Black Belly Wife

Hua Yeli waited for five days for Chu Changge to revisit him, but the news that awaited him instead was that their backup rations had been burned.

"How did the fire happen for no good reason? Speak clearly." Hua Yeli asked the general who came to report in a deep voice.

"The granary showed no signs of being broken into or damaged in any way, and this General suspects the fire came from the sky."

"Nonsense! This Wang orders you to find out the cause immediately. If you dare to speak out again, you will be punished by military law!"

"Aye, aye." The general who had come to report the news withdrew as if he was fleeing from a dangerous scene.

Hua Yeli hammered his fist down heavily on the table in annoyance and pondered for a long time before asking, "Military Adviser, who do you think is the one responsible for this?"

"Chu Changge." Military Adviser Xu Hu answered indifferently.

"This Wang thinks so too. There will be no one else but him." Hua Yeli's fists clenched as he instructed loudly, "Someone, go to the Yan army camp and invite Chu Changge to come here."

Without waiting for the soldiers outside to reply, a lazy voice could be heard from outside. "There is no need to move your troops and stir up your people. This Chu has been waiting for a long time." Once the words were spoken, Chu Changge was already standing in front of Hua Yeli, Huberg and the others.

"You burned the rations." Hua Yeli's tone was not one of doubt but of certainty.

Chu Changge curled his lips into a smile and said, "That's right. It was me who burned it."

Hua Yeli's face instantly went cold as he asked, "Don't you want to see your son anymore?"

"This is not something you should be concerned about." Chu Changge smiled and said leisurely, "What you should be concerned about right now is how long you can support yourself when your backup provisions have all burnt down. Oh, I forgot to tell you, counting the days, the other four granaries you have in Shu Province will soon be reduced to ashes as well."

Hua Yeli was appalled by these words. If only one granary was burned, he could still replenish the grain from Shu Province. But if Shu Province's granaries burned, he would be unable to turn around this hopeless situation and had to march out of the battlefield forever......

"Scared? You should have been afraid a long time ago." Chu Changge's face had a spring-like expression with a pleasantly warm smile. However, a completely opposite cold light flowed from his eyes.

Hua Yeli raised his chin and looked him straight in the eyes. "You are not the only person in this world who is cruel and ruthless."

Chu Changge still had a high and lofty posture. Still, the iciness in his eyes became even more piercingly cold, with a vicious aura that could destroy the sky and the earth. "I have seen your ruthlessness. But you haven't really seen my ruthlessness. I can tell you that I, Chu Changge, only accept threats from one person, and that person is not you. Apart from her, all other people who try to threaten me will only end up one way――death."

Hua Yeli also did not back down and confronted him with equal harshness, "You can kill me now. On my road to Yellow Springs, I will have someone to keep me company, so I won't have to be afraid of being lonely."

"Don't worry. It is rare for me to hate someone to the core, so I won't let him die so lightly." Chu Changge smiled wickedly and added, "I'll wait for you to beg me." After saying that, he turned and left.

Hua Yeli stood in a daze, caught off guard by Chu Changge's sudden strike. This time, he had been defeated. The current rations were only enough for the Liang army to last for three days. The nearest granary had already been burned. Even if the four granaries in Shu Province were spared, it would take at least ten days and half a month to dispatch provisions from there, which was simply too late.

"Since things have reached where the hills and streams end, what does the Military Adviser think this Wang should do?" Hua Yeli asked bitterly.

Xu Hu answered light-heartedly, "We haven't yet reached where the hills and streams end."

Hua Yeli was slightly pleased to hear this. "Could it be that the Military Adviser has a good plan?"

Xu Hu explained, "I don't have any good strategy. But does His Highness still remember a letter that came from the backup granary a few days ago, asking for urgent dispatch of army provisions from our main warehouse in Shu Province?"

"Remember. That had been approved by this Wang." Hua Yeli questioned, "But what does that have to do with this?"

Xu Hu replied, "According to my speculation, that batch of army provisions should still be on the road now."

Hua Yeli was shocked. "Does the Military Adviser mean that army provisions are neither in the Shu Province granary nor have they been burned together with the backup granary?" Without waiting for Xu Hu to answer, he instructed, "Immediately send someone to meet them and bring the provisions directly to the military camp. Make sure that everything is foolproof!"

Xu Hu answered, "His Highness can rest assured that I will arrange for it. There is another thing......"

"There's no harm in being straightforward."

"Yes." Xu Hu said, "With that batch of provisions, we won't be cut off immediately, but we won't last long either."

"How long can it last?"

"One month." Xu Hu said, "There is only one way to raise enough provisions to sustain the survival of the officers and men within this month." Xu Hu did not finish his sentence, for he believed Hua Yili understood his unfinished meaning.

Hua Yeli was silent for a moment before saying, "Withdraw. I have my own considerations on this matter. "

Xu Hu nodded and left. Before leaving the tent, he could not help but turn back and advise, "Your Highness, it is not wise to go against Chu Changge."

Hua Yeli's expression sank at his words and warned, "Don't let me hear such words again."

"Your Highness……"

"Do what you have to do."

Xu Hu wanted to give some more advice, but when he saw Hua Yeli's look of determination, he sighed and replied, "Yes." Walking out of Hua Yeli's tent, Xu Hu tilted his head and let out a long sigh as he stared into the blank sky for a long time before raising his steps to leave. "Heaven's will. This is really Heaven's will!"

"What has Military Adviser Xu seen through the heavens again?" Huberg stepped forward from the side to stand alongside Xu Hu. [+]

Xu Hu didn't directly answer Huber's question but sighed and shook his head helplessly. He only said, "It's hard for one to be a man of great talent if one is easily swayed by personal feelings."

When Huberg heard this, his eyes flashed as he quietly asked, "So, between them, who Military Adviser thinks can become a man of great talent?"

Xu Hu was slightly surprised and turned his head to look at him. "What do you mean by asking me that?"

Huberg laughed and said, "Nothing. I just wanted to hear the Military Adviser's opinion on it."

Xu Hu looked at him probingly for a moment before saying, "No matter who can become a man of great talent, His Highness is still our master."

"The Military Adviser is right." Huberg nodded and smiled.

*

After days at sea, she finally came ashore. Stepping on the firm earth, Murong Yunshu felt refreshed and invigorated. Although the sky was dark and cloudy, in her eyes, it was clear and sunny. At last, she had arrived in the Central Plains. The Central Plains, this was her territory!

"Don't get any bad ideas. Otherwise, you have to be careful. I'll have to be rude to you by then!" 'Chu Xiyue' immediately threatened Murong Yunshu when she saw Murong Yunshu was in a good mood as soon as she got off the boat.

Murong Yunshu smiled faintly and said, "If I really want to have any bad ideas, I am only afraid that I will be unkind to you when that time comes. I am a person, who when in a good mood, everything will be fine, and I won't get any crooked ideas. When I'm in a bad mood, I can't help but want to do something. For example......" Murong Yunshu didn't finish her sentence, looked around and turned to say, "So, while I'm in a good mood, speak less. To spoil my good mood is the same as causing trouble for yourself."

Murong Yunshu's words annoyed 'Chu Xiyue' to no end, but she was too cautious about taking any offence. Thus, she just snorted coldly and said nothing more.

"Do you have a name?" Murong Yunshu asked the man in black beside her.

The man in black hesitated for a moment and then said, "Li Ling."

Murong Yunshu smiled and raised an eyebrow, saying, "I have a cousin who also has the word 'ling' in his name." [T/N]

Li Ling didn't respond, waiting for her to say more.

"Actually, this word 'ling' is very unlucky." Murong Yunshu gave him a meaningful glance, and then she stopped talking. [T/N]

Upon landing, Murong Yunshu was taken into an inn. Coincidentally, across from this inn was Huufeng Private Bank. The town where they were staying for the night was called Shaping Town. [T/N]

To be on the safe side, 'Chu Xiyue' only needed a large guest room with two beds in it. As soon as she checked in, 'Chu Xiyue' closed the door and windows and argued with Li Ling.

"Don't you know this is her place?"

"I don't know." Li Ling frowned, "This is the western province, far from Jinling."

"This is Shaping Town!" 'Chu Xiyue' was so angry that her face turned red. She pointed at the closed window and said, "Open the window and take a look. Across the street is Huifeng Private Bank!"

"Huifeng Private Banks are everywhere. According to what you say, the entire Central Plains is her territory, and we should not have gone ashore at all." Li Ling said with a gloomy look on his face.

"That's what I like to hear." Murong Yunshu lifted the cup of tea in her hand to him in a 'cheers' gesture as she took a shallow sip. The smile at the corner of her mouth was elegant and subdued.

"You shut up!" 'Chu Xiyue' said bitterly, "Don't be too proud. We will only stay here for one night."

"One night is also long." Murong Yunshu countered.

'Chu Xiyue' shuddered at her words and questioned, "What did you say?!"

Murong Yunshu said indifferently, "I said that one night is also very long, and many things can happen."

'Chu Xiyue': "You......"

"Are you still on duty for the latter half of the night?" Murong Yunshu asked Li Ling, completely ignoring 'Chu Xiyue', stamping her foot in anger at her.

Li Ling was flabbergasted and was just about to answer 'yes' when he heard 'Chu Xiyue' beat him to it by saying, "I will be on guard for the latter half of the night! Don't you dare play any tricks!"

Murong Yunshu sniffed and silently turned to change Little Murong's nappy with a smile on her lips. [+]

Suddenly, Little Murong opened his mouth and cried, "Mom...…."

Murong Yunshu was shocked. Then she was overjoyed and urged excitedly, "Call Mom again. Call out Mom once more!"

Little Murong blinked in confusion, "Mom...... Mom......."

"Good boy! Such a good boy!" Murong Yunshu excitedly hugged little Murong tightly

"Stars...... stars...…"

Murong Yunshu stiffened and muttered in her heart, what a natural born spoiler, just like your father. You won't feel good when you don't let other people know you've done something terrible!

'Chu Xiyue' also heard something fishy coming from the child's mouth and asked cautiously, "What stars?"

Murong Yunshu immediately collected her thoughts, and her face returned to her calm expression. She turned her head and asked, "Haven't you seen the stars in the sky?"

'Chu Xiyue' did not believe that things could be that simple. She always felt that there was some kind of conspiracy. Yet not knowing precisely what Murong Yunshu was planning, 'Chu Xiyue' sat back on the bed. She stared unblinkingly at Murong Yunshu and her son, waiting to see what would happen next.

Seeing that 'Chu Xiyue' didn't pursue the matter any further, Murong Yunshu also let out a silent sigh of relief. She scratched little Murong's nose, saying, "The stars only come out at night. It's still daytime, so there are none."

'Chu Xiyue' had only just relaxed a little. However, as soon as she heard Murong Yunshu speak of day and night, her spirit tensed up again. Something will definitely happen tonight. Definitely......