"He can't go!" Xiao Qing muttered.
But soon Xiao Qing wore a troubled expression again.
The Liang Kingdom had dispatched the consort, Marquis Zhenguo, Qin Feng, as envoy. Da Qian Kingdom, in terms of protocol, truly couldn't be inferior to Qin Feng.
It would have to be Liang Xiao or Zhuo Zifang. However, Zhuo Zifang was old and frail. If he were to fall ill or pass away in Liang, it would be quite unbecoming...
"We'll see if he's willing to go after he returns to the capital. Anyway, there's no deadline, so a decade or eight years won't hurt!" Xiao Qing huffed.
"Indeed, at least the second young master Liang needs to have offspring with the Lord before considering an envoy to Liang," Ning Xuejun responded without hesitation.
Xiao Qing's face flushed red, and she shot Ning Xuejun a resentful glance.
The thought of Liang Xiao's imminent return to the capital sometimes made her feel a tiny bit of maidenly panic!
The maternal uncle, Lü Yi, always said she was impatient and should just go with it. Wang Canghai had also been praying before her recently for Liang Xiao to return soon to marry and continue the imperial lineage!
Now, even Ning Po Po, who doted on her the most, was no longer sparing her feelings!
Someone in Jiangnan, while at the Zhuo residence's courtyard, was writing chapters of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms." He listened to Jian Qinwan play the zither, appearing calm on the surface, but secretly eager to return to the capital as well.
It was already early June, the summer heat blazing.
Fortunately, this year was not as hot as previous years.
Da Qian Kingdom also had methods for making ice from saltpeter. The ice produced was sold officially, and there was a custom of the emperor bestowing ice upon his ministers.
In Liang Xiao's other homeland, such methods were recorded in the Song Dynasty, quite similar to Da Qian Kingdom.
However, making ice from saltpeter was expensive, with the ratio of saltpeter to water often being one to one. Ordinary people simply couldn't afford it.
Moreover, Da Qian Kingdom needed to stockpile a large amount of saltpeter for making gunpowder.
But saltpeter could be reused, and Da Qian Kingdom's main lacking material was sulfur.
Liang Xiao was not stingy; he bought enough ice to distribute among everyone at the Zhuo residence.
Due to the book publishers' "intensified" printing of books, the Ouyang family had so far sent him over ten million taels of silver, netting him six million taels.
"One Drunk Hundred Years," transported from the capital, had also publicly sold another two thousand jars during this period. Accompanied by four new poems, it earned one million taels, half of which was purchased by people from the Liang Kingdom.
The remnants of the Great Heng Kingdom had completely surrendered and were converging from various regions.
The next day, in Hong Jie's courtyard.
Liang Xiao gazed at Hong Jie's two principal wives and his concubine, all weighing 180 jin, and the loving couple, along with the two sets of twins frolicking around them, and fell into thought.
These two were indeed his wives, and they were indeed deeply in love...
Hong Jie proudly introduced his wives to Liang Xiao, who merely smiled and nodded, utterly bewildered.
Hong Qu, who had recovered from his injuries, couldn't help but seize the moment when Hong Jie was attending to the children. He sidled up to Liang Xiao and whispered, "This kid's aesthetic has been peculiar since childhood. He likes the plump and chubby type; he doesn't even look at those who are thin..."
Liang Xiao chuckled wryly.
It was a pity this boy wasn't living in the Tang Dynasty, where plumpness was considered beautiful...
Of course, the Tang people's aesthetic wasn't as extreme as his...
However, with the initial success of the revenge plot by Zuo Wushang and others, and Hong Jie wholeheartedly strategizing for Liang Xiao, it had greatly relieved Liang Xiao.
Finally, someone was there to help Zhang Yang with the work...
Hong Jie, currently enjoying the bliss of family life, was completely unaware that he had been targeted by someone. He kept introducing his children to Liang Xiao from time to time.
After confirming the complete allegiance of Zuo Wushang and others, Shangguan Jiusi was assigned by Liang Xiao to protect Hong Jie, while Hong Qu was tasked with assisting Zuo Wushang in his affairs. Other surrendered elites from the Great Heng Kingdom were also incorporated into Liang Xiao's command and handed over to Zuo Wushang for continued training and assignment of missions.
With Liang Xiao stationed in Jinling, overseeing the overall situation and awaiting imperial orders from the capital, he was actually quite relaxed.
Jian Qinwan, Yue Lian, and Zhuo Xun, the three girls, clung to Liang Xiao daily, asking him to tell them new stories. Christia also sat obediently, listening with eager anticipation.
The news of Gong Yang He and the Gong Yang clan's ruin quickly spread to the Liang Kingdom, causing widespread excitement!
A descendant of a military family was able to completely suppress the Gong Yang clan, which held almost absolute power in Jiangnan?
Hearing that Emperor Mu Cheng was preparing to invite Liang Xiao as an envoy to Da Qian, the noble families and clans of the Liang Kingdom became restless. Without Mu Cheng even needing to instigate them, they had already begun frantically arranging for people in various regions to smear Liang Xiao and incite the populace to oppose his visit.
Mu Cheng, however, had no inclination for schadenfreude. Instead, he took Qin Feng and went to the home of the Chess Saint, to visit Zhuo Yun, the second young lady of the Zhuo family.
Facing the Emperor of Liang, Zhuo Yun dared not be remiss and removed her veil.
Her peerless beauty stirred Mu Cheng's heart, but he quickly regained his composure, casting aside his distractions.
"Second Miss Zhuo, I hope you can return to Da Qian as soon as possible!"
Zhuo Yun was startled and said aggrievedly, "Even the Emperor of Liang seeks to make things difficult for a young lady like me..."
Mu Cheng said with a bitter expression, "The Marquis of An Guo of Da Qian has already earned the deep respect of both countries' military and civilians. It would not be a waste of your life to marry him!"
"This young lady will not marry! I only wish to end my days in the pursuit of chess, oblivious to worldly affairs!" Zhuo Yun stated firmly.
Mu Cheng and Qin Feng exchanged a look and shook their heads helplessly.
At this point, they absolutely could not afford to offend Liang Xiao!
Mu Cheng no longer had the confidence to incite the talented men of his kingdom to pursue Zhuo Yun; he only wished to send this troublesome guest away quickly...
Regardless of Qin Feng, Mu Cheng, or Zhi Rou's persuasion, Zhuo Yun refused to return to Liang, yet she also did not wish to become a citizen of the Liang Kingdom.
Of course, as Zhuo Zifang's granddaughter and a woman designated for Liang Xiao, with her grandfather and nominal fiancé being the two most reputable figures in Da Qian, even if she wanted to become a Liang person, Mu Cheng would not dare to agree!
Upon returning to the palace, Mu Cheng immediately dispatched people to disseminate the news: "His Majesty earnestly persuaded Second Miss Zhuo to return to Da Qian, but Second Miss Zhuo only desires to live her life in solitude dedicated to chess and has declined. His Majesty could not bear to force her!"
This was Mu Cheng's way of appeasing Da Qian, whom he currently could not afford to offend, especially Liang Xiao and Zhuo Zifang.
"Yan Jun, the beloved daughter of Prime Minister Yan Liu, the head of the Yan family, passed away from illness last night!"
Another piece of news spread through the capital of the Liang Kingdom.
As Hong Jie had predicted, Yan Jun also suspected Zuo Wushang's betrayal and faked her death to operate in the shadows, thus leaving the Yan family!
Zuo Wushang finally received the contents of Xiao Qing's imperial decree.
"I solemnly remember the ancestral teachings and hereby offer amnesty to all remnants of the Great Heng Kingdom. Effective immediately, all remnants of the Great Heng Kingdom are granted a general amnesty, absolving them of capital punishment. Any remnant of the Great Heng Kingdom may report to the authorities and prove their identity, then surrender to Da Qian and live and work in peace as citizens of Da Qian henceforth! Other leaders who bring their subordinates to surrender will be rewarded with official titles and noble ranks based on the circumstances!"
Having learned that the remnants of the Great Heng Kingdom had indeed committed no murders, Xiao Qing generously granted the amnesty.
The decree did not mention "guardianship," but according to Ding Wu Yi's conveyed message, temporary guardianship was still necessary.
Zuo Wushang not only did not object but repeatedly expressed his gratitude.
Without the protection of the Da Qian army, their compatriots would likely face the frantic retaliation of the Huichun Sect, the Gong Yang clan, and the Southern King. Even if Xiao Qing had no intention of guardianship, they would still have to request it!
The actions of Liang Xiao and Xiao Qing had completely reassured them, and they no longer doubted Da Qian's policy of recruitment and pacification.
Zhuo Zifang also breathed a sigh of relief for Zhuo Xun, and the family saw Liang Xiao's entourage off.
This time, Liang Xiao, accompanied by Zuo Wushang and others, along with his original retinue, headed to Taizhou, the last stop in Jiangnan.
Upon completing the trip to Taizhou, Liang Xiao would conclude his Jiangnan tour and head north to the capital to report!