86 Expedition to the Northern Frontier

◎ "To win, to come back."◎

Without the emperor's explicit decree, Chu Yufu dared not act too ostentatiously. Before leaving, she specifically instructed Doctor Xu to make the purchases in secret and not to make any public announcement.

At Bixu Pavilion, she also changed her visit from every other day to every ten days. When the ladies inquired about it, she simply claimed she was too busy with family matters to spare the time. In reality, she was staying at home, absorbed in her writing. In her spare time, she would immerse herself in the pharmacy, using the finest herbs to prepare medicines for Pei Yue to carry close to her, perhaps saving her life in an emergency.

At the beginning of October, the imperial court finally made its decision, ordering General Xuanwei Pei Yue to lead his army north on the first day of November to expel the Turks and recapture the Huaping area.

Chu Yufu's heart, which had been hanging in the balance for so long, finally fell to the ground with a loud thud. The day she learned the news, she sent a message to Doctor Xu, asking him to do his best and not to hide it anymore.

Several ladies who were on good terms with her hadn't seen her in a while, so they sent people to inquire about her and learned that she was actually collecting medicine for the northern expedition. The ladies discussed privately that they had often taken advantage of her, and now that she was busy, it was time for them to help.

After some discussion, everyone donated generously.

Mrs. Shen donated 400 cotton-padded clothes and 60 pieces of cotton cloth.

Mrs. Wang donated ten boxes each of Panax notoginseng and Isatis root.

Mrs. Jiang donated one thousand taels of silver.

Mrs. Yue donated twenty dan of grain.

With these ladies taking the lead, other ladies and young ladies who heard the news and had friendship with Chu Yufu also responded and donated some money.

Some people sincerely wanted to contribute, some wanted to use this matter to consolidate their friendship with Chu Yufu and the ladies, and some felt that it would be inappropriate for them not to donate since the ladies they were familiar with had donated.

This scene was completely unexpected for Chu Yufu. Surprised and touched, she accepted the offer regardless of the other party's motive. She had spent so much effort cultivating her connections, hoping that one day they would be of use to her.

This incident caused a huge uproar in the capital, and finally even reached the ears of the emperor.

This incident caused a sensation in the capital, eventually reaching the imperial court. The emperor, delighted, praised the "unity of the people from top to bottom" in Dayan and declared victory. He not only commended the officials' families who had donated, but also bestowed upon Chu Yufu the title of Fourth Rank Imperial Consort, an imperially-inscribed plaque, and one hundred taels of gold.

The emperor's family did so, and the noble families in the capital followed suit, and the trend of donations became even more popular.

-

In the eldest prince's palace.

The late autumn sky was clear and blue, a breathtaking expanse of blue. The garden was completely devoid of vegetation, save for two maple trees near the pavilion, their crimson leaves stubbornly clinging to their branches, adding a touch of desolate color to the otherwise stark autumn air.

There were several exquisite side dishes on the stone table in the pavilion, and the charcoal fire in the clay stove was burning brightly, warming the sake in the pot.

Several men sat around the table, drinking and chatting.

Jiang Jingyan raised his glass and toasted Zhao Chunheng, "Chunheng, I hope you have a smooth journey south! I have important matters to attend to at the palace tomorrow, so I'm sorry I can't see you off in person. I'll be waiting for good news in the capital!"

Zhao Chunheng smiled gently, clinked his glasses, and drank the whole thing in one gulp. He turned to Pei Yue with a worried look, "I don't have to worry about anything here. On the contrary, Mingzhang's journey is even more dangerous. The Turks are cunning and brutal, needless to say. This year's weather is even colder than last year. If the roads are blocked by heavy snow again, and the Second Prince is in charge of the grain transport..."

A cold wind blew by, ruffling the snow-white fur collar on his shoulders, and a maple leaf covered with a thin layer of frost fluttered down quietly.

Jiang Jingyan laughed out loud when he heard this, and reached out and patted Pei Yue's shoulder heavily.

"You can rest assured about this! Thanks to Madam Mingzhang's great blessing, the army heading north now has more supplies than ever before! Yesterday, my mother advised my father that since there are enough supplies, dispatching them will be a piece of cake. Letting my second son handle such trivial matters is a waste of his talent. My father agreed and is planning to send him to Jiangnan to inspect the salt industry!"

"To think that's true!" Shen Lanjun widened his eyes and teased, "This kid really married a good wife. With his wife's support, he's like an east wind. I'm so envious of him!"

As he spoke, he took the pot and filled Pei Yue's cup, "You must drink this glass of wine, otherwise it will be difficult to relieve my envy!"

Pei Yue curled his thin lips slightly, and without hesitation, he tilted his head back and drank it all.

Then, his expression straightened, he looked at everyone, and spoke in a deep voice about business: "This morning, my spies reported that the Second Prince's men were secretly colluding with the remnants of the southern rebels."

The expressions of the people present were all shocked. Zhao Chunheng's eyes were sharp: "Is there any evidence?"

Pei Yue nodded, took out a rolled-up piece of paper from his bosom and handed it over: "An intercepted carrier pigeon."

Zhao Chunheng took it and unfolded it. Jiang Jingyan and Shen Lanjun also leaned in to examine it. A moment later, the note fell into Jiang Jingyan's hands. His face turned pale as he clutched the note tightly in his palm. His voice was icy and piercing, "What a ruthless second brother! How cruel! Judging from his posture, if the emperor really wanted to pass the throne to me, he would actually want to invite wolves into the house and let these traitors into the capital!"

"For him, the more chaotic the capital is, the better. If you and His Majesty..." Shen Lanjun frowned and didn't finish his words.

Jiang Jingyan poured himself a glass of wine, gently swirled the cup with his fingertips, watched the ripples in the wine, and said in deep thought, "I haven't been completely unprepared for him over the years. He has limited troops at his disposal. If he wants to force the palace, I think it will be difficult."

"...What if," Pei Yue raised his eyes and said in a low voice, "he threatens us with the Empress and the Third Princess?"

Jiang Jingyan's body stiffened.

Zhao Chunheng nodded gently: "It is indeed something he can do. Your Highness, you must make plans early."

Shen Lanjun picked up a piece of crispy and fragrant small yellow croaker with chopsticks, chewed it for a few bites, and slapped his thigh suddenly.

"If things get bad, why not send the Empress and the Princess out of the palace... and send them to Mingzhang's residence? Ask Madam Chu to look after them! His family is trustworthy, and Madam Chu is proficient in medicine. It's perfect for them!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone thought this was a great idea and all their eyes turned to Pei Yue.

Pei Yue thought for a moment and nodded in agreement: "Yes. I will select a group of good soldiers from the army to stay at home for protection. If anything happens, they will escort the queen and the princess to the palace."

After they finalized the details, they raised their glasses and drank again.

After three rounds of drinks, Pei Yue waved outside the pavilion. Qi An, who was standing nearby, stepped forward quickly and handed over a thin book he had been holding.

Pei Yue took it, threw it onto Zhao Chunheng's knees, and raised his chin: "Maybe it will be useful."

Zhao Chunheng raised an eyebrow and held the booklet up to his face. The man across the table also glanced over, and Shen Lanjun read out the title page word by word: "Military, Medical, Guide?"

Zhao Chunheng had already flipped through the booklet quickly. It was very thin, with only six or seven pages in total, but the content was extremely concise and practical.

From padding hay inside boots and applying lard to prevent frostbite, to feeding ginger and sugar porridge to warm up after hypothermia; from the ratio of onion, ginger and water to prevent and treat colds, to alternative methods of medicinal herbs in emergency situations; to first aid treatment for combat injuries... every point hits the mark.

"Where did you get this book? Why didn't you give it to me earlier?" Zhao Chunheng quickly flipped through it, his eyes bright, and let Shen Lanjun snatch the book away. "If you act according to this, you will surely save countless soldiers' lives!"

Chen Lanjun glanced at it briefly and his eyes widened. "For frostbite and ulcers, apply honey thickly to cotton cloth and wrap it. Do not rub it with snow or burn it over a fire... Damn, it turns out I was wrong all along. If I had known this two years earlier, how much less suffering would I have suffered? What a great book!"

"Yu Fu just finished writing it the day before yesterday. I found it very useful, so I copied a copy for you." Pei Yue's cold and hard features softened slightly, and a hint of heartache flashed across his eyes.

Chen Lanjun immediately let out a strange cry and slammed his right hand on the stone table: "You kid! What a stroke of luck! This is not a lady, she is clearly a living god who saves people from suffering!"

Jiang Jingyan laughed heartily upon hearing this and personally filled Pei Yue's glass with wine: "I can't envy you enough! I can't envy you enough! With such a virtuous wife to help him, Mingzhang's journey will be even more powerful. He will surely win the battle and return in triumph!"

…

When she said goodbye to the prince's mansion, it was noon, which was the time for Chu Yufu's daily nap.

Pei Yue returned to Anle Garden but didn't go directly into the main house. He beckoned for the servants to prepare water in the east wing, carefully washed off the alcohol, changed into clean casual clothes, and then gently opened the door to the main house.

The windows were half-open, and a charcoal brazier in the corner burned brightly, bringing a warm warmth that made even a light layer of clothing feel comfortable. From the Boshan incense burner on the table, the cool aroma of a vineyard wafted through the air. Several brand-new celadon medicine bottles were neatly arranged beside the incense burner.

Under the quilt of the big bed, a small bulge was quietly rising.

Pei Yue approached quietly and leaned over to take a closer look. He saw the girl on the bed with her eyes closed, her long, thick eyelashes, as thick as a small fan, trembling slightly unconsciously...

He then lifted a corner of the quilt and lay down in it. He stretched out his long arms and held the soft body tightly in his arms. His hot chest pressed against her back, his thin lips close to her ear, and his low voice was filled with heat: "Madam, are you still angry?"

The young lady has been in a bad mood recently and gets upset over the slightest thing.

Last night, she had specifically told him to wake her up so he could dine with her this morning. But when he saw her sleeping soundly that morning, her face buried in the quilt, her breathing steady and long, he couldn't bear it. He called her half an hour late, just before leaving. As a result, she woke up grouchy and unwilling to talk, his face cold and sullen, and no amount of coaxing would do the trick.

This is the first time they have had a quarrel since they got married.

Chu Yufu let him hug her, neither saying a word nor opening her eyes, and curled herself up into a ball with the quilt.

In fact, she herself couldn't explain what had happened in the past few days. She always felt angry and dissatisfied with everything.

She knew clearly that the Northern Expedition was a foregone conclusion and there was no turning back, but she still couldn't help it yesterday and asked him with the last glimmer of hope: Can we not go?

I felt anxious after receiving a negative answer.

Counting on her fingers, she saw only ten days left before he left for the war. She thought it would be nice to have one more meal together. But he hadn't woken her up yet!

All the things that went wrong made her feel restless and irritated, like a tangled mess in her heart.

Seeing that she still ignored him, Pei Yue gently stroked her cheek with his big hand, his movements extremely gentle, and whispered coaxingly: "Didn't I say that I'm very strong and will be fine. Besides, you and the ladies have prepared such abundant supplies. I have never fought a battle with more thorough preparations than this. If we lose this battle, I won't have any use for my position as a general."

In his opinion, the lady's mood was entirely due to excessive worry.

Of course, Chu Yufu herself also thinks so.

She finally turned around, her clear eyes meeting his deep gaze: "To win, to come back."

Pei Yue stared at his reflection in her eyes, lowered his head devoutly, and kissed her solemnly between the eyebrows: "I promise."

Ten short days passed by silently like sand on the fingertips.

On the day of the expedition, before dawn, the sky was dotted with cold stars, but the lights inside and outside the Pei Mansion were already brightly lit.

Pei Yue stood in front of the mansion gate, holding his horse. He reached out to help Chu Yufu, who had come to see him off, tighten the cloak and put on her hood carefully. "Go back. It's cold outside. Be careful not to get cold."

Chu Yufu raised her hand and groped for the few small porcelain bottles placed close to his chest through the cold and hard armor, and only then did she feel relieved.

She raised her face, and in the deep night, the starlight fell into her eyes, twinkling: "I'll wait for you at home."

Pei Yue took her slightly cold hand and shook it firmly: "Okay."

Then, he swiftly jumped onto the horse, tightened the reins, and glanced at the guards behind Chu Yufu: "Great power!"

"I'm here!" The guard stepped forward and his voice was like a bell.

"Protect the lady."

Dawei knelt on one knee, clasped his fists and accepted the order: "Yes! General! I swear to protect the lady to the death!"

After giving his final instructions, the man did not stop, but looked at Chu Yufu deeply, raised his whip slightly, and the horse neighed loudly as it galloped towards the city gate.

The dark red cloak fluttered behind him as he walked further and further away.

A sharp morning breeze blew by. Lan Zhu hugged her arms and stamped her feet. "Madam, the wind is blowing. Shall we go back?"

Chu Yufu took one last look at the direction the man left and turned back home.

【Author’s words】

[Rabbit Head with Vertical Ears] Thank you all for your comments, I read every one of them, love you guys!