Chapter 81 Finding Him After the Gathering

Lu Wensheng's expression changed slightly, and he thought of many things in an instant.

Leaving tomorrow night, isn't that a bit too rushed? What excuse will Shen Hegui come up with to leave? And all these piles of memorials, is it really her turn to review them? So she's getting promoted again...

Seeing that she remained silent for a long time, Shen Hegui curled his long tail and pulled her into his arms. His clear voice rang out from above her head: "The message arrived a few days ago. The urgent military intelligence document, delivered by express courier, is expected to arrive around dawn tomorrow. Do you want to come with me, or stay?"

Before she could answer, Shen Hegui continued, "When you went to the Ministry of Rites just now, I had already approved the establishment of a trading port in the South China Sea. You have two choices: first, go to the capital to become a high-ranking official in charge of maritime trade, and I will give you military power; second, stay in the capital to oversee the country. However, I do not recommend you choose the second option, because Shen Zhao is not dead. Once I leave, he will definitely find a way to take over the position."

The scales on Shen Hegui's tail became finer and finer. With just a gentle flick of Lu Wensheng's wrist, the dense, fine scales would open and close, as if they had developed their own consciousness.

At this moment, she held the tiny scales in her hand, gazing at them in a daze, feeling an overwhelming sense of reluctance.

"Your Highness, I've never liked making choices, and I didn't want you to leave." Lu Wensheng took a deep breath, suppressing the sting in his eyes as he looked up: "Am I being too greedy?" There was no warning at all; it was too sudden.

The golden sunlight unique to summer shone into the hall, but thanks to Shen Hegui's presence, there was no heat at all.

Shen Hegui said softly, "You're not being greedy. Your two good friends are in Ze County, South China Sea. If you don't go to South China Sea, I will let them manage maritime trade. From spring to summer, that's enough time for them to gain a deep understanding of the local situation and implement new policies."

Lu Wensheng paused, a glint of light flashing in his eyes: "Shang Lian, Huo Qian, and the others?"

“Hmm.” Shen Hegui nodded. “Even if you didn’t mention it, I would still choose to open the sea after this year to increase tax revenue.”

“Then we are of one mind!” In that case, the choice is easy. She has never liked being an official, so the best choice is to stay first and then leave. She has to stay in the capital to supervise the allocation of grain and military pay and the new policies. “I choose to stay. When I can’t stay any longer, I will leave. Then there’s no need to promote me. The throne is not for you. It’s all just empty titles and constraints.”

“Alright. You can stay in Yanjing and not do any real work, just smooth things over.” Shen Hegui took out a rectangular box from his side and handed it to Lu Wensheng, then brought up the bet from before: “Now that you are my person, the bet is over regardless of winning or losing. Inside the box is a blank imperial edict and a brocade pouch. You can open the brocade pouch when you see Shen Zhao in the palace later.”

Lu Wensheng was about to open the bright red lacquer box when his finger got tangled in the nimble tip of the tail. Shen Hegui's ears turned slightly red: "Open it after I leave."

He suddenly lowered his head and asked for a kiss: "Sheng'er, let me kiss you properly again."

Lu Wensheng lacked experience and didn't understand that any kiss or rub that came out of a male's mouth couldn't be trusted, as none of them had a pure purpose.

Before long, the crimson robe, inner garment, and long hairpin were scattered all over the ground, all belonging to Lu Wensheng. Shen Hegui, apart from his slightly disheveled clothes, was as serious as could be.

Her long tail undulated, its tip trembling incessantly, and a low, unbearable moan escaped from his embrace. Shen Hegui's throat was panting as he said, "Now that we've formed a bond, starting next spring, I will have a heat cycle, and I can't live without you. Sheng'er, during the time I'm away, I'll leave Lin Shoubai to you. Take good care of yourself."

Lu Wensheng's face was covered in fine sweat, and her wet hair clung to her cheeks, making her even more beautiful. She had just moved herself up a little when Shen Hegui suddenly pressed her down hard, making her shudder.

"Could you please stop gripping so tightly?" She clutched his forearm, like a drowning person clinging to a piece of driftwood. "Like a cat? How long will that last?"

She should have realized it sooner rather than later, that someone had appeared in her bedchamber in the middle of the day without any apparent reason.

Noticing the increasing wetness, Shen Hegui quietly quickened his pace and said in a low voice, "I don't know either."

Lu Wensheng took deep breaths, feeling his mind go blank, and found it increasingly difficult to bear.

"Chen He Gui!" she cried out, curled up, but a few seconds later she suddenly lost her strength and collapsed. Then a continuous stream of coldness rushed in, causing her to tighten herself up.

The veins on his forehead bulged, and his deep gaze fell on Lu Wensheng, his long arms becoming increasingly constricted.

He didn't know how long he would be gone, but he made sure to feed the person well that afternoon.

*

The next day at dawn, cavalrymen rushed into the city and brought news that Luo Jiangsheng had been defeated by the Japanese pirates and gone missing, shocking the court and the public.

After Shen Hegui issued the decree to establish treaty ports, he finally fulfilled Wen Ciming's wish and sent troops to the coast. At the same time, he issued an edict to make Wen Ciming and Lu Wensheng jointly oversee the country, because he wanted to personally lead the expedition.

The civil and military officials exchanged glances, a tacit understanding forming on their faces—"Just as I expected." They also realized how terrifying it would be if the Crown Prince's lover were their colleague, and one who was exceptionally capable; even if they wanted to object, they couldn't find a reason to do so.

You can't say that the empress and concubines can't interfere in politics! Or that their primary responsibility should be raising offspring? But even roosters have a hard time laying eggs, let alone humans!

When Shen Hegui mustered his troops to leave the city, Lu Wensheng did not see him off, because she was afraid that she would regret it and follow him, thus disrupting Shen Hegui's plans.

The sun sets in the west, and the moon gradually rises.

Lu Wensheng tossed and turned, unable to sleep, clutching the mahogany box.

Knowing that Shen Hegui wouldn't be coming back tonight felt like this—a profound emptiness.

Liking someone can be addictive.

She fiddled with the clasp on the box and opened it in one go.

The first thing that caught her eye was not the imperial edict or the brocade pouch, but a marriage certificate, with gold lettering on a red background, full of praise for her. The beginning did not have a date, but the year was filled in: the first year of Zhaowu.

Zhaowu, is this the reign title that Shen Hegui chose for himself? His palace is called Zhaowu Palace, and he even uses this as his reign title. It seems he has quite the ambition.

Lu Wensheng touched the three flamboyant characters at the end of the marriage certificate and suddenly laughed.

“Shen Hegui writes respectfully.” Could she write him a letter too? He needs a wife, but she needs a wife too!

Lu Wensheng called Feng Gou to prepare paper and pen, and immediately wrote a marriage certificate and sent it over by messenger.

On the surface, Shen Hegui was leading the expedition in person, but once he was a hundred miles from Yanjing, he led dozens of elite cavalrymen straight to the coast, working day and night without rest.

By the time Lu Wensheng's marriage certificate arrived, several dozen days had already passed.

When Shen Hegui was alive, he was the pillar of stability, and Yanjing was peaceful and tranquil. But after he left, all sorts of demons and monsters came out.

Besides allocating grain and military supplies to the coast, Lu Wensheng listened to Shen Hegui and tried to smooth things over. This smoothing went on from the height of summer to the end of summer, when the heat gradually subsided and a cool breeze began to blow.

It was another ordinary night. Lu Wensheng sat in the Zhaowu Hall, eating a pancake bigger than her face. In front of her were the good news that had come in recent days.

Feng Gou brought over a large bowl of wontons, his lips twitching slightly. Since His Highness left, Lord Lu had channeled his longing into his appetite, eating even more and displaying boundless energy, often staying up late into the night.

After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, Lu Wensheng sent Feng Gou away and was about to take a bath when he suddenly saw Shen Zhao swaggering in.

Upon seeing his face, Lu Wensheng remained calm and immediately remembered the brocade pouch that Shen Hegui had left for her.

She had been waiting for so long, and she was finally able to open the brocade pouch. She was so curious!

Time seemed to have turned back to the past. Lu Wensheng skillfully invited Shen Zhao to sit down: "Unexpected guest, please sit down. I'm going to the restroom. We can talk later."

"You don't seem surprised at all?" Shen Zhao, dressed in an overstepping imperial robe, squinted at Lu Wensheng.

She's gotten much rounder than before, and looks even better.

Lu Wensheng glanced at the dragon on the imperial robe and said in a matter-of-fact tone, "The imperial palace is a breeding ground for poisonous insects. The winner takes all, so there's nothing surprising about it."

Shen Zhao snorted coldly: "You're quite open-minded. Since I'm standing here, I might as well tell you the truth. My father has died together with Shen Hegui. Even the heavens are taking him away. He vomits every day as soon as he arrives at the coast, and he can't stop eating anything he wants."

Lu Wensheng felt a sudden emptiness in her heart, but instantly regained her composure. The contract seal was clearly still there, so everything Shen Zhao said was a lie; he was trying to throw her off balance. A minor case of acclimatization issues—take some medicine, and she'll be fine once she adjusts!

Lu Wensheng said nonchalantly, "Whatever you say goes, I don't believe it!"

Shen Zhao stared intently at Lu Wensheng's back, thinking maliciously: She probably doesn't know that Shen Hegui is not human. The spies said that the two of them have most likely had a relationship. If he tells Lu Wensheng that the person who is with her every day is a poisonous snake, she will be scared to death!

The curtains of the clean room were drawn back, and Lu Wensheng turned and went into the cubicle next to the bath.

She took off her shoes, pulled out a brocade pouch from her blouse, and quickly untied the knot.

{There are passageways leading out of the city from under the bed in Zhaowu Palace, under the stove in your house, and under the stove in the dog-hole courtyard. When you see Shen Zhao, don't hesitate, don't worry about anything, and don't bring anyone with you. Ride straight to the sea and let him ascend the throne. I will be waiting for you at sea.}

Lu Wensheng blinked twice slowly, then immediately tore the paper into pieces, soaked it in water, and stirred it until it was a mess.

It seems everything is under Shen Hegui's control. Is making Shen Zhao ascend the throne to make him take the blame? With his abilities, he's probably not capable enough to maintain Chengdu.

Lu Wensheng rolled his eyes, deliberately lingered for a long time, and rubbed his eyes several times until the corners of his eyes were red, as if he had really cried, before slowly walking out.

Seeing her come out, Shen Zhao said with a forced smile, "Have you been crying? How about I tell you a secret about Shen Hegui? Maybe if you know what kind of person he is, you won't be so sad."

Clutching a handful of sleeping pills, Lu Wensheng feigned collapse and weakness, approaching step by step: "What secret?"

Shen Zhao put down his teacup and spoke faster and faster: "He is not human, he is a demon like his mother! A snake demon! You know, because of your appearance, the trap I carefully prepared for him on the Dragon Boat Festival failed again. Countless sulfur and realgar rose into the sky with the fireworks, but he did not even step out of Zhaowu Hall."

He suddenly stood up and approached Lu Wensheng: "I've figured it out, you bring good fortune to your husbands! Whoever you're with will have good luck! I don't mind if you were with Shen Hegui, how about I marry you?"

Lu Wensheng took a half step back, suddenly realizing that things had gone too far.

She beckoned Shen Zhao to come closer to her.

Looking at the dimples that resembled her brother's, Lu Wensheng sprinkled some sleeping potion on him, raised her foot and kicked him in the groin, gritting her teeth and saying, "You're dreaming! Besides, I'm a germaphobe, I don't like rotten cucumbers!"

The sleeping potion in Lu Wensheng's hand was a modified, concentrated version. As soon as Shen Zhao curled up and hugged his private parts, he collapsed.

After closing the palace doors, Lu Wensheng tore off a piece of Shen Hegui's robe to tie him up before heading towards the bed with the marriage certificate and a blank imperial edict.

Having seen the bed mechanism in the Eastern Palace, Lu Wensheng quickly found the switch.

The machine started up, and the first thing that caught my eye was a crescent-shaped expanse of deep blue, exactly the same as the one before.

Shen Hegui has a lot of tricks up his sleeve!

After Lu Wensheng smiled and took the scales, the door covering the passageway opened silently.

A cool breeze brushed against her cheek, inadvertently killing a passing mosquito. She straightened her sleeves and robe, then slid down.

Once her feet touched the ground, Lu Wensheng realized that this was a tunnel specially dug for her, because both its length and width were custom-made for her.

Fearing something might happen, Lu Wensheng walked extremely fast, and the further he walked, the clearer an unbelievable thought became.

The consistent length and width... could it be that Shen Hegui dug the hole himself?!

So, if he wanted to, he could easily scour the entire capital of Yanjing?!

After walking for about half an hour, Lu Wensheng finally reached the end. Due to the bond, Lu Wensheng also gained night vision, so he immediately saw the giant snake at the end of the road.

It is about three meters long, with a hooded neck, a single ring of markings on its back, and white horizontal stripes on the front of its body.

Lu Wensheng felt a chill run down his spine.

A cobra! Why is the destination its snake's nest?

Just as he was wondering what to do, the snake moved. It first flicked its tongue at Lu Wensheng, then sniffed at him from a distance. After pausing for a few seconds, it suddenly tucked its tail between its legs and ran away, as if it had encountered its natural enemy.

Lu Wensheng lowered his head and sniffed himself, then said in surprise, "Shen Hegui has been gone for a long time, but I don't smell at all! That's strange."

Pushing aside a pile of dead branches and leaves, Lu Wensheng crawled out of the snake's den. Just as she was wondering how to find a horse to ride, Lin Shoubai suddenly darted out of the woods.

"Lord Deer?"

"It's me. What are you doing here?"

Lin Shoubai explained, "Yesterday I received a message from His Highness via flying eagle, instructing me to escort you to the ferry crossing four hundred miles away. This is the token."

After saying that, Lin Shoubai took out a piece of dark blue scale.

Upon seeing the scales, Lu Wensheng was somewhat surprised: "You know about them?"

Lin Shoubai replied succinctly, "I know. Your Highness and I grew up together. I have prepared the horses and provisions."

He paused slightly, then took out a black package from his pocket and handed it to Lu Wensheng: "His Highness specifically instructed me to retrieve your pet and take it away as soon as possible."

Lu Wensheng immediately had a bad feeling. She opened the door a crack and, sure enough, Xiao Yuan was fast asleep inside.

Having a boyfriend who is too attentive can sometimes be a bad thing.

Oh well, she'd already done it, and Shen Hegui was now her official boyfriend, so she wasn't afraid of doing missions anymore.

Lu Wensheng tucked Xiao Yuan into his pocket and followed Lin Shoubai down the mountain.

They changed horses but not people the whole way, and Lu Wensheng and his group moved extremely fast.

Three days after she left, Shen Zhao ascended the throne, causing a great uproar in Yanjing, because Shen Zhao directly announced that she was a woman and dismissed her from her official position.

The statement was made without any substantial evidence, and the opinion of the people who believed it was split evenly. The person had run away right under their noses, and no one believed them when they told the truth. Shen Zhao was furious, so he sent people to Huizhou to find witnesses, only to find that the entire Lu family had already vanished.

A month later, at the Lingjiang ferry, Lu Wensheng met Luo Jiangsheng, who had come to pick her up. This place was only thirty miles away from the Japanese pirates' lair, across the sea.

Luo Jiangsheng, dressed in plain clothes and looking like a farmer, blended in with the crowd: "Lord Lu, you've finally arrived! The Lord's condition is not very good."

She hadn't received any news about Shen Hegui along the way, and her anxiety had been growing. Hearing Luo Jiangsheng say this, Lu Wensheng couldn't help but panic: "He's injured?"

Luo Jiangsheng shook his head: "I'm not injured. I don't know why either. You'll understand when you go and see for yourself."

The army was stationed three miles from the coastline, nestled against hills, with a lookout tower built on a high point. Trenches were dug around the camp, filled with bamboo stakes, and thorny shrubs were transplanted along the edges. Yellow dragon flags fluttered fiercely in the wind.

Lifting the curtain of the central command tent, Lu Wensheng looked around, but did not see the person he longed for.

Lu Wensheng: "Where is everyone?"

As Luo Jiangsheng spoke, he took out a jade box: "Since the day before yesterday, the Lord has been unable to behave properly during the day. If it weren't for Commander Lin sending word that you would be arriving today, I really wouldn't know what to do."

What does it mean to be inhuman?

Her fingertips trembled slightly as she opened the jade box. The first thing she saw was a warm jade seal, followed by a tiny snake, thinner than her little finger, its eyes tightly closed and its breathing faint, as if it were in hibernation.