Chapter 64 Even a Young General Can Blush and Be Shy
Lu Zhaoruo smiled as she looked at the young general before her, who was showing a rare hint of naivety.
But then, remembering the purpose of his trip, his smile faded...
After all, he knew from his previous life that he and Gu Xian had a close relationship. Since the matter had already been brought up, there was no need to beat around the bush.
"Two days from now, my husband, who is away doing business overseas, will return home with his mistress. At that time, I would like to ask General Xiao to come to my humble abode as a guest, on the grounds that the Emperor is rewarding the Shen family for their military achievements."
The Zhang family has spread the word about the "divine favor" throughout the city.
Lu Zhaoruo lowered her eyes, concealing the sharpness in them: "Once I tear off his hypocritical mask in public, I hope the general will send him directly to the state government."
It's not the county government office.
It was the prefectural government office.
Xiao Yeming asked, "Why the prefectural government office?"
In the county government, a little money can turn black into white.
Lu Zhaoruo remained gentle and submissive: "In the county government office, I have a long-standing grudge against Lord Li, and my elder brother works there. I'm afraid that before the gavel even sounds, the magistrate will punish me for 'breaking the law,' and only after I'm half-dead from the beating will the case be heard."
Her voice was calm and unhurried, with a gentle smile always playing on her lips: "But the prefectural government is different. The magistrate is watching, the people are observing, and when the gavel strikes, half of Jizhou can hear his sordid deeds..."
"Although the state government has never interfered in family matters, if Commander Xiao personally escorts me, not only will I be spared the charge of 'illegally committing a crime,' but the prefect will surely be happy to publicly try this case."
Throughout, Lu Zhaoruo maintained the most proper sitting posture, with her hands folded on her knees, her demeanor impeccably respectful.
Xiao Yeming saw it all.
If he hadn't caught a sliver of cold light peeking through the gaps in her eyelashes as she lowered her head in what appeared to be a docile manner, he would have almost thought that this dignified and quiet young woman was simply gossiping about others.
Lu Zhaoruo raised her eyes, a perfectly timed smile playing on her lips: "I wonder if General Xiao could lend me a hand?"
Xiao Yeming's fingers suddenly tightened.
The more she acted this way, laughing nonchalantly and speaking casually, the more his heart ached.
An ordinary person would have wept bitterly upon being betrayed like this.
She swallowed her tears and blood, turning them into a smile.
He both hoped she would cry, yet feared that those tears would be for Shen Rongzhi.
The moment this thought arose, it felt like a dull knife cutting into his flesh, causing a dull ache throughout his internal organs.
"Two days later..."
He suddenly spoke, his voice deep and hoarse, yet deliberately softened: "I will certainly come."
Lu Zhaoruo rose gracefully and performed a standard curtsy: "This concubine thanks General Xiao."
Since Xiao Yeming was so kind in helping her, she was more willing to hand over the map of the Japanese pirates' lair to him, hoping to lend him a hand so that he could wipe out the Japanese pirates as soon as possible and bring peace back to the people of Linhai.
As he stood up, he took out the wax-sealed nautical chart from his sleeve.
She placed it on the table, opened the nautical chart, and said, "I am being presumptuous, but I have drawn some lines haphazardly these days. I don't know if they can be considered a map of the Linhai route."
Xiao Yeming stared at the drawing on the table, his gaze suddenly tightening, his fingers gripping the edge of the table.
The ink on the green paper was still fresh, yet the drawing technique was even more exquisite than that of the painters at the Maritime Trade Office.
The coastline is meticulously detailed, with even the smallest headlands showing no detail whatsoever.
He also used extremely fine silver lines to outline several hidden waterways, routes that the navy had not explored for many years. He had discovered these routes secretly during his six months in Linhai without alerting the Maritime Trade Office or informing anyone.
At the same time, three places were also marked, all of which were lightly sketched on previous versions of the "Linhai Waterway Map"...
He suddenly discovered that these hidden waterways all happened to pass through these three markers.
“When I was young, I learned to read and write with my father and read many Maritime Silk Road texts, which made me interested… After all, I lived in Jizhou City and always paid attention to the sea routes in the Linhai Sea. Later, I heard that my elder brother had died at sea at the hands of Japanese pirates, so I paid even more attention to these things.”
"Later, when my husband went to sea to do business, he was probably too longing for me, so he dreamed of the sea day and night. When he woke up, he could even remember the patterns on the rocks clearly, so he just drew them out."
Thinking it might be useful, I handed it to General Xiao.
"If...if this picture is completely different from the truth...the general should just consider it a woman's wishful thinking and discard it."
After speaking, she fell silent, carefully observing Xiao Yeming.
Xiao Yeming's fingertips slowly caressed the edge of the green paper, his eyes gradually darkening.
The coastline and reefs on this map are exactly the same as the "Linhai Waterway Map" recently issued by the Maritime Trade Office, and even the garrison markings of the patrol office are accurate.
But the waterway outlined by those three silver lines was exactly what he had secretly investigated over the past six months, yet it was even more intricate than he had ever known.
Because she used the tidal patterns to calculate the gaps between the patrol boats.
He had not noticed anything unusual about the three marked locations before, but upon closer inspection, he discovered that they avoided all the patrol stations' shipping lanes.
Lu Zhaoruo spoke up at the right moment: "These three places may seem inconspicuous, but they are actually natural harbors that can accommodate thousands of sails. However, I don't know if it's true or not, since I heard it from a deceased fisherman when I was young."
This is not a lie.
In her past life, she never understood why the Maritime Trade Office hadn't marked these three places.
Hidden sails?
Xiao Yeming was surprised.
This "Map of the Linhai Sea Route" underwent seventeen revisions over a hundred years, starting from the reign of Emperor Taizong. Each revision required verification by the testimonies of maritime merchants, fishermen, and captives, and was finally approved by twelve cartographers from the Maritime Trade Office.
It took three months to finalize the draft.
He had only been there for about six months when he found those waterways.
Why didn't the Maritime Trade Office discover these hidden waterways?
If a woman could spot three inconspicuous spots that could avoid the waterway, why didn't the Maritime Trade Office see them?
If it could accommodate thousands of sails, how could it not be marked on the nautical charts of the Maritime Trade Office?
Lu Zhaoruo understood that the other party had obviously noticed something amiss.
As for whether the Maritime Trade Office was secretly colluding with Japanese pirates, she considered herself merely a common woman, and such important matters of the court were none of her concern.
Seeing Xiao Yeming frowning and remaining silent, she glanced at him with a hint of self-mockery: "Look at how foolish I am. How could a woman confined to her chambers know anything about the sea route of Linhai? To actually take a dream illusion as reality, I am truly too foolish."
Lu Zhaoruo slowly raised her hand, intending to carefully put away the scroll, but unexpectedly Xiao Yeming suddenly stretched out his finger, his movement revealing a hint of undisguised urgency.
The moment their fingertips touched, both of them were startled.
A hint of surprise flashed in Lu Zhaoruo's eyes, while Xiao Yeming recoiled as if he had been burned.
His wrist trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly, but a blush had crept up to his ears, reflecting his slightly flustered tone: "This is truly abrupt, Madam Lu, please don't take offense."
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