Chapter 190 Is the Baby Moving…

Chapter 190: Is the baby moving...?

"No, I absolutely disagree." Tuo Baxiao vehemently objected as soon as she spoke.

Jiang Congyan opened her mouth to explain, but Tuo Baxiao refused to listen. "I won’t allow you to take this risk."

"Listen to me first," Jiang Congyan insisted, gripping his hand firmly. "At this point, since they’re willing to surrender, they probably wouldn’t dare scheme. They’re only concerned about their fate post-surrender, which is why they want me to negotiate and give them assurances."

"What if they take you hostage?" Tuo Baxiao countered. "They know they’re losing, so this is just a ploy to trap you."

"You’re pregnant with our child. If something happens to you, what would I do?"

The mere thought of it was unbearable to him, so even the slightest risk was unacceptable to him.

"You’re not wrong, but I believe—"

"If you see my point, then stay," Tuo Baxiao interrupted sharply. "Whether they surrender or not doesn’t matter. I’ll storm the city if necessary."

Hearing this, Jiang Congyan’s heart tightened at his words. She knew he was furious and being stubborn.

Afraid to push him further, she softened her tone to placate him. "Alright, let’s send someone else to negotiate."

Tuo Baxiao was overprotective of her safety, while Jiang Congyan believed the situation wasn’t that dire. Besides, no reward comes without risk. If securing the allegiance of the entire Liang State required taking a small chance, it was worth it—but he wasn’t in the mood to listen.

After soothing Tuo Baxiao, Jiang Congyan finally called the messenger and relayed her instructions to Huan Jun.

"My promises are genuine. As long as you surrender, the Xianbei Army will not harm a single soul in the city."

The messenger bowed in acknowledgment before being escorted to the riverbank.

The opposing forces remained deadlocked, with warships and water fortresses tightly guarding the river. Unauthorized crossings were forbidden.

The messenger boarded a small boat and was ferried to the middle of the river by the Xianbei Army.

Seeing this, the opposite shore dispatched two boats to retrieve him.

Just as the exchange was completed and both sides prepared to return, A Long declared, "The King says: Surrender if you will, or fight if you won’t. Don’t try any tricks. If you dare make such demands again, don’t blame him for showing no mercy."

The Liang soldiers turned pale at his threat.

What did this imply? Would Tuo Baxiao show no mercy?

Panic spread instantly, and they hastily rowed back to report the news to Huan Jun.

Tuo Baxiao’s brief statement sent shockwaves through the Southern Liang court. Officials gathered in the hall, voices rising in alarm.

"This proves the barbarians can’t be trusted!"

"The Princess’s earlier assurances mean nothing—she has no real authority. Everything depends on Tuo Baxiao’s whims. If he’s in a good mood, we live; if he wants us dead, we’re doomed. What’s the point of surrendering then?"

The hall erupted in debate.

Huan Jun, while less alarmed, grew uneasy. He turned to the messenger. "What did the Princess say?"

The messenger replied, "The Princess said she would keep her word—that Xianbei and Han are equals."

Huan Jun’s gaze darkened as he thought of Jiang Congyan. Though years had passed since they last met, he still trusted her.

But did she truly have the power to uphold her promises in front of Tuo Baxiao? How much influence did she wield among the Xianbei? Their survival now hinged entirely on her.

Huan Jun was willing to surrender, but only on the condition that the interests of the Han people were guaranteed.

He distrusted Tuoba Baxiao—his trust lay solely with her.

"I’ll draft another letter—you’ll deliver it."

——

Jiang Congyan received Huan Jun’s letter the next day. After reading it, her face frosted over, her dark eyes devoid of warmth.

Her grip on the letter tightened, knuckles bleaching white.

Tuoba Baxiao had been in discussions all day and returned to their quarters after dark. He found her sitting upright in the middle of the room, a candelabra beside her illuminating her straight back and composed face.

He thought little of it and approached, bent to kiss her—only for her to shove him back hard.

Tuoba Baxiao figured she hated his grime and chuckled, turning his head to speak. But then he caught the coldness in her gaze.

At this close distance, there was no mistaking it.

"What’s got you riled up now?" he asked, reaching out to touch her cheek.

A sharp *crack*—Jiang Congyan slapped his hand away.

Tuoba Baxiao, thick-skinned, barely flinched but was puzzled.

"Who else? It’s the man staring me in the face," Jiang Congyan said coldly.

"Me?" Tuoba Baxiao slowly pointed at himself.

Seeing that he seemed completely unaware of the consequences of his words, Jiang Congyan closed her eyes, struggling to calm herself.

"You sent A Long to threaten them behind my back?" She could understand his concern for her safety, but she couldn’t accept him going behind her back to have A Long issue threats—especially at such a critical moment.

Oh, that. Tuoba Baxiao finally pieced it together, but still couldn’t grasp why she was so angry.

"I just wanted to scare those Liang fools off the idea. If they want to surrender, they should do it quickly."

Of course, the main reason was their demand for Jiang Congyan to enter the city, which had infuriated him enough to lash out.

"Your heart might’ve been in the right place, but have you considered how they would interpret those words? I’ve spent so much effort persuading them to surrender precisely to avoid deepening the divide between the Xianbei and the Han, hoping that one day people of all tribes can live in harmony. But you—" Here, she swallowed her reproach and continued, "I was making progress with Huan Jun—slow but steady. Now, I have no choice but to go."

"Over my dead body!"

Tuoba Baxiao bolted upright, prowling like a caged wolf.

"Whatever you say, I won’t agree!"

Jiang Congyan: "Huan Jun and Xie Shao are stationed in Jiankang. We go way back, and I trust their character. They would never do such a thing. Besides, at this stage, taking me hostage would be idiotic—"

Jiang Congyan laid it out for him, but when it came to her safety, he turned into a raging animal, logic be damned.

Tuoba Baxiao remembered how she had been abducted by Wudati Hou and later seized by Zhao Shi and his son. Each time left him raw.

He’d sworn a blood oath to keep her safe, never letting her face danger again.

By the end, Jiang Congyan was spent.

They were at an impasse, neither able to convince the other, and the silence stretched two days.

Jiang Congyan was furious at his thoughtless unilateral decision and shut him out of the room.

Tuo Baxiao was forced to sleep in the military camp.

Everyone could tell the king was in a bad mood these days, walking on eggshells to avoid angering him.

A Long was especially uneasy. He now realized the quarrel between the king and the Khatun was entirely due to his words that day, leaving him full of regret. Fearing the king might vent his anger on him, he wracked his brain and decided to bow his head and apologize to Jiang Congyan.

"Khatun, it was all my fault."

Jiang Congyan replied, "You were just following his orders, merely a messenger. How is it your fault?"

A Long felt slightly relieved but still uneasy. "If the king orders me to do such things in the future, should I come and ask you first?"

Jiang Congyan neither agreed nor refused. "You can go for now."

As A Long walked back, he thought, the Khatun probably agreed, right?

After enduring her silent treatment for two or three days, Tuo Baxiao could no longer bear it. Ignoring her indifferent expression, he pressed against her as she got into bed.

"I haven’t seen our baby in days. Let me touch him."

His words left Jiang Congyan unable to refuse, allowing him to lay his hand on her belly.

She was now four months along, her once-flat stomach now slightly rounded, though the change was still subtle—only noticeable when touched.

Though she let him stay close, Jiang Congyan didn’t want to speak much and closed her eyes to sleep. Just then, her belly gave the tiniest flutter, like a little fish flicking its tail.

She stiffened, her eyes shot open.

"Yan Yan, did the baby move? Did she move?"

Thrilled, bolting upright, Tuo Baxiao exclaimed, "I felt her move!"

Jiang Congyan gradually shook off the odd feeling, looking at him with equal delight.

"Yes, the baby moved."

Though four months had passed and her belly was slowly changing, it was only now that she truly felt the child’s presence.

And by pure chance, Tuo Baxiao had felt the baby’s first kick too.

"Let me feel again, see if she’ll move once more."

He laid his hand on her belly again, but despite waiting patiently, all was still.

Tuo Baxiao sighed in disappointment.

Seeing his goofy look, Jiang Congyan couldn’t help but laugh.

"The baby is still small and isn’t strong enough to keep moving."

"Then she must grow quickly. You should eat more too—most women put on weight when pregnant, but you seem thinner."

"I’m fine. I haven’t lost weight."

But she hadn’t gained much either, mainly due to morning sickness killing her appetite over the past month. Still, Zhang Fu checked her and assured her everything was healthy.

The two babbled on about the baby, and the earlier silent treatment seemed to melt away after this shared joy.

The atmosphere was so harmonious that Jiang Congyan seized the opportunity to bring up the matter of negotiating the surrender.

"Don't rush, hear me out first."

Tuo Baxiao forced himself to stay calm. "Alright, go on."

"I know you're worried about me. As you said, I'm pregnant with our child—how could I possibly endanger our child? I’m willing to meet them because I’m confident in my plan."

"Moreover, my father is still in Jiankang. He will protect me. I’ve already contacted him. Southern Liang genuinely wishes to surrender, but they’re concerned about the Han-Hu ethnic divide. They just need me to give them personal assurances."

Seeing the genuine confidence in her expression and remembering how protective she was of the child, Tuo Baxiao finally relented. "I’ll go with you."

Jiang Congyan shook her head. "No. The greatest assurance for me is you staying outside with the main army."

In the end, Tuo Baxiao was persuaded.

However, he didn’t let her depart the next day. Instead, he spent two or three days redeploying the navy, putting on a show of force.

The two sides agreed to meet at the gates of Jiankang.

"At most two hours. You must return by then," he said.

"Yes, I’ll come back on time." She hugged him and nodded earnestly.

Jiang Congyan arrived by boat at the Liang army’s river fortress, then disembarked with a hundred personal guards.

Tuo Baxiao stood on the command ship at mid-river, his eyes locked on the opposite shore.

As soon as Jiang Congyan set foot on the pier, she saw a sizeable delegation awaiting her, headed by Jiang Huai.

"Father."