Are you stupid?!
After Ren Yingying arrived, Qu Nian persuaded Leertai to leave, leaving only her and Lu Jiu in the room.
Lu Jiu's tears streamed down his face.
"Sister Yingying, I want to go back to the Central Plains. I can't stay here with him." Lu Jiu hugged Ren Yingying and cried bitterly.
"Alright, alright, stop crying, your tears will soak the wound." Ren Yingying hurriedly wiped away her tears. "You idiot, why are you cutting yourself? Why don't you stab him twice!"
If it were her, none of us would want to live anymore.
Before I die, I'll drag that bastard Leertai down with me.
Lu Jiu cried even more bitterly.
"Stop crying, I need to check your injury. A girl's face is so important, how could you be so heartless?"
"He won't let me go if I don't do this."
Ren Yingying treated her wound again and used her own medicine.
This process is obviously very painful, but anesthesia cannot be used for the sake of later healing.
Lu Jiu was sweating profusely, almost tearing the bedsheets apart.
"Alright, alright." Ren Yingying picked up a handkerchief to wipe her sweat. "You're so careful with yourself, aren't you? You could have just scared him a little!"
These two have a complicated and tragic love story, a love-hate relationship.
In fact, Ren Yingying vaguely felt that the two of them didn't seem to have any deep-seated hatred for each other.
If Leertai hadn't been Northern Yi, the two of them would probably still be fine.
She didn't quite understand this kind of racial prejudice, but perhaps for some people, it's an insurmountable gap.
Then Leertai had a relapse.
If someone is unwilling, then it's best to part amicably; but he insists on keeping them, even bestowing upon them the title of Empress, which is truly disastrous.
However, Ren Yingying heard from Qu Nian that, for the sake of Lu Jiu, Leertai had already rejected marriage proposals from several large tribes.
"Lu Jiu, tell me the truth, do you not like Leertai?"
If you don't like it, then there's nothing to say; nothing is more important than free will.
Lu Jiu remained silent for a long time, her gaze lowered. Her long eyelashes were wet with tears, making each lash distinct, and she trembled like butterfly wings, which was heartbreaking.
"Sister Yingying, my father's surname is Lu, and my mother's surname is Xiao."
She paused there, which puzzled Ren Yingying.
Oh, your surname is Xiao?!
In the border town, is the surname Xiao?
That...
"The Xiao Family had two very famous sisters back in the day. One was Xiao Mo, who wasn't actually a member of the Xiao Family; the other was my mother. They were very close, practicing martial arts together from a young age and fighting side by side..."
Ren Yingying was shocked.
"My mother was no less determined than any man; she was single-mindedly devoted to driving out the Northern Yi. My mother loved a man, but that man later died at the hands of the Northern Yi."
"My mother was determined to avenge him, but unexpectedly learned that the Xiao Family wanted to cooperate with the Northern Yi..."
In a fit of anger, she left the Xiao Family.
"My father was her bodyguard, always following her. Then I was born unexpectedly... My parents opened a security escort agency... My mother hated the Northern Yi Northern Yi..."
Lu Jiu cried so hard her body was trembling.
Ren Yingying suddenly understood.
It wasn't that she didn't love him, but rather that his identity was a taboo subject in her family.
Even though her mother is no longer alive, for Lu Jiu, this is a boundary that should not be crossed.
Sigh, Ren Yingying didn't know what to say.
Is it blind filial piety?
That's true, but it's also heartbreaking and poignant.
"Actually, I think," Ren Yingying said after thinking for a moment, "That what your mother hates is war. If the two countries could turn hostility into friendship, she probably wouldn't be so opposed."
Why bother?
That's all from a past life.
Leertai, standing outside, had eyebrows that were already frozen in place.
So that's the reason. No wonder she wouldn't tell him no matter how he asked.
She didn't want to be persuaded. It wasn't that she disliked him anymore, but rather because of his status...
Give up?
That's impossible.
For men, losing their career means being at the mercy of others.
He didn't want to live that kind of life again.
Qu Nian thought to himself, "This is really troublesome."
If it were Ren Yingying, she definitely wouldn't have done that.
Even after someone dies, they still have last wishes!
Pedantic, rigid, boring...
Looking at the injured Leertai beside him, Qu Nian patted him on the shoulder. "Want to solve this problem?"
Do you have a solution?
"Of course. I'm a hundred times better than you at dealing with women." Qu Nian said with a proud expression.
Leertai glanced at the dog tag around his neck but remained silent.
Qu Nian: "..."
I'd rather die than talk to you... If it weren't for the peace talks, would I even bother with an idiot like you?
"The Crown Princess will heal your face. As for people's hearts, I have an idea."
"You say."
"If you agree to increase the number of fine horses sold to the Central Plains from three thousand to five thousand each year, I'll give you this idea. See, I'm not asking for it for nothing; I'll give you money. Wouldn't it be better if you sold more horses?"
Qu Nian had a "bro, you're a true friend" look on his face.
Leertai still looked completely unconvinced.
He tried every possible solution.
He tried everything, from gentle persuasion to harsh measures, but Lu Jiu remained unmoved.
He didn't quite believe this person who could only get a few smiles by wearing a dog tag.
"Tell me," Leertai said.
Now that things have escalated to this point, we have no choice but to try anything, even if it seems hopeless.
Although Qu Nian is unbelievable, Lu Jiu is quite close to Ren Yingying.
"What she doesn't accept is simply that she and you were having an affair, which goes against her mother's dying wish. But what if she stayed here, openly and honestly?"
"Go on—"
"When I get back, I can ask the Emperor to grant her a title, like a princess or a noblewoman, so she can come and marry into the royal family."
"Is this okay?"
"Of course," Qu Nian said, "But she sacrificed herself for her country, can the nature of her sacrifice be the same?"
Leertai seemed to be deep in thought.
It seems that this is indeed the case.
However, he ultimately rejected Qu Nian's suggestion—to take Lu Jiu away first and then bring her back in a grand wedding was unreliable, and he wasn't comfortable with it.
All he wants is for the account to be banned, and for Lu Jiu to stay and work honestly and with a clear conscience.
And so, Ren Yingying treated her face, Qu Nian won her heart, Lu Jiu finally agreed, resulting in a happy ending for everyone.
Ren Yingying said that Qu Nian's approach is just the same old trick over and over again!
I need to find the emperor and request a title!
The key point is that he succeeded every time.
Although the peace talks ended prematurely, they were delayed for some time because of treating Lu Jiu's face, and they didn't leave until the end of the first month of the lunar calendar.
"Can't you just go out and ride a horse? Why do you have to squeeze into my carriage?" Ren Yingying couldn't help but spit as she watched Qu Nian try to squeeze into the carriage for who knows how many times.
If he had just sat quietly in the carriage, that would have been fine. But every time he tried to get closer, he ended up fighting with the Dog Meat.
Dog Meat: I'm determined to protect my mom, I refuse to accept this dad!
In such a small place, this man and his dog always manage to make the carriage rattle and clang every time they bump into each other.
Sometimes, Ren Yingying couldn't resist lifting the carriage curtain.
--Look, Qu Nian and I are fine, but he's having a good fight with the dog!
"This time it's really something serious." Qu Nian waved the letter in his hand. "The Prince of Jin wrote to me, discussing the matter of you returning to the capital as soon as possible."
"Why didn't Tangbao write to me? Where is Tangbao?"