Chapter 15: The General’s Pampered Little Wife 15

Chapter 15: Chapter 15: The General’s Pampered Little Wife 15

A scout entered the tent, cupped his fist in a salute, and said, "General, during my reconnaissance mission, I found a lady."

"A lady? What lady?"

The Crown Prince, seated at the head of the tent, was taken aback. His Crown Princess Consort could not possibly have left the palace.

The scout hurriedly explained, "Your Highness, it is General Xiao’s wife."

The Crown Prince had a sudden realization and chuckled. "So it’s General Xiao’s wife. No wonder."

Xiao Shen, however, looked utterly shocked. He shot to his feet and asked urgently, "What did you say? My wife? How could she be here?"

Just as he finished speaking, Ji Xiaosong walked slowly into the tent.

She was dressed in simple yet dignified clothes. Her hair was slightly disheveled and her face showed a hint of exhaustion, but her eyes were firm and bright.

The moment Xiao Shen saw Ji Xiaosong, the shock in his eyes transformed into boundless joy and heartache. He strode forward and pulled her into a tight embrace, as if trying to merge her into his very being.

Ji Xiaosong hugged him back just as tightly. They held each other for a long time before Xiao Shen finally let go. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he said, his voice trembling slightly, "My wife, how could you be so foolish? This place is so dangerous. You shouldn’t have come."

Looking up at Xiao Shen, her eyes filled with deep affection, Ji Xiaosong said, "My husband is in peril. How could I possibly wait behind in peace?"

At that moment, the Crown Prince let out a soft cough. Only then did Xiao Shen realize they were not alone. He quickly pulled Ji Xiaosong to salute the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince smiled and waved his hand. "General Xiao and his wife are deeply devoted to one another—it is truly a heartwarming story. However, the war is at a critical stage, and we must prioritize the greater good."

Xiao Shen and Ji Xiaosong replied in unison, "We shall heed the Crown Prince’s counsel."

"Now, tell me, Lady Xiao, how did you come to be in the Northern Land?"

The Crown Prince sat at the head of the tent, a smile on his face, but his eyes held a probing gaze.

Ji Xiaosong lowered her head slightly and answered respectfully, "Your Highness, I heard my husband was fighting in the Northern Land, and I was deeply worried. So I disguised myself as a commoner and traveled here incognito with a merchant caravan. I only hoped to be a little closer to him. Even if I could only do something trivial to help, it would put my mind at ease."

"Nonsense! Song, do you have any idea how dangerous it is here?"

Xiao Shen’s brow furrowed, his tone a carefully restrained rebuke. "You’ve been so reckless. If anything were to happen to you, what would I do?"

Seeing this, the scout at the side quickly cupped his fist and said, "Calm your anger, General. The lady acted out of deep affection. When I encountered her, her only thought was to help you. She showed no hesitation or fear along the way. She even helped me draw away the patrol soldiers. Without her help, I fear this reconnaissance mission would not have been completed successfully."

Xiao Shen’s expression softened slightly, but he still looked at Ji Xiaosong with worry. "Even so, you shouldn’t have put yourself in such danger."

Just then, the Crown Prince gave a slight wave of his hand. As if receiving a silent command, the others in the tent retreated in a slow, orderly fashion.

In an instant, the tent grew quiet and spacious. In the end, only Ji Xiaosong, Xiao Shen, and the Crown Prince remained, and the atmosphere became somewhat delicate and solemn.

"Lady Xiao, has something urgent happened in the Capital City?"

’He couldn’t believe Ji Xiaosong would brave such dangers just because she missed her husband. There had to be a compelling reason.’

Ji Xiaosong lowered her gaze slightly, a flash of nervousness in her eyes. She quickly composed herself and began to speak.

"Your Highness, I did not deliberately put myself in danger. Some time ago, I happened to overhear Song Yuxi secretly discussing with others a plan to work with Prince Qi in the Northern Land to harm my husband. I was frantic, but I feared no one in the Capital City would believe me. That’s why I found a way to sneak into the Northern Land, thinking I could give my husband an early warning so he could be prepared."

’In any case, they wouldn’t investigate this matter too closely. Besides, she had indeed heard a lot about Prince Qi’s affairs these past few days, and he certainly had connections to the Second Prince.’

"Song Yuxi?" The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes, his fingers tapping lightly on the table as he fell into thought.

’He mused to himself. This Song Yuxi was Ji Xiaosong’s former fiancé. Her claim that he now intended to harm Xiao Shen—was it a coincidence, or was there something more to it?’

’If it was just an excuse Ji Xiaosong had fabricated out of a desperate desire to protect her husband, then it was a trivial matter.’

’But if it were true, then the implications behind it were far more complex.’

’The Song Family was part of the Second Prince’s faction. The Emperor had provoked the Song Family before, so it wasn’t impossible for them to make a move.’

Xiao Shen’s expression grew grave. He looked at Ji Xiaosong and asked, "My wife, did you manage to hear the specific details of their plan?"

Ji Xiaosong frowned slightly and said, "I heard them say that the Song Family, having influence in the Ministry of Industry, would arrange for their confidants to replace the materials for some of the weapons with inferior ones. They would also tamper with the blades and critical parts to make them break or fail easily."

"As for the provisions, they plan to bribe people in the supply convoys to tamper with the axles of the grain carts. This would cause the carts to break down en route and delay the delivery. They will also have people mix moldy grain into the supplies to disrupt the army’s morale."

After hearing this, Xiao Shen exchanged a look with the Crown Prince and said, "Your Highness, we must guard against this. I will give orders immediately to tighten the inspection of our provisions and weapons."

The Crown Prince nodded. "Yes, General Xiao, you must act with extreme caution. If they were to succeed, the consequences would be unimaginable."

Xiao Shen cupped his fist to the Crown Prince and said, "Your Highness, I will go at once to arrange for men to inspect the weapons and provisions."

The Crown Prince nodded slightly. "Go quickly and return soon."

Xiao Shen turned and walked out of the tent, summoning his trusted officers.

"Vice General Li, take a squad of men at once and inspect every weapon in the armory. Focus on checking for flaws in the blades and key joints, and look for any signs of poor-quality materials," Xiao Shen ordered, his expression stern and his gaze sharp.

Vice General Li clasped his hands and replied, "Yes, General!"

Xiao Shen continued, "Captain Wang, you take another team to the provisions depot. Strictly inspect every grain cart. Check if the axles are sound and if the grain has been mixed with anything moldy. Report any abnormalities immediately."

Captain Wang cupped his fist. "Yes, General!"

About two hours later, Vice General Li and Captain Wang returned to Xiao Shen’s tent one after the other.

Vice General Li spoke first. "General, the weapons inspection is complete. The first batch of weapons that have been used show no problems for now. But starting from the second batch, some of the blades have fine cracks, and the joints in some critical parts are not secure enough. The material is clearly not as high-quality as the first batch."

Captain Wang spoke up immediately after. "General, on the provisions side, starting from the second batch, many of the grain carts show signs of sabotage on their axles. Although no carts have broken down yet, it would inevitably cause problems in the long run. Moreover, small amounts of moldy grain have been mixed into some of the supplies. It’s hard to spot without a careful inspection."

Xiao Shen’s face turned grim, his fists clenched tightly. "That damn Song Family. To think they would be so treacherous!"