The incident where the Liao family patriarch was beaten spread quickly in Fengjing, and those two darkened front teeth were also presented to the Jiang family.
Although no one directly said who was behind it, there were only so many people in the Jiang family capable of taking action, so Jiang Chengyuan, as the eldest nephew, was inevitably dragged to the center of the storm.
Jiang Sheng felt a little remorseful.
It was all because of her that today's situation arose, so neither emotionally nor rationally should she stand idly by.
Since she hadn't paid her grandmother a visit for so ti anyway, she discussed it with Zheng Ruqian and personally brought over two servings of lychee ice to the Jiang family residence.
One serving was for Old Lady Jiang, and one was for Jiang Chengyuan.
Her intentions were good, but when she actually arrived at Deren Hall, all she got was a heavy sigh: "Chengyuan has left."
"Left?" Jiang Sheng was shocked. "Where did he go? He was clearly still here yesterday!"
Old Lady Jiang gazed distantly to the northwest, with an expression that was hard to classify as satisfaction or wistfulness. "He's gone to where he should have gone long ago. Where he should have gone a long ti ago."
The Jiang family's sons - at three they learned martial arts, at five they entered the military camp, by nine they were killing the Northern Nomads, and at fifteen they formally led troops into battle.
By comparison, Jiang Chengyuan was late.
But for the Jiang family’s sons, as long as they were willing to go to the battlefield, it was never too late.
"My good girl, your lychee ice unfortunately won’t be eaten by Chengyuan now.” Old Lady Jiang turned her head back, a thin mist rising in her eyes. “I can only hope that on the day he returns triumphantly, he will be able to slowly savor it once more.”
On the battlefield, swords and spears show no rcy. Amidst the slaughter, nobody cares what family you're from, nor how many relatives you have behind you. It's either life or death, injury or bloodshed.
Nobody knew whether Jiang Chengyuan would be able to co back alive from the frontier, nor did anybody know if he would beco a famous and mighty general, or turn into a puff of yellow earth, eternally silent in the north.
But his family mbers would always sincerely pray for his triumphant return, hoping that he cos ho again.
Jiang Sheng set down the lychee ice, rembering her third oldest brother whom she hadn't seen for a long ti. Her nose started turning red.
"It would be so much better if there were no wars," she whispered softly. "It would be so much better if all under heaven could be at peace."
"It will be, it will be," Old Lady Jiang murmured gently while stroking her black hair.
With Jiang Chengyuan gone, the two servings of lychee ice definitely could not be eaten anymore. Tan Yue picked out one and sent a little maid to bring it to the west wing, leaving the remains to slowly lt away while she patiently spoon fed Old Lady Jiang.
Elderly people truly could not handle anything too cooling, so after just two spoonfuls Old Lady Jiang waved her hand to refuse, instructing Tan Yue to bring the rest below stairs and share it with the little maids and pages.
"Now that I'm advanced in years, I can't tolerate cold foods," she said mildly, mories shimring in her eyes. "When I was your age, I could eat whole bowls full of Mt. Suyue chilled dairy products at a ti. My old wet nurse worried excessively about it, forcing to set aside half in fear that if I ate it all I'd get agonizing stomach cramps."
Jiang Sheng vigorously nodded on the side.
Yes, yes, yes, this was so like Auntie Zhang, repeatedly restricting her, refusing to let her eat too much under any circumstances.
So it turned out that little Jiang Sheng wasn't greedy at all; this is how all treasured young ladies of prominent families were.
"Actually, for young people to eat more cooling food poses no real harm, as long as it’s not excessive. It’s only once you get older that you truly want to eat and drink but cannot," Old Lady Jiang said leisurely.
Jiang Sheng again gave emphatic nods.
Yes, yes, yes! These words really hit ho.
While pondering over how to tactfully tell Auntie Zhang this, urgent footsteps and reports sounded from outside.
Tan Yue ate up the remaining lychee ice in her mouth in just a few bites, wiped the corners of her lips clean, and went in to report. "Old Madam, young lady, when Xiao Qiu brought lychee ice to serve at the west wing, she saw Madam making a big fuss inside."
Xiao Qiu was a sowhat talkative little maid.
"Madam seed to be searching for the eldest young master," Tan Yue carefully added.
Jiang Sheng was astonished once more.
Did Jiang Chengyuan leave without notifying Mrs. Liao? Wouldn't that count as fleeing to evade punishnt?
"She actually went and caused trouble in the second wife's residence?" Old Lady Jiang demanded in anger. She rose up shakily and said, "That Madam Liao truly no longer cares for keeping up any appearances!"
Tan Yue did not dare reply, while Jiang Sheng could only quietly help support Old Lady Jiang as all three won hurried to the western residence.
Mrs. Liao was standing in the middle of the courtyard, demanding one word at a ti, "I know Jiang Chengyuan has been living in the second wife's residence this whole ti. I simply want to know now, where did he go? Where exactly is he?"
Jiang Chengfeng wanted to co out and speak, but was firmly blocked by Second Madam Jiang.
"Eldest Aunt, you've co to the wrong place," Jiang Chengyu said belligerently with hands on hips. "What are you doing making a scene here when you should be back ho looking for your own son?"
Mrs. Liao staunchly suppressed her anger. "I know he was here. Don't try to cover up for him. With rumors flying wildly all over Fengjing about him assaulting his own uncle, he ought to step up whether for emotional or ethical reasons, rather than hiding away like a coward!"
Rumors pose no mortal danger to the Jiang clan, who could still protect Jiang Chengyuan, but reputation was his own to safeguard along with his future path.
As his mother, she couldn't just watch with resentnt as he trashed his prospects over youthful hotheadedness.
"But Eldest Aunt," Jiang Chengyu babbled urgently, "weren't those rumors spread by your Liao clan to begin with?"
Mrs. Liao's eyes reddened as her body froze up.
Second Madam Jiang resignedly put her hand over her chatterbox daughter's mouth.
It was true those rumors ca from the Liaos, but Jiang Chengyuan did assault his uncle. Mrs. Liao wasn't wrong to demand he step forth and bear responsibility.
Only, the problem was the second wife's family truly didn't have anyone hidden away.
The Jiang heir was long gone on his way to the northern frontier.
"Mother, go ahead and tell Eldest Aunt the truth!" Jiang Chengyu's muffled yell could still be heard.
Second Madam Jiang clenched her teeth with an expression filled with helplessness.
"What truth?" Mrs. Liao asked warily. "What's happened with Chengyuan? How is he? Where is he?"
Seeing that Jiang Chengfeng was on the verge of breaking down and blurting out the whole story...
Old Lady Jiang belatedly arrived and loftily proclaid, "He's gone."
Mrs. Liao whirled to face her.
"He's no longer in Fengjing. He left overnight last night," Old Lady Jiang stepped forth as the bearer of bad news. "You won't be able to find him."
As expected, Mrs. Liao beca sowhat hysterical.
She felt shock, disappointnt, worry, all intertwined together: "Where did he go? Just because of a fight, he's run away without any sense of sha? He still hasn't given the Liao family an explanation or told , his mother, a single thing!"
Indeed, avoiding problems by absconding was not the proper conduct for a mature gentleman.
She was the assaulted man's sister so harboring resentnt was understandable, as was wanting to resolve the conflict between both sides. That was reasonable.
If Jiang Chengyuan had gone to sowhere like Anshui Prefecture instead of the northern frontier, or was sightseeing and amusing himself sowhere, his moral fiber would deteriorate in a straight line, rendering him unfit for greater duties.
Thankfully, thankfully that was not the case...
Old Lady Jiang took a deep breath and uttered two words amidst Mrs. Liao's tearful, lined face:
"The frontier."
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