Chapter 198: Reunion
Upon hearing this, Concubine Qin frowned slightly.
Before she could speak, Lu Yong stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Father, this matter may be resolved."
"Oh? Yong'er, do you have any good ideas?" Lu Bin asked anxiously.
Lu Yong glanced at He Ning, then reported to Lu: "Your Majesty, about a month ago, when I was acting as regent, I received a memorial from General Jiang forwarded by the Lingnan Jiedushi."
"The memorial mentioned that General Jiang longs for his daughter. It also happens that Prince He and Miss Jiang are about to get married, so I'm requesting that I come to the capital a few months early to report on my work so that the family can be reunited and, by the way... ahem, discuss the wedding."
"I thought the Jiang family had worked hard and made great contributions, and this was only natural, so I approved it on my own initiative. If they set out immediately after receiving the order, taking the fastest water route, they would have probably passed the border of Yanzhou by now, and would reach the capital in half a month at most."
These words were like the sound of nature, hitting Lu Bin on the head.
He was stunned at first, then he was instantly overwhelmed by huge ecstasy. He no longer cared about whether Lu Yong acted on his own initiative, or whether the reason of missing his daughter was far-fetched. He only knew that the savior was about to arrive.
"Good! Good! Good!" Lu Bin excitedly slammed his hands on the table, his face beaming. "Yong'er, you did the right thing. Well done! You are truly my good son, deeply loved by me. I now have someone to carry on my legacy!"
Lu Yong quickly bowed, his tone both fearful and humble: "I don't deserve this. As long as your Majesty doesn't blame me for making decisions on my own, that's all that matters."
"If you don't blame me, how could I blame you?"
Lu Bin waved his hand and paced excitedly. "Quick, Yong'er, you must personally leave the palace and send someone... No, you should personally lead a team of elite imperial guards and rush to greet the Jiang family father and son. Make sure they have a safe journey and arrive in the capital as soon as possible."
"Tell them, I...I have had many misunderstandings in the past. As long as they can repel the Northern Di and save the capital, I will definitely promote them and reward them handsomely!"
"Your son obeys your order!" Lu Yong suppressed the undercurrent in his eyes, accepted the order respectfully, turned around and left quickly.
Concubine Qin, who was standing by, watched her son take on such a dangerous task and was pushed out so easily by Lu Bin. Her resentment towards Lu Bin was almost overflowing. She dug her nails deep into her palms and barely maintained a gentle smile on her face.
In Yanzhou, on the canal, a speedboat is cutting through the waves.
At the bow of the boat stood two people.
The man was about fifty years old, with slightly frosted temples, a resolute face, and eyes as calm as an ancient well. He was none other than General Zhennan, Jiang Baichuan, who had been exiled to Lingnan for many years.
The young man next to him was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a figure as straight as a pine tree. His eyebrows were seven points similar to Jiang Baichuan, but he had more youthful sharpness and composure. It was his son Jiang Qinghuai.
The cabin curtain was opened, and a middle-aged woman with a graceful temperament, who although weathered by the weather still showed her former glory, walked out with a pot of hot tea.
Mrs. Jiang Xiao looked at her husband and son staring off into the distance and sighed softly, "I wonder how Ning'er is doing in the capital. And that girl Xi'er said she was going to look for Ning'er, but she hasn't sent any news in all this time..."
Jiang Baichuan turned around, took the teapot from his wife's hand, and said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, Ning'er is smart and will be able to take care of herself. As for Xi'er, that girl is very clever and will be fine."
Having said that, the worry between his brows did not disappear.
Lingnan was isolated from the outside world and they knew very little about the great changes in the capital.
At this moment, Jiang Qinghuai suddenly pointed to the shore ahead: "Father, Mother, look, is that Xi'er?"
At the dock ahead, a petite girl in a goose yellow dress was jumping and waving vigorously at their boat, with a bright and eager smile on her face. Who else could it be but Jiang Qingxi?
"Xi'er!" Mrs. Xiao was surprised and happy, almost crying.
The ship quickly docked.
Jiang Qingxi rushed forward like a fledgling swallow, hugging Madam Xiao tightly: "Mom! Dad! Brother! I miss you so much!"
When a family is reunited, there is boundless joy.
But Jiang Baichuan soon realized that something was wrong. His little daughter was here alone, and it must be that something big had happened in the capital.
After returning to the boat and sending everyone around him away, Jiang Qingxi's smile instantly disappeared and became extremely serious.
She lowered her voice and quickly told the whole story of how Jiang Qingning had plotted to overthrow the Anping Marquis' Mansion, how he had feigned friendship with Murong Feng of the Northern Di, how he had planned the assassination at the palace banquet and framed the Yonghe Palace, how he had forced the emperor, how he had designed to be kidnapped by Xun Chen, and most importantly, how Murong Feng of the Northern Di had led an army of 100,000 to capture three cities in a row and was approaching the capital.
Every incident was like a heavy hammer, hitting Jiang Baichuan, Jiang Qinghuai and Xiao's hearts hard.
The three of them looked horrified. When they heard that Jiang Qingning was alone among the fierce beasts and was even in danger, Jiang Baichuan slammed his fist against the side of the boat, his eyes reddening. "It's Dad who's useless. It's Dad who has implicated Ning'er, causing such suffering for a girl like her."
Jiang Qinghuai's eyes welled up with tears, and he gritted his teeth, "Xun Chen, you bastard, Murong Feng, you barbarian, how dare you bully my sister like this."
Mrs. Xiao was already in tears, hugging her little daughter tightly, her body trembling.
However, when he heard that all of Jiang Qingning's plans were ultimately aimed at rescuing them from Lingnan and that he was willing to use himself as bait to stir up trouble in the world in order to clear their grievances, his shock and heartache turned into indescribable pride and sorrow.
"Ning'er actually..."
Jiang Baichuan's voice was choked with sobs. This iron-blooded veteran who had shed blood but not tears on the battlefield was now speechless.
He never thought that after he was demoted, it would be his eldest daughter who would take up the banner of the Jiang family and try to shake up the entire dynasty.
"Dad, Mom, Brother!"
Jiang Qingxi wiped away her tears, her eyes becoming resolute. "Now is not the time to be sad. My sister's plan has reached the most critical step. Murong Feng is at the gates of the city, and the emperor has no one else to turn to. He must rely on our Jiang family. This is the best opportunity for our Jiang family to return to the court and redress our grievances. It is also the only chance to save my sister."
She looked at her father and brother, her tone firm and decisive, "Sister, what I mean is that you and your brother must hurry to the capital as quickly as possible to take over the military command. However, you are not to fight for Lu Bin to the death, but to control the situation and cooperate with your sister."
Jiang Baichuan and Jiang Qinghuai looked at each other, and at the same time, astonishing brightness and determination flashed in the eyes of both father and son.
All the dejection and resentment were completely swept away at this moment, replaced by the long-lost fighting spirit and the determination to fight for a bloody way out for the family.
"good!"
Jiang Baichuan's voice was as deep as a bell, carrying the murderous aura of a veteran general. "Pass the order down. Advance at full speed, day and night, to the capital!"
"yes!"
Jiang Qinghuai clasped his fists and accepted the order, then turned around and strode away to convey the command, his back as straight as a sword drawn from its sheath.
Mrs. Xiao held Jiang Qingxi's hand tightly, looking at her husband and son who were instantly ignited. Although her eyes were still filled with tears, she showed a relieved and proud smile.
The Jiang family's tiger flag will eventually have to be taken up again by the Jiang family members themselves.
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