Quick Transmigration: Saving The Crazy Villainess

Chapter 120: Jiang Ying Yue (27)

When the next morning came, the news about Hai Wang deflecting the kidnappers for Sheng Lingxin touched so many people and became the number one talk in the city. It eclipsed even the departure of the famed general Chen Wang.

Nonetheless, when Jiang Li and his people officially set out for the southern border, not few sent them off. Actually, both sides of the streets where they passed were full of people giving them well-wishes and praying for their safe return next time. Quite a lot were single ladies weeping for the only prince who was actively involved in the army, repelling invasions from the other countries, and ensuring peace for one of their borders.

"His Highness is really loved..." Jiang Ying Yue murmured as she looked out from her palanquin's window and into the distant city walls. She could see that there were a lot of people, mostly commoners, waving their handkerchiefs or raising their arms and shouting Chen Wang's name or title.

"Of course, This Prince is." A man's voice drifted to her ears from the opposite seat.

Jiang Ying Yue's eyes went to him. This person was high up his horse just a couple of minutes ago, but then suddenly, he appeared in her palanquin, saying he had to sleep so he needed to be inside.

Jiang Ying Yue did not protest. After all, her head maid was with her so the man shouldn't attempt anything funny. She was also only someone receiving his good graces. But she must admit she almost blurted out, there was another palanquin in their procession. However, she realized it would be weirder if she made him to the old witch's, not to mention, that another palanquin was quite shabby.

A matter crossed her mind, so she spoke up. "Your Highness, could you tell me the real situation in the border?"

The last time, they met, the man hadn't said anything about their destination. She heard some nasty things about it, like it was a hard place to live at and there were many bandits or unscrupulous people. But in her opinion, hearing from somebody who had been there would be much credible. Unfortunately, the other meeting they had was mostly her pouring her heart out and letting her grievances air in the world. Now that she thought about it, it was making her feel embarrassed.

Jiang Li seemed to have predicted beforehand that she would ask something like this so he pulled out a few pieces of paper and passed them on to her. "You can read this. It's quite detailed and from my own officer's experience."

The girl gave him an odd stare since she could see that the quality of the paper was very good, and the ink was not faded. 'Written just recently?'

Jiang Li ignored her and went back to sleep. After all, rest was what he lacked the most in the past week. Jiang Ying Yue and Xiao Lu were sensible people so they didn't make any noise anymore to not disturb the man who just drifted off to dreamland while remaining seated.

After reading the accounts, she sunk into a long silence, eyes drawn to the beautiful sky that could be seen from the window.

For the first time in her seventeen years of existence, she would be leaving the capital. She would be away from the Jiang Household. The funniest thing was that she was now with somebody she barely knew for a week. Yet her heart was calm. She was at ease in his presence because she could feel he wouldn't harm her. Apart from this, he had already done so much for her, more than her father whom she had known for as long as she could remember.

Thinking of her father's unfeeling eyes when she got thrown out of the Jiangs, she suddenly remembered what she overheard from some of the Lu family servants in her residence.

'I will grow stronger and more powerful! So that I can make them pay for all of the things I, and my mother suffered!' she vowed in her heart, a cold glint flashed across her eyes when she gazed at the direction of the Jiang Household and the Imperial Palace.

...

It was before the night descended that somebody from the palace caught up with their group. By this time, all of them were already in the next city, getting a place to rest. 

Within a room on the highest floor of Nanshu City's biggest hotel, the messenger respectfully handed to Jiang Li a letter stamped with the emperor's seal. Only the two of them were in the place, his two subordinates were downstairs busy talking with the captains and the logistic officers.

Jiang Li accepted the scroll. Before unfolding it and allowing the masked man to retreat, he asked with a creased forehead, "Did His Majesty give you any other instructions for me? Why did he suddenly send something like this?"

"My apologies, Your Highness. This servant doesn't know."

Before the other bowed and excused himself, he first shook his head and looked at him awkwardly. This made the general open the scroll curiously. To his surprise, it was about his requested decree before. The Emperor did not forget about it. It was just that it came a day later, when the whole army headed by him already left the capital. 

'Chen Wang, Zhen has judged the Marshal's former first miss is still not worthy of you.' These were the words the Emperor wrote to him.

When Mao Hong came in to report, Jiang Li was burning the letter. Looking at his attendant's puzzled expression, he laughed and said, "The current Emperor did not grant me the decree. It seems in his whole regime, he wouldn't consent for it." 

Mao Hong took his sweet time guessing his boss' meaning. Then when he fully understood it, he replied stiffly in a low voice. "Your Highness, if it's about getting permission to marry Miss Jiang, it's understandable that His Majesty will not allow it. The son of heaven will not risk the possibility of his two highest military officers banding together under one imperial prince rallying their armies against him."

Jiang Li indifferently nodded. "I know."

No matter what era or world, Emperors never trusted their generals enough. They had no problem loving them in times of war, but in peaceful years, they would hate them. Even in novels, families of generals were always in the purge list of every Emperor, especially if that they held so much military strength and had the ability and manpower to stage a coup. 

The piece of paper had already turned into ashes, carried by the wind outside the window. The flame earlier which was now completely extinguished reminded him of the Lu family's ending, particularly of Lu Ling, who shone the brightest in the battlefield yet disappeared from history and records a year or so later.

That man's spirit agreed to lend his body to the system. And only in exchange for preserving his family line.

Why the heck was there people like him who remained loyal to their ruler even if that ruler basically sent their clans to death? Jiang Li was the one feeling indignant therefore he decided to not go against the plot much this time and only focus on securing Jiang Ying Yue.

Without glancing at the other man, he asked. "How's the stuff that I had you deliver to Hai Wang?"

"We did not disappoint Your Highness," answered Mao Hong who showed him the messages he exchanged with their people.

"Good." While nodding in praise, he returned the scrolls to the other man. 

Mao Hong then voiced out the question plaguing his mind since yesterday. He did not understand Chen Wang's intention, thus, he prudently asked if the Lu Household would truly throw their lots to the unfavored second prince, and if so, then why. Jiang Li did not answer him directly, but reassure him that they would be betting on the correct person. It was the truth anyway.

While he disliked the current Emperor and would want to annoy him by ensuring his most hated son succeed as the next ruler, there was also the fact that even if Hai Wang doesn't want to, the plot would force him to ascend the throne and make the female lead his Empress.

Since he knew this, plus the person was quite likable and extremely smart, why would he be against it? 

'The next major part of the plot will only take place a year later, once the villainess returns...'

'By then, Sheng Lingxin should be truly together with Hai Wang. And Jiang Ying Yue should have learned what she should and learned how to navigate in the messy war of princes.'

Freed of his worries about the leads and the plot for the meantime, he enjoyed tea time that night with Jiang Ying Yue, casually chatting with her about the place they would stay for a whole year... 

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