Chapter 815 – Establishing the Capital of Jianzhou (Part Four)
“Wei Ci frowned slightly, “So late, who could it be?”
Visiting in the dead of night was quite rude. Changsheng was just a child, so it couldn’t be taken too seriously, but adults were another matter.
The Doorkeeper lowered his head, this honest fellow dared not say a word.
Moreover, he genuinely couldn’t describe the visitor, who had simply stated they were a friend of the master without any introduction.
“Forget it, I’ll go take a look.”
Wei Ci sighed and took Changsheng to the flower hall.
Upon seeing that familiar figure, he nearly dropped Changsheng in shock.
Of course, even if he wanted to drop her, he couldn’t; Changsheng was too heavy.
The owner of the graceful silhouette removed her large hooded cloak, revealing a calm and cool face, with raised eyebrows looking at the child in Wei Ci’s arms.
“Greetings, Lord!”
“You already have a child?”
Jiang Pengji’s gaze fell on Changsheng’s face—her chubby cheeks were flushed, looking exceptionally cute.
With a苦笑, Wei Ci replied, “Why tease me, my lord? This is the child of the Huaiyu family, Changsheng. It’s been half a year since you last saw her; you probably forgot.”
Children grow quickly; half a year’s absence might mean she wouldn’t recognize her at all.
“She’s gained some weight, I almost didn’t recognize her. She’s too heavy for you to carry; let me take her.”
Jiang Pengji glanced at Wei Ci’s physique and thought Changsheng might crush him.
Wei Ci silently lowered his head but still handed over Changsheng.
“How did Huaiyu’s child end up here?”
Jiang Pengji casually asked.
“Huaiyu probably wants to have another child, but the perceptive Changsheng caught on to her intentions. She thought Huaiyu might abandon her, so she came to me for comfort. Children have short memories; by tomorrow morning after a good sleep, she’ll forget all her worries.”
Don’t underestimate children; they might understand more than you think but just can’t express it.
Wei Ci felt that even children should not be overlooked by adults in their presence and feelings.
Jiang Pengji responded with an “oh,” noncommittally.
Several lamps flickered in the hall, the orange candlelight intermittently shining through the dark like his anxious heart at that moment.
“Did you come late at night for something?” Wei Ci saw Jiang Pengji silent, staring at the now-sleeping Changsheng. His throat tightened as memories almost pulled him in, forcing him to break the awkward silence with a question.
Jiang Pengji gently patted Changsheng and lowered her voice.
“At the previous banquet, I couldn’t ask you—how is that matter with the Northern Border going?”
Wei Ci’s nerves tensed, and he buried scattered images deep in his memory before responding earnestly.
“Reporting to the Lord, everything is proceeding as planned.”
“Is there any unusual activity in the Northern Border? Have the higher-ups inquired about the rabbit and sheep farming of the herders?”
Wei Ci shook his head. “No news of that sort yet. The Northern Border is still dealing with the tumultuous aftermath of last year’s Horse Plague; the Northern Border King remains dominant, but other tribes are starting to grumble. To silence these voices, the Northern Border King has been constantly active. They’re busy with power struggles and can’t even manage several large horse farms; the chances they’ll care about the lives of ordinary herders are slim.”
Whether in this life or the previous one, the Horse Plague was an unavoidable calamity for the Northern Border.
If it weren’t for the Horse Plague significantly weakening the Northern Border, they might have had the strength to venture south within a few years. Dongqing would probably be in danger.
The previous Horse Plague had cost the Northern Border its best opportunity to invade the south. By the time they recovered, the Central Plains would be occupied by a ferocious wolf.
At that time, the Northern Border had planned to take advantage of the chaos in the Central Plains, never expecting Jiang Pengji, who had been fiercely battling various lords, would suddenly stop, even willing to forgo benefits to forge alliances and turn her focus on the Northern Border.
Once the Northern Border was defeated by her, she would then turn against her allies.
In the previous life, the Northern Border had been mere cannon fodder; in this life… sigh, it might be even worse.
The Lord had been diligently managing the northern forces, and wasn’t that just to sharpen her knives for the Northern Border?
Wei Ci said, “By the time the Northern Border Royal Court discovers it, it might be two or three years later.”
At that time, the Northern Border would face two choices—
First, a battle to the death! Completely disregard the situation and continue developing the ranches, raising war horses, and boosting their military strength. As long as they conquered the Central Plains, they would gain vast fertile lands and inexhaustible resources and would never need to suffer in the food-scarce Northern Border again.
Second, allocate manpower to manage the burgeoning populations of rabbits and sheep, allowing the grasslands time to recover.
If they chose the first option, it would be a gamble for the Northern Border.
If they won, they would have everything; if they lost, they’d be left with nothing, not even their pants.
If they chose the latter, it would take several more years for the Northern Border to recover, giving Jiang Pengji ample time to strengthen her forces.
Jiang Pengji was quite satisfied with what she heard.
If she had a few more multifunctional little angels like Wei Ci, she probably wouldn’t struggle for manpower anymore.
Wei Ci felt uncomfortable all over; he didn’t even dare to meet Jiang Pengji’s gaze, his eyes flickering.
“If the Lord wants to discuss this matter, it can wait until tomorrow. Why come at such a late hour?”
Now that the lord’s identity had just been restored, coming out so late at a subordinate’s home would surely spark some unpleasant rumors.
“I came when I wanted to,” Jiang Pengji stated.
Wei Ci found himself speechless. This truly reflected his lord’s usual domineering demeanor.
After the two talked about official matters, the atmosphere fell into an awkward silence, thick as mud that wouldn’t stir.
Wei Ci’s eyes traveled over the sweetly sleeping Changsheng, when a sudden question bubbled up in his mind.
He simply couldn’t help the urge.
“I heard from Huaiyu that Changsheng’s nickname was given by you, my lord?”
Jiang Pengji looked up at him, replying with a hum, “Isn’t there a custom where the father seeks blessings for a newborn and asks a passerby for a name? Huaiyu asked me, how could I refuse? Besides, I personally delivered Changsheng, and she’s quite charming…”
Wei Ci murmured, “Peaceful and worry-free, long life.”
Jiang Pengji frowned slightly upon hearing this; it was indeed the meaning behind the name she had chosen for Changsheng.
Wei Ci, almost on a whim, added, “I heard from Huaiyu that she’s been meaning to have another child. She might come asking you again.”
Jiang Pengji smiled, “I lack the talent for names; they sound too ordinary. Since I already have one, Huaiyu wouldn’t rush to seek suffering.”
When it came to calculations, she was confident, but poetry and prose truly perplexed her.
Not quite illiterate, but compared to a true scholar, she might as well be.
“That’s not necessarily true. Even for peace of mind, Huaiyu might still ask for a name.”
“By your reasoning, should I think of names just in case?” Jiang Pengji had originally thought of asking Wei Ci to help her prepare a boy’s name and a girl’s name just in case, but since she could tell he wasn’t very enthusiastic, she had to come up with her own, “How about naming another Fushou? Either Changsheng or Fushou could work as a boy’s or girl’s name, and the meanings are nice…”
Wei Ci completely fell silent.
Jiang Pengji could feel he was feeling down.
