Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress

Chapter 245: Chapter 243: Dirty Eye_1

Chapter 245: Chapter 243: Dirty Eye_1

“Now that the fertile land in the south has been reclaimed, relying on Mother’s new policies, in just two or three years the fertile granaries of the south will enrich the populace. An enriched populace will strengthen the army, and a strong army will lead to a strong nation. Only a strong nation can pursue great ambitions!” Xiao Rongyan gazed deeply at Murong Yu. “For safety’s sake, if Brother deems it feasible, you can send an envoy to Jin, showing our sincere intentions. At the very least, it can secure peace for Yan for two or three years.”

Envoy…

Murong Yu furrowed his brows, pondered for a moment, then nodded. “A Yan is right. The Yan Kingdom is weak and its people poor; we indeed need to act with more caution and prudence.”

Just as Murong Yu finished speaking, a wave of dizziness struck him, and he felt the world spinning around him.

“Brother!” Xiao Rongyan immediately supported Murong Yu and shouted, “Someone! Hurry, someone!”

“It’s nothing, don’t alarm anyone,” Murong Yu grasped Xiao Rongyan’s hand firmly, leaning against a pillar in the corridor for support. “Just help me to sit for a while, A Yan.”

Xiao Rongyan’s entire body tensed up. He carefully helped Murong Yu to a stone bench, biting his lip hard, his eyes red.

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Feng Yao, who had come upon hearing the commotion, quickly took out a medicine bottle from his sleeve and fed Murong Yu a pill.

Murong Yu rested a moment before speaking. “The twenty-eighth of March is the Jin Emperor’s birthday. This time, I will personally take the second prince to Jin to congratulate the Jin Emperor and send the second prince as an envoy to Jin.”

“Your Majesty, you must not! If Your Majesty encounters danger in Jin!”

“This decrepit body of mine is nowhere near as important as Yan,” Murong Yu looked at Xiao Rongyan. “If I encounter danger, I will entrust Yan to A Yan!”

Xiao Rongyan lowered his eyes, deep in thought. With the Xiliang-Jin Kingdom alliance, the Crown Prince would surely return before the Jin Emperor’s birthday. And Doctor Hong, who had traveled south with Bai Qingyan, would certainly return to Dadu.

He looked up at his ailing brother, who smiled faintly. Xiao Rongyan nodded. “Now that the southern frontier is secure, I will go to Dadu ahead of you to make arrangements and prevent any mishaps. Besides, there is an excellent doctor in Dadu who can check Brother’s condition. If he can cure Brother’s ailment, it would be a blessing for Yan.”

After finishing, Xiao Rongyan looked at Feng Yao. “Rest assured, Uncle, I will protect my brother with my life.”

On that day, Xiao Rongyan set out with a caravan, purchasing Nanyan specialties such as furs and rouge along the way, and transporting them to the Jin Kingdom.

Emperor Mingde of Yan, Murong Yu, sent a secret decree back to the capital, commanding the second prince to meet him in Linchuan and journey to Dadu City together to celebrate the Jin Emperor’s birthday.

Yue Shi, covered in dust from travel, arrived in Kuangping. Learning that Xiao Rongyan had already set out with the caravan, he intended to pursue but was brought before the Emperor by Feng Yao instead.

Gazing at the pale and frail Murong Yu, Yue Shi knelt in the manner of refined scholars, respectfully bowing. “Yue Shi, pledging good health to Your Majesty! Is Your Majesty’s rest well? How is Your Majesty’s appetite?”

Yue Shi had been found by the Emperor and his master, as he was discovered during the night of a full moon. Hence, his master named him Yue Shi.

“Good, my rest is very well! The food is decent!” Murong Yu observed the grown Yue Shi with satisfaction. “I summoned you today to ask if you know which young lady your master is fond of, which country’s daughter is she?”

Feng Yao, seeing Yue Shi look up in a daze, poked his head. “His Majesty is concerned about Little Master’s lifelong affair. You follow him every day, don’t you know?”

Yue Shi thought of the fourth lady of the Bai family, frowning. That girl was like a wild child, not seeming to match his master at all. But what could he do if his master liked her?

“Which family’s daughter?” Murong Yu asked with a smile.

“The fourth young lady of the Duke of Zhen’s mansion in Jin,” Yue Shi replied honestly.

Murong Yu was momentarily stunned. The Duke of Zhen’s mansion…

Murong Yu recalled following his uncle to battle in his youth, seeing the imposing and dignified Duke of Zhen, Bai Weiting, from afar, standing unyielding under the black banner adorned with a white python, having defeated six generals in one battle, demoralizing four nations with his blood-stained figure on horseback. Indeed, he embodied a proud spirit.

Duke of Zhen, Bai Weiting, was renowned across the world, with a heart for the country and an indomitable will. The Bai family army was considered invincible.

There were rumors that no useless offspring ever came from the Duke of Zhen’s mansion, and each of Bai’s seventeen sons stood tall.

In the recent southern conquest, when a ten-year-old boy of the Bai family was beheaded by Yun Poxing, he sang the Bai family’s military song without fear of death, which earned Murong Yu’s deep respect.

Such a family, clear in morals and proud in spirit, could indeed raise a girl with insight.

Murong Yu smiled, the corners of his lips curling. Since A Yan liked her, during this visit to Jin, he would ask the Jin Emperor for the fourth young lady of the Bai family for A Yan.

If someday he truly was no more, a like-minded wife would certainly benefit A Yan’s future ambitions.

·

On the fourth day of March, the triumphant Jin army passed through the devastated yet rebuilding Fengcheng under a bloody sunset.

Princess Li Tianfu of Xiliang lifted the curtain of the fragrant carriage to look outside. Along the route, she saw the blackened remnants of walls left by fire, and the once bustling Fengcheng recorded in books now had only a few shops open.

The people of Fengcheng, young and old, were doing their best to move stones and rebuild their homes. Robust Jin men, in the yet-to-warm weather, were bare-chested, shouting “one-two lift,” carrying huge logs.

Lu Tianzhuo, who was riding behind Li Tianfu’s carriage, nudged his horse forward a few steps and lowered his voice to say to Li Tianfu, “Princess, don’t look. It will hurt your eyes!”

Bai Jinzhi, who had just bought offerings for worship, was about to hurry outside the city to join her elder sister in worshipping their late uncle before proceeding to Luofeng Canyon for further worship. Hearing Lu Tianzhuo’s words as she passed by, she raised her brow and reined in her horse, saying, “Hurt the eyes? Ha… Yes! Look at the mess your Xiliang has caused! If you have any shame, you should repent every day!”

After speaking, Bai Jinzhi spurred her horse and galloped away. Li Tianfu angrily threw down the curtain, sulking in the carriage. “How dare any stray cat or dog bark at me!”

Though she spoke thus, Li Tianfu knew the harsh reality of being from a defeated country.

As Bai Qingyan had said, she was a princess sent as a marriage alliance from a defeated nation. If the Jin Kingdom respected her, she was a princess; if they didn’t, she was nothing.

Li Tianfu felt a sourness in her eyes and bit her lip. Once Xiliang recovered, she would avenge today’s humiliation.

Late at night, they finally arrived at Tianmen Pass.

Possibly because Xiliang’s army had once stationed at Tianmen Pass, it wasn’t as desolate as Fengcheng and Feng County.

The newly appointed Jin general guarding Tianmen Pass, along with several commanders, personally welcomed them outside Tianmen Pass.

The convoy halted in front of the posthouse. The army had already followed General Shi Panshan back to the camp to rest, leaving only a few teams to guard the Crown Prince and Princess of Yanwang of Xiliang.