Chapter Fourteen: A Promise Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold

  "Little San Niang, so you knew all along? Why didn't you say anything earlier and let me worry for nothing?" Jun Yue's red lips pouted, shaking her sleeves in dissatisfaction. Her big, watery eyes sparkled like a deer's, making one want to bully her mercilessly. Yun Qing's mouth twitched, feeling guilty.

  However, his way of addressing her was unpleasant to her. She didn't even have a single penny's worth of relationship with Jun Yuexing! "From now on, don't call me Little Third Sister-in-law, I'm no longer the Wangfei of Huo."

  Uh, did Brother Yu say something wrong just now? Wasn't Third Sister a bit unhappy just now?

  。

  She was so confident just now, it turned out that she had known long ago that King Huang had already found the silver for disaster relief. It seemed like she had made a wedding dress for someone else. But when she found the silver, her heart was filled with joy. Jun Yexin looked at Jun Ye with obvious delight in his eyes, "Tell me quickly how you managed to find this batch of silver for disaster relief."

  Jun Yue's eyes revealed a complex and incomprehensible light, thinking of the day when she borrowed 50 of his dark guards from the study, and also spoke today to clear General Murong's suspicion. It turned out that she had calculated everything, such a mind was truly astonishing. However, why did he feel uncomfortable seeing Sixth Brother being so close to her? "Report to Your Majesty, the one who found this batch of relief silver is not me, but... Murong Yunqing."

  "Little... don't call me Third Aunt, then I'll call you Qingqing, okay? Qingqing, is it really you who found this?! You quickly tell me, how did you find it?!

  Third Aunt, no, it's Qingqing, Qingqing is really so clever! However, the glance she gave him just now was so cold, like ice, even colder than Brother Huang's gaze. Luckily he's also very clever and changed his words quickly, Qingqing didn't get angry with him again, haha. But Qingqing let him call her Qingqing, don't know why but in his heart it felt like eating honey, sweet! He was smiling foolishly.

  Poor kid, just a form of address, are you thinking too much?"

  Yun Qing pouted and said casually, as long as no one calls her "Third Aunt", it's all good.

  One stone sparks a thousand waves! Jun Yue's eyes widened in shock as he gazed at the woman standing in the center of the grand hall, dressed in white, with a gentle smile and an air of quiet confidence. Was she the one he had been searching for? So this was the reason behind her unwavering self-assurance? It seemed that rumors were indeed unreliable after all. Which meant that her questions to the prime minister just now weren't solely intended to clear Mu Rong Xiao Tian's name, but because she truly had a way to resolve the situation? As Jun Yue thought about this, his eyes shone with an increasingly fierce light.

  "By imperial decree, General Murong is hereby pardoned. Murong Yunqing, I have summoned you to ask: how did you manage to find this batch of lost silver?"

  Yun Qing looked at Jun Ye's cold eyes with a sharp glint, and also at Jun Ye's mischievous eyes full of expectation, as if saying "come on, come on, satisfy my curiosity". She could ignore Jun Ye's scattered imperial aura, but she couldn't resist those clear eyes like a young deer. Besides, she also wanted to help Murong Yun Qing get justice back and tell those self-righteous people how foolish they were. "May I borrow the map from Your Majesty."

  In an instant, the map unfolded, and a gentle voice like clear water came forth, exuding confidence that controlled everything.

  "Fengshan Forest is close to Fengshan and also the only way to enter Che County. After passing through Fengshan Forest, it's an open area, where pedestrians or carriages have nowhere to hide. Bandits who rob carriages can't pass through Fengshan Forest again, nor can they turn back, because that would also make people discover"

  As for Fengshan Forest, there are no caves and no cliffs, so where did the Silver Car go?

  "Next to Fengshan Mountain is Sunset Peak, which is generally similar in shape. Between the two mountains lies a valley, and in the valley there is only one cold pond. When someone loses their treasure, what do people usually think of first? It must be that they came for wealth, as the saying goes: 'people die for wealth, birds perish for food.' However, everything has exceptions. If it's not for seeking wealth, this body of water would be the best hiding place."

  As the small hand lightly swept across the map, it had the air of a slender finger pointing to the mountains and rivers. The crowd also held their breath along with it.

  "It is well-known that Murong Xi Tian has always treated Murong Yun Qing as a treasure. When he married her off to the Emperor of Han, it was because the Empress Dowager promised to protect her completely. But this time, Yun Qing was expelled from the palace by the Emperor on charges of adultery and narrowly escaped death twice. If not for her good fortune, she would have become a lonely ghost by now.

  I ask you, what did Yun Qing, a mere weak woman, do to deserve such repeated attempts on her life? This time, my father will definitely be punished by the law for losing the relief silver, and even if he manages to escape this calamity, if Yun Qing were to die, my father would surely be heartbroken and lose all interest in life. He would retire from his position, and as a result, the national defense of our kingdom would weaken.

  Adding to that, the Huai River flood has caused widespread famine and bandits are rising up everywhere. If someone with ill intentions were to spread rumors at this time, it would surely cause great chaos among the people, affecting everything. And if there were to be a strong enemy invasion at this time... "

  The rest of the words Yu Xiangyun didn't finish, but she believed it was enough for these old foxes. She just wanted to let everyone know that Murong Yunqing was framed from the beginning, and Murong Xiao Tian was just a stepping stone for those people, while they, who were full of righteousness and morality, almost fell into someone else's trap.

  Jun Yuehao was shocked, his body emitting a cold aura. As Yun Qing spoke, the doubts that had been plaguing him for days finally dissipated. He had thought someone wanted to steal the relief silver, but he never expected the person behind it all to be so ruthless and cunning, with the true intention of targeting Jun Guo. When Yun Qing pointed to the cold pond, he finally understood why she had mentioned needing a person who could navigate treacherous waters. Looking at Yun Qing, his gaze was complex. She was radiant, a woman with exceptional talent, able to "plan in secret and win victories from afar." He couldn't help but be amazed. Why hadn't he noticed her uniqueness before? In just three days away from the palace, she had experienced two assassination attempts, even being expelled from the palace was a premeditated trap. Receiving Yun Qing's disdainful gaze, his heart rose with a hint of pain and a faint bitter taste. At first, when he caught her in bed with another man, he hadn't thought about her being framed, simply because he didn't care at the time, so he went along with it. He never expected someone to dare plot against him, Jun Yuehao, and still be so thorough. It seemed that not only Jun Guo but also his own palace had a traitor. His eyes flashed with icy coldness like the pond.

  Jun Xuanhan's face was shrouded in dark clouds, as if a fierce storm would erupt at any moment, with lightning flashing and thunder booming. What a meticulous plot, linked together like rings, the sinister intentions of the person behind his back, actually extending their hand to Jun Guo, truly not putting Jun Guo in their eyes

  If this time one is not careful, falling into their trap, it would indeed be as Murong Yunqing said, the country losing a great general, the consequences would also be unbearable. "Do you gentlemen have anything else to say?!" The emperor's aura poured out at this moment, causing everyone to tremble with fear, "Your Majesty is wise."

  "Murong Yunqing, what do you think should be done in this matter?" Jun Xuehan had already forgotten that Yunqing was just the eldest daughter of the General's Manor, who had been raised in the inner chambers since childhood and was rumored to have a weak name. Along the way, he thought Yunqing wasn't a person who spoke without thinking, she could see through the situation so clearly, and with her sharp eyes, pointed out the pros and cons, she really had a clever mind and must have a good plan.

  Everyone knows that Jun Yunhan's thoughts are clear and not suspicious, and Liang Ce has a good strategy. Her homework in the past two days hasn't been done in vain. However, her goal has already been achieved, and what follows is their own business... With a flicker of her eyes, "Your Majesty, Cloud Qing is just a weak woman, she doesn't understand national affairs." The soft voice was laced with a hint of timidity, completely unlike the confident and radiant demeanor from before. It really fit the rumored image of being timid and indecisive.

  Jun Ye was stunned from the moment Yun Qing started explaining, and now seeing Yun Qing's timid and fearful appearance, he was stunned again. Her clear face changed quickly, if they hadn't just witnessed her cleverness, they would have been deceived by her this time, but he really liked it.

  Jun Yue Huan's mouth twitched, didn't she understand?! Those flowing eyes revealed a hint of cunning, he hadn't missed it, he dared to confirm that she was calculating something. She always managed to grasp people's hearts subtly and obtain the most favorable conditions for herself, just like the deal she made with him back then. Presumably, her imperial brother had also noticed.

  As expected, the cold and majestic voice of Jun Ye had already arrived, "What do you want, just ask, I will take care of everything for you." His eyes also swept over Jun Ye Huan's body with a hint of indifference.

  Yun Qing's mouth curved into a faint smile, "Thank you for your imperial grace, Yun Qing wants to ask the emperor to agree to one condition: no matter when or where, as long as Yun Qing proposes it, the emperor must not refuse! However, please rest assured that this condition will not endanger the country or harm the people's safety." In an instant, that calm and elegant demeanor, and confident composure returned to Yun Qing.

  Jun Xuan's eyes were as deep as the sea, making it impossible for anyone to see through his profound thoughts. After a long while, his tightly pursed lips finally uttered a promise worth a thousand gold coins, "Alright, I'll do as you say."

  Digression

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