Chapter 101

Pingguiyuan.

Ye Xiaoyuan took a cotton towel and wiped Qu Dubian's hair.

He kept muttering while wiping.

"It was an accident that you encountered the assassination attempt. Fortunately, you did not fight the assassin directly and asked Lord Liuliu to handle it. But it is still too dangerous..."

"How can you not dry your hair after taking a shower? Even if it's hot, the wind will give you a headache."

Qu Watanabe: "Today went smoothly overall. I didn't take the initiative to cause trouble."

Ye Xiaoyuan: "It's a coincidence. Fortunately, Master Liuliu is with His Highness, otherwise I would be worried."

Qu Dubian nodded repeatedly: "I'm a good boy, it's others who are causing trouble."

As he was speaking, Yidianbai came in, biting a folded paper, and sat down in front of Qu Dubian.

Its tail was spinning behind it, and its whole body exuded a smug air.

Qu Duanbian felt that the paper was somewhat familiar: "What are you chewing?"

Yidianbai whimpered twice and raised his head proudly.

This was snatched from the masked-faced biped. It is its medal of victory!

Ye Xiaoyuan: "Don't eat anything else."

He took the paper out of his mouth and opened it to take a look. He was careful and would check everything carefully.

There were words on the paper, and Ye Xiaoyuan read in a low voice: "Qu Xiaoqi and Agumuduo voluntarily signed a contract, making themselves targets, regardless of life or death..."

The sound of reading words stopped.

Qu Watanabe: “…………”

Ye Xiaoyuan said calmly: "Your Highness is competing in archery with Agumudo this afternoon?"

"I'll make myself a target, regardless of life or death. Your Highness, do you have anything to say?"

The moonlight shines coldly on the trees in the courtyard, and the night is deep and silent, with only the sound of birds chirping.

A sad cry floated out from the window:

"Liu Liu hurt me!!"

Why this contract appeared in Pingguiyuan is obvious to you!

Damn it! Liuliu never complained before!

The windows of Room B12 were closed, and he heard the young prince's voice.

He turned a deaf ear and quietly turned the page of the book.

That was just a bit of rubbish, it had nothing to do with him, and it was not working hours now.

-

The next day.

Qu Watanabe went to the school with five or six princes.

They had just learned that an assassin had attempted to kill Agumudo last night.

The Sixth Prince: "I didn't expect his position to be quite important."

Qu Watanabe: "Maybe it is not very important in the royal court, but it will become very important if you die in the Great Zhou." If it is not handled properly, it will become a serious diplomatic incident.

He reiterated, "You have to keep your mouth shut. Don't tell anyone about what happened at the grassland or Ruyi Building yesterday."

Otherwise, Sixth Brother would be scolded, and he would be in trouble as well.

By then, it will not only be Ye Banban who will be talking about it. The three people in Shunning Palace, Lao Deng, and the concubines in Cining Palace will all inevitably give him a scolding.

There is simply no peace in my life.

The fifth prince listened silently, "Did you two run into each other when you went out yesterday?"

The Sixth Prince: "Don't ask."

Qu Watanabe: "Fifth Brother is not an outsider. Besides, he knows about it, so if you accidentally let it slip, he can help you cover it up."

The Sixth Prince thought about it and said, "That's fine."

The two men recounted what happened yesterday, and the three brothers gathered together and talked all the way.

When talking about archery, the fifth prince said solemnly: "Xiao Qi, there will definitely not be a next time."

"Oh, what a bummer," the Sixth Prince hit him lightly, "You don't know how cool Xiao Qi's arrow was!"

“There won’t be a next time.”

Qu Dubian made repeated assurances, and the Fifth Prince stopped saying anything more about him.

After arriving at the school.

Qu Dubian glanced around: "Where's my sister? Isn't she here?"

Princess Sihe raised her hand and said, "Seventh brother, I know. Sister Zhiyi has gone to the princess's residence. Aunt Xiang seems to be leaving for Northern Frontier soon. Sister Zhiyi is going to deliver something."

Qu Dubian frowned: "Return to Northern Frontier..."

Did something happen today that he didn't know about?

This is the disadvantage of not having a palace to attend court. If there is any news in the court, you will always be one step behind to know it.

After school at noon.

Qu Dubian followed Master Fang to the side hall.

"Aunt Xiang is going back to Northern Xinjiang? Didn't she say she would stay for a month? She's only been here for ten days."

Master Fang: "Because of what happened yesterday."

Qu Watanabe: "Yesterday's assassination."

He frowned in thought.

This assassination attempt was ostensibly aimed at Agumud, but in reality it was aimed at the finally peaceful relationship between the Great Zhou and the Northern Frontier.

"Yu Ruo should not have been involved. After the defeat in Nanning, they are still recuperating. It will take at least two years to recover."

"Apart from Nanning, the only people who don't want to see the Great Zhou and Northern Frontier maintain peace are the pro-war factions in Northern Frontier. The assassins of Agum were mostly spies from Northern Frontier, so Aunt Xiang was in a hurry to return to Northern Frontier because something might happen there."

Among the tribes in northern Xinjiang, there were pro-war factions and pro-Zhou factions.

The war faction believed that it was the princess's marriage that divided the tribes in the northern border, preventing them from uniting into a powerful force and annexing the Central Plains.

Therefore, they are always trying to stir up disputes and disrupt the balance.

If Agumud had died, the war faction would probably try every means to frame the Great Zhou for his death, and even force the royal court to sever the marriage alliance with the Great Zhou and expel Princess Axiang.

Or directly overthrow the current royal court and establish a new royal court.

If this happens, the borders of the Great Zhou will inevitably fall into dire straits again.

Master Fang nodded with a smile and stroked his beard.

All the guesses were correct.

Qu Watanabe: "But this is only treating the symptoms and not the root cause."

Fang Taifu: "This kind of relationship between Northern Frontier and Great Zhou has lasted for decades. What do you think is the solution?"

Qu Dubian: "Swallow the Northern Frontier, suppress trade, control the economy of the Northern Frontier, spread the culture of the Great Zhou, and teach their descendants."

"After a generation lasts only 30 to 40 years, one day, they will speak the language of the Great Zhou, eat the rice of the Great Zhou, and identify with the culture of the Great Zhou. Then they will become people of the Great Zhou."

When Master Fang heard the word "cultural identity", he felt a chill down his spine.

These few simple words from His Majesty the Seventh Prince are truly frightening when you think about them carefully.

He paused for a moment. He was naturally terrified of the enemy, but felt warm and considerate towards his own side.

Fang Taifu pondered and said, "Since the founding of the Great Zhou, no monarch has been able to suppress the northern border for decades. No general has been able to break through the northern border and shock the four directions. The Sword-wielding Marquis might have been able to do so when he was young, but..."

He shook his head.

"So, the prerequisite you mentioned does not exist, Your Highness."

Qu Watanabe: "Imagine it. I think Xia Fuyang will do."

Master Fang: "The Xia family's kid... is he going to take the martial arts exam soon?"

Qu Watanabe: "Yeah, he's pretty strong. I can't beat him for now."

Master Fang couldn't help laughing: "How old are you and how old is he?"

Qu Duanbian snorted: "I'll beat him down in a few years!"

Master Fang: "There are still four years left. Don't forget the test questions I gave you at the beginning."

"I know."

-

Princess Mansion.

Zhiyi is helping Princess Xiang pack her things.

Because there were many gifts sent by the concubines in the harem, and it was inconvenient for them to leave the palace, they were all given to her to deliver.

After the two siblings have been together for a long time, they have discovered that her personality is somewhat similar to Qu Watanabe's.

Sometimes lively, sometimes calm.

At this moment, she was counting and reconciling the accounts. She was wearing a light goose yellow shirt, and looked very smart.

Princess Xiang came out of the house and caught Agumuduo standing in the corridor and peeking.

She said calmly, "What are you looking at?"

Agumuduo stood up straight suddenly, his ears turned red, and he stammered, "Queen... It's nothing, I just think she is very beautiful."

Princess A Xiang looked at Zhi Yi and seemed to see herself when she was fifteen or sixteen years old.

"She is a flower that grows in the Great Zhou Dynasty. If she leaves the soil, she may wither."

Agumuda nodded: "When I was a child, I picked two flowers from the border town of Da Zhou. They died when I moved them to the royal court. I still remember you told me that it is hard to leave one's homeland. Even if the homeland is barren, the flowers can still thrive. If they leave their homeland, they will die because they cannot adapt."

Princess Axiang: "You know what I mean."

Agumuduo: "I understand. I just think she is very beautiful. I don't have any other thoughts."

Princess Xiang smiled and said, "I'm going to the palace. Okay, don't be so serious. We're leaving soon anyway, so why not try to make some friends?"

Agumduo stood in the corridor for a while before walking over.

"Hello."

Zhiyi turned around, looked at the bandaged wound on his body, and blinked, "Oh! You are Agumuduo, the one my brother saved yesterday."

Agumuduo: "He is your brother."

Zhiyi: “Yes.”

Agumuduo found a topic and praised him, "He's pretty good. We had an archery competition and I shot strawberries at his head, but he didn't even blink. In our northern border, he can be called a little warrior!"

Zhiyi: “…”

Click.

The charcoal pencil in my hand broke.

She asked with a smile: "Why did you hit him on the head?"

Agumuduo: “?”

Zhiyi picked up a stick that was handy and started beating him: "You bullied him! You bullied him because he was young, didn't you?! And you forced my brother to shoot arrows with you?!"

"He's so fragile! What are you going to do to compensate him if he gets scared to death?!"

"Damn it, he shouldn't have saved you!"

Agumuduo ran around the yard: "I was praising him!"

Zhiyi: "Just stop and let me fight you! I will praise you as a warrior even if you don't change your expression or blink your eyes!"

Agumuduo was furious: "This is different!"

Did he bully anyone? Who is bullying whom in the grassland archery?

-

Not to mention how Zhiyi went back to Shunning Palace to complain to Concubine Xuan about the whole story after learning the whole story from Agumuda, and how Qu Watanabe was scolded until he became depressed.

After Princess Axiang entered the palace, she lived in the Cining Palace for three days.

She did not waste every minute and every second and stayed with Concubine Zhou.

Only after the team was ready, the guards were fully equipped and safety was ensured did Ah Xiang have to leave.

Before leaving, she visited Shunning Palace again.

"Although I have asked my brother and sister-in-law for help, I am still worried. This time I am leaving, and maybe it will be... a farewell to mother forever. Even though I have delusions in my heart, I also know that mother is already old."

Concubine Zhou could wait for her for twenty years, but could she wait for a second one?

Princess Ah Xiang bowed deeply, "So please take good care of me, please."

Concubine Xuan: "Your Highness, please get up! You can't do that."

Qu Duanbian: "Aunt Xiang, don't be like this! Don't worry, my sister and I will be watching over the Cining Palace. After you leave, we will spend more time with her."

Princess Xiang: "Thank you."

She still set out on the journey back to northern Xinjiang.

We said farewell in the suburbs of Beijing.

It was dusk, the sky was filled with sunset glow, and crows were flying everywhere.

Agumuduo got off his horse and walked in front of Qu Dubian, "I have something to tell you."

Qu Watanabe: “Hmm?”

Agumuduo told him what he heard in Ruyi Tower, that Xu Cheng instigated the Sixth Prince to sabotage the military examination in Xia Fuyang.

Qu Dubian only knew that Xu Cheng was bullying the people of Northern Frontier and stirring up the Sixth Prince's emotions, but he didn't expect that it was also related to Xia Fuyang's military examination.

The second branch of the Xu family...

He said calmly: "Why are you telling me this suddenly?"

Agumudo: "I feel like it might be useful. And I owe you my life. If you hadn't saved me, I would have died long ago."

Qu Watanabe: "I did this for Aunt Xiang."

"No matter what, I owe you my life." Agumuduo took out a wolf tooth from his pocket and handed it to Qu Watanabe. "Keep your word. If there is a chance, I will definitely return it. This is a token of my gratitude."

Qu Dubian took it, weighed it, and put it in his arms: "Okay, I'll remember it."

The money has been delivered to your door, so no matter whether you honor it or not, just remember it first.

A voice came from the front team: "Get ready! Get ready to mount your horses!"

Agumuduo: "I'm leaving."

He took out the bouquet of flowers that he had prepared long ago from the horse's shoulder bag and handed it over.

Qu Watanabe: “?”

Agumuduo: "To your sister. Even though she beat me, in my heart, she is still as beautiful as a flower."

Qu Watanabe: “?!!”

After taking a close look at Agumduo's expression, he became furious.

"Okay you bastard, who are you thinking about?!"

They finally came to blows.

Princess A Xiang looked over here for a moment and smiled. She stood on the land of Great Zhou and took a last look at the capital.

Same as more than 20 years ago.

She looked deeply for a long time, but her eyes could not reach where she wanted to go.

The maid said, "Your Highness, it's time to go."

Princess Xiang took a deep breath and got on the carriage.

"Let's go!"

The team moved forward slowly.

Agumud rode his horse at full speed, following beside the carriage with a bruised face and nose.

Qu Dubian stood here for a long time, and the sound of horse hooves came from behind him.

Zhiyi came riding a horse and stopped the horse. She came down carrying a box and looked anxious: "Brother, have they left?"

Qu Watanabe: "It's been a while since I left. Sister, what did you take?"

Zhiyi: "Alas, Concubine Zhou made the snacks that Aunt Xiang loves. They are best when they are fresh out of the pot. Concubine Zhou wanted Aunt Xiang to eat the most delicious ones, so she pressed the time to make them, but she still couldn't catch up."

Qu Watanabe: "Give me the snacks."

Zhiyi: "Xiaoqi?"

Qu Dubian took the snack box and climbed onto the horse. "We can still catch up now. It doesn't matter if the taste is not so good. If we miss it, it may be a lifelong regret."

He gave Zhiyi the wolf tooth pendant that Agumuda had given him.

"Sister, I threw away the flowers. They are not worthy of you. I will give you this wolf tooth. It is barely worth keeping."

Zhiyi wondered: "What flower?"

Of course it’s a bad love affair.

Qu Dubian didn't answer, but flicked his whip and said, "Sister, wait for me, I'll be back soon!"

The horse galloped away, and he lowered his body and lay on it, his black hair flying.

Half an hour later.

The horse caught up with the team.

Qu Duan reined in his horse and watched them leave on a vast mountain grassland.

Princess A Xiang held the food box and couldn't help shedding tears when she saw the familiar snacks inside.

-

The Imperial Palace.

At the gate of Cining Palace.

Concubine Zhou was supported by Concubine Liang, her eyes were filled with sorrow and longing.

The silhouettes of the old times fell in the courtyard under the afterglow of the setting sun. The double-petaled flowers fell in the wind, and two old men stood at the gate of the palace, their shadows slanted and long.

"Tell me, can I wait until she comes back?"

Concubine Liang sighed silently in her heart.

In the harem, sometimes, waiting and anticipation are the most difficult things to endure.

Purple Palace.

On the steps, Emperor Chongzhao stood with his hands behind his back and looked out.

The glow of the sunset is sinking in the west, and it is slightly chilly at high altitudes.