Chapter 879: The Jadeite Returns to Zhao [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Xu Quan pretended to be stupid.

The messenger bypassed him, his gaze, filled with accusation and severity, fixed on Xu Jie. Xu Quan could make light of the situation with jokes, saying things that were presumptuous or disrespectful, but as the head of the Xu clan, Xu Jie's answer would represent the clan's ultimate stance.

Xu Jie held Shen Tang's secret letter in his hand.

Holding it is like having a reassurance, eliminating the suffocating feeling of being cornered on the edge of a cliff by the messenger.

He let out a long sigh, not forgetting to return his earlier grievances with a sarcastic tone: "Let's ask ourselves honestly, Xu and the Xu family have been utterly loyal to Lord Wu all these years, truly embodying the 'entire clan's strength.' Yet Lord Wu has been misled by treacherous people, easily swayed and gullible! The Xu family's foundation was almost destroyed. May I ask, messenger, has Lord Wu inquired about why the Xu family's granary was destroyed by fire?"

Even though the Xu family was wealthy, they weren't so rich as to turn stones into gold.

The fire at the grain depot almost caused a cash flow crisis.

Fortunately, the trade routes under Shen Jun's rule were willing to give the Xu family a grace period, and Qi Yuanliang even asked him through the government if he needed help; otherwise, the Xu family would have been in real danger. In contrast, what about the proper lord, Wu Xian?

Wu Xian kept urging him from the front lines, but Xu Jie was already heartbroken because the granary had been burned to ashes, and his business desperately needed working capital. Where could he possibly find another batch of grain for Wu Xian in such a short time? When Wu Xian couldn't get the grain, he assumed Xu Jie had ulterior motives, offering no reassurance whatsoever, not even a question. Instead, he turned around and started flirting with the Tianhai family over the grain, making Xu Jie seem even more like a sucker. They were quick to demand money, grain, and men from Xu Jie, but fell silent after a few words of comfort!

Fortunately, Xu Jie was also looking for a way out and managed to cut his losses in time.

Otherwise, does he want to part ways with Wu Xian?

They might end up leaving with nothing.

Of course, it's like shedding a layer of skin now.

The messenger took a deep breath, suppressing his agitation, and asked Xu Jie in a cold voice, "Prefect Xu, are you really going to break off relations? Given the relationship between the Wu and Chen families, do you really think you can please both sides? I'm afraid you'll end up pleasing neither!"

Xu Jie said, "Then the messenger need not worry."

The messenger looked at Xu Jie with resentment, then at Xu Quan, veins throbbing on his forehead—Wu Xian had indeed given him three thousand elite troops when he sent him. He had ordered the elite troops to break into smaller groups and infiltrate He Yin; several groups had already entered Fugu City. He was certain that Xu Jie harbored ulterior motives and refused to submit; if necessary, they could surround Fugu City from within and without, or even arrest the entire Xu family on charges of treason.

If Xu resists, kill her on the spot!

But then Xu Wenshi suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

He didn't believe Xu Wenshi's visit was a coincidence...

Xin glanced at the lifeless head out of the corner of his eye, weighed the pros and cons in his mind, suppressed his resentment, and coldly snorted and flicked his sleeve.

Xu Jie: "I have difficulty walking, so please excuse me from seeing you off."

Xu Quan: "Brother, it's alright, my legs are fine."

The messenger, enraged by the brothers' coordinated attack, still managed a forced polite exchange, telling them not to see him off. However, Xu Jie, ever hospitable, insisted his cousin escort him a few steps. Only after seeing the messenger out of the gates of Fugu City did Xu Jie "reluctantly" turn back. As the messenger's figure disappeared, Xu Quan's fake smile vanished instantly. Using Xu Jie's seal, he ordered the city gates to be locked ahead of time and secretly dispatched troops to check for spies within the city.

After making the arrangements, Xu Quan finally felt a little relieved.

Back at Xu Jie's private residence, his sister-in-law ordered someone to prepare home-style dishes.

The aroma of food filled the air even before I entered the house.

His cousin, Xu Jie, stood in front of the door with his cane. When he saw him, his tense back muscles completely relaxed: "How are you?"

Xu Quan took off his helmet and tucked it under his arm: "This time it was really dangerous. If the scouts hadn't accidentally discovered something was wrong, captured a few people, tortured them severely, and found out the truth... I really didn't know that Wu Zhaode was so vicious and had the intention to kill everyone. Admittedly, the Xu family has not been as generous as before in the past two years, but they have never shortchanged us by a single penny. How could he be so heartless?"

The young military officer's face was filled with resentment and murderous intent.

Because of Xu Jie's position on him, important family matters were communicated to him through family letters, ensuring Xu Quan knew exactly where the Xu family's major expenses had been over the years. But even if the Xu family had a lot of money, it was all earned penny by penny by his cousin, not something that fell from the sky. To put it bluntly, all that money could have been thrown into the water and at least made a splash, but investing in Wu Xian brought about his own demise and the extermination of his entire clan.

Who can I reason with about this?

Xu Jie was not surprised at all, and sighed, "Wen Shi, the world is bustling with people coming and going for profit. Who can blame us when the ownership of the River Governor is related to the capital? This move involves many people. Wu Gong may be able to endure it, but the Tianhai family will definitely not sit idly by. Friendship is worthless in the face of interests. If Wu Zhaode does not do this, he will be foolish."

He could even picture them making a ruckus, and said, "Unfortunately, Tianhai was a step behind, a move too slow."

Xu Quan said, "They're more than just a step behind! The strategist and the others have foresight. Even our lord said that if she were Wu Zhaode, she wouldn't be so hesitant. She would first lead troops to intimidate Yiru, then enter Heyin, and if refused, she would find an excuse to attack Heyin first. Unlike him, who intimidated Yiru and then went back to Tianhai to argue with the aristocratic families. Our lord has already deployed troops to garrison in nearby counties, guarding against Wu Xian. They're just waiting for your permission to let them enter Heyin. If Wu Zhaode wants to fight, then fight. Whoever backs down is a coward!"

Xu Jie: "..."

He should be thankful that Wu Zhaode had a procrastination problem and that he placed too much importance on Tianhai, thus lowering his strategic assessment of He Yin. If he were like Shen Jun, He Yin would have been overrun long ago.

He asked, "Who is the commander-in-chief?"

Xu Quan took the handkerchief brought by the maid and wiped his hands.

He casually said, "Zhao Dayi."

Xu Jie: "...Shen Jun is truly a remarkable person."

Upon hearing that it was Zhao Feng, even a proper man like him couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. Shen Jun knew how to be sarcastic. Sending Zhao Feng, who had a grudge against the Tianhai family, to garrison the newly established border prefecture of He—this was blatantly displaying their hostility towards Tianhai. Those people in Tianhai must be having a sleepless night.

With the crisis resolved, Xu Jie finally opened Shen Tang's secret letter.

The smile on his face never faded.

They looked at it four or five times, only putting it away after the lady repeatedly urged them to eat. The couple then had a family reunion dinner with Xu Quan. After eating and drinking their fill, they went to the perfume shop for a bath. The two brothers lay on the wooden couch in the shop's private room, scrubbing themselves until they looked as if they had been waxed and polished. When they were finished, Xu Quan lay sprawled out, his expression blank, and sighed, "Ah, so comfortable—"

She smells wonderful.

It didn't look like a military camp at all; it was filled with the stench of sweat and feet.

Xu Jie enjoyed the exquisite pastries and sipped a couple of sips of fine wine, sitting in a languid posture, and casually asked, "My lord has sent Zhao Dayi to garrison Heyin. Who will protect the capital in the future?"

Shen Tang's decision to settle down wasn't as difficult as Wu Xian's. Besides, she couldn't even gather enough parents for her trusted confidants, let alone compete with powerful families for this coveted position. Her decision wouldn't affect Xu Jie at all, so he was more inclined to focus on other matters.

For example, military power.

This brings us to the border troops stationed along the frontier and the royal troops protecting the capital. As for the garrisons in various regions, we can leave them aside for now.

Xu Jie thought Shen Tang would keep Zhao Feng.

Xu Quan rubbed his temples, quickly shaking off the lightheaded feeling after the scrubbing: "There's no word yet, but judging from the lord's intentions, she'll either do it herself, or have one of Chu Wuhui, Qi Yuanliang, or Ning Tunan take over..."

After thinking for a moment, he added Gu Chi to the list.

Chu Wuhui and Ning Tunan's lives are tied to their lord's; besides herself, these two are the people she trusts most in the world. From this perspective, Qi Yuanliang is slightly less trusted, and Gu Wangchao is next. It's not that the lord doesn't trust others, but even the most trusted people have different levels of trust. As long as no one is as clueless as Lord Wu, everyone knows the difference.

Xu Quan said, "I prefer Chu Wuhui."

Xu Jie asked, "What do you mean?"

Xu Quan rolled over: "Chu Wuhui is keeping Wei Shou and Chu Jie in check, and the two of them hold a large portion of the military power. The most capable elite troops under our lord are the private troops of these two generals, followed by General Zhao, and then the likes of Qian Yong..."

As for Yun Ce and Xianyu Jian, they, along with Xun Ding and several other young generals personally promoted by the lord, did not have their own private troops, their cultivation levels were relatively low, and their experience was also limited. It would be suitable to place them in the royal army or the border army.

Xu Quan's situation falls somewhere in between the two groups.

Xu Jie said, "It's not complicated."

Xu Quan smiled and said, "Compared to Master Wu, indeed."

The military officers under Wu Xian's command came from relatively uniform backgrounds, either from the prestigious Tianhai families or related by marriage. While seemingly a unified force, they were actually fragmented, riddled with conflicting interests. The lord's side, on the other hand, appeared diverse and varied, but upon closer examination, there were few conflicts, and some even shared a mentor-disciple relationship. For example, Bai Su had studied under both Gong Shu Wu and Zhao Feng.

Even Xu Quan himself had to call Zhao Feng "uncle".

Xu Jie nodded, having a general idea in mind.

The messenger relayed the news back to Tianhai, and the River Governor immediately welcomed Zhao Feng's troops into the territory, with Xu Jie personally leading the welcoming procession. When the common people received the news that one of the reincarnations of the great general who served the Spring God Jumang had returned, the welcoming procession stretched for miles!

Xu Jie joked, "It's about righteousness, it's what people want."

Even he, a prefect who had served diligently for several years, envied Zhao Feng's popularity. It took him several years to truly win the hearts and minds of the common people and gain their love and respect, while Zhao Feng, even after so many years away, had never been forgotten by the people under his jurisdiction and was always remembered fondly.

Zhao Feng's dark cheeks flushed slightly.

He felt slightly awkward in the face of the enthusiastic common people.

But more than anything, I felt a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, deep emotion) and感动 (gǎndòng, moved/touched).

Unexpectedly, after all the twists and turns, he would one day be able to set foot on this land openly and legitimately: "It is because Wenzhu governed it well."

Xu Jie laughed heartily: "There's no need for formalities between us. Come on, a banquet has been prepared at my residence to welcome you and wash away the dust of your journey!"

During the banquet, Xu Jie presented him with another generous gift.

A fair-skinned and tender baby.

The baby's features looked somewhat familiar.

Xu Jie jokingly said in a low voice, "The greater good is to return the jade intact to Zhao."

Zhao Feng held the soft, cuddly infant in his arms. The child was only a few months old, with clear, innocent eyes that seemed untouched by the world. He recognized the child at a glance, and couldn't help but bury his face in the child's neck and shoulder, tears streaming down his face.

The appearance of an old friend, the son of an old friend.

“In the future, your godfather will take you to see your father and the others.”

|ω`)

I took a day off today, and my relatives came and beat me up again.

(End of this chapter)