Chapter 1549 – Attack on Nie Liang and Yang Tao, Sword Points at the World (87)
“Wei Zishun died quite thoroughly, but it’s a hassle for our Lord and Zixiao over there.”
Qi Guanrang felt quite a headache; he had already accepted reality and was waiting for his little Young Master’s arrival, but unexpected complications arose.
“What’s there to worry about? The boat will naturally straighten out when it reaches the bridge,” Elder Sun Wen wasn’t overly concerned. “Wenzhen still doesn’t quite understand the ways of married life.”
Qi Guanrang chuckled, “What does that have to do with married life?”
Elder Sun Wen said solemnly, “Love can overcome all restraints.”
Qi Guanrang: “…”
Why does that sound so familiar?
After thinking it over, wasn’t that a short story serialized before Wei Ci declared war?
According to Wei Ci’s private disclosure, this line was forcibly added by their Lord, completely clashing with Wei Ci’s writing style.
Elder Sun Wen felt awkward under Qi Guanrang’s speechless gaze and cleared his throat.
“This was collected from Lanlan not long ago; the story was quite amusing. I didn’t expect Zixiao to have such a romantic heart.”
Initially, he thought the author was some widowed woman. To his surprise, the signature was “Zai Chi Jushi”—Wei Ci’s pseudonym in the literary world.
Qi Guanrang said gloomily, “Our Lord cares a lot for Zixiao. If there’s a rift between them because of Wei Zishun’s death…”
Elder Sun Wen interjected, “Then there will be no more good days ahead.”
With both hands raised, the old man displayed a resigned expression, leaving Qi Guanrang feeling more unsettled.
After the Nie Clan’s defeat, Elder Sun Wen was the happiest in the whole military camp; if someone didn’t know better, they might think he was about to have a second spring.
While the two were bickering, Jiang Pengji visited Wei Ci to inform him of the outcome.
Wei Ying clashed with her and died; she had someone collect his body and asked Wei Ci if he wanted to have Wei Ying buried.
Wei Ci’s eyes were red, as if he had cried, but his face showed no traces of tears. Apart from looking a bit weary, he seemed okay otherwise.
“If you want to blame me, then go ahead. My hands have taken countless lives; I won’t miss one Wei Ying,” translating it to the audience, Jiang Pengji was the true champion of being single by strength. “Blame it if you wish, but if you want to harbor grievances against me, I won’t play along.”
Seeing her Lord sitting beside him on the bed, Wei Ci appeared outwardly as arrogant as always but was internally a rare mix of unease.
“Why would you think I would resent you, Lord?” Wei Ci asked. “This was my brother’s own choice; how could I inadvertently involve others? In battles, victory and defeat are brutal. Just like my brother said, the prospering follow and the failing perish. If you had lost today, you would face the same fate, and I wouldn’t survive in this world. No one can be blamed for this! If blame is to be placed, it can only be on the world.”
Jiang Pengji sighed, “The more you reason like this, the more guilty I feel.”
Wei Ci replied, “Why should you feel guilty, Lord? You can’t feel guilty just because a prisoner happens to be a blood relative of a subordinate, right?”
Jiang Pengji fell silent upon hearing this. She chose not to sit properly but instead crossed her legs, a posture quite unbecoming in the eyes of others.
“Suddenly feeling a bit of sympathy.”
Wei Ci looked at her in surprise, perplexed by her sudden sentiment.
“Zixiao has only a few months until his thirtieth birthday, yet his mindset is so open and clear, no less than those wise men in their fifties or sixties. Thinking about it a bit, this isn’t just wisdom accumulated in this life,” Jiang Pengji said softly, “It must mostly come from a previous life.”
Only by falling can one know pain; many insights can only be truly understood through personal experience.
Wei Ci suddenly said something completely unrelated.
“In my previous life, my teacher devoted himself to teaching, nurturing countless students, practically being a guiding light for the world. Amidst the chaos of the Five Nations, aside from Youmo, Wenbin, and Shaoyin, fifty-six others served afterwards, and twenty-three of them were qualified to be documented in the New History by Cheng Cheng.”
Jiang Pengji scratched her head, “What does that have to do with me?”
Wei Ci said, “Most of these people were my friends from my enlightenment to the age of twenty, closer than brothers.”
Jiang Pengji: “…”
Suddenly, a foreboding feeling arose.
Wei Ci continued, “It’s not just those three; half of the rest directly or indirectly relate to Your Majesty.”
Jiang Pengji: “…”
Meow!
Wei Ci helplessly said, “When Jiang Zhao established his rule, the scholars of Langya Academy had deep conflicts with Your Majesty.”
Well, it was true; this Empress specifically targeted students from Langya Academy to kill—what a grudge!
Jiang Pengji asked, “So what about Wei Ying?”
“Wei Liang died in the internal conflict of the Nie Clan; my elder brother was depressed for years due to his close friend’s death and passed away before fifty.” Wei Ci lowered his head. “To die by the hand of our Lord fulfills my brother’s desires; perhaps it can be seen as a release. I will take good care of his children…”
Jiang Pengji contemplated, “I feel… like there’s something else on your mind…”
“Indeed there is,” Wei Ci didn’t hide it, saying, “That matter is related to Fushou.”
Jiang Pengji knew Fushou; he was Wei Ci’s son in the last life, named Wei Cong.
“Fushou took a wrong path and was manipulated into a coup; it seems likely there’s a role played by my nephew… though I’m not certain, it’s not far off.”
Wei Ci couldn’t always have his son by his side, sometimes placing him in his elder brother’s house for his nephew and sister-in-law to care for him. Ever since the meteor event, Wei Ci had become much more cautious, even restricting Wei Cong’s interactions with commoner children.
Despite being so vigilant, Wei Cong still fell victim…
Now, looking back, it seemed highly likely that the Wei Clan had colluded with three of his nephews.
This was also the only way that wouldn’t arouse Wei Ci’s suspicion.
Jiang Pengji asked, “Isn’t it all in the past?”
Wei Ci’s eyes turned red as he said, “In the end, it’s hard to let go.”
His most beloved son was manipulated, storming in with outsiders to force a coup, nearly causing his own sister’s death, indirectly killing his father. The only comfort was that the Emperor had already passed away early, or else who knows what scene it would have been—most likely, he would have been left utterly disheartened.
According to the personality of Crown Prince Jiang Yan, even if he spared Wei Cong’s life, he probably wouldn’t forgive him, exiling Wei Cong a thousand miles would be considered merciful.
In a family of four, not a single one found a good ending; it was truly tragic.
Jiang Pengji patted his shoulder, saying, “You can lean on this precious shoulder of yours.”
Wei Ci, however, replied, “This is a military camp; one must speak cautiously!”
Wei Ying’s death saddened Wei Ci, but it wasn’t as dire as Qi Guanrang and the others envisioned. He hadn’t developed any grievances with their Lord.
He carefully gathered his elder brother’s remains, changed him into a clean burial outfit, and put him in a coffin to send back to Langya County.
Though the Wei Clan had moved as a whole back to Bianzhou, the ancestral graves of the branches still remained undisturbed.
Returning Wei Ying to Langya County was akin to returning to one’s roots.
Due to the recent loss of his elder brother, Wei Ci had taken a more modest approach to eating and dressing; being naturally slender, he had lost even more weight.
After the intense battle, Jiang Pengji was somewhat breathless, and the severely damaged Nie Clan was certainly worse off, rendered nearly incapacitated in one blow.
