Chapter 1104: Chapter 266: Qu Lang’s Brilliant Plan to Settle the World, Losing Both Wife and Soldiers (Part 3)
He did not wish to "claim land as king," so he chose to ignore the court’s gradual exertion of control over the Jin land.
And territory is essentially the foundation of a vassal, a principle the Lord should certainly understand.
As a result,
in exchange,
besides the original Jingnan Army that entered Jin, including subsequently entered Li Bao troops, Li Fusheng troops, remnants of the Eldest Prince’s Eastern Conquest Army, and the Jin soldiers originally in Jin land, all were consolidated by Lord Jingnan.
At present,
in the Three Jin lands,
once the Jingnan Army issues an order,
Jin land soldiers, regardless of their structure, must obey.
This is also a tacit agreement between the court and Lord Jingnan. Firstly, the newly attached Jin land and fluctuating public sentiment are inevitable; secondly, outside Jin land, snowy wild people and Chu pose threats. Thus, someone must hold fort there.
Therefore, it’s difficult now to say whether Li Fusheng is the commander of Lord North’s troops or of Jingnan’s troops.
Beside Li Fusheng is the original Jingnan Army Commander Ren Juan.
Upon arrival, Ren Juan saw Zheng Fan and the tent beside him and immediately said:
"Where’s the princess? Bring her out for us to meet, so we can open our eyes, hahaha."
Lord Zheng, seated at the tent entrance,
smiled slightly,
watched him,
watched him,
watched him.
Ren Juan opened his mouth, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
Li Fusheng tried to mediate, saying, "That’s not the princess; that’s my sister-in-law. Men and women should behave properly and know decorum."
Ren Juan immediately understood and cupped his hands towards Zheng Fan, saying, "I was abrupt."
Lord Zheng stood up and said, "The Imperial Princess has just arrived in Yan, unfamiliar and most sensitive. Moreover, she wasn’t taken by force, but came with me."
A woman taken by force is a spoil of war.
But if she willingly followed you back, it involves mutual affection. In that case, Ren Juan’s previous words were truly careless, equivalent to slapping Zheng Fan’s face.
After all, no man likes others to treat his wife as a summoned item.
Ren Juan spoke, "Brother Zheng, Brother Zheng, I was wrong. I apologize to you. I just returned from leading troops outside, and upon hearing that you returned with a princess, coupled with the recent Chu withdrawal, I spoke without thinking in a moment of heat. Forgive me."
"You’re too serious, Brother Ren."
Li Fusheng punched Ren Juan’s chest, saying, "You, next time think before you speak. We are brothers watching each other’s backs on the battlefield. Being brothers doesn’t entitle you to be careless with me. As brothers, we should treat each other more carefully."
These words were for Ren Juan and also for Zheng Fan, meaning let’s let things go and give each other an out.
If Li Fusheng weren’t periodically unwell,
he would certainly resemble an elder.
"Liqing greets the two brothers now."
The princess awoke and came out, performing a formal salute to Li Fusheng and Ren Juan.
If they previously regarded the princess as a showy symbol, upon seeing her in person, these seasoned generals surprisingly felt a bit restrained.
Because her grace and dignity remained in place beside the military campfire.
Of course,
most importantly,
Chu,
was not conquered.
She was not a princess of a fallen kingdom.
Li Fusheng laughed lightly, greeting, "Sister-in-law good."
Ren Juan bowed and said, "Princess Your Highness good."
"Come inside, brothers. Liqing prepared some food earlier, offering a few Chu delicacies for you to taste."
"Oh, sister-in-law, you’re kind. We will await the feast then."
Li Fusheng and Ren Juan followed Zheng Fan inside the tent. The previous unpleasantness dissipated as they spoke openheartedly.
Zheng Fan shared experiences from Chu, while Li Fusheng and Ren Juan narrated local military affairs spanning nearly two months.
During this, the princess brought snacks—simple fare, not particularly exquisite—but given her personal touch, Li Fusheng and Ren Juan couldn’t help but eat more than intended, eventually finishing everything.
Before leaving, Zheng Fan inquired about the princess’s situation. Upon learning she was escorted to Ying Capital City by Seventh Uncle after Zheng Fan’s departure to Chu, they would seek experts in Yanjing if Ying Capital City yielded none.
Finally, Lord Zheng requested a favor from Ren Juan and Li Fusheng because he lacked troops and relied on their assistance, to which Li Fusheng laughed and agreed directly.
After Ren Juan and Li Fusheng departed,
the princess naturally leaned on Zheng Fan’s shoulder, and asked:
"The princess? Is she from Lord North’s residence?"
"Is she well-known?" Zheng Fan asked.
"Very famous indeed. It’s said she leads troops, continuously lauded as a Startling Swallow not beneath men."
"Pretty much, she’s a formidable woman."
"She fell unconscious?"
"Yes, she suffered an accident and is comatose."
Xiong Liqing’s eyes turned slightly,
and she whispered:
"Darling, was it you?"
Xiong Liqing was slightly surprised that
Zheng Fan answered straightforwardly,
merely ticking his head,
and said:
"Yes."
Xiong Liqing bit her lip, not scared, rather showing some delight, even leaning in to gently bite Zheng Fan’s earlobe,
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