Western Liang valued martial arts over literature, producing many renowned generals known across the three countries, with military officials dominating important positions.
However, Yan Huo, in his short two years in power, had cultivated strategists and utilized marriage alliances to strengthen the Western Liang court. Even An Jin considered Yan Huo a rare ruler among the monarchs of the three countries. If this progress continued, Western Liang might become the strongest and potentially threaten Nanrui.
Hongdi had prepared a banquet to honor me, praising me before all the officials. Imperial Historian Liu Hua suggested that His Majesty bestow an official title. Hongdi conferred upon me the title of Yu Wang and put me in charge of the Ministry of Revenue. The Gan Taizai faction then petitioned for Princess Jiang Yunqiao, who had worked in the Ministry of Personnel for many years without an official title. After a brief consideration, Hongdi granted Jiang Yunqiao the title of Ning Wang, pleasing everyone.
Jiang Yunqiao clinked glasses with me and, when unnoticed, made a weary expression. After the banquet, she insisted on a private gathering to catch up, taking me to her residence. I gave Yunqiao a snow ferret I had brought back from Xiliang.
As the climate in Nanrui was different from Xiliang, she held the cage, fascinated. I also brought some mechanical toys, plum sugar, and tea cakes from Xiliang as gifts for her husband and A Fu.
A Fu was overjoyed, throwing himself into my arms and sweetly calling me “Auntie,” which made my heart bloom. I held his little face and gave him a big kiss. Yunqiao jokingly suggested adopting A Fu as my son, causing her husband’s expression to stiffen and turn pale. I quickly changed the subject.
Yunqiao meant it as a casual remark, but her husband’s reaction made me feel something was amiss. It was just a joke, yet he took it seriously—how little did he understand his own wife?
Before leaving, I entrusted Yuan Xiao and Xiao Huang to Jiang Yunqiao’s Beast Garden. In just over two months, Yuan Xiao married a fox-dog in Yunqiao’s residence and had a litter of puppies. The proud father, Yuan Xiao, greeted me with a more nimble gait. Soon after moving back, Yuan Xiao carefully brought each puppy to me, and I named them Yuan Da, Yuan Er, Yuan San…
