Chapter 365: When it’s time to hit, you go up.

Translator: 549690339

After Gu Ling finished speaking, he lay down with his arm as a pillow, gazing at Su Liang with a shallow and playful smile.

Su Liang felt that Gu Ling’s wink was deliberate and not a subconscious reaction to lying, as he had stopped doing that after she discovered his physical response to lying.

Nevertheless, Su Liang suddenly thought, given Gu Ling’s personality, even if it were a son, he will think that the child can wear a skirt…

Consequently, “can” doesn’t signify anything, and “wink” doesn’t imply anything either.

“Forget it, just reveal the answer directly,” Su Liang gave up guessing.

“It’s a daughter,” Gu Ling responded, his smile deepening.

Even though Su Liang was indifferent between a son or a daughter, she still felt a thrill bubbling when the prediction was confirmed because she began imagining how their little girl would look.

As they lay facing each other, Su Liang said, “They say a daughter always resembles her father, and I too hope that our daughter will look like you. Gu Ling, if you were a woman, you would undoubtedly be a great beauty.”

Gu Ling nodded, “I hope your wishes come true.” He didn’t have any specific requirements about how his daughter should look. Anything would suffice. However, since Su Liang had an idea, he hoped it could fulfill her.

Both of them couldn’t sleep and simply got dressed, went outside for a walk, speculating about life after their baby was born.

“Let’s keep this a secret for now,” Su Liang gently laughed. “We’ll surprise our masters later. But, there’s a question I want to re-ask you, Gu Ling.”

Gu Ling nodded, “Which one?”

A mischievous smile hung on Su Liang’s lips, “What if our little girl is naughty? Will you still banish her to a deserted island? Does she still need to surpass you in martial arts?”

Gu Ling shook his head, “No more desert islands. Before her martial arts surpass mine, she will have to obey. If she misbehaves, she will be punished.”

Su Liang expressed surprise, “I thought you would pamper our daughter unconditionally, Gu Ling.”

“I will. But that’s not good,” Gu Ling nodded. “When she needs to be disciplined, you will deal with it I will console her.”

Su Liang, although she was clearly designated for the task, found the arrangement acceptable.

After Lian Shun had safely escorted Yang Yu to Jiaye City, he told Nian Jincheng to just enjoy his time with his wife, leaving the city’s defences to him.

Nian Jincheng didn’t hesitate, and he went to spend lovey-dovey time with Yang Yu.

Lian Shun thought about Ying Ying who went ahead to Yin Country, couldn’t help feeling all the more longing and worry for her. He wondered if she had arrived at her destination and if she succeeded in rescuing her brother.

Two days after he had returned to Jiaye City, Lian Shun suddenly remembered something else. So, he went to find Nian Jincheng, only to discover Nian Jincheng pushing Yang Yu on a swing as soon as he entered the courtyard…

How childish… while Lian Shun ridiculed him internally, he was already starting to fantasize about pushing Ying Ying on the swing. It appeared at odds, as if it would be more fitting if Ying Ying were the one pushing him instead.

Seeing Lian Shun, Nian Jincheng held Yang Yu tight, causing the swing to halt.

“What’s the matter?” Nian Jincheng asked twice.

Lian Shun returned to his senses, “I suddenly remembered something and came to ask you. Any news from Ren Dong?”

Nian Jincheng shook his head, “No. She went to Xiangyue City. If everything went smoothly, she should be back soon.”

Lian Shun sighed, “I’m not sure what will happen. If she returns, she should come to say hello to us.” Turning around, he waved his hand, “If there’s nothing else, continue your game, I’m going to patrol now.”

According to his calculation, at this moment, Situ Jing would have reached the capital city, and the marriage between Situ Yao and her beloved would have happened. The wedding delegation from Yin Country had also passed Jiaye City a few days ago, heading to the capital city.

Lian Shun actually wanted to find Nian Jincheng for a drink and chat about Situ Jing’s situation, but seeing that sweet reunion between the couple, he thought better of it. He decided to deal with the bothersome issues alone.

Several days passed, Ren Dong hadn’t appeared, and there was no news from Ying Ying either. Meanwhile, news from the capital kept arriving: Situ Yao entered the palace, bestowed as Liang Imperial Concubine, the emperor doted on her immensely, and even due to her refusal to participate in morning court, the second prince and King Yue’s eldest grandson of Liang Country had left the capital and embarked on the road back to Liang Country…

As for the issues concerning Duanmu Chen and Situ Yao, Lian Shun didn’t care. If Duanmu Chen was the type of emperor who would be blinded by beauty, Gu Ling and Su Liang wouldn’t have helped him ascend to the throne. Rumors couldn’t be trusted, if they were indeed true, there must be something strange in it.

What caught Lian Shun’s attention was that Situ Jing had left the capital after arriving, which meant Xing Ji, who never gave up on him, didn’t manage to successfully reconcile the relationship between him, Su Liang, and Gu Ling.

Lian Shun knew that Xing Ji wouldn’t leave Situ Jing unattended. He must hope that Situ Jing won’t return to Liang Country, but instead stay in Qian Country with him. But he also lived with Su Liang, so Su Liang needed to agree. From the looks of it, it seemed that there was no hope.

Lian Shun’s mood was somewhat complicated.

The incident that happened four months ago in Jiaye city was unexpected. Now, looking back at it, Su Liang should have known the gender of the baby in her belly.

Lian Shun had long since calmed down. He often recalled the first time he met “Che Yun”. The friendship between the two was initiated by Lian Shun. He took the initiative to find Situ Jing because he was always running around, and Situ Jing was in the army in Xuanbei City, unable to go anywhere.

As such, there never existed such a thing as Situ Jing intentionally approaching Lian Shun, deceiving his sentiments, and using him to achieve unmentionable secret goals.

Only now, Lian Shun finally understood why Situ Jing, when he was quiet, always seemed a bit gloomy, and sometimes it was even hard to hide his sadness and suppression.

Initially, Lian Shun didn’t doubt and thought, “Che Yun” couldn’t relax or cheer up because he lost his little brother when he was young and his parents’ health was not good.

After the truth came out, everything became clear.

Lian Shun also knew that even without Situ Jing, General Yuan would die in Situ Xie’s meticulously planned scheme, and even Yuan Pei would get into trouble. Although Lin’s family had faced a disaster, in the end, there were no other consequences except for Lian Shan’s memory loss, and everyone was still alive.

It’s undeniable that the people who destroyed Situ Xie’s scheme were not only Su Liang and Gu Ling, but also Situ Jing. Although Lian Shun still thought he was ill, from the results, Situ Jing indeed ruined Situ Xie’s plan to protect the Lin Family members. This directly led to the situation where Liang Country had no opportunity to join hands with Yin Country, Situ Jing was captured, and Situ Yao had to marry far away from home.

After his anger had subsided, Lian Shun couldn’t help but wonder, if that man could still be saved. Even if he intended to use him, asking him to atone for his actions, would he turn back…

Lian Shun was a little torn, but he respected Su Liang and Gu Ling’s decision and let things be. He did what he had to do and waited for Ying Ying to return.

The capital city.

On this day, Gu Ling and Su Liang went to the Lin Mansion to pay a visit and saw Yuan Pei was also there. He was now studying at the Imperial College, a student of Lin Shuzhi, and got along well with the two Lin brothers. He often came over to the Lin’s for meals. Of course, he didn’t sever ties with Lin’s family either. He always stayed at the Lin’s when he was not at the academy, regardless of whether his marriage with Lian Shan was still possible. The Lin household was his closest family.

After the meal, Yuan Pei was about to leave to return to the Imperial College when Su Liang halted him, saying that she had something to discuss with him.

They went to the garden together and sat down. Yuan Pei was puzzled, unsure of what it could be.

Su Liang began speaking, mentioning the second prince of Liang Country, Situ Jing, who had left a few days ago. She informed Yuan Pei that he would become a military commander of Qian Country again, leading soldiers to guard the border in Xuanbei City.

As soon as he heard the beginning, Yuan Pei frowned, but he didn’t interrupt Su Liang. When she finished, he asked, “Is that man trustworthy?”

Su Liang nodded, “Yes, he is. Moreover, there’s a master keeping an eye on him.”

“Are you referring to his grandfather?” Yuan Pei asked.

Su Liang nodded again, “Yes, he’s also my master.”

“It was the same person who took you away from Jiaye City, I know.” Yuan Pei sighed, “I was just a bit surprised, please don’t take it to heart. Since he is your adopted master, I naturally trust that there will be no issue with him. You need not tell me about this, I owe you a great deal, and I need to thank you for today’s favor once again.”

“This matter I and Gu Ling facilitated, once it’s settled in Xuanbei City, the news will be relayed. It just so happened we met today, so I thought I should give you a heads-up.” Su Liang said.

Yuan Pei nodded, “I understand. It wasn’t Situ Jing who killed my grandfather, he was just a pawn. If you feel he can be of use and contribute to Qian Country, it’s a good thing. In his lifetime my grandfather wished most for peace in the world. Regardless of spending his lifetime defending Qian Country’s southern borders, he always fretted about the north, stating that the Situ Family of Liang Country was a pack of jackals. If they invaded Qian Country’s land, they wouldn’t treat the common people kindly.”

“It’s good that you’re thinking like this. Sooner or later, we will make sure Situ Xie pays for his blood debt.” Su Liang said earnestly.

Hearing the words “blood debt”, Yuan Pei was reminded of the scene atop the Nancheng Building in Jiaye City, when Su Liang made him personally behead Fan Tong. He looked at Su Liang with a slight smile, “I believe if you say it, you can do it. I look forward to seeing what Situ Xie will feel when he learns that the grandson he carefully nurtured has chosen to stay in Qian Country and will lead troops against Liang Country in the future.”

“Let’s wish him many bouts of spitting blood then.” Su Liang said.

When Gu Ling and Su Liang were about to leave, they saw Xing Yusheng and Lin Xueqing coming.

As soon as Xing Yusheng saw Su Liang, he said, “The emperor has sent someone to ask for my grandmother to come to the palace. I wonder what has happened again.”

“If they didn’t ask you to go, it’s probably not a big deal.” Su Liang said.

Xing Yusheng sighed in exasperation, “It really is never a moment’s peace.” His sister the empress, always up to some mischief again. Xing Yusheng suspected it might have something to do with the recently adored Imperial Concubine from Liang, Situ Yao, but did not share such thoughts with Su Liang as he deemed it unnecessary.

At this moment, the old matriarch Xing was in the palace of Empress Xing Yuyan, watching as she sobbed and wiped away her tears. As for why Duanmu Chen sent her in, it was because Xing Yuyan refused to eat for two meals, complaining she had lost her appetite. As she was carrying the Dragon Seed, this concerned Duanmu Chen.

“Grandmother, those previous matters, were all mother’s idea, I really didn’t know it would turn out like this…,” Xing Yuyan sobbed out her words.

The old matriarch Xing frowned, “How many times have I told you, do not utter a word about that issue again! No matter how confused your mother was, she was still your mother. She’s already gone, why still bring this up?”

Xing Yuyan seemed to choke on her sobs, paused a moment, then cried again, “Ever since the princess from Liang came into the palace, the emperor stopped coming over to my side… Grandmother, what am I to do?”

The old matriarch Xing scolded her, “You’re pregnant, what purpose does the emperor have coming here? The emperor has a myriad of businesses to attend to and you expect him to come and placate you?”

Xing Yuyan shook her head, her voice noticeably lower, “That’s not what I mean… The emperor has been smitten by that woman from Liang, it’s not good. Ask Su Liang to persuade the emperor, even if… even if he doesn’t come to see me, he cannot always be with that woman, what if she is a spy?”

Old matriarch Xing massaged her forehead, “If you can think of this, wouldn’t the emperor have already considered it? Don’t outsmart yourself. Whether the Imperial Concubine from Liang is a spy or not, it’s none of your business. Su Liang isn’t one of our own, you can’t count on her for everything, especially your affairs. If it weren’t for the emperor’s respect for Su Liang, it wouldn’t have been just your mother who died last time.”

Xing Yuyan stiffened, “The emperor was clearly considering that my father was guarding the borders…”

The old matriarch Xing hummed lightly, “Your father may be called back any day now. He’s not a young man anymore, the emperor is more interested in the younger, talented group.”

Xing Yuyan looked alarmed, “How can it be like this? If father isn’t leading the troops anymore, wouldn’t the emperor dislike me even more?”

The old matriarch Xing was really irritated when she heard this, “You only think of yourself, not concerned about how hard or dangerous it is for your father in the north?”

Xing Yuyan wanted to justify herself, but she wasn’t good with words, so what came out only irked the old matriarch Xing more.

As the elder, the old matriarch Xing cooled down and repeatedly admonished Xing Yuyan to not cause trouble and to eat and rest well, stating that care for her child was of utmost importance. When the emperor visited, greeting him with a smiling face was necessary, as was finding pastimes like reading and writing when he didn’t. As long as she didn’t create another scene, no one in the palace could supersede her.

After the old matriarch Xing left the palace, she couldn’t help but tell her long-serving nanny, “Yusheng’s health isn’t good. Those years ago, I could only take care of him and didn’t properly discipline my other grandchildren. Jiyi was overly indulgent with her daughter… Who would have thought that she could become the Empress! I do not know what the future holds.”

The nanny advised the old matriarch Xing to be at peace, and that the children and grandchildren would have their own destinies to fulfill.

But the old matriarch Xing shook her head and replied with a bitter smile, “From what I see, the only fortunate grandchild is Yusheng. He has suffered much in his past but met benefactors later on, he’s the one who reassures me most.”

Xuanbei City.

When the wedding party from Liang Country passed through, Situ Jing had once drunkenly sought out Xing Ji for a few words.

Now, Situ Jing and Situ Jing had returned to Xuanbei City with their entourage. Because they arrived at night, Situ Jing proposed staying overnight and continuing in the morning. However, Situ Jing, being affected by previous events, disagreed and wished to return to the boundaries of Liang Country as soon as possible. His opposition was to no avail.

When Xing Ji saw them, he received them with professionalism and arranged for their stay.

Liang Country’s Nanping City had received the news and sent troops to greet the second prince and the eldest son of King Yue’s Mansion, fearing they might be detained again.

Xing Ji got news of Liang Country’s mobilization of troops, and suggested not to panic, letting them come and wait. The troops of Liang Country would certainly not make any rash moves before Situ Jing and Situ Jing safely left Xuanbei City.

Seeing the sudden appearance of Qiu Cong, Xing Ji was neither worried nor surprised. He knew Qiu Cong had once captured Su Liang and had later become one of her masters, having previously stayed in the Su Mansion in the capital with his granddaughter. This time he traveled north with Situ Jing, leaving his granddaughter in the Su Mansion.

Therefore, when Xing Ji saw Qiu Cong accompanying Situ Jing, he made a guess.

However, when Qiu Cong handed over Duanmu Chen’s secret order to Xing Ji, Xing Ji realized he had guessed wrong. He had thought that Su Liang had instructed Qiu Cong to assassinate Situ Xie in Liang Country, but instead they wanted to keep Situ Jing, and Duanmu Chen had agreed.

“What does Marquis Xing think?” Qiu Cong was very polite. “Xiao Liang asked me to say hello to you, hoping that you could take this opportunity to have a break and visit your family in the capital.”

Xing Ji read the secret order twice and confirmed its authenticity. Regarding the opportunity to redeem Situ Jing by his meritorious service, Xing Ji had no objections. After all, it was he who first highly praised and promoted Situ Jing in Xuanbei city. He was indeed an outstanding talent.

If Su Liang thought he could be used, Xing Ji wouldn’t doubt it.

Pocketing the secret order, Xing Ji poured two glasses of alcohol, handed one to Qiu Cong and said, “Thank you, my senior. I need to go home and check in.”

Having heard this, Qiu Cong’s eyebrows relaxed, “You can be assured that I will keep a close eye on my grandson. If he dares make the same mistake again, I will be the first one who won’t spare him!”

Xing Ji toasted Qiu Cong with a smile and said, “I trust you.” being Su Liang’s master, he wouldn’t do anything to harm her.

After several rounds of drinks, Qiu Cong asked Xing Ji, “Once it’s dawn and Liang Country realizes my grandson has ferociously slapped their face, will they retaliate?”

Xing Ji shook his head, “My senior, do not worry. They don’t dare to recklessly send troops, let alone Situ Xie’s grandson is still in the city.”

Upon hearing this, Qiu Cong looked disappointed and said, “I wish they would attack as soon as possible. Then I would be able to put on my armor and teach those Liang country scoundrels a lesson!”

Xing Ji chuckled, “There will be opportunities. You should be careful in the future though, Situ Xie won’t easily let it go once he hears the news.”

Qiu Cong snorted dismissively, “If he dares, let him come!”

“There’s a poisoner on his side.” Xing Ji reminded.

Qiu Cong shook his head, “That poison woman is no longer in Liang Country. Xiaoliang has prepared many treasures for me, and I was worried about not having a place to use them. Let Situ Xie quickly send assassins to kill me!”

Xing Ji:… It’s said that this man is the true inheritor of the Luoying Swordsmanship, and was once Gu Ling’s master. Indeed, with real strength comes confidence.

After talking with Xing Ji, Qiu Cong brought Situ Jing over.

“Marquis.” Like in the past, Situ Jing greeted Xing Ji with a salute.

Xing Ji sighed deeply, “Not everyone who takes the wrong path gets the chance to turn back. You should treasure this opportunity.”