Love Tribulations in Turbulent Times: Married to a Heroic and Ambitious Man

In the 15th year of Yong'an. The warm spring breeze had not yet caressed the northern land. Instead, a sudden return of cold weather in spring brought a few days of light snow. On both sides of the official road at the junction of Liangzhou and the Great Liang Dynasty, there were still some traces of snow on the withered and decaying weeds. The stars in the deep blue sky had faded away. In the distance, layers of mountains loomed faintly in the morning mist. At this moment, a line of carriages slowly emerged from the morning mist at the end of the official road. In the lead was a soldier in armor and carrying a sword. Riding a sturdy horse, he was tall and strong. He scanned the road ahead from a commanding position, his eyes as sharp as an eagle's. Behind him, two rows of armored soldiers on horseback rode side by side. Each of them stood as straight as a pine tree. The morning mist condensed into a layer of white frost on their cold iron armors, adding to the chilling atmosphere. The clatter of the horses' hooves was like the sound of an elite army. However, as the outline of the carriage behind them emerged from the thin mist, it became clear that they were not an army, but an escort. The guards lined up on both sides of the official road, escorting a carriage in the middle. The carriage, apart from being larger, was only decorated with wooden carvings and was not ostentatious. Yet, it was pulled by two powerful horses walking side by side. Behind this carriage, there were also a dozen or so large carts and dozens of servants following, making the procession stretch out like a long snake. At this time, the curtain of the guarded carriage was lifted by a slender hand, and a person inside stuck out half of their head to look outside. “Lady, once we pass Hutou Mountain, we will leave Liangzhou. I really don't want to part with it.” A female voice sounded with a dejected tone. Looking in her direction, a young lady was leaning semi-reclined on a soft cushion embroidered with lotus patterns. Beside her was an elderly aunt dressed in green clothes. The three of them were sharing the same carriage. The young lady was dressed in luxurious fabrics and had an elegant appearance, clearly being the only mistress. With such a grand entourage of carriages and soldiers, they were only escorting a single lady! The lady seemed to be quite young, not yet twenty years old and unmarried. She was wearing a snow-white fox fur cloak, revealing only a small face. Her lips were pale, and she looked a bit sickly. But her skin was as white as snow, and her black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, as if a jade tree was piled with snow. Her appearance was still so delicate and stunning. Upon hearing this, the lady gently opened her eyes and took a look outside through the carriage curtain lifted by the maid. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and a hint of reluctance flashed in her beautiful black pupils. It was just a simple movement, but when she did it, there was a natural and just-right charm that was hard to match by others. Coupled with her delicate and light figure, she exuded a cold and aloof temperament, like a fairy in a painting among flowing clouds and a cold moon. Seeing that the lady was in a bad mood, the maid was stunned for a moment. Then she belatedly realized that her words had made the lady sad. She quickly apologized, “Lady, I, I...” After stuttering for a long time, she was really too clumsy to know how to comfort her. She was so anxious that she scratched her head, which instead made Jiang Congyan laugh. “Don't stutter. I don't want to leave either. I've already stayed for two more months. If I don't go back, I'm afraid they will urge me in the capital.” “Why should she urge you? She's not your biological mother.” Sizhi said angrily, feeling very indignant for the lady. “She doesn't have the right, but I'm afraid others don't want me to stay in Liangzhou for long either.” Jiang Congyan said softly, looking at the green mountains in the distance. Her clear black eyes were colder than the morning mist in early spring. In this life, her identity was the daughter of the King of Chu. The original owner of this body, at the age of seven, fell into the water with her twin brother in winter. The little boy never woke up again, and the little girl, when she woke up, became her. Jiang Congyan died of a heart disease in her previous life. She didn't expect that after time-traveling, she still had a weak and sickly body. Heaven, I've already time-traveled. Can't you be kind enough to give me a healthier body? Jiang Congyan smiled bitterly. Even so, Jiang Congyan still actively cooperated with the doctor's treatment. Since she had a new life, she should cherish her life. Fortunately, apart from being weak due to the cold from falling into the water, the original owner didn't have an incurable terminal illness, which was much better than her body in the previous life. Half a year later, Jiang Congyan's health improved, but she was sent to her maternal grandfather's house, the Zhang family, the Marquis of Liangzhou, on the pretext of seeking medical treatment by the King of Chu. She stayed there for eight years. The elders were kind, and the brothers and sisters were harmonious. These eight years were very precious to Jiang Congyan. Two years ago, the Chu Palace suddenly sent people to pick her up and take her back to Chang'an, saying that the daughter had grown up and it was no longer appropriate to trouble her maternal grandfather's family. Last autumn, the Princess of Chu talked about her marriage, saying that the good girl had grown up and it was the right age to get married. They were discussing the candidates. Suddenly, people from Liangzhou were sent to Chang'an, saying that the old Lady Cui had been ill for a long time and missed her granddaughter very much, and they came to pick her up to visit. The old Lady Cui was the wife of Zhang Wei, the Marquis of Liangzhou, and Jiang Congyan's grandmother. In the current era, filial piety was highly valued. Since she was an elder and Jiang Congyan had received the grace of upbringing from her maternal grandfather's family, it was reasonable for her to go and visit. So, the matter of the marriage was dropped. This was of course an excuse. After Jiang Congyan arrived in Liangzhou, her grandmother wasn't actually ill. Most likely, it was a way to prevent her from being casually married off by her stepmother. Jiang Congyan returned to Liangzhou last autumn and stayed for two months. The Chu Palace sent a letter urging her to go back, but was rejected by the old Lady Cui with the excuse that “the snow is heavy in winter and it's not suitable for traveling.” Liangzhou was located on the border of the Liang Dynasty. The surrounding Hu tribes were eyeing it covetously. The Zhang family had managed Liangzhou for generations. The men in the area all practiced martial arts, and the army was strong and well-equipped. Fifty years ago, when the previous dynasty was in decline and the world was in chaos, the Grand Emperor Jiang Shiying dispersed his family wealth, recruited local braves, and raised an army. In just a few years, he became a powerful figure in the region. Zhang Zhiheng, the head of the Zhang family, was convinced by the Grand Emperor's heroic spirit and finally pledged allegiance to him as the true master. The Grand Emperor still allowed the Zhang family to govern the people of Liangzhou and defend the border of the Liang Dynasty. However, as time passed in the past forty years, the current Emperor of Liang was already very wary of the Zhang family, which had an army of one hundred thousand. The relationship between Liangzhou and the Great Liang Dynasty had also become rather delicate. Jiang Congyan was the daughter of the King of Chu and was titled the Princess of Shun'an County. And the King of Chu was the direct grandson of the Grand Emperor and the son of the late Crown Prince Zhaowen. No emperor could tolerate a marriage alliance between a royal prince and a powerful regional governor. Jiang Congyan had lived in Liangzhou for so many years, and she was probably already on the Emperor of Liang's mind. Jiang Congyan spent a warm and lively Spring Festival in Liangzhou. As soon as spring arrived, another letter came from Chang'an urging her to go back. They were probably afraid that she wouldn't go back if she stayed in Liangzhou. Oh, they were probably even more afraid that she would get even closer to her maternal grandfather's family. Jiang Congyan clearly sensed the political games in these constant tugs. It turned out that her marriage was so important. This time, Jiang Congyan had no reason not to return to Chang'an. She also didn't want her maternal grandfather to openly confront the Liang Dynasty for her sake. So, she got on the carriage and set off on the journey amidst their reluctant gazes. She just didn't know what was waiting for her after she went back this time. In recent years, there had been turmoil within the Hu tribes, and they often raided the southern areas for supplies. The world was not peaceful. Her maternal grandfather was really worried about her traveling alone, so he carefully selected fifty armored soldiers to escort Jiang Congyan safely. “Who are the others?” Sizhi asked. Jiang Congyan remained silent. “The journey is tiring, and the lady's spirit is already not good. You keep chattering and don't let the lady rest properly.” The aunt who had been silent in the carriage scolded her angrily. She knew that the lady had no choice in this matter. “Aunt Ruolan, I know I was wrong. How about I ride a horse instead?” Sizhi apologized pitifully. Ruolan thought that she was also quite young, fifteen or sixteen years old, and had grown up in Liangzhou. She was lively and active, and had learned martial arts with her father and brother. It was really hard for her to be cooped up in the carriage these days. Just as she was about to nod in agreement, there was a sudden neighing of horses in the front. The captain of the guards, Zhang Zheng, suddenly pulled on the reins, raised his hand, and signaled the procession to stop. He himself dismounted and came to the front of the carriage. Although the people inside couldn't see him, he still bowed his head respectfully and said, “Lady, there are the corpses of refugees ahead again.” There was a moment of silence in the carriage, and then a cold voice came out: “Do as we did before. Bury these corpses on the spot.” Zhang Zheng bowed his head and replied, “Yes.” Then he heard the person inside the carriage ask, “How many this time?” “I just took a rough look. There are at least thirty or forty.” “Thirty or forty?” Jiang Congyan repeated in a low voice. Her thick eyelashes drooped, and her eyes became more serious. It had only been ten days since they left Liangdu. Except for the areas near Liangdu, the closer they got to the Liang Dynasty, the more corpses of refugees there were on the road. They had already buried 162 people before, and with those in front of them, the number had actually exceeded 200. This was just the size of a prefecture. These were just the uncollected corpses left in the wild. And this was still within the territory of the Liang Dynasty, which could barely be considered stable. It had actually reached such a state. In places she couldn't see, who knew how many common people had lost their lives. Whether it was because of war, disasters, famines, or plagues, the large number of deaths among the refugees meant that the country was in turmoil. The beginning of a chaotic world was showing!