Chapter 17: The Time Has Come to Destroy the Jing Kingdom
The fifth year of the Marquis of Shang, May.
“My love.”
Nongyu gleefully threw herself into Zhang Yang’s arms, laughing as she said, “The Jing Kingdom has finally backed down.”
Holding the beautiful and gentle Nongyu, Zhang Yang tenderly stroked her slightly rounded belly and said with a wry smile, “You’re going to be a mother soon, yet you’re still the same as always.”
A soft glow coloured Nongyu’s cheeks as she gently pressed Zhang Yang’s hand against her stomach and said sweetly, “Yes, yes, I will be careful.”
“My love, you haven’t yet told me how the Jing Kingdom backed down.”
Shifting her tone, Nongyu pouted her red lips and coquettishly teased him.
Zhang Yang laughed helplessly. “Alright, my lady, quickly tell me—how did the Jing Kingdom back down?”
“Hehe, of course it’s because of you,” Nongyu said, cupping Zhang Yang’s cheeks in both hands, her eyes full of sweet affection as thick as honey.Nongyu said proudly, “My dear, you have been resting at home these past few months and haven’t kept up with what’s been happening outside.”
“After the battle at Jia Pass, your name has become renowned throughout the land.”
“People everywhere are singing your praises, and some even say you are a descendant of the gods.”
“If you didn’t carry divine blood, how could you have broken through to a realm no one has ever reached before?”
The more Nongyu spoke, the happier she became, her face like a peach blossom, her eyes clear and deep like autumn waters—entrancing and full of affection.
Hearing this, Zhang Yang’s lips curved into a faint smile, but deep in his eyes, worry still lingered, unable to be concealed.
He had been resurrected for over six years now.
Yet he still had no news of his family.
By then, a full twenty-seven years had passed since his previous life ended.
How many people are given twenty-seven years in a lifetime?“My dear, are your old injuries acting up again?” Nongyu asked with concern as she gently smoothed his furrowed brow, her heart aching at the sight.
Although Zhang Yang had led the Shang Kingdom to a decisive victory last year with the explosive power of his Tongmai Realm, no one in this world had ever attained such a realm before.
Even Zhang Yang himself had only been advancing by relying on knowledge from his previous life. That battle had certainly proven the feasibility of the Tongmai Realm, but sustaining such a powerful burst for so long had left him seriously injured.
In the fifth year, first month of the Marquis of Shang’s reign, Zhang Yang had been forced to return to the capital, Hao City, to recover from his wounds.
Zhang Yang replied gently, “No, I was just thinking about something.”
Nongyu pressed, “Something?”
Zhang Yang gently caressed Nongyu’s prominent belly and said seriously, “I want to leave the most precious treasure in the world to our child.”
“To ensure that our child, for a thousand years, ten thousand years, can still enjoy abundance and good health.”
Zhang Yang furrowed his brows slightly, his gaze resolute yet profound.
He would never allow the tragedies of his previous life to happen again!
Hearing this, Nongyu felt as if she had been drenched in honey—utterly sweet.
She shyly murmured, “My love~~~ I’m just happy you feel that way.”
“As for the most precious treasure~~~”
Nongyu looked at Zhang Yang with deep affection and softness, saying gently, “You’re the most precious treasure that heaven ever gave me.”
Zhang Yang chuckled heartily and lightly kissed her forehead.
Taking a deep breath, he sighed, “The most precious treasure in this world is knowledge and wisdom.”
“Whether wealth or power, none can last forever.”“Just as there has never been an empire that lasted a thousand years.”
“Nor has there ever been a noble family that has sat atop mountains of gold and seas of silver for a thousand or ten thousand years.”
“Only knowledge can endure a thousand years, ten thousand years, even a hundred thousand years, passed down through generations and continuing to develop.”
Nongyu pondered this but still seemed somewhat confused.
She asked, “What’s the difference between knowledge and wisdom?”
Zhang Yang thought for a moment and answered, “Knowledge is the experience that others have gathered.”
“For example, the martial arts I have practised, and the Tongmai realm beyond Vitality Like a Galloping Horse.”
“These are all pieces of knowledge I have summarised.”
“But the knowledge I have gathered doesn’t necessarily suit everyone.”
“Wisdom, on the other hand, is the method of learning from the experiences of heaven, earth, and all things in the world.”"Just like—"
"Our houses; how craftsmen once pondered over building such dwellings."
"Our clothes; how the earliest artisans wove silk into fabric."
Nongyu suddenly understood and said earnestly, "So, knowledge and wisdom really are completely different."
She brushed through her fine hair and cheerfully added, "Hmm, I haven’t even told you the amusing story from today yet."
Then, Nongyu began to relate the outcome of the negotiations between the two kingdoms.
The Jing Kingdom and the Shang Kingdom had reached a peaceful agreement through talks.
Jing recognised the current territorial divisions between the two states.
After reclaiming twenty-seven cities in Nanyang, Shang now held over fifty cities in total, emerging as the most powerful feudal state after Jing.
But in truth, the gap between the two kingdoms was no longer significant.
The Jing Kingdom claimed to possess a hundred cities, but in reality, there were ninety-seven. Having just lost twenty-seven cities, only seventy remained in their control.
Nongyu beamed with delight. "The Jing envoy was initially trying to haggle, but when he heard my lady sister-in-law say her husband would take a trip to Jing Kingdom, he immediately backed down."
"Ha ha, the husband wasn’t even present at the time; you should have seen his expression—it was priceless."
Zhang Yang’s lips curved into a slight smile as he gently stroked Nongyu’s fine hair.
In the fifth year of the Marquis of Shang’s reign, in September, the two kingdoms formally signed a treaty.
That same month, Zhang Yang received the Lady of Shang's favour.
She granted him two cities near his fief, ten thousand slaves, and over a hundred beautiful concubines.
With this, the Zhang family’s holdings now included four cities and spanned two hundred miles of territory.
Seventh year of the Marquis of Shang’s reign, October.
A bitter wind howled outside.
Zhang Yang sat in the sitting room, holding a child, playing with the wailing infant in his arms.
This was his firstborn son in this life—Wuyou.
Almost two years old.
“Giggling~~~”
“Bye-bye.”
The child grasped Zhang Yang’s arm, babbling away. At times, he could understand what was being said; at others, he mumbled words nobody could comprehend.
Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps approached.
“Grand Marshal, Grand Marshal~~~”
“There’s been a crisis.”Heitu and Guan appeared at the entrance to the sitting room, their faces alight with joy and excitement.
“Marquis Jing is dead.”
Before Zhang Yang could ask any questions, they explained with enthusiasm.
Hearing this, Zhang Yang’s expression froze instantly, his gaze growing cold.
Marquis Jing was dead!
How could he die now!
I haven’t even let him witness the downfall of the Jing Kingdom with his own eyes!
“Ba ba, laugh, laugh~~~ giggle,” as if sensing Zhang Yang’s fury, Wuyou reached out his chubby little hand towards Zhang Yang’s lips.
Zhang Yang’s eyelids drooped slightly, and the anger in his heart somewhat subsided.
He gave Wuyou a gentle smile, then his gaze shifted subtly towards Heitu and Guan, his voice cold as he said, “That’s a mercy for him.”
With that, Zhang Yang’s eyelids drooped slightly as he sank into thought.
It had been over two years since the Shang Kingdom had secured the Nanyang Plain.
During these past two years, the Shang Kingdom had been steadily building its strength.
The Xuan Bird Battalion had expanded to twenty thousand soldiers.
However, investment in chariots had considerably decreased, with only five hundred still in service.
Under Zhang Yang’s direction, most of the kingdom’s resources had been poured into developing the cavalry.
Within Great Heng, no feudal state boasted a larger cavalry force than the Shang Kingdom.
After a moment of reflection, Zhang Yang asked, “Who is the new sovereign of the Jing Kingdom?”
Heitu replied, “It is the fifteenth lord, Lord Xian.”
"Lord Xian?" Zhang Yang was somewhat surprised.
He knew Lord Xian.
He was weak-willed and frequently ill.
Given the situation in the Jing Kingdom, it made no sense to choose Lord Xian to succeed the throne.
Heitu noticed Zhang Yang’s confusion and explained, “On the day Marquis Jing died, the Eleventh Lord and the Thirteenth Lord both suddenly passed away. Chief Minister Gongsun Clan then joined forces with other ministers to recommend Lord Xian as the successor.”
Zhang Yang was momentarily stunned but immediately understood what had happened.
The Gongsun Clan had previously supported Prince Liao.
However, after Prince Liao’s defeat, although he had narrowly escaped back to the Jing Kingdom, he died of illness that same year.
As a result, the Gongsun Clan came under pressure from the other princes.
Now~~~
Zhang Yang burst out laughing loudly. "Good, very good."
After laughing, his gaze turned cold as he said, "The time has come to destroy the Jing Kingdom."
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