Chapter 203: Chapter 203: With Heart and Intent

Liang Wan lowered her eyes, listening to Xiao Wu’s words, her elegant brows slowly furrowing.

The battle for Pingzhou City was unavoidable.

Xiao Wu, still with a youthful air about him, had only spent one night mingling with the soldiers. But after hearing news unavailable to outsiders, he could no longer contain his restless heart.

’Young men are always so hot-blooded.’

Liang Wan methodically folded a piece of paper in her hands, folding and refolding it over and over. Even after a long time, it was impossible to tell what she was making.

Her face was expressionless, her gaze clear and cold. All her attention seemed focused on the small folded paper, and she was so calm it was as if she weren’t in the precarious Pingzhou City at all.

Gu Yu added some hot water to her cup, sending the mint leaves inside swirling.

Liang Wan looked up at her. "I want to go take a look at the Fire Head Army’s camp."

Gu Yu set down the copper kettle. "I will go and prepare at once."

Interrupted, Xiao Wu stood there in a daze.

After Gu Yu left, Liang Wan finally finished folding the paper in her hands. It was an exquisitely blooming flower.

She extended her hand toward Xiao Wu. "There is something I need you to risk doing."

Her complexion was as fair and lustrous as jade, her dark eyes bottomless.

Xiao Wu looked at the flower being offered to him, and his heart skipped a beat. He sensed a trace of danger and took it with a trembling hand.

Although the Lady had not yet told him what it was, he could sense instinctively that this task was completely different from what he had been hoping for.

Liang Wan pressed her lips together. A hint of a smile touched them, but it was a cold one, and her voice was almost emotionless. "You are not a citizen of Pingzhou City, nor are you a soldier under the Great General. You are merely the attendant of General Wang, who accompanied me here."

’One must always be clear about one’s own position and standing.’

With that one sentence, Xiao Wu was stunned speechless.

Liang Wan stood up, walked over to him, and whispered a few words in his ear.

Xiao Wu’s eyes widened. He stood frozen to the spot, completely motionless.

He had thought that after spending these past few days together, and adding in what General Wang had said before, he had a certain understanding of the Lady. But it wasn’t until this moment that he was shocked to realize that everything he had seen and heard was not the real her at all.

She could make people feel she was kind, familiar, and understanding. But in the blink of an eye, she could become like a complete stranger.

After she finished speaking, Liang Wan took two steps back and coldly observed his rigid form.

Xiao Wu’s face was pale, and his trembling voice betrayed considerable shock, or perhaps fear.

"Why... me? Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell them—"

Liang Wan lowered her gaze, her voice frigid. "Why do you think Wang Tingyue came to Pingzhou? If you don’t want him to die, do as I say."

’Before coming to Pingzhou, the Empress Dowager fed me poison to control me. Wang Tingyue’s trip was also arranged by the Empress Dowager, so how could he have been spared...’

Liang Wan raised her head and looked straight ahead, speaking as she walked toward the tent’s entrance. "Just deliver the item. Go quickly and return quickly."

The moment she stepped out of the tent, she ran right into Gu Yu.

Gu Yu’s eyes were full of hesitation. "My Lady, everything is ready. However, with your noble status, how can you cook in a military camp? Mingling with the Fire Head Army... it’s simply—"

Liang Wan glanced at her, a smile returning to her face. "We can’t go into battle and kill the enemy, so we might as well do what we can. Otherwise, wouldn’t we just be a burden?"

Gu Yu looked at the smiling woman. Dressed in plain cloth, her dark hair loosely tied up, without a trace of cosmetics, she was as radiant as the rising moon—utterly pure and beautiful.

Gu Yu nodded and followed. ’This must be what they call profound love between a husband and wife, following each other through life and death...’

「The camp kitchen.」

The cooking equipment was simple: a few six-handled military woks and large spatulas. The food on the counter looked like a large pile, but in reality, supplies were scarce. They had gathered everything edible and mixed it all together to stretch it out. Forget eating well; even eating one’s fill was impossible. It was just enough to keep a person from starving to death.

Liang Wan looked around carefully. Wherever she went, the Fire Head Army Steward followed. After a quick survey, she had a good grasp of the situation.

She wasn’t particularly skilled at making refined dishes. Coincidentally, what she did know was how to make something edible on top of just filling one’s stomach.

This was thanks to her experience of eating chaff and wild vegetables in her previous life.

When she first started eating wild greens, she couldn’t get used to them. It wasn’t just the taste; her stomach and body couldn’t adapt either.

However, when a person is pushed to the brink, they will get used to what they are not used to, and adapt to what they cannot adapt to.

Liang Wan washed her hands and had someone bring some of the wheat that had arrived last night. She was preparing to make wheat rice with wild vegetables.

This action drew looks of surprise from everyone.

Yesterday, everyone knew the Great General’s wife had arrived and had even brought the long-awaited grain. Everyone was overjoyed.

But upon further inquiry, they learned they had been mistaken. It wasn’t the General’s wife, but a concubine—and more importantly, it was the rumored Lady Yurui, the femme fatale who had brought calamity to the nation.

Their soaring excitement was instantly shattered, as if struck by a heavy blow.

Out of consideration for the grain she brought, they only hoped she would leave soon, lest she bewitch their Great General. After all, the rumors back then had been rampant. If they hadn’t been following the Great General all this time, knowing his character and integrity, they would have almost believed he was some dandy blinded by infatuation.

When the two armies clashed, the enemy’s taunts were unimaginably vile. It infuriated them so much that they hurled all sorts of curses and profanities right back.

Now, with another battle imminent, the very source of all this trouble had shown up. Wasn’t this just giving the enemy ammunition for their insults? How could they retort with any righteousness now?

Besides, this was war, not a game. What time did they have to wait on such a delicate lady who had just shown up?

Some who were in the know even said they had personally seen their Great General, a man who had always been as pure and noble as jade, lose his composure on a long street. This was truly terrifying to hear.

’With the battle so close, let’s hope this doesn’t turn into a tragedy sparked by a woman’s whim...’

A frustrated anger festered in everyone’s chests, but they dared not speak of it.

After breakfast, they heard from a maid that the concubine would be visiting the kitchen later. The news made them break out in a cold sweat, fearing she found the food inedible and was coming to hold them accountable.

Inwardly, they couldn’t help but feel annoyed and complain, but on the surface, they could only brace themselves to endure it. If she pushed her luck, however, they wouldn’t be so polite.

They had imagined all sorts of scenarios, but they never expected that the woman in person would be completely different from the rumored temptress. She was dressed plainly and carried herself with decorum.

What was even more bizarre was that she hadn’t come to cause trouble, but to help them improve the food.

And she started working right away—husking wheat, washing wild vegetables, and kneading dough...

Before, whenever they got wheat, they would just steam it directly. Now, they were learning a new way to prepare it.

The group of men stared blankly, learning and sighing in admiration. She was beautiful, well-spoken, and gentle, and so virtuous on top of it all. It was no wonder the Great General was fond of her; they couldn’t take their eyes off her either.

Just as the wheat rice was put on to cook, Guan Song and Yuan returned with a group of people.

They carried large and small bundles filled with bird eggs, fish, wild pheasants, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and wild vegetables...

Everyone was both surprised and delighted at the sight.

Liang Wan took one look and ordered them to sort the items by category—which to sun-dry and which to pickle.

She wasn’t worried about the other things, only the mushrooms. Although she had taught Yuan, she was still afraid he might not be able to distinguish them correctly. How could she dare let anyone eat them without inspecting them herself?

The Fire Head Army Steward saw her off to one side, sorting through the mushrooms, and approached her out of curiosity to ask for guidance.

So Liang Wan taught him where to gather mushrooms and how to identify them. The others also found it fascinating. They had seen these things before but never dared to eat them. They hadn’t expected her to be an expert, and they all eagerly crowded around to listen and watch.

"My Lord?"

Gu Yu returned with an empty basket, only to see a person standing ramrod straight at the kitchen entrance.

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