Mythical Three Kingdoms

When Jiangg Ying appeared in front of Fa Zheng, he didn’t quite know what to say. Her appearance wasn’t particularly beautiful — she couldn’t compare to the likes of Cai Yan and not even to the concubines that Fa Zheng had previously found — but for some reason, upon seeing Jiangg Ying again, Fa Zheng’s heart settled completely.

Neither of them spoke for a long time, and then Fa Zheng took Jiangg Ying by the hand, ”Let’s go, it’s time to meet Father.”

Jiangg Ying’s cheeks flushed, and she did not struggle, obediently following Fa Zheng to meet Fa Yan. Just as Fa Zheng had expected, Fa Yan, who had been woken up by the commotion, was momentarily startled upon seeing Jiangg Ying, but then a hint of joy appeared on his face. After all, she was the bride he had chosen for his son, and despite numerous complications, she had finally turned up before him. His guilt towards Fa Zheng finally dissipated.

”Very good, very good!” Fa Yan stroked his beard as he listened to how Jiangg Ying had come to be there, and he couldn’t help but express his amazement. He sighed as he looked at his son, who seemed much more composed, ”Take good care of Ying’er, don’t let her down.”

”I know, Father. You should rest now; I have something to say to Ying’er.” Fa Zheng nodded, clinging tightly to Jiangg Ying’s hand.

”Hmm, you two have not seen each other for a long time. I won’t disturb you further.” Fa Yan nodded, realizing his son still highly valued relationships, and this gave him much peace of mind.

Inside another carriage, Fa Zheng and Jiangg Ying recounted the events that had befallen them since their separation. Compared to Jiangg Ying’s tales from Xiliang, Fa Zheng’s story was filled with much more grandeur and tumult. Yet, through their shared narratives, they rekindled the familiarity they once had in Fufeng, leaving no hint of estrangement between them.

”The Ma Clan of Fufeng, huh? Dare to compete with me, and you’ll come to regret it later.” Fa Zheng looked at the girl he held in his arms with a cold smile on his face.

Fa Zheng did mind the matter, but he was not willing to vent his anger on his future wife, nor on the Jiangg Family, since, after all, it was Jiangg Ying’s clan. As for the Ma Clan of Fufeng, he was sorry, but there’s a type of fury called displaced anger.

The next day, Fa Zheng took Jiangg Ying to meet Zhang Shiping. At first, Zhang Shiping thought Fa Zheng had hooked up with a girl from the Jiangg Family of Fufeng and was about to tease him when Fa Zheng’s words made him completely abandon the thought.

”Thank you so much, Elder Brother Zhang; this lady is from the inner chamber.” Fa Zheng bowed to Zhang Shiping, and all of Zhang’s teasing thoughts vanished.

”Ha ha ha...” Zhang Shiping chuckled dryly, swallowing all the teasing words he’d prepared. Fa Zheng’s statement clearly informed Zhang Shiping of the woman’s status. A concubine might be fair game for jokes, and if one took a liking to her, she could be sent away through negotiation, but a legal wife? To tease her would be asking for death.

”I am Lady Fa Jiang. I have met Brother Zhang. I apologize for the concealment during our journey,” said Jiangg Ying as she curtsied.

”Madam need not be so formal.” Zhang Shiping chuckled dryly. If he had known she was Fa Zheng’s legal wife, he would have been even more respectful, but now, what he could be grateful for was that he hadn’t shown any slight, which could have led to unforeseen consequences.

”Please accept this, Elder Brother Zhang.” Fa Zheng took out an invitation and handed it to Zhang Shiping, which stated that the wedding would be on the second day of the second month the following year. ”This is the first wedding document. That Ying’er and I can get married on the second day of the second month next year, I owe a lot to you playing matchmaker, Elder Brother Zhang.”

Zhang Shiping was taken aback, and then it dawned on him. Fa Zheng’s action of presenting him with the marriage document was a way of appointing him as the matchmaker, a position that was far more prestigious than any he might have expected.

”The two of you are a perfect match; even without me, you still would have had an auspicious marriage when the time came. I was merely at the right place at the right time. I hereby extend my congratulations in advance and will certainly not be absent on the occasion,” said Zhang Shiping joyously.

As Fa Zheng left with Jiangg Ying, she was quite puzzled as to why Zhang Shiping appeared so happy and why Fa Zheng did not thank him more explicitly, considering she could not have made the journey without him.

”Alright, when you get to Mount Tai, you will understand. The invitation I gave him is the greatest thanks I could offer; anything more, and he wouldn’t dare to accept it,” Fa Zheng said with a smile. ”In the future, you will be the one in charge of the Legalist household. I will hand over all the land deeds and documents to you. I will take care of external matters, and the Legalist household will be in your hands.”

”Yes, I will do it,” Jiangg Ying replied, not entirely confident in herself.

”Just play around, the Legalist family still has a substantial foundation. You can do as you please,” Fa Zheng said with a smile, ”But that’s not important. What’s important is that you hurry up and embroider the Feudal Lords’ attire. There isn’t much time left.”

”I’ve got this covered,” Jiangg Ying said with utmost confidence, clearly outshining the needlework skills of people like Fan Jian.

”Do your best. I’ll check if there’s been any war or something recently, maybe get involved. Who knows, I might become a Marquis,” Fa Zheng said with a face full of wild fantasies.

While Fa Zheng was indulging in his fantasies, Chen Xi and Liu Bei had already received news that Zhao Yun and Fa Zheng were soon to arrive at Mount Tai.

”Let’s go, Fa Xiaozhi and Zhao Zilong are back. Let’s welcome them. Who will come with me?” Chen Xi called out in the Political Office.

Chen Xi had long since grown tired of his duties. Sunx Qian had already gone to Yanzhou, and he still had to wait for Zhao Yun. By now, he was quite impatient to leave Mount Tai. At least being on an official trip meant he didn’t have to deal with politics, and he was still very competent when it came to construction and development.

”I’ll go with you,” offered Jia Xu, who was also fed up with his duties. He was supposed to be in charge of intelligence, yet Lub Su had dragged him into political affairs, which had long since annoyed him.

”I’ll join as well,” said Li Youu, who had just finished his official tasks and was planning some physical activity after handing them over to Lub Su. He decided to accompany Chen Xi and Jia Xu.

”Let’s go. After all, we are talking about commanders of legion-level; let’s do this together. Lord Xuande will probably join us too,” Chen Xi said as he gestured for Jia Xu and Li Youu to follow him out of the city, since stationed troops couldn’t enter and had to stay at the camp outside.

As they passed through the Inner City, Chen Xi, Jia Xu, and the others looked around at the bustling crowds and the occasional presence of city management teams, all wearing smiles on their faces.

”Fenggao needs expansion again. Just in a year, it’s become fully staffed. We need to build yet another layer of Outer City,” Li Youu said reflectively after a survey. ”I have to say, Zichuan made the right decision at the beginning. Without that law, even if Fenggao could prosper, it would never reach the level it is at now.”

”That’s normal. I might not match you in military strategy, but when it comes to development and construction, I am confident I wouldn’t lose to anyone. At most, my plans need others to be refined,” Chen Xi said proudly. In terms of military strategies, he might not be a match, but he was absolutely confident in development and construction.

”You’re just too lazy to do it,” Jia Xu sighed and shook his head. ”It’s not that you can’t, you just think it’s a waste of time, right? In your view, as long as you provide a big framework for others to work within creatively, and they don’t step out of bounds, the overall strategy will still strive towards that direction. After all, even if the strategy only achieves half of its potential without the details, you’re confident you can crush your opponents.”

”It’s not that I won’t do it, it’s that I don’t want to do it,” Chen Xi objected discontentedly.

”Who knows?” Jia Xu and Li Youu both shook their heads continuously. They didn’t buy Chen Xi’s excuses at all. ”Big strategies can be managed, but you’re telling me you can’t handle the details? Who would believe that!”

”I think we should expand the city soon. Now that Fa Xiaozhi is back, with his experience in building Linzi, let him be in charge of expanding Fenggao. Then, we’ll have more land to buy,” Chen Xi said as he saw the disbelief from the two. Honestly, what could he do if nobody believed him? He really couldn’t do every single aspect of the tasks, but compared to Lub Su and Zhuge Liang, he was far behind.

”There’s no need for that now. Our Government Treasury is abundant; we can save it for later plans,” Li Youu shook his head.

The three of them stepped out of the city gate, where Liu Bei was already waiting at the North Gate. After a sequence of greetings, they stood by Liu Bei, waiting for the arrival of the army.

”They’re finally here. Looks like the White Horse Righteous Followers have been trained pretty well,” Chen Xi was the first to spot the banners rising on the horizon. Then a large group of cavalry appeared tidily within sight; Zhao Yun’s legion had returned to Fenggao. (Continued in the next episode. If you enjoy this work, feel free to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets at . Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)