Chapter 74

Chapter 74

Xiaoluolan sneezed twice, covering her nose and mouth with a handkerchief, and her nose turned slightly red when she released it, as reflected in the bronze mirror.

Dongxue draped a snow-white fox fur over her mistress, asking with concern, "Madam, have you caught a cold?"

Xiaoluolan touched her forehead, a soft smile in her eyes, "No, I haven't. Perhaps Qingxue is thinking of me."

Dongxue was puzzled, not understanding how her mistress sneezing was related to Qingxue. She stoked the coals in the small stove with tongs and opened the tent curtain slightly for some fresh air, dispelling the autumn chill with the warm glow of the fire.

Outside, various martial artists guarded her mistress. He Jin, in his slightly thick pale yellow Taoist robe and bald head with prayer beads, looked somewhat out of place. Zheng Xiaoniang was sitting on a stone, fiddling with something, her exposed hands marked with strange patterns using unknown dyes. This poison woman, who associated with venomous creatures, was generally avoided by everyone except the monks... Oh, that's not right. Dongxue turned back to her mistress and noticed she had already tied up her hair.

Perhaps due to the laziness of autumn, or because her mistress preferred simplicity, Xiaoluolan usually just used a hairband to tie her cloud-like black hair, avoiding elaborate hairstyles. Simple and unadorned, there was a transparent and clear beauty to it.

The only exception was the pearl earrings her mistress adored, the soft, flawless pearls accentuating her snowy complexion.

Her lips, cherry-like in color.

After a moment, Zhou Xu quietly got out of bed, carefully tucked in the blankets, lowered the bed curtain, and silently finished his washing and dressing before leaving the tent.

Outside.

Many captured members of the Bonulwugu tribe, attempting to flee, were now bound together with dirty cloths gagging their mouths, kneeling on the ground.

In the drizzling rain, several severed heads lay on the muddy ground, their blood mixing with the rainwater and forming a small stream. Dozens of shivering Sijie tribesmen who had surrendered were also kneeling in the distance.

Seated in a high chair, Zhou Xu listened as Zhou Xuan reported, "The leader of the Bonulwugu this time was Dodagula, and Dazi led the Sijie tribe. Both were killed last night by Toba Amu. Their plan involved a thousand men, and according to the Sijie tribesmen, they had prepared rolling logs for an ambush on Niujiao Mountain."

"All the mountain exits are under our control, ensuring that none inside can escape."

Touching the cold, intricately designed handle of his golden whip, Zhou Xu hummed in agreement and then instructed, "This afternoon, have the Sijie guide our captives to destroy the ambush materials and then make some noise to draw out the remaining Bonulwugu."

This plan was similar to what they had discussed the previous night, and the present generals acknowledged their understanding.

"Those caught in the mountains should be executed," Zhou Xu said. Trained soldiers were not the same as ordinary people. He might spare the Sijie, but he intended to leave no survivors from the Bonulwugu army due to the many risks they posed.

"Understood," the generals responded.

Zhou Xu then entered the military tent and sat contemplating the map on the table.

Cui Shizi entered, coughed, and without getting any reaction from his lord, sat down and poured himself a cup of hot tea.

After a while, Zhou Xu looked up at him and asked, "Wenruo, do you think there's a country where everyone can have enough to eat?"

"A market where everything is available, rice as rich as oil, every household with surplus grain, lychees worth a fortune available everywhere, and rare fresh sea fish available to all."

Cui Shizi put down his teacup, pondered for a moment, and then chuckled, "Please forgive my limited knowledge, my lord."

His smile faded as he murmured, "Such a country must be the land of immortals."

After a while, Zhou Xu silently left the bed, carefully tucking in the bedcovers, lowered the bed curtain, and quietly completed his washing and dressing before exiting the tent.

Outside, the morning was taking shape.

After finishing her breakfast, Xiaoluolan heard some dull sounds coming from Niujiao Mountain. The mountain, resembling the horns of a bull, had its true form obscured by the misty autumn rain. The army hadn't moved in the rain; the tents were properly set up, and the war horses were even better sheltered than the people. Tung oil cloths were erected to protect the horses from the rain. During the entire march, the horses were not overworked but rotated regularly, with dedicated personnel responsible for their daily feed.

The captives from the tribes provided much of the horse fodder, along with the vast grasslands and the grain they brought. This solved a significant logistical challenge. Xiaoluolan had often seen these captives working whenever the army stopped – cutting grass for the horses and cleaning up after the army, making full use of their labor.

Seeing her mistress frequently glancing towards Niujiao Mountain, Dongxue commented, "The lord has ordered the removal of the Bonulwugu's ambush materials."

"I guess we won't be able to march until tomorrow."

Dongxue reached out to feel the light rain and observed the sky. The large dark clouds had dissipated, replaced by smaller ones blowing towards them. The temperature had dropped further compared to the previous days. She was relieved to have prepared extra warm clothing.

Xiaoluolan waited for the rain to stop and then headed to Doctor Li’s place, asking Dongxue to inform Zheng Xiaoniang to join her there if she came looking.

After Xiaoluolan left, Zhou Xu arrived.

"Greetings, Your Highness," Dongxue said, bowing respectfully.

"Where is my wife?" Zhou Xu, having finished his tasks, came to see Xiaoluolan.

"The madam has gone to Doctor Li's place," Dongxue replied.

Zhou Xu first checked Li Fan’s carriage, found no one, and then followed the faint scent of ginger soup to the makeshift kitchen set up by the military doctors.

A large pot of ginger soup was being prepared for distribution to the cavalrymen. Such practices were common in his army during weather changes to prevent the soldiers from catching cold.

However, with only about thirty military doctors, mostly middle-aged, they busied themselves around the large pot, transferring the ginger drink into wooden barrels for the captains of the hundred-man cavalry squads to collect and distribute.

His wife was also busy there, surrounded by a few retainers. They were burning dry grass and wood in the stove in an already crowded space.

The military doctors, upon seeing the commander, promptly saluted.

Seeing so many eyes on them and knowing Zhou Xu's uninhibited nature, Xiaoluolan put down her ladle and walked over to him.

"Why have you come here?"

Zhou Xu smiled, "With the approach of deep autumn, my wife and the military doctors are preparing ginger soup to warm our comrades. I've come to ask for a cup myself."

His words immediately relaxed the atmosphere in the kitchen. Most of the military doctors had families of their own and appreciated seeing their commander and his wife caring and approachable towards their subordinates. The last remark brought a humorous touch, eliciting laughter from many of them.

Xiaoluolan couldn't help but laugh at his final remark, amused by his playful request.

She turned and scooped a bowl of ginger drink for him.

Zhou Xu took his wife to their carriage to enjoy the drink.

Sitting on a soft cushion, Xiaoluolan watched as Lord Zhou took a sip, savoring it.

"The ginger flavor is lighter than yesterday’s," Zhou Xu commented. He understood it was necessary since last night they were only a few hundred, but today the entire army needed it. With limited ginger and no nearby villages or shops to buy more, they had to conserve it. He knew things would improve once they captured Huiyu City on their return journey.

Zhou Xu, with a thoughtful expression, still praised with a smile, "But my lady’s cooking skills are as excellent as ever."

Xiaoluolan, hearing his compliment, urged, "You better drink it quickly before it gets cold."

Zhou Xu finished his drink with a smile.

Seeing him with seemingly nothing else to do but watch her, Xiaoluolan felt a bit uncomfortable and diverted her gaze. Although they were together during the march, they didn’t have much time to spend in each other's company.

Zhou Xu lowered the bamboo curtain of the carriage and embraced his wife, inhaling the scent of her hair, finding it delightful.

"Did my lady miss me today?" Zhou Xu asked, kissing her earlobe gently.

Xiaoluolan picked up a book from the table, pretending not to hear. She felt torn; saying she didn't miss him seemed a bit hurtful, but admitting she did made her shy, especially since they were together every day.

"I think of my lady constantly," Zhou Xu said, speaking for himself, "I feel anxious whenever I can’t see you."

Xiaoluolan, blushing at Zhou Xu's overly sentimental words, responded, "I know."

Zhou Xu, seeing his wife's shy demeanor, couldn't help but laugh.

Suddenly, Xiaoluolan remembered something and turned to look at Zhou Xu.

Zhou Xu, raising his eyebrows inquisitively, asked, "Does my lady have something on her mind?"

After hesitating for a moment, Xiaoluolan said, "When we go to Qinghe, I want to take Qingxue with me."

"I heard that her maternal grandfather is the headmaster of the Qinghe Academy. Can Qingxue study there for a while?"

Zhou Xu laughed upon hearing this.

Annoyed, Xiaoluolan pinched Zhou Xu's waist, only to end up with sore fingertips. She glared at him, frustrated. She was discussing something important – education was a significant matter in her eyes. She didn’t intend for her daughter to marry early; in this era, her daughter needed something meaningful to do at her young age. What else to do but study?

Of course, if her daughter had other interests she wished to pursue, Xiaoluolan wouldn't stop her.

Zhou Xu kissed his wife’s reddened fingertips to calm her down and then said with a smile, "If my lady wishes, then of course it's possible."

Seeing Xiaoluolan’s face relax, Zhou Xu played with her hand, her soft, white skin like snow in his palm.

Spending every day with him, she probably didn't fully grasp what her status represented.

She was the Lady of Youzhou, the second-in-command of the region, so to speak.

His glory, his power, everything he had, they shared together.