Planning

Chen Qianyue and Xie Shangjia returned to the Shangshu Mansion hand in hand. The depressing atmosphere in the mansion had not yet dissipated, but inexplicably, the return of the two people gave it a bit of confidence.

She didn't stop and went straight to the study.

Xie Shangjia followed closely behind, with worry and inquiry in his eyes.

"My dear, you just came back and you're pregnant, why don't you take a rest first..."

Shen Qianyue didn't stop, just turned her head to look at him, her eyes calm but firm: "Don't worry, it's okay."

She pushed open the door of the study and walked to the desk. The guard had already placed the scroll brought back from the Valley of Divine Doctors on the desk.

When Xie Shangjia saw the painting, his ears felt hot. He stepped forward and said, "Madam, this..."

The corners of Shen Qianyue's lips curved slightly, her fingertips brushed across the frantic sleeves of the person in the painting, and she placed the scroll on the edge of the desk.

"The guard is quite thoughtful. Let's find a conspicuous place to hang it up later."

Xie Shangjia's tone was soft: "What's the urgent matter? Is my uncle giving you a hard time? Is Li'er really okay?"

Shen Qianyue smiled and said, "What could be the problem? He is your uncle after all. It's just some household chores to take care of. If you love me, why don't you go see mother first and find some food for the servants to bring over."

Xie Shangjia nodded: "Okay, then don't worry too much. I'll go to the small kitchen and make you some bird's nest. I'll also go visit mother."

Shen Qianyue stayed alone in the study, with the door closed lightly, temporarily isolating herself from the noise outside.

She pulled out a scroll from the scroll bin on the bookshelf and unfolded it. It was a map of the capital city. The streets, lanes, mountains and rivers were outlined in detail with ink lines. The edges were worn, and it was obvious that it had been read frequently.

The sun was setting outside the window, casting a light golden halo around her. Her fingertips moved back and forth between the mountains and the official road on the map, as if she was deducing something.

King Dingwu had three thousand elite personal soldiers and an army of fifty thousand men, a huge number. He wanted to sneak into the capital silently, just like a drop of water hiding the ocean.

The nine gates of the capital were heavily guarded and strictly checked. The fact that Prince Dingwu had delayed returning to his seat must have alerted all parties.

A sharp light flashed in Shen Qianyue's eyes. She tapped the table with her fingertips. A bold plan had already been outlined in her mind, and she deduced the risk calculation, personnel deployment, and time management one by one.

The flickering candlelight in the study cast her slender yet upright figure on the wall, revealing a sense of tenacity and determination.

"Bang--"

The "Kitchen Embarrassment Picture" on the table fell to the ground and unfolded.

Shen Qianyue came back to her senses, bent down to pick up the scroll, and closed the window tightly.

Outside the study, the leader of the guards stood quietly by the door like an iron tower, his figure tall and straight, his aura restrained.

"Ling Yi, come in."

The head of the guards pushed the door open and entered, bowing respectfully: "Madam."

Shen Qianyue sat behind the large desk, her eyes fixed on the drawings, her fingers tapping unconsciously on the table, making a very light but nerve-wracking sound.

"Secure the gate. Check the necessary routes into the city, especially the streets near the city gates."

The guard leader's eyes flashed, and he straightened his back even more: "Yes!"

Chen Qianyue's gaze was like the most precise carving knife, carefully drawing every street, every market, and even every seemingly inconspicuous culvert on the map, and finally her fingertips heavily pointed at several scattered points in the city.

"These are secret locations that the palace had set up years ago. They have underground cellars and warehouses, and they are interconnected by passages. If we purchase 5,000 pieces of brocade, can we avoid the imperial city tax reduction by shipping them in batches from outside the city?"

Ling Yi took a step forward and stood very close to Shen Qianyue in order to see the drawings clearly. The faint fragrance lingered on the tip of his nose, and his eyes remained respectfully lowered.

"Madam, even if the five thousand horses are divided into batches, the number of each batch is still huge. The inspections at the city gates have been several times stricter than before, so it is not easy to pass through."

Shen Qianyue frowned, and scanned the entire map again, suddenly stopping at the canal tributary that ran through the capital.

Ling Yi tentatively suggested, "What about going by water? Countless cargo ships come and go every day. Could we take advantage of the water level difference and tow them underwater at night?"

Shen Qianyue shook her head. "Going underwater is extremely risky and requires special equipment and skilled watermen. With a large number of people, it's easy to be exposed. Disguised as a merchant ship... requires the cooperation of a reliable chamber of commerce, and the cargo must be able to withstand unpacking and random inspections."

The study fell into a brief silence, with only the occasional crackling of the candlelight as the candle flame flickered.

Shen Qianyue's gaze grew deeper and deeper as she slowly said, "What if... we don't need to go through the city gate at all?"

Her finger moved to the edge of the map, where she saw several sections of abandoned ancient city wall ruins and some vaguely marked diagrams of underground passages.

"These things left over from the previous dynasty...may still be useful. Take your men to investigate. If you can unlock one or two of them, it will be a shortcut to heaven."

She continued, her thoughts racing. "Also, are there any major projects taking place in the city soon? Like government office renovations, canal dredging? Something that requires a lot of manpower? Perhaps we could use that as an opportunity to pass ourselves off as genuine."

The leader of the guards knelt on one knee and accepted the order: "I will investigate immediately!"

Shen Qianyue lowered her eyes to look at him, her hand gently placed on the side of his face, and she squatted down to look at him.

"Ling Yi, remember, this matter is top secret. All those involved must be absolutely reliable. Act quickly and quietly. I want to know the results of your investigation within seven days."

Ling Yi responded sternly, fully aware of the heavy responsibility on his shoulders: "Yes! Madam!"

Shen Qianyue patted his shoulder lightly, her tone softening: "Ling Yi, I have high expectations for you. Please report any progress to me at any time."

The guard leader watched her stand up and leave, his eyes sharp as a torch: "Your subordinates... have always known this."

Shen Qianyue walked into the bathroom and rubbed her hands over and over again with soap nuts, still constantly deducing the route in her mind. King Dingwu had many industries, and his hiding place was not difficult to find, but time was running out, and entering the city was the key.

Breaking down the city gates by force is one way, but it will certainly disturb the people, damage the streets, and easily attract those who want to be heroes, which will inevitably lead to more casualties.

…

But the kitchen at this moment is a completely different scene.

Xie Shangjia called the cook, but did not ask her to do it for him. Instead, he carefully asked about the heat and steps for stewing the bird's nest.

The cook was surprised and wanted to laugh, but she suppressed her anger and gave instructions: "Sir, the fire should not be too high. Are you going to give some to the old lady?"

Xie Shangjia watched over the small stove with a focused expression: "If mother wants to drink it, you can make it separately. It's normal for Madam to eat more since she's pregnant."

The cook was overjoyed, her face beaming with joy. "Congratulations, sir! There's going to be another young master in the mansion. I'll go tell the old lady the good news right away!"

Xie Shangjia handed over a few coins and remembered Shen Qianyue's instructions.

"Go find someone to look after the fire, and I'll go with you to see Mother."

…

In the study, the candlelight flickered, reflecting Shen Qianyue's slightly pale profile.

She supported her head with one hand, her eyelashes drooping, and the other hand unconsciously rested on an open document, as if she was very tired and taking a nap, or as if she was lost in thought.

Familiar footsteps were heard outside the door.

Chen Qianyue subconsciously closed the document filled with secret reports and plans, picked up a book about local customs and nature next to it, and gently turned it upside down to cover it.

Just as I finished all this, the study door was gently pushed open.

Xie Shangjia came in carrying a mahogany tray. On the tray was a small pot of steaming bird's nest with rock sugar, and a few delicate and small snacks that were obviously made with great care.

Xie Shangjia saw at a glance that the "kitchen embarrassing picture" had been hung on the wall. He was stunned at first, then laughed, and then his eyes fell on Shen Qianyue who was leaning on the table, and his tone was soft.

"Did it wake you?"

Shen Qianyue straightened up slightly, rubbed her forehead, and said in a hoarse and lazy voice: "I didn't fall asleep, I just took a nap."

She looked at the tray in his hand and said, "You've been traveling so long, you haven't even had a good rest, and you're still busy with all this yourself."

Xie Shangjia gently placed the tray on an empty space on the table, being careful not to touch any paperwork or books. He walked over to her and naturally placed his hand on her shoulder, gently massaging it, his tone full of care.

"I'm fine. I'm worried because you don't look as good as before. I can handle official business anytime. Your health is more important. Eat something while it's hot. Then I'll take you back to your room to rest and get enough rest before we talk."

His fingertips were warm, with just the right amount of strength, and filled with unconditional concern.

Shen Qianyue obediently relaxed her body and leaned back slightly, enjoying his clumsy but sincere consideration. Her eyes swept across the crystal clear bird's nest, then looked up at his face full of worry.

"I'm sorry to have worried you. It's just some trivial things. I feel a little sleepy after reading them."

As she spoke, her eyes seemed to pass unintentionally over the upside-down local history book, and then moved away naturally, as if what was covered underneath was really just some insignificant trivialities.

Xie Shangjia advised, reaching out and pushing the bird's nest bowl towards her again: "Since you are sleepy, you should go and rest. Come, eat something first."

Chen Qianyue obediently picked up the jade spoon and ate in small sips. The sweet soup slid into her throat, and warmth spread. She ate slowly, more like she was using it to organize her thoughts.

Xie Shangjia just sat aside and watched quietly, his eyes so gentle that tears could drip out of them. He felt that the years were peaceful and everything was developing in a good direction. He liked these warm moments of an ordinary couple.

When the bowl of bird's nest was empty, Shen Qianyue put down the jade spoon, wiped the corner of her mouth with a silk handkerchief, raised her eyes and gave him a faint, tired smile.

"Okay, listen to my husband, we won't watch it today, let's go back to the room."

Xie Shangjia looked pleased as punch as he carefully packed up the tray. He then reached out and carefully helped her up: "Okay, let's go back."

Shen Qianyue stood up with the help of his strength and glanced at the covered desk.

Xie Shangjia leaned over and gently held her horizontally in his arms. Shen Qianyue's arms naturally wrapped around his neck, and she gently leaned her face on his solid chest with her eyes closed, seeming to be really tired.

Xie Shangjia walked steadily, afraid of disturbing her light sleep, his heart full of love and satisfaction.

The candlelight elongated their shadows and cast them on the blue brick ground, making them look intimate and warm.