Chapter 63: Discussing Cooperation

Meanwhile, Chen Santong felt that this might also present a somewhat unconventional opportunity. Although he was genuinely skilled in business, he had always struggled to hold his head high within the Chen family.

He had no idea how long this state of affairs had persisted, nor did he wish for things to remain this way forever.

If possible, Chen Santong hoped for a chance to turn his fortunes around, and now that opportunity seemed to be right before his eyes. Regardless of Lin Qinshu's current status and position, being able to leverage certain connections would be quite advantageous.

However, human relationships and favors were the hardest things to navigate. One had to view them with a long-term perspective; otherwise, no results would ever be seen in the short term.

Shifting the focus back to Ning Ye, as he had fallen asleep right inside the wooden barrel, Lin Qinshu ultimately had no choice but to have Xiaoyuan and herself carry Ning Ye back to the bed together.

Since he was completely stripped of his clothing, practically everything could be seen clearly, and Xiaoyuan's delicate face flushed so deeply it seemed she could use it to boil water.

With a hint of teasing in her tone, Lin Qinshu remarked, "Although my husband and I are experiencing the bliss of newlyweds after a brief separation, if Xiaoyuan has any thoughts of her own, I suppose I wouldn't mind stepping aside today."

Clenching her tiny fists, Xiaoyuan gave Lin Qinshu a few gentle taps and said, "My lady, please stop talking nonsense. I have no such thoughts whatsoever."

"You and Xiaoqing have always been like sisters to me, and we looked after one another all the way through our wandering days. In truth, even if you don't call me mistress, I still regard the two of you as my younger sisters."

"My lady, if you hadn't rescued me from the snow all those years ago, I would have died during that very winter. Therefore, no matter what happens or when it is, I will always be my lady's Xiaoyuan."

Pinching Xiaoyuan's cheek, Lin Qinshu said, "Silly girl, I wasn't joking with you. My husband is as fine a man as one could ever hope to find, and I don't wish to be separated from my sisters. Besides, a man having three wives and four concubines is simply the natural order of things. Rather than letting some other vixen take advantage, it would be far better to keep it within our own family."

Xiaoyuan could not tell whether her mistress's words came from the bottom of her heart, but for someone as introverted as her, these remarks were already more than she could bear. Covering her flushed face, she turned and bolted out of the room.

While Ning Ye was fast asleep, Lin Changhe and Wang Ming远 had already gathered in the study, joined naturally by Li Ruochen.

"General Li, your severe injuries have yet to heal, and today's matters are hardly critical. Naturally, we would have notified you once everything was discussed; why go to the trouble of coming in person?"

Li Ruochen replied, "Brother Mingyuan, I came here not just concerning the matter of the barbarians, but also for another affair I wish to discuss with you."

Wang Mingyuan said unconcernedly, "For the brightest pearl of the Li family to wish to discuss matters with an outcast like myself—this truly makes me feel rather flattered."

"Brother Mingyuan, you flatter me far too much. After all, we once fought shoulder to shoulder on the battlefield; surely I can ask you for a single favor?"

Wang Mingyuan naturally wanted to find allies, but he had no desire to ally with Li Ruochen, especially since Li Ruochen might currently prove to be a hot potato.

Wang Mingyuan's own situation was precarious enough; taking on a thorny problem like Li Ruochen would simply be asking for trouble.

As an old friend of many years, Lin Changhe was naturally well aware of Wang Mingyuan's dilemma, yet at that moment he spoke up, "I believe General Li makes for an excellent cooperative partner. After all, as a scion of the Eight Great Families, the number of people outside those families who can actually assist you can be counted on one hand."

After careful and thorough deliberation, Wang Mingyuan finally nodded. "Since you've already put it that way, there's no harm in me listening. However, if this is truly something beyond my power to execute, General Li must not hold it against me."

"Brother Mingyuan, those grain supplies and provisions you requisitioned earlier cannot be sent back; they must all be handed over to me. Furthermore, I hope to temporarily incorporate all the able-bodied young men who participated in this defensive battle into my own troops."

A look of surprise crossed the faces of both Lin Changhe and Wang Ming远. Having been through such an ordeal, Li Ruochen was not even thinking of returning to the capital yet still insisted on fighting to the death right here. They truly did not know whether to call this young woman utterly devoted to her country and people, or simply stubborn to a fault.

Yet regarding such demands, Wang Mingyuan did not see any real problem. Strictly speaking, those two items did not truly belong to him anyway; they were merely passing through his hands. If Li Ruochen genuinely wanted them, presumably no one would be able to stop her.

"If these are your only conditions, I can agree to them. Even if there are other areas where you require assistance, it is not entirely out of the question for me to help."

Li Ruochen calmly replied, "This is already quite sufficient for my needs. Weapons are hardly in short supply; there must be countless numbers left behind from the battlefield. I still need to hurry back and clean up the mess left behind, so I must take my leave today."

With those words, Li Ruochen stood up, as if she truly had only those two requests.

Watching Li Ruochen's departing back, Wang Mingyuan could not help but recall the figure fighting bitterly amidst a sea of blood that he had witnessed over the past few days.

"Take care on your way, General Li. I will have my men assemble a batch of medicinal herbs for you as well, to properly settle the wounded."

Without turning back, Li Ruochen responded directly, "Then I thank Lord Wang for his kind intentions."

By the time Ning Ye awoke from his comfortable sleep, the sky had grown completely dark.

While Ning Ye had slept soundly, Ning Silang had been busy the entire day. After all, the various spoils of war they had hidden away in various locations were simply too numerous; leaving them out in the open any longer might cause them to rust and mildew, drastically reducing their value.

Therefore, to prevent any losses, Ning Silang had no choice but to lead several men with minor injuries to retrieve the spoils—a task that took the entire night.

Fortunately, when those spoils had been purchased earlier, they were intentionally transported in the direction of Qingyuan County, which was why it took relatively little time. Otherwise, it truly would have been like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Having worked busily for a whole day, Ning Silang was now squatting in the large courtyard, beginning to sort through the spoils piece by piece.

Ning Ye walked up behind Ning Silang and let out a yawn. "Fourth Uncle, you can take your time tallying these things another day. Why are you in such a rush?"

Looking rather displeased, Ning Silang said, "These were all exchanged for the lives of our brothers who fought to the death. If we don't account for them clearly, wouldn't it break the hearts of those men?"

With a rather peculiar expression, Ning Ye said, "Fourth Uncle, I don't recall ever saying that these spoils were going to be distributed directly. Are you planning to make that decision on my behalf?"