Ling Mohan also noticed something unusual about the horse beneath him, pulling hard on the reins to barely control it.
Feng Jin was also slightly startled, not expecting the horse to be so spirited, to actually understand what she was saying. It was truly a rare occurrence.
No… if this horse was truly so spirited, then last time… last time this horse nearly threw her off, meaning it did so intentionally.
The curve of Feng Jin's lips widened further, but her eyes became more inscrutable. Looking at the horse before her, she felt a fire burning in her chest. If she didn't vent it, she would die of discomfort.
After living so long, to be bullied by a horse! If this got out, her reputation would be completely ruined. She absolutely could not swallow this insult.
"Stop fussing over the horse. If you truly want to eat horse meat, I'll slaughter one for you when I return. But Zhui Feng has been with me for many years and has countless merits on the battlefield. Don't set your sights on Zhui Feng anymore."
Ling Mohan vaguely guessed Feng Jin's true intentions. She was still holding a grudge for Zhui Feng almost throwing her off the horse last time.
To be so petty about a horse at her age! If this were to get out, it would be a laughingstock.
"No, I must eat this horse. I'll see if you can keep watching me, or if you can hide this old horse!"
Zhui Feng's mane stood on end. It was finished. How could it have provoked someone so troublesome? It seemed even its master couldn't save it this time. It had charged into battle and hadn't lost its life, yet now it was going to be eaten by someone.
"Get on the horse first!"
Ling Mohan stopped arguing with Feng Jin about the horse. He reached out, pulled Feng Jin onto the horse's back, and galloped away.
Startled, Zhui Feng now obediently and dutifully carried the two forward, not daring to offend Feng Jin again. Preserving its life was the most important thing.
Upon arriving at the Ling Manor, Ling Mohan helped Feng Jin dismount and tossed the reins to a nearby servant.
"Wait a moment!"
As the servant was about to lead Zhui Feng away, Feng Jin quickly called out to stop him. "Where are you taking the horse?"
"Replying to Madam, this servant is taking Zhui Feng to feed it hay and give it a bath!"
The servant replied respectfully. Everyone in the manor knew that Zhui Feng was the Young General's beloved horse. Its treatment was almost that of a half-master. No one dared to be negligent towards Zhui Feng. Even the hay it ate was the finest, costing more per jin than white flour.
One lived worse than a horse. It was truly heartbreaking to compare.
"No matter how precious, it's just a horse, a beast that can be ridden and slaughtered. You treat it like an ancestor, yet do you treat your own parents with such care? Now you serve a beast so diligently. It's truly shameful!"
Feng Jin's words emphasized that Zhui Feng was merely a beast, and her words seemed directed at Ling Mohan.
"Alright, take this beast to the back courtyard for now. Just give it some ordinary hay. Treat it like any other beast, no need for such special treatment. Do you understand!"
"Yes, this subordinate understands."
He had long stopped wanting to serve Zhui Feng. Having to treat Zhui Feng like an ancestor every day, and then looking at his own life which was not as good as a horse's.
Now that Madam had spoken, he could relax considerably. He immediately led Zhui Feng to the back courtyard and tied it up in a random spot.
Mixed in with a group of horses, Zhui Feng no longer looked distinguished. Madam was right. They were all lowly beasts, to be slaughtered at will.
Zhui Feng cried out incessantly. Its exclusive villa was now reduced to being crammed into a dormitory. And how could it eat this kind of hay? It was incomparable to what it used to eat. How had it fallen to such a state?
…
"Why do you have to argue with a horse? Zhui Feng has been with me for so many years, carrying me to safety through countless dangerous battles. You really shouldn't treat Zhui Feng so harshly!"
In his heart, Zhui Feng was his life-and-death companion on the battlefield. He had never treated Zhui Feng like mere livestock.
With a 'bang', Feng Jin slammed the teacup in her hand onto the table. The warm tea splashed out, spilling onto her hand and the table.
"What? Are you going to argue with me over a horse? Or are you saying I don't even have the right to deal with a horse in this manor? Or perhaps in your heart, my status is lower than that of a horse? Then you can spend the rest of your life with your horse!"
Feng Jin scolded him furiously. The entire room was filled with the sound of their argument. Even though the door was tightly shut, the sound still leaked through the cracks.
Lu Shi, who had just finished burying Liu Menghan and her son, was hurrying back to report to Ling Mohan. As he reached the door and was about to knock, he heard the argument from inside. The hand he had raised stopped in mid-air, not lowered for a long time.
Just as he was about to step forward to listen more closely, the tightly closed door was pushed open with great force. Lu Shi, caught off guard, fell directly to the ground. Before he could react, an object descended from the sky and struck him hard on the head.
Then, Feng Jin's furious voice followed: "Ling Mohan, get out! Go find your horse!"
Following that was the sound of a violent door slam. Lu Shi immediately shivered and quickly pulled the quilt off his head. Ling Mohan stood before him, which made him even more alert.
"Young General, what is this?"
At this moment, Ling Mohan was wearing only a thin inner garment, holding an outer robe in his hand. On the floor at his feet were a discarded pillow and shoes.
Lu Shi looked Ling Mohan up and down, then realized he was holding a quilt. Did this mean… was the Young General directly kicked out by Madam?
He seemed to have witnessed something he shouldn't have. In this situation, would he even live to see the sun rise tomorrow?
"Young General, this subordinate has other matters to attend to, so I will be leaving now. Don't worry, this subordinate saw nothing today. No… no… it's that this subordinate never came. This subordinate will leave now!"
Lu Shi reacted extremely quickly this time, immediately turning to flee.