Chapter 181
The night was as cold as water, and the wind was howling in the distant wilderness, and Wei Ling woke up.
It was already midnight. There was a knock on his door, and Wei Ling got up to deal with military matters. It wasn't a serious emergency; a strong wind had blown down the stables, killing more than a dozen horses.
When he came back, he passed by the small kitchen in the front yard and found that the candle in the small kitchen was still lit. He thought it was a servant watching the fire, but when he got closer, he found that it was Yi Ning inside.
She seemed to be cooking noodles, scooping them in water with a pair of long chopsticks. The kitchen was steaming. A porcelain bowl was placed next to her. The maid stood quietly outside. Seeing Wei Ling, she said quickly, "The young lady said she was hungry. I wanted to help, but she said she wanted to do it herself..."
Wei Ling looked at his daughter quietly and waved his hand, saying, "You go down first." He walked into the kitchen.
Yining saw him, but turned back without much surprise and scooped the noodles into a bowl, adding a handful of chopped green onions.
"I was so hungry that I came here to cook a bowl of noodles. What are you doing up?"
"The stable collapsed and the horse was crushed to death." Wei Ling said as he sat down at the eight-immortal table. "You can actually cook noodles."
Yi Ning picked up the thin noodles in her bowl and smiled, saying, "My noodles are the best. Would you like to try some?" She kneaded, rolled, and cut the noodles. She could make them very thin because her grandmother loved them, but thin noodles were rare in northern Zhili. So Yi Ning learned the craft.
But she hadn't done that in a long time.
She took another small bowl and put some food in it, then gave the big bowl to Wei Ling. Wei Ling took it. No one had the appetite to eat during the day, but now he finally had some appetite. The fragrance of chopped green onions and the sesame oil were quite appetizing. He took a few bites and suddenly said, "Meimei, you are too sad. You forgot to put salt in your noodles."
Luo Yining stuffed noodles into his mouth and buried his face in the hot air. When he heard these words, he suddenly couldn't help it and his eyes turned red.
She continued to eat the noodles slowly, swallowing them, not knowing what they tasted like, but tears were falling.
Luo Yining had always avoided relationships. The pain of being ignored and abandoned, the pain that ran deep in her bones, made it impossible for her to actively love others. Until now, she decided to actively love him. No one had ever been there for her in her time of crisis. She finally reached out, but Wei Ling's words sobered her up. Maybe he didn't care at all. He didn't look for her. He was like a fish in water in the court, and he even met Ge Miaoyun.
He liked her, but power was no match for her. Having experienced past lives, she knew better than anyone else the coldness of her nature, the gentleness that tinged with exploitation.
She should understand, but it was very uncomfortable.
Wei Ling walked up to her and gently touched her head: "Daddy is here. I am not just a decoration! You have the Duke of Yingguo's Mansion."
He sighed again: "If you keep crying, the noodles will become salty."
He looked at his daughter intently. She finally stopped crying. After a moment's silence, she wiped her eyes and said, "...Wait a minute, I'll get you some salt."
Yining knew Wei Ling didn't want her to be upset. It was hard for Luo Yining to explain to Wei Ling exactly why, and it was hard to truly articulate her complex feelings. She even disliked showing her emotions in front of others. She closed her eyes and took a slow breath. She could only be weak for a moment.
*
In the Forbidden City.
The emperor had just changed into his dragon robe and was taken to the Wenhua Hall of the cabinet in a sedan chair.
"Lu Jiaxue led 10,000 soldiers in pursuit, but now he has disappeared completely. Now the border is in crisis, are you aware of this, my dear ministers?" The emperor glanced around. In fact, he had just been pulled up from the concubine's couch. He was still a little hurried when he walked in.
Wang Yuan, Xie Yi, Luo Shenyuan, and others were present in the cabinet. Wang Yuan usually remained silent unless the emperor asked him directly. Xie Yi knew nothing about the war, and the Minister of War had already left for the border. The remaining few looked at Luo Shenyuan. Luo Shenyuan usually didn't speak at times like this, but when he did, no one would disobey.
The emperor was furious. These old sly fellows were trying to take advantage of the situation! He softened his tone and asked, "What do you think, Lord Luo?"
Luo Shenyuan had been leaning against the edge of the table. He stepped forward at the emperor's request and spoke slowly, "Your Majesty, this humble servant has an opinion. Duke Yingguo once pushed the Tatars back fifty miles, but they were already severely weakened and could not hold out for much longer. Without the Tatars' help, they would have been a mob. Winter is approaching, and they certainly won't have the energy to send troops. Duke Yingguo, along with the Minister of War leading the Datong army, should be able to handle the situation without any problems. As for the governor, the grasslands are treacherous and unpredictable, so I can't say for sure."
After hearing these words, the emperor felt a little more at ease.
When he learned that Lu Jiaxue was in trouble, he was extremely anxious. After all, the offensive was fierce. Once Yanmen Pass was breached and the army rushed to the capital, he would not be able to sit on the throne peacefully until the day when the enemy was at the gates. Since Luo Shenyuan said that nothing was wrong, he naturally believed it. "Are you serious, Lord Luo?"
"Your Majesty, don't worry." Luo Shenyuan smiled and said, "You can trust me."
The emperor hurried over, and only after being soothed did he leisurely return in his sedan chair. After the group left the cabinet, their attendants were already waiting outside for Luo Shenyuan. Upon seeing him emerge, they immediately came over to throw on his cloak. His outing was no less ostentatious than Wang Yuan's. The censor who had last remonstrated with Luo Shenyuan was demoted to Yunnan as a Tongzhi official in the Xuanfu Division. He died en route, and since then, no censor has dared to speak against Luo Shenyuan.
Luo Shenyuan doesn't really like people talking about him behind his back. He used to just endure it, but now he is violent and doesn't want to endure it anymore.
Wang Yuan was also surrounded by the crowd and walked over from behind Luo Shenyuan. "Lord Luo."
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