I Became a Sugar Mama to an Ancient General during a Famine! - Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Possessing Great Wealth

“General!” someone exclaimed, “I saw Luo Ge get blown off his horse. He’s most likely dead.”

All the soldiers turned to Chen Wu, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

“Did you really blow up Luo Ge?”

Even the usually reserved Mo Fan asked solemnly, “Are you certain? He’s the Northern Desert King’s younger brother. The king trusted him enough to give him 100,000 troops for the siege.”

“I’m positive. I kept my eyes on him the whole time. With my arrow ready and the oil lit, I ignited the explosives under his horse’s hooves the moment he appeared.”

“Just as planned, he was the first to go up, and then those behind him – a whole line of barbarian cavalry sent flying into chaos!”

Chen Wu grinned broadly. “I’m certain he’s dead. Even if he survived, he’s gravely wounded.”

“The divine powder worked magnificently. We killed 40,000 barbarian soldiers today, over 10,000 from the explosives alone. That’s how we gained the upper hand.”

“General, could we request more divine powder? It’s the key to defeating larger forces with fewer men.”

Zhan Chengyin knew today’s victory hinged on the explosives. Without them, they might have won, but not so decisively.

With fewer than 20,000 men, they’d managed to kill 40,000 enemy troops.

“I’ll try,” he said.

The celebration began, with Chen Kui and Chen Wu boasting over drinks at the table.

Zhan Chengyin stepped out and wrote to Ye Mumu: 「The first guerrilla battle was a complete victory, annihilating 40,000 barbarians. Their commander was blown off his horse; his fate is unknown.」

「Firecrackers and explosives proved crucial. I humbly request more divine powder.」

At 1:30 a.m., he thought Ye Mumu would be asleep.

Surprisingly, she replied quickly:「 You won? Really won? Killed 40,000 enemy troops?」

「Hahaha, I knew the Zhan family army would triumph!」

「Shame about takeout being closed, but I’ll get some Maotai to celebrate!」

「Wait, let me check my father’s wine cellar. Should still have some Feitian Maotai and Wuliangye.」

A few minutes later, Ye Mumu sent over two bottles each of Feitian Maotai and Wuliangye, with a note:「 I’ve got a few cases of liquor stashed away. It’s potent and expensive – drink moderately!」

Worried they might drink from bowls and get too drunk, she thoughtfully included a set of fine glassware.

「Congratulations, Zhan Chengyin. It’s late now – time for me to sleep.」

Zhan Chengyin handed the vase to Tian Qin and took the four bottles, with Xu Ming following behind with the glassware.

In the room, Chen Wu was already tipsy, standing one-footed on a chair, boasting loudly.

He showed off his armor to the assembled officers, pointing out the weapon marks that hadn’t managed to break through.

“This armor’s a true lifesaver – saved me countless times!”

“Thanks to the divine one for protecting me, or I’d be dead on that battlefield today.”

He took another big gulp of wine, then choked and coughed as the strong liquor burned his throat.

Still grinning, he declared, “My brother and I won the first battle. The rest is up to you all!”

Li Yuanzhong and Lin Dajun stood and bowed deeply in response.

“General Chen, we won’t fail our mission. The second battle will be ours.”

Zhan Chengyin set the liquor on the table.

“Good. You’ll certainly win. This divine gift is said to be extremely valuable. Let’s open a bottle for everyone to taste.”

When they uncorked the Feitian Maotai, its rich aroma filled the entire room.

Chen Wu, already half-drunk, inhaled deeply. “What magnificent fragrance!”

Zhan Chengyin poured two glasses, which Chen Wu eagerly downed.

“Smooth as silk, with a lasting flavor. Not harsh at all. Exceptional!”

Seeing this, Chen Kui promptly had his adjutant escort Chen Wu home.

As he was led away, he kept protesting, “I’m not drunk! I could still handle two more glasses!”

After each having a cup, Li Yuanzhong and Lin Dajun left to prepare for the next battle.

*

The next morning at exactly 10:00 a.m., Old Mu’s call woke Ye Mumu.

He announced he was outside her villa.

Still in her pajamas, she went downstairs to find the housekeeper finishing up with the water pump in the living room. She quickly had the pump stopped and the equipment moved to the storage room.

The vase stood in its usual corner of the living room.

After splashing some cold water on her face to wake herself up and brushing her teeth, she went to open the door.

Old Mu had brought two young students with him today.

Seeing her disheveled hair and nightgown, clearly still half-asleep, he asked, “Did I come too early, or were you up late?”

Ye Mumu yawned. “I was up late. Nothing to do with you.”

Old Mu, unusually formally dressed today, noticed her overgrown garden with its untrimmed roses sprawling wildly.

“Why isn’t anyone maintaining the garden? The weeds are taller than the flowers.”

“I’ve been too busy to deal with it.”

She led Old Mu into the living room. While she went upstairs to fetch a porcelain plate, she returned to find him and his students crouched before her vase, studying it through a magnifying glass.

“Damn,” she thought to herself, “I forgot to hide the vase.”

Setting down the porcelain plate, she heard Old Mu ask, “Would you sell this vase?”

“No,” Ye Mumu replied firmly. “It’s a family heirloom. Absolutely not for sale.”

Old Mu gave her a knowing smile. She had sold him many “family heirlooms” before – what made this one different?

She placed the silk-wrapped plate on the table.

“Take a look at this phoenix-glazed porcelain plate I acquired last night.”

Old Mu reluctantly turned from the vase, commenting, “Your vase is from the Great Qi dynasty. Remarkable that they could produce meter-tall vases over two thousand years ago.”

When he lifted the silk cover, he saw the lifelike phoenix, the brilliant glazing, and the inscription on the back: “Royal Gift of the Great Qi Court.”

In the center was a seal stating: “For the Empress’s Exclusive Use.”

His hands trembled as he held it…

“An empress’s exclusive plate! No wonder it has platinum and silver inlay with a single phoenix design.”

“This plate is extraordinary – truly extraordinary. Even at a hundred million, it’s a bargain. An imperial item for the empress herself – worth every coin!” His laughter had an unsettling edge that gave Ye Mumu goosebumps.

She thought about Zhan Chengyin’s second round of guerrilla warfare, which must have ended by now.

The vase had been collecting water all night, but she hadn’t seen any new messages and didn’t know the battle’s outcome.

“Perhaps you should head back,” she suggested. “I need to freshen up and start on breakfast.”

“If you’d like to stay for breakfast, I could order takeout?”

Old Mu caught her hint but wasn’t offended.

He had his students carefully wrap the porcelain plate.

“I know you have more Great Qi artifacts. Since I made the trip out here, why not show me a few more pieces?”

Ye Mumu waved him off. “Another time. I’m really quite busy today.”

Just then, her phone rang, and she answered it in front of everyone.

The sales director of a textile factory was calling about the second batch of fabrics, including oilcloth, as well as sewing machines and needles.

The truck was approaching the warehouse, and they needed to know when she’d come to settle the final payment.

Seeing she was genuinely busy, Old Mu conceded.

“Alright, call me when you have something to sell.”

“But remember,” he added, “having so many antiques… it’s not always wise to let outsiders know about such wealth.”

His words struck home. Ye Mumu reflected on how her family once employed security guards, gardeners, and servants, all housed in a separate two-story building.

That house had individual rooms and a chef who cooked for the staff.

After her parents’ incident, she’d fallen into depression and dismissed everyone.

After last night, when Grandma Ye brought reporters to cause trouble, she’d been considering rehiring the old staff.

But with more people around, what about her greatest secret?

Yet if she didn’t bring them back, what if someone targeted the treasures in her safe?

After seeing Old Mu and his students out, she returned to her room to change, then picked up the vase, preparing to head to the warehouse.

That’s when she noticed a note at the bottom:

「goddess, the second round of guerrilla warfare succeeded brilliantly under Li Yuanzhong and Lin Dajun’s leadership.」

「Before dawn, they left the city to continue harassing the enemy. Last night’s casualties were 40,000 barbarian soldiers. While they were still dealing with their dead, not yet having slept, our forces struck again.」

「Caught completely off guard in their exhausted state, our ambush succeeded in killing over 10,000 more barbarian troops.」