Xu Mufeng had always been facing Song Wanchu with a smiling face. When he heard her question, his smile faltered for a moment before firmly reappearing on his face.
"Please understand, miss. There are still thirty brothers outside. They've been searching in the mountains with me for a long time and are all hungry. And the food we brought is limited. Each of them can only get half a pancake. There's really none left."
He thought his excuse was flawless.
Song Wanchu would never be able to walk out of the tent to check if his words were true.
There was still some food left, but he didn't want to give it to Liang Yuzhou.
This man was too powerful and dangerous. Even though he was seriously injured, he was still Xu Mufeng's greatest threat.
Was he supposed to feed him well so that he'd have the strength to fight back and kill him?
Xu Mufeng said this without feeling the slightest bit of guilt.
Song Wanchu gave a faint smile. "All right, then."
She then turned around and offered the food to Liang Yuzhou.
"If it weren't for Taoist Priest Qingzhou risking his life to save me, what you'd have found would be my mutilated body. It doesn't matter if I go hungry, but Taoist Priest Qingzhou is seriously injured and carried me on his back for more than three hours. He must eat enough."
Xu Mufeng's mouth twitched a few times, and his face stiffened.
"Miss, aren't you putting me and my brothers in a difficult position?"
Just now, when he refused to give Liang Yuzhou medicine, Song Wanchu had used the Crown Prince to outmaneuver him.
He was a general, after all. Repeatedly compromising to a weak woman, how could he maintain his authority in front of his brothers?
Song Wanchu looked puzzled. With her clear eyes and beautiful, delicate appearance, she looked extremely innocent.
"What do you mean, General Xu? You said the food was not enough, and I didn't force you. I chose not to eat myself. The mouth is on my own face. How could I be putting you in a difficult position? Don't worry. Even if the Crown Prince asks, I'll stick to my story and never cause you any trouble."
Don't think that just because she was moral, he could morally blackmail her!
Xu Mufeng always thought he was good at arguing, but he was left speechless by Song Wanchu.
He couldn't believe that such a gentle and amiable woman could say things that felt like a big slap on his face.
How dare he let the woman the Crown Prince cherished go hungry?
Even if he and all his brothers went hungry, they couldn't let this young lady starve!
He closed his mouth resentfully, left, and then came back with an extra portion of food in his hand.
This portion was even larger than the previous one.
"Miss, this is my share. I can go hungry, but please don't go hungry out of anger. I can't bear the responsibility."
Song Wanchu was too lazy to expose his lie. She took the food and politely thanked him.
Xu Mufeng walked out of the tent. Only when he reached a deserted place did he spit on the ground viciously.
He wondered what the Crown Prince saw in that young woman.
Could beauty alone allow one to do whatever they wanted?
Song Wanchu had a small appetite. Even when extremely hungry, she only ate a quarter of a baked pancake and a few slices of beef jerky.
She drank only half a small bowl of wild vegetable soup.
Liang Yuzhou had exhausted a great deal of physical strength. After finishing his own portion, he also ate what Song Wanchu left.
He used to be a young duke who lived in luxury. When drinking tea, he was particular about the temperature, preferring it to be three - parts warm and seven - parts hot.
When eating fried eggs with pagoda tree flowers, he only ate the first - batch of flowers that bloomed in April.
Now, he didn't mind at all and took big bites of the rough pancake.
Song Wanchu took out a silk handkerchief and wiped the crumbs from the corner of his mouth.
Her hand was suddenly grabbed by Liang Yuzhou, and his smile seemed to overflow from his face.
"I'm so happy."
Liang Yuzhou held her hand and placed it on his chest.
Once upon a time, Wanchu had given him her whole heart, but he was so stupid that he thought it was all just a pretense. He had repeatedly trampled on Wanchu's true feelings.
Only after losing her did he realize how ungrateful he had been.
Now, the slightest bit of kindness from Wanchu could make him as happy as if he had found a treasure.
There was deep tenderness and affection hidden in his unfocused eyes.
Song Wanchu wanted to laugh. "You're happy just because I wiped your mouth?"
Liang Yuzhou could tell that Wanchu was teasing him.
Such playful moments from her were rare.
It wasn't that they never existed. Before she married him, she had always been a bright and cheerful girl.
He wanted that girl to come back.
He also joked, "I'm happy because my wife, in order to protect me, didn't hesitate to use the Crown Prince twice to punish that narrow - minded Xu Mufeng."
Song Wanchu was caught off guard. She pulled a straight face. "Taoist Priest Qingzhou, you haven't returned to secular life yet. Calling me 'wife' all the time. How shameless."
Such words were something she would never have dared to say when she was Liang Yuzhou's concubine.
But without the restraint of that status, she felt less restricted.
Liang Yuzhou simply decided to be completely shameless. "Is my wife impatient? I can return to secular life right here."
The tent wasn't sound - proof, and people were walking back and forth outside. Song Wanchu, being shy, quickly covered his mouth.
Liang Yuzhou let out a pleasant muffled laugh.
After dinner, the noise outside gradually died down. Except for three or five soldiers on night watch, most of them had returned to their tents to rest.
The bonfire still burned high. Through the oilcloth of the tent, a small space inside the tent was bathed in an orange glow.
Despite being extremely exhausted, Song Wanchu forced herself to stay awake.
It wasn't until the voices of the night - watch soldiers outside were almost inaudible that she got up. She soaked a piece of gauze in clear wine and held it in her hand.
Liang Yuzhou had a wound on the back of his head. But earlier, Song Wanchu was worried that Xu Mufeng would notice something wrong with Liang Yuzhou's eyes, so she didn't dare to treat it.
The light was dim. Song Wanchu had to open her eyes wide to barely see the swollen blood clot on the back of his head.
She first wiped the blood clean, then very gently touched the swelling. "Does it hurt?"
Liang Yuzhou didn't seem to have much of a reaction. "It doesn't hurt much. It just feels a bit swollen."
But where Wanchu couldn't see, his hands tightened on the wool blanket.
His head felt as if a pile of stones had been forcibly stuffed into it. It was getting heavier and heavier, and the pressure from the blood clot was getting stronger and stronger.
He couldn't see now, and his head was very dizzy.
But he wouldn't tell Wanchu.
He needed Wanchu, but Wanchu needed him more.
He couldn't let Wanchu fall asleep with a heart full of uneasiness and worry.
Song Wanchu applied some herbal ointment to the swollen area.
The swelling was just an external injury. The blood clot accumulated in the brain couldn't be treated just with external medicine for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis.
She could only pray that they could find a miracle doctor as soon as they got out of the valley tomorrow.
The moon was high in the sky, and all was silent.
Liang Yuzhou woke up from the sharp pain in his lungs.
He felt that one side of his lungs was swelling, making it difficult for him to breathe. It also felt as if he was being pricked by countless needles, and the pain made his breath smell of blood.
His head was extremely dizzy. The blood clot seemed to be expanding at an accelerating rate, pressing on his eyes and making them feel sore and swollen.
He sat up very gently and groped around his left arm for a few times.
Wanchu was curled up in his arm, sleeping peacefully.
She was so tired.
Liang Yuzhou was in so much pain that he couldn't fall asleep. He covered his mouth and coughed a few times lightly.
Even this very gentle movement seemed to tug at his entire lungs. It felt like his chest was on fire.
He couldn't see, but he felt the stickiness in his palm.
He was coughing up blood again.
Outside the tent, there was a bonfire.
Xu Mufeng squinted his eyes and noticed that Liang Yuzhou's shadow was moving in a rather strange way.