Everyone was asking how they would outwit him, but Lu Zhao only smiled without answering.
Xie Xian on the opposite side was already boiling with rage.
Qiao Bing solemnly refuted, “Governor Xie! One must speak with solid evidence. I, Qiao, can swear to heaven that I neither killed your Liangzhou soldiers nor laid a finger on your son!”
“Didn’t lay a finger?” Xie Xian waved his hand, and a soldier immediately stepped forward from beside the carriage, pointing and declaring, “Sir, it was them! They injured the young master outside Xuyang City and tied up our men!”
Lu Zhao narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing the soldier: that night had been too dark for her to see everyone’s faces clearly, but she was absolutely certain that all of them had died.
Based on the witness’s testimony, this man must have gone to report to Xie Xian outside Xuyang City and hadn’t participated in the later pursuit, thus narrowly escaping death.
Qiao Bing hurriedly explained, “Outside Xuyang City, we did encounter Young Master Xie and the Liangzhou soldiers. Young Master Xie tried to capture us for no reason. We only knocked them unconscious and tied them up—we never took their lives!”
Qiao Chi chimed in, “If we had wanted to kill them, we would have done it the first time. Why wait until the second?”
Xie Xian retorted, “Then why did you flee overnight after the incident?”
The question left the Qiao father and son momentarily speechless.
Qiao Bing quickly added, “Naturally, it was because of the earlier conflict. We left to avoid being misunderstood.”
“Afraid of misunderstanding?” Xie Xian sneered repeatedly. “I think it was guilt!”
“Xie Xian!” Qiao Bing also grew angry. “You must have examined the wounds of all the deceased soldiers. Each had their throat slit with a single cut, clearly the work of one person. Who among us has such skill?”
Xie Xian’s fierce eyes swept over Qiao Bing and the group behind him, finally settling on Lu Zhao, who was dressed in mourning clothes. Abruptly changing the subject, he asked, “Commandant Qiao, you traveled thousands of miles to my Liangzhou for his sake, didn’t you?”
The Qiao father and son grew alert, straightening their postures in an attempt to shield Lu Zhao completely. Over a dozen Qiao family guards drew their swords, ready for action.
Xie Xian then looked toward the coffin at the rear of the procession, his eyes gleaming with sharp insight. “The woman living in Xuanping City, the teenage boy—is Consort Mei in that coffin?”
Qiao Bing demanded, “Since you’ve guessed, why are you blocking our way?”
Xie Xian glanced at him disdainfully. “What if I am? Today, no matter what, you will pay with your lives for my son!”
Qiao Bing produced the imperial decree and held it high. “Xie Xian, step aside at once!”
The carriages and horses blocking the front, along with Liangzhou’s Black Flag Army, remained unmoved. Qiao Bing shouted, “Governor of Liangzhou! Are you planning to rebel?”
“Rebel?” Xie Xian chuckled twice. “Who says I’m rebelling? Today, I’m merely intercepting and eliminating a group of bandits causing trouble within Liangzhou’s borders!” He waved his hand lazily and said, “Come, seize them!” His demeanor was strikingly similar to Xie Jinchi’s.
Only more arrogant and confident.
His intention was clearly to silence them within Liangzhou’s territory without a trace.
At his command, the Black Flag Army uniformly drew their swords and urged their horses forward, the aura of battle instantly palpable.
Qiao Bing gripped his spear, ready for defense, and whispered to Qiao Chi, “If fighting breaks out, take the Seventh Prince and run.”
Qiao Chi pressed his lips together without speaking, his hand already reaching back to grasp Lu Zhao’s.
The live-stream audience was all in an uproar.
[IQ_Offline: Run where? Elope?]
[NationalCutie: Qiao Bing is entrusting his son to the streamer.]
【Weilai Shouxi Zhudao: You and I lingering together to the ends of the earth…】
She even started humming a song. Lu Zhao said, “Alright, no need for reckless driving. Let me show you how to ‘outsmart’ them.”
The two thousand viewers in the livestream immediately fell silent, curious about her next move.
The next second, Lu Zhao directly pushed aside Qiao Chi’s hand and proactively stepped to the front of the group. She looked up and stared directly at Xie Xian on the carriage: “Liangzhou Governor, if you want your son to die completely, then go ahead and attack!”
“Young Master!” Qiao Bing reached out to pull her back, but Lu Zhao waved her hand, signaling them not to move.
Qiao Bing had no choice but to wait quietly, though his hand gripped his spear tightly, adopting a protective stance.
Only then did Xie Xian narrow his eyes, carefully examining her from head to toe, his tone disdainful: “What do you mean?”
Lu Zhao said solemnly: “That night, when we left the inn, I saw the wounds on the dead soldiers. They were all killed with a single cut to the throat and were severely poisoned. I heard that Xie Gongzi has also been poisoned, and Xie Zhoumu is searching everywhere for a famous doctor to detoxify him. I happen to be skilled in medicine and might be able to give it a try.”
“You?” Xie Xian looked at her slender arms and legs, her thin frame, and laughed mockingly: “If you’re so skilled in medicine, why not treat yourself a bit?”
Lu Zhao thought: It’s because I lack medicinal ingredients.
Coincidentally, just when she needed medicinal ingredients, someone delivered them right to her doorstep.
She didn’t explain or argue, only stared at his face for a moment before saying: “Xie Zhoumu, have you been suffering from insomnia and frequent nightmares for the past six months? Do you always wake up coughing around the Chou hour, with a stabbing pain three inches below your right rib?”
Xie Xian’s expression changed slightly. After a long silence, he began reassessing her.
His reaction confirmed that Lu Zhao had hit the mark.
Everyone was astonished, their gazes fixed on Lu Zhao.
Lu Zhao neither avoided nor resisted, allowing everyone to scrutinize her.
Xie Xian narrowed his eyes: “If you’re skilled in medicine, did you poison my son?”
Lu Zhao said calmly: “Xie Zhoumu, you jest. I am only skilled in medicine, not martial arts. If I could silence so many people with a single cut, I wouldn’t need to waste words with you here.”
She would have just killed them outright.
Xie Xian pondered carefully: The informant had said the merchant convoy might be hiding miners from the Xishan Mine. Judging by this youth’s frail appearance, it was possible she had escaped from the mine. How good could her martial skills be after being captured and held at the mine for so long?
Perhaps she really was just skilled in medicine, clever, extremely intelligent, and had only escaped with the Qiao family’s rescue.
He put away his disdainful gaze and asked loudly: “Then tell me, how do you plan to treat him?”
Lu Zhao: “Please have your soldiers retreat a hundred meters. We can discuss the details in the carriage.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the Qiao father and son simultaneously cried out, “Young Master, no!”
Going into Xie the old traitor’s carriage—what if he disregards martial ethics and kills you on the spot?
Qiao Chi stared at her delicate, slender neck with great concern.
Lu Zhao lowered her voice and instructed: “If you want to leave Liangzhou safely, listen to me!”
The father and son exchanged glances and finally fell silent.
Xie Xian laughed heartily: “Good, good, good! You have courage! You even have some of General Zhen Guo’s bearing. Black Flag Army, hear my order! Everyone retreat a hundred meters!”
The Black Flag Army responded with thunderous shouts, driving their horses back a hundred meters.
Lu Zhao ordered the Qiao father and son to stay where they were, then walked alone toward the carriage.
While the Qiao father and son and the guards worried about Lu Zhao, the livestream viewers were concerned for Xie Xian.
Xie the old traitor has quite the nerve, daring to be alone with the host in a carriage! Isn’t he afraid the host might snap his neck?
Some might naively think this was a tiger confronting a little white rabbit, but in reality, it was a house cat meeting a lynx—only destined for a one-sided beating!
Both sides were anxious.
Yet the parties involved, Xie Xian and Lu Zhao, were each more composed than the other.
The carriage was spacious, with the two sitting opposite each other. A small table stood between them, on which tea was bubbling as it brewed.
As soon as she sat down, Xie Xian fixed his gaze on her and asked, “How do we detoxify?”
Lu Zhao unhurriedly picked up the teapot from the stove, poured herself a cup, took a light sip to moisten her throat, and only then replied, “Governor Xie, with all those weapons you’ve been secretly manufacturing, when do you plan to raise your troops?”
Governor Xie’s face instantly turned cold as he snapped, “What nonsense are you talking? The Xishan Mine only extracts ordinary marble. When have we ever secretly manufactured weapons?”
The Xishan Mine was already destroyed, and the miners had been captured. No matter who asked, he would absolutely never admit to secretly manufacturing weapons.
Lu Zhao set down her teacup and chuckled lightly, “Governor Xie is still worried about the information leaking? It seems you won’t be raising troops for another year or so.”
Governor Xie’s eyes turned icy: He had actually been tricked into revealing information by a kid who wasn’t even fully grown!
“If you keep beating around the bush, don’t blame me for being impolite!”
Lu Zhao poured him another cup of tea, soothing him as she said, “Governor, don’t be impatient. Saving Xie Gongzi and what I’m discussing now are one and the same matter.”
Governor Xie frowned, “How are they the same matter?”
Lu Zhao replied, “Governor, your desire to save Xie Gongzi stems from your deep love for your son. Isn’t raising troops also for Xie Gongzi?”
The live stream audience was spitting in disdain: This old scoundrel! Raising troops is mostly for his own sake, isn’t it?
Along the way, they had heard plenty about the Xie family. Although the Liangzhou Governor had only Xie Jinchi as his legitimate son, he had many illegitimate sons.
With so many sons, if one died, he could just support another to take his place.
Lu Zhao pondered: Xie Xian had personally come out with a large group of people to intercept them, claiming it was to seek justice for Xie Jinchi, but it was mostly because he feared they would bring news of his secret weapon manufacturing back to Zhongdu.
Well, she would just dispel his concerns.
Author’s note:
Thank you to all the readers who follow along every day [heart]. Your support is my greatest motivation each day. Love you all [shy].