Chapter 204: Changzhou Has a Child

Wei Tinghou stood dazed for a moment, then he returned to the desk, picked up his brush, and wrote down what the White Marsh had said.

After looking it over several times, he called out to the attending servant, summoning those outside as well.

"Just now, did you notice anything abnormal? Did you see anything enter the courtyard?"

The gatekeeper hurriedly apologized, asking if an assassin had gotten in.

All right, no one else has seen it besides him.

That White Marsh didn't go through the main gate at all.

Wei Tinghou couldn't sleep, so he ordered someone to immediately call his two sons; after thinking that his third son was still young and lacked steadiness, he changed his mind and had only the eldest summoned.

In the latter part of the night, Wei Tinghou and his son sat together staring at those few lines on the paper.

Wei Peng repeatedly asked his father if he was dreaming, finally angering Wei Tinghou into slamming the table: "I haven't even drunk! You've asked eight hundred times—it's true, it really came! I've seen it; you might still be dreaming, your brain's not working!"

Wei Peng:

Wei Peng looked at it twice, then began to sigh: "It means the northwest will be in turmoil, we will lose. If the Southwest Army goes in, they'll get trapped and won't be able to return; Dad might still..."

Wei Tinghou gave him a sideways glance: "I can read—do you think you're the only one who can summarize?!"

Wei Peng:

After a moment of silence, Wei Peng couldn't help but ask: "The key is, is that guy reliable?"

Wei Tinghou ignored him: "If the northwest is going to be in chaos, which of the thirty-six states of the Western Regions has this power? Even Jade Gate Pass plus us couldn't handle it!"

Wei Peng: "... Could they have teamed up with the Xiongnu?"

Father and son together started sighing, wondering what to do. Finally, Wei Peng concluded: "Let's just ask your great-grandson tomorrow... to find out exactly where he comes from."

Carefully considering the White Marsh's appearance, you'd say its horns look like a deer's, and on its forehead there's an extra single horn; its dark purple eyes are rare, and its body fur is something I've never seen before—how to describe it?... Like clouds, yes, it feels like clouds.

Da Wang rose early to see Wei Tinghou; greeting him were his maternal grandfather and uncle, both with dark circles under their eyes.

Da Wang was also quite moved, coming to greet him together with his dark-eyed relatives; I'm so reluctant to let you go~

Wei Tinghou and Wei Peng each grabbed one of Da Wang's paws, dragging the delighted child into the house; as soon as they entered, they shut the door.

Da Wang, full of enthusiasm: "Grandfather and uncle, is there anything else you need to tell me?"

Wei Tinghou and Wei Peng spoke together: "What's the background of your White Marsh?"

"How reliable is your White Marsh?"

Da Wang: "... Huh?"

Wei Tinghou then detailed to him how the White Marsh had come to see him the previous night, and then took out that paper again to show Da Wang.

After Da Wang finished reading, his face turned pale; Wei Tinghou and Wei Peng exchanged a glance—doomed.

"White Marsh is a divine beast. It can speak, understands all things, knows the affairs of spirits and gods. I used not to believe it, but it truly can speak, knows everything, and its background is truly immense. If it says something, it must be true. It never tells me about the future; this time it spoke because it couldn't stand to see and was warning me. Grandfather, don't go to the northwest—I don't want you to die, wuwu~"

The little brat couldn't help but howl!

The two again tried to persuade Da Wang, who said: "Grandfather doesn't even believe in the White Marsh; if the court issues an edict, you have to go, and then I'll have no grandfather! Wahwah~" Da Wang saw through it completely.

Wei Peng:

Wei Tinghou:

Da Wang pondered: "... We can make preparations in advance; after I return, I'll try to get more from the White Marsh. Wuwu just said, the Longevity Celebration even saw distant Qiuci and Wusun come from afar—surely something unknown is happening. Now that we know the trap, Grandfather and Uncle, you certainly won't walk into it, right?"

Wei Tinghou hurriedly wiped his face: "Of course, of course! Grandfather has lived enough; he won't let our Southwest Army go to die—just rest assured."

Da Wang: "... Really? Then let me tell you, other experts have also analyzed that the world will fall into chaos; grandfather and uncle, prepare early—it could be as long as five or six years, or as short as two or three." Yes, that expert is Bai Yang.

Wei Tinghou and Wei Peng weren't particularly surprised; evidently they already had a sense of the surrounding situation.

Wei Peng: "... I only thought it was internal trouble, but now it seems the external threat is also serious. The northern border has been peaceful for too many years; finally they can't hold back."

Mentioning this, Da Wang also felt worried; he both resented his unreliable father for not pursuing a proper career and feared something might happen to him then.

How could the Great Jin have perished in his father's hands—what a mess!

"The Central Plains, the Celestial Dynasty's subjects all suffer in dire straits—what good days could grasslands and deserts have? Their lives are hard, driven to desperation; their final move is to invade south and take a bite of this juicy piece of Great Jin."

Da Wang knew clearly in his heart; he only grabbed Wei Tinghou's hand and wouldn't let go: "Grandfather promised me, if anything happens in the northwest, you must not take part. You must listen to the White Marsh—its background is huge, it wouldn't just scare you for nothing! Not for my sake, but for the people of Changzhou, you cannot act rashly; even if the world falls into chaos, you must also protect the people of Changzhou!"

Wei Tinghou nodded, but Da Wang still wouldn't release him, looking into his eyes and saying: "Even if it means defying the edict."

Wei Tinghou hadn't yet expressed his stance, Da Wang continued: "Near Jade Gate Pass there are 200,000 troops; if a crisis really occurs, sending the Southwest Army in would just be meaningless cannon fodder. If your grandfather has connections with Jade Gate Pass, he could give them a heads-up—whether to believe it is up to him. Don't forget the Southwest Army has its own duties!"

Wei Tinghou rubbed his cheek: "Your Highness has grown up."

Da Wang boldly pushed him away: "Experience tells me that when others don't answer your question directly and beat around the bush, eighty percent of the time the answer isn't what I want!"

Wei Peng was amused by him: "Look at you worrying! I and your maternal grandfather won't act rashly for your sake either. Since we've gotten the advance, we'll make preparations in advance. Rest easy, little trickster!"

Da Wang: "Hmph!"

"If chaos really comes, Your Highness should prepare early. Youzhou's forces are insufficient, far more dangerous than Changzhou; the Wei family and the Southwest Army will solidly support you—quickly put aside your worries!" Wei Tinghou pulled him along while giving these instructions.

"Really?"

Seeing Wei Tinghou and Wei Peng nod, Da Wang instantly became spirited: "Hmph! Better not deceive me—I'm not afraid to tell you, I have people in Changzhou! When you send troops out front, I'll know right away in the back; then I'll definitely have to send troops from Youzhou to rescue that careless grandfather of mine!"

Wei Tinghou:

Wei Peng: