Chapter Sixty-Two

Si Yanmo then realized that she had just absurdly wanted to continue with him. She quickly pushed him away and calmed her breathing, "Go...go open the door."

Zhou Yanqing also realized her impulsiveness just now. While feeling annoyed, she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

It was so close, maybe...

He reluctantly got up, opened the door, and there was Chen Wu.

"What's up?"

Chen Wu glanced up and saw that the princess's ears were red. Then he saw that Prince Qin had an impatient expression. He immediately realized that he had interrupted his master's good time and dared not speak, feeling guilty.

"Um... the messenger sent by the Third Prince said that he wishes to go on an outing with His Highness and the Princess tomorrow."

"Okay!" Zhou Yanqing slammed the door shut.

Honestly, why bother him and Amo with such a trivial matter!

He turned to look at Si Yanmo, and the lust that had been building up in the middle became even more intense because of this incident.

Just as he was about to say something, he heard Si Yanmo say, "Well... since Consort Qin has already left, why don't I move to the small courtyard?"

Zhou Yanqing's tail immediately drooped down, and he looked completely listless.

“You…” he approached, “Actually, it’s fine as before. I… I can sleep on the floor, okay?”

Si Yanmo was still shaken by the near-miss earlier. "Forget it, Ye Shengge could flare up at any time. It's safer for us to separate."

"It's not safe!" the puppy tried to persuade one last time. "If you don't deal with the effects of this medicine when it takes hold, it will have a negative impact on your body."

Upon hearing this, Si Yanmo's face indeed wavered. He was secretly pleased, but then he heard the other party say, "Then let's try to solve it ourselves first, and we'll talk about it if we can't."

The woman was quite pleased with her arrangement. Humming a little tune, she walked towards the door, leaving behind a pitiful little dog waiting for its owner to turn back.

Si Yanmo arrived at the East Courtyard and asked Wu Guan to bring her the quilt. Then she sat on the edge of the bed and let out a heavy sigh.

She wasn't blind to the expectation in Zhou Yanqing's eyes, but... she had said that she didn't like things that were unclear or ambiguous.

She had no intention of getting involved with Zhou Yanqing, but when Ye Shengge acted up, she didn't feel disgusted by his touch and even wanted to take things further.

She didn't know what to attribute it to, whether it was the revelry or her own heart.

She fell backward, her eyes looking up at the ceiling. "Si Yanmo, Si Yanmo, how come you're still so confused after living two lives?"

Neither of them slept well that night, partly due to the effects of Ye Shengge's drug, and partly due to their own internal struggles with their relationship.

Whatever it was, it all eventually turned into a sigh.

Si Yanmo propped her head up and looked at the floor under the bed. There should have been someone there, someone she was used to having by her side, talking about all sorts of things before going to sleep.

As for Zhou Yanqing, ever since Si Yanmo came, he was finally able to enjoy his own bed as before, but he felt uncomfortable all over.

A man and a woman, a teenage couple, tossed and turned in their respective beds...

The weather changes so quickly. Just a few days ago, when Si Yanmo went out, the branches of the trees on the street were only a few tender green leaves. Now, at a glance, they are all lush and green.

As agreed, the two picked up their boss, Yunyun, and her husband for a spring outing.

They called it a spring outing, but in reality, everyone had their own ulterior motives.

Si Yanmo and her sister walked behind, while Zhou Yanqing and Zhou Junsong in front seemed to be on good terms, but their words were full of hidden dangers.

"Was it His Highness the Third Prince on the Shangsi Festival?" Zhou Yanqing asked tentatively.

Although he knew the truth, he deliberately concealed it, wanting to see what tricks Zhou Junsong was playing.

Zhou Junsong remained calm, neither admitting nor denying, and instead asked, "What makes you say that, Your Highness Prince Qin?"

"It's nothing." Zhou Yanqing curled his lips, his eyes filled with murderous intent. "You must have heard the rumors from back then, right? I cherish my wife like the apple of my eye. Anyone who dares to hurt her, I will have a hundred ways to make them wish they were dead."

Zhou Junsong pressed his fist to his lips and coughed weakly twice, appearing frail and delicate, yet his voice carried a dangerous undertone, "Your Highness should consider your reputation. It wouldn't be good if it brought about even greater disaster, after all..."

"After all, with the Third Prince dead, the Southern Emperor can use the pretext of a prince seeking revenge to lead his army into Qin territory, right?"

Before he could finish speaking, a woman's voice interrupted.

It is Si Yanmo.

The two turned around at the same time and found that their wives had come up behind them without them noticing.

As intelligent as Si Yunyun was, this was the first time she felt that she couldn't understand the situation before her.

She didn't speak, but stood silently beside Zhou Junsong. No matter what happened or what the outcome, she would always be the Third Prince's wife and would never be separated from her husband.

Zhou Junsong smiled, understanding in his heart, "It seems that the King of Qin and his wife did more than just want to enjoy the spring scenery today."

“We’re all smart people, so let’s get straight to the point.” Si Yanmo led the group to sit down on a nearby stone bench.

"Then let's not beat around the bush. What do Your Highness Prince Qin and your wife want me to do?" Zhou Junsong and his wife sat down together, while Si Yunyun observed the situation without speaking.

“That’s a question I should ask the Third Prince,” Si Yanmo said. “The Third Prince is trying to win me over while simultaneously sending people to kill me. It really baffles me.”

"The shaman Mo is a master strategist; do I even need to ask him?"

It's really tiring to talk to smart people. Si Yanmo watched as he threw the question back at her and sighed inwardly.

"His Highness the Third Prince desires the throne and needs a diviner to assist him in court."

"But Mo Wubu doesn't seem to want to leave here."

The two of them took turns talking, and finally they got to the point.

Seeing this, Zhou Yanqing joined the negotiations, saying, "My wife and I are deeply in love, so naturally she will not leave, but... I am willing to lend a helping hand to the Third Prince."

These words surprised Zhou Junsong, who couldn't tell whether the other party was using delaying tactics or genuinely intending to side with him.

At this moment, Si Yunyun was the most anxious. More than anyone else, she hoped that her family would not stand on the opposite side.

"Husband..." she said, her voice trembling as she took Zhou Junsong's hand.

Si Yanmo naturally saw her sister's worries, and realized that she herself was not entirely confident of victory.

In her past life, when she and Zhou Junsong were still husband and wife, she could tell that he was the most suspicious person. He would not trust anyone unconditionally, let alone Zhou Yanqing, who was one of his competitors.

Just as the air seemed to freeze, Zhou Yanqing silently took out a jade pendant and pushed it in front of Zhou Junsong.

"Cooperation should be based on sincerity. This is the military tally of Wufeng Pass. With it, His Highness the Third Prince can mobilize troops from Wufeng Pass. I think this is a greater help than a diviner."

When he took out the military tally, Si Yanmo panicked. They hadn't mentioned this when they discussed it yesterday!

She secretly kicked Zhou Yanqing's leg under the table, her eyes questioning whether he had gone mad.

Zhou Yanqing calmly waved his hand, indicating that she should not panic, and then asked Zhou Junsong, "How is it? Is the Third Prince satisfied with this pledge of allegiance?"

Zhou Junsong frowned slightly, his eyes filled with complex emotions, and picked up the military tally to examine it.

It doesn't look fake.

That would be even stranger.

What could possibly make the King of Qin, who valued military power the most, willingly hand over the military tally? It was the military tally at Wufeng Pass, the border between the three kingdoms.

Is it really for a woman?

Zhou Junsong didn't believe it; at least he couldn't bring himself to hand over his trump cards for Si Yunyun's sake.

There are only two explanations for all of this: one is that it's a delaying tactic, and the other is...

"I'm curious, did Mo Wubu ever divine my fate? What do you think... my destiny will be?"

He didn't think his current strength was worth Zhou Yanqing's delaying tactics, who already knew the whole truth. After all, this was still Qin territory, and if he wanted to die, there were 100 ways.

There's only one possibility: they know he'll win, and they've already chosen sides.

Zhou Junsong couldn't help but look forward to Si Yanmo's answer.

Si Yanmo didn't react for a moment when she heard his words.

Does she need to have Zhou Junsong's birth chart analyzed?

She knew Zhou Junsong better than anyone else, after all, she had been his wife for a year in her previous life and had seen too many of his schemes, both openly and secretly.

Of course, it wasn't that she hadn't looked into his destiny.

That's why she was even more wary of this person.

Back during the Lantern Festival banquet, she had secretly looked at his destiny. Besides what he already knew—that he would become the Southern Emperor—what shocked her even more was that his encounter with her sister that day was also part of Zhou Junsong's plan.

She once thought that in her past life he didn't like her, which was why he only used her. She never expected that he would treat the person he liked the same way.

If she hadn't known that the two would become a loving couple and that her sister would become the Queen of the South and live a happy life, she probably would have ruined their marriage.

Even if someone with such a deep mind obtains the military seal, they will still need to be tested.

Si Yanmo finally understood what he was asking; he felt that there was something between them.

That's true. People are driven by self-interest. She and Zhou Yanqing were fighting for their lives, but... they were just on opposing sides.

Perhaps in her past life, Zhou Junsong didn't give her any affection or stability, but he must have taught her that only those who can make a profit can become her strongest ally.

She smiled and said, "Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed, but things can be accomplished by human effort. The Third Prince knows what he should do and why we are here."

"certainly."

At this point, the farce seemed to have come to an end, but Si Yanmo still felt uneasy. On the way back, she asked Zhou Yanqing, "Why did you give him the military tally of Wufeng Pass?"

If it were anywhere else, it wouldn't matter, but Wufeng Pass is at the junction of three kingdoms, which is equivalent to the lifeline of Qin. Most importantly, it is adjacent to Qi Valley. If Zhou Junsong changes his mind and cooperates with the King of Qi, Wufeng Pass will fall into the hands of the King of Qi.

This old man has been targeting Qin for more than just a day or two; he wants to take Qin over more than anyone else.

“Zhou Junsong is not someone who will easily believe us. You have to show him that you have sacrificed a piece of your flesh before he will believe that we have come with sincerity.”

Seeing her worried expression, Zhou Yanqing felt a sweet warmth in her heart and took the opportunity to hold her hand while explaining.

Since that night, Si Yanmo had gotten used to it and felt no discomfort from his touch, her attention entirely focused on the military tally.

"Even cutting off a piece of flesh isn't like cutting off your heart! Are you stupid?"