She mistakenly got into the bridal sedan chair and married a sickly but powerful minister, becoming

Chapter 526 Arriving as promised

Zhao Yi glanced at Wang Qiaoxin and Lin Youwei, then stood protectively by the parapet wall, so that Shen Qingtan could have a better view of the camp.

Shen Qingtan's heart, which had been pounding rapidly, gradually calmed down the moment she saw the soldiers retreat. She slowly loosened her clenched fists, placed her hands on the parapet, and gazed at the distant camp.

The sky had darkened, and the faint glow of torches could be seen.

The flames, like a long dragon, gradually disappeared inside the city gates of Yingcheng.

Although she knew her father was on guard, she still couldn't help but feel worried for him the moment she saw the ballista.

Fortunately, Zhao Yi stopped them in time; otherwise, if the garrison had ordered the soldiers to shoot the long arrows, it would have completely ignited a war between the two countries and utterly disrupted their plans.

Only when the last spark of light disappeared into the night did Shen Qingtan turn her gaze away and hand her hand to Zhao Yi: "Let's go back."

Zhao Yi helped Shen Qingtan down the city wall and into the carriage.

Shen Qingtan leaned close to Zhao Yi's ear and said in a voice only loud enough for him to hear, "His Majesty already suspected that you were on the side of the Great Zhou. Now that you have openly defied his decree, he is probably even more convinced that you will not raise an army against the Great Zhou. Although what you said is true, he may not believe it. He will only take your words as an excuse to protect my father and will definitely punish you."

Zhao Yi gently squeezed her soft, boneless fingers and said casually, "Let's take it one step at a time. There's always a way to overcome difficulties."

Shen Qingtan was not as optimistic as Zhao Yi, and vaguely felt that he had already made the worst-case scenario plan.

Although Emperor Beiqi and Zhao Yi had a blood feud over the murder of Zhao Yi's mother, Emperor Beiqi was still Zhao Yi's biological father. To make him bear the stigma of patricide would ultimately violate the moral principles he had been taught.

He will also be criticized by the world for this.

The Northern Qi emperor was already guilty of a heinous crime and it was not worth it for Zhao Yi to ruin his reputation.

"Don't worry, I won't let my reputation be tarnished in the slightest." Zhao Yi looked at her worried face, hugged her, and whispered, "You have to trust me."

Shen Qingtan rested her head on his shoulder: "Of course I believe you."

The carriage slowly came to a stop at the entrance of the Prince's Mansion. Zhao Yi and Shen Qingtan got off the carriage, said goodbye to Wang Qiaoxin and Lin Youwei, and then turned and entered the mansion.

Lin Youwei stared at the tightly closed gates of the mansion and couldn't help but ask Wang Qiaoxin, "Did you deliberately not stop the Prince of Guangling, and let him stop the garrison commander from shooting the Prince of Zhenbei?"

"When Prince Zhenbei was in Liangzhou, he single-handedly charged into the enemy camp and took the head of the enemy leader. Not to mention he had tens of thousands of elite troops, while we only have ten thousand. The disparity in strength was so great that our defeat was inevitable. If Yuncheng suffers a defeat, His Majesty's wrath will only be directed at the two of us. Do you think we'll have a good ending then? I don't want to die in vain. Why should I stop Prince Guangling? He disobeyed His Majesty's secret decree; let him take the blame." Wang Qiaoxin sneered, "If you want to die, I won't stop you."

Lin Youwei originally thought that Wang Qiaoxin had secretly colluded with Zhao Yi, which was why he did not stop Zhao Yi from going to the enemy tower. However, he did not expect that Wang Qiaoxin had already discovered the disparity in strength between the two countries. In order to save his own life, he deliberately made Zhao Yi take the blame for disobeying the imperial order.

Wang Qiaoxin, looking like he couldn't be bothered to waste any more words on a fool, flicked the reins and rode away.

Lin Youwei finally understood: Wang Qiaoxin had not colluded with Zhao Yi, but he was not particularly loyal to the Northern Qi Emperor either, prioritizing his own interests.

He gathered his thoughts and rode away with his horse.

-

Meanwhile, Shen Qingtan, unaware of the conversation between Wang Qiaoxin and Lin Youwei, pulled Zhao Yi's arm and walked towards Lanxue Garden.

Zhao Yi stopped in his tracks: "Manman, come with me to the study. I have something important to discuss with you."

Shen Qingtan was just about to write a letter to Gu Changsheng, and she would send someone to deliver the letter and gifts to him when the city gates opened tomorrow.

Without giving it much thought, she instructed Liuyue and Tingxue: "You two move the gifts from our parents and brothers to Lanxue Garden."

"Yes." Liuyue and Tingxue agreed and carried the boxes to Lanxue Garden.

Shen Qingtan took Zhao Yi's arm and headed to the study.

Suddenly, she stopped and looked at the brightly lit study with a surprised expression.

Normally, the study is only lit when someone is in it.

Now, the study is empty, yet the lights are still on.

What's even stranger is that there was no one guarding the entrance.

Suddenly, a thought popped into Shen Qingtan's mind, and once it appeared, it wouldn't go away, growing stronger and stronger. To confirm her suspicions, she disregarded Zhao Yi beside her, strode to the study door, and pushed it open abruptly.

The room was filled with radiant light, and a long shadow was cast on the ground at her feet.

Shen Qingtan looked in the direction of the shadow on the ground and saw that the person she had been thinking about every moment of these days had appeared in front of her without any warning.

Gu Changsheng was still dressed in a pure white robe, sitting upright on the wide couch facing the study door. His slender, delicate fingers gently held a teacup, and his wide, flowing sleeves moved like drifting clouds, untouched by a speck of dust, elegant and refined.

Just then, he heard a noise at the door, turned around, and smiled gently: "Manman, you're back."

Shen Qingtan was pulled back to her senses by Gu Changsheng's kind and gentle smile, and then realized why her mother was unwilling to help her hand over the gift to her cousin, and why Zhao Yi had asked her to come to the study for a talk.

It turned out that Gu Changsheng had come to keep the appointment.

"Brother Changsheng, you came without a word, and even conspired with my husband to keep me in the dark." Shen Qingtan suppressed the surging emotions in her heart, and with light steps, sat down opposite Gu Changsheng. She noticed an ancient book that was half-read on the table, indicating that he had been there for some time. "Mother said that she originally wanted to invite you to have a reunion dinner, but the apprentice in the clinic said that you went to the mountains to gather herbs and would not be back for a while. She said it so convincingly that I actually believed her."

As she spoke, she stared intently at Gu Changsheng, noticing that he was exactly the same as when they last parted. The only difference was that his amber eyes were no longer dull, but instead held a shimmering light.

Just like his bleak and lonely life, it radiates vitality and light.

"I remember our agreement." Gu Changsheng listened to her words, which contained no accusation or complaint, but only the coquettishness and grievance of his sister towards her brother and the people around them for deceiving her. The smile on his lips spread to his eyes: "Besides, I have something important to tell you."