...
Inside a simple house in the inner city of Hanyuan Pass.
A mature and charming woman who looked to be in her thirties was intently tending to the potted plants in the yard.
Beside the young woman was a beautiful young woman in simple clothes who bore a resemblance to Yu Xiyan, assisting her.
After a long while, the young woman raised her head, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and said to the girl, "Xiyao, stop working and rest."
The girl shook her head, forcing a smile: "Mother, I'm fine. It's good to be busy, so I don't have to think about other troublesome things."
Just then, Gu Yunxiao's voice rang out from outside the courtyard: "Empress Dowager, cousin, look who I've brought."
The two women turned around and were immediately stunned.
Shen Zhao was also taken aback when he saw the two of them.
The young woman was none other than Empress Dowager Gu, Gu Ningye, the birth mother of Yu Xiyan.
The girl is Yu Xiyan's younger sister, Yu Xiyao.
Yu Xiyao didn't recognize Shen Zhao; she just stood there, staring at him up and down.
Gu Ningye recognized Shen Zhao at a glance, and said with a smile, "It's been so long since I last saw you, Zhao'er, you've become even more energetic."
Shen Zhao immediately cupped his hands and said, "Greetings to Your Majesty the Empress Dowager and Your Highness the Princess."
Gu Ningye was his mother-in-law in his previous nine lives; how could Shen Zhao possibly forget her?
Unlike other novels where the protagonist, who is a son-in-law, always has an exaggerated and unreasonable mother-in-law.
On the contrary, Gu Ningye was dignified and proper, and as a mother to the world, she truly treated Shen Zhao like her own son. She watched him grow up since he was five years old, not only taking meticulous care of him in his daily life, but also teaching him many principles of life.
It was also Gu Ningye who made Shen Zhao Yu Xiyan's husband.
Even after marriage, Gu Ningye's attitude towards her remained unchanged. When she was at her lowest point in life, he would always comfort her. Sometimes, when she thought of Yu Xiyan's cold and heartless attitude towards Shen Zhao, she would feel sad.
Despite having no real mother-in-law, Shen Zhao privately treated her with the same respect he would show to his own mother.
However, this very person who treated him like his own son was defiled by more than a dozen villains one night and ultimately hanged himself in shame and indignation.
After Gu Ningye's death, Shen Zhao did everything she could to find the murderer. When she finally focused her attention on Lin Feng, she was framed by him, which led to a complete break with Yu Xiyan.
Recalling those past events, Shen Zhao felt incredibly conflicted.
Those who had good intentions should not have met such an end.
Gu Ningye walked slowly to Shen Zhao and gently took his hand, saying, "Zhao'er, I am happy to see you here again today. Come in and talk to me."
Shen Zhao nodded: "I will obey the Empress Dowager's orders."
After saying that, the two went inside and called Yu Xiyao in as well.
Upon seeing this, Gu Yunxiao's face lit up with joy, and he left the mansion without a care.
Inside the room, the three people sat in order of importance.
Yu Xiyao looked at the handsome man in front of her with curiosity, and after a long while asked, "Are you really my brother-in-law who ran away from his wedding?"
"Xi Yao, you mustn't be rude."
Gu Ningye glared at Yu Xiyao, then turned to Shen Zhao with a kind expression: "Zhao'er, what are you doing in this desolate border region? How have you been these past year?"
She kept quiet about Shen Zhao's elopement, which was obviously to ease the awkward atmosphere.
Shen Zhao smiled slightly and said, "Your Majesty, I am doing well, Princess. As for the desolate borderlands, that's a long story. We can discuss it in detail with Your Majesty another time."
Gu Ningye: "Since you are unwilling to talk about it, then I will not ask for now. As long as you are doing well, that's fine. When you've had enough of sightseeing, come back to the palace for a visit. It has always been your home."
This statement clearly implies that Shen Zhao should return to the palace to hold the wedding ceremony whenever you've had your fill of having fun outside.
Shen Zhao could easily understand, but he was determined not to repeat the mistakes of his previous life. However, he couldn't directly refuse Gu Ningye, so he simply nodded and said, "Thank you, Empress Dowager Gu. By the way, why are the Empress Dowager and the princess here?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Ningye sighed and remained silent.
Yu Xiyao, standing to the side, lowered her eyes and kept gripping the hem of her skirt with her jade-like hands.
"What's wrong?"
Shen Zhao frowned slightly when he noticed that the two had something difficult to say.
"Empress Dowager, Princess, what has happened? Would you mind telling me?"
Upon hearing this question, Yu Xiyao's beautiful eyes immediately welled up with tears. She bit her lower lip lightly, trying her best not to let the tears fall.
Gu Ningye sighed again before slowly saying, "You must have seen the situation in the Great Wilderness, right? War is imminent and there is no time to lose."
Shen Zhao nodded but did not reply.
Gu Ningye continued, "Two months ago, the Khan of the Northern Barbarians sent someone to court, specifically requesting that Xiyao marry into the Northern Barbarians and become their thirty-third concubine."
Xi Yan refused in court, which enraged the Northern Mang Khan, who even threatened to send a million Northern Mang cavalry to attack the pass, causing chaos throughout the Great Yin Dynasty.
However, with the floods in the seven southern prefectures just subsided, the imperial court was not prepared for a full-scale war with the Northern Barbarians. Panic gripped the court, and everyone urged Xiyan to agree to the marriage alliance to buy some breathing room.
But Xi Yan resolutely refused, stating that she would spare no effort to preserve the dignity of the Yintian Dynasty.
And Xi Yao..."
She glanced at Yu Xiyao, who had already shed two lines of tears but was trying her best to hold back her sobs, and her eyes were full of pity.
"Xi Yao knows that the current political situation is difficult, and that war would inevitably lead to widespread suffering, so she asked me to take her to Hanyuan Pass to monitor the situation."
If the Northern Barbarians were powerful, they would be willing to sacrifice themselves to buy the Great Yin a chance to breathe, so... alas..."
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