Marrying a Disabled General and be His Wife

When Feng Chilie followed ‘Nama’ to find Tan Chuyan, his soul almost broke from fear.

Feng Chilie hugged Tan Chuyan around the waist, placed him on Zhaoye’s back, and swiftly returned to the camp.

Seeing Feng Chilie’s grim expression, no one dared to inquire about what happened. Ji Bei finally caught a glimpse and instructed people to keep their distance from the coach’s tent.

Inside the tent, Feng Chilie, wearing an angry expression, spoke to Tan Chuyan for the first time: “Do you realize that was a cliff? If you hadn’t stood firm, it could have been disastrous!”

Tan Chuyan touched his hand, saying, “I just went to relax.”

Feng Chilie withdrew his hand, his tone unusual, “Relaxing near the edge of a cliff? You have a knack for finding peculiar places.”

Acknowledging his mistake, Tan Chuyan sat down opposite Feng Chilie and kissed the corner of his lips, saying, “It won’t happen again.”

“No, don’t make promises to me.” Feng Chilie raised his head, making Tan Chuyan kiss his chin. “Before I left for relief duty, someone promised to stay at the general’s residence. Instead, I found you hurrying to Pingchuan faster than I did.”

Tan Chuyan, acknowledging his fault, bit Feng Chilie’s Adam’s apple, silencing him: “Stop being angry, okay?”

After a moment, Feng Chilie pushed Tan Chuyan away with dark eyes and asked, “What did you say to my mother? It made you react so strongly that you went to the cliff to relax.”

“It’s nothing,” Tan Chuyan responded with a mix of truth and falsehood. “I just asked her why she wanted to harm you.”

Feng Chilie inquired, “Did you ask for the reason?”

Tan Chuyan nodded, “Because she wanted to return to Xibo and assist the King in conquering the Central Plains. You are the first obstacle for them to enter the Central Plains, so for the sake of Xibo’s hegemony, they have to eliminate you.”

This fabricated reason sounded convincing, given Xibo’s history of using its princess to provoke war.

Feng Chilie raised an eyebrow, “So you’re upset because of me?”

Tan Chuyan lowered his eyelashes, and his thick, crow feather-like lashes cast a small shadow on his face. He softly said, “Yes.”

“There’s nothing to be upset about.” Feng Chilie, soothing, rubbed Tan Chuyan’s cheeks reddened by the cold wind. “I’m used to it.”

Tan Chuyan admitted, “But I’m not used to it.”

“Take your time,” Feng Chilie said patiently. “I will accompany you to adapt together.”

.

Tan Chuyan didn’t want to dwell on the matter, but he couldn’t help asking, “What are you and King Chu planning to do with Tuoba Lan?”

“Of course, we will follow the law,” Feng Chilie declared ruthlessly. “According to the laws of the Jing Kingdom, anyone who colludes with foreigners will be beheaded in public!”

Feng Chilie had no intention of keeping things private. The mother-son bond between them had been eroded by Tuoba Lan’s repeated assassinations and blatant murders on him.

Moreover, the Pingchuan incident was crucial. Feng Chilie couldn’t risk the lives of 200,000 people for the sake of Xibo’s smooth start to the war.

People from Xibo were human beings, just like those from the Central Plains. Whether for selfish desires or the well-being of thousands, he had to be ruthless and subject Tuoba Lan to the legal judgment of the Jing Kingdom, preventing her from returning to Xibo.

Even though she had left Xibo for over 20 years, her reputation still lingered in Northern Desert. Her story circulated throughout the vast grassland, portraying Xibo’s female war goddess who broke gender stereotypes, conquered the grassland with her slender figure, and helped Xibo become the leader of Northern Desert.

Tan Chuyan had anticipated Feng Chilie’s response but still voiced his concern, “Do we have to kill Tuoba Lan? Wouldn’t it be sufficient to imprison her?”

Feng Chilie dismissed the idea, saying, “Imprisonment won’t work. Tuoba Lan is too cunning. Every move she makes counts as ten steps. Just like how I subdued the Wolf Eagle Cavalry, she still managed to infiltrate it with her people.”

Tan Chuyan had to admit that Tuoba Lan was indeed a shrewd woman.

But if he followed the laws of the Jing Kingdom, how should he make a choice?

Saving himself would betray Feng Chilie, while not saving himself would expose his real identity, implicating Feng Chilie. Regardless of his decision, Feng Chilie would be hurt because of him. Was there no way to achieve a win-win situation?

Tan Chuyan worked hard to control his emotions, presenting a calm exterior, and asked, “Did you inquire with Su Zai about the whereabouts of food and supplies?”

“Yes, I did,” Feng Chilie’s expression tightened instantly. “The result is very bad. All the food and supplies in Pingchuan were sent to Qi Kingdom by Su Zai.”

Tan Chuyan was confused, “Why did he send it to Qi Kingdom? Did Tan Hongyun instruct him to do this?”

“No, it was Eunuch Wu who instructed him,” Feng Chilie explained. “Eunuch Wu poisoned Su Zai, forcing him to act on his behalf. According to Su Zai, Eunuch Wu has connections with Cui Yuanqing.”

“Wait!” Tan Chuyan interrupted Feng Chilie, “Isn’t the Eunuch Wu you’re talking about Tan Hongyun’s personal eunuch?”

“Yes, that’s him.” Feng Chilie continued: “According to Su Zai, Eunuch Wu seems to have contact with Cui Yuanqing.”

“To be honest,” Feng Chilie frowned, “I feel very uneasy now. This peaceful situation may not be maintained.”

“Don’t worry,” Tan Chuyan lifted his brow. “It’s already chaotic. If Eunuch Wu is Cui Yuanqing’s man, then the situation will only worsen, and Qi Kingdom will soon become a pawn in Cui Yuanqing’s hands.”

.

When he was in Qi Kingdom, Tan Chuyan couldn’t fathom why Eunuch Wu didn’t attempt to influence Tan Hongyun positively and guide him to be a wise king.

Now, everything made sense. Eunuch Wu aimed to manipulate Tan Hongyun, making him appeared foolish, creating an opportunity to overthrow him and find a puppet to replace him.

Feng Chilie also deduced this possibility, stating in a serious tone, “With the might of Qi Kingdom’s army, Cui Yuanqing is like a tiger with more wings. His reputation in Dayong Dynasty is much higher than Feng Mingyuan’s, and even the generals of Dayong Dynasty are aligned with him.”

“Now, let’s make a deduction,” Tan Chuyan and Feng Chilie locked eyes. “If Cui Yuanqing gains control of Qi Kingdom, he’ll pose a significant threat to Feng Mingyuan. A war will likely ensue. Even with Zhao Kingdom’s support, competing with the well-equipped Qi Kingdom army will be challenging.” Feng Chilie knew this firsthand, having faced Qi Kingdom’s invasion and subsequent deportation.

Tan Chuyan continued, “I believe Feng Mingyuan is not one to sit idly. She will find a way to involve Jing Kingdom in opposing Cui Yuanqing.”

“However, Feng Mingyuan knows that Jing Kingdom maintains absolute independence and won’t become a pawn in others’ hands.”

“Then, let’s imagine—” Tan Chuyan paused, “What would Feng Mingyuan do if she aimed to control Jing Kingdom or attain a power comparable to it?”

Feng Chilie, with a sense of foreboding, looked at Tan Chuyan, stated each word, “Feng Mingyuan will undoubtedly seek strength from a formidable source!”

“Feng Mingyuan will assist Xibo in entering the Jing Kingdom, making Xibo the master of the northwest, and then leveraging Xibo’s strength to counter Cui Yuanqing.”

Feng Chilie slammed the table hard, and a crack spread from under his fist. “Is Feng Mingyuan crazy? Isn’t she afraid that Xibo will bite her back?”

“She’s not afraid,” Tan Chuyan said, holding onto Feng Chilie’s concern. “Because the Jing Kingdom has you, she knows very well that if Xibo wants to step into the land of the Jing Kingdom, they will be severely injured by you. If there is a war with Cui Yuanqing, Xibo will only get more injured. Naturally, there will be no ability to come back to bite me.”

Although Feng Chilie was intelligent, but he was not as quick as Tan Chuyan. He asked, “What if Xibo turns against Cui Yuanqing?”

“If Xibo turns against Cui Yuanqing, she will be happier. Then she will have a reason to win you over,” Tan Chuyan explained. “Everyone knows the origin of the grudge between Jing Kingdom and Xibo. It’s been a long time since she could have extended an olive branch to you to join forces on the grounds of ‘expelling foreigners.’ You should know exactly what King Chu will choose.”

Feng Chilie did know that because of Xibo, the country of Jing seemed peaceful, but he faced challenges every year, guarding the border continuously. The reason why he didn’t go this year was because he pretended to have broken leg, and the general of the Hongying Army to replace him.

In the constant friction, countless soldiers died on the battlefield. Therefore, Chu Minghan hoped more than anyone else that Xibo could be defeated or even beaten to death. But if Xibo betrayed them and Dayong Dynasty extended an olive branch to join forces, Chu Minghan would definitely agree. After all, joining forces were different from being used. Jing Kingdom would remain as an independent entity.