Chapter 314 First

Chapter 314 Before

Love?

Cheng Ge barely managed to tear his attention away from the treasured bow, carefully placing it back into the cloth-lined box before taking the letter and breaking the wax seal with a clean motion.

"To Minister Cheng, to be read personally:

The northern border is bitterly cold, and I am well aware of your recent circumstances.

In times of peril, you protected Yuanzhou and its people with unwavering loyalty—your sincerity is evident, and I am deeply gratified and think of you often.

Yet at present, the court remains unsettled by the ripples of past affairs.

After much deliberation, I have decided to ask you to stay with Cheng Xiao for the time being, and once I have swept away these lingering troubles, I will certainly call you back to court.

As for your chronic ailment, I have already dispatched additional men to search far and wide for the renowned physician Bai Yuxing.

The world is vast; there must surely be a good doctor who can cure you—the moment I have news, I will send it to you day or night.

Additionally, I bestow upon you the Kaiyuan Bow from the imperial armory—a relic of the late Emperor Taizu, said to possess a spirit of its own.

I hope you will wield this bow and wait for the clouds to part and the moon to shine. Words fall short of my intentions; the northern lands are cold—take good care of yourself."

Cheng Ge slowly folded the letter, his fingertips pausing on the thick imperial stationery before he tucked it away carefully.

Usually, when he sent up secret memorials, Zhou Mingqi would reply with just a few lines in red ink.

Or directly instruct him on the next course of action—he rarely took the time to explain or offer such words of caution.

And honestly, he felt a tiny bit touched.

As a boss, Zhou Mingqi wasn't half bad, temper aside.

Around noon, Funiang came by carrying a food box, setting out several steaming dishes on the low table.

Cheng Ge subconsciously glanced toward the tent entrance, but saw no sign of Cui Ji.

He sat down alone, only to hear hurried footsteps outside the tent as Ling Feng reported from beyond the flap.

"Sir, the General ordered me to return and relay a message—something urgent came up at camp, and he won't be able to come back for lunch with you."

"Oh... alright." Cheng Ge acknowledged, and Ling Feng bowed before departing swiftly.

The tent fell quiet once more, leaving only the occasional faint crackle from the brazier.

Cheng Ge's chopstick hand paused slightly; the earlier nervousness about Cui Ji coming back quietly faded, but a strange hollow feeling rose in his chest.

He quietly picked up his bowl and started eating, taking his time.

He finished the meal Funiang had brought, then drank the warmed medicinal broth beside him.

The bitter medicine slid down his throat, and he winced—luckily, he had a stash of candied fruit.

He set the bowl down, shuddering from the bitter taste, and quickly grabbed a candied plum and popped it in his mouth.

The sweetness melted on his tongue, finally easing that awful feeling.

He pulled his collar tighter, planning to go out for some air—being stuck in the tent all day was suffocating.

Just then, the tent flap was carefully nudged open a crack by a foot, peeking out.

The next second, that hand shot back as if it had been scorched, and the whole flap fell shut with a slap.

"Damn! What the hell is this weather!" Cheng Ge sucked in a sharp breath.

He felt that just now, the wind outside was like a knife, enough to freeze a person into an ice pop.

"Sister Lvrou! Quick, bring me that thick cloak with the fur trim! The one made from that white bearskin Cui Ji gave me!"

Speaking of which, ever since Cheng Ge had beaten up Cui Ji's fierce generals one by one at the training grounds, his image among the northern army had been completely turned upside down.

Now, those rough soldiers in camp, seeing this General's Wife from a distance, would tuck their heads down and take a detour around him.

They looked like they wanted to stay eight hundred meters away, scared of accidentally provoking this fearsome god of war.

In fact, rumors had begun circulating quietly throughout the army.

They said their cold-faced General hadn't actually married willingly back then—he had been forced into it by this ferocious General's Wife, taken by force, so to speak.

They said Lady Cheng, relying on her martial prowess, had outright kidnapped the General and brought him home, which was how the young heir came into existence.

Things had gotten to the point where the General, to take responsibility—mainly because he couldn't beat her and couldn't run away—

Had no choice but to give in... and then it was marriage first, love later. But over time, he fell deeper and deeper, completely hooked.

The rumor was so detailed, with every little detail painted vividly.

So much so that many soldiers now glanced at Cheng Ge with a mix of awe and fear.

...

Cheng Ge led the majestic Dahuang with his left hand and twirled Star Frost in his right.

Wrapped in that fluffy white bearskin cloak, he swaggered through the camp.

This one-man, one-dog, one-snake combo, combined with his fearsome reputation, made soldiers hold their breath wherever he passed.

They would bow respectfully and then quickly scatter, the scene so flashy it felt like he was reviewing a vast army.

He seemed to stroll leisurely, but his gaze habitually swept over the tents and the people coming and going.

Just then, a figure—head down, back hunched, walking quickly—brushed past him. Judging by his clothes, he was an ordinary cook, carrying a slop bucket.

Cheng Ge didn't think much of it at first, his gaze casually passing over the man as he prepared to continue on.

But just two steps later, he suddenly stopped, as if something had yanked at his thoughts.

He instinctively turned around, his sharp gaze locking onto the hunched figure about to turn the corner of a tent.

Though the man hunched his back and deliberately kept a low profile, his frame was unusually large—even more burly than many of the army's famously strong officers.

That alone wasn't too rare in the northern army, but a cook who hauled slop and did menial chores all day rarely had such a striking build.

More importantly, in that brief moment when they passed each other, a strange smell had hit Cheng Ge's nose.

It wasn't the usual camp smell of sweat or the rancid stench of slop, but something with a slightly gamey, musky smell.

The smell was extremely faint, almost blown away by the cold wind—something an ordinary person would hardly notice.

Cheng Ge stared in the direction where the figure had vanished, remaining motionless for several seconds.

Beside him, Lü Rou noticed the change in his expression and asked softly, "Young master, what's wrong?"

Cheng Ge turned his head and whispered a few words in a voice audible only to the two of them.

Lü Rou's expression turned serious, and she nodded before turning and quickly walking away.

Cheng Ge gave a gentle tug on the reins, signaling Dahuang to follow, while he slipped silently after the figure, using the tents and scattered supplies as cover.

He deliberately lightened his steps, and his somewhat bulky frame, wrapped in the white bearskin cloak, showed a surprising agility that didn't match his look.

The figure ahead kept his hunched, slouched posture, walking hurriedly but darting his eyes around warily, looking decidedly furtive.