Chapter 1230 – Preparing for Battle, Rest and Recuperation (Nine)
Liu Zhao seemed to be deep in thought, but he didn’t dare to hold too much hope.
Jiang Pengji didn’t give much explanation either; after all, many things she understood well enough on her own. The more people who knew, the easier it was to mess things up.
Although Liu Zhao had some cleverness, he was still too naive. Who knew if he might impulsively ruin her good plans?
“Alright, let’s go home.”
“Oh, going home—”
Jiang Pengji patted his head, her smile carrying a hint of warmth.
If Liu Zhao dared to muster the courage to look her in the eyes, he would find that Jiang Pengji’s gaze was also filled with warmth, definitely not just a simple pretense.
The sibling pair linked arms as Jiang Pengji turned to glance at Liu Zhao, who was just a tad taller than her.
In this era, Liu Zhao’s height was not considered short; he was at least above average, standing tall like a pine.
However, in Jiang Pengji’s eyes, he seemed petite.
“Zhao’er, you previously rejected Father’s marriage proposal, so do you have any thoughts on the matter?”
“Why is elder sister suddenly bringing this up? Matters of marriage are always decided by our parents and matchmakers; how can one decide for themselves?” Liu Zhao paused for a moment and cautiously added, “I just want someone who’s good-looking and has a nice personality—”
The most important point must be that they are a normal person, ah ah ah!!
This crucial point needed repeating three times!
Liu Zhao certainly didn’t want his partner to be a monster possessed by a spirit, a ghost who knew everything from birth, or something else—too terrifying!
As long as they were a normal person, even if they were a bit ugly, a bit silly, or from a lowly family, he wouldn’t be picky.
Jiang Pengji frowned, “Though marriage is typically decided by elders, it’s you who will live your life with that person. To put it crudely, only your feet know whether the shoes fit. What’s most important is that you like them; only then can you have a harmonious married life.”
Liu Zhao was still just a young boy. Even with a bit of cleverness, his temperament was somewhat restrained and shy.
His cheeks flushed slightly, and he looked a bit awkward.
“I’m not refusing, it’s just that I haven’t met many—how could I harbor like?”
If he could, Liu Zhao truly wished to remain a lifelong single aristocrat, living peacefully and comfortably.
If his wife’s family was well-behaved, that would be fine; but if they stirred up trouble, pushing him into power struggles or discreet schemes, wouldn’t that harm him too?
Marrying such a troublesome wife would be worse than not marrying at all.
Jiang Pengji frowned again, “There really aren’t many decent families in Wanzhou. How about I ask Huaiyu later to see if there are any suitable women in the Feng family? You’re not young anymore, and soon you’ll reach the age of coming of age; it’s not right to not have some marriage proposal.”
Liu Zhao was taken aback. Did his elder sister mean to suggest the Feng family as his wife?
“Elder sister, I’m still young, you should let me be for a couple more years.” Liu Zhao’s face wore a smile, shamelessly begging for mercy, but inside he was sweating nervously. To make the Feng family his in-laws was akin to wishing for his own demise! “If I get married, how would I ask elder sister for red envelopes during festivals? I have nothing to my name; taking care of myself is already difficult, let alone an entire family.”
Liu Zhao wracked his brain trying to decline.
“I’m really poor right now, waiting eagerly for elder sister to prepare a big red envelope for my aid—” Liu Zhao stubbornly refused, brazenly asking Jiang Pengji for this year’s New Year red envelope gift package in advance, “The New Year’s Eve is just around the corner, why not reward me first?”
Jiang Pengji felt helpless due to Liu Zhao’s antics.
From all his behaviors, it was clear that his will to survive was unusually strong.
Let him be, he could survive till the end of time.
With such a desire for life, why did he meddle in matters that didn’t concern him?
“Alright, alright—after winning several battles this year, we’ve increased our income significantly, and your sister isn’t stingy; your red envelope won’t be small.”
Jiang Pengji wrapped an arm around Liu Zhao’s shoulder and escorted him back to her residence.
Liu Zhao had not built a family or household, so he could only squeeze in with her.
Jiang Pengji had someone prepare a late-night snack for Liu Zhao, telling him to eat it before sleeping.
“What about elder sister?” Liu Zhao asked.
“There are still many matters to take care of after the battles of tens of thousands of soldiers over the past couple of years; I need to be busy for a while longer,” Jiang Pengji said matter-of-factly, “I need to handle these matters well so that the common people can have a good New Year. Don’t worry about it, Zhao’er, remember to sleep early.”
Standing in the corridor, Liu Zhao listened to Jiang Pengji’s words, his large hood casting shadowy shapes on his shoulders.
The candlelight here was dim, leaving most of his face lost in darkness.
With a complex expression, he watched Jiang Pengji leave, his eyes filled with inscrutable thoughts.
At some moment, he sincerely hoped this person was his elder sister; as her little brother, he could rightfully take pride in her.
Yet he knew in his heart that this was merely his own wishful thinking.
With his mind swirling with thoughts, Liu Zhao fell into a deep sleep, unaware that his hardworking elder sister, who appeared so accommodating, was actually jumping into Wei Ci’s residence with a basket full of documents. She had a pen held in her mouth, hanging upside down like a bat under the eaves of his room, knocking on the window.
Knock knock knock—
The crisp sound rang particularly clear in the night.
After a while, two candles lit up in the pitch-black room, one of which was held by Wei Ci, limping toward the window.
Creak—
Wei Ci raised his hand to open the window a crack, and Jiang Pengji’s upside-down face suddenly flashed into his view.
Wei Ci: “…”
“Working overtime alone always seems to sap my energy—” Jiang Pengji set the basket down first, then leaped through the window into Wei Ci’s room, turning around to bring in the basket, “I noticed your walking looked a bit strange; what happened to you?”
Jiang Pengji rambled on without giving Wei Ci a chance to respond.
“Nothing’s wrong with me—”
Wei Ci sighed softly, limping back into the room while also raising his hand to close the window.
What was it like to have a highly skilled Lord?
Wei Ci felt that this person would appear in front of him at any time, in any place, and under any circumstance.
Always ready to give him a thrill.
Jiang Pengji picked up the basket, glancing down to see a lump of dark shadow hanging on Wei Ci’s leg.
Huh?
It seemed that upon noticing Jiang Pengji’s gaze, the shadow turned its large face, staring at her with pearl-like shiny eyes and making a couple of whiny sounds. It clung to Wei Ci’s thigh with its little paws, putting its entire weight on that leg.
It seemed a bit heavy; Wei Ci could only shuffle along as he walked, resulting in his peculiar gait.
Jiang Pengji remarked, “You haven’t managed to get rid of it yet?”
She had tossed this thing to Wei Ci and hadn’t thought much of it, assuming it had been stolen and roasted by some soldier.
Wei Ci said, “This is the Young Master that the Lord personally designated; how could I dare to neglect it?”
Now it was Jiang Pengji’s turn to be confused.
When did she designate a panda as the Young Master?
Wei Ci reminded her, “The Lord previously mentioned to Zishi that it is your daughter, so of course, I must take good care of it.”
