Chapter 67 Father Jiang Searches for His Son (Bonus Chapter with Nutrient Solution) He absolutely will not let go...
How come when you come back from an exchange program that you've had your base wiped out?
Wang Laohu was very puzzled.
Fortunately, he had some clever people under him who knew to go and find out what was going on.
Wang Laohu crouched in the bushes halfway up the mountain, the blade of grass he was chewing in his mouth was now rotten. The mountain stronghold that once belonged to him was now deserted. A month ago, he led some of his men to other bandit strongholds to exchange ideas and recruit some of their followers. When they returned, their old lair was in this state.
"Boss, we've investigated. The other leaders were killed, the other brothers are either dead or have been forced into hard labor, and everything in the storeroom has been taken." A scout, his face covered in dust, crouched down and crawled in. "It was the people from Songyang County government! That magistrate, what's his name, Jiang Ge..."
"Django?!" Wang Laohu suddenly stood up, his head hitting a tree branch with a thud. Ignoring the pain, he pulled a crumpled letter from his pocket—it was written in the First Prince's own handwriting and bore his personal seal.
The letter paper exuded a faint sandalwood scent in the sunlight. Wang Laohu's finger pointed directly at a certain section in the middle:
[The magistrate of Songyang County, Jiang Ge, is one of our own; we can temporarily use his territory for rest and recuperation...]
"Our own people?!" Wang Laohu's roar startled the birds in the woods. "How dare you treat your own people like this?!"
He was trembling with rage, his mind filled with images of the dozens of chests of silver that had vanished from the warehouse, the weapons that had disappeared from the cellar, and even the gold he had hidden in the secret room! What was most infuriating was that the brothers in the village were either dead or working hard in the brick kiln in Songyang County.
day.
He will absolutely not let Songyang County go!
——
Coincidentally, the eldest prince in the capital and Wang Laohu, who was thousands of miles away, both had the same thought in mind—Songyang County was absolutely not to be let go.
The eldest prince was ultimately more astute than that brute Wang Laohu. Thanks to Zhao Yuanwai's tip-off, he already knew that the wealth accumulated by Black Wind Stronghold over the years had all fallen into the hands of the Songyang County government.
Upon first hearing the news, he paced anxiously in his study, like an ant on a hot plate. That was all his money! All these years of secretly supporting Black Wind Stronghold, wasn't it all for the sake of filling his private coffers with this ill-gotten silver? Now that it had been confiscated by Songyang County, how easy would it be to rightfully reclaim it?
Just as he was getting anxious, his trusted advisor, Xu, leaned forward and whispered a few words in his ear. It turned out that the magistrate of Songyang County, Jiang Ge, was actually Jiang Yuanshan's son!
"Hey!" The eldest prince slapped his thigh, his gloomy face vanishing. "Why didn't you say so sooner!"
Since they are our own servants, what's the rush?
These valuables were merely being transferred from one hand to the other; perhaps they would be even more thoroughly cleaned after passing through the hands of the officials, ultimately ending up in his own hands even larger. Thinking of the recent praise from the court and the public for several valiant generals who had emerged from Songyang County, the eldest prince couldn't help but clap his hands and laugh—good, good, so they were all already his!
Speaking of Jiang Yuanshan, he was originally just a third-rate merchant who couldn't even get close to the Crown Prince's residence. By sheer coincidence, when the imperial court was selecting royal merchants last year, this fellow spent a lot of money to pave the way and managed to get in touch with him.
Since then, Jiang Yuanshan has clung to him like a leech, showering him with rare treasures one day and exotic gifts the next, doing everything in his power to flatter him.
At this moment, Jiang Yuanshan was hunched over in the First Prince's study, offering a pair of beautiful women from the Western Regions with a beaming smile. The two beauties had skin as smooth as jade and eyes as clear as autumn water, and the golden bells at their waists jingled as they moved with their graceful steps.
"Your Highness, this is something I specially sought out from Dunhuang. It is said to be from a noble family..." Jiang Yuanshan rubbed his hands together, his eyes narrowing into slits.
The eldest prince glanced at it casually, his mind preoccupied with something else entirely. The spies sent to Songyang County had long since reported that the secret letter had reached Jiang Ge, but so much time had passed, and there was still no word from them. Jiang Ge had neither secretly transferred the Black Wind Stronghold's valuables as agreed, nor made any other indication; it was as if the letter had vanished without a trace.
Could it be that you're planning to embezzle it?
"Manager Jiang," the First Prince suddenly sneered, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, "has your son grown too big for his britches?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuanshan bent even lower, his head bowed, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. At this moment, he was the only one in the world who knew this deadly secret—his "son," Jiang Ge, who was the magistrate of Songyang County, was actually a woman.
Although he has already pledged allegiance to the eldest prince, this secret must not be revealed in the slightest at this moment.
The time isn't right yet...
He bowed, his face crinkling with a fawning smile: "Your Highness, please calm down. If that brat truly doesn't know his place, I'll personally go to Songyang County tomorrow and make sure he submits completely."
In fact, the idea of going to Songyang County had been lingering in Jiang Yuanshan's mind for a long time.
It was too cruel of me to kick Django out of the house back then; looking back now, it's truly chilling. It's only natural that the girl was holding a grudge. But after all, we're blood relatives. As long as we talk things out face-to-face and explain the pros and cons, she'll eventually understand—after all, we're all related by blood.
Thinking of this, a glint of light flashed in Jiang Yuanshan's cloudy eyes.
Disguising oneself as a man is a crime of deceiving the emperor, punishable by death.
When the eldest prince ascends the throne, he plans to ask for a favor so that Django can be reborn as a woman and marry. He has already chosen a suitable candidate—Xu, the advisor to the eldest prince, is a good fit. Although he is a bit old and has several children, if Django can be betrothed to him, it will definitely be of great benefit to his son Yaozu's future career.
The eldest prince casually stroked the jade thumb ring on his hand, glancing sideways at the obsequious old merchant before him. Since it was his own idea to make this trip, it didn't matter.
"Granted." The eldest prince lazily uttered two words, then turned to play with the pair of golden bells presented by the Hu woman on the table. The crisp sound of the bells echoed in the study, masking Jiang Yuanshan's relieved sigh.
As he left the study, Jiang Yuanshan wiped the cold sweat from his brow. Gazing at the four corners of the sky above the palace walls, he suddenly recalled that rainy night years ago, the look of disappointment in the midwife's eyes as she held the newborn Jiang Ge. Back then, thinking of his feelings for his wife, he gritted his teeth and made that decision.
Looking back now, this daughter has become the most important pawn in his game.
"Prepare the sedan chair, let's go back to the manor," he instructed the servant waiting outside the palace gate.
Although he had to be somewhat subservient to the eldest prince after joining his service, no one in the capital city failed to show him respect.
Jiang Yuanshan sat in a sedan chair carried by four men, swaying slightly with the steady steps of the bearers. His eyelids were half-closed, and his wrinkled face was etched with exhaustion. These days, he had to manage his own business, secretly raise funds for the eldest prince, and deal with the difficulties posed by various officials, which was truly taking a toll on his old bones.
The familiar sounds of bustling city life drifted from outside the sedan curtain; he knew they were almost at the Jiang residence. Thinking of his beloved daughter whom he was about to see, he forced himself to straighten his clothes.
"Master, you're back home!"
With a shout from the gatekeeper, the sedan chair landed steadily in front of the Jiang residence's main gate. As soon as Jiang Yuanshan lifted the curtain, a figure dressed in a brocade jacket rushed over like a butterfly.
"Father!" Six-year-old Jiang Yaozu looked up with his delicate, chubby face and big, dark eyes brimming with joy. "You're finally back! I've memorized the Three Character Classic and I've been waiting to recite it for you!"
Jiang Yuanshan's face immediately lit up with a smile. He bent down and scooped his son up in his arms, exclaiming, "Oh my little darling, let Daddy have a good look at you!" He kissed his son's fair cheek, inhaling a sweet, milky scent. "Have you been eating well these past few days?"
"I've eaten, I've eaten!" Jiang Yaozu hugged his father's neck and said sweetly, "Mom makes me bird's nest porridge every day, I'm so tired of it!"
Just then, a fragrant breeze wafted over. Madam Liu, Jiang Yuanshan's wife, swayed her slender waist as she came forward, her delicate white hands taking the master's cloak: "Master, you've worked hard. I've prepared ginseng soup, just waiting for your return."
This Lady Liu was only twenty-three years old, with almond-shaped eyes and peach-blossom cheeks. She was the woman Jiang Yuanshan had bought from Yangzhou at a high price. She was very good at serving people, and at this moment she was massaging Jiang Yuanshan's shoulders with her soft, boneless hands.
“My darling is still the most considerate.” Jiang Yuanshan squeezed Liu’s soft hand, then turned to his son and said, “Come on, let’s go to the study and let your father hear how Yaozu recited it.”
The family of three walked happily towards the backyard. The setting sun cast long shadows of the three of them. Jiang Yaozu skipped and hopped in the middle, holding his father's hand in one hand and his mother's in the other, reciting in his childish voice, "At the beginning of life, man is inherently good..."
Madam Liu chuckled softly, covering her mouth, "Young Master recited it so well! He'll surely pass the imperial examinations and bring honor to the family!"
Jiang Yuanshan was overjoyed to hear this, and stroked his son's head, saying, "Of course! My son is exceptionally intelligent and will surely pass the imperial examination with flying colors, bringing honor to our Jiang family!"
If it weren't for his exceptionally intelligent son, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths to curry favor with the eldest prince.
Upon entering the study, Madam Liu personally helped the father and son wash their hands and then brought them ginseng soup. Jiang Yuanshan drank the soup while listening to his son recite his lessons, occasionally quizzing him. Seeing his son's fluent answers, the wrinkles on his face smoothed out.
"Master, I heard you're planning to go to Songyang County?" Madam Liu suddenly asked softly.
It was difficult to keep the commotion of packing away from Madam Liu, the matriarch of the household.
Liu and Jiang Ge had many conflicts, and Liu had suffered a lot of grievances. Jiang Yuanshan was unwilling to mention Jiang Ge at home, lest he upset his wife for no reason.
Jiang Yuanshan's smile faded slightly, and he nodded: "There are some business matters to take care of."
"Then...should we bring some gifts for the young master?" Madam Liu asked cautiously, putting on the appearance of a virtuous wife and loving mother.
Jiang Yuanshan snorted coldly, "What are you going to bring! That unfilial son..." He swallowed the words back, looking at his son's innocent little face, and changed his words, "Yaozu, you must remember, you must be filial to your father in the future, understand?"
Jiang Yaozu nodded vigorously: "I will definitely be filial to my father! And to my mother! I will never be like my brother!" He then threw himself into Liu's arms.
Madam Liu lovingly embraced the child and softly said to Jiang Yuanshan, "My lord, please rest assured, I will take good care of the young master."
Her demeanor aroused Jiang Yuanshan's pity, and he stroked Liu's hair and comforted her gently, "You've really suffered."
"It's not bitter. As long as my husband and I are together, I won't feel bitter." Liu nestled into Jiang Yuanshan's arms like a little bird.
What's so bitter about it?
Eating bird's nest every day and still feeling bitter? Then who knows what kind of hardship this young master would endure if he went to that remote, impoverished place…
Thinking of this, Liu secretly managed a smile.
The young master is so naive.
Holding his wife and young child in his arms, Jiang Yuanshan was filled with happiness. The thought of leaving for Songyang County the next day brought a pang of reluctance.
Hopefully, this "eldest son" will save him some trouble.
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Author's Note: This chapter is an extra update I wrote during my lunch break to thank everyone for their support. Thank you so much for your support! [Please][Please][Please]
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