The Rebirth of Han Yuxi

Chapter 0570 Exhaustion

The autumn rain, a pale blue gem, descends with crystalline clarity. Like a pearl cast from a jade bowl, each droplet ripples into the water, a breathtaking sight.

Yuxi stood at the door and gazed outside with a smile. ”The weather will cool down after this rain.” Yuxi would much rather endure winter than summer. In winter, the house was warmed by heated floors, making it as cosy as spring. However, winter had its inconveniences—no ice for cooling and limited bathing opportunities, which could feel like a hardship.

Zijin, oblivious to Yuxiʼs implication, smiled and commented, ”Itʼs all good now; the heat has finally subsided.” Yuxi had gone through a great deal of hardship lately.

Mama Qu handed Yuxi a pomelo and said, ”Madam, Steward Han Ji sent this from Xinping City.” Knowing Yuxiʼs fondness for fruit, Han Ji often arranged for fresh produce to be delivered to the residence. Of course, pomelos were relatively easy to preserve.

Yuxi looked at the round pomelo and said, ”Please peel it, and letʼs see how it tastes.” Han Jiʼs skill was unquestionable. The pomelo was brightly coloured, had a fragrant skin, and crystal clear juice with a perfect balance of sweet and sour, much to Yuxiʼs liking. She ate almost half of it in one go.

Looking at what was left, Yuxi smiled and instructed, ”Leave half; send the rest to the front courtyard for the General.” Yuxi never forgot Yun Qing whenever she had good things. Originally, Yun Qing didnʼt like to eat fruits and vegetables, but since he was told that not eating them could lead to blood diseases, he started eating them. Of course, this also benefited Xu Wu and the others.

Xu Wu ate a slice and then complained to Yun Qing, ”That guy must be running wild out there; otherwise, why hasnʼt he returned yet?” Xu Wu was referring to Xu Daniu.

Yun Qing replied, ”He should be back in a few days.” He said nothing else.

Xu Wu didnʼt know what Xu Daniu had gone to do, but at that moment, he was concerned about another important matter. ”General, Yuan Ying and the others escorting the grain should reach Yu City in about half a month. But the Dajunʼs troops are in a more dangerous situation.” Dajunʼs troopʼs current position was too close to the group of resistance fighters.

Yun Qing said, ”Thereʼs no need to worry. Iʼve already sent word to Yuan Ying to group up with Dajun. There shouldnʼt be any issues with 800 cavalry escorting the grain supplies.” Seeing that Xu Wu still looked concerned, Yun Qing added, ”Iʼve also written to Dajun, instructing them to prioritise their safety above all else in case anything goes wrong.” With the addition of the second batch of grain, the Northern Army would have enough supplies to last until early spring next year, so even if something went wrong with this third batch, it would be fine.

Xu Wu shook his head as he explained his concern, ”General, Iʼm just worried that Dajun wonʼt be willing to abandon the grain.” Twenty thousand dan of grain was enough to feed an army of 100,000 for two to three months. Neither Dajun nor he himself was willing to give it up to the resistance.

Yun Qing reassured him, ”Donʼt worry. If there are any changes in Nancheng, I will dispatch troops to support them.” Having already sent 800 cavalry, Yun Qing couldnʼt spare any more troops unless there was a confirmed emergency. Otherwise, General Zhao might raise objections.

Still, Yun Qing remained uneasy and confided in Yuxi, ”If the anti-rebellion army fails this time, I fear the rebel forces may seize Lanzhou City.” While Yun Qing wasnʼt adept at political scheming, he excelled in military matters. With Nancheng being so close to Lanzhou, it would be difficult to safeguard this third batch of grain if the rebels were to take notice of it.

Yuxi fell into deep thought but couldnʼt think of a better solution. With a sigh, she could only suggest, ”Letʼs just hope they hurry along. If they can leave Lanzhou City before the anti-rebellion army fails, the grain will be safer.” The closer the dispatch troops got to Yu City, the higher the chances of preserving the supplies.

Yun Qing remarked, ”If I had only known, I would have brought the grain back sooner.”

Yuxi shook her head. ”Plans canʼt keep up with the changes. Thereʼs nothing to regret.” Originally, Yun Qing planned to leave this batch of grain at Maluo Mountain to supply Dajunʼs troops later. Who could have predicted such an unexpected turn of events? Of course, this turn of events was to their advantage.

Just then, Xu Wu shouted loudly from outside, ”General, Madam, Daniu is back.” Although Yun Qing hadnʼt mentioned what task Daniu was sent to do, Xu Wu knew it must be something significant.

When Daniu entered, he was covered in dust. Riding a horse and a fast one at that, it was no wonder he was so dusty.

Yuxi repeatedly sneezed as soon as Daniu entered. Yun Qing supported Yuxi and said to Daniu, ”Freshen yourself up before you enter.” It wasnʼt an urgent matter; they could still afford to wait for him a few more moments.

Xu Daniu immediately rushed back outside.

Rubbing her pregnant belly, Yuxi said, ”This child is too delicate.” It was just a bit of dust; what harm could it do? Darn, it seemed that her crowʼs mouth was working again—this child would most likely be a girl.

After hearing Yuxiʼs earlier comments, Yun Qing naturally assumed that the child in her womb was a girl. So, as soon as Yuxi spoke, he said, ”Itʼs better if sheʼs a bit delicate; we canʼt have another one like Zaozao.” Zaozao was not even two years old yet, but her temperament already gave Yun Qing a headache. It wasnʼt that he disliked Zaozao; it was just that dealing with another one like her would be exhausting. It would be ideal if the second daughter could be gentle and obedient.

Yuxi found Yun Qingʼs words both amusing and exasperating. She replied, ”Zaozaoʼs personality will mellow with time.” Zaozao was simply a bit wild, like a little boy, but otherwise, there was nothing wrong with her.

After washing his hair and bathing, Xu Daniu joked with Xu Wu as he dressed. ”Good thing Madam just sneezed. If sheʼd fainted from the smell, that wouldʼve been a serious offense.” He recalled the time years ago when Madam had actually fainted from Yun Qingʼs odour.

Xu Wu, both amused and annoyed, warned him, ”Be careful. If the General finds out, youʼll be in big trouble.” That incident was part of the Generalʼs embarrassing past. No one dared bring it up in front of him, as it always put him in a foul mood.

Xu Daniu chuckled. ”Iʼm not stupid; Iʼm just mentioning it to you.” He trusted Xu Wu not to report him and was confident about that.

Xu Wu patted Xu Daniu heavily on the shoulder and said, ”The General and Madam are still waiting. Hurry up and give them your report.” This kid would dare to open a dye shop even if someone only gave him three drops of colour. Who knew what task the General and Madam had given him to do.

As soon as he entered the study, Xu Daniu told Yun Qing everything without waiting for Yun Qing to ask. ”General, Madam, Yang Duomingʼs attitude was exceptionally good. I wonder if heʼs trying to deceive us?”

Yun Qingʼs expression was not good. He felt that Yang Duoming must have some kind of plan. Because of Yang Duomingʼs identity as a bandit and his marriage to Fu Qingluo, Yun Qing had a terrible impression of him.

Yuxiʼs thoughts were different from Yun Qingʼs. She replied, ”Thatʼs not necessarily true. Heʼs from an official family, so he definitely doesnʼt want to bear the identity of a bandit for the rest of his life.” The olive branch they extended was an opportunity for Yang Duoming. Of course, she was thinking on the bright side. On the bad side, Yang Duoming might just be paying lip service, but they didnʼt have to worry about that. They wouldnʼt give Yang Duoming anything to hold over them.

Xu Daniu interjected at the right time, ”When Dajun heard my words, he just said ʼThatʼs interestingʼ and nothing else.” In fact, he still didnʼt understand what Dajun meant by ʼinterestingʼ.

Yuxi found Feng Dajunʼs response quite intriguing: ”Where is Battalion Commander Feng now? Can the grain be transported through Lanzhou City before the uprising in Nancheng?”

Xu Daniu smiled as he answered, ”Of course it can. As soon as Dajun received the news, he ordered the grain team to start heading back. When I set off to return, the grain team had already passed Xicheng. According to the schedule, they should be approaching Lanzhou City by now.” Even if the anti-rebellion army was cowardly, they could still hold out for half a month. By then, the grain would have already left the territory of Lanzhou. When Yuan Ying met up with them, with 800 cavalry, they would definitely be able to protect the grain.

Yuxi heaved a sigh of relief. Battalion Commander Feng Dajun truly lived up to being one of Yun Qingʼs most trusted men. His thoroughness ensured the safety of this batch of grain, which would last them until next yearʼs summer harvest, greatly relieving their pressure.

Looking at Yuxi and Yun Qing, Xu Daniu asked, ”General, Madam, the second batch of grain will arrive in Xinping City in a few days. With so much grain, the Yu City granary wonʼt be able to store it all!” Having no grain was a worry, but having too much was also a headache.

Yun Qing replied, ”Thatʼs not your concern. Dismissed!” In reality, two of their estates had already been equipped with sturdy granaries, but they would require heavy military guarding when the time came.

Yuxi smiled at Yun Qing and said, ”We can finally sleep well tonight.” She had been worried about the issue, but it turned out Feng Dajun had already solved it.

Yun Qing responded with a brief ʼMmʼ. He hadnʼt slept well since he decided to take the rebellious path. Had it not been for Yuxiʼs calm and collected demeanour, he might not have been able to stay so calm himself. ”I remember you said you know how to play qi? Why donʼt we have a game?” he suggested.

Yuxi raised an eyebrow, wondering why Yun Qing had a sudden mood for this: ”I havenʼt played for a long time, so my skills are a bit rusty.” She had hardly played qi since she arrived in Yu City.

Yun Qing said, ”Itʼs not a competition, just a pastime.” He just wanted to play some qi to relieve some stress.

Yuxi smiled, ”Okay, but Iʼll play very slowly. Donʼt get bored!” Her slowness in playing chess had often driven others away.

Only when they started playing did Yun Qing understand what Yuxi meant by playing slowly. He had to wait so long for her to make a move that it was enough to drive anyone crazy. Fortunately, Yun Qing was patient as he leaned back and waited calmly—until he unknowingly fell asleep in his chair.

Looking at the sleeping Yun Qing, Yuxi felt a pang of heartache. She knew how much stress he was under, but she also realised that she could do little to help him. This was something he had to deal with on his own.

Yun Qing slept for almost a shichen. When he woke up, he saw Yuxi smiling at the chessboard. After thinking for a while, he was just about to make a move when he heard Shiliu announce from outside, ”General, Madam, dinner is ready.”

Yun Qing looked at Yuxi and asked, ”Why, is it time for dinner already?” Did he hear wrong, or did these people have the time wrong?

Yuxi smiled and replied, ”Itʼs already past the middle of youshi, so of course, itʼs time for dinner.” They always had dinner at this time.

Yun Qing let out an ʼahʼ.

Seeing Yun Qingʼs confused look, Yuxi chuckled. ”You fell asleep just now, donʼt you remember?” It was rare for Yun Qing to be so confused.

Yun Qing then realised and said, ”I fell asleep? Why didnʼt you wake me up?” He didnʼt expect to fall asleep while playing chess with Yuxi.

Yuxi responded, ”You must have been so exhausted that you fell asleep. How could I bear to wake you up?” Yuxi thought that if Yun Qing couldnʼt sleep due to stress in the future, she could just play qi with him.

Yun Qing didnʼt say anything else. After all, Yuxi was doing it for him: ”Letʼs go eat!” His stomach was indeed a bit hungry.