Although she hid her fear beneath a mask of composure, it remained, growing stronger with every mile they traveled. She was anxious by day and tossed and turned at night.
She hadn't seen her cousin Huo Minggao for almost thirty years. He was certainly no longer the young man he once was. The world is a melting pot, and he had been corrupted by power. What he would become now was anyone's guess.
"Jiang Wan'er, now you must be as resolute and strong as your husband, and you must become a true member of the Lin family!"
“One hundred and eighty thousand men!” Sun Mian muttered to himself as he sat in the carriage. “He has one hundred and eighty thousand troops!”
“180,000?” Jiang Wan’er repeated, her voice tinged with annoyance and confusion. “How could he have so many troops!”
“The Northern Barbarians!” Sun Mian told her, “To prevent the Northern Barbarians from invading from the south, with His Majesty’s tacit approval, troops from Liangzhou, Wuwei, and Changsong have been assembled.”
Jiang Wan'er seemed to remember something: Li Liang's Chiyan Army went to Shu to "deliver military supplies" and was subsequently wiped out.
The border is in dire need of attention. Your humble servant Wei Maozhen has granted Huo Minggao special permission to gather troops to defend against the northern barbarians.
In this way, Huo Minggao became fat overnight.
“Even with 180,000 men, he can’t defeat the Northern Barbarians,” Jiang Wan’er said. “He will join my son!”
"Is that so?" Sun Mian sighed. "I dare not say. Never have any expectations of this person, and you won't be surprised when the time comes."
“But he’s Mo’er’s uncle!” Jiang Wan’er said, “Cousin!”
“Mother-in-law! Not everyone will remember so-called family ties!” Sun Mian told her, “Especially since they are only cousins. The King of Xiliang still holds a grudge about what happened back then.”
Moreover, one of his sons married Li Hu's youngest sister. While this wasn't a big deal—the King of Xiliang had many children, and they all needed to be married eventually—…”
"What?! Is that true?" Jiang Wan'er exclaimed in surprise. "Then my son killed Li Hu..."
Sun Mian sighed, "There's no need to worry too much. The King of Xiliang probably doesn't even know what his plans are. He has the prudence of an old man, the ambition of a young man, and is also very shrewd."
"A cunning and ambitious schemer?" Jiang Wan'er couldn't help but wonder. "But we must gain his support."
Otherwise, the northern barbarian troops could easily advance and threaten my son!
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