Now, Jiang Chenghan had already sent the child to the charity home, so he could not very well send him back to Kou Shijun. Fortunately, Kou Shijun had also been very cautious and never let anyone know of his connection to the child. He was merely an orphaned little beggar that Kou Shijun had picked up off the street.
The child was only five years old now. After raising him for a while, once he grew a bit older and became accustomed to the life and language in Ningcheng, washing away any traces of his origins in the capital, even if someone came investigating, they would not be able to recognize him.
However, given the gravity of the matter, Jiang Chenghan ultimately stated that he would pay more attention in the future to avoid being caught off guard should the worst actually happen.
The discussion concluded at this point, as things had been talked through sufficiently and the hour was also late, so everyone returned to their respective bedrooms.
After Yan Jingshu and Jiang Chenghan washed, changed clothes, and got into bed, the two did not fall asleep immediately.
In front of the Dowager Lady Yan and Xie Huan, Yan Jingshu had not shown anything, but now that only he and Jiang Chenghan were left in the room, he no longer concealed his worry and said, "Do you think the person who tried to harm you did it because of this child?"
Jiang Chenghan, however, smiled and said, "It's certainly possible, but if it really is because of this child, that might actually be a good thing."
Yan Jingshu frowned and said, "What do you mean by that?"
Jiang Chenghan got into bed, pulled up the covers, and said, "The reason I've held off on arresting that fake Zhao Dali is that I suspect there are others behind him, with a larger scheme. So I've only been secretly surveilling him, hoping to find some clues. But if he really is after this child, then I might be able to use the child in reverse to draw out the people behind the fake Zhao Dali."
Upon hearing this, Yan Jingshu's frown deepened. He said, "I'm afraid General Kou would not permit this." Kou Shijun clearly did not want anyone to know about this child, hence all the trouble he went through to have Jiang Chenghan send the child to the charity home. How could he allow Jiang Chenghan to use the child?
"You're right," Jiang Chenghan acknowledged Yan Jingshu's point, then added, "So for now, it's just an idea. Even if I really plan to do it, I must first explain it clearly to General Kou and obtain his permission. Don't worry, I won't act recklessly."
"That's good." Yan Jingshu naturally trusted Jiang Chenghan. Seeing that Jiang Chenghan wasn't very worried and clearly had a plan in mind, he said no more.
After Jiang Chenghan blew out the lamp, let down the bed curtains, and lay down, Yan Jingshu rested his head on the arm Jiang Chenghan stretched out and nestled into Jiang Chenghan's embrace.
Although they knew the child's origins were unusual, in the days that followed, neither Xie Huan, who taught the children at the charity home to read, nor Yan Jingshu, who occasionally went to visit them, showed any unusual behavior towards the child, treating him just as they always had.
Peaceful days always pass quickly. Several months went by, and once again it was the deep winter of the twelfth lunar month. This was the second New Year Jiang Chenghan and Yan Jingshu would celebrate together after their marriage. With the birth of their child and the arrival of the Dowager Lady Yan and Xie Huan, the household was undoubtedly much livelier compared to the first year.
Although Yan Jingshu also enjoyed the quiet world of just the two of them with Jiang Chenghan, having their child and close elder family members with them also filled him with great happiness and contentment.
After the New Year, Jiang Chenghan became busy again, even busier than before the holidays, because Bei Di and Danu had gone to war.
Just as Kou Shijun had predicted, after a series of struggles and killings, Muto of Bei Di had finally secured his position as king. The first royal decree he issued after becoming the true King of Bei Di was to deploy troops to the border with Danu, demanding that Danu present countless treasures, cattle, and sheep, and even send Princess Chanya to him as a concubine, otherwise he would crush Danu.
It was clear that Mutuo was seeking revenge for being hunted down by Danu in the past.
The people of Danu were not foolish. Knowing that Mutuo was narrow-minded, cruel, and brutal, and that he would not spare them even if they submitted, they decisively reinforced their troops at the border as well.
Although Bei Di's strength was somewhat greater than Danu's, it had been depleted by the struggle for the throne. Meanwhile, the people of Danu, facing an existential threat, fought desperately on the battlefield. For a time, they actually managed to withstand Bei Di's momentum, and the fighting reached a stalemate. This situation persisted for several months.
From early spring to mid-autumn, the war between Bei Di and Danu continued intermittently, with periods of fighting and periods of truce. Both sides suffered significant losses, but neither could achieve a decisive victory.
Although on the surface the two sides were deadlocked, neither able to overcome the other, Danu ultimately could not match Bei Di's deeper reserves and was beginning to struggle to hold on. Ultimately, finding no other alternative, they had no choice but to seek assistance from their neighboring country, Da Qi.
Of course, they didn't expect Da Qi to suddenly develop a benevolent streak and provide troops and effort to fight Bei Di for free. Therefore, they promised to offer hundreds of chests of treasures, thousands of cattle and sheep, and even Princess Chanya, whom Mutuo had long coveted, to Da Qi.
However, this matter had little to do with Jiang Chenghan. The envoys from Danu were naturally sent to the capital by Kou Shijun's arrangements. Jiang Chenghan's duty was only to lead troops patrol along the border with Bei Di, ensuring that Bei Di would not cause trouble within Da Qi's territory.
No comments:
Post a Comment