— Good, very good!
At the Kuangai County Governor's mansion, Feng Lin Bo looked at the report and said joyfully:
— Quickly arrange the departure. I want to see and inspect Qingshan County myself.
The household manager, Shou Nian, bowed and said:
— Master, perhaps you should speak with your wife first?
Feng Lin Bo: What's there to say? Doesn't she want to see her daughter?
Shou Nian dutifully repeated: Master, perhaps you should still consult with your wife.
Feng Lin Bo furrowed his brows, looked at Shou Nian, and asked:
— Does she have matters to attend to?
Shou Nian said nothing, merely bowing.
Feng Lin Bo walked around the table, observed him for a moment, and then left.
When he reached his wife's chambers, he saw Peng Yu Lan and his two daughters-in-law there. After greeting them, Feng Lin Bo said:
— Shou Nian is acting strangely.
Peng Yu Lan asked in surprise: "What's strange?"
Feng Lin Bo: After receiving news about Qingshan County, I wanted to go and set up a garrison there. But Shou Nian is reluctant.
Peng Yu Lan: Why do you need to set up a garrison?
Feng Lin Bo: I'm just considering whom to leave there. Eldest Ru Yi or second Ru Jie? Both can become masters there. If one goes there to govern the county, the other will remain here to govern.
Peng Yu Lan understood her husband's intention. He wanted to hand over the reins of power to their sons while he himself would remain in the shadows and govern from there.
— Husband, it's better not to go to Qingshan." — Peng Yu Lan said with a gentle smile.
Feng Lin Bo: Qingshan is in chaos. I want to see the situation there myself and understand everything.
Peng Yu Lan: Aren't Shang Chao Zong and Feng Ru Nan there? They can handle Qingshan.
Feng Lin Bo waved his hand:
— There are many poor people in Qingshan; they've suffered for so many years! Shang Chao Zong and Feng Ru Nan are just generals. They have no experience. What can they do? If I leave it to them, I won't be at ease. Moreover, a son-in-law is still a son-in-law. At most, he's half a son. I of course cannot harm my daughter, but my daughter has already found her own family. It's better to hand Qingshan over to Ru Yi or Ru Jie. Don't worry, I won't harm that couple. After all, Ru Nan is my daughter.
Some things shouldn't be said in front of outsiders.
Peng Yu Lan remained silent.
Feng Lin Bo stared intently at her: "Are you hiding something from me?"
Peng Yu Lan slowly raised her head and said with a sigh:
— Husband, forget about it. Leave Qingshan to the couple!
Feng Lin Bo furrowed his brows: "What nonsense!?"
Under such circumstances, it was difficult to hide anything, so Peng Yu Lan said awkwardly:
— There are no hundred thousand Crows at all!"
Feng Lin Bo's expression changed: "What are you trying to say?"
Peng Yu Lan: Father says that Ru Nan is his granddaughter, and Shang Chao Zong is also his son-in-law. We are all one family, so Qingshan is being left to them!"
Feng Lin Bo froze. He said discontentedly:
— What kind of joke is this? The soldiers and provisions are from Kuangai County! I'll go talk to my father-in-law!" — He turned around, preparing to leave.
Peng Yu Lan grabbed his forearm and shook her head:
— Husband, forget it. It's useless. This is the will of the Heavenly Jade Sect. Although Father is the head of the sect, he must view everything through the sect's eyes and not show favoritism to anyone.
Feng Lin Bo: What nonsense? They are a couple, my subordinates. They have no experience in governance. If Qingshan descends into chaos, what good will that do the Heavenly Jade Sect?
Peng Yu Lan: In a few months, they brought order to Cang Wu. Ning Wang's old retainers, kind and experienced veterans, appeared. And that Lan Ruo Ting is truly a talent!"
Feng Lin Bo, his brows furrowed, asked angrily: "Whose side are you on?"
Peng Yu Lan replied with a bitter smile:
— These are not my words, but Father's! And where I stand is not important. What's important is whose side Qingzhou is on. Hai Ru Yue governs Qingzhou; she is Shang Chao Zong's aunt. And she only recognizes him. If the ruler of Qingshan changes, then she will stop putting pressure on the capital, and Zhou Shou Xiang will be able to pressure us. And Kuangai's forces will not be enough to hold two counties. Then we won't just lose Qingshan, but we ourselves will be in danger...
Feng Lin Bo didn't hear her last words. Remembering the hundred-thousand strong Crows army, he seemed to understand something.
His face paled. Feng Lin Bo pressed his lips together and began to whisper:
— A wolf cub has a wolf's heart... A wolf cub has a wolf's heart... He is truly worthy of being Ning Wang's son! A tiger won't give birth to a puppy... Good! Good! He took my daughter... I brought a wolf into my home... He suddenly clutched his chest, his eyes rolling back. He staggered, about to faint.
Fortunately, Peng Yu Lan caught him and began to infuse him with power from her palm, regulating his qi. Tears streamed down her face...
The Qingzhou Governor's residence. A garden, with a lotus pond. Yuan Gang stood there ramrod straight, like an arrow.
Behind him was a pavilion where two maids attended Hai Ru Yue.
Seeing Yuan Gang's back, Hai Ru Yue smiled coquettishly:
— Brother Yuan, come here!"
Yuan Gang turned his head, then turned his body and began to walk up. As soon as he entered the pavilion, he immediately nodded:
— Princess.
— No need to be so formal, Brother. Sit!" — Hai Ru Yue stepped forward, grabbed Yuan Gang's hand, and tried to lead him.
Yuan Gang pulled his hand back. He wasn't accustomed to women leading him around by the hand like that. Especially a widow.
Hai Ru Yue smiled and chuckled as she looked at him. She herself didn't know why, when she stood next to this man, she felt a powerful male qi seep into her through her pores, making her heart pound even harder.
She had, after all, seen many men in her life, but this was the first time she had seen a man with such potent male qi. He just involuntarily stood out to her. And the longer she was with him, the more she noticed that this man was unlike anyone else. He was truly unique!
Since he didn't want her to pull him, she wouldn't insist. Hai Ru Yue simply pointed him to a chair.
Yuan Gang sighed and sat down, while Hai Ru Yue took a stool and scooted closer to him.
Hai Ru Yue noticed that he didn't object, so she smiled to herself. From the very beginning, she had been trying to get closer to him. This stern, unapproachable man had not wanted to speak with her at all and reacted to her as if she were scorpion venom. However, now he was slowly getting used to her.
And Hai Ru Yue responded with courtesy. She allowed Yuan Gang almost everything he asked for, and even permitted him to move freely in Liusu Courtyard.
Hai Ru Yue tilted her head:
— There are no outsiders here. You may leave!"
— Understood!" — The maids replied and left.
Hai Ru Yue personally poured wine for Yuan Gang, repeatedly glancing coquettishly at him. She simply couldn't tear her gaze away from Yuan Gang's seemingly sculpted face! That hot brute.
— Come, Brother Yuan, let's drink together!" — Hai Ru Yue raised her cup.
Yuan Gang remained motionless, not even considering lifting his cup.
— Does Brother Yuan not wish to drink with the Princess? Lord Dao sent me a letter!"
She didn't say much more, touching her cherry lips to the cup and draining it completely. Then, from her sleeve, she took out a letter and placed it on the table.
Yuan Gang immediately took the letter, opened it, and saw familiar handwriting. These characters were inscrutable to anyone else.
Glancing at the contents, he pondered for a moment.
Hai Ru Yue asked him:
— What does it say?"
— Lord Dao wants the Princess to write a letter to the imperial household. In the Zhao Kingdom, at the postal stations on the border, some obstacles need to be removed." — Yuan Gang explained the entire matter to her. Then he added: "After the matter is concluded, the Princess needs to send someone to Beishan County. At the largest inn there, have him hang safflower on the roof!"
Hai Ru Yue nodded: "Understood." — She raised her cup again.
Yuan Gang understood that Lord Dao was currently in trouble. How could he sit there and drink wine with her now? So he refused, saying:
— Princess, you should attend to the matter!"
Regarding this matter, Hai Ru Yue was no less worried than he was, for Niu You Dao had helped her solve a great problem and was now working for her. However, she disliked Yuan Gang's reaction. She drank a cup of wine herself and then inverted it, showing Yuan Gang that the cup was empty. Yuan Gang poured her more wine.
Hai Ru Yue began to drink cup after cup, her cheeks reddening, and with drunken eyes, she stared at Yuan Gang. Yuan Gang stopped pouring for her. The Princess didn't lose her composure and began to pour herself wine.
Yuan Gang grabbed her wrist and said sternly:
— Princess, you don't need to drink anymore. You should attend to the matter!"
Hai Ru Yue looked at him with hazy eyes:
— When men and women give or take anything, they shouldn't touch each other. What are you thinking? Do you want to insult me? Don't expect anything good from men!"
Yuan Gang relaxed his grip, picked up the cup, and tossed it back.
"Splash!"
The cup fell into the lotus pond.
Hai Ru Yue lay sprawled on the table and began to laugh heartily. A long time passed before she lifted her head and, looking at Yuan Gang, said:
— I'll tell you some good news. Shang Chao Zong has taken Qingshan!"
Yuan Gang: Princess, Lord Dao's matter needs to be handled quickly!
Hai Ru Yue said with a smile:
— Do you know what kind of connection I had with Shang Chao Zong's father? He was my first man!"
— ... Yuan Gang froze. He thought he had misheard.
Hai Ru Yue took the wine pitcher and began to drink straight from it. Then she gazed into the distance, her vision hazy, as if drifting through time:
— Back then, I was sixteen. My parents cruelly sent me to the Yan Kingdom as a hostage. You don't know how frightened my brother and I were. I cried the whole way. Princess, what of it? When I arrived in the capital, because of my beauty, anyone with enough influence could immediately reach out and take me!"
— Do you know Tong Mo? The current Minister of Public Works. Back then, I was seized and, like a lamb in a box, brought to his office. However, then the door suddenly burst open, and a man struck him. No one stopped him. Then that man kicked Tong Mo several times. He beat him bloody. Do you know who that was? Exactly! Shang Jian Bo! He arrived from the border and reported to the Emperor. I hadn't even met my relative then. When he heard that I was in trouble, he didn't even take off his field armor! That was the first time we met. He was my savior!