BLHO Chapter 75

Chapter 75: What Bullshit Are You Spouting?

Chapter 75: What Bullshit Are You Spouting?

The Swallow Returns Valley was shrouded in heavy, cold mist.

Yan Zhao, familiar with the terrain, split his main force into several groups, winding and fleeing through the mountains.

The He family army pursued them relentlessly, wiping out several of their smaller detachments.

However, Yan Zhao’s intention was to delay, only to exhaust resources, not to provide support.

Faced with scattered enemies, He Yuncheng could only lead his men to defeat them one by one.

“We can’t keep chasing, General.” Deep in the mountains, Deputy General Qin reminded him, “From last night until now, the stalemate has lasted too long. Some soldiers are already physically exhausted and unable to fight. If we continue to chase aimlessly like this, we’ll exhaust our own strength before we kill all the enemies.”

He Yuncheng gazed at the gray mountains shrouded in cold mist, lost in silent thought.

He knew better than anyone that his soldiers needed rest.

But there were no supplies in the rear, and returning to camp would be futile.

If they couldn’t take advantage of this moment, while everyone still had a fighting spirit, to exterminate the enemy, the longer they dragged it out, the harder it would be to bear the hunger, and their morale would only weaken.

That was the moment Yan Zhao was waiting for.

“We can’t retreat!”

Before He Yuncheng could speak, the Han family’s deputy general stepped forward.

“We’ve already chased them this far. We’ve finally gained the upper hand, and we must take this opportunity to rescue General Han!”

Deputy General Qin’s temper flared whenever he heard the Han family speak. “What’s the point of rescuing an idiot like Han Mao? Just so he can continue to hold us back?”

“Deputy General Qin, in this critical moment, I don’t want to engage in a war of words with you.” The Han family’s deputy general said, “Officially, General Han, as the supervisor of the army, being captured is a disgrace to Bei Sheng. If he’s killed by Yan Zhao, this battle, even if we win, will still be a loss. Personally, if it were General Dingguo who was captured today, would you still be so indifferent, as if it were none of your concern?”

Our general wouldn’t be as stupid as Han Mao and seek his own death!

Being as dumb as a pig and still daring to compare himself to our general…

Deputy General Qin grumbled inwardly, but seeing the pathetic state of the Han family, he decided not to kick them when they were down.

He looked at He Yuncheng, waiting for the next order.

At that moment, someone shouted “Report” from behind. Everyone turned to see a messenger soldier rushing from the military camp.

“General!”

The soldier knelt down with a fist salute, and without wasting words, said to He Yuncheng, “The young master Lin Shuangxu orders the General to withdraw troops and return to camp!”

He Yuncheng’s expression darkened slightly. “What happened?”

The soldier didn’t know the details either, and said to He Yuncheng, “The young master only said that the situation has changed and asked the General to return to camp to discuss it.”

–

After several days of fighting, everyone was exhausted.

Back in the camp, the soldiers were silent, each returning to their barracks to rest.

He Yuncheng didn’t even have time to take a sip of water before hurrying to the main hall to meet Lin Shuangxu.

Military Advisor Guo Yao stood beside him. After He Yuncheng entered, he observed their expressions, but couldn’t detect anything unusual.

“Why did you suddenly summon me back to camp?” He asked Lin Shuangxu.

“Yan Zhao’s grain and supply have already been transported to the border,” Lin Shuangxu said calmly, “and they were purchased from Qi Dynasty grain merchants.”

He Yuncheng frowned. “Is the news confirmed?”

This was clearly bad news. Once Yan Zhao’s grain supply arrived, he would have even more stamina to wear them down.

But he didn’t see any worry on Lin Shuangxu’s face, wondering if he was hiding something.

“Come with me.” Lin Shuangxu didn’t say anything more, directly lifting his leg and heading out the door.

He Yuncheng glanced at Lord Guo, silently following him.

The two of them made their way to the rear of the military camp. On the open wilderness, dozens of carriages were neatly lined up.

The carriages were piled high with unknown goods, all tightly covered with burlap and weeds.

“What is this?” He Yuncheng asked.

Lin Shuangxu lifted the covering of a nearby carriage, revealing the sacks filled inside.

Tearing open a small opening, inside was actually golden yellow grain.

Even though He Yuncheng was somewhat prepared, he was still surprised for a moment.

“This is Yan Zhao’s military grain? Did you lead men to seize it?”

Lin Shuangxu shook his head. “Someone sent it to us.”

“Who?”

“Besides me, who else would have such great ability to save Bei Sheng from danger?”

A clear voice came from behind, sounding somewhat familiar.

He Yuncheng turned around and saw two people standing side by side.

One was a handsome young man with a fair complexion, dressed as a merchant. His lively eyes seemed to hide a myriad of schemes.

Looking closer, this wasn’t some young man at all, but a young woman disguised in men’s clothing.

If Shen Tan hadn’t been beside her without any disguise, He Yuncheng wouldn’t have dared to confirm her identity.

“Princess Meng Ning?”

Like Lin Shuangxu’s reaction just now, he never imagined she would appear here.

“That’s right, it’s me.” Princess Meng Ning touched the fake mustache on her lip, walked up to He Yuncheng, and looked him up and down in his disheveled state, sighing, “General He, I told you to join me, but you wouldn’t listen. Now you’re being screwed over by the court and have no way out, and you still need the princess to save you?”

He Yuncheng looked at Lin Shuangxu, unable to sort things out for a moment, wondering how Princess Meng Ning was connected to Yan Zhao’s military grain.

Seeing that he didn’t speak, Princess Meng Ning smiled and said, “You’ve received such a great favor from me, shouldn’t you treat me to a feast? After I’m full and satisfied, this princess will tell you everything in detail.”

–

The aroma of food filled the entire military camp. The grain that Princess Meng Ning had brought was more than enough, directly solving the problem of defending the border.

Whether it was a direct confrontation or a strategic stalemate, Bei Sheng no longer needed to worry.

Lin Shuangxu, He Yuncheng, Princess Meng Ning, and Shen Tan sat around a table. After all, it was wartime rations, so they couldn’t make too lavish dishes, but it was enough to fill their stomachs.

Princess Meng Ning hadn’t changed out of her men’s clothing and was still dressed as a merchant. While eating, she spoke eloquently about how she had colluded with her Qi Dynasty cousin, the crown prince, who was eight degrees removed, and used her identity to secretly sell Qi Dynasty’s rations to Yan Zhao, seeking unjust enrichment.

After listening, He Yuncheng smiled wryly, shaking his head and sighing, “Qi Dynasty and Yan Zhao have been enemies for many years. How did you deceive that crown prince to dare sell his own dynasty’s grain to the enemy? Isn’t this the same as colluding with the enemy and betraying the country?”

“What do you mean deceive? You make me sound like a villain.” Princess Meng Ning said unhappily, “He’s the one who’s greedy for money. I was just helping things along.”

“Helping things along? Then tell me truthfully, how much of the loot did you take?”

Princess Meng Ning said dismissively, “I’m taking such a big risk to mediate between the two countries. Isn’t it right for me to earn more? Besides, who am I making money for? Isn’t it for the peace of the Bei Sheng Dynasty and the tranquility of the people?”

“That sounds good.” He Yuncheng took a sip of tea, exposing her, “I was wondering how a deep palace woman without any soldiers or troops would dare to have thoughts of rebellion. Looking at you, this kind of scheming for wealth and harming lives isn’t something you’ve done once or twice, is it? The wealth you’ve accumulated over the years, can it compare with the national treasury?”

“No comment.” Princess Meng Ning retorted provocatively, then grabbed her wine cup to drink, but found it empty. Just as she was about to pour her own wine, Lin Shuangxu filled it for her.

She smiled gratefully at Lin Shuangxu, “Shuangxu brother is still the best to me.”

After Lin Shuangxu poured wine for her, he also put vegetables in her bowl, saying slowly, “The Qi Dynasty’s crown prince is so greedy and tyrannical, his position in the East Palace may not last long.”

“No need for the future.” Princess Meng Ning waved her hand, “The Prince Xuan of Qi has already rebelled with his troops. At this time, that stupid crown prince’s head probably isn’t on his neck anymore. Alas, that cuts off one of this princess’s sources of income.”

He Yuncheng watched Lin Shuangxu put food in Princess Meng Ning’s bowl with every chopstick, feeling a strange and indescribable sensation. His tone unconsciously became aggressive, “What, are you still thinking about rebelling?”

Princess Meng Ning glanced at him, “Do you have any brilliant ideas?”

He Yuncheng said, “If you’re sending military grain to buy me off, to make the He family army work for you, then you’ve miscalculated.”

“Oh.” Princess Meng Ning seemed too lazy to talk to him. She sniffed at Lin Shuangxu, “Shuangxu brother, please pour me another cup.”

Lin Shuangxu looked at Princess Meng Ning’s empty cup, patiently saying to her, “Drink less.”

After speaking, he took a nearby teacup and filled it with tea.

The more He Yuncheng looked, the more wrong it felt.

When did these two become so close?

He was sure he hadn’t lost his memory. The person who almost killed Lin Shuangxu was Princess Meng Ning, right?

Had they buried the hatchet with a smile?

Princess Meng Ning comfortably finished her drink and continued to say to He Yuncheng, “One thing is one thing. I’m a person who always repays debts of gratitude and vengeance. I do hope the He family army can work for me, but these military grains aren’t to buy you off, but to repay his life-saving grace.”

She looked at Lin Shuangxu, her face rarely showing any seriousness.

“Although I know that everything Shuangxu brother does is for the He family’s sake, and that the moment you sacrificed yourself to save me, you were also weighing General He’s situation, but to me, I rarely have the experience of being protected by someone. I’m very touched and came here to thank you.”

While saying these words, Princess Meng Ning stared intently at Lin Shuangxu, and Lin Shuangxu also looked into her eyes, seriously responding to her.

He Yuncheng watched the two people in front of him appreciating each other, feeling increasingly uneasy.

He tried hard to sort things out in his mind, but the next moment, he heard Lin Shuangxu say to Princess Meng Ning, “Saving you was just to save you. There were no other reasons at the time.”

He Yuncheng was completely numb.

And Princess Meng Ning was also stunned by those words.

Her experiences from childhood had taught her that even parents and blood relatives always did everything with a certain goal in mind. No one would be willing to give up their lives for nothing.

Lin Shuangxu wasn’t related to her, so why would he protect her?

The atmosphere was too serious. She wasn’t used to being sincere with people, so she returned to her frivolous smile, joking recklessly, “Why are you so good to me? Shuangxu brother, could it be that you’re secretly in love with me?”

He Yuncheng finally couldn’t bear it anymore, slamming the table and saying, “What bullshit are you spouting?”

The water spilled out, startling Princess Meng Ning. “Why are you yelling?”

“You’re a girl. How can you say such filthy words? Do you even have any shame?”

“It was just a joke. I know you and Shuangxu brother are close, and I’m not trying to steal him from you. Don’t be so stingy.” Princess Meng Ning glared at him, turned her head, and blinked at Lin Shuangxu, “Is he always this fierce? So scary. Unlike me, I only quietly listen to Shuangxu brother’s words.”

She could say anything. Quiet? Obedient?

Wasn’t it her who had almost turned the Bei Sheng court upside down?

He Yuncheng watched Lin Shuangxu not only not refute such an excessive joke, but also look at Princess Meng Ning with a face full of indulgence, and he felt increasingly dizzy.

Shen Tan, who hadn’t said much all along, got up and told Princess Meng Ning that she was full and would go outside to keep watch.

See, even Shen Tan couldn’t stand it anymore.

This wasn’t a storyteller writing a story. Saving her life didn’t mean she had to offer herself in return, did it? Wouldn’t that be repaying kindness with hatred?

“Alright, now that you’re done eating, go back and rest. The border isn’t peaceful. If you don’t have anything else to do, leave tomorrow.” He Yuncheng began to drive her away.

Princess Meng Ning didn’t plan to stay any longer. She intended to leave as soon as she delivered the grain.

But… since she came all this way, although He Yuncheng wasn’t willing to ally with her, she still had to find an opportunity to say a few more words, just in case.

She rolled her eyes and said to Lin Shuangxu, “Is it convenient to talk to Shuangxu brother alone?”