Chapter 138

(T/N: Sorry for unable to update this past two days because a bunch of idiotic losers is trying to steal our website, so now we need to do some extra ‘clean up’.. uggh..seriously why does this type of people do not ended up in the dumpster…)

This year, Feng Liwu devoted himself to the art of power, carefully orchestrating his plans and seizing the opportunity to ascend the throne as emperor.

At the same time, he annexed the Wei state, expanding his territory and resolving the internal vulnerabilities of Qi.

His mind was as clear as a mirror—there were simply too many things to do, and he certainly shouldn’t have disguised himself and traveled to a remote, insignificant place like Bo, engaging in such pointless activities.

For a whole year, he forced himself to ignore everything about Jiang Xiurun.

He had indeed succeeded and had convinced himself that his heart was as calm as still water.

A woman who did not want him had gone to great lengths to leave him—naturally, as a man, he should also display the same indifference.

Once he pacified the lands and planted the flag of Qi around Bo, he would make that woman and her entire clan kneel before him, just to see if she regretted abandoning him.

However, upon hearing that the Bo was convening an alliance and that the Bo emperor would appear in Mei city with the royal family, Feng Liwu, who was on a covert mission at the border, could no longer restrain himself.

Not only did he send Ji Binglin ahead, but he also ordered a master of disguise from the Jianghu to alter his appearance so he could secretly catch a glimpse of the woman he had not seen for so long.

What Feng Liwu never expected was that the woman had given birth to a child!

Had it not been for the hushed whispers at the banquet about how the Bo princess had given birth out of wedlock yet managed to regain her slender figure so quickly, he wouldn’t have known that she had a child at all.

No one knew that when he first heard this news, the heavily disguised face beneath layers of makeup twitched uncontrollably.

An inexplicable surge of emotion gripped him—was it possible that Jiang Xiurun had already been pregnant when she left and had secretly given birth to his child?

But this extravagant hope was shattered the moment he heard Jiang Xiurun’s unequivocal denial.

At present, the states were engaged in fierce struggles for dominance, and his mind should have been wholly occupied with schemes and ambitions, yet nothing could suppress the raging fire of anger in his heart.

He immediately summoned all the hidden guards stationed in Yang city.

Once the secret signal was issued, those men—who had infiltrated Bo’s military ranks—arrived in full Bo military attire to meet the new emperor.

To be honest, even looking at those uniforms made Feng Liwu furious.

But when he reprimanded them, one of the braver guards cautiously explained that the reason they were given military posts was because Jiang Xiurun had taken pity on them, knowing they were stranded and without a livelihood.

Feng Liwu hesitated for a moment, unable to refute.

After all, it was he himself who had explicitly forbidden them from sending any news about Jiang Xiurun without his permission.

As a result, these guards had been on the verge of starving in the streets of Bo, too afraid to return to Qi for financial support.

He could not entirely blame them for failing to report her childbirth.

Upon further inquiry, the birthdate of the child seemed to align with his.

However, the guards also mentioned that the midwife had said the child was a premature birth—born two months early.

If that was true, then the timeline no longer matched.

After a more detailed investigation, the most likely man involved with Jiang Xiurun was Ji Wujiang.

Feng Liwu remembered this man well.

Back in Luo’an City, Ji Wujiang had persistently tried to get close to Jiang Xiurun.

He should have realized then that this man was up to no good!

The moment he left Luo’an, Ji Wujiang wasted no time in engaging in an affair with her.

Feng Liwu no longer wanted to ask any more questions.

A year of self-restraint, of deliberate forgetting, had completely collapsed the moment he saw that woman living vibrantly, effortlessly navigating every situation.

He had ignored her, hoping she would reflect on her mistakes and realize what she had lost.

He never intended for her to live a peaceful, happy life in this backwater place with another man!

Ji Binglin had been standing nearby, watching in growing terror as the emperor summoned and questioned the guards, his expression darkening with barely contained fury.

Minister Ji was truly sweating on behalf of his old friend.

Yet, ever since Feng Liwu ascended the throne, his emotions had become more concealed.

Despite the thunderous shock of learning about Jiang Xiurun’s child, he merely waved the guards away and remained silent, though his eyes burned with murderous intent…

This alliance meeting lasted only a day—no monarch dared to linger too long on foreign soil.

By nightfall, many leaders had already returned to their respective nations.

When Jiang Xiurun received the court official’s report about their departure, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, the arrival of Qi’s envoy had disrupted Liang’s attempts to pressure Bo, or else their tributes this year would have been unreasonably increased yet again.

With Qi’s presence as a looming threat, Liang would undoubtedly accelerate its efforts to strengthen itself.

Although the people of Bo believed they had Qi’s protection, Jiang Xiurun knew better.

Even if Feng Liwu was magnanimous enough to overlook past grievances, he would not bother himself with Bo’s affairs.

Once they returned to Yang city, the news of her father’s death would no longer be concealed, and it was uncertain whether Liang would take advantage of the situation.

Jiang Xiurun was lost in thought, knowing that from now on, she had to proceed step by step.

Her priorities upon returning would be to eliminate the influence of the Shen family, reorganize the military, and stabilize the court.

As she pondered, word came that Liu Pei of Liang had arrived, requesting to see the “ailing” Bo emperor.

Jiang Xiurun naturally had her brother, Jiang Zhi, step forward to decline the meeting, citing their father’s poor health.

However, Liu Pei’s visit was not for any other matter—he had come specifically to propose marriage to Jiang Xiurun.

To demonstrate his sincerity, he offered an alliance marriage between Bo and Liang.

If they wed, Bo would not only be relieved of its burdensome military tributes, but the two states would also become close allies, standing together through prosperity and adversity.

Liang would guarantee Bo’s survival for generations to come.

Liu Pei had always been adept at diplomacy.

Since he was here for a marriage proposal, he naturally did not adopt the overbearing stance of a prince from a dominant state.

Not only did he bring health-nourishing tributes to Bo, but he also presented gifts for the princess and her young son.

Among them, one particular wooden horse was the most eye-catching.

It was crafted to be the perfect size for a toddler, with an intricate mechanism built into it.

If a child mounted the horse and stepped on the pedals, a series of linked wooden ponies would gallop along in unison.

These brightly painted toys were carried in with great fanfare, displayed on ceremonial racks, making their way into the hall in a grand procession.

Liu Pei was a shrewd man and fully aware that Jiang Xiurun was a rare treasure.

Back then, she had such a deep relationship with the Crown Prince of Qi, only for it to end in bitter separation.

Most likely, Feng Liwu had intended to claim her as his own without proper regard, thus offending this princess from a minor state.

This time, Liu Pei’s marriage proposal was not a jest—he was genuinely determined to take her as his wife and bring her back to Liang.

Naturally, he had to display the utmost sincerity, proving that he would truly treat her child as his own.

At the same time, this also served as a warning to the other nobles and young lords who had lingered instead of departing.

The Princess of Bo had already caught his eye—those who lacked the necessary standing should abandon any foolish hopes.

Mei City was small, with only a limited number of palaces to accommodate esteemed guests.

Liu Pei, parading with his grand display of gifts, carrying dozens of ceremonial racks, was on his way to meet his future father-in-law.

This spectacle naturally attracted the attention of the remaining noble sons and guards, who stood at the gates, watching the show unfold.

One loud-voiced noble sneered sourly, “That Prince Liu is quite the lecher. Knowing that the princess gave birth out of wedlock, he still wishes to marry her? Is Liang out of women?”

Another scoffed, “You think Princess Jiang is just some ordinary beauty? Weren’t your own eyes glued to her this morning? A woman as stunning as her—even if she’s had a child, or even a few more—would never lack suitors.”

As murmurs and laughter spread among the onlookers, Ji Binglin stood at the entrance, hands clasped, observing everything.

Beside him, disguised once more, stood Feng Liwu.

Lord Ji felt indignant, thinking Liu Pei must be blind to his own worth.

Did he truly believe he was worthy of marrying Princess Xiurun? In terms of looks, ambition, and strategic brilliance, he was nowhere near as formidable as the Emperor of Qi! Yet he still had the audacity to propose?

Just as these thoughts crossed his mind, Ji Binglin turned to suggest that His Majesty leave rather than waste time watching such a ridiculous display.

But in the brief moment he turned around, both the Emperor and his shadow guards had vanished without a trace…

Since Jiang Zhi was handling Liu Pei, Jiang Xiurun had no intention of appearing herself.

Baoli was a child who was considerate of his mother.

Well-fed and well-cared for during his infancy, he had never been a fussy baby.

Now that he was nearing three months old, he had even stopped waking for night feedings.

Jiang Xiurun, exhausted from the past few days, nursed Baoli and lulled him to sleep before instructing the maidservants to carry him to the adjoining room for the night.

Three caretakers took turns watching over the baby, changing his swaddling cloths as needed.

If he awoke hungry, they would bring him to her for feeding.

As soon as she lay down, fatigue took over, and she quickly fell asleep.

However, sometime in the middle of the night, she suddenly felt as if she had been enveloped in warmth, as though submerged in a heated mountain spring…

The heat spread across her face, something soft brushing against her lips, lingering before slipping inside.

For some inexplicable reason, the sensation was overwhelmingly familiar, filling her with a deep sense of contentment.

Half-asleep, Jiang Xiurun instinctively let out a long sigh and wrapped her arms around whatever was pressing against her…

The lips upon hers seemed to hesitate, pulling back slightly, but as soon as her arms tightened around them, they pressed in once more, the kiss deepening with fervor.

The sensation was far too real.

Even the deepest of dreams would falter once one’s tongue was so fiercely entangled.

The moment Jiang Xiurun fully realized that a real, flesh-and-blood man was pinning her down, she was so startled that she nearly screamed!

Yet before she could make a sound, a large hand swiftly clamped over her mouth, and a low, familiar voice whispered, “Don’t shout. Have you truly forgotten me?”

The sound sent a shiver down Jiang Xiurun’s spine.

Of course, she recognized him.

But it was precisely because she recognized him that she wanted to scream even more—

How could the newly crowned Emperor of Qi, who was supposed to be thousands of miles away in the imperial capital of Luo’an, suddenly appear in her bed?!

Was he… planning to strangle her with his own hands?

At this moment, Feng Liwu was utterly intoxicated by the faint, milky fragrance lingering on Jiang Xiurun’s skin.

Ever since she had vanished without a word over a year ago, he had severed all indulgence in pleasure, refusing to touch another woman.

Not out of some stubborn loyalty to a faithless woman—his tastes had simply been ruined.

Compared to her, common courtesans were insipid, their company unbearable.

For a man, immersing himself in the pursuit of power—expanding his empire, conquering new territories—was another way of channeling his desires.

Over the past year, as he ascended the throne and busied himself with ruling the nation, he never felt that anything was lacking.

Tonight, he had come here merely to confront this heartless woman and vent the anger that had been simmering inside him.

But who would have thought that the moment he snuck into her bedchamber and laid eyes on her sleeping face—so much like before, when she used to slumber sweetly in his arms at the Crown Prince’s residence—Feng Liwu would find himself losing control.

It was as if a starving man had suddenly been presented with a fragrant, succulent piece of meat—his fingers began to tremble, and his entire body shuddered uncontrollably!

Even he couldn’t understand why he had ended up like this, utterly lacking self-restraint, sprawled over this woman, kissing her with a desperate hunger, unable to stop himself.

The moment their lips and tongues entwined, it felt as if something had surged through his entire being, filling every nerve and bone with a rush so overwhelming that he could barely contain himself.

In that instant, he began to doubt—had he spent the past year merely existing like a walking corpse?