Aide Fei received General's letter from the camp asking to sell out valuables at home to raise funds for military expenditure. He was in a dilemma, given the fact that Madame Wei had just renovated the mansion. So he marked the old furniture and valuables o the house for selling. Fei went out of the mansion to wait at the central state exterior gate. He saw the soldiers that were to retrieve the household items from the mansion. The one at the centre showed his northern army token to Fei, for identification proof.
Fei : "You all will come at the hour of the ox (chou : 1 am to 3 am) at General's mansion. Now there is a separate gate, at the western road. I'll wait at the service gate of the mansion. You have to be prompt and quite, we cannot disturb General's wife." With that said the soldiers and Fei departed ways.
Wei was winding up for the day. Lin gave a foot bath and massage, prepped her for bed and left her chambers. Wei couldn't sleep strangely enough. She tossed and turned in the bed. Got a hour of shut eyes before waking up again. She decided to star gaze. She opened the window of her room and looked out to her luck it was a cloudy sky with no stars or moon to shine. She sat on the chair with her head on the table staring blankly. Lately Wei was having trouble to sleep. She had sleeping pills two days ago. Her new lifestyle in this house needed adjusting. But she has been living here fore about two moths or more and yet she hasn't seemed to get quite comfortable. The room was dimly lit, it was lonely. Strangely enough she was familiar with loneliness in the previous aboard. But somehow here it felt drastic. She decided to go to the kitchen to find something to be useful. While on her way to the kitchen she heard a sound and immediately blew her lamp, to return to darkness. In the dark lurking was Fu Lin, starring at the store room. Wei quitely announced herself, in order not to spook Lin, "Lin, i'm behind you."
"Madame, there are loud noises coming from the store room. And it was lit inside."
Wei : "Lets go see." They went towards the noise. The store room no longer was lit, but Wei went ahead to the stables. She had an inkling something was happening here. In the dark men were unloading a cart. Wei light her lamp again to catch the intruders. Aide Fei was caught with three unknown men, in a cart full of old furniture of the mansion.
Lin : "Fei you are stealing from the mansion!?"
Fei : "No Madame, I would never. This… It is how it look like," said a frantic Fei. Wei quietly observed the situation, she could tell the three unknown wen were militants. Their horses were also well trained.
"No matter what I don't believe Fei will ever steal from General. Everyone of you, to the main hall now!" Said Wei with authority and order.
Like guilty offenders, aide Fei and three soldier stood behind him, in the main hall. Lin lit the main hall brightly to get a better look at them.
Wei : "Introduce yourself."
Soldier : "I am soldier Yi, of the calvary Madame. We were asked to come to the General's mansion."
Lin : "In the middle of the night?"
Fei : "No Madame I told them to come at night, so we don't disturb you."
Madame Wei : "Disturb me or not inform me? Which is it aide Chen Fei?"
Fei shuttered and then told madame the truth. "Madame the General had send a message, to sell the furnitures, valuables and land deeds for money, to replenish the armoury at the camp."
Madame Wei : "What about reinforcements from the capital?"
Soldier Yi : "They reached the camp after two months and the weapons are defective."
Madame Wei : "So General wants immediate assistance… Is the old furniture you took enough?"
Fei : "I have land deeds of General's." Fei shows the land deeds he took from the study.
Madame Wei : "Are you selling all or have kept few?"
Fei : "I have only taken the deeds of five lands."
Madame Wei : "I see what the situation is," Wei gets up from the table and continues, "Take this table arrangement, and that study table; also the table and chair set from my chambers too."
Fei : "Madame this new furniture, you recently brought them while renovating."
Madame Wei : "Its alright. You can take it, the Madame of the house, gives you permission. Lin come with me." Two soldiers began picking the table arrangement from the main hall. Fei and one of the soldier follows to take the furniture from the Madame's chambers. While they were docking the furniture, in the cart. Wei took a painting from her cabinet in her chamber, and handed it to Lin, giving her clear instructions. "Sell this to Madame Rong and ask her for more information on weapons sale. And the money that comes from this painting, give it to the soldier that came from the camp. Tell him clearly this is to by rations not for weaponry." Lin understood Madame's instructions and gave her assurance, "Yes Madame."
Madame Wei : "Fei, take Lin with you to the Dongfang restaurant and wait outside, until she returns. And bring her back home safe. That is your duty."
Fei : "But Madame, you will be alone in the house."
Madame Wei : "Nothing will happen to me. And soldier Yi give this to General. Now take your leave. Don't waste time."
Wei wrote a letter to General, Yi was to deliver it to him. The cart was covered with cloth and tied. Lin sat with Fei on his horse and left with other soldiers, for the eatery street. This side of the street is still lively even at this late hour, with eatery and everything open the night life, is never dull in the capital of Kaifeng. At the Dongfang restaurant Lin alone goes inside. while the four men wait outside standing guard. After sometime, Lin returns with the painting scroll in her hand gone. She gives the money bag to soldier Yi.
Lin : "This is the money from the sold painting. It is to be used for ration Madame ordered. Also remember this clearly. At the city of Tian, close to it, is a secluded scrap iron merchant's shop. He will have enough weaponry for an army. But you will have to go there under disguise. If they know you are soldiers, they will hide the weaponry. Be discreet, this will be helpful."
Solider Yi : "How do you know this?"
Lin : "The merchant that brought the painting was very happy with the item, but did not have enough money to buy the painting, so instead promised to trade information. The merchant gave this tip. Now you should take your leave." The soldiers depart with their chart and Fei and Lin return home. Madame Wei is waiting for them at the main hall on the right side chair arrangements. Without the two pieces of furniture in the main hall, it looked barren.Wei thought she will replace with a lesser furniture and nothing lavish. A lot of expense took place last month for renovating. New furnitures will be brought later. Wei started worrying about the conditions at the battle where Guoqiang was. She understood why he never replied to her letter. The battle isn't going well, if he has to sell his own household items, the conditions must be very poor. The mansion did not have anything when she entered on her wedding day. She assumed that General is rarely home that is why he did not care to by furniture or decorate the house. Now she knew he was selling off his own items, wealth and property to sustain the army. Whereas this is all supposed to be the courts jurisdiction to handle. Wei feared that more of this situation was to arise in the future. She was ascertain now, that she should continue selling her paintings for reserve. That way general can spend his earnings fro army, and Wei can spend her earnings for the maintain of the house. While Wei was deep in thought, Lin and Fei entered. Fei stood in front of Wei knelt and deeply bowed, "Thank you Madame for your assistance." To which Wei replied, "It is my duty as his wife."