Love Lock

Chapter 258 The Greatest Contributor to Territorial Expansion

“But…” Thinking about the current situation of herself and her daughter, Zhao Qiao’er frowned and bit her lower lip, looking as if she was about to die.

"This is a golden opportunity that has come knocking on our door. Once it's gone, it'll be gone forever."

Princess Chang Le gazed into Zhao Qiao'er's eyes, drawing out the last syllable meaningfully.

The private room fell silent for a moment, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind outside the window.

Zhao Qiao'er stared at the dappled light and shadow on the ground, then suddenly took a deep breath. When she raised her head, her eyes were filled with determination: "Alright, I will follow the princess's plan!"

Seeing that she agreed, Princess Chang Le finally smiled with satisfaction.

After having lunch at Tengyun Tower, Princess Chang Le left alone with her maids and servants. Zhao Qiao'er did not leave with Princess Chang Le, but instead disappeared into the crowd on the street.

Feeling uneasy, she pursed her lips and walked straight toward the street where the Lin family lived.

She married into the Lin family and lived in that area for two years, getting to know some of the neighbors and becoming quite friendly with them. That street was the perfect place to implement the Princess Chang Le plan.

Zhao Qiao'er adjusted the hem of her jacket and wandered around Qinglong Street, looking for her target group to carry out her plan.

As I turned past the faded "Lin Mansion" plaque, I suddenly heard a silvery laugh in the distance.

Six or seven little kids were playing shuttlecock on the street corner, the colorful feathers on the shuttlecocks drawing bright arcs in the winter sun.

"Young man, you kicked so well." As she squatted down, she deliberately showed off the new silver bracelet on her wrist.

"Can you sing 'The Ballad of Brocade'?" Zhao Qiao'er asked softly.

Seeing the children shake their heads, she caught the shuttlecock that flew towards her, and the colorful feather trembled gently in her palm.

"Shall I teach you?" She took out three candied fruits from her purse, and the children immediately gathered around.

Zhao Qiao'er tapped her hand to the beat and began to sing softly—

Come listen! Come listen!

The trade route of Jinxiufang
Young Master Wei loves to flaunt his wealth.
I can't take care of my own family.
Hundreds of cartloads of grain were sent to the Turks.

They traded grain for peace at Beiguan Pass.
The people of Dajing are overjoyed.

The little girl in the red jacket was the first to learn the first line, singing in a clear, crisp voice: "The trade route of Jinxiufang, the route... the route..."

"No, no," Zhao Qiao'er pinched her frostbitten cheeks, "It should be like this."

She patiently taught him word by word, her humming tune as sweet as honey, yet each word was enunciated with utmost clarity.

Boys who wear open-crotch pants learn the fastest and can sing the whole song in no time.

When the song reached the line "Hundreds of carts of grain were sent to the Turks," an old man selling steamed buns not far from the alley entrance suddenly coughed softly.

These lyrics were improvised by Princess Chang Le and her just now at Tengyun Tower.

Zhao Qiao'er was a woman living in a large, secluded mansion. Although she had learned a lot of scheming and intrigue skills from her mother, Qin Yanran, she was still young and inexperienced. She had no idea of ​​the cruelty of the power struggles within the imperial court.

This nursery rhyme, ostensibly praising Young Master Wei, actually made him a target of public criticism.

Once the nursery rhyme spreads, it's like a soft knife, more deadly than removing a ladder after someone has climbed over a wall—it kills without drawing blood. At that point, Young Master Wei probably won't even know how he died.

The lyrics are catchy and easy to learn, making them perfect for young children who haven't yet started learning.

Before they learned it, the children's babyish voices sang in a jumbled mess, making it impossible to understand what they were singing.

But as the children learned each line, they sang it more and more in unison, and the lyrics gradually became clearer.

Zhao Qiao'er smiled and gave each of them a string of candied hawthorns, praising their singing and encouraging them to continue.

"Whoever sings well will get even more candy next time I come." The glistening candy shells reflected the sunlight as she began to guide them step by step. "If I can hear you singing again tomorrow..."

She deliberately drew out her tone, and the children immediately shouted, "I promise you'll sing it so the whole street can hear it!"

Kids are easy to please with a little something, and he sang even more enthusiastically after receiving the reward.

Zhao Qiao'er looked around and, seeing that no one was paying attention to her, walked into a small alley next to her.

As she turned around, she caught a glimpse of the children singing enthusiastically in circles, and a smile involuntarily crept across her lips.

She didn't care why Princess Chang Le wanted him to do this. Anyway, her first step in the plan had been successfully completed. As long as Princess Chang Le could help her and her daughter get rid of the Cangzhou King's rebellion, that was enough.

Thinking of this, Zhao Qiao'er turned around and hurriedly tried to leave, but her embroidered shoes accidentally tripped on a protruding bluestone slab, and she staggered forward a few steps.

Before she knew it, she bumped right into a man's chest, and the scent of ambergris immediately filled her nostrils.

"Ouch!" she exclaimed softly, looking up to meet a pair of narrow, phoenix-shaped eyes.

A man was standing in front of her.

A man whose beauty is beyond description!

The man was about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, with deep-set features. His bright red python robe shone brilliantly in the sunlight, and the cloud patterns embroidered with gold thread rose and fell slightly with his breath. The black-scabbard sword at his waist gleamed coldly, and his sash fluttered in the wind.

What's most captivating is her face—a crimson dress, crimson lips, contrasting with her fair and delicate skin like mutton fat jade. A cinnabar mole at the corner of her eye adds a touch of demonic allure, making her look like a spirit that has stepped out of a painting.

"This...this can't be the nine-tailed fox fairy from the storybooks, can it?" Zhao Qiao'er exclaimed inwardly, her mouth agape, her fingers unconsciously tightening around her handkerchief.

Although she was a concubine's daughter, there were countless young noblemen and princes coming and going in the capital. Even the top scholar of last year's imperial examination seemed ordinary compared to the woman in front of her.

Not to mention her ex-husband who divorced her and sent her home; now, thinking about it, Lin Yuanshan seemed like a toad in a ditch.

The man frowned slightly, a subtle movement that caused the cinnabar mole at the corner of his eye to twitch, adding to his allure.

Zhao Qiao'er felt her heart pound as if a deer had struck her, and her breathing became rapid.

She was suddenly glad that she had applied rose hair oil when she went to see Princess Chang Le this morning, and that she had also secretly used the last of her mother's rouge.

Although she would be scolded by her mother if she found out, it would be worth it if she could gain the favor of such a person.

According to the laws of the Great Jing Dynasty, although a woman who is divorced and sent home has a bad reputation, she is now free and can freely choose to remarry.

Zhao Qiao'er felt that her opportunity had come. Although she was a discarded wife, she was still very young, three years younger than Princess Chang Le.

The man before her possessed an extraordinary air about him, dressed in opulent attire, clearly from a pampered and wealthy family. Perhaps, like Princess Chang Le, he was even a member of the noble royal family!
Since she was able to get close to Princess Chang Le by being bold and crying pitifully, she believed that she could also find a way to get close to this noble and enchanting man in front of her.

Thinking of this, she subconsciously smoothed her not-too-messy hair at her temples.

"Please forgive me, sir!" Her face flushed crimson, and she quickly curtsied, deliberately showing off her snow-white nape. Her voice was even softer than usual.

"I was in a hurry to deliver the embroidery pattern to the princess and offended you. Please forgive me."

Zhao Qiao'er apologized softly, glancing up at him furtively as she spoke. Her eyelashes trembled like butterfly wings, and she looked innocent and pitiful.

These past few days, she's been following Princess Chang Le around like a lackey, going in and out of the Marquis of Champion's mansion. This tactic has always worked on the guards in the mansion, and she doesn't believe this man can resist it.

Besides, since she, a woman, took the initiative to apologize, shouldn't the man treat her with courtesy?

To everyone's surprise, the other person took a half step back, flicking his long, slender fingers at the spot where he had been bumped, as if it were dirty, his eyes filled with disgust. The wrist bone exposed from his sleeve was as exquisite as jade carving, yet it carried a coldness that kept strangers at bay.

“The alleyway is over there.” His voice was unexpectedly cold, like a winter stream splashing on a blue stone.

Zhao Qiao'er's charming smile froze.

She clearly saw the valuable jade pendant with two fish motifs hanging from the man's waist. If she could get close to a man of such status…

"Young master, I've soiled your robes. Let me wipe them for you..." She hurriedly reached out, deliberately letting the handkerchief fall to the ground. "Oh!"

The man glanced down at her but turned away. As his crimson robes fluttered, a piece of gold foil drifted down in front of Zhao Qiao'er.

It turned out that the man's shoulder was not embroidered with ordinary patterns, but with leaf-shaped patterns made of gold foil.

When Zhao Qiao'er came to her senses, she was the only one left standing in the alley. The ambergris mixed with the smell of dust lingered mockingly around her nose.

"Tch! What are you pretending to be so high and mighty for!"

Zhao Qiao'er stamped her foot and picked up the handkerchief, when she suddenly noticed something glittering on the ground. Upon picking it up, she realized it was a thin leaf made of gold.

Her heart pounded, and she couldn't help but wonder just how noble and wealthy this person must be.

Footsteps approached from afar. Qiao'er hurriedly stuffed the golden leaves into her sleeve pocket, a smile playing on her lips. Then, she too hurriedly left.

Now that she had met such a wonderful man, Zhao Qiao'er was determined to find another opportunity to see that icy man. She believed that with more contact, he would one day begin to see her in a different light.

Zhao Qiao'er walked along, making plans as she went.

What Zhao Qiao'er didn't see was that the man stopped at the alley entrance next to the child singing a nursery rhyme.

After listening to the nursery rhyme twice, he smiled with great interest, wandered around the streets, and finally entered an inn in a narrow alley.

And the name of this inn happens to be "Youjia Inn".

When the cold, devilishly handsome man in a bright red python robe pushed open the carved wooden door of a certain inn, the copper bells on the eaves jingled in the cold wind.

Shopkeeper Liu was fiddling with his abacus when he looked up and saw that glaring red. He quickly put down his work and went to greet it, his sleeves brushing against the counter and stirring up a thin layer of dust.

"Young master, you're back?" Uncle Liu rubbed his dry hands, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes immediately formed an eager smile. "There's hot water on the stove. Shall I take it to your room?"

The man casually waved his well-defined hand, and the black-sheathed curved sword at his waist swayed slightly with the movement.

"No need."

His voice was like jade soaked in a cold spring; those three words cut off all formalities.

Watching that bright red figure ascend the creaking stairs, Uncle Liu scratched his head, then suddenly pressed his temple and hissed.

The guest had stayed here for more than five days, leaving at dawn and returning at dusk every day. His sharp and alluring eyes always seemed familiar to him, but his memory was like a layer of oiled paper covering his face, and he couldn't remember them no matter what he did.

At the far end of the second floor, the latch of room number one in the "Heavenly" section made a soft clicking sound.

Upon hearing the sound, two men sitting at the table drinking tea simultaneously put down their teacups and stood up, the white porcelain cups tapping crisply on the mahogany table.

Both men were dressed as guards, and their expressions were clean and neat.

"Grand Commander! You're back." The thick-browed guard on the left bowed respectfully.

It turns out that this man was Dongfang Jiming, the Grand Commander of the Intelligence Division of the most powerful empire on this continent—the Dongming Empire.

Dongfang Jiming did not respond, but instead closed the door behind him and placed the scimitar he had taken off horizontally on the table.

Then, he walked a few steps to the window, cautiously looked around at the street outside which was gradually becoming deserted, and closed the window.

The strong guard on the right had already picked up the teapot, poured a cup of hot tea, and respectfully handed it over with both hands.

"How are things on your end today?" Dongfang Jiming asked, tapping the cup three times with his fingertips as he took it.

"Reporting to the Grand Commander, the news is still circulating that the imperial court has sent troops to suppress the rebellion of the Prince of Cangzhou, but there has been no further news." The guard with thick eyebrows lowered his voice. "However, we have heard some new information. It is said that the owner of Jinxiufang in the capital and Cao Xiong, the marshal of the garrison in Beiguan, have joined forces to send a large amount of grain to the Turks."

Dongfang Jiming swallowed his tea with his Adam's apple bobbing, then suddenly slammed the teacup down.

"Today, a young woman was seen looking flustered at the entrance of Zhuque Alley..."

He frowned, and subconsciously brushed the spot on his chest where he had been bumped. "Several children were singing 'The Trade Road of Jinxiufang,' 'Young Master Wei is so rich, he can't even take care of his own family, sending hundreds of carts of grain to the Turks. The grain was exchanged for peace in the North Pass, and the people of Dajing are very happy.'"

The two guards exchanged a glance.

The burly guard suddenly pulled out a bamboo scroll from his robes: "I was just about to report that the eldest son of the Wei family should be... the son of Prime Minister Wei."

“Wei Chengchao? Ha!” Dongfang Jiming suddenly sneered, his fingertips tapping the rhythm of “Breaking the Enemy’s Formation” on the table. “Even the Prime Minister’s eldest son is colluding with the enemy, and the border marshal is smuggling grain and fodder…”

Emperor Qianlong has passed away, a new emperor has just ascended the throne, the King of Cangzhou has rebelled, and now even the marshal of the border garrison is in league with the enemy.

He got up, pushed open the carved window lattice, and looked towards the direction of the imperial city. In the setting sun, the outline of the imperial city resembled a dying behemoth. "The dragon throne of this Great Jing Dynasty must be scorching hot!"

The guard with thick eyebrows suddenly knelt on one knee: "Commander, should we send a message to the Xuanwu Camp?"

“No rush.” Dongfang Jiming picked up a brush from the table, and with a gentle flick, it turned to dust. “Let’s see how many more days they can sing nursery rhymes.”

As darkness fell, the strong guards lit the candles.

The dim candlelight in the room flickered in the wind, casting intermittent light on and off the strong, resolute face of the guard.

He pondered for a moment, then clasped his hands and said in a deep voice, "Grand Commander, His Majesty has long harbored the intention to expand the territory. Now, the court of the Great Jing is corrupt and incompetent. Good generals like the King of Cangzhou are suppressed. In the three dynasties, loyal and good officials have all left, and capable ministers have been demoted. It is now a case of outward appearances but inner decay."

As dawn broke, he stood with his hands behind his back by the window, the candlelight flowing across his crimson silhouette.

He tapped lightly on the window frame with his long, slender fingers, lost in thought: "Go on."

"The Turks harbor wolfish ambitions, the Ara are eyeing us covetously, and the Meng Kingdom is secretly mobilizing troops," the guard whispered. "If we wait until these countries realize what's happening, they'll divide up the Great Jing..."

“I’m afraid my Dongming Empire will lose the initiative.” Dongfang Jiming suddenly turned around, a sharp glint in his eyes. The candlelight cast a sharp shadow on his angular face. “Dajing is like a ripe fruit now. Why don’t we let my Dongming Empire pluck it first?”

The guard smiled and said, "Grand Commander, you are wise! With the might of our Eastern Ming cavalry, if we send troops now, we will surely be unstoppable."

Dongfang Jiming curled his lips into a cold smile: "Bring me pen and ink."

He unfolded the snow-white letter, dipped the wolf-hair brush in the inkstone, and said, "His Majesty will surely be delighted to see this letter."

A fluttering sound came from outside the window, and a pure white homing pigeon landed on the window frame.

Dongfang Jiming tied the secret letter securely and gently stroked the carrier pigeon's wings: "Go and tell the king that the vast land of the Great Jing will soon be renamed Dongfang."

The carrier pigeon took flight and soared into the sky. As the guard watched the departing white figure, he couldn't help but say, "Grand Commander, if this battle is successful, you will be the greatest contributor to our expansion."

Looking up at the inky night sky, Dongfang Jiming said calmly, "Fame and fortune are nothing but fleeting clouds. What I want is for Dongming's banner to be planted all over the land."

A sudden night wind arose, causing his bright red robe to flutter wildly, making him resemble a soaring eagle.

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