met free Chapter 1069 When did she ever secretly pledge her life to someone?
Chapter 1069 When did she ever secretly pledge her life to someone?
Jiang Fenghua did not appear in Yuzhou as the Empress; instead, she disguised herself as Young Master Ruan and attended the Feng family's wedding.
At the banquet, she sat quietly to one side, listening to everyone discuss the war in the Northwest.
"The cavalry of the Northern Owl Kingdom is too powerful. They have already occupied Yongning, Hezhou and other places. I heard that when General Peng almost lost Pingcheng, a group of people came to help and repelled the enemy and saved Pingcheng. Without the help of that group, our Great Zhou would probably be in danger this time."
A man with a full beard spoke slowly, “It’s already a miracle that they can hold Pingcheng now. If the enemy attacks Pingcheng again, General Peng probably won’t be able to hold it! Our Great Zhou army is still far inferior to the iron cavalry of the Northern Xiao Kingdom.”
Upon hearing this, the people at the banquet became worried and discussed among themselves, "The Emperor has only been on the throne for three years. He hasn't even settled into his position yet, and now an enemy country wants to invade the Central Plains. I wonder how the Emperor will deal with this!"
"The great disaster in Yuzhou has left the Emperor in a state of utter distress. What else can he do but seek peace, of course? Exchange the city for temporary tranquility," another commoner said.
"The Northern Owl Kingdom only launched its attack because it saw that the Great Zhou had suffered a great disaster. This war probably won't be quelled using the old methods. I'm afraid the Northern Owl Kingdom wants to directly attack Shengjing."
“It would be better to cede territory and seek peace. If the emperor surrenders, the world will change again, and we won’t know who the next emperor will be.”
"The royal family of Beixiao Kingdom is surnamed Xiao. It is true that King Xiao conquered the Central Plains, so of course the Central Plains are now surnamed Xiao. However, who sits on the throne is none of our business. The officials fight for power and profit, and it is only the common people who suffer. We should just endure it. Once we get used to it, we will be able to endure it."
Everyone sighed and lamented, praising the enemy's morale while diminishing their own, believing that the Great Zhou could not defeat the Northern Xiao Kingdom this time.
Jiang Fenghua listened quietly until she couldn't stand it anymore and finally interjected, "How do you know that the soldiers of Da Zhou can't hold the city gate? Maybe there's a chance. Didn't this bearded uncle just say that reinforcements have gone?"
Although our emperor has only been on the throne for a few years, hasn't he governed the Great Zhou Dynasty very well? So many people died and were displaced by the natural disaster in Yuzhou, but the imperial court sent people to provide disaster relief and aid to the victims. Soon, Yuzhou will be reborn and full of life again.
Upon hearing this, the people drinking and playing drinking games all turned to look at her. They stopped their frolicking and felt that the man in front of them was too delicate-looking, and his words were not convincing.
Some people said, "The young master looks like a weak scholar who has read the classics. Leading troops into battle is not an easy task. Yuzhou is a natural disaster, while the Northwest is a man-made disaster. The two cannot be compared."
I've heard that the cavalry of the Northern Owl Kingdom is extremely powerful. Our Great Zhou soldiers are indeed inferior to those of the Northern Owl Kingdom. The terrain and climate of the Northern Owl Kingdom are much harsher than those of our Central Plains. Our soldiers' bodies can't keep up with them. Someone as small as you, young master, would not be able to withstand it if you went to the Northwest.
I heard that many soldiers from the Great Zhou suffered from acclimatization problems after going to the Northwest, which is why Yongning and Hezhou were lost so quickly. Now, those who went to the Northwest have all fled back, and I wonder what happened. We probably need to be prepared to relocate at any time.”
Jiang Fenghua said in a deep voice, "Although the war is urgent, I believe that no matter what choice the Emperor makes, he will not cede territory to seek peace, much less surrender. He will definitely do his best to resist the enemy."
Everyone knows that the emperor is a good emperor who cares for the country and its people, but everyone's concerns are not without reason. The physical fitness of the soldiers of the Northern Owl Kingdom is indeed higher than that of the soldiers of the Central Plains.
Xie Shang's trip out of the capital was also a private visit. When he went to the Northwest, he did not use his imperial status to personally lead the expedition. Instead, he assisted Ge Ming in repelling the enemy as a secret guard of the Shenyin Camp.
The original Shenyin Camp was actually a group of secret guards trained by the late emperor for the purpose of protecting the emperor, not for training them to lead troops in battle. It was only after Xie Shang took over the Shenyin Camp that he gradually wanted to expand it and have Ge Ming train a group of capable people to serve the country.
It seems Xie Shang is under a lot of pressure in this battle. All she can do for him is to provide support so that he has no worries.
"Young Master Ruan."
A young man dressed in a deep blue robe walked straight toward Jiang Fenghua. "You must be Young Master Ruan!"
Jiang Fenghua stared intently at the newcomer, who looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn't recall his name.
She felt a little embarrassed. During her time at her maternal grandparents' house, she had always worn men's clothing and changed her surname to Ruan. This was because she knew she wouldn't stay among the common people for long, and the name Jiang Fenghua couldn't be remembered by anyone, so she had no choice but to change her surname.
Jiang Fenghua could only be a sheltered young lady from a scholarly family, never venturing out of her home. If she had even the slightest bad reputation, she wouldn't have been able to catch the eye of Empress Dowager Cheng and marry Prince Heng as his principal wife.
The man pointed at his own nose and said, "Brother Ruan, don't you recognize me? I'm Wan Qianshan, Qingyu's best friend. We haven't seen each other for many years, eight or nine years, haven't we?"
Jiang Fenghua then realized, "So it's Brother Wan."
She remembered that the Wan family was very wealthy, and Feng Qingyu had always enjoyed making friends and was well-liked, so many of the business deals for Feng's Escort Agency were introduced by the Wan family.
“I didn’t expect Brother Ruan to still remember me. I’ve been asking Qingyu about you, and he keeps saying you’ve gone home. I asked him where you live so I could come find you, but he kept stammering and wouldn’t tell me. I thought we’d never see each other again in this lifetime. Now that we’ve met, I must drink with Brother Ruan.” Wan Qianshan said.
Jiang Fenghua quietly glanced at the guards mingling in the crowd, signaling them not to move. She then pulled away Wan Qianshan's arm from her shoulder, saying, "Brother Wan, you're only arriving now? Please take a seat and have some tea. I'll drink with you later."
Wan Qianshan added, "Why did Brother Qingyu suddenly get married? I didn't hear him mention any engagement to any woman. He's so unfair! He didn't even say he'd wait for me before getting married. I haven't even settled down yet."
Jiang Fenghua asked, "Brother Wan, are you still unmarried?"
Wan Qianshan said, "My family has introduced me to several young ladies, but I don't like any of them."
He looked at Jiang Fenghua's face and said, "I don't know why, but every time my family wants to arrange a marriage, I always unconsciously think of Brother Ruan's face."
Jiang Fenghua was stunned. Did she think of her? Could Wan Qianshan be a homosexual?
She quickly replied, "I'm already married."
Wan Qianshan was stunned upon hearing this. "You're already married?"
"You're already married?" Wan Qianzi and her brother asked in unison.
A girl in a purple fitted long dress appeared in front of Jiang Fenghua. Upon hearing that she was already married, her eyes immediately reddened. "Brother Ruan, do you still remember Zi'er?"
Jiang Fenghua saw that she was graceful and elegant, with a good appearance and temperament, and could tell at a glance that she was a daughter who was pampered by a wealthy family.
She asked, "And you are, young lady?"
“I am Qian Zi, Wan Qian Zi! I said before that I would marry no one but Brother Ruan in this life.” Wan Qian Zi said directly, “At that time I was seven years old and Brother Ruan was ten years old. We made a promise.”
Jiang Fenghua was stunned. When had she ever made a lifelong commitment to a seven-year-old girl?