The Grand Secretary’s Pampered Wife

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S T E L L A R C L O U D

[Galetron]

O R A N G E S T A R

[Alma S.] [Christine G.-L.] [K.Rom]

[Lily J.] [Suong D.] [Tessy Ivy O.] [Victoria] [Ziana K.-P.]

Y E L L O W S T A R

[Anasi G.] [Passerby] [Xena]

G O L D S T A R

[Anne C.] [Nevy] [Roxanne C.]

R A I N B O W S T A R

[Debra W] [Smurfinbatik] [Scorpion Princess]

C E L E S T I A L C O N Q U E R O R

[Ava C.] [Kiiayame] [kuroneko_chan] [Manon] [Sophia W.] [Val Nes]

Also, many thanks to everyone who bought me coffee (*≧∀≦*)

As the couple conversed, Shangguan Yan emerged from the bedchamber.

Shangguan Yan's brows were tightly furrowed, and her thin lips were pressed into a firm line.

Xiao Heng tossed aside the branch in his hand, pulled Gu Jiao up, and asked Shangguan Yan, "What did the Emperor say?"

Shangguan Yan frowned and replied, "He told us to flee immediately."

If he hadn't said that, she would have already taken the children and escaped.

But now that he had actually given the order, she suddenly didn’t want to leave anymore.

Indeed, the human heart was the strangest thing in this world.

"We can't escape." Xiao Heng said.

With the ambitions of both the States of Jin and Liang, not a single member of the Great Yan’s imperial family or the descendants of Xuanyuan Family would be allowed to flee. Once the lands of Great Yan were trampled underfoot, there would be only one fate awaiting them.

Shangguan Yan nodded. "You two return to the Duke Estate first. I need to gather the officials and discuss the state affairs."

The Emperor had suffered a stroke, and the borders were in turmoil. Truly, misfortunes never come singly.

But no matter what, there was no path of retreat left for them.

Gu Jiao and Xiao Heng took a carriage back to the Duke An Estate.

News from the court had already spread throughout the entire residence. Steward Zheng cursed out the Han and Nangong families thoroughly, then proceeded to criticize the various nations with ulterior motives. Of course, he did not forget to extend a few choice words toward the Emperor, who had acted on his own accord.

A room full of people gathered in the main hall.

Old Chief leaned close to Empress Dowager Zhuang and murmured, "Why has our Emperor gotten himself mixed up in this mess? Isn't he supposed to be a benevolent ruler? From what I know of him, it's already fortunate if others don’t attack him first. He would never initiate a war on his own. He doesn’t have the guts for it."

And the enemy wasn’t some minor state like the State of Chen either——it was Great Yan, the strongest power among the three upper states.

Empress Dowager Zhuang let out a cold snort. "Clearly, this wasn’t his idea. Someone must have goaded him into it."

Old Chief pondered. "Then who instigated him?"

Empress Dowager Zhuang said indifferently, "It was either Marquis Xuanping or Tang Yueshan."

The likelihood was higher for Tang Yueshan as he had always been a war hawk.

Old Chief looked troubled. "Ah Heng is the Eldest Imperial Grandson of Great Yan, and JiaoJiao is the adopted child of the Duke An Estate. If war breaks out… things will be very awkward."

Empress Dowager Zhuang shot him a glare. Was this really just a matter of awkwardness?

Old Chief coughed lightly. "So, uh… what do you plan to do?"

What did she plan to do?

If it were up to her, she would take the children and flee to the State of Zhao immediately, staying as far away from the State of Yan’s troubles as possible.

But that was impossible.

From the moment these children stepped into the State of Yan, their fates had been entwined with the nation’s destiny.

She only hoped that JiaoJiao wouldn’t have to go to war again.

There were so many renowned generals in the noble families of the State of Yan, so was it really necessary to send a young girl to the battlefield?

Yet the moment Gu Jiao entered the courtyard and sought out the Black Wind King, Empress Dowager Zhuang understood… she was going to war once more.

Without a word, Empress Dowager Zhuang returned to her room.

"Hey—Zhuang—" Old Chief glanced at Duke An and Second Master Jing, who sat across from him, then awkwardly smiled. "Excuse me for a moment."

He quickly followed after her.

Empress Dowager Zhuang sat by the window, staring absentmindedly at the crabapple tree in the courtyard.

Old Chief asked, "What’s wrong with you? You just left without a word."

Empress Dowager Zhuang remained silent.

Old Chief sighed. "Things haven’t reached that point yet. You should——"

"She’s only sixteen." Empress Dowager Zhuang said.

Old Chief was momentarily stunned.

Empress Dowager Zhuang lowered her gaze and pulled out a newly embroidered sachet from her wide sleeve. "She won’t turn seventeen for another two months. Last year, she spent her birthday at war. This year… it’s the same."

At fifteen or sixteen, a girl should be in the prime of her youth, full of innocence and joy, waiting to come of age in the safety of her boudoir, under the protection of her parents. Yet, she was about to set out on her second expedition to war.

Her JiaoJiao had never had a single day of true rest.

She had always thought that her own life had been exhausting enough, but after seeing JiaoJiao, she realized she was not nearly as weary as she could be.

If she could bear just a little more of the burden, would she be able to shoulder even a little of JiaoJiao’s hardships?

"Grandaunt."

Gu Jiao’s voice came from the doorway. She knocked gently on the door and asked, "May I come in?"

Empress Dowager Zhuang tucked away the sachet in her hand and replied in her usual tone, "Come in."

Gu Jiao pushed the door open and stepped inside. She glanced at Old Chief and said, "Oh, Granduncle is here too."

Old Chief discreetly observed Zhuang Jinse, who had already concealed every trace of sorrow from her expression, then smiled and asked Gu Jiao, "Is there something you need?"

Gu Jiao said, "It’s nothing else in particular… It’s just that the situation here in Great Yan is dire. Ah Heng and I discussed it, and we think it’s best to arrange for someone to escort you back to the State of Zhao as soon as possible."

Empress Dowager Zhuang replied flatly, "Even if you hadn’t said anything, we were already planning to leave. We’ve stayed here long enough; we’re quite tired of it."

The betrayal of the Han and Nangong Families had completely upended their original plans. The ten great noble families and the Emperor of Great Yan were no longer their immediate adversaries; the true enemy now was the coalition of the five-nation army.

Old Chief knew Zhuang Jinse well. She would never abandon Gu Jiao. The only reason she was willing to leave was because she had no other choice.

He quickly grasped the key point and said to Gu Jiao, "What your Grandaunt means is that we need to set off as soon as possible and try to reach Chishui Pass before the State of Zhao launches its offensive, so that we can prevent an all-out war between the two nations."

The States of Jin and Liang were beyond stopping now, but the State of Zhao, the State of Chen, and the State of Qing might still be persuaded.

No matter who led the State of Zhao’s army, both he and Zhuang Jinse had the means to hold them back.

As for the State of Chen, after much deliberation, Gu Jiao and Xiao Heng decided that Xiao Heng would personally travel to negotiate with Yuan Tang.

Xiao Heng would carry Gu Jiao’s handwritten letter and the imperial grandson’s golden seal.

In truth, Gu Jiao was the ideal candidate for this task. After all, it was she who had a personal connection with Yuan Tang. Yuan Tang had told her more than once that the future Crown Prince of the State of Chen owed her a great debt and that one day, he would repay it.

However, there were two reasons she could not go herself. First, there was no guarantee that Yuan Tang would be in court at this time. Second, Gu Jiao had an even more critical task to undertake.

Yuan Tang knew Xiao Heng and had once been released from captivity in the capital by him. Thus, Xiao Heng was the next best choice.

Xiao Heng’s mission was not only to prevent war between the State of Chen and the State of Yan but also to leverage the State of Chen’s military to block the detour route of the State of Qing.

This would not be an easy task. But if these two nations could not be stopped, and the eastern front of Great Yan fell, morale in the western front would collapse as well, making the war against Jin and Liang even harder to fight.

Once both strategies were finalized, Xiao Heng made a trip to the imperial palace to inform Shangguan Yan of their plans.

Shangguan Yan then spent an entire night in fierce deliberations with the noble families’ military officials before finally settling on the full deployment plan.

Xiao Heng, as the Eldest Imperial Grandson of Great Yan, would travel northeast to Cangxue Pass to negotiate with the State of Chen’s army, with Wang Xu leading troops to escort him along the way.

Duke An, acting as Great Yan’s official envoy, would head southeast to Chishui Pass to negotiate with the State of Zhao’s army, escorted by Feng Wuxiu, the head of the Feng Family.

As for why Feng Wuxiu was chosen despite his youth——it was mainly because he had an ace up his sleeve: his elder brother, Taoist Qingfeng.

Grandaunt and Granduncle would be part of this diplomatic envoy.

The next step was selecting the commander for the western campaign.

Raz P.'s Thoughts

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Description:

In the suspenseful supernatural novel “Records of Mortals,” Jiang Baiyan, once a solitary and impoverished youth, finds refuge in the Shi family of Chang’an due to his extraordinary bloodline. With his clear and captivating peach blossom eyes, this seemingly innocent young man conceals a fanatical and malevolent lunatic within. Destined to succumb to darkness amidst hardship and degradation, he becomes a harbinger of chaos.

When Shi Dai suddenly transmigrates, she takes on the role of the Shi family’s young lady, the one who subjects him to countless trials, eventually leading to her demise.

The twist? She never got to finish reading the novel.

From what she knew of the plot, Jiang Baiyan was just a silent, timid, and often bullied pitiable character.

***

Jiang Baiyan had never encountered someone like Shi Dai.

After he had slaughtered all the evil creatures in the garden, the blood-stained young man, exuding a murderous aura, approached her step by step, his lips curling into a malicious smile, "Scared?"

Shi Dai responded, “You’re really amazing! I applaud you until I spin like a spiral and fly around the moon three hundred times! And also——you have dimples when you smile!"

Jiang Baiyan: ...?

—

After seeing her at a lantern festival with another man, Jiang Baiyan lowered his eyes, his fingers twirling her hair. He said in a mocking and sinister tone, "The mansion in the western suburbs...if I hide you there, no one will find you, right?"

Shi Dai replied, "Does it come with meals and lodging? Can I sleep in everyday? Oh, and your cooking is the best!"

Jiang Baiyan: ...?

—

Jiang Baiyan was supposed to dislike her, even hate her, but as their separation drew near, his eyes turned red and he grabbed her sleeve, pleading, "Don't abandon me, alri—”

Shi Dai responded, "Alright, alright, I’ll only have you. Mwah."

Jiang Baiyan: ...?

He hasn't finished his lines yet though…