Sima Hui didn’t arrange another tent for Chu Lian. Firstly, it was already quite late. Secondly, even if she arranged for another tent, it wouldn’t be as comfortable as her own.
The two of them were women and the soldiers outside were all female too, so it was much more convenient than it was at the Right Wing Army’s camp.
It was the coldest it ever got at the northern border now, where sticking out your hands meant risking possible frostbite, yet it was warm as spring in Sima Hui’s tent.
Chu Lian had visited the tent once before, but that was when the owner hadn’t been around.
This time, when she followed Xiaoju into the tent, Sima Hui personally came over to welcome her in.
She had already changed out of the military outfit she normally wore in the day. Right now, she was wearing a loose and comfortable light pink set of inner clothes. Her ink black hair was let loose to fall over her shoulders while two locks of her fringe framed the sides of her face, softening her bold features and giving them a hint of womanly charm.
Sima Hui was so tall that the crown of her head surpassed Chu Lian’s by half a head when she stood next to her. She walked behind Chu Lian and said warmly, “Honoured Lady, please come over here and have a seat. Warm yourself up by the fire.” Following that, she ordered Xiaoju to serve some tea.
Chu Lian followed Sima Hui and sat down next to the brazier. “General Sima, you don’t have to stand on ceremony with me. I don’t drink sencha, so Xiaoju won’t have to busy herself with brewing tea. You don’t have to call me Honoured Lady either, you can use my name.”
Sima Hui smiled, “Then you don’t have to call me General Sima either, Lian’er. I’m older than you by a few years, so why don’t you call me Sister Hui like my cousins do?”
Chu Lian hadn’t expected Sima Hui to get so familiar, but it would be impolite to reject her now. Thus, she nodded, “Then I’ll be thick-skinned with you, Sister Hui.”
This tent was outfitted for a female general after all. Everything in Sima Hui’s tent was of good quality. Even though the tent wasn’t very big, the furniture within was exquisite. There was even a small incense burner in a corner of the tent, giving off a faint watery fragrance that calmed the mind and relaxed the body.
Compared with He Changdi’s ordinary tent, it was like comparing between heaven and earth.
However, for some reason, although Sima Hui’s tent was very cosy, Chu Lian just didn’t feel as comfortable as she was in He Changdi’s simple tent.
Sima Hui ordered Xiaoju and two more female soldiers to add another bed next to her own. Wenqing and Wenlan set it up with thick bedding and a fleece blanket, and that was to be Chu Lian’s bed for the night.
Chu Lian had the habit of sleeping in, especially in such a cold place like the north. Back in Liangzhou’s He Estate, she would sleep till noon before getting up.
However, this morning, the moment Chu Lian heard some movement from Sima Hui right next to her, she woke right up.
Sima Hui was already standing behind the privacy screen and changing into her set of silver armour. Chu Lian sat up on the bed, a little groggy. Sima Hui noticed Chu Lian getting up and how dazed she looked. Any hint of the intelligence she had seen yesterday was gone.
Chu Lian’s soft hair was slightly disheveled from sleep and her cheeks were red. Her young age and small body size also gave Sima Hui the urge to treat her like her real younger cousin.
Unbeknownst to her, her tone now carried a trace of warmth when she spoke, “It’s still early. Why don’t you continue sleeping, Lian’er? I’m going out to train my soldiers.”
After sitting for a while, Chu Lian had already fully woken up, so she didn’t feel like going back to sleep. She replied in a soft tone with a hint of sleepiness, “It’s okay, Sister Hui. I’ll get up now.”
Sima Hui didn’t stop her. However, since it was so rare to see Chu Lian so dazed, she couldn’t resist the urge to pet that messy head of hair.
When Wenqing and Wenlan walked past the entrance screen, that was the scene that greeted them. They somehow felt that General Sima’s actions seemed a little weird…
He Changdi had gotten up especially early on this day. When he walked out of his tent, the sun was barely reaching out across the horizon. He did a set of boxing exercises outside his tent and broke a wooden post before a soldier came over to report that General Sima was awake and having breakfast with Honoured Lady in her tent.
He froze for a moment before gritting his teeth and asking, “Have you found Honoured Lady’s maidservants?”
The soldier felt that the air around his officer was turning a little too chilly. He trembled as he replied, “Y-Yes, this subordinate has f-found them…”
He Changdi’s cold gaze focused on the soldier, whose knees started knocking together, “Miss Wenqing said that Captain should take care of his own body. They’ll serve Honoured Lady so Captain doesn’t need to worry about them.”
“Did Wenqing pass on any message from Honoured Lady for me?”
The corners of the soldier’s mouth twitched and he hesitated. In the end, he still reported the truth, not daring to lie to his superior officer, “N-No…”
“Scram!”
The soldier staggered and stumbled as he ran away, nearly tripping over himself. It wasn’t until he could no longer see his captain that he wiped at his forehead. Captain had been way too scary just now. On a dry winter day like this, he had actually broken out into cold sweat.
He Sanlang was extremely angry now. He paced furiously outside his tent. He finally seemed to think of something and quickly returned to his tent.
After about fifteen minutes, Laiyue hurried into the tent after him.
“Third Young Master, do you have any urgent orders for this servant?”
He Changdi nodded.
Laiyue immediately focused 120% of his attention on his master and waited for his orders.
“Have you given the sugarcane that you brought back yesterday to your Third Young Madam yet?”
Laiyue blanked out for a moment. Was this the urgent business that Third Young Master had summoned him for?
Although he was a little disappointed, Laiyue still replied honestly. “Not yet. This servant was in a rush to report the news after meeting Third Young Madam on the way to Liangzhou City yesterday, so this servant hasn’t given her the sugarcane.”
A rare hint of joy appeared on He Sanlang’s face. “Bring the sugarcane here, I’ll send it to her myself.”
Laiyue secretly glanced at his Third Young Master. Although he had some suspicions in his heart, he didn’t dare to question his master and immediately agreed.
“This servant will go and bring it here.”
