"I can't get pregnant and have children," Liang Xiao pouted.
"That's not a problem; Qin Wan and the others can handle it," Gongsun Ye replied without hesitation.
"Grandpa Gongsun!" Jian Qinwan's face flushed red.
How could he tease someone so publicly? Didn't he care about their reputation!
"That's true," Liang Xiao's smile almost made Jian Qinwan crack.
Christiane quietly ate her soup, occasionally glancing at Liang Xiao and the three girls, lost in thought.
Yue Lian had always revered Liang Xiao as a deity, but the performances of Jian Qinwan and Zhuo Xun seemed unlike that of a heavenly general.
After the meal, Liang Xiao and Zhuo Zifang took Nie Yuan and the others aside for a talk, while the three girls stayed to accompany Christiane.
"Princess Christiane..." Yue Lian called out respectfully.
Christiane quickly said, "Yue Lian, you don't have to be so polite. Just call me by my name. Actually, I've given myself a Great Gan name. Since I'm nominally the woman of the Marquis of Anguo, I'll take Liang as my surname and my original name's last two characters as my given name, Liang Siti. If you and Xiao Xun don't mind, you can call me Sister Siti."
"Okay, Sister Siti," the two agreed obediently.
Christiane hesitated for a moment, then asked tentatively, "What kind of image does the Marquis of Anguo have in your hearts?"
Jian Qinwan's gaze gradually became distant, murmuring to herself, "The best, most interesting, most shameless, most remarkable in the world..."
"Mhm, mhm!" Yue Lian and Zhuo Xun nodded repeatedly.
Christiane was taken aback.
She could understand calling Liang Xiao the best, most interesting, and most remarkable.
But what was this "most shameless" all about?
Christiane had barely seen Liang Xiao's shameless side and couldn't figure it out.
"Sister Siti, I'll prepare hot water for you to bathe," Yue Lian said.
"How can I let you serve me?" Christiane exclaimed in alarm.
"It's my duty," Yue Lian said earnestly.
A spark lit up in Christiane's mind, and she smiled, "Then I'll trouble you. I'll bathe myself next time..."
In the bathhouse, Christiane sat in the wooden tub, her heart uneasy, as Yue Lian massaged her shoulders.
The fragrance of petals rose with the warm steam, and Christiane finally relaxed, asking, "Yue Lian, I heard on the way here that the Marquis of Anguo was assassinated. What happened afterward?"
"Afterward? Afterward, Young Master..." Yue Lian replied without thinking, then suddenly startled, adding, "His father-in-law, the Sword Saint, arrived in time to support him, so he was fine!"
This answer neither deceived Christiane nor revealed Liang Xiao's secrets.
Christiane asked again, "Then, does the Marquis of Anguo have any twin brothers or anything, who were lost outside?"
"Young Master is an only child!" Yue Lian stated unequivocally.
"I heard the Marquis of Anguo knows some sword techniques too," Christiane murmured to herself.
"Mhm, I've seen Young Master practice swordplay before!" Yue Lian replied.
From childhood, she had indeed seen Liang Xiao practice swordplay, but Liang Xiao only dabbled in everything and had been reprimanded by Liang Feng several times.
"Alas, is that so... I heard that the Heavenly General can also use a sword on the battlefield," Christiane sighed.
Yue Lian was startled but vaguely replied, "After all, he's the invincible Heavenly General. Perhaps he's proficient in all eighteen martial arts..."
Liang Xiao had forbidden her from spreading the word, and she would die before revealing it, lest it cause further complications.
But she was never good at lying, and if this sister kept questioning her...
Christiane lowered her head, her heart a complex mix of emotions: "Should I just ask him directly if the Marquis of Anguo is the Heavenly General himself? If he isn't, wouldn't I be making a fool of myself? If he is, Yue Lian would definitely be in a difficult position and feel guilty, and we wouldn't be able to be sisters anymore..."
After much thought, Christiane ultimately couldn't bear to put Yue Lian in a difficult situation. She simply said, "I also heard on the road that the divine steed the Heavenly General rode matches the description of the 'White Dragon Shadow' ridden by the King of the Eastern Sea of the previous dynasty, as recorded in your Great Gan's national history. Perhaps the Heavenly General has truly ascended to godhood long ago. Yue Lian, do I still have a chance to witness the Heavenly General's divine manifestation?"
Yue Lian pondered for a moment and nodded, "Sister, if you are so sincere, you certainly will!"
You certainly will!
Christiane's heart rejoiced.
In the study, Liang Xiao, Zhuo Zifang, Gongsun Ye, and Nie Yuan discussed military strategy, feeling gratified.
Nie Yuan had his own unique insights into military formations and commanding armies, clearly having studied military classics extensively.
Fortunately, Liang Xiao also enjoyed studying modern and ancient military theories in his spare time, including the "Seven Military Classics": "The Art of War," "The Art of Warfare by Master Sun," "The Six Strategies," "Sima Fa," "The Three Strategies," "Wei Liaozi," and "Questions and Answers with Li Weigong." Coupled with his experience leading the White Robe Army into battle multiple times, he had no significant shortcomings in military strategy.
As the saying goes: Warfare is a grave matter of the state, the ground of life and death, the road of survival and extinction, which cannot but be carefully observed.
The grand armies marching and engaging in battles shown in movies and TV shows are mostly for artistic purposes. In reality, warfare is an extremely serious and complex matter, involving internal affairs, diplomacy, logistics, and the soldiers, among many other aspects. It is by no means that easy.
The phenomenon of "camp riots" alone could inflict great losses on an army.
And Liang Xiao could be sure that Nie Yuan was not just theorizing; he had substance.
Furthermore, Nie Yuan was skilled in martial arts, and the Great Gan desperately needed such talent, proficient in both civil and military arts.
"You said you heard a zither melody that night, were lured out, and then framed?" Liang Xiao asked.
Nie Yuan nodded: "That zither melody was similar to the music of the Spring Return Sect I heard the day I broke them. It was played by a woman whose eyes were the only thing visible, and the melody was extremely melancholic, leaving a deep impression on me. I thought the Spring Return Sect was trying to cause trouble again, so I chased after it. The woman had already fled far away, and I pursued her all the way..."
Gongsun Ye frowned: "It seems the Spring Return Sect is responsible. The fact that the Grand Tutor and the others insisted on sentencing you to death indicates that he might be colluding with the Spring Return Sect!"
Zhuo Zifang analyzed: "In the Jiangnan region, your army has long been obstructed by the Grand Tutor and others. If it weren't for His Majesty's personal decree to change the Lu Zhou defenses, the moment Lu Zhou fell, Jiangnan would have descended into chaos, and you would be responsible. Yet, the Grand Tutor could switch allegiances at any time, either returning to the capital with this opportunity or establishing a separate rule in Jiangnan with the Southern King!"
Gongsun Ye broke out in a cold sweat and looked at Liang Xiao: "Fortunately, this child and Lord Zhuo together saved Lu Zhou... I'm just a bit confused, how could Liang Xiao summon the Heavenly General's divine manifestation?"
Liang Xiao and Zhuo Zifang smiled silently and did not respond. Liang Xiao was even more depressed.
Everyone wanted to ask him about the Heavenly General!
Now, Liang Xiao only wanted to quell the situation in Jiangnan, then return to the capital to confess his identity to his little Shuangzi. At that time, he would let little Shuangzi decide who to reveal it to.
Nie Yuan went to cooperate with his adoptive mother, Li Jinyu, for a painting. After Liang Xiao and the other two had a private discussion, they each went to rest.
In Jinling, within a waterside pavilion, the leader of the Spring Return Sect, with cold eyes, plucked the strings of her instrument, producing a decadent and extremely melancholic melody.
Ye Qingyi, standing beside her, listened silently, not daring to interrupt.
"Nie Yuan was actually acquitted. What a menace! I risked danger that night to lure him out with my zither music, yet these useless fools have been working for so long and still let Nie Yuan escape! I fear my elder brother can no longer openly set foot on Great Gan territory!"
After a long while, the leader finally spoke, her voice filled with anger.
"Liang Xiao! It's Liang Xiao again. How many of our plans has he ruined? Qingyi, what do you think?"