Chapter 10: In the past, she had secretly pledged her life to someone else.
When news of the assassination of Shen Huan, the governor of Taoyuan City, reached Youzhou, Mao Maochong was gathering his staff to discuss countermeasures.
Grand Marshal Mao Maochong skimmed through the text, his expression somewhat grave. "Is there a peasant riot in Taoyuan City?"
Since Shen Huan had not sent a message to Youzhou as usual, Mao Maochong had long suspected that something bad had happened to him. Now that his guess had been confirmed, he felt relieved.
But why did this refugee riot have to happen at this time?
But it happened a full ten days earlier than expected?
......
Outside the tent, an aide was leading Wu Qiyuan inside. A few stars hung in the sky, and many torches were set up around the tent for illumination. In the crackling firelight, a small scar at the corner of the aide's left eye was particularly clear.
This man was a capable advisor to Mao Maochong, the Grand Marshal of Youzhou, and his name was He Chujun.
The man had the name of a scholar and the demeanor of a warrior; Wu Qiyuan remembered him almost immediately after spending some time with him.
The two walked to the entrance of the tent, where guards stood watch. Upon seeing that it was He Chuyun leading the group, they quickly searched the tent and made a show of it before letting the two into the tent.
No sooner had they entered the tent than a wine cup was thrown at their feet with a loud crash, startling the dozen or so people in the room into not daring to move.
Mao Maochong's gaze then swept towards the doorway, and upon seeing He Chujun, his expression softened slightly.
In today's world, people value respecting and valuing the virtuous and talented. As a wise ruler, one should naturally be able to humbly accept advice. Therefore, when Mao Maochong was angry just now, he only threw the cup on the ground.
He waved his hand, "You can all go down now."
Knowing that their lord was about to meet a new guest, the other staff members got up and left. Only when they were all alone in the tent did he compose himself and ask, "Young Master Wu, is there something you wish to tell me today?"
The other party got straight to the point, saving Wu Qiyuan a lot of trouble. He immediately nodded and said, "That's right. To be honest, Grand Marshal, my father often mentions you. So when this matter came up, he sent me to come to you for advice as soon as possible."
“But… today’s matter is not only for public reasons, but also for private ones.” Wu Qiyuan’s tone was much lower. “It concerns the Prince of Jingbei.”
Mao Maochong neither agreed nor disagreed, but said, "Tell me."
He thought of the child he had watched grow up, who had now become so unfamiliar and dangerous.
This boy has a deep-seated grudge against him. Since the Wu family hasn't seen him for a long time and has come to him for help, there must be some important news.
But when Mao Maochong heard what Wu Qiyuan said, he never expected that the Wu family father and son had gone to such lengths because of a woman.
His tone was ambiguous, "You mean, there's a singer from your Wu family who's highly valued by the Prince of Jingbei, and he's even taken her under his wing?"
The Prince of Jingbei wielded considerable power in the north, with supporters in almost three-quarters of the region. Mao Maochong had long been concerned about this, but that didn't mean he was unaware of it.
He knew Jiang Xu better than anyone else what kind of person he was.
Before fulfilling his long-cherished wish, he would put aside any personal feelings for his children.
What's more, this is just some baseless rumor coming from this young Wu family member?
The other person's gaze held a clear questioning tone. Knowing he couldn't hide it any longer, Wu Qiyuan remained silent for a moment before saying, "This singer has some connection with me."
Mao Maochong had also heard about the fire that occurred a month ago.
To put it bluntly, it means that the powerful families in Huzhou, seeing the Jingbei Army approaching, had something to hide and destroyed the evidence beforehand.
Such incidents have occurred frequently over the years, and Mao Maochong did not wish to discuss these common occurrences in detail this time.
He interrupted, "If that's the case, then it seems that Prince Jingbei has inadvertently separated the lovers?"
Although he knew very little about this younger man, he was very familiar with his father. Wu Yunzhi was always a man of his word, and like father, like son. He figured that this man in front of him wouldn't be very affectionate either.
Otherwise, how could her "beloved" have been secretly abducted from Pingju to Jichuan?
They didn't even send many people to escort them... Now, they don't dare to seek justice.
It's all just empty talk!
But on the surface, he simply went along with what the other person said, "As you said, there are old and new grudges, so perhaps we should investigate the truth of the matter."
The Jingbei Army is growing increasingly powerful. If this continues unchecked, Jiang Xu will inevitably entangle him again in the future. It's better to...
Mao Maochong raised an eyebrow, gesturing for him to come closer and talk.
Wu Qiyuan's heart skipped a beat, and his eyes gleamed. "What do you mean by that?"
"I humbly request your guidance, Grand Marshal!"
Mao Maochong patted him on the back, then pointed to the westernmost point on the map and drew a circle there. "This place might be able to solve our immediate problem."
Wu Qiyuan stared intently, seemingly unable to believe what he was seeing, and exclaimed in surprise, "Turks?!"
......
*
In early May, at the turn of spring and summer, a gentle breeze swept through, filling the garden with the fragrance of flowers.
Inside the main courtyard of the prefect's mansion, beside a rockery made of Taihu stones, a servant was watering peonies. He only got up to finish watering after the last few drops of water had been poured.
Shi Wan stood at a distance, watching this scene, her eyes filled with contemplation.
After their unpleasant parting last time, Jiang Xu found a few servants from somewhere and brought them into the mansion the next day. After Jing Yin showed them around the main courtyard, he immediately assigned them tasks.
It seemed they found her too slow, so they found a few people to help with the tasks. Shi Wan thought to herself, her gaze involuntarily following the servant until she could no longer see his back, before she lowered her eyes.
Just four or five days ago, when these people first arrived at the prefect's residence, they all seemed a bit out of place, but now, it's impossible to see any incongruity about them.
Coming to her senses, Shi Wan dared not delay any longer and hurried to the main room.
Inside the main room, Jiang Xu had just finished reading a military report, which was filled with long, flowing words.
Since the subordinates couldn't make a decision, they simply acted as recorders, laying everything out in a straightforward manner.
When it fell into Jiang Xu's hands, the four words "mutual affection" on the military report seemed particularly glaring.
The man's gaze lingered for several moments before shifting. When Shi Wan entered the room, the first thing she noticed was the subtle aura of unease emanating from Jiang Xu.
She was only a little late, so why is this person unhappy again?
Just now... no one provoked him, right?
Shi Wan kept her eyes down, intending to quietly stand to the side, when Jiang Xu suddenly called her name, "Wan'er."
Like a death knell, the sound forced her to be on high alert once more. "Yes, Your Majesty." After a long pause, seeing that the other party didn't respond, she asked again, "Does Your Majesty have something to instruct me on?"
If your master is in a bad mood, you must anticipate his thoughts and act one step ahead of him.
Shi Wan explained, "I saw that the peonies in the courtyard were in full bloom, so I took the liberty of having the flower room prepare a few branches for me." She had done her research; in the past, her trusted confidants often placed seasonal flowers in vases to ease the mood of their masters.
Although she wasn't as trusted as his maid, she was still someone Jiang Xu personally acknowledged as "one of his own."
Shi Wan's mind raced, but Jiang Xu only gave a faint "hmm" after hearing it, and then remained silent.
Shi Wan: "......" Well, she didn't guess right.
As she was pondering, she looked up and unexpectedly met Jiang Xu's gaze.
There seemed to be a hint of anger in his eyes, but more than that, there was a murderous intent born of being offended.
However, this complex emotion was fleeting, and if Shi Wan hadn't been extremely alert at the moment and was not always good at reading people, she certainly wouldn't have caught it.
She forced herself to remain calm and looked back, "...Your Majesty?"
Jiang Xu remained silent for a long time, which only increased the subtle pressure in the room. As time passed, Shi Wan even began to miss the days when he was more talkative and pretentious.
Actually, this person... besides being quite handsome, also has an extremely pleasant voice.
Just then, Jiang Xu slowly spoke and hummed in agreement.
His expression softened slightly, and he called her stage name again, "Wan'er." Like a lurking beast, he briefly retracted his claws and put on a docile appearance, but he still kept his eyes fixed on his prey.
"You've been with me for some time now, but I still don't know much about... your past."
These words sounded like the opening remarks before a thorough interrogation of the criminal, and hearing them sent a shiver down Shi Wan's spine.
The past? Apart from the eight years she spent as a singer at Liushaotai, the rest of her life consisted of moving around to different places, making a living with the migrants and struggling to earn a living.
To be honest, her past is relatively simple.
She didn't believe Jiang Xu couldn't find out these things.
If that's the case... then why ask at all?
The man's expression was inscrutable, his knuckles tapping lightly on the corner of the table.
She paused for a few moments, then asked again, "Your Majesty, do you mean...?"
Jiang Xu gave her a chance, but seeing that Shi Wan was still pretending, he simply asked bluntly, "When you were at Willow Terrace, were there any guests you paid special attention to?" He emphasized the word "two".
He sat upright beneath the hanging scroll, turning slightly to face Shi Wan directly. Then, he suddenly stood up and walked step by step toward her.
The gilt bronze Boshan censer exhales wisps of smoke, which emit a faint woody fragrance, and upon closer inspection, seem to be mixed with a hint of honey sweetness.
The words lingered in the room, blurring the underlying questioning and aggression in the man's voice.
Jiang Xu made a pointed remark, "For example..."
"A private engagement?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com