"Yes, Wei Jun?"
"Smart." Cui Xiaoqiu gave an exaggerated thumbs-up.
Yanran slammed her hand on the table and stood up. "Then what's the point of keeping him around! I should have thought of this sooner..."
Cui Xiaoqiu tugged at her sleeve. "What did you already know?"
"Think about it, he slept with Zhao Yingzhu! A man who's slept with a woman can't be trusted! He'll definitely remember what happened when they were intimate, and he'll be chivalrous!"
Cui Xiaoqiu: "..."
Or, shall we change the subject?
"Really," Yanran said, seeing Cui Xiaoqiu turn his face away, thinking he wasn't convinced. She argued forcefully, "Think about it, Zhao Yingzhu was trying to seduce and use him, so she was definitely gentle Xiaoyi. After sleeping with him, how could she forget?"
When a man is driven by lust, he disregards everything else.
"It must be Wei Jun! Wait, I'm going to chop him up right now!"
"Don't be impulsive."
"I won't act impulsively, don't worry. I'll definitely chop him up in front of my brother, so he'll die knowing why!"
"No," Cui Xiaoqiu said with a smile, "Let me explain slowly."
Does this even need explaining?
"Go ahead and say it."
"It is true that Wei Jun tipped them off, but this matter must have been authorized by the Crown Prince."
"What?"
Yanran felt like her intelligence had been thoroughly humiliated once again.
Why can't she understand even a little bit?
Cui Xiaoqiu explained to her carefully, "If I'm not mistaken, this is how it should be..."
Zhao Yingzhu wanted to use Wei Jun, while Wei Jun wanted to use her in return.
When Zhao Yingzhu asked him about Linlin's whereabouts, Wei Jun pretended not to notice and told her without any suspicion.
Upon receiving this crucial information, Zhao Yingzhu had it released to her foolish husband.
The foolish man took the bait.
He felt that Linlin was Zhao Yingzhu's protector, so he wanted to get rid of her. In a moment of impulsiveness, he came without considering the consequences.
Upon hearing this, Yanran said, "In that case, we'll inevitably have to take revenge on Goryeo; and then, just because Zhao Yingzhu has become acquainted with us, she might ascend the throne and become empress, right?"
What a clever tactic of using someone else to do the dirty work.
Cui Xiaoqiu nodded.
Yanran sneered repeatedly.
Actually, she didn't mind using someone else to do her dirty work.
But to have put my elder brother in such a dangerous situation, this grudge must be settled properly.
However, something still doesn't seem right.
"You mean my elder brother instructed Wei Jun to do this? What was his purpose in doing so?"
"The Crown Prince lacks a reason to send troops to Goryeo."
What is the purpose of sending troops to Goryeo?
"Zhao Yingzhu is ambitious; we might as well eliminate her now."
"Ah?! I understand." Yanran exclaimed excitedly, "Then, can you leave this matter to me?"
Cui Xiaoqiu smiled and nodded, "I've discussed it with the Crown Prince. They'll set off for the capital after the first month of the lunar calendar, and we'll take care of things here."
"Very good!"
Yanran felt an overwhelming surge of pride and no longer cared about any schemes or plots.
She's about to lead the troops!
Meanwhile, Lang Xuan gradually figured it out as well.
She felt something was wrong!
Someone timed it so perfectly!
There must have been spies involved.
Since the possibility of spies has been considered, who else could it be besides Wei Jun?
Without hesitation, she told Linlin about her suspicions.
Linlin praised, "Smart, you even thought of that. I originally thought we'd just keep it from you like this!"
He told Wei Jun what they had discussed beforehand.
Lang Xuan was dumbfounded.
Is that really the case?
In other words, Wei Jun was not a spy at all, but a loyal and capable minister who helped Linlin overcome her difficulties?
His sacrifice instantly transformed from sordid to sublime.
Lang Xuan couldn't help but wonder, was it the same in her past life?
Was Yuwen Duo's injury also feigned?
Why is he pretending?
But was he really faking it? Why did he seem so distressed every time I secretly watched him?
She was also incredibly worried, but she just couldn't bring herself to take that step.
For some reason, Lang Xuan suddenly thought of Linlin pretending to be asleep.
She jolted awake, as if she had suddenly realized something.
Regardless of their arrangements in their past lives, their "peeping" should theoretically not have been possible in the first place.
If Yuwen Duo n't tacitly approved, how would I have had the opportunity to get close to him?
Is that how it is?
Was he waiting for him?
Thinking of this, Lang Xuan couldn't help but feel tears welling up in her eyes.
What did she miss in her past life?
Wei Jun: Finally, they've cleared my name!
But no matter what, Lang Xuan gradually lowered her guard against Wei Jun.
The first month of the lunar calendar passed quickly, Linlin took Lang Xuan back to the capital first.
Yanran and Cui Xiaoqiu led their troops straight into Goryeo, as if entering an empty land. In less than four months, they completely defeated the enemy.
However, whether or not the emperor wants this land is his decision.
Yanran only cares about fighting and winning battles!
After finishing all that, summer arrived. Still unwilling to give up, she focused on helping Xiao Ye find a "partner" for two months, and finally succeeded in setting up an ambush on the cliff and capturing a female eagle.
However, this female eagle was wild and difficult to tame, and it took the falconers a great deal of effort to subdue it.
Unexpectedly, this was not the end at all!
Even with the prospective partner right in front of him, Xiao Ye still couldn't perform. He would cower in fear every time he saw the female eagle, showing absolutely no masculinity.
In the end, he was pecked on the head by the mother eagle until it bled profusely, but he dared not fight back.
Yanran was furious!
Forget it, there's no point in trying. It's hopeless. Let it stay single forever!
Yanran, Yanran ordered the mother eagle to be released.
But miraculously, the mother eagle remained around them, never leaving their side.
"If you don't go now, I'll pluck all your feathers! You useless eagle!"
Under Yanran's "coercion," Xiao Ye finally gritted his teeth and approached the mother sculptor.
By the time the group finally returned to the capital from Liaodong, the two eagles had achieved their goal of marriage.
--Of course, this is just Yanran's speculation; she didn't witness it herself.
Yanran arrived in Beijing in the afternoon.
She told Cui Xiaoqiu to go back to his Cui Family, since he had been away for so long and his family must miss him.
Cui Xiaoqiu smiled and said goodbye to her, watching her happily enter the palace.
Yanran rode her horse all the way in—this was a privilege she enjoyed as the only princess and a deeply favored princess; she could ride a horse even within the palace.
Unexpectedly, they were stopped before they even reached the Imperial Study.
The Imperial Feathered Guard bowed and said, "Princess, please dismount."
Yanran: "???"
Why did she dismount?
Isn't it still quite a distance from the Imperial Study?
This Imperial Feathered Guard looks unfamiliar; he must be new and doesn't know the rules.
"It's alright, "Yanran said patiently, showing her magnanimity. "My father has granted me permission to ride horses freely within the palace."
"I know that. But His Majesty has issued a new decree: during the lunch break, no one is allowed to ride a horse in the palace."
Yanran: Anyone?
Besides her, was there anyone else?
Wasn't this rule set for her?
This is absolutely outrageous!
Absolutely impossible! My father would never target me!
Yanran didn't argue with him. She jumped off her horse, threw the reins to her guard, and strode towards the imperial study.