Mistakenly Connected to the Jade Flower Branch

"What would Nanfei think if he saw you like this...?"

After several years apart, rumors circulated that Nanfei had become even more exquisite and outstanding, enjoying herself immensely in the gentle and tranquil Jiangnan region. In the desert winds and sand, wrinkles were faintly visible at the corners of her eyes.

Back then, people called her Nanfei's older sister; now she could be his aunt.

The ship docked at the pier. Nan Fei ran towards Luo An: "Sir..."

Nan Fei's voice caught in his throat as he stopped and stared blankly at Yuan Feng.

Nanfei had already noticed the woman in white standing next to Luo An. At first, he thought it was Nianyao in disguise, but the figure didn't seem to match...

No wonder her figure seemed somewhat familiar. Wasn't she always disguised as a man and living far away in the southern desert?

Is this some kind of ghost? I just dreamt that she was dancing in women's clothing...

Xu Sheng followed from behind and kicked Nan Fei, who stumbled and fell towards Yuan Feng.

Yuan Feng casually strode aside, causing Nan Fei to fall flat on his face.

Xu Sheng was stunned: "It's rumored that General Yuan's love for Nan Fei is ingrained in his bones. Is this... murdering her husband? In ancient times, there was Meng Jiangnu who chased her husband for a thousand miles. Now, General Yuan is going to kill her husband for a thousand miles... Interesting..."

Nanfei got up and left without looking back.

Xu Sheng laughed heartily, then turned to Luo Anshi, slightly taken aback: "Who died?"

Who deserves Luo An to wear mourning clothes?

Luo An said, "Willow Grove."

Xu Sheng said, "Am I late?"

Luo An said, "It's not too late."

Xu Sheng looked him up and down: "Why have you become so...polite? Are you really going to be a father?"

Luo An turned to leave, but Xu Sheng grabbed him: "Qi Yang, Yun Ting, greet your brother-in-law."

The two stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Greetings, brother-in-law."

Luo An's gaze lingered on Qi Yang for a moment, and Qi Yang's heart skipped a beat.

Luo An shook off Xu Sheng and walked back.

Xu Sheng kept nagging beside him: "Your uncle has prepared gifts for the twins. Go to Qinzhou to pick them up when you have time. General Xue instructed you to take good care of Nianyao and make sure nothing happens to her..."

Luo An interrupted him: "Does Prince Rui have a bad memory?"

Xu Sheng said, "Hey, don't go too far. Let's do some good deeds for the twins."

Luo An turned his head to look at him, and Xu Sheng shut up.

Nan Fei sat on the edge of the tea room with a sullen face, not even raising his head when they came over.

Xu Lai and Qin Jiu greeted him warmly: "Prince Rui."

Xu Sheng grinned: "Nanfei, be a man and be more magnanimous. How about I apologize to you?"

Nan Fei's temper flared up, and he yelled at Yuan Feng, "What are you doing here?"

Yuan Feng said coldly, "By order of the emperor, we will unite with Nan Yue to destroy Xi Ling Bei Rou."

Even Xu Sheng was somewhat surprised by these words.

Nan Fei said, "Destroy Xiling Beirou? You think you can just destroy it like that? Nan Yue and Beirou are separated by a vast distance. Why should Nan Yue help you destroy Beirou?"

Yuan Feng said, "Then let's unite with Xiling to destroy Nanyue first."

Everyone was taken aback.

Nanfei stood up: "What did you say?"

Yuan Feng said, "If Xiling and Nanyue go to war, Dongyang will win if it allies with any other country. Choosing Nanyue is just to give face to the young master."

Xu Sheng said, "What if neither Nan Yue nor Xi Ling wants to ally with Dong Yang?"

Yuan Feng said, "When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits. Dongyang is watching the battle from the riverbank. If they take the opportunity to go south or west, can you stop them? In this three-way war, if Dongyang doesn't get a share of the spoils, it would be a disservice to generations of Dongyang's planning. Since that's the case, why not make a generous alliance and seek stability within stability?"

Xu Sheng praised, "General Yuan is indeed a heroine among women. My uncle said that if we join forces with Dongyang to deal with Xiling, we can divide the country along the river, with the area north of the Jingjiang River belonging to Dongyang and the area south belonging to Nanyue."

Yuan Feng shook his head: "No, we will unite to destroy Xiling and Beirou, Beirou will belong to Dongyang, and Xiling will belong to Nanyue."

Nanfei exclaimed incredulously, "Your Majesty..."

Yuan Feng interrupted him: "My idea has been approved by His Majesty."

Nanfei said, "Are you crazy?"

Yuan Feng paused for a moment, then said, "Ever since the late emperor destroyed the Central Plains Kingdom, Dongyang has harbored the ambition and the capability to unify the world. If we destroy Xiling and Beirou this time, wouldn't it be a natural progression for the Crown Prince to conquer Nanyue and unify the world once he ascends the throne?"

Nan Fei said, "The friendship between gentlemen is as pure as water, while the friendship between nations prioritizes self-interest. Even if Nan Yue agrees now, what if they turn against us after conquering Xiling? What if the Northern Desert takes the opportunity to invade southward?"

Yuan Feng countered, "The northern desert has been very peaceful for many years."

Nanfei said, "Peaceful? Very peaceful? General Yuan, have you subdued the northern desert or driven the Tatars out of the northern desert? You're just guarding the southern desert, what gives you the right to say the northern desert is peaceful?"

Yuan Feng stared at him, her hands clenched into fists, her chest heaving.

Apart from Nanfei, no one dared to speak to her like that, not even the emperor.

Nanfei continued, "Have you considered this? With the Southern Yue turning against them, the Tatars invading from the south, and the Northern Rou clashing, Dongyang is in a dead end. Dongyang harbors ambitions to unify the world. Which country doesn't? Which emperor doesn't proceed cautiously and step by step?"

Even the late emperor, with his great talent and ambition, dared not act rashly. How could you, as the garrison commander, dare to suggest such a thing? Xu Sheng, a disciple of Guiguzi, still brought two people with him. You came alone, didn't you? It's been several years, and General Yuan's arrogance has grown as much as his age."

Yuan Feng raised her head slightly, but remained silent.

Nianyao, who had been standing beside Yuan Feng without her noticing, felt a pang of sadness at Yuan Feng's posture. She understood that only by looking up could she prevent her tears from falling.

Nianyao said, "General Yuan is protecting the country and its people in Mobei. What are you doing? How dare you talk about her like that?"

Nanfei didn't even look at Nianyao: "Write a letter to the Emperor and say..."

Yuan Feng said, "I have signed a pledge."

A pledge? Nan Fei said, "Are you here to die?"

Yuan Feng said in a low voice, "I'll just see you while I'm at it."

Nanfei nodded: "Mainly to die, and watch me while we're at it..."

Nanfei walked around her once, tugging at her clothes: "...What the hell are you dressed like? All in white mourning clothes. You're not even dead yet, and you're already planning to send yourself off first?"

The legendary General Yuan Feng, in front of everyone, was made to look like a pitiful little wife by Nan Fei's few harsh words.

They really showed no mercy whatsoever.

Luo An couldn't stand it anymore: "Her father is dead."

Nanfei was stunned. No wonder she looked so sorrowful and pale: "Your father really..."

Yuan Feng's nose felt sore.

Nanfei said, "Why did he know that I didn't? You didn't tell me about something so important?"

Luo An said, "I treated her father three years ago; his health wasn't good then. General Yuan is dressed in white mourning clothes, so a relative must have passed away. She's mainly going to her death and visiting you incidentally; it must be because a close relative has died and she has no other attachments, so..."

Yuan Feng blinked, trying her best to suppress her tears.

Nanfei's voice softened: "Why didn't you tell me?"

Yuan Feng opened her mouth several times, barely managing to say, "Your brother will attend the funeral in your place as your son-in-law."

Nanfei said, "Then you should have told me too."

Yuan Feng said, "If you wanted to go back, you would have already. If you didn't want to go back, what difference would my father's death make?"

Why does it make me so sad to hear this?

Yuan Feng suddenly smiled: "Nanfei, your older brother and sister are so good to you. Your sister helped you with the wedding ceremony, and your brother took your place as your son-in-law when your father-in-law died."

From beginning to end, she was the only one trapped in this marriage arrangement.

Yuan Feng took a step back, turned around and ran outside.