Chapter 996 – War in the Northern Frontier (33)
Warmth surged within Wei Ci’s heart.
No matter how others malign him, at least this person before him firmly believes in his innocence.
This realization filled him with a delightful feeling.
Jiang Pengji said, “Don’t tell me you died because of this in your past life?”
Wei Ci still felt a bit unsettled.
Though his past identity had been fully stripped away, the fact that the Lord so openly accepted him and even mentioned his former life felt oddly strange.
That feeling was hard to articulate.
If he had to describe it, it was probably akin to—
Discussing his first love with his wife?
The Emperor and the Lord were clearly the same person, yet Wei Ci felt all awkward and ashamed, as if he were straddling two boats.
“Not at all…”
Wei Ci denied it, though he did consider ending his life several times during that period, it was thwarted by the guards the Emperor had sent, who monitored him too closely.
“I won’t let the same thing happen again,” Jiang Pengji said. “Wen Zheng had a heartfelt talk with me, and I believe he was right. It’s not about having little, but about inequality in what’s had. If you ever found yourself in such a humiliating situation, it just goes to show that ‘Jiang Pengji’ was too negligent and incompetent, unable to balance things out and giving others a chance to criticize you… If she couldn’t protect you, that’s her fault…”
Wei Ci resolutely replied, “No—Your Majesty did well, and I let her down.”
Jiang Pengji raised an eyebrow and asked, “Why do you say that?”
Wei Ci opened his mouth, his expression filled with guilt and self-reproach.
“Looking back, I’ve seen many things clearly—regarding the meteorite warning, the blame should lie with me…”
In his past life, the Emperor had not shown favoritism; it was just that he had been too foolish to see his own identity and circumstances.
Though it wasn’t publicly known, Wei Ci often spent nights in the royal palace. What sort of relationship he had with the Emperor, even if they kept it tightly under wraps, most people didn’t know, but could Qi Guanrang or Feng Zhen really not guess? These strategists were cunning and hard to deal with.
They knew but didn’t expose it; they chose to remain tacitly supportive.
The Emperor neither favored nor swayed, important ministers chose tacit support, and it should’ve balanced things out.
Yet Wei Ci did something foolish!
This foolish act was something Wei Ci had just been made aware of.
The key was the Wei family!
Though he wasn’t deeply connected to them, he still maintained some ties.
Upon learning of the Wei family’s decline, he also sought ways to support their clan.
Though he did provide support, Wei Ci didn’t use connections to get personal favors; he instead allowed the clan to select many promising talents, rigorously trained them, and then recommended them to the Emperor. As long as there were supportive forces in the court, the Wei family’s revival was just a matter of time; beyond that, he had no hand in it.
The Wei family had withered due to war, but their foundation was still intact, and there were plenty of talented individuals.
All they needed was an opportunity for the Wei family to reclaim its status among the top families.
In no time, the Wei family was thriving.
Naturally, Wei Ci’s recommendations of talented individuals were for the Emperor’s benefit; these talents had been carefully vetted and could withstand trials.
To other noble families, this wouldn’t spell anything good!
Wei Ci supporting the Wei family clan, wasn’t he essentially fostering a powerful in-law?
When the Emperor eventually passed, would he not raise a child of his bloodline to the throne and control the court?
If he were to conspiracy theorize further, killing the Young Emperor and claiming the throne himself wasn’t impossible.
No wonder—
No wonder the meteorite incident had not only seen major families intervening but also involved the significant ministers and confidants cherished by the Emperor—
From the Emperor’s perspective, even the ministers wouldn’t tolerate Wei Ci.
Thinking this, cold sweat trickled down his back.
【The Emperor trusts you; let this be a rare chance.】
【Wei Zixiao, keep your hands to yourself—don’t stretch them too far, or don’t blame me if I cut them off!】
Others didn’t know Jiang Pengji’s origins, so they were unaware that the meteorite warning wouldn’t affect her.
But if it were another Emperor, unleashing such a significant move, not only would Wei Ci face death, but the entire Wei family would be summoned to the underworld.
Coming to this conclusion, Wei Ci’s complexion turned pale.
Lost in thought, he was suddenly poked in the brow by someone’s finger, swiftly leaving a little red mark.
Wei Ci snapped back to attention and rubbed his forehead.
“Back to your senses?” Jiang Pengji said candidly. “Well, everything’s in the past; just don’t repeat the same mistakes.”
Wei Ci felt a mix of emotions, looking at Jiang Pengji with eyes filled with endless affection.
“From this day forth, there will be no more connections between me and the Wei family,” Wei Ci said. “If I violate this vow—”
“I know; no need to swear an oath,” Jiang Pengji chuckled. “Just remember and that’s enough.”
Wei Ci couldn’t help but swallow the unspoken words back down.
Looking back at the past now, he realized a lot of things could have been avoided; it was just that he hadn’t realized it while being immersed in it.
Right as he spoke, a messenger returned with news.
“Captain Li seeks an audience with the Lord.”
“Han Mei’s here? Let him in quickly.”
Jiang Pengji rose and returned to her main seat, casting a somewhat regretful glance at Wei Ci.
In a military camp, even a moment of solitude felt overwhelmingly precious.
After a while, the tent flaps opened, and at the sound of clanking armor, Li Yun stepped in, clad in shimmering silver armor.
“Greetings, Lord.” Li Yun didn’t notice the strange atmosphere inside the tent and continued, “Twenty miles outside the camp, there are envoys from the Northern Frontier tribes.”
“Envoys from the Northern Frontier tribes?” Jiang Pengji felt her mood lighten considerably, a faint smile gracing her lips. “Could it be they’re here to surrender again?”
Li Yun affirmed, “Your Lordship’s insight is indeed remarkable; they truly have come to submit.”
This group of surrendering tribes was of medium size, with about eight thousand able-bodied youth and a total population of fifteen thousand in the tribe.
The overall population of the Northern Frontier wasn’t much, and having so many surrender at once would surely break the hearts of the Northern Frontier nobility.
Just thinking of this made Li Yun secretly pleased.
Jiang Pengji frowned slightly; she didn’t respond immediately, instead turning to Wei Ci, “Zixiao—”
She called out, and Wei Ci seemed to know her thoughts, rising to fetch the territorial map of the Northern Frontier. These maps were vital strategic resources; some were drawn secretly by them, while most were pillaged from the territories of the contributing tribes.
Jiang Pengji unrolled a piece of parchment, scrutinizing its contents closely.
“Zixiao, something feels off—” Jiang Pengji said. “I can’t quite put my finger on what’s wrong—”
Rather than saying she found something, it was more that her battlefield intuition told her that things weren’t as simple as they seemed.
“Has the Lord discovered something?”
Jiang Pengji replied, “I’m not sure… Han Mei, go settle those people; I’ll personally meet their envoy.”
Li Yun received the order and went out, while Jiang Pengji gazed at the parchment, her eyes flickering slightly.
After an hour, Li Yun returned with the tribal envoy to meet Jiang Pengji.
When the tribal chief appeared in the military tent, Jiang Pengji’s gaze appraised him from head to toe.
Jiang Pengji maintained a neutral attitude, leaving others puzzled by her reaction.
Someone actively submitting should be a joyous occasion, so why did her reaction seem a bit reluctant?
