Killing intent flashed in Qiao Chi’s eyes.
Qiao Bing quickly interjected, “The Seventh Prince previously said they still have their uses. Let’s discuss tonight’s matter after the Seventh Prince awakens.”
Moreover, these Black Flag Guards from Liangzhou were all first-rate fighters, outnumbering them by more than three times.
Even if they were to kill them, it required careful planning.
Remembering Lu Zhao’s words before she slept, Qiao Chi could only temporarily suppress his murderous intent. The dozen or so men returned to their respective rooms to sleep. When dawn broke and Lu Zhao awoke, they gathered in her guest room and recounted the previous night’s events.
Lu Zhao calmly asked, “Did any of you hear what those Black Flag Guards were conspiring about?”
One guard shook his head, “We didn’t hear, but it was definitely nothing good.”
Lu Zhao took a sip of tea and said lightly, “Don’t be nervous. Perhaps they were just discussing what to eat today.”
Qiao Chi argued, “Those Liangzhou villains are treacherous—they would never be so trivial! Their deliberate provocation last night shows they intend to act. Perhaps they’ve already received news of Xie Jinchi’s poisoning. Your Highness, we should strike first!”
Qiao Bing echoed, “It’s better to be the attacker for one day than stay defensive for a thousand. Rather than worry when they’ll strike lethally, we should make the first move.”
The dozen men had determined eyes, firmly set on killing.
Yet Lu Zhao, who normally harbored the fiercest killing intent, now appeared the most detached.
She looked at the group and asked unhurriedly, “How many are we? How many are the Black Flag Guards? Are you certain that acting now wouldn’t mean losing a thousand to kill eight hundred?”
The group fell silent.
Lu Zhao patiently explained, “Wait a little longer. They’ll soon serve their purpose. When the time comes, you won’t need to lift a finger—they’ll meet their own fate.”
The silence persisted.
Lu Zhao’s gaze swept across each face before she raised an eyebrow, “What? You don’t trust me?”
Qiao Bing immediately shook his head, “Of course not. Since Your Highness managed to leave Liangzhou safely from under that old fox Xie Xian’s nose, we naturally trust you.”
Lu Zhao chuckled, “If you trust me, then go pack your things. Carry on as usual and act as if last night never happened.”
Qiao Bing bowed to her and took the lead in departing. The others also clasped their fists toward her before filing out.
Lu Zhao’s throat felt dry. She gulped down a large mouthful of water, gripping the cup as she pondered: Last night’s disturbance must have alerted Qiao Bing to find another hiding place for Consort Mei’s letter.
It seemed her days of searching had been in vain again.
She would bide her time—sooner or later, she’d get her chance to switch the letter.
The party descended downstairs, prepared their carriages and horses, and continued their journey. The Black Flag Guards trailing at the rear couldn’t shake the feeling that the Qiao family members were acting strangely today, their stares even more peculiar than usual.
Seething with suppressed anger, the guards showed little inclination to engage with the Qiao entourage, frequently making disruptive noises to express their discontent.
Thus, the two groups journeyed in mutual suspicion until they reached the border between Jingzhou and Yongzhou.
The weather grew increasingly cold, and snow began falling the next day.
It snowed continuously for two days, with no signs of stopping—instead, the snowfall intensified.
Deep snow accumulated, making the road ahead difficult. The convoy’s provisions were nearly depleted.
Qiao Bing ordered the group to halt and set up camp in the nearest wind-sheltered spot. The Qiao family guards complied, but the Black Flag Guard commander discontentedly remarked, “Can’t you see those two large mountains ahead? With this heavy snow, if we don’t hurry, the roads might become impassable for ten days to a fortnight.”
Everyone looked up and saw two towering mountains ahead, about a hundred meters away, covered in a vast expanse of white snow. A narrow path ran between them, resembling a slit in the sky—One-Line-Sky.
The snow was falling heavily, and there was a real possibility the path would be blocked.
Qiao Bing frowned and said, “You’ve been stationed in Liangzhou for years, so you’re unfamiliar with the terrain here. Beyond this One-Line-Sky, the area is desolate for hundreds of miles with no signs of human life. Our provisions are already depleted, and with this heavy snow, it’s very likely people will die. It would be better to rest here in the sheltered area, go back to the village we passed to trade for some food, and resume our journey at daybreak.”
The group of Black Flag Guards looked toward One-Line-Sky, but the path ahead was a vast, white blur, impossible to see clearly.
Could it be true, as that old scoundrel Qiao claimed, that there was no one around for hundreds of miles ahead?
Their stomachs growled just then, and the thirty or so men fell silent. They followed the convoy, unhitched the horses, and prepared to rest.
After the tents were set up, the two groups lit separate campfires and huddled around them for warmth.
Qiao Bing took out the last of the dry provisions and pressed them into Qiao Chi’s hands, instructing him, “Boil these with water to soften them and give everyone something to fill their stomachs. I’ll take two men to the village we passed to trade for more food. If there’s any trouble, send up a signal flare. You must protect His Highness at all costs.” With that, he took two men and several empty sacks and headed back along the fork in the road.
A pot was placed over the campfire, and Qiao Chi gathered some clean snow to boil in it. Once the water was boiling, he tossed in the flatbread he was holding.
When the bread was nearly cooked, Lu Zhao took out salt and seasonings from the pouch at her sleeve and added them to the pot. Steam rose, dispersing in the snowy air, and the aroma of the food made everyone’s already growling stomachs even hungrier.
Qiao Chi served all the remaining flatbread to Lu Zhao, while the remaining Qiao family guards and Black Flag Guards drank the salted broth. The Qiao family guards naturally had no objections, but the Black Flag Guards’ expressions darkened as they held their bowls.
Their eyes fixed on Lu Zhao, as if they wished they could devour her alive.
They had worked tirelessly to escort her all this way, and now they couldn’t even get a bite to eat—only broth.
In their minds, Lu Zhao was not their master, but a fallen prince who was worse off than they were.
Just then, one of the Qiao family guards remarked, “Fortunately, we haven’t encountered any danger along the way. Those assassins chasing the Seventh Prince must have seen our numbers and didn’t dare to attack.”
The leader of the Black Flag Guards sneered and mocked, “Don’t flatter yourselves into thinking you’re important. Perhaps they simply couldn’t be bothered to kill a useless prince like you.”
The Qiao family guards glared angrily in their direction. Qiao Chi’s hand had just closed around his silver spear when Lu Zhao pressed it down firmly.
Seeing Lu Zhao’s reaction, the Black Flag Guards grew even bolder in their insults. “All this talk about people dying if we keep going—probably the only one who’d die is the Seventh Prince. So frail, a gust of wind could knock her over. Even if she returns to Zhongdu, she’ll be of no use…”
Qiao Chi’s face flushed red with anger, and he struggled to break free from Lu Zhao’s grip, ready to charge at them.
Yet, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t free his hand. Frustrated and surprised, he turned to look at the person beside him, only to find her attention seemingly entirely elsewhere, not on the Black Flag Guards’ insults.
She was still looking up at the thick, falling snowflakes drifting slowly from the sky, her delicate brows tightly furrowed.
“Your Highness…”
“Shh.” Lu Zhao pressed a finger to her lips, signaling for him to be quiet.
There was the metallic scent of weapons in the snow.
There were ambushers nearby.
With her current mental energy still unable to detect the exact location, she simply opened the live stream and activated the map viewing function.
Almost the moment she started streaming, a large crowd flooded in. The number of viewers in the live stream room rapidly climbed, directly surging to five thousand.
With the full perspective enabled, the audience only saw a vast expanse of white snow and Lu Zhao’s group gathered around a campfire in the snowy ground.
Soon, the scrolling subtitles became lively.
【DurianIsSoYummy: Hahahaha, after waiting for two days, I finally squeezed in. Where has the streamer reached now? Wow, such heavy snow…】
【Jianmengtianxia: Such beautiful snow! Having a picnic in the snow is so romantic.】
【Shuaidebumingxian: Didn’t the streamer say she’d only go live during critical moments? Everyone looks so calm and relaxed right now.】
【KingOfSarcasm: Streamer, what’s the actual situation now?】
The scrolling subtitles kept refreshing, densely covering the snowy sky.
Lu Zhao stared straight ahead and explained, 【Your timeline is somewhat different from that of Da Yong. Over half a month has passed for us. We passed through Liangzhou and crossed into Jingzhou, encountered heavy snow, and see those two mountains ahead? There are people lying in ambush there…】
【Jianmengtianxia: Where are the people? How did the streamer discover them?】
【Shuaidebumingxian: How many are there? Streamer, can you go all out this time? I’ll send you a rocket.】
【FruitJelly: Hahaha, after fighting for a spot so many times, the first time I squeeze in, I run into a big scene.】
The scrolling subtitles were all asking where the assassins were.
Lu Zhao simply opened the system map permissions to the live stream room. As the audience zoomed out the map, everyone immediately saw densely marked figures in the hidden areas of the two mountains, numbering in the hundreds.
This setup was way too intense!
Lu Zhao: 【The first large-scale ambush on the way back to Zhongdu is about to begin.】
Her gaze slowly shifted from the falling snow to the group of Black Flag Guards, a faint smile curling at the corner of her lips: Good, these scum are finally going to be put to use!
Author’s Note:
VIP Reminder: The next chapter will be VIP-locked. A big, hefty chapter will be updated at midnight tonight. Thank you for your support, dear readers. For the next three days, small red packets will be dropped in the VIP chapter comment section [heart].
Also, promoting a pre-release, please add to your collections: “The Early-Deceased Elder Brother of the Dimension’s Son”
On the third day after Liu Dazhu transmigrated, his father died.
The family was left with only his sickly mother and his frail younger brother, along with a bunch of uncles and aunts waiting to divide their family’s farmland.
He single-handedly shouldered the family’s burdens, fought off relatives, supported his elderly mother, and sent his younger brother to study.
He thought he was living out a script of rising through farming and business, but after his younger brother entered the Imperial Academy, he boldly declared: “An official should aspire to be the Commander of the Capital Guard, and a man should marry Yin Lihua.”
Liu Dazhu asked tremblingly, “Liu Tieniu, what nonsense are you spouting?”
His younger brother, displeased, patted his straight robe and insisted, “Eldest Brother, I’ve told you—I changed my name! I’m now called Liu Xiu!”
Who?
Liu Xiu?
The one history calls the ‘Dimension’s Son,’ Liu Xiu?
Then who was he? Liu Xiu’s early-deceased biological elder brother?
So, is the Dimension’s Son destined to lose his father, brother, and entire family?
Liu Dazhu flipped the table: I’m done with this! Whoever wants to deal with it, go ahead.
PS: In the end, the male lead becomes emperor, and the younger brother serves as military advisor and mascot.