The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife
Chapter 658: How Long Has It Been?! Why Hasn’t the Rations Arrived Yet?

Chapter 658: How Long Has It Been?! Why Hasn’t the Rations Arrived Yet?

But moving forward, she still had to be cautious and avoid overworking herself.

Cultivating the Bloody Enchanting Bug was no simple task, but Nanli still nodded in agreement.

Fortunately, there had been no major incidents in Capital recently. For smaller matters, the three from Xuanzheng Temple could handle them. Meanwhile, Chu Hanlin had been appointed as the main general and was going with Chu Ye to inspect the troops, preparing to lead the army on their march.

Chu Yan’s armor was also finished, and the day before departure, he spent some time in the Prince Yu Mansion continuing his studies. As evening approached, he went to the Duke’s Mansion to have dinner with Grand Lady and the others.

Grand Lady naturally reminded him to be cautious: "The enemy must be guarded against, but our own people must be watched even more closely, do you understand?"

The incident with the Prince of Changshan had served as a warning to them. Even though Emperor Muwu and Ye Siheng were offering strong protection, it was only enough to grant Chu Yan a royal title. There would still be many who resented him and might try to harm him in secret.

The road ahead required Chu Yan to remain strong and vigilant. He couldn’t afford to be careless.

Madam Shen added, "Chu Yan, you must return safely."

Chu Shuo, ever the practical one, gave him a bag of treasures. However, instead of gold, silver, and jewels, the bag contained medicinal pills, powdered herbs, dried food, clothing, and weapons.

He looked at Chu Yan seriously, saying, "Fifth Brother, you must keep this Qiankun Bag on you at all times, even when you sleep. Don’t take it off, understand?"

Chu Huan also gave him a rolled-up scroll of military texts, which he had compiled and copied himself. "If you get bored on the road, you can read this."

Chu Yan was deeply moved and expressed his thanks to everyone. "I will finish this battle and return as soon as I can."

Ye Siheng, however, added, "Don’t rush, don’t let your mind get too distracted. That’s how traps are set."

Aside from the supplies prepared by Qi Hong, he had also arranged for his former subordinates and spies from Qi Nation to work in coordination. If things went smoothly, they should be able to achieve their goals in two or three years.

Chu Yan nodded, taking it all in.

Nanli, on the other hand, took out a small pouch, inside of which was a thick stack of talismans. "Fifth Brother, this bag is waterproof, and you already know how to use the talismans. No need for instructions, right?"

The candlelight flickered brightly, casting shadows on her face. Her face, which had previously been heart-shaped with a bit of flesh, had become slightly sunken in the past few days, looking somewhat gaunt and withered.

Chu Yan furrowed his brows but didn’t want to ask too many questions in front of Grand Lady and the others. He pretended to be happy and accepted the pouch, saying, "Thank you, Sixth Sister."

But the Chu family wasn’t blind. Even if Chu Shuo was straightforward, he was still the first to speak, "Sixth Sister, you’ve lost so much weight lately. You looked just fine before, don’t start saying you’re fat like your Second Sister and refuse to eat."

Lu Yanyan glared at Chu Shuo, saying, "What do you know! But A’Li, you have indeed lost weight."

She said this with concern, "Why don’t you stay here for a few days? Your Second Brother’s new cook makes the best food, and you’ll gain weight in no time."

Nanli replied, "It’s not about food. I’ve probably just been too busy. Now I’m feeling a bit low on energy."

"What?" Grand Lady stood up, her face filled with worry. "How... how can you have low energy? Have you gone to see the doctor? What... what should we do?"

Madam Shen and Xiao Wanyi also became anxious.

It was no surprise—they had always seen Nanli as someone who never tired, someone who would recover quickly from injuries. This Nanli, who had suddenly become so thin, was completely different from the one they were used to.

Chu Shuo’s brow furrowed deeply, "I still have some good-quality deer antlers and ginseng. I can cook them into a stew for you."

He immediately ordered the servants to fetch them.

Chu Huan thought for a moment and then asked, "Could this be from the aftermath of your Dantian being damaged last time?"

Nanli didn’t deny it. "Maybe. But don’t worry, He Qinian has found a way to cultivate the Bloody Enchanting Bug. Once I start using it, my energy will be restored."

Madam Shen held her hand and immediately felt the difference. Her daughter had indeed become much thinner, and her heart ached. "How can we not worry?"

She wanted to go with her but feared she might slow her down.

Ye Siheng reassured her, "Please, Mother-in-law, don’t worry. I will take good care of A’Li."

But Madam Shen remained uneasy, tears welling up in her eyes.

Recently, Nanli hadn’t wanted to go outside because she didn’t want others to worry about her. But sending Fifth Brother off was an unavoidable task.

She said, "Yes, Mother, once I return from Border Nation, I’ll be as healthy as ever."

Grand Lady understood that her daughter was trying to comfort her and smiled through her worry. "Alright, we’ll be waiting for you in Capital."

Nanli understood that her mother was burdened with so much. With her husband and son going off to war and her daughter falling ill, she could do nothing to help.

"Don’t worry, Mother. I’ll return soon," Nanli promised.

Ye Siheng said nothing, just standing silently by her side.

After Nanli got into the dark wooden carriage, she yawned and looked drowsy.

"A’Li, are you tired again?" His voice was soft.

Nanli murmured a faint "Mm" and closed her eyes, leaning against Ye Siheng as she drifted off to sleep.

The night pearl in the carriage emitted a faint glow. Ye Siheng turned his head and looked down at her. He could see her long and thick lashes resting against her pale cheeks.

He was more worried than even the Chu family.

After all, he had witnessed firsthand how Nanli had been losing weight, day by day. Even she didn’t know the reason for it, let alone the doctors.

Thankfully, He Qinian had found another method to cultivate the Bloody Enchanting Bug.

"A’Li, it will be fine," Ye Siheng whispered.

He knew she was already asleep, but he couldn’t help saying it, not just for her, but for himself as well.

Only the gods would know how frantic he had been these past few days.

The next day, Chu Yan received the Imperial Tiger Sigil and led his troops out.

At the same time, Ye Siheng and Nanli set off for Border Nation.

Meanwhile, near the capital of Border Nation, in Buluo Mountain, a cave echoed with an angry shout: "I’m starving!"

A figure leapt out of the cave, slightly hunched, with long white hair and sharp, piercing eyes. He had not seen the sun for many years, so he closed his eyes to adjust to the light. After a moment, he opened his eyes, and with a swift motion, struck a boulder into pieces, his voice full of frustration: "How long has it been?! Why hasn’t the rations arrived?! Why?!"

But in the wilderness, his shout was the only sound—no one answered.

The old man grumbled, adjusting his robes, "Looks like I’ll have to go down the mountain and ask myself."

His figure moved quickly, like a leopard, descending from the mountain and heading toward the capital.

Looking at the people dressed in simple but neat clothes, all wearing smiles of happiness, he couldn’t help but recall his last visit to the city, ten years ago, when people would beg him for food.

He stroked his beard, his chest puffing out with pride, "Seems like Xuanyuan Cang has done a good job managing Border Nation."

A nearby street vendor overheard and said, "Old man, have you been living up in the mountain all this time raising Enchanting Bugs? The news is so outdated. It’s not Xuanyuan who’s in charge of Border Nation anymore; those are the false dragons!"

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