Chapter 276: Shang Xiang’s Choice
“I….”
Da Qiao thought for a moment and said, “I’ll have Yun Qing tell her and let her make her own decision.”
Gan Ning nodded, “Fine!”
Da Qiao stood up, “Then I’ll go first.”
“Go ahead!”
Da Qiao left, and Gan Ning’s gaze fell back on a pile of important decisions. He had too many things to handle and no time to worry about such trivial matters.
In the room, Da Qiao told Xu Wei about this matter. There was some dimness in Xu Wei’s eyes. She really couldn’t bear for Shang Xiang to leave, but Shang Xiang was so filial to her mother.
At this time, Sun Shangxiang walked in quickly, “Yun Qing, I want to ask you something.”
She suddenly saw Da Qiao and was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, “Older Sister is here too!”
Da Qiao stood up with a smile, “You two chat! I need to go check on the children.”
She gently held Sun Shangxiang’s hand and walked away quickly.
Sun Shangxiang quickly sat down. Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly noticed that Xu Wei’s expression was off, so she swallowed her words.
“Yun Qing, did something happen?”
“Something happened, and it’s about you.” Xu Wei said softly.
“About me?”
A trace of unease flashed in Sun Shangxiang’s heart. She bit her lip, “What happened?”
“Cao Cao has proposed marriage to Jiangdong, asking for his son Cao Zhi to marry you.”
“What?” Sun Shangxiang was stunned.
Xu Wei held Sun Shangxiang’s hand and said gently, “Setting aside the political marriage alliance, but that year at Grand Commandant Yang’s Manor, didn’t you say Cao Zhi was quite good? Isn’t this your chance?”
“Chance?” Sun Shangxiang felt somewhat bewildered, “What chance?”
“To find a man you like who can also make you his main wife. Did you forget? You just told me about it this morning.”
“I don’t know.” Sun Shangxiang lowered her head, her mind in turmoil. Did she like Cao Zhi? What did he look like?
That was so many years ago; she had long forgotten, even forgotten what Cao Zhi looked like.
“Did General Gan say this?” Sun Shangxiang suddenly looked up and asked.
“Yes!”
“Then what else did he say?”
“Husband also said that your mother might have fallen ill. She sent news through the Western Chu Liaison Office, asking you to hurry back.”
“My mother fell ill?” Sun Shangxiang suddenly widened her eyes, her heart in panic.
Xu Wei quickly comforted her, “Don’t worry. Our ships are very fast and can send you home soon. Pack up tonight! We’ll set off early tomorrow morning.”
The next morning, Xu Wei came to Sun Shangxiang’s room and saw her sitting in front of the bed in a daze, not having packed anything. Her eyes were bloodshot, her expression haggard, as if she hadn’t slept all night.
“Shang Xiang, how are you?”
Sun Shangxiang gently bit her lip and said softly, “Yun Qing, before I leave, can I talk to General Gan one more time?”
Xu Wei glanced at her, “Sure! He’s resting today. Come with me.”
Sun Shangxiang slowly stood up and followed Xu Wei to Gan Ning’s study. She went in, and after a moment came out and said to Sun Shangxiang, “Go in! I’ll head back first.”
Xu Wei turned and left, and only then did Sun Shangxiang slowly walk in.
Gan Ning rarely had a day off. Ever since declaring wartime, he hadn’t had a single day of rest, and since he didn’t rest, his subordinates couldn’t either. Now that the war situation was calm, Gan Ning announced a day off for everyone.
Although it was a rest day, Gan Ning still brought official business home.
Sun Shangxiang slowly walked in. Gan Ning put down his brush and gestured for her to sit, but Sun Shangxiang didn’t move. After hesitating for a long time, she finally mustered her courage and asked, “My mother… she… did she really fall ill?”
She shouldn’t doubt it—that would be disrespectful to her mother—but she still felt something was off. She had thought about it all night; some things had to be clarified, and a resolution had to be made, even if that resolution brought humiliation.
Gan Ning gazed at her with gentle eyes. After a long while, he gently shook his head, “We also have an informant in the Marquis of Wu’s Palace. Your mother has not fallen ill.”
Sun Shangxiang felt a sense of relief, “Really?”
Gan Ning nodded, “Your mother hopes you marry Cao Zhi, so she used illness as an excuse to summon you back.”
“I… can I not go back?” Sun Shangxiang’s voice was as soft as a mosquito’s hum.
“Why?” Gan Ning’s gaze fixed on her, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
“I… I…”
Sun Shangxiang suddenly looked up at Gan Ning, her eyes shining like stars. With unprecedented courage in her heart, she said, “I want to take care of the watermelon seedlings. I promised you, and I must do it.”
Gan Ning looked at her, his gaze gradually softening.
After a good while, he gently said, “I hope you won’t regret your choice.”
“I won’t regret it. I only regret the choice I made back then. Now I won’t make mistakes again.”
Gan Ning’s gaze became even gentler, “Go water the watermelon seedlings. If there’s any news from your mother, I’ll tell you right away.”
Sun Shangxiang slowly exited the study. When she left the study, her steps were unusually light and firm.
………
At night, Da Qiao brought a teacup into the study again, with Xu Wei following behind her. Da Qiao set down the teacup and hesitated slightly, “Husband, what did you say to Shang Xiang? She decided not to go back.”
“I just told her the truth. Her mother didn’t fall ill; it was just an excuse to summon her back to Jiangdong and marry her off to Cao Zhi.”
“But isn’t marrying Cao Zhi good? Cao Zhi is very talented, famous throughout the world, and about the same age. It’s surely better than marrying that old man Liu Bei!”
Gan Ning shook his head, “Things aren’t that simple. Marrying her to Cao Zhi is just Jiangdong’s wishful thinking!”
Da Qiao and Xu Wei were both stunned and looked at each other.
“Husband, why is it wishful thinking?” Xu Wei asked hurriedly.
Gan Ning looked at Xu Wei with a somewhat apologetic gaze, “Yun Qing, Jiangdong is about to fall.”
Xu Wei suddenly widened her eyes, “Husband, what did you say?”
“Sun Ben is about to attack Jiangdong. He’s leading an army of eighty thousand, half of which are Cao Army disguised as others. With nine-tenths of Jiangdong’s internal surrender faction, the army’s resistance alone won’t hold out for long.”
“So Shang Xiang marrying Cao Zhi is just Cao Cao’s deception to confuse Jiangdong?” Da Qiao somewhat understood.
“Not entirely!”
Gan Ning smiled, “Since Cao Cao has his eye on Shang Xiang, giving her to Cao Zhi is probably real too, but she absolutely won’t be the main wife—just a concubine. How could a daughter of a lost country be the main wife? That’s why I say it’s Jiangdong’s wishful thinking, just like how Cao Cao said he’d marry his daughter to Sun Quan—also Jiangdong’s wishful thinking.”
Gan Ning looked at the worried Xu Wei and comforted her gently, “The Xu Family will be fine too. To stabilize Jiangdong, Cao Cao will only reuse the Xu Family.”
…….
At night, Xu Wei nestled in her husband’s arms, a trace of flush still on her face from the passion.
“Husband, Shang Xiang likes you, you know?” Xu Wei’s slender fingers drew circles on her husband’s chest.
“Didn’t she hate me the most?” Gan Ning smiled faintly.
“That was a long time ago. She didn’t understand you then. Now she’s lived with us for months, seeing you every day—commanding thousands of troops outside, devising strategies inside, doting on wife and children at home, cherishing the family. How could she not be moved by such a man?”
Gan Ning pondered for a moment, “Jiangdong is complicated. It’s too early to talk about this now. For now, let her stay here. I don’t want her to be taken by Sun Ben as a prisoner of war and offered to Cao Cao either.”
“I don’t want Shang Xiang to suffer that misfortune either. I’ll persuade her to stay here peacefully.”
The matter of Sun Shangxiang was temporarily set aside. Xu Wei’s eyes flowed with charm, gently hinting at her husband. Gan Ning immediately understood and took action again, filling the room with spring.
