Chapter 129

Jiang Xiurun unfolded the letter and held it up to the light, examining it over and over.

She noticed that His Highness’s calligraphy had improved again—sharp and forceful, with strokes that pierced through the paper.

Unfortunately, despite Feng Liwu’s broad-mindedness and his willingness to let the past go, she had no intention of repeating the same mistakes.

With that thought, she tossed the letter into the pool beneath the corridor.

The weather had been warm in recent days, so the water surface hadn’t frozen over.

The fish in the pond playfully chased the floating silk paper, dipping and rising in amusement.

Winter had already set in, and the roads between Bo and Qi were covered in thick ice, making correspondence difficult.

Though not replying might seem impolite, it was also understandable—especially since Feng Liwu was never one to be particularly understanding.

Besides, whether he married the Yang girl or not was hardly something he could decide on his own.

Once he fully grasped that she had truly left him behind and their fleeting affection had faded with time, it would be a clean break.

Eventually, new loves would always outshine the old.

Just then, Wenniang, accompanied by a maid, came over carrying a small pot of braised noodles she had prepared.

Spotting Jiang Xiurun standing by the pond from a distance, she hastened her steps and called out, “Xiurun, it’s freezing out here! What’s so interesting to see? Come inside quickly, or you’ll catch a chill!”

She had once been unaware that Jiang Xiurun was actually a woman, and when she learned the truth, she had been utterly astonished.

Her little sister-in-law had truly dared to defy convention, accomplishing things that shocked the world.

Yet, Wenniang also knew how difficult life had been for Xiurun.

And now that the Crown Prince was about to take a proper wife while Xiurun carried his child, staying in Qi would have only made things more complicated for the main wife.

Putting herself in Xiurun’s shoes, Wenniang thought that if she had been in the same situation—if her husband took another wife—she, too, would have chosen to leave.

But she worried about Xiurun suffering through childbirth alone.

As her sister-in-law, she felt it was her duty to care for her.

The small pot of braised noodles was made in the Qi style, using homemade soybean paste that Wenniang had brought from her homeland—something impossible to find in Bo.

That morning, Jiang Xiurun had casually mentioned craving it, so Wenniang had immediately opened her carefully aged soybean paste and braised beef and potatoes into a hearty dish.

Perhaps it was due to her pregnancy, but Jiang Xiurun’s appetite had grown lately, and she especially enjoyed Wenniang’s home-cooked braised noodles.

The beef was tender and flavorful, and the noodles had a satisfying chew.

Feng Liwu had once loved Wenniang’s braised noodles as well, often coming to the hostage manor uninvited just to share a meal.

Now, back in Bo, eating something from Qi again only deepened the sense of how much things had changed.

As Wenniang reminisced, Jiang Xiurun was lost in her own thoughts.

No matter what, now that she was free of her hostage status, her sister-in-law was finally unburdened in business and could expand without constraints.

Jiang Xiurun knew firsthand how capable Wenniang was when it came to making money, so she eagerly encouraged her to broaden her trade networks.

Wenniang had also come to realize that even after returning to Bo, her husband and sister-in-law had no one to rely on.

Just the other day, for some unknown reason, the emperor of Bo had summoned Jiang Zhi to the palace and berated him, scolding him for failing to guide Jiang Xiurun properly.

Wenniang’s heart ached for her husband’s dejected mood after returning home.

Determined to secure their future, she resolved to expand their family’s wealth several times over.

Years ago, she had wisely invested in lands and shops across multiple kingdoms, and thanks to her keen business sense, their value had soared.

Even the pawned property in Luo’an had appreciated several times over, thanks to Xiurun’s advice.

If their homeland would not shelter them, she would take her husband and sister-in-law elsewhere—they could thrive anywhere!

With such a capable sister-in-law managing the household, Jiang Xiurun felt relieved to leave those affairs in Wenniang’s hands.

As the two women chatted and laughed, an imperial decree arrived from the palace.

The empress’s words were blunt, stating outright that since Jiang Xiurun had already been abandoned in Qi, keeping her in Bo would only tarnish the royal family’s reputation.

Meanwhile, the King of Rong had long heard of Jiang Xiurun’s beauty and had expressed great enthusiasm about forming a marriage alliance.

He had already written to the emperor of Bo, urging him to send the princess quickly.

After the decree was read aloud, the palace attendant delivering the message stood with an arrogant posture, lifting his chin at Jiang Xiurun and saying, “Congratulations, Princess. You have found yourself another fine match. Her Majesty decrees that, since you are to be wed far away, you should prepare yourself in the manor and refrain from leaving the premises from now on.”

Jiang Xiurun said nothing, merely ordering her servants to escort the attendant out.

Wenniang hurriedly excused herself and rushed to inform Jiang Zhi of the matter.

Upon hearing the news, Jiang Zhi was beside himself with worry and immediately left the manor to find his sister.

As he rushed through the streets, he realized there was no easy solution—except to defy the decree and flee.

When Jiang Xiurun saw her anxious brother and heard his escape plan, she simply smiled and said, “Brother, you and sister-in-law have worked so hard to return to Bo. Now that you have the chance to make a difference here, how can you throw it all away by running? Before we even came back, I had anticipated this would happen and made preparations. I will not let the empress succeed.”

After much persuasion, she finally managed to calm him down and send him away.

Once he was gone, Jiang Xiurun pondered the situation.

If it were her father’s decision alone, she could reveal her pregnancy, and though he would surely be furious, he would likely spare her from this ordeal.

But this was undoubtedly the empress’s doing.

If she exposed the pregnancy now, it would only give the empress more excuses to act against her.

Even if she thwarted this plan, the empress would undoubtedly continue scheming against her and her brother.

The only way to truly put an end to it was to make the empress understand that Jiang Xiurun was no longer the same meek, submissive princess she had once been.

Meanwhile, back in the palace, the smooth success of the marriage negotiations with Rong filled the empress with joy.

It further convinced her that the Shen family still held absolute power over Bo’s fate.

In her eyes, as a mere woman, she was far more useful than the entire court of civil and military officials.

They fought and died on the battlefield, yet they kept retreating, losing territory and humiliating the state.

Meanwhile, with just a small scheme, she had won a turning point for Bo. If only the Emperor of Bo had entrusted state affairs to her earlier, the conflicts with Rong might have already been settled.

The Emperor of Bo could dote on those seductive women all he wanted.

Did she have to act like that useless former empress, lamenting her fate just because she lost a man’s affection?

As long as she held power in her hands, even if Emperor Jiang were to die now… she had nothing to fear.

The next morning in court, Empress Shen waited gleefully in the palace for the news, eager to hear how the officials would express their gratitude and praise her.

However, to her surprise, the court erupted into turmoil, stirring up a storm.

When the Emperor of Bo announced the plan to send the eldest princess to the Rong for a political marriage, the court instantly exploded with outrage.

An elderly minister stepped forward and declared, “Your Majesty, though our military struggles, the Rong is small and lacks manpower. Even if they have won a few battles and taken a few cities, they cannot sustain their occupation due to a shortage of soldiers. If we continue to fight, they will eventually be unable to endure.”

Another minister added, “Your Majesty, the Rong harbors wolfish ambitions. Once the marriage alliance is established, they will surely demand tributes. If we cannot even defeat a small state and must resort to marriage and tribute, the great nations of Qi and Liang will perceive us as weak and ripe for the taking.”

The Minister of Finance spoke next. “Your Majesty, our state was once prosperous, and the people lived in peace. But in order to pay tributes to Qi, Liang, and other countries, taxes have risen again and again, leaving the common folk in dire straits. If we also offer tribute to the Rong, taxes will inevitably increase further. I fear the people will revolt, and then, even without an external invasion, our state will collapse from within. I urge Your Majesty to reconsider.”

All the officials opposed the marriage alliance, with some even citing historical examples, arguing that when the inner palace interferes in state affairs, it is always a sign of national downfall.

“The heavens do not tolerate two suns, nor can a nation have two rulers. How can Empress Shen’s actions leave any dignity for Your Majesty?”

Emperor Jiang had not expected such fierce opposition from his ministers.

Recently, he had grown weary of Empress Shen and had been relying more on Ji Wujiang for political affairs.

Thus, at this moment, he turned his gaze toward Ji Wujiang.

Ji Wujiang had already received instructions from Jiang Xiurun in advance.

With a composed expression, he said, “I also do not support offering tribute to the Rong. Our state of Bo has established good relations with Qi, and now is the perfect time to capitalize on this. If we do not seize this opportunity, we will be forever suppressed by the Rong.”

Emperor Jiang, being someone who bullied the weak and feared the strong, could not accept bowing to a mere minor state like Rong.

It went against his principles.

So, he asked, “If we refuse to offer tribute, what should we do instead?”

Ji Wujiang raised his head and replied, “We should meet force with force. If the Rong state dares to invade, emperor Qi will surely send troops to crush them!”

Emperor Jiang’s eyes lit up.

“Is that true?”

Ji Wujiang smiled slightly.

“Some days ago, the Crown Prince of Qi sent a letter, which was delivered through Princess Jiang. Your Majesty may take a look.”

The state of Bo was small, and any political movement drew attention.

Emperor Jiang had heard that a messenger from Qi’s crown prince had sent a letter to Jiang Xiurun.

As he read the letter, his excitement grew.

Heaven bless Great Qi! The letter was so benevolent, showing that the crown prince of Qi was well aware of Bo’s predicament and reassured him not to worry about the Rong’s threats. If the Rong dared to attack, they would be utterly annihilated. However, since Princess Xiurun was not particularly sensible in daily affairs, he hoped emperor Jiang would be tolerant and take care of her for a while longer, not treating her poorly…

After performing her courtly bow, Jiang Xiurun stood gracefully to the side, watching as her father’s expression grew increasingly pleased.

She secretly let out a breath of relief—those hours spent carving seals out of radishes in her study had not gone to waste, and her imitation of Feng Liwu’s handwriting was spot on.

Her father, blinded by indulgence in wine and women, would never notice the deception.

The imperial decree was, of course, a forgery.

But with winter already here and communication becoming difficult, even if her father wanted to send a reply full of flattery, it would take time.

A few months of delay was all she and Ji Wujiang needed.

Still, she felt a little guilty toward the crown prince—her scheme had made him seem like a man still entangled in past affections, tarnishing his dignity.