“General, have you obtained the weapon in Madam’s hand? Can you let me take a look at it?”
Ever since Feng Yi secretly saw Shen Qingge use the handgun that day, he had been itching with curiosity, hoping to see it for himself.
But to his surprise, his ever-victorious general shook his head.
It wasn’t that Liu Ji’an didn’t want to ask—he was also very curious about the weapon Feng Yi described.
But he was worried that if Shen Qingge found out he had secretly sent someone to follow her, she might think he was spying on her.
At that point, he might not even get a chance to explain.
And if his wife ran away again, that would be a huge loss.
So he hadn’t figured out how to bring it up.
Of course, he would never let his subordinate know the real reason. He only said that the time wasn’t right yet.
Because of Feng Yi’s blind admiration for his general, he was easily convinced.
Liu Ji’an then asked, “What’s the situation at the border now?”
Feng Yi replied angrily, “General, I contacted some of our former subordinates. They said that after you were injured and went missing, the border army was handed over to Zhang Zheng, the nephew of Consort Zhang.”
“But this Zhang Zheng… he removed many loyal generals and gave reckless orders. The army has suffered heavy losses.”
“On top of that, military pay is insufficient, and supplies are running low. The border army can barely hold on against the Xiyuan forces. Everyone in the army is waiting for your return to take command.”
Liu Ji’an frowned deeply.
The Xiyuan army numbered only a few thousand, yet the border army of tens of thousands couldn’t resist them.
What a bunch of useless fools.
But no matter how anxious he was, he couldn’t act rashly.
The reason he had been injured was because he had been ambushed when he let his guard down.
Those people probably thought he was already dead.
He needed to make good use of this situation—where the enemy was in the open, and he was in the shadows.
Liu Ji’an handed a letter to Feng Yi and instructed, “Feng Yi, ride as fast as you can and deliver this letter to the Crown Prince.”
“But if I leave, what about your safety, General?” Feng Yi hesitated. His most important duty was to protect Liu Ji’an.
“My injuries are mostly healed now. Besides, staying here won’t be of much use. This task is more important. Make sure it’s done well. As for supplies, I’ll find a way.”
“Yes, General.”
…
Madam Feng stopped and asked, “What kind of deal?”
“A deal that will benefit you, of course,” Ying Huan said, slipping something into her hand.
Looking down, Madam Feng saw a large handful of copper coins—at least fifty.
She quickly stuffed them into her pouch, afraid Ying Huan might take them back.
“Tell me, what do you want me to do?”
Ying Huan smiled. “Sister-in-law, I won’t beat around the bush. You heard about what happened today, right? I’ve taken a liking to Fifth Brother Liu.”
“I heard his wife is a fierce woman. You must have suffered a lot under her, haven’t you?”
“As long as you’re willing to help me, once I enter the Liu family, I’ll listen to you in everything.”
Madam Feng hadn’t expected her to be so determined about Liu Ji’an.
But she had to admit—Ying Huan’s words struck a chord.
If she could place Ying Huan beside Liu Ji’an, even as a concubine, it would make Shen Qingge miserable and give her an ally.
More importantly, once Ying Huan and Liu Ji’an became a couple in fact, even if Liu Mother wanted to arrange a concubine for Liu the Third, she couldn’t compete with her own younger son for the same woman.
“I can help you,” Madam Feng said, “but you must remember what you just said.”
Ying Huan nodded repeatedly. “Don’t worry, sister-in-law. I’m alone and have no one to rely on. Only someone as kind as you would accept someone of my background.”
Her flattery pleased Madam Feng greatly.
She immediately revealed everything about the Liu family without holding anything back.
Ying Huan smiled obediently on the surface, but inwardly she mocked Madam Feng for being foolish.
With just a few dozen coins and some sweet words, she had gained so much useful information—something not easily achieved with others.
The next morning, they left Tongzhou City and continued their journey.
At noon, while resting, Shen Qingge looked at the plain, watery soup in front of her and frowned.
She could sneak away during breaks to get better food for herself, but the Liu family couldn’t.
After more than two months, they had clearly grown thinner.
Meanwhile, Shen Qingge had gone from frail when she first arrived to looking healthy and even rosy.
The contrast was too obvious—someone might think the Liu family had given all their food to her.
After eating, Shen Qingge walked aside with her eldest sister-in-law, Wang, and asked how much food was left.
At the mention of food, Wang sighed.
Their family had many men—several strong adults and growing boys. The hundred-plus pounds of grain lasting this long was already a miracle.
Wang and Wen had been worrying over every meal, almost to the point of getting gray hair.
“What I had and what Second Sister-in-law had are both gone. Now there’s only about thirty pounds left with Mother.”
“With so many mouths to feed, it won’t last long.”
“And we’re still far from Yong City. I don’t know what we’ll do next.”
Shen Qingge said nothing, already thinking about how to provide them with supplies.
She needed to discuss this with Liu Ji’an so he could cover for her.
More importantly, she needed money to buy grain.
Even the goods in her supermarket came at a cost.
When Liu Ji’an heard that Shen Qingge could obtain grain, his eyes nearly popped out of his head.
“How much can you get?” he asked eagerly.
Seeing how excited he was, Shen Qingge immediately became cautious.
Although Liu Ji’an seemed to have good character, she would never gamble on human nature.
“A hundred or so pounds.”
Hearing this, the excitement in Liu Ji’an’s eyes quickly faded.
He had already sent letters to gather supplies, but there had been no success.
He could wait—but the border army likely couldn’t.
Seeing his troubled expression, Shen Qingge tested him. “Do you need a lot of grain?”
Liu Ji’an nodded honestly. “I received news that the border army is running out of food. If this continues, they won’t even have the strength to hold weapons, let alone fight against the Xiyuan army.”
“If the Xiyuan army breaks through the city, it’s the common people like us who will suffer.”
Originally, Shen Qingge hadn’t planned to get involved.
But hearing his reasoning and sense of responsibility, she began to see him in a better light.
Perhaps she could help him this once.
She took out a fine jade pendant from her bundle and handed it to him.
“Tomorrow at exactly the middle of the Chou hour (2:00 AM), outside Ningyang City. This is the token.”
The jade was of excellent quality, a rare treasure.
It had been prepared by the Shen family for the original owner, and now it was being put to use.
“For the sake of the border army, I thank you for your great kindness today,” Liu Ji’an said solemnly, cupping his fists in gratitude—completely unlike his usual carefree self.
Shen Qingge felt slightly unaccustomed to it. “No need. I’m only making the connection. The price will still need to be negotiated by you.”