Southern Chen, Shu Prefecture.
Cheng Chu looked at Bai Lu, who was about to leave, and said irritably, "What, going to see that person again?"
Bai Lu paused as she stepped out of her house, turned back to look at Cheng Chu, and gave an awkward smile: "What 'that person'? I don't understand what you're talking about..."
Cheng Chu clicked his tongue, his eyes full of gossip: "You can fool others, but you can't fool me—what's going on between you and Xu Buxian? Tell me."
Bai Lu: "..."
She scratched her face, somewhat embarrassed: "It's still far from certain. Although the county magistrate has granted me a good household registration, I have always worked for her, and will always work for her. Shouldn't we consult her on this matter?"
Cheng Chu said slowly, "Of course I know that—that's why I sent a message to the county magistrate a few days ago by carrier pigeon, informing her about you and Xu Buxian. You should know her attitude in the next day or two. Aren't you surprised?"
Bai Lu: "...?"
She took a deep breath and glared fiercely at Cheng Chu: "Surprise, an incredible surprise!"
gossip!
Cheng Chu looked at Bai Lu's angry back and felt a little confused - Bai Lu was willing to go out to the market with Xu Xian, so this matter should be settled, right?
Then it would be fine for him to tell the county magistrate...
Little did they know, Bai Lu had no intention of getting married at all. Her ambitions had been ignited by Shang Shaoyan, and she only wanted to work together with her county princess for a great cause.
As for going to the market with Xu Xian... this story begins the night Xu Xian came to find Bai Lu.
...
Bai Lu invited Xu Xian into the house, but Xu Xian refused, saying, "I'll just stand outside and talk to you. It's so late... I'm afraid I'll be too forward."
Bai Lu thought for a moment, then took a lantern and walked out of the room. Leaning against the door, she raised an eyebrow and said, "Let's put it this way. If we talk through a door, we can't see each other's expressions or body language, which can easily lead to misunderstandings."
Xu Xian was silent for a moment, then said, "I overheard your conversation with Cheng Chu that day."
Bai Lu thought for a while before remembering what she had said to Cheng Chu, and immediately chuckled, "So... what did you want to say to me?"
She felt a little nervous without realizing it.
Although Bai Lu has been by Shang Shaoyan's side for many years and has been influenced by him, she still has some traditional ideas. It is unlikely that she would be as indifferent to love as Shang Shaoyan.
How could she not like Xu Xian? He was handsome, had no concubines or maids, came from a scholarly family, and was kind and gentle.
Xu Xian looked at Bai Lu, and after a long while, he mustered up his courage and said, "Madam Yu."
Bai Lu: "..."
She suddenly felt a strange sense of relief—she had finally called Xu Xian correctly.
Bai Lu nodded: "Yes, I'm here. Go ahead."
Xu Xian pursed his lips, a little embarrassed, and said, "What I wanted to say was, would you be willing to marry me? I know I'm not good enough, maybe I'm not good enough for you, but... but I truly love you."
Bai Lu fell silent, unsure of what to say—how could he not be good enough?
Seeing that she didn't speak, Xu Xian became somewhat anxious: "I... I won't stop you from doing what you want to do. I only have an older brother and sister-in-law left in my family. My sister-in-law is a merchant, and the two of them raised me. She taught me from a young age that a woman can also stand tall and be independent... I won't restrict you or prevent you from doing what you want to do..."
Seeing that Bai Lu remained silent, he guessed that she was probably unwilling, and his heart sank. He lowered his eyes and whispered, "If... if you're unwilling, then pretend I was never here..."
Bai Lu came to her senses and sighed softly, "It's not that I'm unwilling, but the overall situation is still uncertain and the road ahead is long and arduous. If I marry you, we will only be apart more often than together. Wouldn't that be holding you back?"
Xu Xian paused for a moment, then tentatively asked, "So you're not planning to reject me... is that right?"
Bai Lu smiled and raised an eyebrow: "Why should I reject you?"
She raised the lantern in her hand slightly higher so that the not-so-bright light could illuminate Xu Xian's face—but at that moment she noticed that Xu Xian's cheeks were slightly flushed, and he seemed rather uneasy, but his eyes were bright and sparkling, filled with joy.
Bai Lu was taken aback, and then, as if possessed, she raised her hand and touched Xu Xian's eyes.
Before Xu Xian could come to her senses, she quickly withdrew her hand, turned around, and went into the room.
Then she leaned against the door, taking deep breaths—she was still holding a lantern in her hand, unaware that Xu Xian could see her figure outlined by the light outside, a few strokes that looked graceful and beautiful.
Bai Lu thought to herself, how could I be so reckless?
But... she touched her heartbeat and couldn't help but blush.
She genuinely thinks Xu Xian is adorable.
...
Nanchen refers to southern Yunnan.
Li Langxuan and Yan Xuening originally wanted to go to Li Langhuan's military camp to help. Li Langxuan was alright, after all, he was a strategist that Shang Shaoyan valued. But Yan Xuening had been pampered since childhood, so what help could she possibly be?
All Li Langhuan could say was, "Your greatest help is simply staying home and not holding us back."
Yan Xuening had no choice but to travel around with Tao Yingshi every day, and Tao Yingshi sparked her interest in establishing an orphanage.
Seeing that everyone had their own things to do, Li Langhuan felt relieved.
On this day, Li Langhuan received a letter from Shang Shaoyan.
The letter mentioned that the Prince of Nan'an and the Crown Prince have probably discovered their plans, but there is no need to worry or be afraid, because they will soon have an opportunity to "purge the court of corrupt officials".
Li Langhuan carefully examined the situation and made a decision in her mind—Shang Shaoyan had not only 100,000 Shang soldiers, but also 100,000 troops in Shuocheng itself, as well as 100,000 troops from the other three cities combined. This accounted for almost half of the Southern Chen army. Li Langhuan herself had a total of 200,000 troops. If the two of them joined forces, there was nothing they couldn't do to conquer the world.
There were no natural disasters that year, but there were quite a few man-made disasters. Therefore, although there were many refugees, they did not cause any major disturbances.
After thinking it over, Li Langhuan decided to go and discuss the matter with Li Langxuan.
Before she could even leave the room, she heard some terrible news from Shengjing.
Qin Ye is dead.
...
Northwest, Shuocheng.
"Qin Ye is dead?"
Shang Shaoyan's teacup suddenly fell over, and she frowned deeply: "Who spread this false information? Has it reached Yunnan?"
Shang Yunlan was taken aback, then asked with some doubt, "How can you be so sure it's fake news?"
Shang Shaoyan sneered, his eyes sharp: "Whether this news is true or false, as long as it is intended to spread to southern Yunnan, it must be false news."
Shang Yunlan understood the meaning behind her words—Li Langhuan and Qin Ye had a past relationship, and if this news reached Yunnan, Li Langhuan would definitely be eager to return to the capital, at which point the 200,000 troops in Yunnan…
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