Chapter 1805 – Feeling Like a False Pregnancy
Grass snakes and gray lines, concealed veins stretching for a thousand miles.
What appeared to be a bold move was actually laden with profound meaning and far-reaching concerns.
Back when she established the Golden Scales Pavilion and the Golden Scales Academy, Jiang Pengji faced pressure from the noble clans yet still managed to pull it off. People thought she merely wanted to promote those from humble origins. The nobility was furious, but they had no idea how the current situation would unfold. Who could have imagined that one link after another would ultimately ensnare everyone tightly? Of course, this method required personal charm, which Jiang Pengji undoubtedly possessed.
“If I can witness these children bring new vitality to this world in my lifetime, I will have no regrets.”
Yuan Jing taught his students not to pursue fame and fortune but to prioritize the common people.
Benefit the people, not for personal greed.
However, achieving this was exceedingly difficult; human desires cannot be controlled by external forces. What Mr. Yuan Jing could do was instill his philosophies into his students as much as possible and lead by example. Having taught for many years without entering officialdom was a testament to his unique stubbornness and dedication.
Wan Xuan chuckled, “Life is still long.”
These individuals were strong and hearty; they could certainly toil for another twenty or thirty years without issue!
Who’s talking about having “no regrets” in this life?
Living means hope.
When Wan Xuan fled from Zhong Zhao in a sorry state, now half of Zhong Zhao’s territory was in Jiang Pengji’s hands; he could return in glory!
As summer arrived, Jiang Pengji’s reputation soared to new heights.
While others poured their heart and soul into her, she comfortably embraced the life of a pregnant woman.
“Tsk, this Young Master in my belly is even more important than I am now.”
Wei Ci remarked, “My Lord, why say such things? Naturally, you are more important than the Young Master.”
Jiang Pengji said, “In the past, when I slacked off, you all dug three feet into the ground to find me. Now you’re all clamoring to take on work; the disparity in treatment is truly great.”
Everyone fought to take on extra tasks; even moving a bamboo slip brought forth countless worried glances towards Jiang Pengji.
Had she known that pregnancy would be this enjoyable, she would have had a few kids back when she was idle.
Wei Ci said, “Pregnant women should not be overworked; this child in the Lord’s belly is special, so naturally, they care more about it.”
Those in the know were aware the child was artificially created; those unaware thought it was a natural pregnancy.
A child bestowed by heaven—if Jiang Pengji carelessly squandered it, wouldn’t everyone worry about divine retribution?
Jiang Pengji insisted, “I don’t care; you all treat me differently.”
She was pregnant, not disabled; if they didn’t allow this and didn’t allow that, did they no longer consider her a Lord?
Jiang Pengji was obstinate like a donkey, pulling back whenever tugged.
The more Feng Zhen and the others restrained her from working, the more she insisted on it!
Not only did she want to accomplish a lot, but she also wanted to make everything look good, and they were all busy burning the midnight oil.
I love working; work brings me joy!
Everyone: “……”
Deeply suspecting their Lord’s pregnancy might be fake!
“Who knows?”
Feng Zhen watched the bouncing Lord and then thought of how other pregnant women turned into porcelain dolls, suddenly feeling a headache.
If it were real pregnancy, they’d worry she’d lose the child.
If it were false pregnancy—
Not only would he feel deflated, but everyone else would also be infuriated enough to hang themselves with noodles.
As time passed, Feng Zhen became increasingly troubled, and the more troubled he grew, the balder he became.
Where did their Lord hide her pregnancy belly!!!
Where on earth did the Lord hide it!!!
People who were pregnant for four to five months at least have a little bump, right?
Where’s the Lord?
Big pig hoof!
While he complained, Feng Zhen didn’t dare voice his concerns, lest it shake the morale.
Because Jiang Pengji had built such a grand aura for the child, everyone’s attention remained fixated on her belly. If rumors of a false pregnancy arose, when the child was born, folks would inevitably say the child wasn’t biological and that she had feigned it for an excuse in the future.
Feng Zhen’s worries were clearly unnecessary.
With Wei Ci tirelessly promoting the child as a gift from heaven, and different from ordinary children, who would dare to gossip?
If this gifted child resembled an ordinary person, then they wouldn’t believe it!
Feng Zhen: “…”
Wei Ci has no shame!!!
It’s one thing for others, but how could Wei Ci, the child’s own father, not know if the child was “naturally conceived” or “artificially made”?
Jiang Pengji exploded with unprecedented enthusiasm for work, all while closely monitoring the tasks of the dispatched scholars.
After all, being in a rural backwater, a far-off land with little oversight, one could never presume there weren’t audacious individuals exploiting them.
Of course, she had to also pay attention to these scholars to ensure they didn’t lose themselves in the absence of restrictions.
Fortunately, these young people didn’t disappoint her; though their methods were a bit naive, they were growing at a visibly fast rate.
Additionally, Jiang Pengji’s primary concern was still the war situation in Zhong Zhao.
Conquering half the territory in over twenty days was impressive, but it didn’t mean such momentum could be sustained indefinitely.
Qi Guanrang and others recognized the drawbacks and had been adopting conservative strategies lately.
First, stabilize their position and solidify their foundation before pushing forward.
Qi Guanrang was the type who could soar during a storm and yet remain grounded when needed, guarding like a hedgehog.
The feudal lords in Zhong Zhao had no way to deal with him, instead inadvertently giving Qi Guanrang significant advantages.
Among them, the Nie Clan of Zhong Zhao had also reached the end of the line.
Among the few feudal lords still remaining in Zhong Zhao, the Nie Clan’s comprehensive strength no longer ranked.
How lamentable it was.
Their former clan leader, Nie Qing, had experienced several internal rebellions within the Nie Clan and went missing during the last uprising.
These rebellions all bore the shadows of Sun Wen and Qi Guanrang.
Once the Nie Clan collapsed, the feudal lords of Zhong Zhao completely lost their backbone, allowing Qi Guanrang to seize this enormous advantage.
But that wasn’t enough.
Old Master Sun Wen asked Qi Guanrang, “What are you calculating?”
Qi Guanrang replied, “Calculating the timing.”
“Timing?”
Peering closely, Old Master Sun Wen’s expression carried a few nuances.
If he wasn’t mistaken, Qi Guanrang was predicting when the Young Master would be born.
“What do you want to do?”
Old Master Sun Wen felt a bit flustered.
Even with his broad experience, he couldn’t grasp Qi Guanrang’s intent.
Qi Guanrang said, “Before the Young Master is born, we will take the other half of Zhong Zhao.”
Having only half of Zhong Zhao was inauspicious; conquering the other half before the child was born would be perfect, a good omen.
Sun Wen: “……”
Had Qi Guanrang ever considered the old man’s feelings?
No, he hadn’t; he only thought of the Lord and the Young Master!
The biological father wasn’t as dedicated!
The old man thought of how Dongqing and Nansheng had ceased operations while Zhong Zhao was still ablaze with conflict, and suddenly felt like he had shot himself in the foot. Back in the day, while Feng Zhen and the others were exhausting themselves with battles, he was enjoying a leisurely time.
Now, looking back—
Suddenly realizing he had pierced his heart with an arrow; those were the flags he had raised back then!
Qi Guanrang still felt something was lacking, so he sent someone to Xichang and Beiyuan to scout for news.
Know thyself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated!
Plan ahead; attacking these two nations later would also have a strategy.
