Chapter 456: Turning Disaster into Fortune
"Who are you?"
Miaomiao looked at the woman opposite.
After all, he followed her out of the palace, and his behavior was suspicious, so it wouldn't be unreasonable to ask him about it.
Shen Zhaoyi didn't reply to her, but stared at her intently.
So similar!
The little girl looks so much like Princess Yuqing.
Especially those phoenix eyes.
Not only does she look like Yuqing and King Jing, she even looks a bit like her deceased child Xiaoba.
Is she of royal blood?
Then look at Lu Qingyao who is calling her mother.
The mother and daughter don't look alike at all, and neither does she look like Jiang Yunze.
Shen Zhaoyi quickly came to a conclusion in her mind.
This little girl is either Princess Yuqing or the illegitimate daughter of King Jing.
No wonder the emperor always asked her to play chess with him and even gave her the title of Princess Mingzhu.
No wonder the queen valued her so much and even gave the little grandson to her to take out of the palace.
Everything makes sense.
They are clearly blood relatives.
Shen Zhaoyi looked at the little girl whose eyes were somewhat similar to her son's, and thought of her son's tragic death.
Thinking that although he survived, he was also out of the palace.
But I am alone and homeless.
I felt sad again.
Lu Qingyao looked at Shen Zhaoyi, who was staring at her daughter, wondering what she was thinking.
He coughed and said, "Empress Zhaoyi..."
Then he thought he couldn't call her that, so he changed his tone and asked, "Madam Shen, I have sent out the letter and token you gave to General Shen. Should I send you back to the Shen family now, or do you have somewhere else to go?"
"No, I won't go back to the Shen family." Shen Zhaoyi refused immediately.
She bit her lip and was silent for a while before she spoke: "There is no Shen Yue or Shen Zhaoyi in this world anymore. You can just call me Liu Niang. I don't want to go back to the Shen family, nor do I want them to know that I'm still alive. Can you take me in for a few days? I want to wait for the result."
She couldn't avenge her son herself, but she would wait and see what would happen to them.
That night, she really wanted to stab Chen Fei to death and die with her.
In the end, I was pulled back by reason.
If she died like that, and her revenge was not yet taken, Prince Chen might take advantage of the situation to make trouble. What about her brother then? Would he really turn against her because of her death?
She cannot die, she has to cooperate with Princess Yuqing to escape.
She wanted to see with her own eyes what happened to the mother and son.
She also couldn't risk going back to the Shen family, as that was a crime of deceiving the emperor. She didn't know how her father would view his worthless daughter who had faked her own death and escaped.
It was to change her name and marry her off far away.
Still afraid that outsiders would find out, he sent her to the village and never let her out for the rest of her life.
She didn't dare to bet on how much love her father had for her.
In that family, the only person she could trust was her brother Shen Lu.
Maybe she can no longer be a daughter of the Shen family.
That's fine too.
Miaomiao's eyes widened as she stared blankly at A'niang and the woman who claimed to be Shen Zhaoyi, her jaw almost dropping in shock.
Empress Zhaoyi?
Shen Zhaoyi!
She actually brought the empress back from the palace.
She looked at A Niang and blurted out, "Is she the one who died in the fire last night?"
Lu Qingyao covered her daughter's mouth with her hand and smiled awkwardly at Shen.
"My child is a little naughty, please don't mind, Sixth Lady. If you don't want to go back to the Shen family, then come back to Lu Garden with me. I have set up my own family and live alone in a house outside with my child. My family is simple and no one will disturb you, so you can stay here with peace of mind."
"Thank you!" Shen Zhaoyi nodded slightly, her eyes full of gratitude.
She thought so too, so she stayed there first and made other plans after meeting her brother.
Another thing is that she was very curious about Lu Qingyao. She had never seen such a woman before.
How did Lu Qingyao set up her own business with her children and get to where she is today even though the Lu family is in decline?
Before entering the palace, she was also lively and active.
After being sent to the palace by her father, she became a bird in a cage, a dodder. She had not left the palace for five or six years since her last visit home, and she almost forgot what the outside world looked like.
In the palace, she is quite capable and helps the queen manage the six palaces.
But when she came out, apart from her identity as the daughter of the Duke's Mansion, she was just an orphan who knew nothing and had no one to rely on.
Looking out from behind the curtain lifted by the breeze.
The city is bustling with traffic and people, and faces are everywhere on the roadside.
It was like I had seen it in my previous life, as if it were a lifetime ago.
It's so close, yet so far away.
She was confused and hesitant, not knowing what to do next.
Turning around, his eyes met Lu Qingyao's.
For some reason, she seemed to see light in this mother and daughter.
The look in Lu Qingyao's eyes was something she had never seen before.
Even in the eyes of the bright and flamboyant Princess Yuqing, I had never seen such warmth, confidence, unrestrainedness, and tenacity...
It's rare to see such a look in a woman.
It's unpredictable, yet gives people a sense of security.
Lu Qingyao felt a little embarrassed when being stared at by Shen Zhaoyi.
It felt like Shen Zhaoyi had lost her soul.
She looks like a delicate beauty, but she doesn't look lifeless, and her spirit and complexion are not very good. She also likes to stare at people in a daze.
Everyone is in a trance.
It seems that the palace is not a place for people to stay. A good girl has been tortured into this state.
Fortunately, this former imperial concubine will never have to set foot in the imperial city again.
You should just take care of it.
As for not wanting to go back to the Shen family, she could understand that.
Even though he could send his beautiful daughter to the palace, Duke Shen probably doesn't love her that much.
In this world, not all parents are as good as her parents.
…
Miaomiao pricked up her ears to listen to the two of them talking.
The carriage suddenly stopped.
It was not until she heard a commotion outside that she came to her senses and lifted the curtain to take a look.
"Mother, there are so many soldiers outside, so many..."
They lined up neatly, all holding weapons, and headed towards the palace gate.
The people on the street were unable to avoid them and several of them were thrown out.
It's obviously the style of a traitor.
What is this for?
She had been in Beijing for so long, but this was the first time she had seen such a scene.
It's like going to war.
Something big is going to happen...
She quickly let the little red bird fly away and shrank back to her mother's side.
"Mother, will the princess and the others be okay?"
"No." Lu Qingyao was very sure.
She traveled thousands of miles, transformed her elite troops into a caravan, and brought them back from the border, all for this day.
Prince Chen finally lost his patience.
Shen Zhaoyi clutched the handkerchief tightly, her heart in turmoil, fearing that these people were here to arrest her.
She was even more worried that her brother might not have received her letter, or that something unexpected might have happened.
Because she just saw that there was actually a group of imperial guards among the group of rebels.
She recognized the armor of the Imperial Guards at a glance.
The imperial guards appeared, but his brother, who was the deputy commander, was missing.
Concubine Shen was anxious: "Madam Lu, have all the letters been delivered? Is the person who delivered them reliable? Did he personally hand them over to my brother?"
"Don't worry, it's been sent out." Lu Qingyao was also anxious in her heart, but she didn't show it on her face.
Logically, regardless of whether Chen Lushou received the news or not, Mu Yunji was back and the imperial guards shouldn't cause any trouble.
Judging from the situation, either someone in the army rebelled, or Mu Yunji had other arrangements.
The carriage stopped by the roadside and could not move.
It was not until the officers and soldiers left that people began to move on the streets.
The carriage suddenly paused.
Xiuxiu caught up on horseback, threw the reins to Jiang Ziyan, and stepped onto the carriage.
"Auntie, there's someone else inside..."
The movement was so quick that Jiang Ziyan didn't even have time to react before he saw a figure lift the curtain and enter the carriage.
There was no time to tell her that the empress in the palace was inside.
"Sister, it's bad. General Shen has been poisoned. There is a traitor in the army. A unit of the imperial guards has rebelled." Xiuxiu said in one breath, lifted the curtain and met Shen Zhaoyi's eyes.
Only then did she realize that the General Shen’s sister she had just mentioned was still in her sister’s car and had not been sent back to the Shen family.
"What kind of poison is it? How is my brother? Take me to find him quickly." Shen Zhaoyi rushed forward and grabbed Xiuxiu's arm.
"Please."
"He's not dead... General Shen is not dead." Xiuxiu pried open her fingers.
I can't stand seeing women crying and looking so pitiful.
Xiuxiu patiently comforted him, "Your brother is fine. Someone poisoned General Shen's tea. Coincidentally, Zhou Mu spotted the man's suspicious behavior and followed him. He was able to stop General Shen from drinking the poisoned water. I heard he only took a sip and vomited it all out. Lord Mu also found a doctor for him. He should be fine, so don't worry."
After hearing this, Shen Zhaoyi sat back down with relief: "Okay... I'm glad you're okay..."
But she suddenly realized something.
Lord Mu?
The Duke of Shen who holds military power is back?
Not only were there constant wars on the border, but Lord Mu was also poisoned and injured.
She looked at Lu Qingyao, whose face was as calm as water, and asked in surprise, "Duke Shen really returned to the capital?"
"Yeah." Lu Qingyao nodded.
At first, she didn't know the plan of Mu Yunji and King Jing. They only asked her to help lead the three thousand elite troops back to the capital.
So there was a huge caravan.
Along the way, he dealt with many bandits and also recruited a group of bandits who robbed the rich and helped the poor.
It was not until the day of departure that Mu Yunji was discovered.
Shen Zhaoyi took a deep breath. Fortunately, she believed Yuqing's words that night.
Fortunately she is still alive.
Otherwise, the Shen family might really be on the road of no return.
But it was Zhou Mu who saved his brother.
She remembered the man's name.
It was because of the concubine's daughter of the Jiang family that Zhou Mu canceled his ninth sister's marriage, causing her to be ridiculed by all the noble ladies in the capital.
She didn't even dare to go out on weekdays, so she had no choice but to marry someone of lower status or far away.
I don’t know if I can see you again in this life.
Miaomiao was also surprised that her godfather returned to Beijing.
Whenever a military commander quietly appears in the capital, as is the case today, something big is bound to happen.
Although I don’t know what will happen next.
But with godfather, the great general, and daddy, the prime minister, around, those rebels can't cause any rebellion.
This should be called the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
She has only been in this world for a few years. She hasn't grown up yet and hasn't had enough fun. She doesn't want to die, nor does she want any of her relatives to die.
The newly-conferred princess hasn't had the chance to act arrogantly in the capital yet.
Xiuxiu didn't have time to explain and just told the driver to leave quickly.
She continued to tell her elder sister what she had learned: "I just passed by the Lu Mansion and saw Prince Chen's men arresting people. They were all the families of important officials in the court. Prince Chen brought his troops and those officials to the palace, and he was also waving the banner of clearing the court of corrupt officials. I'm afraid the palace gates have been surrounded by people."
"What happened to the Lu family? Where are my parents and sister-in-law?" Lu Qingyao was shocked.
Miaomiao also came over worriedly.
Ever since my grandfather came back, the Lu family has been very strict in their defense, especially the palace soldiers and guards, who are forced by my grandfather to practice martial arts all day long.
My grandfather couldn’t play the game himself, so he would watch them play and give them some pointers when he had time.
It's not that easy for rebels to get in.
Xiuxiu: "They are all fine. I saw that the palace soldiers trained by the old master are comparable to the soldiers in the military camp. Those rebels can't even get through, and their target is not the Lu family."
"That's good, but did you see which direction they went?" Lu Qingyao breathed a sigh of relief.
I don't think it should be the Lu family. My father has retired and even handed over his military power. There is no one from the Lu family in the court, and my eldest and second brothers are guarding the border.
Prince Chen has captured her family, who can he threaten?
If she were Prince Chen, her target should be the Mu family and Prince Jing.
Mu family!
Lu Qingyao and Xiuxiu looked at each other.
"Hurry, let's go to the Duke's Mansion." Lu Qingyao didn't care about anything else. She prepared to have someone send Shen Zhaoyi and the two children to the Lu residence, and she got off the carriage.
Shen Zhaoyi had no objection, she believed in Lu Qingyao's arrangement.
She had heard people say before that even the servants in the Lu family were skilled, so there should be no place safer than the Lu family.
Miaomiao didn't want to be left at home again, so she grabbed Lu Qingyao's sleeve and wouldn't let go: "Mother, I want to go. I'll go wherever you go."
Lu Qingyao hesitated for a moment, but still carried her daughter onto her horse.
At this time, the streets had begun to become chaotic, with children crying, cries for help, and even curses.
A group of people, whether they were real rebels or fake, took the opportunity to rob the people of their property and kill people for their wealth.
Xiuxiu swung the whip and the man was thrown far away, with blood splattering everywhere.
Seeing this, the others fled in panic.
Miaomiao was shocked as she hadn't seen such a bloody scene for a long time.
He held A Niang's hand tightly.
Although she could always turn danger into safety, she still had the body of a child. If Xiaobai was not around, she would probably not be able to outrun a dog if she tried to escape.
She felt a little regretful for following along, feeling that she would be a burden to her mother.
Thinking about how to help them?
How can she fully utilize her special abilities? She has not used them for so long that she almost forgot about them.
"Miaomiao, don't be afraid, mom is here." Lu Qingyao subconsciously wanted to cover her daughter's eyes, but it was too late.
Xiuxiu moves too fast.
And my daughter was clearly trembling just now, but now she opened her eyes wide and looked around, and even played the bamboo flute.
"What are you doing?"
"Mother, do you think I can summon the little white wolf like this? Or summon something else to bite these people to death."
Lu Qingyao: "...what is it?"
It's broad daylight and in the city. Even if Xiaobai hears it, he won't come.
but……
What is that dark mass in the sky?
Is it a dark cloud? It is moving so fast and heading towards the imperial city.
Getting closer and closer.
Lu Qingyao unconsciously pulled the reins and stopped.
Look up.
Birds, so many birds!
Flying towards them.
Stop and hover in the sky.
There is even a little red bird chirping among them.
…
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