Shang Shaoyan didn't know how he felt.
She felt that Qiao Xiuyu was too considerate. Such a gentleman would be one in a million in ancient times, and even in the 21st century, he would be hard to find.
She opened her mouth, wanting to speak, but didn't know what to say, so she could only stare at Qiao Xiuyu without blinking.
Qiao Xiuyu didn't say much, but gently patted Shang Shaoyan's head and tenderly kissed her forehead: "An'an, rest well and get some sleep. That will help you recover faster."
He helped Shang Shaoyan lie down, then covered her with the blanket, smiled at her, and said, "Whatever you want to do, I will support you. Just one thing: you must live well, be safe and happy, okay?"
Shang Shaoyan nodded obediently, then closed his eyes and fell asleep.
With Qiao Xiuyu by her side, she felt at ease.
...
Southern Chen Dynasty, Shengjing.
Shang Yunlan compiled all the information she had gathered in recent days into a booklet, put it into a hidden compartment as usual, and then went to find Lin Jing.
Lin Jing had been keeping an eye on He Shuye's situation for Shang Yunlan these past few days, so he was quite busy. When he saw Shang Yunlan arrive, he quickly put down what he was doing and asked, "What brings you here?"
Shang Yunlan yawned, looking a little tired: "I only slept for two hours last night and wanted to catch up on some sleep, but there's something I need to tell you."
Lin Jing caught Shang Yunlan's yawn and yawned too: "I was alright last night, I slept for three hours... but I was busy even in my dreams, I'm exhausted... So, what's up?"
Shang Yunlan poured herself a cup of tea and said while drinking the hot tea, "Yan Xuening will be getting married in ten days. Our plan must begin on the day of her wedding."
Lin Jing: "...?"
He looked at Shang Yunlan with some confusion, then took a sip of tea, asking, "What plan? Do we have a plan?"
Shang Yunlan said casually, "Oh, it's probably about sending Consort Zhao from the palace to Yunnan, and then figuring out a way to lure Emperor Chen to Hangzhou."
Upon hearing this, Lin Jing nearly choked on her tea and coughed incessantly.
Shang Yunlan patted his back with concern and asked, "Are you alright?"
Lin Jing: "..."
He's not doing well.
Lin Jing finally stopped coughing. He looked up and glared at Shang Yunlan: "You make it sound so simple, but there's no way this can be done at all!"
Shang Yunlan laughed. He laughed for a long time under Lin Jing's somewhat bewildered gaze, and it took him a while to recover before he said, "Knowing it's impossible but still doing it, understand?"
Lin Jing rolled her eyes, but then she realized that what the brother and sister had to do was much more difficult than sending Consort Zhao to Yunnan or leading Emperor Chen to Hangzhou.
Shang Yunlan sighed, "An'an faced death nine times in the Northwest. The only thing we can do is remove these obstacles for her."
He paused, looked at Lin Jing, and said seriously, "This matter is not difficult, listen to me..."
The more he talked, the brighter Lin Jing's eyes became. In the end, she even exclaimed, "So there's such a way to do this!"
Shang Yunlan looked at Lin Jing with a smile and teased, "So, is it still impossible to do it at all?"
Lin Jing chuckled, looking at Shang Yunlan with a helpless sigh, "Of course I can. Don't make fun of me."
The two exchanged a smile and then began to address the shortcomings of the plan.
After finalizing the plan and the backup plan, Shang Yunlan went to find Li Langxuan and Yan Xuening.
The engaged couple did not abide by the rule of not seeing each other before marriage. They often went on outings together these days. When Shang Yunlan called them back, Yan Xuening was a little unwilling.
On the contrary, Li Langxuan, having anticipated something, remained silent and simply led Yan Xuening to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.
When Shang Yunlan saw the two arrive, she smiled and said, "Please sit down, please sit down."
Yan Xuening sat down somewhat warily. Li Langxuan glanced at Shang Yunlan, took Yan Xuening's hand, and then sat down as well.
He had a bad feeling.
Shang Yunlan poured each of them a cup of tea, chatted for a few minutes, and seeing that they were gradually relaxing, she smiled and said, "I have a few things I want to tell you about my rebellion with An'an."
Li Langxuan: "???"
He looked at Shang Yunlan with some shock.
To be honest, it wasn't that he couldn't guess the siblings' plans, but he had been pretending not to know, just to avoid getting involved.
He turned his head slightly to look at Yan Xuening, only to see her patting her chest and letting out a sigh of relief: "You scared me to death! I thought they wouldn't let me get married, but it turns out this is what happened."
Li Langxuan: "???"
Shang Yunlan gave Yan Xuening an approving look: "As expected of someone who was personally taught by your cousin, you have quite the courage."
Yan Xuening immediately straightened her back proudly.
Li Langxuan: "..."
He took a deep breath, about to speak, when he heard Shang Yunlan throw down another sentence that almost suffocated him: "Jinyu, stop pretending, take off that tattered cloth over your eyes."
Li Langxuan: "..."
He twitched his lips and said in a desperate attempt, "Why can't I understand what you're saying, sir?"
Yan Xuening, however, said with great interest, "Oh, my lord, take it off quickly! Ever since my cousin told me that you weren't really blind, I've been wanting to see your eyes—are they phoenix eyes? Or are they peach blossom eyes like the Imperial Concubine's?"
Li Langxuan: "..."
So, he was just pretending to be blind for nothing, right?
However, since Yan Xuening had already said so, he could only sigh resignedly, remove the silk blindfold from his eyes, and reveal a pair of bright and clear almond-shaped eyes.
Yan Xuening gave a small cheer, then reached out and touched Li Langxuan's eyes with shining eyes: "They're almond eyes! Just like mine, this must be what it means to be a couple!"
Li Langxuan's mood strangely improved, and he smiled good-naturedly at Yan Xuening: "As long as A-Ning likes it."
Yan Xuening felt her heart melt as he gazed at her so intently and affectionately, and blushed involuntarily: "I love you no matter what."
Seeing that the engaged couple was about to start showing off their affection again, Shang Yunlan cleared her throat and brought the topic back on track: "Alright, I'll continue. Since the marriage between the Marquis and the Duke of Zhenguo's family is a done deal, I won't hide it anymore."
He paused, then looked at the two of them with some guilt: "The reason I am telling you the truth now is that I would like to ask the Marquis for a favor."
Li Langxuan was silent for a moment, then said, "My lord, I just want to live a good life with A-Ning, I don't want anything else... You don't need to say anything else. As for what you said before, I will pretend I didn't hear anything."
Before Shang Yunlan could speak, Yan Xuening said anxiously, "My lord, neither the Yongle Marquis's Mansion nor the Zhenguo Duke's Mansion will be glorious for long. You should listen to your cousin first before making any decisions."
After Yan Xuening said that, Li Langxuan did indeed soften his stance somewhat.
Shang Yunlan gave Yan Xuening another approving look—no wonder she was taught by An'an, she's really good.
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