Granny Li earnestly instructed, "Princess, you must take good care of yourself. The world is not peaceful now, and there may still be bandits causing trouble."
Shang Shaoyan blinked: "So my brother has already begged His Majesty to let me go to Shu Prefecture with those exiled officials, so that my safety will be guaranteed."
Still worried, Li Mama picked up a small stone from the roadside and crushed it with his bare hands in front of Li Mama, saying, "Don't worry, Mama, I can protect myself."
Granny Li: "..."
Granny Li's smile was somewhat forced. She looked at the stones that had been shattered into powder and forced a smile: "Well, that's fine too."
She sighed inwardly—how could a county princess like this ever get married! No young man would want to marry such a... such a strong woman.
After Li Mama said a few more words, Shang Yunlan stepped forward, patted Shang Shaoyan's head, and said with some regret, "Take good care of yourself on the road. Dress warmly in spring and lightly in autumn. Don't take off your clothes as soon as the weather gets warmer. Beware of the cold snap in spring... If you don't have enough money, just write to me and I'll have someone send it to you."
Shang Shaoyan remained silent—she was actually a little reluctant to part with Shang Yunlan. The two siblings had grown up together since childhood and rarely left each other. In the 21st century, transportation was convenient, but this was ancient times, where carriages and horses were very slow and communication was even more inconvenient. Once they left, she really didn't know how long it would be before they could see each other again.
Shang Shaoyan forced a smile: "Brother, don't worry, I'll bring the divine doctor back to treat your illness. Don't just lie around doing nothing then, help me out more."
Shang Yunlan knew that Shang Shaoyan was always tough on the outside but soft on the inside, so he could naturally sense the concern and reluctance hidden in his sister's tone. He hugged Shang Shaoyan with some emotion, and the two then parted ways.
As soon as Shang Shaoyan boarded the carriage, she heard a rapid sound of hooves behind her. She frowned, wondering which spoiled brat dared to ride his horse so boldly in front of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.
She didn't even bother to look at it and ordered the driver to move on.
Shang Shaoyan walked towards the western outskirts of the city. She paused briefly as she exited the city gate and heard the rapid, fierce sound of hooves again. She subconsciously turned around and saw that the rider was charging straight towards her.
There was still some distance between the man and Shang Shaoyan. She could only see the white sleeves of his clothes fluttering in the spring light. His black hair was blown by the wind as he rode his horse in the dim light of the day.
Shang Shaoyan had a guess in his mind and looked at the person in disbelief until he stopped in front of him.
It's Qiao Xiuyu.
It was only early morning (around 7 a.m.), and there weren't many people on the street yet. Shang Shaoyan didn't try to hide anything and asked with a smile, "Why are you here?"
Qiao Xiuyu's appearance was disheveled at the moment, completely lacking his former noble demeanor. His extremely beautiful peach blossom eyes were a little red from the wind, and he was staring straight at Shang Shaoyan, which made the latter feel a little uncomfortable for the first time.
Qiao Xiuyu pursed her lips and looked at her earnestly: "I just came to wish you a safe journey."
Since their conversation in the courtyard that day, the two had not seen each other again. Firstly, Shang Shaoyan was busy preparing for his trip to Shuzhou, and secondly... Qiao Xiuyu had also been pestered by Lu Shuangyi for several days.
Shang Shaoyan lowered her eyes and smiled, unable to describe her feelings. She really didn't want to hold Qiao Xiuyu back, but she also really liked him.
"Qiao Zhuo." She suddenly called out Qiao Xiuyu's full name, then looked seriously into Qiao Xiuyu's eyes, appearing exceptionally solemn, "Give me three years."
After a pause, Shang Shaoyan said, "Give me three years. If I live to see today, I will marry you no matter what. If you find another woman you like during this time, please send someone to let me know, okay?"
Qiao Xiuyu was stunned, clearly not expecting Shang Shaoyan to say that, but she was overjoyed. The surprise on her face was overshadowed by this delight, turning into a smile that could charm anyone. But what she said was silly: "You can't go back on your word. If you lie to me, you're a dog."
Shang Shaoyan thought Qiao Xiuyu was adorably silly. She tiptoed and planted a kiss on Qiao Xiuyu's left cheek. Regardless of how shocked or embarrassed Qiao Xiuyu was, she nodded with a smile: "Okay, I'll be a dog if I lie to you."
...
As the carriage drove towards the outskirts of the city, Bailu asked curiously, "Princess, did you really ask him to wait for you for three years? And he actually agreed?"
Shang Shaoyan casually flipped through a page of the book that Shang Yunlan had personally copied: "Of course it's true. But I don't necessarily mean I'll marry him."
Bai Lu: "..."
Help! The county princess is such a scumbag!
Shang Shaoyan looked at Bai Lu, raised an eyebrow and said, "Bai Lu, you've always been smart, so you can naturally see through what I'm going to do. My brother and I never intended to hide it from you. Tell me, how can I give him a straight answer?"
Bai Lu was startled and dared not look up under Shang Shaoyan's sharp gaze. She felt very uneasy: "Princess..."
Shang Shaoyan didn't respond and continued reading.
Looking at Shang Shaoyan's handsome profile, Bai Lu felt a surge of emotions. Before her family's misfortune, her father had praised her for being "as intelligent as any man." How could she not see through the county princess and the duke's plans?
I just haven't dared to confirm it yet.
This is a life-or-death plan!
But Bai Lu quickly recalled the current situation—the Southern Chen dynasty was on the verge of collapse, and the Northern Zhou, which had been eyeing it covetously, was now embroiled in internal strife over the succession and was too preoccupied to attack the Southern Chen. If they wanted to take over the Southern Chen, this was the perfect opportunity!
As she thought this, she quickly spat inwardly, wondering why she had started to follow the county princess's lead.
No, no, that won't work.
But... it does seem quite promising.
Shang Shaoyan secretly observed Bai Lu's struggles and inner turmoil, finding it amusing but not worried that Bai Lu would tell anyone.
Bai Lu herself was a victim of the Southern Chen royal family, not to mention her intelligence, which was no less than his own. Shang Shaoyan did not believe that Bai Lu would not waver.
It's just a matter of how long it takes her to make up her mind; she can afford to wait. On the way to Shuzhou, she will make Bailu see clearly what an absurd state the Southern Chen Dynasty is in now.
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