Inside the courtyard of the Jilin General's Mansion, below the stone steps of the main courtyard, weapon racks, towering trees, and round stone tables and benches are closely packed together, making the entire courtyard appear even more desolate and empty.
The weapons on the weapon rack gleamed in the autumn light, and the round stone stools and square stone tables were covered with autumn dust after only one day of no one sitting on them.
Fukang'an, dressed in a deep crimson robe, stood in the wind beneath the tree, the cold breeze rustling the slightly yellowing leaves on the branches. He casually brushed a few leaves off and tucked them between his fingers.
The autumn air was chilly, and Fukang'an's brows furrowed, his mind uneasy. Counting the days, Yan Ning had already given birth, and even if there had been some delays on the way, the letter announcing the good news should have reached him by now.
Although he was not in the capital, news of Yongyan's affair still reached Jilin through the officials who had been demoted there. Fukang'an was somewhat annoyed; Yan Ning's womanly views had caused all this trouble. But he couldn't go back; if he did, he would fall into Yongyan and Heshen's trap.
He punched the thick, sturdy locust tree, drawing blood from his knuckles, which contrasted sharply with the bulging veins on the back of his hand.
Standing to one side, Zhao Xing stared at Fukang'an and timidly comforted him, "General, there's no need to worry. Our Fucha family's letters are all sent from the capital to Jilin by fast horse. If something were to happen in the mansion, how could we hide it from you, General!"
Upon hearing this, Fukang'an's bulging veins on his hands lessened slightly. He pulled up his long robe and was about to return to his room when the soldiers guarding the gate of the government office hurriedly entered the courtyard and knelt behind him to report, "Reporting to the general, the General of Ningxia has come to visit!"
Fukang'an loosened his grip on his robe, his brows furrowing slightly. He and Longwu had never had a close relationship; although they had fought side by side in Jinchuan, they had little interaction. Now, with his sudden visit, Fukang'an couldn't fathom his intentions and could only think of improvising.
He sat back in the main seat of the hall, waved his hand, and said in a deep voice, "Please!"
Having said that, Fukang'an stared intently at the courtyard gate, and a figure in rose-red was the first thing that caught his eye. Fukang'an was momentarily stunned when an urgent "Brother Kang" reached his ears. He stood up and took a few steps forward, and E'lan rushed in and took his arm.
After a year apart, E'lan's face had lost much of its childishness, gaining a more mature, womanly air. He looked at her styled hair in a womanly updo, a doting smile on his face as an elder brother. "Why are you here? Does your father know?"
Meeting Fukang'an's eyes, E'lan felt a little timid, her face turning pale. "Brother Kang, are you still angry about the trouble E'lan caused in the past?"
Fukang'an's lips curled slightly into a smile. "When did you get married? You didn't even invite your brother Kang to the wedding banquet!"
Seeing that Fukang'an was no longer as distant as before, E'lan breathed a sigh of relief. She smiled and her tone became lighter. "Since the national mourning period has ended, although Ningxia is far from the capital, we only hastily held a few tables of celebratory banquet!"
Fukang'an followed E'lan's smiling eyes to her lower abdomen, and immediately understood why she was in such a hurry to get married.
He guessed a thing or two from the Ningxia mentioned by E Lan, and he laughed loudly, "Is it because Longwu is so lucky to marry his sister?"
Before E Lan could speak, He Longwu strode into the hall, his court boots clicking loudly on the asphalt slabs.
Although Fukang'an and He Longwu were both generals, Fukang'an held a higher official position in the capital than He Longwu. He Longwu flicked open the horseshoe sleeves of his court robes and knelt down to pay his respects to Fukang'an.
"Your subordinate greets General Fucha!"
Fukang'an waved his hand dismissively, signaling him to get up.
After He Longwu stood up and stood beside Fukang'an, E'lan couldn't help but compare the two. Although He Longwu was full of heroic spirit, he couldn't match Fukang'an's handsomeness, nor did he possess the domineering aura that seemed to transcend all things in Fukang'an's eyes. She originally wanted to spite Fukang'an, thinking, "Although I, E'lan, don't have Yan Ning's stunning beauty, my family background is enough to marry a general who is on par with you." But seeing the two of them standing together, with Fukang'an completely overshadowing He Longwu, she could only sullenly seek a seat without her host's permission.
Fukang'an looked at He Longwu, who was carefully supporting E'lan, and felt a deep sense of relief. Although E'lan hadn't grown up in the Fucha household, both Hailancha and she knew that E'lan would eventually marry into the Fucha family. Fukang'an had always favored E'lan; to him, E'lan, Xiying, and Xiang'er were all equal, and E'lan was the most suitable candidate for the position of wife. Moreover, so much time had passed since Xiying's father's incident, and no one in the court would criticize the Fucha household for being heartless and indifferent to the Irgen Jueluo family.
But ever since he met Yan Ning, all the other women had lost their place in his heart, and he could only hold Yan Ning in his heart.
He Longwu was not yet thirty years old, three years older than Fukang'an, and his face showed a more resolute demeanor. He was also warm towards E'lan. Seeing this, Fukang'an felt relieved about E'lan. The doubts he had initially had about He Longwu's sudden visit dissipated. It was simply that he couldn't resist E'lan's coquettish pleading and was worried about the child in her womb, so he accompanied her on this trip.
As for E'lan's thoughts, Fukang'an, who had grown up with her since childhood, was well aware of them. He smiled as he looked at the sullen E'lan.
He Longwu had long heard about E'lan's identity, but everyone knew of Yan Ning's place in Fukang'an's heart. E'lan was a princess, so she couldn't become a concubine in the Fucha household, but Fukang'an was absolutely unwilling to wrong Yan Ning. Therefore, there was no way E'lan could enter the Fucha household. Otherwise, how could he have felt at ease marrying E'lan in the first place?
The aroma of tea wafted through the air, and the three sat lost in their own thoughts, none of them willing to speak.
The desolation of the courtyard mirrored the silence of the three people in the hall. E'lan's initial intention to have He Longwu accompany her to Jilin vanished upon seeing Fukang'an. In just one year, the youthful impetuosity in Fukang'an had completely disappeared, highlighting her own girlish sentimentality. Stealing a glance at the composed He Longwu, E'lan felt a pang of regret. She drank the water He Longwu had ordered to be served again with a bitter expression, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
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