Chapter 177: Cherished Concubine
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For several days, He Yan didn’t see Li Kuang.
Li Kuang seemed to be deliberately avoiding her, and He Yan couldn’t find anyone who could tell her about his whereabouts. She had tried to confront Li Kuang several times, but Li Kuang showed no interest in discussing matters with her. He Yan could only say, “Lord Li, before coming to Rundu, I had already sent someone to request reinforcements. Moreover, I’ve mentioned that the forces in Rundu are not incapable of confronting the Wutuo people. Lord Li, why block your own path when it’s a dead end?”
“This is Rundu, not Liangzhou,” Li Kuang’s attitude was firm and unyielding, not swayed by He Yan’s words. “Although you are the Wuan Lang personally appointed by His Majesty, your authority is not great enough to command me. Regarding the night raid on the enemy camp, I appreciate your help, but that’s where it stops. What I do next is none of your concern.”
He Yan carefully observed him. When she first arrived in Rundu, although Li Kuang also had a troubled expression, he still had some anger. Now, his expression was not right, with a deep and determined gaze, as if he had made up his mind and would not waver.
His mood was obviously not good, and He Yan could sense that it wasn’t just because of the Wutuo people; there was something more.
“Lord Li, how do you plan to deal with the famine in the city?” He Yan looked at him and asked.
Li Kuang was taken aback for a moment, saying, “I’ve said it before; I have my own way. It’s none of your business!”
He Yan circled around to face Li Kuang directly, looking into his eyes. “Lord Li, I may not be a native of Rundu, but I am well aware of the current situation. Things haven’t reached the worst point yet. We burned the Wutuo people’s provisions once, and the next time we can cut down their troops. If Lord Li insists on holding onto a path of self-destruction, this battle can’t be fought. This city can’t be defended.”
Her words were unusually serious. Li Kuang’s face showed anger. “You know nothing!”
“I know that if Lord Li miscalculates the current situation, you will make the wrong decision.”
Li Kuang’s eyes showed a hint of impatience, and he endured for a while but couldn’t hold back. He finally pushed He Yan away and said, “I have my own plans; you don’t need to point fingers!”
He walked out forcefully, not giving He Yan a chance to speak.
He Yan frowned, watching his departing figure, feeling increasingly uneasy.
It wasn’t her first time dealing with Li Kuang, but his reaction this time was clearly one of frustration at the end of his rope. He refused to believe in He Yan’s alternative plan, and He Yan couldn’t convince him. Therefore, she couldn’t command the soldiers of Rundu. Even if she knocked Li Kuang unconscious, the soldiers of Rundu wouldn’t follow her orders – Li Kuang had been leading them for too long.
Perhaps because of this, he was even less likely to choose the “risky” decision mentioned by He Yan.
She walked out of the room slowly, troubled. In these days, even Zhao Shiming rarely appeared. With food becoming scarcer, it was getting harder to resist the hunger. When not moving, it was bearable, but once she started moving, the gnawing hunger became more pronounced, wishing that everything could turn into food to fill her stomach.
Huyate hadn’t attacked Rundu yet. The night raid, where the provisions were burned, had disturbed the surface calm of the Wutuo people. Huyate certainly hoped to launch an immediate attack on the city, but the existence of “Flying Phoenix General” made them somewhat hesitant.
However, this hesitation would eventually dissipate. Huyate would discover the truth sooner or later. Sending someone to the Huayuan area would reveal the fake “Flying Phoenix General” in Rundu. The moment Huyate realized that “Flying Phoenix General” was fake, they would immediately launch an attack on Rundu. So, these days were actually bought by He Yan for the people of Rundu.
Unfortunately, Li Kuang is stubborn and conservative.
While walking, she ran into Qiluo. Compared to when He Yan first arrived in Rundu, this girl looked a bit thinner. Her originally oval face had become pointed due to hunger, losing some sweetness and gaining a touch of charm. However, when she saw He Yan, she smiled with curved eyes, revealing a familiar smile. “Young Lord He.”
“Miss Qiluo.”
“Did you quarrel with my master?” Qiluo pointed to the door. “I just saw my master storming out in a huff. Young Lord He, don’t be upset with my master. Although my master’s temperament is a bit straightforward, he is a good person. If he has offended Young Lord He, let me apologize on behalf of my master.”
She was wholeheartedly thinking about her master. He Yan smiled bitterly and shook her head. “It’s okay; we just have some differences of opinion.”
Qiluo nodded as if she understood.
Seeing her holding a string of flower-like things, He Yan was curious and asked, “Are there still flowers now?”
Most of the edible things in Rundu had been dug up and eaten by the starving people. How could there still be flowers to make flower crowns? Qiluo handed the flower crown to He Yan, and she took it. Seeing that the flower crown was delicately woven with some unknown grass and adorned with scattered purple flowers, He Yan approached to smell it. Qiluo hurriedly stopped her, saying, “You can’t smell it, Young Lord He. This flower is poisonous!”
“Poisonous?”
“It’s the Heartbreak Grass. The better it looks, the more poisonous it is. Everyone in Rundu knows about it, so even if they are starving, they won’t pick and eat it. Otherwise, why would I use it to weave flower crowns?” She sighed again. “No matter when, poisonous weeds always grow exceptionally vigorously. If only the crops in the fields could grow like this.”
Seeing He Yan silent, Qiluo smiled and said, “Young Lord He, are you interested in this flower crown? I can teach you how to weave this kind of flower crown. Perhaps you can give it to your beloved, and your beloved will be very happy.”
She was still thinking about He Yan’s imaginary “beloved.” He Yan couldn’t help but cry and laugh. If she wove a flower crown and gave it to Xiao Jue, Xiao Jue would probably think she was crazy and beat her up.
“Forget it,” He Yan shook her head. “She doesn’t like these flowers and plants. Miss Qiluo’s kindness is well-received.”
Qiluo felt a bit disappointed and took the flower crown from He Yan. “Well okay, but how can there be no lady who likes flowers and plants? When my master picked flowers for me, I was happy for quite a while.”
“Lord Li?” He Yan thought, unexpectedly, Li Kuang’s fierce temper would pick flowers for his little concubine.
“Yes,” Qiluo nodded desperately, as if afraid that He Yan wouldn’t believe her. “It was this morning. I made a flower crown on a whim with the flowers he picked for me.”
He Yan’s original smile froze for a moment. “Today?”
“Yes,” Qiluo smiled. “My master has been very good to me lately. He promised to change me to a bigger house and allowed me to plant plum trees in the yard. Yesterday, he even saved some of his own dry rations for me to eat.”
Speaking, Qiluo herself also looked puzzled, “Could it be that I’ve become more attractive recently? Or is it because my deceased mother in heaven is blessing me, and Master is so doting on me that I almost don’t recognize him.”
He Yan’s heart sank, and that terrible speculation surfaced in her mind again. She asked Qiluo, “Besides this, is there anything else wrong with Lord Li recently?”
“No,” Qiluo shook her head, then complained to He Yan, “But, Young Lord He, how can it be wrong for him to be good to me? Master used to be good to me, and now he’s just being even better. Probably it’s ‘true love in times of trouble.’ Now that I accompany Master, Master must be moved.”
He Yan frowned and took a step forward. “Miss Qiluo, these days, it’s best for you to avoid Lord Li.”
“Why?” Qiluo asked curiously.
He Yan looked at her. The moon-faced and flower-like girl had grown a lot. Her smile always carried a fox-like cunning, making her look clever and lovely, but her eyes still revealed innocence.
A charming and moving beauty and a powerless woman.
“Perhaps… Lord Li might harm you,” He Yan said in a low voice.
Qiluo was stunned for a moment, then smiled, “Young Lord He, what do you mean? Master is doting on me more than ever. How could he harm me?”
He Yan knew she didn’t believe it. In fact, women always think men are particularly affectionate, not knowing… not knowing that such affection also comes with conditions.
“In times of peace, the lady is naturally worthy of favor,” He Yan’s voice lowered, almost inaudible with a touch of sorrow, “But in troubled times, lives are like weeds. For Lord Li, no matter how important the lady is, she is not as important as the entire city of Rundu.”
Qiluo said in confusion, “I still don’t understand.”
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand.” He Yan looked up at her. “Lord Li is busy all day. These days, you better avoid being alone with him. When there is nothing to do during the day, go to other places, find Lord Zhao or others, anyway, try not to see Lord Li.”
Qiluo looked at her strangely. The young Wuan Lang’s words were simply inexplicable. How could someone advise her to distance herself from her master? If it weren’t for knowing that He Yan had led elite soldiers to sneak attack the enemy camp and saved those captive women a few days ago, Qiluo would have suspected that this person was a bad guy.
She said, “Young Lord He, I… I am Master’s concubine. It’s impossible not to see Master.”
“When the situation in Rundu settles down, you can see him however you want. But for now, stay away from him!”
The young man’s eyes were clear and dark, looking at people with great strength.
Qiluo nodded subconsciously, then shook her head. He Yan hesitated in her heart. As a “Wuan Langl” now, no matter how worried she was about Qiluo, she couldn’t keep someone else’s concubine by her side, which would lead to gossip. If she really did that, Li Kuang would probably think he had become another Jiang Jiao, and he might even kill Qiluo. She said, “Go find Lord Zhao’s wife, and stay with her during the day. If Lord Li suddenly wants to find you, let someone tell me, and I’ll go with you.”
Qiluo was somewhat skeptical, but due to He Yan’s insistence, she finally agreed. After numerous instructions and warnings, He Yan went to find Wang Ba and the others.
On the night of the raid, Wang Ba and his comrades, following her lead, also suffered injuries. Shitou and Jiang Jiao were relatively fine, but Wang Ba injured his leg, not too severe, and Huang Xiong’s wound was a bit deeper, on his left hand, a deep knife cut. Fortunately, it wasn’t his right hand; otherwise, he might not be able to wield a blade in the future.
Regardless, they were all recovering. When she arrived at the house, Hong Shan and Huang Xiong were both asleep, Shitou and Xiao Mai went to help repair weapons and shields, leaving only Jiang Jiao and Wang Ba sitting on the doorstep.
Seeing He Yan, the two looked up. Jiang Jiao said, “Brother He, how is it?”
He Yan shook her head.
Wang Ba was furious, “What’s the matter with that guy surnamed Li? Look at him, he’s big and tall, yet his courage is so small? Just hiding in the city like a tortoise? I’ve been hungry these past few days. If this continues, we’ll all starve together. We might as well have died killing the Wutuo people!”
Jiang Jiao added, “Lord. Li is afraid that if the city falls, the people in the city will be buried with it. But…” he looked at He Yan, “I asked the soldiers here; the food supply has been cut off. These days, we’ve been relying on the dry rations brought from Liangzhou. With just this little dry food, it was all gone by yesterday. Since yesterday until now, we haven’t eaten anything. It can’t go on like this.”
“That’s right! In Rundu City, even the rats have been dug out and eaten. You can’t see a single bug. Are they asking us to gnaw on the tables? What the hell is Li Kuang thinking? If I had known on the day we burned the food, I would have taken as much as I could carry and stuffed it in my pockets. It could have lasted half a day.”
Jiang Jiao: “At this point, who cares about that? Brother He,” he looked at He Yan, “don’t you have any other solutions?”
“The Wutuo people’s food was burned, but they are outside the city and can still hunt. They won’t starve. Even if we compare who can hold out longer, the people of Rundu will definitely not outlast the Wutuo people. Therefore, Li Kuang’s idea is definitely impossible. And now, he doesn’t agree to leave the city and confront the Wutuo people head-on. I can’t order the Rundu army; I can only seek external aid. But…”
But it’s likely that chaos will erupt in Rundu before that day comes. Li Kuang’s attitude in the past few days is very wrong.
She sighed and fell silent.
…
On the other side, Qiluo went to find Madam Zhao.
Although He Yan’s performance was strange, strangely, Qiluo had a kind of indescribable affinity for He Yan. Therefore, although she didn’t believe what He Yan said at all, she was willing to do as He Yan said. Now, Li Kuang was busy every day and didn’t have time for her. She can go wherever she wants during the day, and she is even more free than before.
Madam Zhao was holding her grandson with a worried look on her face. Her daughter-in-law was seriously ill in bed, and despite several visits from the doctor, it was of no use. Everyone knew that this was a disease caused by starvation. Without food, the body cannot be properly nourished. Madam Zhao herself had become so thin that her clothes were much larger, and her exposed arms were as fragile as if they could break with a little force.
In Qiluo’s heart, she thought about the petite ladies in the city in the past. They used to clamor every day to eat less, looking slim and delicate, evoking people’s pity. However, once the war is over, no one will think this way again. The taste of hunger is truly unbearable, and a flower must drink its fill of dew before blooming for others to see.
Madam Zhao spoke only a few words to Qiluo before closing her mouth, looking weak and lethargic. In such times, when hunger becomes severe, one doesn’t even feel like talking.
Qiluo sat with her for a while, and a soldier came over, saying to Qiluo, “Miss Qiluo, the lord is looking for you.”
“Looking for me?” Qiluo was somewhat surprised. Li Kuang was busy with the Rundu war all day. If she didn’t take the initiative to find Li Kuang, he would never come looking for her. However, thinking about Li Kuang’s extraordinary favor towards her these days, joy welled up in Qiluo’s heart. Perhaps the only benefit of the Rundu war was that Li Kuang recognized her loyalty. Maybe this favor wouldn’t last just three years; ten years were highly possible.
At this moment, her mind was filled with the joy of her fantasies, and she had already thrown He Yan’s advice out of her mind. She lifted her skirt corners with a high-spirited smile and said, “Sure, I’ll go see the lord now.”
Qiluo followed the soldier into the room. There were not only Li Kuang but also his deputy generals, several local dignitaries from Rundu City, and a few of Li Kuang’s confidants. Qiluo found it strange; she thought Li Kuang missed her and wanted to be intimate with her. With so many people, it didn’t seem like an intimate situation. Perhaps a prominent figure was coming, and she, the most beautiful girl in Rundu, needed to save face for Li Kuang? But this was also not right; if there were important figures, why wouldn’t County Magistrate Zhao Shiming be present?
She walked forward and said, “Lord.”
Li Kuang was facing away from her and turned around upon hearing her words. These days he had aged a lot, looking haggard and tired. Standing next to Qiluo, he really looked like Qiluo’s father. Flying Phoenix General, a famous general of Great Wei, used to tease him like this, but Qiluo didn’t find it inappropriate. Her own father died early, and Li Kuang provided her with food, a place to stay, and protection. Many biological fathers in this world couldn’t do as much for their daughters. Moreover, Li Kuang was a hero who protected the people, and she admired him. She never thought there was anything wrong with him.
At this moment, her “husband” looked at Qiluo. There was an incomprehensible depth in his gaze, seeming both painful and mixed with coldness. After looking for a long time, he hoarsely asked, “Qiluo, how long have you been with me?”
Qiluo tilted her head and thought for a moment, “Replying to Lord, Qiluo has been with Lord for more than three years. When this summer is over, it will be four years.”
Li Kuang cherished her very much, so she followed him everywhere. His own wife and son were in Shuojing, and had to support his parents. It was impossible to accompany him to the bitter and cold border. But Qiluo, who looked young and beautiful, followed him for many years and never complained.
He lived his life with straightforwardness and roughness, disliking women’s scheming. Qiluo had some harmless little tricks, but more than that, she had a kind of simple enthusiasm. She was easy to please, always openly displaying the words “fighting for favor” on her face. Her interactions were polite, and his colleagues envied him for having such a charming flower. In fact, Qiluo had never truly been pampered anything.
As his favorite concubine, Qiluo’s life couldn’t compare to those women in the capital.
Li Kuang muttered, “Four years…”
His tone was heavy, and Qiluo felt a bit scared inexplicably. She looked around at the people, and the soldiers who were once familiar with her avoided her gaze by turning their heads.
Why?
Even though she was usually clever, she couldn’t understand the reason behind this. She stared at Li Kuang with her grape-like moist eyes, full of confusion.
A flicker of pain flashed in Li Kuang’s eyes, and after a moment, he said, “Come here.”
Qiluo stepped forward as instructed.
…
After talking with Jiang Jiao and the others for a while, Shitou and Hong Shan also woke up. Xiao Mai and Shitou finished repairing the weapons and went back to the room. Upon seeing He Yan, they asked, “Ah He, aren’t you going to find Lord Li today?”
“I’ve already looked for him,” He Yan shrugged.
Jiang Jiao thought for a moment, “Why don’t we accompany you to find Lord Li together? Maybe we can persuade him?”
Actually, He Yan thought that Jiang Jiao’s move wouldn’t have much effect; Li Kuang’s attitude was too firm. Nevertheless, since they had come this far, it might be worth a try. So she stood up and said, “Alright, let’s give it another shot.”
In the past, Liu Buwang took her as his disciple because he was annoyed by her. Li Kuang’s patience might not be as enduring as his. The current situation might turn out with Li Kuang and her ending up in a confrontation.
Having arrived at this point, it might be the last-ditch effort. Even if it led to a confrontation with Li Kuang, it was better than doing nothing.
He Yan led a group of people to find Li Kuang. On the way, passing by Zhao Shiming’s yard, they saw Zhao Shiming’s wife sitting at the door holding her grandson absent-mindedly. He Yan was startled for a moment, and she approached and asked, “Madam Zhao, have you seen Miss Qiluo?”
Before she left, she clearly told Qiluo to find Madam Zhao. However, now it seemed that only Madam Zhao was there.
Madam Zhao seemed not to understand He Yan’s words very well. After a while, she replied, “She was called away by Lord Li.”
He Yan’s heart skipped a beat. Without saying a word, she immediately ran towards Li Kuang’s yard. The people behind, including Wang Ba and others, were confused. Wang Ba asked, “Why is he so nervous? Does he have an affair with that woman?”
Hong Shan said, “Don’t talk nonsense! Ah He has just arrived in Rundu not long ago.”
“Then why is he attracting so much attention?” Wang Ba grumbled.
He Yan ran to Li Kuang’s yard in one breath. Today, there were soldiers guarding the front of Li Kuang’s house. Her heart sank, and she was about to rush in when the soldiers at the door stopped her, “What are you doing? The lord has ordered that no one else is allowed to enter!”
He Yan stared at the soldier’s eyes with a chilling gaze, “What is he doing inside?”
Her gaze was as cold as an icy blade, startling the soldiers. Before they could speak, Zhao Shiming approached, frowning at the scene. “What’s the commotion again? This is Young Lord He, let her through.”
The two soldiers seemed to regain their senses, but they persisted, “The Lord has ordered that no one else is allowed in, including Wuan Lang.”
“Get lost!”
With a swift motion, she grabbed the sword from one of the soldiers’ waist. Despite their attempts to stop her, she knocked them down with a single strike and forcefully kicked the door open. Stepping inside, she was momentarily stunned.
In the room, besides Li Kuang, there were many deputy commanders and soldiers. Kneeling on the side were a group of women. They were neatly dressed, some with tear stains on their faces, and others with calm expressions. However, He Yan still recognized one or two faces; they were the Wei captives she had rescued from the Wutuo hands during the night raid.
In the center, on the ground, laid a woman covered in a white cloth. Her identity was concealed, but her hand tightly clutched a delicate and exquisite flower wreath, adorned with scattered purple flowers.
He Yan’s eyes immediately welled up with tears.
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This is awful. Disgusting.
Wow…things really turned for the worse
Still, what did He Yan mean by “it could be worse than cannibalism”?
Thanks for the chapter!