Chapter 135: Relationship Exposed

Zhu Mingyue felt uncomfortable under his unbridled gaze, but she couldn't confront him directly. She picked up the steaming earthenware pot, stopped giving him a second glance, and turned back into her tent.

After a while, he looked out through the curtain and found that the man named He Dayong had already left.

"She's sick." Zhu Mingyue looked away and muttered to herself. Why isn't she staying in her own central command camp? Why is she deliberately coming to him to show off her power?

The mutton wasn't stewed until tender. He had taken the whole pot with him because he was afraid that if he ran away, the guy would take his mutton soup.

After the person left, he put the earthenware pot back on the fire to boil.

No sooner had the man left than Xie Pei returned to camp in less than a quarter of an hour.

"Didn't you say you'd be back in an hour?" Zhu Mingyue ladled out a bowl of mutton soup and said casually.

Xie Pei took off his cloak, which was still damp with cold air, and waited until the chill dissipated before leaning close to Zhu Mingyue and pinching his cheek. "Something came up and I was held up." He smiled, his tone slightly teasing: "Missed me?"

"Who misses you?" Zhu Mingyue's face flushed slightly. Who would miss someone after not seeing them for two hours? He's not clingy.

"Hmm, I don't want to." Xie Pei placed a piece of lean mutton into his bowl: "Eat."

Zhu Mingyue lowered her head and drank a few sips of mutton soup. The warmth seeped into her heart, and as she sighed with comfort, she suddenly remembered something she hadn't told Xie Pei.

“While you were away, someone from the camp came and said he was Captain He from the Central Army Camp.”

Xie Pei lifted his eyelids, his expression unchanged: "He Dayong?"

Zhu Mingyue nodded: "Yes, his name is He Dayong."

"He came to see you?" Although it was a question, Xie Pei's tone was one of certainty.

It seems he already knows about this. Zhu Mingyue pursed her lips and said truthfully, "Maybe. I asked him if he needed to see you, but he gave me an irrelevant answer and was very arrogant. I ignored him, and he left on his own later. Is everything alright?"

Xie Pei frowned: "Ignore him."

He seemed to be hiding something, even when he went to bed at night his eyebrows were still raised.

Zhu Mingyue nestled in his arms, drawing warmth from Xie Pei's body, and reached out to touch his eyebrows, trying to soothe his worries.

Xie Pei sensed his intention, kissed him on the forehead gently, and said, "It's okay, go to sleep!"

This time, Zhu Mingyue was unhappy. "What's wrong? You can tell me what's on your mind."

Xie Pei had never confided his troubles to him before. Back then, because of their relationship, Zhu Mingyue cared but didn't pry into everything.

But things are different now. Xie Pei is his man. If she has worries but doesn't tell him, he can see them but know nothing and will only worry more.

He nudged Xie Pei's chest, feigning anger: "If you're not going to tell me, go back to your own tent and sleep. I don't want to sleep with you."

Xie Pei: ...

He hugged Zhu Mingyue tightly. "Ah Yue, if the relationship between our families is destined to be made public, what will you do then?"

Zhu Mingyue was stunned, and after a long while, she slowly asked, "What do you mean?"

His heart was pounding, and he looked up, his gaze meeting Xie Pei's.

Looking at her face reflected in those dark pupils, Zhu Mingyue felt a sudden surge of nervousness and unease, and quickly turned her head away.

After trying to calm her wildly beating heart, Zhu Mingyue unconsciously gripped Xie Pei's fur coat tightly. "It doesn't matter. If they know, they know. If we want to live a good life together, we'll have to make it public sooner or later."

"Hmm." Xie Pei's throat bobbed.

Seeing that he stopped speaking, Zhu Mingyue tentatively asked, "Xie Pei, does someone already know?"

Combining the fact that He Dayong, the military captain during the day, had come specifically to find someone he had no connection with, Zhu Mingyue instantly understood the reason.

Xie Pei opened his mouth,

"Don't lie to me." Zhu Mingyue gave him a heads-up beforehand.

Xie Pei chuckled for a moment: "Okay."

"There are indeed some rumors circulating in the military, but nothing to fear. If anyone dares to come looking for you about this, and I happen to be away, write it down and tell me later, and I..."

Zhu Mingyue raised an eyebrow and interrupted, "What? General Xie, are you going to help me teach them a lesson?"

Xie Pei answered without hesitation: "Yes."

Zhu Mingyue pouted, her worries lessening and a sweet feeling rising within her.

But he still had his senses and gently advised, "There's no need to argue with them. Let them say what they want. At most, they'll talk behind my back. People like He Dayong are rare. Even if someone tries to find out what's going on with me, I'll just ignore them."

"Aren't you scared?" Xie Pei asked sullenly.

Zhu Mingyue pressed her ear close to Xie Pei's chest, listening to the steady heartbeat emanating from his chest, and felt inexplicably at ease. The corners of her lips also curled up slightly: "If you're not afraid, then I'm not afraid either."

"What do I have to be afraid of? What can they do to me even if they find out? They can't just drown me in a pig cage, can they? My relationship with Xie Hong was just in name only. Besides, his mourning period is over. Am I supposed to live as a widow for him for the rest of my life?"

"Don't worry, it's fine. At most they'll whisper a few words behind my back, but let them talk. I can't hear them anyway."

Xie Pei teased him, "What if you give me pointers in person?"

Zhu Mingyue was taken aback, then choked up and said, "It's fine to give pointers in person, it won't hurt me."

The night sky was dotted with stars, and occasionally the faint sounds of soldiers patrolling could be heard outside the tent; everything seemed so peaceful and serene.

Zhu Mingyue had a thousand thoughts in her mind, but in the end she couldn't resist the exhaustion and closed her eyes in Xie Pei's warm embrace.

The unusual look she had expected did not come as Zhu Mingyue had anticipated.

What arrived first was Guan Shao's punishment for Xie Pei's disobedience.

Upon hearing the news from his guards, Zhu Mingyue's mind went blank for a moment, followed by a wave of panic washing over him.

"What happened?" Zhu Mingyue asked hurriedly.

Zhong Kai's story was also complicated: "The general beat up the captain of the central army."

Zhu Mingyue's breath hitched: "Fighting and brawling?"

"No!" Zhong Kai said with difficulty, "It was a one-sided beating."

If it were just a simple fight, he wouldn't be having such a headache.

The general's actions were truly astonishing to him. Although Xie Pei was usually cold and taciturn, he seemed to have never had a physical altercation with anyone since he joined the army.

Zhu Mingyue bit his lip: "Is it serious? Does it require a beating?" He remembered that Li Zhengyang had also been punished for this.

Zhong Kai explained: "The crime of private fighting in the army has always been serious. Li Zhengyang did fight with Li Ding a few times, but the situation was special at the time, and the war was severe, so the general ordered special handling for special times. Therefore, Li Zhengyang escaped punishment and only received a beating."

Zhu Mingyue was completely baffled: "What about outside of special periods?"

Zhong Kai shook his head and sighed, "I don't know either." Xie Pei was a general in the army, and his every action should be a model for the entire army, yet he had openly done something so seriously inappropriate. He didn't know what the consequences would be.

Zhu Mingyue's heart sank to the bottom.

"Where is Young Master Zhu going?" Zhong Kai wanted to reach out and stop him, but his hand remained outstretched in mid-air and he dared not touch him.

Zhu Mingyue was exceptionally clear-headed at this moment. "I request to see the General."

"This matter cannot be rushed. In our army, requesting an audience with the General requires reporting through multiple levels."

Zhu Mingyue laughed in exasperation: "I'm a commoner, not a soldier. Just have someone announce it."

Zhong Kai paused, thought for a moment, and thought, "That makes sense!"

By the time he came to his senses, Zhu Mingyue had already mounted her horse, and Zhong Kai followed suit, panting, "Don't panic, sister-in-law!"

Zhu Mingyue, who was also panting slightly, almost choked upon hearing this, "Cough cough cough!"

He turned around in disbelief: "What did you call me?"

Zhong Kai belatedly realized what was happening and quickly corrected him: "Young Master Zhu."

Zhu Mingyue accused, "I heard it!"

They're trying to fool him!

Zhong Kai cursed himself for being too hasty and quick-tongued, but the words had already slipped out and there was no way to take them back. He could only honestly confess, "Sister-in-law."

He then added, "We all know."

Zhu Mingyue forgot to close her mouth, and her mouth was filled with cold air, causing her to choke violently, which startled Yin Xue and made her slow down.

"Sister-in-law...Young Master Zhu, don't worry, no one in our camp will gossip. It seems that this matter was spread by the Commandant He."

Zhu Mingyue couldn't help but feel a little angry. He Dayong didn't do his own job properly, but instead kept an eye on other people's little plot of land. In the end, he even caused Xie Pei to act impulsively and get punished.

It's strange, really. He had told Xie Pei that night not to bother with this kind of person. Logically speaking, Xie Pei wasn't the type to act impulsively.

Could it be that He Dayong did something truly unbearable?

This shouldn't be! Zhu Mingyue became increasingly puzzled. Even if He Dayong was good at stirring up trouble, at most he would just spread the facts. She was prepared for this day to come sooner or later, so it wasn't a big deal. Why would Xie Pei do something like this?

Filled with questions, Zhu Mingyue sped all the way to the general's camp.

He had met one of the guards outside once before, and the man kindly reminded him, "The general has ordered that no one be seen today."

Zhu Mingyue remained unmoved. "My lord, please convey my message: I, Zhu Mingyue, have come to pay my respects to the General. It is because..."

Zhu Mingyue glanced at the direction of the main tent, swallowed hard, and said without changing her expression, "It's about donating grain and fodder."

Zhong Kai, standing to the side, stared in disbelief: ? ? ?

Wasn't it to plead for General Xie's sake?

Unexpectedly, the guard didn't hesitate for even a second, saying, "Wait a moment, I'll go report to the General," and then ran off.

Before long, an audience was held.

Zhong Kai shook his head, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

It turns out that money can not only make the devil turn the millstone, but also make a general who has made a promise go back on his word.

Guan Shao was indeed angry, but upon seeing Zhu Mingyue, his anger subsided considerably. Especially since Zhu Mingyue had suggested discussing the matter of donating grain with him.

Although the purpose was obvious, he could accept it for the sake of food.

"No need for formalities, please sit over there!"

Guan Shao nodded his chin toward the chair, gesturing for him to sit down.

The chair was padded with rabbit fur, making it quite warm to sit on. Zhu Mingyue hadn't expected General Guan to be so considerate of his subordinates, even putting fur on the guest chair. Such a cold-faced but kind-hearted person should be easy to talk to... right?

If Guan Shao knew what he was thinking right now, she would be extremely frustrated.

He didn't even have animal hides on his own chair; the fur was clearly something he had put on there temporarily after agreeing to Zhu Mingyue's request to see him.

I heard that when it snowed a while ago, Zhu Mingyue coughed a couple of times because she was feeling cold. Xie Pei even took a special leave from his busy schedule to go to the city to find some warming tonics.

Xie Pei cherishes people so much, treating them like they're made of glass. Now that the kid isn't here, he can't afford to let anything happen to him.