บท 44: Father’s Style Is Weird
บรรณาธิการ: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Liu She was tall and skinny.
Jiang Pengji had excellent observational skills. She could tell that Liu She had lost weight because he was wearing an outfit that was a few sizes too big.
After looking at a set of footprints, Jiang Pengji could tell whether that person was a male or female. She simply looked at the size of the foot and how deep the imprint was… She could even guess their height and size based on that information.
"Father, you have lost weight. Now that you're back, you have to eat properly," Jiang Pengji said with a dissatisfied tone.
Liu She was pleasantly surprised, and he was so elated that he had no idea what to say. His hands, which were folded in his lap, shook slightly. He didn't know where to place them.
"Lan—Lanting, you remember what I looked like?"
After Liu Lanting's twin brother died, her mother became ill. Then Liu She left Hejian County to work somewhere that was far and dangerous. After much consideration, he chose not to bring Lanting with him and was therefore only able to visit her twice during those years he was away.
Liu She and Liu Lanting had not seen each other for many years.
Jiang Pengji shook her head and replied, "Just by looking at your clothes, I can tell that you've been wearing them for a few years. It hangs off you as if it's too big. Isn't that a sign that you've lost weight?"
So that was how she knew… Liu She's happy mood was slightly dampened, but he quickly became happy again. His daughter had paid such careful attention to his details, and that showed that she cared.
"Your mother didn't like needlework. After marrying me, she only made these few clothes…" Liu She replied gently.
It seemed like Lanting's father really had loved her mother. But as she thought about the house, Jiang Pengji quickly dismissed that thought. Men from the olden days did not share her morals.
"Now that you're back, will you be staying for long?"
Jiang Pengji could tell that Liu She was not healthy. In addition to the burden that he carried in his heart, most of his health seemed to be affected by his work. If he continued working in his condition, it would not be a surprise if he collapsed from exhaustion. That was why Jiang Pengji always preferred to balance work and rest.
Even though she could not bring herself to treat Liu She as if he were her own father, Jiang Pengji was still using Liu Lanting's body. She should still care for him a little, but… It was up to him if he would listen to her or not. She would not force him.
It sounded like his daughter was carefully asking him to stay. Liu She was unexpectedly moved.
"I came back because I have some things to settle here. I'll be staying for three months or so. Once everything is settled, I'll have to go to the capital… If all goes well, I will be free and can stay home to enjoy my life as a rich man."
Liu She's reply was not what Jiang Pengji expected. This person wanted to retire?
"You're still young and have just reached your prime. It's a bit soon to retire, right?"
In this era, there was no actual retirement age for officials. They literally worked until they dropped. Liu She was still young and had turned thirty not too long ago. His career should be on the rise… To retire now would be suicide.
Liu She thought for a moment until he understood what Jiang Pengji meant.
"The emperor does not care about the opinions of his subjects or scholars. He wants the peace treaty with the royals of northern Xinjiang. If that were to happen, it may end in a disaster. We should leave while we still can… I've always wanted a free and unfettered life to watch you grow up… But the current state of affairs would not be peaceful. It would be the opposite. There will be internal strife, fighting, and scheming for power… And now that you have grown and will soon be of age, I want to spend time with you."
Liu She gave a bitter smile. Would his daughter understand what was happening?
"You're worried that the emperor wishes to discard the northern borders through the peace treaty, thereby plunging us into chaos?"
Jiang Pengji's words shocked Liu She. He had not expected his daughter to have any views about the situation.
But he had brought his daughter up as a boy, sending her to school and allowing her to be taught. She was also the child of him and Ah Min; both the mother and daughter were smart.
Furthermore, his daughter's background was far from ordinary.
"Indeed. The royals have had their greedy sights set on Dongqing for many years. The emperor neglects court administration with each passing day. He is no longer as wise as he was when he was younger. If he rejects the peace treaty, he would have to rely on the northern border's government. Right now, the emperor is displeased with the government and had been toying with the idea of withdrawing the military leadership… If the peace treaty is established, the emperor can withdraw the military and get rid of the government at the same time."
Liu She shook his head in disappointment. It was not that no one could foresee the dangers of such an arrangement. Rather, the emperor was stubborn. Their warnings of danger had fallen on deaf ears.
"They fear the government's power because they think that what happened to their ancestors will also happen to them," Liu She scoffed.
Dongqing was originally formed by rebelling slaves. The slaves had started out as horsekeepers. When an opportunity appeared, they steadily rose in ranks and power. Then the slaves in the military engineered a coup and took over the royal throne. As their descendant, the new emperor naturally feared any military might.
Jiang Pengji smirked inwardly. She thought of herself as an outsider and was therefore not afraid to criticize the royal court… She had not expected Liu Lanting's father to be even more ruthless. He had criticized the emperor's ancestors. In the olden days, criticizing a family's foundation and bloodline was considered one of the worst insults.
She could tell that Liu Lanting's father was not blindly devoted to the emperor and that he had quite a rebellious streak.
"If the northern border were to fall, does Dongqing have any other military might that could protect it against the royals?" Jiang Pengji asked.
"If there were, the emperor would not have relied on the garrison in the north. He would have dissolved the government there and tried to take control of the borders," Liu She sneered.
On one hand, the emperor was clinging on to the government in the northern border. On the other hand, he wanted to withdraw their military leadership.
"If that's the case, when the northern government falls, the emperor will promote high-ranking officers to replace the northern government. They will guard only the strategic locations… Then the south and north of Xinjiang would cooperate at the same time, and they would be an overwhelming force to deal with. Dongqing…"
Fighting in wars was Jiang Pengji's old occupation. Even though they were two different eras and the weapons were different, wars remained the same. And Jiang Pengji was knew how to fight in war.
Dongqing had no other combat power except for the northern government. It was obvious how much the royal court had suppressed the military.
"If it's chaos, then so be it… If things were to turn out like what you said, then Dongqing's era is nearing its end!"
The bold and treacherous outburst from Liu She did not match his refined scholarly look.
"I was thinking that maybe Dongqing can still be saved…"
Dongqing was in an era where communication was backwards and slow. It would not be as easy to destroy a country.
Back in her era, if she wanted to destroy a country in the early afternoon, it would be destroyed by nightfall.
"A simpleton who doesn't know what is wrong will die. There's no cure for that," Liu She smiled.
Jiang Pengji: "..."
Toudu Feiqui: "I finally understand your expression! Hahaha! It's definitely 'sh*t!'"
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