Jiang Yuan had seen valuable things before, but this was the first time she had ever seen something so blatantly inlaid with precious items, practically as if the word "valuable" was engraved on it.
Seeing Jiang Yuan's lips slightly parted, her eyes filled with surprise as she stared at the object in her hand, Mu Qie chuckled, "This was originally supposed to be a gift for my sister-in-law's wedding. What do you think?"
The doll in her hand dazzled her. Jiang Yuan didn't know how to describe such a straightforward gift, and her voice sounded a little embarrassed, "It's...it's very nice, it looks...uh...very valuable."
"It's good that it looks valuable! If the thing itself doesn't show any value, how will others know it's valuable!" Mu Qie nudged the helpless Song Yansi next to him with his elbow. "See, I told you my sister-in-law liked it."
That makes perfect sense.
Jiang Yuan looked at it again and thought it was indeed quite nice, but it looked expensive!
"Alright, you've seen the person and given the gift, it's time to go." Song Yanji quickly interrupted Mu Qie, who was leading Jiang Yuan's taste and thinking astray like a wild horse, clearly wanting to get rid of him.
"Where are you going? I thought this yard was big, so I didn't ask them to prepare a place to stay." As soon as Mu Qie said this, everyone in the yard was stunned. Was he planning to stay?
If Qingping weren't here, it would be fine, but the county princess is still unmarried, and it wouldn't be appropriate to have a man from outside living in the mansion. Jiang Yuan glanced at Song Yansi, signaling him to think of a solution quickly.
With a smile playing on his lips, he grabbed Mu Qie by the collar and pulled him aside as if he had been expecting this. His face was turned towards the northwest, and his chin was slightly raised. "Turn right after you go out the door, and walk to the end. That's the new courtyard I'm giving you."
"You're all ready again?" Mu Qie muttered, somewhat deflated. "There are only a few servants in my courtyard, and they're all so lifeless."
Seeing that Song Yanji remained unmoved, Mu Qie turned her gaze to Jiang Yuan, her eyes wide and seemingly filled with tears, and asked pitifully, "Sister-in-law, can I come to dinner from now on?"
Jiang Yuan looked at Mu Qie, who was groveling and feigning pitifulness, and felt as if she had been struck by lightning. She was stunned and speechless. This was Mu Qie? This was the future God of War, Mu Qie? Jiang Yuan desperately wished she had a mirror in her hand right now; she thought her expression would be quite a sight.
This was so different from the war god she remembered—unrestrained yet dashing. She even stammered in response, "Oe whenever you're free."
Chapter 27 Reunion After a Short Separation
Today, Song Yanji rarely returned, so the group had a lively dinner together. It wasn't until the moon was high in the sky that Feng Xiuyuan dragged Mu, who was still slightly drunk and unwilling to leave, back to the mansion.
Once Feng Xiuyuan left, Qingping lost interest and, patting her belly, returned to her room accompanied by Zhu Chuan.
The once bustling main room gradually quieted down.
Jiang Yuan came to Chaisang to quell the rebellion, so she didn't dare to cause too much trouble. She only brought two maids with her. Bi Fan was outside collecting things, so the task of changing Song Yanji's clothes fell to Jiang Yuan.
The golden crown binding her hair was gently removed, and Jiang Yuan chatted idly with Song Yansi, recounting a few small incidents from the journey. "I really wanted to give that child some food, but I was afraid it would bring even greater disaster." The closer they got to Chaisang, the more refugees they encountered, some even on the verge of starvation. Even with elite soldiers protecting her, Jiang Yuan dared not give them anything, fearing the refugees might become enraged and cause chaos in their fight for food. In her previous life, Jiang Yuan had never witnessed such tragic scenes along the way. In her memory, the border regions were poor, but not to the point of countless starving corpses. "It's just a war, how come there are so many refugees?"
While asking Jiang Yuan, she kept tying the belt around Song Yansi's waist. Rather than asking him, she seemed to want to say what she wanted to say.
His hand was gently grasped, and Song Yanji’s palm felt warm. “In times of war, who cares about these things? This year, the north is suffering from drought and the south from floods. In particular, this city was already short of food, and now it has encountered a severe drought. General Liu’s previous forced requisition of grain from the people has only made matters worse.”
"With so many starving people and their lives in such dire straits, doesn't Your Majesty care?" Jiang Yuan felt a pang of sadness.
“His Majesty is willing but unable. I’m sure you, Yuan, are well aware of the situation in the court. The severe drought was reported long ago, but after layers of silver and rations have been skimmed off, less than 30% actually reaches the people.” Song Yanji smiled, put his arm around Jiang Yuan’s shoulder, and said casually, “If I hadn’t been ordered to come to Shuobei this time, I would probably be suppressing the so-called rioters.”
"Will you go?" Jiang Yuan looked up, her big eyes sparkling.
"certainly."
His tone was extremely firm.
Jiang Yuan's heart skipped a beat, and she murmured, "I thought you would joke that you wouldn't go."
Song Yansi smiled and tucked a stray strand of hair from Jiang Yuan's cheek behind her ear, but his gaze was serious. "As a subject, my sovereign's orders are absolute, unless..."
"Oh dear, I forgot to put a hot water bottle in the blankets. It's especially cold here at night." Jiang Yuan abruptly interrupted Song Yanji, her rambling voice echoing in the air. The conversation didn't continue, and Jiang Yuan didn't dare let Song Yanji go on. Deep down, she felt a sense of unease, a voice telling her that she shouldn't know too much.
Jiang Yuan's fear of Song Yanji was ingrained in her bones. Even if she could talk and laugh calmly on the surface, she was ultimately afraid of him. In the last few years of her previous life, she had risked everything and gone to great lengths, but she dared not do that now. Her family was still around, and she didn't mind humbling herself to please him. She only wished to take steady steps and maintain the delicate balance between them.
The next day, Jiang Yuan was almost awakened by Mu Qie's roar. Outside, Mu Qie and Li Qingping were shouting at each other.
"Don't you know who I am!" Her furious voice was at least eight octaves louder than Qingping's usual tone. "I am Princess Qingping."
"I don't care who you are!" Mu Qie retorted, not to be outdone. "This is Chaisang. If you want to act like a spoiled master, you'd better get back to Lin'an City!"
"Never mind, never mind..." Feng Xiuyuan was about to act as a peacemaker and say a few words to appease them when the two of them abruptly cut him off.
"What do you mean 'forget it'? I did nothing wrong!"
"Brother Feng, look at her, she's such a difficult woman to please, tsk tsk."
Jiang Yuan's head was throbbing from listening to the fight. Just as she was about to get up to mediate, Song Yanji suddenly pulled her back into his arms. He closed his eyes and held her close, his soft voice reaching Jiang Yuan's ears, "Don't get involved in this mess."
"What happened?" Jiang Yuan shook Song Yansi's shoulder, signaling him to continue.
"It's because Qingping wants to go to the front lines with Feng Xiuyuan." He grabbed her arm and pulled her close to his chest. "The front lines are a terrible place. Muqie will definitely not let her act recklessly."
Qingping's pursuit of Feng Xiuyuan to this extent is quite unique. If it were someone else, going to the front lines or even the battlefield would be none of their business. But Qingping is different. If she really went, she would probably have to follow her almost immediately after she arrived. She couldn't leave a county princess among men, could she? It would be both a matter of principle and emotion for her to go with that girl.
Thinking of this, Jiang Yuan nodded and stammered, "We are, after all, relatives of the emperor. It would be a sin to accidentally injure someone there. We shouldn't go to that place."
Song Yansi didn't reply. Jiang Yuan waited for a while before looking up at him. He saw that Song Yansi had his eyes closed and his breathing was steady, as if he were asleep. Jiang Yuan thought that he had been working too hard these days, so she didn't say anything and just nestled in his arms in a daze.
The weather in Chaisang had been cool for a long time. As soon as autumn arrived, Jiang Yuan's hands and feet became cold. She had taken a lot of medicine but it didn't help. Now, nestled in Song Yansi's arms, it felt like she was holding a warm piece of charcoal. Listening to Zhu Chuan quietly urging guests to leave outside, she suddenly felt sleepy and drifted off to sleep. In the middle of the night, Song Yansi seemed to ask her something, and she answered with a couple of perfunctory "uh-huhs." Afterwards, she couldn't remember what it was.
Jiang Yuan slept until the sun was high in the sky. When she woke up, Song Yanji was already gone and the bed was empty. She quickly called Zhu Chuan in to wash up.
"Master and General Mu are in the front room. Please eat something before you go." The tray was filled with fragrant minced meat. Zhu Chuan carefully ladled out a small bowl of the minced meat, which was steaming hot and made Jiang Yuan's stomach rumble.
"Is Qingping still causing trouble?"
"He's probably being lectured by Supervisor Feng right now."
Jiang Yuan ate her porridge and sighed, "I wonder if Qingping has come to her senses yet. How can a young lady go to a place like that?" As she spoke, she glanced at the tray on the table, which was filled with several different kinds of food. "Why did you make so much?"
"Master hasn't had breakfast yet."
It's already past 9 AM, why haven't we eaten yet? Jiang Yuan took out a handkerchief to wipe her lips, put down her bowl and chopsticks, and gestured for Zhu Chuan to come with her.
"We've been talking for quite a while now, but the master hasn't let Bifan serve him. She's been sent to the county princess's place."
Zhu Chuan had been with Jiang Yuan for over ten years. She knew what Jiang Yuan wanted to hear and what she wanted to say without him having to say anything. This was why Jiang Yuan liked to keep her by his side the most.
Chaisang's courtyard was extremely small; a few rooms could be walked around in just a few steps. Jiang Yuan stood in front of the door and gently knocked a few times.
"Who is it?" A steady voice came from inside the room.
Before Jiang Yuan could reply, Mu Qie's voice cut her off, "Who else could it be but my sister-in-law!"
The door was flung open, startling Jiang Yuan. Mu Qie poked his head out and, seeing Zhu Chuan carrying a food box, his handsome face broke into an even wider smile. "Sister Zhu Chuan, you've come to bring food, haven't you? I'm hungry too, so I won't stand on ceremony!"
As he spoke, he reached out and lifted the food box steadily into his hand. "It smells so good! Would you like to come in and sit down, sister-in-law?"
Despite saying that, he showed no intention of inviting her into the house. It was as if he wanted to drive her away. Jiang Yuan smiled and shook her head at him, but her eyes pierced through the gaps and saw Song Yansi inside the house.
Their eyes met, and before she could speak, Song Yansi said, "It's cold outside, come in."
"Yes, yes, come in and warm up for a while, sister-in-law." As she spoke, Mu Qie took a half step back without leaving a trace, looking as if she was sincerely inviting her in.
Birds of a feather flock together; a fox's friends are also foxes!
“Great, I’m freezing too.” Seeing Jiang Yuan lift her skirt and go inside, Zhu Chuan consciously stepped back outside to wait for Jiang Yuan’s instructions. “You can go down now, I’ll call you if I need anything.”
"Yes, Madam." Zhu Chuan curtsied and retreated with his head bowed.
Mu Qie watched the series of interactions between the two, his eyes flashing slightly, and he smiled, "Sister-in-law is very good at managing her subordinates; even the maids are incredibly clever."
He had been discussing the deployment in Akutagawa with Song Yanji, and it was indeed inappropriate to let Jiang Yuan in. He was already surprised when Song Yanji spoke, but he was even more surprised by Jiang Yuan and her maid. Clearly, Jiang Yuan understood his meaning, which was not surprising, given his understanding of Song Yanji; his wife must also be a clever woman. However, the moment Jiang Yuan entered, her maid didn't even seem to follow. Mu Qie was somewhat surprised, and thinking of Bi Fan who had been sent away earlier, he realized that these maids were trained too well. It was a kind of intelligence that left no trace, and they were so thorough and meticulous in their work that it was almost impossible to find any mistakes. This was definitely not the way a young lady of a noble family would train her servants.
Mu Qie had no idea how much effort Jiang Yuan had put into managing her four maids ever since she decided to remarry Song Yanji. Not to mention in the inner quarters, even if she entered the palace, she wouldn't suffer any losses.
"Alright, Yuan, come sit down." Song Yanji beckoned to Jiang Yuan, and also signaled Mu Qie to stop there.
Jiang Yuan went over when she heard the sound. A map of several border states was laid out on the table. She glanced at it and looked away, then sat down next to Song Yansi. "I know you haven't eaten yet, so I had Zhu Chuan prepare some food. You can eat some first."
"I'm not in the mood right now." Mu Qie put the food box aside, lifted the hem of his shirt, and sat down opposite the two. "Akutagawa may have been defeated, but it will be even more difficult to defeat thereafter."
Since Song Yanji dared to let Jiang Yuan see the border city's deployment, he naturally wasn't afraid of what Jiang Yuan would hear. So, Mu Qie naturally said whatever he wanted to say.
Chapter 28 Water and Fire Are Ruthless
Jiang Yuan's fingertips were covered by Song Yansi's palm. She looked up curiously and met his gaze. His long, narrow phoenix eyes gleamed with a deep light. Song Yansi, with this look, was the man she truly knew. Calm and profound, without feigned gentleness or deliberate consideration, he spoke softly, "Yuan, what do you think we should do?"
"You already have an idea, why are you asking me!" Jiang Yuan knew him too well. Whenever he acted like this, it meant he was confident and would only ask her for amusement. Back when he became emperor, Jiang Yuan had also asked him, before their relationship soured. Song Yanji frankly admitted that he found it hilarious to see her puffing out her cheeks as she offered him advice.
Song Yansi gently tapped the tip of her nose and smiled, "Our A-Yuan is really smart." Jiang Yuan wrinkled her nose, feeling a little itchy. Song Yansi played with Jiang Yuan's fingertips and continued, "Now there are two paths to take. One is to assassinate Lin Jiangfu. This move can cause short-term chaos on the other side, and our army can catch him off guard. However, firstly, it will not be good for our army's reputation, and secondly, Meng Xizhi is a far-sighted person who probably already has a backup plan."
Mu Qie shook his head. "Even if you have many shadowy figures, there are probably not many who can actually infiltrate the military camp and kill Lin Jiangfu."
“The second option is to burn Akutagawa.” With a slight tremor in his fingers, Song Yansi gently patted Jiang Yuan’s hand twice, then looked at her. “What do you think, Yuan?”
"No, the fire at Akutagawa will burn for at least seven days, and at most ten. Water and fire are the most unpredictable and ruthless things. If something goes wrong, the consequences will be unimaginable." Mu Qie slammed his hand on the table and stood up. "If this gets back to the capital, have you considered your own situation?"
Song Yansi tapped his fingers lightly on the table, signaling Mu Qie to calm down. The tapping sounds reached Jiang Yuan's ears. She knew about the Battle of Akutagawa. Back then, Song Yansi took the first path. Indeed, assassinating the enemy commander was more appropriate than burning Akutagawa. However, man proposes, God disposes. Many mistakes were made, and in the end, Song Yansi was forced to burn Akutagawa. At that time, time was short and the battle was urgent. The people of Akutagawa had no chance to evacuate and were thus forced to perish in the fire.
This period of history was rarely mentioned afterward, and was even only briefly mentioned in historical records. Even so, Jiang Yuan could still imagine how tragic it was.
"Burn Akutagawa." Jiang Yuan's steady voice interrupted Song Yansi's knocking.
"Are you crazy!" Mu Qie looked at Jiang Yuan in disbelief. "Have you thought about the consequences?"
"Then what can we do? After thinking for so long, we only have these two paths left. Killing the commander-in-chief is certainly the best course of action, but what if we fail? Then this path will be completely blocked! You've been forced into this situation undoubtedly because Meng Xizhi's formation is flawless. With this, the enemy will definitely counterattack. What will we do then? Retreat? If we retreat from Chaisang, we'll reach Moze, which was His Majesty's former territory. Or what? Will we burn down Akutagawa? By then, there won't be any time for the people to evacuate!"
Mu Qie was rendered speechless by Jiang Yuan's words, "But burning down a border city is too high a price to pay. What if His Majesty finds out..."
Jiang Yuan knew that Mu Qie couldn't accept it for the time being. This was tantamount to destroying the entire Akutagawa River in exchange for a road for the army. When the people moved south, it would inevitably cause a huge uproar. But what else could they do? Did they really have to wait until the critical moment and let the people perish along with Akutagawa River?
A turbulent undercurrent surged in Song Yanji's eyes. After a long while, he slowly spoke, "A general in the field may disobey orders. Go and evacuate the people of Akutagawa."
Mu Qie sighed, "What if they don't want to leave?"
“Then we can only assume they are willing to die for their country.” Song Yanji’s expression was cryptic. After Mu Qie left, he turned to look at Jiang Yuan. The room was silent.
She gently pulled over the food box placed to the side, opened it, and checked the temperature. "It's all cold. I'll have Zhu Chuan warm it up again later. This isn't as good as Lin'an; it's too much of a waste of food..."
Before she could finish speaking, Jiang Yuan was pulled into Song Yansi's arms, her cheek pressed tightly against his chest, her heart pounding strongly. His hand was on the back of her head. "A Yuan, I'm so glad you came."
"You think so too, right?" Jiang Yuan reached out and patted his shoulder, somewhat to comfort him.
“Yes, I’m afraid everyone is against this, except for A-Yuan.” Song Yansi rested his chin on Jiang Yuan’s shoulder, his voice sounding a little unhappy.
Jiang Yuan was taken aback and asked suspiciously, "Are you in a bad mood?"
"kindness."
"Why? Everything has already been decided."
I won't tell you.