Every word he had just said was like a sharp slap that rebounded onto his own face.
The young Emperor was astonished as well—ng Xiaojiu turned out to be such a young woman!
Startled, he looked again at Lu Xingzhou, whose expression had stiffened: "Lord Lu, what is going on here? Do you two know each other or not?"
"Your Majesty... I..."
Lu Xingzhou, who had calculated and sched his way through life, found himself for the first ti so embarrassed that he couldn’t form a coherent sentence.
ng Qianqian replied calmly and serenely: "Replying to Your Majesty, Xiaojiu was once Lord Lu’s daughter-in-law. Thanks to the grace of the Supre Emperor, a decree was issued permitting Xiaojiu and her husband to sever all ties."
The young Emperor was astonished again: "You’re ng Qianqian?"
The matter of the Supre Emperor’s decree had reached his ears the next day, but he still didn’t understand why his father had done so.
"Do you know my father?"
The young Emperor asked.
ng Qianqian shook her head: "Xiaojiu does not know him."
"You..."
The young Emperor hesitated to speak further.
He had heard quite a bit about ng Qianqian.
She carried herself like a legitimate wife, bullied the pregnant Lin Wan’er, relied on her formidable maid, and caused a stir in his mother’s Changchun Palace, injuring several people. By sheer luck, she had collapsed right at the gates of the Governor Mansion.
Lu Yuan, thinking his mother was trying to intimidate the Governor Mansion, went against her to shelter ng Qianqian.
Fearful of Lu Yuan’s misunderstanding, his mother had never pursued the matter further.
Afterward, at the Liu Family’s funeral, she caused a scene, publicly breaking off ties with her husband.
Her ferocious reputation was practically legendary.
But to think she was actually ng Xiaojiu—the young Emperor was stunned!
"Good heavens, what’s going on now?"
Zhang Feihu slapped his thigh and exclaid.
It wasn’t just the Emperor who was shocked; this group of rough n had their brains thoroughly fried as well!
Xiaojiu had just said—what?
She had been married? To that old scoundrel’s son? Which of his sons? Like father, like son—if he’s so rotten, what kind of virtue could his son possibly have?
Nie Hanshan stroked his chin: "Earlier, Lu Lingxiao called him father. Could it be..."
Everyone turned in unison toward Lu Lingxiao.
Lu Lingxiao gazed at ng Qianqian, his face filled with lancholy and complexity.
His expression was beyond dramatic.
The soldiers’ anger flared up, rising like smoke!
Zhang Feihu slapped the table, stood up, and strode forward, his murderous aura palpable. He saluted the young Emperor, "Your Majesty!"
And then he began reprimanding people.
"Nonsense! How are you talking to your forr father-in-law? Other than fighting battles, do you know how to do anything else? What did they teach you at the army camp? You don’t even know how to insult soone? Show so backbone!"
ng Qianqian obediently accepted the lecture: "Uh... Mm... Eh?"
Lu Xingzhou was bewildered as well—the first few sentences sounded normal enough, but the latter half almost made him choke.
"Lord Lu, is it?"
Zhang Feihu turned his attention to Lu Xingzhou, extending an arm to shield ng Qianqian behind him. "What did you just say? If you’ve got the guts, say it again in front of all of us!"
Lu Xingzhou clenched his fists, forcing himself to stay composed as he coldly countered: "This is the Lu Family’s private matter—it has nothing to do with the General."
Zhang Feihu lambasted him, "Don’t spew nonsense! What kind of connection does Xiaojiu have to your family? Although you got one thing right—your Lu Family truly doesn’t have the fortune! Not just any riffraff can qualify as the husband of a Yin Hu Guard!"
Lu Xingzhou barked angrily, "Do not act out of line before the Emperor!"
Zhang Feihu waved his large hand dismissively: "You think I need the Emperor’s permission to speak? Do you know how your son earned his military accomplishnts? Do you seriously think he’s that remarkable? Sneaking into the enemy camp alone, weaving through thousands of troops as if he’s untouchable, rescuing the original Yin Hu? Ha! Ha! Ha!"
He stood with arms akimbo, laughing uproariously: "Lord Lu, it’s no easy task for your son to earn military rits. Since you’re so interested, this General shall explain, right here in front of the Emperor, the officials, the noble ladies, and young maidens—how your son’s so-called achievents ca to be!"
His voice, fortified by deep inner strength, rang through the hall—all the way to the furthest corner of the ladies’ section, ensuring even those seated there could hear every word clearly.
Everyone was utterly engrossed, ears keenly tuned into the unfolding drama. Soone even toppled the dividers between the n’s and won’s sections, making it unnecessary to peek through cracks—everything on the n’s side was now visible at a glance.
A foreboding chill rose within Lu Xingzhou.
He wanted to intervene, but it was already too late—or rather, he simply couldn’t stop Zhang Feihu.
Zhang Feihu declared loudly: "Your son’s first incursion into the Beiliang Army Camp ended with him falling into the Beiliang Army’s trap, bringing back a fake Yin Hu, and injuring the Grand Commander. Not only was he not punished, but the Grand Commander even granted him an opportunity to redeem himself—allowing him and ng Xiaojiu to attempt to rescue Yin Hu again. But guess what? Yin Hu had already escaped on his own!"
The Second Madam sneered: "So, ng Xiaojiu didn’t earn any credit either, it seems."
Zhang Feihu retorted, "Hold on—I haven’t finished speaking. Midway, the three t, but at that mont, Beiliang’s Shadow Guards descended upon them. Those unfamiliar with the border wouldn’t know who the Shadow Guards are—they’re ruthless assassins, even surpassing Imperial Guards in martial arts prowess. Yin Hu was injured and unable to fend off so many adversaries, so ng Xiaojiu ordered Lu Lingxiao to escort Yin Hu to safety while she stayed behind to cover their retreat!"
Upon hearing this, more than a few of the noble ladies gasped in astonishnt and hurriedly covered their mouths to suppress the sound.
Zhang Feihu turned to glare at Lu Lingxiao, his gaze fiery and intense: "Lu Lingxiao, once you’re on the battlefield, there’s no distinction between n or won, young or old. Everyone’s a soldier; everyone’s life is worth the sa. Yet she was once your wife—how could you leave her to face Beiliang’s forces alone? Do you even have a shred of humanity left?!"
"I..."
Lu Lingxiao was speechless. He hadn’t known ng Xiaojiu was ng Qianqian. If he had known, he would never have abandoned her.
But even if he said as much, no one would believe him now.
Zhang Feihu thundered on: "If not for Xiaojiu risking her life to lure the Beiliang troops into the snowy mountains, battling them for a day and night, do you think you’d still be breathing?"
He then glared at Lu Xingzhou, "It was ng Xiaojiu’s choice to forego recognition, letting your son take full credit! Otherwise, how could he possibly achieve such a high honor?"
"The truth is... this... oh my..."
The Zhou Family’s maiden was moved to tears.
Zhou General exclaid: "Hey! What’s with the crying?!"
Everyone finally understood—originally, they had found it puzzling that Lu Lingxiao hadn’t beco the successor to Yin Hu Guard despite purportedly rescuing Yin Hu. Now, everything made sense.
The real savior of Yin Hu was ng Xiaojiu.
Lu Xingzhou, you’re muddle-headed! Such an outstanding daughter-in-law, and you didn’t cherish her—instead, you lifted up a mute who engaged in clandestine relations with your son!
ng Qianqian tugged weakly at Zhang Feihu’s sleeve: "Uh, well, that’s a little exaggerated—I didn’t fight for a full day and night..."
Zhang Feihu barked: "Silence!"
ng Qianqian: "Okay."
Actually, Zhang Feihu wasn’t wrong—there hadn’t been fighting because ng Qianqian had exceptional skills in maneuvering through the mountains and dealing with people. Otherwise, she would’ve been buried in the snow-covered wilderness, her soul forever lingering, her story twisted by the Lu Family, and her legacy fabricated into lies.
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