Chapter 52, first published on Jinjiang (1st update) We haven't set off yet...
Ruan Yu was no longer sleepy and simply sat up, her eyes widening involuntarily: "Lingzhou? You're taking me there?"
Chao Lu: "Hmm, don't you want to go? It might take me half a month to a month to get there this time."
"But what... what am I supposed to do there?"
Chao Lu glanced at her several times, but he was too embarrassed to say the words "accompany him" directly. He only said, "Don't you like the Central Plains? You can get used to the food and accommodation there."
Ruan Yu fell into deep thought.
"Actually, it's not so bad. Since you can help me deliver letters to my mother and the others, I'm not in such a hurry. I'm not really familiar with Lingzhou and Liangzhou..."
Chao Lu panicked: "But the Lantern Festival is coming soon, I..."
Ruan Yu opened her eyes wide and looked at him, then hurriedly said to Lu, "Don't misunderstand! I didn't ask you to come over and insist on being with me... Of course, I want to get rid of this damn Gu poison before the Lantern Festival!"
Fearing she might overthink things, Chao Lu hurriedly offered an explanation. Ruan Yu stared at him for a while, then suddenly smiled: "What exactly is Your Highness thinking?"
After holding back for a while, Chaolu finally laid his cards on the table: "I just want you to come with me! Why don't you come keep me company if you're free, okay?"
Ruan Yu chuckled.
"Then why don't you just say it directly instead of beating around the bush?"
Seeing her smile, Chaolu also grinned shamelessly, leaning forward and nuzzling her: "So you agree?"
Ruan Yu thought about it carefully for a moment, then nodded: "Alright, if Father Khan agrees, I will go with you. I don't seem to have anything important to do on the grassland."
Chao Lu laughed, and suddenly cupped the person's cheeks and kissed them several times!
Ruan Yu pushed him away in disgust: "Spit!"
Chao Lu just chuckled.
The two of them lay down in bed together, and Chaolu continued to tell her about the Kar tribe.
"It will probably be a while before my older brother and the others return. This is no small matter."
Ruan Yu asked, "Gerru is dead. Will Taren succeed him?"
If Taren and Imin become the new leaders, the Una family's power will also increase, and then...
"Not necessarily. The power structure of the Kar tribe is quite complex. Gerru has three sons, so Taren may not necessarily take over."
"So that's how it is..."
Chaolu kissed her cheek: "Don't worry about these things."
Ruan Yu: "I don't want to get involved either... So could you help me find a way to send the letter home back to Chang'an tomorrow...?"
Chao Lu moved a little closer to Ruan Yu, and Ruan Yu was once again pinned against the wall.
The man kissed her shoulder blade.
"Of course, no problem. In fact, your mother's reply should be arriving soon."
Ruan Yu let out a sob, and suddenly her waist went limp.
"Thank you, Your Highness..."
Chao Lu: "Don't just talk the talk."
Ruan Yu lowered her eyes, turned around, and her breathing became heavy as she looked at Lu.
...
The next morning, which was supposed to be the start of the new year, the atmosphere on the grassland was tense.
Damu and Una were to return to Karl early in the morning. On their return, Khurel allocated an army to Damu in case of emergency.
On the way back, most people saw them off at the entrance of the Golden Tent. Qiqige suddenly leaned close to Ruan Yu and said, "Sister-in-law, you look really unwell. You know, I heard that she has a very good relationship with her uncle's family."
Why do you say that?
Qiqige explained to her in a low voice: "When Una was little, she was fostered by the Gerru couple. At that time, Taren was going to war in place of his brother or something, anyway, he left home. The couple took Una's brother with them, but not Una."
"I see……"
It's no wonder Una looked really bad after her beloved elder was assassinated.
"Oh, right, look at that." Qiqige, quick to get information, pointed in the direction of Naren to Ruanyu.
"What's wrong?"
“That’s Naren’s adopted daughter, she was just granted the title of Begi.”
Ruan Yu's eyes widened: "What...?"
As soon as Qiqige finished speaking, Naren glanced over and whispered something to Baoyin. Baoyin nodded and walked towards Ruanyu and her sisters-in-law.
"I have met my second sister-in-law, third sister-in-law, and fourth sister-in-law."
Yu Zhu's face was quite unpleasant. Her mother-in-law had gone out once and suddenly brought back a little sister-in-law. Last night, she had a fight with Cha Er about this, but Cha Er didn't care. She was just a little girl; her mother liked her and adopted her, so what was the big deal? But Yu Zhu just felt uncomfortable. She was very unaccustomed to living under the same roof as a stranger, so she had a sullen face and didn't really want Ruan Yu and Qi Qi Ge to pay attention to her.
Qiqige didn't notice Yuzhu's expression and smiled in agreement. Ruanyu noticed, but she wouldn't go along with Yuzhu's wishes, since so many people were watching. So she nodded in response.
Bao Yin's gaze fell on Hela again, and she smiled slightly: "Sister."
Hela opened her eyes wide.
There aren't many Begis on the grasslands, and the few that are have all married. Hela is the only one, and as the eldest daughter, she holds a high position.
Hela didn't know what to say about her suddenly appearing sister, so she just nodded politely.
Naren then walked up with a smile.
"Baoyin is my adopted child. She is well-behaved and sensible. I hope you will take good care of her from now on."
Everyone gave Naren some face, and Naren was quite good at handling people: "It's been a long time since I've seen you all, especially Sikortun. I didn't prepare anything for our first meeting, but I brought some small gifts with me as a token of my appreciation. Please accept them."
Everyone thanked her, and Ruan Yu did not refuse.
After exchanging pleasantries, Naren took Baoyin back home.
Yu Zhu muttered, "My mother-in-law insisted that I come along with her to Lingzhou this time. It's really annoying."
Ruan Yu finally looked at her, somewhat surprised: "Why is that?"
Yuzhu: "Don't you know? She's the daughter of a shepherd and healer, and she knows some medicine too. It's said that the witch doctor is in Lingzhou, and Mother said that Baoyin should go with him to learn. It's perfect that she can go with Chaer and us. I really don't understand..."
This sentence contains a lot of information.
Firstly, Yuzhu actually wanted to go to the Central Plains with Cha'er.
Secondly, Baoyin must also go along.
Ruan Yu suddenly didn't want to go anymore; staying on the grassland with her mother and older sister was just fine...
...
Chaolu also heard about this and cursed after returning from the Golden Tent.
Ruan Yu told him what had happened during the day, and Chao Lu immediately jumped up.
"No, you have to come with me!"
Ruan Yu: "...I won't!"
Chao Lu's brows and shoulders slumped instantly: "Yu Yu..."
He leaned closer, his tone somewhat ingratiating: "Today, Father Khan and I have confirmed the details. We can leave in a few days. We will settle in Lingzhou with two hundred guards. I can arrange the residences in advance. Third Brother and the others should also be arranged. We can live separately from them so that we don't interfere with each other. I was also thinking of having Yang Chong accompany you this time. You can go out whenever you want, as long as the guards follow and protect you."
Ruan Yu was somewhat surprised: "You arranged everything so meticulously?"
Chao Lu snorted: "Last time we went to Liangzhou it was just a temporary trip. This time we're going for a longer period of time, so I naturally need to make some careful plans."
She has her own separate house, guards when she goes out, and she doesn't have to live with Yuzhu and the others...
Ruan Yu lowered her eyes: "Alright, in that case I'll still go."
Chao Lu: "You can have your older sister come along if you want!"
Ruan Yu shook her head: "You should ask your sister for her opinion on this matter. Don't make decisions on your own. There are many things going on on the grassland recently, and I think Mother needs to be by her side."
"That's true..."
Ruan Yu: "You really want Yang Chong to follow me? To be at my beck and call?"
Chao Lu: "Well, I had already planned that you wouldn't have a guard by your side. Isn't Yang Chong from the Central Plains? You and he seem to get along quite well."
When he said the last sentence, Chaolu's teeth ached a little. Ruanyu noticed it, but this time she smiled, put the book aside, sat up straight, and took the initiative to hook her arms around Chaolu's neck, giving him a soft kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you, my husband. You are so good to me."
Chaolu's mind went blank, his nose filled with her fragrance.
It took me a while to come to my senses.
Before he even set off, he felt like he was going to die.
-
In the afternoon, Ruan Yu went to Lady Qiu's tent again.
Madam Qiu smiled and said, "I already know about this, An'an, you and Chaolu can go without worry."
Hela smiled and said, "I won't go. I'll stay here with my mother. With you there, I can feel more at ease."
Ruan Yu smiled and agreed.
"By the way, Mother," Hela told her about Baoyin's incident that morning.
Madam Qiu: "I already know that."
Ruan Yu was genuinely curious, "What exactly happened?"
Madam Qiu smiled and said, "Naren is Saren's sister, you should already know that, right?"
"Yes, but I hadn't heard of it before..."
Lady Qiu smiled and explained to them, "Although these two are biological sisters, Naren was lost when she was young and was adopted by a couple in a remote tribe. She was only found after she grew up. At that time, Saren's parents felt very guilty towards her, so they proposed to send Naren to the Kar tribe. On the one hand, this was to secure a good future for their younger daughter, and on the other hand, it would be good for the two sisters to look after each other. Saren originally disagreed, but unexpectedly, after Naren came for a month, their relationship became very good, and she took the initiative to ask the Khan to take her as a concubine, so the Khan agreed."
Hela's eyes widened: "Mother...you know so much, I've never heard you say this before..." "Well, because I don't care, and I don't really want to care."
Ruan Yu and Haila had complicated expressions.
"Father Khan's women... there really are quite a lot..."
Lady Qiu smiled and said, "All the great Khans of the grasslands have always been like this."
"Then why has Naren been absent for the past two years? Where has she gone?"
Madam Qiu said, "She seems to be a very sentimental person. The tribe that adopted her actually treated her very well. I heard that she returned home to observe mourning after her adoptive mother passed away."
Ruan Yu exclaimed in surprise: "This is really...giving up the position of Hadun to go home and observe mourning..."
Madam Qiu hummed in agreement: "I'm not entirely sure why she brought Baoyin back. If you don't like it, just keep your distance. It's no big deal."
Ruan Yu and Haila responded softly.
Madam Qiu's expression suddenly turned serious: "But I will keep a close eye on Saren's situation recently."
The matter of Chaolu being poisoned has not yet been settled.
This was the first time Ruan Yu had heard her mother-in-law bring this matter up in public. Hela was silent for a moment, then said seriously, "I will help my mother."
Madam Qiu smiled and looked at Ruan Yu: "An'an, things are complicated here, and you don't need to worry about many things. Just take good care of Chao Lu for me, and I will be extremely grateful to you."
Ruan Yu smiled slightly.
"I will, Mother."
...
The departure date was set for early morning of the third day of the Lunar New Year.
This trip to Lingzhou will likely involve staying for a while longer, and Xuanniang and Qingguo have been busy packing for almost two days.
These past two days, Chao Lu has been extremely busy.
On the morning of the third day of the Lunar New Year, Ruan Yu got up very early.
Chao Lu had just returned.
“Yu Yu, Sixth Brother is coming with us this time!” Chao Lu seemed very happy. Ruan Yu was taken aback for a moment, then said, “Okay.”
She didn't object to her sixth brother going with them. Besides, the important thing was for Chao Lu to get the antidote, and since the witch doctor was found by Turing, it was only right that he go along.
Chao Lu smiled and stepped forward to squeeze her hand.
"I didn't sleep a wink last night. Today I'll ride in a carriage with you instead of on horseback."
Ruan Yu also noticed the dark circles under his eyes, and pursed her lips: "Okay, I understand. I want to ride a camel for a while, you can rest peacefully in the carriage."
Chao Lu: "..."
"You can forget about it; there are only warhorses and no camels in the team."
He reached out and pinched Ruan Yu's cheek, clearly knowing what he wanted to say. Was he doing it on purpose?
-----------------------
Author's note: Big Dog: I'd give you my life.
Yu Yu: You're just giving me things nobody wants... [Laughing and crying while covering face]
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