Chapter 757 – Lord or Little Princess? (Part 2)
Meng Hunyun spoke with a booming voice, “Han Mei, just say what you need to say. No need to stutter or hide it.”
Li Yun directly replied, “Our Lord is truly a woman.”
Meng Hunyun reached out to pat Li Yun’s forehead, checking for a fever.
“Yun speaks the truth, the Lord has admitted it…” Li Yun gently swatted Meng Hunyun’s hand away, “Don’t you believe me?”
“Who would believe such a joke?”
Meng Hunyun shook his head, and Dian Yin mirrored the gesture.
Li Yun insisted, “Deputy General Dian has seen the Lord in women’s clothes, remember? Back then, the Lord single-handedly challenged the male recruit camp…”
Dian Yin paused, recalling the relevant memories, and after a moment, he managed to remember vaguely.
Under the gazes of his two companions, he said, “I can’t remember anything else, but I distinctly remember that female soldier being quite manly.”
Li Yun: “…”
Don’t let the Lord hear that!!!
Jiang Pengji revealing her true gender not only set her subordinates in a frenzy but also had other factions buzzing with gossip.
“The Lord has returned…”
Feng Jue, hearing the announcement from outside, quickly stood to welcome her, only to be astonished at the sorry state of his lord.
“Lord, what happened? Why are you covered in blood? What occurred at today’s court meeting?”
Feng Jue initially worried about Huang Song being injured but relaxed upon closer inspection—apart from a pale complexion, the Lord seemed otherwise fine.
Huang Song wiped his face, fingers brushing against the dried blood, and the earlier perilous scene replayed in his mind, twisting his stomach.
He shook his head, muttering, “I’m fine… Today’s court meeting was a complicated mess. I need to go wash up and change clothes in the back.”
Feng Jue suddenly remembered something and called out to Huang Song, “Lord, this morning, the Lady came by.”
Huang Song’s nerves went on high alert, “Why did the Lady come?”
“Newlyweds naturally can’t bear to part with their husbands,” Feng Jue teased with a smile.
Huang Song had been betrothed two years ago and only married the noble girl, Qiqi, half a year ago. Qiqi was fierce and daring, having left maidservants outside the bridal chamber with knives on their wedding night. Every time Huang Song went to the backyard, he felt like he was submitting tribute to his overlord.
“This is going to kill me—”
Huang Song gritted his teeth, his expression one of pure agony.
“By the way!” Feng Jue continued, “The two young ladies the Old Patriarch arranged for you? The Lady threw them out through the back door.”
Huang Song stumbled at the news, almost tripping on the steps, trembling in fear as he clung to a pillar for support.
With a quiver, he said, “Huai Zhen, can you explain…? I didn’t even touch those two young ladies with a single finger…”
Feng Jue, not being Jiang Pengji, occasionally enjoyed playing pranks but wouldn’t toy with his lord’s life.
“I already told the Lady. She seems to be in a good mood. She had someone give the two young ladies some silver to settle down and sent them away.”
Huang Song let out a long breath, feeling like he’d just flown back from the depths of hell.
Talking about Qiqi, Huang Song felt his calves shaking.
Before marrying, he had three maidservants attending him, none of whom were anything more than petty figures in his household.
After marrying, Qiqi had sent all three maidservants off to another estate the very next day.
She even left a warning—
If they sought another path and remarried, she’d provide wedding gifts; if they dared to cling to Huang Song, they’d be sent off for free.
Don’t be fooled by Qiqi being merely twenty-eight; she had subtle skills in managing her husband, and Huang Song felt a mix of fear and love, dutifully paying his tributes.
“The Lady is in a good mood?” Huang Song asked again.
Feng Jue smiled lightly, “She is. Don’t worry, Lord. If the Lady sees you like this, she’ll be more worried than angry.”
“Now that you say that, I can relax.” Huang Song steeled himself and headed to the backyard.
As expected, Qiqi was fiery by nature, but she was fiercely protective of Huang Song. Seeing him in such a state, she immediately erupted in anger.
“Who dares to draw swords in the court?”
Huang Song replied, “Lady, please don’t be angry. If it weren’t for this blood, I might not have made it back today.”
Saying that, he obediently relayed all the details that might sow discord in his marriage, finishing off with what had happened in court.
“Lan Ting and I are truly close friends. I genuinely didn’t know she was a woman. Lady, please do not listen to the rumors!”
Huang Song was genuinely frightened of women, with a fierce wife at home and wolf-like friends outside. In one night, his whole world had flipped upside down.
Qiqi held her handkerchief, initially feeling a bit jealous, but since it was Jiang Pengji who saved her husband’s life, she quickly got over it.
“Berkang, saying it like that makes it sound like I’m small-minded… Since that Liu Xi is your close friend and saved your life today, we should prepare a substantial gift to thank her. You didn’t know she was a woman before, but now we cannot be careless. If you want to go thank her, I can go on your behalf.” Qiqi said as she affectionately wiped his face with her handkerchief, “I’ve already instructed the servants to prepare hot soup and clean clothes. You go wash up first, and I’ll check the storeroom to prepare our gratitude.”
Huang Song nodded vigorously.
After a hasty wash, Huang Song presented himself in the main hall, where Feng Jue and Cheng Jing were in conversation.
Seeing Huang Song approach, Cheng Jing quickly asked, “What happened at court today? I heard from Huai Zhen that there was a brawl?”
Huang Song nodded, looking annoyed, “I didn’t check the calendar before leaving and almost got dragged into a deadly mess.”
After a moment, Huang Song seemed to recall something and mysteriously said to them, “Do you believe that Liu Xi is a woman?”
Feng Jue and Cheng Jing: “…”
Has our Lord been driven mad by the Lady’s intimidation?
Those factions more familiar with Jiang Pengji were left stunned by this revelation.
Is the sun rising from the west today?
After the initial shock, they started pondering another issue—
If Liu Xi is a woman, will her soldiers and strategists still remain loyal as before?
Many were secretly waiting for the drama, anticipating that certain soldiers or strategists might dissent due to the Lord’s gender and defect.
But to their great disappointment—
Jiang Pengji continued her business as usual. Aside from a few confused generals gathering to gossip, everyone else was completely unaffected.
As for the common soldiers in the military camp, they had received benefits and help from the female unit in the past and had fought side by side with them, forming revolutionary camaraderie. Now that their towering lord had become a heroic woman, it wasn’t so difficult to accept.
Of course, their rapid acceptance also stemmed from another reason.
Meng Hunyun and others had increased their training efforts, making all soldiers exhausted like dogs, leaving no energy for gossip.
The news that should have stirred up a massive storm was quietly accepted by the populace.
The tale of the board incident spread like wildfire from the halls of the officials to the streets.
The common people weren’t shocked that a woman could serve as the Wanzhou governor; they were astonished that such a remarkable young talent was actually a woman.
Upon hearing this news, Yan Lin chuckled bitterly, “Since ancient times, only those powerfully positioned ministers qualified to step into the court with their sword. Now, everyone is fearful, even the emperor. As for Liu Xi, just wielding an ivory board could make everyone tremble in fear and unable to rest easy.”
