Jiang Tian shook her head: "General, I will not go back on my word."

Yuan Ye's face darkened again: "Then you may leave."

Not long after Jiang Tian left, everyone knew about her situation.

I heard that she was arrested as a spy. After the general investigated and found no wrongdoing, he wanted to let her go, but she refused and insisted on staying in the military camp, saying that she wanted to repay the general's kindness.

Left with no other choice, the general made a deal with her: if she could provide enough firewood for the cooks every day, he would consider keeping her.

Otherwise, her only option is to leave.

Jiang Tian's stubbornness has sparked much discussion.

They knew her background.

It's perfectly understandable for a woman who was saved by a general to want to repay his kindness.

The general has already said that she doesn't need to repay his kindness, but she still insists on staying, which is going too far.

Many people are saying that she actually wanted to curry favor with the powerful and wealthy. As an orphan, marrying a man with no future is not as good as being by the side of a general.

However, no matter what, Jiang Tian has been cleared of suspicion as a spy. Even if others look at her differently, at least they won't regard her as an enemy.

Everyone was watching her make a fool of herself.

She was a frail woman recovering from a serious illness, and she had to chop enough firewood every day to feed hundreds of people—a task that even strong men might not be able to complete. Could she really do it?

It seems the general simply wanted to discourage her.

“Young lady, just listen to my advice. The general is not someone you can easily cling to. Why don’t you stay here, find a reliable person to marry, and live a peaceful life? Why do you insist on following the general? The general dislikes you so much now. Even if you try your best to stay, he will not treat you any differently.”

After Aunt Wang learned that there was no longer any doubt about Jiang Tian's identity, she became close to her again.

She is a kind-hearted person and has taken care of Jiang Tian for a period of time, so she has developed a strong affection for her.

However, her honest words did not win Jiang Tian's approval.

Jiang Tian smiled and shook her head: "Aunt Wang, I only feel that my life has meaning if I stay by the general's side. Otherwise, I would rather have died on that rainy night."

Hearing the resolute tone in her voice, Aunt Wang was startled. She then said with a bitter face, "Your health is poor, and you are much weaker than the average person. How can you chop wood? You still won't be able to stay. You might as well go and beg the general for mercy and ask him to grant you a favor so you can leave this place, buy a house, and live a good life. Even if you don't marry someone else, you can find a husband who will come to your door and live a prosperous life."

Jiang Tian patted Aunt Wang's hand: "Aunt Wang, I know you mean well, but my mind is made up. Don't worry, I will carry out the general's orders, and I will stay."

Her boasting did not reassure Aunt Wang, but she could not say much more.

Given their attitude, what can she do?

Meanwhile, Yuan Ye called Chen Ziming over.

"You really know how to get me into trouble."

When Yuan Ye told Chen Ziming that Jiang Tian had discovered his identity, Chen Ziming's face turned pale.

He muttered to himself, "How come I don't remember ever mentioning your identity to anyone else?"

"If you didn't mention it, did she hear it in her dream?"

Yuan Ye did not believe Chen Ziming's nonsense about shirking responsibility.

Chen Ziming was also somewhat uncertain: "Perhaps I let it slip when I was testing the drug? Don't worry, if I make the same mistake again, you can kill me and I won't complain."

Yuan Ye's purpose was to give Chen Ziming a warning, to see if he showed his determination and understood the importance of the matter, so that he would not continue to blame Chen Ziming.

After all, Chen Ziming had once saved his life, so there was still some affection between them.

Chen Ziming realized that Yuan Ye didn't want to be harsh on him, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

He mentioned Jiang Tian: "I heard rumors that you asked her to chop wood? Her body has been eroded by toxins and she is no longer as healthy as an ordinary person. Let alone chopping wood, she can't even lift a bucket of water. I guess she won't last more than two days before giving up."

"We can send her to a secluded courtyard where she has no contact with the outside world, and then bring her back after you ascend the throne. Wouldn't that solve the problem?"

Chen Ziming proposed his own countermeasures.

Yuan Ye originally thought the same thing. He would find Jiang Tian a job first, so that she would know her own limitations. After she gave up, he would find an opportunity to send her away.

He would have her sent thousands of miles away, where she would be treated to the best food and drink, and there would be no way for her to return to the capital.

That solved the problem.

But this woman was stubborn and cunning. She kept insisting on repaying his kindness and even undressed in front of him. Yuan Ye was furious when he thought of this, so he had no choice but to make her chop wood.

"Hmm, let's observe for a few days first."

He didn't mention a deadline.

Although a large number of troops will be marching to the frontier in a few days, she probably won't be able to withstand the pressure in the next few days.

Most people were very pessimistic about Jiang Tian being assigned to chop wood.

After all, everyone who has seen her knows how frail she is.

Everyone thought she wouldn't last more than a few days before leaving on her own.

The day after the agreement was made, Jiang Tian arrived at the fire station very early.

The cooks didn't have as bad a feeling about her as others did.

When she learned that the general had asked her to come and chop wood, she actually came, which they also found very puzzling.

Anyone could see that she couldn't do this job.

"Young lady, just listen to our advice and leave quickly. If you incur the general's displeasure, will you seek revenge or repay a debt of gratitude?"

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!