Transmigrated into the Villain's Cannon Fodder Ex-Wife (Transmigrated into a Book) - Chapter 26

Yan Mingge’s dark eyes locked onto Lin Chu, his gaze unblinking and unyielding, as he stood silently.

Lin Chu felt as if his dangerously attractive thin lips were inching closer and closer to her…

Her heart suddenly began to race.

Just as her thoughts started to blur, a loud shout came from outside the door,

“Big Brother, the commander of Yao City…”

The door was abruptly pushed open. Tang Jiu froze mid-sentence, staring dumbfounded at the scene before him. Without missing a beat, he shut the door as quickly as he had opened it.

The group that had followed Yuan San and Tang Jiu also wanted to find Yan Mingge. Seeing Tang Jiu’s strange behavior, they were about to ask what was going on when Tang Jiu flashed a sly grin.

“Everyone, have some tea and rest a bit. Big Brother Yan…”

“What is it?”

The door swung open, and Yan Mingge stepped out. His gaze swept over Tang Jiu, calm but sharp enough to send a chill down Tang Jiu’s spine. Tang Jiu instinctively shrank back and hid behind Yuan San and the others like a scolded child.

Through the open door, Yuan San and the rest could only see Lin Chu sitting by the window taking care of the child. They thought nothing of it and ignored Tang Jiu’s sheepish behavior.

“An Dingyun, the commander of Yao City, wishes to meet you,” Yuan San reported.

Yan Mingge nodded. “I’ll head over now. Have the brothers rest and regroup.”

After issuing his orders, Yan Mingge strode toward the city wall without a backward glance.

Tang Jiu watched Yan Mingge leave, then slouched over to the door and crouched down beside Shi Liu.

“Hey, Little Liu, don’t you think Big Brother Yan has changed?” Tang Jiu habitually reached for a blade of grass to chew on, only to realize there was none around. He clicked his tongue, feeling oddly unsatisfied.

Though Shi Liu was nicknamed “Little Liu,” he wasn’t much younger than Tang Jiu. His temperament was also calmer and more easygoing.

However, Shi Liu hated being called “Little Liu.” Hearing Tang Jiu address him that way, he knocked Tang Jiu on the head with a flick of his knuckles.

“Call me Sixth Brother! Show some respect.”

Tang Jiu snorted in disdain.

Shi Liu ignored him and responded to his earlier remark, “Yeah, I think Big Brother has changed…”

He got himself a wife and now he doesn’t care about us anymore… Heartless!

Tang Jiu, unable to find a grass blade, ended up chewing on a tea leaf from his cup. Spotting Wang Hu playing with a child nearby, his eye twitched.

“When did Fifth Brother start liking kids?”

A soldier lounging nearby chuckled. “You weren’t here earlier. That kid called him ‘Dad’ this afternoon!”

At this, Tang Jiu burst out laughing.

“Fifth Brother’s got skills! His kid’s already this big!”

The soldier grinned. “Not his kid! The child belongs to the teahouse’s owner. She’s a widow, and it looks like Fifth Brother’s taken a liking to her!”

Another soldier laughed, “When this war is over, I’m heading back to my village to find a wife and have a bunch of chubby kids!”

“You? With that scary face of yours? Which girl would marry you? Don’t go scaring people’s daughters away!” The group roared with laughter.

Despite the joking tone, a glimmer of hope for peace could be seen in the eyes of the soldiers. They longed for a day without war.

Inside the room.

Lin Chu was feeding Han Junye ginger soup to ward off the cold. Hearing the soldiers outside joking about marriage and kids, her mind wandered back to the moment when Yan Mingge had pinned her to the table. Embarrassment and irritation bubbled up within her.

She patted her still-flushed cheeks, silently berating herself for being such a hopeless romantic.

And then she grumbled about Yan Mingge. What was with him? Pinning her to the table out of nowhere?

Couldn’t he just talk things out properly?

What a brute!

On the city wall.

Abandoned swords and arrows littered the ground, and several soldiers in Yao City uniforms were busy clearing the battlefield.

Normally, these tasks were handled by the lazier, more experienced veterans. But perhaps because of today’s victory, even the laziest among them worked with remarkable enthusiasm.

At one corner of the wall, a middle-aged general clad in armor leaned against the parapet, his sharp features exuding a commanding presence. Even when silent, his demeanor carried an air of authority.

At this moment, the general frowned deeply, his gaze fixed on a path carved through the battlefield below, marked by weapons stabbed into the ground. His eyes were filled with astonishment.

“Centurion Yan Mingge reporting to the general!” Yan Mingge stopped five paces away and saluted respectfully.

The sound of his voice drew the general’s attention. Straightening up, he turned to examine Yan Mingge. His stern gaze swept over Yan Mingge’s battle-worn armor and clearly emaciated frame. His brows furrowed as he pointed to the path below, formed by the embedded weapons.

“These—did you put them there?”

Yan Mingge answered with calm humility, “Yes, sir.”

The general’s disbelief was evident. “What’s your arm strength?”

“Capable of lifting a thousand-pound cauldron with one hand.”

The moment these words were spoken, the deputy generals beside General An gasped in shock.

General An, however, broke into hearty laughter. Stepping forward, he gave Yan Mingge a firm pat on the shoulder.

“A young general with such divine strength must surely be a star descended from the heavens. This is a blessing for our Great Zhao!”

“General, you flatter me,” Yan Mingge replied, clasping his fists. He lowered his gaze, hiding all emotion behind his calm demeanor.

General An, a seasoned soldier with impressive skills, didn’t hold back when he patted Yan Mingge’s shoulder. It was a heavy blow, yet Yan Mingge stood steady, not even swaying. His remarkable strength was evident.

“It’s Feng Yan’s failure to recognize talent. A warrior like you, being limited to the rank of Centurion is a waste!”

Commander An, a man who appreciated capable people, couldn’t help but lament. “Once the soldiers from Qiang City are merged into Yao City’s ranks, I will promote you to the rank of Battalion Commander! And if you achieve further merits, I’ll ensure you’re made a Commandant!”

After the upheaval at the Yong’an Marquis Estate, the emperor had purged all forces connected to the Yan family in the northwest. Soldiers born into military service were often more loyal to their generals than the emperor himself, and this loyalty made the emperor uneasy about the possibility of lingering allegiance to the Marquis. General An had only been reassigned here five years ago, so he had no prior connection to Yan Mingge.

“Thank you for your recognition, General.” Yan Mingge’s tone appeared respectful, but it carried a hint of cold detachment.

Though the barbarian siege had been repelled that day, there was still much to be done. General An dismissed Yan Mingge for the time being.

After Yan Mingge left, one of the deputy generals couldn’t help but comment, “That man is far too aloof, considering the general holds him in such high regard.”

General An replied thoughtfully, “If he truly remains unmoved by honor or disgrace, then he is a young man to watch. Time will tell whether he’s sincere or merely pretending.”

Hearing this, the deputy general refrained from saying more and followed General An as he continued inspecting the city walls.

Not far from the south gate, Captain Li Jianye was scolding a young soldier. Li Jianye had been placed in his post thanks to his father, the Minister of Public Works. He was known for his sycophantic nature and had shown little competence in his years at Yao City.

Completely unaware of Commander An’s approach, Li Jianye was still berating the soldier.

“Letting a woman order you around! It’s fortunate Yao City held out today. If it hadn’t, whose head would roll to atone for this? Yours or mine? And now the woman is missing! Were you blind? How did you not notice where she went?”

The deputy general cleared his throat loudly from a distance.

Li Jianye turned to see General An and immediately plastered a fawning smile on his face. “Uncle, what brings you here?”

Li Jianye’s mother was the sister of Commander An’s wife, which was why his father had no qualms about placing him in such a critical location.

Commander An’s face darkened.

“This is the city wall! Here, there are only soldiers, not family.”

Li Jianye hurriedly corrected himself. “General, I, your subordinate, led the troops in a difficult battle to repel the barbarians. We managed to hold the south gate!”

Commander An’s expression softened slightly. Though he usually found his nephew incompetent, it was reassuring to see him step up when it truly mattered. Feeling a bit more pleased, he patted Li Jianye on the shoulder.

“You’ve made progress. Your parents will be proud.”

Li Jianye beamed with delight.

General An suddenly asked, “What was that about a woman?”

The wind was strong on the city wall, and the distance earlier had been too great for him to hear clearly.

Li Jianye’s face stiffened. He quickly replied, “Reporting to the general, I was reprimanding the men under me for neglecting discipline. The moment they got their pay, they ran off to the brothel…”

“Enough!” General An waved a hand, uninterested. “You did well today. I’ll make sure you’re credited for it. Keep guarding the south gate. I’m going to inspect the rest of the city.”

“Your subordinate sees the general off!” Li Jianye saluted, fawning all the while.

As soon as General An was out of sight, Li Jianye kicked the young soldier again. “Find her! Even if you have to dig up the ground, find that woman for me! With her dark complexion, no one’s going to marry her anyway. If I take her as a concubine, she should be grateful and help me guard this gate!”

Meanwhile, Yan Mingge did not return to the tea house. Instead, his comrades, who had been resting there, left for the military camp to be reassigned.

Fortunately, Yan Mingge had sent someone to relay a message to Lin Chu, telling her to find a place to stay as he would return late.

Lin Chu recalled that she hadn’t yet checked out of the inn. She asked the soldier to inform Yan Mingge that she would be waiting for him there.

After drinking a bowl of ginger soup to ward off the cold, the little boy, Han Junye, began to recover from his fever.

Lin Chu then retrieved the carriage from the tea house, preparing to take him back to the inn.

Before leaving, Madam Qin grabbed Lin Chu’s hand.

“Sister, I’ve only known you for a short time, but I can already tell you’re a kind and gentle soul. I want to offer you some advice. Your husband seems like a capable man, but it’s often not the thief who steals, but the thief who watches. Even in a loving relationship like yours, keep an eye on him. Trust me, you’ll be better off.”

Lin Chu found the advice amusing. Her relationship with Yan Mingge wasn’t quite what Madam Qin imagined.

Still, she appreciated the woman’s good intentions and thanked her with a smile.

She didn’t dwell on it. Taking Han Junye, she returned to the inn. Just as she was about to fall asleep, she heard a knock at the door.

Thinking Yan Mingge had returned, she opened the door, only to find Shi Liu standing there.

“Where’s my husband?” Lin Chu asked, puzzled.

Shi Liu scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

“Brother Yan has been promoted to Battalion Commander, and Brother Yuan San and the others were promoted to Centurions as well. The general even rewarded them with a residence. Brother Yan and the others are over there at the new house now.”

Yan Mingge’s and Yuan San’s promotions should have been something to celebrate, yet Shi Liu kept glancing at her nervously from the corner of his eye, clearly feeling guilty about something.

Lin Chu’s heart filled with suspicion.

“Did something happen over there?”

Shi Liu shook his head so vigorously it was like a rattle drum.

“No, no, nothing at all!”

Lin Chu frowned.

“Then why do you look so guilty?”

Shi Liu clearly felt conflicted. Finally, he clenched his teeth and confessed,

“Sister-in-law, I’ll tell you the truth. Brother Yan… he… he secretly took a concubine behind your back!”