Mu Yuan gave Qin Wei a reassuring smile and said weakly:
"Don't worry, Elder Qin. I won't die before fulfilling my father's last wish."
Qin Wei was moved.
As the two were speaking, there were a few knocks on the door, and then the door was pushed open.
Ling Yan entered, a warm and slightly foolish smile on his face, holding a food box in his hands, striding towards Qin Wei and Mu Yuan.
Ling Yan's gaze swept over Mu Yuan on the cot, and seeing some color return to his face, he felt a little more at ease.
Ling Yan subtly shifted his gaze, taking a slightly larger bowl from the food box and handing it to Qin Wei.
"Elder Qin, freshly stewed pork. I risked life and limb to snatch a bowl for you from those wolf cubs, all for the General's health. You've worked hard."
Qin Wei stroked his goatee, his face beaming with delight.
"Oh dear, I'm getting on in years. I should eat less of these greasy things."
Despite his words, his hands had already accepted the bowl of meat. Not caring if it was hot, Qin Wei didn't use his hands but directly lowered his head and used his mouth to grab a heaping piece.
One had to know that on this icy Snowgate Island, let alone meat, being able to fill one's stomach on ordinary days was cause for thanks to heaven and earth.
The stewed pork that Ling Yan had made was a rich, glossy red, fragrant, tender, and not at all greasy.
The moment it entered his mouth, Qin Wei felt a bubble of happiness rise within him.
His eyes instantly moistened, and he swallowed the meat in two or three bites.
"Young Ling, your cooking skills are excellent! Fragrant! Truly fragrant!"
Ling Yan scratched his head with a smile.
At this moment, Mei in the consciousness space had deified Ling Yan.
The naive junior's bashful appearance after being praised by an elder was perfectly portrayed by their boss.
Just one word: superb!
Qin Wei carried the bowl of meat into the inner room, leaving the two young men alone in the sickroom.
Ling Yan looked at Mu Yuan on the bed, took out a small bowl from the food box, set the box down, and sat beside Mu Yuan.
"How are you feeling, General?"
"I'm alright now. Elder Qin said you saved me. Thank you, you've worked hard."
Ling Yan looked at Mu Yuan's sincere thanks and replied with equal seriousness, "It's nothing, General. You're not as heavy as a wild boar. Bringing you back wasn't too much trouble."
As expected, seeing Mu Yuan's expression stiffen, Ling Yan couldn't help but laugh.
Ling Yan's laughter made Mu Yuan stare blankly. Knowing he was deliberately teasing him, Mu Yuan silently made a mental note.
Ling Yan, you wait!
Mu Yuan was weak. He simply crooked a finger towards the bowl. "Where's my meat?"
Ling Yan brought the small bowl to his face, using a celadon spoon to scoop up some white porridge. Seeing the porridge in the bowl, Mu Yuan sighed heavily.
Ling Yan insincerely coaxed, "General has injuries. Elder Qin said your diet should be light. Forget about meat, just obediently drink your porridge."
Mu Yuan obediently opened his mouth. This white porridge was thin and watery, with hardly any grains of rice in it.
Seeing his sulky look, Ling Yan still couldn't bear it. He leaned closer and whispered in his ear, "Don't worry, General. I've hidden the best piece of meat. Once you recover, I'll give you special treatment."
Mu Yuan rolled his eyes at him, the corner of his lips slightly upturned. "Consider yourself to have some conscience."
For some reason, this next mouthful of porridge tasted much sweeter than the last.
Ling Yan truly showed a patience he hadn't had in centuries, feeding Mu Yuan half a small bowl of porridge spoonful by spoonful. Seeing Mu Yuan's swallowing speed slow down, he figured he probably couldn't eat any more, so Ling Yan took the bowl away.
"Are you leaving?"
Mu Yuan's question made Ling Yan's movement of getting up pause. He raised a single eyebrow. "What? Is the General reluctant to part with me?"
Mu Yuan coughed lightly. "No. If you leave, remember to call Vice-General Li over. I have something to instruct."
Ling Yan nodded in agreement, greeted Qin Wei in the inner room, and then pushed open the door and went out.
A circle of people was gathered sneakily at the door. Seeing Ling Yan come out, they all started talking at once, bombarding him with questions.
"Brother Ling! How's the General?"
"Is the General alright?"
Ling Yan punched each of the shouting youngsters on the head. "Keep your voices down, don't disturb the General's rest."
The crowd collectively fell silent. Ling Yan strode forward, and the others followed closely behind.
He had intended to explain Mu Yuan's situation to these little brats after getting away from the medical hall, but someone walked towards them head-on.
The moment Ling Yan's eyes met the other person's, he knew this person was on a different level from the rabble around him.
Sure enough, upon seeing the approaching figure, the Mu family soldiers behind Ling Yan called out in unison:
"Greetings, Vice-General Li!"
A glint flashed in Ling Yan's eyes. Before Vice-General Li could speak, he quickly stepped forward and said:
"Vice-General Li, your arrival is perfectly timed. The General is looking for you."
The vice-general under Mu Yuan's command was named Li Qiu.
He was the only person with a different surname in a key position within the Mu family army.
He had gone through life and death with Mu Yuan, fought in countless battles, was utterly loyal to Mu Yuan, and was a trusted subordinate.
Hearing that Mu Yuan was looking for him, Li Qiu gave Ling Yan a deep look before striding towards the medical hall.
Ling Yan watched Li Qiu's back until he entered the medical hall's door before withdrawing his gaze.
"Brother Ling! Tell us again, how did you and the General narrowly escape the clutches of that spiky-scaled beast?"
[Spiky-scaled beast?]
Ling Yan looked at the young soldier who had asked him the question.
Calling this soldier a big kid was no exaggeration.
He looked to be only sixteen or seventeen years old. His small, slit-like eyes were surprisingly bright. He had a long face, like a large monkey.
His skin was dark, and although his hair was also tied up high, it was clearly frizzy, like it had been permed into a loose afro.
With long arms and legs, he hopped and skipped around Ling Yan, never still for a moment, a whirlwind of hyperactivity that made Ling Yan's head spin.
"Brother Ling, Brother Ling, how did you and the General kill that wild boar?"
"Brother Ling, how do you cook so well? That stewed meat was so fragrant!"
"Brother Ling..."
As this lively monkey continued his rapid-fire barrage of questions, Ling Yan effortlessly lifted him off the ground with one hand.
The lively monkey's eyes widened, his face a mask of disbelief.
"What's your name?" Ling Yan asked in a deep voice.
"I... I... I'm Hou San, Brother Ling, calm down, Brother Ling."
The surrounding people fell silent.
Although Hou San was just a sixteen or seventeen-year-old kid, he had been in the Mu family army for over half a year. He wasn't short, and his build wasn't particularly weak.
Ling Yan had lifted him up so easily with just one hand, demonstrating astonishing arm strength.
Seeing that he had calmed down, Ling Yan put him down.
Hou San finally stopped jumping around. Ling Yan gathered a small group around him and, with a mix of bluffing and fabrication, recounted his and Mu Yuan's encounter yesterday.
While Ling Yan was eloquently spinning yarns for the Mu family army, he didn't know that he had become the subject of discussion between Mu Yuan and Li Qiu in the medical hall.
Especially Li Qiu, who had developed reasonable suspicions about Ling Yan's identity.
However, Mu Yuan didn't pay it much mind, instead asking about the Imperial Advisor Wang Quan.
"That old thing is locked in the cellar?"
"Yes, General. But what exactly did he do that night? The General just had him tied up. How do we explain this to the King?"
Mu Yuan leaned against the head of the bed, a hint of sinister intent flashing across his face. "Explain? Why should I explain anything to him? It is our King, Qi Lin, who should give me a reasonable explanation. Tonight, I will personally interrogate Wang Quan."
Li Qiu said urgently, "General, your body hasn't fully recovered yet..."
Mu Yuan raised a hand, stopping him from continuing. "It doesn't matter. Wang Quan must not know about my injuries."
Li Qiu understood Mu Yuan's meaning. Seeing that he couldn't persuade him, he turned his attention to Ling Yan.
"That Mu Ling, I've never seen him in the barracks before. Feeding horses? Impossible. Our Mu family army doesn't keep idlers. He seems more like someone the Imperial Advisor Wang Quan brought over."