“Miss Chang, but the general said…” The guard looked troubled.
It's likely that Meng Yuxiu issued orders such as, "Don't come back if the gold isn't delivered."
Chang Lili was still fuming: "I don't care what he says, he's insulting me!"
Seeing this, the guard realized there was no hope, so with a sorrowful and desperate expression, he took a difficult step and turned to leave.
Seeing that he had taken a few steps, Chang Lili became anxious and called out to him, "Wait, if I don't accept this gold, won't you be punished when you get back?"
The young guard, his clothes almost in tears, said, "Miss Chang, this is not just a punishment, it's a very severe one."
“How could you do this… If I didn’t keep the gold bars, wouldn’t I be harming you?” A look of pity and hesitation appeared on her face.
Upon seeing this, the guard immediately turned back, his face beaming with joy, and said, "It would be a lie to say that you would harm me, but if Miss Chang would accept it, I would be eternally grateful."
Chang Lili, with a resolute air of self-sacrifice, took the heavy food box from the guard and said, "Alright then, but you can tell your general that although I accepted this thing that looks like dirt, it doesn't mean I forgive him."
The guard grinned and readily agreed.
After the guards left, Jiang Yingxue and Zhou Lue stuffed pastries into their mouths while glancing at Chang Lili.
Chang Lili was all smiles as she held the heavy box of gold bars. She opened the lid, stroked it gently, and exclaimed, "Who would turn down money?"
Although she is now quite successful and has plenty of money, no one would complain about having too much money.
When Meng Yuxiu returned from handling military affairs at the general's mansion, he heard the message that Chang Lili had conveyed to him by a guard. He thought Meng Yuxiu would be unhappy.
Before the guard could finish speaking, Meng Yuxiu's lips curved into a smile, his face, which had been stern in the military camp and along the way, now radiant with warmth.
This secluded place, bathed in sunshine and rain every day, offers an unprecedented tranquility.
My mother-in-law has cultivated a small vegetable garden, where she plants flowers and vegetables every day, feeling that she is enjoying a peaceful and happy life.
She had been feeling uneasy, and the secret edict she had accidentally seen in Meng Yuxiu's study kept lingering in her mind.
But gradually, she found that staying in this secluded place wasn't so bad.
As long as Meng Yuxiu is willing to protect Chang Lili, that's fine.
Recently, Lili has been extremely busy every day, and several times she has fallen asleep at the table while eating due to exhaustion.
The mother-in-law felt sorry for Chang Lili and wanted to make her a fish soup to nourish her, since fish soup was Chang Lili's favorite drink.
She couldn't go down the mountain to buy fish, but she could ask the soldiers guarding the mountain to buy fish from nearby fishermen, which was a long-standing custom.
The soldier enthusiastically promised to buy the old woman a large and fresh fish. The old woman was grateful and turned to leave, but as she left, she heard the soldier whispering to himself.
She shouldn't have overheard other people's conversations, but a soldier's words that she overheard made her stop in her tracks.
"Have you heard? Our general is about to make a great contribution this time!"
"Make a great contribution? There's no battle going on here, what kind of contribution could our general possibly make?"
"You're so wrong. Our general can do so many things besides fighting. Do you know what His Majesty wants to do most right now?"
"I've heard that the Northern Barbarians have been acting strangely lately, is that true...?"
"Look at you, what do you know? The Emperor's biggest worry has always been the remnants of those small countries from the past. If these people are not eliminated, the Emperor fears they will rebel."
The mother-in-law slowed her pace, pretending that the mountain path was difficult to walk on and that her shoe had fallen off, and bent down to dawdle.
"So what you mean by meritorious service is..."
"I heard that our general captured a lot of remnants of the previous dynasty. He tortured them severely and even found their hideout, wiping them out in one fell swoop. Now he's still looking for those who escaped."
Upon hearing this, the mother-in-law stood up, but her body swayed involuntarily.
The soldiers rushed over to help her up, but the old woman quickly shook off their hands, saying as if she had been frightened, "I'm fine, I'm fine."
After saying that, he didn't seem to stagger at all; instead, he walked away as if he were fleeing, leaving the soldiers completely baffled.
Meng Yuxiu indeed obeyed the imperial decree and began to exterminate the remnants of the small country that had been swallowed up by the Yun Kingdom.
The mother-in-law could imagine how decisive Meng Yuxiu, such a ruthless person, would order the execution of all the remaining people, leaving no survivors.
But whose stronghold did they wipe out? Could it be Zixin and her group?
Thinking of this, the mother-in-law felt as anxious as if she were on fire.
"No, no, they'll be alright." The mother-in-law returned to the house, panicked. She poured herself some tea and drank it down before she could calm down.
She wanted to know if Aunt Xin and Guo Yan were safe, but the unease that had just subsided in her heart was now returning.
Although they are safe now, the truth will eventually come out, and only by fleeing far away can they escape this deadly disaster.
When Chang Lili returned to the house in the evening, she was greeted by a fragrant meal and a delicious, milky-white fish soup.
She ate a lot, but her mother-in-law remained sullen, as if she had something on her mind.
She picked up some food for her and ate it; she was given fish soup and drank it, as if she had lost her soul.
"What's wrong, Grandma? What happened? Are you feeling unwell? Don't scare me!" Chang Lili was originally very sleepy, but seeing her mother-in-law like this, she became alert out of worry.
The mother-in-law finally came to her senses, her face full of worry. She looked at Chang Lili and hesitated for a moment before finally asking, "Lili, do you like it here?"
Chang Lili nodded in confusion: "I like it!"
Suddenly, as if remembering something, she said, "Is Grandma still worried about the men in black? We're all safe and sound, and the security here has been strengthened. Actually, we're very safe here. If we were outside... there wouldn't even be anyone to look after us."
The mother-in-law still looked worried: "But I always feel uneasy here. Lili, let's leave here and find a small village to live a peaceful life."
"ah?"
These words came so suddenly that Chang Lili was completely taken aback: "We've finally settled into a peaceful life, why are you leaving? And... Meng Yuxiu, he..."
The mother-in-law sighed and said helplessly, "Lili, I never wanted you to marry into a wealthy family. As the saying goes, serving a ruler is like serving a tiger. Staying here, I always feel that something is going to happen. Let's leave here and go somewhere where no one knows us."
Chang Lili put down her chopsticks with a somber expression: "Once we leave here, we'll have to start all over again."
The mother-in-law also felt bad, and with a guilty look on her face, she took Chang Lili's hand and said, "I'm sorry, Lili, I just hope you are safe. I was afraid something would happen to you."
Chang Lili suddenly grabbed her mother-in-law's hand and said with a big smile, "Oh, Grandma, don't worry, Meng Yuxiu is here."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
