Once Kong Lin finally agreed to let her return to the capital, Shen Qingyao couldn’t wait a moment longer. With concerns about Lu Zhao’s fate still unknown, she found it increasingly difficult to sleep soundly. With wide-open eyes, she barely endured the long night. Before dawn broke, Shen Qingyao boarded the carriage back to the capital with her face showing exhaustion.

Kong Lin followed soon after. Seeing her complexion, he knew she hadn’t slept all night. Concerned about her worsening condition, he couldn’t understand why she would tire herself out like this. Frustrated, he scolded her harshly.

Shen Qingyao hung her head, occasionally murmuring in acknowledgment, seeming apologetic yet defiant. Her eyes wandered restlessly, impatient as the sun began to rise. Unable to contain herself, she said, “Grandpa Kong, is there more scolding you need to do? Come up here, let’s talk as we walk. Don’t waste any more time.”

Kong Lin’s anger surged upon hearing this. “Talk as we walk? Can you even walk like this?!” he shouted.

Gu Hui arrived to see this scene as he escorted her. He couldn’t help but chuckle, though his worry outweighed his amusement. Drawing closer, he cautioned, “Be careful on your journey, don’t let haste lead to chaos.”

Separated from a loved one with their fate unknown, he understood the anxiety all too well, so he offered his advice without any persuasion to stop her.

Shen Qingyao nodded with red eyes, then heard him say, “When you reach the capital, convey my congratulations to Prince Ning.”

She hesitated briefly, then realized the reason. After this ordeal, the situation was settled; Xiao Mu would become the new Emperor of Great Liang…

As the sun rose, the lightly packed carriage departed. Shen Qingyao lifted the curtain, facing the morning light, yet her heart grew heavier with the regret of not flying to the capital immediately.

---

“Prince! Lady Consort!”

In the palace, Xiao Mu sat in his study, reviewing the piles of memorials accumulated from the recent turmoil, while Shen Qingli assisted beside him. Since they had just returned to the capital and hadn’t formally ascended, the servants still addressed them as ‘Prince’ and ‘Lady Consort’.

Days passed, yet there was still no news of Lu Zhao. Shen Qingli continued the search, but gradually accepting the possibility of Lu Zhao’s demise. However, she was upset, thinking how should she break the news to Yaoyao?

As urgent shouts echoed outside the hall, Shen Qingli’s hand slipped while grinding ink, spilling vermilion ink drops onto the floor. Frowning impatiently, she asked, “What’s happening now?”

The burden on these days was the responsibility of the two. Xiao Mu managed, but she was starting to struggle with it, feeling restless.

Seeing her, Xiao Mu grabbed her hand, soothing it gently in his palm.

The person who had been shouting finally entered. He knelt down excitedly and blurted out, “Young… Young Master Lu, he’s back!”

“What did you say?” Shen Qingli’s face lit up with joy. She pulled her hands from Xiao Mu’s grasp and dropped what she was holding, lifting her skirt and rushing out, her demeanor no longer that of a dignified princess.

Xiao Mu watched his suddenly empty hands, could only smile helplessly, but also unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.

Lu Zhao’s safe return brought him joy as well. Just as he was about to follow Shen Qingli out, the person kneeling below spoke again, “There… there’s another matter.”

“Hmm?” Xiao Mu paused and turned slightly.

The innate aura of authority made the young eunuch shiver, but he continued, “A letter has arrived from Ningcheng. Third Miss Shen from the Shen family is on her way back to the capital and should arrive soon.”

Xiao Mu understood immediately that this news was meant for Shen Qingli, but Lu Zhao’s return had diverted her attention. He nodded slightly, feeling relieved that they wouldn’t be separated any longer, especially since Lu Zhao had worried daily about her and had hesitated to act for him.

Feeling rather good, he nodded and followed his wife.

---

Meanwhile, on Shen Qingli’s side, she hurried out to confirm whether Lu Zhao had indeed returned by himself, but she didn’t run into him. People nearby mentioned that when Young Master Lu returned, he was still holding the Ninth Prince, who had tried to usurp the throne, and was currently being taken to prison.

Upon hearing this, Shen Qingli was first stunned, then suddenly burst into laughter. Realizing that Lu Zhao should be fine since, she breathed a long sigh of relief. The heavy burden on her heart from the past few days seemed to have lightened considerably. Otherwise, she would have been too ashamed to face her younger sister.

“Your Highness, should we send someone to invite the Young Master?” The person below observed Shen Qingli’s expression. She was now just a Consort, but it was possible that she would soon become the Empress. Therefore, no one dared to offend her. Seeing her coming eagerly to find someone only to find no one there, they couldn’t help but be anxious, cautiously trying to make amends.

Seeing the guard’s hesitation, Shen Qingli frowned and scolded, “Invite him for what? Go tell him to hurry up and rest. He doesn’t need to worry about these matters these days! If he tires himself out after all this time, how can I explain it to Yaoyao!”

The guard was taken aback by this unexpected response, carefully pondering Shen Qingli’s words. Suddenly, he understood. Yaoyao must be the rumored younger sister of the Consort. It was said that the Shen family doted on this youngest daughter, and now it seemed true.

Just as he was about to flatter a few more words, a commotion of horses and carriages at the palace gate not far away startled them. The guard looked over at the Consort beside him, who turned her head to look. A shaky blue carriage stopped, and before the carriage had even steadied, a slender white hand impatiently lifted the curtain, as if eager to get off.

The guard was puzzled by this breach of etiquette. Whose person dared to drive into the palace like this? Then he saw the Consort’s face change abruptly. From inside the carriage emerged a frail young girl. She was thin and pale, almost as pale as paper, standing by the carriage as if a strong wind could blow her away.

Seeing Shen Qingyao, who should have been in Ningcheng thousands of miles away, appearing in front of her, Shen Qingli was so shocked that she couldn’t speak. Looking again, Shen Qingyao was already trying to jump down before the carriage had fully stopped, terrifying Shen Qingli into a panic. She hurried over, running while calling out, “Yaoyao! What are you doing here? Slow down!”

The guard understood now. This was the Third Miss of the Shen family, who was greatly favored by Young Master Lu.

Shen Qingyao had begged and pleaded all the way, despite not hurrying on the road, they still rushed back as quickly as possible. She had vomited several times on the way and was now feeling extremely uncomfortable. When Shen Qingli helped her down, her legs went weak and she almost fell.

“Yaoyao!”

Shen Qingli exclaimed again, hastily supporting Shen Qingyao along with Cui Qiao. Before Shen Qingli could ask what had happened, Shen Qingyao grabbed Shen Qingli’s sleeve tightly, her voice so weak it was almost inaudible, but she still managed to force out, “Eldest Sister… Where is Elder Brother Lu Zhao?”

With her sleeve held tightly, Shen Qingli was momentarily stunned, realizing that Shen Qingyao must have known. She couldn’t help but glare at Cui Qiao silently, questioning why Cui Qiao hadn’t kept it secret! But thankfully, Lu Zhao was back now.

Shen Qingyao didn’t know what her Eldest Sister was thinking, only seeing her frown without speaking, she felt a sudden pang in her heart. They had rushed for many days on the road, could it be they hadn’t found him yet?

Suddenly a lot of reports and materials she had seen in modern times flashed through her mind. She couldn’t help but think, if people were buried underground and didn’t eat or drink, how many days could they live?

She became more and more flustered in her heart, her face even more devoid of the last trace of color. She moved her mouth and asked again, “Eldest Sister, where is Brother Lu Zhao?” Her voice was about to cry.

“Lu Zhao…”

“Yaoyao!”

Seeing her about to cry, Shen Qingli didn’t dare to delay any longer, just about to say “Don’t worry, he’s back,” but then someone behind her shouted and interrupted her.

Shen Qingyao heard this voice as if awakening from a dream. She stiffened and looked behind Shen Qingli. Lu Zhao stood not far away, his face showing both shock and joy. He smiled at her warmly, his white clothes stained but still unable to conceal his elegance.

“Elder Brother Lu Zhao…”

Shen Qingyao held back tears that finally overflowed. She raised her hand to wipe them away, finding it hard to believe. She had prepared for the worst, but never expected him to appear before her safe and sound. Unsure whether she felt more joy or relief, she reached up to touch her face, almost pinching herself to make sure it was real.

Lu Zhao hurried over, took her from Shen Qingli’s hands, and pressed her hand against his heart, letting her feel his lively heartbeat. He softly said, “It’s real.”

As he held her close, feeling his shirt dampen with her tears, Lu Zhao sighed with concern. He knew she must have been terrified. “I’m sorry, it’s my fault for making you worry. I’m fine.”

*Sob…* Shen Qingyao leaned against him, finally feeling warmth in her body. She sobbed, her throat dry, unable to speak a word.

The people around had dispersed unnoticedly. Shen Qingli took the people away, leaving the couple who had just experienced a separation and reunion to themselves. After crying enough, Shen Qingyao still didn’t want to leave Lu Zhao’s embrace, holding onto him tightly.

Lu Zhao comforted her gently, and after a while, he lowered his head and joked, “Is Yaoyao planning to stand here with me all day?”

Shen Qingyao didn’t reply. Lu Zhao continued, “Standing here all day is fine, but I’ve been underground for so long, covered in dirt. It doesn’t bother me, but what about getting your clothes dirty?”

Shen Qingyao rolled her eyes in his embrace, thinking that after holding him for so long, if anything was going to get dirty, it would have already. But she heard him mention being underground for a long time, realizing that he must have just escaped recently. Otherwise, with Lu Zhao’s cleanliness, he wouldn’t have appeared in such dirty clothes.

She sniffled and stood upright, still unwilling to let go of his clothes.

Lu Zhao looked down and saw that the girl’s eyes were red from crying. He gently pressed his cold fingers against her walnuts-like eyelids, making Shen Qingyao’s eyelashes tremble. She quickly pulled away the hand causing trouble and murmured, “Aren’t we supposed to go back and change clothes?”

Lu Zhao stopped and only then noticed the traces of her journey on Shen Qingyao. In just a few months, she had become so thin that even her chin was sharp. He stared for a moment, filled with both heartache and concern, but said nothing. He bent down to lift the girl up, feeling her weight, and said seriously, “Why have you lost so much weight? Have you not been eating properly these months?”

Startled by his sudden action, Shen Qingyao didn’t resist his closeness. She buried her head in his shoulder and murmured softly, “I’ve been eating…”

“If you’ve been eating, why have you lost weight?” Lu Zhao’s face darkened. Holding her in his arms, he noticed that her complexion was unusually pale, and she had lost all the little weight she had gained over the past six months.

“It’s because…” Shen Qingyao lowered her head and whispered. Lu Zhao couldn’t hear her clearly, so he leaned down slightly and heard her say, “Without my husband around, I couldn’t eat properly…

“Elder Brother Lu Zhao, you scared me…”

Lu Zhao fell silent for a moment, feeling a mix of emotions. He couldn’t decide if he was feeling heartache or joy, but he knew he wanted to cherish this girl in front of him. Unable to resist, he gently tapped her forehead and hoarsely said, “Yes, I was wrong. I won’t take such risks again…”

Shen Qingyao murmured in agreement. Suddenly remembering the risks he had taken, she struggled, “Elder Brother Lu Zhao, please let me down first. You might be injured…”

“I’m not injured…” Lu Zhao held her tighter, his steps steady as he spoke softly, “Even if I were injured, I can still hold you, my wife…”

---

Before usurping the throne, Xiao Jing once had a dream.

In the dream, he devoted himself for years, meticulously planning and patiently waiting, watching coldly as his own flesh and blood brothers fought for the throne. Step by step, he positioned his pieces, and by chance, he uncovered the secret that Lu Zhao was in love with the deceased youngest daughter of the Shen family, which enabled him to manipulate circumstances to make Lu Zhao believe that Xiao Mu and Shen Qingli were responsible for her death. This turned Lu Zhao against them and helped him instead.

Lu Zhao was young and talented, and had a keen mind. With Lu Zhao’s assistance, Xiao Jing’s influence soared. In just a few months, Xiao Jing was already on par with his imperial brothers. He was so close in that dream, just one step away from that position.

But just as success seemed within reach, Lu Zhao chose to commit suicide. His plans fell apart, and he ended up with a result of failure.

Upon awakening, everything in the dream was vividly clear, the hatred and the unwillingness felt substantial. From this, he deeply believed that it was a past life experience where he had failed. This time around, armed with foresight, he was determined not to repeat his mistakes.

So he no longer hesitated, decisively took action, ended his father’s life, and like Lu Zhao in his dream, he contacted the Eastern Sea Garrison. Before his imperial brothers could grow stronger, he seized the capital, and ascended to the throne he had long dreamed of. Heaven finally favored him.

Yet, even with thorough preparation against Xiao Mu’s impending attack, he still lost.

Xiao Jing’s gaze, filled with gloom, found the elegant figure in white among the crowd, gritting his teeth: “Lu Zhao!” It’s Lu Zhao again! He caused my failure last time, and now, this time too. Without him bringing the Nanzhao army, I wouldn’t have lost!

Xiao Jing was extremely unwilling. Suddenly, a spark of insight struck him. If in the previous life Lu Zhao could help him, why not in this life too?

The youngest daughter of the Shen family was still alive and not in the capital. Xiao Jing had no choice but to capture her parents instead. Though less effective, it was useful. Xiao Jing’s eyes darkened with a hint of satisfaction. He watched Lu Zhao step by step into the palace. Once inside, he would find a way to keep Lu Zhao there and force Lu Zhao to serve him!

“Young Master Lu, I have ascended to the throne now. I am the rightful Emperor! If you rebel with Xiao Mu, you will be a traitor and a rebel! Do you really not care about Lady Duanhua and the hundred-year reputation of the Lu family?” Xiao Jing signaled, and immediately someone stepped forward to disarm and arrest Lu Zhao.

“Young Master Lu, if you submit to me now, you can still be the heir of the Lu family, and I will overlook the past!” Xiao Jing smirked darkly.

However, Lu Zhao refused to look at him, coldly snorting, “Rightful Emperor? Obtained through patricide and regicide?”

Xiao Jing’s face darkened even more, clearly stung by the accusation but unable to refute it.

“Young Master Lu, now that you are a prisoner, you should be more careful with your words.”

Lu Zhao turned his head away in disgust, thinking that if it weren’t to see what Xiao Jing was up to, with just these few people around him, could they really keep him down?

As the two stood in deadlock, the sounds of battle outside the palace walls resumed. A young eunuch rushed over in panic, “Your… Your Majesty! It’s bad, Your Majesty! They’re attacking the city again! The palace gates are about to fall!”

Lu Zhao’s lips curled up in a lazy smile at the news, as if he wasn’t in imminent danger, but rather a guest in the palace.

“These useless people! Can’t they hold on even for a moment?” Xiao Jing cursed angrily, his gaze shifting back to Lu Zhao.

After a few changes in expression, Xiao Jing seemed relieved. As long as he could make Lu Zhao help him, what was there to stop him from rising again? After a cold smile, he said, “Take him with us, let’s go!”

With that, he took the lead towards a secluded palace.

The attendants around exchanged glances, understanding the significance of the place and dared not say more. They hurriedly surrounded Lu Zhao and followed suit…

---

Shen Qingyao gradually regained consciousness. Not seeing the face she had hoped for, she felt dizzy at first. Slowly, her eyes focused, recalling everything that had happened. A profound sense of inexplicable sadness washed over her. After a heavy moment, she closed her eyes briefly, then opened them, accepting reality.

“You’re awake? Drink your medicine then!” Kong Lin turned around and caught her opening her eyes. He sighed softly and handed her a bowl of dark soup medicine.

Shen Qingyao remained silent, propping herself up on the edge of the bed. She took the medicine silently, regardless of its bitterness or temperature, and drank it all without furrowing her brow.

Cui Qiao watched beside her, feeling a pang of heartache. Seeing her finish, Cui Qiao quickly brought over a plate of candied fruit : “Miss, have some to sweeten the bitterness.”

Shen Qingyao waved her hand, pushing the plate away.

“I want to return to the capital.” Shen Qingyao lowered her eyes and spoke her first words upon waking, “I want to go back now.”

“Return to the capital? Are you out of your mind? Do you even know your current condition? You’re not fit for a long journey. Allowing you to come to Ningcheng was already an exception, and now you’ve barely settled down for a few days!” Kong Lin’s anger flared upon hearing this, turning sharply with his cane striking the ground loudly. “Going back to the capital? You might not even reach there alive! Absolutely not!”

Shen Qingyao still did not lift her head, her eyes staring blankly at the quilt in front of her. Tears slowly filled her eyes, falling with each blink. She wiped them away quickly and repeated firmly, “I want to return to the capital.”

Then she lifted her head, her gaze determined. “I must go back.”
“Even if it means death, I want to die on the way back to the capital.”

“You…” Kong Lin raised a hand to point at her, meeting her desperate gaze. He couldn’t find words to respond, his fingertips trembling with frustration. After a while, he shook his sleeve and stormed out of the room.

Shen Qingyao’s eyes lowered again. She sniffled, and heard Cui Qiao call out tearfully, “Miss, let’s first recover our health before we go back, alright?”

“Yes, Madam! Young Master is blessed by the heavens and has a fortunate fate, but you shouldn’t exhaust yourself!” Hong Yun joined in, trying to persuade her.

Shen Qingyao looked so pale that if she said she would die tomorrow, someone might believe it. They truly didn’t dare let her take such a risk.

Shen Qingyao shook her head slowly, ignoring all attempts to persuade her. She only knew that Lu Zhao was in the capital. If he wouldn’t come for her, then she would go find him herself.

“I want to return to the capital,” she repeated, refusing to say anything else.

This standoff lasted for three days. Shen Qingyao was determined to return to the capital, but her body was too weak. Even if Kong Lin had agreed immediately, she doubted she could step out of the door.

So she began to cooperate with all the treatments: the medicines she had previously refused, the acupuncture she had feared. Now, she endured it all without a word, except to repeat her desire to return to the capital. For three days, Kong Lin almost constantly scolded her. After scolding, he resigned himself to continuing her treatment.

Yet he also understood in his heart that Shen Qingyao suffered from a heart ailment. If the inner turmoil was not resolved, not even the best doctors in the world could heal her. After another heavy sigh, Kong Lin finally relented.

“You can return, but you must listen to me! No rushing, no haste! You can’t afford any more shocks in your current state.” Kong Lin looked at the girl before him, completely devoid of spirit, and finally nodded.

Shen Qingyao suddenly looked up at him, her eyes slowly brightening. She wanted to smile, but tears fell from her eyes first.

“Thank you, Doctor Kong…”

“Don’t thank me yet. I will go with you. We’ll take it slowly. Absolutely no rushing!” Kong Lin said sternly, adjusting his beard, then grumbled, “Alright, stop crying. Pack your things and get ready. We’ll leave tomorrow!”

With that, he walked away without looking back.

“Miss! It’s great, Miss!” Cui Qiao rushed over and excitedly grabbed Shen Qingyao’s arm. “With Doctor Kong accompanying us, there won’t be any problems for sure!”

“Mmm.” Shen Qingyao smiled faintly, her hand slowly tightening.

It had been over a month since she parted ways with Lu Zhao.

---

“How is it, did you find him?” The guards sent out to search for Lu Zhao has returned, and as soon as they entered, Shen Qingli hurriedly went up to ask.

Since the explosion of the landmine and the collapse of the tunnel nearly ten days ago, during these ten days, Xiao Mu’s people had firmly taken control of the capital. The weaker princes elsewhere, seeing the strength of the northern forces, dared not act rashly. Everything seemed to be going smoothly, except for one thing.

They still couldn’t find Lu Zhao.

The collapsed underground palace had almost been completely dug over by their men, but they just couldn’t find him. No living person, not even a corpse.

Shen Qingli closed her eyes. She had instructed the person who was to send a message to Ningcheng not to tell Shen Qingyao this news. She couldn’t believe how upset Yaoyao would be if Yaoyao heard it.

Seeing her distressed expression, Xiao Mu sighed, put down the military report in his hand, and came over to embrace her, comforting her softly, “Ah Li, don’t panic. Lu Changfeng won’t encounter any trouble so easily.”

Shen Qingli nodded. She also understood that besides Lu Zhao, they also didn’t know the whereabouts of Xiao Jing. The most likely scenario was that these two had escaped through some other secret passage. But what exactly happened, if Lu Zhao caught Xiao Jing, it would be somewhat better, but if the opposite happened… the situation would indeed be very bad.

She leaned back wearily, blaming herself a little, “I shouldn’t have let Lu Zhao go at that time. Yaoyao values him so much. If something really happened to him, what would Yaoyao do…” Her beautiful eyes welled up with tears again.

Xiao Mu couldn’t bear to see her cry and could only reluctantly wipe away her tears, softly saying, “We will find him.”

But his gaze gradually became deeper. He understood Lu Zhao well, so he was confident that as long as Shen Qingyao was still here, Lu Zhao would definitely come back on his own.

---

On the other side, Lu Zhao, who had been searched for everywhere by everyone, finally pushed aside the heavy sand and stones, stepping into the gently flowing river water. He emerged into the daylight.

The explosion that day had sealed off the original escape route with the collapsed palace foundation stones. Fortunately, Xiao Jing had prepared another escape tunnel, but he had been hit by falling rocks and lost consciousness in the process.

Now, Lu Zhao pushed away the blocking stones with one hand and carried the still unconscious Xiao Jing with the other. They had been wandering through the complex underground passages for several days in search of an exit. They had walked along the underground river of the capital for a long time, and now he was dirty and wet all over. Even he felt weak and embarrassed.

Looking around, the secret passage was long. Finding the exit now, they were no longer inside the imperial city, but it seemed they had reached the hunting ground in the suburbs of the capital.

Looking at Xiao Jing again, a hint of fierceness flashed in Lu Zhao’s eyes. He tightened the sword in his hand, but in the end, he didn’t directly kill Xiao Jing. Instead, with a twist of his wrist, he dislocated Xiao Jing’s joints. He dragged Xiao Jing, staggering towards the direction of the capital.

He had to hurry back. If he didn’t write a letter to the little girl soon, she would cry.

---

After a moment’s pause, a wry smile crept onto Lu Zhao’s lips as he snorted lightly.

Xiao Mu and Shen Qingli both looked at him, or rather, everyone present was watching him. Seeing him smile like that, Shen Qingli was the first to understand something. She widened her eyes in disbelief and exclaimed, “Lu Zhao!”

Xiao Mu also frowned, his expression serious as he stared at Lu Zhao and quietly called out, “Changfeng!”

Ignoring these two, Lu Zhao remained seated on his horse, tilting his head up towards the city wall, his voice calm and steady: “Alright, I can go up there. Release the hostages first.”

Xiao Jing smiled, and someone beside him quickly approached to advise him against it. If they released the hostage, they would have no leverage. Xiao Jing waved his hand dismissively, his gaze sinister and cold as he said, “Young Master Lu keeps his promises. I release the hostage, and you come over. Do we have a deal?”

Lu Zhao immediately dismounted, while Shen Qingli grew anxious and shouted, “Lu Zhao! This is a trap!”

Lu Zhao turned his head back, giving a faint smile. “I know, but how can we catch the tiger’s cub without entering its den? Please rest assured, Your Highness.”

With that said, he took the first step forward, and Xiao Jing on the city wall closely watched him. Seeing this, he gestured with his finger, and immediately the three elders were escorted down from the wall, keeping their promise.

Shen Qingli breathed a sigh of relief as she watched her parents rescued, but as she looked at Lu Zhao’s resolute figure, she felt a new sense of unease rise within her.

“Lu Zhao! Remember, Yaoyao is still waiting for you!” Suddenly, Shen Qingli shouted loudly at him.

Lu Zhao paused his steps forward, as if recalling Shen Qingyao’s appearance, a slightly tender smile appearing on his lips. He waved his hand back and stepped into the palace…

---

A thunderous clap rang out. After brewing all night, the rain finally began to patter down. As dawn broke, before the black night had fully retreated, a sudden lightning bolt illuminated the room for an instant, then darkness fell again.

Shen Qingyao opened her eyes groggily. It seemed the pouring rain had startled Cui Qiao, who hurriedly rushed in to close the windows for her. Turning around to see that she was awake, Cui Qiao hurriedly came closer, complaining, “Why does it have to rain so heavily all of a sudden? It’s really frightening.”

Shen Qingyao struggled to lift her hand and push aside the heavy blanket. She opened her mouth, but her throat felt as if it were on fire, and it took a long time before she could manage to produce a few broken and dry sounds. Cui Qiao quickly brought her a cup of tea, and after a few sips, Shen Qingyao felt somewhat better.

“Cui Qiao, what time is it?”

Cui Qiao took back the cup from her hand and answered, “Miss, it’s just past the hour of the tiger¹. You should rest a bit longer; it’s still early.”

Shen Qingyao shook her head, propping herself up with Cui Qiao’s help. She realized not only did her chest hurt, but her whole body was also incredibly weak. Every slight movement made her want to cough. She bent over and coughed twice, and Cui Qiao immediately came nervously to feel her forehead. After a moment, Cui Qiao exclaimed, “Oh no! Miss, why do you have a fever again?”

Shen Qingyao was taken aback. Besides her recurrent heart condition, she hadn’t expected to have a fever as well. But thinking back, she saw that the weather was hot and humid last night, so she had gone out in light clothes. Catching a cold now was probably her own fault. She lowered her head guiltily and didn’t dare to speak.

Even so, Cui Qiao couldn’t help blaming herself, saying that if she hadn’t been lazy last night and had gone with Miss, at least she wouldn’t have let her Miss catch a cold.

Shen Qingyao listened comforted, couldn’t help patting her, “Okay, my body is like this. Even if I don’t go out, I’ll still get sick. Don’t think too much.”

Interrupting Cuiqiao’s nagging, Shen Qingyao coughed twice. Her heart was beating violently. She closed her eyes. It seemed that this wasn’t only because of heart’s condition, but she couldn’t tell what it was.

“Wait a little longer. Wait until dawn, then go and ask Doctor Kong to come for me,” Shen Qingyao whispered. Cui Qiao acknowledged and turned to leave to prepare two bowls of warm soup for her. As she reached the door, Shen Qingyao stopped her.

“Any news from the capital?” Ningcheng had specially bred carrier pigeons, faster than messengers; news could arrive within a day. Last night’s battle in the capital, if news came sooner, would arrive today. Shen Qingyao clenched her fists, feeling uneasy.

Cui Qiao shook her head, “Not yet, Miss.”

“Alright, if there’s any news, remember to tell me immediately,” Shen Qingyao smiled faintly, lifting her hand to dismiss Cui Qiao. Alone, she leaned against a soft pillow, her heartbeat quickening, the night’s unease growing stronger.

Another thunderclap from the sky made Shen Qingyao jump in fright. With precedents like transmigration and systems, she held some awe for metaphysics, gently rubbing her chest to relieve the suffocating feeling. She couldn’t shake the sense that something bad was happening.

---

The rain in the south was relentless, with days passing without sunshine. The downpour affected the pigeons’ flights; news from the capital was delayed, and every day Shen Qingyao asked, receiving the same answer: no news from the capital.

She felt disappointed and increasingly anxious. Her worries weakened her visibly.

This onset of heart problems was different from the last, more severe and persistent, torturing her minute by minute. Kong Lin was troubled, strands of white appearing in his hair. Daily, he puzzled over why her condition this time was so strange, leaving him at a loss.

Shen Qingyao knew it was the system prompting her. She was supposed to have died mid-plot; now, skipping ahead to the ending, she continued to suffer from this debilitating illness.

Finally, the rain stopped. Shen Qingyao, who had been depressed indoors for days, finally had the chance to breathe outside. But as she walked to the lake, her heart suddenly ached, almost causing her to almost fall in. Cui Qiao and Hong Yun were shocked.

“Miss! Are you alright?”

“Madam!”

They supported her from either side, Shen Qingyao still shaken, her legs weakening. Last time she faced such a situation was in the palace, threatening Lu Zhao with a lake jump. Shen Qingyao suddenly remembered that day and couldn’t help but smile, reflecting on how many near-death moments she had created just to complete tasks since arriving here.

But that day, Lu Zhao had carefully protected her. Today, if she had fallen, he wouldn’t have been there.

Her smile faded as quickly as it appeared. Shen Qingyao coughed and asked again, “Still no news from the capital? Has Elder Brother Lu Zhao sent any messages?”

It had been seven days. Even if the rain delayed carrier pigeons, seven days should have been enough for a swift horse or a messenger to arrive. Why was there still no news?

Seeing her inquire again, Cui Qiao’s face stiffened. She suddenly looked away, avoiding Shen Qingyao’s gaze nervously. Shen Qingyao narrowed her eyes, sensing trouble, and turned to Hong Yun, who was similarly avoiding eye contact.

Shen Qingyao’s heart sank slowly. She asked again, “Is it true that there’s still no news from the capital?”

“Miss…” Cui Qiao turned back, her eyes reddening.

“Go fetch Zhang Ping. I want to ask him myself.” Zhang Ping was the guard left by Lu Zhao, and he was the one who usually delivered messages. Shen Qingyao gently pushed Cui Qiao’s supporting hand away, instructing in a solemn tone, then struggled to cover her chest and returned to the house.

Zhang Ping sensed immediately upon entering that something was amiss in the room. After a moment’s hesitation, he bowed respectfully and asked, “Young Madam, did you need me?”

“I’m asking you, has the news from the capital arrived?” Shen Qingyao gripped a porcelain tea cup tightly, using up all her strength just doing that. Despite this, she sat upright, staring intensely at Zhang Ping.

“The capital…” Zhang Ping knew immediately what she was referring to. His heart sank, and he lowered his head in silence, unable to continue.

“What about Elder Brother Lu Zhao?” Shen Qingyao asked again, realizing something was wrong. If Lu Zhao wanted to send a message, why hadn’t it arrived? Was he too busy, or… had something happened? Shen Qingyao thought, her face turning pale, almost translucent, devoid of any color.

Seeing her reaction, Zhang Ping knew he couldn’t hide it any longer. He kept his head low for a while before finally speaking slowly, “Young Master… he…”

“Young Master, that night of the siege, was threatened by Xiao Jing with the lives of the Grand Princess, Master Shen, and Madam Shen, and entered the palace alone. Later… Xiao Jing led Young Master into a secret passage in the palace, where a large amount of gunpowder was placed. After Young Master went in…”

Zhang Ping’s expression was pained, his voice choked, unable to continue.

Shen Qingyao’s fingertips turned white as she gripped the cup tighter. She blinked back tears but refused to believe, “What happened after he went in?”

Zhang Ping remained silent. Shen Qingyao closed her eyes briefly, feeling a pain sharper than ever before. With strength she didn’t know she had, she smashed the cup in her hand on the ground, the shards cutting her palm. Ignoring the pain, she stared at Zhang Ping and demanded, “Tell me! What happened after that?!”

“When the explosion occurred, Young Master and Xiao Jing were in confrontation in the tunnel. Escaping was difficult. Afterwards, both the palace rooms and the tunnels collapsed. They were buried underneath…”

Cui Qiao and Hong Yun beside her were already quietly sobbing, having known beforehand but hiding it from her until now, finally it was revealed to her.

Shen Qingyao turned away, took a deep breath, but couldn’t ease the intense pain in her heart. Upon hearing the truth, she couldn’t cry anymore. The air around her seemed thinner, making it hard to breathe, yet her mind remained unusually calm.

“Just being buried doesn’t mean they’re dead. If he’s alive, I want to see him. If he’s dead, I want to see his body. Elder Brother Lu Zhao promised me he would definitely come back.”

She laughed through tears, “What is this! Such a clumsy scheme, just an explosion, how could it harm him?”

As she spoke, she clutched her chest in pain, bending over. It hurt too much to speak clearly, but she continued, “How could something happen to Elder Brother Lu Zhao…”

“Miss, please don’t…” Cui Qiao cried as she approached to support her, unable to bear seeing her suffer so much.

“Madam! I… I’ll go find Doctor Kong!” When Hong Yun grabbed her, she felt Shen Qingyao’s temperature, her breath, and her state were all wrong. Terrified, she rushed out, startling Zhang Ping, afraid that her delay might be too slow, and followed closely behind her.

“Miss…” Cui Qiao helped Shen Qingyao up and walked her to the bed, but as she lifted her, she saw Shen Qingyao half-open her eyes, weak yet incredibly determined, whispering in her ear, “I want to return to the capital.”

“Miss?”

“I want to go back and find him myself.”

With that, the hand that had been holding Cui Qiao’s clothes fell softly. Shen Qingyao closed her eyes and collapsed onto Cui Qiao’s shoulder.

---

1. hour of the tiger is 3.00 a.m. to 5.00 a.m. ↩︎

---

That night, Shen Qingyao suffered from insomnia for the first time after Lu Zhao’s departure.

Her mind kept dwelling on the contents of Lu Zhao’s letter, but her brain kept replaying scenes from the original plot in her dreams. In the original plot, Lu Zhao drank under the moonlight, his eyes wild and desolate, his white robe stained with blood and moonlight, and her Eldest Sister and Xiao Mu confronted him with a drawn blade…

“Ah!” Once again, Shen Qingyao woke up screaming from her dream. She sat up, panting heavily, her head already drenched in sweat. After calming herself for a while, she suddenly turned to look out the window. The night was stifling, and Cui Qiao hadn’t closed the window tightly. Through the crack, she could see that the sky was completely dark, with no moon or stars visible, only a sky full of oppressive clouds.

Suddenly, a strong wind arose, bringing with it damp and hot air, mixed with a faint earthy smell, making her chest feel uncomfortably tight.

Shen Qingyao sat holding her chest for a while. Recently, Kong Lin had been nursing her back to health, and though she was still weak, her heart condition hadn’t flared up again. But tonight, for some reason, the familiar pain began to subtly resurface. Absentmindedly, her fingers brushed over the jade fox placed beside her pillow. Lu Zhao had taken one of the pendants, and the other one had always been with her.

Just as her hand slid over it, a sharp pain pierced her fingertip. Shen Qingyao paused, staring blankly at her raised hand, seeing a thin cut on her fair finger. Startled, she quickly picked up the jade fox for a closer look. It turned out that the fox’s ear had been chipped at some point, leaving a small but sharp edge that had cut her.

Her heart pounded as she recalled the dream where the jade fox shattered after Lu Zhao’s suicide, as if it were some kind of omen. An unsettling feeling gripped her, lingering for a long time.

Unable to fall back asleep, Shen Qingyao got out of bed, threw on some clothes, and, without worrying about the impending rain, pushed open the door and went outside.

Cui Qiao, who was keeping watch outside, groggily opened her eyes at the sound and softly asked, “Miss, what’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing. I’m just going for a walk to get some air. Don’t worry about me, you go back to sleep.” Shen Qingyao stopped Cui Qiao from getting up and didn’t let her follow.

When she went out, she hadn’t thought to bring a lamp. With no moonlight to guide her, the surroundings were pitch dark. But she wasn’t afraid, wandering around the courtyard, probing the path with her toes and feeling her way. Eventually, she walked out of her own courtyard and suddenly saw a light ahead.

She paused for a moment, recognizing the light as coming from a gazebo in the Gu family’s garden. Due to its secluded location, it was rarely visited even during the day, let alone at night. Who could be there now?

Her heart pounded with curiosity mixed with hesitation. In theory, a side character like her wandering around randomly could easily stumble upon some hidden secret and get silenced. That’s a common trope in both male and female-oriented novels.

“Forget it, I’d better go back.” Shen Qingyao thought for a while and decided her life was more important.

Just as she was about to retreat, the system in her mind suddenly stopped her: [Wait! Host! The person over there seems to be Gu Ziyan’s father!]

Gu Hui? Shen Qingyao paused. What was Uncle Gu doing there so late?

[Go take a look, Host!] The gossip-hungry system couldn’t hold back upon identifying the person, urging Shen Qingyao to go over. Shen Qingyao felt a bit helpless but thought Uncle Gu would never harm her. After pondering for a moment, she decided to satisfy both the system’s and her own curiosity.

As she got closer, Shen Qingyao saw that Gu Hui was burning something in the gazebo, seemingly performing a ritual. Realization dawned on her—there was a fire pit, explaining why the entire gazebo was illuminated.

She was hesitating about whether to go up and say hello when she heard Gu Hui in the pavilion holding what seemed to be a letter. Moments later, he unhesitatingly threw it into the fire, a few traces of nostalgia in his eyes, and murmured, “Ah Ruo, your son is indeed as outstanding as you. Unfortunately, you cannot see it…

“But rest assured, I will definitely help him.” After saying this, Gu Hui laughed at himself, “However, it seems he doesn’t need much help from me. He handles things very well.”

Shen Qingyao, who was eavesdropping, felt a bit puzzled. Ah Ruo? Who is that? From Uncle Gu’s tone, it seemed like there were some feelings involved. Could it be Madam Gu? But the content didn’t quite fit.

Gu Hui then unfolded a painting, staring at the person in the painting, his eyes filled with longing. The distance was still a bit far, so Shen Qingyao could hear Gu Hui’s words but couldn’t see the painting clearly. Curiosity got the better of her, and she stuck her head out slightly, but Gu Hui in the pavilion immediately noticed.

“Girl, come out, don’t hide there!” Gu Hui casually placed the painting on the stone table, hands behind his back, looking over without anger in his voice. Shen Qingyao, however, felt extremely embarrassed. She scolded herself inwardly and had no choice but to reveal herself, reluctantly walking over.

As soon as she entered, her gaze involuntarily fell on the open painting on the table.

The painting depicted a beautiful woman in exotic attire, her red dress like fire, her face like a peach blossom, smiling in the prime of her youth. However…

Shen Qingyao frowned as she looked at it for a while, feeling that the person looked somewhat familiar.

“Uncle Gu, this is…”

“Her name is Yun Ruo.” Gu Hui openly explained, “Twenty-five years ago, I was ordered to visit Huihe and brought back a princess they offered to the emperor, Yun Ruo.”

Princess Yun Ruo! Shen Qingyao suddenly remembered that the male Xiao Mu’s biological mother, was indeed a foreign princess named Yun Ruo!

Somehow, she recalled what Lu Zhao had told her months ago when they left Ningcheng—that Uncle Gu had a love he couldn’t marry, who was Xiao Mu’s mother. So no matter what, Gu Hui would definitely help Xiao Mu.

She opened her mouth, suddenly connecting all these pieces together.

“So Uncle Gu was commemorating an old friend. I disturbed you.” Shen Qingyao lowered her eyes, feeling a bit apologetic. Gu Hui didn’t mind much, waving his hand with a smile, “It’s fine. I admired Yun Ruo back then, but after she became a concubine, I regarded her as my dearest sister, nothing improper. Tonight…”

Gu Hui suddenly sighed, looking at the gloomy sky, heavily saying, “It’s a memorial, but also a farewell.”

Shen Qingyao frowned, not understanding what this farewell meant. She saw Gu Hui wave his sleeve, and the painting of the beautiful woman fell into the flames, quickly half turning into ashes.

“Hey! Uncle Gu, why are you…” Shen Qingyao hurried to save it but was stopped by Gu Hui. He gazed complexly at the painting being consumed by flames, as if seeing that bright young girl fading away in time. After a long time, he slowly said,

“If Ah Ruo’s spirit is in heaven, tonight, she will surely bless them with success.”

—Tonight?

In a flash of realization, Shen Qingyao understood that the first battle against Xiao Jing in the capital was tonight. She widened her eyes, having thought that Gu Ziyan’s return with a message meant there were still matters for Gu Hui to handle and the war wouldn’t start so soon. But unexpectedly…

It wasn’t completely illogical after all.

Gu Hui had a longstanding relationship with Xiao Mu’s mother and was an old friend of Duke Lu and Father Shen. This explains his unwavering support for Xiao Mu. Gu Ziyan was his only son, and it was reasonable for Xiao Mu to send him away to preserve a bloodline for Uncle Gu.

A suffocating feeling welled up in Shen Qingyao’s chest again. No wonder she had felt uneasy all night; Lu Zhao was also fighting on the battlefield, facing unknown dangers.

Her face turned even paler as she couldn’t help but worry.

---

The capital, usually bustling, had been on edge for some time. Since the previous Emperor’s death, banners rallying support for the princes had been raised across the land. The current ruler in the capital had neither legitimate claim nor popular support. The citizens of the capital, sharp-witted as always, had long anticipated a great battle amidst the tense standoff in Great Liang.

So, when the first battering ram struck the city gate with a thunderous sound, the entire city fell silent. The noise seemed to reverberate through everyone’s hearts, making them tremble. Expected, yet unexpected—they hadn’t thought the northern army would arrive so quickly and fiercely.

The city was ablaze, with soldiers fighting furiously. The northern army, well-trained, swiftly breached the inner city. Lu Zhao’s Nanzhao army, although not as fierce as the northern army, excelled in agility and guerrilla tactics, skillfully navigating the city’s alleys to clear out remaining enemies.

Xiao Jing’s imperial guards and the Eastern Sea Garrison hadn’t experienced real combat in many years; they had long forgotten the taste of blood and lost their fighting spirit. Now, they were being beaten back by the combined northern and southern forces. Xiao Jing, wearing a hastily made dragon robe, looked grim and had already smashed several objects in the imperial study in anger. Ministers and strategists who had already pledged allegiance knelt trembling below, unsure when Xiao Mu’s forces would break in, but everyone knew they would.

“What? Have you all lost your nerve?” Xiao Jing glared at the people below with a cruel smile, blood rising to his mouth which he forcibly swallowed. “Excellent! Just great! Twenty thousand imperial guards, a million Eastern Sea Garrison, and you can’t even stop a mere six hundred thousand northern troops?”

A general below flinched, wanting to say that the northern troops fought ten times as fiercely, but dared not speak under Xiao Jing’s bloodshot gaze, joining the others in begging for mercy.

The sounds of battle drew closer, each noise outside making those inside tremble more. Xiao Mu’s forces had already broken into the inner city; it wouldn’t be long before they reached the palace walls.

Xiao Jing clenched his fists, unable to believe how quickly his defeat had come.

“Guards!” After a while, he summoned someone with a gloomy smile, thinking that if he were to die, he would take someone with him.

---

“Report! Your Highness! The capital has been cleared; only the palace remains.”

Xiao Mu, riding a tall horse with a frosty expression and an imposing presence, was accompanied by Shen Qingli, who had also joined the battle and was stained with blood. Behind them was the blood-soaked Lu Zhao.

His white battle armor was dyed red with blood, and his jade-like face bore several bloodstains. The bloodied white lotus appearance made him look even more captivatingly demonic.

Hearing the soldier’s report, Xiao Mu nodded slightly, raised his hand, and commanded, “Soldiers, follow me into the palace!”

A thunderous response erupted from behind. Shen Qingli smiled, full of vigor, but noticed Lu Zhao’s expression suddenly turn grave as he gazed intently at the palace walls.

Far away, they could only see Xiao Jing wearing a bright yellow dragon robe, accompanied by several people slowly appearing.

“It’s Father and Mother! And…” Shen Qingli exclaimed, her gaze filled with fear as she looked towards Lu Zhao, “And… the Grand Princess.”

Xiao Mu’s birth mother had long passed away, but Shen Qingli’s parents and the Grand Princess had always remained within the imperial city. Shen Qingli was Xiao Mu’s weakness. Lu Zhao, too, was a crucial figure under Xiao Mu’s command. To control them was to control Xiao Mu.

On the city wall, Xiao Jing slowly revealed a cruel smile. With his sword at his waist, he pointed it towards the masses, saying coldly, “You traitorous ministers! Even if you want to force me to abdicate, it won’t be so easy!”

With that, he held his sword against Shen’s father’s neck.

“Father!” Shen Qingli cried out tearfully, her eyes red, but Xiao Mu held her hand. “Ah Li, don’t panic.”

“What do you want?” Xiao Mu’s voice was icy. He wished he could immediately drag them down and punish them. He could ignore himself, but he couldn’t watch Ah Li’s family perish.

Just when everyone thought Xiao Jing would complicate matters for Xiao Mu, he suddenly turned his sword towards another person.

Slowly, he said, “I want Lu Zhao to come up. Just Lu Zhao, alone!”

Below the city wall, Lu Zhao looked up at them, his eyes filled with tears but he vigorously shook his head, signaling him not to worry about the Grand Princess. He looked to the other side where Shen’s parents were equally defiant.

On one side were Yaoyao’s parents, and on the other was his own mother. Regardless of who it was, he must save them.

Lu Zhao tightened the sword at his side, his gaze slowly darkening. He raised his head slowly, without avoiding it, and met Xiao Jing’s fierce gaze.

---

Shen Qingyao stayed at Gu Hui’s residence after arriving in Ningcheng. Gu Hui treated her like his own daughter and prepared a separate courtyard for her. However, Gu Hui was usually very busy, so they didn’t have many opportunities to meet.

On the tenth day in Ningcheng, Shen Qingyao received the first letter from Lu Zhao. At that time, she was sunbathing in her courtyard. When she heard someone from the capital had arrived, she couldn’t wait for them to deliver the letter. She lifted her skirt and ran off, ignoring Cui Qiao and Hong Yun who repeatedly shouted, “Madam, be careful.”

Seeing Shen Qingyao’s joyful figure, the two maids felt both amused and worried. Unable to stop her, they quickly followed her.

When Shen Qingyao jogged to the front gate of the Gu residence, she met the messenger who came from the capital to deliver the letter. When they met, both were momentarily stunned and simultaneously exclaimed, “Why are you here?”

The one who came back to deliver the letter was Gu Ziyan. After not seeing him for three or four months, he seemed taller and sturdier. The harsh conditions of the Northern Frontier had stripped away much of his arrogance, revealing a sharpness like a blade drawn out of its sheath. Shen Qingyao almost didn’t recognize him. Compared to their last meeting in Lingnan, Gu Ziyan seemed to have grown up a lot.

But as soon as he spoke, Shen Qingyao felt he was still the same reckless young master. Gu Ziyan got off his horse with a stern face. Seeing it was her, he leaned lazily against the horse, arms crossed, and asked teasingly, “This is my home. What’s strange about me being here? But you, why are you here again?”

Without waiting for Shen Qingyao to answer, he suddenly seemed to realize, “No wonder! I wondered why the Prince sent me on this errand and Lu Zhao even gave me a letter. It turns out it’s for you?”

Hearing there was indeed a letter from Lu Zhao, Shen Qingyao was delighted and didn’t bother to argue with Gu Ziyan. She reached out for the letter, but Gu Ziyan teasingly refused to give it to her. Shen Qingyao glared at him and tried to grab it. Just then, a stern voice came from behind, making Gu Ziyan jump. He quickly shoved the letter into Shen Qingyao’s hand and stood at attention, calling out cautiously, “Father.”

Shen Qingyao turned to see Gu Hui had arrived without her noticing, glaring coldly at Gu Ziyan. “You unfilial son! You still know how to come back!”

“Father! You know where I went!” Gu Ziyan muttered, head down. After spending nearly half a year at the Northern Frontier, he had learned some of the inside story. His father had partly schemed to send him there. “Stop acting! Father! I have serious business this time!”

With that, Gu Ziyan lifted his head again and took out another letter from his pocket, waving it with some pride. “Look! A secret letter from the Prince! Do you want it or not?”

“What are you showing off for? Get in here!” Gu Hui was even angrier seeing this. How could a secret letter be flaunted at the gate? Losing patience, he kicked Gu Ziyan and dragged him by the ear into the house.

Shen Qingyao laughed secretly at the side. When Gu Hui looked over, she obediently gave way and bowed.

After they had walked away, Shen Qingyao looked down at the thin envelope in her hand, feeling expectant. What would Lu Zhao write to her?

“Miss, let’s go back too,” Cui Qiao suggested softly. Shen Qingyao nodded and was about to return when she noticed out of the corner of her eye a head quickly ducking behind a stone lion at the gate. She paused, recognizing the shadow as familiar. After a moment of thought, she decided to walk over.

Behind the stone lion was a small figure. Seeing her approach, the person seemed nervous but didn’t run away. Instead, they looked at Shen Qingyao with a complicated expression, a mix of resentment and reluctance. As Shen Qingyao got closer, she recognized Lin Wan’er, Gu Ziyan’s fiancée, whom she had seen a few times from a distance in Ningcheng a few months ago.

At that time, Lin Wan’er was often harassed by Gu Ziyan, and because she had mercilessly kicked him over when Shen Qingyao first saw them, Shen Qingyao had a particularly deep impression of her.

“Miss Lin?” Shen Qingyao hesitated as she called out.

Lin Wan’er, standing before Shen Qingyao, was somewhat surprised, her eyes widening slightly as she softly asked, “How do you know me?”

Shen Qingyao chuckled but didn’t answer her. Instead, she asked, “Is Miss Lin here to see Young Master Gu?”

Upon hearing about Gu Ziyan, Lin Wan’er’s eyes darkened. She gave Shen Qingyao a peculiar look before biting her lip and stammering, “What… what is your relationship with Gu Ziyan?”

Shen Qingyao was taken aback but quickly understood. Lin Wan’er must have seen Gu Ziyan playing around with her earlier and likely misunderstood something. She couldn’t help but laugh, hurriedly waving her hand, “Miss Lin, don’t misunderstand. My husband and Young Master Gu’s families are old friends. I’m staying here temporarily because my husband has some matters to attend to.”

“Husband? You are already married?” Lin Wan’er’s eyes lit up, finally noticing Shen Qingyao’s subtle but unmistakably married appearance. While she felt relieved, she also felt a bit embarrassed, as she had thought…

“I’m sorry, I…” Lin Wan’er lowered her head.

She should be younger than Shen Qingyao. Seeing her pitiful look at the moment, Shen Qingyao’s heart softened. She suddenly understood why even the frivolous Gu Ziyan couldn’t forget this girl.

Shen Qingyao smiled and said, “Miss Lin, why don’t you come in and sit for a while?” She then winked and teased, “Young Master Gu has been called by Lord Gu for a meeting. If you come in now, you won’t run into him.”

Lin Wan’er’s face reddened further, but she didn’t refuse.

The two of them entered the house arm in arm, and Shen Qingyao led Lin Wan’er back to her courtyard. The two girls sat together, and Shen Qingyao soon discovered that beneath Lin Wan’er’s delicate exterior was the heart of a general’s daughter, free-spirited and unrestrained. Shen Qingyao had realized this was a special girl when she saw her reprimanding Gu Ziyan a few times.

After chatting all morning, Shen Qingyao genuinely liked her.

When Lin Wan’er began to distractedly glance out the window frequently, Shen Qingyao pursed her lips, understanding who Lin Wan’er truly wanted to see. She said, “Wan’er, if you want to see Young Master Gu, you might still catch him if you go now.”

“I’m not…” Lin Wan’er blushed with embarrassment and vigorously denied it.

Shen Qingyao looked at these childhood sweethearts who clearly liked each other yet played a game of chase and couldn’t help but laugh. After laughing, she couldn’t help but think of her own childhood sweetheart, wondering what Lu Zhao was doing now.

---

A thousand miles away, Lu Zhao stood in the camp. They had traveled day and night and had been stationed outside the capital for several days now. The northern army had also arrived, but they hadn’t taken any rash actions because many ministers and their families were still trapped in the capital.

Lu Zhao looked at the towering city walls in the distance, his eyes darkening with determination.

Shen Qingli, who had accompanied the army, walked over and stood beside him, glancing sideways, “Thinking about Yaoyao?”

She raised her eyebrows, “I never thought you would be like this after getting married.” She laughed, “Well, our Yaoyao is so wonderful, it’s no wonder you treasure her so much.”

Lu Zhao was teased, but didn’t deny it. He smiled faintly, recalling the girl who would often tear up and call out to him so sweetly. How could he not treasure her? He wished he could keep her by his side all the time.

“Who knows how Yaoyao is doing alone in the south? It’s been over half a year since I last saw her. Once we finish our business here, let’s bring her back to the capital.” Shen Qingli’s smile faded a bit. They were set to attack the city tomorrow. Though everything seemed certain, there were no guarantees in war, so her tone was inevitably heavy.

“Okay,” Lu Zhao responded briefly, saying no more.

Shen Qingli was used to his attitude by now. Without Yaoyao around, Lu Zhao was indifferent to everyone. After discussing a few more details about the city attack, Shen Qingli turned to find Xiao Mu.

Lu Zhao remained there for a while, then gathered his thoughts and left to finalize plans for the next day.

---

In Ningcheng, Lin Wan’er couldn’t sit still any longer. She stood up to take her leave. Shen Qingyao, smiling, pointed a direction for her, saying that she would have a better chance of meeting Gu Ziyan that way. Lin Wan’er blushed and declined, but her steps still unconsciously veered in that direction, making Shen Qingyao smile again.

Once Lin Wan’er was gone, Shen Qingyao dismissed the servants, sat by the window, and carefully took out a letter from her sleeve that she hadn’t yet opened. After taking a deep breath, she slowly unfolded the letter.

There wasn’t anything particularly special in it. Lu Zhao had written to say he had arrived near the capital and was camping in secret, and have successfully met up with Xiao Mu and Shen Qingli. They were waiting for the right moment to attack the city and capture Xiao Jing. He told her not to worry.

Then, the letter spanned three full pages, filled with detailed instructions on how she should take care of her health. Shen Qingyao found it both amusing and exasperating, joking to the system that the letter could be published as ‘One Hundred Ways to Take Care for a Heart Disease Patient’.

As she read, it was clear that Lu Zhao had written the letter in haste. His usual elegant handwriting was somewhat messy. Only on the last page, in the final line, did he carefully and sincerely write: “It’s been half a month since I left. I miss Yaoyao very much. Does Yaoyao miss me?”

Shen Qingyao’s heart fluttered when she read this. She blushed but couldn’t help reading the line over and over, gently tracing her finger over the words. She softly said, “I miss you too.”

After a long while, she went to the desk and started to write her reply.

After many revisions, she finally finished the letter and went to find Gu Ziyan, intending to ask him to deliver it to Lu Zhao when he left the next day. However, the scene she encountered surprised her.

Lin Wan’er, no longer the sweet and delicate girl she had been in front of Shen Qingyao, looked impatient, frowning at Gu Ziyan. It was unclear what he had done to upset her, but he was circling around her, trying to appease her. Shen Qingyao paused, noticing that despite the impatient expression, Lin Wan’er’s eyes were smiling.

Suddenly, she didn’t feel like interrupting them anymore.

---

Having obtained the ‘key’ from Shen Qingyao, Lu Zhao’s affairs proceeded even more smoothly. Although Princess An’ya didn’t believe it, after repeated verification by her men, it was confirmed that the bracelet could indeed open the legendary treasure trove of the former dynasty.

Inside, there was nothing. But since she had already made her statement, she had no choice but to reluctantly agree and secretly lent 300,000 troops and horses to Lu Zhao.

Half a month later, Xiao Jing proclaimed himself Emperor in the capital. On the same day, various regional princes led by Xiao Mu aimed their swords at the capital, accusing Xiao Jing of patricide and regicide, of being unrighteous and unjust, and raised the banner of rallying troops. The nation mourned, and overnight chaos engulfed the entire Great Liang. Everyone felt endangered.

Since Shen Qingyao’s sudden illness that day, her condition had been sporadic and had not improved. Kong Lin came daily to diagnose and change medications, but to no avail. She still experienced occasional severe chest pains, difficulty breathing, and more frequent attacks than ever before. The system said it was because the world plot had advanced prematurely, forcing her body into the state required by the current storyline.

Shen Qingyao earnestly recalled the books she had read. When the male protagonist seized power, it was the time when this cannon fodder supporting role was most seriously ill. Medical treatment was futile; death seemed imminent.

In other words, her body was on the verge of collapse. Either Kong Lin would develop a miracle drug, or her Eldest Sister’s husband would quickly ascend to the throne, or… she would quietly die as per the original book’s trajectory.

Shen Qingyao felt heavy-hearted, but she dared not show it on her face. She feared Lu Zhao would notice, feared he would also meet the same fate as described in the book.

However, seeing each other day after day, how could Lu Zhao truly not notice? The little girl was no longer as lively as before, her complexion worsening day by day. Kong Lin’s expression also grew increasingly grave. With his intelligence, he naturally could guess that Yaoyao’s condition wasn’t good. Yet the little girl kept smiling in front of him, fearing he would worry. Hence, he also dared not show his concerns on his face, afraid she would be upset.

On this day, Kong Lin brought another bowl of medicinal soup. Shen Qingyao tasted it, bitter to the point of tears, but she drank it all without a word. After setting down the bowl, Lu Zhao, with a solemn expression, entered the room. As soon as he came in, he went straight to her bedside and gently took her hands.

“Elder Brother Lu Zhao, why have you come back at this time?” It wasn’t surprising she asked. Lu Zhao had been busy every day for the past half month preparing reinforcements to the north. His return in broad daylight today was indeed unusual.

Unlike his usual smile, Lu Zhao looked even more serious. Holding the girl’s hands, he said in a deep voice, “Today, news from Northern Border arrived. The Prince has ordered the army to march and seize the capital.”

Shen Qingyao was stunned for a moment, then quickly realized what it meant. Unable to stop herself, she asked, “Then what about you…”

“Yes, we are closer than the Northern Frontier. We could have set off a little later, but communications on the road took some time. Counting the days, if we want to join forces with the Prince, we should set out with the troops we’ve gathered these days.”

With the army marching, there were no other generals in Lingnan who could lead troops. Only Lu Zhao could.

Shen Qingyao blinked, her nose tingling at the mere thought. But she fought back tears. She just sniffled and lowered her head, softly asking, “So… when will Elder Brother Lu Zhao leave?”

“Tomorrow,” Lu Zhao said hoarsely. She was sad, and he was reluctant. But whatever the reason, this had to be done. They could hide in Lingnan for now, but they couldn’t escape forever. Besides, their parents and relatives were still in the capital, imprisoned.

“So soon?” Shen Qingyao was surprised, stunned for a moment, and even sadder. She pursed her lips, almost crying. Quickly turning her head, Shen Qingyao wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, pushed aside the blanket, and tried to get out of bed hurriedly, saying, “Then, let me pack up for you.”

But due to her weakened body from illness, as soon as her feet touched the ground, she collapsed weakly, only to be caught steadily by Lu Zhao.

He gently placed her back onto the bed, his gaze deep as he looked at her. Raising his hand, he caressed her cheek and softly said, “Don’t worry, there’s nothing urgent to bring along.”

What he most wanted to bring was not something material, but a person, her, whom he couldn’t take along.

“I promise you, I’ll be back soon. I won’t let Yaoyao wait too long. Can Yaoyao trust me?

“I’m going there only to assist. With the Eastern Sea Garrison leaving the waters, they won’t be a match for the Northern Army on the land, so there’s no danger. Yaoyao just needs to rest assured and take care of herself, alright?

“After I leave, Yaoyao must eat on time, rest more, and not overexert herself. Remember?”

Liu Zhao supported himself above her, encircling her within the bed and his arms, giving her these instructions one by one. With each one he uttered, Shen Qingyao’s eyes grew redder. The separation sorrow that she had been trying hard to ignore suddenly became overwhelming. A tear fell from her eye, and she lightly pounded Liu Zhao’s shoulder with her hand, complaining, “It’s not like you’re not coming back! Why are you speaking as if you’re leaving your last words?! The more you say, the more panicked I become!”

—Don’t raise a flag like that! That sounds so ominous!

After saying this, Shen Qingyao spoke out of frustration, “I won’t wait for you for long! If you take too long to come back, I won’t care about you anymore!

“I’ll finally be rid of the person nagging me! I’ll eat whatever I want and sleep whenever I feel like it! If I’m sick or in pain, I won’t drink those bitter concoctions! If you still want me to be well, then come back soon!”

She spoke, her voice now on the verge of tears.

Lu Zhao couldn’t help but smile and feel distressed at the same time. He knew she was speaking in anger, so he stopped scaring her with those instructions. He instructed the servants to take care of her before turning back to her. Seeing her tearful appearance, Lu Zhao’s heart softened completely, and he gently said, “Not waiting for me? Yaoyao, are you planning to wait for someone else?”

“I’m not waiting for anyone! I…” Shen Qingyao wanted to say more in anger, but Lu Zhao suddenly leaned down and kissed away the tear from her eye. The tender and cool touch made her whole body tingle.

Her eyelashes trembled, and through her tear-blurred vision, all she could see was his jade-like figure. Shen Qingyao gazed at him and softly said, “Elder Brother Lu Zhao, you must come back soon.”

“Mm.” Liu Zhao solemnly agreed. Considering her health, he had no intentions, but only touched her face and was about to get up. However, as he rose, Shen Qingyao grabbed his belt and pulled him back.

Before he could say anything, a warm body pressed against him, and Shen Qingyao tilted her head to kiss his Adam’s apple, understanding his concerns, and whispered in his ear, “I’m feeling better. My heart condition didn’t act up today.”

Liu Zhao stiffened for a moment, sighed softly after a while, and took the initiative to kiss her lips, pressing her onto the soft bedding…

---

When Shen Qingyao woke up, it was early morning of the next day. Her body was a bit sore but not uncomfortably so. The fragrance in the room had not yet dissipated, but the person beside her had already left. Lu Zhao had said yesterday not to send him off, so naturally, he didn’t wake her this morning.

Shen Qingyao stared at the bed curtain for a while, raised her hand to touch it, and found that the bedding beside her had already cooled. After a moment’s thought, she suddenly turned over and hugged the blanket beside her, burying her head inside, greedily breathing in the lingering cold fragrance.

When even the cold fragrance faded, she slowly sat up straight. Her eyes scanned the room, and it was strange—Lu Zhao was usually busy, spending little time with her in the mansion, and she didn’t mind. But now that he was gone, she felt the mansion was strangely empty, and her heart also felt empty.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and Shen Qingyao sighed with her head down. He had just left, and she was already starting to miss him a little.

“Miss, are you awake? The people outside are ready.” Cui Qiao’s voice came from outside the door. Shen Qingyao wiped away her tears and, knowing Lu Zhao wasn’t here, wouldn’t cry easily anymore.

Before long, Cui Qiao and the others came in to help her dress. Hong Yun stood by and packed her belongings. They were rushing to Ningcheng, as instructed by Lu Zhao last night.

When guard Zhang Ping arrived, they were almost ready. Seeing this, he bowed and said, “Young Madam, we are ready to depart.”

Shen Qingyao was feeling unwell, coughing and holding her chest. She was increasingly weak but still nodded and said, “Alright, let’s go.”

—”Yaoyao, after I leave, take people to Ningcheng to find Uncle Gu. Though Nanzhao has allied with us, we still need to be cautious. Lingnan has no stationed troops or defenses, which is too risky. Ningcheng is different. Due to its gold mines, it has its own city garrison, and it’s not far from Lingnan. Uncle Gu is trustworthy. Wait for me there, then I’ll be at ease.”

Shen Qingyao lowered her eyes, recalling what Lu Zhao had told her last night. His expressions and tone were vividly etched in her mind. She smiled softly, thinking he was overly cautious. After the smile came reassurance, followed by an undeniable longing.

This time, perhaps they wouldn’t see each other for several months.

At the other end of the carriage, Kong Lin was supported by Tu Lan, his beard trembling with anger. Tu Lan shrank beside him, afraid to speak, only giving Shen Qingyao a sympathetic glance.

Shen Qingyao snapped out of her thoughts when Kong Lin banged his cane against the carriage wall, angrily scolding, “You’re still laughing? Do you not know your own condition?! Your body is failing, and you’re embarking on such a long journey! Are you trying to kill yourself?!”

He was scolding Shen Qingyao.

Knowing she was at fault, she smiled apologetically and leaned over to pat Kong Lin gently, speaking in a soft voice, “Grandpa Kong, Masterr Kong? I know I was wrong. Please forgive me this time! Although Lingnan is temporarily stable, it’s still fraught with danger. Even if I stayed, I’d worry every day, which wouldn’t be good for my health. Lu Zhao arranged this knowing you’re also here! Please calm down; if you ruin your health in anger, who will treat me…?”

The young girl looked pale, as if a gust of wind could knock her over, just like six years ago when Kong Lin entered the Shen Mansion to save her, yet different. Back then, the girl would collapse in the wind, but now, even though she seemed fragile, she could still stand up again softly after being knocked down.

Kong Lin stared at her for a while before grunting softly and pointing at her head, saying neither lightly nor heavily, “Once you reach Ningcheng, if you still don’t take your medicine seriously, let’s see if I’ll treat you!”

Shen Qingyao repeatedly agreed, and Kong Lin gave her another glare before turning his head away, saying nothing more to her.

Seeing his childish temper, Shen Qingyao couldn’t help but stifle a laugh, then looked out of the carriage window at the receding scenery, sighing with relief. In her heart, she silently prayed, “Elder Brother Lu Zhao, with Doctor Kong here, I can surely hold on until Xiao Mu ascends to the throne and the system rewards me with the cure for my heart disease. So, you must work hard to defeat the main antagonist and come back soon to fetch me…”

---

“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.

---

A few days later, preparations for finding craftsmen for Xiao Mu had been completed.

Lingnan was a large city, with officials at every level organized systematically. When Lu Zhao arrived, he swiftly took decisive actions, carried out a purge with thunderous methods. Now, everything was on track, relieving him of daily worries.

Gu Ziyan led a dozen or so craftsmen disguised as attendants back to the Northern Frontier in haste. Lu Zhao also found himself at ease, enjoying plenty of leisure time.

Time flew by, and another three months passed. Lingnan had transitioned from the humid summer into autumn. The autumn here was quite warm, lacking the summer’s dampness and instead being refreshing and pleasant. However, Shen Qingyao had poor health. Even with a slight decrease in temperature, she fell mildly ill several times. She didn’t feel much discomfort herself, but it worried Lu Zhao greatly.

So, in Lingnan where everyone still wore light clothing, Lu Zhao ordered Shen Qingyao to don slightly thicker outerwear early on. The ice in the house had also been completely removed. After staying inside for a while, Shen Qingyao felt sweaty all over, finding it even hotter than summer.

She propped her chin boredly on the window sill, looking at the window opposite. That was Lu Zhao’s study. It was originally not located in her courtyard. However, a few months ago when Lu Zhao was busy and spent all day in the study, Shen Qingyao felt lonely and would often go find him. It was hot during the day in summer, and she nearly suffered from heatstroke in the afternoon sun. After Lu Zhao found out, he ordered the study moved closer to her, just a few steps away.

At this moment, the window opposite was closed, but tall figure projected inside was faintly visible through the window paper. The person was not sitting but standing upright at the table, leaning forward with a pen in hand. The posture was as elegant and sturdy as a straight bamboo, contrasting vividly against the paper window like a scroll painting.

Shen Qingyao couldn’t help but curl her lips. She remembered how late Lu Zhao had been dealing with matters last night. The night was too hot for her to sleep, so she snuck over to find him.

At first, she just wanted to get some fresh air, but he coaxed her into doing something in the study. Shen Qingyao blushed at the memory. In the past, when she flirted with him, she would recklessly rush up to tease him, but now she dared not.

Since the two became intimate, Lu Zhao had developed a taste for it. Though he was very restrained out of concern for her health, he would tease her back, igniting her interest and then stopping. Each time, it was her who couldn’t bear it and begged him to continue.

The day after such incidents, he would always smile like a fox, teasing her with a face of faux grievance, blaming it all on her lack of self-control.

Shen Qingyao secretly cursed him, thinking what a sly fox he was! Back then, giving him a fox drawing was indeed spot on!

There was no wind outside, and leaning against the window, Shen Qingyao couldn’t feel a trace of coolness. Seeing Cui Qiao still wearing thin gauze clothes beside her, while she herself was already layered inside and out, she wanted to go to the courtyard for some fresh air but didn’t dare. She was afraid that approaching the study would remind her of the absurdity of last night, so she could only sulk alone.

As she was lost in thought, the window opposite suddenly opened, revealing Lu Zhao’s face. He held a scroll in his hand, leaning against the window with arms crossed, looking over at her. Seeing Shen Qingyao staring at him, Lu Zhao was not surprised at all. In fact, he looked rather pleased, giving her a faint smile and raising his eyebrows as if to say, “Why doesn’t Yaoyao come over?”

Shen Qingyao was stunned for a moment, then quickly averted her eyes. She silently repeated to herself several times, “It’s still daytime! I can’t be swayed by this sly fox!! No, I mustn’t!”

Then, she made up her mind and slammed her own window shut with a loud noise. The sudden sound startled Hong Yun, who was drowsily fanning her nearby. Thinking something had happened, Hong Yun quickly stood up.

Seeing this, Cui Qiao came over and pulled Hong Yun away. Cui Qiao winked, and Hong Yun immediately understood. Oh, it’s the Young Master and Madam playing around again.

In these past few months, their intimacy had grown stronger than ever before, and since the two were serving Shen Qingyao closely, they naturally understood. Hong Yun stuck out her tongue and gave a bitter smile, feeling like she had eaten too much dog food, and followed Cui Qiao out. Just as they left, Lu Zhao came from his study opposite.

He smiled warmly, three degrees less cold compared to their first meeting. His warm temperament was as rich as jade. Shen Qingyao initially just glanced casually, but upon seeing him, she was momentarily stunned.

He was clearly past his growth years, but how could he keep getting more handsome? Shen Qingyao pouted. It had been almost a year, yet she still had no resistance to Lu Zhao’s face.

Until Lu Zhao approached, stretching out his slender fingers to poke her puffed-up cheek, asking gently, “Who made our Yaoyao unhappy?”

Shen Qingyao swatted away his mischievous finger, hummed softly, and then turned her head away. Lu Zhao chuckled, somewhat amused, and sat beside her, pulling her into his embrace from behind. He teased, “You’re getting more and more temperamental, relying on me to pamper you?” Seeing Shen Qingyao about to glare at him, he quickly coaxed, “Alright, alright, not temperamental. After all, how could a little fairy like you have a bad temper?”

This was something Shen Qingyao had casually said to him a few days ago while acting cute, but she hadn’t expected him to remember and use it to tease her. Shen Qingyao blushed, lightly elbowing him in response, unable to hold back her laughter.

As she already felt scorching hot, being close to someone usually made her feel sticky and uncomfortable. However, she wondered if Lu Zhao’s celestial aura made him always feel fresh and cool. Shen Qingyao leaned back against him in this position, and the two quietly snuggled for quite some time, gradually calming the heat in their hearts and bodies.

She turned over, facing him as she nestled into his arms. Her small hand unconsciously stroked his fingers as she suddenly asked in a muffled voice, “It’s been two months since I received a message from my Eldest Sister. Last time she said the craftsmen had arrived, but I wonder if they’ve made anything yet? And why hasn’t my Eldest Brother in the capital written any letters?”

Normally, she exchanged letters with Shen Qingli and Shen Yushu every half month, or at the longest, once a month. But since Gu Ziyan left last time, neither Shen Qingli nor Shen Yushu had sent any letters.

Shen Qingyao didn’t interfere much with Lu Zhao’s official duties, but he never avoided her when doing things. So now she roughly understood the situation in Great Liang. Now, since it concerned her closest siblings, Lu Zhao didn’t find it strange that she suddenly asked.

“The situation in the capital is complicated now. It’s indeed a bit difficult to send letters casually, but the Shen family is safe, Yaoyao, you don’t need to worry. As for the north…” Lu Zhao comforted her gently, patting her back, and paused when he mentioned the Northern Territory where Shen Qingli was stationed, “No matter what, with military power in the Northern Territory, nothing major will happen.”

Shen Qingyao nodded, knowing that apart from waiting, there was really no better way.

Just then, a system notification sound that hadn’t been heard for a long time rang in her mind. It wasn’t the chatty teenage voice but the mechanical voice that only issued tasks and warnings.

[System prompt: Key plotline triggered! Please be aware! Key plotline triggered! Please be aware! Current plot progress: 80%]

Shen Qingyao sat up straight suddenly. Not mission progress, but plot progress. 80%? How could that be? Her eyes widened. According to the original novel’s plot, even after half a year since her Eldest Sister went to the Northern Territory, the progress shouldn’t exceed 50% at most. After all, it would still be two years before Xiao Mu truly intervened in the court’s affairs. So why was it suddenly at 80%?

After the beep of the system had passed, Shen Qingyao suddenly turned pale. A sharp pain struck her heart, and she groaned, curling up in agony. Lu Zhao quickly supported her, anxiously asking, “Yaoyao, what’s wrong?”

Shen Qingyao grabbed his arm, thinking it must be the system playing tricks again. She wanted to say she was fine, but the pain was so intense she couldn’t speak. Lu Zhao’s face darkened; he knew her heart condition must have flared up again. He immediately called out, “Go fetch Kong Lin!”

Kong Lin had been staying at the Lu Mansion these past few months and had formulated several prescriptions, although they only alleviated rather than cured her heart condition. Nevertheless, they were somewhat effective, and Shen Qingyao’s attacks were no longer as frequent as before. Now, with her suddenly in pain again, it was no wonder Lu Zhao was so anxious.

Outside, it immediately became noisy. Cui Qiao was anxious to find Kong Lin, while Hong Yun instructed the servants to light the stove and prepare medicinal herbs. Amidst the clamor, a figure hurriedly flew in from outside the courtyard, panting heavily with sweat when he landed in front of them.

Shen Qingyao glanced up in difficulty—it was one of the covert guards beside Lu Zhao, whom she had seen a few times.

Before the covert guard could catch his breath, he hastily pulled out two sealed letters from his bosom and presented them, saying sharply, “Master, urgent news from the Northern Frontier and the capital! The Emperor has passed away! Ninth Prince Xiao Jing has taken control of the Imperial Guards, joined forces with the East Sea Garrison, seized control of the capital, and detained the imperial princes and ministers in their residences. He plans to ascend the throne soon!”

“What?!” Shen Qingyao’s face grew even paler, and Lu Zhao’s expression darkened.

The covert guard continued, “That’s not all. Xiao Jing has also issued an edict summoning the regional princes to mourn the late Emperor, but… only allows them to enter the palace alone.”

Shen Qingyao was shaken by this series of revelations. She struggled to sit up straight and exclaimed in alarm, “How can this be! Entering the palace alone—it’s like walking into a trap, delivering oneself to the wolves!”

She hadn’t forgotten that her brother-in-law, Xiao Mu, was also one of the regional princes.

Seeing it was her speaking, the covert guard wasn’t surprised and continued solemnly, “Indeed. Therefore, all the regional princes have refused the edict. Xiao Jing accuses them of disloyalty and plans to march against them.”

Is Xiao Jing mad?

That was Shen Qingyao’s only thought. With just the Imperial Guards and possibly the East Sea Garrison, how dare he openly challenge the regional princes who control military power?

She anxiously looked at Lu Zhao, who remained silent with a grave expression, seemingly pondering Xiao Jing’s motives. Just then, Kong Lin arrived, and the covert guard discreetly withdrew to the side. Kong Lin began examining her pulse, and only after did Lu Zhao comfort her and then take the covert guard to the study.

Once they left, Lu Zhao didn’t return that night. It wasn’t until dawn broke that he returned to the room exhausted. Shen Qingyao, who had been unable to sleep well with the study’s light on all night, woke up when he entered. She sat up as he lay down beside her.

“Did I wake you?” Lu Zhao whispered.

“No, I was already awake,” she shook her head and replied softly.

The little girl always loved to sleep in, so how could she possibly wake up at this hour? Lu Zhao gently brushed the faint bags under her eyes, knowing she must not have slept well all night. He sighed, took off his outer garments and shoes, and lay down beside her.

Shen Qingyao turned to lean against his arm and looked up at him. “Luzhao, what should we do next?”

Lu Zhao closed his eyes and slowly opened them upon hearing her question. After a moment, he spoke in a subdued voice, “The regional princes have all rejected Xiao Jing’s edict; no one acknowledges him as Emperor. Everyone harbors thoughts of replacing him. Xiao Jing commands the Imperial Guards and the East Sea Garrison—not the strongest forces, but the East Sea is wealthy and naturally strong militarily. It’s closest to the capital, giving it advantages in both defense and offense. This cannot be underestimated. To the west, several regional princes hold sway; to the north, there’s Prince Ning, Xiao Mu; the south is barren, relatively calm. Xiao Mu wants me to stabilize the Southern Border to guard against potential attacks from Nanzhao.”

As Lu Zhao spoke, his brow furrowed slightly, suggesting some disagreement with Xiao Mu’s arrangement.

Listening, Shen Qingyao was stunned. Not only had the plot advanced prematurely, with the Emperor’s early passing, but even the East Sea Garrison, which was supposed to be under Lu Zhao’s joint command after his turning evil, was now prematurely in Xiao Jing’s hands. How could this happen? She couldn’t help asking, “Is stabilizing the Southern Border enough?”

Lu Zhao gently shook his head. “It’s safe, but not the best strategy.”

“Hmm?” Shen Qingyao tilted her head. Though not fully understanding, she still wanted to hear him explain.

“We’re separated—one in the north, one in the south. The distance is too great for effective cooperation. If we stabilize, in the long run, the realm will splinter into regional factions, inevitably causing widespread suffering. It’s not a sustainable solution.”

“Why does Xiao Jing want to create such a situation?” Shen Qingyao paused, finally asking the question.

Lu Zhao smirked coldly. “Because the East Sea is immensely wealthy, they lack neither funds nor provisions. Expanding from the capital, the most prosperous area in all of Great Liang with its large population, he can rapidly bolster his forces. Once the factions form, the regional princes won’t unite against him, making it easier for him to defeat them one by one…” Lu Zhao narrowed his eyes dangerously. “Isn’t this better than being surrounded and besieged by all?”

Shen Qingyao opened her mouth, unable to deny that it was indeed a cunning plan. If Xiao Jing’s intentions were as Lu Zhao described, then even if Xiao Mu wanted to raise troops for the Emperor, he would face resistance from all sides. After all, everyone with military power coveted the throne.

---

The encounter ended with Shen Qingyao unable to bear the shame and anger any longer and kicked Gu Ziyan in frustration.

Gu Ziyan was caught off guard and let out a surprised yelp when he was kicked, but Shen Qingyao ignored him and stormed off, her face flushed red. Back in her courtyard, she felt the heat rising within her. She tried fanning herself with her hand to cool down, eventually managing to calm herself somewhat. However, the phrase ‘go together in clouds and rain’ kept swirling in her mind.

As the evening deepened and the dew grew heavier, Lu Zhao, who had been out handling official business, entered the courtyard under the moonlight. Shen Qingyao was already lying in bed, half asleep after washing up.

“I heard you had an argument with Gu Ziyan this afternoon? And things got physical?” Lu Zhao entered with a smile, asking softly, “Did he bully you?”

Shen Qingyao was surprised that Lu Zhao knew about it. She had only met Gu Ziyuan briefly, yet Lu Zhao seemed to know everything. She was taken aback by the rumors circulating about her, muttering quickly, “No physical fight…” just a kick.

“Oh, no, we didn’t argue at all,” Shen Qingyao corrected herself hastily. Then she muttered, “Who would let that elementary school kid bully me!”

“What are you saying, Yaoyao?” Her voice dropped in volume for the second half, and Lu Zhao leaned closer, his cool body temperature mingling with the scent of dew and fragrance.

Shen Qingyao shook herself out of her daze and pushed him away, clearing her throat nervously, “It’s nothing. Who told you that? Don’t believe rumors!”

“Gu Ziyan said so,” Lu Zhao raised an eyebrow, dropping a name.

Thinking back to the afternoon when he met Gu Ziyan outside, shouting about being kicked by Shen Qingyao, Lu Zhao couldn’t decide whether to be more shocked or amused.

Shen Qingyao froze for a moment, cursing inwardly. How dare Gu Ziyan spread such rumors!

Not only that, now he was fabricating stories in front of Lu Zhao!

Seeing Shen Qingyao’s clearly vexed expression, Lu Zhao chuckled softly. “Seems like our little Yaoyao can be quite fierce.” He reached out and lightly brushed her nose, curious. “What did he do to make you this angry? Tell me, I’ll teach him a lesson tomorrow.”

Lu Zhao’s inquiry made Shen Qingyao struggle for a moment, trying to banish from her mind the four words that had occupied her thoughts for most of the afternoon.

‘Go together in clouds and rain.’

Her face flushed suddenly, and she thought teaching Gu Ziyan a lesson might not be necessary after all. What if she let Lu Zhao go and Gu Ziyan said more nonsense?

Absolutely no way!

“No need! It’s nothing, really! He’s just making things up.” Shen Qingyao reached out and grabbed Lu Zhao’s sleeve, avoiding his gaze. Her attempt to cover up only piqued Lu Zhao’s curiosity further. He squinted and chuckled, leaning closer. “If it’s nothing, why is Yaoyao blushing?”

With his breath tickling her ear, Shen Qingyao swallowed nervously. Now not only her face but her delicate ears were turning red under the lamp’s light. Lu Zhao focused on her earlobe, his expression darkening slightly, his breath growing deeper.

The atmosphere between them suddenly became charged with an inexplicable allure, the temperature rising inch by inch. Even the air around them seemed to thicken. Shen Qingyao buried her head, unable to speak. After a while, she felt a cool touch on her earlobe.

Lu Zhao gently kissed her earlobe. Although they kissed frequently, this was the first time he had kissed her earlobe. Shen Qingyao shivered slightly, and then she heard Lu Zhao’s low, pleasant laughter by her ear, “Hmm? Why is that? Yaoyao still hasn’t told me.”

Why does he keep asking? Shen Qingyao closed her eyes and glared at him. Before she could explain, Lu Zhao leaned in and silenced her completely. She made a muffled sound, soon losing herself in Lu Zhao’s kisses. By the time they stopped, both panting heavily, Shen Qingyao’s clothes were half off, and she looked extremely beautiful.

Lu Zhao calmly gazed at the beautiful scenery before him, his breath warm. He pulled a thin blanket over Shen Qingyao’s side.

“I’ll go wash up. You sleep first,” he said in a hoarse voice, clearly moved but holding back.

Later, Shen Qingyao felt a lightness on her body as Lu Zhao got up and went to the adjoining room. His demeanor showed no abnormalities, but upon closer inspection, his steps were not as calm as usual, instead tinged with panic and disarray.

Shen Qingyao held the blanket, smiling absentmindedly. After a moment, she belatedly felt a sense of loss. She couldn’t help but lower her eyes in thought. Clearly, they were already husband and wife…

Lu Zhao took a long time to wash up this time. Even with her eyes closed, Shen Qingyao could still hear the continuous sound of water and restrained breathing coming from the room next door. She bit her lip, a thought slowly rising.

When Lu Zhao returned, Shen Qingyao lay with her back to the outside, breathing evenly. Seeing this, Lu Zhao inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief, gently lying down beside her. In the darkness, Shen Qingyao quietly opened her eyes, stifling a laugh. The moment he lay down, she turned over and nestled into his embrace.

“Elder Brother Lu Zhao…” Her voice was softer and more tender than usual, perhaps due to nervousness, with a slight tremor.

Lu Zhao paused briefly before carefully holding her and whispered, “Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

“I wanted to wait for you,” Shen Qingyao’s heart raced. In the darkness, she felt his eyes meet hers.

Lu Zhao’s heart stirred, realizing keenly what was happening. His breath hitched. After a while, he hoarsely said, “Don’t tease, Yaoyao. Your body isn’t fully recovered…”

“I’m fine!” Shen Qingyao immediately interrupted loudly, then realizing she seemed too eager, she shrunk back and whispered, “Doctor Kong just came today and said there’s no major issue…”

After Shen Qingyao finished speaking, Lu Zhao remained silent for a long time. She could feel the hands around her gradually tightening; Lu Zhao was hesitating.

Shen Qingyao suppressed her drumming heart and thought, why hesitate now? She hesitated for a moment, then said again:

“BElder rother Lu Zhao, I can.”

Lu Zhao still didn’t move. Shen Qingyao gradually calmed down, feeling a bit embarrassed at her earlier words. Just as she was about to say, “Forget it if you still think it’s not possible!” she felt Lu Zhao suddenly move, tilting her head back with the back of his hand and gently pulling her down, his chin slightly lifted to meet hers, answering her question with action.

In the quiet night, no one spoke again. After a while, a few crying voices pierced the night sky, immediately soothed by a few gentle whispers. As the storm subsided, Shen Qingyao was exhausted, regretting her impulsive moment earlier.

When Lu Zhao turned over again, Shen Qingyao, tears in her eyes, pushed him away gently and softly said, “Elder Brother Lu Zhao…” No more, really no more!

Lu Zhao was startled by her call, almost losing control again. He lowered his eyes and chuckled softly, not teasing her again. Instead, he gently picked her up and coaxed her softly, “Good, let me take you to wash up, or you’ll be uncomfortable.”

Shen Qingyao stopped pushing his hand, obediently let him hold her. In fact, it wasn’t very uncomfortable. Lu Zhao had always been very careful, afraid of hurting her. It was her who had become too spoiled. She snuggled and mumbled in his arms, found a comfortable position and closed her eyes in exhaustion.

Lu Zhao looked at the little girl in his arms and slowly revealed a satisfied smile.

---

On the next day, Shen Qingyao was awakened by voices talking. However, she was extremely tired and could barely keep her eyes open for more than a few seconds before closing them again. She sensed that Lu Zhao had gone out for a while; there was a moment of silence outside, followed by some strange noises and then hurried footsteps.

Shen Qingyao furrowed her brow, half asleep and half awake, thinking irritably, Who is it? So annoying!

After a while, Lu Zhao returned, gently pulling the still sleeping girl into his arms and accompanying her for a while before getting up and heading to the government office.

That night, they called for water in the middle of the night and had Cui Qiao and Hong Yun come in to change the bedding. Almost everyone who served them knew that the Young Master and the Young Madam had finally consummated their marriage.

When Shen Qingyao woke up again, seeing Cui Qiao’s eyes filled with relief and excitement whenever they landed on her, she felt so embarrassed that she wanted to bury herself. Yet she couldn’t help but curse Lu Zhao again.

—That Lu Zhao! He relied on his beauty to commit crimes!

Just as she was cursing, news arrived that Gu Ziyan had come.

Shen Qingyao paused, suddenly remembering that the root of last night’s disturbance was those reckless words spoken by Gu Ziyan! If he hadn’t spouted nonsense, she wouldn’t have been so confused and ended up really going together with Lu Xiaozhao!!!!

“Let him in,” Shen Qingyao gritted her teeth. Let him in and see how I won’t scold him to death!

But before she could speak, Gu Ziyan began to complain, “Why did you just get up? How can you still be lying in bed at your age? Do you know how many times I’ve come over for nothing? In the end, Lu Zhao had to come out and send me away! How can you sleep so much?!”

“What?” Shen Qingyao didn’t understand. “When did I make you come over for nothing?”

“Early this morning! I came several times looking for you, but you weren’t around! In the end, Lu Zhao came out and sent me away! How can you sleep so much?!” Gu Ziyan sat crookedly, although he didn’t say it directly, it was almost as if he had written the words ‘Are you a pig?’ on his face.

Shen Qingyao was stunned, realizing that the voice she vaguely heard in the morning was Gu Ziyan looking for her? Then she thought of why she couldn’t wake up, Shen Qingyao’s heart moved, her face slightly flushed.

“I… I’m sick! I’m not feeling well! What’s wrong with sleeping a little longer?” Shen Qingyao stared, retorting.

“If you’re sick, you’re sick.” But Gu Ziyuan was strange, and he suddenly averted his eyes, scratching his head and saying, “If you’re not feeling well, why are you blushing?”

Shen Qingyao probably didn’t know that after the night before, her eyes seemed to have a touch of water and tenderness, and the whole person seemed to have suddenly opened up. There was a touch of tenderness in her innocence, so that Gu Ziyan, a young man who didn’t know what love was, felt a little hot in his face.

Shen Qingyao’s next sentence got stuck in her throat, and she coughed awkwardly several times in a row. How could she answer this? She couldn’t take that!

To avoid the topic heading in a strange direction, Shen Qingyao cleared her throat and asked, “So why did you come to see me?”

He came several times early in the morning, if it was still about sending the ant’s nest, she really wanted to scold him!

Gu Ziyan gave her a white eye and pointed his chin outside the courtyard, saying casually, “There, those few carts outside are all the things the Consort asked me to bring to you this time. They couldn’t be sent over the past few days, so they’ve been waiting until today.”

“My Eldest Sister brought them for me?” Shen Qingyao’s eyes lit up. If there was someone she liked receiving gifts from the most, it was undoubtedly her Eldest Sister. Her Eldest Sister knew best what girls liked, fashionable clothes, jewelry, little trinkets. Unlike her Eldest Brother, who only knew how to send herbs to torment her!

“Alright, I’ve brought the things over. I’ll take my leave now, I’m quite busy!” Gu Ziyan huffed proudly, got up, and bid farewell.

Shen Qingyao watched his slouching figure, unable to stand straight, and chuckled, “Busy? Are you busy finding an ant’s nest for Lin Wan’er?”

—Wait, an ant’s nest?

She clapped her hands in regret.

Tsk! She actually forgot to scold him!

---

“Why are you here?” Shen Qingyao asked in surprise. Since she and Lu Zhao left Ningcheng until now, it hadn’t been more than three months. Wasn’t this person supposed to have gone to the Northern Frontier to seek refuge with Xiao Mu? How could he appear back in their family’s mansion?

Could it be that Gu Ziyan was too dissolute and got sent back by Xiao Mu? That couldn’t be right. Shen Qingyao tilted her head in confusion. Didn’t her Eldest Sister’s last letter say that Gu Ziyan was doing well in the Northern Frontier?

Perhaps Shen Qingyao’s gaze was too straightforward, Gu Ziyan immediately understood the meaning in her eyes. His expression stiffened for a moment, then he angrily retorted, “Don’t make wild guesses! I’m doing well! The Prince and Consort greatly value me! I’m more familiar with the southern regions, so they assigned me to come here!”

After saying this, he shook his head helplessly and with lingering fear, added, “I hadn’t even warmed my seat in the Northern Frontier before being sent back. I didn’t dare to return to Ningcheng to see Wan’er! Otherwise, if the old man found out I was back, who knows what he would do!”

Shen Qingyao fell silent for a moment. Thinking about Gu Ziyan ‘running away from home’ and the loud conspiracy between Lu Zhao and Gu Hui afterward, she thought perhaps Uncle Gu actually knew, but pretended not to. She glanced sympathetically at Gu Ziyan, who was smug, and thought to herself, this silly child still doesn’t know he was manipulated by his own father and Lu Zhao to go to the Northern Frontier.

“Why were you delayed in Nanzhao for so long? Luckily, nothing major happened! Otherwise, if it had affected the Prince’s…” Gu Ziyan continued incessantly.

Lu Zhao frowned and interrupted him, “First, let’s talk about the main issue.”

Gu Ziyan spoke regardless of whether they had entered the house, and blocked their way at the entrance to chat. Lu Zhao, who was concerned about Shen Qingyao’s health due to the journey’s hardships, ignored Gu Ziyan. As soon as he finished speaking, he allowed Shen Qingyao to enter the hall first.

Gu Ziyan finally noticed something was amiss. He scratched his head and quickly followed.

“The Prince personally wrote a confidential letter, and instructed me to deliver it personally to Master Lu!” Gu Ziyaan’s face became serious, discarding his usual playful demeanor, and an air of determination, honed on the battlefield, emanated from him.

hen Qingyao watched silently from the side and felt that even though it had only been three short months, Gu Ziyan had indeed grown a lot.

Seeing Lu Zhao accept the letter, Gu Ziyan relaxed slightly and smiled again, “Fortunately, I have finally fulfilled the mission!”

Lu Zhao nodded, dismissed the servants waiting in the hall, and unfolded the letter. But after reading just a few lines, his brow furrowed. Seeing his expression, Shen Qingyao also grew nervous. Could something be wrong on her Eldest Sister’s side?

Though curious, Shen Qingyao pondered for a moment and decided it was better not to disturb them for now. So, the moment Lu Zhao looked up, she softly said, “Elder Brother Lu Zhao, you go ahead with your matters. I’ll go rest for a while.”

She still had traces of weariness on her face. Naturally, Lu Zhao agreed. However, with urgent matters at hand, he couldn’t escort her back personally and could only repeatedly caution her to be careful, as if they were not in his mansion but still in some perilous place.

Unable to suppress a smile, Shen Qingyao bid farewell several times before leaving.

The two of them were intimate as if there were no one else around, making Gu Ziyan feel a bit sour. Thinking of his childhood sweetheart Lin Wan’er, he didn’t know if she still remembered him now, which made him somewhat depressed.

“Tsk, what a bother! Do you guys have to be like this?” Gu Ziyan complained disdainfully.

Immediately, Lu Zhao, who had just seen off Shen Qingyao, turned back with a chilly glance.

Gu Ziyan shrank his head, quickly adjusted his expression, and began to discuss serious matters.

---

Shen Qingyao walked back to her own courtyard at a slow pace. She was indeed tired. Although she intended to wait for Lu Zhao to return, when she lied on the soft big bed for a while, she soon leaned over and fell asleep.

When she woke up again, it was already dark. Shen Qingyao’s head felt heavy as she raised her hand to rub her growling stomach. Unsure if she was sleepy or hungry, she felt dizzy. She lazily turned over and heard a low laugh beside her, then felt hands pulling her close.

Shen Qingyao woke up a bit and coquettishly leaned on him, saying softly, “Hmm? Elder Brother Lu Zhao, when did you come back? Why didn’t you wake me?”

Lu Zhao seemed to have also slept for a while, his voice still hoarse. He chuckled at her words, pinched her and said, “You were sleeping so soundly, why should I wake you up?”

Remembering the noise he heard earlier, Lu Zhao’s eyes filled with even more amusement as he asked her, “Want to get up and eat something?”

“Mm.” Shen Qingyao nodded, but she kept snuggling into his arms without any intention of getting up.

Cui Qiao, who was waiting outside, heard the movement and chuckled, instructing the servants to prepare food. Lu Zhao saw that she was still quite sleepy and didn’t immediately urge her to get up. He smiled and lay flat, letting her nestle against him.

After a while, the little girl in his arms suddenly seemed to remember something. She tilted her head slightly up from his chest and asked softly, “Elder Brother Lu Zhao, how is my Eldest Sister doing?”

Lu Zhao had talked with Gu Ziyan for an afternoon, all about the situation in the Northern Frontier. Now that Shen Qingli was the Fifth Princess Consort and influencing the entire world’s plot, Shen Qingyao couldn’t help but worry.

Lu Zhao’s smile faded slightly. After a long pause, he simply responded with a faint “Hmm.”

“And why did Gu Ziyan come…” for? If it wasn’t something important, why make him travel such a distance?

“Be careful.” Shen Qingyao restlessly moved around, and made Lu Zhao worried she might bump her head on the bed curtain. He raised his hand to protect her head and then held her securely in his arms, saying casually, “It’s nothing serious. The iron ore secretly produced in Ningcheng has been sent to the Northern Frontier two or three times already. This time, Xiao Mu came to ask me to secretly find some skilled craftsmen in the south for him. After all, everyone is eyeing his military power in the north. If he wants to use iron ore to make weapons, he can’t recruit local craftsmen openly and attract attention.

“Gu Ziyan came for this matter. He’s from Ningcheng and used to sneaking around. Even if he’s discovered going back and forth, it won’t raise much suspicion.”

“So that’s it…” Shen Qingyao’s voice sounded muffled. She thought there were too many things to consider; being the protagonist was indeed not easy.

“Your Eldest Sister is fine, just…” Lu Zhao paused, his tone cooling, “Just that the situation in the capital isn’t very good.”

Shen Qingyao was shocked and sat up a bit, placing her hands on Lu Zhao’s shoulders and looking at him. “How could that be? What’s happening in the capital?”

“The Emperor is seriously ill, and there is turmoil among the princes in the capital. The court is unstable.” Lu Zhao’s voice remained steady, but Shen Qingyao sensed an undercurrent of turmoil in his words. Her face turned pale, somewhat unexpectedly.

[Host! This isn’t right! Why is the plot advancing early?!] The system exclaimed.

Shen Qingyao thought about it too. According to the original plot, the next two years should have been calm. The Emperor’s illness and the struggle among the princes, which should have happened two years later, had unexpectedly advanced. Could the still inexperienced main characters win?

Privately, Shen Qingyao naturally believed in her Eldest Sister, but she couldn’t help but worry.

Seeing her pale face, Lu Zhao also sat up straight, leaned over, and patted her back, comforting her gently, “What are you afraid of? No matter what happens in the capital, it doesn’t concern us. Shen Qingli is in the north, and we’re in the south. No matter how big the fire in the capital, it won’t reach us. Don’t worry, okay?”

Lu Zhao comforted her in a low voice while silently pondering. They were indeed far from the capital, but all their parents were still there. It was indeed time to make arrangements in advance…

At this moment, Cui Qiao led a group of people in with food, interrupting Shen Qingyao’s thoughts. Shen Qingyao collected herself and calmed down. Things hadn’t reached their worst yet; indeed, as Lu Zhao had said, thinking too much was unnecessary.

After they finished eating, Lu Zhao called for someone to discuss matters in the study. Shen Qingyao lay alone in bed, unable to sleep no matter how hard she tried.

“My task, it must be completed only when Xiao Mu ascends to the throne, right?” Shen Qingyao suddenly asked.

[Yes, host, the drama system is just for compatibility testing. When you no longer need the persona setting, ensuring and waiting for the perfect development of the plot is your final task.] The system quickly responded.

Shen Qingyao lowered her eyes; in fact, after a long time, she almost forgot she still carried that miraculous task.

“Mmm…” Shen Qingyao replied, then fell silent.

The system couldn’t guess what she was thinking and could only encourage, “Actually, isn’t it beneficial to advance the plot early? At least you can fast-forward to the grand finale, and your heart disease can be resolved faster!”

Heart disease…

Shen Qingyao still didn’t react much. Since recovering her memory and finding the miracle doctor Kong Lin, Shen Qingyao no longer had a strong obsession with whether the system could cure her heart disease. She just felt uneasy now.

However, it turned out that uneasiness and melancholy would only stay with Shen Qingyao for one night. She didn’t know when she drifted off to sleep again in a daze. When she woke up again, she wondered why she had been so entangled. After all, she was just a cannon fodder supporting female character! Even if the sky fell, the protagonist team would handle it, right?

Today, Lu Zhao unusually didn’t go to the government office, but Shen Yushu came early in the morning to bid farewell. His mission to Nanzhao was complete, and he was ready to return to the capital.

Shen Qingyao felt reluctant. Then, seeing the longing gaze her Eldest Brother frequently directed towards Tulan, Shen Qingyao rolled her eyes and waved this Eldest Brother who had been blinded by love away decisively.

On her way back to the courtyard, she encountered Gu Ziyan wandering in the garden.

Shen Qingyao paused for a moment. She and Gu Ziyan were not particularly close, but they could be considered acquaintances. Well, Gu Ziyan was had been scolded unilaterally by his father because of her.

Shen Qingyao walked over, curious about what Gu Ziyan was doing, and saw him squatting in a corner of the garden, poking at an anthill with a long stick.

…What did the little ants do wrong?

Still, she asked, “Young Master Gu, what are you doing?”

Gu Ziyan turned around, surprised to see her, and enthusiastically beckoned her over. Then, with great excitement, he said, “Madam Lu, come and take a look! Aren’t these anthills cute? Do you think I should bring them back and give them to Wan’er? She’ll surely like them!”

Shen Qingyao : …What did Lin Wan’er do wrong now?

Perhaps her disdain was too evident in her eyes, as Gu Ziyan sighed disappointedly and threw away the stick in his hand. “So they’re really not good?”

“Trust me, they’re not,” Shen Qingyao said seriously. If he really gave them, Lin Wan’er might just divorce him overnight. Besides, does Ningcheng not have anthills? Why bring them all the way from Lingnan?

Gu Ziyan sighed again, looking somewhat wilted like the scorching sun. He gazed at Shen Qingyao pensively, wondering if it was because he had been watching Lu Zhao and her being lovey-dovey these past few days that this otherwise not very cultured young master was suddenly so envious that he spoke without restraint, “I’m really curious! How did that person surnamed Lu manage to marry you? Why can his cold and aloof demeanor get him a wife who stay glued to him every day and go together in the clouds and rain¹, while I haven’t even seen a smile from Wan’er?”

“…” Can ‘stay glued to him’ be followed by ‘go together in clouds and rain’?

Shen Qingyao was stunned for a moment, but she didn’t catch what he said afterward. Her little face suddenly turned red.

What kind of nonsense was this? Is this something an unmarried young man should say to a married young woman???

This isn’t right! This isn’t right at all!

---

1. “go together in clouds and rain” is a euphemistic way to say “make love” in Chinese. ↩︎

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