Chapter 665 – Alliance at Huangshui (Part 2)
There were those who worried, and naturally, there were those who felt heartache.
【正义硬汉王杰希】: Feel sorry for Yang Si, he’s probably scared silly. Even the onlookers got tangled up by the host; imagine how he feels.
【灵巧聪慧喻文州】: Actually, I was thinking… maybe Yang Si’s fright isn’t because the host is a woman, but rather—such a burly and valiant leader turns out to be female! Can you imagine a Barbie version of Nezha?
【老司机联萌】: You guys in the comments are hilarious! Haha—by the way, the host is almost eighteen, how’s her figure? And what about her monthly visitor, after chasing updates for so long, I haven’t heard her mention it.
【鬼才郭奉孝】: Speaking of that, I suddenly remembered something Angel Li Hanmei said, it’s a classic line—such a magnificent man disguised as a woman, and we haven’t even seen it properly—what do you all think, is it funny or what?
Jiang Pengji glanced at the live stream chat and secretly rolled her eyes.
【主播V】: Better get ready, I plan to formally announce my identity at this king’s meeting. Anyone who dares to complain, I’ll take them down!
Being appointed as the governor of Wanzhou in disguise as a woman sounds quite exciting when you think about it.
On the other side, Yang Si was already scared out of his wits.
Just as the audience commented, he couldn’t decide which was scarier: realizing “the leader is a woman” or “the fact that such a leader is actually a woman.” He hurriedly sought out Wei Ci, stammering and hesitating for ages before finally asking.
“Leader, uh… leader…” Yang Si stuttered for quite some time, making Wei Ci uncomfortable, wishing he could just finish his sentence for him.
Wei Ci, holding a brush and deftly writing, asked, “What’s wrong with the leader?”
You can’t say he wasn’t quick with paperwork; he was multitasking without a hitch.
Yang Si timidly made a circling gesture in front of his chest, and the posture looked incredibly awkward.
“A woman?”
Wei Ci paused and nodded.
Yang Si’s face turned dark. He nearly grabbed Wei Ci by the collar to demand clarification, “When did you find out?”
“I knew from the very beginning.” Wei Ci casually countered, “Didn’t you notice?”
Yang Si was about to burst with laughter out of frustration. Everything he experienced today felt absurd, like a nightmare.
“Leader… with her appearance, how was I supposed to figure that out?” Yang Si complained, feeling gloomy. If he were blind, wouldn’t everyone else be too? “In the battle of Chengde County, I was with the leader in the vanguard camp; where was there even a hint of femininity?”
Rushing more fiercely than anyone, killing more ruthlessly than all, stronger than others, and with an attitude that was off the charts… is this what noble girls are like?
Wei Ci’s gaze shifted slightly, “Who said women can’t be brave and battle-savvy?”
Yang Si was choked speechless by this.
“You knew from the start she was a woman, yet you still pledged loyalty… are you out of your mind?” When Yang Si said this, he felt like he’d been shot in the heart since he once joked with Jiang Pengji, anticipating her daughter to become empress… damn, his mouth was too reckless.
Wei Ci didn’t mind, his long, dark lashes slightly lowered as he replied calmly, “She led troops to capture Xiangyang County, fought battles taking Cheng’an County, Maolin County, and Jiao County, seized Shanyang County from the Feng Clan, and conquered Chengde County in half a month. In a year and a half, she’s become the de facto ruler of Wanzhou, commanding tens of thousands of soldiers… she qualifies to compete for the Divine Cauldron of the Nine Provinces! You know my aspiration, just hoping for a unified world, with rivers clear and seas calm. To me, it doesn’t matter if the leader is a man or a woman.”
Yang Si was left speechless, at a loss for words.
After a moment, he quietly asked, “Who else knows about the leader’s gender?”
“Only you and me, and Huaiyu. No one else knows.” Wei Ci stopped writing, laid the bamboo slips flat, dried the ink, and continued, “But even if others find out, I doubt they’ll react much. Feng Zishi is a free spirit, unfettered by conventions and tends to disregard worldly opinions. Qi Guan Wenzheng might not know the exact truth, but he’s probably suspected something. As for Xu Xiaoyu, his bond with the leader is exceptional; he’s been loyal since she was a nobody—how could he change his heart?”
Yang Si was surprised, “Feng Huaiyu even knows?”
He had just been worried about Feng Jin because given Feng Jin’s family upbringing, he was the least likely to accept this situation.
But guess what?
He’s in the know!
Wei Ci said this very nonchalantly, “Yeah, he knows. I overheard Huaiyu talking; his daughter Changsheng was born while an earthquake struck, when the capital was devastated—ten houses collapsed, and countless were injured or killed. Huaiyu’s eldest daughter, Changsheng, was delivered by the host herself; do you think he wouldn’t know?”
Yang Si: “…”
He felt his entire worldview had taken a devastating blow.
Once he calmed down, Yang Si suddenly recalled something.
“Why has the leader hidden her identity from the world all these years, only to suddenly tell me?”
Wei Ci replied, “Isn’t it obvious? Wanzhou’s governor, saying it’s big isn’t that big, saying it’s small isn’t exactly small; revealing the identity is just about the right timing. Telling you is just testing the waters and gauging acceptance. Just wait, before this king’s meeting concludes, the leader will definitely publicly reveal her identity.”
Yang Si rubbed his forehead, overwhelmed with information; he needed time to process.
“The leader’s quite the schemer—”
Thinking of the women’s camp, he couldn’t help but smile wryly, realizing she had already begun laying the groundwork.
“What kind of plans could there be if she hadn’t gotten this far?”
Wei Ci knew that she not only could become the governor, but also aspire to be the ruler of the world, competing for the Nine Provinces’ divine cauldron as the final victor.
Yang Si’s mind was in chaos.
He found that once he accepted the idea of the leader being female, it surprisingly felt rather exciting.
At least… when Jiang Pengji eventually establishes ties with Zixiao, Yang Si wouldn’t have to feel so conflicted.
As he thought of this, he abruptly remembered something, “What’s the relationship between the leader and the Old Patriarch?”
Wei Ci cast a glance and said, “It’s acceptable.”
Yang Si pinched his chin, dark thoughts swirling, “I heard from Feng Huaiyu that the leader has a bastard younger brother.”
If he didn’t know Jiang Pengji’s gender, Liu Zhi and Jiang Pengji’s “father-son” power dynamics were clear-cut and distinct, but now, he felt somewhat worried.
A daughter, no matter how great, is still a daughter; ultimately, she will marry and have children, and those kids will bear another surname—how could they ever compare to a son?
Wei Ci lowered his gaze, a cold glint in his eyes, “I know what you’re worried about… that bastard son is indeed a hidden danger.”
If he behaved, Wei Ci couldn’t be bothered with him.
But if he caused trouble, he wouldn’t mind being a little ruthless.
If the leader were to blame him, even better; the two could seize the opportunity to cut off all unnecessary ties.
In such a tense atmosphere, Jiang Pengji received further orders about the king’s rally, as various powers prepared to gather at Huangshui to discuss major affairs.
“Huangshui?”
Jiang Pengji glanced at the map of Dongqing, noting Huangshui was a tributary of Dongqing’s mother river, just slightly narrower than the main river.
The regions near Huangshui were named after the river, fittingly dubbed Huangshui County, located near Chenzhou.
