Li Man'er turned her head and saw the person she least wished to see at the moment.
Qi Yihan, dressed in military uniform, stood about five or six meters behind her, accompanied by several men. They appeared to be heading to the city walls for an inspection.
"General," Li Man'er turned and offered a slight bow.
"At this hour, why are you here?"
Li Man'er replied with a calm demeanor, her face betraying no emotion, her breath steady. "I just came to take a look, and also to check on the soldiers. The weather is too cold, and I was just about to have some hot soup prepared and sent over."
Qi Yihan knew that she had been spending her own money to provide medicine and food, and had likely already spent a considerable amount. After all, there were many soldiers; even one bowl of medicine per person was not cheap.
"There are people for such matters. You don't need to bother."
Li Man'er simply said, "I just wish to do my part."
With others present, Qi Yihan couldn't say much. He merely cautioned her, "It's cold. You should go out less and don't fall ill."
Just as Li Man'er was about to respond, Qi Yihan added, "If you lack anything, just send a message, and I'll have someone send it to you."
Li Man'er swallowed the words that had reached her lips and nodded, "Thank you, General."
Qi Yihan nodded, and the two parted ways, each attending to their own duties.
Li Man'er felt that Qi Yihan's words held a deeper meaning, as if he were hinting at something. However, with so many people around him, he had to speak subtly to avoid being suspected.
He thought highly of her. What if she didn't guess?
"Miss, what's wrong?" A'si saw that she seemed lost in thought and assumed something significant had happened.
"Nothing," Li Man'er said. "Go and get the silver from the chest and have someone make hot soup to send to the city walls."
"Oh!" A'si was about to leave, but then seemed to remember something and immediately said, "Miss, prices have gone up now, and the supply convoy hasn't returned yet. The items we are buying are not part of the standard ration, so they are about twenty percent more expensive than before."
Li Man'er suddenly understood, finally grasping what Qi Yihan had meant.
"Take it. Anything that can be resolved with money is not a problem."
"That's what you say, but I feel sorry for your money! Those soldiers are from the Xiao family, not the Li family."
Li Man'er sighed softly, "They are all sons raised by their parents, all serving the country. There's no such thing as Xiao family or Li family."
A'si was still reluctant and unwilling to go.
"Alright, is this small amount of money worth you being so stubborn?"
"Small amount? Miss, how much have you already given away?"
Li Man'er saw a hint of Lvyi in A'si's expression. Both of them had a bit of a miserly nature.
"Do you know that my maternal family is the Ning family from Jiangnan?"
A'si nodded, "The Ning family is rich, but you're letting too much slip through your fingers."
"You don't know, my maternal grandfather doted on me immensely. Every year, he sent me so many things. They were shipped by boat to the north, then transferred to carriages and delivered directly to the Marquis of Iron Gallantry's mansion. Just for me, it required six or seven carriages filled with everything from food to clothing, gold and silver jewelry, hair ornaments, precious calligraphy and paintings, countless good things. Even the golden and silver peanuts and melon seeds for rewards were packed in several large boxes. The furs and ginseng in my storeroom were starting to grow mold."
A'si's eyes widened, and she couldn't help but exclaim, "Good heavens, how much is that worth?" It sounded like more than the prince was worth.
"My mother's dowry when she married was a true 'ten-mile red dowry.' The first cart entered the Marquis of Iron Gallantry's mansion, and the rest hadn't even left the courtyard yet."
A'si blushed and stammered, "Your servant, your servant just..."
"Alright, I know you're thinking of me. Hurry up and go. It will take a while to cook the soup. Keep an eye on it, don't let anyone tamper with it, otherwise, we won't be able to explain ourselves."
"Yes, your servant guarantees to watch it like a hawk."
A'si took the money and left cheerfully.
Li Man'er, however, rested her chin on her hand, thinking of Qi Yihan's words.
He had told her to send him a message if she lacked anything, and he would have it sent.
The words seemed ordinary, but they held significant meaning.
At the front line, what wasn't lacking? All supplies depended on the Xiao family in Xincheng to deliver. It was fine before, as people in Xincheng and Jiucheng all bore the surname Xiao and were treated as one, so they had whatever they needed. But now, there were people with the surname Li in Jiucheng, and they had seized quite a bit of the Xiao family's military achievements. Things were bound to be different now.
The convoy transporting supplies had been stopped by heavy snow. Where would the supplies come from?
Qi Yihan's words implied that Li Nian was returning? Calculating the time, it seemed about right. If they didn't return soon, Jiucheng would truly be running out of provisions.
However, none of this would affect her plan.
Soon, A'si returned, bringing dinner with her.
"Miss, the food nowadays is getting more and more outrageous. It's just steamed buns and congee with pickles."
Li Man'er wasn't bothered. She took a bite of a steamed bun and said, "Look, there's meat too. For ordinary commoners, how many times a year can they afford to eat steamed buns with meat filling?"
Since Li Man'er didn't complain, A'si said no more. After they finished dinner, A'si cleared the dishes, and Li Man'er, leaning by the brazier, began to doze off.
"Miss, Miss?"
"Hm?"
A'si reached out and touched Li Man'er's forehead, then let out a sigh of relief. "If you're tired, go to bed. It's so uncomfortable to slouch here."
Li Man'er nodded, "I'm quite tired today. You should also rest early."
"Yes."
The conditions here were limited, so Li Man'er wasn't fussy. She slept in the inner room, and A'si slept in the outer room, separated by a curtain. Any slight disturbance would wake the other.
Li Man'er burrowed under the covers and fell into a deep sleep. Before long, the lamp outside was extinguished, and A'si also fell asleep.
Li Man'er turned over but didn't move rashly. Only when she confirmed that A'si was fast asleep did she enter her spatial dimension, take out her brush and ink, and quickly write a letter. She then put on the clothes she had prepared earlier and quietly exited the space.
Li Man'er placed the letter on the table and silently slipped out of the room.
The moonlight was dim. A black figure rapidly sprinted towards the north gate, soon disappearing into the night.
This black figure was none other than Li Man'er. She intended to scout the barbarian camp tonight, so she didn't even bring A'si, running alone along a route she had previously scouted.
Along the way, she encountered patrolling soldiers a few times. Fortunately, with her spatial dimension, she managed to evade them without incident.
Soon, Li Man'er arrived at the front of the north city gate.
The city walls were heavily guarded, making it difficult to sneak out. However, Li Man'er had her own clever strategies. She was confident that she could leave quietly without alarming anyone.
Li Man'er targeted her objective and stealthily made her way towards it.