Jiang Xuanjin stood still for a long time, rubbing his temples and letting out a deep sigh. He had hoped for a long life, yet it seemed he was destined to be frightened to an early grave. “A leopard can’t change its spots,” he thought, grinding his teeth. Turning to Jiu Wu, he said, “Pingling is short of people. General Hu and the others are leaving today. You should go with them.”
Jiu Wu was bewildered. “Why me?” he thought. “There are so many people here, yet the Lord wants to involve me? I’m innocent! I haven’t even seen the two young masters yet!”
“What’s wrong? You don’t want to go?” Jiang Xuanjin asked, casting a cool glance at him.
Jiu Wu swallowed hard. “No, I accept the Lord’s command.”
Ever since he had helped to mobilize troops last time, he had been given a military position in the Ziyang Army. His Highness believed it would benefit his career. Indeed, the Lord had been promoting him, always giving him good assignments. But… Jiu Wu glanced at Jiang Xuanjin and felt that this person seemed to enjoy sending him far away each time. And it seemed to be getting farther and farther.
Cheng Xu looked at Jiu Wu with sympathy. There was no choice; their master couldn’t bear to do anything to the Madam, so it was up to those around her to take the fall. Besides, who told this person to speak ill of the Lord to the Madam?
Reluctantly, Jiu Wu left, looking back every few steps. Jiang Xuanjin turned and asked Qi Jin, “When will she recover?”
Qi Jin replied, “The postpartum period naturally takes over a month. The Madam lost a lot of blood and is in poor health. She needs to be nourished with chicken soup.”
After speaking, he glanced at Jiang Xuanjin and couldn’t help but add, “Doesn’t the Lord want to ask about the young lady and the young master?”
He had never seen such a person. From the time the children were born until now, he hadn’t even looked at them.
Jiang Xuanjin paused as if just remembering the two children. After a moment of confusion, he asked, “How are they?”
Qi Jin was speechless. If he hadn’t seen how nervous Jiang Xuanjin was during the Madam’s labor, he would have doubted whether these children were his.
The twins were smaller than usual newborns, but it was rare that both were healthy. Wrapped in swaddling clothes, they slept soundly, surrounded by smiling wet nurses. When the Lord of Ziyang entered, they greeted him with congratulations.
Cheng Xu distributed the congratulatory money, and Jiang Xuanjin stepped inside, standing by the small bed to look at them. A wet nurse picked up one of the babies, smiling as she handed him over. “This is the young master. Look, his features resemble yours!”
The newborn was wrinkled and hairless. How could he resemble him? Jiang Xuanjin stared disdainfully for a moment, not reaching out to hold him. He then looked down at the other child in the cradle. The daughter was more attractive than the son, with a small nose and mouth, exuding a milky fragrance. His brow relaxed, and he smiled slightly.
The wet nurse holding the young master glanced at the young lady in the cradle, smiling but puzzled. Most families preferred boys, yet the Lord of Ziyang seemed to be delighted just looking at the girl.
A crowd of people was waiting to see the children. Seeing Jiang Xuanjin neither speaking nor holding the babies, they were anxious, itching to hold them themselves.
Jiang Xuanjin glanced at them and said, “There are too many people.”
Hearing this, Lu Jingxing laughed, “We’ve been waiting for two hours just like the Lord. Isn’t it stingy not to let us even take a look?”
“Exactly!” Murong Qi chimed in, raising his hand. “I want to hold the baby. I’ve never held one before!”
Jiang Xuanjin sat leisurely in the outer room and said, “Let Shopkeeper Lu and Lord Baihua see first. The rest can come back after dinner.”
The room was too crowded, and the air was stifling. Everyone agreed it was a reasonable arrangement, though they were eager. Qingxian and the others obediently left.
Only then did Lu Jingxing notice a young woman nearby. She was extremely beautiful, with bright eyes and white teeth, her eyes slightly upturned, and a slender waist. Her figure was graceful, wrapped in black gauze. It was early spring, not yet warm, and the wind was chilly, but she seemed unafraid of the cold. She wore a black dress with a hundred butterflies embroidered on it, and a thin, translucent black gauze over it, revealing her fair arms.
It was a bold outfit, but the deep black color made it seem more mysterious than frivolous. Sensing someone looking at her, Murong Qi turned her head, raised an eyebrow, and smiled at him, a smile both provocative and meaningful.
Lu Jingxing paused, withdrew his gaze, and focused on the two children in the cradle. Murong Qi had intended to play with the baby, but now she found the man in front of her more interesting. His phoenix eyes were beautiful, and as he looked down, he seemed as gentle as a spring breeze brushing over a green wave. His charming demeanor was unlike Jiang Xuanjin’s seriousness. Perhaps he was also accustomed to the ways of the world. Yet, when he looked at her, he seemed uninterested.
Touching her face, Murong Qi began to doubt her allure for the first time.
“Have you thought of names?” Lu Jingxing asked Jiang Xuanjin outside.
The latter replied, “No need for Shopkeeper Lu to worry.”
“How can I not?” Lu Jingxing chuckled. “Huaiyu once asked me to name them, saying something like Lu… Lu something sounds nice.”
This was a death wish. The wet nurses turned pale, and even Murong Qi’s eyelids twitched. However, Jiang Xuanjin showed no reaction, merely sipping his tea and skimming the tea foam.
“Master?” Cheng Xu couldn’t help but call softly.
Jiang Xuanjin took a sip of tea and said calmly, “At this point, why bother arguing with Shopkeeper Lu? Is your heart made of iron?”
Lu Jingxing was speechless. This person never used to speak like this. Who had he learned this skill from, to choke people with words?
“Master.” Yufeng entered with several letters, frowning. “There are war reports.”
Jiang Xuanjin’s expression turned serious as he took the reports, scanning them with a cold smile. Li Huailin dared to reuse Liu Yunlie, sending him to lead troops to support Pingling. Liu Yunlie was a commoner who had risen through the ranks, with only a sister as a relative. He had made a name for himself in the Battle of Qinwang years ago, becoming a Minister of Justice, skilled in manipulation, and had deceived Jiang Xuanjin for years.
Jiang Xuanjin had once been puzzled about why this man wanted to harm him and Danyang. He had thought it was out of excessive loyalty, unable to tolerate anyone who might threaten the emperor. But after leaving the capital, he looked back and sensed something was amiss. This man’s motives were not so simple.
Folding the war reports, he instructed Cheng Xu, “Proceed as we discussed earlier.”
Pingling had captured eight cities, and the imperial forces were advancing unstoppably towards the main city of Pingling. Li Huailin generously rewarded the fierce generals from Xiliang, believing it was all his doing. He even held a banquet in the palace to celebrate with the officials.
However, a few days later, urgent news came from the outskirts of the capital: “Your Majesty! Twenty miles west of the capital, a large force is approaching!”
The cup slipped from Li Huailin’s hand, shattering with a loud crash, and his face turned pale.
“Exchanging eight cities for the imperial army to penetrate deep into Pingling, making it difficult to return to defend the capital, such boldness, and strategy, we cannot match,” said Lord Nanping, sighing in the tent. “These days, Lord Pingling must have been unable to eat or sleep, surely frightened enough.”
Li Fangwu was more than just frightened; he almost believed Jiang Xuanjin was abandoning Pingling. But it was a trap to lure the enemy in, and the twelve thousand troops sent by the court were all pinned down in Pingling. The Ziyang Army, with fifty thousand troops, stealthily surrounded the capital.
“Following Lord Ziyang has its advantages,” said Lord Changlin, pointing to the high-flying Qinwang flag outside, laughing heartily. “He said he was leading troops to support the king, and there wasn’t a single voice of doubt among the people. The court issued a notice saying Lord Ziyang was rebelling, but few believed it. This silent loss must be choking them.”
Due to the public’s reaction, several feudal lords who had intended to support the king temporarily held back. In this great battle, the losers would face dire consequences, so apart from those who had somehow been dragged onto Jiang Xuanjin’s ship, the other lords dared not make hasty decisions.
“Who told the emperor to listen to those old fools and employ generals from Xiliang?” Li Fangwu shook his head. “With Xiliang’s people here, didn’t it give us a reason to support the king?”
Li Huaiyu had made a crucial move, using three thousand provisions to trick Li Huailin into desperation, leading him to ally with Xiliang. Although the original intention was merely to protect Jiang Xuanjin’s reputation, the chain of events that followed greatly aided their side.
They acknowledged the Lord and Lady, and apart from the Grand Princess, no one else could compare.
“Now it depends on what Lord Ziyang intends to do,” said Lord Changlin, stroking his beard. “Already at the edge of the capital, if he takes another step…”
Another step would mean truly overthrowing the emperor.
The feudal lords were well aware, torn between the desire for more land and wealth and the fear that Lord Ziyang’s compassion and loyalty might mean he only intended to scare the emperor.
No, Jiang Xuanjin’s subsequent actions in attacking the city answered them.
In the ninth year of Daxing, on the fourth day of the fourth month, the Qinwang army broke through the gates of the capital, heading straight for the imperial palace. The emperor fled, taking the officials south and inviting Xiliang’s army to counter the Qinwang army. The Xiliang army plundered and pillaged, leaving the people in misery, and causing an uproar across the land.
Li Huailin’s original intention was to have Xiliang help, offering large amounts of gold and grain, as long as they could suppress the rebels. He even considered ceding a few cities to Northern Wei. However, the situation developed far beyond his expectations.
Sima Jing suddenly died, and Liu Yunlie took over his seventy thousand troops, ignoring the imperial edict and avoiding the Qinwang army.
“What do you mean?!” In the temporary palace, Li Huailin was furious. “Why aren’t you fighting? Why are you retreating?!”
Liu Yunlie bowed and said, “Our current forces are insufficient to confront Lord Ziyang. Your Majesty might as well allow another hundred thousand Xiliang troops to enter the territory, let them fight each other, and Your Majesty can reap the benefits.”
Li Huailin squinted. “Do you take me for a fool?”
There were already eighty thousand Xiliang troops in Northern Wei. Allowing another hundred thousand… inviting them was easy, but sending them away would be difficult. He was already regretting listening to Liu Yunlie’s advice to seek Xiliang’s reinforcement. How could he make the same mistake again?
Liu Yunlie remained calm, meeting the emperor’s gaze. “I am considering Your Majesty’s well-being. If Your Majesty insists on not listening, then I can only continue retreating south.”
“You…” Meeting his gaze, Li Huailin finally sensed something was wrong. “What are you planning?”
He had always thought Liu Yunlie was the most reliable person by his side. After all, even before he had taken power, Liu Yunlie had stood by him, helping him plan how to seize power and seek revenge. Without him, Li Huailin couldn’t have killed Danyang.
After the success, Li Huailin, to show gratitude and trust, promoted Liu Yunlie, giving him important tasks, and allowing him to reach a position in the court comparable to the former Lord Ziyang.
But now, looking into those eyes, Li Huailin suddenly realized.
Had he fallen into a trap?
Seeing the emperor’s reaction, Liu Yunlie smiled slightly. “My sister is pregnant and returning to Xiliang. I am going to see her off.”
It was “returning,” not “going.”
A shock hit his heart, and Li Huailin stared blankly at him, suddenly realizing, “You!”
“I take my leave,” Liu Yunlie said calmly, retreating. With a wave of his hand, the people outside stood in unison, blocking the entrance.
When Consort Ning arrived, the emperor was furiously smashing things. Everything that could be broken in the temporary palace was already on the floor. As she stepped in, a vase flew over, shattering and cutting her forehead.
“Get out!” Li Huailin shouted, red-eyed. “All of you, get out!”
Warm liquid trickled down, blurring her vision. Ning Wanwei dabbed at it with a handkerchief, silently looking at the crimson on it.
Seeing it was her, Li Huailin stiffened, striding over to examine the wound on her forehead, slightly angry. “Why are you here?”
When he was angry, he liked to smash things, and it wasn’t the first time he had accidentally hurt someone. Why didn’t she stay away?
“Afraid Your Majesty will harm your health,” Ning Wanwei said softly, holding his hand to check. “You’re hurt.”
A small cut, much shallower than the one on her forehead. Li Huailin glanced at it, unconcerned.
But Consort Ning was persistent, lifting her skirt to find the medicine box, and sitting on the couch to clean his wound.
Her touch was truly gentle, ignoring her bleeding wound, using medicinal wine to clean his hand, then wrapping it with white cloth.
Li Huailin’s throat tightened, and he said gruffly, “Apply some medicine to yourself too.”
Ning Wanwei nodded, rising to find a mirror.
Not a word of complaint.
Li Huailin watched her back, suddenly feeling restless. “You could leave, you know.”
Like the other concubines in the harem, she could leave him amidst the chaos, go to the Ziyang area, where there was no war, and no danger, and live a peaceful life with silver notes.
Ning Wanwei paused while applying medicine, slowly turning to look at him.
Li Huailin rarely made eye contact with others, and meeting her gaze, he felt inexplicably uneasy.
“Your Majesty,” she said, “do you know why I refuse to leave?”
Why else… unwilling to give up her position, hoping he would rise again and return to the capital, or perhaps having nowhere else to go?
Li Huailin wanted to say this, but looking into Ning Wanwei’s eyes, he hesitated and didn’t speak.