The Fortunate Lady and Her Mountain Man

Chapter 150: Chapter 150: A Shocking Peace Settlement

Ji Huan hadn’t gone to town for several days in a row.

Anything she needed to buy, she asked Widow Xie and her family to pick up for her.

Other than copying books, she spent her days teaching Dabao.

Every time she looked at Dabao’s exquisite little face, she couldn’t help but sigh. ’He’s not even grown, and he’s already attracting trouble. What will he be like when he’s older?’

’I wonder who Dabao’s parents are. They must have some incredible genes to produce such a beautiful child!’

One day, figuring it was about time for Widow Xie and her family to close up their stall and head home, Ji Huan took Dabao by the hand and went over to the Hu family’s home.

Widow Xie was just instructing Hu Ximei to bring the things she’d bought over to Ji Huan’s house. Seeing her walk into the courtyard, she said, "What a coincidence. Since you’re here, you can just take it back yourself."

Ji Huan took the basket, lifted the cloth cover to look inside, and asked in mock surprise, "Looks like the general store owner must have had some good news. Why else would he be so generous today, giving away eggs with a purchase?"

Hu Ximei giggled, covering her mouth.

Widow Xie glared at Ji Huan. "You and your mouth! They’re not for you, they’re for Dabao. Take them home and make him some steamed egg custard. I swear, you don’t even raise chickens. Having to go to the market just to buy an egg—that’s no way to run a household! When it gets warmer, I’ll grab a few chicks and bring them over. It’s no trouble, you just mix in a little bran and..."

’Talk about asking for trouble.’ This was a perfect example.

Ji Huan’s head was already starting to ache. ’I never should have mentioned the eggs.’

Every time she brought up eggs, the conversation would inevitably turn to how she didn’t raise chickens, which would then escalate into a lecture about how she didn’t know how to run a household.

’It would have been so much better if I had just pretended not to see them and left with the basket.’

Widow Xie was still rambling on. Next, she would probably start scolding her for not raising ducks or pigs.

Ji Huan quickly changed the subject. "Hey, what’s wrong with Liangzi? And Dacheng? You both seem down. Was business slow today?"

Hu Liang and Hu Dacheng were squatting by the eastern wall, scrubbing bowls and chopsticks. Both had their heads bowed in silence, each scrubbing more forcefully than the other, as if they had a personal vendetta against the dishes.

Sure enough, Widow Xie was distracted.

"Hah! Don’t even get me started. They’ve been like this the whole way home, with faces a mile long. You’d think their parents had just died..."

"Ma! How can you say that!" Hu Liang cut in, displeased.

"Oh, *now* you remember I’m your mother? I really don’t know what gets into you kids. Isn’t it a good thing the war is over? Why are you all moping and cursing the heavens...?"

Ji Huan latched onto her words. "What do you mean, the war is over? Did we win?"

Widow Xie said, "I suppose you could say we won."

What did she mean, ’I suppose you could say we won’?

This made Hu Liang even angrier. He slammed the washing rag into the wooden basin.

"It’s a loss, plain and simple! Our Great Zhou has conceded! We’ve already negotiated a peace treaty with Beiliang!"

Ji Huan was stunned, her immediate reaction a denial. "Impossible!"

While the Zhou Army’s previous small victories might not have been enough to decide the war, this recent major triumph had essentially paved the way for a decisive win.

The Beiliang commander was severely wounded and their morale was crushed. Even if they sent a new commander, it would take time for him to arrive, and even more time to get accustomed to the state of the war and redeploy his forces.

Instead of pressing the advantage while their enemy was exhausted and weak, instead of shattering the Beiliang defensive line in one final push, Great Zhou was negotiating a treaty?

’How is that possible? It’s absolutely impossible.’

"Is this news reliable? Couldn’t it just be a rumor?"

Hu Liang shook his head, his face a mask of dejection. "Everyone in town is talking about it now. It can’t be fake. I just don’t understand... why a treaty? We were on the verge of winning..."

Hu Dacheng looked just as disappointed.

"When Brother Song and his friend came to the village, they told us stories about General Kou and his soldiers. They said they were protecting our country, shedding blood and sweat, never fearing death... I even saw that General Kou as my hero... How could he do this? Is he afraid to die? Why else would he surrender? I don’t like him anymore!"

A child’s mind is simple and direct.

He didn’t understand what a "peace treaty" was. In his mind, not winning was losing, and losing was surrendering.

And those who surrendered were the most despicable of all.

The common people wouldn’t blame anyone else; they would place the blame squarely on Kou Changqing. After all, who else but the Commander of the entire army?

Everyone had to obey him. It was common knowledge that at his command, the soldiers would fight to their last breath and shed their last drop of blood, never retreating a single step.

And because of that, without his approval, who would dare to negotiate for peace?

This was precisely what Ji Huan found so baffling.

’Why would Kou Changqing agree?’

From what little she understood of him through folk rumors and from Zhen Jili, this really didn’t seem like a decision he would make.

’Doesn’t he understand how much infamy this decision will bring him?’

If even a child like Hu Dacheng was blurting out such things, one could only imagine the torrent of public opinion raging against him.

This peace treaty would likely become a stain on the pinnacle of Kou Changqing’s glory. His years of meritorious service could be undone in an instant.

Hu Liang sighed. "This isn’t the first or second time Beiliang has raided us. They’re a pack of insatiable wolves! Those high-and-mighty officials in the Capital City don’t feel it, but we common folk suffer terribly. Just think, is there ever a winter when we aren’t living in constant fear? Now we finally have a capable general, and instead of taking the chance to teach them a lesson they’ll never forget..."

His mention of the Capital City made something click for Ji Huan.

That troop of men Widow Xie and the others had run into in town, and that eunuch who had been staring at Dabao—they had been on their way to the army barracks.

’So, it seems their visit wasn’t for a simple commendation after all.’

’This peace treaty must have been an order from the Capital City, or perhaps even a decision made by the Emperor himself.’

If that was true, the situation was utterly absurd.

The soldiers and civilians of the Northern Pass had united to resist the enemy. The soldiers, especially, had marched and fought through the snow, with countless sacrifices made to achieve the excellent situation they were in now.

And then, suddenly, a light, casual voice floated down from the Golden Throne Hall: "Don’t fight anymore. Let’s negotiate for peace!"

No matter how she racked her brain, Ji Huan couldn’t figure out why the court would push for a peace treaty at this critical juncture.

Even if they lacked confidence in winning at the start, the eunuch who delivered the decree had been to the front lines. He had seen the situation with his own eyes and heard the reports with his own ears.

When even a blind man could see they had a high chance of winning, the eunuch’s insistence on the treaty meant it wasn’t his own decision. It was highly likely his superiors hadn’t given him any alternative plan.

’What kind of twisted logic was that?’

’How does a person like that become the Emperor?!’

The more Ji Huan thought about it, the more her anger simmered.

She was one of the people directly affected by the ravages of this war. She had spent an entire winter in fear, hoping the conflict would end soon.

But not like this, not with such a rushed and inconclusive ending.

It was like hearing one boot drop on the floor above you. You hear the THUD, and you hold your breath, waiting for the second one, but it never comes. You’re just left in suspense.

When you eliminate a threat, you must do so completely.

You either don’t fight at all, or you go all out and beat the enemy into submission, until they’re too afraid to ever try again.

And now what? The war was over, which meant Kou Changqing would surely be transferred away. What would they do when Beiliang inevitably regrouped and attacked again? She had no desire to go through the ordeal of hiding in the mountains a second time.

Besides, she had a feeling that even with pressure from the Capital, Kou Changqing shouldn’t have compromised so easily.

There had to be some other reason, something hidden from view.

After a moment of thought, Ji Huan said to Hu Liang, "I’m going with you to set up the stall tomorrow."

She was desperate to find out exactly what had happened.

Rather than sitting here speculating, it would be better to make a trip to town.

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