Raising a wife? The mistress of the Hou family divorced and remarried her younger uncle

Chapter 253 Military News
“I respect your choice!” Lu Jing remained silent for a long time, his gaze fixed intently on Su Qingwan’s eyes. Then, he gently tugged at the corners of his mouth, revealing a smile tinged with helplessness. “Huainan is your hometown, and also the place where you were separated from your people. Put yourself in my shoes; if I were in your position, I might also find it difficult to sever my ties to Huainan for the rest of my life. But… Xiao Wu, one must eventually move forward. You are determined to protect Huainan, to break free from the painful shackles of your clan’s extermination, but you cannot remain trapped in the shadow of that year when you were seven forever.”

Su Qingwan tilted her head slightly, her eyes full of curiosity, staring at him intently, and asked, "Lu Jing, is there anything you regret in your life?"

"Is it a pity?" Lu Jing murmured to himself.

"Yes!" He answered almost without hesitation, his voice low but firm.

"What is it?" Su Qingwan pressed.

Lu Jing hesitated for a moment, his thoughts drifting back to many years ago, and slowly said, "It was the year my father passed away. At that time, I received an A grade in my essay evaluation, and my father was overjoyed, promising to take me horseback riding in the countryside. We got everything ready, and were about to leave when, unexpectedly, an accident occurred on the riverbank. He was just a low-ranking official, not the local prefect. So many people rushed to the riverbank for disaster relief; his absence wouldn't have mattered much. My father was usually busy with official duties and hadn't spent much time with me in a long time. If I had been a little willful then, throwing a tantrum and insisting that he take me horseback riding, given my father's love for me, he would definitely have given in. But... although I was unhappy, I still pretended to understand." He was busy with official duties. Later, I invited a group of brothers out of town for fun. I had an incredibly enjoyable time that day, and even told Zhou Jingming that I felt more comfortable with my brothers than with my father. Then, the devastating news of my father's passing arrived. This is probably the most regrettable thing in my life. Sometimes I think, if fate could have mercy on me and give me a second chance, I would stop my father from going to the riverbank no matter what. But I also know in my heart that there's no solution. It was a premeditated massacre, and no matter how hard I tried, no matter how much I regretted it, I couldn't change the outcome of my father's death. Ultimately, it was because I was too weak when I was young and unable to protect my father.

Su Qingwan listened quietly, a strong sense of resonance welling up in her heart. She felt the same helplessness and pain.

Just like the day her family was wiped out in Huainan, she had fantasized countless times about how wonderful it would be if she possessed the power to destroy the world, so that she could save her people. But at that time, she was only seven years old. Faced with that tragedy, all she could do was cry, hide, and eke out a living in fear.

They all experienced the pain of separation and death at the most vulnerable and innocent age, and all of this was due to human error, not natural disaster. Such regret and pain, like an unhealable scar, will follow them throughout their lives, becoming the source of their lingering pain in the dead of night.

"It's all good now. You've gotten the power you wanted, and you won't lose what you cherish anymore!" Su Qingwan forcibly suppressed the surging emotions in her heart, deliberately making her tone as cold as possible. She knew all too well that she absolutely could not give Lu Jing even the slightest bit of unrealistic hope. Because once you give hope, but then can't keep your promise, that would be the cruelest thing. Recalling when she was in Kyoto, she had promised to marry him. Three parts of that were genuine, but more of it was to use him to achieve her own goals. Doing something like that was inherently unethical.

Moreover, now that their statuses are different and many things have been laid bare, she can no longer do something like taking advantage of someone else's feelings.

Lu Jing fixed his gaze on her and asked, "I'm leaving the capital tomorrow, Xiao Wu, are you really not even willing to give me a promise? Even just a thought would be enough."

“Nianqing hasn’t returned yet, and I can’t give you any promises right now!” Su Qingwan said, pouring herself another glass of wine, her expression calm. “If Nianqing doesn’t acknowledge his ancestors and doesn’t want to be trapped in Huainan, I will respect his choice. In that case, I will stay in Huainan for the rest of my life. In that case, there will be no chance between us. Even if you force me, it will not lead to anything. If you insist on taking me to the capital, then in the end, we will only become a pair of resentful lovers.”

"Don't threaten me with those words. Are you really so sure I wouldn't dare to do it?" Lu Jing's lips curled up slightly, revealing a half-smile. "Since your youth, you've been governing the Southwest, traveling far and wide, navigating the complexities of various factions with remarkable skill. Yet, in front of me, you prefer to push things to the limit, cutting off all escape routes without hesitation, leaving no room for maneuver. The reason you do this is simply because I like you and will indulge you time and time again!"

Upon hearing this, Su Qingwan was speechless for a moment, unsure of how to respond.

“But, Xiao Wu, my patience has its limits.” Lu Jing’s tone gradually became calm, yet it subtly revealed an undeniable firmness. “Perhaps it’s because we haven’t spent enough time together, and you don’t understand me well enough. But you must know that once I’ve decided on something, I will do everything in my power to get it.” Hearing this, Su Qingwan felt a strange sense of foreboding welling up inside her. However, Lu Jing had already poured her a glass of wine as if nothing had happened, and continued, “Right now, during the national mourning period, I have plenty of patience to wait for you. Once the national mourning is over, our matter should have a clear resolution.”

"Okay!" Su Qingwan forced herself to agree, suppressing her unease.

The following morning, Lu Jing, along with Li An and a group of Imperial Guards, prepared to leave Huainan.

Su Qingwan went to see him off, accompanying him all the way to the city gate. As the saying goes, even after a thousand miles of seeing someone off, parting is inevitable. At this moment, watching Lu Jing's departing figure, Su Qingwan felt an inexplicable melancholy welling up in her heart.

Is this what parting is like? Logically speaking, she should be someone who is used to parting.

After her clan was wiped out, she was raised in the southwest, leaving her hometown at a young age. At the age of ten, she followed the guards of the Prince of Huainan to the south of the Yangtze River to learn about the construction of the grain and horse road from the south to the southwest. She also negotiated with the prefect of the south of the Yangtze River in the name of the Grand Princess of the Southwest. This trip lasted for several months, during which time she never really missed home.

Upon returning to the Southwest, the Princess, feeling sorry for her young age and the hardships she had endured, held her and softly asked if she missed home. At that moment, Su Qingwan simply answered yes, following the Princess's lead. In truth, deep down, she was terrified of establishing intimate relationships. She feared that once such a relationship was formed, it would be ruthlessly severed. And it was precisely for this reason that, even when she secretly saw Xie Zhaolan in Jiangnan, she never had the courage to acknowledge her.

In the years that followed, she was often away on business, even in the southwest, she would leave early and return late, busy with various affairs all day long, and rarely felt any attachment to any particular person or home. After so many years, upon reflection, only the Prince of Huainan's mansion still held her old dreams and could be considered her home in her heart.

Similarly, she found it difficult to develop feelings of attachment or dependence on anyone. Yet now, watching Lu Jing's receding figure, a strange pang of sadness welled up in her heart. She couldn't help but think to herself that if Lu Jing were willing to relinquish his power as regent and come to Huainan, she might indeed marry him without hesitation, start a family with him, and settle down in Huainan. Unfortunately, she knew that this was nothing but wishful thinking.

Such a thing is simply impossible. After all, if Lu Jing weren't the regent, the situation in Huainan would be extremely unstable. And if she were to become the Prince of Huainan, Nian Qing, though a direct descendant, would be in an awkward position, and Lu Jing would no longer be the regent. In that case, a bloody war would inevitably erupt between Huainan and the imperial court. This is undoubtedly an unsolvable dilemma. In fact, Lu Jing sees things much further ahead than she does, a fact they both tacitly understand.

"I'm leaving!" Lu Jing turned his head and gave Su Qingwan a deep look.

"Okay!" Su Qingwan replied, but as soon as the words left her mouth, she felt that her answer was too cold, and she couldn't even say a gentle word.

"Will you write to me?" Lu Jing asked again.

"Do you want it?" Su Qingwan asked in return.

"Yes!" "Okay!" Su Qingwan nodded in agreement.

"One letter every three days?" Lu Jing pressed, as if trying to take advantage of the situation.

Upon hearing this, Su Qingwan couldn't help but grumble inwardly, "What kind of letter needs to be written every three days? A round trip of letters takes more than ten days. How can there be time to reply if I write one every three days?" However, she only thought it to herself and didn't say it aloud. Instead, she nodded slightly and replied again, "Okay!"

Seeing how obediently she agreed, Lu Jing felt a little suspicious and couldn't help but ask, "You're not lying to me, are you?"

"Forget it if you don't believe it."

"I believe you!" Lu Jing said quickly, afraid of upsetting her. "You promised to send a letter every three days, so you must keep your word."

“Okay!” Su Qingwan agreed again.

Lu Jing suppressed the urge to embrace her, and suddenly, he pulled a jade hairpin from his pocket.

The jade hairpin was warm and translucent, clearly of considerable value. Lu Jing raised his hand and carefully placed the hairpin into Su Qingwan's hair. Su Qingwan was slightly taken aback. In Dayuan, a man giving a hairpin had a special meaning; it represented a lifelong commitment, a token of love, and a promise of lifelong devotion, signifying his firm determination to marry her as his first wife.

Moreover, a man would only give a hairpin as a gift once in his life. Su Qingwan had seen this jade hairpin before; it was originally Lu Jing's everyday hair-tying accessory, and it held great significance. Now, however, he had given it to her.

Su Qingwan felt a pang of bitterness in her heart, and for a moment, she remained silent. Lu Jing waited quietly for a while, and seeing that she did not refuse, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly, forming a beautiful curve.

Then, he nimbly leaped onto his horse and shouted, "Little Wu, I'm leaving. See you in the capital!"

Before Su Qingwan could reply, Lu Jing slapped his horse's rump, and the steed neighed and galloped away. The hot wind billowed his robes, revealing his upright and spirited demeanor. Su Qingwan subconsciously touched the hairpin in her hair, and for some reason, she smiled softly as well.

Meet in the capital? Was he so confident and certain that they would meet in the capital?

With Lu Jing gone, Yongxuan from the southwest was also to take his leave the following day. Su Qingwan and Prefect Yun saw them off at the city gate. Beyond the city gate, heading west, lay the territory of Xilin. This time, Yongxuan's peace talks with Xilin had yielded fruitful results; upon his return, he would surely win the hearts of the people.

His elder brother was frail and sickly, and the military power on the frontier was in the hands of Yongxuan of Xilin. If nothing unexpected happened, he would be the next emperor of Xilin. Once he ascended the throne, Xilin and Huainan would be able to enjoy decades of peace.

"Second Prince, I wish you soaring success and all your dreams fulfilled!" Su Qingwan offered her sincere blessings. "Huainan will always be your strong support. May our two nations remain forever allied!"

Xi Lin Yongxuan smiled and said softly, "As the princess wishes, let us form an alliance forever. Princess, just wait for my good news."

“Okay!” Su Qingwan replied.

Within just two days, she first saw Lu Jing off, and then Xilin Yongxuan. With their departure, the Prince's Mansion returned to its usual tranquility.

Next, preparations for General Xiao Ning and Zhang Huaining's wedding began. This wedding was a union between the mountain bandits and the Prince of Huainan's family, and both Su Qingwan and Zhang San attached great importance to it. Su Qingwan specially invited the best embroiderers in the city to work day and night to embroider Zhang Huainan's wedding dress.

General Ning has been in high spirits lately, with a happy smile on his face all day long. Seeing this, Su Qingwan felt happy too.

June weather is like a child's face, changing in an instant. After Xilin Yongxuan left, the weather was gloomy for two days in a row, as if a thunderstorm was about to pour down at any moment.

Su Qingwan had never liked thunderstorms, because every time such weather struck, it involuntarily reminded her of the massacre that had ripped her family apart on Mid-Autumn Festival. And wouldn't you know it, what she feared most came true!
That night, all was quiet, and Su Qingwan had just fallen asleep. Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats shattered the silence. A warhorse, covered in blood, charged madly to the gates of the Prince of Huainan's residence. A lightly armored guard fell heavily from the horse, his arm bleeding profusely from the wound.

"Report, Princess, urgent news from the border!" With his last ounce of strength, he raised the blood-stained military report high in his hand, and as soon as he finished speaking, he fainted.

When Su Qingwan was woken up, she had a splitting headache. She hadn't slept well to begin with, and then the thunderstorm made her irritable. But after Lvzhu finished speaking, she was fully awake.

"A military report from the Light Cavalry?" Su Qingwan's heart sank; something had happened at the border.

The two have been combined into one.