Meng Hun said roughly, “Hanmei, just spit it out. Don’t hem and haw and act all secretive.”
Li Yun said directly, “Our lord really is a woman.”
Meng Hun raised his hand and felt Li Yun’s forehead. He did not have a fever.
“I’m serious, even the lord has acknowledged it...” Li Yun gently waved away Meng Hun’s hand. “You don’t believe it?”
“Who would believe such a joke?”
Meng Hun shook his head. Dian Yan shook his head as well.
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Li Yun said, “Vice-Captain Dian has seen the lord in women’s clothing before. Have you forgotten, at that time, that his lord single-handedly challenged the new recruits from the men’s battalions...”
Dian Yan froze for a moment as he recalled the relevant memories in detail, only forming a vague impression after a while.
With the attention of his two comrades on him, he said, “I can’t really remember anything else, I only remember that the female soldier was very manly.”
Li Yun was scared.
He should never let his lord hear this!!!
It was not only Jiang Pengji’s subordinates who were all stirred up when she clearly stated her true gender. The tongues of other influential groups were wagging too.
“The lord has returned...”
When Feng Jue heard the announcement, he quickly got up to welcome his lord. He was stunned to find that his lord appeared to be in shambles.
“My lord, you’re covered in blood, what happened? Did something happen at the court assembly today?”
Feng Jue was originally worried that Huang Song was injured. He breathed a sigh of relief upon a closer look.
There was nothing wrong with his lord except for his pale face.
Huang Song raised his hand to wipe at his face, touching the dried bloodstains with his fingertips. As the thrilling scene that had occurred reappeared in his mind, his stomach started to feel uncomfortable again.
He lifted his hand and shook it, whispering, “I’m fine... Today’s assembly... it’s complicated and I can’t explain it in just a few words. I’ll go to the backyard to wash up and change my clothes.”
Feng Jue thought of something and called out to Huang Song, “My lord, the lady came over this morning.”
Huang Song’s nerves tightened. “Why did the lady come?”
“You’re newly-weds! Naturally, she can’t bear to be apart from you.” Feng Yan laughed as he teased him.
Huang Song had been engaged for two years. It was only half a year ago that he’d married that noble daughter of an aristocratic family. The surname of his wife was Qi. This woman’s style of doing things was tough as nails and her courage and intelligence were outstanding. On their wedding night, she’d ordered her maid to stand guard outside the bridal chamber with a knife. Every time that Huang Song went to the backyard, he felt so aggrieved. It was as if he was handing over his taxes in grain.
“I think I’m going to die...”
Huang Song gritted his teeth, revealing a stricken expression.
“That’s right!” Feng Jue said again, “The two women that your esteemed father arranged for you were thrown out by the lady through the back door.”
Huang Song stumbled and he nearly fell down the steps. Both of his legs trembled and he only managed to stand up by holding onto the pillar.
Shivering uncontrollably, he said, “Huaijie, do you have an explanation... I’ve never laid a finger on those two women...”
Feng Jue was not Jiang Pengji. Occasionally, he liked to watch others make fools of themselves, but he did not really like to torment his lord.
“I’ve already spoken to the lady, and she seems to be in a good mood. I’ve given the two women some money to use to get home safely and sent them on their way.”
Huang Song breathed a long sigh of relief, feeling that he had just flown back to earth from hell.
Talking about Lady Qi, Huang Song felt his calves shaking.
Before he’d married his wife, Huang Song had kept three maidservants on hand to serve him. They were bedmates who could not even be considered lowly concubines.
After he married his wife, Lady Qi sent all three girls packing to one of his other residences the very next day.
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She’d even thrown down this statement...
“They can marry someone else if they want to find a way out of their lives.” She would even give them dowry money. But if they dared to continue pestering Huang Song, she would send them to meet their maker for free.
Although Lady Qi was only nineteen, she had all sorts of methods on hand when it came to managing her husband. Huang Song liked it, but he was afraid of her at the same time. He felt as if he was handing over his taxes in grain every time he saw her.
“Madam is in a good mood?” Huang Song asked again.
Feng Jue gave him a shallow smile. “Yes, my lord, you don’t have to be afraid. If the lady sees you like this, her heart will ache.”
“I can rest assured now that you’ve said this.” Huang Song cheered himself up and went to the backyard.
As Feng Jue had expected, Lady Qi was very shrewish and forceful by nature, but she was extremely protective of Huang Song. Seeing him like this, she immediately flew into a rage.
“Who dared to use their weapons in the court meeting without permission?”
Huang Song said, “Madam, don’t be angry. If not for the blood all over me, I wouldn’t have been able to return today.”
He told her everything. He honestly explained all the factors that could give rise to family conflicts. In the end, he also told her what had happened at the court assembly.
“Lanting and I, we’re just very good friends. I really didn’t know that she’s a woman. Madam, please don’t believe the rumors about a sex scandal!”
Huang Song was really scared of women. At home, he had a young and tender wife who was like a tiger. Outside of his home, he had a close friend who was like a wolf. The entire world had changed overnight.
Lady Qi wrung her handkerchief. At first, she felt a little jealous. However, Jiang Pengji had saved her husband’s life, so contrary to what one might expect, she felt relieved.
“Bogao, you make me sound so narrow-minded by saying that... Since Liu Xi is your good friend, and because she saved your life today, logically speaking, we should prepare a generous gift and visit her to show our gratitude. In the past, you didn’t know that she is a woman, but you can’t mess around now. I can visit her home and thank her on your behalf.” Lady Qi took pity on him and wiped his face using her handkerchief. She said, “I got the servants to prepare some hot soup and a set of clean clothes for you. Bogao, go wash up. I’ll go take a look in the storeroom first to prepare the thank you gifts.”
Huang Song nodded quickly.
He took a full bath before going over to the antechamber. Feng Jue and Cheng Jing were having a discussion.
When Cheng Jing saw Huang Song coming over, he quickly asked, “What happened at the morning court assembly? I heard from Huai Jue that someone used their weapons at court!”
Huang Song nodded and said with a wretched expression on his face, “I didn’t check the almanac today before going out and I almost lost my life because someone implicated me.”
After a while, Huang Song remembered something and said to them with a mysterious air, “Do you believe it that Liu Xi is a woman?”
Feng Jue and Cheng Jing were silent.
Had his lord been bullied so terribly by the lady of the house that his brain was damaged?
The forces that were more familiar with Jiang Pengji were so frightened by this news that they raised their heads to look at the sun.
Had the sun risen in the west today?
After going through the initial shock phase, everyone thought of another problem...
Since Liu Xi was a woman, would the soldiers, generals, and advisors under her command remain as loyal as they usually were?
Many people rubbed their hands as they waited for a good show. For example, they thought that perhaps a certain general or advisor would be dissatisfied with their lord’s gender and defect without hesitation.
But they were greatly disappointed in the end...
On Jiang Pengji’s side, her people were doing whatever they were supposed to be doing. Except for a few generals who didn’t know the truth and were gathered together in a stupefied group, no one was affected.
As for ordinary soldiers in the barracks, they had received assistance and kind deeds from the Women’s Battalion and had fought alongside them to kill their enemies together. They had a revolutionary comradeship and friendship with one another. It was not that difficult for them to accept that their tall and imposing lord was now a woman.
Of course, there was another reason why they could accept reality so quickly.
Meng Hun and others had expanded and increased their training. All the soldiers were exhausted, meaning they did not have extra energy to gossip.
The news, which should have created a huge wave in the camp, was quietly accepted by the ordinary people.
The story of a body being dismembered with ivory writing tablets flowed into the haunts of the common people from the lips of numerous officials, creating a hubbub as it spread.
The commoners were not surprised that a woman could become the governor of Wanzhou. On the contrary, they were shocked that such a brilliant and formidable young man was actually a woman.
When Yan Lin first heard the news, he gave a bitter smile. “Since ancient times, only subjects with great power had the right to carry weapons on them at court assemblies. Numerous officials would be fearful of such a powerful figure and the emperor’s courage would be shaken. But for Liu Xi, just by taking an ivory writing tablet with her, it was enough to make everyone tremble with fear.”
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