Love Lock

Chapter 171 My hair stood on end

This sudden outburst startled Su Qi, who was walking beside her.

He paused, turned to look at Han Lei, and saw that her delicate profile was taut, and her eyes were filled with anger that seemed about to burst forth.

Su Qi followed her gaze to the ground and indeed saw several trails of muddy footprints winding their way in. But to him, who was used to the hardships of military life, this was nothing special.

He understood after a moment's thought.

Han Lei borrowed his place to take shelter from the rain, but her attendants dirtied his council chamber. This was a loss of face for her, which is why she deliberately got so angry.

Her attendants, trembling with fear after being scolded, were quickly retreating.

"It's nothing, it's nothing," Su Qi quickly waved her hand to smooth things over, a gentle smile on her face. "I've already had it cleaned up. Miss Wei, please don't take it to heart."

As Su Qi spoke, her gaze was unconsciously drawn to Han Lei's cheeks, flushed with anger. The blush against her snow-white skin made her even more vibrant than before.

Upon hearing this, Han Lei turned around, her previous fierce aura instantly vanishing.

She gave Su Qi a graceful curtsy, her lowered eyelashes trembling slightly, her tone filled with apology.

"I am truly sorry, the servants are ignorant of etiquette and have soiled the general's council chamber."

"It's alright, it's alright." Su Qi took the opportunity to support Han Lei's arm and help her up.

In front of a beautiful woman, he naturally wanted to appear magnanimous. Besides, he didn't want those servants to stay there.

So he beckoned to a personal guard and signaled the guard to lead the attendants to another place to take shelter from the rain and rest.

The guard understood and was about to lead several attendants away when Han Lei suddenly spoke.

"Senior year!"

The seniors whose names were called immediately stopped in their tracks.

Han Lei's soft, sweet voice regained its haughty tone, typical of a wealthy heiress.

"Go to the carriage and fetch two boxes of the Maotai-flavor liquor that I gave to my uncle. I want to give it to General Su."

"Yes!"

The senior nodded respectfully, turned around and walked out.

Upon hearing this, Su Qi quickly waved her hand and declined, saying, "That was the wine you gave to my uncle? How could I accept that?"

As he spoke, his gaze remained fixed on Han Lei's pretty and sweet face.

Han Lei's lips curled slightly, and a barely perceptible glint flashed in her eyes.

"I am taking shelter from the rain here, which is also a disturbance to the general. This is just a small gift, nothing more, but I hope the general will accept it with a smile."

Han Lei spoke with such sincerity that Su Qi felt embarrassed to continue declining.

"Uh... alright then. Thank you very much, Miss Wei."

The carriage stopped at the entrance of the council hall, and Da Si quickly returned carrying two exquisite brocade boxes. Just as he reached the threshold, Han Lei sternly stopped him.

"Stop!" She pointed at the senior's boots, which were covered in mud. "Your feet are dirty, you're not allowed in! Stay here at the door and don't go far."

The senior student nodded in response and then stood by the door; from inside, only half of his shoulder could be seen.

Han Lei walked to the door herself, her skirt swaying gently and creating a fragrant breeze.

As she took the brocade box, she subtly tapped Da Si's hand with her fingertips, then turned and walked towards Su Qi, a polite smile returning to her face.

As Han Lei walked gracefully towards her, Su Qi's Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.

His mind raced, and he quickly said, "Since it's Miss Wei's wine, it should naturally be shared with her. Uh... how about I have someone prepare some wine and dishes right now? I'll offer this as a welcome gift to Miss Wei."

Han Lei didn't mince words, nodding slightly in agreement. A hairpin she had specially worn near her temple swayed gently with her movements.

She walked to the table and gently placed the two stacked brocade boxes down. Su Qi was overjoyed and quickly pulled out a chair for her. Then she went out to have someone bring in wine and dishes.

Once the food and wine were ready, Han Lei took the initiative to open the brocade box on the surface.

Her movements were elegant and composed, her slender fingers deftly removing two oddly shaped, grenade-like bottles.

With a soft "pop," she pulled open one of the caps and handed the bottle to Su Qi.

You're saying this is wine?

Su Qi took the bottle and examined it curiously. The bottle was small and uniquely shaped, and he immediately smelled a rich aroma of wine. "What a fragrant wine!"

Han Lei's red lips curved slightly as she gracefully sat down, her skirt spreading out like flower petals beside the stool.

"General Su, have you ever heard of a wine called Drunken Immortal Brew?" Han Lei's voice was soft, yet carried a hint of mystery.

Su Qi nodded, "I've not only heard of it, but I've also tasted it! Drunken Immortal Brew is a top-grade product, and it's extremely rare to find even one!"

As he spoke, he unconsciously stroked the raised squares on the bottle.

"This wine is the newest product from the owner of Drunken Immortal Brew. It's even rarer than Drunken Immortal Brew, plus it comes in an exquisite wine jug that opens with a simple pull..."

As Han Lei spoke, she suddenly looked up and smiled mysteriously, her eyes sparkling, "This wine already sells for a hundred taels of silver a pot in the capital."

"Huh?" Su Qi stared wide-eyed at the tiny wine pot in her hand, barely the size of her palm. "Selling such a small pot for a hundred taels of silver?"

Born into a prestigious family and a member of the imperial family, what kind of treasures hadn't he seen? Even someone as well-off as him felt that the price was a bit outrageous.

He subconsciously glanced at the first brocade box, which was now completely empty, and couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.

Han Lei said it was a gift of two boxes, but there were only two in each box, and she had already opened both of the two in the first box herself...

Han Lei seemed to see through his thoughts and said softly, "So I didn't bring much this time, I can only give two boxes to the general. I hope the general won't think it's too little."

"Not at all, Miss Wei, you're too kind."

Su Qi waved his hands repeatedly. He felt that Han Lei was generous, but he couldn't help feeling sorry for the expensive wine.

But then I thought, well, let's just go ahead and do it! Anyway, I'm drinking with a beautiful woman. And if she gets drunk, who knows what might happen...

As he thought about it, his gaze swept over Han Lei's slender figure, and his heart warmed. He couldn't wait to sit down and diligently served Han Lei food.

“Miss Wei is truly generous; I’m fortunate to have such precious wine. Try this, it’s…”

Su Qi, with ulterior motives, took the initiative to curry favor. Han Lei, having come prepared, naturally seized the opportunity.

The two drank and chatted, and the atmosphere quickly became lively. The topic naturally revolved around the gossip about the aristocratic families.

Over here, Han Lei was drinking and chatting with Su Qi. Over there, Su Qi's personal guards led the Big Character Brigade brothers to find another place to take shelter from the rain.

But this is a military camp, and apart from the general's and his personal guards' tents, there are only the soldiers' tents.

That personal guard was also selfish; he glanced at his own tent from afar and was unwilling to bring outsiders into his tent.

The personal guards led their brothers in the Big Character Team through the rain, the cold rain dripping continuously from the edges of their raincoats.

The muddy paths in the military camp covered their boots with wet mud, making a "splat" sound with every step.

"This damn weather..." the guard muttered under his breath, tightening his raincoat.

He was thinking to himself: They're just servants and men, not masters, so I can just settle them down anywhere.

Perhaps sensing his thoughts, the captain of the first-year team spoke up from behind his personal guards at just the right moment.

"Sir, our feet are dirty. Could you please find us a soldier's tent to shelter in for a while, as long as we don't get soaked in the rain?"

Upon hearing this, the guard was overjoyed and pointed to a cluster of low-lying soldiers' tents in the distance.

"Alright, those are soldiers' tents over there. You can find somewhere to hide."

"Thank you."

"Thank you, sir."

The brothers in the big-character squad thanked him repeatedly, then put their hands above their heads, bowed, and ran towards the soldiers' tents.

Watching them disappear into the distance, the guard also turned and left, as he was eager to get back and take shelter from the rain!
Da San glanced back at the vanished bodyguard, wiped the rain from his face, and said in a muffled voice, "Captain, he's gone, we..."

"Okay, don't speak, examine it carefully."

The freshmen raised their hands to signal everyone to be quiet, and then, braving the rain, they strolled around the soldiers' camp. On rainy days, the soldiers couldn't train, and besides huddled in their low tents chatting and joking, they had nothing else to do.

What the Big Character Team brothers had to carefully discern was the content of these soldiers' conversations.

After wandering around for a while, they finally stopped in front of a tent. From inside the tent came the hushed complaints of the soldiers.

"...My wife wrote to say we're almost starving." A hoarse voice said helplessly, "But the little bit of military pay we received last month wasn't even enough to buy ten bushels of rice..."

“Who says otherwise!” another voice said indignantly. “General Su eats meat and fish every day, while we can’t even get enough coarse rice to eat!”

"I haven't sent money home for three months. I wonder how my parents are doing."

"Me too, my military pay last month wasn't even enough to cover my own expenses! Where would I get the money to take home?"

"They're just keeping us alive. They say the court isn't paying enough, but look at what General Su and his personal guards are eating! Do you believe that?"

"The embezzlement of military pay is outrageous..."

"Shh! Keep your voice down."

The soldiers inside the tent were all complaining about the Su family withholding their pay.

Outside the tent, the members of the Big Character Team looked at each other and then nodded in unison.

I'll choose this one.

The freshman captain straightened his rain-soaked clothes and deliberately quickened his pace as he walked toward the tent.

When the curtain was lifted, the conversation inside the tent stopped abruptly, and seven or eight soldiers looked up and stared at them warily.

He smiled憨厚ly and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Brothers, we apologize for disturbing you. We are from the Beiguan military camp. We were passing by and came to find my brother Zhang Erhu, but it started raining before we found him. Could we take shelter here from the rain?"

They heard that they came to the military camp to find someone. These rough men were all simple and honest people. Although the low tents were not big to begin with, the rough men still tried their best to move inside.

After everyone made room, an older soldier hesitantly asked the freshman captain, "You're from the Beiguan military camp? That must be quite far away."

“Yeah,” the freshman said, sitting down in an empty seat and patting the rain off his clothes.

“We’ve come back to deliver money home. The treatment at the Beiguan military camp is really good now, so we wanted to tell my brother Zhang Erhu so he could come with us to the Beiguan military camp.”

What are the benefits like at the Beiguan military camp?

The older soldier couldn't help but ask, and the other soldiers also stared longingly at the freshman.

The freshman held up two fingers: "Two taels of silver per month, never late."

"Two ounces?!" A young soldier sat bolt upright, his voice trembling. "Really?"

The second-year student chimed in, "Absolutely true! Ever since the Prince of Cangzhou took over, not only have the salaries been paid in full, but the Princess Consort has also been raising many pigs, so we can eat meat every now and then!"

As he spoke, he pulled out a paper package from his pocket. "Here, this is some braised pork the kitchen gave us before we left. Would you all like to try some?"

The soldiers stared at the piece of reddish-brown braised meat, unconsciously swallowing their saliva.

The older soldier carefully took it and distributed it to his comrades. He tore off a small piece for himself and put it in his mouth, then his eyes widened in surprise.

"This...this is really food for soldiers?" he asked incredulously.

The third-year student nodded honestly, "Yeah! We even had stewed meat soup a few times last month!"

“But there’s been fighting at Beiguan every year…” one soldier said with a worried expression.

Upon hearing this, Da Yi laughed. "Hehe, that was before. The North Pass is now a tall and sturdy fortress, and the Turks don't dare to come anymore. When we left Cangzhou, we saw the Turk delegation bringing a princess to Dajing for a marriage alliance."

"Really?"

……

The atmosphere inside the tent gradually warmed up as the soldiers asked questions about the situation in Beiguan. The freshmen answered them one by one, and every now and then they would take out some local specialties from Beiguan and share them with everyone.

As everyone was chatting happily, Da San looked at the sky outside and said, "Big Brother, the rain has lessened. We still need to go find Brother Erhu."

Da Yi nodded in understanding, stood up, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said, "Brothers, we have to go now. Thank you."

After saying that, the freshman didn't linger and left the tent with the sophomores and juniors.

After walking a short distance, the third-year student couldn't help but ask, "Big brother, why don't we just...?"

"Shh!" Da Yi gestured for silence. "Just plant the seed and let it sprout on its own; that's the safest way. Come on, let's go wait for the princess."

The three of them took a detour and quickly disappeared among the rows of tents.

Behind them, the murmurs from inside the soldier's tent were even more heated than the thunder before a rainstorm...

The Big Character Team brothers have completed their mission. In the council hall, Han Lei and Su Qi chatted and drank, their drinks almost finished.

Han Lei's cheeks flushed with a captivating rosy blush, as beautiful as the sunset painting white jade.

Seeing that she was already tipsy, Su Qi's eyes darkened. He gently tapped his wine glass with his slender fingers, then quietly got up and walked around from opposite Han Lei to sit down beside her.

The distance between the two suddenly shortened, and Han Lei's faint jasmine scent mixed with the smell of alcohol wafted over.

Su Qi stared at the vibrant color in the corner of her eye, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily.

He raised his hand to embrace her slender shoulder, but Han Lei suddenly turned her head, her full red lips blooming into a sweet smile at him, her eyes sparkling as if stars were falling.

"General."

Han Lei's voice rose slightly at the end, her soft and charming voice carrying a hint of intoxication. As she turned her head, strands of her hair brushed against Su Qi's hand, sending a shiver down her spine.

"I've heard that the Su family wields considerable power in Jingzhou. I imagine the treatment in your army must be excellent?"

Su Qi patted his chest with the outstretched hand and said proudly, "Of course! My Su family has controlled the Jingzhou army for many years, with ample supplies and a strong and well-equipped force."

A hint of sarcasm flashed in Han Lei's eyes, and she thought to herself—

A soldier in Beiguan only receives ten taels of silver as a reward, and who knows how much has been embezzled and deducted by your Su family at every level. Of course, you have plenty of food and pay.

But Han Lei's expression quickly changed to one of admiration.

"How enviable! I heard that my attendant's younger brother is also serving in the Jingzhou army. I wonder if he is under the general's command?"

As Han Lei spoke, she gestured towards the senior students standing at the door.

"Oh?" Su Qi became interested. "What's his name? I'll have someone look it up."

"Senior year."

Han Lei called out to the seniors at the door, and the seniors turned around.

"The general asked you, what's your brother's name again?" Han Lei asked loudly.

"Reporting to the general, my younger brother's name is Zhang Erhu, and he serves in the infantry battalion."

"Of course, of course!" Su Qi waved his hand. "I'll send people to look for him as soon as we get back to camp. If he really is your brother, I'll promote him to squad leader!"

The senior student quickly bowed and thanked him, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, General!"

"No need. Since he is Miss Wei's attendant, this matter is easy to handle."

As Su Qi spoke, he couldn't help but purse his lips in disappointment. How could he forget that Miss Wei had left a servant at the door, probably to prevent them from being alone together in the room!

Su Qi was naturally displeased at his failure and had no choice but to pick up his wine jug and drink. But as he tilted his head back, he realized that the wine in the jug was already empty.

He sighed and reached out to open another brocade box on the other table.

Han Lei's pupils contracted, and she quickly stood up, grabbing his large hand that was already on the brocade box.

That was close!

In that instant, the hairs on Han Lei's back stood on end.

Su Qi looked down at the small, fair hand that suddenly covered the back of his hand, and the soft touch from the fingertips made him momentarily stunned.

He slowly turned his neck and looked at Han Lei beside him with a hint of doubt.

Han Lei quickly grinned and said, "General, this wine is precious. We are already fortunate to each have a jug today. Please leave the remaining two jugs for you to enjoy at your leisure."