But Concubine Jiang couldn’t help but burst into laughter, “Is Lady Nan Feng afraid that I’m going to eat you up? Why are you so frightened of me?”
“Concubine Jiang, I have some matters to attend to, so I won’t disturb you with your enjoyment of the woods any longer. Please, continue to admire the flowers.”
The cicadas within the woods chirped incessantly while the sunshine, like silver, drenched the ground. The summer breeze, threading through the trees, made the garden seem slightly less stifling.
When Nan Feng was about to turn around, she was stopped again by Concubine Jiang. “Wait, Lady Nan Feng!”
“Does Concubine Jiang need anything else?” Nan Feng maintained an appropriate distance from Concubine Jiang.
Concubine Jiang smiled, “Lady Nan Feng, I presume you are well aware of the rumors in the palace. Everyone says that you are His Majesty’s weather vane, that any woman you fancy will obtain His Majesty’s favor. I’ve had some disagreements with you in the past, and I would like to apologize today, hoping you could help me out.”
Concubine Jiang considered herself of a high status, and Nan Feng from humble origins. She had taken the initiative to make peace with Nan Feng, who, she believed, should happily accept her gestures.
Seeing Nan Feng remaining silent, Concubine Jiang added, “His Majesty often es here to look for you. I hope you can put in a good word for me, His Majesty should listen to you.”
After speaking, Concubine Jiang ordered a palace maid to hand over a box to Nan Feng, “This is the Night Pearl that His Majesty rewarded me with when I entered the palace. I will give it to you now, I hope you don’t mind the meager gift.”
However, Nan Feng turned out to be someone who did not appreciate generosity. She didn’t accept the box and told Concubine Jiang, “Concubine Jiang, you also know it’s just a rumor. Since it’s a rumor, it means it doesn’t exist. His Majesty does e to Siyuan occasionally, but he doesn’t interact much with me, let alone listens to me. Being the emperor, if he needs advice from outsiders on favoring his concubines, isn’t that laughable? If you want to earn His Majesty’s favor, you should maintain a good heart.”
After finishing her piece, Nan Feng gave a curtsey and then turned around and left.
Concubine Jiang was snubbed once more.
…
The northern front.
A large army was getting ready to attack Shangzhi.
Shangzhi was the last city. As long as this city was retaken, the war could end.
After several large and small battles, the soldiers had bee more and more fearless. Plus, the ample supplies from the court left no worries about logistics, hence everyone was confident about this battle.
In the camp, the battle plan had been laid out by Ye Ge and Lu Jianxi. Upon receiving their mands, the officers took their military tokens and went to make arrangements.
Only Ye Ge and Lu Jianxi were left in the tent.
Lu Jianxi looked at Ye Ge, “The last city. If the attack goes smoothly, we should be able to return within three months.”
While looking at the battle map, Ye Ge said, “You can go back, but I…”
Ye Ge stared at the mountains on the map: “I plan to stay here to prevent the barbarians from invading again.”
Lu Jianxi looked at Ye Ge, a hint of pity in his heroic eyes, “You can only stay here, or perhaps, His Majesty will transfer you to another place to serve, because your prestige in the court is rising. His Majesty should…”
Ye Ge looked at Lu Jianxi, “As a subject, I follow His Majesty’s arrangements.”
Lu Jianxi sighed again, “But I genuinely feel it’s not worth it for you.”
“There’s no question of worth, this war will be over soon, and you’ll have to return to the southwest. You’ve worked hard these past few months,” Ye Ge said.
User Comments
0 comments from readers