These individuals, having conferred, set off one after another, timing their departures precisely.
Far away in Gang Shang Village, Fan Zehao received their letters and was instantly filled with excitement, akin to donning armor and taking up a saber to charge onto a battlefield.
“Wife, look, they’ve all arrived, just waiting for our signal.”
Zhao Jiaqi, after reading the letters, found that all preparations were complete, lacking only the crucial element.
She lifted her gaze from the letter and looked at Fan Zehao, “Where are the Prefect of Xiuzhou, the Prefect of Songling Prefecture, and General Wang Zhen and his wife!”
Fan Zehao, gazing at the vast blue sky outside, chuckled, “General Wang Zhen will arrive tomorrow, and the Prefect of Songling Prefecture will enter the town tomorrow afternoon. As for the Prefect of Xiuzhou… I believe he’s already arrived. Haven’t you noticed how exceptionally polite Wang Yuanzhi has been to us since yesterday!”
This meant that tomorrow would be the day for their meeting.
Fan Zehao spun the prayer beads in his hand, pondered for a long while, and, unwilling to wait any longer, turned to his wife and asked, “If we meet them tomorrow night, and directly have Wang Zhen bring up the request to visit the workshop that makes the Immortal Cream, do you think Wang Yuanzhi will agree?”
“If General Wang Zhen speaks of it, I believe he will likely agree. After all, Wang Zhen mentioned he has quite a few soldiers under him. If they are truly looking to cater to the soldiers, they will certainly secure this major client.”
Fan Zehao thought similarly, but was unsure how tomorrow would unfold.
“If we really go to the cave tomorrow night, you should stay in the town’s inn. I will have people guard you. Once I’m finished handling things here, I’ll come to pick you up.”
Zhao Jiaqi agreed with the plan, but she didn’t believe Wang Yuanzhi would be without a backup plan. If he had one, what could it be?
She guessed that she would still be Wang Yuanzhi’s hostage. After all, the village chief was quite adept at playing the hostage game.
In the afternoon, a letter arrived from Fan Zehao, sent by Wang Zhen, stating his arrival tomorrow noon and proposing a meeting in the afternoon. He handed this letter to Wang Yuanzhi.
“Tomorrow night, they will all be here. Let’s arrange to meet at the inn tomorrow night, have some tea, chat a while, and then have dinner. What do you say, Village Chief?”
Wang Yuanzhi read the letter from beginning to end, and after finishing, a faint smile appeared on his face. “Alright.”
That afternoon, the Special Envoy went out and informed the Prefect of Xiuzhou and the Prefect of Songling Prefecture that they were scheduled to meet at the town’s hot pot restaurant that evening.
On his way back, he paid a visit to the hot pot restaurant, gave Bai Lu a look, and then recounted the events planned for tomorrow.
Bai Lu sighed, “I’ve been toiling away these past few days, and finally, the opportunity for us to act has arrived. We cannot let them off lightly this time.”
The Special Envoy let out a cold chuckle, “Absolutely not. Our Mistress is pregnant and still has to deal with all this. If we let them off easily, then all the suffering our masters have endured here would have been in vain.”
Their thoughts aligned, and they exchanged a knowing smile. Then, they added, “The Emperor of Liao might arrive early tomorrow night, and at the latest, he won’t be later than the morning after. You’re in town, so you need to be vigilant at all times.”
Bai Lu gave the Special Envoy a reassuring look, “Leave this matter to me. You can rest assured.”
As they spoke, the Special Envoy had finished relaying all the necessary information and was ready for a great performance tomorrow.
He was preparing to leave when a group of people arrived outside. Upon closer inspection, they were three princes, a princess, accompanied by the Empress of Dingbei Liao and Crown Prince Helian Jinli.
This entire group had arrived in disguise, appearing as a couple with their son and grandchildren.
The Special Envoy smiled, “Your subordinate greets the Emperor of Liao, the Empress of Liao, the Crown Prince, the Princes, and the Princess.”
Dingbei Liao, the eldest among them, steadied the Special Envoy, “No need for so many formalities. Tell me, how are your masters?”
“Your masters are well. It’s just that the Mistress… is pregnant, and it’s a bit more strenuous for her.”
They were all stunned to hear that their eldest sister-in-law was pregnant. Fan Xudong exclaimed, “My eldest brother is going to be a father again? He said he didn’t want a third child, how did his mind change!”
Yu Meng, hearing this, was not pleased. “Second Uncle, aren’t you happy that my mother is giving me a younger brother or sister?”
Fan Xudong scratched his head. “I’m not unhappy, just surprised. With how much your father dotes on your mother, to let her go through suffering again is truly unexpected.”
Not only Fan Xudong, but everyone else was astonished. It was something no one had anticipated.
The Special Envoy, noticing that time was getting late, proposed to take his leave, “The arrival of your esteemed selves will be reported to our master and mistress as soon as I return. I believe they will be very happy to see you.”
Huangfu Xian waved the Special Envoy away, “Go ahead. Tell him that we have brought twenty thousand elite soldiers and strong generals, stationed nearby. With just a command from you, they will all be at your disposal.”
This made the Special Envoy even happier. He cupped his hands in thanks and then left the inn.
Yu Meng watched the Special Envoy’s departing figure, her heart filled with mixed emotions. It had been a long time since she had seen her parents. She never expected that upon their reunion, her mother would be carrying a baby, and she would have a younger sibling next year.
The Special Envoy returned and relayed everything he had witnessed that day to the couple. This undoubtedly gave them a sense of reassurance.
“With twenty thousand soldiers, plus the special forces, we truly have a considerable number of people at our disposal. This further increases our chances of victory for tomorrow night’s events.”
Fan Zehao nodded in agreement, “Yes, if we hold on for two more days, we will see the dawn of victory.”
Yes, it was finally coming to an end.
That night, Zhao Jiaqi couldn’t sleep. Perhaps it was a little excitement, or perhaps it was a little worry.
She stood by the window, gazing at the moon amongst the treetops, bright and serene, with twinkling stars. Many memories surfaced.
She recalled discussing scriptures with Wang Tian, the brief joy she shared with Wang Hui, and also the time she used Wang Hui to extract much information from the village chief.
Her heart was filled with guilt and apology, a jumble of emotions that were difficult to articulate.
Fan Zehao brought a cloak and draped it over her shoulders. He didn’t urge her to sleep but instead watched the sky outside with her.
“I know you’re worried about Wang Hui. If Wang Hui truly shows remorse, I will send her away and have her monitored. While I cannot give her the life she desires, at least her life can be spared.”
Her life could be spared, but she would forever be under surveillance, for fear that she might cultivate poppies again and harm others.
Zhao Jiaqi understood this. At least her husband was not utterly ruthless, and sparing her life was enough.
“Thank you.”
Fan Zehao looked down at the woman in his arms and smiled, “Do we need to say thank you between us?”
Saying thank you felt too distant. Zhao Jiaqi’s lips curved into a sweet smile.
In the latter half of the night, Zhao Jiaqi finally felt drowsy. Leaning against him, she began to nod off. Fan Zehao, sensing his wife was about to sleep, gently picked her up in a princess carry and placed her on the bed. He then turned to close the window before going to sleep himself.
After they had retired, a person appeared in the corner of the wall. Listening to their conversation, tears streamed down their eyes. They silently turned and left.