RWNEFE -Chapter 244 Qinglong Lake — I Wish to Present This Item to the General

Sun Zhong had been pacing uneasily outside Shen Lanxi’s residence for three days straight. Ever since the last round of peace negotiations, Shen Lanxi had forced Abu Kuan back with a single long saber. Not only did Abu Kuan gain nothing, he even lost two thousand dan of grain to them.

This was undoubtedly a huge morale boost for the Northern Expeditionary Army.

Heaven knew how badly the Northern Expeditionary Army had fared since arriving in the northwest—suffering repeated setbacks and defeats, their prestige completely shattered.

Now that this incident had spread, it was not only an encouragement to the Northern Expeditionary Army, but also a great inspiration to the common people of the northwest.

This was how peace talks should be conducted!

Sun Zhong faintly regretted his earlier disrespect toward Shen Lanxi. Yet pride held him back, leaving him in the awkward position of not even daring to knock on her door.

“General Sun, do you have business here?”

Qian Feng had just finished reporting official matters and stepped out, only to find Sun Zhong still there.

When Qian Feng went in earlier, Sun Zhong had already been there. He himself had stayed inside for nearly an hour—yet Sun Zhong was still outside.

Qian Feng had already guessed the reason and found it amusing, though he didn’t show it on his face. After all, they were colleagues, and courtesy was due.

Seeing Qian Feng approach, Sun Zhong touched his nose and thick-skinnedly went over to greet him.

“Oh, Deputy General Qian—what a coincidence!”

Suppressing a smile, Qian Feng said, “As it happens, I was looking for you. The imperial edict has been issued. The eight-hundred-li urgent courier is already on the way. The general received advance notice and asked me to inform you to start preparing.”

Sun Zhong had long awaited the imperial edict so he could go to Dongchuan and wash away past humiliation. Yet now, hearing Qian Feng mention it, hesitation unexpectedly flickered through his heart.

“I see… I guessed the time was almost up. The time the general fought for us is truly precious,” Sun Zhong said sincerely.

Qian Feng replied, “Winter is approaching in the northwest. The three Turkic tribes will be even more anxious, so the delay won’t be long.”

Sun Zhong regained his composure and said solemnly, “The three tribes may resort to desperate measures and harass the people of Great Zhou.”

Qian Feng nodded. “The general has already anticipated this. Before the first wave of the pacification army arrives, we ask General Sun to hold the northwest steady.”

“Of course. Of course,” Sun Zhong agreed.

He still had another matter in mind. Seeing that Qian Feng didn’t seem to be in a hurry to leave, he cautiously tested the waters.

“Deputy General Qian, everyone in the northwest knows that the general forced Abu Kuan back with a single Companion Moon Saber. Do you think… if I were to borrow that saber from the general, would she lend it to me?”

“I have no other intention—just want to boost the morale of the Northern Expeditionary Army,” Sun Zhong added earnestly.

Qian Feng thought for a moment. “That’s hard to say. If it were gold or silver, the general definitely wouldn’t be stingy. Back in Dongchuan, we even secretly gave her a nickname—Shen the Generous.” He couldn’t help laughing.

The nickname had been coined by her brocade-clad young brother-in-law, Liu Yanhui, who happened to be in the first batch of exchanged personnel.

Sun Zhong found it hard to believe—since when did subordinates casually give nicknames to their superiors?

Qian Feng continued, “Your purpose is upright and proper, General Sun. I believe the general will lend it.”

If you’re not embarrassed, he added silently.

After all, the Northern Expeditionary Army had been here nearly three years and still wasn’t as impressive as the general wielding a single saber.

Half believing, half doubting, Sun Zhong watched Qian Feng leave to attend to other matters. He circled around once more, gritted his teeth, and finally decided to call on her.

Shen Lanxi’s thoughts were much the same as Qian Feng’s.

“Sure, I’ll lend it. It’s all for the stability of the northwest,” she said. Sun Zhong can bend when needed—what a pity he follows Zhou Ruyuan.

Sun Zhong immediately expressed his thanks and tactfully declined her offer to have the weapon delivered. He would personally bring men to carry it later.

Being sent over would truly be humiliating.

At the same time, Shen Lanxi also received an imperial decree regarding provisions—worded like encouragement, yet deliberately vague.

That night, silver quietly entered the general’s residence.

“The two thousand dan of grain are stored in Dashu Village, guarded by our own men.”

“The cloth, cotton, and charcoal are placed around Dashu Village—one type per village.”

Shen Lanxi listened carefully. Combined with the supplies her third brother had transported this time and those she had already sent earlier, it would be enough to feed the newly formed Northern Expeditionary Army until after the New Year.

Feng Wu said, “That woman called Yinxing should make a move in the next few days.”

Shen Lanxi nodded. “With Fifth Brother watching them, I’m at ease.”

They came silently, and they left just as silently.

When Shen Lanxi went out on inspection again, she noticed smiles returning to the faces of the townspeople. Previously, it had been as though they were soaked in bitterness—even when doing small trades and receiving customers, they rarely smiled.

“General Shen!” The city guards called out loudly upon seeing her.

Shen Lanxi nodded and continued her inspection.

At her side were Wei Dongzhu and Qian Feng. These days, Wei Dongzhu had been guiding them to familiarize themselves with the local terrain.

“General, Qinglong Lake isn’t far from here. Every year during the dry season, nearby cities send people there to fetch water.”

The purpose of Shen Lanxi’s trip was precisely to see this Qinglong Lake.

Wei Dongzhu continued, “Qinglong Lake is huge. Many nearby tribes rely on its water. As far as I know, both the Oirat Turks and the Tatars use this lake as well.”

Shen Lanxi had already studied the map yesterday. The lake was enormous—nearly a third the size of the coastal waters near Jinmen.

In the blink of an eye, the group arrived at Qinglong Lake.

“Although there’s water here, no one dares to live nearby. The Turks often circle Qinglong Lake while hunting.”

Along the way, they had passed five or six villages—all completely deserted.

Looking at the familiar Qinglong Lake, memories surfaced one after another in Wei Dongzhu’s mind.

He had returned—but the people in those memories were gone.

Shen Lanxi glanced at him and silently led Qian Feng onward to continue scouting.

When they returned, the area where Wei Dongzhu stood was already filled with the aroma of fish and meat.

“There are lots of fish in Qinglong Lake. I caught a few just now!”

Seeing the complete cooking setup and the food laid out on the table, Shen Lanxi sat down.

“This lake is huge, yet the surrounding villages are empty. What a pity,” she said, taking a bite of the golden-brown grilled fish. The meat was delicious.

Wei Dongzhu said nostalgically, “There used to be merchants on both sides, and fishing boats worked the lake full-time.”

Qian Feng remained silent, focusing solely on eating.

Though the matter of the Wei Family Army was heavy, food was precious and should not be wasted.

Shen Lanxi said, “Once our people arrive, let’s organize a winter fishing operation.”

Fish were meat too—valuable nourishment in winter.

Wei Dongzhu nodded. “Alright.”

After speaking, he placed the freshly grilled fish in his hand in front of Shen Lanxi.

It had been cleaned meticulously—head removed, scales gone, the bony tail cut off, leaving only the middle section. Precious spices and sesame seeds were thoughtfully sprinkled on top, showing real care.

Qian Feng glanced at the fish in front of him—barely cooked, with head, tail, belly, and even scales still intact.

Moments ago, he had been reminding himself not to waste food. Now a trace of disgust flashed across his eyes. He picked up the fish, walked a bit farther away, and started processing it himself.

Wei Dongzhu glanced at Qian Feng’s retreating figure, then quietly reached into his pocket. He took out the Tiger Tally that Shen Lanxi had previously returned to him and handed it to her.

“I wish to present this item to the general.”