Chapter 182 Threatening to Lead Troops to the Northern Frontier

Chapter 182 Threatening to Lead Troops to the Northern Frontier

"How can we all go together? Exile everyone again? This is a blatant threat!"

Jiang Yutang suddenly stood up, trembling with anger: "He's using us to blackmail you!"

She suddenly realized what had happened, and tears instantly welled up in her eyes: "So it turns out... I'm the one who got you into this..."

If she hadn't intervened in the development of Danzhou and made it so good, the emperor wouldn't have had such thoughts about Cheng Lanzhou. In the end, he was still afraid that Cheng Lanzhou would make a comeback.

Cheng Lanzhou gently pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead: "This has nothing to do with you, don't blame yourself."

"The emperor had long intended to send me to the northern frontier. Even without these changes in Danzhou, he would have found another way. It's fate, and there's no way to change it."

Jiang Yutang shook her head in his arms, then suddenly grabbed his shirt and said with unwavering certainty, "I'll go with you."

Cheng Lanzhou was taken aback, then shook her head vigorously in refusal: "No! You must stay here."

"Why?" Jiang Yutang raised her tear-streaked face and looked at him in confusion.

"Gu Wenxiao is malicious. He must have come to Danzhou with ill intentions. He might be waiting for an opportunity to drag us down with him."

Cheng Lanzhou patiently persuaded, "After I leave, if you're not here either, what will happen to our parents and the others?"

Jiang Yutang froze, a feeling of powerlessness spreading from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.

How could she forget that persistent Gu Wenxiao? With his temperament, he would definitely take advantage of Cheng Lanzhou's absence from Danzhou to cause trouble. If he really wanted to take action against her family, it would be as easy as turning her hand.

Seeing her silence, Cheng Lanzhou knew that his persuasion had worked, so he gently patted her back and comforted her softly.

"Don't be afraid, I have arranged for trusted confidants to protect you in secret. I will return immediately after I have resolved the matter in the northern frontier, and I will not keep you waiting for too long."

Jiang Yutang looked up at him expectantly: "How long do we have to wait?"

Cheng Lanzhou pondered for a moment and then slowly said, "The war in the northern border is intense. It will take at least one or two years, and at the latest... three to five years is hard to say."

When do we depart?

"Early the day after tomorrow."

Jiang Yutang closed her eyes weakly, hugged Cheng Lanzhou tightly around the waist, buried her face in his chest, and choked out, "I'll wait for you. You must come back safely. You can't get hurt at all, and you can't... you can't leave me."

Cheng Lanzhou hugged her tightly, resting his chin on the top of her head, his voice filled with unprecedented solemnity: "I promise you."

The air inside the tent was filled with reluctance and longing; no one knew how much suffering those inside endured.

In the afternoon, when Jiang Yutang dragged her heavy steps back to the shop, her eyes were red like a rabbit's, and even the tip of her nose was sore.

Yun, who was checking the goods, looked up and saw her like this. She panicked instantly and rushed over: "Tang'er, what's wrong? Did you quarrel with Lanzhou?"

Jiang Yutang pursed her lips and shook her head vigorously, tears welling up in her eyes. It took her a long time to compose herself: "It's not an argument... it's that Lanzhou... is being sent by the court to fight in the northern frontier. He'll be leaving the day after tomorrow."

Jiang Shengan had just entered through the back door when he heard these words, and his whole body stiffened.

"What?"

Yun and Jiang Shengan were both stunned. They looked at each other and saw shock and surprise in each other's eyes.

Yun grabbed her hand, her voice urgent: "Why is this? Aren't there generals and troops stationed in the northern frontier? Even if reinforcements are needed, they should be drawn from nearby prefectures, not from Danzhou!"

"Exactly!" Jiang Shengan's face darkened, and he slammed his hand on the armchair next to him. "Lan Zhou just made a contribution, and instead of rewarding him, you're pushing him into a fire pit!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yutang could no longer hold back her tears, which fell in large drops onto her clothes, her voice trembling.

“It’s all my fault… The emperor said that Danzhou was able to develop so well because Lanzhou was an ‘auspicious omen’, and insisted that he go to the northern frontier to boost morale. He refused, so the emperor threatened… to use us all as examples.”

The two fell silent upon hearing this.

Looking helplessly at her daughter's tear-reddened face, Madam Yun sighed heavily and slammed her hand on the armchair. The wooden chair creaked in protest, but it couldn't vent his anger and helplessness.

Back in the tent that night, Jiang Shengan told his three sons about Cheng Lanzhou's transfer to the northern frontier, and the tent fell into a deathly silence.

Jiang Songzhi frowned deeply, his fingers unconsciously stroking the teacup, and he remained silent for a long time.

Jiang Jiuzhe looked at the distraught Jiang Yutang with concern, his eyes filled with heartache.

Jiang Sumin, who was rather hot-tempered, slammed his fist on the table and cursed, "This emperor is a complete scoundrel! He's clearly using us and then discarding us!"

Shh! Keep your voice down!

Yun quickly slapped his hand away and looked nervously outside the tent: "Be careful, walls have ears. If this gets out, it's a capital offense!"

Jiang Yutang sniffed, her emotions having stabilized considerably.

She raised her head, her eyes clear and calm: "This is not a simple troop transfer. The emperor transferred Cheng Lanzhou away to leave the 'tiger' behind and put Gu Wenxiao in Danzhou as the prefect, so that he would keep an eye on us. We are Lanzhou's weakness. As long as we can control us, we can restrain him if necessary, or even... get rid of us and then eliminate Cheng Lanzhou completely."

Her words were like a bucket of cold water, chilling everyone to the bone.

Gu Wenxiao's provocation today, combined with the Emperor's arrangements, confirms Jiang Yutang's guess.

Everyone in the room was chilled to the bone by this insidious scheme, but faced with imperial power, they were nothing more than fish on a chopping board, without even the right to resist.

Early the next morning, Jiang Yutang went into the warehouse and sorted the supplies he had brought from the space into two canvas bags.

The bag was stuffed with compressed biscuits, beef jerky, chocolate, and other foods that keep well and keep you full.

The other bag contained iodine, gauze, hemostatic powder, and even several vials of antibiotics—all things that could save lives on the battlefield.

She squatted on the ground, staring blankly at the two heavy backpacks, seemingly lost in thought.

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps came from the doorway. Jiang Sumin rushed in like a gust of wind, panting heavily and unable to speak coherently.

"No, something terrible has happened! A terrible thing has occurred!"

Jiang Yutang's heart skipped a beat: "Don't rush, tell me slowly."

"It's that Gu Wenxiao!" Jiang Sumin leaned against the door frame, panting heavily. "He went to the military camp today to select soldiers to go to the northern frontier with Cheng Lanzhou... He... he selected the third brother!"

"What?!" Jiang Yutang was struck dumb. She stood up abruptly, causing her canvas bag to tip over and spill its contents onto the ground.

"Third Brother was ordered to go? Where did you hear that from?"

"Absolutely true!"

Jiang Sumin stamped his feet anxiously: "Wang, the warehouse clerk, went to the military store to check the grain supply ledgers and saw Gu Wenxiao standing on the platform, calling people out of the ranks. He happened to hear Jiang Huaiyu's name!"

Jiang Yutang's mind went blank as anger and worry instantly clouded her judgment.

Gu Wenxiao is clearly trying to weaken their strength in Danzhou!

Without bothering to pick up what was on the ground, she took off running towards the military camp.