Jiang Xuanjin stood still for a long time, rubbing his forehead with his hand and letting out a long sigh.
She even said she hoped he’d live a long life, clearly trying to scare him into an early death. Deceivers never change their nature!
Gritting his teeth, Jiang Xuanjin turned to Jiu Wu and said, “Pingling is short of people. General Hu and others are leaving today. You go with them.”
Jiu Wu: “???”
Seriously, why are there so many people here, yet His Highness has to involve him? He’s so innocent! He hasn’t even seen the faces of the two young masters yet!
“How about it? Don’t want to go?” Jiang Xuanjin gave him a cold glance.
Jiu Wu swallowed hard and said, “No, I’ll obey Your Highness’s command.”
Since he helped him deploy troops last time, he has been working as a military officer in the Ziyang Army. His Highness intended to benefit his career in the Ziyang Army. Indeed, His Highness promoted him. He was given all the good tasks, but… sneaking a glance at Jiang Xuanjin, Jiu Wu felt that this man seemed to always like to send him far away.
And it seemed to be getting farther and farther away.
Qing Xu looked sympathetically at Jiu Wu.
There was no way around it. His master was unwilling to harm Madam, so only Madam’s people could take the blame. Besides, who let this person speak ill of His Highness to Madam?
Jiu Wu left reluctantly. Jiang Xuanjin turned to Qi Jin and asked, “When will she be better?”
Qi Jin replied, “She needs to rest for about a month after childbirth. Madam has lost a lot of blood and is in poor health. She needs to stew more chicken to recuperate.”
After speaking, he glanced at Jiang Xuanjin and couldn’t help but say, “Doesn’t Your Highness want to know how the young lady and young master are?”
He had never seen such a person. Since the children were born, he hadn’t even glanced at them.
Jiang Xuanjin paused, seeming to just remember the two children. After a moment of confusion, he asked, “How are they?”
Qi Jin: “…”
If it weren’t for seeing how nervous he was when Madam was in labor, I would suspect that this child is not his.
Each of the twins was smaller than the average baby, but what was rare was that both of them were very healthy. Wrapped in swaddling clothes, they slept peacefully in the cradle. Several wet nurses surrounded them, smiling broadly. When they saw Lord Ziyang enter, they came forward and greeted him, “Congratulations, Your Highness!”
After sending the red envelopes, Jiang Xuanjin stepped in and stood by the crib, looking at them.
A wet nurse picked up one of the babies and handed him to Jiang Xuanjin with a smile, “This is the young master. Look, he looks so much like you!”
The newborn baby was ugly, without even eyebrows, and he looked like him. Jiang Xuanjin stared at him disdainfully for a while, didn’t reach out to hold him, and then looked down at the other one in the cradle.
The daughter was much prettier than the son. She had a small nose and mouth, emitting a milky fragrance.
His frown softened, and he smirked.
The wet nurse held the young master and looked at the young lady in the cradle, smiling on her face but feeling inexplicable in her heart. Which family doesn’t prefer boys? This Lord Ziyang was something. He just kept staring at the girl happily.
There was still a group of people waiting to see the children behind them. Seeing that Jiang Xuanjin didn’t say anything or hold the baby, they were all anxious and itching to hold the baby for him.
Casting a sidelong glance at them, Jiang Xuanjin said, “There are too many people.”
Realizing that this meant dismissing them, Lu Jingxing, who had waited as long as he did, chuckled, “We’ve waited for two hours just like Your Highness. We’re not allowed to even take a look. Isn’t that too stingy?”
“Exactly!” Murong Qi joined in, raising his hand. “I want to hold the baby. I haven’t held one yet!”
Sitting down leisurely in the outer room, Jiang Xuanjin said, “Let Mr. Lu and Mr. Baihua go first. The rest of you, go have dinner and come back later.”
There were too many people, and the air in the room was stale. Although everyone felt it made sense, they were still itching to see the babies. However, Qing Xuan and the others obediently left.
Lu Jingxing finally noticed the girl beside him. She was extraordinarily beautiful, with bright eyes and white teeth, a subtle tilt at the corners of her eyes, a slender waist that seemed to fit in one’s grasp, and a graceful figure draped in a black veil.
Even though it was early spring and the weather wasn’t particularly warm, the wind blew chilly. Yet, she seemed unfazed by the cold. She wore a black-based embroidered chest dress adorned with butterflies and flowers, with a sheer black veil coat over it. Through the veil, one could faintly see her fair arms.
The bold attire of the girl, however, was subdued by the deep black color, giving off an inexplicable coldness. Sensing someone looking at her, Murong Qi tilted her head and raised an eyebrow, smiling provocatively at him. It was a challenging smile with a hint of deeper meaning.
Lu Jingxing paused, withdrawing his gaze, and focused on the two children in the cradle instead. Murong Qi, who had initially wanted to play with the babies, suddenly felt that the man in front of her seemed more interesting. His phoenix eyes were very beautiful, and when she looked down, her demeanor softened like a gentle spring breeze.
Observing his aura of charm all over, not as serious as Jiang Xuanjin, Murong Qi couldn’t help but feel that this man might be accustomed to the secular world. Yet, despite her attempt to draw his attention, he seemed entirely disinterested.
Touching her face, Murong Qi began to doubt her beauty for the first time.
“Have you decided on their names?” Lu Jingxing asked Jiang Xuanjin outside.
The latter replied nonchalantly, “No need for you to worry about that, Shopkeeper Lu.”
“How can I not worry?” Lu Jingxing chuckled. “Previously, Huaiyu asked me to come up with a name, suggesting something like ‘Lu something.’ Well, anything with ‘Lu’ sounds quite pleasant.”
This was practically asking for trouble! Several wet nurses turned pale, and even Murong Qi’s eyelids twitched.
However, Jiang Xuanjin, upon hearing this, showed no reaction at all. He just picked up his tea, lightly skimmed off the foam, and said calmly, “At this point, you’re still concerned about these trivial matters with Shopkeeper Lu. Is your heart made of iron?”
Lu Jingxing: “…”
This guy never used to talk like this. Who on earth did he learn this choking style from?!
“Master,” Yu Feng entered with a few urgent reports, furrowing his brows. “There’s news from the battlefield.”
Jiang Xuanjin took the reports, glanced over them, and chuckled coldly.
Li Huailin dared to reuse Liu Yunlie and sent him to support Pingling with troops. Liu Yunlie was a low-born scholar who had only one younger sister as a relative. He had made military achievements in the previous royal war and was promoted to magistrate. Skilled in political strategies, he maintained a solemn appearance, fooling Jiang Xuanjin for years.
Jiang Xuanjin had once thought that this man’s intentions were simply too loyal, unable to tolerate anyone who could threaten the emperor. But after leaving the capital, he realized something was amiss. This man’s motives were not as straightforward as they seemed.
Putting away the reports, he stood up and instructed Yu Feng, “Follow the plan we discussed earlier.”
Pingling had captured eight cities in a row, and the imperial troops were advancing towards the main city of Pingling with unstoppable momentum. Li Huailin generously rewarded the generals from West Liang, believing that it was all thanks to him. He even hosted a banquet in the palace, celebrating with the officials.
However, a few days later, an urgent report arrived from the outskirts of the capital: “Your Majesty! Twenty miles west of the capital, a large number of troops are heading towards the capital!”
The hand holding the cup relaxed, and Li Huailin’s face turned pale.
“Exchanging eight cities for the deep infiltration of the imperial army into Pingling’s hinterland, it would be difficult to defend the capital,” Nanping Jun sighed in the tent. “Pingling Jun couldn’t eat or sleep well these past few days. He must have been quite frightened.”
Li Huailin was not only frightened but almost believed that Jiang Xuanjin was abandoning Pingling. As a result, with a single move inviting the imperial troops, the 120,000 troops sent by the court were all bogged down in Pingling. Meanwhile, the 50,000 troops of Ziyang sneaked directly into the capital.
“Working with Ziyang Jun has its benefits,” Changlin Jun pointed at the diligent king’s flag flying outside, laughing heartily. “He said he was going to support the loyalists, and there hasn’t been a single skeptical voice among the common people. Even though the court issued a proclamation accusing Ziyang Jun of rebellion, hardly anyone believed it. Haha, this silence stumped those people.”
Due to the public’s reaction, several feudal lords who were originally planning to support the loyalists temporarily hesitated with their decisions. In this major battle, those who lost wouldn’t fare well afterward. Therefore, apart from those like them who inexplicably got on Jiang Xuanjin’s boat, the other feudal lords didn’t dare to make decisions lightly.
“Who let the Emperor listen to those old guys and employ generals from West Liang?” Li Fangwu shook his head. “The people from West Liang provided us with the perfect excuse for rallying troops in support of the king.”
Li Huailin had taken a crucial step, deceiving Li Huailin with three thousand provisions, which led to Li Huailin’s panic and ultimately the alliance with West Liang. Although the initial intent was only to defend Jiang Xuanjin’s reputation, the subsequent chain of events greatly benefited their side.
They had recognized Junfu as their queen, apart from Princess Chang, no one else was as fitting.
“Now it depends on what the Ziyang king intends to do,” Jun Changlin stroked his beard. “They’ve reached the outskirts of the capital. If they take another step…”
Taking another step would mean aiming to overthrow the Emperor.
Several feudal lords were clear about this. While they were eager for more land and wealth, they were also worried. With Ziyang Jun’s compassion and loyalty, would he only seek to intimidate the Emperor?
No, Jiang Xuanjin’s subsequent actions, including the siege of the city, clearly answered their doubts.
In the ninth year of Daxing, on the fourth day of the fourth month, the king’s army broke through the gates of the capital and marched straight to the imperial palace. The emperor fled, leading all the officials southward, and drew the West Liang army into the border to resist the king’s army. The West Liang army looted and plundered, causing chaos wherever they went, shocking the world.
Li Huailin intended to have West Liang help by offering large amounts of gold, silver, and food. As long as they could suppress the rebels, Northern Wei might even cede a few cities. However, the development of events far exceeded his expectations.
The Minister of War, Situ Jing, suddenly died, and Liu Yunlie took over his seventy thousand troops and, without obeying the imperial decree, avoided the king’s army.
“What do you mean?!” Sitting in the palace, Li Huailin was furious. “Why didn’t you fight? Why retreat?!”
Liu Yunlie bowed. “Currently, our forces are insufficient to confront King Ziyang. Your Majesty might as well deploy another hundred thousand troops from West Liang to let them fight each other. Your Majesty can reap the benefits while sitting back and relaxing.”
Li Huailin narrowed his eyes. “Do you think I’m a fool?”
There were already eighty thousand West Liang troops within the borders of Northern Wei. Deploying another hundred thousand… it’s easier said than done. He was now regretting why he had listened to Liu Yunlie’s request for reinforcements from West Liang in the first place. How could he make the same mistake again?
Liu Yunlie remained calm. Meeting the emperor’s gaze, he said, “I’m considering Your Majesty’s well-being. If Your Majesty insists on not listening, then I can only continue to retreat southward.”
“What are you planning?” Finally sensing something amiss in his gaze, Li Huailin asked.
He had always believed that Liu Yunlie was the most reliable person by his side. After all, it was Liu Yunlie who had stood by him without hesitation before he ascended the throne, planning how to seize power and seek revenge. Without him, Li Huailin couldn’t have killed Danyang.
After everything was settled, to show his gratitude and trust, Li Huailin also promoted Liu Yunlie and entrusted him with important matters. Now, Liu Yunlie’s position in court was comparable to that of the former Lord Ziyang.
Now, Li Huailin suddenly woke up as he looked into those eyes. Had he fallen into a trap?
Seeing the emperor’s reaction, Liu Yunlie smiled faintly. “My sister is pregnant and wants to return to West Liang. I’ll go see her off.”
It was “return,” not “go.”
A shock ran through Li Huailin’s heart as he stared blankly at him, and then he suddenly reacted, “You!”
“I take my leave.” Liu Yunlie calmly withdrew, waving his hand, and the people outside rushed forward, blocking the door.
When Ning Guifei came over, the Emperor was vigorously smashing things. In the entire palace, anything breakable had already been thrown to the ground. Just as she took half a step, a vase came hurtling towards her, its shards flying and grazing her forehead.
“Get out!” Li Huailin shouted with red eyes, “Everyone, get out!”
A warm liquid trickled down, blurring her vision. Ning Wanwei wiped her eyes with a handkerchief in silence, staring at the crimson stain above.
Seeing her, Li Huailin stiffened, striding over to inspect the wound on her forehead with a slight anger. “What are you doing here?”
He always liked to throw things when he was angry, and hurting people wasn’t uncommon. Why didn’t she stay away?
“Your Majesty, I was afraid you’d get too upset,” Ning Wanwei whispered, taking his hand and examining it. “You’re injured.”
There was a small cut on his hand, much shallower than the one on her forehead. Li Huailin glanced at it, unconcerned.
However, Ning Guifei was persistent. She fetched the medicine box from the side, sitting on the soft couch and gently tending to his wound.
Her actions were genuinely gentle. She didn’t even tend to her wound, which was still bleeding, and cleaned his hand with alcohol before bandaging it.
Li Huailin cleared his throat, his voice muffled. “You should attend to your wound.”
Ning Wanwei nodded and stood up to find a mirror.
Not a word of complaint.
Li Huailin watched her back, feeling suddenly irritable. “You could leave.”
Like the other concubines in the palace, she could take advantage of the chaos to leave him, go to the Ziyang area where there was no war, no danger, and live safely with a purse full of silver for the rest of her life.
Ning Wanwei, who was bandaging herself, paused for a moment and slowly turned her head to look at him.
Li Huailin rarely met anyone’s gaze, and at first glance into her eyes, he felt strangely uneasy.
“Your Majesty,” she said, “why do you think this concubine refuses to leave?”
What else could it be… unwilling to give up her position, hoping for him to rise again and return to the capital, or perhaps there was nowhere else for her to go.
Li Huailin wanted to say this, but as he looked into Ning Wanwei’s eyes, he hesitated and remained silent.