“Well, are we just going to… sit here and wait for death?” Shen Qingyao furrowed her brow. The pain in her chest had eased somewhat after a nap, but she still felt uncomfortable. What worried her more was the current situation. Once Xiao Jing succeeded in his schemes, he would certainly not spare the regional princes with power. Her Eldest Sister and Xiao Mu would be his primary targets.
Recalling her Eldest Sister’s gentle smile, Shen Qingyao’s eyes welled up with tears. She couldn’t let anything happen to her Eldest Sister.
Lu Zhao understood her thoughts. He bent down and kissed her forehead gently, comforting her softly, “We won’t just sit here and wait for death. Holding our ground is the worst option. Right now, the best plan is to lead a force northward, sandwiching them with Northern Army. We need to take the capital as quickly as possible. Once we capture it, the western princes won’t dare to act rashly, and Xiao Jing’s schemes will collapse on their own.”
Shen Qingyao’s heart tightened again. Even if that was the plan, apart from a few thousand city garrison soldiers, Lingnan had no other troops. How could they send anyone to flank Xiao Jing?
Lu Zhao lowered his eyes and looked deeply at her, a hint of a smile in his eyes. He pulled her closer, laid them both flat, covered them with a blanket, and gently squeezed Shen Qingyao’s cold hand. In a gentle voice, he said, “If Lingnan has no troops, we’ll borrow some.” With that, he didn’t elaborate further, just gently pressed her eyes closed with one hand.
Darkness suddenly enveloped her. Shen Qingyao blinked uncomfortably, not used to it, her long eyelashes brushing against Lu Zhao’s palm, causing a slight tickle. Lu Zhao’s expression changed slightly, and after a while, he simply said, “Sleep with me a little longer. Don’t be afraid.”
Perhaps it was because Lu Zhao’s tone was too reassuring, or perhaps because she truly believed Lu Zhao could do anything, but Shen Qingyao’s fears eased slightly. Knowing he was tired, she didn’t want to burden him further. She murmured softly in agreement and soon drifted back to sleep with Lu Zhao.
When she woke up again, Lu Zhao was indeed gone.
Outside the window, the sunlight was already strong. Shen Qingyao raised an arm to shield her eyes, took a while to adjust to the brightness, and quietly got up.
“Young Master left after only two hours of sleep. The news of the Emperor’s death has reached Lingnan through official channels, and by now, it’s probably known throughout the world. During the mourning period, as a senior official of a province, Young Master has many matters to attend to. He specially left subordinates to protect Young Madam and instructed her not to wait for him, but to rest and eat well on her own, lest she harm her health.”
The dark guard standing beside her was the one who had saved her on the boat heading south and had been protecting her ever since. He was quite skilled, so whenever Lu Zhao was absent, he was tasked with guarding her. They had grown accustomed to each other, and the guard spoke without reservation. Seeing Shen Qingyao inquire, he relayed all of Lu Zhao’s instructions respectfully.
“Zhang Ping,” Shen Qingyao called the guard’s name. Her heart condition, forcibly triggered by the system, was quite severe, leaving her weak and without much energy at the moment. Though her voice was weak, Zhang Ping heard her clearly and immediately bent down respectfully, waiting for her orders.
“Does Elder Brother Lu Zhao have any other arrangements?”
Arrangements? Zhang Ping was momentarily puzzled but quickly understood. Young Madam must be asking about the arrangements Young Master made for the crisis in the capital.
After some thought, he said, “I’m not sure about the specifics of the arrangements. However, as soon as Young Master left today, he sent someone to secretly deliver an urgent letter to Nanzhao through an expedited route of eight hundred miles. It should arrive today, and a reply will likely come within two days. As for what was written…”
He hesitated, realizing that what had been written probably should be known only to Lu Zhao.
Shen Qingyao nodded understandingly without pressing further. Lu Zhao didn’t let his people hide things from her. He must have anticipated her questions and known she would understand its contents. Thinking of Lu Zhao mentioning borrowing troops last night, could it be he was planning to borrow troops from Nanzhao?
But they had just had a conflict with Nanzhao. Would the King of Nanzhao readily lend troops to him? Moreover, Nanzhao had Princess Yonghe, who was allied with Xiao Jing.
These past few months, occasionally, news about Princess Yonghe could also be heard. She is in Nanzhao and has already gained the favor of the King of Nanzhao. Shen Qingyao clenched her sweaty palms, suddenly understanding the original intention when Xiao Jing arranged for Princess Yonghe to marry into Nanzhao. Monitoring Lu Zhao is all secondary; the most important thing is to guard against what they are doing now.
When Lu Zhao returned, Shen Qingyao anxiously voiced her concerns.
Lu Zhao paused slightly, as if he hadn’t expected her to think this far ahead. Then he took her hand and led her to sit by the bed, gently rubbing her cold hands to warm them, and said, “Of course, we’re not borrowing from the King of Nanzhao.”
“Then who else could we borrow from?” Shen Qingyao tilted her head, appearing humble and seeking advice.
Lu Zhao smiled, his eyes carrying a hint of playfulness and intentional ambiguity, and said nonchalantly, “Apart from the tens of thousands of royal troops, Nanzhao also has another army under… Princess An’ya’s command.” As he spoke, Lu Zhao touched his nose and added with a hint of guilt, “Today’s letter was meant for Princess An’ya.”
“What?” Shen Qingyao forgot her worry for a moment, her tone rising several degrees in surprise, eyes widened as she repeated, “Princess An’ya?”
Lu Zhao seemed to have anticipated her reaction and quickly smiled, pulling her back to sit down. Seeing her pouting angrily, he explained, “Yes. Nanzhao has a liberal culture; even queens exist. Princess An’ya has been vying for power with the current King of Nanzhao for some time now. She controls another army of Nanzhao, which is why she can repeatedly protect An’yu.” He paused and continued, “The King of Nanzhao is pleased with the turmoil in Great Liang and won’t send troops. So, we can only attempt to negotiate with An’ya. However…”
“However, what?” Shen Qingyao looked at him with a serious face and a calm tone.
“However, it’s not that simple.”
She knew it wouldn’t be easy. Apart from the previous incident with Lu Zhao, even without the marriage alliance, borrowing troops from Princess Anya would come with demands. Thinking this, Shen Qingyao’s eyes glanced softly at Lu Zhao, who suddenly felt a chill down his spine.
“Yes, it’s uncertain whether Princess An’ya might use this opportunity to force you to divorce me and marry her!” Shen Qingyao muttered, thinking that An’ya’s biggest demand was likely Lu Zhao himself!
Lu Zhao was initially stunned, then couldn’t help but laugh. He pulled her into his arms and lightly patted her backside as a playful reprimand, pretending to be serious, “What nonsense! Borrowing troops is to resolve the crisis in the Northern Frontier. Resolving the crisis is for your Eldest Sister and her husband, and ultimately, it’s all for you. Without you, I wouldn’t care who becomes Emperor or what happens to the Northern Frontier! Let’s not say such things again, okay?”
Although his words were willful, they warmed Shen Qingyao’s heart. Her lips curled slightly, but as if afraid of being noticed, she quickly suppressed it.
She moved, took the initiative to hug his waist, “But what if she doesn’t lend you troops?”
“Borrowing troops from Nanzhao is the quickest and simplest method. If it succeeds, it’s naturally the best. If not, it will just be a bit troublesome, but we can manage without them. Yaoyao, don’t underestimate Xiao Mu’s army in the Northern Frontier. They are not comparable to those idle men of the Eastern Sea.” Lu Zhao smiled faintly, seemingly never flustered by the current situation, confident and composed, which also reassured Shen Qingyao.
With less worry, there was room for a bit more playful banter. Shen Qingyao suddenly sighed heavily as she lay in front of him.
Lu Zhao raised an eyebrow, wondering why she still wasn’t happy.
Seeing Shen Qingyao pout, she pitifully said, “Alas, it’s my fault! I’m useless, unable to raise an army like Princess An’ya did for my Elder Brother Lu Zhao…”
“?” Lu Zhao furrowed his brow, but then realized she was joking. After that realization, he laughed heartily.
Shen Qingyao listened to the vibration in his chest, rolled her eyes, and thought to herself, You’re quite charming! Truly charming!
However, Lu Zhao was actually in a good mood. Though he didn’t want the little girl to be upset, he enjoyed her jealous temper. After laughing several times, Lu Zhao cleared his throat lightly and said seriously, “Yaoyao, you don’t need to raise an army, I am yours. As for the rest, I can give you an army if you don’t have any…”
“Hmph, that’s more like it!”
Two days later, a pigeon quietly landed outside Lu Zhao’s window. Zhang Ping, who was waiting outside, caught the pigeon and swiftly retrieved the letter tied to its leg, rushing to deliver it inside.
“Master, it’s a reply from Nanzhao.”
Shen Qingyao, sitting beside him, immediately put down the book she hadn’t really been reading, looked up, and saw Lu Zhao nodding as he reached out to take the letter. Shen Qingyao anxiously watched him. The day when Xiao Jing would announce his ascension was drawing nearer, and her Eldest Sister had not sent any new messages yet. She was already extremely worried.
Lu Zhao carefully read the small piece of paper in his hand, faint light shimmering in his light-colored eyes. Shen Qingyao watched as his brow suddenly furrowed, and he snorted coldly, crumpling the paper into a ball.
Shen Qingyao was startled. She leaned over, grabbing his sleeve gently, and called out softly, “Eldest Brother Lu Zhao…”
Seeing it was her, Lu Zhao’s demeanor softened slightly. Shen Qingyao then asked, “Was it unsuccessful?”
He didn’t say a word, just handed her the crumpled piece of paper. Shen Qingyao took it without hesitation, carefully unfolding it. Upon reading it, her eyes widened in anger. It turned out her guess was correct!
Princess Anya’s letter suggested that borrowing troops was not impossible, but Lu Zhao would have to either marry her or find the legendary key to the treasure trove of the former dynasty, open it, and use the treasures inside as military supplies. Only then would she lend her troops.
Marriage was out of the question, and as for the key to the treasure trove of the former dynasty, while they knew its location wasn’t a secret, but the key had been lost for a long time and no one could find it. This was clearly a difficult situation. It was no wonder Lu Zhao was so angry.
After Shen Qingyao finished reading, she remained silent for a long time. Lu Zhao thought she was angry, so he approached her and reassured her, “Ignore her. She’s not the only one with soldiers and horses. Yaoyao, your heart is still troubled; don’t let these things affect your mood.”
Shen Qingyao still didn’t move. Lu Zhao became nervous, afraid the little girl was truly upset. He quickly added, “Yaoyao, trust me, I won’t…”
*Pfft.* A light laugh interrupted him.
Lu Zhao lowered his head in confusion, only to see Shen Qingyao, who hadn’t moved for a long time, slowly smiling.
“Yaoyao?”
Unbeknownst to him, Shen Qingyao was already laughing hysterically inside, and the system was also feeling proud of itself.
[Hahaha! Host! How coincidental!! Isn’t this just perfect!] The system exclaimed loudly.
Shen Qingyao smirked. The treasure trove of the former dynasty? While others might not know, she knew the details.
In the original book, it was her Eldest Sister who finally opened that treasure trove. There wasn’t much wealth inside, but it helped her Eldest Sister gain the reputation of being destined for greatness at the time, making it easier for Xiao Mu to ascend the throne later on. As for the key that everyone had been desperately searching for…
Shen Qingyao’s eyes curved with satisfaction. She had received it from her Eldest Sister on New Year’s Eve.
Lu Zhao beside her called her name again, and Shen Qingyao snapped out of her thoughts. Seeing Lu Zhao looking worried, she couldn’t help but laugh harder until she buried her face in his chest, shaking with laughter.
After having her fill of laughter, she whispered, “Eldest Brother Lu Zhao, have you ever been to that treasure trove of the former dynasty?”
Lu Zhao didn’t understand why she was asking this, but still nodded and said, “That place isn’t a secret; quite a few people know about it. It’s just full of traps, so without a key, no one can get in.”
“If I tell Elder Brother Lu Zhao that I know where the key is, will Elder Brother Lu Zhao believe me?” Shen Qingyao raised her head, blinked mischievously, and said.
Lu Zhao looked somewhat incredulous, frowned at her, but said nothing.
Shen Qingyao chuckled again, suddenly pushed him away and ran outside. As she ran, she called out, “Elder Brother Lu Zhao, wait for me! I’ll find it for you!”
Her tone was relaxed, as if she were going to find a piece of clothing, but Lu Zhao was even more puzzled.
When Shen Qingyao dug out the bottom of the heavy chests and handed the small box to Lu Zhao, his expression changed from puzzlement to astonishment.
He opened the box, inside was a half-white, half-red jade bracelet emitting a lustrous glow. No matter how one looked at it, it was an exquisite piece of jewelry. It was hard to imagine that this was the long-lost key to the treasure that had been sought after for decades.
“Yaoyao, how did you know that this is…”
“Hmm…” Perhaps his expression was too surprised, Shen Qingyao had never seen him like this before. In addition to feeling proud, she also seemed a bit embarrassed. She shyly lowered her head and softly said, “Elder sister gave it to me…” but she didn’t know it was the key.
Shen Qingyao only said half of it. She couldn’t tell him that she was spoiled from the book’s plot, so she could only leave some space for him to guess.
Lu Zhao knew that this was really found by Shen Qingli and given to Yaoyao. Thinking of Shen Qingli’s ability and skills, he began to believe that it was indeed the key.
Then it was a bit of a laughing matter. An’ya had previously been troubled with the treasure trove, but she wouldn’t have expected that what looked like the most difficult and impossible one, became the simplest one because of Shen Qingyao.
Lu Zhao unable to resist hugging her and pecking a kiss on her moist lips. He leaned against her forehead and whispered softly, “Yaoyao is really a little lucky star.”
The title of little lucky star and so on, this title is a bit shameful, and Shen Qingyao curled her toes and blushed. Lu Zhao looked at her, feeling a stir in his heart, and chuckled, then leaned over again…
rokumi’s note : sorry, I forgot to post this yesterday, so I’m posting two chapters today.