Chapter 1258 – The Tumultuous Times (19)
Jiang Pengji was the first to discover that Wei Ci was now accompanied by a jade seal.
Through the Yin-Yang jade pendant, she found herself beside him, her gaze greedily fixed on his sleeping face, and she couldn’t get enough of it.
How could her Zixiao be so handsome!
Just as she reached out to caress his face, her fingertips seemed to get zapped by static electricity, causing her to instinctively pull back.
“Hmm?”
Jiang Pengji shifted her gaze to the jade seal hanging from Wei Ci’s waist and stared at it for a while.
This jade seal was clearly for men, and Jiang Pengji wasn’t worried about it being a little gift from some flirty admirer.
Although she didn’t know what a Taoist seal was, it gave her a sense of righteous energy, so it must be something good.
The only thing that bothered her was that it seemed like she couldn’t take advantage of him anymore.
“Tsk, who’s making such a fuss—”
Jiang Pengji stared at the jade seal with a deeply tormented expression, having stared at it for a while but unable to figure out its meaning.
Even though she was well-informed, Jiang Pengji had no idea what it was, only that it was beneficial for Wei Ci.
Given this, she decided against being violent and tearing it apart.
Before leaving, Jiang Pengji took one last deep look at Wei Ci, sighed softly, and went back to her mushroom farming.
She felt like she was being unreasonable, why did she have to pretend to be sick?
Going all out in her act, as a pretend patient, she could only stay in her own tent, her only joy being daydreaming about Wei Ci to ease her longing. She felt like she had all this energy with nowhere to vent! Out of boredom, she could only chat with the idle viewers.
At this moment, she found the idle audience so adorable; otherwise, she would have gone crazy from boredom.
Even though dark waves were surging, and war was imminent, the Old Matriarch had already been in mourning for forty-nine days and it was time for her to be buried with honor.
Before the burial, the devoted children and grandchildren could see the Old Matriarch one last time.
Wei Ci took Jiang Pengji’s spot and could naturally see the elderly matron for the last time.
Though the mourning lasted forty-nine days, a significant amount of resources was spent each day to preserve the body, so even after all this time, the Old Matriarch’s body hadn’t decayed. Her family had applied some powder on her face to make her look healthier and more lively…
If it weren’t for the faint smell of decay in the air and the icy chill coming from the coffin, everyone would think the Old Matriarch was still alive.
Wei Ci glanced at the Old Matriarch’s body; at first, it seemed fine, but with a second look, something felt off.
Rumors claimed that the Old Matriarch died from anger, but Wei Ci had asked Liu Heng and learned her true cause of death.
She had suffocated due to thick phlegm blocking her throat—
This was quite a unique way to die; it must have been painful for an elder.
On the day of her burial, Liu Ji, who had been seriously ill, bravely attended to say his farewells. Everyone couldn’t refuse him and had to support him as he walked.
After opening Liu Ji’s father’s grave, a series of rituals were necessary before placing the Old Matriarch’s coffin inside.
Once the grave was sealed, Liu Ji let out a heartbreaking cry and finally fainted from exhaustion.
Everyone rushed about in a panic.
Liu Ji’s life was saved, but his condition was a cause for concern; the Young Doctor said he would only have a few more years to live with proper care.
After checking on Liu Ji, Wei Ci stepped out. He chose a secluded path back home, inadvertently overhearing a few words.
Before her death, the Old Matriarch had been domineering and fond of luxury, and the maidservants who attended her also enjoyed using her power to oppress others and secretly taking a little kickback.
With her passing, the tree had fallen and the monkeys scattered; those maidservants had lost their backing and were feeling quite miserable.
They were either kicked out of the mansion or reassigned to remote courtyards to serve.
Recalling their once glorious days, they felt sad at the same time as they reminisced about the Old Matriarch’s kindness.
One of them, who had once tidied up the Old Matriarch’s features, spoke with a tone of sympathy, “…the Old Matriarch had a large puddle of greenish phlegm by her mouth; she was always so fond of cleanliness, but who would have thought she died in such an undignified manner… Whether rich or poor, in the end, you can’t escape death… Without the Old Matriarch’s protection, where will you and I go from here—”
“That Young Master from the guesthouse is so handsome; if he were to take us in, we wouldn’t have to worry, right?”
Hearing the latter phrase made Wei Ci frown, but the mention of the “guesthouse Young Master” filled him with anger.
…A large puddle of greenish phlegm by the Old Matriarch’s mouth…
Returning to his quarters, the maidservant’s voice echoed in his mind, and suddenly, a terrifying thought struck him.
“Could it be that…”
A dreadful notion emerged in Wei Ci’s mind.
With the Old Matriarch laid to rest, his mission was complete, and the very next day he submitted his resignation to Liu Heng.
Liu Heng said, “I’ve heard Huang Song has been very active lately; can Lan Ting handle it?”
Wei Ci sighed, “There are many talented people under the Lord’s command; even if the Lord is unwell and unable to oversee everything, we should be able to hold on for a while longer.”
Liu Heng comforted him, “Lan Ting is blessed in martial affairs, and he will surely turn danger into safety.”
Wei Ci offered a faint smile before quickly returning to his calm demeanor.
Liu Heng watched Wei Ci leave, his eyes filled with unshakeable concern.
If Liu Xi truly could not withstand Huang Song, what would happen to the Liu Clan?
Should he seek another path of retreat for the Liu Clan?
Before and after the Old Matriarch’s funeral, several battlefields had erupted with fierce clashes.
According to Huang Song’s plan, he intended to focus the main battlefield in Wanzhou and Hujun while feigning an attack on Cangzhou to draw out Jiang Pengji’s main forces.
Jiang Pengji’s cavalry had a distinct advantage in combat; if they focused on Cangzhou, the enemy would have the upper hand due to the advantageous terrain, and his side would likely suffer great losses.
Feigned attacks should also appear legitimate.
Huang Song mobilized his troops and sent men ashore at the gorge between Chenzhou and Cangzhou.
Having become familiar with the area, he had previously landed at the gorge to directly assault Cangzhou during his alliance with Jiang Pengji against the Cangzhou Meng Clan.
Jiang Pengji commanded Dian Yin, Meng Hunyun, and Feng Jin to defend Cangzhou, keeping a close eye on the situation around the gorge.
Dian Yin asked, “Military Adviser, according to the scouts, the enemy is preparing to land—should we dispatch troops to intercept?”
The gorge was located in the mid-lower reaches of Cangzhou’s Song River, wide and gentle-flowing, making it quite suitable for landing.
Feng Jin replied, “No rush—let them in!”
He had also heard wind of Jiang Pengji’s pretense of illness, so he wasn’t eager to block Huang Song’s forces at the gorge.
Since they were putting on an act, it had to be realistic.
With the lengthy battlefront, the number of troops Feng Jin had was limited; facing off against the enemy across the gorge could easily be suspicious.
It would be better to follow the plan, allowing the enemy to advance and taste some victories, so that when their confidence was high, they could reveal their true intentions.
Since Feng Jin had already sent the nearby common people away, letting the enemy come in would entail minimal risk.
Dian Yin inquired, “The enemy’s forces are numerous; allowing them to land like this… is that really wise?”
Feng Jin shook his head, “Cangzhou holds less significance for Huang Song than Wanzhou or Hujun. Hujun is vast and fertile; if we can take it, we won’t have to worry about winter grain after the autumn harvest. Wanzhou is the core of the Lord’s foundation; any loss there would shake morale. In comparison, while Cangzhou has horse farms, building up cavalry takes time. Horses can’t be used just by being brought over; they won’t yield immediate benefits.”
Meng Hunyun asked, “So you mean the number of enemy troops attacking Cangzhou is less than it appears?”
Feng Jin laughed, “It’s probably a deceptive tactic—a real fright would actually expose us first.”
After all, Feng Jin didn’t have many troops either.
Huang Song had his schemes, and Jiang Pengji had her own plans.
