Rong Yue pondered for a moment, "Madam is right. Over the years, I have indeed lacked a personal maid."
After saying that, he turned around and frowned, saying, "Otherwise, what did you think it was?"
Shen Mo felt a surge of pride. It seemed that Rong Yue's words about living for him had caused him to misunderstand something. This Rong Yue was a bit too confident.
The next day, Rong Yue instructed the steward to promote Shen Mo to the head maid of the Rong household, second only to the steward. This move made Mo An overjoyed, and she busied herself teaching Shen Mo the rules and matters of the future. However, it also made all the servants in the household look at her strangely, as if she had obtained her position through some improper means.
From then on, the early mornings became Shen Mo's busiest time.
Helping Rong Yue change clothes and wash up, serving him meals, everyone else found it strange. The young master, who usually took care of everything himself, had become very "enjoyable" these days. Even Shen Mo himself had to get used to it for a while.
That day, Shen Mo was putting shoes on Rong Yue when someone suddenly broke in through the window. Shen Mo was so startled that she almost dropped the shoes in her hands, but after seeing that the person was Long Lin, she regained her composure.
"I have something to report."
After hearing this, Shen Mo got up to leave, but then caught Rong Yue's casual look and said, "You continue."
These words were spoken to her. Although Shen Mo was puzzled, she could not disobey him. She buried her head and tried not to listen to their conversation, but every word was clear to her ears.
Long Linbing said, "Lu Feng urged his master to hand over the poisoner immediately."
Rong Yue looked at Shen Mo's slightly flustered eyes and said, half to Long Lin and half to Shen Mo, "Tell him I can't find it."
As if he already knew Rong Yue's answer, Long Lin said with certainty, "Master, the war is imminent."
“Then let them fight. The five-city agreement is his own doing. As for Lu Feng, it will give the Emperor some peace and quiet. Besides, there is a border general in Ningcheng, and I, as the assistant, have more important things to do.”
"Understood!" Long Lin said no more and returned to the window the way he came.
The room fell silent. After a long while, Shen Mo finally said, "Young Master, I am just a lowly maid in the Rong family." This was her way of asking why he had kept her there earlier.
“But you know my identity and my ambition to rule the world.” Rong Yue spoke each word with particular emphasis on the word “world.”
These words were undoubtedly her declaration of joining the group. Shen Mo closed her eyes slightly. Ever since she learned this secret five years ago, she knew that there would be a day when Rong Yue would stand proudly above the world. It had finally come. She took a deep breath, "What does Young Master plan to do?"
"That's my business."
"So, what does the young master intend for me to do?"
There was silence for a long time... Just when Shen Mo thought he wouldn't answer, Rong Yue said, "Do you know that in this so-called peaceful and prosperous era, it's very difficult to find someone you can trust?"
Shen Mo knelt on the ground, still in the posture of putting on his shoes, earnestly pondering the sentence. However, just as he was about to understand it, he found that Rong Yue had already left.
Only one person remained, holding those two words, their expression a mixture of surprise and unfamiliarity.
The sweltering heat of midsummer was unbearable, but what was even more scorching was the sudden outbreak of war on the border of Liang Kingdom three days later. Most of the garrison of Ningcheng, led by the border general, marched towards Qixuan Border City under the pretext of settling scores from more than ten years ago. The Ningcheng Assistant Commander and the remaining troops remained stationed there.
However, after more than two months, there was still no progress. Liang's troops had ventured deep into enemy territory alone and had suffered heavy losses. When the messenger from the front line returned to request reinforcements, what he said enraged Rong Yue.
"Recently, many soldiers have suddenly fallen ill with poisoning, which is likely the work of Prince Xiao Yin, the Poison Prince of Qi Xuan,"
"Poisoning? I told you how terrible Xiao Yin was before we set off, and that we should be vigilant and check the water source at all times. How did it come to this!"
The messenger bowed his head and said, "My lord, please calm down. We are far away from home, and the water source is not something we can control."
"You actually have the nerve to argue!"
“My Lord,” the messenger suddenly knelt down, “our army has penetrated deep into enemy territory and is isolated and without support. I must inform Right Chancellor Lu that the only course of action now is to withdraw the troops as soon as possible.”
Rong Yue had calmed down by now, and said calmly while rubbing his forehead, "You can go down now."
"But sir..."
"Don't you understand?" His voice now carried the authority of a military commander.
The messenger had no choice but to silently retreat.
A moment later, another person appeared out of nowhere in the hall.
"Dragon Scales"
"Your subordinate is here."
"How much time is left until the six-month agreement between Lu Feng and the Emperor?"
"On the 20th, did you kill the messenger, just like last time?"
"No." Rong Yue swiftly removed the hand from his forehead, his eyes clear, and said, "After these twenty days, as long as I preserve his remaining troops, it will be a great achievement. Why not? Send down the order that the capital's reinforcements are coming. Prepare the troops for two days, and I will personally lead the army into battle."
For the next two days, no matter how early Shen Mo arrived at Rong Yue's room, she would find it empty. She even suspected that he had spent the night in his tent. Jiang Suying, on the other hand, came a few times, but returned quickly after not seeing Rong Yue. She and Shen Mo no longer had the intimacy they had in their childhood. Shen Mo didn't care about the reason.
Just when Shen Mo thought Rong Yue would leave without a word, on the third day before dawn, he rushed into his room, just like five years ago, threw down a bundle and a sentence and left.
The sentence was: "You have one hour!"
The time limit was half an hour longer than when she was a child. Shen Mo curiously unpacked the bundle and stared wide-eyed at the soldier's uniform scattered in front of him. He actually wanted her to go to war with the army!
Chapter Twenty-Two: Blood is Cold
The reinforcements sent by the capital, Tianjun, have arrived. They are all fully equipped and stand in neat rows and columns. The army's high morale is worthy of the legendary well-trained Heavenly Army. They are just waiting for the commander's order to immediately go to the front line to provide support.
Shen Mo appeared as a personal guard, walking alongside Rong Yue at the forefront, but unexpectedly caused a slight commotion from the city's residents who came to see him off.
Rong Yue followed their gaze to the center of attention—Shen Mo beside him. Although her long hair was completely hidden under her hat, her fair and delicate face was still quite striking among the group of men going to war. He casually raised his hand, and a large hand was placed on her head, pressing down hard, instantly obscuring most of her pale face with the wide brim of the hat. Rong Yue shook his head; her appearance was ultimately not as charming as it had been in her childhood.
Shen Mo's hat was already unsuitable, and when he pulled it down too much, he couldn't even see the road clearly. After bumping into Rong Yue's back several times, he finally pulled his hat back up, revealing his bright eyes again.
“Tsk…” Rong Yue suddenly stopped.
Fortunately, Shen Mo hadn't covered her eyes at that moment and stopped in time to avoid bumping into him. She looked up at him quietly and then looked down again.
"Go to the left side of the horses and wait for orders."
Shen Mo looked around and saw that no one was moving, so the message must have been directed at her. She quickly obeyed and went over.
The onlookers were all blocked on the right. Shen Mo stood on the left side of the horse, with most of his body blocked by the horse. Seeing that there was no one around, he immediately relaxed his tense body a little.
Seeing Rong Yue approaching from afar, she quickly lowered her head and stood up straight. When she looked up again, Rong Yue was less than half a meter away from her, raising a hand at her with a hint of dissatisfaction in his eyes.
Before she could think about what she had done to anger him, Shen Mo instinctively closed her eyes tightly and turned her face away.
After a long while, instead of a burning sensation on my face, if it weren't for the overwhelming smell of earth, it would have been a "gentle" touch.
"Your face is going to cause trouble." Rong Yue, who seemed to have gotten his hands full of dirt from somewhere, was smearing it on her face.
"Young Master."
"..." Rong Yue ignored her and continued wiping.
"Young Master."
"You can't call me 'Young Master' anymore." Rong Yue continued wiping.
"Young...Master," Shen Mo changed his address.
"What is it?" He continued wiping.
Finally getting permission, Shen Mo hurriedly said, "Did I put on too much... Achoo!" She finally choked on the dirt, covering half her face and looking at him helplessly, "I put on too much..."
It's definitely too much. Her once bright and beautiful face is now reduced to just two bulging eyes; she looks like a beggar.
"Ahem... Take care of yourself. This horse is yours. We're about to set off." Rong Yue put down his hand, patted the horse's belly, and turned to leave.
Shen Mo was busy wiping the mud off her face when she glanced at him and froze. If she wasn't mistaken, the smile before he turned around... it was Rong Yue's! Was it a final blessing for her life?
"Bang bang bang!" "Neigh neigh neigh!"
The sound of gongs and drums, accompanied by the neighing of horses, carried away tens of thousands of departing people. Whether this road to war was also the road home, and whether their opponent was the poisonous-faced prince Xiao Yin, no one dared to be sure, including Rong Yue, but not the only woman in this army.
With only a dozen days left until Lu Feng's six-month agreement, and the journey already taking up most of the time, everyone in the army understood that the dream of capturing five cities was no longer possible. The Emperor had sent them here at this time not primarily to help Lu Feng seize the cities, but to go to Qixuan to help the vanguard reduce losses and rescue some of the remaining troops.
The mission was easy, and the team moved swiftly, including Rong Yue, but again, not including the only woman in the army.
It took the army ten days to reach the forward camp. The march went smoothly, but the moment they saw the soldiers who had arrived more than a month earlier, the relaxed group instantly became serious.
Most soldiers suffered from skin sores, swollen throats and necks, and unbearable sore throats. Every day, large numbers of them died from the torment of the poison gas inside their bodies.
"How many good soldiers do you have left?" Rong Yue asked the approaching general abruptly.
Knowing he was in the wrong, the general said in a low voice, "Not half."
"His Majesty's intention is to launch a final attack after the reinforcements arrive. If successful, advance; if unsuccessful, retreat."
At this moment, even the deputy generals fell silent. This was the first order Rong Yue had brought, and given the current situation, it was practically a retreat order.
"No, Lord Lu's life is still in our hands. We can't be so passive. Now that reinforcements have arrived, we must take that city in one fell swoop before our strength is up." However, there were still Lu Feng's die-hard loyalists in the army, hoping to create a miracle for him.
Rong Yue glanced at the man, then turned back to his tent, leaving behind the words: "Sacrificing tens of thousands to save a dying minister, how pathetic!"
After all, Lu Feng was stationed in the capital year-round and had no direct contact with them, while the soldiers below had been with him day and night for years. Rong Yue undoubtedly grasped this disparity in their feelings, and his words stirred up a storm. Should they save the Right Chancellor who usually flaunted his power against them? Or should they protect their brothers in front of them? Soon, the generals gave their answers.
From that day on, at least no one shouted that they wanted to attack the city with human flesh.
As night fell, upon entering the tent, Shen Mo took the initiative to help Rong Yue undress.
He pulled away her hand that was reaching for his belt, and felt a touch of coldness between her fingers. After a moment's pause, Rong Yue said, "I'll do it myself."
"Young Master."
Rong Yue stopped and looked at her. "Is something the matter?"
Shen Mo gritted her teeth and said, "This servant just went downstairs to take a look. The healthy soldiers and those soldiers with the virus in their bodies are living together. It's possible... it's possible that they will be infected." After saying that, she looked uncertainly at Rong Yue and found that he was deep in thought.
After a moment, he looked up at her intently. "How did you know?"
“This servant is not sure either, but after someone was infected, they conducted strict tests on the water source, but the number of cases still increased, which is why they suspected it was contagious. Young master should have them isolated immediately.”
How to isolate oneself?
Shen Mo was stunned. Had they never encountered this before? He hurriedly said, "We just need to separate the soldiers infected with the virus and arrange them in separate tents. They are not allowed to go out or have contact with others."
"You're just letting them fend for themselves!" Rong Yue's eyes were sharp.
“No,” Shen Mo smiled slightly, “If Xiao Yin is right, young master, don’t forget that with my physique, I can take care of them.”
Rong Yue scrutinized her as if he didn't recognize her. After a long while, he finally said, "Go and call my adjutant."
"Yes." Shen Mo smiled and turned to leave, intending to take his own approach. But as he lifted the tent flap, he turned back and asked, "When will you send out the troops, my lord?"
"Three days later."
"May everything go as you wish, my lord. I take my leave now!"
At the time, Rong Yue paid no attention to these words, taking them as a usual blessing before going to war. However, a few days later, he was swayed by them and was even on the verge of being torn apart.