Chapter 98 Farewell

Chapter 98 The Send-Off

After the Turkic envoys departed, Lu Feng waved his hand, dismissing everyone except himself and Pei Zhang.

The two men exchanged a glance, and Pei Zhang bowed deeply. "This lowly official has accomplished his mission."

The fact that the Turkic side ultimately agreed to Lu Feng’s harsh terms and a peace treaty was reached owed much to Pei Zhang’s efforts. After finding Jiang Wanrou, Lu Feng had followed the clues to establish contact with Pei Zhang, who then hand-drew the defense layouts of key cities. Though not entirely accurate, they were roughly seventy to eighty percent correct.

This gave the Qi Dynasty leverage in negotiations. Moreover, the defense maps were military secrets, traditionally safeguarded by successive Khans. Now that they had fallen into Qi hands, Modu had yet another charge added to his name, paving the way for Liu Yuenu’s rise to power.

In short, the mission had been perilous, where the slightest misstep could have meant death. Pei Zhang, a scholar, had infiltrated enemy territory alone and performed exceptional service—he had even saved Jiang Wanrou.

Lu Feng’s frosty eyes narrowed and he said gravely, "Sit."

Setting aside personal grudges, as a colleague, he admired such a subordinate. This was also why he had repeatedly extended mercy to Pei Zhang.

Pei Zhang took his seat gracefully, and the two discussed official matters for a while. Soon, Lu Feng rapped the table with his knuckles and said, "Your merits have been truthfully reported to His Majesty."

Just as Pei Zhang had refrained from taking advantage of others’ misfortunes, Lu Feng disdained using official matters to settle personal scores. He then asked,

"What are Lord Pei’s plans now?"

Pei Zhang replied calmly, "I submit wholly to His Majesty’s decree."

Lu Feng swore under his breath at Pei Zhang’s evasiveness. After a pause, he hinted meaningfully, "The newly established protectorate requires joint governance between Qi and Turkic officials. It’s a time of reconstruction, in dire need of capable individuals."

With intelligent men, few words were necessary. Pei Zhang smiled faintly. "Your Highness flatters me."

"Having received the emperor’s bounty, one must serve loyally. This humble official should not decline. However, my elderly mother still lives. As a son, how can I leave my family to travel far?"

Invoking filial piety made his words lofty, but how could familial duty compare to imperial grace? Just as Lu Feng was about to speak, Pei Zhang added coolly, "Moreover, my wife’s body is not yet buried. After years of marriage, I must return to see her off properly."

It took Lu Feng a moment to realize the wife Pei Zhang referred to was Jiang Wanying, whom he had killed.

Of course, Lu Feng did not believe he had been wrong—that woman’s treasonous words had warranted death a thousand times over. As the dynasty’s top spymaster, he could have disposed of her without a trace, but rage had clouded his judgment. Pei Zhang was sharp as a blade; if he investigated deeply, he might uncover the truth.

Yet Lu Feng felt not a shred of guilt. With a wave of his hand, he declared, "A true man need not worry about lacking an heir! Point to any noble lady you desire, and I shall arrange it for you!"

At first, it was just a remark, but the more Lu Feng thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed. Pei Zhang was no longer young and was now a widower. Why not bestow upon him eight or ten beauties to bear him many heirs, so he would stop pining for the unattainable?

Unfortunately, Pei Zhang declined his goodwill. Shaking his head, he said, "There’s no need to trouble Your Highness."

When Jiang Wanying died, Pei Zhang had not been in the capital. Upon receiving the letter from home informing him of his wife’s inexplicable death, he had felt a sudden emptiness.

Not grief, not anger—just a hollow ache, mingled with a dark, unnameable relief.

She had married him when he was poor and obscure. Though their years together could not be called affectionate, they had at least maintained surface courtesy. He had assumed they would live out their lives like most couples—ordinary and uneventful—until he had that dream.

In the dream, he had a lovely, charming wife and two bright, adorable children. His life was complete. But because of Jiang Wanying’s meddling, everything was destroyed.

For a time, Pei Zhang had suffered skull-splitting pain that even camphor could not soothe. He lay sleepless night upon night, staring wide-eyed until dawn. So deep ran his loathing!

He hated Jiang Wanying. He raged against Heaven’s cruelty—why had he been made to remember? He even began to resent his teacher and the Confucian classics he had studied since childhood, with their teachings of "gentleness, humility, and kindness," molding him into someone bound by compassion and duty. As a wife, she had committed no fault, leaving him unable to simply kill the root of his misery.

Now that she was dead, it was as though the chains around his heart had slackened. Pei Zhang inexplicably felt relieved, spared from making a painful choice. His elderly mother and cousin had been frightened. His mother, who had never liked her daughter-in-law, now that death had erased past resentments, wrote urging him to find the culprit and clear his wife’s name.

Her body had been too shattered to piece together, so only her clothes were encoffined in premium southern cedar wood, as arranged by his frugal mother. The coffin remained at home, awaiting his return to oversee the funeral.

As for the murderer of Jiang Wanying, he had his suspicions but chose not to delve deeper. Now, he would return to see her off and find her a burial site with good feng shui, to honor their years as husband and wife.

No—they should no longer be referred to as husband and wife. He had long written her a letter of divorce, fearing her loose tongue, and confined her to the Buddhist hall. He would give her a grand send-off, but she could no longer hold the title of his wife. His heart had only ever belonged to one woman.

Even if no one else in this world knew.

The thought of Jiang Wanrou twisted like a knife in Pei Zhang’s chest. He glanced at Lu Feng, wanting to explain—during those days among the Turkic people, the two of them had kept strictly to propriety, and nothing had happened.

But then he reconsidered. Such matters only grew more suspicious the more one explained. She was clever enough; surely, she would find a way to handle it.

His lips parted slightly, but in the end, he said nothing. Still uneasy, he hinted instead, "Fresh from mourning my wife, I’ve no mind for romance."

Lu Feng gave a low, ambiguous chuckle. With Pei Zhang’s words so plainly spoken, Lu Feng couldn’t very well force a meritorious official to stay. His sharp gaze bore into Pei Zhang like a blade.

"Staying in Turkic territory is a prime opportunity to build your legacy. Pei Zhang, you’re a smart man—I’ll spare you the speech."

"If you insist on returning to the capital, after this campaign, you’ll inevitably be branded as one of my faction. I’ve no time to nursemaid you. Life in the capital won’t be peaceful from now on."

Pei Zhang pretended not to catch the underlying threat, smiling instead. "I am a grown man—why would I need Your Highness’s protection?"

"The capital’s never been peaceful. As for being labeled a Prince of Qi’s ally… Your Highness, has my sincerity not been clear enough?"

Emperor Wu-to-be, famed for his battle prowess—even in this second life, though many things had changed, Pei Zhang still trusted him.

In his past life, Lu Feng had privately executed Chen Fu, enraging the emperor. Moreover, due to his crippled leg, he had not been appointed to oversee this campaign. The prolonged stalemate with the Turkic forces had worn on the emperor’s health, and as princes began meddling, it devolved into a bloody fight for the throne. Lu Feng butchered his own brothers for the throne—all within just two years.

The true subjugation of the Turkic people had only come after Emperor Wu’s ascension.

Now, with the emperor in good health and the Turkic war ended in six months with a crushing victory, Lu Feng’s temperament was far less bloodthirsty than Emperor Wu’s. It was uncertain when he would claim the throne this time.

Judging by Lu Feng’s earlier words, he already had such intentions—perhaps even sooner than in the previous life.

Pei Zhang suppressed his swirling thoughts and rose to take his leave. Lu Feng neither agreed nor refused his "pledge of loyalty," remaining noncommittal. After Pei Zhang departed, Lu Feng took a slow sip of his long-cold tea before turning his attention to Chen Fu.

This time, he would wield the blade himself. Two decades of grudges—today, they’d be repaid.

***

While the men busied themselves, Jiang Wanrou was not idle either.

With peace negotiations nearing their end and most matters settled, Liu Yuenu, the newly minted "Khan," was set to ascend the throne and preside over the royal court.

Inside the tent, bundles and trunks lay in disarray as Jiang Wanrou rummaged anxiously through one of them.

"Strange, I swore I tucked the horse oil in here. Where is it?"

Liu Yuenu lifted the tent flap and sighed at the mess. "Don’t trouble yourself. I’ve all I need."

Now, her address of "Sister Wanrou" was entirely proper. A few days prior, the two had formally sworn sisterhood—not just in name, but sworn before gods and witnesses, recorded in the official documents of both nations.

Liu Yuenu, this newly appointed "Khan," was described in the state records as: "Bearing noble royal lineage and educated under the Celestial Dynasty’s guidance, she is the sister of the Qi Dynasty’s princess consort, now entrusted with the duty of fostering harmony between the two realms."

When she first received the news, Liu Yuenu had been too stunned to accept the absurd title of "Khan." She wasn’t a fool—Lu Feng was forcing her into this role as a puppet of the Qi Dynasty. How could the Turkic people ever truly submit to a ruler like her? With mixed heritage, she’d be torn between two peoples, accepted by neither.

It wasn’t until Lu Feng presented her with the state document and said, "Her safety depends on your cooperation," that Liu Yuenu hesitated.

She ached to call her "sister" without pretense. And she remembered—this prince had been cruel to Sister Wanrou!

She’d never have forced Sister Wanrou to choke down bitter draughts year after wretched year! That prince claimed Sister Wanrou’s lowly status made her a punching bag for slights.

Only by becoming strong can she stop others from bullying her.

Liu Yuenu spent a full day and night deciding to accept the title of Khan.

She went directly to Lu Feng and declared bluntly, "Since I’m becoming the Khan, I will never be a traitor who sells out my people for personal glory."

Just like the servants who had followed her in rebellion—when Ling Xiao led troops to suppress them, she would rather die herself than let them suffer. She was a woman of unwavering principle; once she made a promise, she would see it through to the end.

She would be a true ruler of the Turkic people, not a puppet of Great Qi.

Lu Feng gave a derisive snort. "First, secure your position as Khan. Only then will you have the right to negotiate with me."

The Turkic royal court was currently in chaos. With Modu imprisoned and multiple factions vying for power, Liu Yuenu—this "isolated claimant"—would inevitably face backstabbing and ambushes upon her arrival.

However, with Ling Xiao’s army massed at the frontier, her life was temporarily safe. As for the future… it would depend on Liu Yuenu’s own abilities.

Liu Yuenu clearly understood this as well. She showed no concern. Lu Feng had been generous enough to return her former subordinates to her, allowing her to bring them to Turkic.

She said solemnly, "I will honor the alliance between our two nations. But if Great Qi breaks its word, I will not surrender without a fight."

Lu Feng smirked dismissively. "Your insignificant territory isn’t even worth Great Qi’s attention."

The Turkic grasslands were vast—though incomparable to the mighty Great Qi, they could hardly be called "insignificant." But Lu Feng didn’t care. As long as they dutifully delivered tribute and didn’t cause trouble, it made no difference to him whether the land was ruled by the Turkic people, the Qi, or even if Liu Yuenu eventually unified control.

Yet, Liu Yuenu—a woman—had more backbone than some men, earning Lu Feng’s begrudging respect.

He mused silently on fate's irony. He had slaughtered countless Turkic people before, and now, ironically, he might have personally chosen them a wise ruler.

……

Because of this faint sense of appreciation, Lu Feng humored her with a cheerful response when Jiang Wanrou saw Liu Yuenu off. Today was the day of Liu Yuenu’s departure. She had always been carefree, accustomed to traveling light—just a horse and a blade would suffice. All these scattered bundles were prepared by Jiang Wanrou.

There were clothes for all seasons, thick sheepskin coats and woolen cloaks, horse oil balm to prevent chapped skin, hard soap for washing, beef jerky and water pouches for the journey… big and small, nothing was overlooked.

Though a Khan would lack none of these material things, Jiang Wanrou still wanted to give all she could.

The horse oil balm was tucked away in a small box at the bottom of a chest. After much searching, Jiang Wanrou finally found it and placed it in Liu Yuenu’s palm.

She said, "Sis, once we part, who knows when we’ll meet again? I won’t say too much—just keep this close, apply it regularly, and take good care of yourself."

Perhaps from wielding blades so often, Liu Yuenu’s hands were rough and calloused, cracking in the winter. During their time together, Jiang Wanrou had constantly reminded her to apply lard to keep them moisturized. Yet in such a short time, her skin had already dried and peeled again.

Liu Yuenu silently pocketed the balm. She gazed at Jiang Wanrou, her azure phoenix-shaped eyes filled with solemnity, and said, "Sister Rou, wait for me. Once I’ve secured my throne, if that prince treats you poorly, I’ll bring you back to the grasslands, alright?"

"Just like before."

Jiang Wanrou smoothed the rumpled collar of Liu Yuenu’s robe and smiled warmly. "He treats me well."

Liu Yuenu pressed her lips together tightly before finally saying, "If you ever want to come, I’ll fetch you anytime."

She would always have Sister Rou’s back.

Their kingdoms lay thousands of li apart—it was hardly so simple. Jiang Wanrou found it amusing but didn’t dampen the mood, agreeing cheerfully instead. She had never liked sorrowful farewells; even in parting, there was no need for tears. Her Sis was leaving to become a glorious Khan, not to die—what bad luck that would be!

She held Liu Yuenu’s hand and talked brightly of their future reunion, laughing together. Under the glow of the setting sun, with a gentle breeze blowing, Liu Yuenu rode forth toward the Turkic capital—accompanied by her subordinates, her court ladies, and a cart laden with provisions carefully packed by Jiang Wanrou.