Chapter 125

At this time, everyone in the court was preoccupied with the war against the Northern Hu, and Emperor Duanqing had no patience to entertain envoys from minor nations.

After leaving the envoy waiting for several days, he finally granted him an audience in the imperial study.

The envoy had brought a gift— a tray.

When the eunuch placed it on the emperor’s desk, Emperor Duanqing examined it closely, and his expression darkened. It was a sand table—a map of the three Northern Hu counties.

A small state like Bo had finally sent an envoy, yet instead of presenting treasures or beauties as tribute, they had the audacity to meddle in Great Qi’s internal affairs.

It was no surprise that they had once engaged in the ridiculous act of sending a son to warm his bed.

As Emperor Duanqing’s thunderous rebuke erupted, Ji Wujiang remained calm and composed.

“The matter of the three counties does not concern only the fate of Great Qi; it also affects the fate of Bo. Thus, Emperor Bo worries that Your Majesty and the Ministry of War may not be well-versed in the internal affairs of these lands, and he has specially sent me to warn Your Majesty.”

Emperor Duanqing’s face darkened further.

“Warn me of what?”

Ji Wujiang lifted his head slightly.

“To pacify these three counties, why resort to war and bloodshed? To quell Northern Hu’s internal strife, a policy of appeasement would be enough. If Northern Hu keeps its promise and offers the three counties as tribute, Great Qi could claim them without suffering losses—would that not be the best outcome for all?”

Hearing this, Emperor Duanqing narrowed his eyes.

“Bo is well-versed in Northern Hu’s internal turmoil?”

Ji Wujiang nodded.

“Emperor Bo has an elder sister who once married into Northern Hu and is well-acquainted with their affairs. This rebellion is due to the collusion between the two younger brothers of the Khan, who seek to divide the tribe. If one of them—King Hule—were captured, the other would pose no threat.”

Ji Wujiang’s eloquence was impeccable, and his argument had been carefully crafted by Jiang Xiurun herself.

Before meeting Emeror Bo, she had met with Ji Wujiang multiple times under the pretense of gathering provisions, preparing their questions and answers to ensure nothing was left to chance.

Thus, when Ji Wujiang spoke, he truly sounded like someone deeply knowledgeable about Northern Hu’s internal affairs.

For days, Emperor Duanqing had been closely studying intelligence reports and deploying countless spies.

The internal situation of Northern Hu that he had uncovered was nearly identical to what Ji Wujiang described—though not as detailed.

Ji Wujiang had learned from Jiang Xiurun herself and knew exactly how to pique the emperor’s interest.

He only spoke of Bo’s hopes that Great Qi would end the war swiftly to prevent an influx of refugees at their borders.

He then subtly revealed a way to resolve the issue, mentioning King Hule’s daily routines and his upcoming visit to a certain tribe.

If they struck at the right moment, they could indeed capture the rebel king and seize control of the situation.

Emperor Duanqing stared at the sand table, deep in thought, and remained silent for a long time.

Ji Wujiang knelt on the ground, waiting. Princess Jiang Xiurun had analyzed Emperor Duanqing’s temperament for him—if her predictions were correct, the emperor would carefully maneuver events to let his favored heir, Feng Wu, claim the credit.

Sure enough, after prolonged contemplation, the emperor finally spoke.

“If Emperor Bo is willing to assist Great Qi in achieving this remarkable feat, I shall vow eternal friendship between our two nations!”

Ji Wujiang responded solemnly, “Upon hearing that Great Qi intended to suppress the Northern Hu rebellion, our emperor deployed secret agents to infiltrate King Hule’s ranks. Bo is willing to exert its full strength to help Your Majesty accomplish a great and lasting legacy… However, our emperor has grown old and deeply misses his eldest and second sons. If Your Majesty would show mercy and allow him to exchange his youngest son, who serves as a hostage, for their return…”

That day, Ji Wujiang remained in the imperial study for a long and secret discussion with the Emperor of Great Qi.

Meanwhile, Jiang Xiurun sat in a teahouse on a high floor across the street from the palace gates, sipping tea.

From her seat, she could see a corner of the palace entrance.

Qian’er stole glances at her mistress—Jiang Xiurun appeared relaxed, but her hands were clenched into fists the entire time.

At last, someone emerged from the palace.

Jiang Xiurun stood up and saw that it was Ji Wujiang.

He paused in front of the palace gates and slowly adjusted his headpiece.

This was their agreed-upon signal—adjusting his headpiece meant that the plan had succeeded!

Jiang Xiurun slowly sat back down and exhaled a breath she had been holding for two lifetimes.

At long last, she could bring her brother home.

There was just one thing she regretted—she had, in a way, wronged the Crown Prince of Great Qi.

Because the method of assassinating King Hule through cunning and deception was, in truth, a strategy that Feng Liwu had only come up with after years of hard-fought battles in her previous life.

Back then, the tale of the daring capture of the enemy king had spread like wildfire through every teahouse in the capital.

Jiang Xiurun had learned many of its untold details from none other than Qin Zhao’s lips.

Of course, many things had changed in this lifetime.

So when Jiang Xiurun learned that Feng Liwu was preparing to wage war against the Northern Hu, she instructed Ji Wujiang to make proper use of his connections and infiltrate the Northern Hu, ensuring everything was handled with utmost caution.

Emperor Duanqing harbored deep prejudices against Feng Liwu—how could he let go of such an opportunity to humiliate him?

Moreover, the three counties were an irresistible prize.

There was no way Emperor Duanqing would allow Feng Liwu to claim such a fat piece of meat for himself.

However, only Jiang Xiurun knew the whole truth—the three counties were not a blessing but a burden.

In the following year, an unprecedented blizzard would cause countless cattle and sheep to starve to death on the borders.

The Northern Hu would go back on their word, disguising their soldiers as bandits to launch repeated raids.

The generals stationed in the three counties would be forced into constant battles, facing relentless harassment.

In her past life, Feng Liwu had many capable generals under him, barely managing to maintain control over the region.

But in this life, if Feng Wu truly stole the credit and seized the three counties as his domain, would he not find himself tormented beyond measure?

Soon, Emperor Duanqing’s secret envoys made contact with Bo’s spies, and everything proceeded according to plan.

While the Crown Prince was locked in a stalemate with the rebel army, expending vast amounts of grain every day, the Second Prince, Feng Wu, who was overseeing the grain transport, devised a clever strategy.

He set up a covert ambush, successfully taking the rebel king Hule’s head and persuading the other rebel leader to surrender.

Thus, the Second Prince, Feng Wu, ended the war without losing a single soldier, orchestrating victory from a thousand miles away.

News of his triumph swiftly spread throughout the court and the common people.

As the entire court celebrated the return of the three counties, Emperor Duanqing gladly agreed to Bo’s original request—which was never a difficult matter to begin with—granting permission for Bo’s two princes to return home and fulfill their filial duties under their father’s care.

However, Young Master Jiang was a man who cherished his younger sister deeply.

He wept bitterly, lamenting that leaving his sister Yao alone in Qi would mean she had no family to rely on.

Moreover, she had been in the prince’s residence for a year without bearing a child.

It was only right to end the trial marriage and let a more fertile woman take her place.

Emperor Duanqing was well aware of the Crown Prince’s affection for Yao.

Seeing his eldest son lose his beloved woman was, indeed, a delightful thing.

However, he did not wish to directly confront his son over the matter.

So, he pushed the decision onto the ailing Empress, stating that matters concerning royal daughters-in-law should be handled by the mistress of the harem.

Empress Wei still harbored deep resentment toward Yao for the slap she had given her in the past.

Upon hearing this, she sent one of her attendants to investigate the situation at the Crown Prince’s residence.

The attendant returned with the report that Yao had been crying every day, cursing Second Brother, Young Master Jiang, for meddling.

She professed her love for the Crown Prince and her unwillingness to leave him.

At that moment, Empress Wei felt as if she had taken a rejuvenating elixir, her entire body filled with refreshed energy.

With a swift stroke of her brush, she issued an imperial decree granting Yao’s request to leave the residence.

Ever since losing Mao, Empress Wei had been drowning in sorrow, reliving painful memories every day.

How could she be the only one to suffer such misery?

Her iron-hearted son should experience it too.

That wretched little girl still wanted to cling to the Crown Prince’s residence?

Dream on! She would sever their marriage bond, ensuring Yao could never return!

For once, the long-distant Emperor and Empress found common ground, joining forces to tear apart their son’s fairy-tale romance.

Before the court, Emperor Duanqing further promised Young Master Jiang and the other prince that Qi and Bo would remain eternal allies.

If anyone dared to invade Bo, it would be an offense to Qi’s national dignity, and he would deploy his iron cavalry to protect their sworn ally.

When Jiang Zhi watched his servants pack gold, silver, and valuables in preparation for departure, he still found it hard to believe.

Just like that, he was returning home.

His wife, Wenniang, was equally unsettled.

But Jiang Xiurun reassured her sister-in-law that even though they were leaving Qi, her brother would never be drawn into the palace struggles of Bo.

Once the opportunity arose, they could even leave Bo behind and live a free and peaceful life together.

Wenniang knew her brother-in-law was a decisive man, and besides, her husband was a prince of Bo.

A wife follows her husband—whether he was a chicken or a dog.

Since she had married into the Jiang family, how could she persuade her husband not to return home?

With this realization, she swiftly took charge, settling their business dealings in the capital, selling off their shops, and preparing to leave Luo’an City.

But while the hostage manor was bustling with departure preparations, the Crown Prince’s residence was in a frenzy!

In broad daylight, how had Yao and Young Master Jiang suddenly decided to leave for Bo together?

The Crown Prince had never given such an order!

The residence steward wanted to intervene, but with both the Emperor and Empress issuing a joint decree, there was no way for him to defy imperial authority, no matter how resourceful he was!

Jiang Xiurun, however, gently reassured him with kind words, speaking of how partings and reunions were part of life.

However, once they bid farewell today, they would never see each other again.

She then lamented that she would not be able to attend His Highness’s grand wedding in the future.

But while she could not be there in person, at the very least, she could still send a wedding gift.

She carefully sealed the wedding gift she had prepared for Feng Liwu inside an exquisitely carved sandalwood box and entrusted the steward to deliver it on her behalf.

From this moment on, they would part ways, each free to go their own way.

The prosperous city of Luo’an in Great Qi would never turn back!

Young Master Jiang left with a carefree spirit, dismissing every single guard that the Crown Prince had assigned to her.

However, the steward dared not simply let her go.

He had already dispatched over a dozen messengers, riding tirelessly to deliver the news to the Crown Prince, who was far away in the Northern Hu.

At the same time, he ordered the dismissed guards to follow her from a distance, ensuring that Young Master Jiang never noticed them while guaranteeing her safety.

In truth, Jiang Xiurun also feared that the Crown Prince might suddenly return.

Given his temperament, if he found out that everything had been orchestrated by her, there was no telling what shocking actions he might take.

Thus, until she crossed the borders of Qi, Jiang Xiurun remained on edge, eating and sleeping on the road, unwilling to waste even a moment.

Only when the caravan finally entered the borders of Bo did she slowly begin to relax.

Ji Wujiang had accompanied her the entire way.

Watching Jiang Xiurun’s weary and sluggish state over the past few days, he grew concerned.

So when they reached a town, after arranging accommodations for the prince with the local governor, he immediately summoned a physician to check Jiang Xiurun’s pulse.

Jiang Xiurun had already been aware that she had missed her monthly cycle for some time.

Because she didn’t want the Crown Prince to know she had secretly taken contraceptive decoctions, she had delayed seeking medical attention.

Now, she could finally have a proper diagnosis without worry.

She had assumed that prolonged medication had simply chilled her womb, causing her cycle to be delayed.

However, the physician, unaware of their true identities, only knew that he was treating an esteemed individual.

After checking her pulse, the physician hesitated, glancing skeptically at Jiang Xiurun, who was dressed in men’s clothing.

He examined her pulse once more, carefully confirming his findings.

At the side, Qian’er grew anxious, nearly wanting to slap the physician for his delay.

Only after another thorough assessment did the physician finally look Jiang Xiurun up and down before cautiously declaring,“My lord… based on your pulse, you are clearly expecting a child!”