Chapter 40 A Divine Man
Lin Ruoxue bowed to the emperor and said, "Your Majesty's grace is boundless. Your imperial aura is growing stronger and stronger, which has even caused the thousand-year-old sunken ship to appear on its own initiative."
The Xie family: Flattery will get you everywhere.
"Your Majesty, I observed the heavens last night and it appears that there will be no rain during the spring hunt from today onwards. Every day will be blessed with good weather, as if even the heavens are celebrating Your Majesty's victory!"
The emperor felt refreshed and drank a glass of fruit wine.
Lin Ruoxue continued, "Your Majesty, half an incense stick later, to express our gratitude for Your Majesty's grace, Heaven has prepared a performance for you."
The room was filled with whispers and people looked up at the sky, where only the bright moon could be seen.
"She actually said that Heaven was going to put on a show for His Majesty?"
"Really? Lin Ruoxue really dares to say that."
The Emperor looked up curiously at the bright moon. "Oh? Then I'll wait and see."
Soon, a chilling wind began to blow through the open space where the banquet was being held, and fallen leaves were blown onto the tables.
Xie Mianmian got goosebumps all over her body and felt inexplicably cold. She couldn't help but cross her arms and hug herself, rubbing her arms.
Seeing this, Wen Shuwan held the child on her lap, hugged her tightly, and shielded the child from the wind.
Slowly, a cloud drifted in from the sky.
Lin Ruoxue confidently raised her hand, "Please take a look, everyone."
The once bright moon now has a missing corner, unlike its usual waxing and waning phases; it looks as if it has been bitten by something!
Everyone stared blankly at the scene in the sky, speechless.
I felt the wind was getting stronger and stronger, and the moon was getting smaller and smaller.
Suddenly, the sky darkened.
Everything was pitch black except for the fire in the center, which was flickering in the darkness.
Xie Mianmian cried out and hid in Wen Shuwan's arms, somewhat frightened.
Just then, a strong arm wrapped around her, and Wen Shuwan jumped in fright.
A calm and reliable voice rang out, "Don't be afraid, it's me."
Xie Linyuan lowered his head and whispered in his wife's ear, "It's recorded in ancient books that it's just a celestial phenomenon called 'the heavenly dog eating the moon.' It will recover soon, so don't be afraid."
Wen Shu nodded, but still held the child tightly in her husband's arms, only then could she feel safe.
Then, the moon gradually reappeared.
The tense and silent atmosphere at the table gradually eased.
Only when the bright, white moonlight shone on them did they feel a sense of relief.
"It's a miracle!"
"Lin Ruoxue is truly a goddess! She can communicate with the heavens!"
Hearing everyone's praise, Lin Ruoxue smiled smugly. She was quite capable after all, able to predict tonight's celestial phenomena. She hadn't expected that a simple lunar eclipse could fool them.
Rather than relying on her father or that useless third prince, she'd rather do it herself; she's going to climb up!
Lin Ruoxue knelt down on both knees in front of the high-ranking official and shouted loudly, "Your Majesty is the true Son of Heaven, may you enjoy ten thousand years of blessings and peace!"
Everyone at the table knelt down and shouted in unison.
It is believed that soon the news of this grand occasion will spread to every corner of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and the people will support this emperor even more.
The Emperor took a long time to recover from his shock, then affirmed to Lin Ruoxue, "Excellent, reward her handsomely!"
Lin Ruoxue calmly accepted the reward, returned to her seat, glared at the Third Prince, and said, "What are you looking at? You're a piece of trash. You can't even catch a small thief. I have to watch you win the Emperor's favor."
Then, she glanced at the man again, only to see him tightly embracing the person in his arms.
Lin Ruoxue was so angry she almost ground her teeth to powder; even the reward she had just received didn't taste good anymore.
It wasn't until the end of the banquet that everyone dispersed in a daze.
Inside the Lin family's tent.
Lin's father held his teacup. "The Emperor actually ordered Xie Huaijin to investigate the tomb raiders. Should we..." He made a throat-slitting gesture.
Lin Ruoxue fiddled with the jewels bestowed upon her by the Emperor. "I'm afraid the Xie family's fortune will protect him again, but after tonight's events, I've gained the Emperor's favor, and the Lin family's fortune has risen. This time, we might succeed."
"I understand. We still have the explosives from last time. It won't be difficult to disguise them as explosives planted by bandits this time."
This time it won't rain, and there's no water source nearby. This time, there will definitely be no more ridiculous incidents like the explosives getting wet.
The father and daughter laughed happily.
A faint light shone from inside the tent of the eldest son of the Xie family.
After washing up, Xie Linyuan took off his outer robe and hung it on the wooden rack, only to find that his wife was still awake, sitting on the edge of the bed with her head down.
The dim candlelight made Xie Linyuan feel a little dazed. He remembered that a year ago, on their wedding night, she had sat on the couch in the same way, waiting for him to come back.
"Why aren't you asleep yet?" Xie Linyuan stopped in front of his wife, straddling her long legs.
“I…” Wen Shuwan paused for a moment, but still chose to continue, telling her husband the whole story of what happened today.
After speaking, Wen Shuwan lowered her head, like a prisoner Xie Linyuan usually judged, quietly waiting for the verdict.
But the person in front of him was his beloved wife.
Xie Linyuan reached out and grasped Wen Shuwan's slender neck, forcing her to look up at him, his thumb unconsciously rubbing his wife's cheek.
No one blames you, and neither do I.
Upon hearing this, Wen Shuwan's nose tingled and her eyes reddened.
Remembering Xie Mianmian's encouragement, Wen Shuwan took out the purse from her bosom and said timidly, "This is for my husband."
Xie Linyuan happily accepted it, but upon closer inspection, he realized it wasn't embroidered mandarin ducks at all, and the man was somewhat disappointed.
Noticing that Xie Linyuan didn't seem to like it, Wen Shuwan's heart skipped a beat, and she felt a little disappointed. "Does my husband not like it?"
"I like it," the man said quickly.
He liked anything his wife gave him, but he just didn't know how to tell her that he was a grown man and wanted his wife to embroider mandarin ducks playing in the water for him.
Xie Linyuan sighed. He wanted what his subordinates were showing off to.
Wen Shuwan lay down nervously. If she liked it, why was she sighing? If she didn't like it, why did she keep the purse close to her body?
She couldn't understand it, but feeling the man behind her holding her tightly, Wen Shuwan felt as if she had returned to her childhood room, which was very comfortable and safe. She gradually fell asleep.
Some people slept soundly all night, while others spent the whole night digging a hole.
The next day, the spring sunshine was bright and clear, just as Lin Ruoxue had said, there was no rain, making it a good day for hunting.
Everyone was eager to hunt, looking towards the inner perimeter, ready to make a big catch today.
Xie Huaijin was tending to the horses. He had searched the area last night and discovered a secret passage in the mountains, which appeared to have been dug by thieves.
The men sent there returned and said that the end of the secret passage led to a remote hilltop outside the nearby town.
He is now leading a team to suppress the bandits.
Xie Mianmian walked over yawning. Last night, she had been telling her second sister about her glorious achievements on the bed, and she was so excited that she didn't sleep well.
The flames beside him snorted, and the powerful gust of air woke the child up.
All that could be heard was the mournful cry of the flames. "Mianmian, there are explosives buried in the East Valley."
Xie Mianmian was now fully awake. She patted its face and comforted it, "Mianmian knows, I'll take care of it."
Knowing that her third brother might not take her with her, Xie Mianmian left a letter for the Xie family, on which was written in crooked handwriting: I am with my third brother.
Then the child secretly climbed onto a horse-drawn carriage, which contained some pots, pans, and dry food; it must have been a kitchen cart.
Soon, the group set off. Xie Mianmian lay in the carriage, swaying back and forth, as if she were in a cradle.
The child, who hadn't had enough sleep, closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep. Just then, the carriage ran over a stone, and the carriage shook violently.
Xie Mianmian fell off the carriage!
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