Jiang Jiuniang's words sent a chill down Zhou Tang's spine.

You wouldn't even want it if it were given to you for free?

"I...I didn't mean that!"

He hurriedly denied it, fearing that Jiang Jiuniang would pin a huge blame on him, which would not only harm him but also implicate his family. In that case, his family would definitely abandon him immediately in order to protect themselves.

"Then why did you do all this, young master? First you used the wool you had to blackmail me, then you wanted to sell it at a low price. Now you call it an apology, but how do you explain your attempt to bribe the female workers in my workshop? Your actions are truly shameful. Do you think you can control me like this and make me do everything according to your wishes?"

Just because she doesn't talk about those things doesn't mean she doesn't care. This situation is as disgusting as swallowing a fly, how could she not care?

She hasn't made any moves lately, but she feels that this person isn't very skilled, is being used, and has impure intentions. She needs to make him willingly give back what he's taken in.

Don't be fooled by his hurried arrival today; he's actually unwilling to accept it. How could she possibly take it?

Zhou Tang didn't expect this woman to be so vengeful. He thought that Jiang Jiuniang had already caused a scene at his door, and that was the end of it. Who knew that she would bring up old grievances now?

"It's a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding! I know I have offended you before, but now I truly know I was wrong, so I have come here specifically to apologize to you, Madam. Consider this our Zhou family's support for your and Her Majesty the Empress's business. If there is anything I can do for you in the future, please feel free to ask, Madam, and I will not refuse!"

Zhou Tang cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, his attitude very serious.

"Oh? Does Lord Zhou know? Didn't he send you to cooperate with us? You're making selfless contributions now, have you reported it to your elders?"

Jiang Jiuniang sneered, thinking that this person deserved to be taught a lesson.

If I give her the things without permission now, she'll be accused of abusing her power when we get back. Then the censor will cause a scene in the court. Wouldn't that be disgusting?

So she needs to resolve all these issues before considering whether or not to accept these offers, since she's really not in a hurry.

Zhou Tang remained silent. It was indeed his own decision to make this decision, to the point that he hadn't dared to tell his family anything about the situation.

He wasn't entirely foolish. He bowed deeply to Jiang Jiuniang and said, "It was my oversight. I will go back and write to my elders to explain this matter."

After he finished speaking, he turned to leave, but Jiang Jiuniang coldly reminded him from behind: "Young Master Zhou, you should think carefully. If I find out what kind of accusations you're going to pin on me, I, Jiang Jiuniang, will never let your Zhou family live or die."

She was smiling, but her words sent a chill down one's spine. This woman was not someone he could easily provoke.

He left in a hurry, and Jiang Jiuniang went back to rest.

Afterwards, they will be moving to Tongcheng, and there is still a lot to do. This time, they did not bring anyone with them, and Peng Yuan is pregnant again, so she has a lot to do.

A few days later, people from Tongcheng came and said that the generals had taken care of things in the city and that the main force could move there.

As long as it is not taken away again, Tongcheng will be Beiyan's territory, and the imperial court will send officials to garrison it. The border between the two countries will also be moved back.

The soldiers had already made preparations, packed their things, and set off for Tongcheng.

Jiang Jiuniang asked Gou'er to ride in the same carriage with her, but Gou'er asked Peng Yuan to ride with her while he went to find his second uncle to ride with.

Lu Lao Er helped out in the army's mess hall. Because he was the general's older brother and had good cooking skills, he was well-liked in the army. So he could ride in a vehicle, but that vehicle was for transporting grain and fodder, and it could only carry one or two people. It was just right for Gou'er to ride with him.

Since they were all family, Jiang Jiuniang had nothing to worry about, so she rode in a car with Peng Yuan ahead.

Peng Yuan wasn't as lively and cheerful as before; she seemed preoccupied. Jiang Jiuniang found it strange and asked, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

“No,” Peng Yuan shook her head listlessly. “I told my family the good news and that I was pregnant. My mother was worried and wrote to me asking me to go back. But then she felt it wasn’t right and said she would send someone to take care of me.”

"Isn't this a good thing?"

The army is full of men, and Qin Jian is away fighting, so he certainly won't be able to take care of her. It's good that the family sent someone to take care of her.

"Not good at all!"

Peng Yuan sighed heavily and continued, "My mother didn't send any of the maids I was familiar with. Instead, she sent the nanny who had served her all year round and a few head maids. Those people are even more rigid and serious than my mother. If they come, I won't have a single day of peace."

Peng Yuan feels like she finally had a few days of time alone with her husband, but now her old-fashioned elders are trying to forcefully interfere.

She and Qin Jian are still sleeping in the same bed now, but when the nanny and the others arrive, they will be forcibly separated.

She'd seen this kind of thing many times before. When her sister-in-law was pregnant, it was arranged the same way. She even arranged two concubines for her brother. She never thought it would happen to her now.

That was her own mother, so it wasn't necessary for her to force Qin Jian to have another woman, but sleeping in separate rooms was a must.

This was the first time Jiang Jiuniang had heard such a statement. Mainly, her family's Mrs. Sun was very open-minded and never did such annoying things.

She had met Peng Yuan's mother before; she seemed like a kind and easy-going person. She never expected her to treat her own children this way.

This is the greatest tragedy of our time.

"It's alright, Brother Qin will protect you, don't worry."

Jiang Jiuniang patted the back of her hand to comfort her, "You must keep a good mood right now, that's more important than anything else."

The only thing that made Peng Yuan feel gratified was that Qin Jian cared for her.

"Yes, Sister Jiu Niang, you must help me a lot when the time comes. You are a doctor, they will definitely listen to you."

She was still a little nervous, but Jiang Jiuniang readily agreed. As a good sister, she naturally had to help.

The situation in Tongcheng was much better than Jiang Jiuniang had imagined. When Lu Baichuan and his men stormed the city, they strictly ordered that no civilians be harmed. These people would also be citizens of Beiyan from now on, and they could not do the same beastly things that the people of Dongting had done.

So the people in the city continued to live their lives as usual, but when they saw the army entering the city, their eyes revealed a little fear and caution, and they were afraid to speak loudly for fear of being beaten.

Jiang Jiuniang and Peng Yuan moved directly into the former residence of the Dongting Prefect. They had left in a hurry and hadn't taken many things with them, so the Beiyan people could use them immediately.

Jiang Jiuniang and Peng Yuan each chose to stay in adjacent courtyards, so that they could stay close by and look after each other.

"Madam, the generals are in a meeting and will be back later. They said there's no need to wait for them for dinner."

Jiang Jiuniang nodded to indicate that she understood. Gou'er wandered around the mansion to familiarize himself with the surroundings. He was so excited about his father's victory that he couldn't concentrate on reading at all.

It was still early, and Jiang Jiuniang, thinking about her plans, decided to go out for a stroll.