Shen Pingjin's beauty is striking, but for some reason, Lu Qingxiao has never seen her before.

Lu Qingxiao recognized Yan Jue, who was standing next to Shen Pingjin.

He walked forward with a smile, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "I didn't expect to see the Regent here. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Yan Jue frowned slightly. "Who are you?"

Lu Qingxiao smiled and replied, "I am Lu Qingxiao, the eldest son of the second branch of General Lu of the Zhenguo General's Mansion."

Upon hearing this name, Shen Pingjin, who was still in a daze, suddenly widened her eyes.

Lu Qingxiao...

Isn't this Lu Qingjia's brother?

Could it be...?

Shen Pingjin was sweating for Lu Qingjia behind her, but at the same time, she was a little puzzled. Why was Lu Qingjia still abducted by human traffickers even though Lu Qingxiao came in her previous life?

Even after living two lifetimes, Shen Pingjin still can't help but sigh that there were so many things she didn't know in her previous life.

Upon hearing the name, Yan Jue nodded. "General Lu does indeed have a son named Lu Qingxiao in his second wife's household. However, I do not know why you are here today?"

Lu Qingxiao smiled and looked behind Yan Jue. "Then why don't we ask the young lady next to the Regent?"

Yan Jue raised an eyebrow. "I think General Lu should change his form of address. The lady next to me is my lawfully wedded princess."

Lu Qingxiao felt that Shen Pingjin looked familiar, but after hearing Yan Jue's words, he suddenly realized, "So the young lady next to the Regent is actually the Regent's wife. I was a bit presumptuous just now. I was so rude."

Shen Pingjin was still lost in her own thoughts when she heard Lu Qingxiao's words. She shook her head and said, "It's nothing, but... I'd like to ask General Lu, did you come here to find your younger brother?"

Lu Qingxiao was taken aback. "The princess is indeed incredibly insightful."

When Jiajia, who had been hiding behind Shen Pingjin, heard Shen Pingjin's words, she burst into tears. She had thought that the pretty older sister would not betray her, but she did not expect that the pretty older sister was actually a bad person!

Lu Qingjia stepped out from behind Shen Pingjin, his head bowed in a pitiful manner, not daring to utter a sound.

Lu Qingxiao was taken aback. "Lu Qingjia?"

Lu Qingjia timidly raised her head, glanced at Lu Qingxiao, and then, with her short legs, scurried behind Chen Pingjin.

He pointed at Lu Qingxiao and said in a childish voice, "Pretty sister, I don't know him. He looks so fierce!"

Lu Qingxiao: ...

With his well-defined fingers clenched into a fist, Lu Qingxiao raised his head, his eyes seemingly containing an unfathomable abyss, yet upon closer inspection, they also seemed to be burning with raging flames.

Lu Qingxiao used almost all his strength, his words uttered through gritted teeth, "Lu Qingjia, you've got some nerve, haven't you!"

Lu Qingjia was almost in tears. He tightly gripped Shen Pingjin's sleeve, shook his head, and his eyes were wet. "Pretty sister, he... he scolded me!"

Chen Pingjin: ...

She patiently bent down, trying to soften her tone, "Jiajia, is this your brother?"

Lu Qingjia shook her head like a rattle drum.

Chen Pingjin persisted, "Jiajia, tell your sister the truth, and I might be able to get you a chance to stay at my house for a few days."

Shen Pingjin felt her sleeve being pulled even tighter, and then Lu Qingjia's voice came from beside her ear, "Sister, are you serious?"

Shen Pingjin nodded. "I would never lie to you, no matter who else I'm lying to."

"good!"

Lu Qingjia seemed very happy. He walked out from behind Shen Pingjin and looked at his older brother standing in front of him. The excitement on his face disappeared completely, and he impatiently called out, "Second Brother!"

He was met only with Lu Qingxiao's cold laugh, "Now you're willing to acknowledge me?"

Lu Qingjia looked aggrieved. "Second brother, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disown you, I just..."

Lu Qingxiao's expression was icy. "Just what?"

Lu Qingjia lowered her head and whispered, "Because you abandoned me, brother, I hold a grudge..."

"Didn't you decide to run around everywhere? How come you're blaming me for everything now?"

"But when my brother and I went out, he promised Mother he would take good care of me..."

Lu Qingxiao choked on his words, "But I can't just keep my eyes glued to you, can I?!"

Lu Qingjia looked aggrieved. "But you promised Mother."

Lu Qingxiao: ...

Okay.

Because of the presence of Shen Pingjin and Yan Jue, Lu Qingxiao could not do anything on the spot. However, his gaze toward Lu Qingjia became even more fierce.

Once we get back home, hehe, let's see how we deal with this brat!

But the next moment, Chen Pingjin spoke up, "General Lu, today Yan Jue and I went out and when we arrived here, we found a lot of people gathered around. When we got closer, we found that Jiajia was being harassed by kidnappers here. He seemed terrified. What do you think, perhaps..."

Shen Pingjin hesitated for a moment, "Should Jiajia stay at my Regent's Palace for a few days?"

Lu Qingxiao choked on his words again. He stared at Lu Qingjia for a long time, but Lu Qingjia remained hidden behind Shen Pingjin and refused to come out. Finally, he sighed and said, "Princess Regent, may I ask a question?"

Chen Pingjin: "Ask away."

Lu Qingxiao's expression was serious. "If I were to send Qingjia to stay at the Regent's Palace for a few days, could you possibly protect him?"

Shen Pingjin thought for a moment and nodded, "Of course I will, but I'm a little puzzled as to why General Lu is only now arriving so late. Do you know that your little brother was almost kidnapped not long ago?"

Shen Pingjin stared intently at the person in front of her, trying to discern something from his expression.

Lu Qingxiao's expression darkened, and he sighed softly, "I followed my mother's teachings and brought Qingjia to the training ground for training. Who knew that this naughty child would sneak away right under my nose? It was only after someone came to report to me that they saw Qingjia in the market that I arrived late."

Shen Pingjin frowned slightly. "You need to know that Jiajia is only five years old. Aren't you being a little too strict?"

Lu Qingxiao shook his head, looking helpless. "Your Highness, Princess Consort, you may not know this, but our Lu family is all military families. From childhood to adulthood, the most important thing for us Lu family members is martial arts. Qingjia is the child with the highest martial arts talent in our Lu family generation. If our grandfather or father dies on the battlefield in the future, perhaps only he can inherit the mantle and bring glory to the clan and the country."

But it wasn't like this in my previous life...

Shen Pingjin remembered that after Lu Qingjia's defection to the Northern Barbarians was discovered, the boundless glory of the Zhenguo General's Mansion seemed to slowly decline.

That year, a rift seemed to have formed between her and Su Xuanmao, and their relationship was no longer as good as before. Also that year, the Emperor somehow found evidence to confirm the Zhenguo General's Mansion's crime of treason and embezzlement, and ordered the entire Zhenguo General's Mansion to be executed in the autumn.

And the next general's mansion will be her Shen family's.

Because Shen Pingjin's older brother, Shen Ling, was the most prestigious deputy general in the army, second only to General Lu.