Liang Jue beca Li Wen’s etiquette instructor, while Shen ng beca the tutor for ng Zhai’s eldest daughter. In the recent battle led by ng Zhai, Shen ng’s tactics secured another victory, expanding the territory of the ng family. Consequently, the position of Shen ng’s family beca increasingly secure.
During the most recent battle, a rather special guest arrived at the military camp.
As ng Zhai returned from the battlefield with Shen ng, they were welcod by the people for successfully burning the enemy’s provisions, winning the battle, and even killing the enemy’s leader with a single arrow. The generals treated her with much more respect, greeting her politely as “Military Advisor Shen.”
That evening, ng Zhai hosted a celebration to honor those who had contributed to the victory.
Amidst the festive drinking, a soldier entered to report, “Your Excellency, soone outside the city requests an audience.”
ng Zhai, interrupted during her rrint, was slightly annoyed. However, given the importance of the visitor, the soldier wouldn’t have dared to intrude lightly. With patience, she asked, “Who is it?”
“Your Excellency, the person didn’t say, only that they have sothing important to deliver to you. Here’s also a letter, insisting it be delivered directly into your hands.”
ng Zhai gestured for the soldier to present the letter. Though she had been learning to read with Shen ng, there were still parts of the letter she couldn’t decipher, so she passed it to Shen ng, seated to her lower right.
Shen ng took the thin sheet of paper and, after reading it, her expression changed instantly. ng Zhai, noticing this, hurriedly asked, “What does the letter say?”
Shen ng replied, “Please co closer, Your Excellency.”
Leaning in, ng Zhai listened as Shen ng lowered her voice and whispered into her ear, “The letter is from the Third Prince. He claims to have brought the imperial jade seal for you, Your Excellency!”
ng Zhai sobered up imdiately, slamming the table. “Then what are we waiting for? Quickly, let him in.”
“Wait, Your Excellency,” Shen ng added, “The condition he ntioned is that you must personally escort him in to ensure his safety. He hasn’t brought the item with him.”
“That’s a trivial matter. Shen ng, co with .” ng Zhai gathered a few guards and left the tent with Shen ng.
Waving to the other guests at the banquet, she said, “Enjoy yourselves. I’ll just greet soone and be right back.”
As the heavy gates slowly opened, Shen ng observed two figures standing outside: one was presumably the Third Prince’s attendant, and the other was unmistakably the Third Prince himself.
She whispered to ng Zhai, “Indeed, he is the Third Prince. I’ve seen him several tis in the capital.”
Having been a husband in the previous life for many years, although it had been a long ti since they last t, she could still recognize Xue Ning’s figure at a glance.
ng Zhai exclaid three tis, “Good, good, good. I’ll go et him and see what he wants.”
Xue Ning glanced at Shen ng as if her presence here was not unexpected. He didn’t engage with her and only addressed ng Zhai, “Are you ng Zhai?”
Despite the chaos of the tis, Xue Ning hadn’t lost a bit of royal deanor. His attendant held an umbrella for him, ensuring not a drop of rain would wet his splendid robe.
ng Zhai responded, “Of course, it’s . Is what the Third Prince said in the letter true?”
Although the ng family’s military strength was respectable, they were still relatively new and not quite a match for the other two major rebel forces. However, if she could obtain the imperial jade seal, it would change everything.
But why would Xue Ning, as the Third Prince, have the imperial jade seal? And why would he choose her? It was puzzling.
Glancing at Shen ng beside him, Xue Ning said, “If it’s convenient, could we discuss inside the city?”
ng Zhai waved her hand towards the city gate. “Please.”
News soon spread that ng Zhai had left her victory celebration to greet a handso man outside the city.
Mr. Li, who had been diligently learning etiquette from Liang Jue, seed unusually distracted today. When asked by Liang Jue, he seized the opportunity to confide, “Actually, I was prepared for the master to have other n, but it’s still upsetting.”
Mr. Li always said to her that if ng Zhai were to beco Empress, he would be the empress consort, the main wife, and could manage the concubines.
There was no Empress in the world who had only one husband. Although ng Zhai was not yet Empress, he was no longer the poor man from the mountains. It was only a matter of ti.
He sighed, tears welling up in his eyes. “Do you think won, once they have money and power, all beco like this?”
Liang Jue didn’t know how to respond. Although he was eloquent, he wasn’t good at comforting people in such matters.
The servant responsible for attending to Mr. Li in the city pushed aside the door curtain and entered. He said to Li Wen, “Master, news has been gathered. The person is said to have co from the capital. He’s the third son of the late Empress, nad Xue Ning.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of a teacup shattering echoed in the room. Mr. Li and the servant both looked towards the source of the sound, only to see Liang Jue picking up the broken pieces of the teacup with his fingers. “It’s nothing, just slipped.”
There wasn’t much change in his expression, but his heart was in turmoil. Xue Ning, how could he be here? After so many years, hadn’t he given up?
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