Chapter 339: Intrusion
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Dinner was simple but delicious, with rabbits and wild chickens caught from the mountains. The rabbits in this season were fat and plump, delicious whether braised or smoked. The wild chickens and mountain mushrooms were stewed together in a clay pot, sprinkled with a few grains of salt, fresh and tasty. In addition, there was a plate of radish sprouts grown by the craftsmen themselves, along with a few sweet potatoes cooked in the ashes of the stove, just enough to satisfy but not overeat.
Without a serving maid with a sour face to ruin the appetite, and no troublesome matters to worry about, Mingzhu ate happily, occasionally serving dishes and pouring alcohol for Yuwen Chu and Fu Mingzheng as the only woman present.
The two men sat with a jug of fine alcohol, taking turns to drink. They didn’t talk much, focusing on the present and future of the bed crossbow. For example, whether the loud noise produced during the bed crossbow experiment would be overheard by the surrounding hunters and mountain folks and reported to the authorities, or how to prevent such incidents in the future. Or, once such a powerful bed crossbow entered the battlefield, how effective it would be, and under what conditions and terrain it would be suitable to operate against the enemy, and so on.
The two men enjoyed themselves, dipping their chopsticks in alcohol and drawing scenarios on the table, simulating the situation of various border cities in wartime. Mingzhu found it interesting at first, but it became boring later on. So she propped her chin and looked around the house they lived in.
The house was newly built, with simple walls made of stone and mud, covered with a layer of lime. The wooden beams on the roof were still white, and the beds were also simple, but they didn’t look too shabby because they were laid with their own bedding. Besides, the most decent things in the house were probably the two shiny copper basins and the red-painted clothes rack.
The paper pasted on the window wasn’t even silver gauze, just the most ordinary white cotton paper, a bit thick and not very good for lighting, with a big hole in it. In the evening, flying insects would definitely fly in through here. Wei Tiande had to find a way to plug it… Wait a minute. Mingzhu quickly stood up and walked to the hole to look. She saw someone squatting beside the grass heap not far away, picking up stones with both hands on the mud, eagerly looking in her direction. When he saw her, he waved to her eagerly, almost wagging his tail.
Mingzhu couldn’t help but smile, then turned to Yuwen Chu and asked, “Your Highness, can I ask a favor for Ban Jian and reward him with a pot of alcohol we brought?”
Yuwen Chu followed her gaze outside and also smiled, generously instructing Wei Tiande, “Let him in, and I’ll reward him with alcohol to drink.”
Ban Jian received the message, trotted in, and before saluting, his nostrils moved a few times. After saluting, he eagerly looked at Yuwen Chu with a smile.
“You’re quite good. Here, there are rules, and people aren’t allowed to drink casually, to prevent trouble caused by drinking. Do you understand?” Yuwen Chu’s attitude towards Ban Jian was always very good.
“I understand.” Ban Jian looked a bit embarrassed and glanced at Mingzhu. “But I have good drinking habits, and I have never caused trouble…”
Mingzhu couldn’t help but chuckle. Such words might work on others, but trying to fool Yuwen Chu was a misplaced effort. If it weren’t for his excessive drinking causing trouble, Yuwen Chu wouldn’t have easily gotten involved in the construction of the bed crossbow!
Ban Jian heard her chuckle and blushed. He honestly said, “Except for one time, when Wangfei lent me some drawings to look at, I was tricked by a thief who set a trap with alcohol and lost the drawings. But that was an accident, not everyone is as shameless as that thief, who even coveted a piece of incomplete drawing! How poor and depraved must he be…?” Thinking of how he had become Mingzhu’s servant because of this, he felt distressed. “If I find out who he is, I’ll make him taste what it’s like to serve under Lady Fu as a servant.”
Mingzhu and Fu Mingzheng knew the truth, trying hard to suppress their laughter. Mingzhu couldn’t stand it anymore. “Am I making you suffer by making you my servant?”
Ban Jian shrank his neck and whispered, “My son won’t be a servant.”
Unfortunately, Yuwen Chu, the mastermind behind all this, not only listened to Ban Jian’s various derogatory descriptions without changing his expression but also smiled as if nothing had happened. “Remember the lesson in the future. Work well, and I’ll ensure a bright future for your descendants.” He ordered Wei Tiande to reward him with alcohol and gave him some dishes from the table.
Ban Jian thanked him profusely, happily took the alcohol and meat to eat, and then Yuwen Chu called Wei Tiande again. “Add another table for him over there, let him eat here. Otherwise, everyone else has no alcohol to drink, only he is drinking, which isn’t very good.” After that, he continued to discuss with Fu Mingzheng.
Ban Jian, listening to them, forgot to drink the alcohol and stared blankly at a certain wall, while Mingzhu, bored, couldn’t help but call out to him, “What are you thinking?”
Ban Jian turned to look at her, his eyes shining brightly. He whispered, “Wangfei, I’ve done what you asked me to do last time. I’ll show you another time.”
“Okay, it’s too late today. I’ll come find you tomorrow.” Mingzhu quickly agreed on a time with him, then turned her head to pretend nothing had happened and listened to Yuwen Chu and Fu Mingzheng’s conversation.
During these days, Ban Jian had been living with these tough men in the army, making considerable progress and much stronger self-control. After finishing the alcohol and meal, he saluted and left.
Fu Mingzheng also stood up to take his leave. “It’s getting late. I should leave.”
“I’ll see off Fourth Brother-in-law.” Yuwen Chu’s voice had just fallen when a low horn sounded outside. Then the piercing sound of arrows piercing through the air followed.
The room fell silent for a moment, and Yuwen Chu reacted quickly, urgently arranging, “Fourth Brother-in-law, stay here to take care of Mingzhu. I’ll go out and take a look.” With that, he had already rushed out of the door.
“Is something wrong?” Mingzhu jumped up. Fu Mingzheng extinguished the light, went to the window, and looked out through the hole. “Someone must have broken in. Ban Jian just left here alone, it’s very dangerous. We can’t let him fall into someone else’s hands.”
Mingzhu followed to look, but the hole in the paper was too small, not enough to see through. So she simply broke another hole in the paper and peeked through it.
At this moment, the sky had just darkened, and the soldiers outside were eating, guessing fists, and washing in the cold water by the river, the most relaxed time for people’s minds. However, even so, they weren’t careless. In a short while, many people gathered, then quietly counted and divided into several groups heading in different directions, one of which was coming in their direction.
Mingzhu knew that these were sent by Yuwen Chu to protect her and Fu Mingzheng. She tried hard to widen her eyes, trying to find Yuwen Chu’s figure among the blurry crowd, but she couldn’t see him anywhere.
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