Chapter 1589 – Suppressing Nan Sheng, Killing An Huan (3)
“Is our Lord feeling a bit jealous?”
Wei Ci asked uncertainly, a smirk barely escaping his lips.
In both lifetimes, he was already a man in his seventies, yet his current mindset resembled that of a reckless youth smitten with love.
If only his beloved would pay him more attention, just a glance, he would burst with joy.
Jiang Pengji generously admitted, “So what if I am? Even if your ‘Emperor’ from your past life is also me, I don’t remember that phase, so to me, she’s just another person. If you keep bringing her up and get all moody, isn’t it only natural for me to feel a twinge of jealousy?”
She wasn’t like this man who spoke one way and acted another. Wei Ci’s nature had been seen through by her; she said what she felt and didn’t expect his thought process to guess what she was expressing. She admitted she was jealous, so what of it!
Suppressing a laugh, Wei Ci said, “Our Lord and I are nearing one hundred fifty years old together; we’re like an old married couple, so let’s not discuss this.”
Jiang Pengji raised an eyebrow, pouting, “Be honest, who matters more to you in your heart, me or your precious Emperor?”
Wei Ci: “…”
His strong survival instincts told him this was a dangerous question.
Even with his usual eloquence, he didn’t dare answer hastily, fearing he might step on a landmine.
Caught between a rock and a hard place, he sought help from the mastermind who had placed him in this awkward position.
“What do you think I should say, my Lord?”
Jiang Pengji replied, “Kiss!”
“What?”
“Tempt!”
Jiang Pengji made a scissor gesture.
“There’s no couple quarrel that a kiss can’t resolve; if there is, just kiss twice.”
Wei Ci: “…”
Even a man like Wei Ci, who had seen every storm, couldn’t handle his Lord’s occasional wacky antics.
Sometimes, he doubted whether he was blind—clearly, the Emperor and his Lord were the same person, but the former was cold and repressed while the latter seemed to toss all emotions out there, leaving him defenseless.
Still, he couldn’t resist, for she was the one he’d admired and chased across two lifetimes.
As their relationship heated up, Jiang Pengji was generous and often shared moments with others.
For instance, when Wei Ci brought her a midnight snack, she would go live and torment the single dogs in the chat.
Why torment the single dogs, you ask?
Which couple with a nightlife would grab a live stream spot at this hour?
Only the single dogs would be languishing, gaming and watching streams, while the adults who had found love were out enjoying life! Therefore, the chat was filled with the lamentations and wails of the idle, making it livelier than a festival, with only Jiang Pengji rejoicing.
Her happiness was built upon the suffering of five million dried fish, making it ever so precious.
Luckily, this period of suffering didn’t last too long.
[Stowaway Non-Money]: Thank you, Qi Guanrang! I’ve finally finished the pre-mission tasks. Otherwise, the streamer would have gone mad.
[Little Luck]: Also, thank you! The streamer has been acting crazy lately; she’s been tormenting the single dogs as if she took the wrong medicine. The whole world knows she’s found someone.
[Dreams Are Awesome]: Wrong, not the whole world; clearly, one hundred twenty billion people across two realms know she has found someone.
The dried fish quietly complained as Jiang Pengji donned her military attire and leapt onto her horse.
“Let’s go!”
The towering mountains near Zhanjiang Pass slowly sank below the horizon as she rode away.
Qi Guanrang and the others stood on the city wall, watching the army depart, basking in the setting sun’s glow, surrounded by a golden aura.
“If we can capture Nan Sheng this time, the world will be ours.”
Qi Guanrang’s voice was soft, yet it held a certain determination, as if what he spoke of was destiny.
Sun Wen corrected him, “It’s not ‘the world will be ours,’ but rather ‘the prosperous era is within reach.'”
“Indeed, a prosperous era is within reach.” Qi Guanrang smiled rarely, “We all need to work hard and not hold our Lord back.”
Sun Wen raised an eyebrow.
He wasn’t fooled into thinking Qi Guanrang’s words were mere casual chatter; they clearly carried ambition.
“What do you plan to do?”
Qi Guanrang replied, “Naturally, we incite more chaos in Zhong Zhao, make them weary of their infighting. If possible, we can even pull off a coordinated attack.”
Speaking of stirring the pot, Qi Guanrang was a seasoned pro, not inferior to Sun Wen’s earlier struggles with the northern tribes.
“So you mean to secretly support Zhong Zhao’s forces?”
While Zhong Zhao was already in turmoil, the two felt it was still lacking some chaos and needed a little spark.
“If we were to march ourselves, it could backfire and unite Zhong Zhao’s gentry against us.” Qi Guanrang understood that once there was a common enemy and greater hatred, former enemies could temporarily ally. This was not what Qi Guanrang wanted to see. “Instead, we might as well support an individual in the shadows, using their hand to place spies and instigate deeper infighting.”
The more chaotic the internal strife in Zhong Zhao, the greater Qi Guanrang’s benefits would be. He wasn’t worried that no one would collaborate with him; facing enticing benefits, few could restrain themselves, especially those with ambition but lacking the intellect to match.
Qi Guanrang asked Sun Wen, “What do you think, Zai Dao?”
Sun Wen smiled, “Very good.”
He had settled some scores with the Nie Clan, but it was far from enough. To eradicate the Nie Clan entirely, Jiang Pengji, as their Lord, needed to rise higher. If she could bring Zhong Zhao into her fold, what was a mere Nie Clan? Naturally, Sun Wen supported Qi Guanrang’s suggestion.
As the two plotted, Jiang Pengji started the uneventful army march.
Zhanjiang Pass wasn’t too far from Zhangzhou; with fast horses and waterways, it usually took half a month or twenty days to arrive.
However, with Jiang Pengji commanding fifty thousand troops, their pace was naturally slower than that of a messenger.
On the tenth day of their march, the army scouts intercepted a frantic messenger, who disclosed that he was heading toward Jiang Pengji.
At that moment, Jiang Pengji had changed from her bulky military garb into a sleek black robe with arrow sleeves, the hem modified to just above her knees.
This outfit had been suggested by her audience in the live stream, who claimed it was easier to wear and moved well while looking sharp and stylish.
Jiang Pengji had directed people to make it according to the audience’s instructions, and indeed it was comfortable and appeared more heroic.
This type of attire was unseen, but who dared to comment when Jiang Pengji was their Lord? Even if they hadn’t seen it before, no one would utter a word.
After riding all day, she was now seated in her tent, washing her hands in preparation for a meal.
“Messenger?” Jiang Pengji said, “Let him in. Is there some change at the front lines of Zhangzhou?”
Unbeknownst to her, her words hit the mark perfectly.
As the messenger entered, he knelt down to report.
With just a few words, it shocked everyone in the tent, including Wei Ci, who was almost caught off guard dropping his chopsticks while setting up the table for Jiang Pengji.
“My Lord, Yang Tao has rebelled!”
