Chapter 199

Chapter 199

After Jiang Wencheng nodded in agreement, Han Zhang also breathed a sigh of relief.

Although he had appeared confident and composed during his persuasion, as if everything was firmly within his grasp, only Han Zhang himself knew that exceptions existed in all things—he had not been entirely certain he could sway the man.

If Jiang Wencheng had truly been too stubborn and inflexible, then Han Zhang, having already revealed his hand, would have had no choice but to silence him permanently to protect his secret.

But unless absolutely necessary, Han Zhang really did not want to take that step.

After all, he genuinely admired Jiang Wencheng as a brother, and the bond between his husband and An Ge'er was truly profound.

If he actually killed Jiang Wencheng, and the truth ever came to light in the future, Lan Ge'er would be torn between love for his spouse and hatred from his friend, and would never find peace for the rest of his life.

Fortunately... Jiang Wencheng was also someone willing to risk everything, and in the end he heeded Han Zhang's persuasive words and chose to climb aboard his ship.

However, although Jiang Wencheng had agreed to join the camp, his loyalty still needed to be tested. To avoid any possibility of a mole, Han Zhang decided that the more sensitive matters he was handling could not yet be shared with him for the time being.

And Jiang Wencheng was also a smart man—he did not press Han Zhang for the specific details of the "using the emperor to command the lords" plan. Whatever Han Zhang said to do, he simply did, never asking unnecessary questions.

Because Jiang Wencheng was severely injured, and Han Zhang could not possibly reveal his supernatural power to heal him overnight, and the living conditions in the small mountain village were also limited.

So once the other man's injuries improved enough for him to travel by carriage, Han Zhang brought him back to the prefectural city.

Seeing the wounded Jiang Wencheng return, An Ge'er was naturally startled half to death. His eyes reddened on the spot, and he rushed anxiously to the bedside, tears pouring down his face like a broken necklace.

"Husband, what on earth happened? How did you get hurt like this? Did you run into bandits?"

"I told you to always take guards with you when you go out! Better safe than sorry—that's what I always say, but you never listen, insisting on traveling light and staying low-key. And now look what happened—something really did go wrong!"

"Boo-hoo... Jiang Wencheng, how could you be so careless! I'm telling you, if anything ever happens to you, I... I won't go on living either."

"I'll take the children to find you right away, and ask you, you heartless, irresponsible man, how could you bear to abandon your husband and children!"

An Ge'er sobbed with a mixture of heartache and anger, his voice filled with lingering fear.

Jiang Wencheng's heart twisted with guilt and relief at his crying, and all his remaining reservations about joining Han Zhang's camp evaporated completely.

Brother Han was right—he had been too full of himself.

Given An Ge'er's devotion to him, willing to die with him, how could An Ge'er possibly go on living alone if he were gone?

"I'm sorry, honey, don't cry. It's all my fault—I wasn't thinking. It won't happen again, I promise. From now on, I'll listen to you..."

Jiang Wencheng could not make excuses, nor could he argue with his furious husband at the moment. He could only manage to raise his uninjured arm, gently wiping away the tears on An Ge'er's face, murmuring clumsy, endless reassurances.

Meanwhile, Shen Qinglan beside them was equally shaken, his eyes welling up with worried tears.

Finally, unable to contain himself, he stepped forward in a mix of anger and anxiety, pinching the soft flesh of Han Zhang's waist hard, and demanded in a tearful voice:

"Husband! Before you left, didn't you promise me that you were just going to inspect the manors in a few villages on the outskirts of the prefectural city, and would be back in three to five days? Now you explain to me—how did the two of you end up in Zelin County?"

"Do you know what kind of place that is? It's the most lawless, bandit-infested county in all of Yunyang Prefecture! The authorities have tried to wipe them out several times without success! And if you were going, why didn't you bring even one guard? Just the two of you?"

"They say two fists can't beat four hands, and even a hero can't fight a crowd. When you relied on your skills to play the hero, did you ever think about me and little Tao'er? If anything happened to you, who would your husband and son have to rely on?"

"If you don't value your own life, do you really plan to let someone else bully your husband and beat your child someday?"

The more Shen Qinglan spoke, the angrier and more wronged he felt.

The thought that one day Han Zhang might be carried back like Jiang Wencheng today, or even worse, made his chest ache. He couldn't hold back his tears anymore, and they streamed down his face.

Seeing this, Han Zhang's heart melted. He quickly pulled him into his arms and held him tight, wiping his tears with his sleeve and pressing kisses to his forehead, begging forgiveness in a low, humble voice:

"Alright, alright, honey, don't be mad, don't cry. Your tears break my heart. It's my fault—I didn't think things through and made you worry."

"I'll go home and kneel on the washboard to make it up to you, okay? I promise I'll kneel until you're happy."

"What's the point of me feeling better? If you ruin the washboard, we'll have to buy a new one. The important thing is that you remember this lesson!"

Shen Qinglan continued to scold with tearful eyes, but his tone had already softened somewhat. "With your thick skin and tough hide, an ordinary washboard can't hurt you when you kneel on it. You're obviously just trying to fool me. This time you must be severely punished—you dared to deceive me and put yourself in danger, so... so I'm banning you from the bedroom for three days!"

"What? Three days banned from the bedroom? Honey! I was wrong, I was truly wrong."

Han Zhang was shocked and begged for mercy, as if the sky were falling.

Shen Qinglan was very satisfied with this reaction and snorted coldly: "It's no use admitting your mistake. This time you have to be punished, or you'll never learn your lesson."

"Can we reduce it a bit? Three days is too many."

"No."

"I can't sleep at night without you, honey."

"Then... two days."

"One day apart feels like three autumns. Honey, I'll miss you."

"Fine, fine, one day."

"Honey..."

"Not a single day less! If you keep bargaining, it's back to three days!"

Shen Qinglan glared with puffed cheeks—his husband was taking advantage of his soft heart.

Only then did Han Zhang let out a heavy sigh like an abandoned dog, reluctantly pulling the man even tighter into his arms, his tone so sorrowful it seemed like a parting of life and death:

"Alright, honey, I'll listen to you. If you say one day, then one day."

This pitiful display made Shen Qinglan's heart ache. All his anger and lingering fear instantly dissipated, and he could not help but comfort him in return:

"Alright, alright, honey. I just wanted you to remember this lesson. It's not like I'm really rejecting you. Just... just one night, and tomorrow you can come back to the room, alright?"

"Don't look like that. I... I actually can't bear it either. It's just that this time you really scared me and made me so angry."

The couple was completely absorbed in their flirtatious reconciliation, oblivious to everyone else around them.

Beside them, the forgotten Jiang An couple watched.

An Ge'er: "..." No wonder Lan Ge'er was won over. If his own husband begged for forgiveness like Big Brother Han did, he wouldn't be able to resist either.

Jiang Wencheng: "..." No wonder Brother Han could accomplish great things. With that ability to bend and stretch, and that skill of a black bear acting cute, it was indeed not something ordinary people could learn.

The originally somber atmosphere was completely ruined by Han Zhang and Shen Qinglan's lovey-dovey exchange.

An Ge'er could no longer cry either. In the end, after scolding Jiang Wencheng thoroughly, he turned his attention to his husband's injuries.

Over the following days, the guilty Han Zhang and Jiang Wencheng were thoroughly disciplined by their respective husbands, being lectured and admonished day after day.

When the new year had turned, the wedding of Han Qinnian and Shao Langzhou arrived.

Shen Qinglan, as the "eldest sister-in-law" of the Han family, had to help with the wedding preparations, and An Ge'er, who was too heavily pregnant to do heavy work, so their ideological education sessions finally came to an end.

...

Han Zhang took the marriage of his second brother, Han Qinnian, to Shao Langzhou very seriously.

After all, this was key to whether he could persuade Old General Shao to help him rebel in the future. The Han family absolutely couldn't slight Shao Langzhou in the wedding arrangements just because they were short on funds.

Since they couldn't splurge, they had to focus on the details.

Just as he had done when he went to propose to the Shen family, Han Zhang prepared betrothal gifts for the Shao family that weren't expensive but were certainly rare and sincere.

Not to mention the rest, but two items alone really hit home with Old General Shao:

A simple spyglass;

And a recipe for distilling alcohol;

The former was for battlefield scouts, and the latter could disinfect wounds—both were practical items the military desperately needed.

When the betrothal gifts were delivered to the Shao residence,

Old General Shao hadn't expected much from the Han family's gifts. He'd even secretly planned that as long as they weren't too shabby, he wouldn't make a fuss, given Han Qinnian's genuine devotion to his grandson. But on the spot, he was overjoyed!

"Excellent! These are real treasures! With this, our scouts will see sharper than the enemy, and think of how much less blood will be shed on the battlefield!"

"And this alcohol purification... think of how many soldiers' lives it'll save! Good, good, good! That Qinnian kid is impressive—you've got a fine elder brother! Hahahaha!"

Old General Shao laughed heartily, clutching the two items.

Clearly, he was thrilled with Han Qinnian as his grandson's husband and with the Han family as in-laws, and he quietly admired his grandson's judgment.

He really was getting old—it was Zhou Ge'er who knew how to pick people.

The Han family might not be rich, but they were sincere in their dealings and truly cared for his Zhou Ge'er.

Otherwise, why would they go to all that trouble to send such thoughtful gifts?

And Han Qinnian, receiving such praise, was equally overjoyed and moved.

He knew that whether it was his elder brother, who had stayed up late studying every night in the past yet still found time to help with the family chores,

Or the elder brother who, now successful, worked tirelessly to support the family and worry over the marriages of his younger siblings,

He was the best elder brother in the world!

He'd live for his elder brother, die for his elder brother, and slam his head into a wall for him!