Chapter 573: 579: Coming to Take Care

Han Yu nodded his agreement, and even if Liu Xiu hadn’t suggested it, he had already planned on stepping aside a bit. The defeat had been a grave loss, initially leaving only a few thousand soldiers and horses. Although many more had managed to escape and the loss of forces had been slightly alleviated, their vitality had still been severely damaged. It could be said that all their previous hard work and accumulation were in vain, and they had to start all over again.

However, it wasn’t a complete reboot. At the very least, Liu Xiu’s popularity and reputation had reached a certain height because of the previous battle where they had won against the odds with fewer forces. Even now, after this defeat, many still came to join him.

Liu Xiu was undoubtedly eager to expand his forces, and Han Yu did not want to get overtly involved in that. Even though Liu Xiu now really trusted him and had no more suspicions, the more it stayed that way, the more Han Yu needed to maintain the relationships he had hard-earned. As for what he might be planning in secret, that remained unknown.

“I’ll follow My Lord’s orders, but even if I truly wished to do something, I fear I might lack the strength. Perhaps it’s an ingredient in the Divine Doctor’s medicine that calms the spirit, for these past few days, I’ve been very low on energy and really haven’t had much strength,” said Han Yu, his face showing hints of fatigue, likely due to loss of blood, making his complexion still look quite pale.

Liu Xiu had obviously noticed Han Yu’s condition and showed great empathy. He instructed, “Then rest well, take care of yourself, and heed the doctor’s advice. I won’t disturb your rest any longer, as there are many matters outside waiting for me to deal with.”

“Thank you for your concern, My Lord. Please go about your business; there’s no need to worry about me. I am quite capable of taking care of myself,” said Han Yu with a smile, his tone carrying a trace of helplessness. He wasn’t sure if Liu Xiu’s unprecedented concern for him these days was due to gratitude for saving his life or guilt over previous suspicions and treatment. This concern from Liu Xiu had become so detailed that it verged on nagging; Han Yu suddenly understood how his daughter-in-law must have felt under his own fussing.

“Alright then, I won’t disturb you any longer by staying,” said Liu Xiu, who seemed to realize he was being a bit too talkative. Initially, he had been grateful for Han Yu’s lifesaving grace and wanted to make up for his past guilt, so he had been particularly careful in taking care of Han Yu. But with his changing mindset, and after spending more time with Han Yu, Liu Xiu had found Han Yu to be quite interesting. Despite always looking cold and stern, and hardly relaxing his demeanor even in his presence, it was amusing to see how Han Yu responded to his nagging with a reluctant expression and the shifts in his facial expressions. It appeared that even the most fearless and invincible general had things he was afraid of.@@novelbin@@

As Liu Xiu was about to leave, having reached the tent’s entrance, something seemed to occur to him. “Oh, by the way, your wife might be coming in a few days. I thought I would give you a heads-up so you can prepare yourself.”

“What did you say?” asked Han Yu, no longer caring about his tone. Hearing Liu Xiu’s words, he asked in agitation, not sure if he had perhaps misunderstood.

“It’s like this: seeing how grievously you were injured, and given that the military camp is full of men and lacks a woman’s care, it’s not as attentive as it could be. So, I had the Crown Prince of Beian send a message to have your younger sister-in-law come over. She can care for your health and also soothe your feelings of longing; two birds with one stone,” said Liu Xiu, quite proud of his arrangement, sure that he had made thoughtful plans for Han Yu. However, he had a hidden motive and sought to confirm something he wondered about.

Han Yu didn’t overthink it. With Liu Xiu behaving the way he had recently, such actions were normal. While he was happy about his wife’s coming, his face remained stern, “This is a military camp. What is a woman of good family doing here? It doesn’t look right!”

In the Daming Dynasty, there was no explicit rule prohibiting women from entering a military camp. However, camps were strategically important, and typically did not house women. Of course, some armies did have the presence of camp followers, but that was not the case here yet.

Liu Xiu, upon hearing what Han Yu said, raised an eyebrow. He didn’t miss the softening of Han Yu’s expression, nor the fleeting trace of tenderness on his face. The so-called iron man’s tender feelings were just thus; still, Liu Xiu bluntly exposed Han Yu, “Xiu Qi, a man must be honest and not say one thing and mean another. It’s not good. I’ve always thought you were a rather honest person, but it seems that’s not completely true. With the way you dote on your wife, you must be yearning for her, and now that you hear she is coming, your heart must be blooming with joy, yet you pretend to be unwelcoming.”

As Liu Xiu continued talking, seeing that Han Yu still maintained his stoic demeanor, he added, “Actually, I had thought about getting a servant girl from outside to take care of you, considering your affection for your wife and having heard that she is a jealous one, I came up with this plan to bring over your wife. I truly thought you’d be happy. It seems my cleverness was misplaced. Since it’s like this, and considering your sister-in-law is probably only halfway here, maybe she should just turn back.”

Han Yu knew Liu Xiu was indulging in his mischievous streak, but when it came to matters involving his wife, he couldn’t stay calm. Even though he knew Liu Xiu was provoking him on purpose, he still took the bait.

“Since she is already on her way, let her come. It makes no sense to turn back halfway.” Alright, Han Yu admitted he was pleased.

“That’s more like it. Missing your wife is nothing to be ashamed of. Alright, I’ve said what I needed to, and now I really must attend to my duties,” Liu Xiu patted Han Yu’s shoulder and in a few steps was outside the tent, his smile fading and a look of inscrutable thoughts on his face, wondering about something.

Su Wenyue had not expected Liu Xiu to have Su Hengjing send a message to her, asking her to take care of Han Yu. But upon receiving the message, she did not delay for a moment. Leaving her children in the care of her parents, she packed a large bundle of belongings and set off for Han Yu, her heart inevitably filled with worry and longing. To have reached the point where she was called to care for him indicated that Han Yu must have been seriously hurt, or else she would not have been summoned.

Their three children, upon learning that their mother was going to care for their injured father, displayed a bit of reluctance, but they didn’t insist on following her as they usually would. They were quite sensible and obedient, even Brother Xing was not as Su Wenyue had feared.

“Mother, go take care of father. I will look after my younger brother and sister well.” Brother Xing had seen his mother’s worries these past days and didn’t want to add to her distress, especially since he too was worried about his father.

———-

“Madam, the military camp is just ahead; we will see the Old Master soon,” said Xiao Xi, who had also accompanied Su Wenyue this time. Seeing the camp in the distance, she spoke excitedly, pointing in the direction of the camp.

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