Lian feel like years had passed instead of just minutes. She adjusted her skirt and wondered whether she should try to take her leave. It was only then that she suddenly heard He Changdi's low, magnetic voice say, "Chu Lian, let's get along well from now on."

Chapter 377: It's Hard to Say Sorry (2)

He Changdi had used up every bit of courage in his body to say those words, but he found that he had only become even more nervous because of them. His gaze subconsciously landed on Chu Lian's face.

There was no good way to describe what Chu Lian's expression looked like. The closest approximation was 'like she had stepped in dog poop'.

Sigh... This lunatic He Sanlang... When had she ever not tried to get along with him?

She had focused on cooking good food to raise her standard of living, respected her elders, and even earnestly started a business to earn money. She was living perfectly well!

She wasn't the one throwing fits of lunacy since their wedding night!

Chu Lian fought the urge to smile out of overwhelming anger. Wasn't it lucky for him that she was the He Family's Third Young Madam? If he had said that to any other noble lady, wouldn't they have expired on the spot from frustration?

When He Changdi noticed the mocking expression on Chu Lian's face, he froze. His lips pursed together, forming a thin line as his expression turned colder and colder. The hands hidden under his sleeves slowly tensed into fists.

He wanted to speak, but he found that he couldn't say a word when faced with the sort of expression on Chu Lian's face.

Chu Lian tilted her head to the side and started examining the tall He Sanlang the Fair, who would still tower over her by half a head even when seated.

At this moment, He Sanlang's fine features were contorted with tension. There was an aura of self-restraint around him, as if he was a dog trying to suppress the sadness of having been abandoned by his master.

Chu Lian smiled. "He Changdi, what's with that pitiful act? It's not like I abandoned you!"

He Sanlang's current expression was extremely entertaining. He stared at Chu Lian with wide eyes. Her reply had been completely out of his expectations.

Before he could gather his wits to summon a reply, Chu Lian continued into a full-blown tirade. "Haven't you realised it yet? I've always been trying to get along with you! Otherwise, why would I have come all the way out to this poor and desolate place? Why else would I be sitting right next to you now? Are you taking me for a fool?"

The fog covering He Sanlang's eyes seemed to have lifted in an instant.

Shame and guilt flashed through his eyes. Chu Lian's mocking words felt like a slap to his face. Although it didn't hurt, he was still upset.

That's right! Hadn't he been the one determined not to get along with her?

Although he hadn't caused any physical or fatal harm to Chu Lian's body, ever since their wedding day, all of his actions had been damaging to Chu Lian's reputation and self-respect.

How hilarious. How could he have had the guts to ask Chu Lian to 'get along well' with him? He deserved every word of ridicule from her.

He Sanlang pressed his lips together and parted them, yet he just couldn't let a single sound out.

The smile on Chu Lian's face slowly faded away. She looked up at that handsome face with her almond-shaped eyes. "He Changdi, is it so hard to say that you're sorry?"

Chu Lian no longer wanted to wait for his apology. She stood up, but as she did so, she realised that her legs were numb from kneeling for too long. Her body refused to listen to her commands and wavered. He Changdi was about to reach out to support her, but Chu Lian recovered her balance and stabilised herself before he could do so.

He Changdi's outstretched arms looked pitifully lonely and useless. He lowered them in desolation.

Chu Lian watched all this happen, but her heart was set.

"He Changdi, it's getting late. Lieutenant Xiao must be suffering in the cold wind outside. You have a mission to carry out tomorrow as well, so I'll stop bothering you."

And with that, Chu Lian turned and quickly left. Although her figure seemed slender and weak, she moved faster than expected. She was already long gone by the time He Changdi thought to chase after her.

When Chu Lian stepped out of the tent, the cold northern winds were like a slap to her face, instantly calming down her tumultuous emotions. Chu Lian took in a deep breath, but her expression didn't improve.

The tent had muffled all the sounds from inside, so Xiao Hongyu, Wenqing, and Wenlan didn't know what the couple had discussed. However, judging from Chu Lian's expression, all of them could tell that the couple had fought.

Wenlan quickly hurried forward to wrap a cloak around Chu Lian. Xiaoju stepped up to welcome her. "Honoured Lady, our general has charged this subordinate with the duty of leading Honoured Lady to a place to sleep."

Captain Guo had been intending to send Chu Lian over to the women's camp for the night anyway. It was even better that Sima Hui had sent one of her most trusted adjutants over to lead Chu Lian there personally.

Chu Lian smiled at Xiaoju. She wasn't an unreasonable person. "Then I'll be troubling your general. I'll head over right now."

Although it was Xiaoju's first time interacting with Chu Lian, she felt that it was easy to interact with the baby-faced Honoured Lady Jinyi. Her personality was also straightforward, unlike most of the noble ladies in the capital.

Xiaoju was already used to living in the army with her mistress, so she hated the way that noble ladies would talk in circles with hidden meanings. It was better to be honest and direct in everything.

Chu Lian followed Xiaoju to Sima Hui's tent with Wenqing and Wenlan behind her.

When He Sanlang came out of his tent, all that he caught was Chu Lian's slender back walking into the flurry of snow.

Noticing that He Changdi's expression was very gloomy, Xiao Hongyu acted appropriately for once and said, "Brother He, Sister-in-Law has gone over to General Sima's camp. Don't worry, Brother Guo has already made a proper request to General Sima; the general won't mistreat Sister-in-Law."

He Changdi didn't reply Xiao Hongyu. He simply stood at the tent entrance and watched until Chu Lian's silhouette had completely faded into the darkness of the snowy night. He finally turned around and returned to the tent. For some reason, when he heard from Xiao Hongyu that Sima Hui had sent her trusted female adjutant to welcome Chu Lian, he couldn’t help but feel slightly upset.

Chapter 378: Getting Along with Sima Hui (1)

Sima Hui didn't arrange another tent for Chu Lian. Firstly, it was already quite late. Secondly, even if she arranged for another tent, it wouldn't be as comfortable as her own.

The two of them were women and the soldiers outside were all female too, so it was much more convenient than it was at the Right Wing Army's camp.

Currently, it was the coldest hour of night, where even just sticking a hand outside meant risking possible frostbite. In Sima Hui’s tent, however, it was as warm as spring.

Chu Lian had visited the tent once before, but that was when the owner hadn't been around.

This time, when she followed Xiaoju into the tent, Sima Hui personally came over to welcome her in.

Sima Hui had already changed out of the military uniform she normally wore during the day. All she wore now was a loose and comfortable light pink set of inner clothes. Her ink black hair was let loose to fall over her shoulders while two locks of her fringe framed the sides of her face, softening her bold features and adding a hint of womanly charm.

Sima Hui was taller than Chu Lian by half an entire head when they stood beside each other. She walked behind Chu Lian and warmly said, "Honoured Lady, please come over here and have a seat. Warm yourself up by the fire." Following that, she ordered Xiaoju to serve some tea.

Chu Lian followed Sima Hui and sat down next to the brazier. "General Sima, you don't have to stand on ceremony with me. I don't drink sencha, so Xiaoju won't have to busy herself with brewing tea. You don't have to call me Honoured Lady either; you can just use my name."

Sima Hui smiled. "Then you don't have to call me General Sima either, Lian'er. I'm older than you by a few years, so why don't you call me Sister Hui like my cousins do?"

Chu Lian hadn't expected Sima Hui to get so familiar, but it would be impolite to reject her now. Thus, she nodded and said, "Then I'll be thick-skinned with you, Sister Hui."

This tent was indeed outfitted for a female general. Everything in Sima Hui's tent was of good quality. Even though there wasn’t much space, the furniture within was exquisite. There was even a small incense burner in a corner of the tent, which gave off a faint, watery fragrance that calmed the mind and relaxed the body.

Compared with He Changdi's ordinary tent, the difference was like heaven and earth.

However, for some reason, although Sima Hui's tent was very cosy, Chu Lian just didn't feel as comfortable as she was in He Changdi's.

Sima Hui ordered Xiaoju and two more female soldiers to add another bed next to her own. Wenqing and Wenlan set it up with thick bedding and a fleece blanket, and that was to be Chu Lian's bed for the night.

Chu Lian had the habit of sleeping in, especially in such a cold place like the north. Back in Liangzhou's He Estate, she would sleep till noon before getting up.

However, this morning, the moment Chu Lian heard some movement from Sima Hui right next to her, she woke right up.

Sima Hui was already standing behind the privacy screen and changing into her set of silver armour. Chu Lian sat up on the bed, a little groggy. Sima Hui noticed Chu Lian getting up and how dazed she looked. Any hint of the intelligence she had seen yesterday was gone.

Chu Lian's soft hair was slightly disheveled from sleep, and her cheeks were red. Her young age and small body size also gave Sima Hui the urge to treat her like a younger cousin.

Unbeknownst to Sima Hui, her tone now carried a trace of warmth as she said to Chu Lian, "It's still early. Why don't you continue sleeping, Lian'er? I'm going out to train my soldiers."

After sitting for a while, Chu Lian was now fully awake, so she didn't feel like going back to sleep. Still slightly sleepy, she murmured, "It's okay, Sister Hui. I'll get up now."

Sima Hui didn't stop her. However, since it was so rare to see Chu Lian so dazed, she couldn't resist the urge to pet that messy head of hair.

When Wenqing and Wenlan walked past the entrance screen, that was the scene that greeted them. They somehow felt that General Sima's actions seemed a little weird...

He Changdi had gotten up especially early on this day. When he walked out of his tent, the sun was barely reaching out across the horizon. He did a set of boxing exercises outside his tent and broke a wooden post before a soldier came over to report that General Sima was awake and having breakfast with Honoured Lady in her tent.

He froze for a moment before gritting his teeth and asking, "Have you found Honoured Lady's maidservants?"

The soldier felt that the air around his officer was turning a little too chilly. He trembled as he replied, "Y-Yes, this subordinate has f-found them..."

He Changdi's cold gaze focused on the soldier, whose knees began to knock together. "Miss Wenqing said that Captain should take care of his own body. They'll serve Honoured Lady so Captain doesn't need to worry about them."

"Did Wenqing pass on any message from Honoured Lady for me?"

The corners of the soldier's mouth twitched and he hesitated. In the end, he still reported the truth, not daring to lie to his superior officer. "N-No..."

"Scram!"

The soldier staggered and stumbled as he ran away, nearly tripping over himself. It wasn't until he could no longer see his captain that he wiped his forehead. Captain had been way too scary just now. On a dry winter day like this, he had actually broken out into cold sweat.

He Sanlang was extremely angry now. He paced furiously outside his tent. He finally seemed to think of something and quickly returned inside.

After about fifteen minutes, Laiyue hurried into the tent after him.

"Third Young Master, do you have any urgent orders for this servant?"

He Changdi nodded.

Laiyue immediately focused 120% of his attention on his master and waited for his orders.

"Have you given the sugarcane that you brought back yesterday to your Third Young Madam yet?"

Laiyue blanked out for a moment. Was this the urgent business that Third Young Master had summoned him for?

Although he was a little disappointed, Laiyue still honestly said, "Not yet. This servant was in a rush to report the news after meeting Third Young Madam on the way to Liangzhou City yesterday, so this servant hasn't given her the sugarcane."

A rare hint of joy appeared on He Sanlang's face. "Bring the sugarcane here, I'll send it to her myself."

Laiyue secretly glanced at his Third Young Master. Although he had some suspicions in his heart, he didn't dare to question his master and immediately agreed.

"This servant will go and bring it here."

Chapter 379: Getting Along with Sima Hui (2)

Xiao Hongyu wasn't in the tent at the moment. After Laiyue left, He Changdi continued pacing within his tent frantically. He started rubbing the green jade ring that now adorned his right thumb; it was the same one that Chu Lian had given him. It seemed like his heart would only calm down if he did so.

Chu Lian had been intending to leave today. However, Sima Hui persuaded her to stay one more day.

With Sima Hui as her guide, it became much more convenient for Chu Lian to take a tour around the border army camp. She could even take a peek at the female soldiers' training grounds.

Chu Lian didn't know how to ride, so Sima Hui's adjutant Xiaoju picked out a gentle mare for her and helped her onto the horse's back. Following that, Xiaoju got on her own horse and helped to lead Chu Lian's mare around.

It was Chu Lian's first time riding a horse, so she was excited. Sima Hui accompanied her on her own handsome snow-white steed, pointing out the sights in the camp and explaining the details to her from time to time.

Chu Lian learned a lot on this little trip. With her fur cloak wrapped around her, despite the strong winds turning her cheeks red, she didn't feel cold at all. Her mood remained high and excited throughout the day.

How often would she get the chance to be shown around the northern border camp by a female general? Of course Chu Lian was going to seize the opportunity and make the most of it.

Sima Hui took off the red fox fur hat on her head and passed it over to Chu Lian. "Lian'er, why don't you wear this? This will be warmer than that hood on your cloak."

Chu Lian looked the smiling Sima Hui. Seeing that Xiaoju had already passed another hat to Sima Hui, she didn't turn down the offer and took it Then, she pulled down her hood and put the hat on her head.

Since they were in an army camp right now, Chu Lian had chosen a simple hairstyle for today. She didn't have many accessories on her head either, and half of her hair was let loose behind her back, so nothing got in the way of the hat.

Currently, Chu Lian wore a red cotton-padded dress with pomegranate flowers embroidered on it, paired with an additional short vest on her upper body. The sleeves of her vest and the hem of her skirt were covered in a layer of white rabbit fur. Wrapped around her was a thick pink cloak. Sima Hui's red fox fur hat turned out to match rather well with her outfit for today.

Most of her black hair was covered by the hat, which also had a ring of round white pearls. There were even a few strands of pearls hanging on either side of her temple, forming miniature curtains. The pearl strands swayed with every step of the horse underneath her, highlighting her fair face and flushed cheeks and making her seem even more dazzling.

Sima Hui was very satisfied upon seeing Chu Lian's outfit completed by her hat. She pointed to the left and said, "Lian'er, the Right Wing Army's training grounds are over there. Captain Guo, Captain He, and the other officers usually train their soldiers there."

Chu Lian's gaze followed where Sima Hui was pointing and was immediately met with the sight of He Changdi looking over from far away.

Despite the distance between them that resulted in her inability to clearly see He Changdi’s face, Chu Lian was absolutely sure that He Changdi was looking at her right now, perhaps due to her women's intuition.

Chu Lian didn't greet him at all. Instead, she followed Sima Hui on a path around the border of the male camp, checking out other areas of interest.

He Sanlang was skilled in martial arts and his five senses were much more sensitive than most people. Furthermore, Chu Lian's outfit today was rather eye-catching. It was hard for him not to notice her.

Think about it. Most of the people in the army were wearing dull grey armour. Even Sima Hui's female soldiers were dressed in similar outfits. It was impossible for Chu Lian not to stand out in her red clothes!

Not only that, He Sanlang had been watching from the start as Sima Hui had taken off her own hat for Chu Lian to wear!

Sima Hui was dressed in silver armour with a bright red cloak behind her. She had a lanky figure and carried herself with a heroic bearing. Her waist and back were straight and she had a red-tipped spear strapped to her back. She even had a handsome white horse under her. When she was riding next to Chu Lian, if no one looked closely, they wouldn't look like two women at all. Instead, they would seem like a young couple deeply in love...

Especially when Sima Hui had taken off her hat and given it to Chu Lian to wear. He Changdi was hopping mad!

Sima Hui had instantly taken the top spot on the list of people he hated.

His eyes were like daggers as he focused on Chu Lian, fighting his urge to rush over there immediately. However, that wicked woman pretended as if she hadn't seen him and walked away!

Thus, Captain He's subordinates suffered through hell today.

After the training ended, all of the soldiers were grabbing onto their sore waists and legs and crying for their mothers.

Wasn't it bad enough that they hadn't had a full meal in days? Why were they still being tortured with training like this? Had they offended the heavens somehow?

Once he was done training his troops, He Changdi took Laiyue with him and headed for Sima Hui's tent.

He made a trip back to his own tent to change out of his clothes first. When Xiao Hongyu spotted him taking out a grey set of inner clothes from his wooden chest, he came over with a bright smile and brimming curiosity. "Brother He, you're finally going to stop wearing that dark green tunic? Hehe, I even made a bet with Brother Zhang to see when you were going to change out of that! It looks like it's my win!"

The end result of Xiao Hongyu's teasing was getting punched. Of course, he didn't dare to return the blow.

Meanwhile, Chu Lian and Sima Hui were eating snacks in her tent. Xiaoju set down a plate of nicely cut sugarcane on the table.

Chapter 380: Gathering Grain (1)

The bad weather, harsh climate, and geography of the land meant that the northern border wasn't suited for planting grains. Even if they tried to plant some crops, the harvest would be dismal. That was why the disgusting Chinese olive porridge was so precious to the people here.

Since grain crops couldn't survive in the northern border, fruit trees were a mere dream.

This was also winter. Even in the capital, the types of fruit available in the middle of winter were just some frozen pears or tangerines.

Even Chu Lian, who seemed to have prepared an entire larder for herself, hadn't brought any fresh fruits with her. When she was craving for some fruit, the most she could do was have some candied kumquats.

Thus, when Sima Hui served up this juicy and sweet sugarcane, she was overwhelmed by the luxurious treat.

Chu Lian knew perfectly well what the soldiers in the camp were going through right now.

When Xiaoju saw how Honoured Lady Jinyi was staring at the white porcelain dish full of sugarcane, she smiled and explained, "The general brought these over from Su City. Since the weather hasn't been very good, some of the sugarcane was spoiled by the frost. The only ones we have left are here."

When Chu Lian heard that, she didn't feel like eating it any longer. She pushed the dish towards Sima Hui. "It wasn't easy to have kept this sugarcane for so long. Sister Hui, you should have it instead."

Sima Hui smiled gently and said, "I don't like to eat sweet things. Lian'er, go ahead and eat it. The only reason I even have these is because Su City had an abundant harvest of sugarcane. I bought them while passing by with my subordinates. If you feel bad, then you can make some salty snacks for me."

Chu Lian did have a sweet tooth, as could be seen from how she always drank honey water without any hint of getting tired of it.

Since Sima Hui had already explained her reasons, it would be impolite for Chu Lian to refuse. Her lips curled into a smile and she said, "Since Sister Hui has already offered it to me, I won't stand on ceremony."

Chu Lian used the toothpicks placed next to the dish to pick up a piece and put it in her mouth. The sugarcane had been kept well and it was still very juicy. She chewed it forcefully, bringing out the sweet juice within and filling her mouth with its unique taste. This taste was completely different from eating candied kumquats.

Chu Lian quickly crunched her way through five pieces. Although her actions weren't as elegant as those of noble-born ladies, the way she ate made anyone watching her turn hungry, too! When Sima Hui saw how happily she was eating, she picked up a piece of sugarcane and ate it as well, even though she normally didn't like sweet things.

Thus, the scene that greeted He Changdi when he entered the tent was his dear wife sitting at the table and happily gnawing away on sugarcane!

Of course, the scene wasn't complete without Sima Hui staring at Chu Lian with a warm and gentle gaze.

There was a small plate on the table where Chu Lian had spat out the remains of the sugarcane after chewing on them. The amount of mush there was like a thorn in He Changdi's eye.

Now the bag of sugarcane he was carrying on his back had become hard to give away.

When Laiyue followed his young master into the tent and was met with the same scene, he was filled with regret.

Why was Third Young Madam having sugarcane here in General Sima's tent? If only he had brought back some fruits instead! Why did he have to bring back sugarcane?

He Sanlang had come in rather abruptly. He had charged right in without waiting for the guard outside. It was only after he had entered that the female guard came in to report her lapse, trembling all the while. Sima Hui waved her hand and sent the guard back out without any punishment.

Chu Lian's cheeks were slightly puffed up since she hadn't finished chewing on the piece of sugarcane in her mouth.

At the sight of He Changdi, she blinked and stared at him. The food in her mouth muffled her words, so what came out sounded like: "He Jangdi, why are you here?"

He Sanlang turned around and threw the bag in his hands to Laiyue before turning back to Chu Lian. Rather rudely, he said, "What? Can't I come over to take a look at my wife?"

Chu Lian frowned and spat out the sugarcane bits in her mouth. She was extremely vexed. What was wrong with her lunatic husband now?

He Changdi's eyes shifted towards the table not too far away from him. He noticed that there were a few types of fine-looking confections displayed there, and of those confections, he realised that he hadn't eaten any of them before. He didn't even have to think to know that those had definitely been made by Chu Lian or one of her maidservants. As her husband, even he hadn’t had the opportunity to try any of them- and yet Chu Lian brought them out now to suck up to Sima Hui!

As the anger within him grew, his expression turned even frostier. He Changdi suppressed the frustration in his heart and said, "Since you're clearly eating and drinking well, I'll take my leave now!"

He Sanlang left as hurriedly as he had come. Before Chu Lian could even say a word, he had already swept past the tent flap and left...

The short exchange between the couple left Sima Hui gaping in shock. The corner of her lips tugged downwards in sympathy as she turned to Chu Lian and said, "Lian'er, um, do you have to chase after him?"

Chu Lian rolled her eyes. What should she chase him for? Had Sima Hui gotten their roles in reverse somehow? Why did she, as a woman, have to chase after her unreasonable husband?

"There's no need to. He's always been like that."

Laiyue was still in the tent. When he heard his young madam's reply, the corner of his mouth twitched. He didn't want to see his master's efforts go to waste, so he purposely let one side of the bag slip, revealing the sugarcane within. Then, he turned to Third Young Madam with a troubled expression and began to say, "Third Young Madam, this..."

Chu Lian wasn't blind. Laiyue had been too obvious in his actions, so she had definitely seen what was inside the bag. Her lips tugged downwards and she seemed a little helpless as she said, "Just make your own way back first. I'll visit him later on."

After getting Chu Lian's promise, Laiyue let out a silly, bright smile. He bowed respectfully to her before turning and leaving.

Chapter 381: Gathering Grain (2)

At dusk, Chu Lian brought Wenqing and Wenlan with her to He Changdi's tent, without forgetting to bring over a small box of confections, too.

However, when Chu Lian reached the tent, she was informed by one of the guards that Captain He had already left the camp with some of his men. He hadn't given a date when he would be back.

Chu Lian was astounded. Just as she was about to go looking for someone familiar to ask about the reason behind He Changdi's departure, Captain Guo happened to pass by. He led her into He Changdi's tent.

"Sister-in-Law, Zixiang left the camp in the afternoon." Captain Guo turned to the wooden chest next to the bed and pulled out a bag, passing it to Chu Lian. "This is something that Zixiang asked me to pass to you. Why don't you open it and see what's inside?"

Chu Lian took the bag and set it on the table. She quickly untied the knot and saw that there were a few items within.

Captain Guo cast a glance at the bag before freezing for a moment. He then shot a look at Wenqing and Wenlan, who were standing behind Chu Lian, and quietly tiptoed out of the tent.

Inside the bag was the sugarcane that He Changdi hadn't been able to give her, as well as a thick stack of letters.

Chu Lian knelt down by the table and moved aside the sugarcane.

The topmost letter beneath the sugarcane had been written today.

On the envelope were the words 'To my dear wife, Chu Lian' as well as the date.

Chu Lian picked up the envelope and stared at it blankly before tearing it open. There was only a single sheet of paper inside. The letter had been written in a bold hand with regular, even strokes. It wasn't very long either, but Chu Lian read every single word earnestly.

Although she could have read the contents in a mere few seconds, Chu Lian spent seven whole minutes reading it. After finishing the letter, she carefully folded up the paper and placed it back into the envelope before taking up the next letter.

From dusk till nightfall, Chu Lian continued reading until she had finished the very last letter.

This letter seemed especially big, and there wasn't anything written on the envelope. However, the sides already seemed worn. It was clear that He Sanlang had taken it out regularly from time to time to have made it so weathered.

Chu Lian carefully opened it. When she saw what was inside, her almond-shaped eyes widened.

These were the letters she had written to He Changdi! No, wait, these couldn't be considered letters. She had been afraid of exposing her origins through her handwriting, so she had sent drawings to him instead.

Chu Lian pulled out the sheaf of drawings within, but found that the edges seemed to be slightly charred. Her brows drew together in confusion. In the end, she slid the papers back into the envelope with care.

She looked at the table covered in letters and a strange feeling rose within her heart.

These letters had been arranged according to the dates they had been written. The one on top was the most recent one that He Sanlang had written, while the one at the bottom was the stack of drawings she had first sent him.

He had started with a letter a month, before increasing it to two. By the time it was November, He Changdi was already writing a letter every three days. The address on the letter was always 'To my dear wife, Chu Lian'.

The roads had been sealed by the snowstorm in November, so there hadn’t been an opportunity to send mail in a long time. These letters could only accumulate here, unsent. However, He Changdi never stopped writing. Some of them were just a few simple sentences, while others talked about things that had happened in camp. As she read them, Chu Lian could imagine how He Sanlang must have sprawled on the desk with furrowed brows in the middle of the night, focused in his own way on writing to her.

In today's letter, he had informed her that he would have to leave the camp for a period of time. The details of this mission were a military secret, so he couldn't tell her anything else. However, given how she had sent the snowboat to the camp the other day, she was instantly able to guess what He Changdi had gone out to do.

He had most likely gone to Su City by Lake Qianshan to gather grain using the snowboat!

He Changdi's letter had specially told her to stay in the northern border camp. Since he wasn't in Liangzhou anymore and he had taken Mo Chenggui and the other soldiers with him, it wasn't safe for her to return to the He Estate. He had already reported this situation to Great General Qian and had gotten permission for Chu Lian to stay in the female camp until he returned.

As for the mountain flower on Mount Ah-Ming, the Snow Mountain Mists, he had already sent someone to investigate, so she didn't have to worry about it.

Chu Lian suddenly realised that He Sanlang was pretty reliable when he wasn't having one of his fits of lunacy.

She took a deep breath and put away the letters, returning them to the bag neatly.

Following that, she told Wenlan to bring the sugarcane back with them. Once she was done, Chu Lian finally left He Changdi's tent and returned to Sima Hui's female camp.

After General Qian had entrusted He Changdi with this great responsibility, he had brought his trusted subordinates and his sworn brothers from the Right Wing Army out of the camp. Together with the snowboat, they were headed to the nearest city from Liangzhou- Su City.

In the dark of the night, despite the falling snow and howling winds, a fire burned in He Changdi’s heart.

The tragedy of the northern border troops wouldn't be repeated again! Not only that, they might even get a chance to defeat the Tuhuns. If they could somehow survive this winter and store up enough grain, the Tuhuns would no longer be a threat to the northern border!

He Changdi's heart burned with passion. When his thoughts turned to Chu Lian, who was waiting for him back in camp, a confidence and sense of urgency rose within him.

High up on the walls of Su City, the light of torches and braziers brightened the absolute darkness of the night. Elite soldiers stood guard, giving the ancient lakeside city a menacing air.

A tall and slender man stood at the highest point of the city's gate tower, facing the harsh winter winds.

The man was wearing a dark coloured court outfit lined with leopard fur at the collar, his cloak billowing in the wind. A jade crown sat high on his head. The flickering torch lights of the city walls were to his back, keeping his features shrouded in darkness.

He suddenly burst into a fit of coughing, causing the man behind him to ask in concern, "Master, why don't we head back? The wind is too strong here. You haven't been well these past two days."

Chapter 382: Clashing Head-on (1)

Xiao Bojian gazed out at the dark expanse of Lake Qianshan, his eyes clouded over as he thought.

"Have you gotten any news?" Due to his cold, his voice came out a little hoarse.

One, who had had no other choice but to accompany his master up the gate tower, suffered the lashing of the winter winds right alongside Xiao Bojian.

"Master, I just got the news that Honoured Lady Jinyi is perfectly safe. Her only injury was her ankle. It took some time for this news to travel here, so she has most likely recovered by now. She should currently be in Liangzhou City."

Xiao Bojian's cold and sinister features finally softened a little. However, his expression remained grim- a look that would strike fear into anyone, regardless of how beautiful his face was.

"Pass down my order. No matter what situation the northern border troops are in, Lian'er must be kept safe."

At this order, One appeared troubled. He parted his lips to speak, but in the end, he ultimately swallowed his objection and replied with, "Yes, Master."

Xiao Bojian covered his coughing with one hand and reached into the pouch he carried at his waist with the other. He groped around inside before pulling out the fine lucky jade amulet that Chu Lian had 'gifted' to him.

The lucky jade amulet shone with a warm glow under the light of the torches around him. It was clear that it was regularly held in a person's hand and worn.

Xiao Bojian's lips stretched into a sinister smile. He Changdi had better watch out! Chu Lian was going to be his someday. Anyone who wanted to take his woman would have to do it over his dead body!

At this point in time, neither of the two adversaries knew that they would soon face each other in the ancient Su City...

When dawn finally broke, the soldiers standing on the city walls spotted a group of men and horses travelling over the frozen Lake Qianshan.

All of them were extremely alarmed and quickly sent out scouts to investigate the situation while reporting everything to their superiors.

Half a day later, He Changdi and his group were invited into the camp of the reinforcement army, who had set up base within Su City.

The reinforcement army consisted of the northwestern troops and twenty thousand soldiers from the Hunan army.

The commander of this army was the northwestern army’s Great General, Yuan Zhong. He had originally been one of Great General Qian's subordinates. If He Changdi were to use this connection to request for aid, the result would likely be favourable for the northern border troops.

He Sanlang had arrived at the Su City camp right in the middle of mealtime. The subordinates who had joined He Sanlang on this mission noticed that the northwestern army even had rice to eat, causing their eyes to nearly pop out of their sockets in envy as their mouths filled with drool.

Although they envied the northwestern army, the border troops were still happy.

Since the northwestern army was eating rice, that meant that the northwestern army didn't lack for supplies. Their request should go along much smoother then.

One of the army’s officers led He Changdi and his party to a tent.

This tent was clearly much more luxurious than the others, so it was most likely the commander's.

He Changdi, Xiao Hongyu, and Zhang Mai waited outside. It had been a harsh six-day journey to reach Su City using the snowboat. All of them looked quite haggard. Even Zhang Mai, who was usually more concerned with keeping up his neat appearance, sported some messy stubble, and ash marks marred his face here and there. His hands and feet were covered in chilblains from exposure to the elements.

After fifteen minutes, He Changdi and his party were ushered into the tent.

Yuan Zhong and a few officers of the northwestern army welcomed He Sanlang and the rest.

Once He Changdi entered the tent, he followed protocol and bowed in greeting to the northwestern army’s Great General, Yuan Zhong.

When Yuan Zhong saw that the three men had all knelt down on one knee with backs straight, he hesitated for a moment before bursting out into laughter. Yuan Zhong stepped forward and personally helped the three men up.

"I didn't expect Great General Qian to have sent such young officers out here! The younger generation is truly to be reckoned with!"

Xiao Bojian was seated beside Yuan Zhong. His gaze abruptly sharpened as he noticed the young man who was the leader of the party.

His grip tightened around the teacup he was holding in one hand. He Changdi! He had come here!

So it was true that enemies were always destined to meet!

He Changdi's senses were finely honed, so he immediately realised that there was a cold gaze levelled on him. As he glanced up, he caught sight of Xiao Bojian seated above him, causing his thin lips to press together.

In an instant, the originally amiable atmosphere turned so tense that there should have been sparks flying through the air.

Yuan Zhong was the first to notice that the atmosphere didn't seem right. He glanced at the two men strangely and asked, "Do you know each other?"

In simultaneously cold tones, the two men replied, "Not at all!"

Yuan Zhong had no choice but to cough awkwardly. In a quick turn of wit, he swallowed the question 'Then is there a grudge between you two?' he had been about to bring up.

If He Sanlang were to give an answer to that unsaid question, he would have surely said: 'He stole my wife and ruined my family, of course there’s a grudge!'

Thus, the discussion within the tent continued, despite the strange atmosphere in the air.

Yuan Zhong made sleeping arrangements for He Changdi's group. As for the supplies, they were in charge of gathering them themselves.

The general also kept He Changdi and his party behind for a meal. Afterwards, perhaps due to his strange sense of humour, he actually ordered Xiao Bojian to escort He Changdi out of the commander's tent.

Chapter 383: Clashing Head-on (2)

After exiting the tent, the faces of the two men who absolutely hated each other were icier than the frozen lake beyond the city walls.

Xiao Bojian announced coldly, "Goodbye!"

He Changdi had not even an iota of interest in talking to him, so he was about to turn around and leave when his eyes swept over Xiao Bojian's body.

A single item immediately caught his attention.

There was a pure white piece of jade hanging from Xiao Bojian's waistband. He Changdi couldn't be more familiar with the carvings on that jade.

That was the lucky jade amulet that Grandmother had given Chu Lian on the second day of their marriage at the tea ceremony. His grandfather had worn it often while he had still been alive.

Why was that jade amulet hanging off Xiao Bojian's waist?!

The darkness in He Sanlang's eyes gathered into a thick fog as the hands resting at his sides clenched into fists, and his knuckles creaked as if he might break his own fingers.

However, a thread of reason still remained within him, keeping him from losing control and grabbing Xiao Bojian by the collar to interrogate him.

Just that tiny ripple of emotion in He Changdi was enough for Xiao Bojian to sense that something wasn't right.

When Xiao Bojian noticed that his expression had turned into one of restraint, he looked at He Changdi with a faint smile. "Oh? Are you perhaps feeling well, He Sanlang? Should I send one of the doctors over to look you over?"

As Xiao Bojian spoke, he couldn't help stroking the warm jade at his waist.

He Sanlang's expression sunk and he turned and left the commander's tent.

Xiao Bojian looked at He Changdi's hastily retreating back and let out a bark of laughter out of the blue.

The guard following closely behind him nearly shivered as goosebumps rose all over his body. One knew that it was never a good thing whenever his master laughed.

Xiao Bojian turned around. As he played with the jade in his hand, he said, "Let's return to our tent. It seems like things are getting more interesting..."

All the anger he had felt from Chu Lian leaving for the north without a word had been instantly calmed by the sight of He Changdi's expression just now. Xiao Bojian knew exactly why He Changdi had been unhappy.

Although he didn't know where this jade amulet had come from, it was likely something precious, judging from the shade of red that He Changdi's face had turned into.

Since Lian'er had given such a precious jade amulet to him, that clearly meant that he was the one in Lian'er's heart. He Sanlang was probably nothing compared to him.

On the way back to his tent, Xiao Bojian's exquisite features were contorted into a ruthless expression. "One, report on the matters that I ordered you to investigate. The mountain paths have been blocked for days and the snow is up to our knees. How did they make it over with a carriage to ask for aid?"

Ever since Xiao Bojian had earned the top rank in the imperial examinations, One had been ever more careful with his moody and unpredictable master.

He replied, "He Sanlang didn't use a carriage. He used something called a snowboat. From what this subordinate heard, it can glide over snow and ice and its speed doesn't lose out to that of carriages."

"What?!" A flash of alarm flitted across Xiao Bojian's face. How had he never heard of something like that before?

"That is all this subordinate has been able to find out so far. The snowboat that they brought is being closely guarded by his men. Even our spies won't be able to get close to it so soon," One added with his head lowered.

Xiao Bojian's voice turned a little hoarse from his displeasure. "Continue investigating!" he ordered.

What kind of weapon was that? He Changdi couldn't have had it from the start, or the northern border troops wouldn't have waited until now!

There must be someone helping them from the shadows.

Xiao Bojian clenched his fists. His plans had been completely disrupted by He Changdi's arrival.

He Changdi and his group were brought to the tent they had been assigned.

On the way there, Xiao Hongyu and Zhang Mai could sense that He Changdi's mood wasn't very good.

Zhang Mai knew that He Sanlang was a quiet one. Even if he had something weighing on his heart, he would keep it all inside and stew on it by himself. He would never talk to someone to help release his burdens.

Zhang Mai patted He Changdi on the shoulder and said, "After being on the road for so long, let's take a hot bath and rest for a bit. No matter what it is, perhaps you'll be able to think through it once you have a good night's sleep."

After saying so, he pulled Xiao Hongyu with him and left the tent.

Once Zhang Mai and Xiao Hongyu had left, He Changdi could no longer hold back the frustration in his heart. He turned to the table in the tent and flipped it over.

He was feeling very conflicted right now.

Although he had finally cleared up the feelings in his heart, he had suddenly been dealt a sound slap in the face!

What did that wicked woman Chu Lian want?

He had just started to trust her, but there was no mistake- that was his grandfather’s jade amulet that he had seen on Xiao Bojian’s waist!

He Sanlang felt torn apart by his pain. He didn't know how to face his budding feelings for Chu Lian anymore. It was impossible for him to ignore what had just happened!

He wanted so badly to fly back to Chu Lian's side and ask her about everything once and for all.

Thuds sounded in the tent as the table flew to the floor and the tea set that had been on top of it shattered.

The ear-piercing, sharp sounds calmed down the raging tsunami within He Changdi's heart. He laid down on the bed, completely worn out. His chest rose and fell with his breathing as he covered his eyes with one arm. Snippets of his past and current lives flashed through his mind. The current He Changdi was very, very lost.

Two days later, Xiao Bojian finally got news of the snowboat.

One handed a tiny metal tube to Xiao Bojian. "Master, this is what our spy in the northern border sent over."

Xiao Bojian tapped the trigger on the surface of the tube, causing it to spring open, revealing a slender roll of paper within. There was only a single line of words on the note, but that was enough to make Xiao Bojian start trembling with emotion.

Lian'er! So it was Lian'er! He just knew it. How could that bunch of old men in the north come up with a snowboat? Such an innovative and novel idea could only have come from his brilliant Lian'er!

Xiao Bojian trembled with excitement. He wished he was right in front of Chu Lian this exact moment to trap her in his embrace and plant a kiss on those petal-like lips of hers.

However, before he even finished getting over his excitement, an icy aura started creeping back over his form.

Xiao Bojian had suddenly realised that Chu Lian hadn't made that marvellous snowboat for him... she had made it for that He Changdi!

His hands turned into tightly clenched fists. Due to the abrupt change in his emotions, he fell into an intense coughing fit.

Chapter 384: Deal (1)

Worried, One said, "Master, why don't you rest for a moment?"

Xiao Bojian refused to acknowledge One's suggestion. He harrumphed and continued forming a plan in his mind.

By the time He Changdi woke up, it was already morning of the next day.

Even though Su City was close to Liangzhou City, their climates were completely different. While it was still snowing heavily in Liangzhou, the residents of Su City were able to experience the occasional warm winter morning day.

When Xiao Hongyu and Zhang Mai walked out of their tent after a nice long night of rest, they felt like they had walked straight out of a prison and into the sunlight again.

Having gotten used to the bone-piercing cold winds and harsh snow of Liangzhou, the two men felt a little uncomfortable when they were only met with warm and gentle sunshine on their faces.

After they moved into He Changdi's tent, Xiao Hongyu started joking around. "What's wrong, Brother He? Why are you in such a rush to go shopping in Su City? Are you looking to buy some of their specialties for Sister-in-Law?"

Zhang Mai smiled upon hearing Xiao Hongyu's teasing.

However, He Changdi didn't show any reaction to the joke. Instead, his expression turned even more grave.

"Brother Zhang, Hongyu, I have something I have to discuss with you."

Two bright and sunny days passed in Su City before another wave of cold wind and snow came by. The city had managed to thaw for a little while, but with this, it was once again engulfed by a snowstorm.

Right now, there were only a few people in the commander's tent, but the atmosphere was tense.

Yuan Zhong was seated at the head of the table with his two trusted lieutenants by his side. To his left was the secretary of their current march, Xiao Bojian. To his right was the representative of the northern border troops who had come to request aid, He Changdi.

Xiao Bojian lifted one of the teacups arranged on the table in front of him, his feminine features set into an expression that spoke trouble for He Changdi. "Captain He, I hope that you'll understand the situation that you're in now. The great general just has one small request. If you agree to it, then our rescue army will immediately hand over the supplies once we finish preparing them."

He Changdi had turned pale with rage. He gripped the edge of the table with one hand so tightly that his veins bulged against his skin. Although he had managed to keep his expression cool and focused, anyone could tell that he was furious.

"You're trying to take advantage of us while we're in need!"

Xiao Bojian was enjoying He Changdi's little fit of temper very much. He smiled and said, "This is where you're wrong, Captain He. There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world. We're happy to provide whatever you need, but you should be able to fulfill our teeny tiny little request in return, don't you think?"

He Sanlang glanced at Yuan Zhong, but the general had his head lowered as he downed some wine. He was clearly silently agreeing with Xiao Bojian's actions.

He Changdi felt immense disappointment. If Great General Qian were to find out what Yuan Zhong had done today, he would likely be equally, if not even more, disappointed.

"Captain He, it would be wiser to acquiesce to our request. You might be able to continue waiting, but those fifty thousand soldiers in the northern border might not." Xiao Bojian was practically sneering at him.

Under these circumstances, he didn't believe that He Changdi would keep the blueprints of the snowboat in exchange for the lives of his comrades.

Dejection appeared on He Changdi's face, as if he had finally given in to Xiao Bojian's forceful threat.

"Alright. I'll give you the blueprints for the snowboat. But you have to give me half a day's time. I have to persuade the brothers who accompanied me here."

He Changdi shut his eyes. His handsome features were marred with shame and helplessness. Seeing such a pained expression on his rival, a wave of satisfaction flooded into Xiao Bojian's heart.

"Good. At least you've managed to think it through, Captain He. I'll have someone escort you back. I hope you won't make us wait too long."

He Sanlang left with an air of defeat. However, the moment he was sure that Xiao Bojian could no longer see his face, his gaze sharpened.

Once He Changdi was gone from the tent, Yuan Zhong’s melancholy and troubled expression faded away and he suddenly lit up with energy. He walked over to Xiao Bojian’s side and patted his shoulder, praising him. “Your idea worked, Wujing! As long as we get those blueprints and make even more of those snowboats, then the achievements of the northern border troops will be ours!”

Xiao Bojian played along and praised the general as well. After getting complimented, Yuan Zhong felt even better.

Zhang Mai and Xiao Hongyu quickly welcomed He Sanlang once he returned to the tent.

“Brother He, how did it go?”

He Changdi sat down by the table and shook his head with his brows tightly furrowed. “It looks like they won’t give in unless we hand over the snowboat.”

“Then did you agree to it?”

He Sanlang clenched his fists and nodded. “I agreed to give them the blueprints before night falls.”

Xiao Hongyu’s eyes widened in shock after hearing that. Full of disbelief, he exclaimed, “Brother He, you actually agreed to it?! What if they refuse to give us the supplies after you give them the blueprints? Does this mean that our fifty thousand troops can’t do anything but wait for death?”

Zhang Mai hurriedly stopped Xiao Hongyu once he noticed how agitated he was getting. “What nonsense are you saying? Would your Brother He be so stupid?”

After he finished scolding Xiao Hongyu, Zhang Mai turned to He Changdi and said, “Zixiang, tell me honestly. Do you have a backup plan?”

He Changdi looked at the two men with his lips pressed together and a resolute glint in his eyes. There was no hint of the desolation he had shown back in the commander’s tent. “It’s not time yet, so I can’t tell you guys. But as long as you trust me, I won’t disappoint you!”

“Good! Since you’ve said so, this old brother will trust you!” Zhang Mai’s gaze showed the same determination. He didn’t forget to pat Xiao Hongyu’s shoulder and say, “Brat, did you hear that?”

Xiao Hongyu took a deep breath, but it was obvious that he still had unvoiced objections. He sat by the bed silently, unlike his normal boisterous self.

Zhang Mai shook his head. “That’s just how he is. Don’t mind him. He’ll be fine later on.”

He Changdi and the rest had been living together for a few months. He was even sharing a tent with Xiao Hongyu, so of course he knew the brat’s personality well.

He really didn’t mind it at all.

Chapter 385: Deal (2)

He Sanlang had foreseen that things wouldn’t go smoothly after meeting Xiao Bojian. However, he hadn’t expected Xiao Bojian to be eyeing the snowboat. Luckily, he had taken precautions before entering the northwestern army’s camp.

Otherwise, they would have really had no other choice.

He had already dragged out the discussions for two days. If he didn’t pretend to give in to their demands today, Yuan Zhong would likely have tried to take the snowboat by force instead.

The northwestern army hadn’t seen any action for a long time. Right now, the Great Wu Dynasty was slowly progressing into a golden age, so there wasn’t as much of a need for military as compared to when the dynasty had first been founded.

The northwestern army was facing imminent disarmament. The Yuan family had gotten into power due to their control over the army in the northwestern side of the country. Once the northwestern army was disbanded, the Yuan family would fall into decline.

This wasn’t just Yuan Zhong alone who was struggling, but the entire noble house of the Yuan family.

After years without any notable achievements, the northwestern army would likely be destroyed if things continued this way. So what did they need the most right now? Outstanding military achievements. If they managed to claim the feat of defeating the Tuhuns for themselves, then even the Emperor would have to think twice and wait a few more years before cutting away the northwestern army.

Xiao Bojian had most likely used this angle to form an alliance with the northwestern army!

This man was just as formidable as he had been in his past life!

The depths of He Changdi’s narrow eyes darkened. However, he was no longer the naive and trusting He Sanlang of his past life!

Xiao Bojian was having a rare break within his tent at the moment. He held a letter in his hand.

Gripped in his beautiful hand were two pieces of paper. His eyes flickered as he read quickly.

The letter had been sent by Duke Ying. It was just a normal letter asking after his well-being, but at the end of the letter, the duke had mentioned his marriage.

Xiao Bojian wasn’t considered young any longer at his age. Previously, the duke hadn’t mentioned marriage at all to him because his identity was lowly. However, now that he had managed to become the top scholar of the imperial examinations- and along with Duke Ying’s help- he was now a trusted official at court.

Duke Ying had mentioned offhandedly in the letter that he wanted to marry Fifth Miss Su to him. Since they were already teacher and student, if Xiao Bojian became his son-in-law, it would only boost the relations between them.

The old duke’s tone made it seem like the matter was already decided and that there was no need for further discussion.

An ominous glint shone in Xiao Bojian’s eyes before he snorted and threw the letter into the brazier next to him.

A tongue of flame slipped through the wire mesh on top of the brazier and consumed the two thin pieces of paper in an instant.

Xiao Bojian’s heart was filled with contempt. Hmph, that stupid old man. He was only looking to bind him with ties of marriage in order to use him to strengthen his position in court. Did that old fart think that he, Xiao Bojian, would still let him do as he wished after finally becoming successful?

Furthermore, he was trying to marry Chu Su to him? A third-rate noble miss wasn’t fit to become his wife!

Back then, Duke Ying had been one of those facilitating Chu Lian’s engagement to the He Family. As his teacher, how could Duke Ying not have known that he and Chu Lian were in love? Xiao Bojian had even hinted such to his teacher. However, compared to the chance of making a connection to the influential House Jing’an, Duke Ying hadn’t even considered his feelings and had sent Chu Lian off to be married to He Sanlang without any hesitation!

Other than Chu Lian, he would never marry any daughter of the Chu family in this lifetime!

Far away back in the capital, the city was bustling with liveliness and joy.

It was almost time to celebrate the new year again. The streets were filled with citizens buying Chinese New Year goods.

In the Ying Estate, it was more livelier than it had been in previous years, since the top scholar had been produced from their estate.

The top scholar was the famous Xiao Wujing from the imperial college and Old Duke Ying’s prized pupil.

Although he wasn’t really part of the Chu family, a disciple was still considered half a son. Thus, the sombre Ying Estate had become especially boisterous. Even the servants who went out to purchase goods all had their chins lifted high in the air, as if the feat of Mister Xiao had elevated their status somehow.

Within the inner court of the Ying Estate, the junior members of the family were greeting the patriarch and matriarch.

Old Duchess Ying felt frustrated upon looking down at all of her granddaughters. Her sons had been working hard with their concubines. There would likely be a few more young misses coming out in the new year.

The youngest of her grandchildren now was Little Chong, who had just made it through her first month. She was a child born from one of Chu Lian’s father’s concubines and was now the fifteenth young miss in her generation...

Old Duchess Ying glanced at her with disdain, grumbling in her heart, ‘Just another burden to feed!’

The concubines of the Ying Estate were producing children non-stop. It seemed like they had become even more fertile ever since Xiao Bojian had become the top scholar.

However, there weren’t many legitimate sons or daughters being birthed.

When she thought about it, the legitimate wives of the main, second, and third branches were already getting old. They were already past childbearing age. Even if they were still fertile, their husbands had most likely lost interest in them in favour of younger and prettier things. The number of concubines in the estate had been increasing of late.

The Ying Estate had never lacked for children, so the old duchess was even more blasé about these concubine-born grandchildren of hers.

Old Duchess Ying looked at the grandchildren gathered before her once before waving her hands impatiently, ordering the concubines to dismiss themselves along with their children. The only ones left behind were the legitimate wives of each of the branches, as well as the few legitimate children of the estate.

Chapter 386: Contingency Plan (1)

The hall that had originally been full to the point of bursting emptied out in an instant.

Miss Su stood on the right side of the hall with her mother and aunts. She had her head and eyes lowered, the very picture of a virtuous, humble woman.

Old Duchess Ying cast a measuring gaze over her before she was satisfied. She beckoned to Miss Su and said, “Miss Su, come over to Grandmother.”

Miss Su shot a quick glance at her mother before hurrying over to the old duchess.

The old duchess patted her head affectionately. “In the blink of an eye, our Miss Su has already grown into a young lady. Look at how lovely these cheeks of yours are. Grandmother still remembers when  you were just a tiny little infant in your mother’s arms!”

These ‘caring’ words were very generic and had been used hundreds of times over. Back when it had been time for Second Miss to be betrothed, the old duchess had said the exact same words. The same had gone for Fourth Miss. Now that she was saying them to Fifth Miss Su, everyone pricked up their ears.

As much as Miss Su didn’t like this grandmother of hers, she still showed her respect. “Granddaughter thanks Grandmother for her concern.”

“Ay, my good granddaughter.” Old Duchess Ying spoke with so much feeling that it almost seemed like her eyes were tearing up.

If not for the family’s unspoken understanding that the matriarch didn’t like girls, they might have even been moved by this show of grandmotherly love.

One of the maidservants handed the old duchess a handkerchief just in time, and the old duchess dabbed at the corners of her eyes.

“Since you’re already a grown lady, Grandmother can’t keep you any longer. I’ve been discussing with your grandfather these past few days and we’ve chosen a good husband for you. You and your mother should be familiar with the man in question- he’s our estate’s top scholar!”

When Miss Su heard this, her body trembled in shock. She lost control of her emotions and was about to reject the news on the spot. However, before she could say anything, her mother tugged at her.

The madam of the main branch chuckled and said, “That really is a good marriage partner for our Miss Su. You’ve worked hard, Mother.”

There were all sorts of expressions on display in the hall right now, making for a marvellous show!

Miss Yuan was standing next to her own mother. When she heard the news, her eyes widened in disbelief.

Mister Xiao had such extraordinary looks, and he was the top scholar to boot! How could he possibly marry Miss Su?!

After the imperial examinations, Xiao Bojian had visited the Ying Estate often. Due to his newly earned status, he came and went from the estate freely. House Ying was falling over themselves and trying their best to treat him as one of their own, as if that would somehow make him one of their descendants.

He had already created a reputation for himself in the imperial college even before he had attended the imperial examinations. Later on, when he had become the top scholar, he had become even more popular as a target of admiration for most of the men and women in the capital.

Previously, Miss Yuan hadn’t been able to see him much. It was only because Xiao Bojian was now regularly coming and going from the Ying Estate that Miss Yuan found a chance to sneak a peek at him. From just that one peek, her heart had fallen for him.

She wasn’t a child any longer. With the coming of the new year, Miss Yuan would turn fifteen and become of marriageable age.

Xiao Bojian had a bright future ahead of him. Upon hearing that Grandmother wanted to betroth Miss Su to him, how could Miss Yuan stand still and do nothing?

The moment she got back to the second branch, Miss Yuan hugged her mother’s leg and began to complain.

Second Madam only had this one precious daughter, so she naturally thought of Miss Yuan first in all things. She had a pretty good impression of Xiao Bojian as well, so her heart softened when her daughter pleaded with her.

When Miss Yuan saw that she had a chance, she continued to hug and cajole her mother, asking her to persuade Grandmother to let her marry Xiao Bojian instead.

Things weren’t set in stone yet; only their family knew about Miss Su’s engagement so far.

Hadn’t Chu Lian been sent to House Jing’an because Miss Su had fallen sick that time? If Grandmother couldn’t be convinced, then couldn’t she just have Miss Su fall sick again?

Back in Liangzhou and Su City, worries over the war had dampened the festive spirits of the residents.

He Changdi stood before his tent and looked up at the grey sky. It was already dusk. Night would be falling soon.

Time was trickling slowly, second by second, towards Xiao Bojian’s deadline.

He turned to the direction of the commander’s tent, only to see Xiao Bojian slowly walking towards him with that same guard next to him.

Suddenly, He Sanlang’s slightly slanted eyes narrowed as his frozen features broke out into a faint smile.

Xiao Bojian hadn’t even taken more than two steps when a soldier came running from behind and requested his presence.

His leisurely, relaxed expression turned gloomy. Like a monster ready to swallow the soldier alive, Xiao Bojian exclaimed, “What did you say?! The Min Family army is here?!”

The soldier shrunk into himself and nodded, not daring to say anything at all.

Xiao Bojian ground his teeth hard. He shot a cold glare towards He Changdi’s tent and just so happened to catch the sight of He Changdi standing in front, back straight and hands behind his back. Although there was still a distance between them, their gazes seemed to clash in midair, sending imaginary sparks flying.

It was as if a thunderclap had split the cloudy skies.

The Min army was responsible for guarding the border running along the Min River, and there were thirty thousand soldiers serving in it. The commander of the Min army was an old comrade of Count Jing’an. At the same time, he was also a subordinate of Prince Jin.

Zhang Mai and Xiao Hongyu had gotten the news as well. They rushed out from the tent and bumped fists with He Changdi. Zhang Mai lamented, “Zixiang, if you hadn’t taken precautions and sent Leader Mo’s group away when we entered the city, the Min army wouldn’t have been able to rush here in time.”

In his previous life, He Changdi had experienced the fickle nature of humans, as well betrayal from those he once trusted. How could he remain the same naive fool as before? Of course he had a contingency plan when it came to something as important as the lives of his comrades.

Within an hour, He Changdi and his party had been invited to the commander’s tent.

Chapter 387: Contingency Plan (2)

Great General Min was seated at the same level as Yuan Zhong. There were only about thirty thousand men in Yuan Zhong’s northwestern army. With the Hunan troops added in to this temporary army, they only numbered fifty thousand. Although the Min army only had about thirty thousand men, their weapons and equipment were of much better quality than those of the northwestern army. If they were to face off in a battle, the northwestern army wouldn’t be a match for the Min army.

The northwestern army’s mix of Hunan troops served detrimental in this case. If it really came down to a fight, the Hunan troops might take advantage of the confusion for their own benefit. Yuan Zhong hadn’t climbed up to this position by being stupid. He could only lament that He Changdi had been too thorough and careful in his actions. He and Xiao Bojian had been too careless.

Now that the Min army had arrived, they had lost their best chance to strike. Those snowboat blueprints were now out of their grasp.

With the Min army supporting He Changdi, the northwestern army handed over the grains they had stored in Su City the very next day.

Great General Min personally escorted He Changdi’s group out to Lake Qianshan.

Although the Min army had rushed over to Su City in just two short days, they hadn’t been given actual military orders, so they couldn’t stay in Su City for too long, even if it was an order from Prince Jin.

Thus, on the third day after He Changdi’s grain supply group had left, the Min army also made their way back to the Min River area.

Xiao Bojian stayed in his tent with an overcast expression. Yuan Zhong’s trust in him had lessened since his plan had failed. These few days, Yuan Zhong seemed to be avoiding him on purpose, leaving him furious.

One silently stood behind Xiao Bojian and pretended not to exist.

It was only when Xiao Bojian called out to him that he made a sound of acknowledgement and walked over to his master’s side. “Your orders, Master?”

After a slight pause, Xiao Bojian’s face contorted into an extremely fierce expression. He said, “Send the information I wrote yesterday to Liangzhou, as soon as possible!”

Without a shred of hesitation, One answered affirmatively and dashed out to execute his orders!

Xiao Bojian toyed with the jade amulet attached to his waist. Once he thought of the fact that He Changdi’s efforts to bring provisions to Liangzhou might simply become fuel for someone else’s achievements, he wondered how He Changdi would feel, and whether he would fall apart.

Although the skies over Su City had cleared up for two days, Liangzhou was still experiencing heavy winds and snow. As of now, the snow was already knee deep; it was difficult for even horses to pass through.

Chu Lian stayed in the female camp with her maidservants and passed her days in relaxation.

Ten days had passed since He Changdi left, and she couldn’t help but start to worry about him.

Going by normal speeds, even if he went to Su City to borrow provisions, he should have been back in ten days. Even if he got delayed along the way, it would take another two days at the most.

However, other than the endless wind and snow blowing over the plains, there was no other news from the border army camp.

Chu Lian could guess that the state of the army’s supplies was close to critical.

Over the next two days, there were cases of soldiers from both the Left Wing and Right Wing armies fainting while on guard duty due to hunger.

However, even so, the army cooks still didn’t give the hungry soldiers even a single bowl more of bean porridge.

At this stage, even the female camp was down to eating bean porridge, and the bean porridge was also getting even more dilute.

Chu Lian glanced at the steaming hot bowl of rice porridge in front of her. Due to her worry for He Changdi, her appetite had been very poor over the past few days, so she had only eaten a few mouthfuls of it.

Chu Lian waved her hand. “Take this away and give it to the guards outside.”

At this point in time, the most popular job in the female camp was guarding Chu Lian’s tent. Those who guarded her tent would often receive rewards from the Honoured Lady such as a piping hot bowl of congee, a few delicious pieces of pastry, or several slices of jerky.

Chu Lian had already moved out of Sima Hui’s tent and was now staying in a tent right opposite it.

She had heard from Captain Guo that this was something that He Changdi had specially arranged for...

There was a limit to the supplies Chu Lian had brought, so she couldn’t possibly donate them all to the border army. Besides, there wasn’t even enough to give each soldier a single grain of rice. The most she could do was to provide a little aid to a female soldier or two.

Chu Lian’s popularity in the female camp was outstanding, and she was only second to Sima Hui at this point.

Today, after having lunch with Wenqing and Wenlan, she laid on her bed and flipped through a book of folk stories.

The guards outside announced that their general had come.

Once they finished speaking, the tent flap was lifted and Sima Hui strode in, dressed in full armour.

Upon seeing Sima Hui’s grave expression, Chu Lian quickly sat upright.

“Where are you going, Sister Hui?”

Sima Hui was dressed in full battle armour; she was even wearing a silver helmet on her head. Her red-tasseled spear hung on her back while she kept one hand on the sword hung at her waist. She walked up to Chu Lian’s side and fixed her gaze on the young lady. Her tone was dead serious as she said, “The Tuhuns have suddenly gathered up their men and seem to be on the verge of mounting a large scale attack. Lian’er, I’ve been ordered to lead my troops out to the frontlines immediately.”

Chu Lian was completely stunned by her words. She didn’t understand why the Tuhuns would be trying to mount an attack at this time. It was the middle of the coldest period of the whole year in Liangzhou, when the winds and snow were still blowing strongly. For the Tuhuns, this should be far from the right time to attack. Had something gone wrong along the way?

After a brief period of dazed silence, Chu Lian finally said, “Sister Hui, the battle at the frontlines is more important, so please don’t worry about me!”

Sima Hui gripped the hilt of the sword in her hands and nodded. “Lian’er, I’ll leave some soldiers behind to protect you. Stay safe here!”

Chapter 388: Captured (1)

Chu Lian quickly agreed to Sima Hui’s request and told her to hurry to the frontlines. It wouldn’t be good if she wasted too much time here.

The originally quiet camp was now in complete chaos. Bugle horns sounded loudly, one after another. Everyone started preparing for battle. The sounds of hoofbeats and the soldiers’ bugle calls blended into a mess of noise.

Even though Chu Lian was staying put in her tent, she could still feel the tension in the air outside.

Wenqing and Wenlan had similar expressions of anxiety.

“Third Young Madam, what should we do?” Wenlan asked with a frown.

Chu Lian’s almond-shaped eyes were fixed on the tent flap, which had lifted a little from the winds outside. “We’ll stay in this camp. They’re still preparing for battle out on the frontlines. There’s nowhere safer in the whole of Liangzhou City than the back of the main camp now. Furthermore, General Sima Hui left some soldiers behind to guard us.”

Wenqing nodded upon hearing this. The two maidservants could only try their best to keep their anxiety under control for now. However, just in case, Wenqing went out to call the Li siblings over. The few of them discussed how they should guard Chu Lian’s tent.

Chu Lian no longer had the mood to continue reading her book. The Tuhuns had clearly chosen to stall and wait out the winter, and it had seemed like there would still be another month before they would take any action. They were hidden in the snowy mountains and they had enough provisions to outlast the northern border troops. Furthermore, the Tuhuns’ bodies were much hardier and more resistant to the cold, unlike those of the people of the Great Wu Dynasty.

Why had they chosen to mount an attack so suddenly?

Chu Lian’s eyes narrowed. She thought of the current situation that the border troops were in. There was only one possibility.

There was an informant in their ranks!

The only ones who knew about the snowboat were Great General Qian’s trusted subordinates. Even Sima Hui hadn’t known what He Changdi had been sent out to do.

Then the only suspects were General Qian’s most trusted officers…

Shivers went down Chu Lian’s back when her thoughts led up to that conclusion. The border troops were already in a dangerous situation, but now there were informants amongst them. If Great General Qian failed to handle this situation properly, then the army would probably fall apart even before He Changdi returned with the supplies!

When Wenqing noticed that Chu Lian’s face had been drained of all colour, she suffered a fright. “Third Young Madam, what happened to you?!”

Chu Lian waved her hand. “It’s nothing, I’ll be fine after a short rest.”

After carefully thinking the situation over, Chu Lian felt that she couldn’t stand by without doing anything. She ordered Wenqing to fetch her brush and ink; she was going to write a letter.

Fifteen minutes later, the letter was done. Chu Lian quickly sealed it in an envelope and summoned Li Xing, who had been guarding the tent outside. She told him to take a snowboat and head straight to Su City immediately. He was to send the letter directly to He Changdi, as soon as possible.

Although Li Xing didn’t know what was contained inside the letter, he didn’t dare to tarry even a moment longer. His mission was to obey Chu Lian’s orders, so no matter how strange the task, he wouldn’t complain.

By the time dusk fell, more than half of the soldiers had already left. They left behind the camp’s flags hoisted high upon their poles, billowing in the cold winds.

Even in Sima Hui’s female barracks, only a single group of soldiers was left behind to look after the camp.

As the final trace of sunlight disappeared over the horizon, light snow started falling from the skies, covering the tents.

Chu Lian didn’t know what was wrong with her today. A sense of acute unease fell heavy upon her heart. Although it was already dark outside, she didn’t feel sleepy at all. She began to order Wenqing and Wenlan to pack things up, as if that would help her forget her worries.

Wenqing and Wenlan knew that their mistress was feeling uneasy, so they didn’t complain. They followed her orders obediently.

Wenqing and Wenlan had already prepared themselves. If the border troops failed to defend the border, they would take Third Young Madam with them and escape. Thus, they would need to have all of their supplies ready to go if the time came. Getting ordered to pack things up was in line with their plans.

Suddenly, there was a burst of noise from outside the camp. The three ladies strained their ears to listen and heard a female voice say, “Honoured Lady, this subordinate has something to report.”

Chu Lian let out a sigh of relief. She recognised that voice; it was one of the female soldiers who usually guarded her tent.

“Enter.”

The tent flap was lifted and the female soldier entered the tent. The inside of the tent was illuminated with faint lamplight, making their surroundings rather dim. The female soldier’s head was lowered and her features were hidden by shadows.

She panted for breath as she said with great urgency, “Honoured Lady, this subordinate just received news that Manager Qin’s tent has been attacked!”

Chu Lian’s expression immediately changed. Manager Qin had been attacked!

That was where they were storing all of their supplies!

In her worry, she didn’t think further and ordered, “Wenqing, take Li Yue with you and go over there immediately.”

Wenqing sounded off her acknowledgement. She picked up a weapon and her cloak before quickly following the female soldier out.

Chu Lian stared at the fluttering tent flap in a daze. Suddenly, her whole body stiffened.

Her mind replayed the moment that the female soldier had turned to leave the tent.

No wonder she had felt that something wasn’t right. Her shoes!

That female soldier had been wearing leather boots with flexible soles!

Due to the harsh climate of the north and their duties on the battlefield, the female soldiers wore out their boots very quickly. For Great General Qian’s soldiers, as well as Sima Hui’s female soldiers, all of them wore warm boots with thick soles. The front of the boots were even covered with steel to serve as another weapon on the battlefield.

Although those thick boots were durable and very practical, they were heavier than the normal type of boots. Furthermore, the steel covering ensured the soldiers could never sneak around; each of their footfalls made light thunks wherever they went.

As for the female soldier who had just come in, her feet hadn’t made any sound at all, and she had been wearing light boots more suitable for trekking.

Chu Lian grabbed hold of Wenlan’s hand with a grave expression. “Wenlan, we’ve been tricked! Hurry, pack up our things; we have to escape right now!”

Chapter 389: Captured (2)

Wenlan couldn’t hide her astonishment at Chu Lian’s sudden order. However, she trusted Third Young Madam from the bottom of her heart. Luckily, they had already been in the middle of packing up their things. She shoved all the necessities into Chu Lian’s arms and told her to hold on tight to them. Next, she wrapped Chu Lian in a fur coat and gave her a small dagger.

Wenlan took up her own backpack and a sword before pulling Chu Lian out of the tent.

However, before the two of them could make it out, three people entered the tent.

The newcomers were dressed in the armour of the northern border troops. A tall collar hid half of his face, so they could only hear a slightly raspy voice say, “Honoured Lady, why don’t you come with us?”

Meanwhile, Wenqing and Li Yue quickly arrived in front of Manager Qin’s tent with more than ten guards following behind. However, Manager Qin’s tent was still lit up from within. Two guards were standing outside looking a little tired, but alert.

The two ladies exchanged glances as their hearts thumped in unison.

Li Yue’s brows furrowed together. “Miss Wenqing, take two men and stay here to look after Manager Qin. I’ll bring the rest of the guards back! I’m afraid we’ve fallen for their diversion!”

The female bodyguard gripped her sword in one hand and quickly left. Wenqing turned around to look for the female soldier who had brought them here, but that soldier was already long gone.

She stomped the ground in frustration and quickly walked up to the tent.

At this time, Manager Qin seemed to have heard the commotion outside. He lifted the tent flap, and certainly, he didn’t appear under attack. Manager Qin’s clothes were loose, as if he had just stumbled out of bed. When he saw Wenqing standing in front of him with fury and regret written all over her face, he asked curiously, “What did you come here for this late at night? Shouldn’t you be guarding Third Young Madam?”

Wenqing explained everything to Manager Qin. The chubby man’s face turned grave and he quickly followed Wenqing back to Chu Lian’s tent without even bothering to put his clothes on properly.

By the time they reached where Chu Lian was supposed to be, all that met them was the sight of a dark tent and four fallen female soldiers...

Li Yue bit her lip hard, filled with regrets. “Honoured Lady has been captured...”

Wenlan was unconscious on the ground inside the tent. Although she was still gripping her sword tightly in her hand, there was no sign of a struggle anywhere. Even the snacks that Chu Lian hadn’t finished were still sitting on the table untouched.

Li Yue splashed Wenlan’s face with cold water to wake her up.

Wenlan regained consciousness, only to find herself surrounded by their party’s guards. It took her a dazed moment before she came back to life and shouted, “Hurry! Quick, chase after Third Young Madam! She was taken away by some people… Hurry!!”

Wenqing wrapped Wenlan up in her arms until Wenlan finally calmed down.

“Wenlan, calm down. Think back to just now. What happened exactly? Who took Third Young Madam away?”

Wenlan was now relatively calm. With unshed tears in her eyes, she replied, “Those kidnappers covered up their faces, so I couldn’t tell who the were.”

She wiped at her tears before continuing, “They said to let Third Young Madam go with them. One of them unsheathed his sword and was about to fight me- that sword had blood on it still. Third Young Madam told them that she would go with them peacefully if they let me go, but how could I just let them take Third Young Madam away without a fight? I took out my sword and I was going to hold them off so Third Young Madam could escape, but I felt something hit the back of my head the moment I took a step forward. I fainted immediately…”

Wenqing, Li Yue and Manager Qin understood that it was Chu Lian who had purposely knocked Wenlan out. Although the kidnappers were only targeting Third Young Madam, they were likely looking to kill all witnesses. Wenlan wasn’t a match for three people alone. Chu Lian had knocked her out purely to save Wenlan’s life.

“What should we do now?” Li Yue asked.

Manager Qin thought for a bit before replying, “Take some men with you and search around the camp first. They can’t possibly have left without a trace. There should be some hints left behind somewhere, or they might even be hiding in the camp still. I’m going to look for Sir Tang to see if he can help us.”

Most of the border troops had gone off to the frontlines. Even General Qian and Captain Guo weren’t in the camp right now. The only person they could go to for help was Sir Tang.

After getting jolted around, Chu Lian finally woke up with a subconscious cry of pain.

When she opened her eyes, all she could see was the moving legs of a horse. She tried to move her body, but was immediately forced back down by someone. It was only then that she realised she was currently on horseback…

She had been tied down on a horse horizontally like a sack of rice. No wonder she was about to puke from all this shaking.

The rider seemed to know that she had woken up. The first thing she fired off was a cold threat. “If Honoured Lady would like to avoid suffering, it would be best to cooperate with us.”

Chu Lian frowned. That was a woman’s voice. Furthermore, it was the same woman who had lured Wenqing and Li Yue away.

Back in the tent, these people had called her ‘Honoured Lady’. It was clear that they knew of her identity.

However, along the way to an unknown destination, other than knocking her out, they hadn’t done anything else to her. In fact, she could feel that she had been covered with a warm fur coat.

These people weren’t out to kill her.

After determining this, Chu Lian quickly calmed down.

Her thoughts turned crystal clear.

She coughed to get the attention of the rider before asking, “Could you let me sit up straight? I’m really uncomfortable right now.”

Chapter 390: Quick-witted (1)

The woman hesitated for a while, as if considering whether there was a trick in Chu Lian’s suggestion.

Chu Lian used the most childish and demanding voice she could muster. “I don’t know martial arts and you have four people on your side. I’m trapped on this horse so how could I possibly run away?”

The woman seemed to think that Chu Lian’s words made sense. In a low voice, she said, “Then hold on tight to me.”

She reached out with her right arm and lifted Chu Lian up so that she could sit upright on the horse’s back.

Chu Lian was still trapped because she was seated in front of the woman on the horse and the woman’s arms acted as a cage around her. Although she felt uneasy, it was much more comfortable than lying horizontally on the horse.

The party of five, including Chu Lian, travelled at a brisk pace for almost an hour. During this hour, no matter what Chu Lian asked, no one answered her.

In the end, Chu Lian gave up. It was clear that this group of people had undergone special training. They might even be special agents trained to kill themselves before revealing their backers.

The skies turned darker and the winds started up again, throwing snow in their faces. It was as if the snowstorm had engulfed them. No matter where she looked, she couldn’t see anything around her other than the weak glow of the lanterns they carried.

Chu Lian didn’t understand how these people were navigating when she couldn’t see a thing through the snow and darkness.

Just as Chu Lian’s face was about to turn numb from the cold, the party finally stopped.

Chu Lian trembled as she rubbed her hands together for warmth, trying to bring some heat back into her frozen appendages.

The woman she was riding with helped her off the horse and towards a small hill. The four horses were gathered up by one of the men and led on a rope.

Chu Lian pulled her fox fur cloak tightly around her body and hobbled through the knee-deep snow.

It was only when she got closer that she saw a hollow carved into the hillside, and there were people in there.

Thanks to the double shrouding of snow and darkness, the visibility here was extremely low. If she looked up from the bottom of the hill, she wouldn’t be able to see the hollow at all. It was only visible from a close distance.

The hollow was located halfway up the hill, where the slope of the hill acted like a roof that blocked the wind. In the cold winter, this was the perfect location to make a small base.

Once Chu Lian reached the hollow, she could see two tents set up, with their entrances cleared of snow. Even though it was already late, there was still a barbarian woman with her hair tied up in braids busying herself outside. She was trying to cook something using the little bit of lamp light spilling out from one of the tents.

After hearing the noise made by the new arrivals, the barbarian woman turned around and glanced at them. Chu Lian took the chance to take a good look at her; she was a middle-aged woman with a face full of wrinkles. Her expression seemed indifferent. After a single apathetic glance at them, she turned her attention back to the jar she was heating over the fire.

The tallest man amongst the four people who had brought Chu Lian here stepped forward first. He walked towards the tents and shouted something before speaking a string of words. Chu Lian couldn’t understand what he was saying because he used the barbarian language.

In a short moment, someone lifted the tent flap and a head peeked out. The person within reached out to the man, and the man handed over the bag in his hands.

The tent flap dropped back down. The person inside seemed to be satisfied with whatever he had been given, because he lifted the tent flap once more and welcomed them in.

Chu Lian was forced inside by the female rider. When they passed by the barbarian woman, she could smell something medicinal. She shot a glance at the jar heating over the fire and guessed that the barbarian woman was trying to brew some medicine. As expected, right before she entered, she heard someone coughing from the other tent.

The tent that Chu Lian entered was much bigger than the other one. There were also some furs and blankets stacked up against the edges, so it seemed to be a sleeping area.

There was a brazier placed in the center for warmth.

In the harsh winter of the north, it would be impossible to sleep in a tent unless there was a brazier providing warmth within.

Regardless of how warm it was, there was a terrible odour inside, most likely due to not airing it out for some time.

The barbarian man who had welcomed them in spoke to the leader of her kidnappers in a fawning manner before retreating. It was clear that he had gone to the other tent to sleep.

Chu Lian heard the barbarian man scolding someone outside, most likely the woman who was brewing medicine. Unfortunately, Chu Lian couldn’t understand what they were saying.

She waited for her four kidnappers to take off their cloaks before using the light of the fire to get a close look at them.

There was only one woman, and the rest were men. The tall man who acted as the leader kept a thin moustache on his lip. It seemed like he was the oldest one of the group. The other two men were skinny and didn’t have any special characteristics to them. The woman was taller than average and had thick lips.

Basically, the four people had very ordinary appearances, the kind you wouldn’t be able to identify in a crowd.

People with such appearances were most suited for spying and secret missions.

Once the four kidnappers had taken off their cloaks, they each found a place to sit and shut their eyes in rest.

The woman remained right next to Chu Lian. She bent down and shook out the fur blanket at the side and set it out nicely on the ground. Then, she turned to Chu Lian and, in a monotonous voice, said, “It’s late. Honoured Lady should rest.”

Chu Lian didn’t reject her offer and quickly curled up in the blanket. She then wrapped her own fox fur cloak around herself. Since the woman had initiated a conversation with her, she took the chance to ask, “Who sent you here to kidnap me?”

The woman looked at her with lifeless eyes. There wasn’t any change of emotion on her face at all. She pressed her thick lips together, clearly not willing to speak any longer.

Chu Lian refused to give up and continued to stare at the woman and ask, “Was it Prince Jin? The Wei family? Don’t tell me it’s Xiao Bojian!”

Chapter 391: Quick-witted (2)

Despite Chu Lian’s attempts at probing her, the woman didn’t show any reaction to the names Chu Lian mentioned. In the end, she completely ignored Chu Lian and laid down right next to her. She turned her back to Chu Lian and shut her eyes.

Chu Lian stared at the canopy above her, wrapped up warmly in her fur cloak. It was so quiet in the tent that she could hear the non-stop coughing from the tent next door. She wanted to escape. Although her kidnappers hadn’t mistreated her so far, they definitely had other plans for her.

No matter who the real mastermind was, it wasn’t going to bode well for her if she really ended up in that person’s hands. Just her reputation alone would be ruined, no matter the outcome.

So, she had to do whatever she could to escape!

Chu Lian didn’t know how much time passed as she thought. As the wind howled outside, it was so quiet that she could hear a pin drop inside the tent.

Her mind was so occupied with escaping that she didn’t feel sleepy at all. She took a deep breath and gently shifted away the cloak around her. She carefully flipped over to her other side. She did this so carefully that she barely made a sound. However, as soon as she finished turning over, she was immediately met with the woman’s cold glare.

Chu Lian’s eyes widened in fright.

Inwardly, Chu Lian let out a bitter laugh. It seemed like it would be impossible to sneak out in front of these guys.

Since she had already failed her attempt, Chu Lian didn’t bother wasting any more effort and went to sleep. She would have to find another way to escape.

Early in the morning of the next day, Chu Lian woke abruptly. Since there wasn’t any movement from her kidnappers, she didn’t bother getting up just yet.

It was only when the sound of the barbarians talking outside filtered into the tent that her kidnappers slowly opened their eyes.

They exchanged glances. Even without speaking, it seemed like they were able to understand each other.

The two shorter men pulled on their cloaks and left. Only the tall man and thick-lipped woman were left in the tent.

The woman stood up and took out an iron kettle from the side. She dug up some snow right at the tent entrance and tossed it into the kettle before setting it on top of the brazier. Most likely, she intended to heat up some hot water.

Chu Lian quickly put on her own cloak and walked up to the woman. She looked up with her moist, wide eyes and said, “It’s too stuffy in here. I want to go out for some fresh air.”

The woman shook her head.

Chu Lian immediately frowned. She glanced at the woman in front of the brazier and decided not to speak another word more. Instead, she simply headed straight towards the tent entrance.

However, before she had even reached the tent flap, she heard the sound of something flying through the air. In the next instant, there was already a sword stabbed into the ground at her feet. It would have cut right through her foot if it had landed one centimeter closer!

Chu Lian froze in place and blanked out for a moment. When she finally regained her wits, cold sweat ran down her back.

Her wide eyes seemed to turn into impenetrable depths for a short second before they quickly returned to normal.

Chu Lian looked down at the sword that was at least seven or eight centimeters deep in the ground. Her face flushed red with anger.

“You… How dare you do that! Wait till I tell my husband He Changdi, I’ll get him to kill you all!”

She was so indignant and furious that even her neck had turned red. Hopping mad, she pointed a trembling finger at the woman.

A trace of contempt flashed across the thick-lipped woman’s originally expressionless face. She hadn’t expected that her master would actually like such a brainless woman.

“Honoured Lady, I would advise you to be more obedient. Although we were ordered to assure your safety, if an accident were to happen... it’s not something within our control.”

Chu Lian seemed to have been pushed to the edge by the woman’s words. She continued pointing at the woman, unwilling to stop. “You had better not let me meet my husband then, or all of you will be dead!”

The thick-lipped woman could no longer hold back her disdain. She snorted and said, “Honoured Lady, I’ll admit that He Changdi is pretty strong, but you seem to have forgotten where you are now. If you want your husband to take revenge for you, then you’ll have to wait until you actually see him again!”

This time, Chu Lian looked like she had finally been dealt a blow. She looked down at the ground and slowly walked back to her original position. There was no more mention of going out of the tent from her as she sat back down on the blanket and crossed her legs. Then, she wrapped her fox fur cloak around herself and curled up as if she was only a pitiful, bullied little orphan.

The woman shot another disdainful glare at her, eyes full of contempt.

However, she had to admit that this honoured lady did indeed have the looks to make a man fall deeply in love with her. Although her hair was in a mess from the rough journey through the night, the few loose strands framing her face only accented how smooth and fair her skin was, like a piece of fine white jade. Her beauty invited onlookers to reach out to touch her and check if she was real. The slump in her posture and the pitiful look on her face would tug at anyone’s heartstrings.

Unfortunately, there was nothing contained in that pretty little head of hers! She had probably been spoiled stupid to be this naive!

As a female spy, she hated the vapid, fragile flowers raised in the depths of the noble houses the most. All they could do was seduce men with their looks, and they were completely devoid of any practical skills or talent.

During Chu Lian’s ‘fit of temper’, the barbarian woman who had been brewing medicine the night before had passed by the tent with a wooden basin in hand.

There were three words in Chu Lian’s shout that made her freeze in place.

Chu Lian had spoken in the official language of the capital of the Great Wu Dynasty. The barbarian woman didn’t actually understand that language at all, but she could recognise the words ‘He Changdi’.

Chapter 392: Quick-witted (3)

The two men who had left the tent returned not too long after, each carrying a bag in their hands. One of them passed the bag he was holding to the thick-lipped woman next to Chu Lian.

The two of them exchanged glances and the woman immediately began to open the package.

Although Chu Lian had her head lowered. She was still watching the woman out of the corner of her eyes.

The woman untied the package, loosening the ties and revealing the items inside.

So the package was full of food.

There was a frozen piece of meat about the size of two palms. It looked like mutton, judging by the colour of it. There was a small handful of rice, a bowl of Chinese olives, and a porcelain bottle. Chu Lian could smell the faint scent of milk. It was probably either cow’s milk or goat’s milk.

The woman looked down at the bag of food and blanked out for a moment. She then sighed, seemingly disappointed.

Chu Lian watched as she took out the mutton and cut off a piece before grilling it right on top of the brazier. As for the rest of the items, she wrapped them back up into the package and threw it over to Chu Lian.

She mocked, “If Honoured Lady is hungry, go ahead and cook it yourself!”

The woman had originally treated Chu Lian with respect and extra care due to her master’s orders. However, Chu Lian had truly angered her, so she wanted to torment this fragile noble lady.

The three men glanced over for a moment before pretending that they hadn’t seen anything.

She technically wasn’t violating any of their orders. Besides, they had worked together for a long time now, and they were unwilling to provoke her over such a small matter as this. It was easier to simply shut one eye to her actions.

After a moment, Chu Lian couldn’t hold back her hunger any longer. Her stomach made embarrassingly loud rumbles. She carefully glanced at the thick-lipped woman, who was still grilling mutton over the fire, and moved a few steps forward until she reached the bag of food.

A slender, fair hand reached out from the fur cloak and tugged the bag over. Finally, two little hands peeked out and clumsily opened it up.

When she saw what was inside, Chu Lian’s eyes widened in astonishment.

Her pink lips trembled. Full of disbelief, Chu Lian asked, “You… You’re only giving me this to eat?”

The woman shot a sideways look at her and snorted. “I’d advise Honoured Lady to dispense with that noble temper! If you don’t want to eat this, then you can just go hungry.”

After she finished saying so, the thick-lipped woman seemed more refreshed. Her originally emotionless face was now tinged with a trace of joy. She flipped over the piece of mutton she was grilling and even took out a small piece of salt from somewhere in her clothes. After pinching and breaking off some of it with her fingers, she scattered it over the meat.

In a short moment, the tent was filled with the delicious aroma of grilled mutton.

Chu Lian stared at the mutton in a daze. She even gulped.

The woman shot a look at her before taking the mutton off the fire. Using the dagger she always carried on her, she cut it up into smaller pieces and put them on a plate. Next, she picked up a piece and stuffed it into her mouth, shutting her eyes as if she was savouring its taste.

Chu Lian couldn’t help but swallow another mouthful of saliva.

Actually, the mutton that the woman had cooked wasn’t that delicious. The only seasoning she had used was salt, and the salt was just some coarse rock salt. All she had done was put the mutton on a fire to cook. How tasty could it be? She had eaten grilled mutton like this every day for too long, and she was tired of it.

Even though the thick-lipped woman was rather tall, she was actually born in the south and didn’t like eating mutton or beef. What she really wanted was some warm, soft rice porridge. Unfortunately, none of them could cook, so they could only make do like this every day. They could only hope to finish the mission sooner so they could go to back to Su City and have a great feast in one of the restaurants there to reward themselves.

The woman had purposely acted as if the meat was delicious in order to provoke the pampered Honoured Lady.

Surely those tender hands of hers wouldn’t be able to cook the mutton!

The thick-lipped woman felt soothed upon thinking of that.

She finished up her meal in no time and sat back in a comfortable position, clearly not intending to move.

“Honoured Lady, we’re not like those maidservants and manservants of yours. If you want to eat, you’ll have to do it yourself.”

The spoiled, fragile young woman sitting in the corner was tightly gripping the bag of food with her head lowered. She looked as if she was holding back her tears and only barely enduring this hardship. Suddenly, Chu Lian lifted her head, lips pressed together, seemingly determined to do something.

She walked over to the fire with the bag in hand.

With her chin raised high, she looked disdainfully at the thick-lipped woman sitting not too far away and said, “Fine, I’ll do it myself then!”

The thick-lipped woman sneered and turned away. She didn’t have any sort of expectations at all for this Honoured Lady and was simply waiting for her to make a fool of herself. Her eyes darted towards Chu Lian from time to time, waiting to see what spectacle she was going to make.

However, her hopes were quickly dashed.

Chapter 393: Quick-witted (4)

Chu Lian opened up the bag and found a clean earthenware pot in a corner of the tent. She set it over the fire and poured water inside. Then, she took out a dagger and sliced off a piece of mutton before carefully cutting it up into smaller cubes and throwing it into the bowl.

Afterwards, Chu Lian quickly sliced the rest of the mutton and used some bamboo sticks to turn them into skewers, which she set aside.

When the water in the pot had turned red with blood, she took out the mutton cubes and changed the water inside the pot. Next, she threw the small handful of rice and the mutton cubes back into the pot, adding more water with a small amount of goat’s milk.

After she was done with all that, she took out a small porcelain bottle from somewhere on her body and poured a light-coloured seasoning into the bowl before covering up the pot.

Now it was time for Chu Lian to start grilling the mutton skewers. Firstly, she patted the skewered mutton pieces so that the meat was spread evenly across the skewers. Next, she sprinkled a layer of her special seasoning over it and set the skewers to grill over the fire.

Chu Lian didn’t put the skewers right in the middle. Instead, she kept them at the edges of the brazier so she could use the peaks of the flames to grill the meat.

Using the bamboo sticks, she carefully flipped the mutton skewers over. The fragrance of the meat soon filled the entire tent.

The well seasoned meat skewers couldn’t be compared to the haphazardly grilled and salted mutton from before.

It was the kind of aroma that came from street stalls selling barbecued skewers. Chu Lian’s seasoning was lacking cumin; in this condition, it was only natural that her version of skewers couldn’t match up to the more developed modern flavors. For the people of the Great Wu Dynasty, however, this was an irresistibly enticing food.

By the time Chu Lian was done with her skewers, the mutton porridge in the pot was half done. The fragrance of it was also starting to drift out from the pot.

Rice had a natural fragrance to begin with. When blanched mutton was added to the rice, together with some goat’s milk, it created a wonderful aroma with a hint of milk. In contrast to the oily and flavourful smell of the grilled skewers, the porridge smelled clean and refreshing. It even evoked the warm feeling of home cooking.

The four kidnappers were completely stunned!

The thick-lipped woman was staring in disbelief. How had those simple, basic ingredients turned into such criminally enticing food in the hands of that pampered Honoured Lady?

She was suffering now. The tantalising aroma of the food was constantly attacking her senses, and she couldn’t stop it even if she wanted to.

After experiencing such a heavenly fragrance, when she thought back to the half-cooked salted mutton pieces she had eaten earlier, she suddenly felt that her meal hadn’t been fit for human consumption.

The three men on the other side of the tent had already set down their food. Although they had all used the same ingredients, how was it possible that the results were so different? The three men weren’t satisfied.

They spat out the weird-tasting mutton in their mouths as inwardly cried tears of frustration. How could they continue eating their terrible cooking with that amazing smell in the air?

It was as if they were watching someone else have a feast while all they had in their bowls was plain white porridge.

How could they even have the mood to continue eating their food after that...

Chu Lian took the skewers off the fire and pushed the meat off the bamboo sticks onto her little plate. By this time, the mutton porridge was pretty much done. She covered the lid of the pot with a cloth and lifted it slowly. Chu Lian could feel four pairs of eyes fixed on her as she lifted the pot lid. Her thumb shook a little, causing some tiny powdery substance to drop into the pot.

Once the lid was lifted, a cloud of steam billowed up, concealing her action. Together with the steam, the fragrance of the mutton porridge filled the tent.

Chu Lian didn’t look at any of the kidnappers. She took out an earthenware bowl and filled half of the bowl with the savoury mutton porridge before putting her grilled mutton slices on top.

The steaming hot white porridge and the slightly charred grilled mutton slices were a feast to the eyes and the stomach. By now, any starving person would have likely charged forward to snatch the bowl from Chu Lian’s hands.

Of course, the four kidnappers weren’t the kind to do that, but their appetites had been hooked by the smell of the food.

They had been hiding in Liangzhou City for a number of months. All they had to eat every day was mutton or beef, or that damned Chinese olive porridge. The group hadn’t been able to eat any plain rice porridge for incredibly long, let alone this delicious-looking mutton porridge.

They were all secret agents, so they didn’t have the time to learn how to cook. Of course, even if they were to try and learn, the standards of the Great Wu Dynasty weren’t all that great.

Chu Lian took the bowl and returned back to her original position. She found some chopsticks and picked up a piece of grilled meat, putting it into her mouth immediately.

She couldn’t help but savour it. The meat had been cooked just right, to the point of perfection.

A look of satisfaction appeared on Chu Lian’s face, thanks to the delicious food.

The onlookers were getting frantic from watching her eat- even the thick-lipped woman wasn’t immune.

In the end, it was the tall man with the thin moustache who lost his patience first. He casually glanced over at the pot sitting over the fire; there was still more than half of the porridge left.

Chu Lian hadn’t scooped out much of the porridge for herself. The layer of grilled meat on top of her bowl had made it seem like a lot more.

The man gulped and walked over to Chu Lian’s side. His usually blank expression had finally changed.

His eyes scrunched up a little as if he was trying to smile. Unfortunately, since he never smiled, it had the opposite effect.

“Honoured Lady, can I have a word with you?”

Chu Lian finally looked up from her bowl. She made a questioning ‘mm’ with doubt written all over her face.

Chapter 394: Murder (1)

The man coughed rather awkwardly, but he still continued to trudge on without shame. “Honoured Lady, could you give us the leftover porridge?”

All eyes in the tent were fixed on them in anticipation.

Chu Lian frowned as if she hadn’t expected such a question from him. Her brows were furrowed in thought for about two seconds before she finally made a decision.

Under the man’s intent gaze, she nodded unhappily. “Okay, but you have to let me serve the porridge.”

The starving kidnappers would agree to anything as long as they could have the food.

The three men glanced at the thick-lipped woman, taking pleasure in her misfortune. They only turned away after getting glared at.

As expected, when Chu Lian split the pot of porridge into four bowls, three of the bowls had about the same amount but the fourth bowl only had half as much. With her cheeks puffed in indignation, Chu Lian gestured to the smallest bowl of porridge and indicated that it was meant for the thick-lipped woman before stomping away.

The tall man patted the thick-lipped woman’s shoulder before taking away the biggest bowl.

The mutton porridge was just too fragrant. For people like them who hadn’t even eaten plain rice porridge for the longest time, it was an irresistible gourmet dish.

All of them took a deep breath and buried their heads in their food once they got their bowls.

As the three men were occupied with stuffing their faces, they didn’t notice that Chu Lian hadn’t eaten any of her porridge. She was only eating the grilled meat she had put on top.

That one bowl of porridge wasn’t enough to fill them up. The three men and one woman wanted to lick their empty bowls clean. In their eyes, Chu Lian had eaten from the same pot of porridge, so there wasn’t any chance of it being poisoned.

Chu Lian slowly chewed through the food in her bowl. After fifteen minutes, she sneaked a glance at the other people in the tent.

They were leaning against a corner of the tent, completely down for the count.

Excitement brewed in Chu Lian’s chest. She did it! She actually did it!

Chu Lian had first acted like a useless noble lady to lower their guard before using food to lure them into her trap. She set down her bowl and patted her chest.

Chu Lian didn’t dare to waste any second of her hard-earned time. First, she tucked her dagger back into its hiding place and wrapped her fox fur cloak tightly around her. She then packed all the food she hadn’t used to take away with her.

Just as she walked up to the tent flap, she heard a weakened whisper from behind. Chu Lian froze and turned around, only to see the thick-lipped woman glaring at her fiercely. The woman used all of her strength to spit out, “You… You actually drugged us!”

Chu Lian hadn’t expected the woman to be awake. That was most likely because she had eaten less of the porridge than the others.

However, even though she had managed to keep her consciousness, her body was already paralysed and she didn’t even have the strength to stand up.

Chu Lian knew the strength of the drug well. She couldn’t leave the woman awake when the drug wore off. Thus, Chu Lian gritted her teeth and turned around. The young lady picked up the sword next to the woman and slammed the hilt of it on the back of the woman’s head head.

With a grunt, the woman finally lost consciousness.

Once the woman had fainted, Chu Lian collapsed on the ground. She threw away the sword in her hands as sweat ran down her forehead.

She quickly forced herself to calm down and overcame the weakness in her legs. Grabbing her bag, Chu Lian hurriedly left the tent.

Actually, if she had been able to, it would have been better to eliminate them while they were still unconscious so she wouldn’t be pursued. However, Chu Lian didn’t dare to kill another human being. The modern world of her home had shaped her worldview, and she wasn’t naturally cold or detached at heart, either.

She couldn’t commit murder, not because she was a saint, but because of her nature.

The environment she had come from determined that she would never be able to do something like that.

Once she left the tent, Chu Lian bumped right into another person- the barbarian woman she had seen outside the tent last night.

Chu Lian tried to get away from her in a panic, but the barbarian woman caught hold of her wrist.

She looked up at the woman with eyes full of shock. A million thoughts flew through Chu Lian’s mind as she bit her lip. However, since the barbarian woman hadn’t said anything yet, she forced herself to calm down yet again and remained silent.

If she made any sound and alerted the other people in this area, they would surely find out that she had drugged the four people in the tent. She wouldn’t be able to control what happened afterwards.

As Chu Lian stared at the barbarian woman in uncertainty and bewilderment, the barbarian woman finally managed to speak. To Chu Lian’s surprise, it was poorly pronounced Chinese.

“I dake yew away.”

Chu Lian had expected the woman to shout and call the others, but never in her wildest dreams had she thought that the woman would say something like that.

She had also used the official language of the Great Wu Dynasty. Even though the pronunciation was a little off, Chu Lian had been able to understand it.

Despite how amazed she was, Chu Lian didn’t trust the barbarian woman immediately. There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world. She wasn’t as gullible as her young appearance might lead others to believe.

When the barbarian saw that Chu Lian was still frowning and that her eyes were filled with distrust, she got a little anxious. She quickly said another string of words.

“He Changdi!”

There were no more words to describe the extent of Chu Lian’s astonishment. She quickly asked, “Auntie, you know He Changdi?”

Chapter 395: Murder (2)

The barbarian woman nodded furiously and pulled Chu Lian to another side of the hollow in the hill.

When they turned out of the main area, there was another recess with a layer of dry grass on the ground. A few horses and goats were tied up inside.

The barbarian woman brought Chu Lian into the midst of the horses. She made some gestures at Chu Lian frantically. It took a long time for Chu Lian to finally understand what she meant.

She slowly asked, “Auntie, do you want me to wait for you here?”

Although the barbarian woman wasn’t very familiar with the official language of the Great Wu, it seemed like she could still understand some simple words.

The barbarian woman nodded in answer and pushed Chu Lian deeper into the herd of horses, using the larger of them to hide Chu Lian’s tiny little frame.

Once she had hidden Chu Lian, the barbarian woman quickly ran back to the tents. Luckily, the weather was terrible today and the temperatures outside were very low, so no one was walking around.

When the barbarian woman reached the two tents, she paused in thought before gritting her teeth and entering Chu Lian’s tent. The moment she saw the three men and one woman unconscious in the tent, she was startled. An instant later, she gathered her courage and checked if they were still breathing. Once she confirmed that they were only unconscious, the barbarian woman’s eyes turned sharp. She took a sword from one of the men and slit the throats of all four of the kidnappers...

It was only when the thick-lipped woman took her last breath that the barbarian woman sat on the ground, panting in fear. However, there was no time to waste.

She forced herself up and walked over to the tent flap, first listening for any movement outside. Once she was sure that it was clear, she lifted the tent flap and walked out.

Chu Lian squatted amongst the horses for thirty minutes until the barbarian woman ran back over with two other people.

Chu Lian quickly went up to welcome them.

It was only when they got closer that she realised the barbarian woman was holding on to two boys.

The older one looked about seventeen or eighteen years old. The younger one was skinny and dark and looked about ten.

The barbarian woman spoke some gibberish to the older boy, who then nodded and looked at Chu Lian. “Miss, my Ah-ma says that we have to leave this place immediately. We’ll be in trouble if anyone finds out.”

While the older boy’s pronunciation wasn’t that accurate either, at least communication wouldn’t be a problem.

The four of them didn’t dare to stay for even a second longer there.

Since Chu Lian still didn’t know how to ride a horse, in the end, the two boys shared a mount while the barbarian woman and Chu Lian shared another.

The horses quickly vanished into the boundless horizon of the endless wind and snow. In just a few seconds, they could no longer be seen from the hill.

During their journey, Chu Lian got a rough understanding of the situation from the older boy.

The barbarian woman was called Urihan, and the older boy was called Myeryen. The younger boy’s name was Narisong.

They were a family of mother and sons. The two boys were both sick, and Narisong’s illness was bad enough that he had to drink medicine every day.

They had come from an ordinary family of herders. The boys’ father had passed away early on, so Urihan had raised them all by herself.

However, the boys had been afflicted with illness and life was hard for them. Even though Urihan knew that the two boys weren’t suffering from any major disease, they didn’t have the right medicine to treat their illnesses, so they had been suffering all this while.

They hadn’t been staying in the natural hollow of the hillside at first, but somewhere else.

Winter had come too abruptly this year. The snowstorms had crushed the tent they were living in and half of the goats they depended on had frozen to death. In order to keep her sons alive, Urihan had brought her sons away to that hillside.

She had used their remaining goats to barter for their stay there. Urihan and her sons lived there for half a month before Chu Lian came by.

After listening to this, Chu Lian finally realised that the two tents on the hillside had been like an inn. The owner of the place rented out space to passersby. The leader of the kidnappers had given the owner of the tents a bag of something, like a fee for staying there.

Luckily, Urihan was a daughter of the grasslands. She had lived on the grasslands for decades. Even in the endless plains of winter, she could still determine which direction to head in.

Close to four hours after Chu Lian and Urihan had left, a small group of men on horses came to the hillside. The owner of the tents came out to welcome them with a smile, but was mercilessly kicked away.

The man on top of the horse looked down at the owner of the tent and barked out something harsh, causing the owner of the makeshift inn to scramble up from the ground and lead the newcomers to the tent that Chu Lian had stayed in.

“Sir, the people you’re looking for are here. This lowly one saw someone come out this morning to take some bags.”

The leader of the newly arrived party harrumphed and leaped off his horse. He strode over to the tent flap and was about to open it when the unmistakable metallic scent of blood hit his nose. The man’s expression changed and he ripped open the tent flap.

Four corpses laid inside the tent, the ground awash with their blood. Due to the low temperatures, the red liquid had already coagulated on the ground. There was no sign of Honoured Lady Jinyi.

Chapter 396: She's Gone (1)

“Where is she?!” The leader of the group hadn’t expected to see his comrades’ corpses upon entering the tent. He kicked the owner to the ground.

The owner was scared silly. His whole body trembled as he knelt.

There were dead bodies in that tent! Bodies of people, not livestock!

The leader stared at the corpses with a grave expression. He immediately summoned his subordinates. “Ten, Thirteen, chase after her! The rest of you, follow me back to Su City.”

Meanwhile, He Changdi was trudging his way back with the supply group. Even with the snowboat, they couldn’t go any faster.

The horses needed to rest and the snow hadn’t stopped. The weather in the north was actively trying to kill them.

Xiao Hongyu jumped into the warm pen of the snowboat. He frantically rubbed his numb body all over, warming himself at the brazier for a long time before he finally managed to come back to life.

Xiao Hongyu flattened his hands over his reddened, frozen ears and complained, “It’s so cold outside. Brother He, how many more days before we reach our camp?”

He Changdi had slid his gloves back on upon seeing Xiao Hongyu enter the pen. “Hongyu, rest here with Brother Zhang. I’ll go take a look outside. If my guess is right, we should be able to reach camp in two days at most if we maintain this speed.”

Xiao Hongyu heaved a sigh of relief. He never wanted to do this again. It was like he was passing his days as a popsicle out here!

Zhang Mai was grilling some beef slices over the fire. While cooking the meat, he shook his head with regret. “Although we used the same beef, how is it that the ones I grilled are so different from Sister-in-Law’s?”

He Changdi had been about to step out of the warm pen. When he heard Zhang Mai’s mumbling, he froze stiff for an instant.

Xiao Hongyu shot a disdainful look at the beef slices that Zhang Mai was grilling. When he saw that half of every slice was already completely charred black, he rolled his eyes.

He would rather starve to death than eat Brother Zhang’s cooking. It was too scary.

He Sanlang sat on his horse’s back and stared out into the pure white horizon that stretched as far as the eye could see. There was a black veil attached to his hood that slightly obscured his vision.

When travelling over a snow-covered surface, if a person continued to look at the blank white expanse of snow for too long, the ultraviolet rays reflecting off the snow would hurt their eyes. This was the cause of snow blindness, and those living in the grasslands of the north were particularly prone to it, as everything turned white the moment it snowed. The thin black veil He Changdi was wearing acted as a rather effective shield for his eyes so he wouldn’t become snow-blind.

The veil was similar to the modern protective snow goggles.

Ever since he had given each soldier in his group a single piece of black muslin, not a single one of them had suffered from snow blindness.

This simple solution had been something that Chu Lian had mentioned to him offhandedly.

He Changdi tightly gripped his horse’s reins and felt the tension from the leather gloves covering his hands. These gloves were different from the standard gloves issued by the army.

Each finger was sewn separately, and there was an extra tough layer of leather added to the palm. The whole glove was not only waterproof, it was also extra warm inside thanks to a thin layer of fleece. Compared to the simple gloves given by the army, which only had two parts for the thumb and four fingers, it was much more convenient and practical for use. Xiao Hongyu had been drooling over his gloves for a long time.

He Changdi looked down at them and recalled what Chu Lian had told him when she had given them to him. “Keep these,” she had said. “They’re better than what they issue in the army.”

They weren’t just better. He didn’t even have to take them off when he was fighting in close quarters.

He Changdi stiffened at the memory.

He shut his eyes, as if trying to pull himself out of this sweet dreamscape.

What was going on? Why was Chu Lian like a constant shadow by his side?

The most disgraceful part of it was that he didn’t hate that kind of feeling at all. He even continuously replayed memories in his mind as if he was addicted to them. For some reason, he still remembered every single word that the Chu Lian of this lifetime had said to him, down to the simplest greeting.

He Sanlang’s thin lips pressed together as the depths of his eyes turned into a fathomless sea. His emotions crashed against the walls of his heart like the fierce waves of the azure ocean.

A crack appeared in his blank mask. He Changdi smiled bitterly. He had really been ‘poisoned’ by Chu Lian’s drug.

That woman must be happily eating and drinking in the main camp while he was out fighting for the lives of the fifty thousand border troops. That seemed to be Chu Lian’s superpower; somehow, no matter where she ended up, she would always manage to live well.

He Changdi felt a swell of dissatisfaction at the thought. It was almost like he had completely fallen for her tricks and had half of his heart stolen away as a result.

Just as his thoughts were about to meander back into daydreams, a few black dots appeared on the horizon.

As the dots grew bigger and bigger, He Sanlang’s brows drew together slightly. He waved at the troops behind him and a small group broke off to scope out their incoming company.

Soon enough, they returned, toting three additional people with them.

Once the newcomers had drawn close enough, He Changdi recognised the leader straight away. He was one of the guards that Princess Wei had sent to keep Chu Lian safe.

For no reason at all, He Sanlang felt his heart sink. He had a bad feeling about this.

Li Xing ran up to He Changdi and immediately raised his hands in a cupped first greeting. Without giving himself time to catch his breath, he panted as he reported, “Third Young Master He, Honoured Lady has an urgent message for you. One day ago, the Tuhuns launched a major offensive against the northern army.”

What?!

He Changdi’s expression turned stormy. He quickly took the message from Li Xing’s hands and opened it up.

Chu Lian’s letter was short, but it explained all the necessary details he had to know about the situation in a concise and succinct manner.

She told He Changdi to return as fast as he could to the main camp once he read the letter. The stores of the northern army had already run empty. The Tuhuns might really defeat them if the supplies didn’t reach in time.

Although both of them knew what was going to happen from their previous lives, there had been too many changes in this world. Neither of them could guarantee that events would happen exactly the same as they had in the past life. They weren’t as silly as to leave the decision up to fate. That would be completely brainless.

Chapter 397: She's Gone (2)

He Changdi slipped the letter into his clothes once he was done reading.

The crease between his sharp brows deepened. He sent out orders to cancel the scheduled break for tonight and to rush back to camp at the fastest speed they could manage.

He Changdi and his party sprinted back to the border camp without any break for a whole day and night.

The original two day journey was shortened to a single day and they managed to reach just as the border army had reached breaking point. The secretary of the northern army personally led a group of men out to welcome them back to camp, before ordering the cooks to prepare a full meal for all of the soldiers on the frontlines.

Now that they were well fed, the troops under Great General Qian’s command turned into ruthless warriors. They quickly took back the upper hand and mounted a counterattack against the Tuhun army. Their equipment was a few magnitudes better than the Tuhuns’ in the first place. They had only been held back by their supply problem earlier. Now that they didn’t have to worry about their rations, the morale of the army swelled.

After getting their well deserved fill of food, all of the northern border troops revealed their fighting strength, fiercely attempting to make up for their lack of performance in the earlier clashes.

Now that the border troops’ morale had been stoked, there was no longer any uncertainty about their victory.

General Qian admired He Changdi even more now. He hadn’t expected this junior noble from House Jing’an to have shown off such capability.

Needless to say, He Changdi’s timely delivery of supplies was one of the most important factors that had brought about their victory.

The Tuhun army was in decline now. The strict and inflexible General Qian bent his own rules and decided to sent He Changdi out to the battlefield right this moment.

There was close to no danger now in heading to the battlefields. He Changdi might even be able to add another achievement to his belt if he went out with the last wave of soldiers to clean up the Tuhuns. Furthermore, he had already earned plenty of merit from contributing the snowboat blueprints and delivering supplies. The person who made the most contribution to the northern war efforts would likely be none other than him.

This was going to be an easy task. Anyone else would probably have agreed to it on the spot.

However, He Sanlang rejected General Qian’s rare good intentions.

It wasn’t because he was stupid, but because Chu Lian had gone missing!

In a certain tent in the main camp, a group of people were kneeling on the ground.

The ones in the front were Wenqing, Wenlan and Manager Qin.

He Changdi sat at the head of the tent with a stormy expression and looked down upon the kneeling servants, holding back the urge to slap each and every one of them.

“What happened! How was Third Young Madam taken away?!”

Anger flooded his chest, overwhelming him as he choked on his frustration.

Wasn’t that wicked woman usually infallible? She even had guards by her side this time! Where was the quick wit that she always turned against him? She had actually let herself get kidnapped!

Wenqing and Wenlan had been serving He Sanlang ever since they were young girls. Although they didn’t get to meet him much, they had never seen him looking so fearsome before. The pressure he exuded was like a mountain pressing over their heads. None of them dared to look up at their master at all.

If they even glanced at him, they might be sent down to hell immediately.

The servants were all extremely worried about their mistress, so they didn’t hide any bit of what had happened. They reported the whole chain of events that had led to Chu Lian getting abducted.

He Changdi gripped the arms of his chair hard. His eyes narrowed dangerously. Although his gaze seemed to be focused on the tent flap, it didn’t seem like it either.

No one dared to say a word. They tried to make their breaths as silent as possible.

He Sanlang suddenly thought of the snowboat. He remembered how Xiao Bojian had been so desperate to get the blueprints for the snowboat and the jealous and begrudging look that Xiao Bojian had given him when he had left Su City with the supplies. Then the Tuhuns had suddenly attacked…

In his previous life, even though he had been hurt by the wicked Chu Lian, he had been one of Xiao Bojian and Chu Lian’s closest friends. Later on, he had found out in one way or another that Xiao Bojian had some sort of power hidden behind the scenes. He had more people backing him than the one Old Duke Ying that everyone else could see.

He had also been able to get a foothold in court so quickly, due to that mysterious power he had behind him.

He Changdi hadn’t touched Xiao Bojian at all after reviving in this life because he knew that Xiao Bojian was more than he seemed on the surface and that he was going to be a tough nut to crack.

As for Chu Lian’s sudden disappearance, he didn’t even have to guess to know who the mastermind was.

He Sanlang clenched his fists. Xiao Bojian… Did he really think that he would be just as easy to bully as he had been in his past life?

The Chu Lian of this lifetime was his wife! No one else would be able to take her away from him!

He Changdi already had some plans formed in his mind.

He summoned Laiyue with a cold expression on his face, then sent a message to Prince Jin via Tang Yan about searching for Chu Lian in Liangzhou.

After he had returned to the main camp, he hadn’t even changed into a fresh set of clothes before setting off to lead the investigation personally.

Even though he kept his cool on the outside and seemed almost heartless about his wife’s disappearance, no one could see the mix of anxiety, upset and heartache in his heart right now.

He kept himself busy and numb so that his thoughts wouldn’t wander in bad directions...

Chapter 398: Hanging on to Life (1)

Once General Qian heard that He Sanlang had rejected his mission, his first reaction was disappointment. After a moment, his next reaction was to grin with frustration from the brat's actions.

No matter what, He Sanlang was an upstanding man who followed his own moral compass. He hadn't been tempted by the easy chance to gain merit and had instead chosen to save his own wife first. Great General Qian only respected him even more for that choice.

It was more human to be carried away by one's emotions. If a man could abandon his wife and children for the sake of chasing achievement or merit, then even if he had great talent, General Qian would prefer that he simply vanish without having those talents recognised.

He Changdi personally led his men in the investigation. After half a day of searching, they finally got some leads.

He Sanlang's tense, statue-like face finally loosened and warmed up a little.

He took the men under him who were the most skilled in martial arts and rushed all the way through the night to the place the leads pointed to.

The harsh winds were accompanied by icy snowflakes, cutting like razors and jagged stones across his face. However, He Changdi acted as if he couldn't feel any of it and urged his mount onwards across the snow-white plains fading into twilight.

He realised that he couldn't think of Chu Lian at all. The moment she appeared in his thoughts, it felt as if someone had stabbed him in the heart. It hurt a lot.

He Changdi suddenly felt that he had turned into something beyond his control, something scary and fearsome. If anything happened to that wicked woman, even killing every single person wouldn't be able to ease the hatred in his heart.

The mix of emotions in his chest made him uneasy. Ever since his reincarnation, he had thought that there would only be hatred left for him in this lifetime, that he would be able to remain calm and detached towards anything. However, in these mere six months, he had experienced a greater swath of emotions than he had ever felt in his previous life. And now the person who had brought all that to him was possibly in danger.

He Changdi raised the whip in his hands and directed it at his horse's rump. He had to go faster, even faster!

He wanted to fly right to Chu Lian's side and pull her into his embrace and comfort her.

Xiao Hongyu, Li Yue, Li Xing, and the rest of the party behind him could only grit their teeth and do their best to follow upon watching him whip his horse on faster and faster.

A hill finally came into sight before them, surrounded by darkness and the swirling snowy winds.

By the time He Changdi and his party had reached the two tents in the middle of the hill, night had fallen.

The owner of the tents had already been frightened half to death by the sudden visitors earlier that day. Now that another party brimming with a ferocious aura had come, he was overcome with misery.

He scrambled over to welcome them in a panic and tried his best to show them an accommodating smile. He raised his arm, prepared to welcome the icy-looking man in front with a proper Han salute. However, before he could, the owner was immediately pushed over onto the snow by that same handsome man.

He Changdi couldn't wait for the man to speak. He strode forward with great urgency and quickly pulled aside the tent flap of one of the tents.

There were more than ten makeshift beds on the floor, with people of varying ages. He looked at face after face, but the woman he wanted to find wasn't there!

A pang of disappointment flooded his chest. He quickly walked over to the other tent. His hand trembled as it reached out for the tent flap, but he finally found his determination in the next second.

The tent flap flew up and He Changdi stared into the tent.

The sight of it empty was like a dagger piercing into his chest. His heart had been emptied of all hope in the blink of an eye.

He Changdi stared at the emptiness in a daze, his mind completely blank. The sourness and bitterness in his heart was overwhelming.

Xiao Hongyu, who had followed in behind He Changdi, was a little stunned by the scene. However, he was just an observer to this and thus was able to keep his reason.

He reached out to pat He Sanlang's shoulder and slid past Sanlang to enter the tent first. When he looked around, he quickly realised that something was not quite right.

Xiao Hongyu squatted down in a corner and felt around. His hands were immediately met with a layer of dark red earth. When he lifted his hand to his nose and took a sniff, Xiao Hongyu was met with a familiar rusty smell. Anyone who had been on a battlefield would recognise it as the smell of fresh blood.

Xiao Hongyu's heart sank. With a grave expression, he said, "Brother He, come and take a look over here."

He Changdi immediately strode over to Xiao Hongyu's side. When he noticed the bloodstains in the corner of the tent, his entire body stiffened up.

His lips were pressed so tightly together that he couldn’t speak. Xiao Hongyu sighed inwardly. It looked like Brother He really cared a lot about Honoured Lady Jinyi.

"Brother He, don't think too much for now. We'll go and question the owner of this place. Maybe it's someone else's blood."

It was at this moment that the owner of the tents was dragged inside.

After a round of questioning which revealed that Chu Lian had escaped, the cloud of despair over He Changdi finally lifted.

The owner of the tents could tell that he couldn't afford to offend these people. He personally brought He Changdi and the rest to where he had buried the three men and one woman.

He Changdi examined the kidnappers' clothing closely. When he found a tattoo inked in the same spot on all of the kidnappers, his brows furrowed. Now he was certain that Xiao Bojian was the one behind this incident.

As careful as Chu Lian had been, because she had left in such a rush, she had still left some traces behind.

He Changdi had brought one of the scouts skilled in reconnaissance from the northern border troops. They followed the traces and continued on their journey.

Chapter 399: Hanging on to Life (2)

Even with the thick fox fur cloak around her, the icy northern winds battered her body with snow and stole away whatever warmth she originally had. Her face and hands were already numb from the cold.

Chu Lian looked up at the darkening sky, face worn with worry. Although they were able to bear with the low temperatures during the day, if they didn't find a place to rest for the night soon, they would surely freeze to death out here in the open.

She couldn't determine any sense of direction in the middle of this white plain. Furthermore, she didn't know if there were any pursuers on their tail.

Chu Lian panted for breath as she turned to Myeryen. "Myeryen, could you ask your Ah-ma if she can find a place to sleep for the night? If we continue like this, we'll freeze to death."

The teen nodded and turned to Urihan. Chu Lian listened as he spoke to her in the barbarian language.

Myeryen nodded at his mother before turning back to Chu Lian and reporting what he had found out with a frown. "Sister Chu, Ah-ma said that there's no place suitable to rest nearby. We have to walk for another five kilometres before we can find a place to rest."

Chu Lian sucked in a gasp of air upon getting such an answer.

Five kilometres!

In the army, when soldiers were forced to march at their fastest on a normal road surface, they would cover about fifty kilometres or so in a day. For a normal person, they would be able to walk twenty five to thirty kilometres at the most.

Although they had horses right now, they were in the middle of the icy north in knee deep snow. Their horses could go fifteen or twenty kilometres in a day without food or water.

Now that the sky was already starting to turn dark, the closest place they could make camp at was still five kilometres away!

It was impossible to reach there before night fell and the temperatures dropped.

Chu Lian turned to look at the middle-aged Urihan and discovered that she had a similar expression of anxiety.

However, they had no other choice but to try their best to survive out on the grasslands.

They didn't have any fire, and the ground was covered in a thick layer of snow. Any firewood they might be able to find was likely already damp and moldy. The white horizon spread out before them without an end. There wasn't even an outcrop where they could take shelter, so the experienced Urihan was also helpless in the face of the cruel reality of nature.

Their whole group seemed to have understood the danger they were in. Death was like a silent shadow slowly creeping over them.

The atmosphere between the four of them turned dead and tense. Urihan was starting to regret bringing Chu Lian out.

She hadn't expected the snow-covered grasslands to be this hard to traverse. A place they could normally reach in a day of travel now took twice as long. This was under the assumption that they didn't lose their way.

Chu Lian's wide eyes stared out into the falling snow around them. Her dry lips pressed together as a spark of resolution lit up in her eyes. She didn't realise that this subtle action she took in the face of emergency was actually rather similar to He Changdi's.

The sky darkened abruptly, and the limited warmth of the day went along with the light.

Chu Lian could now feel that her body was slowly trembling.

She suddenly patted Urihan's shoulder and said, "Ah-ma, we can't continue going on like this. Even if we keep going for the whole night, we won't be able to reach a place where we can safely pass the night."

Chu Lian's simple words had obviously gotten through to Urihan.

Urihan lowered her head and started sobbing lowly. She spoke in the barbarian language with a tone full of regret.

Myeryen was also upset. He hugged his brother's thin frame tightly and translated his Ah-ma's words. "Sister Chu, Ah-ma says that she has let you down. She shouldn't have been so reckless."

Chu Lian focused her gaze on the mother and sons before her, the gears in her head turning.

She had learned all sorts of survival knowledge in the modern world. Surely there was something that could help get them through this emergency. There must be something! She just hadn't remembered it yet!

Chu Lian gripped the reins in her hands tightly and sunk into deep thought.

When Myeryen didn't hear any reply from her and noticed the blank expression on her face, he thought that she was blaming Ah-ma. He lowered his head in guilt.

The northern wind howled in her ears, accompanied by the steady beat of the horses' hooves landing on the snow. The horse under her suddenly snorted. It wavered, as if it could no longer endure the burden on its back.

Chu Lian's attention was drawn by the horse- an idea flashed in her mind.

She had a way for them to survive the night!

Chu Lian's eyes lit up like the glittering stars in the expanse of night sky above them.

"Ah-ma, Myeryen, I know how we can survive the night!"

Myeryen had already accepted his fate. When he heard Chu Lian's words, his eyes widened in shock. "Sister Chu, are... are you serious?"

Even Urihan turned to Chu Lian with eyes full of hope.

As long as there was a way to survive, who would really let themselves die? Urihan was no exception. Furthermore, she had two young sons. If there really was hope for survival, she would even sacrifice her own life in exchange for a fighting chance for her sons.

Chu Lian nodded with certainty. Although her voice was soft and pleasant, the composure she held was able to calm the others and left no room for doubt or mistrust.

"We can't go on any further. It's about to turn even darker and the temperature is only going to drop further. Let's stop here first and use the horses as a shield against the winds. We have to eat something and recover our strength."

Her solution for their survival was going to require a lot of their energy. They had to rest and conserve their energy now. The horses had been carrying the weight of two people each for some time, and they likely wouldn't be able to last much longer.

Chapter 400: Reunion (1)

The four of them got off their mounts, which Chu Lian led to one side before directing Urihan to stand nearby them in a position shielded from the wind. Then, Chu Lian moved over to the cloth travel bags hanging from the horses and took out some food.

They leaned against the horses and tried to warm themselves with the horses' body heat. After distributing the food, they had to force themselves to eat in order to preserve their energy.

Chu Lian gulped down some goat's milk and explained her idea to them while they were eating.

Myeryen had been eating peacefully at first, but after hearing Chu Lian's solution, his eyes widened in astonishment.

He said anxiously, "Sister Chu, we can't do that! These two horses are the last thing we can count on. Without them, we'll never be able to walk out of these plains on foot alone!"

Chu Lian knew that Myeryen was speaking the truth. She sucked in a deep breath of bracing cold air and rubbed the flank of the horse she was leaning against before sighing. "Myeryen, take a good look at this horse. Even if we don't use my solution, these two horses won't be able to live till the next morning."

Furthermore, the horses needed food. In their rush to leave the hill and due to Urihan's mistake in estimating the distance they could travel, they hadn't brought any feed for the horses at all.

Without food, the horses wouldn't be able to go on for much longer. Their condition hadn't been very good in the first place, and now...

Myeryen turned to look at the horse behind them. He reached out to touch it and found that its body was trembling, its spirits low. It wasn't a good sign. He was a man of the plains and he herded goats for a living, so he definitely loved the animals he took care of. Unless he had no other choice, he would never hurt a horse.

Myeryen shut his eyes, looking pained. Finally, he nodded. He knew too that killing these two horses was probably their best chance of survival at this point. It was their only option to survive this deadly cold night.

Chu Lian let out a breath of relief after successfully convincing Myeryen. Horses seemed to have human-like intelligence, so she wouldn't have chosen to do so either except in extenuating circumstances.

She looked up at the endless horizon of white snow. As the day's light slowly faded into darkness, she stuffed the last bite of jerky into her mouth and said, "Let's start after we're done eating."

Myeryen nodded with his fists clenched. While eating, he explained Chu Lian's idea to his mother and brother.

Urihan was more cool-headed than her son. Even though Chu Lian's idea was just a short term solution and they would be facing an even more troubling situation the next morning, it was better than freezing to death in the next couple hours.

Once everyone was in agreement, they started preparing everything they needed. Luckily, there were already two swords inside the sacks hanging off the horses. Chu Lian would have gone mad if they only had her tiny dagger to kill the horses with.

Naturally, it was Urihan and Myeryen who handled the actual killing. They had lived with livestock and horses for years and were familiar with slaughtering animals. They knew how to kill a horse with the least amount of suffering.

Once the two horses were lying motionless on the snow, even Chu Lian couldn't help but shed tears for their plight.

It was getting darker and darker now, and the temperature was dropping. Chu Lian had to hurry up.

She and Urihan dug out all the organs from the horses' abdomens and piled them up to one side on the snow. They laid the two horses on their sides. Once all the innards were gone, Chu Lian and Urihan first helped the youngest Narisong into the horse's body. Myeryen then entered the body himself, setting his back to the opening while hugging Narisong.

Chu Lian pushed the pile of innards over the opening, covering the two boys.

The other horse was to be her and Urihan’s resting place for the night. Luckily, she and Urihan were both small in stature and slim. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to fit into one horse together.

Chu Lian and Urihan gestured at each other for some time before she finally persuaded Urihan to lay on the inside.

After Urihan had entered the horse's body, Chu Lian squatted down and pushed her way in. Luckily, she still had her fox fur cloak around her so it wasn't too cold, even though she was on the outside.

It smelled terrible inside the horse's belly. Blood and other fluids dripped onto her face. However, for the sake of survival, she had to bear with it.

He Changdi's heart sank even more the further they travelled, chasing the traces of Chu Lian and her party.

It was already completely dark by now. All of the men who had come out with He Changdi were hiding inside the warm pen of the snowboat.

He Changdi opened up the flap a little to look out into the darkness with a grave expression.

Damn it, it was already night!

To be out in the plains during a winter’s night without anything to keep warm with was the equivalence of death.

They had a specialised guide with them who was an old barbarian who had lived on the grasslands for decades.

The abnormally serious Xiao Hongyu turned to ask the old guide, "Is there any place to rest nearby?"

The old guide pursed his lips and spoke honestly. "There isn't any place to rest for five kilometers or so from here. It will take at least two days or more to get out of these endless plains."

Hearing that made the expression on He Sanlang's face turn even more icy.

A guard on the outside reported, "Young Master, there are some tracks ahead."

He Changdi's voice came out a little rough as he said, "Keep following the tracks!"

After the guard made a sound of agreement, he passed down the orders.

If not for the snowboat and the warming pen, even trained elite guards like them wouldn't be able to travel in these dark and snowy conditions.

He Changdi had checked the traces that Chu Lian and her party had left back at the hill. After questioning the owner of those tents, he knew exactly what Chu Lian had with her when she had escaped.

How were four people and two horses going to survive out in this kind of night?!