Chapter 36 What happened? His eyes fell on the shelf...

Her eyes fell on the book on her lap. Ji Yunchan slowly read a page, only to find that the things she could normally read fluently now became obscure and difficult. She closed her eyes, paused halfway through turning the page, put the book aside, and got out of bed.

Yan Heng's cloak was hanging on the shelf. The owner of the cloak had not returned for many days, but Ji Yunchan insisted on not letting anyone take it away and just hung it there.

She slipped on her shoes, hurried over to the clothes rack, and hugged the cloak. Then she buried her head deeply in the thick fur and took a greedy breath.

A familiar breath came, and the fur gathered Ji Yunchan's body temperature. Ji Yunchan closed her eyes, and Yan Heng seemed to be right in front of her.

So I was no longer afraid of the snowstorm, and only felt extremely at ease.

Ji Yunchan's heart was pounding. After a moment of tenderness, she opened her eyes, slowly took off the cloak, and then carried it all the way to the bed.

She took off her shoes, climbed onto the bed, and sat on her knees, her cloak still clasped in her arms. Her porcelain-white chin rested against the dark fabric, fear replacing worry.

Although auspicious snow indicates a good harvest, there is too much snow in Shuozhou, and it is endless. It does not seem like a good omen, but rather a natural disaster.

Battles are always more difficult to fight in bad weather than usual.

How is Ah Heng? Will he be successful? Is this snowfall an opportunity or a disaster for him?

Ji Yunchan was worried about him, thinking about him even when she was walking, sleeping, reading, and playing chess. She couldn't finish her books, and her chess was terrible, but he asked her to eat well, so she took good care of herself as if for him.

"Auntie, there's a letter from the general."

He came in from outside on a rainy night, braving the wind and snow.

Ji Yunchan looked up when she heard the voice. Beneath her calm surface, her heart was beating faster and faster.

Before she even got up, Yuye swiftly came over and handed her the letter. The letter still carried the chill of wind and frost, and Ji Yunchan held it in her hands, feeling as if she were there herself.

Outside, it was white as a blanket of snow, like a knife made of frost. She said, "It's freezing cold."

Turning to Yuye, he said, "Take the messenger to the warm room, serve him a bowl of ginger soup, and prepare some hot rice so he can warm up."

"Hey." Yu Yeying heard Ji Yunchan's instructions again: "You also go and get a bowl of ginger soup to drink."

"It's okay, I just went out for a while," Yuye said. "But Auntie, you've caught a cold, would you like something to drink?"

Ji Yunchan thought for a moment and nodded, "Bring me a bowl." Then she added, "Make some more and share some with the people in the mansion."

Yuye did as he was told. Ji Yunchan held the letter in her hand, which had already warmed up before she was willing to open it.

Yan Heng's familiar words came into view. He told her about the current war situation and the stalemate with the Shuo people. He also mentioned that looking at the weather, it would snow heavily in the next few days, which was a godsend.

He said that he had sent Qin Nian to deliver the letter, and since it had snowed, he would probably be back late, so she didn't have to worry, as he would take care of everything. He also said that the people of Shuo were treacherous and might become desperate, so she shouldn't leave the city in the near future.

At the end of the letter, he told her to wear more clothes when it was cold, to eat enough, and that he was fine and not to worry about her. He also told her to take good care of herself and hoped to see her gain weight when he returned triumphantly.

Ji Yunchan read the letter word by word with reluctance, then put it against her chest and slowly exhaled.

"God bless you."

When Yu Ye brought in the ginger soup, Ji Yunchan had already stood up, put the letter together with the previous letter, and put it away carefully.

The ginger soup was steaming, and the spicy aroma filled her face as the spoon stirred it. Ji Yunchan sipped it slowly. Seeing Yu Ye standing there, she asked, "Your friend, I'm talking about Yu Yan. Do you know anything about her?"

She knew that the two of them had a very good personal relationship, and was afraid that Yuyan's departure would make Yuye feel uneasy, so she planned to ask clearly.

Seeing Ji Yunchan put down her bowl and spoon and asked seriously, Yuye shook her head: "Auntie, there is no need to do this. I heard that she let you stay in the room alone and fell seriously ill. She almost killed you. She has neglected her duty to this extent. I really don't have the face to ask for her mercy anymore."

Seeing that her attitude was a little angry and a little bit angry at her for not fighting back, Ji Yunchan felt relieved.

It's all her own fate. I've advised her many times." Yu Yan sighed, lowering her head and feeling guilty towards Ji Yunchan. Seeing her concern, she simply explained where Yu Yan had gone afterward: "She was later sold to the prefectural government. Although she had to start from scratch, she was still quite respectable."

Ji Yunchan thought of the filthy environment in the prefectural government office and shook her head: "Not entirely."

It was only on that rainy night that she remembered that Ji Yunchan had once worked as a clerk in the prefectural government. She was in a trance when she thought about it, because the aunt and the general were so in love, seeing each other every day, it was as if they had known each other for years, making her forget where she came from.

She thought of asking about it another day, but since the master had shown concern for the evil servant who had harmed him, she had already done her best. It would be inappropriate to continue talking about it in front of Ji Yunchan.

She smiled and said, "Let's not talk about her, Auntie. Is the letter from the General good news? When will he return victorious?"

Fearing that he might be overstepping his bounds, he added sheepishly, "Everyone is looking forward to it."

"It's good news."

Ji Yunchan looked at her expectant eyes and nodded in response. She turned to the window and looked at the falling snow: "I'm not sure when I'll be back, but this snow is indeed auspicious."

The snow fell for a whole day and night. Just as Yan Heng's letter said, soon after the snow stopped, the good news spread all the way into the city.

The messenger held the good news high and rode his horse through the busy city. The hot steam rising from the horse's nostrils was like floating auspicious clouds, rising with the messenger's loud shouts.

The government had ordered every household to clean the snow on the streets, and the main street was also cleaned by special snow sweepers. The crisp sound of horse hooves stepping on the bluestone slabs was like a trumpet of victory, knocking into people's hearts all the way.

The anxious atmosphere in the market changed, and the people talked and laughed about the auspicious snow and the good news, hoping that the general would return to the court so that everyone could have a good New Year.

I sent Ji Yunchan's letter on a rainy night, and when I came back from outside, I was also very happy.

She described it to Ji Yunchan, but she still felt unsatisfied. Seeing that Ji Yunchan was also yearning for it, an idea suddenly occurred to her: "Auntie, why don't you go out for a walk too?"

"It's a nice day today, and Auntie hasn't been out for a while." It was originally a casual suggestion, but as he spoke it, he realized it had struck a chord. He persuaded her even more earnestly, "Exercising your muscles will strengthen your body. Put on your cloak, and you'll definitely not be cold."

Ji Yunchan looked out the window and saw the sky was blue and cloudless. The birds were chirping and looking for food. When they touched the snow that fell from the branches, they fluttered and flew up again. It was very lively.

"Okay." She retracted her gaze, and the sunlight outside made the light in the room dim.

Yuye was happy for her and quickly put thick clothes on Ji Yunchan.

After leaving the house, the abundant sunlight fell, dimming Ji Yunchan's eyes. She squinted, and her long, slender eyelashes cast a thick shadow on her face.

"The sun is shining so brightly. When I get back, I'll have someone take out the quilts for Auntie and the General to dry in the sun so they can sleep more comfortably."

As he spoke on a rainy night, he helped Ji Yunchan out. The two of them boarded the carriage. The market was indeed busier than usual. The bright red flags of the restaurants fluttered in the wind under the sunny sky, appearing even more vibrant. A line of children lined up in front of the vendors selling candied haws, and the vendors selling steamed buns and buns were shouting even harder.

Ji Yunchan stopped in front of a small stall selling sugar paintings. Seeing her elegant attire, the vendor greeted her warmly, "Madam, what kind of sugar paintings do you want? Fairy tales, auspicious characters, I can do that. A portrait of you with sugar is no problem either."

Ji Yunchan pointed to one of the sugar paintings he was displaying and nodded, saying, "Thank you for your help. I will return in triumph."

The peddler handed over the copper coins on a rainy night. Seeing more silver than usual, he was overjoyed and began to paint eagerly. He kept talking and flattering her, saying, "My lady, you have good taste. Recently, the most people who have asked me to paint are those who have returned victoriously. They all hope that our general will win a great victory."

"Yes." Ji Yunchan smiled, watching the vendor use the sugar spoon as a pen and the syrup scooped from the spoon as ink, and draw a triumphant sugar painting in one go.

The brown syrup exuded the aroma of honey and solidified on the board. The vendor finished the painting, placed a wooden stick in the middle of the painting, and stuck it together and handed it to Ji Yunchan, "Yes, ma'am, the sugar painting is done."

The sugar painting was so lifelike that Ji Yunchan took it in her hands and exclaimed, "Wow, the craftsmanship is really good, and it's not inferior to contemporary famous artists."

"Well, I don't know what a famous pen is. I only have the ability to make a living. It's a blessing for me that Madam likes it." He said auspicious words and clasped his fists. "If Madam likes it, come again."

Just as Ji Yunchan was about to leave, a familiar yet unfamiliar voice rang out from behind her: "It's indeed not inferior to a famous pen. What a pity."

She turned around and saw Zheng Yong, whom she hadn't seen since they got married.

He looked thinner, his face less naive than when he was a student, and more mature and steady. He was wearing an official uniform, and although his official position was not high, it gave him some security.

The peddler saw the official uniform he was wearing and bowed his head: "Hi, thank you for your kind words, sir."

"Brother Zheng." Ji Yunchan nodded slightly as a greeting.

She thought of Yan Heng who seemed to have mentioned that Zheng Yong passed the imperial examination and became a minor official. He pretended to be nonchalant when he said this, but in fact he was secretly glancing at her reaction.

Ji Yunchan just said "hmm" at the time to indicate that she understood, and there was no follow-up reaction. Yan Heng saw it and let it go. Neither of them mentioned the matter again.

When they met, Ji Yunchan said sincerely, "Congratulations, Brother Zheng, on getting into high school. I hope your life will get better and better in the future."

Zheng Yong's reaction was not what he expected. He looked anxious, "Miss Ji, I finally found you. I went to the general's residence just now to look for you, but you weren't there."

When the peddler heard the three big words "General's Mansion", his protruding eyes widened and his gaze wandered cautiously between the two people, holding his breath and wanting to hear what they would say next.

"What's wrong?" Seeing the strange look on his face, Ji Yunchan dropped the distant and polite expression on her face and asked in confusion.

"Did your brother Qin Nian go to deliver the letter?" he asked for confirmation.

"Yes," Ji Yunchan's heart suddenly jumped, "but what happened?"