Chapter 86: Born with a pair of heavy sins, I am afraid I will never be able to be reborn...
Hengye City was originally part of the Yun Kingdom. It was captured by the Northern Kingdom some years ago, but has now been recaptured. The excitement of returning home fills this lake-front city.
Looking down from the window of the room Jiang Cichen had arranged for Luo Wan, one could see a lake stretching as far as the eye could see. The lake was filled with lush lotus flowers, their leaves broad and wide, and a lotus pavilion stood tall.
Hengye City has a strong Jiangnan atmosphere, with winding bluestone roads, scattered white walls and red tiles. The people speak softly and have simple customs.
The traces of war were gradually healed, and the streets were filled with a peaceful atmosphere again.
Luo Wan was about to write back to Shen Zhiyan, but Yunjing was watching her closely, which caused her a lot of inconvenience. However, she actually forgot about this matter in Weizhou.
After grinding the rice paper, he spread it on the desk and picked up the pen to finish writing. Before the ink was dry, a shadow loomed over him from behind.
Jiang Cichen's arm passed through her side and rested on the edge of the table, trapping him in a small space and bringing a subtle sense of oppression.
"What are you writing?" he asked in a low voice, but his eyes were not on the letter.
"Just some casual greetings," Luo Wan said without turning around, placing his pen on the pen holder. "According to the date, Liu Shuyi is due to give birth."
He hummed nonchalantly, his fingertips brushing across her wrist, then moving down, through his fingers to clasp her hand, and pressing it on the desk.
The lake breeze outside the window brings a faint lotus fragrance, which interweaves with the slightly cool ink scent in the room.
Luo Wan tilted her head slightly, rubbing her head against his chin: "Do you want to go out for a walk? I want to choose a gift for my unborn child."
"You've always been very dedicated to Shen Zhiyan's affairs," Jiang Cichen paused, his tone hard.
Luo Wan pondered and said, "Yes, a little. It's a pity that I'm not in the capital. If I were in the capital, I would definitely visit you every day."
Jiang Cichen's jawline tensed for a moment, and he said viciously: "Luo Wan, are you deliberately trying to piss me off?"
"Are you going?" Luo Wan asked again.
Jiang Cichen snorted softly, his emotions unrecognizable: "Shen Zhiyan is the prime minister's legitimate son after all, and his children are descendants of Shen Liu. They are naturally pampered. Do they need your gift?"
"No need." Luo Wan shook his head, "But I want to give it to you."
Jiang Cichen took the opportunity to interlock his fingers with hers and pulled her out of the house.
The streets of Hengye were bustling with people, showing no trace of the post-war depression. The streets were crowded with vendors selling all kinds of things, and the cries of hawkers selling cakes, jade, cloth, etc. could be heard everywhere.
Luo Wan stopped in front of an embroidery workshop and said to Jiang Cichen, "Let's go to this one."
Jiang Cichen stood behind her, folded his arms around his chest, looked up at the plaque, and frowned.
What is a baby dragon?
The store was very large and had a wide variety of items. Luo Wan picked up an exquisite tiger-head hat.
The shop owner was a plump woman. Seeing this, she smiled and said, "Madam, you have good taste! You and your husband are such a perfect match, the baby will surely be handsome! Is it for your unborn baby?" Her eyes fell on Luo Wan's waist. "Your belly doesn't show."
"No." Luo Wan said.
It was prepared for the unborn baby, but not her and Jiang Cichen's baby.
The woman glanced between the two men, thinking she understood something. She lowered her voice and laughed, "So you're still preparing for the wedding? I have a recipe passed down from my ancestors to help you replenish your energy and strengthen your body. I guarantee you'll have a boy..."
"If you want a baby girl, I have a recipe here." The woman said, and she was really trying to grope for something under the counter.
Luo Wan was about to explain, but Jiang Cichen interrupted with a cold face: "No need."
He put his arm around Luo Wan's shoulders and led her out of the store.
The woman behind him was still enthusiastically recommending: "My dear! Do you really not need it? Come back if you need it!"
Jiang Cichen stopped only after turning under a secluded willow tree. His face was still a little gloomy as he looked at the lake.
"Ridiculous." Jiang Cichen said, "Where can you find an embroidery shop that sells this kind of stuff?"
Luo Wan thought it was quite normal and just said, "If someone needs it, someone will sell it."
Jiang Cichen was slightly annoyed: "Then whoever needs it should come to her to buy it. What does it mean that she recommends it to everyone?"
Luo Wan looked at his tense profile and couldn't help but curl the corners of her mouth.
"Still laughing?" Jiang Cichen glanced at her and said, "This shop is not legitimate at all. Don't go there again."
Luo Wan stopped laughing and said, "How do you know she recommends it to everyone? Maybe she saw your face and thought you needed it, so she recommended it to you."
Hearing this, Jiang Cichen turned to face her and took another step forward. They were already close, and this step added to the sense of oppression. Luo Wan subconsciously stepped back, her back now forced against the willow tree.
Jiang Cichen leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Whether I need it or not, you'll know if you try it."
Luo Wan pondered for a moment. As a Jianghu person, she hadn't been raised with any of the rules of etiquette and female discipline, so she didn't really care about formalities. She couldn't stand the world where men could have three wives and four concubines, while women had to follow the three obediences and four virtues. Only a lifelong couple could be called love.
Regardless of past and present lives, she believed that love meant being together, and that anything was possible. Since she and Jiang Cichen liked each other, that was also possible.
Jiang Cichen lowered his eyes to watch her lost in thought. After a moment, she raised her head and answered seriously, "You can give it a try."
Jiang Cichen was stunned, and then he heard her voice again.
"But I'm a stubborn person. Once I've chosen someone, it's him/her forever. If you stay with me, you'll only have me in this life. I don't accept deserters." Luo Wan stared at him, "Jiang Cichen, it's not too late for you to regret now."
Jiang Cichen smiled softly: "It will be you in the next life, okay?"
After saying that, his kiss was about to fall.
In broad daylight, although there were few people in this shady corner, the sounds of street vendors could be faintly heard across the street, indicating that someone might pass by at any time.
Luo Wan still had some dignity left, so he subconsciously turned around and tried to hide.
Jiang Cichen stretched out his arms and leaned against the tree to block her way: "Where are you going?"
Luo Wan smiled slightly, gently hooked her pinky finger around his, and said, "Let's go to another store."
Jiang Cichen held her fingers in his palm and took her to a store that looked more respectable. This time, there was no messy sales pitch.
The shopkeeper was a kind-looking old man. He smiled and presented a pair of exquisite tiger-head shoes. "Look, girl, these soles are made of the finest soft cotton, and the stitching is dense. They are perfect for your delicate feet and are very comfortable to wear."
Luo Wan picked up the vivid little shoes, waved them gently in front of Jiang Cichen's eyes, and said, "What do you think of this?"
Jiang Cichen reluctantly glanced at the gift she had chosen for Shen Zhiyan's child and said, "It's okay."
Luo Wan turned to look at her father-in-law and asked curiously, "Why are there only tigers embroidered on clothes and no other animals?"
The old man smiled and said, "Legend has it that tigers can drive away evil spirits and protect children from harm. They also symbolize a wish for a long life for children."
Luo Wan finally selected a few items and asked the store to deliver them to her mansion.
As the sky gradually darkened, lanterns were lit in the streets. The dim lights highlighted the bustle and tranquility of human life.
Tired of strolling, Luo Wan and Jiang Cichen slowly walked back to their residence along the lakeside bluestone path. Their shadows stretched out before them, swaying and sometimes overlapping, sometimes separating.
Logically, Jiang Cichen should have lived in the military camp, but he bought a house in the downtown area.
Hengye City has now returned to its former peace, the people are living and working in peace, and the soldiers have rested. The next stop is Qingjiang.
Unlike the easily defended and difficult-to-attack Jingzhou and Lin'an, Qingjiang was a small, ordinary city, with no notable people or major events. It was said that even the newly appointed Qingzhou generals were young men of unknown origin, demonstrating the Northern Kingdom's indifference to Qingjiang.
"I heard that the general in Qingjiang is new. Have you found out who he is?" Luo Wan said.
Leading troops into battle doesn't mean simply charging forward recklessly; that only results in heavy casualties. Knowing both yourself and your enemy is key to victory over a thousand miles away, and a hundred battles without danger. Therefore, before a battle, the generals of both cities would investigate the other side, predicting their opponent's temperament and how they would deploy their troops.
As the topic of military affairs came up, Jiang Cichen's expression of leisure and laziness faded. He said, "No, our spies say this man has never been seen in the Northern Kingdom's military camp before, nor has he participated in any battles. He's only sixteen or seventeen years old, a complete newcomer."
"Newcomer?" Luo Wan asked, "So we don't know his military tactics?"
She was a little worried. Jiang Cichen had been in the Northern Kingdom’s military camp, and that group of people knew him very well, but they didn’t know the person they were about to face.
Jiang Cichen looked at her sideways, a faint smile on his lips: "Don't you believe me?"
Luo Wan frowned: "Based on Bei Yeji's personality, I don't believe he will hand Qingzhou over. Is there a trick here?"
As they were talking, several children chasing and playing with each other passed through the street holding windmills. One of them ran so fast that he lost his balance and fell to the side of the road. An adult who caught up with him immediately grabbed him by the collar and carried him away.
The child thrashed about, accusingly saying, "I'm a hero who led troops into battle, and you, a commoner, dare to do this to me?!"
Before he could finish his words, he was slapped on the buttocks. The adult shouted angrily, "I am your father!"
As the two walked past, Jiang Cichen nonchalantly withdrew his gaze and said, "It's not that I haven't considered this as a trap, so I made every possible preparation. If it were a city like Jingzhou Lin'an, it might be a little difficult, but for a small city like Qingjiang, I have 100% confidence."
He spoke so calmly that he didn't take the city seriously at all.
For some reason, Luo Wan felt uneasy. She asked, "When are we going to attack the city? I'll join you."
Jiang Cichen was silent for a while before he said, "Are you really going?"
Luo Wan nodded.
He rarely hesitated like this. In Yinan City, he had said that he believed she was someone who would stand shoulder to shoulder with him. Why was he hesitating now?
"It's karma after all, I hope you have less contact with it," he said.
Luo Wan smiled slightly and said, "Haven't I encountered enough killing karma in my life?"
Murder and robbery, what crime had she not committed? Even if it was often forced, even if the people she killed were extremely evil and deserved death, the blood on her hands was a fact, and it could not be washed away.
Jiang Cichen didn't say anything to comfort her, but only said, "Maybe we can meet again in hell after death. We are destined to be a perfect match."
Luo Wan said, "The book of merits and demerits in front of Yama Palace will probably have to fill up a few volumes for you first."
Jiang Cichen chuckled softly, his laughter echoing in the deepening night. "That's perfect. My sins are so deep that I'm afraid I won't be able to be reborn. If I had someone like the owner of this building by my side, even if I were to fall into hell for eternity, it wouldn't be considered hard labor."
-----------------------
The author has something to say: General Qingjiang is actually an old friend~~~~o(^▽^)o
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
