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墨書 Inktalez
"Well," Qing Luan did not oppose this point. She nodded, thought for a moment, and said, "Xuanyuan Rui, you can't be that foolish, can you?!"
"Uh?" Her inexplicable words left everyone dumbfounded, including the newly arrived Sister Yun and A-Song.
"What does that mean?" Xuanyuan Rui was not angry but rather puzzled.
"You've been fighting for years; you must have your own forces by now, right?!" Smart people knew that cultivating one's own power was more important than anything else.
After hearing her words, Xuanyuan Rui twitched her mouth slightly, revealing a helpless expression as she glanced at her and nodded, saying, "What do you want to do?" She was not one to meddle in others' affairs unless it directly concerned her. Now that she was taking the initiative to ask about this matter, it was clear she had something in mind.
"I want you to secretly send your people to escort those who were captured back to the capital. I need them to return unscathed and stand before Prime Minister Huang!" Sometimes, special means were necessary. That cunning and ruthless old man would not dare to act without his signal; how could General Bu have the audacity to do such a thing?
In recent years, General Bu had been thriving over there, reaping benefits he couldn't let go of. How could he allow himself to lose that precious territory? So when some questioned the absence of pirates, Prime Minister Huang panicked—whatever benefits General Bu gained, that old man should also have a share.
She had underestimated one thing. On the surface, Prime Minister Huang lacked money, but what he secretly obtained was beyond her reach; hence she overlooked it. Looking back now, she realized she had been too naive.
That old man must still have backup; otherwise, a mere Jade Pavilion would not have drawn Huang's attention without causing much stir at the Prime Minister's Residence. It was evident that she had been too complacent. Fortunately, she remained composed and did not target this Old Fox from the start; otherwise, who would win or lose was still uncertain.
"No problem," he assured her regarding this disappearance.
"I want that old man to dig his own grave!" The hatred and determination in her words were unmistakable.
" Luan'er, with me by your side, we will definitely catch those murderers and avenge the innocent people!" His steadfast gaze brimmed with confidence, and his wise Black Eyes were filled with deep affection, making Qing Luan turn her head away uncomfortably.
Such a gaze frightened her. Until she resolved the issue with Prime Minister Huang, she did not want to be ensnared by deep feelings. Yet his unwavering support and steadfast protection made her uneasy—would their journey together be so smooth?
Having an emperor was the greatest obstacle. She constantly reminded herself that merchants were not lowly or inferior beings. However, everyone’s eyes here told her they were mismatched; she and he were worlds apart.
She had experienced heart-wrenching pain—the kind that penetrated deep into her bones, making life feel worse than death. She feared that their entanglement would ultimately lead to a shattered dream.
A fragmented dream!
"I want to take revenge myself; otherwise, I won't be able to give Zhao Yun and the others an explanation." Although she had brought them to the capital for their safety, she still kept Tide and Zhao Yun away from her, allowing them to have their own peaceful lives. Tide's grandmother and Zhao Yun's mother likely shared the same thoughts; they were both kind-hearted people without ambition, and tranquility was the best destination.
"I will help you!" It was a firm promise. Even though he did not receive her response, he had no regrets.
Five years of waiting meant they were strangers to each other. Now, five years later, she stood before him, and he felt content.
Once the matters were settled, Xuanyuan Rui left, leaving only Sister Yun in the secret chamber.
"Miss, why...?" Sister Yun felt puzzled. She had been moved by Xuanyuan Rui's dedication to the Miss; why was the Miss so indifferent?
"Sister Yun, I can't afford to gamble," she said. Having shared life and death together, she trusted Sister Yun and also trusted her own choices, so there was no hint of concealment. "And I can't afford to lose!" The last part of her statement carried a particularly heavy tone that weighed down on the atmosphere.
"Can't afford to gamble? Can't afford to lose?" Sister Yun looked confused. "What do you mean?" The Miss had always been strategic and confident; seeing her now in such a state of dejection and insecurity was unsettling. This version of the Miss felt unfamiliar. Wasn't everything unfolding according to her plans?
"Xuanyuan Rui's identity... On the surface, he seems indifferent, just a general who fights in battles. But you should know that he is the emperor's maternal grandson, a general whom the emperor values and trusts. With such an identity, would the emperor agree to let me marry him?" Her tone was filled with disinterest, deepening her gloom as she felt an inexplicable resentment towards Xuanyuan Rui.
She had once been at peace with her life; why did he have to intrude? Knowing his status, why did he come to entangle himself with her? Was it intentional?
"This..." Sister Yun was taken aback. She understood that Miss Bai spoke the truth. Although they tried hard to elevate the status of merchants, the difference between a Miss and a general was indeed vast, leaving her speechless.
"You know my nature; I cannot tolerate others. In this life, I would rather find an ordinary person to spend my days with than enter a wealthy family and compete with other women for a man. That would be degrading myself and giving men undue pride. So Xuanyuan Rui is not someone I can pursue—at least not now. Knowing he is not mine, how can I invest my heart?" This was the first time she expressed such thoughts to Sister Yun, realizing them clearly for the first time.
"But if that's the case, won't Xuanyuan Rui be heartbroken?" She had seen his dedication to the Miss and felt moved.
She could guarantee that Xuanyuan Rui had deep feelings for the Miss that wouldn't change easily; it was just their identities—sigh. If only the Miss were Chen Xiaode's legitimate daughter, there might be room for maneuvering. But Zhu Qingluan was just Zhu Qingluan—without any background or lineage—everything depended solely on herself.
"This way, we will all grow!" It wasn't that she was heartless; it was necessary to be ruthless. Right now, no one knew about Xuanyuan Rui's relationship with her. If anyone found out and reported it to the emperor, perhaps they wouldn't even have a chance to meet again.
She could imagine that if the emperor learned of this, he would quickly arrange a marriage for Xuanyuan Rui with someone from a well-matched family—a virtuous and gentle legitimate daughter—creating a good match for him.
She would be pushed into the abyss, ruthlessly suppressed, never to rise again.
“…” Sister Yun did not respond, feeling helpless inside. This matter was beyond her control or ability to resolve; she could only hope that Miss Qing Luan wouldn’t be too upset.
“I’m fine,” Qing Luan suddenly smiled brightly at her concerned gaze and said nonchalantly, “The elders say that pain that can be spoken of isn’t real pain. Since I can talk about it so easily, I must be alright. Don’t worry!”
“It’s this time, and you’re still joking?” Sister Yun shot her a glance, understanding her intentions, and felt even more heartache for her.
After all their struggles, today was the day when her emotions were at their lowest, making it painful to watch. However, this very emotion made Sister Yun feel that Miss Qing Luan finally seemed like a normal person. Otherwise, a fifteen-year-old girl being so calm and composed would have been quite unsettling.
“I just wanted to cheer you up,” Qing Luan said innocently, then suddenly lowered her head and spoke darkly, “Sister Yun, we can make our move in the capital now.”
“Uh!” Sister Yun was taken aback but quickly understood the meaning behind her words. Her eyes lit up as she nodded vigorously, “I understand!”
Being able to act in the capital meant that the Merchant Alliance could enter the city and initiate a new round of cleansing, allowing for a complete overhaul of the merchants there. Over the years, whenever they arrived in a new place, Miss Qing Luan would observe for a while before gradually infiltrating, allowing the Merchant Alliance to step by step take control until everything was under their influence.
Those who did not join the Merchant Alliance would be eliminated; those who did had to operate openly and aboveboard. If they were bullied, naturally there would be people from the Merchant Alliance to resolve it.
The power dynamics in the capital were intricate and tangled; Miss Qing Luan had always been cautious about taking action. Now that she had finally given the go-ahead, everyone would surely be pleased since they had been looking forward to this for so long. Once the Merchant Alliance established its presence in the capital, Miss Qing Luan would have forces behind her to contend with others.
“Three days from now, Tianxiang Restaurant will reopen. I hope people from the Merchant Alliance will show up. You know what to do?” Years of tacit understanding meant that Sister Yun didn’t need any further clarification; she already understood what was on Miss Qing Luan’s mind.
“I know; I’ll arrange it right away.” Seeing Miss Qing Luan’s calm demeanor made Sister Yun inwardly chuckle at herself: compared to Miss Qing Luan’s composure, she felt truly inexperienced.
Although she was older than Miss Qing Luan, she still couldn’t match her in terms of shrewdness and calmness.
If it were her in Miss Qing Luan's position—losing a deeply loved man—she would be heartbroken and at least shed a few tears. Yet Miss Qing Luan showed no expression at all; it was truly admirable.
Hey, hey, big sister, are you overthinking this? What Qing Luan meant was not to develop a deeper relationship with Xuanyuan Rui; she didn’t say anything about driving him away or anything like that. How could this be considered losing?
In the dimly lit room, a solitary figure cast a particularly lonely silhouette under the flickering candlelight, especially with the elongated shadow that evoked an indescribable sense of desolation.
"Desolation, heh, that doesn't seem quite fitting for me!" Qing Luan murmured to herself, shaking off the shadows. She warned herself, "Zhu Qingluan, don't forget your identity and your mission; otherwise, you will have no place to rest in death!" She had not forgotten her past vows.
Reborn once more, she still felt so weary that she hugged her petite frame tightly.
In both lives, she had never known the love of parents or the protection of family. Was it because of something wicked she had done in her previous life that led to this retribution?
In her last life, she was an orphan, growing up on the kindness of strangers. In this life, although she appeared to have parents, her father was cruel and heartless, and her mother was well-meaning but powerless. Ultimately, she was always alone; no one could provide her with a sense of security.
"Qing Luan, rely on yourself to never fall; be strong, you can do it!" She whispered firmly to herself as she held herself tightly, trying to bolster her confidence to avoid being crushed by despair.
She was not a deity; there would always be times when she felt exhausted.
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Regarding Xuanyuan Rui's identity, let me clarify: I originally wrote him as being related to the emperor as an uncle-nephew relationship. However, as I continued writing, I mistakenly made Yun Nishang a sister of Xuanyuan Rui's mother. Therefore, I had to change it; from now on, his identity will be that of the emperor's maternal grandson.
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