132. Military Intelligence from the North Reaches Jianglin

Shen Mansion, Plum Garden, Ninghui Tower.

"Master, the letter from the capital has arrived," the butler, Old Jiang, said as he hurried into the room.

Shen Hao, who was sitting on a daybed enjoying tea and snacks, took a silk handkerchief from his maid to wipe his hands. He rose, took the envelope from the butler, and headed straight for his study, followed closely by the butler.

Upon reaching the study and settling in, Shen Hao carefully inspected the wax seal. Finding it intact, he used a small knife to cautiously slice open the envelope. He unfolded the letter and read only a few words before his eyes widened in shock.

Could his eyes be deceiving him? He refolded the letter and opened it again, but nothing had changed. The butler, standing to the side, looked on in bewilderment. What had happened to the master? Why were his hands trembling?

"Go and fetch Cheng'er, Jin'er, and Xi'er," Shen Hao instructed the butler, struggling to suppress the agitation rising within him.

The butler did not understand why his master was so visibly shaken by a letter, but he did not dare ask. He rushed out to summon them, sensing that a major event had occurred.

Before long, Shen Yancheng, who resided in the Plum Garden, was the first to arrive at the study.

"Father!" Shen Yancheng greeted him with a bow.

"Read this letter from the capital," Shen Hao said, rising to hand him the paper before beginning to pace the room.

"What?" Shen Yancheng let out a sharp cry, almost bringing the roof down. Shen Hao jumped, his pacing disrupted. This eldest son of his really lacked composure!

"Father, this... what are we to do?" Shen Yancheng asked, trembling as he held the letter. The shift in the political landscape described in the missive was too much for the twenty-something-year-old to process.

Shen Hao remained silent, his own mind a chaotic mess. How had the Bairong suddenly invaded? Although they had long been in conflict, the Great Liang had generally maintained the upper hand. Now, not only had they invaded, but they were heading straight for the capital.

Of course, this was not what shocked them the most; the enemy was still far away, leaving time to plan. What stunned them was the behavior of their eccentric son-in-law. According to the timeline in his eldest brother's letter, on the very day the military report reached the capital, his son-in-law had been in this room asking what they would do if the Bairong and Xirong invaded. At the time, they had dismissed it as nonsense. Now, it had come true. Did he have prophetic vision? Was he truly an immortal descended to earth?

"Tell me your thoughts," Shen Hao said, unable to clear his own head.

"Huh?" Shen Yancheng was dumbfounded. He had been too shocked to think, let alone form an opinion.

"Sit down and read it through, and wait for Xi'er and Jin'er," Shen Hao said, seeing by his son's expression that he hadn't even finished the letter.

A while later, Shen Yanxi arrived in a hurry.

"Where is Jin'er?" Shen Hao asked, seeing that she was alone.

"My husband is not at home, so I came first."

Shen Hao felt a wave of frustration. He was desperately waiting for him, and yet he was out.

"Xi'er, take a look," Shen Yancheng said, handing her the letter.

Shen Yanxi took the paper and sat down to read. After a few lines, she was startled—it was exactly as her husband had predicted. The father and son looked on, somewhat embarrassed. Although Shen Yanxi’s expression was grave, she was not as shocked as they were.

"What does Father intend to do?" Shen Yanxi asked after putting down the paper.

"..." Shen Hao’s lips moved, but he had no answer. He was waiting for his son-in-law.

"Where did Jin'er go?" Shen Hao asked again.

"He didn't say when he left," Shen Yanxi replied. It was normal not to know; they weren't together every moment.

"Did you arrange for the grain to be collected, Eldest Brother?" Shen Yanxi asked Shen Yancheng.

Shen Yancheng looked at his father, feeling awkward. They had intended to take inventory before making a decision, never imagining things would escalate so suddenly.

"Clap!" Shen Yanxi, clearly displeased, slammed the letter onto the table and stood up.

"Father, do you still not trust my husband?" Her voice was sharp, and her beautiful eyes misted over.

"Is that any way to speak to your father?" Shen Hao retorted, feeling irritated. His head was already spinning, and now his own daughter was questioning him. Was it a matter of trust?

"Xi'er, don't be hasty. No one in this house distrusts Nanqing. It's just that none of us expected this to happen so suddenly..." Shen Yancheng urged.

"You didn't expect it, but my husband did! He has been busy from dawn till dusk every day, exhausting himself, and yet the family..." Shen Yanxi could no longer control herself and broke into tears on the table.

She realized now that she hadn't understood why her husband was so urgent and worried, trying to complete in a few days what could have taken longer. He had done this and that, turning himself into the busiest person in the Shen garden. Only now did she realize her husband wasn't worrying for nothing—he was the only one who truly understood and was truly anxious, yet the whole family had been holding him back.

Shen Yanxi was actually being a bit unfair to Shen Hao. In all of Great Liang, aside from those behind the scenes, who would have thought the border would be breached so suddenly by the Bairong? Her tears were, in truth, more out of concern for her husband.

As for Lu Jin, having transmigrated here less than a year ago, his judgments were still guided by the experience and mindset of his previous life. The historical patterns he had carefully studied constantly influenced his decisions. Yet, even he hadn't expected things to happen so suddenly and coincidentally.

"Xi'er, Father does not distrust Jin'er. I had already asked your brother to take inventory and arrange for the grain collection. We just never imagined such a thing would come true, and so urgently!" Seeing his daughter cry, Shen Hao felt pained. Shen Yancheng, too, had never seen his sister cry so bitterly.

After a long while, Shen Yanxi stopped crying.

"What does Father intend to do now?" she asked.

"For now, the Bairong are still thousands of miles away from Jiangzhou. The north is vast with many mountains, and it is already autumn. Even if they could reach Jianglin, they wouldn't be able to reach the capital," Shen Hao said, having regained his composure. This Bairong incursion had been aided by traitors, but as long as the court responded properly, the strength of the Great Liang border guards should suffice.

"But we must make preparations. It seems Great Liang is indeed headed for turmoil; your uncle mentioned this same fear in his letter."

"And have you seen the 'Ten Strategies for a Strong Nation' by Zhang Yan mentioned in the letter?"

***

Shen Mansion, Xi Garden, Guanyun Tower.

"Where did the master go?" Huayan asked, seeing Lu Jin enter with two women.

"To a brothel."

"..." The answer left Huayan speechless. Only because she understood her master's character did she refrain from thinking he had gone mad, to be so brazen about visiting a brothel. *Besides, with so many women at home, how do you have the energy for a brothel?*

"Husband!" Shen Yanxi, hearing Lu Jin’s voice, hurried out.

"My lady!" Lu Jin grabbed her hand and led her inside.

"And who are these two?" she asked, surprised he had brought people back.

"Liang Muxue and Nie Wuci pay their respects to the young lady," the two women said, kneeling without hesitation.

They had finally met the legendary Second Miss, and she lived up to her reputation. Had they not seen her, they might have thought the master was being hypocritical, as they themselves were not ordinary women. But upon seeing Shen Yanxi, they realized that while they were of the earth, she was among the clouds. It wasn't just about physical beauty; it was the ethereal, otherworldly temperament Shen Yanxi possessed that made them feel inferior.

"Please, rise. Shuqing, take these two ladies to the tea room to rest for a moment. My husband and I need to speak," Shen Yanxi said. Though puzzled by their behavior, she made arrangements based on the word "brothel" she had overheard.

"Right, my lady, have that water bandit in Yuanfang's hands locked up, and don't let anyone near him," Lu Jin added. Having lived with Shen Yanxi for so long, he knew his wife was no simple woman. Shen Yanxi, though curious about the water bandit, followed his instructions and had Siqin handle it.

Lu Jin and Shen Yanxi sat on the daybed while Huayan served tea.

"My lady, I went to Zhichun Pavilion today; those two are the women I brought back."

"Are they special in some way?" Shen Yanxi asked.

"Shouldn't you be asking why I went to a brothel?" Lu Jin teased. *How can you be so calm when your husband has been to a brothel?*

"Oh, then why did you go to the brothel?"

"..." Lu Jin was speechless. *It’s weird to answer now that I’ve prompted you.*

"Pfft! Tell me, husband, who are they? They are of top-tier appearance and manners. Did you really take a liking to them?" Shen Yanxi laughed. She wasn't truly shocked; such was the custom of the time. Moreover, she didn't believe her husband would visit a brothel just for pleasure. As a top-tier establishment, Zhichun Pavilion wasn't just for carnal business.

"My lady, they are the lead courtesans of Zhichun Pavilion. The one in pink is Liang Muxue. Her father was the former Governor of Haidong, Liang Ming, who was exiled due to the grain robbery case..." Lu Jin explained everything in detail.

Shen Yanxi was shocked. She never expected such a background. They had once lived lives similar to her own, only to be cast into such a predicament overnight.

*So, that’s why he was so urgent—because he has a wife who is the most beautiful woman in the world,* she thought. Regardless of whether he was joking, she felt the depth of his affection. She couldn't imagine what she would do if she were in their shoes. She reached out and held his hand tightly.

"I brought them here out of sympathy, but also because I value their capabilities. With them assisting you, you won't have to be so busy."

Shen Yanxi understood immediately. Though her four maids were excellent, they couldn't compare to the daughters of officials.

"I understand. How did it feel to hold those two beauties?" she teased.

"Cough! I don't remember. Come here, let me hold you, and I'll think about it," Lu Jin said, his skin getting thicker as they grew closer as a couple.

"Wait until you return," she laughed lightly.

*Huh? What do you mean 'return'? Am I not already back?*

"The Bairong have invaded and are heading for the capital. Father is waiting for you in the study. You should go now," she said softly.

"What?" Lu Jin almost choked on his tea. The lid of his teacup clattered to the floor. His mind went blank. *Damn it, how did this happen? I haven't even been here for a year, and they're hitting me with a major crisis?*

"Husband! Husband!" Shen Yanxi was surprised by his reaction. *Shouldn't you be the one most prepared?*

"I'm going now. Are you coming?" Lu Jin stood up.

"I just came back; I've said what needed to be said. You decide what to do. I'll go see those two young ladies," she replied.

Lu Jin didn't linger. With the sky seemingly collapsing, he had no time for anything else.