Chapter 358 – Capital City Turmoil (15)
“Exactly,” Xu Ke replied nonchalantly with a nod.
Huang Song was utterly dejected.
Talented people roamed freely, yet his low status made it impossible for him to make any of them linger, let alone the son of Liu Zhi.
However, even if he couldn’t recruit them, he could be friends, right?
Seeing the other party so generous, he assumed they must be someone unrestrained and broad-minded.
With this thought, Huang Song’s disappointment subsided a bit, and he continued to watch the farce unfold.
Jiang Pengji looked at Fatty Fang’s panda-like left eye and, driven by her obsessive-compulsive tendencies, decided to give his right eye a matching bruise. “Pah! I couldn’t possibly give birth to such a useless son. If I did, he’d be the kind to get climbed over by women!”
Her taunts sent the entire room into fits of laughter.
To say that Jiang Pengji was brutally savage—it was an understatement!
“You—you’re not afraid of being torn to bits?!” Fatty Fang, jolted back to reality by the laughter, turned beet red and mustered the courage to threaten her.
“If you dare to ask your father to come here, I wouldn’t mind beating him along with you!”
Jiang Pengji was dead serious, if Fatty Fang dared to shout, she would indeed follow through.
Fatty Fang was livid, and Jiang Pengji, finding his rage insufficient, added, “But if that happens, you better be prepared to call me ‘Grandma’ later!”
The moment those words left her mouth, many in the room were momentarily bewildered, not grasping the meaning.
Only Feng Jin, Feng Jue, and Xu Ke quickly caught on and nearly choked on their own saliva.
Huang Song also realized the implication soon after.
Jiang Pengji was crystal clear; if she beat Fatty Fang and he cried to his father, if his father showed up to get beaten too, Fatty Fang would effectively become her grandson, calling her ‘Grandma’… Now that was a blow to the gut!
“Get lost! My subordinates never leave survivors. If it weren’t for your fathers, your bodies would already be cold!” Jiang Pengji threatened with a cold laugh. “If you go running back to complain, go ahead. I’m all ears to see if you’re in the right or if I am.”
Though it all started with Fatty Fang and Huang Song competing for dominance at the tea house, things escalated quickly—Fatty Fang schemed to strip Jiang Pengji to humiliate her, and now it clearly wasn’t a simple spat; this was getting serious.
“You—just you wait!”
Fatty Fang plopped down hard on the hall floor, feeling like his tailbone might crack, as he awkwardly covered his face while clutching his sore backside. Before stumbling away, he didn’t forget to leave behind some harsh words.
“Looking forward to seeing you again!”
Jiang Pengji waved her hand, showing no hint of fear.
Fatty Fang’s face turned a deep purple, and under the pitiful support of his gang of thugs and henchmen, he limped out in disgrace.
Once Fatty Fang disappeared from sight, Jiang Pengji finally wiped the mischievous grin off her face and restored her usual indifference.
“Remember to compensate for the damages done here,” she said, addressing Feng Jin.
If it hadn’t been for Feng Jin’s brother causing trouble, she wouldn’t have faced such unnecessary chaos today.
Feng Jin smiled warmly, while Huang Song quickly interjected, “This matter started because of me, Huang. The compensation for the shopkeeper should rightly be on me; I’ll send my servant over shortly. No need for Brother Feng to lose out.”
Despite being the son of a eunuch, Huang Song lived quite comfortably, his pockets lined better than anyone else’s at the scene.
“Who is this?”
Jiang Pengji, preoccupied earlier, knew Huang Song’s background but pretended ignorance, feigning curiosity.
Huang Song shyly introduced himself, “I am Huang Song. If Young Master Liu doesn’t mind, just call me Uncle Gao.”
“Sounds good,” Jiang Pengji nodded.
Huang Song’s eyes brightened.
Compared to Feng Jin’s warm and aloof demeanor, Jiang Pengji was far more approachable.
In other words, he might just get to have some fun with her.
At that moment, Wu Ma Jun, previously ignored by everyone, spoke up.
“That Young Master just now is the beloved son of Duke Cheng’en. He has some standing, and Duke Cheng’en won’t just let it slide lightly.”
Duke Cheng’en was none other than General Fang, who commanded a hundred thousand Imperial Guards in the capital.
“What’s there to fear? If he has the guts to confront me, I’ll just lay down the facts. In this day and age, whose family doesn’t have a father?”
Jiang Pengji scoffed, the last part about “playing the father card” perfectly cutting Wu Ma Jun’s unfinished remark short.
Fatty Fang brought along thirty or so henchmen but still got bested, and if General Fang had any shame, he could shout to the heavens; it wouldn’t mean a thing.
If the General was truly shameless enough to make trouble for her, Jiang Pengji wouldn’t be afraid either.
The “father card”? Bring it on; who doesn’t have a father?
Back in the day, she nudged Liu Zhi to Chongzhou, and the court quickly sent a new governor to take charge of Hujun.
Unfortunately, under Liu Zhi’s governance, Hujun had solidified into an ironclad territory, and the common people didn’t accept the new hierarchy. Now, three years later, Hujun was effectively still under Liu Zhi’s control, and the syndicate within was fuming while not daring to act recklessly.
Hujun was a coveted asset but could only be eyed but not touched. Who felt good about that?
Now, the official wanted to use the marriage alliance between Liu Huan and Wu Ma Jun to bring Liu Zhi closer to the royal family.
Using the marriage of children, they sought to gradually wear Liu Zhi down into relinquishing Hujun.
At this moment, General Fang, raised like a pet dog by the Emperor, wouldn’t dare take a bite out of Jiang Pengji.
Not only wouldn’t he dare, but he’d also have to come over and apologize afterward.
Feng Jin struggled to suppress his laughter, the noble demeanor he had barely hanging on.
“Years apart, and Jiang Pengji is still so sharp-tongued. I wonder if there’s anyone out there who can handle your temperament.”
“Whatever pot matches whatever lid; the world is vast, and there’s bound to be a perfect match. You don’t need to worry about such nonsense,” Jiang Pengji replied, taking her sandalwood fan and fluttering it slowly. Suddenly, she seemed to recall something and said, “A few months ago, I received your letter saying Jingxian is four months pregnant now. If we count the time, she should be due in another two months, right?”
Through Liu Zhi’s matchmaking, Feng Jin eventually married Wei Jingxian.
For the Feng family’s status, Wei Jingxian’s background was a bit low, but given that she wasn’t a clan wife, the conditions didn’t need to be too stringent.
The couple had discussed with Feng Jin, and seeing that their second son didn’t object, the marriage was settled.
Feng Jin, in this day and age, actually made for a good husband; at least Jiang Pengji hadn’t discovered any indications of another woman in his background.
This indicated that Feng Jin’s household was relatively clean, with no extraneous ladies other than his legitimate wife.
“Yes, her belly’s getting bigger these months. Last month, whatever she eats comes right up. She’s looking gaunt, and it makes me anxious,”
Feng Jin was a first-time dad. While he appeared calm on the surface, he was actually quite anxious inside.
With the current state of medical practices, childbirth was akin to a death march; one careless mistake, and it could mean disaster for both mother and child.
“I heard the elderly say, the firstborn is always the toughest to bear. To avoid mishaps, it’s best to have a skilled obstetrician and an experienced midwife ready at home, just in case,”
The Feng family was well-off enough to afford the necessary personnel for Wei Jingxian’s confinement.
Feng Jin nodded in agreement; adding a couple more layers of security would help him feel more at ease.
