Chapter 193 - Chapter 193:193. I mean your eyeballs

Chapter 193:193. I mean your eyeballs

Translator: 549690339

Su Liang specifically chose a secluded courtyard, the bedroom had a small study, and asked the servants to prepare a set of bedding for the couch in the study.

Ning Jing slept in the study at night.

Before dawn the next day, Su Liang got up.

The servants brought water for washing and breakfast. She tidied up, finished eating, and went to the military camp.

They agreed last night that she had important things to do, and during her stay in Xuanbei City, she would only be responsible for making late-night snacks for Ning Jing, who would take care of his other meals himself.

Ning Jing had no objections.

When Su Liang arrived at the camp, today’s morning training was about to begin.

“Xiaoliang!” Lin Bojun waved with a smile.

The tall man standing beside him turned his head and looked over, his face

covered in a stubbly beard. It was Che Yun.

“Second Brother Lin, are we going to participate in the training?” Su Liang, dressed in a neat and vigorous attire, her hair tied up high, beamed with a bright smile, making the soldiers’ eyes fixate on her.

Lin Bojun laughed heartily, “I knew it, you must have wanted to participate in the training! ”

“This is…” Su Liang saw Che Yun looking at her and asked.

“My surname is Che, with a single name Yun. You must be the famous Martial

Arts Champion, General Su, right? I’ve been looking forward to meeting you!” Che Yun cupped his hands in greeting, his eyes filled with undisguised admiration as he looked at Su Liang.

Su Liang nodded slightly and returned the gesture, “General Che, nice to meet you for the first time. Please give me your guidance in the future.”

Xing Ji and several veteran generals appeared not far away, and the training was about to begin.

Seeing Lin Bojun and Su Liang joining the ordinary soldiers in the training,

Xing Ji smiled and said, “That’s very good, go ahead.”

Last night, Che Yun had already been separately called by Xing Ji to talk, not mentioning Su Liang, just because he had previously been close to Wan Cong.

As Su Liang said, Che Yun actively confessed the truth about the Wan father and son colluding to falsify and fabricate military achievements, and personally wrote a letter of testimony, signed his name, and before dawn, it had been sent back to the capital with Xing Ji’s letter.

Che Yun said he had always wanted to expose the Wan father and son to the court, but because of the lack of actual evidence and his weakness, he was afraid of being retaliated against and causing trouble for his parents, so he had hesitated and not taken any action.

Xing Ji understood this.

With Su Liang’s participation, the soldiers in today’s training were giving extra effort.

Xing Ji, who was watching from the side, was quite pleased, because Lin Bojun and Su Liang performed extremely well, far better than the others in every aspect.

“Both of them are Martial Arts Champions indeed, very impressive!” General Liu praised.

General Zhou suggested, “Why not have a martial arts competition today, so everyone can see the skills of our two Martial Arts Champions for themselves!” A chorus of agreement followed.

Xing Ji smiled, “After the training is over, we will arrange the competition. Today, any soldier under thirty-five who can defeat General Lin or General Su will be handsomely rewarded!”

Upon hearing this, the eyes of several young generals, including Che Yun, lit up.

Whether there was a reward or not was not important. If they could defeat the Martial Arts Champion in public, it would greatly benefit their prestige in the army.

General Zhou informed Xing Ji that among the four-level martial artists under thirty-five, Che Yun was the best in martial arts.

That was also the reason why Wan Cong had tried to win Che Yun over to do his bidding.

When the training ended, Su Liang learned that she would be competing later and looked forward to it.

She had accomplished some great feats before, but she never had the chance to make a move herself. For the sake of safety, it was almost entirely Ning Jing’s doing.

It had been a while since she last fought. Su Liang enjoyed actual combat, and she was extremely talented and good at learning from her opponents.

“I am Lin Bojun’s junior, and anyone who wants to challenge him must first pass through my checkpoint!” Su Liang said.

This meant that she would participate in all the competitions, and as long as she did not lose, Lin Bojun wouldn’t have to make a move.

Lin Bojun knew very well that his martial arts prowess was inferior to Su Liang’s. Since Su Liang wanted to fight several rounds, he would let her have her way.

The news of the “Challenge the Martial Arts Champion” competition spread throughout the camp.

Although many people were eager to try, they were also afraid of losing face in public. So they elected the best martial artist among the younger generation of generals to represent them and challenge Su Liang first.

It was Che Yun. He had won the first place in last year’s military martial arts tournament.

It is said that because he had to take care of his parents at home, he did not go to the capital to participate in the martial arts exams, but instead directly became a soldier in Xuanbei City.

There were rules for selection and promotion in the military, and he seized every opportunity, showing his talent and dedication. Two years after joining the army, he was promoted to rank four.

As a common soldier of civilian origin, it was quite impressive for him to achieve such success at a young age.

Everyone was looking forward to the outcome of this martial arts competition, to see who was stronger between the army’s “Martial Arts Champion” and the national martial arts champion.

Su Liang had seen Che Yun’s waist sword before, and she only had her usual twin blades with her this time.

When they arrived at the combat stage in the military camp, the surrounding area was already filled with soldiers who had been allowed to watch the competition.

Che Yun was at the side of the stage, wiping his long sword.

Xing Ji and several generals sat on the spectator seats with Lin Bojun standing beside them.

As the competition was about to begin, Su Liang stepped onto the combat stage amidst the watchful eyes of everyone.

Someone took the lead, and the cheers from the crowd sounded like thunder.

At first, they were cheering for Che Yun, but later on, the cheers for Su Liang grew louder as well.

Xing Ji looked distracted, thinking that being young was truly wonderful. Such enthusiasm was what he had longed for in his life. However, due to his background, he only managed to openly join the military when he was middle-aged.

He didn’t feel guilty about his meteoric rise to the position of the commanding general, but he did have some regrets. He wished life could be lived again. Perhaps he could have chosen a different way of living—no longer missing his youthful dreams and no longer missing someone…

“General, you can start now,” someone reminded him from the side.

Xing Ji snapped back to reality and announced the start of the competition.

With a resounding voice, Che Yun said, “Today, I shall experience Su Liang’s extraordinary skills!” As soon as he finished speaking, he drew his sharp sword and attacked Su Liang!

Su Liang was unfamiliar with Che Yun’s strength and did not dare to be careless. She still chose to adopt her usual tactic of defensive probing first, followed by offense.

Not long after the fight started, Su Liang realized that she had met a formidable opponent.

Chen Yun was a powerful martial artist. His moves seemed slow, but his attacks were fierce and his reactions agile. Although he seemed carefree, he was actually calm and logical. Like Su Liang, he began the fight conservatively, trying to probe her moves first.

Xing Ji was fully focused on the competition, believing it to be better than any match in the recent martial arts competition.

Su Liang and Chen Yun were evenly matched and both were intelligent, putting up a brilliant fight.

Spectators among the soldiers occasionally cheered for the incredible moves of the two.

The generals beside Xing Ji couldn’t help but praise Su Liang. She was a young girl, even six years younger than Chen Yun, and it was no wonder that she was called a genius after winning the title of Martial Arts Champion.

After half an hour, the fight was still a tie.

Even Xing Ji couldn’t predict who would eventually win.

As for Lin Bojun, if Su Liang hadn’t blocked him earlier and accepted Chen Yun’s challenge, he would surely have lost.

After another quarter of an hour, it seemed that Chen Yun and Su Liang had reached an unspoken agreement and stopped fighting simultaneously.

In the end, the match ended in a draw.

For Su Liang, the battle demonstrated her true strength to the soldiers, and she was deserving of her title as Martial Arts Champion.

At the same time, Chen Yun also proved that his title of “Martial Arts Champion of the Army” was not false at all.

It could be said that it was a win-win situation.

Xing Ji was satisfied with the outcome, feeling that Chen Yun was someone worth cultivating. After all, Lin Bojun and Su Liang were both planning to return to the capital city, so they couldn’t be relied upon for now.

Since Chen Yun couldn’t defeat Su Liang, no one else challenged her.

Xing Ji rewarded Chen Yun with 500 silver taels, a generous prize in the army.

After thanking Xing Ji, Chen Yun came to find Su Liang again.

“I’ve heard that General Su is skilled in medical treatments, and now also serving as Imperial Physician. I wonder if you could spare some time to treat my father? He has been suffering from a persistent cough for years, taking many medicines without a cure,” Chen Yun sighed as he spoke.

Su Liang readily agreed, “Where does your family live? I’ll find time to go there this afternoon.”

Greatly delighted, Chen Yun bowed his thanks, “Thank you so much, General Su! I’ll be staying in the military camp today; whenever you have time, just let me know and I’ll take you there!”

“Okay,” Su Liang nodded. She recalled that Ning Jing had investigated Chen Yun’s family before, learning that he had a younger brother who had gone missing since childhood.

Su Liang went to find Xing Ji, offering some suggestions for improving the training in the army. As a transmigrator and a military woman in her previous life, she had a better understanding of theory and practical experience.

Xing Ji listened and thought it made sense, asking Su Liang to organize and write down the details so that he could communicate with the generals responsible for training the soldiers about how to improve.

In the end, Xing Ji sighed, “If you were my child, I’d be laughing in my sleep from joy. ”

Su Liang replied solemnly, “When I return to the capital city, I will definitely tell Crown Prince Xing that Uncle Xing dislikes him.”

Xing Ji couldn’t help but laugh, “Compared to you, he dislikes himself. Why don’t you reconsider accepting me as your godfather? By the time you marry Ning Jing, you’ll have a family, and I’ll give you a dowry!”

Su Liang coughed lightly, “That would be a form of harm to Ning Jing, for he is also alone. I cant make him feel like Uncle Xing and his family are bullying him.”

Xing Ji nodded, “You have a point.” They really were shamelessly talking nonsense…

Su Liang knew Xing Ji was very fond of her. If Ning Jing was not Gu Ling, perhaps she would have agreed to acknowledge Xing Ji as her godfather.

However, to be on the safe side, she tried to avoid having an undeniable relationship with others. They could be friends, but she would avoid anything related to kinship.

“By the way, Qi Jiang asked me to ask you if Ajun is going back to Xuanbei City?” Xing Ji changed the subject.

Su Liang shook her head, “No. I have sent him to Su Family Village to check on the situation there, and then settle down there for a while. When I pass by on my way back to the capital, I will call for him.”

Xing Ji nodded, “I see. Yu Sheng mentioned that you and Ning Jing have a good reputation in the village.”

“That’s mainly because of me,” Su Liang joked.

After chatting, Su Liang seriously sorted out her suggestions on how to improve the army’s training methods, listing them clearly. These were not just ideas, but also included explanations on why improvement was needed, how to improve, and what benefits would be gained.

It wasn’t just due to the recent thoughts she had had. When she was training in the guard camp outside the capital city, she had also had many ideas, but hadn’t had time to bring them up before she had to go to Xuanbei City.

By the time she handed the written materials to Xing Ji, he had carefully read them twice and praised, “You were born to be a general.”

Su Liang smiled, “Suddenly, I feel like eating the pickles made by Aunt Bai, our neighbor in Su Family Village.”

General, pickles… Xing Ji paused for a moment before realizing Su Liang was playing with a pun. He smiled, “You have a way with words. You’re really amusing. ”

“For now, these are the only suggestions I have. You can discuss with other seniors if they are feasible,” Su Liang said.

“I think all of your suggestions are feasible,” Xing Ji said. “How about having a few drinks together at noon?”

“I don’t like drinking. I met Second Brother Lin just now, and he was waiting for me. He said he wanted to try the army’s big pot meal with me,” Su Liang said.

Xing Ji nodded, “Alright, you two go ahead.”

When Su Liang reached the entrance, Xing Ji spoke again, “My wife and Yu Sheng both said that your cooking skills are excellent. You might want to see if there’s any room for improvement in the army’s meals.”

“Huh?” Su Liang was stunned, “Is Uncle Xing trying to make a show of his new authority? Alright, I’ll have a look.”

Xing Ji intended to explain that he had once spent several days in Xuanbei City, and the army’s meals there were simply unbearable. He had suddenly thought of this and mentioned it to Su Liang, not meaning to win over people’s support through such measures.

But before he could say anything, Su Liang quickly walked away.

Xing Ji shook his head with a smile, knowing that Su Liang was just joking, and let it go.

When Su Liang saw Lin Bojun again, he was chatting and laughing happily with

Chen Yun.

“General Su is here,” Chen Yun greeted Su Liang with courtesy and enthusiasm.

Su Liang nodded slightly, not too enthusiastically, “Second Brother Lin, let’s go.”

Chen Yun laughed, “Why don’t I invite both of you to the restaurant for a meal?

I’m afraid you won’t be used to the big pot meal here.”

“We actually want to go and see for ourselves,” Su Liang declined.

“Alright, let’s go together,” Chen Yun said.

The three of them arrived at the food distribution area and saw that the soldiers were eating with bowls. They could smell the aroma of meat, but the color of the food was hard to describe, making it unappetizing.

Su Liang wasn’t surprised. It was impossible to cook fine meals for so many people.

“Do you still want to try, General Su?” Che Yun asked with a smile.

Lin Bojun. who came from a prestigious family. was a hardworking martial

artist but had never experienced any hardships in his life. Seeing the food, he was a bit hesitant to eat it.

The food in the military camp outside the capital city was much better. It’s not that he thought he was superior, but it was difficult for him to completely overcome his dietary habits. Moreover, he had been a picky eater since childhood and was afraid that he would not be able to eat the food in front of everyone, which would give a bad impression.

“Forget it, you guys go to the restaurant. I still have things to do.” Su Liang said and walked in the direction of the kitchen.

Che Yun didn’t understand what she wanted to do.

Lin Bojun explained, “She has good cooking skills. General Xing probably wants her to see if there is any room for improvement in the food.”

Che Yun was surprised, “General Su can cook? Her medical skills are so amazing, she really is a talented person!”

Lin Bojun nodded with a smile, “You’re absolutely right!”

Both of them had bold personalities and got along well. Lin Bojun didn’t insist on eating the communal meal for the sake of face, and went with Che Yun as they headed out together.

“Why does General Su call Brother Lin ‘Second Brother’?” Che Yun curiously asked.

Lin Bojun laughed, “Ning Jing is my father’s disciple.”

Che Yun paused, “Ning Jing…”

“Su Liang’s fiancé, the current top scholar, the head of the Ning Family of

Xunyang tea merchants, and now working in the Ministry of Revenue.” Lin

Bojun said, “She calls me Second Brother because of Ning Jing.”

“I see.” Che Yun nodded, “I heard that General Su is just of marriageable age, I almost forgot that she is already engaged.”

Su Liang arrived at the military camp’s kitchen and was greeted by a wave of heat.

An old cook saw a young girl entering the kitchen and scolded her to leave immediately.

The kitchen in the military camp was not a place where everyone could enter, as they had to be cautious about any strangers putting poison into the food.

Su Liang explained that she was a general who had just arrived from the capital city and was here to inspect the kitchen.

“You guys continue your work, I’ll just have a look around.” Su Liang said.

The kitchen steward, who was an old soldier, couldn’t figure out what Su Liang wanted to do. He thought that if this delicate female general started making frivolous complaints, they wouldn’t be able to change anything due to their limited resources.

Su Liang waited until the end of lunch, when the large stoves were almost extinguished. She saw an old cook preparing the kitchen staff’s “working meal” with leftover scraps, and she walked over and said, “Let me do it.” The exhausted cooks were all dumbfounded.

No one dared to stop Su Liang, and they watched in amazement as the beautiful female general expertly prepared the food.

Su Liang didn’t cut the vegetables too finely, and her speed was even faster than the experienced old cooks. The ingredients were plain, but when the aroma wafted out, it felt different.

She added pork fat, not too much, but when the dish came out of the pot, it was not only fragrant but also appetizing.

Someone brought a large basin, and Su Liang scooped out a full basin of food. She then sat in the courtyard with the cooks, each with a bowl of food and a piece of bread, which quickly bridged the gap between them.

Su Liang’s cooking skills also impressed these cooks who cooked every day. Using the same ingredients, their stewed mixed vegetables had a much different taste.

“General Su, it’s not easy to cook for so many people, and there’s no way to make the food taste better.” The old steward pre-emptively said.

Su Liang nodded, “I understand. Do you think the way I cooked was troublesome? More time-consuming and tiring?”

The two stewards looked at each other and shook their heads in unison.

“That’s that. I hope to make your work easier while improving the taste of the food. It would be best if we could achieve both.” Su Liang said.

The steward blurted out, “Is there such a good thing?” He then looked a little frightened, afraid that Su Liang might get angry.

Su Liang smiled, “Some things can be done more efficiently and better with a little more thought.”

Then, Su Liang squatted down with them, drew a flow chart with a tree branch in the dirt and explained how to make the division of labor clearer. She pointed out that the current disorganized situation where one person had to handle many tasks was not only unsanitary but also inefficient.

“This way, it would save energy.” An old steward saw the point.

Su Liang asked what ingredients they usually had and if there were any set menus. The answer was that they ate whatever they had, and it was mostly stewed in one pot.

After asking for details about the common vegetable and meat categories, Su Liang left.

In the afternoon, Xing Ji saw Su Liang’s suggestions for improvements to the kitchen. At the end of the document, there was a menu. It was unique because every dish’s required amount was based on a single large pot.

“Our Qian Country is rich in resources, and there is an abundance of military rations and good ingredients. However, the kitchen staff are exhausted and the food is not tasty. I believe that by standardizing and improving efficiency, the situation will improve.” Su Liang said seriously.

Xing Ji nodded, “Although I don’t know much about cooking, you have written everything very clearly and I believe it will be much better. If you have time, go to the kitchen again and explain the changes to them.”

“Alright.” Su Liang, with Xing Ji’s approval, took the written suggestions and went back to the kitchen. She found the stewards and spoke with them for a while.

They were used to their ways and thought that the many rules would be troublesome.

Su Liang said that it was General Xing’s order and that it must be followed. If they couldn’t do it, they would be replaced by someone who could.

The stewards had no choice but to comply.

After taking care of the kitchen matters, Su Liang remembered that she promised Che Yun that she would treat his father’s illness. She went to find him, and coincidentally, Lin Bojun was also there, saying that he had some free time and would go with her.

While Che Yun was greeting others, Su Liang softly asked Lin Bojun, “Second

Brother Lin, aren’t you very busy?”

Lin Bojun nodded, “Yes, but I have to help Ah Jing keep an eye on you.”

Su Liang: … Ning Jing was in Xuanbei City, but she couldn’t reveal that.

After leaving the military camp, they headed to the Che Family.

Originally, the Che Family was also engaged in business and was quite well-off. However, both Che Yun’s father and mother were in poor health. “Father, this is the General Su I mentioned last night, who came from the capital city! He is also a highly skilled imperial physician! He has come specially to treat you!” Che Yun supported a thin middle-aged man into the small hall, followed by a worried -looking woman.

Seeing Lin Bojun and Su Liang, Che’s father and mother were both nervous and respectful, treating them as distinguished guests from the capital.

After exchanging greetings, Su Liang took Che’s father’s pulse.

“How is it?” Che Yun asked anxiously when Su Liang finished.

After pondering for a moment, Su Liang said, “Medicine should be supplemented with acupuncture, we’ll need to adjust slowly over a period of time then see.”

“I knew General Su would have a solution!” Che Yun’s eyes relaxed, “I’m so grateful!”

Su Liang wrote a prescription, told Che Yun what precautions to take, and then performed acupuncture on Che’s father.

When it was over, Che Yun asked Su Liang to also check his mother’s pulse.

Che’s mother repeatedly declined, saying she was fine and didn’t want to trouble Su Liang.

But Che Yun was insistent.

Su Liang said that Che’s mother’s illness was caused by worry, so she needed to relax, go out in the sun, and move around more. He only prescribed a formula for calming the nerves and replenishing qi.

Che Yun escorted Su Liang and Lin Bojun out of the house, saying he would treat them to a meal another day to express his gratitude.

As they rode away, Lin Bojun asked quizzically, “Considering their family of three isn’t short of money and Che Yun is so accomplished, why do the elderly couple seem so heavy-hearted?”

“I heard that General Che originally had a younger brother who was lost as a child, and he would be around my age now if he were alive.” Su Liang said.

Stunned, Lin Bojun sighed deeply, “No wonder.”

In the evening, Su Liang returned to the general’s mansion alone.

As she opened the door to her room, she heard movement by the back window.

Ning Jing also returned at this time, still holding a basket in her hand.

“Don’t tell me you went to Liang Country’s Nanfeng City to buy meat again,” Su Liang said.

Ning Jing nodded, “Alright, I won’t tell you.”

Su Liang: …

Before she could see what ingredients Ning Jing had brought back, the sound of a horn sounding a rally came from the direction of the camp, and her expression became serious.

Ning Jing said, “Wei Yao, the lord of Nanfeng City in Liang Country, is the sworn enemy of Uncle Xing. He captured Wei Teng’s eldest son years ago.”

Su Liang’s mouth twitched slightly, “Stomach pain? Stomach medicine? Quite accurate. Are they going to fight now?

Ning Jing shook her head, “He’s coming with his troops to negotiate a truce tonight.’

Su Liang’s expression was indescribable, “Sworn enemy? A truce? Coming late at night? How did you know?”

“I heard about it while walking around Nanfeng City during the day.” Ning Jing said.

Su Liang didn’t believe he was just strolling around.

However, Liang Country’s intentions were unclear at the moment, so they couldn’t let their guard down.

“I’m hungry,” Ning Jing said.

Su Liang said seriously, “I need to check on it.”

“Liang Country suffered a severe drought last year and is currently running short on food and fodder, so they can’t afford a fight,” Ning Jing said.

“Then, is it a good time for us to attack?” Su Liang asked.

“What do you think?” Ning Jing countered.

Su Liang pondered, “It’s hard to say since I don’t know much about Liang

Country’s situation. But with Yin Country eagerly watching from the south, Qian Country stands between them. Although our country is strong, it’s not wise to start a war with one side rashly.”

“Hmm, let’s cook,” said Ning Jing, handing the basket to Su Liang.

Liang Country’s specialty mushrooms and wild chicken were caught in the mountains along the border between the two countries.

Combined with Su Liang’s specially prepared spices.

The enticing aroma filled the small kitchen under the night sky.

Su Liang diced the remaining half piece of bacon from last night, mixed it with the wild vegetables Ning Jing brought back, and made a filling for a few meat buns.

Just when the late-night snack was ready, and the two were about to start, they heard hurried footsteps approaching.

Ning Jing picked up the chicken soup in one hand and the meat buns in the other, and walked into the unlit study.

Su Liang stretched out her chopsticks to take a meat bun but hesitated in mid-air. She silently drew back, picked up a bowl and took a few sips of soup, and then heard Che Yun’s voice from outside, “Has General Su gone to bed?” Su Liang replied, “What’s the matter?”

“General Wei from Liang Country has arrived at the city with his troops tonight to negotiate a truce. He specifically requested that his son compete with

General Su in a martial arts match and set up a bet! If General Su wins, Liang Country will give Qian Country a city! If General Su loses, Qian Country will provide Liang Country with 100,000 stones of grain!” said Che Yun rapidly. “The general has asked you to go over immediately!”

When Su Liang heard “a city,” she knew she had no choice. As Qian Country’s top martial arts champion, she was highly regarded by the army in Xuanbei City. This kind of matter, which concerned the Qian Country’s reputation, could not be compromised.

“Alright, I’ll be right there.” Su Liang put down her chopsticks, went to the study, took a meat bun from Ning Jing’s plate with one hand, and took the long sword handed over by Ning Jing in the other hand.

It was the Luoying Sword that Xing Ji had given to Su Liang, and Ning Jing had been carrying it for her before.

Su Liang turned to leave, then turned back, leaned in close to Ning Jing, and whispered, “Is it looking ominous?”

There was just enough light from the neighbor’s window to see inside the study.

Su Liang was asking Ning Jing if her glabella was darkened. Since Liang Country came well-prepared, there might be trouble tonight.

Seeing her reflection in Su Liang’s clear eyes, Ning Jing nodded, ‘Very dark.”

Su Liang frowned and heard Ning Jing say softly, “I meant to say, your eyeballs.”

Su Liang was speechless, raising the sword hilt to knock Ning Jing’s head, snorted softly, then turned and walked quickly out of the door..