Rebirth: So what if my husband is a little crazy? He loves me.

Chapter 117 Shen Li's Strength

"Looks like you still remember your mission." Shen Li snorted and tossed him a pill: "Take this and you'll be fine."

The burly man cursed in the grassland language, but after taking the medicine, he clearly let his guard down.

Shen Li then softened her tone and asked, "What were your casualties after the raid on the grain supplies? How many people are left?"

"Weren't all the dead your people? We only lost five people. There are still more than eight hundred people scattered in the mountains." The burly man was still in pain after taking the medicine, but he had become bolder. He spoke while sizing up Shen Li.

Drunk and tipsy, she's truly a beauty.

"Yes, you won't be shortchanged on the conditions I promised before, but don't even think about getting your hands on the military supplies and provisions I robbed last time," Shen Li warned coldly.

“We didn’t want those in the first place, but you took them all back to Cangzhou Prefecture, didn’t you?” The burly man said, not without envy, “That was a huge amount of supplies. Your Great Liang has really struck it rich this time.”

"Hmph, what His Majesty of Great Liang wants is the territory of Great Zhao, how could he covet such a thing?" Shen Li said disdainfully, "I am very satisfied with your answer today. Take me to see your leader."

The burly man had already come to his senses. If he was a special envoy, why didn't he see the leader? But after Shen Li said that, he had no more questions.

So they came here to gather information.

"Let's go." Although he was reluctant, he still led the way, the same way he had come from.

"Why are you holding that bag so tightly? What treasures are in there?" Only then did the burly man notice that Shen Li was holding a cloth bag behind her back.

"This is a treasure for your leader."

"Let me see? I spent so much time replying to you." The burly man was tempted.

Shen Li smiled faintly: "Okay."

She grabbed the bag with both hands and pulled it, and the burly man's head happened to be lowered, meeting a pair of red eyes.

The bamboo viper was particularly angry that its hibernation had been disturbed, and it was also frightened. It immediately sprang out and bit the strong man's neck.

The burly man's pupils contracted, and Shen Li supported his shoulder, covering his mouth with the cloth bag in her hand before he could scream.

The sound was too muffled to attract anyone's attention.

But the person died very quickly.

Shen Li felt that the place was still a bit far from the camp, so she carried the man forward with one hand and threw him under the tree where he had just finished relieving himself.

She had just dropped it when she heard footsteps, and she turned and hid in the shadows of the trees.

The man was even more drunk, almost unable to stand. When he saw someone lying on the ground, he laughed and kicked the person twice, saying something in the local language.

It sounds like a sarcastic remark.

Then the man urinated on the person who had fallen to the ground, laughed loudly, and walked back.

Shen Li listened until the voices faded into the distance before slowly walking to this side of the mountain. Once she found some shade, she went up the mountain to meet up with Shaoyao and Ma Zheng.

The two had a good vantage point, but they couldn't see the whole thing. They could only see Shen Li leading the people into the woods, and then the two of them walked out one after the other like old friends.

The man was bitten to death by a snake halfway there, and Shen Li carried him over with one hand. He didn't look like he weighed more than 200 pounds; he looked like he weighed less than 2 pounds.

Peony was worldly-wise, but Ma Zheng was completely dumbfounded.

What did he see?

Let alone girls, is this the kind of power that any human being can possess?

Shen Li called out to Shadow from the shadows where Ma Zheng couldn't see him. When Shadow appeared, he was also sweating profusely. He had been secretly protecting her for so long, only to realize now that Madam might not need protection as much.

Shen Li found a charcoal pencil on her person, wrote the message on a handkerchief, and handed it to him: "Go personally and give this to Lin Wan'er as quickly as possible. Be quick."

"I'm here to protect you, I can't send messages," Shadow said, taking the handkerchief with a troubled expression.

Shen Li's cool gaze locked onto him: "You think you can beat me?"

"……"shadow.

He could tell that the lady had never practiced martial arts, but she was extremely fast, and he couldn't even win against her because of his speed.

This can be seen from the performance of the bamboo viper. After biting the Rongdi man, the bamboo viper wanted to bite its own wife, but it was knocked away by a flute.

There was absolutely no chance to bite into it.

"But I don't know how to explain this to my lord..." Shadow still didn't move.

"Oh? You think it'll be easier to explain if you go against me?" A hint of a smile appeared in Shen Li's usually calm eyes.

Shadow made a decision almost immediately: if he offended the master, he could probably get away with using the lady as a shield; but if he offended the lady... the master would probably make him into soup.

"I'll go now, Madam. Please take care." He replied and immediately disappeared into the shadows, his stealth speed undetectable to others.

Shen Li was finally satisfied. The two pieces of information she had obtained on this trip were too important. It seemed that this trip was truly worthwhile.

"Miss, are you alright?" When Peony saw Shen Li coming over, she looked her up and down, afraid that she might have even scratched her skin.

Ma Zheng finally understood why Madam Gu was chosen as the team leader for this trip; she was indeed capable of leading...

"Everything's fine. Let the horses neigh down the mountain and call the other soldiers back." Shen Li narrowed her eyes slightly. Fortunately, it had only been a day, and the troops couldn't have gone far.

They reached the foot of the mountain when it was broad daylight. After the horses neighed, the soldiers were all recalled that night, since the distance was still short.

“These days you will be going into the city in batches to secretly investigate the military rations. You must not ride horses and you must not reveal your identities,” Shen Li instructed.

The soldiers responded.

"Then will your subordinates still follow you?" Ma Zheng asked.

"Take twenty men with you. We'll ride into the city on horseback first thing tomorrow morning." Shen Li looked down at Cangzhou City and narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Yes."

The next morning, more than twenty top-quality military horses were seen in front of the city gate of Cangzhou. The garrison commander dared not neglect them and hurriedly went forward to inquire.

"I am a centurion of the 3,000-strong battalion. This is Lady Shen Li, a third-rank official of the imperial court. She has been ordered by the Duke to investigate the matter of military provisions in Cangzhou Prefecture," Ma Zheng stepped forward and introduced himself.

"So it's Madam Gu! Please invite her in." The centurion clearly knew who was coming and immediately organized his soldiers to line up and welcome Shen Li and her entourage into the city.

Shen Li sat on her horse, wearing armor, her eyes fixed straight ahead.

She was quickly ushered into the governor's mansion and met the governor of Cangzhou, who was in his early fifties, with a thin face and short stature. His eyes gleamed as he looked at Shen Li, sizing her up.

"Governor Zhang Bingzhong of Cangzhou greets Madam Gu." Zhang Bingzhong stepped forward and bowed.

Both governors held the third rank, but compared to Shen Li's title, Zhang Bingzhong clearly wielded much more real power, serving as a regional governor.

Shen Li did not return the gift, but instead took out a gold medal.

"Your Excellency, I have been ordered by the Emperor to come here to investigate the theft of military supplies." Her voice was solemn, and her appearance was equally dignified.

Upon seeing the gold medal, Zhang Bingzhong immediately knelt down: "Zhang Bingzhong, Governor of Cangzhou, greets Your Majesty and welcomes Madam Gu. All the officials of Cangzhou will fully cooperate with Madam's investigation and dare not err."

"Hmm." Shen Li responded indifferently, not even glancing at Zhang Bingzhong at her feet, and said only, "Lord Zhang had better keep his word. If there is any favoritism or fraud, don't blame me for being ruthless."

"Yes, I wouldn't dare," Zhang Bingzhong quickly replied.

Shen Li then put away the gold medal with satisfaction and accepted the accommodation personally arranged for her by Zhang Bingzhong, which was a large courtyard behind the governor's office.

When Ma Zheng saw Shen Li's official demeanor, he felt as if he were meeting this lady for the first time. Previously, she seemed aloof but was actually approachable, but now, seeing her imposing presence, he felt even more afraid.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that she exuded a powerful aura.

Peony shared the same thought; she had never seen her young mistress like this before. Even when she confronted the Imperial Concubine, she always used gentleness to overcome strength, but now she seemed to have an arrogant air about her, as if she didn't respect anyone.

Miss, didn't you say before that whether you're an official or a noblewoman, it's taboo to use your power to oppress others, and you should win people over with virtue?

Shen Li entered the courtyard and dismissed all the maids, replacing them with her own soldiers. She left only Shaoyao to serve her in the room.

Her imposing manner dissipated only after everyone left, and she became calm and humble again.

"Miss, I feel more at ease when you're like this," Peony whispered. "Are you hungry? Shall I call the kitchen to send some food over?"

Shen Li's eyes lit up, and she immediately nodded.

My own daughter is the most considerate.

Although Gu Chang'an kept sending supplies along the way, including all kinds of meat, they were not as delicious as freshly cooked meat, and she hadn't had a proper night's sleep in bed for several days.

Now that we've arrived in Cangzhou Prefecture, we should relax and enjoy a few more comfortable days.

"Madam, as you instructed, the case files have been brought to you." Ma Zheng handed over a thick stack of books.

"Just leave it there." Shen Li waved her hand. "Go and rest."

Looking at Shen Li's listless expression, Ma Zheng felt that she didn't seem to be in a hurry to investigate the matter.

Shen Li was indeed not in a hurry. After everyone left, she lay down on the couch to rest, and when Shaoyao returned, she had hot water prepared.

After enjoying a delicious meal and taking a hot bath, she looked at the sky at dusk and said, "Peony, isn't it time to eat?"

The food at the governor's mansion was excellent, and Shen Li enjoyed a variety of different cuisines, her eyes sparkling with delight during dinner.

After eating, I felt tired and lay down.

However, despite being so tired, I couldn't fall asleep and kept tossing and turning.

"Miss, is something on your mind?" asked Peony, who lived in the outer room.

She always felt that the young lady wasn't as carefree as she appeared, and that she must be hiding something in her heart, otherwise she wouldn't be unable to sleep.

"Yes." Shen Li admitted with a sigh, "I miss my husband. If only he were here, this feeling of being alone in an empty room is really not good."

“…” Peony.

She didn't ask any unnecessary questions.

"I've finally seen the scenery outside and tasted the delicious food described in travelogues. I'm happy, but something just feels off." Shen Li asked the person outside, "Do you understand this feeling?"