Chapter 803 – Wanzhou, Returning Home (1)
Liu Zhi’s influence lay in Chongzhou, and his path didn’t align with Jiang Pengji’s.
Not long after entering the northern territories, Liu Zhi parted ways with Jiang Pengji and took his troops to Chongzhou.
“Lord, there’s no need to worry about the Old Patriarch. Apart from the now ineffectual Green Garment Army, no other forces within the northern borders threaten him.” The battle at Jiamen Pass had passed half a month ago, and Feng Zhen had been well-fed, sleeping soundly; life had been quite pleasant.
He had even gained a bit of weight lately, with a slight roundness to his gaunt cheeks and a rosy, healthy complexion.
Jiang Pengji remarked, “I’m not worried about my father.”
Feng Zhen nodded on the surface but quietly held onto his own opinion.
After all, his lord had spent so many years apart from his father. It was tough to part again after finally having some time together.
Jiang Pengji noticed Feng Zhen’s insincere tone and decided not to argue with him.
The livestream room was as lively as ever—despite Jiang Pengji’s infrequent interactions, the audience managed to entertain themselves.
【Chicken Stewed with Mushrooms】: This battle has gone on for quite a while. I remember when the streamer just set out for the alliance, it feels like it was before last year’s New Year. Now they’re heading back, and summer is almost here. It’s been half a year… Time flies, in half a month I’ll have to prepare for the college entrance exam… I came to the livestream to make a wish, hoping the streamer will bless me; may I triumph in the exam!
【Mushrooms Stewed with Chicken】: Are the exam takers just gonna lounge around in the livestream instead of prepping with three years of mock exams and five years of entrance exams? You really are carefree.
【Peanut Candy Falling Down】: Let me tell you, there’s magic in this livestream; wishes made here often come true.
Jiang Pengji spent the last couple of months on the road; her livestream content had turned monotonous, which was initially fresh for viewers but eventually led to aesthetic fatigue. Many long-time viewers opted to just lurk, with most comments coming from new viewers.
It was unclear who started it, but rumors spread that the livestream room was even more powerful than a lucky fish, with everyone believing that making wishes could bring good luck.
The comments began to drift further from the theme of the livestream until an older viewer posted an inquiry.
【Mo Yan Sang Yu Wan】: I’m just worried about one thing, has the news that the streamer is a woman reached Wanzhou yet?
This comment drew out many lurkers, causing everyone to tense up.
The streamer had managed to keep those around her in the know, but her subordinates far away in Wanzhou remained oblivious.
If news suddenly broke that their youthful lord had turned into a budding young lady, it would surely create quite a ruckus!
In fact, the explosion had already happened.
When news reached Wanzhou that Jiang Pengji had become the governor of Wanzhou, everyone was hit with another blockbuster revelation—
Their lord was actually a lady!!!
The impact of this news was as massive as a past earthquake in the capital; Wanzhou was thrown into an uproar.
Everyone started pinching their own arms, gritting their teeth at the pain, confirming that they weren’t just dreaming.
Xu Ke, bewildered, miscalculated the accounts, staring at the chaotic records and had no choice but to endure his throbbing temples and redo everything.
“How can the lord be a woman?”
From the start of work to the end, he pondered the same question—was he caught in a nightmare?
Qi Guanrang approached him, inquiring privately.
“You’ve been with the lord the longest. Didn’t you have any suspicions?”
When Qi Guanrang received the news, he appeared calm, but deep down, he had a nagging feeling of “figured as much.”
Xu Ke, facing Qi Guanrang’s inquiry, suddenly widened his eyes and protested pitifully, “How could I suspect that?”
Who would think to doubt that a generally recognized young man was actually a lady!?
In this day and age of so many cross-dressers, with noble sons applying makeup and wearing colorful clothes, the chances for Xu Ke to recognize it were slimmer than thin.
“Did your lady drop any hints?” Qi Guanrang asked with surprise. It was one thing for outsiders not to recognize it, but it was unacceptable for Xu Ke, one of Jiang Pengji’s earliest supporters, to be clueless, especially since Xu Ke’s wife was her personal maid.
Xu Ke was left speechless.
He paused, recalling what Xun Mei had said before, his expression changing dramatically.
He stammered, “She might have mentioned it vaguely… but who would ever think in that direction?”
Qi Guanrang rolled his eyes secretly.
Who could they blame?
Only their lord could be too manly to blame them for being blind as subordinates.
When Feng Jin received the news, he was quite pleased.
How could he not be happy?
Watching the dazed expressions of his colleagues was downright delightful.
For years, he’d been holding onto a secret that others didn’t know; he was thoroughly bursting with joy.
This feeling of glee lasted all the way until he got home.
Wei Jingxian asked, “What happened that has Huiyu so happy?”
Feng Jin took the increasingly heavy Changsheng from Wei Jingxian’s arms, cradling his chubby daughter and not caring at all when she tugged at his cheek.
“Jingxian, I’ve got two pieces of excellent news.” Feng Jin beamed, “Firstly, Lan Ting has been appointed as the governor of Wanzhou. Secondly, she’s reclaimed her identity as a lady. From now on, we no longer need to worry she might accidentally reveal herself and bring chaos. Don’t you think I have every reason to be happy?”
“Lan Ting?”
Before Wei Jingxian could respond, their plump daughter babbled, saying just two words before drooling all over.
“Don’t be rude, don’t call her by her name directly.”
Feng Jin took the napkin his wife passed him gently, wiping Changsheng’s drool away.
“Lan Ting!” Changsheng kicked her legs, her eyes sparkling like black grapes as she eagerly said, “Huiyu!”
Changsheng was willful; the more Feng Jin opposed something, the more she loved to act in defiance.
“That’s our lord!”
Feng Jin laughed, giving his daughter a playful swat on the bottom; this girl was getting bold, even daring to call her own father by his name.
“Lord!”
Changsheng proudly imitated, still struggling with her speech, often only managing to spit out two words at a time.
“That’s right, in the future, when you see the lord, you mustn’t be rude.”
Watching this pair of father and daughter argue in circles, Wei Jingxian was bursting with laughter, while Changsheng, unaware of why, joined in the giggles.
With this family of three in a great mood, other single folks were left feeling a bit pitiful.
Just like Zhang Ping.
As a craftsman enthusiast, he generally spent most of his time lurking in the woodworking workshop, wholly absorbed in his craft.
When he received the news, Zhang Ping felt as if his brain had rusted; he could hardly process it.
“You mean—who is a woman?”
The entire day felt like a dream to him, completely unaware of what he had done.
When he returned home, he hurried straight to his neighbor’s house—oh, I forgot to mention, his neighbor was Wei Ci.
“Zixiao, the lord is actually a woman!”
Imagining that the person he’d climbed mountains with, searched for wells, dug ditches, and built reservoirs with was a lady, he was utterly stunned.
What on earth is happening in this world?
Am I still dreaming?
He thought Wei Ci would react strongly, but to his surprise, the other merely raised an eyebrow and replied, “You found out?”
Zhang Ping fell into an odd silence.
Currently, it was the season when spring met winter, and the weather was quite changeable; Wei Ci had been sick at home for several days.
During his sick days, Wei Ci would have been confined, meaning he shouldn’t have received any news so soon.
In other words, Wei Ci had already known that Liu Xi was a woman, and that’s why his reaction was so calm.
“When… did you find out?”
A bold guess popped into Zhang Ping’s mind.
Wei Ci replied nonchalantly, “When we were at Jishan Hot Springs, I already knew.”
That early!
Zhang Ping’s face twitched as he gritted his teeth, “You knew the lord was a woman all along, yet you still introduced Ping to her? Were you being sincere?”
Wei Ci’s expression darkened briefly, and he coughed painfully, looking as if his time was short.
After a moment, he feigned indifference.
Zhang Ping: “…”
He wanted to be like Yang Si, just directly throttle this guy to death!
