Chapter 39: You still don't trust in this minister

Jiang Changbai, hearing this, promptly turned her head to look at Song Juguang, and asked, "Where do these words come from?"

Song Juguang still sat on the chair; her words were relaxed, as if she weren't discussing matters of the state, but rather talking about a plot in some book. "This minister's deputy general, Wen Congyun, is from Luyuan. Her family are in business, and every month, her mother sends letters along with caravans. But she never mentioned the matter of Lian Zhigao establishing himself as a King, and so I think this matter must have occurred a short period ago."

Jiang Changbai didn't feel so. "Let's not talk about whether or not this matter was mentioned in a letter from home; even if it was, why would she mention the contents of a letter to you?"

Yet Song Juguang was incredibly confident. "As long as she were to know, she'd most certainly tell this minister."

Hearing this, Jiang Changbai's eyes grew a degree darker, and she felt a hard to describe emotion rise in her heart; so, she didn't continue speaking, only ordering her attendants to have Xie Qianbing called over. Song Juguang, seeing this, sighed deeply, and, hesitant, didn't speak any further. She was certain as to Lian Zhigao having only recently taken on the title of King, but how she knew it, she couldn't clearly and frankly tell Jiang Changbai. But she couldn't be counted as lying, either; Wen Congyun truly was from Luyuan, and her family did truly send letters monthly; it was just that, what the contents of these letters were, it was as Jiang Changbai had said—she had no way of knowing.

However, Xie Qianbing and Shen Yanyi had yet to arrive, when an unexpected guest burst through the door. The woman, dressed in military attire, ran so fast as to nearly be flying, rushing towards the middle of the hall. She was almost nine chi in height, and when she moved, a great gust followed. The imperial bodyguards followed behind her, calling out to her to halt, yet they couldn't catch up.

Yet Jiang Changbai, in the end, knew some martial skills; she could tell that it wasn't that they truly couldn't catch up, but rather, clearly, they didn't want to. It was all merely a false act, a play for her to watch. All of the imperial bodyguards in the Palace had been assigned by Song Juguang.

That person still approached; Qing Huai rushed forward, like an arrow, to block her path, and she'd just been about to speak when she was pushed aside. Her entire figure seemed to fly aside, and if not for the maids at the side supporting her, she might well have been tossed three metres away.

Jiang Changbai's expression grew severe, but before she could speak, she heard Song Juguang, from behind her, call out, "Kneel down!"

These two short words were unexpectedly more effective than anything else; that person immediately stopped, and, just about to cross over the threshold, stopped. With an immediate "peng", she fell to her knees, raising her voice to call out, "Wangjun, Bixia, this minister has an important matter to report!"

Yet Song Juguang didn't pay her any further attention, but rather said to Jiang Changbai, "Bixia, this is this minister's deputy general, Wen Congyun. She doesn't know propriety; if Bixia wishes, instruct me to kill or cut off her flesh."

Jiang Changbai's expression, in this time, unexpectedly grew somewhat benevolent; looking at it, it seemed as if she weren't preparing to argue in the slightest. "Oh? What matter is enough that you entered the Imperial Palace without permission?"

Though Jiang Changbai's words were inquiring, it was as if Wen Congyun hadn't heard them in the slightest. From behind her waist, she pulled out a creased, crumpled letter, and said, "This is the letter my mother sent. In it, it writes that Luyuan's Prefectural Magistrate, Lian Zhigao, has begun calling himself King. Not only has the tax rate risen, the toll stops in the surroundings increasing, in the city, it's rumoured that he's training private soldiers, the word spreading wildly. My mother wrote to ask of the state of affairs of this minister in the capital, wanting to move our entire family here. This minister knows full well that this news' impacts are important, and only with no other options did I enter the Palace without permission, merely wishing to report this news as quickly as possible."

Jiang Changbai, listening to her speak, gazed at Song Juguang, somewhat unable to believe it. By chance, just then, Song Juguang tilted her head to look at her as well, their gazes meeting, each seeing something somewhat unexpected in the other's eyes. Jiang Changbai shifted her gaze away, and then looked at Wen Congyun once more. "Don't keep kneeling; go on, get up."

Yet Wen Congyun didn't move. Only once Song Juguang quietly raised a hand in her direction did Wen Congyun stand up. She walked in Song Juguang's direction, and pushed the letter in her hands into hers. Yet Song Juguang didn't take it, saying quietly to her, "Give it to her highness."

Only at this did Wen Congyun change directions, and placed the letter onto the desk in front of Jiang Changbai. Jiang Changbai lowered her gaze, not allowing others to see the chill within her own eyes, picking up that letter as if to hide it, and attentively read it over, ascertaining that it was no different from what Wen Congyun had said. This letter's inscription was from half a month before, when Lan Dexiang had only just been beheaded. Having received even more exact information, Jiang Changbai ought to be thrilled. But the concern in each of Wen Congyun's mother's words and sentences caused Jiang Changbai to be somewhat desolate.

From the moment she'd ascended, Lu Pingwan had never seen her. Whenever Jiang Changbai took time to go to the Cining Palace, she would always be stopped outside the gates. No matter how she asked, or who went to ask, the answer was always that Lu Pingwan was reciting scriptures in the ritual hall, and wasn't willing to see her. It was such that Lu Pingwan wasn't willing to accent her identity as Emperor, nor was she willing to let others call her Empress Dowager. Jiang Changbai didn't know why Lu Pingwan was like this; she couldn't find any means to solve it, and could only engross herself among countless government affairs, using them to numb herself from thinking of these sorts of matters.

But this letter of Wen Congyun, from her family, had actually dredged up the matters she wasn't willing to think about entirely. At this moment, Song Juguang couldn't read what was on Jiang Changbai's mind; seeing that her figure was lonely, she even assumed that she was worrying about the matter of Lian Zhigao naming himself King.

Luckily, at this moment, Xie Qianbing arrived; the sound of Xun Zhu's enquiring voice dragged Jiang Changbai out of her mood. Xie Qianbing walked in unhurriedly; Wen Congyun hadn't left either. "Sit, everyone sit." Jiang Changbai didn't have the intent of chasing Wen Congyun away, and actually instead waved a hand to order Qing Huai to bring in two chairs. After making obeisance, Xie Qianbing sat down, but Wen Congyun still waited until Song Juguang nodded to sit down.

Although Xie Qianbing had only returned from Boyang recently, without the duty of the keju's reform on her, she wasn't that busy either. So, the expression on her face was far more relaxed than before, and the black circles under her eyes had disappeared entirely as well. She listened to the matter in its entirety, and was just contemplating it, when she realised that the gazes of everyone in the room had fallen onto her; as a result, her mind grew chaotic, and she said, "Bixia, this minister believes that we cannot act without thinking now." Seeing no one speak, Xie Qianbing explained, "Now, her highness has only been on the throne for a short while; the accumulated, old illnesses of the court have yet to be fully cured. And the nation has only just experienced the chaos of war, and has yet to be restored. After all, battle is an expensive, massive undertaking; if an army is raised suddenly as a punishment, success would be fine, but if there were to be a loss, it would be a futile waste of manpower and finances, and do no good to the state.

"Although Luyuan is prosperous, it's in the southern outskirts, and its borders have no place to produce horses. If hardships are to rise up, it would likely take a great while. This minister believes that, now, our priority is to rest and recuperate, and put the matters of government in order. Once Lian Zhigao obviously begins to raise soldiers to revolt, it won't be too late to raise troops to suppress him."

Jiang Changbai nodded, feeling that Xie Qianbing spoke with logic. But even if reason made sense, on this matter, she still had her own views. "Luyuan is far afield, and information is obstructed; we have no easy way of knowing its true situation. Lan Dexiang had only just been beheaded when Lian Zhigao began calling himself King; in all likelihood, there are his spies in the capital, and among them, there is even a channel of communication that We don't know of. If he's ignored and allowed to expand as he pleases, it might not be a small inconvenience in the future. Although the court is not as prosperous at present as it once was, if there were to be a war, army provisions can still be sent out. We believe that it would be better to act soon, and within a few days, dispatch troops secretly. First, investigate with the identity of an envoy, and if the situation is severe, then troops can be brought to quell it."

Xie Qianbing stilled; it was as if her suggestion had been utterly refuted by Jiang Changbai; for a moment, she felt that her own expression was somewhat embarrassing, and wanted merely to find a crevice in the ground to creep into. Jiang Changbai, seeing what was on her mind, added, "It's not that your words are utterly wrong; ordering the government, resting, and recuperating ought to be done. It's just that We hope that this matter can be undertaken at the same time; it's just that time doesn't wait for anyone."

Song Juguang laughed brightly, and agreed. "It's precisely as Bixia says; how lucky that today, a few deputy generals told this minister that, having not fought for so long, they've rested until they're itching; how about sending this minister's Cangwei army to go, wouldn't that be better?"

Jiang Changbai shot her a glance, yet shifted her gaze away. "You're forbidden from going."

Song Juguang was somewhat puzzled, and followed her voice to look, yet she found that Jiang Changbai's hair was concealing slightly flushed ears. So, a bizarre sensation rose in her heart, and even the hand that was swaying the folding fan paused for a few moments.

Wen Congyun, who had been sitting on the chair, seeing this, rose, and with a great stride forward, she came to the centre of the hall, and knelt down. "This minister will go!"

Her reason for leaving Luyuan was directly related to Lian Zhigao. Then, Wen Congyun had given an arrogant, domineering young master whose horses had been trampling on the commoners on the street an upbraiding. Perhaps because she'd been too infuriated, her actions had been too harsh, and in an instant, she'd broken one of his bones. Only once she'd seen her own image on a public notice did she learnt that that had been Lian Zhigao's son. Although at the time Lian Zhigao hadn't pronounced himself King, but within Luyuan's borders, he was just like a local tyrant, and those who offended him generally didn't have any good endings. Wen Congyun, fearing she'd implicate her mother and family, could only take advantage of the state of affairs not having developed fully yet, and leave. Only due to this had she later met Song Juguang, and entered the Cangwei army.

Although it could be said that, now, her life was quite good, she'd always hated Lian Zhigao.

But these words, she told Song Juguang. Song Juguang furrowed her brows faintly, and felt that these deputy generals beneath her were, each and every one of them, stubborn and bull-headed. Wei Xiren was like this, Yan Gaoge was like this, and even Wen Congyun was like this. Her highness was sitting right there, yet for every single matter, they had to come looking for her to ask for instructions.

But at this time, there was no way that she could warn her, and so Song Juguang could only take a step forward, and come to Jiang Changbai's side. Jiang Changbai saw her intentions as well, yet she was taciturn, and didn't nod. She looked towards Wen Congyun, and said, "You can't go either."

Only now did Wen Congyun see Song Juguang's intentions, and though she wasn't fully willing, she still shifted her gaze to Jiang Changbai. Hearing Jiang Changbai disallow her, she first startled, and then immediately spoke to argue for herself. "This minister grew up in Luyuan from childhood, and is very familiar with the local climate and terrain. Furthermore, my family are still in Luyuan, and can act as internal informants; this minister's going would be most suitable."

"It's precisely because of your family being in Luyuan still," Jiang Changbai said, her words not having the intent to broker argument to a degree. "If he takes your family as hostages, would you still be willing to set siege?"

Wen Congyun hadn't been questioned such that she couldn't even say the words "this minister", and for a long while, couldn't say any argument. Song Juguang spoke aptly, and said, "Could Wei Xiren be allowed to go? In leading forces and fighting, she's experienced as well."

Jiang Changbai blinked, feeling that Song Juguang's words were correct. Moreover, Wei Xiren and Wu Dongmu had already had a grudge between them; most likely, she wouldn't easily cover up matters for Lian Zhigao. However, Wen Congyun, by her side, was stubborn, and continued, "Bixia, even if this minister's family were taken by that brute as hostages, this minister would still be loyal to the Great Li and to you, and when executing orders, will follow them to the word."

Jiang Changbai cast a glance at her, and said, somewhat exasperated, "Even as a regent, We cannot allow our own ministers to fall into a situation of disloyalty and unfilialness. For now, return and rest, and in the future, if there's a need to fight, We will most certainly consider you first. Go on, go home; today, you never entered the Palace."

Wen Congyun still wanted to say more, but raising her head, she saw Song Juguang staring at her with a cold expression. So, even if she were even less willing, she could only swallow it down. Wen Congyun didn't know what this emperor would do if she were infuriated, but she knew what Song Juguang would. "Understood," she acknowledged, and, somewhat disappointed, turned around and left.

Song Juguang, seeing Wen Congyun retreating, merely felt that her heart, which had been suspended, finally fell. But she'd just sat down in the chair, when she heard Jiang Changbai say, "A Guang, you go home as well."

Song Juguang stilled, speaking without thinking. "Ah?"

Jiang Changbai sighed, her gaze shifting outside. "Where Wen Congyun got that letter, or who all saw her enter the Palace…since they're all your people, We trust that you can deal with it."

Yet Song Juguang said, "Bixia jests; everyone under these heavens are Bixia's people."

Jiang Changbai didn't reply, even her gaze not on Song Juguang; she only waved her hand. "Go, quickly."

Song Juguang stared at her, not speaking. Only remaining silent for a while did she smile easily, and then depart. But when she came to the doorway, she turned, and looked towards Xie Qianbing, and asked, "Is she not leaving?"

Jiang Changbai didn't dare look at her, and only nodded. "We still have matters to instruct Qianbing about."

Song Juguang shrugged, and in the end, didn't pursue it. But when her figure had thoroughly disappeared from Jiang Changbai's line of sight, Jiang Changbai heard Song Juguang's voice sound by her ear: "Bixia, you still don't trust this minister."

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