Zhong Li’s hand paused, and she turned to look at the woman behind her.
Seeing Hua Yao looking like a pear flower caught in the rain, she understood that she had been misunderstood.
“Sit,” Zhong Li pulled Hua Yao, who looked wronged, towards her and casually ordered a few dishes for hot pot. “Miss Hua, please don't misunderstand…”
Zhong Li explained the details of how she met Lan Heng to Hua Yao.
“So, Miss Zhong didn’t know at the time that the Lord Lan I like was the one you rescued on Spirit Mountain?” Hua Yao asked.
Zhong Li nodded. “At that time, I just found Miss Hua very endearing. She was clearly afraid but was forcing herself to continue with the painting in her hands. I couldn’t help but want to tease her a little. I really hadn’t thought much about Lan Heng’s affairs back then.”
As she spoke, she took out a silk handkerchief and placed it in Hua Yao’s palm. She continued, “I was disguised as a man back then because of the situation. I didn’t intentionally hide it until we reached Jin Cheng.”
“Really?” Hua Yao wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, looking very wronged.
Zhong Li was accustomed to being alone. By chance, she encountered Hua Yao’s cute and stubborn nature, and she couldn’t help but feel curious and familiar.
After dropping a few vegetables into the pot, she said, “Yes, so can Miss Hua forgive me?”
Hua Yao lowered her eyes, looking at the two vegetables placed in front of her. She stopped crying and smiled, “How can Yao’er stay angry with Miss Zhong acting like this?”
Zhong Li looked at her, and the corners of her mouth couldn’t help but curve up. “So, you didn’t eat anything at the barbecue stall because you were holding onto this anger? You must have been hungry on the journey from Jin Cheng to Yong Cheng. Eat up quickly.”
Just as Hua Yao picked up a vegetable, she heard Zhong Li say this, and she couldn’t help but look up at her. “Then does Miss Zhong know that Lord Lan feels towards you…”
“I know,” Zhong Li nodded. She seemed emotionally slow, but in reality, she simply didn’t want to respond to people she didn’t care about. After all, giving false hope to someone who had no chance was, in her opinion, the most shameful act.
“Then Miss Zhong…”
“I only have… friendship for Lord Lan.” Zhong Li pondered for a moment, using the word that felt most fitting in her heart.
Upon hearing this, Hua Yao let out a long sigh. Then, she suddenly thought of something, and her expression fell.
“What is it?” Zhong Li asked.
“Lord Lan likes Miss Zhong, but Miss Zhong is not interested. Isn’t Lord Lan a bit pitiful?”
As soon as Hua Yao finished speaking, Zhong Li almost choked on the meat she was eating. She looked at the young girl opposite her with a baby face, unable to tell if her thoughts were simple or quite sentimental.
“Whether he’s pitiful or not, I don’t know. I only know that if Miss Hua doesn’t eat, starving to death would be the most pitiful thing,” Zhong Li reminded her.
Hearing this, Hua Yao finally broke free from her thoughts, her face flushed as she lowered her head and ate.
After a while, she mumbled, “We felt an instant connection, Miss Zhong and I. From now on, please call me Yao’er, and may I call you Li’er?”
Zhong Li looked at the little girl opposite her, whose mouth was stuffed like a little hamster, through the steaming heat. “Whatever you wish.”
Meanwhile, at the inn.
Lu Wuxie sat at his desk, looking at a token that Lan Heng had given him earlier.
This was a military order from the Hua family, and the Emperor’s intention was clear.
“My Lord, with this Hua family token, can we take down Governor Guo and the Northern River Gang in one fell swoop?” Lin Jin poured a cup of water and placed it in front of Lu Wuxie.
Lu Wuxie took the military order from the table, closed his eyes in thought for a moment, and shook his head. “If the Emperor’s thoughts were that easy to guess, it would be better.”
“My Lord…” Lin Jin frowned, wanting to speak but hesitating.
Lu Wuxie’s fingertips traced the character Hua carved on the military order. “General Hua is over sixty years old. How many children does he have, from his primary wife to concubines?”
“If we’re talking about males, there are three. Females, two,” Lin Jin replied.
“Putting aside the Hua family’s current position in the court, if the Emperor truly wanted to dismantle the Northern River Gang, why would he send a woman? And one who is the weakest and youngest?” Lu Wuxie said.
Lin Jin understood after hearing this and said with a nervous expression, “Then, does my Lord mean that the Emperor intends to…”
“The Wise Prince’s Manor has had little contact with military officials in the court over the years. On one hand, my father inherently avoided anything that might arouse the Emperor’s suspicion. On the other hand…” Lu Wuxie looked up at Lin Jin.
“Is it that the Emperor intentionally wants to separate the military officials from the Wise Prince’s Manor?”
Lu Wuxie nodded. “The matter with the Northern River Gang this time was purely an accident. The Emperor originally intended for Lan Heng to investigate thoroughly, but I stumbled upon it by chance. Now that the arrow is on the string and must be fired, he knows that if he sent a Hua family soldier, I might be tied to the Hua family. If he doesn’t send a soldier, it would seem a bit cold-hearted in front of everyone. It’s better to send the little lady from the Hua family who is infatuated with Lan Heng. This gains reputation, fulfills the task, and he’s not afraid that Hua Yao will have any intentions towards me. It’s killing three birds with one stone.”
“My Lord!” Lin Jin’s face darkened after hearing his master’s analysis. “If that’s really the case, neither Lord Lan nor you have experience leading troops into battle, especially since this is likely a naval engagement. What if something goes wrong?”
“Lin Jin,” Lu Wuxie set the military order aside and looked at his worried subordinate. “You underestimate your master too much.”
With that, he glanced at the steaming clean room behind him, got up, took off his outer garment, and walked in.
Lin Jin bowed and exited the room.
Lu Wuxie lay in the bathtub, looking up at the steaming ceiling, his memories involuntarily drifting. He remembered that year when Lu Jing’an died suddenly. Although Lu Yuanhong was the Crown Prince, he faced opposition because of rumors circulating in the court about Empress Shen’s past indiscretions and the mysterious death of the young prince Lu Yuanchen. At that time, to appease Nangong Xiaodie, the Emperor granted her family high positions in the court. He took the Crown Prince’s token from Lu Yuanhong, overcame difficulties, persuaded the remaining fragmented civil and military families in the court, and used the few tens of thousands of troops he had to defeat the Nangong family, storm the back palace, and rescue Empress Shen Nong, thereby legitimizing Lu Yuanhong. He had endured such difficulties and dangers back then, so why should he fear a mere commander of the Jinzhou navy or a group of street thugs?
However…
He narrowed his eyes, slowly moving in the water. He had taken a different path than in his previous life. Many things had begun to turn in an unpredictable direction. For example… the Emperor’s intention to deal with their Wise Prince’s Manor was more obvious than in his previous life.
The next morning.
Zhong Li and Lan Heng were the earliest risers. By the time Lu Wuxie and Hua Yao emerged from their rooms, the waiter had already laid out the breakfast.
“Sir,” Hua Yao was naive and the most unable to hide her feelings. As soon as she saw Lan Heng, she bounced happily to his side like a little rabbit, her cheeks flushed red.
Lan Heng glanced at Zhong Li and wanted to move away slightly from Hua Yao. He noticed that at some point, Lu Wuxie had already cooled the congee and placed it in front of Zhong Li. He lowered his eyes and quietly ate the food in front of him.
Lu Wuxie propped his head up, observing Lan Heng’s every move. His eyebrows raised, and he remained silent.
“Oh, right,” Hua Yao said vaguely, halfway through her meal, suddenly remembering something. “The Emperor only gave us half a month. Do you and my Lord have any plans?”