Ch. 217 Naughty Book
The moment Wenlan let the tent flap fall, she couldn't resist any longer and let out a snort of laughter. Wenqing glared at her.
Wenlan ran up to Chu Lian and whispered, "Third Young Madam, that felt so good."
Wenqing was also proud of her master. She knew that her master wasn't someone who would allow others to bully her. If someone provoked her, Chu Lian would always return an eye for an eye. If she didn't, then that meant she didn't care about the insult and would let it slide. Chu Lian was the type of person who kept her frustrations inside her; her expression wouldn't change even as her annoyance grew. Taking retribution was a way of venting her anger- if there wasn't any anger, then naturally, there wouldn't be any reason to vent.
When Chu Lian saw how happy Wenlan was, she replied a little helplessly, "They're just little girls. Let them go back once they're done washing everything."
After hearing Chu Lian's words, Wenqing and Wenlan calmed down, although their worry still showed on their faces.
Wenqing thought for a bit before saying, "Third Young Madam, don't think too much of it. Third Young Master isn't that sort of person. That was just some groundless gossip."
Chu Lian turned around to smile at Wenqing, her almond-shaped eyes turning into upturned crescents. Under the heat of that stare, Wenqing felt a little awkward. She quickly explained, "Third Young Madam, this servant isn't trying to speak for Third Young Master..."
"Okay, okay, I'm not blaming you."
Chu Lian didn't express any of her thoughts on the relationship between He Changdi and General Sima. In her view, things weren't certain yet. All they had heard were a few rumours, which couldn't be considered substantial evidence that there was something going on between the two. Furthermore, even if He Sanlang and General Sima had some sort of dalliance, she could discuss things with He Sanlang and find a way to allow General Sima to take her place.
As long as she remained an Honoured Lady, she could live happily by herself. She would even be free of those troublesome social engagements back in the capital. Wouldn't that be a win-win situation? She could find a man she liked and settle into a peaceful, happy life.
He Sanlang, who was fighting for his life on the frontlines, had no idea that his wicked wife was thinking about how to get away from him. They hadn't even consummated their marriage yet and she was already considering divorce...
If He Sanlang ever found out, it was highly possible he'd puke blood.
Wenqing and Wenlan had been serving Chu Lian for a while now, and they understood a little of her personality. They knew that Third Young Madam didn't want to discuss General Sima's matters anymore, so they all kept quiet.
A soldier from outside sent in a brazier. Wenqing shifted it closer to keep Chu Lian warm.
He Sanlang's tent couldn't be compared to General Sima's.
The tent wasn't very big. Inside, there were only two narrow beds with a simple screen dividing the space in two. There were no carpets placed on the floor, either; it was just some black dirt stripped bare of its surface layer of turf.
Snow had been falling for quite a few days here, so the tent entrance was already a muddy mess. Thanks to the low temperatures, the mud had frozen over. The tent felt extremely moist and wasn't very comfortable.
There wasn't much inside besides that, other than a small table next to the bed on the left. A few tactic books were stacked in a neat pile on top alongside a basic set of ink, brush, and paper.
There was also a wooden box placed beside both beds, most likely for the soldiers to store their clothes and other items.
Chu Lian knew that He Sanlang wasn't staying in this tent alone, but was sharing with Xiao Hongyu.
Of these two beds, only one was He Sanlang's.
Wenqing and Wenlan were also taking in the arrangements. Of the two, Wenlan was the first to speak. Her cheeks puffed up as she said, "That General Sima's living arrangements are so nice; how is it that our Third Young Master's are so terrible in comparison?" This tent was cold and dark. Without a charcoal brazier burning, it would be practically inhospitable.
Chu Lian smiled without answering. He Changdi's status was different from Sima Hui's, after all. He had just entered the army and was a man. Furthermore, Great General Qian was known for being strict with his troops. He Changdi was already pretty lucky to get a two-man tent like this, and in such a short period of time, too. Otherwise, he would have had to squeeze into the barracks.
Chu Lian was right. If not for how she had helped Old Duke Zheng, and had Old Duke Zheng not sent the letter to Great General Qian, He Changdi wouldn't have been able to rise in the ranks so quickly, nor would he be getting this sort of treatment.
Wenqing pointed at the bed that was further in. "Third Young Madam, that one should be Third Young Master's bed. Look, there's the fleece mattress we brought from our estate. Why don't you sit there?"
Chu Lian walked up to the bed and pulled her hand from her sleeve. She gently touched the slightly flattened, worn mattress before holding her hand up to her nose and taking a sniff. Then, she shook her head and sat on the other bed instead. "This one is Husband's bed."
Ah? Wenqing found it strange so she looked at the two beds again. She didn't understand how Third Young Madam had been able to differentiate them.
The mattress on the other bed was clearly from the Jing'an Estate though?
Without waiting for Wenqing to ask, Chu Lian began to explain. "Look at the boots next to the bed."
He Changdi was tall and his legs were long. Of course his feet were bigger. Xiao Hongyu was shorter, so his feet tended towards a smaller size.
Furthermore, Chu Lian had been the one to send this pair of boots to He Changdi. She had changed them a little, adding a layer of leather on the inside of the boots. The insides wouldn't get wet even when it rained. She had also made a small decorative mark on an unassuming corner of the boots that only the maidservants of Songtao Court would recognise.
Fleece bedding and blankets could be given away, but everyone's shoes were differently sized. He Changdi and Xiao Hongyu's feet were so different that they couldn't possibly share their socks and boots.
Wenqing and Wenlan looked down at the very different boots. Both of them understood.
They looked up at Chu Lian with shining eyes. Wenlan couldn't hold back the smirk tugging up the corners of her lips.
Hmph! Who would dare to cast doubts on Third Young Master and Third Young Madam's relationship now? Third Young Madam had discerned Third Young Master's bed at one glance!
Chu Lian had only given them a very simple reason. Actually, she hadn't used the shoes to determine which of the beds was He Changdi's.
He Sanlang was rather fussy, even bordering a little on the obsessive-compulsive side. He was also a clean freak, although it wasn't too serious.
She had discovered this the last time he had taken a shower at Liangzhou's He Estate.
The first time she saw him enter, He Sanlang had been covered in dirt. His expression had been ugly as well, clearly hating his state of uncleanliness. Later on, he had taken a whole hour to bathe. When Wenqing had gone to clean up the dirty clothes in the bathroom, she had discovered that He Sanlang had actually folded up all the dirty clothes and placed them neatly on the side table next to the bathtub. The soap bar had also been covered back up, and the towel had been folded up right next to the soap box.
The corner of Chu Lian's mouth twitched as she glanced down at He Changdi's bed.
Although it was simple, the blankets on it had been neatly made. The pillow was placed right at the head of the bed, and not a single wrinkle could be seen on the blankets. As for the other bed, although it couldn't be considered messy, it was a whole different story when compared to He Changdi's.
There was one more point that Chu Lian was too embarrassed to reveal. Although He Changdi was a man, he always carried a clean, nice-smelling scent. Meanwhile, that fleece blanket had stunk of sweat...
If Xiao Hongyu were to find out that he had been slighted by Sister-in-Law in this way, he would have definitely rolled around on the floor like a child, demanding snacks to recover from this mental blow.
Chu Lian pressed down on the mattress with her small hands.
The thin mattress was practically stuck to the bed board. She flipped it over to check the padding within and discovered that it was not made of cotton or fur, but dried grass.
Chu Lian's brows gathered together in a frown. Such a thin mattress wouldn't be able to keep the body warm at all. If it was spring or autumn, it might still be alright to make do with this mattress, but in this bone-piercingly cold winter...
She remembered that she had specially ordered the servants to send bedding to He Changdi when she was back at the estate. Her gaze landed on Xiao Hongyu's bed. The thick fleece bedding that should have been He Changdi's had somehow been placed on someone else's bed.
Chu Lian wasn't so silly as to think He Changdi was getting bullied. The short and plump Xiao Hongyu had been amongst the rescue party back then, too.
She wondered if Xiao Hongyu had any sort of internal injury that caused him to be more susceptible to the cold. That seemed like a possible explanation for why He Sanlang had given him his own bedding...
Chu Lian rolled her eyes. That lunatic husband of hers had only ever shown her the cold shoulder, but towards others, he was extremely considerate!
However, that fellow was rather stupid. After giving away all his things, what was he going to use to cover himself? Didn't he know how to buy himself another mattress?
Chu Lian felt a momentary lapse of disappointment towards He Sanlang.
She stood up and wrapped her grey squirrel cloak around her shoulders. The cold air turned her sigh into a white puff of breath. Chu Lian then turned to Wenqing and Wenlan.
"Have someone bring the big rugs and blankets from my carriage here. Bring some needles and thread, too."
Wenlan blinked as she processed the order. In a quick moment, she understood what Chu Lian was going to do, so she hurriedly ran off to fetch the necessary items.
Wenlan was a practised martial artist, so she was pretty fast on her feet. In just fifteen minutes, she had finished bringing everything over.
Chu Lian took off her cloak and moved the blanket on He Changdi's bed aside in order to pull up the thin bed sheet. There was only an evenly distributed layer of dried grass underneath.
Chu Lian was about to move the dried grass away when she noticed a flash of blue. She walked over to it and brushed the grass aside, revealing an indigo purse lying flat on the bed.
Chu Lian pulled out the purse from where it had been stuck in a gap between the layers. When she made to shake off the grass still clinging to it, Wenqing remarked, "Isn't that the purse you use to hold your snacks, Third Young Madam?"
All of Chu Lian's snack purses had been made by the maidservants in Songtao Court, and most of them were plain in colour without much embroidery on them. Wenqing and Wenlan had made quite a few of them too, so they could recognise it with just one glance.
Chu Lian had recognised it as well. The body of the purse bulged out a little, but it wasn't heavy. The jerky and snacks that had originally been inside were already gone. She undid the string and realised that there was a stack of similar purses placed neatly within.
When Chu Lian finished eating all the snacks in a purse, she would normally throw the purse away, just like if they were plastic bags from the modern era. However, He Sanlang had actually kept every single one of them...
A strange and indescribable feeling sparked to life within Chu Lian's heart.
She tied up the purse again and put it back where she found it.
Just as she was about to stand, Chu Lian noticed a book slotted between a gap in the planks of the wooden bed.
In a moment of curiosity, she bent down and fished it out.
It was a very thin book, with a cover made of blue leather. The cover itself was bare, and it looked like there was only twenty or so pages in it at most.
Chu Lian found it strange, so she carefully flipped the book open.
It was only when she looked at the first page that Chu Lian finally found some words: 'Pleasures of the World'.
Chu Lian frowned. That seemed to be the title, but why was it so weird though? There wasn't any author's name written inside, either.
When she flipped to the next page, Chu Lian finally realised why this book didn't have any information listed on the cover.
The page she had flipped to was a crude picture of a half-dressed couple. They were locked in a passionate embrace while lying on a bed next to a half-opened window.
Chu Lian almost puked blood. He... He Sanlang actually read naughty books?! It was such a crudely made one, too...
After she recovered from her shock, Chu Lian continued flipping through the book with a calm expression. It was just twenty or so pages, so she quickly finished her perusing. There wasn't actually much of note inside. The people and scenes were just too cartoonish and unrealistic. Some of them were even contorted into such weird positions that their heads and bodies looked disconnected. Why was He Sanlang hiding a book as lousy as this like it was some kind of treasure?
If she randomly picked out a porn book from the modern era and gave it to He Sanlang, forget about hiding it under the mattress; wouldn't he dig out a secret vault instead?
Her lunatic husband was way too inexperienced.
Chu Lian casually tossed the obscene drawings aside and continued cleaning out the dry layers of grass on the bed.
Wenqing and Wenlan wore twin curious expressions as they asked, "Third Young Madam, what kind of book is that?"
Chu Lian cast a sideways glance at the book in question. Rather indifferent, she said, "See for yourselves."
Wenlan was the more active of the pair. Her curiosity was already burning like an unscratchable itch. Third Young Madam had spent quite a bit of time looking through that book! She had even been holding back her laughter as she flipped through the pages. That just made Wenlan even more curious.
Wenlan glanced at her older sister before taking the book in hand. Wenqing also drew closer to her.
However, after flipping through the first two pages, the two girls screamed and the book dropped to the ground.
Chu Lian found their actions weird, so she asked, "What's wrong?"
Wenqing and Wenlan's faces were completely flushed. They stared at Chu Lian with rebuking eyes. "Third Young Madam, those are lewd drawings!"
Chu Lian almost tilted her head in confusion. "I know that."
How are you so calm and indifferent since you know that... Wenqing and Wenlan were speechless.
Chu Lian's lips crooked up. It was just a roughly drawn book of lewd drawings, and they weren't even that explicit. Young guys and girls wouldn't even give it another glance back in the modern world.
Wenlan picked up the book and quickly put it on the side table next to her as if it was a hot potato. The moment she set it down, she quickly drew her hand back. Her cheeks were glowing red.
Chu Lian wanted to put her face in her hands. Weren't these girls too innocent?
She ordered Wenqing and Wenlan to change He Sanlang's bedding into the more comfortable, thicker set she had brought. She then layered it with a fleece blanket on top. This way, it would be much warmer than before, and indeed she was proven right when she sat on top of the bed again.
After she tested the thickness of the bedding, Chu Lian nodded in satisfaction. She ordered Wenqing and Wenlan to patch up the areas where the seams of the fleece blanket had come apart.
When they were done, Wenlan looked outside and realised that it was almost 11am.
Captain Guo's adjutant came in to report that they would soon be having their midday meal. The soldiers of the Left Wing Army would be returning from the frontlines momentarily, so they would be eating together.
Joy showed on Wenqing and Wenlan's faces. Third Young Master was back!
The three girls washing clothes outside the tent also heard this piece of news. Xiaoyan and the other girls suddenly perked up.
Xiaoyan's eyes darted about in thought before she said, "Let's wash a little slower."
"Ah? Sister Xiaoyan, we're almost done with all these. Why don't we finish up and head back to rest earlier?"
Xiaoyan's expression turned cold as she drew out her reddened hands from the icy cold water. She said fiercely, "Our general is about to return. I want to show her how much we've been bullied by that woman while she wasn't around!"
The other two female soldiers' moods lifted upon hearing that. That's right, their general was back. No one would dare to bully them now!
Thus, the three girls purposely left their hands a little longer in the cold water until they were almost purple. This way, they would look more pitiful later.
Chu Lian didn't care at all about whatever the three girls outside were thinking. Once she heard the report, she simply nodded and had Wenlan go off to boil a kettle of hot water.
He Changdi knew that Chu Lian would come to visit the camp today. Thus, upon receiving the order to return to camp, he quickly led his subordinates and rushed back.
With a whip in her hands, Sima Hui led the army and followed He Changdi. The red tassel on her helmet danced in the icy winds. As she stared at He Changdi's heroic figure, she frowned and asked, "Why is Captain He in such a rush today?"
Although He Changdi was young and had an absolutely stunning face, he normally kept a cold expression. In the army, he was known to be quick and resolute in his actions, as well as very skilled in martial arts- so much so that he had never once lost in the army's martial arts competitions before. All these details made him out to be a steady and introverted person. Even during that sneak attack by the Tuhuns a month ago, He Changdi had been able to remain calm and decisive. Thus, it was a rare surprise to see him this hurried and flustered.
The military officer accompanying Sima Hui on the way back burst out into laughter.
"That damn brat, he's just rushing back to our camp to meet his wife!" The military officer spoke a little crudely, but there was a hint of affection in his voice. It was clear that he was close to He Sanlang and maybe even held admiration for his steady and experienced junior officer.
Sima Hui was a little stunned for a moment. A bitter feeling passed through her heart, making her unable to speak.
The military officer thought that Sima Hui wasn't in the know, so he kindly explained things to her. "That brat is House Jing'an's third son. He came out here to this godforsaken northern border in a fit of stupidity. If he were my son, I would have broken his legs! But that brat's pretty lucky. He married a good wife. His wife got a decree from the Empress Dowager to come to the northern border with some supplies. The young couple must not have met for quite some time; just look at how rushed that brat is."
Ch. 218 Scram
Sima Hui put on a forced smile as a courteous reply to the military officer.
Xiao Hongyu was following right behind He Changdi. He chuckled and whipped his horse onward to keep up with his superior officer.
After rushing to the frontline as reinforcements, they had managed to defeat the Tuhuns while keeping their losses to less than ten percent of the Right Wing Army. It was considered a major victory, so most of the people on the way back to the camp were in very good moods.
The soldiers who had gotten kills on the battlefield were beaming with joy. Xiao Hongyu had forged forward bravely in battle, so he had also contributed quite a bit to their victory.
The atmosphere amongst the triumphant troops was relaxed. It was likely the best they had felt since the war had started. Thus, they weren't as hasty to get back as they had been on the way to the frontlines. Only He Sanlang's squad was rushing back like their lives depended on it.
"Brother He, is there something urgent going on?"
He Changdi was dressed in a full set of black armour with a grey cloak whipping about in the flurry of snow-speckled winds behind him. Upon hearing Xiao Hongyu's question, He Sanlang turned to glance at him before replying, "Your sister-in-law is coming to the camp today."
What?! Xiao Hongyu's eyes widened in surprise!
"Sister-in-Law is coming today?"
He Sanlang shot a look at him as if he were an idiot.
"Brother He, why didn't you say so earlier?!" Xiao Hongyu fretted and whipped his horse's rump. His mount neighed before sprinting forward like a shooting star.
He Changdi's expression darkened and he urged his own mount on to chase after Xiao Hongyu.
That stupid brat. Chu Lian was his wife! Why was he running back so quickly? Was he already sick of living?
Actually, what Xiao Hongyu was racing after wasn't Chu Lian herself. In his mind, Chu Lian was equivalent to delicious meat and porridge instead.
There was still quite a bit of distance between the frontlines and the border troops' camp.
The two brothers started chatting idly on the way back.
"Brother He, why did Sister-in-Law come to camp?"
"The Empress Dowager's decree," He Changdi replied very succinctly. He was still a man of few words.
Xiao Hongyu was smart enough to understand after a moment of thought, so he nodded.
"Brother He, I really admire Sister-in-Law. My father had to threaten me with a stick to make me go to the northern border and join the army! It's an amazing feat for a young lady like Sister-in-Law to come out to a place like this."
Xiao Hongyu's casual words made He Changdi stiffen up. His originally icy expression dropped a few more degrees.
However, Xiao Hongyu was just too oblivious to realise that his simple words had roused a hive of bees in He Sanlang's heart.
All of a sudden, Xiao Hongyu seemed to have recalled something. The joy that had been on his face completely disappeared, only to be replaced with embarrassment.
Xiao Hongyu hesitated for a moment. Then, he asked, "Brother He, Sister-in-Law won't be going to our tent, right?"
He Changdi frowned as he replied, "Brother Guo should be bringing your sister-in-law over there. What's wrong?"
Upon hearing He Sanlang's answer, Xiao Hongyu cried out in anguish. He then tried to glance secretly at He Sanlang. Unfortunately, when faced with He Sanlang's gloomy stare, he didn't dare to hide anything and confessed exactly what he had done.
"What! Say that one more time!" He Changdi wanted to kick this stupid fellow right off his horse.
"Brother He, just forgive me this once. I didn't do it on purpose! I was just afraid that Brother Guo would come and search our tent! How about I lend you that lewd book later on? Anyway, I hid it really well. Sister-in-Law won't be able to find it at all."
He Changdi's face was as black as the bottom of a pot. He didn't even want to bother talking to Xiao Hongyu anymore.
Xiao Hongyu followed behind He Sanlang obediently. He knew that he had really done Brother He dirty this time.
However, there was also a shred of dissatisfaction in his heart. Xiao Hongyu felt that he hadn't done anything wrong at all.
All of them were already married, and Brother He's wife had even come thousands of miles to visit him. The two of them were probably going to exchange sweet nothings with each other once they met. He was the only single man in the group; were they going to bar him from looking at some lewd drawings to release all his pent up pressure?
Xiao Hongyu felt that instead of He Sanlang, he was the one who had suffered some grievous harm.
As expected, when He Changdi finally led his troops back into camp, a messenger came over to report that Chu Lian was currently in his tent!
He Changdi shot a severe glare at Xiao Hongyu. Xiao Hongyu rubbed his nose awkwardly from behind him.
He decided to run off with the other troops to have their midday meal and leave He Changdi and Chu Lian alone in the tent.
When He Changdi reached his tent, he noticed three female soldiers squatting in front, washing clothes. He Changdi furrowed his brows together.
He barked, "What are all of you doing here?!"
His gaze landed on the wash basin and he realised that the garments inside were his clothes.
Xiaoyan and the others hadn't expected He Changdi to have returned so early. Their faces were full of surprise. However, Xiaoyan was experienced with dealing with unexpected situations after serving Sima Hui for so long, and she managed to quickly recover.
Xiaoyan acted as if she had been wronged and placed her hands, which had turned an ugly purplish red from the cold, on top of the wet clothes in the basin to make them more obvious.
She intentionally made her voice soft and weak to draw their pity. "Captain He, we escorted Honoured Lady here. Our general ordered us to serve Honoured Lady, so we had to follow Honoured Lady's orders when she told us to wash these clothes. Although this subordinate was born a lowly servant, this subordinate is still General Sima's personal handmaid."
Xiaoyan was right. Chu Lian had indeed been the one to order Wenlan to bring these clothes out for them to wash. However, she had purposely phrased her words to imply that it was an unfair order.
As Xiaoyan spoke, she kept sneaking glances at He Changdi's expression.
Unfortunately, she couldn't discern any bit of emotion from He Changdi's cool and handsome face, so she couldn't tell if her ploy was working.
She gritted her teeth and continued. "This subordinate ventures to say that Honoured Lady has taken things too far. Our general has never held any dishonest intentions, yet Honoured Lady has already tried to nip things in the bud. This subordinate has never seen such a thing!"
Xiaoyan kept her back straight and her head high.
She was even a little pleased inside. With this, Captain He should know how unbearable his wife was!
Nothing had even happened yet, and Sima Hui wasn't even a threat to their marriage. However, his wife had already tried to discipline Sima Hui's personal handmaid. He Changdi would surely hate such a petty and jealous wife.
Wenqing and Wenlan had heard everything from within the tent. Their faces were flushed red with anger. Wenlan wanted to run right out of the tent to scold Xiaoyan, but Chu Lian held her back.
Chu Lian shook her head soundlessly. Wenlan stomped her foot in frustration and walked further away from the tent entrance. Out of sight, out of mind. If she couldn't hear any of the conversation outside, her frustration would surely dissipate.
However, Chu Lian stood by the tent flap without moving. There wasn't much of an expression on her face, but her clenched fists hidden by her wide sleeves betrayed her nervousness.
He Changdi was a tall man. Even though Xiaoyan wasn't short, he could still look down upon her.
He swept the three female soldiers with an icy glare. Next, his lips moved and his low, magnetic voice resounded in a frighteningly cold tone. He only had one word to say.
"Scram!"
That short syllable was enough to make Xiaoyan and the others shudder.
Their eyes widened in disbelief. They couldn't believe He Changdi could act like that.
A storm seemed to be brewing in the dark pools that served as He Sanlang's eyes. He focused his gaze on Xiaoyan, who struggled to breathe when faced with eyes as icy as those.
"What? Didn't you hear me? I told you all to scram!"
It was as if a basin of cold water had been dunked over the three female soldiers' heads. Their bodies started trembling.
They ran off helter-skelter after a moment's pause, even stumbling in their efforts to leave as quickly as possible.
The soldier standing on guard nearby was filled to the brim with admiration for his captain. He stood up even straighter, looking just like a sharp spear.
He Sanlang's gaze turned to the wooden basin by his feet next. When he thought of how his clothes had been handled by those female soldiers, his brows drew together in disdain. He then ordered, "Throw out all the clothes in this basin."