xymnovel Chapter 39 Madam Wang!
Chapter 39 Madam Wang!
"Uncle, has the imperial court really given any definite news?"
Half an hour later, Jia Lang took a deep breath of the cold air and asked softly.
Jia Ren slowly turned his head, looked at Jia Lang's young and resolute face, nodded slightly, and said in a deep voice:
"Yes, it was an urgent letter, delivered just recently."
"The imperial court has dispatched reinforcements, led by Prince Teng, the military governor of the capital garrison."
"Judging by their pace, the army will arrive in two days at most!"
Upon hearing this, Jia Lang unconsciously furrowed his brows.
"Alright, Lang-ge'er, it's getting late, and your injuries haven't fully healed yet. Go back and rest."
"We need to conserve our energy; the next two days will likely see a truly fierce and bloody battle."
Jia Ren patted Jia Lang on the shoulder, signaling him to leave.
"Well then, Uncle, you should get some rest too."
Jia Lang nodded heavily, clasped his hands in a salute, and turned to leave in large strides.
After descending the city wall and learning that reinforcements were indeed on their way, Jia Lang finally felt relieved, and his tense nerves relaxed slightly.
"From this perspective, this battle to defend the pass is not entirely without a chance of victory."
As Jia Lang walked, he mentally calculated a defensive strategy.
"But...."
His brows, which had just relaxed, furrowed again.
"The one leading the troops is actually Wang Ziteng..."
"Heh, the military governor of the capital..."
........
A thousand miles away, in the capital city.
Night fell as dark as ink, shrouding the entire Rongguo Mansion in a deep and oppressive atmosphere.
Inside the study of Rongxi Hall, the candlelight flickered violently, casting shadows on Jia Zheng's serious and rigid face, making him appear particularly gloomy.
"master."
With a soft call, Madam Wang gently pushed open the door to the study.
She carried a freshly brewed cup of maple dew tea, steaming hot, and walked in with small, respectful steps.
"It's so late, why isn't Madam resting yet?"
Jia Zheng put down the wolf-hair brush in his hand, gently blew on the still-wet ink on the paper, and then calmly raised his head and asked in a flat tone.
"I've been feeling quite anxious lately. I heard that Baoyu's uncle has been ordered to lead troops to reinforce Yanmen Pass?"
"The Xiongnu beyond the pass are powerful; I wonder if this matter is true or false?"
Lady Wang carefully placed the teacup on the table, but did not leave immediately. Instead, she stared intently at Jia Zheng with a concerned expression and a hint of urgency in her eyes.
Upon hearing this, Jia Zheng's brows furrowed instantly, but considering Lady Wang's status and her family's influence, he quickly relaxed and said calmly:
"Your information network is quite impressive."
"This is indeed true. His Majesty personally issued an edict ordering my brother to lead 50,000 elite troops from the capital garrison to rush to the aid of Yanmen Pass overnight."
"Fifty...fifty thousand?"
"Then...is my brother in danger?"
Upon hearing this, Madam Wang's face turned deathly pale, and her voice trembled noticeably, clearly shocked by the number.
"I've heard that the Xiongnu have a full 100,000 cavalrymen this time!"
"These...swords have no eyes..."
Hearing this woman's opinion, Jia Zheng glanced coldly at Lady Wang out of the corner of his eye, a nameless displeasure rising in his heart, but he still patiently explained:
"Put your mind at ease. As the commander-in-chief, Brother Wang will be in no danger."
As the ancient saying goes, a commander strategizes within the command tent and wins battles a thousand miles away.
"Why should he need to personally lead the troops into battle when he can simply command from the central command tent?"
Jia Zheng picked up his teacup, took a small sip to moisten his throat, and then said:
"and..."
At this point, Jia Zheng simply shook his head meaningfully, without finishing the rest of his sentence.
The ancestors of the Jia family were top military heroes who helped the founding emperor conquer the country. They were ruthless figures who helped the founding emperor conquer the country and were truly capable of both generals and ministers.
Although nowadays, apart from Jia Lang, no other members of the Jia family have joined the army.
Although Jia Zheng himself was not very skilled in martial arts, as the son of the Duke of Rongguo, he was familiar with the ways of the military and knew a thing or two about it.
Although the Xiongnu came with great force, Jia Ren, the general guarding Yanmen Pass, was a ruthless man who had seen blood. Jia Zheng did not believe that Jia Ren could not hold out for even a day or two.
Furthermore, the capital is far from Yanmen Pass, and it is uncertain whether Prince Teng's 50,000 troops can arrive before the city falls. Given this, how can there be any talk of danger?
This is nothing more than picking up the credit that's already been earned.
"master?"
However, how could a woman confined to her chambers understand the intricacies of these important military and national affairs?
Lady Wang only knew that her brother was her greatest support in the Jia family, and if that support collapsed, her future would be difficult. So she quickly asked:
"You should at least give me a straight answer..."
Upon hearing this, Jia Zheng finally couldn't hold back any longer and frowned as he rebuked him:
"You're just a woman, stop meddling in these important military and national affairs!"
"Instead of wasting time like this, you should properly discipline that wretched child, Baoyu!"
"I heard from the teacher at school that this brat has dared to skip school again recently; he's simply lawless!"
The moment Baoyu was mentioned, Lady Wang's eyes instantly reddened, and she covered her face with her handkerchief and began to sob softly.
Seeing this, Jia Zheng became even more agitated and impatiently scolded:
"Cry, cry, cry! All you do all day is cry!"
"Even if my Jia family has immense good fortune, you, you jinx, will cry it all away!"
"Master...Master...how could you say such a thing about me..."
Madam Wang was so humiliated by the scolding that she couldn't lift her head and sobbed as she tried to defend herself:
"I have borne you children and managed the household affairs; even if I have not made any great contributions, I have certainly worked hard..."
"Alright!"
Before Madam Wang could finish speaking, Jia Zheng abruptly interrupted her by flicking his sleeve.
"Brother Wang, you are a lucky man and the heavens will protect you. You will be fine. Stop worrying unnecessarily."
Jia Zheng picked up his brush again, dipped it in ink, and coldly dismissed him:
"Is there anything else?"
"If you don't have it, then go downstairs. Don't disturb my peace and quiet."
"I..."
Lady Wang opened her mouth, but looking at Jia Zheng's indifferent back, a thousand words stuck in her throat, and finally turned into a submissive sigh.
"I...I'm alright."
Madam Wang lowered her eyes, concealing the resentment in them, and responded in a low voice.
"Since there's nothing else, you may leave."
Without looking up, Jia Zheng said, "By the way, I'll be staying in the outer study tonight, not going back to my room. You should get settled in early."
Upon hearing this, Madam Wang trembled violently, a deep sense of loss and humiliation flashing in her eyes, but she ultimately gritted her teeth and replied softly:
"This concubine...understands."
After saying this, Madam Wang turned and left the study.
However, as soon as she left that suffocating study, the submissive look on Madam Wang's face vanished instantly, replaced by a look of ferocity and resentment.
Jia Zheng hasn't entered her room for a whole month; he's either staying at Aunt Zhao's or fooling around with Aunt Zhou.
Although no one in the manor dared to gossip openly, it was only out of fear of her power.
Once she loses power, who knows how those snobbish servants will trample on her.
Lady Wang knew perfectly well that her power in the Jia family came not only from being Jia Zheng's legal wife, nor only from Baoyu, who was doted on by the old lady, but more importantly, from her maternal family, from her brother Wang Ziteng, the military governor of the capital garrison who held considerable military power!
As long as Wang Ziteng remains in power, no one in the Jia family will dare to really touch her!
The thought that Jia Zheng would not return to his room again tonight twisted Lady Wang's well-maintained face into a rather frightening expression.
"It's that wretched maid Zhao again..."
As she walked, Madam Wang uttered these words through gritted teeth, her eyes flashing with a cold, venomous light.
"It's been quite a while since I've seen Huan-ge'er. When Aunt Zhao comes to pay her respects tomorrow, tell her to bring Huan-ge'er along."
Madam Wang stopped and glanced back at the dim light emanating from the study. Her voice was so soft it sent chills down one's spine, and a gentle smile remained on her lips.
"Yes."
The personal maid behind him shrank back and responded in a low voice.