Ling Manshuang stirred the ginger-infused milk in her bowl and said with a smile, "I plan to find more short-term jobs after the summer harvest. You don't know how eager my maternal grandfather is to move here and become your neighbor."
"More people means more chaos, be careful. Also, Village Chief Qin and the Hou family's courtyards are being built. I'm waiting to eat watermelons and don't want them stolen."
Qin Junyao nodded in agreement, though a doubt lingered in her heart.
Seeing the creases on Ling Manshuang's clothes, it was evident she had left in a hurry without tidying up.
Stockpiling grain and building houses were being handled by the Ling family's steward. Ling Manshuang's hasty arrival was solely to borrow a granary and discuss building a wall, which was strange.
Just then, a young maid reported that Yan Song, Yan Qingsu, had arrived.
"Is Yan Song the leader of the soldiers who killed your poplars? I'll go with you to see."
Ling Manshuang handed the handkerchief she had wiped her mouth with to the maid, Zhuye, and rose to follow Qin Junyao out to meet Benzitui.
Benzitui paced back and forth in the courtyard. Seeing Qin Junyao emerge, he said anxiously, "Madam, the northwest."
The rest of his words caught in Benzitui's throat. Ling Manshuang's gaze made him think of something.
Qin Junyao asked, "What's wrong with the northwest?"
"The northwest, wolf droppings were discovered in the northwest. I need to take my men to investigate. Madam, please be careful in the village," Benzitui quickly fabricated a reason.
He had almost forgotten that Madam was pregnant. If she were to learn that the general had suffered defeat in his first battle and was seriously injured, it would be disastrous.
It was all that despicable Shao Yong, who actually used the townspeople as the vanguard. How could such a shameless person not drop dead.
Qin Junyao saw Benzitui's gaze growing fiercer and assumed it was a significant wolf pack.
"Yan Song, take your men and go. I won't be leaving the village anytime soon."
"Alright, I'll take my leave then."
After Benzitui left, Ling Manshuang and Qin Junyao chatted for a while longer. When Grandma Qin returned from the Hou family's place, Qin Junyao went to visit her.
As soon as Grandma Qin and Ling Manshuang met eyes, they knew something was amiss. Grandma Qin found an excuse to send Qin Junyao away.
"Miss Ling, is it bad news?" Grandma Qin cut straight to the chase.
"Grandma Qin is wise. Are you perhaps a misplaced pearl from a prominent family? The arrangement of the furniture in this room gives me a sense of familiarity."
Ling Manshuang surveyed the placement of the furniture in Grandma Qin's room, finding it increasingly familiar.
"I'm just an old woman from the countryside, arranging things as I please. But has my grandson-in-law gotten into trouble?"
Ling Manshuang nodded, "You could say that. On the sixth day of the fifth lunar month, General Zhao led troops to attack the northwest city. Shao Yong, the commander of the Northwest Grand Camp within the city, enlisted ordinary civilians into the first vanguard.
"Most of them were elderly. By the time General Zhao realized something was wrong, more than half of them were dead. He ordered the retreat, but Shao Yong opened the city gates and drove the civilians out.
Ling Manshuang tapped her fingertips on the table. "The exact details of what happened next are unknown, only that General Zhao was stabbed in the side by a civilian and severely wounded. The civilian, however, was unharmed."
"Strange," Grandma Qin's focus was not on Zhao Liangcai's serious injury, but on the peculiarity of the situation.
"It is indeed strange," Ling Manshuang agreed with Grandma Qin. "However, it can be confirmed that a large number of civilians did exit the city. At the fastest, refugees will appear in Yan County within a month."
"They have been trapped in the northwest city for over a month, and their food supply was already scarce. By then..."
Grandma Qin clasped her hands and rubbed them together. She had been a refugee before, and a hungry one. When people are severely deprived of water and food, many become no different from wild beasts.
"Fortunately, there are mountains. The refugees may not necessarily come here. If they do, we can only offer congee and take in some to help them resist those who come later."
Ling Manshuang smiled, "Grandma Qin, if the Qin and Hou families harvest a lot of grain this year, can you sell some to me?"
"We can't let Miss Ling bear all the burden. My son's role as village chief is like a decoration. This is a good opportunity, and I'll need Miss Ling's help."
"No problem, Grandma Qin, you can rest assured about all the news. I guarantee it will be accurate," Ling Manshuang said, relaxing back into her chair. "As for Junyao, I'm still keeping it from her. Let's tell her when we get more definite news about General Zhao."
"Thank you, Miss Ling."
This was the first time Ling Manshuang had chatted with Grandma Qin like this, and it was very comfortable. They were both intelligent people, and a little went a long way.
What was crucial was that Grandma Qin's way of thinking was highly similar to hers, as if she had received a noble lady's education.
Grandma Qin was like a mystery.
After Ling Manshuang left, Grandma Qin arranged tea cups on the table, analyzing the situation at the northwest city.
The hammer's siege of the northwest city was aimed at the northwest army. The civilians leaving the city would not be obstructed. If so many civilians were still trapped in the northwest city, it must be that Shao Yong did not allow civilians to leave.
These civilians were likely residents within the northwest city. If they were outsiders, they would go straight home upon leaving the city and not become refugees.
The prince followed by the hammer wanted to be emperor. He needed the populace to believe he was benevolent. His generals could not slaughter civilians at will. The hammer's choice to withdraw his troops and not fight was correct.
But he was stabbed by a civilian, and that civilian was unharmed. Grandma Qin didn't believe it.
Either it wasn't a real civilian, or the injury wasn't real.
If the injury was fake, what was the hammer's motive?
In a tent outside the northwest city, Biandan harbored the same doubts as Grandma Qin.
"General, you lost this battle and ended up like this. The morale of the army is wavering."
Zhao Liangcai tidied his beard in a palm-sized bronze mirror, trying to appear as healthy as possible.
"Are you wavering?"
"No, I'm not," Benzitui's face turned pale at Zhao Liangcai's glare.
He held a bloodstained handkerchief, unsure of what to do with it. He thought of the damned Benzitui. If he had a wife, he too could stay by the general's wife's side.
The general was becoming more terrifying. He wanted to go home.
Mr. Liu, an advisor to the Fifth Prince, entered the tent. He saw Zhao Liangcai lying on the bed, holding a bronze mirror given by his wife. His personal guard stood nearby, his face pale, holding the bloody handkerchief with a listless expression.
"Is General Zhao alright?"
"Mr. Liu."
Zhao Liangcai tried to struggle to his feet, but Mr. Liu pressed him back onto the bed. "General Zhao, do not move. What did the military doctor say?"
"Nothing serious, a few days of rest will suffice."
Mr. Liu didn't think Zhao Liangcai would recover in a few days. He harbored doubts as Sheng Jiangxi entered with a bowl of medicine.
"Doctor Sheng, how is General Zhao's injury?"
Sheng Jiangxi ignored Zhao Liangcai's meaningful glance. "Mr. Liu, the general's internal organs were injured. If he wants to fight on the battlefield, he needs to rest for a month."
"Doctor Sheng, you shouldn't talk nonsense. Mr. Liu, I'm fine," Zhao Liangcai clutched the bedding beneath him and tried to sit up, veins bulging on his hand, but he failed.
"General Zhao, do not move. Rest well and recover from your injuries. I have some matters to attend to."
"Mr. Liu, Mr. Liu, I'm fine."
After Mr. Liu left, Zhao Liangcai slumped back onto the bed, exhausted. Acting was more tiring than fighting.
Sheng Jiangxi handed the medicine to Zhao Liangcai. "General Zhao, your abdominal injury means you cannot sit up and lie down intermittently. Doing so would put strain on your abdomen and cause the wound to bleed. See, you haven't even broken a sweat."