CMWKSD -Chapter 216 Loving Someone Like Tending a Flower

“How many?”

Ying Yi furrowed his brow.

Who would have expected that the mountain here naturally formed several large caves? And these caves had become the primary hiding spots for the private troops.

Who would know that deep in the mountains there were so many massive caves? And inside them, countless soldiers clad in armor?

After calculating carefully, Ying Yi let out a sigh. “No more than five thousand.”

Still within Jiu Yue’s expectations. Perhaps the mastermind’s original plan had been to slowly erode the military system of Great Qi. After all, if they wanted to stockpile tens of thousands of private soldiers so close to the capital, it would be hard not to be noticed.

The night passed like this.

At dawn, the scent of cooking smoke drifted through the forest, filling the air.

Jiu Yue’s stomach rumbled. She was hungry. But seeing bucket after bucket of water carried by the camp cooks into the tents to prepare breakfast, she moved her ankles and decided she had had enough of the dry rations. She would insist on something better when she returned.

“Let’s go.”

Ying Yi wanted to stay a little longer to look for clues, but Jiu Yue had already turned to leave.

Three full days passed since her departure, and Ji Yiqing had been eagerly awaiting her return. From afar, seeing Jiu Yue approaching, he ran over in sheer joy.

When he reached her, he desperately wanted to give her a big hug. But Jiu Yue’s warm lips only uttered a few cold, unyielding words:

“Fu Ningzi, no medicinal herbs, Atractylodes… prepare three hundred jin each.”

She listed twenty or thirty kinds of herbs.

Ji Yiqing pouted but quickly snapped into action, memorizing the names of all the herbs.

He missed Jiu Yue so much, but she didn’t seem to miss him the same way.

Ying Yi was stunned for a moment. “That much?”

Jiu Yue waved her hand and tugged Ji Yiqing along, who was still busy giving orders to gather herbs.

“Watch carefully. I’ll teach you how to take everyone down without shedding a drop of blood.”

Ying Yi’s eyes lit up. “The Princess already has a plan?”

Jiu Yue didn’t answer, dragging Ji Yiqing along, stumbling behind her.

General Shen and Shen Zongsheng had also arrived, having heard that Jiu Yue was back. Father and son hurried out with their deputies to welcome her.

But everyone simply watched as Jiu Yue and Ji Yiqing entered their tent. Jiu Yue loudly left a message: “Sleepy. I’ll talk after I wake up!”

Bang! The tent flap was closed.

General Shen and Shen Zongsheng had dealt with Jiu Yue many times before, but the two deputies who came this time had not. Seeing this, they didn’t know how to react.

General Shen, however, found nothing unusual. Jiu Yue was always frank. Seeing her completely unhurried demeanor, he chuckled to his deputies. Clearly, Jiu Yue already had a foolproof plan. Traveling all this way with nearly five thousand troops, she would likely pick up all the advantages effortlessly. Following Jiu Yue meant enjoying the best of everything.

…

Jiu Yue pushed Ji Yiqing onto the bed and leapt on top of him, burying her face in his neck and taking several deep breaths. “Let me sniff a bit.”

Ji Yiqing laughed and hugged her tightly, afraid she might fall off the bed. He missed her so much.

Three days. Jiu Yue hadn’t really rested during that time. Now back at the camp, with Ji Yiqing beside her, she felt a sense of homecoming fatigue. Lying on him, she fell asleep almost instantly.

After all, she had already instructed Ji Yiqing to buy the herbs. Once they arrived, Ji Youqin and her sisters would surely handle them. The Ji family was now very reliable, and Shao Qing was exceptionally perceptive. So Jiu Yue hardly needed to arrange anything herself.

Once she slept deeply, Ji Yiqing gently removed the jade crown from her head. Her soft hair cascaded down. He ran his fingers through it, massaging her scalp lightly, helping her sleep even better.

After a while, he delicately removed her outer robe. Jiu Yue could sleep anywhere in extreme conditions, but at home, she was very particular: the quilt, mattress, and bed frame had to meet her standards. What incense should be burned in the room? What fabric should her sleepwear be? The list went on and on. It was true—Jiu Yue did enjoy comfort.

Without these conditions outside, Ji Yiqing did his best to make her comfortable: warm water to gently clean her body, new sleepwear he brought from home, and tucking her into a hot blanket heated by a steamer. Sure enough, once she nestled in, her frown eased, though her fingers clutched his clothes tightly.

Ji Yiqing chuckled, removed his shoes, draped his outer robe over himself, and pulled Jiu Yue close, leaning back on the bed while reviewing documents, occasionally stroking her back to keep her warm.

Although Jiu Yue had never been sick, Ji Yiqing was meticulous in taking care of her.

…

Meanwhile, Ying Yi and the others were not as domineering as Jiu Yue. They were invited into the tent by General Shen to report their findings. When they heard about the silver mine, everyone was shocked. No wonder the mastermind could afford private troops and manipulate Great Qi officials—nothing comes for free; words alone won’t suffice.

“Can we trace the person behind this?”

Shen Zongsheng could walk now but still used a wheelchair most of the time. Jiu Yue had instructed him to move carefully and avoid overusing his legs. But now, the dark shadow he had when first meeting Jiu Yue was gone. He sat confidently, radiating the aura of someone tempered by blood and fire on the battlefield.

Ying Yi frowned. “It will take time.”

As long as something existed, it would leave traces. If Chu Yao were truly involved, he was foolish and unaware. Chu Yao was long dead, yet operations continued, showing that the person behind didn’t care at all.

General Shen paced; the number of people wasn’t many. But the silver mine had firearms, cannons, and even hundreds of civilians. The caves held five thousand private troops. Whether they had firearms, cannons, or even more powerful weapons was unknown.

At this point, careful consultation with Jiu Yue was necessary. The capital’s four camps covered all directions. The troops previously deployed were from the one near Pingtai County. To ensure the city’s safety, soldiers couldn’t all be drawn from one location. This time, General Shen had brought troops from the other three camps.

Judging from Ying Yi’s account, all of Great Qi’s military officials risked being replaced. It had been said only those below fifth rank, but who could guarantee it?

After a full night had passed, Jiu Yue woke feeling refreshed. The quilt was warm and cozy, making it hard to get up. She lifted the tent flap and stretched lazily.

Before she could lower her hands, her eyes met three old men outside the tent with dark circles almost reaching their navels.

Jiu Yue: …

And among them, who else could have the heaviest dark circles besides old Deng, General Shen!

She truly felt like she had been working like a beast!