Chapter 16 Cats and dogs with cunning minds are even more irritating…
Zhan Yunmei knelt at the end of the court, bowing her head in submission, appearing as a loyal subject. When there was turmoil in the northern Mongolian region and no one was available to lead the army, someone recommended Zhan Yunmei.
“Yunmei’s mother had fought against the Northern Mongols and knew them thoroughly, but she was injured and it was not advisable for her to send troops again now.”
One courtier started the discussion, and many more people joined in, recommending Zhan Yunmei to lead the army. Hua Lang didn't pay much attention at the time, but later, when Zhan Yunmei pacified the various northern Mongol kingdoms and recovered the lost cities, he finally remembered her.
She was granted the title of general, but she asked the emperor for permission. Even after being granted permission, she was still kneeling at the very end. Hua Lang felt that she was a bit strange, but he didn't think much of it.
When the emperor was speaking, when the civil officials were arguing, or whenever the court was in an uproar, Zhan Yunmei would raise her head. Hua Lang always felt that she was looking in his direction, or perhaps at the emperor.
Occasionally, when their eyes meet, she smiles, but his expression remains unchanged.
Thinking about it now, there might be a one in a million chance that she was looking at him, and that he might hold a tiny place in her heart.
This tiny bit of hope kept Hua Lang thinking and thinking, and he couldn't sleep no matter what.
One moment the mattress felt too thin and the icy air made me feel cold, and the next moment I felt too hot and neither lifting the covers nor putting them back on felt comfortable.
Hua Lang simply opened his eyes and lay flat, staring at a void on the bed. He didn't want to think about Zhan Yunmei, but he couldn't help but repeatedly search for information about her.
A layer of dark blue gauze covered the horizon, and light shone faintly through it, illuminating the entrance to the main house of the General's Mansion. The entrance was brightly lit, much brighter than the outside.
Princess Rongning had already dressed and was having breakfast in the main hall. After finishing, she returned to the capital camp with Zhan Yunmei.
Yao Shuniang prepared three sets of bowls and chopsticks. Princess Rongning asked, "Why are there three sets?"
Yao Shuniang pointed to the dimly lit side room, where it was obvious that someone was inside. "The general instructed that Eunuch Hualang should also come and have breakfast. The general is considerate of the eunuch and is worried that he might have stomach problems from not eating breakfast."
"Oh, I see," Princess Rongning nodded thoughtfully, and put down her chopsticks since not everyone had arrived.
Princess Rongning had heard a little about this matter, but she didn't know the details. She only knew that there was a eunuch from the previous dynasty in the general's mansion, but she didn't know that it was Hua Lang. Now that Yao Shuniang mentioned it, she realized it.
She looked at the bowls of steamed eggs and red date and yam puree on the table. It was a bit too bland and not very filling. She stayed in the Beijing garrison all day long. If she ate so little, she would be hungry in less than half a day.
Just as she was about to call out to Yao Shuniang, Yao Shuniang arrived with a small plate of fried meat. "Princess, the General wants you to eat first. After you finish eating, you should go to the capital camp early. He won't wait for her."
These words were certainly worrying. Princess Rongning hurriedly stood up and asked, "Has something happened to the General?"
Yao Shuniang shook her head, "It was my father-in-law who just got up. He felt unwell, and the servants said he vomited. The general has gone over."
Princess Rongning was surprised by Zhan Yunmei's concern for the eunuch, but she didn't say anything and sat down to eat obediently.
In the side room, someone had already brought in a handkerchief and a basin of water and placed them at the door. Even Zhan Yunmei was at the door.
She frowned and pounded on the door. "Open the door!"
Zhan Yunmei had instructed that Hua Lang be woken up. The servant knocked on the door, and Hua Lang opened it as usual. After learning that Zhan Yunmei wanted him to have dinner in the main room, he turned around and vomited for some reason.
Zhan Yunmei had been there for a while, but Hua Lang kept the door closed and wouldn't let her in. This was truly outrageous.
Ignoring Hua Lang, she called Yao Shuniang to get the spare key, opened the door, and was filled with anger. She wanted to say something harsh, but when she saw Hua Lang squatting by the bed, her black hair hanging down, looking weak and pitiful, she couldn't bring herself to do it.
So, with patience, he went over and helped Hua Lang sit up. He glanced at her anxiously, then quickly lowered his eyelids, pursed his lips, and said in a low voice, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to not open the door."
Hua Lang never bowed his head, but this time it surprised Zhan Yunmei. Suspicion arose, and she reached out to touch his forehead. She then pressed her face against his, but he turned his head away just a little distance away.
"What, I can't even check your forehead temperature?" Zhan Yunmei pinched Hua Lang's cheeks and forcefully pulled him in front of her, pressing her face against his. His temperature was perfectly normal.
"Where do you feel unwell? Why would you vomit when you were perfectly fine?"
"I don't know," Hua Lang refused to look up, pulling at Zhan Yunmei's fingers to make her let go. She didn't force him and went along with it, so he glanced at her and then leaned forward slightly.
This action seemed like he was asking Zhan Yunmei for a hug. Regardless of what he really meant, she didn't want to guess. She felt he was acting strangely, so she put her hands behind her back and refused to hug him.
He raised his eyes again and pulled back to his original position.
Zhan Yunmei caught his implied meaning from his little actions. She wasn't angry, so why should she make things difficult for him? It was already unprecedented for him to take the initiative like this, so she moved closer and hugged him.
"Did you eat anything unclean yesterday? Or did your stomach get chilled last night? Does your stomach hurt?"
The warmth of the embrace, along with the scent of the incense they used together, gradually calmed Hua Lang's anxious and restless heart. He turned his head slightly.
But she still noticed that he seemed to be rubbing against her.
She gently patted his face, "Speak up, don't keep it to yourself."
"No," Zhan Yunmei said gently. Hua Lang closed his eyes, as if he had confirmed something and breathed a sigh of relief. But no matter how relieved he was, he still felt restless. Why? He didn't understand.
Hua Lang was just leaning on Zhan Yunmei's shoulder, but she could still see his expression clearly. After he relaxed a bit, she said, "I've heard before that if you think too much and your health is poor, you're prone to headaches, and if your head hurts too much, you're prone to vomiting."
Zhan Yunmei lifted Hua Lang's chin, and he slowly opened his eyes, as if avoiding her gaze or perhaps overthinking things. In any case, he didn't look at her and muttered, "So what if you threw up? Why are you so concerned about me? You're not dead. If you're not dead, you can still be used."
“If you want to tell me, then say it out loud. Do you think I can’t hear you just because you’re being coy?” Zhan Yunmei pointed a finger at Hua Lang’s lower lip.
His lips were thin and delicate, and he could clearly feel the lines on her fingers. He pursed his lips, turned his head, and said loudly, "Why bother caring about me like this! How could I possibly have the face to ask the General to come all the way to see me!"
Zhan Yunmei remained unmoved by Hua Lang's sarcastic remarks.
He gets anxious when she does nothing. What's the point of his excessive, sarcastic remarks about her, which are laced with shrillness?
Close your mouth and clench your teeth.
“If you need me, I have to come,” Zhan Yunmei said, turning her head and gently nibbling at Hua Lang’s neck. His body temperature was not high, and the ice chest in the room even made his skin feel cold.
The places she kissed and sucked warmed up again.
The fingers that were resting on Hua Lang's back tapped against him, and he shrugged and leaned closer to Zhan Yunmei.
The reaction was obvious. Hua Lang was still normal, so Zhan Yunmei was relieved. With a faint smile, she said, "The princess is of royal power and wealth. Since she has come to the general's mansion, we can't make her feel uncomfortable. There are no guest rooms in the mansion, only a side room, which is very simple. We can only arrange for her to stay in the main room. She is not a child anymore. What would it look like if she slept next to me? Tell Shuniang to call someone to put together a small couch in this side room. Tonight, I will squeeze in with you and give the main room to the princess."
After a pause, she glanced sideways at Hua Lang's expression. Hua Lang's pursed lips twitched slightly, and she smiled, released him, and kissed his lips under his wary gaze.
Hua Lang couldn't hide the shock in his eyes. He vomited and she still kissed him. Did she have some kind of strange fetish...?
"Leave me a soft peach tonight, it's quite delicious," Zhan Yunmei smoothed her knees and got up to go out.
With her back to Hua Lang, she licked the inside of her lips. There was no taste, and certainly no disgusting smell of vomit.
Hua Lang narrowed her eyes, casually picked out a hairpin and tied her hair up. After a while, a servant came in with his head down and smiled at Hua Lang.
"What a disloyal servant! How could the general keep such a dog of a servant like you?" Hua Lang opened the drawer, took out some loose silver and gave it to him. "Keep your mouth shut, you dog."
He chuckled and nodded, "This servant is very tight-lipped!"
After taking the money, he left and happened to run into Yao Shuniang, who was bringing breakfast. Seeing him carefully covering something, she asked, "What are you doing, acting so suspiciously?"
"N-nothing!"
Has your father-in-law vomited again?
"No, I only threw up that one time."
Yao Shuniang nodded, and just as she raised her hand to knock on the door, Hua Lang opened it, took the food tray, and closed the door again.
Standing by the window, I watched Yao Shuniang walk away.
The plan was to put together a small tatami mat, and it was quickly arranged and placed next to the tatami mat in the side room. It was still a bit cramped for two people to sleep in.
The tatami mat was transformed into a pair of soft pillows, and Hua Lang sat in the chair, gazing at them intently.
He lied to her like that, yet she still kissed him. So why did he look so distressed that day? And why didn't he do anything to him?
He didn't find his disabled body attractive at all, and he'd never even fantasized about it; he considered it bad luck. Therefore, he wasn't sure if she was interested in his body, but he was more inclined to believe she liked him as a person than in him.
.
Zhan Yunmei was in a good mood, and a smile stayed on her lips all day.
As Helan Wan sorted through the military reports, she couldn't help but ask Zhan Yunmei, "General, have you found any treasures left over from the previous dynasty?"
“No,” Zhan Yunmei smiled, her eyes crinkling. She was always gentle with people and things. “Perhaps it will be soon.”
Helan Wan also smiled, "That would be a good thing."
That night, after returning to the mansion with Princess Rongning, Zhan Yunmei went back to the main house to retrieve her clothes, and Yao Shuniang quietly approached.
He whispered, "General, the eunuch is really good at poaching people."
"Let him pry it open, don't worry about it next time. Let him find you a few more times, and he'll stop." She liked him more when he was a little angry.
Cats and dogs with a bit of cunning are always more lovable than those that are listless and lethargic.
"I was very careful today, how could this happen?"
"He should have already found you."
A note from the author:
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