Chapter 449
The weather was getting warm.
Athena changed into a lotus-root-colored dress embroidered with magnolia flowers, stood in front of the mirror, and looked at herself in the bronze mirror. After two months of recuperation, her body had returned to its original state. Her face was fair and rosy, but her lower abdomen was still a little soft. She touched her lower abdomen and sighed repeatedly, “I wonder when I can return to my original shape.” What women care most about are their faces and figures.
The nanny said with a smile, “Princess Consort, don’t worry. How can you recover all at once? It’s already good that you can recover to this extent.”
Athena nodded repeatedly after hearing this, “That’s true. I did give birth to two.”
The nanny smiled and agreed, “Otherwise, Princess Alexandra wouldn’t have let Princess Consort have two months of postpartum confinement.”
Athena smiled. Alexandra treated her well.
She looked out the window; the sun was just right. The nanny was taking the two children out to bask in the sun. Having lost the redness and wrinkles of their first days, they now resembled two round jade balls, their arms and legs radiating a pinkish-white glow. The older brother gurgled with laughter when teased, while the younger one always loved to stare at people with his big, dark eyes, occasionally reaching out with his chubby little hands to grab the silver bell hanging above his cradle.
Athena’s heart was now completely filled with her two sons. Just seeing them warms her heart.
“Has Xander not returned yet?” It was already dusk, and there was still no sign of Xander. These days, he leaves early and returns late. Before dawn, he appears at the morning court in the Hall of Purple Splendor, discussing the regulations for dredging the Grand Canal with the ministers. At noon, he hastily eats some refreshments before rushing to the Ministry of War to examine the newly arrived military armor blueprints. It wasn’t until dusk that he returned home, tired. But he only took a quick glance at Athena and the children before burying himself in his study again. He learned from him that the Perkins family brothers had arrived at the Thirteenth Tribes. The plan was progressing smoothly. Good news will soon come from the Thirteenth Tribes.
One evening, just as Xander stepped into the house, he saw Athena holding a doll and standing in front of the window, her face showing a rare joy. “Honey, look, Second Uncle’s letter!” She handed over the secret letter in her hand, and Xander hurried forward to take it. He opened the letter, and the tight line of his jaw softened. “Good, good.” Xander’s face showed a relieved smile after reading the contents. After all these days of hard work, he finally saw the light. In the letter, the Perkins brothers described in detail the process of swearing allegiance to the Thirteenth Tribes, and the leader was finally persuaded. He offered three Akhal-Teke horses that could travel a thousand miles a day as a gift, leading his tribe to surrender to Grand Luminary Empire, and even included the most fertile horse farm on the grassland into its territory. The only condition was to protect their Thirteen Tribes. This was a win-win condition, and Grand Luminary Empire couldn’t ask for more.
“I knew your method would definitely work.” Xander pressed the letter to his chest, his voice filled with suppressed excitement. He strode to Athena, looked at the baby in her arms sucking on its fingers, and suddenly leaned down to embrace them both. “Now that’s great, the Northern Frontier cavalry will no longer worry about not having good horses. In the future, the border will be stable, and I can spend more time with you.”
Athena leaned in his arms and could clearly hear the strong beating of his heart. The nanny came over with another baby in her arms. The little one seemed to be attracted by the commotion here, waving his chubby little hands and babbling. Xander freed up a hand and clumsily poked the child’s cheek, causing the little one to giggle.
Athena looked up at Xander and asked him, “Now that the horse problem has been solved, are you going to start a war with Ramberg?”
Xander slowly nodded, his eyes gleaming with determination. “Sooner or later, there will be a war between Grand Luminary Empire and Ramberg. This matter can no longer be delayed, and the news from Ramberg is not very optimistic. The longer it drags on, the more detrimental it will be to Grand Luminary Empire.”
Athena’s heart tightened, and she asked, “Is the situation in Ramberg bad?”
“More than just bad.” Xander gently bounced the little one in his arms, and the child’s babbling softened the coldness in his voice a little. “Last year, Ramberg suffered a locust plague, and the autumn harvest was already reduced by 30%. Ray took the opportunity to train private soldiers and raised taxes by 50%.” He looked down at the ignorant little face in his arms, his voice sinking. “Now the people there can barely drink porridge mixed with bran.”
Athena gasped. Although she had seen famine years, she had never heard of such oppressive rule. “Did no one write a memorial to impeach him?”
“He enforces tyranny, and no one in the court dares to oppose him.” Xander paused and added. “Anyone who opposes him has their heads chopped off. Now the officials in Ramberg are all in danger. Those who once followed him with unwavering loyalty are either dead or silenced. Who would dare to speak?”
Xander sighed deeply as he said this, “What’s most appalling is Ray’s treatment of refugees. Since the beginning of spring, nearly a thousand people have tried to escape Ramberg, but Ray ordered the city gates to be closed, blocking them from leaving. At first, they were whipped as a warning to the public, but later it turned into a policy of killing without mercy. A young couple tried to escape with their child by climbing over the wall, but they were caught by the guards. In front of all the people in the city, the family of three was beheaded, and their bodies were hung on the city gate,”
“It’s utterly insane.” Athena’s voice trembled slightly, and she instinctively hugged the child in her arms tighter. “Isn’t he afraid of inciting a popular uprising?”
“He’s afraid that if all the people escape, there will be no one to support his troops and no one to extort money from.”
Xander handed the child back to the nanny, turned around, sat down, and looked exhausted, “The warhorses brought by the surrender of the Thirteen Tribes will come in handy. Once the supplies are ready, I will personally lead the troops to Ramberg.”
Xander has always been a man of his word, and besides, this matter concerns the lives of thousands of people and the stability of Grand Luminary Empire. Athena wanted to stop him, but she couldn’t. She walked behind Xander and gently massaged his shoulders, “You must be careful. The children and I will be waiting for you to return to Pidence City.”
Noticing her unease, Xander patted her hand, “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”
A month passed quickly, and 100,000 soldiers were mustered on the training field in the outskirts of Pidence City. The cold light of the armor reflected the dawn, exuding a solemn aura. Xander was clad in silver armor, which made him appear even more upright and tall. Before departing, he made a special trip to the palace to entrust Athena and her son to the King.
Inside the imperial study, sandalwood incense smoke curled. Xander bowed deeply to the King, “Your Majesty, I don’t know when I’ll be back after this trip. Please take care of my family.” His voice was steady, “As long as the rear is not in chaos, I will definitely be able to recover Ramberg.”
The King’s eyes were full of admiration and emotion. He stepped forward and helped Xander up, “Uncle, you can go without worry. I will protect Athena, the children, and your mother.” He paused, his tone becoming more solemn, “With me in Pidence City, you can focus on the battle and return triumphantly.”