Hey... Why is it like this? Sima Hong was dumbfounded. He was just pretending in front of everyone. In fact, he just didn't want others to look at his wife more. This little girl was being pretentious! There were too many bachelors in the military camp. When they saw a woman, they wanted to have green eyes. Of course, Lu Xuer was an exception. In Sima Hong's eyes, she did not belong to the category of "woman". His wife was so good, and he didn't know if these bastards would dream about his wife at night. Of course, he had to lock her up at home and not let anyone see her.
He knew Mingyu too well. Even if the sun rose from the north, this girl would never be so "virtuous" as to confess her guilt and apologize by calling her "your concubine" over and over again.
For his wife, nothing makes sense, her words are the most important truth. Sima Hong deeply agrees with this.
In a hurry, Sima Hong grabbed Mingyu's hand and said with a smile: "You are already here, why are you leaving now... Let's go later."
Then he clearly heard the sound of the bachelors behind him covering their mouths and laughing. Sima Hong was filled with hatred in his heart. He remembered this. Just wait and see what happens to these bastards in the future!
Mingyu glanced at him and decided to give the man enough face in front of others. She smiled and said, "Since you are busy, I won't bother you. Sister Liu, please move the jar out."
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Liu hurriedly moved the two jars out with the driver, and said to Sima Hong with a smile: "General, this is because my wife got up in the middle of the night to keep you cool in the summer heat."
Sima Hong felt sad, distressed and touched, and couldn't help saying, "Don't work so hard..." Just when he was about to say, "Can I have some soup here?" he saw Lu Xuer coming over, and he wisely kept silent. His wife must have seen Lu Xuer serving him soup just now.
Lu Xuer walked over slowly, bowed to Mingyu, and smiled softly, "Sister-in-law, you are here too."
Mingyu smiled and nodded as a return gesture. That was good. He knew to call her sister-in-law. That was progress. Before, she always called her "you".
Lu Xuer was now wearing a light yellow silk embroidered dress, her hair was neatly combed, she wore two gold hairpins, and a pair of pearl earrings on her ears. Her originally thick black eyebrows were trimmed thinly, her face was painted with white powder and rouge, and a delicate peony was painted on her eyebrows. With this dress, she really had a bit of the quiet and peaceful temperament of a lady from a noble family, but she lost her previous vigorous and heroic spirit. However, the weather was too hot today, and the powder and peony on her face were eroded by sweat, making them a bit unrecognizable.
Mingyu glanced at Lu Xuer, shook her head secretly, and smiled at Sima Hong, "General, I'll leave first. Please take care of yourself."
Sima Hong was already deeply moved, and he no longer thought about being arrogant and said to Mingyu, "I'll go back with you."
"My Lord, are you busy?" Mingyu asked with a smile. She had just seen him gathered with several adjutants, and it was obvious that they had something to discuss. She just came to see Sima Hong, and now she saw that although he was a little sloppy, he was in good spirits, so she felt relieved.
Sima Hong shook his head and said with a smile, "I was originally planning to go back tomorrow. Since you are here, I will go back with you." He turned back to Lin Hui and the others and said, "I will go home to rest today and will be back the day after tomorrow. You can share the soup that Madam made among you. You have to pay attention to these matters during my absence."
Lin Hui and others immediately saluted and said yes, watching their leader get on the carriage.
After Sima Hong got on the carriage, Mingyu leaned lazily against the wall of the carriage and looked at him sideways, "Why, do you think I'm embarrassing you?"
Sima Hong secretly groaned in his heart. He knew that his wife was petty and vengeful. If he happened to do something not to her liking, she would bring up even trivial matters from eight lifetimes ago to complain about him. He even suspected that Mingyu had secretly written down every thing he had done that she thought was wrong in a small notebook and would take it out and look through it when she had nothing to do. Otherwise, how could she remember it so clearly.
"How could that be! I'm so happy that you're here!" Sima Hong smiled flatteringly with a shameless face and wanted to get closer.
Mrs. Liu followed the driver and sat in the front. There were only Mingyu and Sima Hong in the carriage. Mingyu reached out her hand with disgust to stop Sima Hong who was about to come closer, and quickly began to take off Sima Hong's coat.
Sima Hong was stunned for a moment, and it was unclear whether the expression on his face was surprise or shock. His hot breath sprayed on Mingyu's face and neck. He laughed softly, "Madam, you don't have to be so anxious? I've only been away for a few days. Can't I wait until I get home... But if you really want to do it in the carriage... I can do it too!" It is said that women are like wolves in their thirties and tigers in their forties. His wife is not even twenty yet, so how could she be like this... But he likes such a proactive wife!
Mingyu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She quickly stripped off Sima Hong's outer robe and said with a smile, "I saw someone touched it just now. It's so dirty. I don't want it anymore!" Then she rolled up the linen green robe and threw it out of the car window. The thought of clothes being touched by Lu Xuer made her feel sick, so she didn't let Sima Hong wear them again.
The carriage was turning around and heading back. Lu Xuer, Lin Hui and others were still standing nearby. Mingyu's voice was not low and the people outside could hear it clearly. The clothes thrown out of the carriage window fell at everyone's feet.
Lu Xuer stood there, wishing she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into, her face flushed red. She had been standing in the sun for so long that the sweat had smudged her makeup. She looked so miserable. Xu Mingyu was simply slapping her in the face in front of everyone.
Lin Hui and the others knew what was going on. They smiled secretly, felt disgusted with Lu Xuer, and then went their separate ways.
In the carriage, Sima Hong said to Mingyu seriously, "I didn't let her touch me, really. As soon as she stretched out her handkerchief, I dodged it. Lin Hui and the others can testify for me."
Mingyu glared at him, her aura was very fierce, but there was a smile in her eyes, "It's best if you don't touch me. I'll chop off any parts that I touch."
Sima Hong was terrified and asked quickly, "Madam, I want to ask you whether you would chop her or me?"
Mingyu waved her hand and said decisively, "Chop them both off!"
"Ouch." Sima Hong laughed so hard that his stomach hurt. "Then I have to stay away from her in the future, so that she won't get tired from the surgery."
Mingyu touched Sima Hong's dark and thin face and said with a smile, "That's great. We can both rest assured." After thinking for a while, Mingyu asked again, "Isn't she with Commander Lu in Xi'an Prefecture? Why did she come here?"
"She is Commander Lu's beloved daughter. She said she came to see how Tianshui was being rebuilt on behalf of Commander Lu. Now that everyone is here, I can't send her back. I'll let her go when I come back the day after tomorrow." Sima Hong said. It seems that what he said last time was not clear enough, and Lu Sheng still didn't understand what he meant. This time he had to make a final decision, otherwise he would suffer the consequences. If Lu Xu'er still hasn't married after three to five years, the Lu family will put the blame on him, which will be troublesome.
The carriage traveled for several hours and it was already afternoon. Mingyu got up in the middle of the night to make soup and was so sleepy that she began to doze off. Sima Hong lifted the stool in the carriage, took out a blanket and spread it in the carriage, took off Mingyu's and his shoes, and hugged Mingyu and they lay side by side in the carriage.
"It stinks..." Mingyu closed her eyes and found a comfortable position in Sima Hong's arms. She grumbled in dissatisfaction in her daze, "It's summer, how many days have you not taken a shower?"
Sima Hong snorted. How dare you despise him? He lowered his head and kissed Mingyu's mouth. He originally just wanted to kiss her, but once he did, he couldn't stop. He first licked Mingyu's lips, and as their breaths blended, he wanted to pry open Mingyu's teeth and probe inside.
Mingyu opened her sleepy eyes, tilted her head to one side, and muttered softly, "Stop it, I didn't get enough sleep last night."
Sima Hong was reluctant to let go, so he put his arms around Mingyu's head and kissed her for a long time before he said to her with an unsatisfied look on his face, "Go to sleep, we'll be home soon." He hugged Mingyu tighter, but carefully avoided Mingyu's belly for fear of pressing it. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart, as he really hoped that the Goddess of Fertility would give him a child soon.
Mingyu's eyes were too sleepy to open, but her mind was clear. Naturally, she felt his little movements. She originally thought that she was still young and not too anxious about having a child, but gradually she became anxious and panicked. This was not a modern society where a couple could adopt a child if they didn't have one. If she didn't have a child after two or three years of marriage, Sima Hong's deep love for her would not be able to resist the importance of offspring. Even if Xu Mingye became a first-rank duke, there was no reason to stop Sima Hong from taking a concubine. Thinking that Sima Hong and another woman's child would call her mother, Mingyu suddenly felt sick and lost all her sleepiness.
If it really comes to this, it would be better for us to break up and live separately, Mingyu thought angrily.
The news that the Chu state had recaptured Tianshui and Longxi quickly spread throughout the country, and every day a large number of people from all over the country poured into Tianshui via Gaoping. As long as there were more people, everything would develop quickly. Mingyu felt that every day she could feel that Gaoping was different from the day before, more lively and prosperous. She could never imagine that this place was a small town ravaged by the Tartars not long ago.
As for whether to continue to send troops to conquer the Tartars, there was no news from the capital. Sima Hong could not help but exchange a letter with Lü Sheng. After receiving the reply, Sima Hong could not hide his disappointment. Recovering Longxi was equivalent to restoring the state before the Tartar invasion. Most of the people in power in the capital did not advocate wasting troops and food to recover the land west of Longxi. The land in that area was originally barren. Even if it was recovered by chance, it would cost a lot of manpower and troops to garrison. With the current national strength of the Chu State, it was not worth it.
"A bunch of people who indulge in comfort and wealth!" Sima Hong said angrily. "They are enjoying peace and prosperity in the capital, but they don't know the suffering of the people who were robbed by the Tartars!"
Mingyu held Sima Hong's hand and asked softly, "Do you want to avenge your father?"
He is not a bloodthirsty person. He must have his reasons for being so persistent in fighting outside Longxi.