Seeing her mother concerned about her second brother, Fu Xuanzhao gazed eagerly at Jiang Wanwen, her envy practically written all over her face.
Jiang Wanwen’s heart softened at the sight. She still remembered the scene when she first woke up—this daughter and her second brother had been kneeling by her bed, crying pitifully.
They had been clutching her hand while sobbing, both siblings’ eyes swollen to slits from crying.
Recalling that scene, Jiang Wanwen reached out and ruffled her younger daughter’s hair. “Our Zhao’er is also remarkable. Later, we’ll have the court physician examine you thoroughly as well.”
Hearing her mother’s caring words, Fu Xuanzhao’s eyes sparkled as she nodded. Both Fu Xuanming and Jiang Wanwen found the younger girl’s expression utterly adorable.
After exchanging a few more lighthearted words with her two children, Jiang Wanwen, mindful of the pressing time, hurriedly urged Fu Xuanming and his sister to return to their courtyard. “Hurry back to your quarters and have the court physician check on you!”
Fu Xuanzhao proactively went to support her second brother, and together they bowed. “Daughter/son takes leave!”
Jiang Wanwen, holding her tea, smiled and gave a slight nod to both. She watched as her daughter and second son left hand in hand.
Once the children were gone, her previously poised and dignified posture instantly collapsed into the chair.
If there was one downside to being here—aside from the imminent need for the whole family to flee for their lives—it was having to constantly emulate the original host, maintaining the demeanor and authority of a Wangfei.
Watching the retreating figures of her two children, Jiang Wanwen genuinely felt that the original host’s children were quite good. She then recalled their fates as described in the book.
Jiang Wanwen silently resolved that since she had come here, she would definitely protect these two children. She absolutely would not allow the original Female Lead to harm them.
She seemed to recall that the second son, Fu Xuanming, had stood by the original host’s side after they moved to the fiefdom of Yongning, where the original host continually caused trouble for the eldest daughter-in-law.
In a fit of anger, the eldest daughter-in-law had someone scheme against Fu Xuanming on the battlefield, leading to his death.
By that time, Fu Xuanming’s military strategies had already become highly formidable, and he was the most capable strategist by Fu Xuanrui’s side.
As for the younger daughter, Xiao Jiaru had arranged for her to marry a military general. Their personalities clashed, and they frequently fought in the residence, until eventually, Fu Xuanzhao died in her sleep.
It was not a peaceful death—one night, while she was asleep, her husband unexpectedly struck and killed her.
By then, Fu Xuanzhao’s husband had become one of the more capable generals under Fu Xuanrui. In the end, the man wept profusely, and Xiao Jiaru chimed in with remarks like, “The child has already lost a mother; she cannot lose a father too.”
Fu Xuanrui, that fellow who only cared about becoming emperor, simply let the matter drop.
Afterward, the man even put on a show of being unable to forget his deceased wife in public. The mere thought of it made Jiang Wanwen sick.
The eldest daughter-in-law, Xiao Jiaru, was the legitimate eldest daughter of Guanshan Hou. Guanshan Hou had been enfeoffed for his civil achievements. It was said that the old Marquis had single-handedly persuaded two neighboring countries to surrender, earning him the title of Guanshan Hou.
Xiao Jiaru was the legitimate eldest daughter of the current Guanshan Hou, though the current Marquis was a far cry from his grandfather’s illustriousness.
Yet, Xiao Jiaru was a remarkable woman, skilled in both literary and martial arts—otherwise, she could not have become the Female Lead of 《I Accompany My Husband to Conquer the World》.
No matter how formidable Xiao Jiaru might be, if she dared lay a finger on her two children again in this lifetime, Jiang Wanwen would not hesitate to retaliate.
However, Jiang Wanwen was not one to stir up trouble. As long as Xiao Jiaru refrained from provoking her, she would not take any action.
As for her eldest grandson, Fu Zhuoxu, she intended to take him along when she made her escape. She would never hold a grudge against a child.
Yet the thought of fleeing with a two-year-old filled Jiang Wanwen with dread. Children of this era were still breastfeeding at that age, and even with wet nurses in tow, there was no guarantee of safety during a desperate escape.
Bringing four or five wet nurses along would only make them conspicuous targets!
After much deliberation, Jiang Wanwen decided to gradually introduce solid foods to the child over the remaining ten days. That way, they could rely on solid foods during their journey and avoid bringing any wet nurses. Bringing too many people would only jeopardize everyone’s chances of survival.
The reason for the ten-day timeline was that, in ten days, the eminent monks of Baohua Temple—the most prestigious temple outside Shengyang City—would conduct a grand Buddhist ceremony. This highly revered monk was especially esteemed by the emperor, and all the nobles and officials of any standing in Shengyang would attend. By then, the entire family’s departure from the city would attract less attention.
Otherwise, if the entire Pingwu Wangfu household, still in mourning, were to leave the city all at once, it would surely arouse suspicion.
Once Jiang Wanwen made up her mind, she gave Ruyue detailed instructions to have the small kitchen prepare solid foods for Fu Zhuoxu starting at noon.
After Ruyue left to carry out the orders, Jiang Wanwen headed to her private treasury. Under the pretext of selecting items, she entered and began storing anything of value into the red birthmark on her wrist.
This red birthmark was, in fact, a legendary space—a feature not unique to Jiang Wanwen but one the original owner of her body had always possessed.
As to why the original owner had such a miraculous space, Jiang Wanwen found no answers even after sifting through her memories. She only knew that the original owner had discovered the space as a child and had kept it a secret, using it only to stash small trinkets.
This space was not as extraordinary as those described in other tales. It could neither cultivate plants nor preserve freshness, let alone contain miraculous spiritual springs. It was essentially an invisible, immensely large personal storage warehouse.
Even so, Jiang Wanwen was overjoyed and felt more confident about the impending escape.
Still, this confidence was merely a way to bolster her own spirits. Deep down, she was filled with anxiety. She constantly reminded herself, “Don’t panic! If anything goes wrong, who knows what suffering awaits this family!”
Since they were preparing to flee, it was only logical to take their valuables with them—otherwise, they would end up benefiting the royal family. In recent days, Jiang Wanwen had been discreetly gathering precious items from her private treasury and the main storerooms of the Wangfu.
Though she was collecting treasures, she exercised caution, avoiding anything too conspicuous. Drawing attention prematurely would only lead to greater losses.
To her relief, the only surviving male descendant of the original owner’s maternal family was currently staying at the Wangfu and could be taken along directly.
The Jiang family—the original owner’s maternal family—had lost all its men on the battlefield. The women had either followed their husbands in death or succumbed to illness, leaving only a five-year-old nephew, Jiang Ping’an, behind.
Since General Jiang Manor was left without anyone, the original owner had taken Jiang Ping’an to the Wangfu to raise him. In daily life, the original owner cherished this nephew as dearly as her own eyes.
Jiang Wanwen had always admired those who could go to the battlefield generation after generation. Recalling the sensible child from her memories, her heart ached unbearably.
When the time came to flee, she would have to take this nephew with her. But first, she needed to find an opportunity to return to General Jiang Manor and retrieve all the items stored in its treasury.
These would serve as the foundation for her nephew’s future security and livelihood. From now on, she, Jiang Wanwen, was determined to protect this nephew.