Chapter 157 Demanding Personal Gain
When Jiang Wan Ning arrived at Pei Yan Chuan's tent, there was not only nourishing soup, but also a plate of sliced watermelon.
With the locust plague and drought, it's not easy to find a watermelon in this area.
Jiang Wan Ning stared blankly at the stack of watermelons.
“You said you wanted to eat this last night, and someone just happened to bring one over.” Pei Yanchuan pushed the watermelon towards Jiang Wanning.
Mo Qing couldn't help but mutter, "That wasn't a gift, it was clearly stolen."
I raided Tuoba Wenjing's camp in the middle of the night last night, all for a watermelon.
Tuoba Wenjing was so angry that he jumped up and down, feeling that Pei Yanchuan had humiliated him.
Jiang Wan Ning stared at Pei Yan Chuan's slightly swollen lips, which still had two teeth marks. She opened her mouth but couldn't smell anything.
Asking such a question seems even more embarrassing.
Jiang Wan Ning lowered her head and ate her meal silently.
Pei Yanchuan kept putting food on her plate, saying, "Ningning needs to eat more nourishing food."
"Cough..." Jiang Wan Ning almost choked on her soup. What was that? Did she really say something last night?
Pei Yanchuan's lips curled up slightly as he quietly looked at Jiang Wanning.
"Um... Your Highness," Jiang Wan Ning caught her breath, "has the problem of the disaster victims been resolved?"
"There's still war..."
“Tuoba Wenjing will come to negotiate peace today,” Pei Yanchuan said calmly. “He knows that you saved the Princess of Xixia.”
"The fighting has temporarily subsided."
Jiang Wan Ning nodded, thankful that she had met Tuoba Yan'er. "Have you found out who those assassins were working for?"
Ah San said that there was another person behind the Grand Princess, and that this person could pin the crime of murdering the Duke of Ying's family on the Emperor.
This proves that the person behind it all knew the truth, or in other words, that the person behind it all is the murderer.
Pei Yanchuan shook his head slightly, "They are just discarded pawns. Even the Grand Princess herself may not know who is behind them."
"Not to mention them."
"However, there is no rush. Once the Grand Princess and Prince Qi are dealt with, that day will naturally come to light slowly."
Jiang Wan Ning nodded, then suddenly looked up at Pei Yan Chuan, "There's one more thing..."
"I told you, you must promise me you'll stay calm."
Pei Yanchuan placed another piece of meat into Jiang Wanning's bowl, "Are you trying to say that my mother is still alive?"
Jiang Wan Ning put down her chopsticks, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.
She wasn't surprised that Pei Yanchuan could predict anything, but he was far too calm about this matter.
"You...knew all along."
“It wasn’t exactly early,” Pei Yanchuan said. “It was about half a year ago.”
Jiang Wan Ning looked calmly at Pei Yan Chuan, who continued picking up food with his chopsticks while saying,
"Six months ago, my parents' graves collapsed due to heavy rain. When I went to repair them, I found that my mother's coffin was empty."
Pei Yanchuan seemed to be talking about something that didn't concern him, "Later, I sent people to investigate secretly and discovered that my mother was in the inner palace."
As if knowing that Jiang Wan Ning wanted to ask him why he wasn't in a hurry, Pei Yan Chuan gestured for her to eat, and continued speaking.
"I know a little about the affair between the late emperor and my mother, but he did it to protect my mother."
"Although Xiao Yu didn't tell me, he was afraid that I would overthink things and be unfaithful to him."
"Although my mother didn't have a good life in the palace, she survived. A few years ago, my health was poor, and if I had forcibly brought my mother out..."
I'm afraid even Xiao Yu wouldn't tolerate me; in the end, he'll just make my mother die with me.
“But my mother-in-law didn’t have a good time in the palace,” Jiang Wan Ning couldn’t help but say.
Pei Yanchuan stared at Jiang Wanning with tenderness in his eyes. That address of "mother-in-law" made Pei Yanchuan feel that he truly had a home.
From being all alone, to learning that his mother was still alive, and then the girl he loved who was devoted to his adopted son turned around and insisted on marrying him.
In the end, it actually cured his illness.
He cherished this hard-won happiness immensely.
"If my mother had lived a good life, she would never have escaped the schemes and traps set by the women in the harem."
"Only in this way will no one want to understand someone who is imprisoned in the cold palace and not allowed to be visited."
"The late emperor used me as a threat so that my mother could live."
"Although my mother has lived a life worse than death these years, I can't bring myself to hate the late emperor. In fact, I'm somewhat grateful that he loved my mother deeply."
"Because that way I won't be all alone."
Pei Yanchuan knew he was being selfish, but he couldn't control himself the moment he learned his mother was still alive.
He couldn't even describe how he felt at the time.
He wanted to visit her but dared not, fearing it would bring misfortune to his mother, and also fearing he might lose control and do something he shouldn't.
For the past six months, he has been constantly thinking about and hoping to see his mother.
When he learned that the spies had come, and Ningning brought his mother back from the palace, he both cried and laughed.
Yet, he was also afraid—afraid of dying on the battlefield, afraid of never being able to return.
Looking at Pei Yanchuan's empty yet hopeful eyes, Jiang Wanning felt a pang of sadness in her heart.
Over the years, he has carried too much on his shoulders.
"Your Highness."
Jiang Wan Ning asked affectionately, "Can I not eat?"
As he spoke, he raised the stack of small bowls high, and almost all the dishes on the table ended up on his plate.
......
After the meal, the two went together to see Tuoba Wenjing.
Tuoba Wenjing only brought one person with him. "Although you saved Yan'er, Yan'er was also framed by you Dongling people."
"And he almost lost his life."
Tuoba Wenjing glanced at Jiang Wanning from time to time, "I think our Western Xia Kingdom has suffered a loss in this matter."
"You owe me an explanation."
“Everyone is standing here perfectly fine. Our princess was almost killed while trying to save her, and now you’re demanding an explanation from us.”
Mo Qing gripped the hilt of his knife tightly, seething with resentment.
Tuoba Wenjing remained completely calm. "That's true."
"We in Western Xia will forever remember this kindness from Princess Langya of your country."
"But between nations, this matter is the fault of your Dongling Kingdom, and you should give us an explanation."
Pei Yanchuan, who had been silent until now, slowly spoke, "What explanation do you want?"
Tuoba Wenjing glanced at Jiang Wanning again before saying, "How about we cede a city?"
"I hope you understand that if a fight breaks out, our chances of winning are much greater."
"I never thought your chances of winning were great."
Tuoba Wenjing was taken aback. "If that's the case, then we can't talk?"
With the two sides at war, the people are suffering. Pei Yanchuan naturally does not want this war to continue, especially since there is still a tough battle to be fought in the capital.
“Ceding the city is unacceptable,” Pei Yanchuan said. “However, you can offer a different condition.”
Upon hearing Pei Yanchuan's concession, Tuoba Wenjing felt emboldened. His earlier demand for a city was merely a prelude to his next request.
If you first ask for something they won't agree to, and then lower your expectations, they'll be much more likely to accept it.
This is also a tactic.
Tuoba Wenjing feigned displeasure, "Since that's the case, then I'd like to ask you for someone."
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