Seeing Lin Xiangzhi talking nonsense with a straight face, Xiao Jingzhao regretted that he had been bewitched to come and ask him.
"Fine, I'll figure out a solution myself. If I listen to your terrible ideas, it'll be too late."
Xiao Jingzhao picked up his teacup and took a sip. "Keep the Yuanxiao for yourself. I'll head back to the palace first."
"Your Majesty, I believe it is safest to consult with someone who has experience in this matter."
“You see, I’ve never pursued a girl before. Those bad ideas I came up with were from Zhu Xi. The servants in my courtyard often gossip about the capital, and that boy Zhu Xi told me about them as if they were new things.”
Lin Xiangzhi's suggestion surprised Xiao Jingzhao.
That seems reasonable; those who have been through it all know more and should be more reliable.
But he didn't want more people to know about this, and besides, most marriages are arranged by parents and matchmakers, so they're not really relevant.
Xiao Jingzhao abandoned his idea of asking for advice and left the Lin residence.
He was determined that as long as he treated her sincerely, Yue Niang would eventually see his true feelings.
Knowing that Nangong Zeyue had just left and that Yueniang was in a bad mood and would not want to see him, Xiao Jingzhao did not dare to go to the Jiang residence for several days.
On this day, Xiang Song hurriedly sent a message by carrier pigeon from the frontier.
Xiao Jingzhao quickly took the letter and read it quickly.
The letter stated that the Nanzhao Kingdom had mobilized 30,000 soldiers to challenge the enemy on the border and also intended to incite the Liang Kingdom's emperor to attack Wanling together.
Seeing his master's furrowed brow, Xiang Song suggested, "Your Majesty, the Nanzhao Kingdom is bewitched and determined to antagonize our country."
A long-lost murderous glint flashed in Xiao Jingzhao's eyes.
"Mo Ziyan must have received news that Mo Zixuan was on his way back to Liang. He was afraid that his ambition would be exposed, so he dragged the dogs of Nanzhao into a desperate act."
"Would the Emperor of Liang really be swayed?" Xiang Song was very worried. After all, Mo Ziyan held absolute power, and the Emperor of Liang was old. He could easily cut off the news of Mo Zixuan's departure to return to Liang.
They could even fabricate false information to sow discord, causing the Liang emperor to join forces with the Nanzhao Kingdom to send troops to Wanling.
If Mo Ziyan succeeds, Wan Ling will be fighting two opponents alone, and he will have almost no chance of winning.
Seeing that the emperor remained silent, Xiang Song said anxiously, "Your Majesty, should we write a letter to the Emperor of Liang and tell him the truth?"
Xiao Jingzhao shook his head. "It seems that Emperor Liang has been sidelined by Mo Ziyan. The letter won't even reach him."
"However, I believe that the Emperor of Liang is not confused. He will not relinquish his military power or abdicate in favor of any other prince before the mission returns."
Xiao Jingzhao's eyes darkened as he continued his analysis, "The reason why the Nanzhao Kingdom was willing to be used by Mo Ziyan is not simply because he was born to a princess of the Nanzhao Kingdom."
Xiang Song suddenly realized, "Does His Majesty mean that the Nanzhao Kingdom wants to annex the Liang Kingdom?"
Xiao Jingzhao nodded slightly. "From the moment the Nanzhao Kingdom sent its princess to marry the Liang Kingdom, it harbored ambitions to annex the Liang Kingdom. The Liang emperor is probably still unaware of this."
The Emperor of Liang clearly expressed in his personal letter that Liang was willing to befriend Wanling, a fact that Xiao Jingzhao firmly believed.
If Mo Ziyan seizes power by any means necessary, the consequences are self-evident.
Xiao Jingzhao immediately ordered 30,000 troops to go and provide support.
As spring deepened and all things began to sing, Jiang Shuyue's depressed mood gradually improved as she looked at the garden full of spring colors.
Seeing her reach out to stroke the petals beside her, Qiuju suggested, "Miss, spring is here and the flowers are in full bloom. This is the perfect time for a spring outing. Shall we go for a walk in the countryside?"
Jiang Shuyue thought for a moment and said, "Let Gao Muming go and bring Sui Sui back. Let's go to Peach Blossom Nunnery outside the city and stay for two days."
"Why don't you arrange for us to stay at the manor for a while, Miss? It's not far from Peach Blossom Village, and we can enjoy the peach blossoms there too."
Jiang Shuyue looked up into the distance, seemingly lost in thought, and said, "Peach Blossom Nunnery is the closest to the city. If he sends a message back, Cangyun can deliver it in just half an hour."
Qiuju calculated the days. Nangong Zeyue set off from the capital in early March, and it was already the end of March. There were post stations along the way to change horses, and she estimated that she would arrive at the border between the two countries in the next two days.
Jiang Shuyue could tell what Qiu Ju was thinking just by looking at her blinking eyes.
“You don’t need to calculate, I’ve already done it. The journey has been smooth, and we should be almost past the border. We’ve never been to Liang, so we don’t know how many days’ journey it is from the capital of Liang to the border.”
“What you say is true, Miss. The more I try to figure it out, the more confused I get. But don’t worry, Miss. The young master’s senior brothers are all highly skilled in martial arts. He will definitely be able to return to Liang Kingdom safely.”
Jiang Shuyue gave a bitter smile. "Actually, his return to Liang was just the beginning of the game. I hope he can send back good news soon."
Seeing that her mistress was sad, Qiuju quickly changed the subject.
"Miss Du will soon be leaving the capital to get married in Jiangzhou. Would you like to invite her to go on a spring outing together?"
"Of course we should. We should also invite Miss Zhan along. That girl is being kept at home by her grandmother, which must be quite boring."
Qiuju didn't wait a moment longer and immediately sent someone to deliver a letter to Du Yutong and Zhan Shuzhen.
Zhan Shuzhen was overjoyed to receive the invitation and excitedly ran to ask Madam Zhan for permission.
When Madam Zhan learned that it was Jiang Shuyue who invited her granddaughter, she readily agreed to let Zhan Shuzhen leave the mansion.
During the border war, the imperial court heavily relied on the sons of the Zhan family. In order to allow General Zhan to focus on fighting the enemy without distraction, the emperor bestowed a lot of gold, silver and fertile land upon the Zhan family.
The Zhan family quickly regained its place among the prominent families in the capital, and more and more families wanted to form marriage alliances with the Zhan family.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye. Cangyun stayed at the mansion, with Gao Mu acting as the coachman.
Jiang Shuyue asked Gao Mu to make a special detour to the Du and Zhan residences to pick up the two of them.
Du Yutong let Zhu'er ride in her own carriage, while she herself got into the Jiang family's carriage.
Seeing that there were two carriages available, Jiang Shuyue asked Miss Zhan to get into her carriage.
Qiuju, with great shrewdness, pulled Zhan Shuzhen's personal maid into the Du family's carriage.
The three of them were together, laughing and chatting all the way.
With no outsiders around, Zhan Shuzhen let her guard down. She recounted the scene of the matchmaker coming to her door with great enthusiasm, making Jiang Shuyue and Du Yutong laugh heartily.
"Sister Jiang, Sister Du, I'm telling the truth. Matchmaker Wang said that the young man from the Tang family is eight feet tall and handsome. When I heard that, I was so happy that I couldn't sleep all night. I dreamed about the handsome young man."
Du Yutong asked impatiently, "How was it? Did your mother send someone to secretly check him out? Is he really handsome?"
“My grandmother makes the decisions, my mother has no say. Guess what I did?” Zhan Shuzhen said mysteriously.
Jiang Shuyue said earnestly, "Little sister, you're so genuine. Which young girl doesn't have romantic feelings? You must have been unable to resist sneaking a peek."
"Sister Jiang understands me best. The next day, I took my maid and slipped out of the mansion to a steamed bun shop opposite the Tang mansion. In less than half a day, I met the handsome young master Tang, who was eight feet tall, as described by Matchmaker Wang."
Jiang Shuyue and Du Yutong could tell from Zhan Shuzhen's expression that the matchmaker had exaggerated.
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