The eighth year of the Qianyuan era.
Eighteen-year-old Jiang Huai sat in front of Emperor Qian Yuan with his arms crossed, looking rather unserious, his eyes wide and his face full of vigilance.
Emperor Qianyuan glanced at Jiang Huai, paused in his hand holding the teapot, and, in a fit of anger, slammed the teapot heavily onto the table.
"You brat, what kind of attitude is this! It's just to have a cup of tea with me, is it necessary to give me this sour look?"
Jiang Huai chuckled, took the teapot, poured a cup of tea for Emperor Qian Yuan, then poured one for himself. He raised an eyebrow and said, "You said it yourself, just drink tea!"
Emperor Qian Yuan choked, a ball of hot air stuck in his chest, unable to go up or down.
After a long pause, he took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his chest, and said irritably, "Just like your uncle, with a terrible temper! No, you all inherited your bad temper from your mother, both foul and stubborn!"
Jiang Huai cried out that he was wronged, "Your Majesty, my mother is more wronged than Dou E! The dignified first-rank duke's wife, she is out in public all day, braving the wind and sun, all for..."
Who is Dou E?
Emperor Qian Yuan's indifferent remark caused Jianghuai to fall into an unusual silence.
The chief eunuch watched from the side, then silently retreated to the side of the screen, even his breathing became lighter.
Jiang Huai finally lost his composure, waved his hand, and said helplessly, "Alright, Your Majesty, just say it, what are your orders?"
Emperor Qianyuan raised an eyebrow, glanced at the chief eunuch beside him, and then picked up his teacup and took a small sip.
Jiang Huai completely lost his temper, sat up straight, and waved to the chief eunuch to bring him some snacks.
After finishing the snacks, Emperor Qian Yuan put down his teacup.
"A few days ago, an urgent report came from the border: Qingniu Pass is about to fall!"
Jiang Huai's brow twitched, and his dark eyes stared intently at Emperor Qian Yuan, filled with silent accusation.
"My uncle isn't in the capital! I don't know where he is!"
Emperor Qian Yuan pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, "Your uncle is not a general, nor does he accept the military tally. All the civil officials in the court are on his side, so I cannot issue an edict casually! But Qingniu is crucial to the border defense. Your uncle won three battles at the border, and the enemy generals tremble at the mere mention of Jiao Xian's name! In the past few years, your uncle has been away from the border, and they have made a comeback. General Yang is about to lose the defense!"
Jiang Huai's expression gradually became serious.
My uncle was a martial arts champion, and his ability to lead troops and deploy troops was unmatched in the court!
But he was also the top scholar in the imperial examination, and which of the civil officials in the court would be willing to let him fight on the front lines?
Even if it's out of respect for the Grand Tutor, you can't force him to take command, can you? There are plenty of military officers in the court!
My uncle went to the border to lead troops in battle just to hone his skills; he never thought of making a name for himself through military achievements!
On his first day back from the border, he returned the military tally and resigned from his position as general, with the aim of traveling around the world and doing what he wanted.
Their whole family agrees with this!
Thinking of this, Jiang Huai rubbed his face vigorously and said as if he had a toothache, "Your Majesty, my adoptive mother will not let me lead troops into battle. If she finds out that I went to the border without telling her, you should think about the consequences. She won't lecture you like my mother does!"
Emperor Qianyuan's brow twitched twice. At that moment, he fully understood the helplessness of being an emperor.
But the next second, his expression suddenly turned ferocious, and vicious words burst from between his teeth: "Then I will send General Rong to defend Qingniu Pass to the death! Let's see if she can't bear to part with her husband or her son!"
Jiang Huai gasped, leaning back as he stared in shock at Emperor Qian Yuan's seemingly distorted face.
"Being born into the royal family is a choice she must face. At worst, I will go and apologize to her! If the border falls and the Southern Chen Kingdom marches south, I will no longer be emperor!"
Jiang Huai swallowed hard, tightened his grip on the teacup, and then, with a "bang," it shattered.
Emperor Qian Yuan looked at Jiang Huai, and Jiang Huai looked at Emperor Qian Yuan.
"Oh dear, Your Highness's hand is bleeding!"
The chief eunuch exclaimed in surprise, and the palace maids and Fu Li rushed in, turning the imperial study into chaos.
A moment later, Jiang Huai raised his hand, which was wrapped up like a dumpling, and said with a wry smile, "Your Majesty, this trick of yours is too wicked! Too shameless!"
Emperor Qianyuan looked away somewhat guiltily, cleared his throat, and said, "My kingdom and territory are almost at the point of collapse, what right do I have to save face!"
As Jiang Huai emerged from the palace, he glanced at the bright blue sky and white clouds overhead and sighed softly.
Fu Li glanced at his master, frowned, and asked, "Young Master, what did His Majesty say to you?"
"It's nothing. Get ready, come with me to the border."
Fu Li's eyes narrowed slightly, and he responded calmly.
After taking a few steps, Jiang Huai suddenly stopped and turned to look at Fu Li.
"Don't tell Great-Grandpa and Second Grandpa, and don't send any messages up the mountain. Master... never mind, I'll just tell Master! Don't tell Second Master and Third Master!"
An Er and An San are both people with families to support, so they shouldn't join in the fun with him, lest their two mistresses worry!
Fu Li kept his eyes down, his nose closed, and responded to whatever his master said, being extremely obedient.
Jiang Huai said solemnly, "This time, I am leading troops to support the border on behalf of the Duke of Rong, and I am flying the royal banner. It has nothing to do with Qingcheng Mountain. The imperial court and the martial arts world have always kept to themselves. Don't be reckless, and remember what I said!"
Fu Li paused, raising his eyes to look towards the Jianghuai region.
Jiang Huai put his hands behind his head and said as he walked, "My uncle's kung fu is not as good as mine. He went to the border when he was eighteen years old and won three battles in a row, making great achievements on the border. I may not be as good as my uncle."
"What do you need those battle merits for? Aren't they a burden?" Fu Li's face was full of disapproval.
Jiang Huai smiled and said nonchalantly, "I don't mind at all! I inherited my adoptive mother's title, so I have to do something for my adoptive father, adoptive mother, and elder brother. My adoptive father is getting old and can't stand the wind and snow on the frontier. I will continue the military merits of the Rongguo Duke's Mansion for my adoptive father. It is my duty!"
"How do you intend to persuade Princess Liyang?"
Jiang Huai chuckled and said nothing more.
After leaving the palace gates, he rode his horse leisurely to the residence of the Grand Princess.
Li Yang had only returned to Shangjing from Jiangling a little over half a month ago, and hadn't had much time to see Jiang Huai. Now that her adopted son had taken the initiative to come and pay his respects, she was overjoyed!
They also brought out all the gifts they had brought from Jiangling to Jianghuai, laying them out one by one in a huge pile.
Jiang Huai opened his mouth wide and kept exclaiming, hugging each item to his arms like a precious treasure, laughing so hard his eyes disappeared from his teeth.
Li Yang looked at Jiang Huai with great satisfaction and grinned, not paying much attention to the crow's feet that quietly appeared at the corners of his eyes.
Jiang Huai rested his head on Li Yang's shoulder, wrapped his arms around her neck, and sighed sincerely, "My godmother is the best to me. I've made up my mind. This time, I will help my godfather and godmother solve this big problem no matter what!"
As Li Yang smiled, his gaze sharpened, and he slowly turned to look at his adopted son.
"Hmm? Trouble? What kind of trouble?"
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