Si Xitong finally received reliable intelligence from Jiu Jin, learning that someone from the Hu Xiongnu had sent assassins to take Lu Qing's head.
She deliberately let Lu Qing out of the palace for some fresh air, hoping to catch the assassin and find out Hu Xiong's motives for attacking her.
Unexpectedly, the expert hidden in the shadows did not make a move, but someone interfered because of her casual remark.
Does she think she can't even handle this little thing? Is that why she needs to do everything herself and make all the decisions for her? Besides, she's already an eighteen-year-old adult girl, as she calls her, but even so, she still acts like a child, and this childlike behavior really annoys her!
Xie Lanzhi sensed her resistance and put her hands behind her back, clenching them into fists.
What she means is that growing up means she can fly free as she pleases. She wants her to be independent, but she doesn't mean putting herself in danger.
Little Phoenix has no idea how to act. For example, she's incredibly inexperienced this time, like a persimmon that's hard to control!
Si Xitong solemnly told her, "Marshal, I want to remind you that I am now a woman."
Xie Lanzhi raised an eyebrow and said, "When did I ever say you weren't a woman?"
Both of them were taken aback, vaguely feeling that the "woman" they were referring to was the same word but not the same meaning.
Lu Qing, who used to be too afraid to participate, has now started secretly watching the drama unfold.
Qianqian even broke the sweet potato she bought in half, giving one half to her mother.
The mother and daughter were eating watermelon.
Xie Lanzhi was the first to back down. Her brows furrowed with anger and irritation. As she turned her head, her tone no longer argumentative: "Fine, go ahead."
Si Xitong turned and walked out the door, then flicked her sleeve and said, "Then please don't follow me, Marshal. I won't get lost on the way."
Little Phoenix!
When Xie Lanzhi looked up at her again, her figure had already left the second floor.
She suddenly felt powerless. What was wrong with Little Phoenix? She wasn't the kind of person who would get angry over a few words from her or for interfering in someone else's life.
She also lost control of her emotions, acting like a child and arguing with her over trivial matters. It was just a casual remark, wasn't it? She wanted to tell her to let her say what she wanted.
Why bother getting information from the chapters and then following them?
Little Phoenix will probably give her the cold shoulder for a while because of this.
While eating melon, Lu Qing suddenly felt maternal and looked down at her daughter who was also eating melon. She couldn't help but feel bitter: Qianqian will probably go against her in the future too.
Qianqian will also have a rebellious phase when she grows up.
"Um..." Although the monster before her was terrifying, she seemed quite normal when she wasn't killing. And considering this person was most likely an obstacle, an enemy, on His Highness's path.
She felt it was necessary to keep an eye on her to prevent any accidents.
Just now, Lu Qing vaguely saw a glimmer of hope in His Highness's expression. The bright light faded, and the Calamity Star, angered by her, was able to suppress the Calamity Star.
The sheer presence alone was enough to suppress the monster's wrath. It seems Your Highness not only possesses limitless potential, but what you will learn and the path you will take in the future are inextricably linked to the monster before you. Therefore, we cannot stand idly by and watch this monster, as she may very well influence her future master.
Lu Qing couldn't help but chime in, "Marshal, I have something to say, but I'm not sure if I should."
"Speak." Xie Lanzhi suddenly sat down next to the tea table, pinching her brow. "Let's see what you can say."
Lu Qing said, "Marshal, do you often fail to read people's expressions?"
Hmm? Xie Lanzhi was quite puzzled. She was always approachable, and as long as the other party didn't cause trouble, she would treat them fairly. She wouldn't throw a tantrum at people easily, and she would also act according to the person's character.
What do you mean by not being able to read people's expressions?
"What's the meaning?"
Lu Qing thought to herself, "Indeed, those involved are often blinded by their own feelings." She said, "It's like with people you're close to; the more you know them, the more you become confused by their concerns, and then you end up not being able to read their minds."
Little Phoenix? Xie Lanzhi began to look her up and down, and saw that she was holding a baby, and the baby was eating a sweet potato and staring at her longingly.
This woman has been married before, has a husband and children, so she must be an experienced veteran in matters of the heart.
She humbly asked, "Madam Lu, please tell me more. I thought I understood Little Phoenix and knew what she was thinking all the time, but I still couldn't avoid bickering."
"Just now, I had a fight with her."
"Even though I conceded a step, she was still angry. Does she really value this matter more than I do? If it is important, why is she still ungrateful after I've already made concessions?"
As Xie Lanzhi spoke, her back became more and more hunched, her hands supporting her face, lost in a state of turmoil. It was as if a tangled ball of yarn was becoming increasingly difficult to untangle.
Upon hearing this, Lu Qing couldn't help but smile knowingly. She said, "Love is always hard to reason with. And it always makes people act on their emotions, but that's just human nature."
"If every single thing can be clearly defined and calculated, and you can distinguish right from wrong, and fight to the death, then you are not a couple, but just living together."
"Then what do you mean by saying that I, the general, don't care about the feelings of those close to me?" Xie Lanzhi said, "I misunderstood her, which is why I made her angry?"
Lu Qing shook her head: "Marshal, you have not misunderstood. After observing Your Highness for several days, I have found that Your Highness is a very straightforward person. She truly says what she means and never says what she thinks, and she is always consistent."
Qianqian added insult to injury: "Mother, Her Highness is the most honest person I've ever met. Just now, the way she was flashing around meant she was really angry with Monster Sister."
Upon hearing this, Xie Lanzhi felt a sudden shadow fall over her. She was utterly devastated.
So much so that he didn't even realize he was being called a monster.
After struggling for a while, she finally gave up and humbly asked for advice: "Then how should I, General, make her feel better?"
"Uh, Marshal, there's another old saying: the one you love most will bow down first."
"If I can appease her, I will definitely do it."
"No, what I mean is that you haven't found the root cause of His Highness's anger, so even if you bow your head, it won't help."
Xie Lanzhi slammed her fist on the table, which shattered with a crash. Qianqian quickly swallowed the last bite of sweet potato to avoid dropping it on the ground from her trembling hands.
What a waste!
Lu Qing covered her daughter's eyes: "Marshal, you see, you don't even act according to your feelings in front of my child."
What is the root cause?
"It's because Her Highness has grown up."
Xie Lanzhi suddenly fell into doubt: It's as if she said nothing at all.
Chapter 85 The Handover and Clash of Two Masters
The dungeon of the Ministry of Justice was a dark passageway with rows of candles illuminating the walls. The candlelight cast the shadowy figures of jailers whipping prisoners onto the walls, making them appear like evil spirits. The cold and merciless interrogations were no different from the wailing of the underworld.
Si Xitong went from feeling uncomfortable at first to gradually getting used to it.
She was surprised at how quickly she adapted, but not at all. The year her father died, she was sent to the Musk Temple to witness firsthand the suffering of the people.
Bullies oppressed, rebels slaughtered, and all able-bodied men were captured, leaving behind starving women, children, and the elderly lying on the roadside amidst corpses, barely clinging to life. The desperate, empty eyes before death, the sight of their emaciated skeletons, are unforgettable.
She thinks about it now and feels ridiculous, but at the same time, she is also relieved.
Thankfully, Lanzhi discovered her early and rescued her from the brink of despair in the cage. Lanzhi comforted her, avenged her father, and her love healed her inner wounds. In the end, Lanzhi even helped her rescue her younger brother.
Si Xitong found herself in a cold, dark place, surrounded by screams of agony. She chuckled softly in response.
Yes, it's so warm under the sun that we forget we're still in a freezing hell, with thousands of starving corpses lying at our feet. And there's even cannibalism among those living in chaos.
There is so little she can do for the world now.
Si Xitong was consumed by self-blame; she had never been so clear-headed. Without experiencing it firsthand, she couldn't possibly understand. The longer she stayed in this place, the faster she seemed to reflect on herself.
A year has passed, and she hasn't done enough. She can no longer rely on that person. She can't let that person become a prophet again, regardless of whether she has the ability to foresee the future or not; she doesn't want her to be harmed. So from this moment on, she can no longer cling to that safe haven, where she can hide from the storms of life.
You can't escape the storm by hiding from it. You can't make the storm stop. This is just her way of escaping the chaos of the world.
Zhang Ju admired His Highness somewhat. He had clearly seen that His Highness was particularly uncomfortable and uneasy when he first entered, but after standing for a while, his expression became calm and his emotions became indifferent. His extremely cold attitude was somewhat in line with the Shenxing Division.
He never thought His Highness was the master standing amidst bloodshed, but now he fears he might be wrong.
"Your Highness, according to the two assassins, they were all acting on the orders of the modern leader of the Mohist school, who was tasked with chasing down the Lu mother and daughter. The mother and daughter's identities are probably not as simple as just being members of the Mohist school." Zhang Ju reported, "Then the mother and daughter's identities are probably not as simple as just being members of the Mohist school."
The implication is that Lu Qing's allegiance to Si Xitong was still uncertain, and she was clearly not to be trusted.
Si Xitong asked, "Is there any other news?"
Zhang Ju shook his head: "Apart from that, there is no other news, Your Highness. What should we do with them next?"
Si Xitong stood up and slowly walked out of the passage, her voice cold: "Those who have no use to us, we don't need to keep them."
She had very little intelligence this time, which was not enough to warrant her personal involvement, making her first operation seem ridiculous.
Lan Zhi is right; there's no need for us to take any action ourselves.
Si Xitong walked out of the dark and gloomy Shenxing Division. She stood at the iron gate, her delicate face bathed in the golden sunlight, while her shadow blended into the darkness behind the iron gate.
Her eyes were filled with hostility, which made her heart pound.
She needs to be faster.
Xie Lanzhi escorted the mother and daughter back to Zhaixing Tower, not revealing the truth behind the assassination. Lu Qing didn't say anything either. However, the daughter in her arms kept staring intently at Xie Lanzhi, her expression shifting between surprise and fear, her little face a kaleidoscope of colors like neon lights.
Xie Lanzhi touched her face several times to make sure there was nothing there.
She turned to leave. But a small hand tugged at her sleeve. Qianqian was still half in her mother's arms, her upper body leaning towards her.
The little girl said timidly, "Sister is a good person."
"Is it because I saved you that you changed your opinion of me?" Xie Lanzhi smiled helplessly, patting the little girl's head and finding her naive.
Qianqian nodded and said, "Yes."
Honest and lovely.
Lu Qing pulled her daughter's hand back, put her daughter down on the ground, and quietly let her stand behind her, as if protecting her child.
Xie Lanzhi received Lu Qing's wariness towards her.
She said, "You're useful to Little Phoenix, so I won't touch you for now. But there's something you need to understand."
Lu Qing respectfully said, "Marshal, please speak."
“I once taught Little Phoenix that even trash can be useful.” Xie Lanzhi’s eyes darkened, and she let out a series of cold, spring-like laughs: “Whether you are or not, it is up to her to verify.”
She believed that Little Phoenix wouldn't let her down, and she would make the decisions she needed to make without hesitation. Although it was a bit of a forced situation, she wouldn't leave empty-handed once she took action.
Lu Qing remained respectful and said, "The Marshal is right. The Lord needs more than just wisdom."
More often than not, it involves ruthless methods.
Xie Lanzhi's figure disappeared from the Star-Picking Tower. Qianqian's little face was full of reluctance, and she couldn't help but say, "Mother, she was so warm."