Free Web NovelChapter 55: Chapter 55
Chapter 55
"If he wants me to meet, please wait. My wife is probably preparing a meal waiting for me to dine with her," Mu Heng said with a straight face.
He didn’t care or feel intimidated by the so-called general at all. Once he had decided to fight to the fullest, he no longer regarded the other party with respect or viewed them as superior.
That Young General... is now just another one of his enemies!
No matter how much merit one may claim towards the land, if he had chosen to forsake this land, why would he care? Moreover..., that Young General, he behaved this way because of his duties, and the money he received from the kingdom was ample enough for him to devote all his energy and spirit, wasn’t it?
Considered the villagers like him, who struggled to earn a few brass coins, and compare that to the substantial amount of gold tael the other side earned through his official salary — many times more than what the villagers got.
If he did not use all his abilities, how could it be said that the taxes collected from them to pay these nobles are justified?
Therefore, for Mu Heng, he did not think he owed anyone any favors. If he was to respect someone, it would be for their combat skills, their famed prowess on the battlefield, which indeed was admirable.
However, after the other party showed such shameless behavior, like suggesting his wife should remarry him when he used to abandon her without showing his face, and only showed mercy after she had already married him, how could such behavior be acceptable?
What kind of crude person would suggest a divorce of a couple?
What kind of person dares to propose taking another’s wife as his own while appearing to be a benevolent man, as if making Yueqian see him as a benefactor?!
After experiencing this himself, Mu Heng has lost all the respect he had, and it’s not just him. The villagers in the village also began to doubt these events. However, since they were ordinary people and not directly involved, they preferred not to comment, as it felt like risking themselves for no stake in the matter.
When the guard heard this, his face darkened a bit, but he said nothing, merely watching Mu Heng walked away.
He hadn’t been ordered to capture him on the spot; it seemed the order was just to invite him for a talk if encountered. There was still plenty of time, and there was no rush to summon him from his home immediately. This time, seeing him returning from the fields, he just took the opportunity to extend the invitation.
Although he didn’t think he would be rejected and lose face, he didn’t go beyond his orders, as his master’s commands are always precise. His master was intelligent, or else he wouldn’t have the title of Young General in his 20s like this.
Others might saw it as merely being a skilled fighter, easily winning battles, but in reality, it was not so. Every battle his master faced involved elaborate planning.
No, just thinking about the chances his master had to become the leader of the troops reflected the extensive strategic considerations he had undergone. The fight between noble’s descendants was extremely tough. If he weren’t genuinely intelligent, he could have easily died foolishly or become a pawn to others long ago.
All orders from his master were well-considered. He could simply force this poor villager to meet him, but he didn’t. He even used the term ’invite’ as if to show great respect when issuing commands to him. So, his role was merely to report back to the Young General.
As Mu Heng disappeared from view, his towering figure entered the tent.
Inside was his master, and next to him, a delicate young woman whose face was streaked with tears. This woman, known as ’Liu Sun’ or ’Sun’er’ by his master, was delicate, worthy of affection. Moreover, she was kind-hearted but also daringly bold. Her initial contradictions intrigued his master greatly.
As he got to know her, he kept seeing interesting new things about her. She was intelligent, knowledgeable about military and political affairs, which made conversations with his master relaxed and collaborative, unlike his fiancée who only caused troubles and lacked knowledge.
Today had been too eventful. As a mere follower, he couldn’t guess why the other party was so distraught to the point of tears.
However, when he asked for permission to enter, the general allowed it as if there was no lingering issue. He was surprised to find the beautiful woman in tears upon entering.
"What is the matter?" asked the person known as the Young General.
His voice tense, indicating the seriousness of the situation. Although Liu Sun no longer looked as vulnerable as before, her reddened eyes could not be hidden.
"Ah, I encountered Mu Heng just now and invited him to meet you, but it seems that Mu Heng was quite arrogant."
"Not only does he lack respect for us, but he also boldly refused the invitation, saying we needed to wait because he was going back to have a meal prepared by his wife. I’ve never seen anyone so audacious."
As he recounted this, he was visibly upset.
The other party was not just disrespectful, but also arrogant towards him. As the right-hand man of the Young General, he was usually held in high regard by many, including the children of nobles who always had to consider his mood when he delivered the Young General’s orders.
However, the other party did not behave in this manner. He was just a poor villager, randomly chosen to marry as a punishment for Miss Qin. How could he dare to act so arrogantly?
Hearing this, the Young General raised his eyebrows slightly but didn’t say much. After all, Mu Heng wasn’t very important to them; he was just a pawn to be used and discarded, a pawn not even worth remembering.
The young man was indifferent, but the beautiful woman listening nearby was very interested.
"Are you exaggerating? Mu Heng said he was going back to eat what his wife had prepared. Is the wife he mentioned Lady Qin? She is a eldest daughter of the Qin family who has only been here a few months. How could she have cooking skills?"
"I’ve heard that she used to wreak havoc in her house’s kitchen, saying that the food was inedible. I think Mu Heng might be more in a hurry than anything. He probably has to rush back to cook for his wife rather than his wife cooking for him."
The woman with sweet and pure face responded as if this thing told by the guard was the most amusing thing she had ever heard.
Her words seemed to malign Yueqian slightly, yet her tone was even, as if she did not intend to belittle anyone, merely stating the truth.
Indeed, every word she uttered was clear and true to everyone. She spoke only of past events and all possibilities.
If it were said that Yueqian had cooked the meal herself, it would surely be an anomaly.
Not to mention her already poor or aggressive temperament, as a lady of her status, it would be inappropriate for her to cook at all. The mindset of people in the capital differs from that of the villagers; they believe kitchen work is for the lower class and it’s unsuitable for ladies like her to sully themselves with it.
Even Liu Sun was no exception. She herself did not cook. She was surrounded by servants wherever she went, just like how she had established a soup kitchen here, the food distributed was merely done by the accompanying servants.
Although these servants weren’t particularly skilled in cooking, the food distributed was just simple porridge. It wasn’t hard for the servants that came with her.
And for these poor people, isn’t just having rice to sustain life should be sufficient? There’s no need to bother adding any special ingredients. fгeewebnovёl.com
After hearing Liu Sun say this, the general stood up abruptly, surprising both of them considerably. The beautiful woman, not having a chance to say more, couldn’t help but stand up after seeing her lover rise so suddenly.
"Where are you going, dear?" she asked, her voice filled with surprise, not trying to conceal it. freewebnoveℓ.com
"I’m going to Yueqian’s house," he said a word that seemed to slap Liu Sun’s face.
If listened to the general’s thoughts, Liu Sun might have felt angrier. Because at this moment, in the general’s mind, there was only interest and curiosity about his former fiancée.
He had always known that Yueqian was acting before him, her feigned love always irritated him greatly, making him wish to make her suffer.
However, if asked whether he constantly watched Yueqian, the answer would be ‘yes’. He watched her all the time, wanting to know what her true self was like.
But all he had seen over the years were actings, pretenses, nothing was ever real.
Therefore, when the Qin family decided to punish Yueqian by exiling her, he pretended not to care, letting her become someone else’s wife, to experience severe hardships.
She should realize that her arrogance counted for nothing. It would be better if she truly knelt at his feet.
But who knew, his people reported back that she was living well, simply, and contentedly, even during the harsh winters. She had no attendants, no servant to warm her bed, no lamp to add warmth, no hot tea prepared every morning. How could she still be happy?!
When his follower told him about her, he wanted to see for himself. Was she really eating with that poor farmer’s family?
What was she having for dinner? Did she bring dry food from the city? And who cooked for her, could she endure eating those unclean dishes?
Those unpalatable meals, could the Lady Qin, who once wreaked havoc in her own kitchen, really eat them? All of these were things he wanted to know, and this kind of behavior was all too familiar in the eyes of Liu Sun...
