Chapter 346: 346. Go home

Translator: 549690339

When Lian Shun returned to Nanshan City, Situ Jing’s eyes had largely recovered with Su Liang’s treatment, and he could take care of himself, though his vision had not fully recovered yet.

“As expected of Su Xiaoliang!” Lian Shun gave a thumbs up while kicking towards Situ Jing.

Qiao Cong watched them with narrowed eyes, not moving.

Situ Jing reached out and grabbed Lian Shun’s leg, pulling him down to the ground.

Lian Shun didn’t get up, “Grandfather Qiao, your grandson is hitting me!”

Qiao Cong silently picked up his cane and tapped Situ Jing on the head, “Apologize to Xiaolian.”

Situ Jing: …

Seeing that he didn’t speak, Qiao Cong tapped him again, “Hurry up!”

Situ Jing frowned and helped Lian Shun up, “Is this fun?”

Lian Shun grinned, “Yes, very much so, extremely fun!” He turned to Qiao Cong, “It’s right to hit him on the head, he has too much water in his brain!”

Qiao Cong nodded, “Mhm, you’re right.”

In fact, Situ Jing, who was being taken care of by Qiao Cong, was also being disciplined by him. He would get hit all the time, but he was getting used to it. His status here was the lowest, and sometimes he felt even lower than the maid Qiuyue. But, honestly, he didn’t find it uncomfortable, and his occasional annoyance would quickly dissipate. It was even more relaxed than his days in the Che family.

After Lian Shun’s playtime, he started talking business with Su Liang and Gu Ling.

When Su Liang heard that Duanmu Chen had drugged Duanmu Yi, she wasn’t surprised. It was more accurate to say that this time, letting Lian Shun go was a direct way to resolve the conflict rather than testing Duanmu Chen.

After all, the biggest “rift” between Duanmu Yi and Su Liang was his two deceased sons.

But that was also the biggest obstacle Su Liang had cleared in Duanmu Chen’s path to power, which was extremely advantageous for him.

If Duanmu Chen had any slight objection to Su Liang because of Duanmu Cheng and Duanmu Ao’s deaths, he would have been blinded.

“Your friends in the capital are all well. The Emperor is going to marry Miss Xing’s family, and it is said that Situ Xie will have his granddaughter married in exchange for a grandson. They are quite pleased.” Lian Shun took out a letter from Lin Shuzhi and handed it to Su Liang, “Your foster father had a close call, but it turned out alright. This is the letter he wrote you.”

Su Liang opened the letter, surprised to see Ying Ying’s name, and then laughed, “Sister Ying is really kind.”

Lian Shun looked at Gu Ling, “Hey! Gu Xiaoling, how did you meet Ying Xiaoying?”

Gu Ling didn’t bother to comment on Lian Shun adding ‘Xiao’ to the name of someone he didn’t even know. He also didn’t want to answer his question.

Because Gu Ling was carefully carving a piece of jade to give to the unborn baby.

Lian Shun, who was used to Gu Ling ignoring him, turned to Su Liang after she finished reading the letter and asked, “Su Xiaoliang, tell me, who is Ying Xiaoying? Such an interesting friend, and you guys never mentioned her to me before!”

“Oh, I’ve only met Sister Ying once.” Su Liang put the letter away, “She’s Gu Ling’s friend from before. She saved Gao Jiabao’s life with an antidote when he was poisoned because of me, and so we owed her a favor.”

Lian Shun nodded, “I know about that. So the plan was to pay her back with the Thousand-Year Snow Lotus?”

Su Liang shook her head and chuckled lightly, “Not exactly. The condition was something else at that time.”

Lian Shun was even more curious, “What condition? It can’t be that Ying Xiaoying wants Gu Xiaoling to repay her with his body, right?” He couldn’t help it, Gu Ling was too beautiful, so that was how he thought about it.

Su Liang nodded and shook her head again, “Almost. But the final agreed condition wasn’t so direct. Sister Ying said that if Gu Ling doesn’t get married, it’s fine. But if he does, she will challenge his bride on their wedding day. If the bride’s strength is inferior to Sister Ying’s, Gu Ling will have to go with her.”

Upon hearing this, Lian Shun was completely dumbfounded.

Su Liang explained, “Don’t misunderstand, Sister Ying is a reasonable person, just straightforward and outgoing.”

Lian Shun praised, “How domineering! So when you guys got married in Liang Country, did Ying Xiaoying try to snatch Gu Xiaoling away? What a pity, I left early due to injury and missed her. I didn’t see how she tried to snatch Gu Xiaoling away, haha!”

Su Liang coughed lightly, “It’s not what you think. She happened to be going to Yao City to look for Thousand-Year Snow Lotus to save her brother, and Gu Ling was planning to use the Thousand-Year Snow Lotus to pay back the favor. Since he found one, he just gave it to her.”

“She and you didn’t fight before you knew each other, right? Weren’t you competing for Gu Xiaoling?” Lian Shun had a “it wouldn’t be fun if you didn’t fight” look.

“Gu Ling and I were just putting on a show when we got married. What’s there to compete for?” Su Liang gave Lian Shun a white eye. “I helped Sister Yuan make a life-saving medicine for her brother with the thousand-year-old Snow Lotus. She likes me, okay?”

Lian Shun quickly understood, “I see, she saw you and ‘moved on,’ not caring about Gu Xiaoling anymore!”

“More or less.” Su Liang thought that when it came to matters of affection, Yuan Ying and Lian Shun had similar attitudes, able to let go and move on.

“It’s the opposite for me. Honestly, after getting to know Gu Xiaoling, I like him even more.” Lian Shun said seriously.

Su Liang frowned, “Are you sure you’re not into my man?”

Lian Shun also gave Su Liang a white eye, “The friendship between Gu Xiaoling and me is a pure male friendship, just like you and Ying Xiaoying.”

“Oh, actually, I have a crush on Sister Yuan.” Su Liang said seriously.

Gu Ling’s carving knife paused for a moment, and he looked up at Su Liang.

Lian Shun laughed and went out, waving his hand behind him, “I have to hurry back home and send a letter to Xiaonian. I’ll be back tomorrow! If you guys are going back to the capital city, wait for me!”

After Lian Shun left, Gu Ling asked Su Liang, “Who do you like the most?”

Su Liang thought seriously, “I have to think about it.”

Gu Ling’s beautiful brows furrowed slightly, “If you’re considering me and Bao Bao, that’s fine. But if there are others…”

Su Liang laughed, “I wasn’t considering you and Bao Bao, because I love you guys the most.” Not just like.

Gu Ling’s eyes relaxed, and the corners of his lips lifted into a light arc. He lowered his head and continued carving, “That’s good.”

“Then, should we go home?” Su Liang asked.

Gu Ling nodded, “Let’s go.”

At this point, Duanmu Chen had made a statement, and the capital city was safe. Although going back would let the enemy know their whereabouts, as long as they were well-guarded, they could still deal with those who came to their doorstep while ensuring their safety. It would be difficult for them to achieve a peaceful outcome if they stayed out of the picture.

“Then, I’ll talk to both masters to see when we can set off.” Su Liang said.

When Su Liang and Gu Ling planned to return to the capital city, Cen Man immediately said she would go with them. Her eyes were finally showing some subtle changes these days, just a very slight sensitivity to light, but it was enough for her to be overjoyed and hopeful of regaining her sight.

For a blind person, it is hard to live in a normal place without someone to take care of them. Cen Man had initially chosen to live in seclusion to avoid discrimination and trouble for herself and others, but it was also an act of desperation to stay out of trouble.

As long as her eyes could recover, she could still choose to live in solitude or go somewhere else. Not only would it be more secure for her, but she could also better protect the people she cared about, such as Su Liang.

“You can ask Old Qiao. He must be willing to go with you too. But you have to make arrangements for his grandchildren.” Cen Man said.

When Su Liang found Qiao Cong, he was sweeping the floor with his crutch. He was not used to having people take care of him.

“Master, Gu Ling and I are planning to return to the capital city.” Su Liang cut to the chase.

Qiao Cong put down the broom, turned back, narrowed his eyes, “Are you… going to abandon us?”

Su Liang suddenly felt like laughing. How did she hear aggrievement in his words? Was this still the cold-hearted, top-notch master she had known at first?”

“Master, if you’re willing, you can come back home with me.” Su Liang smiled, “I have two more masters at home. They may not be there now, but they will be back. I think you can become friends.”

As a result, Qiao Cong said, “I rank third?”

Su Liang: …There’s no need to rank… But after counting, she still had another master, Lin Shuzhi.

“Nangong Qian’s body has recovered a lot, but she still needs to recuperate for a year or so. Once Situ Jing’s eyes are fully recovered, Gu Ling will make arrangements.” Su Liang said.

Qiao Cong sighed, “Jing Jing… I’m really afraid he’ll do something he shouldn’t.”

“Master, you need to learn to let go. Protection and restraint are not the same, but neither can last forever,” Su Liang said. “He obviously feels discontented, and the pain brought by his experiences from childhood to adulthood must be relieved in some way. Perhaps when he has hit rock bottom and realizes that he is not the Chosen Son, he can understand what is most important in life.”

Su Liang and Gu Ling knew that allowing Situ Jing to go to Liang Country might cause him to get out of their control. But since they couldn’t kill Situ Jing because of Qiao Cong at the moment, they let him go, to seek redemption or, perhaps, find his own demise.

There was no need to worry that Situ Jing might pose much threat to them. His strongest asset was his Martial Arts, but compared to Gu Ling, the secrets he knew were far fewer than Situ Xie’s.

Moreover, Su Liang felt that Situ Jing somehow had a check on Situ Xie… at least when it came to the things that had happened before. If not for Situ Jing’s continuous sabotage, Situ Xie’s plans would not have failed so thoroughly.

Upon hearing Su Liang’s words, Qiao Cong heaved a deep sigh, “That’s true. Even if you don’t let him leave, he would find a way to leave by himself. Some things, only after experiencing them, will they come to their senses.”

After the conversation, Qiao Cong asked Su Liang, “Our master-disciple relationship is permanent, right?”

Su Liang smiled lightly, “It seems that our master won’t hold it against me because Situ Jing tried to strike me. In fact, he might do so because I tried to hit him. Of course, we are family now.”

Qiao Cong nodded, “Once I recover from my injury, I will help you fight.”

With that, the matter was settled. Gu Ling and Su Liang decided to set off for home the day after tomorrow. Qiao Cong, Cen Man, Nangong Qian, and Qiuyue would go with them, as would Situ Jing, but they would send him off once his eyes were treated.

Jiaye City.

Lian Shun handed Nian Jincheng the letter from Yang Yu and chuckled, “Do you know what the first thing your sister-in-law asked me when we met?”

Nian Jincheng calmly replied while opening the letter, “I know. She asked if Su Liang is safe and sound.”

Lian Shun originally wanted to tease Nian Jincheng, but seeing his reaction, he coughed lightly, “You don’t mind?”

Nian Jincheng shook his head, “You go ask Xing Yusheng if he minds.”

“You really are…” Lian Shun sighed, “In the future, when Ying Xiaoying gets married, maybe she’ll be like that, too.”

Nian Jincheng asked who Ying Xiaoying was, and Lian Shun replied with a serious expression, “My new friend. Much more interesting than you.”

Nian Jincheng started reading the letter, “Goodbye, then.”

Lian’s Family members already knew that Lian Shun was safe, but seeing him return safely, they finally felt at ease.

Father Lin and Mother Lin listened to Lian Shun’s account of the changes in the capital city, and they both sighed in relief.

Father Lin also asked about his nephew Duanmu Che, and Lian Shun said nonchalantly, “He’s a prince, so Dad doesn’t need to worry about him. We have to distance ourselves from him in the future so as not to arouse the Emperor’s suspicion.”

Father Lin worried about the son his sister had left behind, but he also knew that Lian Shun was right. There were no feelings to speak of in matters concerning the Royal Family.

Mother Lin pulled Lian Shun aside and asked about Situ Jing.

As soon as Lian Shun heard this, he knew it was about his sister Lian Shan, and he told the truth: Situ Jing was still alive.

“Your grandfather and old Mr. Yuan made arrangements for marriage. Our family called off the wedding, and we were unfair to Apei. A few days ago, Apei came and brought up the subject of the marriage continuing if Shan is willing,” Mother Lin sighed.

Lian Shun frowned, “Does Apei still want to marry my little sister?”

Mother Lin shook her head, “Apei has always been a thoughtful child, and I guess he might think that we want to continue the marriage but are too embarrassed to bring it up, so he took the initiative to mention it. He did the same when he was calling off the marriage.”

“What do you and Dad think? What does my little sister say?” Lian Shun asked.

Mother Lin sighed again, “Your father and I hope to let nature take its course. If the two children are willing to be together, that’s good, but we don’t know Apei’s true intentions. Shan has lost her memory, and she feels that she has caused trouble for the family and is not fair to Apei, so she is unwilling.”

Lian Shun nodded, “I see. I’ll go talk to Apei and see what he really thinks.”

Just as he was about to leave, Lian Shun turned around and said to Mother Lin, “Mother, why don’t we all move to the capital city?”

Mother Lin was surprised, “Move to the capital city? Did Xiaoliang suggest it?”

Lian Shun shook his head, “No, it’s my own idea. The current situation changes rapidly, and this place is a border town. After the previous incidents, it’s hard to guarantee that Yin Country won’t try the same tactics again and target us. I will stay here to guard Jiaye City, and you can all move to the capital city. If you want to come back when the world is at peace, you can always return. Apei has long wanted to leave Jiaye City and see the world. We can’t rest easy if he goes on his own, so I plan to let him go to the capital city with Su Liang this time.”

Upon hearing this, Mother Lin’s expression became serious, “Alright, I’ll go talk to your dad about this. You should go talk to Apei. When it comes to his relationship with Shan, be gentle and don’t put pressure on him.”

When Lian Shun saw Yuan Pei, he was reading a book.

Yuan Pei sighed in relief when he saw Lian Shun return, “As long as you are alright.”

Lian Shun briefly explained his recent experiences and the situation in the capital city. Then, he asked Yuan Pei if he truly liked Lian Shan and wanted to marry her. He wondered if Yuan Pei was doing it to fulfill his grandfather’s arranged marriage or to make things easier for the Lin family.

Yuan Pei frowned, “I haven’t thought about it that much. I just feel that continuing with the marriage arrangement isn’t a bad thing.”

“So, you really don’t mind that your sister had feelings for someone else in the past?” Lian Shun asked while looking at Yuan Pei.

Yuan Pei shook his head, “That’s all in the past.”

Lian Shun sighed, “Fine, it seems you and your sister don’t have strong opinions about this marriage right now. Let’s not rush into deciding anything. You still have to mourn for your grandfather. Wait until the mourning period is over. In the meantime, you can go with Su Liang and Gu Ling to the capital city. I want to move my family there as well, it’s safer.”

Yuan Pei agreed, “Alright, but I’m worried about causing trouble for General Su.”

“It’s fine, she is currently pregnant and won’t be going to war. You’ve always admired Mr. Lin, right? He’s Su Liang’s master, she can introduce you to him when the time comes,” Lian Shun said with a smile as he patted Yuan Pei’s shoulder, “They are in Nanshan City, they might be setting off in a couple of days. You should pack your things and follow me there tomorrow. Go to the capital first, my family will join later as we have many people and might be slower.”

Since Lian Shun had already arranged everything, Yuan Pei agreed.

When Lian Shun returned to Nanshan City, he told Su Liang that he had entrusted Yuan Pei to her care.

Su Liang said it was no problem to take Yuan Pei to the capital city. She would introduce him to Lin Shuzhi, and if he was willing, he could continue his studies at the Imperial College and take the next Imperial examination.

As for Lian Shun wanting to move his entire family to the capital city, Su Liang thought it was a good idea.

“Too bad we can’t move the Orange Garden over there,” Su Liang said while caressing her belly, “my baby would definitely love the fruits.”

Lian Shun laughed heartily, “My godson and goddaughter will have enough to eat! There won’t be any for you and Gu Xiaoling!”

The most frustrated person was Nian Jincheng. He was originally ordered to bring troops from the capital city to help with the reinforcement of Jiaye City. By the time they arrived, Su Liang and Gu Ling had already quelled the unrest. As the military commanders of Jiaye City had suffered heavy losses, Nian Jincheng had no choice but to stay and serve as the guard general, not knowing when he could return to the capital city.

Although Nian Jincheng missed Yang Yu, he didn’t want her to come to Jiaye City. His reasoning was similar to Lian Shun’s decision to send his family to the capital city.

Nian Jincheng could have asked Su Liang to talk to Duanmu Chen about transferring him back to the capital city. However, under the current circumstances, Qian Country’s military commanders had been heavily infiltrated by enemy forces in recent years, with many of the senior officers being lost. Nian Jincheng knew that if he were to return to the capital, it was highly likely that Duanmu Chen would send Lin Bojun to serve as the guard general in Jiaye City.

This was because the position was crucial, and no suitable replacement could be found.

As such, Nian Jincheng had no choice but to stay and fulfill his duties.

On the day of departure, Gu Ling woke up early and made breakfast. After eating with Su Liang, their luggage was already loaded onto the carriage.

Gu Ling carried Su Liang into the carriage. Although Su Liang felt that her movements were not affected, she couldn’t help but feel that someone thought she was becoming incapable of taking care of herself…

“Oh right, where’s the gift you made for Little God?” Su Liang remembered the jade piece Gu Ling had carved.

Gu Ling took it out, and Su Liang couldn’t help but laugh.

Gu Ling had used a high-quality piece of green jade to carve a cute little bamboo shoot, completely imitating the “friend” Su Liang had named Little God before.

“So cute.” Su Liang held it in her hand, “Great God, your carving skills are truly divine. It’s called Little God, and the baby is also called Little God; they’re going to get confused.”

Gu Ling thought for a moment and said, “Then let’s call the baby Little Shoot.”

Su Liang found it amusing, “If you really dare to give our baby such a nickname, you’ll be beaten up by our masters.”