Chapter 260: Arrival At Chaisang
Gan Ning returned to the manor and sat down in the study. At that moment, Xu Wei came in with a cup of tea. Gan Ning gestured for her to sit down.
“I remember you told me that you wanted to invite Sun Shangxiang to Chaisang as a guest. Did you invite her?”
Xu Wei nodded. “I invited her a month ago. Then I received her letter, and she told me not to write to her for the time being.”
Sensing something, Xu Wei quickly asked, “Husband, has something happened?”
Gan Ning nodded lightly. “I just received news that Sun Shangxiang has fled from home.”
Xu Wei was immediately startled. “Fled from home? What does that mean?”
“Just like you back then, Sun Shangxiang doesn’t want to marry Liu Bei. Her opposition was useless, so she chose to flee.”
Xu Wei’s heart stirred, and she suddenly realized. “Husband, do you mean she has come to Chaisang?”
Gan Ning smiled. “I can only say it’s possible. I don’t dare to be certain, so I want to ask you how you invited her.”
“Me?”
Xu Wei thought for a moment. “I told her that Chaisang has warm sunshine, a quiet courtyard, a life without pretense, and sincere friendship. She can stay as long as she wants, and our whole family welcomes her as a guest.”
“Whole family?” Gan Ning was stunned for a moment.
Xu Wei nodded. “I told Older Sister about it. She welcomes Shang Xiang very much. A Yu is also very happy and said that the four of us can play mahjong together.”
Gan Ning chuckled helplessly. Mahjong was something he had invented to entertain his three wives, but they always lacked one player, so they often had to pull Lu Su’s wife to play together.
“It seems she was persuaded by you. She must be coming to Chaisang?”
“But… could she be intercepted?” Xu Wei said worriedly. “If Jiangdong seals off the waterways, even entering the Yangtze River would make it hard to escape.”
Gan Ning pondered for a moment and said, “I estimate she went south, entering Yuzhang Commandery from Damo County side. Here’s what we’ll do: Arrange for Qin Yan to go to Yushan County to meet them in your name. Yushan County is a must-pass road for them, and they are likely to take a ship from Yushan County to Chaisang.”
Xu Wei nodded silently. “I understand. I’ll have Qin Yan go to Yushan County tomorrow.”
Watching Xu Wei leave, Gan Ning’s gaze was somewhat complex. He did indeed have selfish motives. To prevent Sun Quan and Liu Bei from forming an alliance through marriage, he had to keep Sun Shangxiang controlled in Chaisang and not let her return to Jiangdong.
Even if Sun and Liu temporarily formed an alliance, without marriage as a bond, such an alliance would be very fragile and could be broken with just a bit of scheming to sow discord.
After half a month of traveling by day and resting by night, that day, Sun Shangxiang and her two female guards finally arrived at Yushan County. It hadn’t been easy for them to enter Chaisang. They racked their brains and used all sorts of means to escape Sun Quan’s pursuit and blockade. Only when they passed directly through the Yuzhang Commandery boundary marker did they finally breathe a long sigh of relief.
After walking another seven days, they arrived at Yushan County.
“Miss, should we rest in the county town for a day, or go directly to find a ship?” the two female guards asked.
Sun Shangxiang thought for a moment and said, “New Year is coming soon. Let’s not delay. We’ll go directly to find a ship! We can rest on the ship too.”
The three arrived at the dock and were inquiring about ships when suddenly they heard someone calling her from behind. “Miss Shang Xiang!”
Sun Shangxiang was startled and turned around to see a tall female warrior. She was stunned for a moment, then immediately recognized her. “You’re Qin Yan?”
The newcomer was actually Xu Wei’s personal female guard. Sun Shangxiang was overjoyed and immediately asked, “How are you here? Where is Yun Qing?”
“My lady is in Chaisang! She was worried about you, so she sent me to pick you up. I’ve been waiting for you in Yushan County for several days, figuring you’d come to the dock.”
Sun Shangxiang felt touched and delighted in her heart. Xu Wei had actually sent someone to pick her up.
“I’m looking for a ship. I’m going to Chaisang right now.”
“No need. I have a ship!”
Qin Yan led them to a passenger ship of two thousand dan. “This is our residence’s passenger ship. Get on board!”
This was a private ship, one of the five private ships owned by Gan Ning’s residence. It wasn’t luxuriously decorated but was very comfortable. The cabin was covered with thick carpet, kept spotlessly clean. Though it was midwinter, the cabin was warm and emitted a faint wintersweet fragrance. It turned out there was a branch of wintersweet in a vase on the desk.
As soon as Sun Shangxiang entered the cabin, she lay down. It was too comfortable. Half a month of bumpy travel had exhausted her completely. She had never felt this comfortable in her life.
“Thank you, Yun Qing!”
Sun Shangxiang murmured softly twice, then fell into a deep sleep from exhaustion.
This passenger ship was fast. Five days later, it arrived at Chaisang. They didn’t dock at the public dock but sailed along the canal into the city, finally stopping slowly at the private dock by the side door of the Marquis of Chu’s residence.
Xu Wei had been waiting at the dock for a long time, with the Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao sisters standing behind her.
Sun Shangxiang got off the ship and, seeing Xu Wei, ran up excitedly and hugged her. Xu Wei smiled and comforted her a few words, then introduced Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao to her.
Sun Shangxiang knew this gentle woman was the Marquis of Chu’s madam. She hurried forward to bow in greeting. Da Qiao smilingly supported her. “No need to be polite. You’re Yun Qing’s sister, so you’re also my younger sister. Welcome to our home as a guest.”
“Thank you, Older Sister!” Sun Shangxiang sweetly called her Older Sister.
Da Qiao was delighted and introduced Xiao Qiao to her. Xiao Qiao and Sun Shangxiang had something in common: they shared the same birthday, the same year and month, so it was hard to tell who was older, but Sun Shangxiang still obediently called Xiao Qiao Older Sister.
Xiao Qiao was instantly overjoyed and immediately took Sun Shangxiang’s arm to walk into the residence. “Today we’ll give younger sister a proper welcome feast to wash away the dust of travel!”
Da Qiao knew Sun Shangxiang was tired, so she let her rest first. Of course, Sun Shangxiang stayed in Xu Wei’s courtyard. Xu Wei had already prepared a room for her: two comfortable suites.
“So the rumors are true?”
Xu Wei asked, “You’re to marry Liu Bei?”
“I would never marry that old man!”
Sun Shangxiang said resentfully, “We’re almost forty years apart. He could be my grandfather. How could I possibly marry him? I’d die first.”
At this point, Sun Shangxiang stepped forward and took Xu Wei’s hand, saying apologetically, “Yun Qing, forgive me for mocking you before. I never understood why you fled your marriage, and three times at that. Now I understand. I myself have…”
Xu Wei patted her hand and said gently, “Happiness must be fought for by oneself. If you don’t even have the courage, no one else can help you. You dared to flee the marriage, which shows you have courage. I hope you can find a lover you truly like.”
“Yes!” Sun Shangxiang sighed deeply too. “Before, I placed too much importance on status and position. I didn’t understand why you were willing to be a secondary wife. But after this experience, I’m starting to understand. In this short life of a few decades, if I can’t taste happiness, the sweetness of love, or marry the man I truly love, then I’ve lived in vain.”
This was Sun Shangxiang’s heartfelt voice. She had fled all the way, thinking all the way, and finally figured it out.
Xu Wei smiled and took her hand. “I’m so glad to see you’ve finally awakened!”
