Chapter 49 Departure

Her legs trembled as she got off the carriage, and she could barely stand. The days of jolting and unhealthy diet had caused Chunzhi to watch helplessly as her wife grew thinner.

The girl was born weak, and if this continued for a long time, even if no major problems arose, her health would be damaged.

Seeing this, Chunzhi couldn't help but feel anxious. The man was ultimately careless and wouldn't have thought of such details.

It's unclear what grudge the man had against his wife; the two seemed to be holding a grudge, waiting to see who would back down.

After Ji Shu fell asleep, Chunzhi hesitated for a long time before finally going to the main tent to have someone announce her arrival...

The next morning.

Ji Shu slept soundly, probably because she was mentally stressed and physically exhausted. Even after a good night's sleep, she still felt somewhat listless.

She leaned against the soft pillows, staring at the simple tent, and after a moment of stunned silence, slowly got up.

When Chunzhi brought out breakfast...

Ji Shu noticed something was off; today's breakfast was a bit too elaborate. Usually it was just flatbread, but today there was porridge and side dishes.

She didn't think much of it, as she didn't know anything about the army's food and just assumed it was a sudden improvement in rations.

It wasn't until they were about to set off and saw the enormous, two-horse carriage that they truly realized something was wrong.

Holding Chunzhi's hand, she lifted the curtain and saw that the carriage was furnished with a small table with her favorite sketchbooks and even snacks.

Even the soft couch where I usually lie down is much better than before, so it won't be too uncomfortable if I encounter bumpy or muddy roads.

Thinking of the breakfast she had eaten that morning, and then recalling the suddenly changed carriage, Ji Shu's gaze froze: "Zhi'er, did you say something?!"

Only those closest to you truly know you, and after thinking it over, only Chunzhi would care about you, so she'd probably ask for these things.

Seeing the young lady's tone turn cold, Chunzhi knelt down on the carriage with a thud and said urgently, "Young lady, we still have more than twenty days of travel ahead. If this continues, I'm afraid your body won't be able to take it. It's fine if the weather is sunny, but if we encounter rain later, how will the carriage withstand the current?"

Ji Shu didn't want that person to seem weak and unable to endure even this little bit of hardship, so she slowly raised her eyes to look at Chunzhi: "Why didn't you tell me about this?"

Chunzhi lowered her eyes and said softly, "I don't know what happened between you and Marquis Yan, I'm just afraid..." What she was afraid of was self-evident; she was simply afraid of her body.

After saying that, her pupils widened: "Look, we changed to this carriage this morning, so you can suffer less."

Ji Shu remained silent for a long time before letting out a deep sigh.

She knew that Chunzhi couldn't be blamed for this, and since she would have to serve him all year anyway, why not make things easier for herself?

Chunzhi glanced at the young woman's face and, seeing that she was no longer angry, moved her lips and said, "Lord Yan also came last night."

Yesterday, darkness had completely fallen.

Chunzhi helped Ji Shu wash up and lay down, noticing that even in her sleep, the young woman's brows remained furrowed.

She gritted her teeth, turned around, and went to the main tent.

The main tent is naturally much more spacious than the others, but marching is not like ordinary days, so the conditions will be much simpler.

At this moment, Pei Yanzhi and Gongsun Li were looking at the map in their hands, while Wu Yang and Lu Changming stood at the back.

Hearing the commotion at the door, Wu Yang gave Lu Changming a wink before going out.

Seeing Chunzhi pacing back and forth anxiously, the guard standing by asked, "What is she doing here?"

The guard on duty whispered, "This maid has been here for a quarter of an hour."

Lu Changming pondered for a moment, then strode forward. Upon seeing this, Chunzhi hurriedly took a step back and bowed.

"But what's wrong, Madam Ji?"

Besides this, Lu Changming couldn't think of any other reason.

Thinking of Lord Yan, Chunzhi shrank her shoulders and mustered her courage to say, "My wife has been traveling these past few days and hasn't been eating or sleeping well. She's lost a lot of weight. I just want to ask Lord Yan, are you torturing my lady?"

Lu Changming's expression turned stern: "Insolence!"

"Who do you think you are to dare question our lord like this?"

Chunzhi's eyes reddened with fright, and she was about to cry. Seeing this, Lu Changming softened his tone.

"Since Madam Ji felt unwell during the journey, why didn't you come forward to report it sooner?"

He also knew that his lord had been acting strangely these past few days. Even though people were right in front of him, he ignored them completely. As a subordinate, he naturally couldn't presume to guess what his lord was thinking.

Therefore, he was unaware of what had happened in the past few days.

As Chunzhi thought of the young lady, tears finally streamed down her cheeks, her voice choked with sobs: "The young lady has always been strong-willed, so she naturally wouldn't say anything. I don't know what happened between the young lady and the Marquis of Yan, but since the young lady is willing to go to Yanzhou, why treat her like this?"

He got angrier and angrier as he talked, and after he finished speaking, he simply turned around and ran away.

Lu Changming was left with his long eyebrows furrowed and a deep sigh.

Back in the tent, he heard Gongsun Li advising: "My lord, Yanzhou has passed through the winter peacefully, but food is still a major concern. War is inevitable in the future, and a battle that lasts for three to five years is unavoidable. Once it starts, it will be a protracted war."

For Yanzhou, wars are inevitable in the future. Whether it's one or three or five battles, if they last for several years, the amount of grain and fodder will amount to tens of thousands of tons.

Without timely supplies of food and provisions, even the strongest army will eventually be unable to sustain itself.

Pei Yanzhi sat at the head of the table, the flickering light of the lamp casting a long shadow over him.

Gongsun Li continued, "The powerful clans of Yanzhou have only been able to survive to this day thanks to our lord. If we can persuade them to give their full support, we can be worry-free in the future war."

"However... these aristocratic families are mostly driven by self-interest."

General Mei Xun threw down his weapon and yelled, "Damn it! They've gained so much under our lord, and now they're heartbroken over a little sacrifice? Don't they understand that without our lord, would this still be Yan Province? It would have been completely divided up long ago!"

Lu Changming saw Pei Yanzhi leaning back in his seat, his eyes slightly closed, not saying a word.

As the closest person to Yanzhou, he was well aware of the intricacies involved and said, "General Mei, you think those aristocratic families can be swayed by a few words? You're thinking too simply. Even if our lord is the Marquis of Yan, and everyone is on the surface amicable, they secretly harbor rebellious intentions."

What he didn't say was that he grew up in Yanzhou and had seen too many aristocratic families that had existed for centuries. The more gentle and amiable these people appeared on the surface, the more arrogant and domineering they often were in private.

Convincing these people is not something that can be done overnight.

Pei Yanzhi opened his eyes and said in a low voice, "Alright, let's discuss this matter again when we return to Yanzhou."

After the strategists and generals had left, Wu Yang stepped forward to prepare the bed. Lu Changming took two steps forward and whispered, "My lord, Lady Ji's maid just came over."

Pei Yanzhi paused, unbuttoning his shawl, and turned to ask, "What is it?"

Lu Changming relayed Chunzhi's words to Pei Yanzhi in detail. Pei Yanzhi listened without saying anything, his head lowered so that his expression could not be seen.

Just as Lu Changming thought the matter was over, his lord changed into a new robe.

He instructed him, "Go and find a better carriage."

After saying that, he walked out of the tent. Lu Changming's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly followed.