Chapter 309: What’s Your Relationship with the War King?
“I’m not busy. After the last battle, the the Rongdi lost half of their eighty thousand troops, and the Rongdi military strategist Tantai Yi was severely wounded. In the short term, the Rongdi army won’t invade again.”
Yan Xiaosi still felt it wasn’t appropriate.
“But I’m going back to Brother Dazhuang’s house.”
Her mother and sisters were temporarily staying at Tian Dazhuang’s house. How could she have the nerve to bring such an important figure back and trouble Ms. Wang?
Being refused by her repeatedly, Long Yu’s brows furrowed slightly.
It was precisely because she was going to Tian Dazhuang’s house that he insisted on going along.
Although he had already arranged a marriage between Yan Shuqin and Tian Dazhuang, what if Tian Dazhuang still harbored improper thoughts and did something unreasonable to this young man?
No, he had to go and watch over things.
“Either you let me come along, or you stay in the military camp today. There are so many wounded soldiers who need your care anyway.”
After weighing her options, Yan Xiaosi chose the former.
“Let’s agree on this, if you come with me, the Tian family doesn’t have any good food to entertain you.”
“No need. Whatever you eat, I’ll eat.”
After breakfast, the two of them, accompanied by Long Yi and Long Er, headed to Shaoyao Village.
Because of the war, the atmosphere in Shaoyao Village had been very tense these past two days.
Even in broad daylight, the village was eerily quiet. The village entrance, usually the liveliest place, had not a single person in sight today.
The four of them rode their tall horses and arrived silently outside the Tian family courtyard.
Yan Xiaosi dismounted to knock on the door.
After quite a while, someone finally came to open it.
“Oh, it’s Xiaosi.”
It was Ms. Wang who came to open the door. Seeing Yan Xiaosi standing outside, she breathed a sigh of relief and patted her chest.
“You scared me to death. Xiaosi, why did you come back at this time?”
Yan Xiaosi’s gaze went past Ms. Wang and saw that Tian Dazhuang and Ms. Zhong and the others had also come out. Tian Dazhuang was holding a carrying pole, and Ms. Zhong and the others weren’t empty-handed either.
Fully armed, they looked ready to fight someone.
Yan Xiaosi said, “Auntie Tian, what are you afraid of? Mother, Brother Dazhuang, it’s me.”
Only then did Tian Dazhuang and Ms. Zhong and the others put down the weapons in their hands.
Ms. Wang said quietly, “Wasn’t there fighting the night before last? We heard rumbling sounds, it was so frightening. Xiaosi, did our Great Chu win, or did Rongdi win?”
Military intelligence from the front lines usually didn’t reach ordinary people so quickly, which was why the entire Shaoyao Village had fallen into panic.
Furthermore, the night before last, when Great Chu’s side fired cannons, the explosion sounds of the shells were indeed somewhat terrifying. The explosions shook the Four Sisters Mountain range area, and the villagers in several nearby villages were probably scared out of their wits.
Yan Xiaosi turned to glance at Long Yu.
Long Yu received her look, understood, and calmly instructed Long Yi, “Notify the people in the Four Sisters Mountain area that Great Chu achieved a great victory in this battle. Tell them not to worry and to live their lives well.”
“Yes, this subordinate will arrange it upon return.”
“No, go handle this matter immediately.”
When the people’s hearts were unstable, trouble could easily arise. Reassuring the people in the Four Sisters Mountain area was a major matter.
Long Yu cast a grateful look at Yan Xiaosi, very thankful that this little thing had reminded him.
“Yes, Master.”
Long Yi leaped onto his horse’s back, turned the horse around, and galloped away.
Only then did Ms. Wang, Ms. Zhong, and the others realize that besides Yan Xiaosi, there were two other people standing outside the door.
Seeing Ms. Wang’s expression of nervous horror after spotting Long Yu, Yan Xiaosi felt really embarrassed and smiled awkwardly, “Auntie Tian, His Highness wanted to come along to inspect the people’s conditions. I had no choice. Just prepare whatever food you normally would today. His Highness said whatever we eat, he’ll eat too.”
Though she said this, Ms. Wang didn’t dare take it so casually.
Seeing that Tian Dazhuang was still blocking the doorway without inviting them in, she vigorously gave Tian Dazhuang meaningful looks.
Only then did Tian Dazhuang reluctantly say, “Your Highness the War King, please come in.”
“Mm.”
Long Yu nodded slightly, walked to Yan Xiaosi’s side, grabbed Yan Xiaosi’s arm, and the two entered together.
The gazes of Ms. Wang and her son, and Ms. Zhong and her daughters all fell on the hand with which Long Yu was holding Yan Xiaosi’s arm.
Tian Dazhuang frowned, feeling very displeased.
Although he and Yan Shuqin were already engaged, and Yan Xiaosi was also male so nothing was possible between him and Yan Xiaosi, seeing Yan Xiaosi being intimate with another man made him uncomfortable. He felt like the little brother he had worked so hard to protect for so many years had been carried off by a wild boar.
Ms. Zhong and her daughters felt vaguely worried.
Ms. Wang was so shocked her eyes nearly popped out. She tugged at Ms. Zhong and asked in a low voice, “Sister, what’s the relationship between Xiaosi and His Highness the War King?”
It didn’t look like a master-servant relationship, nor like a superior-subordinate relationship…
Ms. Zhong came back to her senses and smiled, “Xiaosi once saved His Highness’s life. His Highness probably regards Xiaosi as his lifesaver, so he takes special care of him.”
Ms. Wang believed this. She instructed Tian Dazhuang to invite them into the main room while she went to make tea.
Seeing her come in carrying tea, Yan Xiaosi stood up to meet her.
“Auntie Tian, I can do this. You go busy yourself with your own affairs, you don’t need to mind us.”
The atmosphere in the main room was somewhat heavy, and Ms. Wang didn’t dare stay long either. While handing the teapot to Yan Xiaosi, she casually inquired, “Xiaosi, did His Highness the War King just say that when our Great Chu fought against Rongdi, our Great Chu achieved a great victory?”
“That’s right. The eighty thousand Rongdi troops lost nearly half their forces, and Rongdi’s military strategist Tantai Yi was severely wounded by His Highness’s arrow. His Highness said that after this battle, the Rongdi army won’t invade again in the short term.”
The people in the Four Sisters Mountain area had suffered from Rongdi invasions and harassment for many years, living miserably. After hearing this, Ms. Wang looked excited.
“Wonderful! Now we’ll have a period of peaceful days. His Highness the War King truly deserves to be our Great Chu’s God of War. At noon today, Auntie will kill a chicken and stew it for you to eat.”
Yan Xiaosi had never seen Ms. Wang so excited before.
“Auntie Tian, weren’t you raising those chickens to lay eggs?”
Previously, Yan Xiaosi had several times urged Tian Dazhuang to coax Ms. Wang into killing a chicken. When Ms. Wang found out, she scolded both her and Tian Dazhuang bloody.
Those chickens were the precious darlings in Ms. Wang’s heart. Today she was actually willing to kill one and make soup. It seemed she was really benefiting from Long Yu’s presence today to be able to drink chicken soup.
Ms. Wang waved her hand, “They haven’t been laying eggs for a long time. Keeping them just wastes grain, better to kill them.”
Yan Xiaosi wanted to discuss with her whether they could make a pot of old hen stewed with mushrooms, but saw her clap her hands excitedly, “Right, such great news, I need to go notify every household!”
Before Yan Xiaosi could voice her thoughts, she saw Ms. Wang turn and hurry outside.
The matter of hen stewed with mushrooms had to be set aside for now.
After watching Ms. Wang rush out of the courtyard in great haste, when she returned to the main room, she saw Long Yu and Tian Dazhuang sitting face to face, playing a staring game.
“Your Highness, Brother Dazhuang, what are you doing?”
Long Yu withdrew his gaze and instantly looked at Yan Xiaosi with gentle eyes, speaking in a voice even gentler than his gaze, “Nothing. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Brother Tian, so I was just chatting casually with him.”