After settling Bi Fan at the post station, Jiang Yuan led Zhu Chuan and several personal guards into Yunzhong City.
At this time, the flames of war had not yet reached Yunzhong, and the capital city was quite prosperous. Jiang Yuan had no interest in strolling around. As soon as he entered the city, he sent someone to buy a two-courtyard house. Forty-odd taels of silver was considered a bargain.
With the location decided, all that was left was to find the person. Jiang Yuan couldn't just lead the people into the alleys directly, so for the past few days he had to walk and stop, leading the people to secluded places, saying that these places were the best testament to whether the city was prosperous, and he hoped to see the person soon.
Chapter 25 Young Master Meng
"You damned jinx!" A scream suddenly shattered the silence of the town alley. A woman wrapped in a cloth pointed at the woman who had fallen to the ground and said, "You've already brought misfortune to your own family, and now you want to bring misfortune to my son too! Get out!"
"Aunt He, you..."
Before the woman could finish speaking, the other woman raised her foot and kicked her hard in the chest, yelling, "Get away from me!"
Then, with a loud bang, the door was slammed shut.
A crowd of onlookers gathered, whispering amongst themselves. The woman, clutching a tattered bundle, fell to the ground, covered in mud. Her withered hands carefully patted the bundle in her arms, as if it contained some precious treasure.
Jiang Yuan gazed at the woman from afar. Even if she were to live another life, she would still remember the woman's appearance. Her face was scarred from the corner of her eyebrow to her chin, a long scar left by a knife, which looked quite gruesome.
Suddenly, the woman's vision went dark. She raised her head slightly, and Jiang Yuan looked down at her from his high position. Their eyes met without warning. The woman quickly lowered her eyes. She had seen many nobles in the city. Jiang Yuan was dressed in fine clothes and could not be from an ordinary family. She realized that she had blocked the nobleman's way. She quickly got up from the ground, bowed, and stood aside to wait for Jiang Yuan to leave.
Finally found it! Jiang Yuan's heart was filled with turmoil. The woman was Zhang Xiangui's mother. In her previous life, she had only accidentally obtained a shroud and a handful of yellow earth from her, yet Xiangui was deeply grateful. In her past life, Jiang Yuan had not been able to do anything for that young eunuch who had lost his life for her when he was just over twenty. So in this life, she would repay him by giving him a mother.
"You're the one." Jiang Yuan's words stunned not only the woman in front of him, but also Zhu Chuan beside him, who was completely baffled.
"lady……"
“I want Bifan to rest for a while longer.” Jiang Yuan gestured to Zhu Chuan not to continue, “At that time, let her follow Lord Feng’s follow-up troops by water.”
Seeing Jiang Yuan's insistence, Zhu Chuan thought for a moment and realized that Bi Fan really couldn't continue the journey, so he nodded and withdrew.
Jiang Yuan bent down and carefully examined the woman. "Are you from Yunzhong?"
The woman kept her head bowed low, afraid that the scar on her face would frighten Jiang Yuan. "I... I'm from Yulin."
"From Yulin, huh?" Jiang Yuan was overjoyed to have found the match, but looked somewhat disappointed. "I was thinking that if you were from Yunzhong, you could look after my courtyard."
The woman looked up at Jiang Yuan in surprise. Jiang Yuan smiled slightly and said, "I have a sister who is in poor health, but I am in a hurry to get on my way and can't take care of her. So I thought I would find someone to take care of her for me."
"Why...why me?" The woman didn't dare to ask.
“I just heard that auntie say that you are all alone.” Jiang Yuan straightened up and continued, “You naturally want to find someone who has no family or relatives to take care of my sisters.”
"But I'm afraid my face will frighten the young lady." The woman touched the scar on her cheek, somewhat cautiously.
"If you're willing to stay in Yunzhong, then come with me. If you're planning to go back to Yulin, then forget it." Jiang Yuan knew she would definitely stay in Yunzhong, so she left these words to provoke her. She had just turned around and taken two steps when someone grabbed her hem.
The woman knelt on the ground, her forehead pounding against the floor. "If Madam doesn't mind my face, I will definitely take good care of that...that young lady." The woman thought for a long time but still didn't know who Jiang Yuan wanted her to take care of, so she could only call for the young lady first.
Jiang Yuan moved things quickly, but she still managed to alarm the local prefect. Jiang Yuan didn't like to put on airs as a general's wife, but she knew the benefits of having the prefect's help. From then on, the small courtyard was named after her. Even if she left, no one would dare to bully her. So, the prefect couldn't help but make some subtle remarks.
"Madam." The woman stood before Jiang Yuan, somewhat apprehensive.
"What is your last name?"
“My husband’s surname is Zhang, so you can just call me Granny Zhang.”
Jiang Yuan didn't press further, knowing that saying too much would inevitably arouse suspicion. "Then I'll call you Granny Zhang. I'll be leaving tomorrow, and we'll need to add two more people to this courtyard. When that time comes, have the matchmaker bring a few over for Bi Fan to see. If she thinks they're good, she can keep them for now."
"yes."
"Step down."
When Granny Zhang left, she was still in a daze. More things had happened that day than she had in the past few years. Perhaps her life had been too bitter in the first half of her life, and even God couldn't bear to see her suffer. In the end, God gave her a glimmer of hope.
Mother, I will definitely come to find you in the clouds.
Zhang Mama wiped away her tears and turned to walk towards Bi Fan's room.
Jiang Yuan arrived in Chaisang half a month later. Recently, river bandits have been rampant, and even with an elite force protecting her, she still thought it over and decided to take the land route and bypass Zhangyu.
Three days had passed since she arrived in Chaisang, and Jiang Yuan still hadn't seen Song Yanji. She only knew that the situation at the front was tense, and that Song Yanji had been staying in the military camp for several days in a row, so this battle was bound to be difficult. In the past few days, she took advantage of her free time to organize her clothes and took out Song Yanji's clothes that had been stored at the bottom of his trunk to air them out.
"Madam Song!" Zhu Chuan was patting the quilt in the courtyard when Vice General Cheng's wife stood at the door with a vegetable basket and called out. Zhu Chuan quickly invited her in to sit down, and then lifted the curtain to inform Jiang Yuan.
When Jiang Yuan first arrived in Chaisang, he learned most of what was going on from the wife of this deputy general.
With the fall of Shuobei, the State of Wei seized the opportunity to conquer three border prefectures and counties. Life on the border became increasingly difficult, and those with some ability all moved their families south, leaving behind mostly poor families and the families of soldiers guarding the city.
Jiang Yuan had already heard Madam Cheng's voice. She put down the book in her hand and happened to run into Zhu Chuan. She asked Zhu Chuan to go to the small kitchen to make some hot tea for Madam Cheng to warm her up. Chaisang was not as warm as Lin'an. It was only early autumn, but the cold wind was already quite biting.
"Sister-in-law Cheng, what brings you here?" Jiang Yuan strode towards the main room, her voice preceding her arrival, her laughter quite hearty.
"Look, I just got a few fresh fish, and brought them for you to try, Madam." As soon as Madam Cheng saw her, she opened the basket. The carp were not big, and their snow-white bellies were still moving slightly, but they looked quite fresh. The border area has always been harsh and cold, and people mostly eat beef, mutton, and cured meat. Fresh seafood is very rare, so it must have been hard to come by these fish.
Jiang Yuan couldn't refuse, but after a moment's thought, he accepted the gift. He took Madam Cheng's hand and said, "I'm new here and rarely see the sisters-in-law. How about I use these fish from Sister-in-law Cheng to make a few dishes and invite all the sisters-in-law to come and have a get-together?"
Jiang Yuan spoke sincerely, and Madam Cheng saw that she was not faking it. After spending a few days with her, she also felt that she was not like the noble lady of the capital as rumored. Considering that they would inevitably be together in the future, she thought it would be better to meet them all today. So she patted her chest and guaranteed, "Okay, I'll invite them all over when the time comes."
"Alright, then I'll thank you in advance, sister-in-law." As soon as Jiang Yuan finished speaking, Zhu Chuan brought over tea. People from Chaisang don't like to drink tea, and they're not good at the tea ceremony. Jiang Yuan naturally didn't want to embarrass others, so she simply said that she had brewed tea for her to drink to warm her up.
"Sister-in-law, how long will this battle last?" Madam Cheng was an honest person, so Jiang Yuan didn't beat around the bush with her.
After drinking the tea, Madam Cheng felt warmer, and Jiang Yuan, who was not difficult to get along with, started talking. "It's been a month or so. General Song went to the battlefield the day after he arrived. We don't even know if he's alive or dead yet." As she spoke, her voice lowered, and she sighed while holding Jiang Yuan's hand. "I heard from my husband that this battle has probably resulted in heavy losses."
"The situation at the front has become this dire?" Jiang Yuan asked, somewhat surprised.
“That’s right. You don’t know, the general of Wei is practically a demon reincarnated. Wherever he goes, nine out of ten houses are deserted.” Madam Cheng shook her head and said worriedly, “I don’t know how long our Chaisang can hold out.”
Jiang Yuan poured Madam Cheng another bowl of tea, and then the two chatted for a while before Madam Cheng got up to leave. Before leaving, Jiang Yuan reminded her to invite her other sisters-in-law to come and have dinner together.
Inside the large tent, a somber atmosphere prevailed.
"The Second Young Master has returned to Wei?" Meng Xizhi slammed his fist on the table in fury. Even his imposing armor couldn't conceal the ferocity in his eyes. He had grown somewhat fond of the thrill of bloodshed from these days of battle. "Didn't I tell you to get rid of him!"
"General, the Second Young Master suddenly appeared in the main hall." Meng Xuesheng didn't know how things had come to this point, and after a pause, he anxiously added, "He has the late Emperor's edict in hand, and His Majesty orders you to return to Yongming immediately."
Meng Xizhi was unwilling to accept defeat. He had gone to great lengths to conquer Shuobei, and Chaisang was within his grasp when Huo Ze suddenly appeared in Yongming. News of Huo Ze's arrival in Wei naturally did not escape his notice. He almost managed to kill Huo Ze along the way, but whether he was marveling at Huo Ze's good luck or his own fate, he actually managed to escape.
"Hmph, I thought Song Yanji had been hiding like a coward these past few days, refusing to fight. So he was waiting for me here. I should have killed Huo Ze back then to prevent future troubles!" Meng Xizhi felt a pang of regret. He hadn't expected that his momentary lapse in judgment back then would plant a fatal trap for Huo Yanji, a trap that now loomed right over his throat. "Send someone to report to the Emperor that I will return to the capital soon. Chaisang can be taken again, but you must hold Shuobei for me."
In early October, Weiguo ceased hostilities, withdrew its troops more than fifty li, and stationed them at Shaoqing.
Song Yanji was prepared. As soon as the news of Meng Xizhi's departure to Yongming reached him, four Weiguo spies were immediately captured from the Southern Liang army. These were all spies privately raised by Meng Xizhi. Song Yanji knew that he could not get any information out of them, so he did not bother to ask any more questions and directly ordered Mu Qie to capture them and deal with them according to military law in front of the camp.
After the spies planted around him were dealt with, Song Yanji did not delay. He summoned several generals and advisors overnight to redeploy the military forces in Chaisang. They did not disperse until the sky began to lighten.
Chapter 26 War God Mu Qing
“Zhongli.” After everyone else had left and the tent returned to its usual quiet, Mu Qie finally relaxed his tense nerves, slumped onto the cushion, yawned, and said, “My sister-in-law has arrived in the city. Aren’t you going back for a visit?”
"You're even more dedicated than I am." Song Yansi glanced at the lazy Mu Qie. Only he dared to act so unrestrainedly like a young boy in front of him. His stern expression vanished, replaced by a smile. "What, want to see him?"
Mu Qie seemed to have been exposed. He stood up abruptly, his face showing two big expressions of dissatisfaction. "It's all your fault. You insisted on making me go to Langhuan Prefecture to help that blockhead surnamed Wang at that critical moment. I stayed there for almost two years. I finally came back, and I had barely stepped into Lin'an City when you brought me to this godforsaken place again. I still haven't seen my sister-in-law."
"Isn't Langhuan Prefecture good?" Song Yanji was happy to tease him, feigning surprise. "I heard from a letter from Yuancheng that someone there was so happy that they forgot about home. I thought it was you."
Caught red-handed, Mu Qie was momentarily speechless, but then feigned anger and said, "Fine, I'm helping him so much, and that blockhead still has to nag me about it!"
“Yuancheng didn’t say anything. Look at you, you don’t look like a grown man at all. You’re still like a young boy from back then.” Seeing his angry and resentful appearance, Song Yansi couldn’t help but chuckle. “After I finish my business, I will invite the young master to my new residence for a gathering.”
"That's more like it." Having received the reward, Mu Qie knew when to stop and turned his attention back to the border defense. "Then shall we not attack Shuobei? Meng Xizhi's return to Yongming is a rare opportunity."
“If he can’t take Shuobei, given his personality, he must have made thorough preparations. However…” Song Yansi’s fingertip slid across a point on the map, “I only want Akutagawa.”
“Akutagawa?” Mu Qie shook his head, somewhat disapproving. “Akutagawa is mostly mountainous and forested, and the swamp gas is deadly. Even if we take it, it will be useless.”
“If it were useless, Meng Xizhi wouldn’t have bothered to conquer it.” Song Yanji looked at the map and tapped his finger lightly. Meng Xizhi was indeed a genius. Apart from Shuobei, the other three prefectures and five counties he conquered seemed inexplicable, but upon closer inspection, they formed a chain. Although Shuobei was relatively difficult to attack, it also had many weaknesses in its terrain. The places that Meng Xizhi conquered filled the gaps in Shuobei, forming a line that could be used to defend against enemies or launch strong attacks.
Although Akutagawa was also within the area, as Mu Qie said, the place was full of marsh gas, and even if it were captured, it would be impossible to send a large army there. Song Yanji understood this, and Meng Xizhi also understood it. However, because the battle lines were stretched out, there would inevitably be gains and losses. After much deliberation, they ultimately did not set up too many troops in Akutagawa.
“Young Master Meng has truly been biding his time these past few years.” Song Yanji’s eyes swept over the circles and dots on the map, which had forced him to leave only Akutagawa as his only option, and even that might not be a way out.
The war continued, and Song Yanji was determined to take down Akutagawa. The battle almost destroyed this small border town. News was constantly being sent to Yongming Imperial City by scouts. Meng Xizhi was extremely anxious. However, Huo Ze's appearance caused chaos inside and outside the city walls. He was not on the front line. Although he had a way to win, the time spent traveling back and forth was also wasted.
What a scoundrel Song Yansi! Meng Xizhi was still fretting about the late emperor's edict when news came from Akutagawa: Lin Jiangfu had been forced to retreat more than twenty li. This was a bad location; if they retreated any further, they would reach Wen County.
Meng Xizhi has never been one to linger in battle. "Let Vice General Lin abandon Akutagawa and return to Longdi. He must firmly grasp Wen County before I return!" If he can't even hold onto Wen County, then he really needs to take a good look at those so-called seasoned and fierce generals.
"I don't want it here, I want it here!" Wearing a honey-colored embroidered cotton-padded jacket, a slightly worn light yellow fleece-lined vest, and thick cotton shoes on her feet, Li Qingping frantically shook her hand, snatched the chess piece that had just been placed down, and put it aside.
Jiang Yuan rubbed his head, feeling a headache coming on. "Qingping, a true gentleman never regrets his moves."
"I'm not a gentleman," Li Qingping shook his head. "I'm just your little maid now."
Jiang Yuan was utterly heartbroken. She glared at Feng Xiuyuan, who was admiring the scenery from the sidelines, as if she wanted to skin him alive. Feng Xiuyuan seemed to sense Jiang Yuan's hostility. Under such intense gaze, he held out for a long time before finally giving in and slunk back to the table.
"Madam Jiang, you've really gone through a lot." The atmosphere didn't seem to improve, so Feng Xiuyuan scratched his head and added, "I only discovered it after we passed through the clouds."
As he spoke, he glanced at Bi Fan to the side. If it weren't for the fact that he was waiting for the supplies while waiting for Bi Fan in the clouds, and that she spotted him from afar, he probably wouldn't even know that he had taken away a county princess from the capital.
Before his troops even left the city, Li Qingping had already infiltrated the grain transport convoy. She was skilled in martial arts and in excellent physical condition, maintaining her strength throughout the journey. Feng Xiuyuan had no choice but to send a letter to Lin'an by express courier, but now he had no choice but to take Li Qingping with him.
Chaisang was remote and had few resources, so there were not many places to have fun. Qingping then pulled Jiang Yuan to play chess with her. Before the game was even finished, Jiang Yuan was completely impressed by Li Qingping's chess skills. This was no ordinary chess game; even a ten-year-old child would probably be much better at it than her.
"Have you told Zhongli about this?"
"I told you, I told you." When Jiang Yuan asked her, Li Qingping nodded hurriedly, her eyes wide open, with an expression that said, "I told you so." "Brother Zhongli told me to stay here and not go anywhere." She deliberately emphasized the last few words.
Feng Xiuyuan originally went to the front line with the army as soon as he arrived in Chaisang, and asked Bifan to take Qingping to find Jiang Yuan first. However, not long after arriving at the army camp, Song Yanji sent him back ahead of time and asked him to protect the county princess.
He brought the people, so naturally he had to keep an eye on them. Feng Xiuyuan was on the verge of tears.
"You think you know so much?" Jiang Yuan poked Li Qingping's forehead, then turned and asked, "Does Supervisor Feng know when he will return?"
“When I arrived, Akutagawa had almost been captured, and I reckon it will be within a day or two.” Feng Xiuyuan smiled slightly, and Qingping was instantly attracted to him, squinting his eyes and staring at him intently.
Feng Xiuyuan's estimate was about right; he had just finished asking questions in the morning, and by 5 PM the people had arrived at the city gates.
This was the first time Jiang Yuan had not seen Song Yanji for so long since their marriage, and she felt somewhat uneasy.
However, upon seeing the silver armor and battle robe, Jiang Yuan's unease vanished instantly. Her ingrained habits were awakened by the imposing robe, and she almost instinctively took the cloak from Song Yansi's hands.
In just over two months, he became much darker than before, concealing some of his former wealth and status. With his slanted eyes and silver robe, he exuded an aura of power from the inside out, unconsciously giving people a sense of oppression.
This appearance is strikingly similar to Jiang Yuan's arrogant demeanor back then, as he watched Jiang Yuan squeeze into the crowd and return victorious from suppressing bandits.
Seeing Jiang Yuan's somewhat confused expression, Song Yansi found it amusing. He was about to ask her how she had been these past few days when Mu Qie suddenly jumped out from behind him, "Little sister-in-law?"
Jiang Yuan turned her head toward the sound, and before she could react, a pair of glittering golden dolls appeared in her hand. They stood on jade and glass, their eyes were black, and they held a large koi fish carved from a ruby in their hands.