Outside the hall, Qun Qing watched as young eunuchs loaded chest after chest of national gifts onto carts.

Ruo Chan stood beside her, asking quietly: “Prince Yan and Gaochang have signed this trade agreement. If Southern Chu has intentions of war, will Gaochang stop them?”

“Let’s hope so,” Qun Qing said.

Ruo Chan looked thoughtful. At this moment, Qun Qing saw Eunuch Liang run out, heading straight for her: “Chamberlain, do you know what they’re discussing inside the hall?”

“What?” Qun Qing gestured for him to continue.

“The Gaochang envoys just said that the queen was originally an old Chu woman and is especially close to people from her homeland. Since the alliance has been established, if Prince Yan could send envoys to return to Gaochang together and meet the queen face to face, it would surely please the queen.”

Ruo Chan asked: “What does that have to do with Lady Qing?”

Eunuch Liang said: “He said that lady just now who was eloquent and persuasive would be very suitable—wasn’t he referring to you, Chamberlain?”

The road to Gaochang was long and difficult. Worry immediately appeared in Ruo Chan’s eyes.

Qun Qing suddenly looked up: “Is it true that only those of third rank or above, conferred as Scarlet-Robed Envoys, are qualified to serve as envoys to other countries?”

Eunuch Liang said: “That’s indeed true, but good heavens, who in this palace would be willing to travel so far as an envoy, eating dust all the way, for a mere third-rank honorary title…”

Before he finished speaking, Qun Qing had already lifted the hem of her official robe and hurried back into the hall.

“Your Highness, this subject is willing to accompany the envoys back to Gaochang.”

Qun Qing was already trying her best to conceal her purpose, but the light flickering in her eyes beneath her lashes still revealed it.

Lu Huating looked at her for a long while, then said: “Since the founding of Da Chen, this is the first diplomatic mission. It would be proper for me, the Minister of Rites, to accompany the Chamberlain to set a good precedent.”

Qun Qing hadn’t expected that not only would he not obstruct her, but he would want to go along. Even more unexpectedly, for something that could be done or not done, with the Minister of Rites wanting to go personally, not one of the several Ministry of Rites officials present objected.

Li Huan was silent for a moment, then said: “If you abandon your post like this, who will be responsible for Ministry of Rites affairs?”

Lu Huating said: “After trade matters are settled, how much business could the Ministry of Rites have to handle? Besides, aren’t there vice ministers?”

Li Huan said: “This Prince is only supervising the state. Palace affairs are intricate with a thousand threads—I need assistance. Not to mention there may still be hidden dangers.”

“The palace walls are already defended with three layers. Your Highness need not worry.”

“If you go to Gaochang, the road is long and difficult. Safety along the way cannot be controlled.”

“Indeed the road is long and difficult.” Lu Huating paused, then said: “Isn’t that all the more reason not to let the Chamberlain go alone?”

The two spoke in measured, gentle tones, but Qun Qing’s eyelashes fluttered slightly—she could hear the confrontation within.

She didn’t know why Lu Huating insisted on leaving with her at this critical juncture, nor why Li Huan was obstructing them, but since Lu Huating had decided this way, he must have his own thoughts. And for her, it was all harm with no benefit.

She said warmly: “If this subject goes together with Minister Lu, we can support each other on the road.”

Once these words were spoken, those several Ministry of Rites people all echoed their agreement. Seeing this, Li Huan laughed coldly: “Then you may all go together. Someone, draft the decree.”

Qun Qing and Lu Huating walked out of the hall together.

The court officials had already dispersed individually. Only Baoshu stood on the palace path, looking coldly at Lu Huating: “Minister Lu, abandoning state affairs and wanting to accompany your wife on a journey by setting aside official duties—is that appropriate?”

Hearing this, Lu Huating said: “What Ministry of Rites affairs? Investigating your cheating when you took the Garment Bureau examination that day?”

Not being able to become a female official but being forced to marry the Crown Prince was already a pain in Baoshu’s heart. Qun Qing felt his words went too far and tugged at Lu Huating’s sleeve, but he stood firm, unmoved.

Sure enough, Baoshu said: “I entered the Garment Bureau that day fair and square. How would I be like Lady Cui, still needing help from my family?”

Lu Huating said: “If I say you did, I have ways to make it so. If that weren’t the case, why can’t you even repair a loom?”

Baoshu’s eyes reddened.

Lu Huating still wore that vivid face, sneering: “Lady Meng, using power to oppress people—this is how the oppressed feel. Since you believe in this approach, when you seized others’ achievements, why didn’t you think of them?”

With that, he no longer made things difficult for Baoshu and left on his own.

“Elder Brother, I was kindly reminding you.” Baoshu’s eyes filled with tears as she looked hatefully at his retreating back. “Father didn’t lie to me. You do hate our family. You’re determined to fight us to the death. The bond from childhood when you saved me and I helped you preserve your late mother’s belongings—I’ll just consider it fed to dogs.”

In her mind floated the scene of their first meeting.

At that time, the Li family was still recruiting troops in the northern lands. Madam Xie had brought her to the military camp to visit Father. She was still young and had secretly slipped from Meng Guanlou and Li Xuan’s tent to Li Huan’s tent.

In the tent, she had run into Lu Huating.

The youth was wiping his blade before the campfire. His body was wrapped in bandages, his slightly curly hair loose. He raised his eyes to look at her, campfire shadows dancing in his extremely dark pupils, his pale face beautiful to the point of being magnificent.

Both Father and Meng Guanlou had warned her not to get too close to Lu Huating. From others’ mouths, she learned that Lu Huating was also her elder brother—that kind of elder brother who was a distant branch bastard son.

Having nowhere to go, he had sought refuge under Li Huan’s command, willing to risk his life accompanying Li Huan to conquer the realm, seeking a place for himself. Just like many of the common people in these chaotic times.

But she didn’t understand why both Father and Meng Guanlou told her to stay away from Lu Huating and had many people watching him when he clearly looked quite pitiful.

Baoshu was pampered and indulged at home. She didn’t know what malice was and felt that everyone in the world should naturally like her. So she approached him. She wore fine silks while he was covered in dust and mud.

Lu Huating didn’t acknowledge her, nor did he harm her. On the contrary, he even gave her candy to eat.

From then on, she began the game of secretly sneaking into Li Huan’s military camp. From the look in Lu Huating’s eyes when he regarded her, she confirmed that this elder brother also liked her.

Later, when Meng Guangshen discovered this, he had Madam Xie take her to Longxi. He also found a pretext to have people search Li Huan’s tent and Lu Huating’s personal belongings but found nothing harmful to her.

Li Huan was quite critical: “The Grand Tutor has searched several times already. What exactly are you looking for? Can’t you trust that Qi Lang genuinely wants to follow us?”

Despite others’ actions, Lu Huating only looked quietly at Baoshu. Baoshu returned him a slight smile—she wouldn’t tell anyone.

Just the evening before, he had spoken to her for the first time. He gave her an old yellow jade pendant, saying it was a relic from his late mother.

If she could keep it safe for him, when they met again in the future, with this token for recognition, he would help her do anything she asked.

Baoshu hid that yellow jade pendant with her belongings. Until the realm was stabilized and she entered the palace in the first year of the Saint’s reign, needing support from powerful officials, she brought it out and had Lu Huating help her become Yang Fu’s clothing palace maid…

Continuous rain shattered the blurred memories, pattering softly against the window outside.

Qun Qing found the yellow jade pendant broken into three pieces in a box on the bookshelf.

She had some impression of this object. She didn’t know what psychology drove Lu Huating to demand back his late mother’s relic from Baoshu, yet he left it stored here.

Lu Huating entered the study and saw the yellow jade pendant in Qun Qing’s hands. He paused. Then he looked at Qun Qing’s face as she carefully wrapped and mended the jade pendant with gold thread, her half-lowered eyelashes displaying a somewhat heart-stirring tender awkwardness.

He watched her for quite a while before saying: “My wife, what are you doing?”

Qun Qing said: “You’re going to accompany me on this diplomatic mission. Since I know how to repair things, why wouldn’t I help?”

Before she finished speaking, Lu Huating suddenly took the yellow jade pendant from her hands.

Lu Huating looked at the red marks on her fingers left by forcefully twisting and wrapping the gold thread, then set the object on the desk. After a long while, he said lightly: “This isn’t a relic from my late mother.”

“Qun Cang accused the Lu family of colluding with the enemy and introduced the old case of Weima. The Court of Judicial Review is re-examining it. That year the case became a false accusation because, although Qun Cang obtained correspondence between the Lu family and the Northern Rong, he lost the key physical evidence. This missing piece of evidence was a yellow jade pendant that the Northern Rong’s second prince had worn since childhood.”

Hearing this, Qun Qing picked up the jade pendant and looked at it against the light. She indeed saw clearly the small patterns on the jade pendant—the Heavenly Creeper flower totem of the Northern Rong royal family.

“That year when Meng Guangshen was still with the Lu family, he secretly ordered assassins to infiltrate the Qun family and steal this jade pendant, causing the Qun family to lose the physical evidence and suffer family catastrophe.” Lu Huating said. “The day my mother died, I was in the secret chamber and discovered this jade pendant, so I took it. But Meng Guangshen always suspected me, tracking and searching me repeatedly. I had to place it somewhere safe.”

“So I falsely claimed this jade pendant was my mother’s relic and gave it to Meng Baoshu, having her keep it secret. She also knew that after Meng Guangshen married Madam Xie, he always avoided mentioning his first wife. If her parents knew she was acquainted with me, they would certainly confiscate this object, so she secretly hid this jade pendant, planning to use it to command me.”

“All these years Meng Guangshen has been searching everywhere outside for this piece of evidence but couldn’t find it anywhere—it was hidden in his own young daughter’s trousseau all along.”

Lu Huating leaned on the desk, his dark eyes fixed on Qun Qing, as if observing her expression: “My wife, what do you think? Don’t you find this person—me—truly frightening?”

Qun Qing was indeed somewhat surprised.

This person could disguise himself like this even as a youth, able to manipulate human hearts and plant such a long line. Thinking about it carefully made one shudder.

But in her previous life, she had struggled against him and long knew how terrifying a thing lay hidden beneath this person’s brilliant exterior. Now that the backstory was filled in, she instead felt no fear. Taking its place was a strange feeling.

Curious, yet afraid to approach, fearing being devoured.

Seeing the bandage tied on his hand resting on the desk had come loose, Qun Qing said: “It seems to have loosened. Let me retie it for you.”

Her voice and the motion of tying the knot were both very light, like the hazy summer rain by one’s ear, inexplicably causing sweat to seep from Lu Huating’s temples.

“Born in chaotic times, some people want to become kings and hegemons, while some people are just desperately surviving. That you could walk to this step is your capability.” Qun Qing said. “Since it’s evidence, then take it to the Court of Judicial Review.”

When Qun Qing looked up at him, water-like ripples floated in her dark eyes, yet she opened her mouth to say: “I’m not afraid of anything.”

“Pack your luggage,” Qun Qing said, rising.

Lu Huating said: “My wife, the road will be arduous. No need to bring too many things.”

The road was indeed arduous.

After the carriage traveled westward for two days and nights, the rain continued pattering without stop. The roads grew increasingly desolate, and the lodging places increasingly dilapidated.

Especially the food—gradually there were no more fresh vegetables or meat on the table.

The Gaochang envoys’ party couldn’t get used to Zhongzhou food to begin with. The flatbreads they’d brought had also been dampened by rainwater, making them miserable. When they got out of the carriage once more, Qun Qing felt he seemed to have lost a great deal of weight.

The inn before them was shabby beyond description. Rain dripped from the roof onto the dining table. Looking again at the smoked duck and preserved meat on the table, the Gaochang envoy finally said with dissatisfaction: “I remember there are other inns on the map. Why stop at this particular place?”

Lu Huating drew back his sleeves to pick up food: “You remember incorrectly. Along the entire route, this is the only inn.”