Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
"Alright, take your time eating. We can't let the Firestarter starve to death, can we?"
Fu Gui held a bowl in one hand and a steamed bun in the other, squatting by the stove with a kind expression as he watched Ye Chen wolf down the small buns. Unable to help himself, he asked, "How long have you been hungry?"
With his cheeks stuffed, Ye Chen mumbled indistinctly, "Hungry... just for... a day."
After the earlier commotion, the head chef had pulled Ye Chen aside and told him to eat first while Fu Gui would provide him with "one-on-one employment guidance for college students" later.
This so-called guidance was merely an explanation of the ins and outs of the canteen and its rules.
During his conversation with Fu Gui, Ye Chen learned that the head chef had a tough exterior but a soft heart. Although his face looked fierce with its excess flesh, he was actually quite kind. Otherwise, if it had been another chef in today's situation, they wouldn't have let someone eat first; it would have been considered polite not to scold them harshly instead of allowing them to skip work for a meal.
Knowing that Wang Xiangzi was looking out for him and that it was just the chef's way, Ye Chen smiled sheepishly. "I'm really sorry for troubling you all today and causing everyone extra worry."
Fu Gui waved his hand dismissively. "It's nothing. You're new; I went through this too. Just be careful in the future."
While Fu Gui and Ye Chen were chatting, Li Yun and Shuanzi finished their tasks and joined them, squatting beside Fu Gui and Ye Chen with their bowls.
"What are you guys talking about, Brother Fu Gui?"
"Nothing much, just some simple things about our canteen," Ye Chen wiped his mouth and glanced at the bottom of his bowl; the porridge had been completely consumed.
"By the way, Brother Fu Gui, do you know how I can meet General He?"
After filling up, Ye Chen's mind began to work again as he finally remembered something important.
As soon as he spoke, Fu Gui froze for a moment, and Shuanzi and Li Yun forgot to chew their buns, everyone stunned into silence.
"What do you want to see General He for?" Fu Gui was the first to snap back to reality, moving his slightly stiff jaw as he replied, "Meeting General He isn't something ordinary people can just do. The most you might catch a glimpse of him is during morning exercises from a distance."
"Yes, do you have something to discuss with General He?" Li Yun asked curiously, continuing to sip his porridge.
Shuanzi's eyelids twitched slightly as he remained silent, quietly shrinking into the corner, his dark eyes darting between Fu Gui and Ye Chen.
Oh no, asking about General He so directly was too obvious. It was hard not to raise suspicion when an ordinary person sought out a high-ranking military leader for no apparent reason.
"Um, I was just curious about what General He looks like. I heard about him on my way to Lan Prefecture. The locals say he is a brilliant strategist and treats the people like his own children, so I wanted to see him," Ye Chen said, feeling guilty as he turned his head away unconsciously.
Fu Gui seemed to believe this explanation.
General He was stationed at the border of Lan Prefecture and had never allowed the Wolf Tribe to step foot inside the city. The people of Lan Prefecture held him in high regard. It wasn't surprising that young Ye Chen, having heard many praises of the general, would develop a curiosity to meet him.
With this thought in mind, Fu Gui smiled, "If you really want to meet General He, then wake up early tomorrow and follow the Charge Army's troops. You’ll be able to see him during their morning drills."
"Really? I want to see General He too!" Li Yun chimed in excitedly. "I've never seen a general before. Ye Chen, if you go tomorrow, I’ll go too."
"I want to go too!" Shuanzi quickly raised his hand.
Watching the three of them, Fu Gui's smile deepened.
Ye Chen nodded with a grin, "Alright, let's all go together tomorrow."
With the two of them as cover, he could reduce his own risk.
After the four finished their meal at the stove, Wang Xiangzi entrusted them to Fu Gui's management. No one expected that three members of Huo Tou Jun would be recruited at once; previously, they would go weeks without seeing even two new faces.
According to past practices, if other troops were short-handed and needed reinforcements temporarily, they would draw personnel from the Canteen. But seeing how thin Ye Chen and the others looked, Wang Xiangzi rolled his eyes; it seemed that next time there was a need for reinforcements, it would likely be this group of older soldiers who would be sent out.
The three of them had not slept a wink from yesterday to today. Upon arriving today, they first listened to Captain Li's lecture, and then they got to work. After a long morning of busy labor, they noticed that the kitchen was almost clean. Wang Xiangzi even announced that the three of them could take a good rest in the afternoon and get some sleep.
Huo Tou Jun's camp had two tents. One tent housed eight to ten people, which was relatively spacious; in other tents, it was common for over twenty people to be crammed together.
Ye Chen laid out a straw mat and bedding on the ground, with Shuanzi and Li Yun beside him, and Fu Gui across from them.
Once the room was tidied up and ready for sleep, it was already time to cook in the afternoon. Fu Gui said his goodbyes and left for the canteen to prepare the meal.
After Fu Gui left, Li Yun and Shuanzi yawned and collapsed onto their pillows, falling asleep almost instantly.
Ye Chen also crawled into his bedding, ready to sleep, but soon...
The sound of soldiers patrolling outside the tent echoed back and forth, creating a rhythmic vibration that shook the ground.
Ye Chen tossed and turned, unable to find a comfortable position to sleep.
Irritated, he lifted the bedding and glanced around.
Li Yun and Shuanzi were sleeping soundly.
Li Yun had pulled his blanket over his head, likely because he found the noise disturbing. Shuanzi had kicked his blanket far away, with a transparent bubble of mucus hanging from his nose, rising and falling as he snored heavily.
Ye Chen: "..."
How was he supposed to sleep like this?!
Since he couldn't fall asleep anyway, Ye Chen took out the seal from inside his jacket and examined it in the light.
The seal was intricately carved with a Four-Clawed Dragon. The dragon was only the size of a finger, its scales detailed and clearly defined. The Four-Clawed Dragon coiled around the top of the seal, the entire scene depicted so vividly that it seemed as if the dragon was cradling the seal beneath it, resting with its eyes closed. The jade used for the seal was also delicate and warm to the touch, feeling different from any jade Ye Chen had known before.
Could this be the warm jade often mentioned in novels?
Fixating on the seal, Ye Chen turned it over in his hands.
The seal featured relief carvings, but unfortunately, the characters from the Heavenly Enlightenment Dynasty were somewhat different from modern simplified Chinese characters, leaving Ye Chen unable to decipher what was inscribed on it.
"This seal doesn’t look like something a typical wealthy merchant would possess. Could Xiao Feng be trying to deceive me?" Ye Chen murmured to himself.
When Xiao Feng handed this secret letter to Ye Chen, he had instructed him firmly: "Brother Ye Chen, you must remember to deliver this seal personally into General He Mu Ming's hands and tell him in person that I am waiting for him here in Cangzhou."
Looking again at the seal in his hand, Ye Chen furrowed his brow, examining it under the light but still unable to discern any clues.
This seal was so small that it couldn’t possibly hold a secret letter or anything similar. Even if someone found it later, they would likely consider it merely a trinket. But therein lay the problem.
Who would regard a seal engraved with a Four-Clawed Dragon as just a plaything?!
Moreover, only royalty could use a Four-Clawed Dragon in ancient times. Where did Xiao Feng acquire this?
It was entirely his fault for not thinking more deeply at the time; he had been blinded by money. Now, reflecting on it, Ye Chen felt an even greater sense of regret.
"There’s something seriously wrong with Xiao Feng."
Comment 0 Comment Count