Upon hearing the news in Java, Jin Xuanming sat up abruptly, sobering up considerably.
He rubbed his sleepy eyes, his mind filled with doubt.
What was Lu Yan up to? He couldn't figure it out at all.
Upon hearing the news in the capital, Liu An was excited, but also doubted its veracity.
He immediately summoned his ministers to discuss countermeasures.
Seeing that the rumors had worked, the Zhou family immediately turned their attention to the north and sent troops to attack Chazhou.
Inside Jingzhou City, the atmosphere was as heavy as the calm before a storm.
Chen Qingwan sat upright at the head of the hall, her face terribly gloomy.
Li Mu, Qiao'er, and other trusted confidants stood on either side, not daring to utter a sound.
"Your Majesty, apart from Shannan Prefecture, I can't think of anyone else who would know you are here."
Qiao'er said indignantly, her delicate face full of anger.
Li Mu pondered for a moment, then clasped his hands in a fist salute and said:
"Your Majesty, I believe that this matter is probably inseparable from the Zhou family."
"The Zhou family?" Chen Qingwan sneered.
"That old fox Zhou Chen is indeed restless. He's trying to take advantage of the chaos and seize power!"
"Your Majesty, now that the news has spread, various forces are stirring. How should we respond?"
Li Mu asked with concern.
Chen Qingwan tapped her slender fingers lightly on the table.
It made a crisp sound, each one striking the hearts of everyone present.
"Jingzhou City is now the eye of the storm."
She spoke slowly, her voice cold and clear.
"Zhou Chen's intention in spreading rumors is obvious. Within a few days, all forces will gather here."
"At that time, Jingzhou City will become a piece of fat meat, coveted by everyone."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over everyone before finally settling on Li Mu.
"General Li, the safety of Jingzhou City is entrusted to you."
Li Mu clasped his hands in a fist salute and said in a deep voice:
"Your subject will swear to defend Jingzhou to the death, even at the cost of ten thousand lives!"
Chen Qingwan nodded slightly and then looked at Qiao'er.
"Qiao'er, you are clever and intelligent, you must assist General Li well."
Qiao'er curtsied and said in a clear voice:
"Your Majesty, rest assured, this servant will do her utmost!"
"I have decided to personally travel to Shannan Prefecture."
Chen Qingwan's words were surprising, and everyone was stunned.
Li Mu immediately tried to dissuade him:
"Your Majesty, you mustn't! The situation is turbulent right now, and your status is too high. How can you risk your life?"
"Your subject is willing to go to Shannan Prefecture on your behalf to purchase military supplies!"
Chen Qingwan waved her hand, rejecting his suggestion.
"The journey to Shannan Prefecture is safe, and Lu Yan will certainly not stand idly by. On the contrary, Jingzhou needs you to take command more."
"You are the commander of the Imperial Guards, bearing a heavy responsibility. You must not leave your post lightly."
Although Li Mu was unwilling, he understood that what she said was true, so he had no choice but to give up.
"I expect to return in ten to fifteen days. During this time, I will leave Jingzhou City to you."
"Remember, we must be extremely vigilant and not let our guard down!"
Chen Qingwan gave her further instructions.
That night, Chen Qingwan changed into an inconspicuous set of men's clothing and quietly left Jingzhou City.
Her trip was not only to purchase military supplies, but also to test Lu Yan's attitude.
...
In Lu Yan's residence in Shannan Prefecture, a gentle evening breeze carried a hint of early autumn coolness.
In the courtyard, a stone table was laden with wine and dishes, and Princess Mingyue and Lu Yan sat facing each other.
The moonlight shone on the two of them, bathing them in a silvery glow.
Princess Mingyue's wine cup trembled slightly, the wine rippling, just like her mood at that moment.
Several times, she tried to pour the poison in her hand into Lu Yan's wine glass.
But each time, it was abandoned due to various "accidents".
One time, Li Kui suddenly barged in, saying he had caught a fat rat that had stolen pastries;
One time, Lu Yan suddenly got up and said he wanted to take a look at the city defense map;
On another occasion, even a lost butterfly landed on Lu Yan's wine glass.
Startled, she jerked her hand and spilled the poison on the ground.
Princess Mingyue was torn by inner conflict.
She came to Shannan Prefecture on the orders of the King's brother-in-law of the Northern Xiang Kingdom, ostensibly for a marriage alliance, but in reality for an assassination attempt.
But her feelings for this man were complicated.
He is magnanimous and sharp-tongued, yet he possesses a childlike heart.
He was strict in disciplining his troops, yet he also cared deeply for the people.
How could she bring herself to hurt a man like that?
After a few rounds of drinks, Princess Mingyue's face flushed, and her eyes became hazy.
She finally mustered her courage, put down her wine glass, and choked out:
"Lord Lu... I... I have something to tell you..."
Lu Yan looked at her, his eyes calm as still water, as if he had already seen through everything about her.
He sighed softly and said:
“Princess Mingyue, I have a pretty good idea of what you’re trying to say.”
Upon hearing this, Princess Mingyue trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes.
She knelt down with a thud, sobbing uncontrollably:
"Lord Lu, I...I'm so sorry...They ordered me to kill you..."
She revealed the King of Beixiang's plan in detail and confessed her intention to poison him.
And the reasons why they failed several times.
She tearfully apologized to Lu Yan, admitting that deep down she didn't want to hurt him.
Lu Yan was neither furious nor surprised.
He calmly helped Princess Mingyue up and said:
“Princess Mingyue, you don’t need to blame yourself. I already knew.”
Princess Mingyue looked up at him in surprise:
"You...you knew all along?"
Lu Yan smiled slightly, revealing a nonchalant expression:
"Your clumsy acting skills can only fool a three-year-old. The first time you spilled poison on my shoes, the second time you poured poison into the flowerpot."
"The third time you even spilled poison on your own skirt... Do you think I'm blind?"
Princess Mingyue's face turned bright red, and she was so ashamed that she wanted to disappear.
She never expected that her plan, which she thought was flawless, would be so laughable in Lu Yan's eyes.
“Princess Mingyue, I know you had no choice. Your father forced you to do this, and you had no other option. I won’t blame you.”
Princess Mingyue felt relieved, and her guilt lessened considerably.
She wiped away her tears, looked at Lu Yan, and her eyes showed even more admiration.
"Lord Lu..."
She called out softly, her voice trembling.
"Princess Mingyue, you are beautiful and brave. I admire your honesty."
Princess Mingyue blushed even more, and she lowered her head, not daring to look Lu Yan in the eye.
Lu Yan looked at Princess Mingyue, a playful smile suddenly appearing on his lips:
"Princess Mingyue, if your father knew that you had truly fallen in love with me, he would probably be so angry that he would vomit blood, wouldn't he?"
Princess Mingyue's face paled; she knew Lu Yan was testing her.
She bit her lip, mustered her courage, and said:
“I dare not disobey my father’s command. But… but my feelings for Lord Lu are also genuine.”
Lu Yan laughed loudly, his laughter laced with sarcasm:
“True heart? Princess Mingyue, do you think I’m a fool? I know very well what kind of person your father is.”
"He'd love for me to die, so why would he genuinely want you to marry me?"
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