Rebirth of the Three Kingdoms: Da Qiao doesn't want to be a widow anymore

Chapter 368: Melon Fields and Plum Blossoms
Qiao Wei felt as if a huge boulder had been dropped into the sea, and his fists under his sleeves clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His body trembled slightly, and he felt as if the strength to stand had been drained away.

Seeing that something was wrong, the maid Xiao Ran quickly helped Qiao Wei up, "Madam?"

Qiao Wei gave a self-deprecating sneer.

Will this only cause trouble?

The oath made in the tent in Wancheng was still ringing in my ears, yet in just over a year, I thought I had caused trouble for nothing.
Qiao Wei took a few breaths, trying to catch her breath, and pressed You Xuan, "Go and ask him who the Marquis has met or listened to these past few days?"

She found it hard to believe that Sun Quan's attitude would change so drastically overnight.

"Yourou said that a letter has arrived from Liucheng. The Lord has intercepted Xu Shu's letter to Master Zhuge..."

Xu Shu's letter...

And Liucheng?
Qiao Wei quickly searched his mind for the place "Liucheng" and suddenly a name popped into his head.

"Guo Jia?" Qiao Wei asked uncertainly. "Is it a letter from Guo Jia, Guo Fengxiao?"

In the twelfth year of Jian'an, Cao Cao launched a northern expedition against the Wuhuan. Guo Jia fell seriously ill in Liucheng and died on his way back to Xudu.

Among Cao Cao's strategists, Guo Jia was the most wary and fearful of Jiangdong. From the moment Sun Ce prepared to launch a surprise attack on Xuchang, the seeds of hostility were sown between Jiangdong and Guo Jia.

Although Huang Yueying did not know what Qiao Wei meant, she could understand Junhou's attitude from the words Junhou brought back by Youxuan.

At this point, it was impossible for her to persuade Lord Jun to spare Zhuge Liang through Qiao Wei.

But in Jiangdong, she really didn't know who else she could turn to to see the Marquis and find a way to save her husband's life.

Meng Jian has already written to Cui Jun and other friends of Zhuge Liang to ask for help. He has even sent a letter to Zhuge Jin in Jiaozhou, hoping that Zhuge Jin can write a letter to plead for his brother.

We also hope that Your Excellency can show leniency towards Zhuge Liang, considering Zhuge Jin's many years of loyalty to his minister.

Huang Yueying was not fully recovered, and because Zhuge Liang was not by her side, Hua Tuo's abdominal surgery could not be performed for a long time.

Now that she has suddenly become pregnant, Qiao Wei is even more afraid that she will be too excited and harm the child in her womb, so he can only try his best to comfort her, saying, "I have thought about it. Nothing in the manor can be hidden from the Lord's eyes. You came to the manor to find me, so the Lord may not be unaware."

But Lord Jun did not stop you from entering the manor. Although he used Yourou's words to warn you, he still allowed you to stay in the manor.

This means there is still a chance for things to turn around. You should stay here and rest assured. Protecting the baby in your womb is the most important thing.

As for you, my lord, I'll think of something else.

That being said, Qiao Wei wasn't entirely sure what Guo Jia and Xu Shu had written in their letters. Qiao Wei needed to figure out what Sun Quan was struggling with in order to find the right solution.

After settling Huang Yueying in a side courtyard of the mansion, Qiao Wei had no choice but to go and see Sun Quan again.

Yourou looked troubled. "Madam, the Marquis said he would not see you."

Sun Quan's words were stern, but he also respected Qiao Wei. Although his hand was on his sword, he only pretended to support it and did not dare to actually draw his sword to intercept him.

“Yourou, I know you are acting on the orders of the Lord to stop me, but today’s situation is different from the past. Tell me the truth, why does the Lord suddenly want to kill the eldest son and Mr. Zhuge?”
Was it because Guo Jia's letter contained any provocative words, or was there something inappropriate in Xu Shu's letter to Zhuge Liang?

Yourou's brows furrowed into a deep frown, his eyebrows drooping. "Madam, I am merely a guard, protecting Your Majesty's safety. How could I possibly know about official documents?"

My lord's heart is as deep as the sea, and I dare not presume to know it. Madam, please do not make things difficult for me. Please return to Juxu Pavilion for a few days to rest and take good care of the young master and young master Xun.
"In the end, Mr. Zhuge is just an outsider. It's not worth it for Madam and Lord to quarrel and damage their relationship." Qiao Wei stared intently at Yourou, her eyes as cold as ice blades. She clenched her teeth, and even though she couldn't believe it, the answer in her heart was already obvious.

The fact that Xu Shu's letter and Guo Jia's letter arrived one after the other suggests that it was not such a simple matter.

In Xinye, how she preserved her innocence was not important; what mattered was the bond between her and Zhuge Liang, who vouched for each other.

Such a relationship, to put it nicely, is the mutual appreciation of gentlemen; but to put it bluntly, it raises suspicions of impropriety.

Yourou repeatedly mentioned that he was not allowed to plead for Zhuge Liang, which must be because Xu Shu and Guo Jia's letters mentioned that back in Xinye, Zhuge Liang asked Liu Bei to accept Qiao Wei as a concubine in order to save Qiao Wei's life.

Qiao Wei's lips moved, and she tried her best to force a very faint smile, but the smile disappeared before it reached her eyes.

"Alright, I won't make things difficult for you. Just tell the Lord that I am willing to prove my innocence to dispel the Lord's suspicions."

Youru bowed and said yes.

Qiao Wei didn't say anything more, turned around and walked out without even looking back.

The maid Xiao Ran trotted up to catch up, "Madam, are you really just going to let it go like this?"

Now that we've come this far, why not ask the Lord one more time? The Lord has always cherished his wife the most; everyone in the manor knows that.

Perhaps if the lady persists a little longer, the lord will soften his heart.

Qiao Wei shook her head. She knew that pleading for mercy at this point was useless. Suspicion was like a thorn growing next to a wheat seedling. Once the seed fell to the ground, no matter how hard she tried to pull it out, she would only end up bleeding profusely.

To completely remove the thorns, the wheat seedlings must be uprooted along with the thorns, and the land must be burned.

But she couldn't resort to such drastic measures.

Moreover, the words "innocence" cannot be proven in the first place.

Qiao Wei had no choice but to find another way.

“Youxuan, go and ask your fellow disciples if Mr. Lu has visited the mansion today. If he is still here, ask him to come over and tell him I have something to ask of you.”

Youxuan immediately went to do it, while Qiaowei returned to Juxu Pavilion to wait.

Instead of inviting Lu Su, Youxuan was met by Zhou Yu.

Although Qiao Wei was somewhat surprised by Zhou Yu's arrival, considering their current situation, he decided to meet with Zhou Yu before discussing the matter further.

Zhou Yu and Lu Su were both advocates of taking Jingzhou, and Zhou Yu and Xu Xiang would also be in charge of escorting Zhuge Liang.

Perhaps we can glean some information about the situation outside from him, or at least ascertain Zhuge Liang's safety, which is of utmost importance.

"If Madam has any request, she should offer something in return. If I can arrange for Madam to meet the Lord, would you accept my betrothal gifts and marry Rong'er to me?"

Qiao Wei frowned and refused without even thinking, "Rong'er is a person, not an object, much less a bargaining chip in our transaction."

"General Zhonghu, you have overstepped your bounds with these words."