Chapter 169

Although her sleeping posture was far from graceful, she was the wife he had gone through great lengths to marry.

Feng Liwu noticed that the peanuts and dates beneath her hadn’t been cleared away, and his heart ached for her.

He swayed slightly as he walked over and swept the peanuts, longans, and other items off the bed onto the floor.

Jiang Xiurun had slept for a while and was now well-rested.

Hearing the familiar footsteps, she knew Feng Liwu had returned.

Though awake, she felt too lazy to move and simply opened her eyes to ask, “Was the wedding banquet lively?”

Feng Liwu let the maids remove his boots, feeling somewhat exhausted.

“The generals from the Left and Right Armies left the capital two days ago due to the situation in the three counties and didn’t attend the palace banquet. This time, Feng Wu came prepared. It’s said he formed an alliance with a neighboring Hu tribe by marrying a Hu princess. With their support, his rear is secure, and he can focus entirely on confronting me… As for the banquet, the remaining attendees were mostly civil officials from noble families. They were all so gloomy that if you didn’t know better, you’d think it was a farewell feast rather than a wedding banquet…”

Feng Liwu had a decent tolerance for alcohol, but this time he was heavily intoxicated.

After removing his boots, he didn’t even bother to take off his red wedding robe before collapsing onto the bed.

What weighed on him more than the alcohol was the unresolved state affairs.

He had never hidden his emotions from Jiang Xiurun, and now he poured out his heart to her.

Jiang Xiurun removed his crown and smoothed his ink-black hair, then asked, “Feng Wu has declared his own state. Even if Your Majesty, out of brotherly affection, refrains from attacking him for now, he can no longer expect grain supplies from Great Qi. Although the three counties have plenty of livestock, they don’t produce grain. How will he sustain his rebellion?”

Feng Liwu rubbed his eyes and said, “He’s had treacherous intentions for a long time. While I was away conquering Anxi, he stirred up a conflict with the neighboring Chijiang County, claiming that the magistrate there had killed one of his servants. He then stationed troops in Chijiang County, captured the magistrate, and openly appointed a new one. Not only that, but he also deployed troops to several nearby grain-producing counties. The granaries there have enough grain to last him until next year…”

Jiang Xiurun hadn’t inquired in detail about the situation in the three counties before, as she had to avoid suspicion as the ruler of a foreign state.

But now, lying on the bed in a state of exhaustion was her legitimate husband, so she no longer needed to be so cautious.

However, as Jiang Xiurun listened to Feng Liwu’s account of the military movements in the three counties, her mind began to stir.

Once Feng Liwu sobered up a bit, the newlywed emperor and empress opened the window to let in the early summer night breeze and pored over a map together.

Jiang Xiurun knew little about military strategy, but in her past life, it was her husband who had endured hardships in the three counties.

She boldly speculated that Feng Wu, like Feng Liwu in the past, would be eager to secure a southwestern port rather than push southward to capture cities and counties.

With a port and sturdy transport ships, the troops from the three counties would no longer be confined to land and could easily sail around to attack Luo’an City.

This was exactly what Feng Liwu had done in her past life.

After quelling the northern Hu rebellion, his trusted troops were trapped in the three counties and unable to move.

At that time, Emperor Duanqing had intended to depose the crown prince and had even drafted the edict.

However, Feng Liwu’s subordinates in the three counties used the excuse that one of their concubines had fled to Dong Island to march north and occupy the island.

With their ships launched, they could reach Luo’an City in a day, as the saying goes, “A thousand miles to Jiangling in a single day.”

With a knife at his throat, Emperor Duanqing naturally couldn’t act rashly, and the plan to depose the crown prince was abandoned.

Now, Feng Wu’s steps to expand his territory were strikingly similar to Feng Liwu’s in the past, even down to the excuses he used.

This made Jiang Xiurun suspect that Feng Wu intended to follow in Feng Liwu’s footsteps from her past life by capturing Dong Island and threatening the capital.

This realization made her feel increasingly uneasy.

Even twin brothers wouldn’t think and act so identically.

Even if Feng Wu were in the same situation as Feng Liwu had been, he wouldn’t handle it in exactly the same way, would he?

The more she thought about it, the more Jiang Xiurun felt a chill run down her spine.

If she could be reborn, perhaps others could have similar extraordinary experiences.

Could it be… that Feng Wu also had such an experience? Otherwise, how could he make decisions so identical to Feng Liwu’s?

However, Feng Liwu was unaware of Jiang Xiurun’s growing unease.

He was simply surprised by her keen insight into the crux of the three counties’ threat.

The tension on his face finally eased into a smile, and he patted her head.

“Back when I was still the crown prince, I had a mansion full of aides, most of whom were all talk and no substance. You’re the only one who was worth keeping.”

Jiang Xiurun couldn’t reveal that she had borrowed his wisdom from her past life, so she accepted his praise without batting an eye.

“Of course I was worth keeping! During the day, I managed accounts and dug canals for you, and at night, I served you in bed. You won’t find anyone as hardworking as me in the history books. And now, I’ve taken on a new role—bearing your children. I’m truly being used to the fullest!”

Before she could finish, Feng Liwu had already pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head.

After a moment of silence, he said, “I’m glad you let me keep you…”

They had known each other for a long time, but sometimes his words still struck a chord in her heart.

The Jiang Xiurun of her past life could never have imagined that the cold and aloof Feng Liwu would hold her like this and say something so humble.

She could only hug him tightly in return—her husband in this life.

The window framed the picture-perfect image of the two of them nestled together…

But after a night of tenderness, the next day brought serious matters to attend to.

The emperor and empress’s wedding was a time for celebration with the people, and they had promised ten days of festivities.

However, due to the unrest in the three counties, the celebration was shortened to five days.

Apart from the opera troupes performing day and night on high platforms for the people of Luo’an to enjoy for free, the martial arts tournament Feng Liwu had planned before the wedding also officially began.

This tournament wasn’t just for show; Feng Liwu had his reasons for holding it.

First, it was a way to celebrate and show that the emperor and empress wished for the entire Qi dynasty to rejoice.

Second, it was an opportunity to find talented individuals who could serve on the battlefield in the future.

So Feng Liwu was also somewhat hopeful that someone exceptional would emerge.

After all, most of Qi’s capable generals were now old.

While they could still manage for the time being, if a major war broke out in a few years, these veterans might no longer be up to the task.

Feng Liwu was eager to discover promising young generals to train and nurture.

In the morning, Jiang Xiurun dressed in the red attire typically worn by brides.

Instead of waiting in the palace for the concubines to pay their respects, she went with Feng Liwu to the martial arts tournament in the eastern part of the city.

By then, the area around the tournament stage was already packed with warriors from all over Qi and curious onlookers.

Not only were there people from Qi, but even visitors from Wei and Han had come to try their luck.

Feng Liwu was pleased to see so many warriors gathered.

He sat on the high platform, and after the martial officials overseeing the event gave a brief speech, he declared the tournament open.

As soon as the matches began, the stage became a lively spectacle, thrilling the audience, who eagerly commented on the strengths and weaknesses of each warrior.

Amateurs watched for the excitement, but experts looked for skill.

After watching for a while, Feng Liwu noticed that although there were many winners, none of them were truly exceptional.

He couldn’t help but frown, feeling a faint sense of disappointment.

Turning to Jiang Xiurun, he said, “Once the sun rises higher, it’ll get too hot. You should go back to the palace and rest.”

But Jiang Xiurun was too engrossed to leave.

While Feng Liwu was focused on the moves on the stage, she was watching the crowd below.

In her past life, the martial arts tournament that had brought Bai Qian to prominence had also revealed several young generals, most of whom became Feng Liwu’s right-hand men.

Just now, she had spotted two or three of them in the crowd.

However, they were standing idly below the stage, showing no intention of stepping up.

True masters of martial arts rarely participated in such performances.

First, they valued their reputation and didn’t want to compete too early.

Second, they preferred to observe others’ skills first.

But if the competitors were unimpressive, the masters naturally wouldn’t want to join in, content to watch others perform instead.

Realizing this, Jiang Xiurun turned and called for Bai Qian to step onto the stage.

Since she had woken up early, Bai Qian hadn’t eaten breakfast and was hiding in a secluded corner, devouring a pancake she had hastily bought from a street vendor.

Hearing Jiang Xiurun call her to the stage, she quickly swallowed the remaining pancake, took a large gulp of water from a servant’s flask, and made her way to the stage.

Because of the wedding the previous day, Bai Qian had also been on duty in the palace.

That morning, while Jiang Xiurun was getting ready, Bai Qian had been nearby.

Noticing that Bai Qian’s hair was a bit messy, Jiang Xiurun had specifically asked a maid to give her a simple makeover.

The maid was highly skilled, and her makeup techniques were on par with Feng Wu’s disguise abilities.

When she saw the birthmark on Bai Qian’s nose, her eyes lit up with excitement, as if she had finally found a worthy challenge.

She first mixed a flesh-colored paste and gently smoothed it over Bai Qian’s nose, completely covering the birthmark.

Then, she lightly powdered her face and delicately shaped her eyebrows, transforming her into a striking young woman with bold brows, large eyes, a high nose, and full lips.

Jiang Xiurun knew that Bai Qian usually didn’t care for appearances and often acted rough like a man, making her seem less feminine.

But upon closer inspection, her features were actually quite delicate, and without the birthmark, she was undeniably beautiful.

Even Jiang Xiurun was momentarily stunned when she saw Bai Qian’s transformed appearance, circling her and murmuring in admiration.

According to Bai Qian, Jiang Xiurun’s reaction was somewhat lacking in the dignity befitting an empress, more like the behavior of a rogue whistling at women in the western part of the city.

But Jiang Xiurun didn’t care.

Since Bai Qian looked so stunning today, she decided to go all out and had someone fetch a set of women’s hunting attire for her.

Although Bai Qian appeared tall and sturdy, it was mostly due to her large frame and strong muscles.

In reality, her proportions were well-balanced, with a full bust, slim waist, and rounded hips—curves in all the right places.

Dressed in slightly tight-fitting clothes that accentuated her figure, she looked irresistibly alluring.

As soon as she stepped onto the stage, whistles and cheers erupted from the crowd, with many wondering where this striking young woman had come from and why she was stepping onto the stage to get thrown around.

Dou Siwu had also come with his parents to watch the tournament.

His cousin was set to compete later, aiming to bring honor to the Dou family’s younger generation.

Hearing the commotion below, Dou Siwu turned his gaze toward the stage…