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Chapter 405 Small Mountain Building

“What you say is absolutely right. If one day the time is right and Princess Yanshu is willing to divorce Lu Zhang, I will naturally support her just like you.”

However, this matter involves a wide range of issues. Just as the King of Jie loved his daughter so much, he still had to consider the interests of the Jie people and reluctantly agreed to the marriage. Later, Princess Yanshu's decision to leave was not a decision made by one person alone.

If she didn't understand this principle when she stormed off in anger, now that she has witnessed firsthand how those malicious villains framed and harmed the Jie and Shuo kingdoms, she should have realized it by now.

Zhu Yu admitted that what Lu Qing said was true. Although he didn't feel very happy about it, he could only sigh.

When she was sent to Jin Kingdom to be the carefree princess, she had no other choice. Even if Lu Qing was really as bad as the rumors said, she would not risk running away from the marriage because of that.

Even disregarding any ties with the Zhu family, at least so many innocent people in the Shuo Kingdom were dragged into forced labor or even war because of his momentary impulse. Zhu Yu couldn't bear it.

Unlike Yan Shu, she was more fortunate. Lu Qing did not treat his betrothed bride coldly like Lu Zhang did, and she was not the person the rumors described. The two of them were also very compatible and understood each other perfectly, which led to their later perfect match and "husband and wife in harmony".

However, no matter how lucky we are, we cannot become detached from the situation and ignore all the entanglements and helplessness involved.

Emotions are always the least important part of the problem-solving process.

Having figured this out, Zhu Yu quickly composed herself, looked at Lu Qing, and asked, "Why is Lu Yan in such a hurry to set off? Is something wrong in his fiefdom?"

"Nothing is happening in his fiefdom." Lu Qing indicated to Zhu Yu that there was no need to worry. "There are people here who are impersonating Jie soldiers and causing trouble with black iron stolen from Shuo. Lu Zhang and I are both involved with both Jie and Shuo."

Lu Zhang originally wanted to prove his innocence, but the fake fortress lord brought up Gu Lingyun, a person who had frequent interactions with both the Duke of Yan's mansion and Lu Zhang.

Judging from the reactions of those under the Duke of Yan's command, they must indeed have some connection in private. Lu Zhang must have realized this as well, which is why he didn't mention taking people back to prove that the Jie Kingdom had not conspired with the Shuo Kingdom to rebel when he left.

He has his concerns, but I need the infamy of the Jie and Shuo kingdoms to be cleared as soon as possible.

The old steward in the Immortal Fortress, who was acting as an accomplice to the wicked, was probably killed because the fake fortress lord fled in such a hurry that he didn't have time to silence him.

This morning, Lu Yan and I went to check on things. Lu Yan had the old steward and the few surviving guards tied up. We sent someone ahead to return to the capital to submit a memorial, while he escorted the old steward and the others to the capital shortly afterward. We were to clarify the matter before the Emperor as soon as possible.

Lu Yan had no connection with either Jie or Shuo, and those bandits posing as Jie soldiers had just murdered his tax collector. It was reasonable for him to handle this matter, both publicly and privately.

Zhu Yu thought this arrangement was indeed good. After thinking for a moment, he smiled and said, "Are you also worried that Lu Yan has been away for too long, and the Emperor might have almost forgotten that he has such a brave and skilled son? Let's take this opportunity to let him show his face in front of the Emperor and add fuel to the fire of father-son relations?"

Judging from Lu Qing's expression, it was clear that Zhu Yu was right. However, he did not offer any further explanation, but instead let out a sigh of relief: "His Majesty has always been shrewd. My thoughts are just my thoughts. How things will develop depends on His Majesty's own wishes."

"Now that Lu Zhang and Lu Yan are gone, what about us?" Zhu Yu asked.

“Now that we’ve come all this way to Lan Di, there’s no point in just going back. Why don’t we venture deeper into the region?” Lu Qing seemed to have already made up her mind.

Zhu Yu was naturally delighted. Although this journey hadn't been about sightseeing, he was much more at ease outside than back in the capital, where he was confined to his own little world, staring at the flowers and birds in the courtyard every day.

Most of the people here had left, and the area around Immortal Fortress was completely silent. The two brothers, Fuwen and Fulu, found some ingredients and simply cooked a porridge. Together with Yan Daoxin, the five of them made do and had breakfast.

Afterwards, Yan Daoxin took the medicinal herbs he had prepared in advance and delivered them to the True Fortress Lord whom they had unexpectedly saved. After all, they were about to set off, and the unfortunate True Fortress Lord had been imprisoned and tortured in the dungeon for so long that his body could not be recovered in just three or five days.

After a long time, Yan Daoxin returned. Lu Qing and Zhu Yu had been waiting for him in the guest hall of the courtyard for quite some time. The talisman makers had already packed everyone's luggage, so they could set off at any time.

"Why did it take so long? Is it because the fortress lord named Jiang Hong has some other health problem and is not well taken care of?" Zhu Yu asked with some doubt.

"No, that's not true. His health is much better than when we first found him. I've prepared some medicine and pills for him to take daily, enough for him to last for more than half a month. After that, he can rely on dietary supplements."

Yan Daoxin waved his hand, indicating that the man was much better: "The reason I took so long to come back is because he told me something quite interesting, which seems to be somewhat related to that fake fortress lord."

"Oh?" Upon hearing this, Lu Qing became interested and gestured to Yan Daoxin, "Tell me about it."

"He said that before the disaster struck Xianrenbao, there was a Lianxiang City less than a hundred miles away from here, and a strange thing had happened in that Lianxiang City."

Yan Daoxin tried his best to appear calm, but his tone of voice inadvertently revealed his curiosity and even excitement about the matter: "In that Lianxiang City, there is a small mountain tower. No one knows who the owner is. The one who shows her face in public is an old nanny who is not young and has a shrewd look in her eyes. She is probably similar to the old steward here."

The old nanny searched everywhere in and around the city for young and beautiful girls. If a girl was pretty enough, she would be approached and persuaded by her family to allow her to stay at the small mountain villa for recuperation.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yu couldn't help but frown. "This little mountain building doesn't sound like a good place. Could it be a music hall or something, trying to lure decent women?"

“I thought so at first, but after listening to what they said, it’s not really like that,” Yan Daoxin shook his head. “It is said that the owner of that small mountain building has some connections and specializes in helping high-ranking officials and nobles find good concubines or second wives. That old nanny is in charge of finding suitable women for them.”