Chapter 192 - 192:192. What is a surprise?
Translator: 549690339
As Su Liang and Ning Jing checked out, they overheard the frequent talks of many in the inn about the upcoming change of the Xuanbei City Lord.
Some voiced concern for Wan Shan’s health.
Others eagerly anticipated Xing Jits performance.
No one voiced suspicions that the Royal Family was responsible for Wan Shan’s illness, expressing indignation for him. After all, he was alive and fell ill before Xing Ji arrived.
This made sense.
Over recent years, the Wan family had been exceptionally active in the northern border, performing many “outstanding deeds” during times of peace, endearing themselves to the people. However, the main issue was, although they were vassals, the military power in Wan Shan’s hands did not belong to their family’s surname, ‘Wan.’ The Royal Family could grant them power, but they could also revoke it at any time.
Even if Wan Shan wasn’t ill now, he would have no valid reason to resist the imperial order; refusal would mean rebellion.
Duanmu Yi feared that Wan Shan would rebel, inciting chaos in Qian Country.
Wan Shan, in his arrogance, believed that he could lead a rebellion if he were pushed to that extreme.
But with Wan Shan’s paralysis, all the potential trouble was conveniently resolved.
“General Wan is really loved by the people,” Su Liang said.
The inn’s manager sighed, “Yes indeed! General Wan is a good man. I hope heaven will bless him with a speedy recovery from his illness!”
Su Liang smiled. The public sentiment Wan Shan has earned turned out to be useful. Everyone was deeply concerned about his health, hoping he could return quickly to the capital city to receive treatment from the imperial doctor.
After leaving the inn, Su Liang and Ning Jing rode their horses away from the southern citv zate.
An hour later, they reached the same valley where they had previously stayed.
Su Liang changed her clothes in a cave.
Ning Jing pushed on with two horses to the next city. After selling the horses and changing his disguise, he bought another horse and galloped back.
Having resumed her true appearance and changed into women’s clothing, Su Liang rode the horse Ning Jing brought back and headed alone towards Xuanbei City.
She arranged with Ning Jing that he would secretly join her before midnight. Ning Jing specifically asked her to prepare some delicious food for him.
Just as Su Liang arrived at the south gate of Xuanbei City, she came across a group of riders exiting the city. It was Wan Cong leading the contingent of the Wan family returning to the capital.
Many noticed Su Liang, due to her beauty and heroic posture.
Although Xuanbei City had many visitors from the north and south, it was rare to see a foreign woman visiting the northern border city alone.
Seeing her beaming smile towards him.
After being momentarily dazzled, Wan Cong returned to his senses and guessed her identity!
“Who are you?” a city guard asked Su Liang loudly.
Her voice was cool and clear, “I am General Su Liang, a fourth rank military official assigned by the emperor to assist Marquis Zhong Xin in Xuanbei City.” Her declaration caused a stir at the city gates. All eyes were on Su Liang.
Her name was known throughout Qian Country.
She was Qian Country’s first female martial arts champion, who had also defeated female General Man Ya from Yin Country. Not only was she a martial arts expert, but she was also a known as an heir of a famed doctor with excellent medical skills—a military commander and an imperial physician combined.
“So the top scholar Su actually looks this beautiful!” someone couldn’t help but sigh.
Many voices joined in with compliments.
Hearing these compliments was, for Wan Cong, not only distasteful but felt like a knife to his heart.
He was convinced that Su Liang was behind Wan Shan’s collapse. The problem was, he had no evidence whatsoever!
The city guard respectfully stepped aside, allowing Su Liang to pass.
After exiting the city gate, Wan Cong couldn’t help but look back at Su Liang riding away. Suddenly his heart jumped, he turned his horse around and shouted, “General Su, wait!”
Su Liang wasn’t surprised. She reined her horse and stopped, “May I know who you are?”
Wan Cong moved over to her, and loudly said, ‘My father is Wan Shan. I am his elder son, with the single name of Cong. Marquis Zhong Xin and General Lin mentioned that General Su has superb medical skills. You once cured Duke Qin’s old father’s stroke. Could I possibly invite General Su to treat my father?” “Did General Wan have a stroke?” Su Liang’s expression showed surprise.
Seeing her innocent expression, Wan Cong almost clenched his back teeth, but he still managed to maintain his composure, “My father fell when he was going to the toilet one night and hasn’t recovered since. Could you please help save him, General Su!”
“No problem,” Su Liang agreed straightforwardly. “I will do my best.”
Wan Cong was taken aback, not expecting Su Liang to agree, feeling something was suspicious.
But now, he had no choice but to turn back with Wan Shan and his party.
The news had quickly spread, the common people were rather glad, thinking that Su Liang, as a doctor, was kind-hearted, meaning there was hope for Wan Shan.
However, when Wan Cong and his party tried to return to the General Mansion,
they were blocked by the new guards, because Wan Shan was no longer the city lord of Xuanbei City, and didn’t have the right to stay here, even if Xing Ji wasn’t staying.
“You all wait here, I’ll go plead with Marquis, asking him for some leniency.” Su Liang suggested “kindly”.
Wan Cong felt even more suspicious about Su Liang’s intentions, but he still had to maintain a smile and thank her.
“General Xing!” Su Liang stepped lightly into the Meeting Hall.
Xing Ji was looking at the map hanging on the wall. Hearing her voice, he turned around and smiled, “You are here!”
Several generals in the hall shifted their gaze to Su Liang.
Xing Ji introduced them, and Su Liang greeted each of them.
“What a hero of the younger generation!” General Zhou had nothing but praise.
Su Liang laughed and modestly responded, then she mentioned in public that she had bumped into Wan Shan and his party on the road, that Wan Cong had asked her to treat Wan Shan, and they had to return due to this.
“Now that Young Master Wan wants to bring his father back to the General Mansion for temporary residence, I wonder if it’s possible to make an exception?” Su Liang pleaded on behalf of Wan Shan.
This surprised others in the hall. No one knew if Su Liang was truly naive or had ulterior motives.
The handover of military power had been completed, how could Wan Shan be allowed to stay? And she even wanted to cure Wan Shan. If Wan Shan recovered and did something he shouldn’t, wouldn’t that be troublesome?
Xing Ji furrowed his brows, “This… Even though General Wan is ill, wanting to stay in the General Mansion is a trivial matter, I’m not planning to live in the mansion either. Yet, the Imperial Decree specifically states that General Wan must quickly return to the capital city with his son without any delay. How much time is Su General going to need to treat General Wan?”
Su Liang replied, “Just saw General Wan’s condition, it’s a bit more serious than when Old Master Qin had a stroke. I can only do my best. If everything goes smoothly, it would take him at least two or three months to recover.”
Xing Ji sighed, “I do hope that General Wan could get medical treatment as soon as possible, but the Emperor is waiting. I don’t dare to keep General Wan in Xuanbei City against the imperial order.”
Immediately, some generals concurred that Wan father and son mustn’t stay, they must set off for the capital city today.
Xing Ji looked helpless, “What if, Su General could prescribe some medication for general Wan to take along the journey?”
“It mainly depends on acupuncture.” Su Liang frowned, “But it’s hard to go against the imperial order, that’s all I can do. I’ll prescribe a recipe for General Wan to take along his journey.”
Her last words sounded a little ominous no matter how you heard it.
Yet all the generals present praised Su Liang for her kindness, and some asked her help to treat their old injuries when she had time.
No one dared to say that Wan Shan should stay, even though all had seen his severe condition, if he stayed in Xuanbei City, he could be cured by Su Liang soon.
Su Liang wrote a prescription right in the meeting hall, then left the military camp to hand it to Wan Cong.
“Master Wan, Marquis truly cares about your father’s health, but he can’t keep you in Xuanbei City because of the imperial order.” Su Liang seemed apologetic.
Wan Cong’s face turned pale with anger! Only then did he realize, Su Liang was deliberately torturing them!
Su Liang took out the prescription and gave it to Wan Cong, “This is a prescription I’ve written for your father. He can take medicine on the way, and consult the Imperial Physician once you arrive at the capital city. Given the order, I can’t return to the capital for the time being, but I believe your father will be under divine protection, he’ll definitely get better.”
This consolation was like a knife to Wan Cong’s heart.
But as Su Liang kept referencing the imperial order, no matter how angry Wan Cong was, he dared not vent his spleen. He could only accept the prescription, gritting his teeth and thanking Su Liang.
“It’s a pity that my grandfather is dead. If he were still alive, I’m sure your father would get better as soon as he returned to the capital city.” Su Liang sighed regretfully.
Wan Cong’s face turned rigid with anger. He realized that Su Liang wasn’t pretending anymore, she revealed her cards – she was avenging her family, and the Wan family was tied with Duanmu Cheng and Duanmu Ao.
In fact, those who had murdered the Su family back then, were all minions cultivated by the Wan family for the Duanmu brothers.
The Wan family did not take action, but their support gave the Duanmu brothers the audacity to act as they wished. After knowing the truth, they thought there was nothing wrong with Duanmu Cheng’s incestuous affair with his sister, and believed the only mistake the brothers made back then was not eliminating the Su family thoroughly, leaving Su Liang as a threat.
They didn’t consider the innocent Su family as human beings, so they couldn’t blame Su Liang for sending them to their early graves.
“Master Wan, it’s getting late. You should start your journey. Please take care on the road.” Su Liang’s smile didn’t reach her eyes.
Wan Cong and his party didn’t even enter the General Mansion and left Xuanbei City in a dejected mood.
Su Liang had known early on that she would run into Wan Cong and his group, because she was waiting for Ning Jing to change horses in the valley, and had been observing the valley, not seeing the Wan family passing through.
It’s not like she deliberately humiliated them, she just did what came naturally. After all, it was Wan Cong who took the initiative to return. If he hadn’t opened his mouth, it would have passed.
Su Liang returned to the military camp. By the time she ran into Xing Ji, everyone else had left. He was discussing the following arrangements with Lin Bojun.
“Xiaoliang!” Upon seeing Su Liang, Lin Bojun beamed, “Have the Wan family departed?”
“Are they planning to stay for the New Year otherwise?” Su Liang chuckled lightly and sat down, “Where’s Wan Lin?”
“He’s been secretly transported back to the capital.” Lin Bojun said, “Thanks to you for clearing up the troubles. I had thought of many possible problems that we may encounter on the way here. I never expected it to go so smoothly.”
“It’s mainly because I ran faster.” Su Liang joked.
Xing Ji asked her, “Why isn’t Ajun here?”
“Oh, I asked him to help deal with some matters back home.” Su Liang explained.
Xing Ji was a bit surprised, “He went to Su village midway and didn’t come here with you? You handled everything yourself?”
Su Liang shook her head, “Not really. I only let him leave after the troubles here were resolved. He was quite helpful.”
Xing Ji nodded, “Ajun is always reliable when it comes to handling matters. Earlier, you suggested that Wan Shan should stay behind. I was wondering if you were planning to use this opportunity to return to the capital.”
“I do intend to return to the capital. I imagine Second Brother Lin is more anxious than me, right? But I definitely won’t travel with the Wan family. If I don’t cure Wan Shan, won’t that ruin my reputation? But I really don’t want to treat him.” Su Liang stated.
“Hmm, there are people from the Emperor in the convoy. If there’s any accident on their way, and they fail to reach the capital, it won’t be our concern.” Xing Ji noted.
In fact, he has the authority to command Lin Bojun and Su Liang to escort Wan
Shan back to the capital, but he didn’t wish to do so. If the Wan family encountered trouble, Lin Bojun and Su Liang would have to bear the responsibility.
Su Liang mentioned the conversation she overheard between Wan Shan and his son, Wan Cong.
“They mentioned that in the past two years, Liang Country has repeatedly sent people to seek peace, but they suppressed it each time and failed to report to the court.” Su Liang revealed.
The expressions of Xing Ji and Lin Bojun changed at this.
Su Liang continued, ‘Many of the accolades that the Wan brothers obtained were fraudulent. There were no invasions from Liang Country. They would take a tour outside the city and then come back saying they had repelled the invaders. ”
“Despicable!” Lin Bojun couldn’t help but curse, “Such short-sighted worms! If they’re not eradicated soon, it will be unimaginable when the Liang Country’s real army invades.”
Xing Ji lost in thought, “Wan Shan is capable, and his two sons are not lackluster either. They are just overly eager for achievements and have ill intentions.”
Su Liang scoffed, “In such a crucial position, although ability is important, if one harbors ulterior motives, the stronger the ability, the more trouble they can cause.”
Xing Ji agreed completely, “True.”
“What does Uncle Xing think? Does Liang Country genuinely want peace?” Su Liang asked.
Xing Ji thought for a moment before shaking his head, “In my opinion, it’s half true, half false. The people of Liang Country will never give up their intentions of invading Qian Country, because everyone wishes to live a good life. Pretending to seek peace is likely just to recuperate. Otherwise, if they sincerely proposed peace talks in a grand manner, could Wan Shan have kept it a secret?”
Su Liang agreed, “Indeed. Wan Shan didn’t report it because he feared that once they truly negotiated peace with Liang Country, his sons would lose opportunities for meritorious deeds.”
“About the matter of the Wan brothers fabricating military merits…” Xing Ji asked.
Su Liang understood his implication, “There is a witness. A general named Che Yun, who works under Wan Cong, knows about it and is discontented. We can have him write a statement and submit it to the Emperor.”
“Xiaoliang, you’ve only been here for three days, how do you know everything?” Lin Bojun admired her.
Su Liang chuckled, “I chanced upon that General Che in the pub, it’s coincidence. But I concealed my identity then, please don’t expose me.”
“When I submit the report to the Emperor, do you have any letters to send back to the capital? We can have someone bring them on the way.” Xing Ji asked. “Xiaoliang must certainly write a letter to Ajing.” Lin Bojun smiled.
Su Liang was calm, “Of course I must.”
Xing Ji offered Su Liang and Lin Bojun the opportunity to stay in the General Mansion. Lin Bojun refused, stating that he wanted to stay in the military camp like Xing Ji in order to become familiar with Xuanbei City’s situation more quickly. Although he longed to return to the capital to get married, he believed he should handle his responsibilities since he was here.
Su Liang didn’t refuse, mainly because it would be inconvenient for Ning Jing to enter the military camp.
Thus, Su Liang alone ended up residing within the mansion of the city lord of Xuanbei City. There was nothing untoward about it. When people asked, Xing Ji stated that Su Liang was his adopted daughter, although Su Liang had not agreed to acknowledge him as her foster father.
Su Liang indeed wrote a letter and handed it to Xing Ji to bring back to the capital for her, discussing the situation here briefly. She also told Qi Jun, who was pretending to be Ning Jing, that everything was going smoothly and asked him to wait patiently.
The capital city.
After several earnest pleas from Empress Wan, she was finally permitted to visit the Eldest Prince, Duanmu Cheng, who was under house arrest in the cold palace.
As she entered, she saw Duanmu Cheng sitting by the window, disheveled, holding a rag doll in his hand. He wielded a silver needle, repeatedly stabbing vindictively at the doll, his gaze full of resentment as he muttered, “Su Liang, go die, go die…”
Little Wan dismissed the servants and approached, “Shengsheng!”
Duanmu Cheng looked up, staring blankly. “Mother….”
“It is your mother. Your mother came to see you.” Lady Wan, with her eyes red, held Duanmu Cheng’s hands, took away the doll and needle, and put them on the table. “Don’t scare your mother. What would your mother do if something happened to you again?”
“Mother, I didn’t kill my second brother!” Duanmu Cheng paled, “It’s all that bitch Su Liang’s doing!”
Small Lady Wan nodded, “Your mother knows. How could you harm Ao’ao? You two are real brothers!”
“What about my uncle… is there any news from my uncle?” Duanmu Cheng asked anxiously.
Small Lady Wan shook her head. “There is still no news, but it should be soon. Your uncle has been in the Northern Border for so many years. How could he let Xing Ji snatch his power easily? He already knows what happened here, so he won’t sit back and do nothing. Shengsheng, wait a little longer, don’t panic!”
Seemingly gaining confidence, Duanmu Cheng gave a cold laugh. “Uncle is so powerful that even the emperor fears him. Xing Ji and Su Liang have gone to Xuanbei City, but don’t expect to return alive! Mother, send a message to Uncle. When he catches Su Liang, don’t let her die. I want to torture her myself, cutting her into pieces, and mashing her body!”
Small Lady Wan nodded, “Okay, your mother promises you. Don’t be afraid, you just wait here. There will be good news from your uncle soon.”
Xuanbei City.
Su Liang’s dinner was prepared by the cook of the General Mansion. It tasted mediocre. She ate a bit and had the kitchen of her courtyard cleaned up. She asked for some ingredients, saying she wanted to make a late-night snack.
She ordered all the servants to leave. While thinking about what was to come, she started cooking Ning Jing’s favorite dishes to thank him for his help this time.
When the dishes were almost ready, Su Liang looked back at the entrance of the kitchen, just to see a familiar figure stepping in.
It was Ning Jing with his face masked. He walked in holding a basket. After placing the basket on the ground, he added two pieces of wood to the stove. He acted skillfully.
“Where have you been?” Su Liang casually asked.
Ning Jing took something out of the basket and handed it to Su Liang.
She saw it was a package, wrapped in oil paper, something hard inside.
Su Liang opened the package and found a piece of smoked meat.
“This is the most delicious thing in South City.” Ning Jing said.
Su Liang hesitated for a moment, “Did you actually run to the border city of Liang Country to buy this piece of meat? But regarding the most delicious food, it’s very subjective. You only represent yourself.”
“I think this is the most delicious thing in South City. Is there a problem?” Ning Jing countered.
Su Liang softly coughed, “Not at all. You are the boss, so what you say goes. How would you like to eat this meat? I’ll cook it for you.” “I’ll let you surprise me.” Ning Jing replied indifferently.
I’ve never seen it. Unless you give a laugh, it won’t count as a surprise.”
Ning Jing got up, washed his hands, picked up a meat bun that Su Liang had carefully made and tasted it. He calmly said, “It’s delicious. I am very pleased.” Su Liang was speechless, “Does that count?”
“Anticipation for surprises is subjective, but I represent myself.” Ning Jing returned Su Liang’s words to her. “If I think it is, it is.”
Su Liang had no reply.
She sliced and fried the smoked meat into a dish, saving half of it for tomorrow’s meal.
The late-night snack was ready. The two sat opposite each other in the room. Su Liang tried a piece of smoked meat and nodded, “It has a unique flavor.”
Ning Jing took out a piece of paper from his chest and handed it to her, “The recipe for the smoked meat, make it when you go back.”
Su Liang: . She had never wanted to describe Ning Jing as a food lover because he was sometimes picky and sometimes casual about his meals. To be more precise, he knew how to enjoy food only when she cooked for him. Otherwise, he ate only to fill his stomach.
“Great God, I want to discuss something with you.” Su Liang looked serious, “Why don’t we quit cooking? You don’t need to light a fire or wash dishes, and we can eat at the restaurant every day. We are not short of money, so it would save a lot of trouble. What do you think?”
Ning Jing shook his head, “No way. Let’s talk about it when you can beat me.”
Su Liang frowned, “If I refuse, will you force me?”
Ning Jing replied indifferently, “This was agreed at the beginning. You want to change it, but I don’t agree. As you said, I’m the boss.”
Su Liang instantly gave up. Want to beat Ning Jing to become the boss? The hope was slim.
Ning Jing picked up a piece of smoked meat and put it in his mouth. He ate it slowly and nodded, “I am very pleased.”
“If one day I really manage to defeat you, will you cook?” Su Liang still asked. People should have dreams. What if miracles happened? Ning Jing nodded, “I wish you success in your endeavors..”
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