Black Belly Wife

"Your Highness, news has come from the rear that our rations have been robbed en route!"

Hearing the soldier's report, Hua Yeli almost couldn't stand. Only after a long time did he wave his hand to signal the soldier who had come to report the news to withdraw.

"Your Highness, the only way we have now is to bow down to Chu Changge." Xu Hu suggested.

Hua Yeli's right hand pressed down on the table, making a slightly muffled sound. His back looked unusually lonely. "Send a message to Chu Changge that the rations will be exchanged for King Sheng, and I will wait for him at the camp. If we don't see the rations before midnight, there will be no more King Sheng in the world."

"You mustn't, Your Highness!" Xu Hu tried to reason out, "Letting go of King Sheng would be like letting a tiger back into the mountain. The future troubles will be endless! What Chu Changge wants is Murong Yunshu and his son. We can use them in exchange instead."

Hua Yeli said, "Even if the fish dies or the net gets torn, this Wang will not use Murong Yunshu as an exchange."

"Your Highness……."

"This Wang has made up his mind. Please step down."

"Your…...." Only when he opened his mouth, Xu Hu swallowed the word 'Highness' back. He turned it into a long sigh and left dejectedly.

Hua Yeli closed his eyes and listened to the neighing of the horses and the sound of people laughing outside his tent. His heart was indescribably desolate. Why was it, the high-spirited him would be in such an extremely awkward position when he encountered Murong Yunshu's issue? Even when he eventually won, he won it in such embarrassment.

If he could, he would have preferred that he had never fallen in love with her.

*

Chu Changge accepted Hua Yeli's condition—stolen rations in exchange for King Sheng.

When King Sheng returned to the Yan army camp, it was clear that the atmosphere was not right. And this weird atmosphere was due to him. So after the meeting was adjourned, he asked General Wei Zhentian to stay behind for questioning.

"What's going on?" King Sheng asked in a heavy tone.

Wei Zhentian was also waiting for King Sheng to ask. Hence, he replied offhandedly, "There are rumours that Chu Changge is the son of Emperor Tiancheng." To Wei Zhentian's surprise, when King Sheng heard his answer, King Sheng was not surprised at all.

After a long silence, King Sheng murmured, "In the end, the news still spread around."

"Your Highness has already known Chu Changge's identity?" Wei Zhentian asked.

King Sheng nodded. "I was suspicious of his identity when I first saw him in Jinling. His face is very much like his mother." [T/N]

Wei Zhentian: "He does bear a slight resemblance to Fairy Yaoyue." At least both of them were stunningly beautiful.

"I'm not referring to Fairy Yaoyue." King Sheng's eyes twitched slightly, and he continued after a few seconds. "I'm referring to his real mother, Fairy Mingyue, Fu Huang's beloved concubine――Noble Consort Yue."

Chu Changge was actually the son of Noble Consort Yue! Wei Zhentian's face was full of astonishment, and then it dawned on him. No wonder. No wonder when His Highness knew that Chu Changge was his brother, he was hesitant to admit it. If it weren't for the fact that Noble Consort Yue had charmed Emperor Tiancheng, His Highness wouldn't have fallen to such a state. Even the Daye Dynasty wouldn't have been torn apart and plagued by smoke just as it was today.

"So what does Your Highness.......intend to do?" Wei Zhentian asked.

King Sheng thought for a moment and then shook his head. "I don't know."

Wei Zhentian still wanted to say something, but it seemed that King Sheng didn't want to continue this topic anymore. He said, "If Your Highness has no other orders, this General will leave first."

"Well, go ahead." King Sheng nodded and suddenly added, "General Wei."

Wei Zhentian immediately stopped walking and turned to look at King Sheng. "What other instructions does His Highness have for this General?"

King Sheng said, "No instruction. This Wang just wants to ask you a question."

Wei Zhentian: "Your Highness, if you please. This General will answer with everything he knows."

King Sheng hesitated for a moment and asked, "Can this Wang still trust you?"

Wei Zhentian was stunned as a bad premonition flashed through his heart. "If Your Highness thinks that this General is not trustworthy, Your Highness can take this General's seal at any time." Wei Zhentian respectfully said while bowing his head slightly.

King Sheng: "With this word from you, this Wang is relieved. You may go down."

"Yes."

As he walked out of King Sheng's tent, Wei Zhentian raised his eyes and saw Chu Changge standing not far away, with a look of hurt in his eyes that was at odds with the lofty aura he carried. [T/N]

He heard His Highness' words, didn't he? Wei Zhentian withdrew his eyes and dragged his heavy stride away. Hopefully, His Highness would make a wise choice.

*

It did not take too much time to travel from Shaping Town to the Liang army camp as 'Chu Xiyue' and Li Ling spurred the horse to full speed. Finally, they managed to 'escort' Murong Yunshu and her son to Hua Yeli's army camp ten days after disembarking. Although there were many minor incidents along the way, nothing major happened. This came as a great surprise to 'Chu Xiyue' and Li Ling. With Murong Yunshu's character, she shouldn't be that honest.

"You really never thought of escaping?" Before leaving his post, Li Ling asked the question that had been in his mind.

"Do you really think you shaved your beard and eyebrows by yourself?" Murong Yunshu asked rhetorically.

"It was indeed your work!"

"It's not me. It's them." Murong Yunshu answered, pointing behind Li Ling.

Li Ling turned around, only to see two handsome and uncommonly beautiful men in white looking at him, as cold as frost. "Who are you?!"

"Soul Chaser."

"Suo Ming."

The two men replied coldly.

Li Ling flinched for a moment and turned his head to look at Murong Yunshu. "Who the hell are these two?"

"The one you can't beat." Murong Yunshu answered indifferently.

"If that's the case, why didn't you just escape?" Li Ling had self-awareness. The two people in front of him were clearly much more skilled in martial arts than himself.

Murong Yunshu raised an eyebrow and asked, "With food and shelter, and someone to protect me for twelve hours without closing their eyes, why should I run away?"

"...... don't you know that you're in a dungeon?!" Li Ling was a bit exasperated. This woman was too confident!

"Hasn't the trickeries that were unknown to god or ghosts which were done to you along the way taught you a lesson? From the moment I set foot on the Central Plains, I was already free. You are right in one thing you said, there is no place in the Central Plains that is not my territory, including here." Murong Yunshu raised her eyes to him and added, "There is no place that can be my dungeon. Even if there were, it would not last long. Because I'm surrounded by people who can dismantle it."

Li Ling was silent. It turned out that these days, for 'Chu Xiyue' and him, it had been an escort job that had put their heart in their mouth. While for Murong Yunshu, it had been idle sightseeing——while she was enjoying the scenery along the way, she also had fun watching the fantastic show that 'Chu Xiyue' and he had put on at all times as if they were facing their formidable foe.

"I have one more question I can't figure out." Li Ling said.

"Then take your time thinking about it."

".......what is the purpose of your coming here?"

Murong Yunshu shook her head and squinted her eyes. "Go home and ask your wife what she would do if someone were willing to escort her to your side unconditionally."

Li Ling flinched twice, and then realisation dawned on him. That's right. Although this was the Liang army camp, there was the Yan army stationed not far ahead. Among the Yan army was her husband. Someone was willing to escort her to her husband's side, so why would she have to go against it?

Li Ling's gaze suddenly became strange. How could there be a woman who could be so calm and sensible all the time in this world?

But even so, man's plans were not as good as Heaven's. She was clever, and His Highness was not stupid.

"Have you ever made a mistake?" Li Ling asked.

Murong Yunshu was surveying the room's furnishings, and when she heard Li Ling's words, her eyes paused for a moment before requesting, "Can you bring me an oil lamp?"

"......" This woman is far too calm! "This place was designed by Mister Shi Er, a master of mechanisms. No one in the world can crack it, not even your husband, Chu Changge." Li Ling reminded her not to be too optimistic.

Murong Yunshu completely ignored his words and stressed, "What I want is an oil lamp. For lighting. "

"....... I'm reminding you that once you get in here, you won't be able to escape for the rest of your life unless you cooperate with His Highness."

Hey, Mister Shi Er already met his match. Murong Yunshu couldn't help but say, "Men who are noisy are usually not too lucky."

Li Ling's mouth trembled as he questioned, "Do you never accept other people's kindness?"

"An oil lamp. That's the only kindness I need."

"......" Li Ling felt that his thinking was not at all on the same level as hers. Any more conversation would be equivalent to a chicken speaking with a duck. As he shook his head, he said, "Wait here, I'll go get you an oil lamp."

On his way back from getting the oil lamp, Li Ling suddenly tapped his head and dropped it to speed up his pace towards the dungeon.

"You're still here?!" After the surprise, Li Ling breathed a huge sigh of relief. He was fortunate. Really fortunate.

Murong Yunshu gave him a strange look and said indifferently, "I was waiting for you to return with the oil lamp."

Li Ling was stunned for a moment, then remembered that he had just thrown the oil lamp halfway in a hurry and was about to go back to look for it. When he turned around, he remembered the doubt he had in his mind. "Do you know how to break the mechanism here?"

Murong Yunshu's phoenix eyes moved slightly in shock for a moment, then smiled without saying a word. [+]

Sure enough! After getting his answer, Li Ling murmured and sighed, "No wonder you're so calm......."

Murong Yunshu responded, "I'm calm not because I know how to crack the mechanism."

Li Ling wondered, "And what is it then?"

Murong Yunshu faintly smiled. "You have also been in the jianghu, right? Haven't you heard that Mister Shi Er is now the bricklayer of Murong Mansion?"

"I know. But he has now defected to the King Liang Jr's side."

Murong Yunshu lowered her eyes to look at the tea leaves slowly unfolding in the boiling water in her cup. She then murmured with a low laugh, "How would someone from my Murong Mansion defect to someone else that easily......."

"But......." Li Ling was about to argue when his thoughts abruptly flew as he exclaimed, "Could.......Mister Shi Er is faking his surrender?!"

Murong Yunshu did not make a sound, which was considered as acquiescence.

"You're telling me this without fearing that I'll tell His Highness?" Li Ling asked.

Murong Yunshu raised her eyes to him, "Will you?"

"I will."

At that, Murong Yunshu lowered her eyes and continued to look at the tea leaves floating in her cup while smiling lightly. "You won't." Although the tone of her voice was light, she was very sure of herself.

Li Ling couldn't believe his ears. This woman has calculated everything! Even human hearts couldn't escape her eyes….…

"What makes you so sure?" Li Ling was unwilling to be seen through like this.

"If you would snitch on me, you would have gone to inform Hua Yeli when you went to get the oil lamp." Murong Yunshu explained.

"You sent someone to follow me?" With that startling cry, Li Ling looked at the two men in white inside the room with his heart palpitating. Fortunately, he had not gone to report to His Highness just now. Otherwise, he was afraid that by now, he would have lost his head. "Sure enough, you never do anything you are not sure about."

"No, I'm only sure of one thing." As she said this, Murong Yunshu's looked sideways at Little Murong, who was sitting on the bed listening intently to the adults talk. However, her soft-focus did not fall on Little Murong. It was more like she was looking at another person through him.

"Which one?" Li Ling asked curiously.

Murong Yunshu hooked her lips, not answering his question, nor did she intend to. That matter had now become the one thing she was most sure of.