Gu worm
Lou Xuan sensed Jiang Jin's hesitation beside him. "Jin, what do you think? Should I kill him?"
Jiang Jin couldn't decipher the meaning behind Lou Xuan's words from his expression. "Your Highness, I think Wei Shu..."
Jiang Jin hesitated for a moment before kneeling down. "He cannot die. If he dies, no one can replace him in His Majesty's court. If Commander Chang is not familiar with the Imperial Guards and is forced to take command, it may cause trouble."
Lou Xuan slowly walked to the stone table and quietly looked at Jiang Jin. "Jin, if he doesn't die, he will endanger your safety. I can't gamble with your life."
“Your Highness, Wei Shu will not kill me, but I cannot guarantee that he will not tell anyone. So I have something here that may be the best of both worlds.”
Jiang Jin took a small box from the house, then cut her finger with a knife and drew her blood on the box. The box immediately began to move.
"This contains the Mother-Child Gu from the North. If the Child Gu dies, the Mother Gu is unharmed; if the Mother Gu dies, the Child Gu dies. If one harbors ill intentions towards the Mother Gu, it will devour one's heart and cause death."
"Jiang Jin, you want me to be a puppet!" Wei Shu was about to step forward when Jia Yi and the others held him tightly.
"You're not a puppet. As long as you don't tell anyone, you'll be fine." Jiang Jin pinched the venomous insect and stuffed it into Wei Shu's mouth.
"If Your Highness trusts me, then I will consume this mother Gu." Jiang Jin respectfully placed the mother Gu in front of Lou Xuan.
"If it has no adverse effects on your body, then you may eat it." Lou Xuan waved his hand, and Jiang Jin swallowed the mother Gu.
"Ah Jin, news has come from the capital that His Majesty wants to kill you." Lou Xuan said to Wei Shu, "His Majesty thinks Wei Shu is too concerned, so he wants to get rid of you, the one who makes him soften his heart."
Wei Shu stood up and looked at Lou Xuan in disbelief. "His Majesty would not do such a thing. Why would Your Highness make such a joke?"
"The letter from the capital is still fresh in our minds, General. Won't you take a look?" Wei Shu snatched the letter and skimmed through it. The stark words inside told him that His Majesty wanted to kill Jiang Jin, and that as long as he returned to the capital, he would surely die by secret decree.
"I will send Ajin to Zhuxi County." Wei Shu gripped the letter tightly and looked at Lou Xuan. "Does Your Highness need someone to protect Ajin?"
"That won't trouble you, General. But wouldn't you say that you've betrayed His Majesty?" Lou Xuan looked at Wei Shu, who was standing next to Jiang Jin, with great interest.
"His Majesty decreed that we should play music in harmony, but I didn't see this secret decree!" Wei Shu took a tinderbox and burned the letter to ashes.
"Xueya, come in with me. The rest of you stay outside." Lou Xuan took Jiang Jin's hand and led her into the house, while Xueya closed the door.
"Ah Jin, do you know why I wanted you to marry Wei Shu?" Jiang Jin glanced at Wei Shu and then shook her head.
“Because if we lose, at least he can protect you.” Lou Xuan sighed and touched Jiang Jin’s cheek. “I am a princess. If I lose, I will only be imprisoned or given a cup of poison. But I hope you can live.”
"Your Highness!" Jiang Jin grasped Lou Xuan's hand. "That day will never come, and even if it does, I will never abandon Your Highness!"
"Ah Jin, don't act rashly. At least with you here, we haven't completely lost."
Lou Xuan patted Jiang Jin's hand and said to Wei Shu, who was standing to the side, "Wei Shu, it was my plan for A Jin to marry you, and it was also my order for her to go to Yuezhou with you. But my purpose is not to make you work for me, but to make you protect A Jin in the end."
Jiang Jin held back her tears and shook her head. Lou Xuan patted the back of Jiang Jin's hand. "Jin, I am a princess, so I must fight for the women of the world and for the people of the world. But I also have selfish desires. I want to keep you."
Lou Xuan didn't say anything more, looked at Wei Shu and smiled, "I know what you're thinking, but let me tell you, I have no ambition for the throne. As for Father Emperor, you don't need to say anything. He won't kill me, especially since I'm still useful."
"Your Highness, what exactly do you want?" Wei Shu clenched his fist and gripped the dagger in his hand.
"For thousands of years, men have been the most powerful. It's time for a change. Who says women can't be officials or have a say? In Wei Shu, there are quite a few noblewomen who are unwilling to be pawns. It remains to be seen how to win them over." Lou Xuan's eyes flashed with the ambition familiar to Wei Shu.
"It seems Your Highness has been planning this for a long time. I will await good news. However, I will still keep a close watch on you. If anything seems amiss, I will speak to His Majesty even at the cost of my life." Wei Shu walked up the steps that Lou Xuan had offered.
"I suppose General Wei has learned the saying 'a wise man submits to circumstances' after years in officialdom. Then I look forward to your performance tonight. The scouts have reported that Wang Juesong will secretly leave Jiufang City tonight. As long as we deliver the final blow, I think His Majesty's reward will be substantial."
Lou Xuan squinted at the wound on Jiang Jin's finger, "Xueya, hurry up and apply medicine to this idiot."
"Yes." Xueya took out some wound medicine and carefully applied it to the wound on Jiang Jin's finger. "My lady just cuts without giving anyone time to react." Xueya carefully blew on the wound. "My lady, don't get hurt again before we return to the capital, or His Highness will be angry again."
"I will protect myself," Jiang Jin retorted softly, then glanced silently at Lou Xuan, whose face was cold.
"Your Highness, it's inevitable to get injured when you're out in the world. Besides, it was just a light scratch, the wound isn't deep at all." Jiang Jin placed her medicated finger in front of Lou Xuan.
“You’re always like this.” Lou Xuan reached out and poked Jiang Jin’s forehead. “Take good care of yourself tonight. If you get injured again, I won’t have enough wound medicine.”
"Understood. With Yi Yi and Yi Er protecting me, I will be safe and sound. Your Highness, please take good care of yourself and don't give Wang Juesong and his men any opportunity." Jiang Jin squatted down next to Lou Xuan and hugged her arm. "Your Highness, we must both be safe."
"Okay." Lou Xuan stroked Jiang Jin's hair. "I promise you, and you have to promise me too."
"Of course." Jiang Jin reached out and patted Lou Xuan's hand. "A promise is a promise!"
"Alright, I'm leaving the city now. Take good care of yourself." Lou Xuan stood up, hugged Jiang Jin, and gently patted her back. "Get some rest. See you tonight."
"Okay." Jiang Jin reluctantly saw Lou Xuan off at the door. Seeing Jiang Jin's pitiful look, Lou Xuan finally showed his first smile of the day.
"Let's go in." She patted Jiang Jin's hand, then led the group out of the courtyard.
"Your Highness, when did Lady Jiang learn to control Gu worms? Our people haven't been in the North for very long!" Xueya helped Lou Xuan into the supply wagon.
"It's fake, just an ordinary bug. I bet Ah Jin caught it on the spot to make up the numbers." Lou Xuan rubbed his temples. "It's just a way to give me an out."
"Should we take action? Wei Shu is a treacherous and cunning man; we must eliminate him." Xueya guessed that Lou Xuan might have let Wei Shu go out of consideration for Jiang Jin.
"No need. Didn't you see that Wei Shu was willing to defy the Emperor's secret decree and protect A Jin despite the pressure?"
Lou Xuan looked at the pink nail polish on her fingertips and laughed. "Those who used to fool Wei Shu are all in the mass grave now. Who else can be as good as A Jin, flirting and teasing each other in the house?"
"So our plan has succeeded?" Xueya asked excitedly. "Your Highness, we've finally grasped one of Wei Shu's weaknesses!"
"But I don't recall receiving any news from the capital today?" Xueya's heart tightened when she saw Lou Xuan's ambiguous smile. "Then what news?"
"Does the authenticity of the letter even matter? What matters is that someone has come to understand their own heart. Besides, do you even know what Xueya is talking about?"
"This servant doesn't know. This servant is merely accompanying Your Highness to investigate the true nature of Jiufang City." Xueya naturally understood Lou Xuan's meaning. The carriage drove into an alley and stopped.
Lou Xuan was helped out of the car by Xue Ya. After wandering around for a while, they finally entered a small courtyard. Someone opened the door a crack, and as the group entered, the door closed again.
Lou Xuan entered the main house, opened the bed board inside, and slowly walked down. After going around many turns and taking many forks in the road, the group finally arrived at a well.
"Your Highness, this servant will go up first." Xueya climbed the ladder, Lou Xuan followed behind her, and there were already people waiting at the wellhead to meet them.
"Your Highness, please be careful." Xueya pulled Lou Xuan out of the well, and Tian Sui handed her a clean, soft handkerchief. "The supply wagons have left safely, and the people of Bianzhou are ready. According to the scouts, Wang Juesong may leave the city through a secret passage at night."
"Are our people ready?" Lou Xuan asked, looking at the bright, shining sun.
"Alright, but I'm just worried someone might sabotage things." Tian Sui naturally knew that Jiang Jin and Wei Shu had already entered the city.
"No, we can proceed according to our original plan." Lou Xuan took a sip of the tea that Xueya had brought. "Remember, whether it happens or not, the result I want is to have it."
"Yes." Tian Sui respectfully handed over the roster. "These are the people in Bianzhou who were implicated by usury. Most of them are women, and I have already made proper arrangements for them."
"That's right. I feel very relieved to have you in Bianzhou, A-Sui. After today, Bianzhou might become my fiefdom, and then you'll have a place to show your skills." Lou Xuan helped Tian Sui up and let her sit opposite him.
"Father wouldn't send Chang Yi to Bianzhou for no reason; he'll always try to get some benefits before he leaves. What I need to do is firmly grasp this lucrative prize of Bianzhou in my hands." Lou Xuan smiled as he looked at Xue Ya.
“Madam Tian, I think you know best what kind of officials the people want to be their parents.” Tian Sui understood. “I will pave the way for Your Highness among the people.”
"However, I fear that the Crown Prince and the Third Prince will not abandon Bianzhou." Tian Sui naturally knew that Bianzhou held an important position both geographically and economically.
"Then give them something to do, so they don't just sit around watching others all day doing nothing. Wasn't there some misconduct scandal involving the Third Prince's concubine's family? Send all the evidence to the Crown Prince and let them make their own accusations." Upon hearing this, Xueya immediately sent a message to the capital.
"Then I will arrange for the aggrieved party to be presented to His Highness the Crown Prince." Tian Sui gave the order, and everyone busied themselves with their own tasks.
"Your Highness, His Highness the Crown Prince has already contacted Lady Wang." Xueya handed the letter to Lou Xuan after writing it.
"Then let's keep him hanging for now. All men are the same. If there's no problem with the letter, send it out of the city."
Lou Xuan laughed out loud at the ugly appearance of his two younger brothers. "If we hand over the Great Yan Dynasty to these two, it will really be doomed."
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