CH 60.1

Zheng Yun had already been pardoned by Emperor Huining since the winter solstice, no longer imprisoned to cultivate at Wangji Temple, and had returned to Princess Mansion. Yuan Ci Xian went straight to Anxing Lane, feeling a little apprehensive in her heart.

After all, on the first day of the First month, Zheng Yun was more likely to be in Daming Palace. If Anxing Lane was empty, and she had to go to the palace, the delay was not a big deal, what matter was that it would probably alarm people like Ping Prince who was dissatisfied with the Yuan family. When the news leaked, there was no guarantee that it would not cause trouble.

She was worried all the way, but fortunately, when she handed over her name card, she heard the servant of the Princess Mansion replied that Zheng Yun was sick today and did not go out, but stayed in the mansion.

Yuan Ci Xian heaved a sigh of relief, and followed the servant to the central hall.

Zheng Yun soon came, looking to be fine, and didn’t appear to be sick. She held a small sandalwood box in her hand, and when she saw Yuan Ci Xian, she went straight to the point and said indifferently: “The jade ring that County Princess needs.”

Yuan Ci Xian was really stunned. She hasn’t said anything yet.

She stretched out her hand to take the box, opened the lid and took a look. Inside it was indeed a white and flawless jade ring of excellent quality and texture. She raised her head in doubt and asked: “How does Your Highness know my purpose of coming here today?” After saying that, she realized something else, asked again, “Are you intentionally claiming to be sick to stay in the mansion and waiting for me?”

Zheng Yun smiled but did not say anything.

Yuan Ci Xian knew that time was pressing, and seeing that Zheng Yun didn’t answer, she first handed the box to Jian Zhi behind her, and said concisely: “Eight hundred miles urgent, secretly sent it to Diannan.”

This jade ring had to come into play before Lu Shi Qing arrived in Diannan, so she couldn’t deliver it herself. From Chang’an to the frontier was more than three thousand miles, relying on herself to go on the journey would be too slow. Lu Shi Qing had been gone for a day and night, no matter how superb her horsemanship was, it was impossible to catch up. The only way was to use post stations to send messages, changing people and horses all the way, traveling day and night, without slacking off even for a moment.

After Jian Zhi took the order and left, Yuan Ci Xian looked at Zheng Yun, feeling puzzled.

As a di State Princess, Zheng Yun should be more informed than her about the palace news, and should have known about Lu Shi Qing’s journey to the south. So why was she so passive and just waiting for her to come here?

Although this question was a bit awkward, she would also feel uncomfortable if she didn’t ask, so she said bluntly: “Since you already know that this jade ring is useful for him, why didn’t you give it to him before he left the capital?”

Zheng Yun lowered her eyes and smiled, softly said: “You will come anyway, won’t you?”

Yuan Ci Xian frowned. In her opinion, what Zheng Yun did was really unnatural. Because she predicted that her rival in love would come to fetch the jade ring and help her sweetheart, so she handed over this opportunity to others? What was the reason for this?

What’s more, even if this point could be interpreted as Zheng Yun’s indisputability and generosity, this matter still could not be explained. After all, she thought of that piece of rough jade purely by chance, not premeditated, how could Zheng Yun be sure that she would come?

She suddenly thought of the secret letter that was sent to Shuzhou last time, reminding Lu Shi Qing to be careful on the way home. At that time, Zheng Yun also seemed to have learned something early through some channels. Although in the end, the return journey was uneventful, she didn’t think the news was false. Perhaps because the other party found out that the plan had been exposed, and seeing that Lu Shi Qing was already on guard, they temporarily gave up the assassination.

Yuan Ci Xian became more and more curious about Zheng Yun, but it was very obvious that she couldn’t pry anything out of her mouth at the moment, and if she kept interrogating her, it would be a little rude and self-defeating.

She could only smile and said: “Anyway, many thank you Your Highness, I will leave first.”

Zheng Yun nodded and sent her out of the mansion.

A big stone in Yuan Ci Xian’s heart fell by half, and she finally felt a lot better than last night. As soon as she returned to the mansion, she went to report the progress to her father. When she came out of Yuan Yi Zhi’s study, she met Yuan Yu and heard him asked in surprise: “My dear sister, did you just go to princess mansion to meet your rival in this ghostly look?”

What ghostly look? Yuan Ci Xian bafflingly pinched her face.

Yuan Yu couldn’t bear to look at her: “Not there, but the eyes are swollen like walnuts, and the hair is messed up like a straw bag… Alas, it’s okay, it’s okay. You’re natural beauty anyway, don’t care about these things.”

Yuan Ci Xian stroked her hair and laughed dryly. She didn’t care too much of these kinds of trifle, as long as she got things done, the rest didn’t matter. She turned to ask him: “Brother, you’re here to find father?”

Yuan Yu mysteriously dragged her some distance away, and said in a low voice: “Father called me here, and I think he will ask me again about you and Lu Zishu. ”

As a bitter baby who had just got divorce, he only got a few words of comfort from his parents, and then he kept being asked about Yuan Ci Xian and Lu Zishu’s situation. He was so pitiful, for the sake of his sister’s lifelong happiness, he had to desperately speak good things about that guy, saying how the two of them shared weal and woe, and fell in love with each other.

Yuan Ci Xian hurriedly said: “Then you have to keep it secret. If you are asked about my intentions, don’t tell them that I am pursuing Lu Shi Qing because I want to find him as a backer.” With great difficulty she got to this point, but if her father found out that her original intention was to save the Yuan family, the marriage would most likely come to naught.

Yuan Yu glanced at her: “Father is looking for me to inquire about Lu Zishu, what it got to do with your intention? Our Yuan family from top to bottom, everyone is not blind, which one cannot see your intention?”

Yuan Ci Xian was stunned: “Huh?”

Yuan Yu looked at her like she was a fool, and patted her on the shoulder: “Silly sister, the players itself confuse, you should be more careful, don’t get kidnapped and you don’t realize it.”

Yuan Ci Xian looked at his back as he turned away, slowly blinked three times, then in an instant her heart was beating like a drum.

—

Ten days later, the Nanzhao garrison camp at Diannan border was suddenly attacked at night.

These days, the morale of Great Zhou’s army was low due to the lack of a strong backbone. Nanzhao’s rapid march almost took absolute dominance, all the way north, moving towards Yizhou, and captured most of Jiannan Province. The defend army, including Crown Prince Xi Ju, stayed behind to ensure the retreat of the vanguard.

But just the day before yesterday, the grain and grass transported here from Nanzhao was accidentally intercepted. Several generals in the military camp got the news and proposed to move their position on the grounds that the location of the defend army was likely to have been exposed, but Xi Ju never responded.

What he meant was simple: the location of the defend army camp was not exposed.

This batch of food and grass was not the baggage to be transported to the front line, but only the food supply for the defend army. Since the amount was not large, it was true that fewer soldiers were sent to escort it, and it was not impossible for someone to take advantage of it.

However, the opponent’s purpose was obviously not the small batch of supply that was not really important to Nanzhao, but an attempt to make them think that the location of the barracks had been exposed, and lure them to evacuate urgently, thus spying on the movements of the defend army.

This was the opponent’s plan to lure the snake out of its hole. If they stand still, then perhaps everything would be quiet, if otherwise, they would really expose themselves.

But the problem was, Xi Ju could see the strategy clearly, but the generals under him couldn’t. After arguing with him for most of the night, and seeing him not responding, those generals immediately sent the military report back to the capital of Nanzhao and asked the king of Nanzhao for his opinion.

The day after the food and grass were intercepted, that was, yesterday, the king of Nanzhao ordered the defend army to move immediately, and Xi Ju had no choice but to obey his orders. The night after the transfer was completed, as he expected, he was attacked by the Great Zhou’s army.

The defend army camp was in complete chaos, and when they were exchanging blow with this night attacking army, a figure in a black armor in the middle of huge golden tent, suddenly issued a military order: cease fighting.

The shouts of killing outside suddenly stopped. The Great Zhou army, who obviously saw that the opponent had chosen to cease fighting, also gave up the attack.

He sighed, and after a long silence, he carried his saber out of the tent, and saw from a distance outside the camp gate, a man in a crane cloak standing high on a horse. The other person seemed to smile, then said lightly, “Haven’t seen you since the post station in Shangzhou, how’s Your Highness doing?”