Chapter 122

Zhou Yanqing, however, seemed indifferent, saying, "As long as you're still here, that's fine."

Si Yanmo sat up.

Since the Southern Emperor's scheme has failed, he will surely try another method. She thought, "Why don't we act first and do it before he does?"

"Do you really want to rebel?" Zhou Yanqing raised an eyebrow.

After experiencing the events involving Zhou Changning and Tan Muhe, he knew that his father was truly capable of using any means necessary to achieve his goals.

If they don't take measures, they will die sooner or later. So why not really rebel and show them?

"Qin has always been a vast and powerful land, and has long been a thorn in their side. Rather than repeatedly proving their loyalty to the emperor, they might as well kill this tyrant." Si Yanmo was quite bold, even refusing to address him as "Your Majesty."

She really is a little madwoman!

Zhou Yanqing, however, liked her just the way she was. "But what I've been worried about isn't this matter, but the imperial edict from Nandu."

In the early days of the Southern Dynasties, various states voluntarily paid tribute to the Southern Capital, which also meant that they had an obligation to protect the Southern Capital.

Even with its strong and well-equipped army, Qin could not possibly defeat the other four states in one fell swoop.

Si Yanmo was naturally worried about this as well; otherwise, she would have urged Zhou Yanqing to rebel from the very beginning.

Sano will naturally side with them, but what about the other two places?

The new magistrate of Lanyu Island is also newly appointed, and no one knows his personality.

As for Qi Gu, he wished he could annex Qin. It would be good enough if he didn't help Nandu, how could he possibly help Zhou Yanqing?

This matter requires careful consideration, but the problem is they don't have that much time left.

Si Yanmo's little brain really couldn't come up with any good ideas.

Seeing her worried expression, Zhou Yanqing comforted her, "Silly girl, don't worry. Think about it, this situation is not good for us, and it certainly isn't for him either."

It's not the first time the King of Qi has wanted to be a traitor; he might just stand by and watch from the sidelines.

As for Lanyu, even if it truly helps Nandu, its military strength is no match for Sak.

"Maybe we have a better chance of winning, hmm?" He kissed Si Yanmo's cheek, trying to cheer her up.

Surprisingly, his words of comfort were quite effective. Si Yanmo immediately sat up and prepared to write a letter to Sano, which she would then have Zhao Wan deliver.

"Don't just stand there! Write a letter and call in the troops!"

At this moment, she really seemed like a strategist. Zhou Yanqing had no choice but to listen to his wife, obediently got up, ordered Chen Wu to hurry back on horseback, and also wrote a letter to Mo Wenzhong and Lin Niang respectively.

I don't know if they'd be willing to get involved in this.

None of them expected that before the letter even reached Qin, a change of events would occur...

The palace banquet was over, and Zhou Yanqing and Si Yanmo no longer needed to stay in Nandu. They also wanted to leave before the Southern Emperor changed his mind.

The problem is that in the future, Consort Qin and the Si family will likely be implicated in the great battle.

The Si family is alright. Although the Chamber of Commerce is controlled by the Southern Emperor's people, no one can stop Si Jianwen from going out to pick up goods. We can use this as an excuse to take Zhao Shuyun away first.

The situation is not so easy for Consort Qin in the palace.

Si Yanmo chose to go directly to Zhou Junsong, saying, "Since you have a way to get Zhou Changning and Consort Zhen out of the palace, I think you can do the same, Consort Qin."

Zhou Junsong looked at his aunt sitting with his wife and chuckled, "Why does Auntie think I have to help you? You slapped me a few days ago."

It's obvious that this person is retaliating.

"Then hit him back." Si Yanmo wasn't the type to suffer for the sake of saving face; if he wanted something, she would give it to him.

Zhou Junsong raised an eyebrow and looked at Si Yunyun, "What does my wife think I should do?"

This wasn't the first time Si Yunyun had witnessed the two of them on the verge of conflict. At first, she was worried that Zhou Junsong would harm Si Yanmo, but now it seemed that the two were evenly matched, each harboring their own ulterior motives.

"Does being a family always have to be like this?"

Seeing her sister's helpless expression, Si Yanmo felt bad too.

She gestured for Zhou Junsong to speak privately, and he readily agreed.

“I know what Princess Qin wants to do, but unfortunately… it doesn’t align with our original agreement.” A ruthless glint appeared in his eyes. “I don’t like people who betray me.”

Si Yanmo had already anticipated what he would say. This man was just too clever; he could be both an excellent friend and a formidable enemy.

What if I said I'd agree to become a fortune teller?

Zhou Junsong narrowed his eyes. "Weren't you going to help the King of Qin?"

"Of course I want to." When dealing with this kind of person, it's best to be half-truthful and half-lie. "But what I want is for my husband to be safe and sound, and for us to live a peaceful life. With all these things piling up now, do you think that's still possible?"

"Would Zhou Yanqing willingly give up the throne that was within my grasp?" Zhou Junsong clearly didn't believe it.

"So what I want to tell you is that everything should go back to what we agreed on at the beginning. I'll be your hostage, working from the inside. If we win, it's yours; if we lose, it's ours." Si Yanmo's eyes were firm, almost impeccable.

Zhou Junsong was tempted, after all, even if the matter was exposed, he wouldn't suffer too much loss.

At most, it will be discovered that Consort Qin was sent away with his help, and he can easily claim that he was bewitched.

After pondering for a moment, he agreed, "Let the King of Qin write a note to his concubine. Someone will be delivering food to the palace tomorrow, and the person will naturally be brought out."

The two hit it off immediately, and everything went smoothly.

Consort Qin was successfully taken out of the palace. Si Jianwen and Zhao Shuyun also temporarily left under the pretext of transporting goods. As for Si Yunyun, Zhou Junsong planned to secretly send her out after a while, while Zhou Yanqing also returned to Qin as planned.

He was afraid something might happen to Si Yanmo, so he repeatedly told her, "Don't take any risks, and write to me. Zhao Wan will stay here, and I will also have Wufeng Pass send a group of people over to protect you as soon as possible."

Si Yanmo found him nagging, "Alright, alright, don't worry. He's just trying to help me, he won't really kill me."

That's what he said, but Zhou Yanqing was still worried. He reluctantly hugged him and said, "Why don't you come with me? I can't leave you alone in this den of wolves."

"Fool." Si Yanmo touched his hand wrapped in bandages. "If I really left with you, he would definitely report our plan to the Southern Emperor, and then we would both be in danger. Now... don't worry, nothing will happen."

"But I'm still worried."

She took out the severed finger. Zhou Yanqing had already treated the finger, and now only the finger bone remained, which was strung together with a red string.

"Consider this as a way of keeping me company." She smiled. "It's a little weird, but didn't you say you'd make me a pendant? Then make it for me after everything's over. I'll wait for you here."

Zhou Yanqing never expected that just a few days ago she was saying whether she was crazy or not.

He was now using this to comfort himself, and for a moment he didn't know whether to cry or laugh.

His Ah Mo is such a crazy little devil!

He took her hand and cupped the finger bone in his hand: "Okay, then wait for me to come back."

Watching the carriage head north, Si Yanmo prayed that everything would go smoothly, but she still felt uneasy.

How could the Southern Emperor have remained completely silent for so long? He so desperately wanted to keep me here as a diviner, and now that he can't, he should have sent someone to kill me long ago.

Even if he was concerned about the prophecy, he should still bring her back.

But he did absolutely nothing, which is simply unbelievable.

Unbeknownst to her, on the other side, the Southern Emperor summoned Zhou Junsong to the palace and dumped a woman covered in wounds in front of him.

"Well, my good son, do you look familiar?" Zhou Junsong looked closely, a hint of panic flashing in his eyes.

It turned out to be that palace maid from before.

After Zhou Junsong fabricated the fire at Fengyang Palace, he ordered this palace maid to take the blame.

This was someone he had carefully selected. She had no parents or other relatives and had always been bullied in the palace. It was only with his help that she was able to serve in Consort Zhen's palace and enjoy a few years of good life. She was willing to go through fire and water for him.

Unfortunately, even the most determined person cannot withstand torture and eventually confessed to Zhou Junsong.

The Southern Emperor also took the opportunity to find the vegetable shop and had someone bring up the old man, Consort Zhen, and Zhou Changning.

The men were in shackles and appeared to have suffered considerable torture.

"Zhou Junsong, you have truly impressed me!" the Southern Emperor sneered.

He never expected that this sickly boy, whom he had looked down upon from the beginning, would actually do so many dirty tricks behind the scenes.

He has now infiltrated countless people throughout the palace.

"I think you really want to rebel."

After seeing Zhou Yanqing off, Si Yanmo returned to the Si residence.

Si Jianwen and Zhao Shuyun had already left, and the once bustling mansion now looked somewhat desolate.

She sat on the swing in the front yard, which Si Jianwen had commissioned to be made for her and her sister when they were children.

When she was at home, she always liked to sit here and watch people come and go in the streets through the door. Perhaps it was from that time that she began to get used to watching everything around her like a spectator.

But now, she can no longer be a spectator; she must get involved herself.

Si Yanmo sat on the swing for a while, intending to go back to her room. Just as she was about to get up, she heard a series of neat footsteps.

She looked up and saw a row of brown figures walking towards the gate of my company residence. The person in the lead wore a moon-white long robe and looked sickly, but he came with a fierce momentum.

"Take her down." Zhou Junsong ordered the guards beside him, and a group of people rushed forward, but Si Yanmo dodged them.

"What does Your Highness mean by this?"

She could tell that he hadn't brought his own guards, but rather people from the palace. Presumably, the Southern Emperor had discovered something, so she subtly inquired about it.

Zhou Junsong's expression was indifferent, but one could see a hint of pain in his eyes. "Your Majesty's decree: The Prince of Qin is plotting a rebellion. All those involved are to be imprisoned in the Imperial Prison to await their fate."

After saying that, the guards beside her took advantage of Si Yanmo's inattention to bind her hands and tie her up.

Si Yanmo hadn't expected things to be exposed so quickly, so she could only let the guards carry her away. She turned back and gave Zhou Junsong a deep look, reading the reluctance in the man's eyes.

She was soon imprisoned in the imperial prison, a dilapidated cell.

The cell was small, without even a window, and pitch black. Only the candlelight outside the cell could faintly seep in, allowing her to see that there was only a roll of straw mat around her.

The ground was wet, the walls were hard, and there was a rough wooden railing in front of her; she had no chance of escaping on her own.

Si Yanmo didn't plan to escape. She sat on the straw mat, pondering where things had gone wrong.

"The desert shaman was calm and composed."