Chapter 113 (Separation)
Jiang Ru couldn't bear being separated for even a few months before, let alone such a long separation. The endless wait is the most painful thing.
Jiang Ru could only try her best to snuggle into Pei Wu's arms, as if she wanted to become one with him. Pei Wu was always reliable, so she couldn't help but ask him, "When will you be able to come back?"
Jiang Ru was downcast and whispered, "When I died in my previous life, the Great Xia was still at war. Wouldn't that mean at least five years would pass?"
War inevitably kills many people. Not only is Jiang Ru reluctant to part with Pei Wu, but she also hopes the war can end soon, otherwise the lives of ordinary people will be truly difficult.
Jiang Ru remembers that the taxes increased in the following years, and at least half of the grain grown at home had to be handed over, making it difficult for her to support herself.
Pei Wu couldn't make too many promises to Jiang Ru, fearing he wouldn't be able to keep them. He could only guarantee, "I will try my best to come back to see you as soon as possible."
Jiang Ru lowered her head listlessly, but she quickly raised it again. She only hoped to see Pei Wu as much as possible during this time and did not want to miss a single moment.
Suddenly, Jiang Ru said, "It would be nice to have a cell phone."
If she could communicate with Pei Wu at any time, she wouldn't be so distressed. She was terrified that Pei Wu would die on the battlefield, and she would only find out months later, or perhaps she wouldn't even see Pei Wu's body.
She then used a very obscure word, and Pei Wu paused for a moment before asking, "What is a cell phone?"
Describing such a thing to an ancient person was somewhat difficult for Jiang Ru. After hesitating for a moment, Jiang Ru explained, "It's a brick-like object that allows us to see each other even if we are thousands of miles apart."
Such an item was completely unfamiliar to Pei Wu, and he could hardly understand it with his current knowledge, but he still cooperated with Jiang Ru and said, "I've never seen it before."
It would be strange if he could have seen it. Jiang Ru lowered her voice and said mysteriously, "Actually, I came from another world."
Pei Wu's eyes flickered slightly. Perhaps because they were about to part ways, Jiang Ru wanted to reveal her identity to Pei Wu. She said, "Our world is very different from this one, which is why I don't know the characters of the Great Xia."
The only saving grace was that, although the characters were different, the language was the same. Otherwise, she wouldn't understand and wouldn't know the language of this world, which would have been a real breakdown.
A mist seemed to rise in Pei Wu's deep black eyes. He paused for a long time before asking, "Was your original world good?"
Jiang Ru spoke frankly: "It's good, but it's not good either."
The good thing is that she has no worries about food and clothing, but the bad thing is that her family situation is complicated and she has rarely experienced family affection since childhood. However, in this world, she has Pei Wu.
Jiang Ru leaned forward: "I used to really want to go back, but now I don't want to go back, because I have you."
Jiang Ru knew that Pei Wu would feel sorry for her if she told him this, so she quickly added that she was fine now. After saying that, she continued, "So I think that even if a person dies, their soul will not dissipate."
She didn't know if Pei Wu would be able to return safely from the war, so she said this to comfort herself and also to subtly tell Pei Wu that no matter what, they would eventually meet again.
Pei Wu looked at her and said solemnly, "I will definitely come back."
This was the first time he had made a promise he wasn't even sure about. Jiang Ru smiled and said, "I knew you could come back."
They hugged for a long time, until their bodies were a little stiff. Jiang Ru liked this position the most, hugging Pei Wu as if Pei Wu would never leave.
They couldn't seem to get enough of each other. They took a shower together, then lay back in bed, doing nothing but holding each other.
The following day, Pei Wu summoned all the officials to court. In the main hall, Pei Wu stood in the first row, with the officials of the Secretariat and Chancellery behind him, and the officials of the Privy Council led by Su Mu in the other row.
The news of Pei Wu leading troops to purge the court of corrupt officials had already spread throughout Bianjing yesterday. Now that he has summoned officials to court, many officials are trembling with fear, afraid that Pei Wu will make a fool of them.
Fortunately, Pei Wu did not target any of the officials and went straight to the point about the invasion by the State of Lu.
He volunteered to serve as commander, which puzzled the officials who were initially worried that he might usurp the throne. After all, if he wanted to leave Bianjing, why would he offend the emperor now?
However, after Pei Wu finished speaking, he changed his tone: "When the king goes to war, it will enhance the prestige of our Great Xia, and the soldiers will be greatly encouraged."
Upon hearing this, the hall fell silent for a moment, and the officials were terrified, not daring to speak at all.
Su Mu spoke first: "If the emperor leaves Bianjing, it will likely cause turmoil in the court and unrest among the people. Moreover, the emperor has no heir, which concerns the very foundation of the nation. How can we treat this so lightly?"
This statement resonated with many officials. Although the emperor had not governed well, it would be of no benefit to the court if he were to die on the battlefield.
At this moment, Pei Wu calmly said, "The prefects of Xining, Weizhou, and Fenzhou have successively surrendered to the Lu army. Are we going to continue to abandon the people? As the ruler of a country, with a great enemy at hand, how can you only care about yourself? Besides, I don't think there is any use for Your Majesty if you stay in Bianjing."
These words were a mockery of the emperor's incompetence. Upon hearing this, the emperor on his throne immediately turned pale. Su Mu, however, remained unfazed and merely smiled, saying, "If Your Majesty is not stationed in Bianjing, who else is capable of staying there to oversee the overall situation?"
Pei Wu had been waiting for him to say this, and then passed the words to Su Mu: "Prime Minister Su is capable of taking on great responsibilities." Then, Pei Wu continued, "When I was in Tanzhou, I visited the Duke of Chen. When the Great Xia was in danger, the Duke of Chen was very righteous and insisted on coming to Bianjing with me despite his advanced age. If the Emperor goes on a campaign, the Duke of Chen can stay in Bianjing and make decisions with Prime Minister Su."
When Cheng Hao's name was mentioned, everyone present was astonished. Everyone knew Cheng Hao. Before Emperor Wen passed away, he had tried to summon him back to serve as prime minister several times, but Cheng Hao had refused each time. However, today, Pei Wu was able to persuade him and even brought Cheng Hao to Bianjing.
Of course, even if Cheng Hao returned to the court, many ministers would still oppose the emperor's decision to go on the expedition, mainly because the emperor was young and childless, which would be detrimental to the court.
Pei Wu simply said, "The founding emperor of the previous dynasty went on campaign at the age of thirteen, and the founding emperor of Northern Yan led troops into battle at the age of fifteen. What's wrong with that?"
The officials hesitated, and Pei Wu said lightly, "If our Great Xia is conquered by the State of Lu, Your Majesty will not need to go on the expedition."
His words made the situation clear: if the emperor didn't go, the Great Xia would suffer defeat after defeat, and the outcome would be the same.
With the support of the officials under the Secretariat, the opposition was powerless to reverse the situation, and it was a foregone conclusion that the emperor would accompany the army on the expedition.
The emperor's face was extremely dark, as if he had returned to the days when he was controlled by others. Pei Wu casually told him what he should do with a few words, but with the country in crisis, he could not say that he was unwilling to go.
What does it have to do with him that the founding emperor of the previous dynasty went on a campaign at the age of thirteen? That's all from the previous dynasty. How many emperors of the Great Xia Dynasty have ever gone on a campaign? He's only fifteen now. Asking him to go to the front lines and kill the enemy is something Pei Wu dares to dream of.
The emperor sat at the head of the table with a gloomy face. Of course, he didn't want to go. But seeing that Pei Wu had already arranged his future, the emperor finally spoke: "I think it is not yet time for me to go into battle and fight the enemy."
An emperor may not care about the lives of others, but he could never risk his own life for them.
Even after he said that, Pei Wu showed no intention of taking it back, only saying, "Your Majesty should care about the people, and the emperor should guard the nation's gates, so as not to betray the people's respect and admiration."
Before the emperor could speak further, Su Mu suddenly said, "What the Prince of Liang said makes sense, but I think it would be best to keep only the deputy envoy in the court. I am willing to follow Your Majesty."
Before this, Su Mu had never volunteered to join the army, not even when many prefects surrendered one after another. But today, he actually volunteered.
Perhaps fearing that Pei Wu might harm the emperor on the way, Su Mu was also worried and decided to follow.
Pei Wu had expected him to go along. Pei Wu didn't care whether he went or not, but the emperor was relieved by his words and quickly agreed to Su Mu's request.
The court assembly lasted until the afternoon. There were so many officials that they could argue for a long time. Finally, when it ended, Pei Wu was the first to walk out of the main hall.
Last year's imperial examinations brought many new faces to the court. However, among these newcomers, only the top scholar was a sixth-rank official and could not attend court. There were also a few officials who had been transferred back to Bianjing from the provinces, but when they saw Pei Wu, they only dared to give a bow as a greeting.
If Pei Wu were still the same Vice Minister of the Chancellery, the officials could easily catch up with him. However, Pei Wu has now been enfeoffed as the Prince of Liang. Although he is nominally the Prince of Liang, everyone knows that he led troops to surround the palace last night. Naturally, the officials do not dare to approach him.
Only a few officials who had served in the Secretariat came to exchange a few pleasantries with Pei Wu, all asking how he was doing in Tanzhou, to which Pei Wu answered them one by one.
Although he had been in Tanzhou for a year, several of his friends in Bianjing still wrote to him frequently. Several of his colleagues from the Hanlin Academy were still working in the court, as was Zheng Qiuhong, who had now been promoted to the sixth rank. However, he had recently volunteered to take charge of grain supplies and was not currently in the court.
In just one year, my former colleagues have all gone their separate ways, and things have changed beyond recognition.
Pei Wu learned some information from several officials under the Secretariat and Chancellery, and only bid farewell to everyone when he reached the palace gate.
...
In the days leading up to his departure, as long as Pei Wu didn't go to the palace, Jiang Ru would stay with him all the time. With their separation imminent, Jiang Ru hoped that Pei Wu could enjoy these last moments with her.
The day before their departure, the two barely slept. Jiang Ru talked to him a lot. As dawn approached, Jiang Ru took out a peace charm from her bosom. She had specially gone to the temple to get it, which could protect Pei Wu's safety.
She had even started to believe in superstitions, but this was all Jiang Ru could do. She placed the amulet in Pei Wu's arms, right in front of his heart, and then she nestled in his arms and whispered, "Pei Wu, I hope you are safe."
The amulet on his chest felt almost invisible, yet Pei Wu felt a warm glow in his heart. He reached out and touched the amulet, then leaned forward to kiss Jiang Ru, saying, "I'll be back soon."
Jiang Ru nodded repeatedly, and she kissed Pei Wu with a small peck. Jiang Ru said, "Pei Wu, I love you."
So you must come back soon.
This was Jiang Ru's only thought before leaving. She wanted to tell Pei Wu that he was the one she loved most. As the night passed, sunlight streamed into the room through the window, and the two breathed into each other's mouths. Pei Wu kissed Jiang Ru's forehead again, reluctantly, and said, "I love you too."
He used to express himself very subtly, using obscure poems and prose, but today, he has also learned to express himself more directly from Jiang Ru.
As dawn was breaking, Jiang Ru got up first. She sat down beside Pei Wu, head bowed, and said, "It's time to get up."
However, Pei Wu moved closer to her and pulled her completely into his arms: "Wait a little longer."
It seemed like she couldn't hold him enough. Cool tears streamed down her face, blurring her vision. She cried so much that she soaked Pei Wu's clothes. Pei Wu gently touched her cheek with his fingertips. This time, he didn't tell Jiang Ru to stop crying, letting her tears wet his clothes.
Jiang Ru said in a nasal voice, "If I had known, I should have married you when we were in Jinzhou."
Jiang Ruxin was heartbroken to see the young couple, who had only been married for a little over a year, separated.
Pei Wu patted her back gently and said, "Okay."
He was so accommodating. Jiang Ru looked up, her eyes filled with tears. She bit Pei Wu's lip hard, so hard that she drew blood and swallowed the taste of blood. Jiang Ru said fiercely, "You must come back alive."
Pei Wu kissed her slightly salty tears, and her wet cheeks wouldn't dry no matter how hard he tried, so he simply stopped wiping.
It was only when the servant knocked on the door that they snapped out of their kiss; this was the departure time Pei Wu had set.
Jiang Ru's kiss didn't seem like she was actually kissing Pei Wu; it was more like she was venting her anger. But after biting Pei Wu's lip, she apologetically licked his wound and said, "I'm sorry, I couldn't control myself."
Like a little animal that has done something wrong and is now carefully trying to salvage the situation, Pei Wuxin wanted nothing more than to give it to her. He coaxed Jiang Ru, "It's okay, no matter what you do, you don't need to say sorry."
Jiang Ru felt a lump in her throat, wanting to speak but unable to muster the breath. She simply sat up and gestured for Pei Wu to get up and tidy up. Pei Wu looked at her quietly for a moment before finally getting up to put on his clothes.
He put on his clothes and was about to take the leather belt when Jiang Ru brushed his hand away and took the belt for him.
She lowered her eyelashes and said, "I'll tie it for you."
Pei Wu withdrew his hand and looked at Jiang Ru's slender arm. She carefully moved closer to Pei Wu, wrapped her arms around his waist, and gently fastened his leather belt. Her pale fingertips brushed against Pei Wu's clothes. Jiang Ru said, "I'll see you off."
Pei Wu nodded.
Jiang Ru packed most of Pei Wu's belongings. She prepared a lot of food for him, all of which she made herself. Before leaving, she tied a red string around Pei Wu's wrist, which she had also asked for. She was willing to do anything to protect Pei Wu.
Pei Wu grasped her hand tightly, and the two walked out of the bedroom together.
Knowing he was leaving, Cheng Hao waited to see him off. He had said everything he needed to say, only telling him to be careful in everything and promising to protect Jiang Ru. Pei Wu thanked him and bowed to Cheng Hao.
Jiang Ru led him, and the two of them got into the carriage together. Cheng Hao knew that they had a good relationship and was afraid that Pei Wu would take Jiang Ru with him, so he quickly stepped forward to stop him.
At this moment, Pei Wu turned around and explained, "Just escort me to the city gate."
Cheng Hao then stopped trying to stop him.
With the emperor personally leading the expedition, the people of the city have rekindled their hopes for the Great Xia Dynasty in the past few days, all hoping that the emperor will return with good news. Therefore, the people of the city are all in high spirits today. However, for safety reasons, the people are not allowed to get close to the imperial carriage.
The emperor's personal expedition was a grand affair, with carriages and horses already waiting outside the palace, drawn by six horses, the carriages magnificent and imposing.
At this moment, a subordinate came to report that the emperor and Su Mu had not yet arrived, and the emperor refused to come.
Pei Wu sent someone to invite the emperor today, but his subordinates, out of respect for the emperor, did not dare to forcibly take him away. Pei Wu then said, "I will go myself."
The emperor was causing trouble again. Jiang Ru sat up straighter and looked outside worriedly. Pei Wu gently patted her hand: "It's alright, I'll be right there."
Jiang Ru nodded to him, then leaned out the window and watched Pei Wu get off the carriage; the vermilion palace gates were right in front of her.
The subordinates hurriedly led the way for Pei Wu, who entered through the Xuande Gate, followed by several subordinates. Halfway there, they finally saw the emperor's palanquin, with its bright yellow ceremonial guard and many eunuchs. The emperor sat in the palanquin, his face full of reluctance.
To his left, Su Mu, dressed in a purple official robe, walked forward with the entourage. He met Pei Wu halfway there. Pei Wu simply bowed and saluted. The eunuchs wanted to put down the sedan chair, but Pei Wu raised his hand to indicate that it was not necessary. Only then did the eunuchs continue to carry the emperor out.
The emperor must have had a fight with Su Mu. He was looking gloomy, and when he saw Pei Wu, he didn't even have the energy to glare at him.
Su Mu smiled at Pei Wu and said, "Your Majesty, I've kept you waiting."
Pei Wu nodded and walked back without exchanging pleasantries. He walked slightly ahead of the sedan chair, taking large strides, so the eunuchs had to quicken their pace to keep up with him.
Before long, they arrived at Xuande Gate. The emperor's palanquin was lowered, and he stepped down. Su Mu led him to the jade carriage where the emperor was sitting. At this point, the emperor had no choice but to go, no matter how unwilling he was.
He sat in his carriage, watched Su Mu turn and leave, glared at Su Mu's back, and sat down angrily.
Pei Wu also boarded the carriage. When the curtain was lifted, Su Mu was walking around behind Pei Wu. In the fleeting glimpse of the curtain, Su Mu saw Jiang Ru inside the carriage.
Jiang Ru looked up, seemingly without any guard up. When she met Su Mu's gaze, her eyes still held the joy and love that had not yet faded, all directed at Pei Wu.
Su Mu smiled at her, but Jiang Ru didn't see the smile because Pei Wu had already lowered the curtain.
Pei Wu turned around, his tone questioning, "What is Prime Minister Su looking at?"
Su Mu withdrew his gaze: "I had long heard that the Prince of Liang had married in Tanzhou and that they were very much in love. Now I am finally able to meet him."
Pei Wu ignored him, saying, "Prime Minister Su, it's time to set off."
Su Mu twitched the corner of his mouth and walked past Pei Wu to his carriage.
Once the people had gone far enough away that they could no longer see what was happening inside the carriage, Pei Wu lifted the curtain again and sat down inside.
Jiang Ru had naturally heard the commotion outside the carriage. She moved closer to Pei Wu, gently took his hand, and murmured, "I have a feeling he has ill intentions."
Pei Wu agreed: "Ignore him."
Jiang Ru nodded and leaned against Pei Wu: "Okay, remember to be careful of them, especially the emperor. I'm afraid he might do something to you."
The emperor is so cunning; he'll definitely try to trip up Pei Wu. Pei Wu needs to be constantly on guard against him.
Jiang Ru was still not entirely at ease after speaking, so she continued, "If possible, then you should do something to him, whether it's poisoning or assassination, as long as he dies."
Her only concern was Pei Wu; as long as Pei Wu was well, the emperor's life or death didn't matter. Pei Wu nodded: "I will."
He never intended for the emperor to return.
The two held hands and talked for a long time. They hadn't been traveling far from the city gate when, even though they were reluctant, it was time to part. This time, Jiang Ru let go of Pei Wu's hand with a carefree attitude. Despite her reluctance, she waved to Pei Wu and said, "Go on your way. Don't let me make you late."
Pei Wu gazed at her and responded.
Jiang Ru had two guards with her. With the guards protecting her, there was no problem. She stood at the city gate, looking at the procession of carriages and horses, her eyes slightly red, and she lingered, unwilling to look away.
At this moment, the emperor's carriage suddenly lifted its curtain, and the emperor looked at the woman standing outside the city gate. She was wearing a ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) and staring intently at Pei Wu's carriage, not paying any attention to anyone else.
She clearly wore her hair in a girl's bun, but her skirt was tied with a sash. Who else could she be but Jiang Ru, who was already "dead"?
The emperor looked at her and sneered. He knew that Pei Wu was protecting his cousin very well, so how could he let her be burned to death?
Perhaps his gaze was too obvious, for Jiang Ru glanced at him sideways, and in that glance, the emperor saw a deep sense of disgust in her eyes.
Unlike before, when her gaze towards him was always filled with sympathy and affection, she was gentle to everyone, as if she would never make enemies with anyone. But today, she glared at herself.
The emperor almost laughed in anger. He wanted to get off the carriage and question Jiang Ru about why she had glared at him, but as soon as he stood up, the guards outside the carriage quickly stood up and asked, "What is it, Your Majesty?"
The emperor gave him a cold look, then sat back down: "It's nothing."
He lifted the curtain again, but Jiang Ru still didn't look at him. Instead, she focused her gaze on Pei Wu's carriage and waved to him with a bright smile.
The emperor stared at it for a long time, almost grinding his teeth to powder.
Pei Wu's car had already driven far away. Jiang Ru listlessly withdrew her gaze. The smile she had forced earlier was fake. In reality, she really wanted to cry, but she had already cried with Pei Wu today. Pei Wu was gone, and no one would see her cry again.
Jiang Ru held back her tears. After Pei Wu left, she had many things to do. The war required food and money, and the current food supply couldn't last long. She needed to do her best to raise more food for Pei Wu.
Jiang Ru took a deep breath: "Even if Pei Wu leaves, I must live well and not be discouraged."
For the next few days, Jiang followed Cheng Hao and did whatever Cheng Hao asked her to do. She was so busy that she could only think about Pei Wu when she was resting and sleeping at night.
During the year of war, Jiang Ru's beverage shop did not earn as much as it had a year before, but it was still profitable. Jiang Ru used all the money she earned to support the war effort. Although the money belonged to Pei Wu, Jiang Ru believed that Pei Wu would not hold it against her.
Cheng Hao assigned some people to recruit soldiers, and Jiang Ru would also travel around with them. If the battle lines were to be extended, they would need more troops and more money.
In order to increase grain production, Jiang Ru vigorously promoted Liaocheng rice this season, aiming for a bumper harvest so that sufficient support could be provided from the rear.
Cheng Hao sometimes couldn't even see Jiang Ru. Jiang Ru was too energetic and always full of energy.
However, Cheng Hao was relieved to see her like this. After all, judging from how loving she and Pei Wu were, he thought that Jiang Ru would be depressed for a long time after Pei Wu left. But Jiang Ru did not become depressed at all. Instead, she became even more capable.
More than a month passed, and as late summer gradually faded away, Bianjing was also tinged with the chill of autumn, and the weather turned cool. Cheng Hao received an urgent letter.
The Taiping army has already occupied another prefecture and will head straight for Bianjing in a few days.
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Author's Note: Didn't I promise to update more chapters quickly? [Chin resting on hand] Why did I only write so little? I'll definitely update more next time! [Chin resting on hand]
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