Chapter Four, The Substitute for the Ninth Young Master

If the Ninth Young Master were to accompany Lin Qiuxiao for a lifetime, they would most likely be a happy and content couple

Is Miss Zhou related to General Zhou?

I sighed: "Now, it is to appease Zhou Ruoshui that a large number of handsome men have been gathered, allowing Zhou Ruoshui to choose one as a substitute"

The power of the Tubo Kingdom is growing stronger by the day, exerting pressure on neighboring states. In contrast, the young emperor of the Celestial Empire has repeatedly purged powerful ministers, leading to political instability and an inability to attend to the southern border states. Nanzhao has largely succumbed to the coercion of Tubo, and after weighing the pros and cons, they prefer to maintain good relations with Tubo. Given this situation, out of respect for Tubo, Nanzhao naturally has to protect Zhou Heqin; the Ninth Young Master, being unaware of the situation in Nanzhao, has come here presumptuously and has truly suffered a hidden loss, not knowing where he is currently imprisoned and enduring hardship.

Three consecutive questions that left me wide-eyed and unable to answer

I have been hurrying all the way, and he is already injured. What ability does he have to arrive before me, and so quickly get involved with the Holy Maiden of the White Teaching?

Lin Qiuxiao instinctively glanced out the window and said with a bitter smile, "What about Liu Qin?"

I also became troubled and turned to ask, "Do you think that person just now was Liu Qin?"

Although Lin Qiuxiao's martial arts and swordsmanship are not as good as mine, his experience in facing enemies is much richer than mine. With his assistance, it is evidently much easier to save people.

Hearing these words, it seems as if they are comforting me

Liu Qin, shouldn't Liu Qin be recuperating in the capital?

I smiled

He has been a killer since childhood, his heart is as hard as stone, yet he has never worried or been anxious for others in such a way

Just as I believe that Liu Qin and I can achieve harmony between yin and yang, we can grow old together in peace

Zhou Ruoshui

Do you know what these people have captured a bunch of young men for? Is it just to send them to Zhou Ruoshui, in order to curry favor with the sister of the Tibetan queen?

Opening the window, Lin Qiuxiao leaped in, her face beaming with joy: "Su Ying, it is truly wonderful to encounter you here!"

Lin Qiuxiao paused for a moment and said, "Hmm, the lighting is too dim, I couldn't see clearly... Perhaps it isn't Liu Qin?"

I shook off the doubts in my mind with force and redirected my thoughts to Young Master Jiu, asking: "Qiu Xiao, do you have any news about Young Master Jiu?"

I have heard that Grand Commandant Zhou Heqin and Yan Yitian were successfully operated on by the emperor around the same time, and were forced to flee the capital, but the specific circumstances remain unclear. This is the first time I have heard anyone mention Grand Commandant Zhou's name.

Lin Qiuxiao saw my confusion and lazily said after a while: "Zhou Ruoshui is quite beautiful. I don't know whether she likes Jiugongzi or Chu Chen, but their relationship is rather ambiguous."

After a long while, I finally managed to ask another question: "This is Nanzhao, what does it have to do with him being the daughter of the Tibetan king? She is not the queen of Nanzhao!"

Then, he is clearly targeting that person, it is undoubtedly Liu Qin

Encountering Lin Qiuxiao in a foreign land is indeed a joyful experience for me. After all, being alone in such a strange and uncertain environment while trying to save others is quite dangerous

However, what he said next immediately made my smile freeze

Lin Qiuxiao sat down and tapped the table, saying: "Did you not hear? Young Master Jiu is most likely at Xuan Shui Palace, right?"

It seems to be an instinct of nature; I have always believed that the affairs of the court are chaotic and corrupt, and the further away one is, the better.

He has a general understanding of the entanglement between me, Chu Chen, and Young Master Jiu. I lowered my head and sighed, "I want to help Chu Chen..."

When I grit my teeth, the words that emerge in my mind are simply "to flirt"

Recalling the gentle and ambiguous treatment of the Ninth Young Master towards him, I vaguely understood in my heart and could not help but feel secretly happy for them

Why does he have such influence in Nanzhao

After a long time, I was finally able to speak: "I am here to rescue Young Master Jiu."

However, I am suffering from a headache

I pondered for half a day and finally recalled the rumor from back then: "How did I hear that on that day, the Ninth Young Master had abducted the beloved grandson of Grand Minister Zhou?"

I even feel that Yan Yitian losing his marquis title is not a bad thing; at least he and my Liu Qin can be far away from that filthy place.

If it were not for the incident involving Grand Commandant Zhou, the two of them would indeed be considered a match in social status

I do not like to think about the disputes of the court. Even though I grew up in the Qingtian Marquis residence and the Xueliu Palace has always maintained a close relationship with Marquis Yan Yitian of Qingtian, I still do not like matters of the court

Zhou Ruoyin and Zhou Ruoshui are the two children of Zhou Heqin. As soon as Zhou Heqin fell from power, he immediately fled to Nanzhao with gold and jewels, taking along all his family and guards without leaving anyone behind. Even the emperor could not stop him, which clearly indicates his influence in the court. Upon arriving in Nanzhao, he surprisingly found himself as well-connected as he was in the Central Plains! Although the king of Nanzhao did not explicitly state that he was protecting him, the way he established large estates in the royal city clearly suggests that he intended to reside there for a long time!

If it is Liu Qin ... then he most likely arrived shortly after me

I initially thought that Lin Qiuxiao would also be perplexed by this issue, but he surprisingly answered me quickly: "No. They... want to prevent Zhou Ruoshui from saving the Ninth Young Master"

"Rescue... rescue Young Master Jiu?" Lin Qiuxiao opened her mouth and said with a bitter smile, "You actually are willing to save him? You came specifically to save him?"

He said: "Are you here to find Liu Qin? What problem has arisen between you? How could he be entangled with that saintess?"

Lin Qiuxiao's expression resembled that of worry, as she stood up anxiously and paced back and forth in the room

Although ... is somewhat different from traditional notions of happiness, this is no longer of any importance

Lin Qiuxiao smiled bitterly and said: "He is my nephew's son. General Zhou has yet to have a grandson of a similar age to the Ninth Young Master. It is precisely because the Ninth Young Master took away General Zhou's nephew that Zhou Ruoshui, as the young aunt, once pursued the Ninth Young Master. However, I do not know how... how the two of them developed some entanglements through their interactions, which could be considered as not being enemies who do not meet. Later, when she discovered the true identity of the Ninth Young Master, she must have harbored another thought, right?"

Or perhaps it is related to his eldest daughter now being the princess of Tubo Lin Qiuxiao was also pondering

Yes, that's right.