Green Mountain
Chapter 322 - 262, General Hu invites you

Chapter 322: 262, General Hu invites you

Li Xuan had intended to bring Qi Zhenzhuo to offer a sincere apology to Chen Ji, but now, looking at the completely empty main hall of the inn, he was at a loss.

Qi Zhenzhuo muttered softly, "Could it be that they’ve decided not to come back at all?"

Li Xuan raised his eyebrows: "Not likely."

Qi Zhenzhuo analyzed quietly, "Brother-in-law, it’s not possible for Chen Ji to find food every day. If he finds a few dozen more pounds of food, it would last only the four of them a long time. But if they shared with our Yulin Army, there wouldn’t be much left. If I were him, I would just hide and eat it secretly, never coming back."

"Not good," Li Xuan quickly ran to the backyard, and only after seeing that Zaozao was still in the stable, he breathed a long sigh of relief: "The horse is still here; they will come back."

Li Xuan turned around to see Qi Zhenzhuo still in a daze and urged impatiently: "What are you waiting for? Get up and call our people to look for food. Remember, when Chen Ji comes back, you must apologize sincerely. You absolutely must not act rashly out of pride."

"Don’t worry, brother-in-law. If Chen Ji can find food, it means there are definitely people in the city who have hidden food. If he can find it, I will surely be able to get it for you," Qi Zhenzhuo went to wake the Yulin Army soldiers sleeping in the barracks-like room and led a large group out to search for food.

The inn quieted down once again, and Li Xuan sat next to the square table with furrowed brows.

After the hour of Chen, Chen Liqin, along with Mrs. Liang, Chen Wenzong, Chen Wenxiao, Wang Gui, and Dongzhi, came downstairs. He politely greeted Li Xuan: "Lord Li, good morning."

Li Xuan responded with a lackluster gesture: "Mr. Chen, good morning."

Chen Liqin surveyed the empty main hall with confusion: "How come it’s only Lord Li sitting here? Where are the others?"

Li Xuan explained: "They have all gone out to find food."

Wang Gui said with an apologetic smile, "Lord Li, I wonder if the Yulin Army still has any food left. My master, Lady, and Young Master have not had breakfast yet."

Li Xuan shook his head: "No more left. The Yulin Army has only reserved enough provisions for the Prince for five days, and these absolutely cannot be touched."

Wang Gui was slightly taken aback and then became anxious: "What about the five pounds of yellow flour that the Chen family brought out yesterday?"

Li Xuan glanced at him: "All of it was cooked in last night’s porridge. Didn’t you have any?"

Wang Gui asked with a pale and anxious face: "All cooked? Doesn’t the Yulin Army know how to manage provisions? How could you not keep any reserves?"

Li Xuan responded gravely: "The Yulin Army had a hard day searching for food outside. If we can’t even have a bowl of porridge, what will happen if we collapse from exhaustion?"

Wang Gui was about to retort, but heard Chen Liqin bark angrily: "Enough! How dare a servant question Lord Li’s decision?"

Wang Gui shrank his neck and stopped talking.

Li Xuan also softened his tone: "Mr. Chen, Mrs. Chen, please calm down. Qi Zhenzhuo has already led people out to look for food, and they would surely bring some back. Even if it is not as much as yesterday, we won’t let everyone starve to death."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the cotton curtain was lifted, and Qi Zhenzhuo entered, shaking off the dust and sand from his body.

Li Xuan quickly asked, "Did you find any food?"

Qi Zhenzhuo shook his head: "No, last night the local tyrant of Guyuan led people to raid several blocks, and the little remaining food was all taken."

Li Xuan was stunned: "Didn’t find any at all? You were so confident this morning, saying that since Chen Ji could find some, you surely could as well. What about now?"

Qi Zhenzhuo said awkwardly: "Really, not a single bit..."

Li Xuan asked sternly, "If you didn’t find any food, what did you come back for? Knowing that you don’t have the capability of Chen Ji, you should have been more restrained last night and not driven him away!"

"I don’t have the capability?" Qi Zhenzhuo flared up in humiliation: "Li Xuan! Don’t forget how you got your position. If it weren’t for my sister..."

"Qi Zhenzhuo!" Li Xuan abruptly stood up, speaking coldly, "My Li family has established itself through ancestral Official Gateway paths. Originally, I was to join the Imperial Three Camps, but it was your grandfather who ruined my prospects and forced me to marry into your Qi family. It wasn’t me who begged to marry into your Qi family!"

Qi Zhenzhuo’s face turned red: "How could you have advanced to the Seeking Dao Realm by age thirty if not for the cultivation resources provided by my Qi family? Handfuls of ginseng for you to consume, chunks of sunny green jade for you to purchase. If you had gone to the Three Camps, who would have provided you with these cultivation resources? Isn’t your current Seeking Dao Realm all thanks to my sister’s dowry?"

Li Xuan was left speechless for a moment, then finally waved his hand helplessly, "I can’t deal with you. Do whatever you want."

From the side, Chen Wenzong softly said, "Don’t say things that hurt others when you argue. Some words, once spoken, cannot be taken back."

Qi Zhenzhuo, after the quarrel, also felt some regret, but he just couldn’t bring himself to apologize.

Li Xuan took a deep breath to calm himself and then, looking at Chen Wenzong, folded his hands and said, "Young Master Chen, I know Chen Ji holds you in high regard. If he returns later, I hope you can speak on our behalf. The matter of finding food cannot be delayed."

Chen Wenzong shook his head: "I’m sorry, I can’t do that."

Li Xuan was stunned.

Chen Wenzong said earnestly: "Lord Li, although I am also hungry, the injustice my younger brother suffered yesterday cannot be overlooked. Whether he chooses to forgive or not, as his elder brother, I cannot make decisions for him, nor can I be an accomplice in wronging him. If he were to compromise for my sake, it would weigh on my conscience."

Li Xuan sighed deeply: "I understand Young Master Wenzong’s point, but..."

Chen Wenzong gave a formal bow of the hand: "Lord Li, no more words are needed, I am going out to search for food as well."

Having said this, he lifted the curtain and walked out of the inn.

By Mrs. Liang’s side, Chen Wenxiao suddenly spoke: "Lord Li need not worry. When Chen Ji returns later, I will ask my father to speak to him."

Li Xuan glanced at Chen Wenxiao but said nothing.

In this room now, only Chen Wenzong still had some influence with Chen Ji. As for Chen Liqin? Even Chen Liqin himself did not dare boast that he could persuade Chen Ji.

The people in the hall waited eagerly until noon, when the Yulin Army returned one by one. Aside from a few who found a couple of mixed grain pancakes, everyone came back empty-handed.

These few pieces of mixed grain pancakes weren’t even enough for one to get a taste.

By the evening hour of 5 p.m., Chen Wenxiao and the others were so hungry their eyes became fixed. Every time someone lifted the curtain, a sense of anticipation rose in their hearts, but it was quickly dashed away.

Guyuan had no more food, truly none at all.

The cotton curtain was lifted once more, the evening’s orange sunset streamed in from outside, gilding the edges of the newcomer with a golden hue.

Li Xuan stood up after seeing who was coming: "Chen Ji?"

All eyes were intently fixed on the doorway.

Chen Ji entered carrying Wu Yun over the threshold, silently scanning the crowded hall: "Everyone’s here?"

Li Xuan, not caring about anything else, hurriedly took two steps forward and asked urgently: "Chen Ji, did you find any food today?"

Chen Ji shook his head: "No. The wealthy merchants of Guyuan City were all robbed today. Only a few rich merchants who are guarded by executive officers have managed to keep their property safe. Guyuan City is now in chaos; even the border army can’t manage it."

Chen Wenxiao stood up and questioned in blame: "Not even a little food was found?"

Chen Ji hummed an affirmative, and once again silence fell upon the hall.

In this silence, Xiao Man suddenly let out a satisfied burp.

Chen Ji: "..."

Li Xuan: "..."

All eyes turned to Xiao Man, who covered her mouth with her hands in fear and looked at Zhang Xia with pleading eyes.

Zhang Xia smiled: "What’s there to be scared of? We haven’t done anything wrong. The food is clean, and if some people do not wish to eat, we will not force them. What if we were to bring back food today only to be falsely accused? Wouldn’t that be asking for trouble? Isn’t that right, Xiao Man?"

Xiao Man nodded vigorously: "Sister Axia is right!"

Her eyes shifted: "But Sister Axia, what about those who have nothing to eat? They are so pitiable."

Zhang Xia responded in a sing-song voice: "They will have to endure hardship. It’s just the second day of the siege; there’s much more suffering to come."

Chen Wenxiao angrily pointed at them: "You two!"

Zhang Xia’s face suddenly turned cold: "Us? Chen Wenxiao, don’t think I don’t know how you managed to get your scholarship. If you dare to point fingers or speak ill of Chen Ji behind his back again, don’t blame me for being rude!"

Zhang Zheng echoed: "Exactly!"

A girl in red stood upright in the middle of the main hall, facing dozens of Yulin soldiers without a trace of fear. Xiao Man looked up slightly at Zhang Xia’s profile, her eyes glittering admiringly.

Li Xuan sent a meaningful glance to Qi Zhenzhuo and his voice squeezed out through clenched teeth: "Apologize!"

Qi Zhenzhuo rose to his feet reluctantly, but before he could apologize, the curtain to the inn was lifted once again.

All eyes turned to see a border soldier entering, asking aloud, "Which one is Young Master Chen of the Chen family?"

Chen Wenxiao replied: "I am."

The border soldier glanced at him: "May I ask if you are Young Master Chen Ji?"

Chen Wenxiao was taken aback.

Chen Ji turned around, curious: "I am Chen Ji. What order does the General have for me?"

The border soldier replied politely: "Young Master Chen, General Hu has sent for you."

Li Xuan and Qi Zhenzhuo exchanged glances, wondering to themselves, why would Hu Junxian be summoning Chen Ji?