The Hostage Girl - Chapter 189
Chapter 189
After the large army used the excuse of returning to the capital, they did not actually head back.
Instead, they reorganized and marched along the newly constructed canal, heading straight for the State of Han.
Not long after the war with Han began, Empress Dowager Wei voluntarily requested to move to the newly built mountain palace to live.
She had finally come to understand that her son was no longer the neglected child from the cold palace days, and her daughter-in-law was no pushover either.
It would be better for her to move out and live in peace and freedom.
Before leaving, Cao Xi, with tears streaming down her face, begged the Empress Dowager to take her along.
In Cao Xi’s eyes, Jiang Xiurun was simply too terrifying.
Tian Ying, who had clearly served in the Crown Prince’s residence, had been framed as an adulteress who had illicit relations with an aide.
Now, she was the only one left in the palace.
Who else would Jiang Xiurun target if not her? Even the bravest would be scared to death.
Every night, Cao Xi would personally move chairs and vases to block the doors and windows, fearing that intruders would break in and violate her, leading to her being accused and strangled to death like Tian Ying.
This greatly drained her spirit, and she hadn’t slept well in a long time.
Cao Xi felt that if she stayed in the palace any longer, she would scare herself to death before Jiang Xiurun even made a move.
It would be better to follow her aunt to the mountains for some peace and quiet.
So, she voluntarily took up a religious life, relinquished her title as a concubine, and left the palace with Empress Dowager Wei.
Due to the court’s financial constraints, Jiang Xiurun decided to seal off most of the empty palace.
After all, there were only four masters in the palace: herself, Feng Liwu, and their two children.
There was no need for extravagance, and this would set an example for the officials.
For a time, the harem of the Emperor of Qi was even quieter than the residence of a local landlord, which was quite shocking.
The censors couldn’t stand it and went directly to the Empress, hoping she wouldn’t leave a reputation for jealousy in the history books.
How could the Empress not arrange concubines for the Emperor and help expand the royal lineage?
Jiang Xiurun listened with a smile and nodded frequently, saying, “As the ruler of a nation, it is only natural to fill the harem. Since you are so enthusiastic, I will leave the selection of concubines to you, my dear ministers…”
Just as the censors began to smile, Empress Yaren continued unhurriedly, “But when you think about it, who isn’t a ruler? When I was in the State of Bo, the court officials also advised me with great earnestness to expand the harem by selecting noble youths. However, after I married your Emperor, this matter was postponed. Now that you bring it up again, why not handle two matters at once? Select some talented young men for me as well, to expand the harem and help the Jiang family of Bo flourish…”
This speech made the censors shrink their necks, but before they could refute, the Empress had already fluttered her long sleeves and left.
They felt the Empress’s words were inappropriate and went to the Emperor to report her.
However, in the imperial study, there was a roar of anger.
Feng Liwu, furious, threw an inkstone at the door behind the ministers, splattering them with ink.
The Emperor pointed at the ministers’ noses and scolded them, saying they had too much time on their hands! Why should they meddle in palace affairs? If they loved managing so much, they could go to the eunuch office, get themselves castrated, and choose any position as the chief eunuch.
Then they could select concubines to their heart’s content.
The ministers, now covered in ink, left in embarrassment, and no one dared to criticize the Emperor’s household affairs again.
It was a hornet’s nest, and both the Emperor and Empress were not to be trifled with.
Who would dare provoke them?
The new generals of Qi had matured greatly through the trials of quelling the rebellion in the three counties.
Bai Qian, during several sieges, seemed to have suddenly gained insight, applying the military strategies Jiang Xiurun had forced her to read, moving beyond mere theory.
In warfare, besides courage, an unstoppable momentum is crucial.
Bai Qian now had more confidence, and her prestige in the army grew.
The Dou brothers served under her command.
This surprise attack on Han was like a fierce dragon emerging from the river, crushing the Han army and forcing them to flee in disarray.
By the end of the year, the army had annexed Han and returned victorious.
The expansion of Qi and the unification of the Great Cheng Dynasty had officially begun.
When the army returned, the people came out to welcome them, filling the streets with cheers and laughter, hailing the might of Qi.
Of course, following the army was a long line of prisoner carts, containing not only the rebel leader Feng Wu but also the Meng and Yang families, lined up in a row.
These traitorous families had already stirred public resentment in Luo’an City by exploiting the people.
Now, captured as rebels, they were pelted with rotten eggs and spoiled food from the crowds.
Many noble families in the capital who witnessed this secretly rejoiced that they had hesitated and not followed the Meng and Yang families.
Otherwise, wouldn’t they also be standing in prisoner carts, disheveled and drinking spoiled water?
Almost all the civil and military officials gathered at the city gate, including the young prince Baoli, who was carried by a female official to follow his father in reviewing the triumphant troops.
However, Jiang Xiurun did not stand at the city gate to watch the spectacle of the Meng and Yang families.
She was in the palace, selecting new clothes for the evening’s victory banquet.
As she picked out her clothes, she thought: This internal strife had drained the nation’s strength, causing her to miss the grand ceremony in Bo. She would have to pack up and set off again. But this time, she wouldn’t be going alone. Feng Liwu insisted on accompanying her back to her homeland.
With the three counties pacified and Han annexed, intimidating the other states, there was a pile of headaches waiting for him.
Yet he insisted on going with her, and she couldn’t dissuade him.
From his tone, it seemed he was afraid she would misbehave back home, seducing handsome young nobles… What nonsense! It made her so angry she ignored him all morning.
Of course, Jiang Xiurun would definitely attend the victory banquet after the army’s return.
But before she could finish selecting her clothes, the Dou family’s madams came to see her one after another.
The first to enter was the wife of Second Son of Dou, Xiao Zhao—her son Dou Sixue had performed meritorious service in the campaign and would surely be promoted upon his return.
Xiao Zhao came to curry favor with the Empress and to ask her to act as a matchmaker, to see if General Bai was interested in her Sixue, to settle the marriage and become the Dou family’s daughter-in-law.
But before she could fully explain, the wife of Eldest Son of Dou rushed in.
Jiang Xiurun smiled at the scene, feeling that Madam Dou had heard of her sister-in-law’s actions and hurried to block her.
Madam Dou’s arrival was actually prompted by her husband, who had arrived in the capital earlier.
General Dou was a discerning man.
He pointed out that Dou Sixue had been very attentive in the army, and with this momentum, the mother and son were about to bring the hot new general into their family.
Not only would his son Dou Siwu lose his love and be heartbroken, but the elder branch being overshadowed by the younger would also be a huge joke.
Madam Dou was unhappy and felt sour, but she couldn’t help but say that such an ugly woman could be married off to anyone, but she couldn’t bring herself to beg Bai Qian to be her daughter-in-law.
However, General Dou, who usually stayed out of household matters, pointed at Madam Dou’s nose and scolded her fiercely, saying she had a narrow vision.
If it weren’t for that “ugly woman,” their son Dou Siwu would have been executed under military law, and she would be sending off her black-haired son as a white-haired woman!
If she hadn’t set limits and leave no stone unturned by sabotaging her son’s marriage, why would Dou Siwu have been so determined to compete with Dou Sixue for military merit, leading to his mistake of underestimating the enemy and falling into a trap?
If Madam Dou didn’t have the vision and dignity of the Dou family’s eldest daughter-in-law, she didn’t need to worry about this marriage.
She could just return to her maiden home and not come back.
He would find another matchmaker to handle it.
When General Dou truly lost his temper, Madam Dou no longer dared to speak sourly.
She prepared to find time to meet Bai Qian and retract her previous harsh words.
But early in the morning when the army arrived, the neighboring residence had already prepared a carriage.
A sharp-eyed servant informed Madam Dou that Second Madam Dou was taking a carriage to the palace to see the Empress.
Hearing this, Madam Dou immediately understood what her cunning sister-in-law was up to.
Although she had been reluctant before, the thought of Xiao Zhao taking advantage of her elder branch made her feel sour.
It was her son who had first recognized the gem, but now the second branch was eagerly trying to snatch it.
Did they think her Siwu was easy to bully? Seeing Bai Qian rise in rank and achieve great success, they now came to propose marriage, deliberately making her elder branch a laughingstock among the capital’s nobility.
If Bai Qian really married Dou Sixue, the entire capital would say she was blind, and they would laugh at her and her son!
Realizing this, Madam Dou could no longer sit still.
She hurriedly changed clothes, called for a carriage, and chased after Xiao Zhao, entering the palace right behind her.
Just as Xiao Zhao was getting enthusiastic, she saw her sister-in-law enter with a sour face, feeling annoyed.
She thought her sister-in-law’s habit of not eating herself but not allowing others to eat needed to change.
Her son Dou Sixue had written to her repeatedly, urging her to propose the marriage.
Otherwise, once the Emperor’s decree was issued and Bai Qian was promoted further, the Dou family would be out of their league, and only hereditary dukes and marquises would be worthy of her.
For a while, the two Dou madams sat before Jiang Xiurun, neither able to speak.
Finally, Xiao Zhao, regardless of the situation, spoke first.
Madam Dou, not to be outdone, stated that her son had fallen in love with General Bai first.
Even if her sister-in-law didn’t mind, they should consider public opinion.
How could a younger brother marry his elder brother’s intended wife?
At this critical moment, no less intense than a battle between two armies, the two sisters-in-law set aside their familial ties and engaged in veiled and open sarcasm, neither willing to yield.
Finally, they both looked to Jiang Xiurun, hoping the Empress would make a fair judgment.
Jiang Xiurun was also startled by Madam Dou’s sudden change.
She listened to the two women’s arguments with a mix of amusement and exasperation, then said, “Such matters of marriage, though I am the Empress, cannot be decided for General Bai. Why don’t you wait until General Bai is settled and then propose to her yourselves?”
Thus, Jiang Xiurun finally sent away the two eager mothers-in-law.
At the evening victory banquet, the Emperor and Empress sat in high positions, bestowing honors on the meritorious officials, making the hall exceptionally lively.
Having not seen Bai Qian for a long time, Jiang Xiurun naturally had her seated beside her after the honors were bestowed.
After the toasts, Jiang Xiurun smiled and whispered to Bai Qian about Madam Dou’s eagerness to compete with Xiao Zhao for the marriage proposal.
Bai Qian was indifferent: “The Emperor is about to target the State of Liang. How do I have time for such romantic matters? In a few days, I’ll be back in the military camp training new recruits. Besides, why should I enter the Dou family’s gate? The Emperor has already ennobled me and established the Bai residence. I’ve requested to establish a female household and will only take in a son-in-law in the future. I wonder which of the two madams would be willing to have their son marry into my residence? If both are willing, I wouldn’t mind marrying both.”
These bold words made even the Emperor raise an eyebrow.
Jiang Xiurun also felt a surge of emotion, thinking that the girl she had nurtured was truly remarkable, fulfilling her own unfulfilled wishes.
If it really came to that, she couldn’t help but want to reward Bai Qian with a few handsome men to fill her residence… If she hadn’t returned with Feng Liwu back then, how many male consorts would she have had in her harem? Then she could discuss the benefits of various male concubines with Bai Qian, not wasting this lifetime of prosperity…
Unfortunately, just as she was lost in these wistful thoughts, Feng Liwu shot her a glare, and the romantic thoughts dissipated.
Feng Liwu thought to himself: If the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked. Indeed, there’s a pattern. Bai Qian, having come from Jiang Xiurun’s side, had indeed picked up some of her mistress’s unconventional and unrestrained ways. This matter of establishing a female household needed further consideration. Otherwise, if General Bai opened a harem of handsome men, wouldn’t it make her empress itch with desire, thinking of all sorts of improper things?
After the victory banquet, Jiang Xiurun stood up, waiting for the Emperor, who was still toasting and chatting with the generals, to leave together.
Bai Qian found a moment to whisper to Jiang Xiurun: “After the great victory in Han, the Emperor’s secret guards found that man with the scarred face. My subordinates accidentally learned that this man’s surname is Qin. The Emperor seems unwilling to let me know about this Qin’s capture, but I feel I must inform you.”
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Bai Qian!! Madam Dou will lose it. Delulu Liwu’s mental couldn’t be any greener by now. I wonder what Qin Zhao has been telling him. Thank you for the updates💖💖