Chapter 132 Regardless of the changes ahead, we will never turn back.
The capital of the Northern Barbarians is far from the northern border of the Great Xia. Because the Northern Barbarians have expanded their territory too quickly in recent years, the capital stopped migrating with the nomadic seasons and was established in its current location two years ago.
The capital city is now situated in an area that is half desert and half grassland. When Shen Liu arrived in the capital city, it was during the sandstorm season. The flying sand made people instinctively try to avoid it. However, even on such a windy day, it could not dispel the tense atmosphere in the capital city of the Northern Di.
"Have you heard? The Great Xia Crown Prince's army has been trapped for more than ten days. Guess how long it will take before we hear news of the Xia army's deaths?"
"Those ignorant Xia dogs, do they really think we Northern Di are easy to bully? Over the years, we Northern Di have established ourselves as the overlords of the grasslands. If they come here, they will only die here as sacrifices to the heavens!"
"I've heard that the Xia army possesses formidable hidden weapons. Once we've surrounded and annihilated them, we'll make them hand them over without hesitation..."
On the first day Shen Liu arrived in the capital of the Northern Di Kingdom, he heard that the Xia army had been besieged by a coalition of grassland tribes. He had originally come to dissuade the Crown Prince from destroying the country, but he never expected to receive such news.
The Northern Barbarians unified the desert a few years ago and have recently established a foothold on the grasslands. Now the crown prince is trapped in the capital by the allied forces, and such a force is not something he can control on his own.
Dressed in a long robe and hidden in the bustling city, Shen Liu had never imagined that his situation after arriving in the Northern Di would be so troublesome. He used the dagger at his side to cut off a piece of meat and put it in his mouth. The lamb leg was very delicious, but in this situation, Shen Liu felt that it tasted like chewing wax.
Amidst the clamor of voices, he remained silent, waiting for the leader of the city's garrison.
As a secret guard of the Shen family, Shen Liu was no ordinary person. Although he could not rescue the 30,000-strong army of the Great Xia Dynasty on his own, he could start with the city's garrison. Once he entered the place where they were trapped, he could at least talk to the Crown Prince and pass on the Crown Princess's information to him.
Upon seeing a familiar figure appear in the crowd, Shen Liu quickly sheathed his dagger, put on his robe again, and walked into the bustling city. When the guards at the city gate saw him, their serious expressions softened, as if they were seeing an old friend they had known for many years.
That night, the eagle circled three times over the city of Beidi, then with a long cry, it flapped its wings and disappeared into the clouds.
When Chu Rou received the message from the Northern Di capital, Shen Yujiao had already entered the palace. If Xu Zhiyuan hadn't been vigilant, and if Shen Yujiao hadn't left the Shen family's secret guards at the Duke's mansion, they probably wouldn't have been able to intercept the hawk messages that only the Shen family could receive.
The Northern Barbarians, along with other tribes, have launched a joint attack on the Xia army. The crown prince is trapped and urgently needs reinforcements.
"how so!"
Xu Zhiyuan was shocked. What they knew was completely different from this news. His forced composure was tinged with panic, and he subconsciously looked at Chu Rou standing to the side: "Liangdi, what should we do?"
According to the original plan, they should have dispersed tonight to prepare for the ceremony, but given the current situation, he didn't know whether they should proceed as planned.
Chu Rou's eyelashes trembled a few times. She held onto the shelf beside her and pondered the relationship between the events. The words Shen Yujiao had spoken to her before leaving echoed in her ears: "If anything unexpected happens, A Rou, you are in charge of making all the decisions for me."
Now is the moment. After thinking for a while, a muffled thunderclap accompanied by lightning ripped through the sky, illuminating the room in an instant. Chu Rou's face was half hidden in darkness and half reflected in the lightning.
"Lord Xu, please proceed with the explosives as planned. Leave the rest to me."
Just as Grand Tutor Chu once taught her—half resolute and decisive, half desperate and determined.
No matter what lies ahead, we will never turn back.
The palace servants moved with great efficiency, and Shen Yujiao moved into Baoguang Palace, which was right next to Taiwei Palace, that very evening.
Shen Yujiao sat at the head of the table, watching the palace maids bustling about. Jiang Yu sat beside her, watching her closely. She remained serene, sipping her tea from her covered bowl, occasionally meeting his gaze with a slight smile.
"Bright surveillance," Chen Yujiao thought to herself.
Just as she was pondering how to dismiss the man, she heard a eunuch outside announce, "Your Majesty, the King of Thailand requests an audience."
Jiang Yu frowned, somewhat displeased: "Where is the King of Zhao? Didn't we instruct that before the ceremony, any matters could be decided with the King of Zhao?"
“Your Majesty, Prince Zhao is currently discussing matters with the generals and is temporarily unable to see Prince Tai. However, I noticed that Prince Tai seems to have urgent business to attend to, and I was afraid of disturbing His Majesty’s peace and quiet. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me.”
"What's the urgent matter?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yu was about to get up when Shen Yujiao, seeing his movement, quickly rubbed her forehead and said, "Ayu, my head hurts..."
Turning his head and seeing her frown, Jiang Yu quickly bent down to support her: "Should we call the imperial physician?"
Shen Yujiao placed her hands on the small table and shook her head slightly: "It only comes in waves, there's no need to call the imperial physician."
“This…” Jiang Yu was still a little uneasy. Turning his head, he saw the little eunuch’s body almost touching the ground and said impatiently, “Summon the Prince of Tai to come in and give an answer.”
Upon receiving the order, the young eunuch hurriedly went out to deliver the message. Before long, the King of Thailand brought the King of Wu into the palace. The moment the two brothers appeared, everyone in the room was instantly shocked.
Shen Yujiao was surprised that he had brought Jiang Lin with him to the audience, while Jiang Yu was surprised by the redness in the King's eyes. The King was an extremely unruly person, and he really couldn't think of anything that could cause such a big emotional fluctuation in the world.
"Your Majesty, my maternal grandfather passed away suddenly last night. My mother is grief-stricken and has fallen ill. I was raised by my maternal grandfather and am also heartbroken upon hearing the news. I hope Your Majesty will consider my maternal grandfather's contributions over the years and allow me to take my son, Xiao Jiu, to Weizhou to attend the funeral."
"You mean... General Qi has passed away?" Jiang Yu stood up from beside Shen Yujiao in shock. "Why didn't the Ministry of Personnel report this?"
"With martial law in place in the city, memorials from Weizhou are unlikely to reach the Emperor. I only learned a month ago that my maternal grandfather was unwell, which is why I had my servants stand guard at the city gate. Today, I suddenly received the news of his passing..."
Jiang Yan's voice trembled unusually, and Jiang Lin knelt half a step behind him, his shoulders also shaking. The two brothers seemed to be in extreme grief, which was heartbreaking to see.
Even so, Jiang Yu still refused: "The grand ceremony is just around the corner. My sixth and ninth brothers are both future pillars of my state. The ceremony cannot be without you. It is indeed heartbreaking to see General Qi pass away, but perhaps a couple of days later..."
Seeing Jiang Yan's bloodshot eyes and the unbelievable sorrow within them, Jiang Yu's throat tightened. Shen Yujiao, sitting beside him, saw this and spoke up to comfort him, "A-Yu—"
Her soft call drew everyone's attention. In the whole world, there was probably only one person who dared not address Jiang Yu as "Your Majesty".
Shen Yujiao lowered her eyes and stood up with a trembling body. Jiang Yu saw that she was unsteady and quickly stepped forward to support her. Shen Yujiao leaned against him and said softly, "Sixth Brother grew up under the care of General Qi since he was a child. Now that General Qi has passed away, if he cannot attend the funeral, it will be a lifelong regret. Although it is best not to be absent from the ceremony, it is not worth it for brothers to have any grudges over this matter."
Jiang Yu had already found it hard to be ruthless towards the two brothers, and now, with Shen Yujiao's persuasion, he felt his thoughts were in complete disarray.
Sensing that the people around her were wavering, Shen Yujiao continued softly, "I have a plan, would you like to hear it?"
The use of "you" and "me" in addressing her was enough to make anyone frown. Such inappropriate language and behavior had never been seen in the royal family before, but Jiang Yu seemed not to think there was anything wrong with it: "A-Jiao, you may speak freely."
"The sixth and ninth brothers are brothers born of the same mother, but the ninth brother has received little education in the Qi family since childhood. It would be better to grant the sixth brother's wish and let him return to Weizhou to attend the funeral and fulfill his filial duties, while the ninth brother stays in the capital to participate in the ceremony. In this way, we can both demonstrate the royal family's favor to the Qi family and make good use of the importance they place on their younger brothers."
Her words were clever; they saved face while preserving substance, and regardless of the intentions of either side, they arrived at the best possible compromise.
Jiang Yan went to Weizhou alone, and even if he had a plan, it would be difficult for him to succeed; Jiang Lin stayed in the capital as a brother, and even if Jiang Yan really had a backup plan, he could be kept in check.
Jiang Yu's eyes lit up, clearly he had a point with Shen Yujiao's suggestion, but even so, he still sighed and turned to ask, "What do you think, Sixth Brother and Ninth Brother?"
"My lord, thank you Lord for your kindness."
Looking at Jiang Yan, who was kneeling in worship, Jiang Yu's eyes were fixed on the bulging veins on his hands. A mocking smile appeared on his lips. He took off a jade pendant from his body and threw it in front of him: "Since Sixth Brother thinks it is okay, then set off immediately. I will send the Imperial Guards to protect you all the way. After the funeral, remember to return to the capital as soon as possible."
"I obey the order."
Having said that, Jiang Yu stopped looking at the two brothers. Jiang Lin always took Jiang Yan as his leader, and seeing him kowtow in gratitude, he naturally followed suit. Then, he knelt down in the Anli Hall, following his elder brother step by step.
Shen Yujiao remained anxious. Since entering the palace, she had severed all contact with the outside world. She was unsure whether Jiang Lin's appearance here today was a coincidence. Although she managed to persuade Jiang Yu with a compromise, she was still uneasy about whether she had made a mistake. It wasn't until she saw Jiang Lin, who had walked to the palace gate, slightly tilt his head and nod at her that her long-held anxiety finally subsided.
These two brothers are truly audacious, daring to use the excuse of attending General Qi's funeral. It's hard to say whether to call them extremely unfilial, or to say that Jiang Yan has no scruples whatsoever, using the information gap caused by the city's martial law as a pretext to come up with such a reason to leave the city...
There's only one possibility: something happened.
Shen Yujiao lowered her eyes and smiled gently. When she looked up again, she was full of gentleness and peace when facing Jiang Yu: "I want to eat some Jiangnan dishes tonight. I haven't had them in a long time and I really miss them."
It was rare for her to make a request, so Jiang Yu smiled and nodded: "Alright, I've been eating Jiangnan cuisine for a long time. A few years ago, I found a chef who is good at Jiangnan cuisine. I'll summon him to the palace tonight so you can have a taste."
"OK......"
Under the cover of night, the candlelight in Baoguang Hall was warm and gentle, and the tender feelings of spring water in Jiangnan flowed over the dining table. Shen Yujiao's eyebrows and eyes were gentle, but she was always vigilant in her heart.
Before entering the palace, Shen Yujiao specially reviewed Shen Yujiao's preferences and habits. She originally thought that, given Jiang Yu's great care for Shen Yujiao, all the dishes on the table must be Shen Yujiao's favorites. Therefore, when she saw two dishes that did not quite match Shen Yujiao's dining preferences, Shen Yujiao immediately became alarmed.
Her chopsticks hovered around the two dishes, and Shen Yujiao glanced at them lightly: "You like eating fish now?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yu's expression softened slightly. She turned and ordered someone to remove the fish from the table. "This chef is skilled at cooking fish. Perhaps he wanted to show off in front of you. It's my fault for not giving him more detailed instructions."
She chuckled softly without speaking, lowering her eyes to conceal her emotions: "It's alright."
It turns out that Shen Yujiao is not a magic bullet either.
The night was long, and the clear light of the stars and moon shone on the windowpanes. Before the grand ceremony, some people couldn't sleep every night.
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