Chapter 8: How did Lin Ye and that girl with the bamboo hat get into this…

Chapter 8 How did Lin Ye and that girl with the bamboo hat end up like this...

Lin Ye blinked.

The girl in the bamboo hat triggered a memory, standing out so vividly that she left a deep impression.

Xue Li also realized that Lin Ye had noticed her.

She took a deep breath, tensed up, and gripped a dagger hidden in her sleeve—a fruit knife she had snatched from the carriage a few days ago, which she had kept for herself due to its sharpness and usefulness.

Xue Li truly hadn’t expected the young master of Southern Zhou to be a 'familiar face.'

Her shoulder ached faintly as she remembered the young man’s technique of spitting silver needles to silence his enemies.

Xue Li had planned to use this convoy’s departure as her chance to escape Jianye. If that didn’t work, she wouldn’t mind resorting to force.

The fluttering veil brushed her body, its silver glow like mist. While handling the Northern Zhou envoy and the followers of "Qin Yueye" behind her, Xue Li kept an eye on her surroundings, assessing the distance and direction of the guards and the palace walls.

She even eyed Emperor Guangyi’s approaching figure, considering whether she could use him as a hostage to escape.

But—what?

She noticed Lin Ye’s gaze casually shifting away from her.

...Could it be that she hadn’t raised his suspicions?

After all, countless women wore bamboo hats in the world. Perhaps the young master was so generous, almost to the point of naivety, that he hadn’t connected her to the female bandit from a few days ago.

Lin Ye, silently labeled 'foolish,' sneezed.

He rubbed his nose, met Emperor Guangyi’s concerned gaze, and smiled with curved eyes to reassure him.

Truthfully, after last night’s medicinal bath, his body ached, and he felt utterly drained. It had been a struggle for him to get up today, and at this moment, Lin Ye didn’t want to cause trouble. He simply thought: Whoever the woman in the bamboo hat from Northern Zhou is, as long as she doesn’t stir up trouble now, it’s fine.

Even though he didn’t truly want to marry for political alliance, if the farewell ceremony turned into a 'spectacle,' his parents and grandfather, watching from the afterlife, would probably laugh themselves silly.

At that moment, the Northern Zhou envoy, while bowing to Emperor Guangyi, was also scrutinizing the young master of Southern Zhou.

They saw little resemblance between the young man and Emperor Guangyi. Emperor Guangyi had gentle features but deep lip lines, hinting at a temperament not as soft as his looks; the young master, however, was gentle and pure, with light eyes and an innocent expression, like a fragile, delicate lantern.

A gust of wind blew, and Lin Ye covered his sleeve as he sneezed, instantly convincing the Northern Zhou envoy that he was indeed the 'sheltered' sick beauty—one gust of wind, and the delicate lantern might go out.

Amidst all the scrutiny, Emperor Guangyi’s heart warmed slightly only when he saw Lin Ye’s smile.

He quickly stepped forward to display brotherly affection, while also noticing, with the reminder of the eunuch beside him, the leader of "Qin Yueye" from the Northern Zhou side, who was wearing a bamboo hat and didn’t even show his face.

Emperor Guangyi felt displeased.

Northern Zhou had forced them into a marriage alliance, and due to General of the Shining Night’s defeat, they had no choice but to agree. The young master was the emperor’s younger brother, yet Northern Zhou only sent wanderers to see him off, not even allowing Southern Zhou’s troops to accompany them.

Emperor Guangyi knew that Northern Zhou’s demands were surely aimed at testing them along the way. As a defeated nation, he had to endure Northern Zhou’s dominance, but on such a grand occasion, how could a mere wanderer faction dare to humiliate them like this? Where was Southern Zhou’s dignity?

Moreover, Emperor Guangyi had heard from the Grand Chancellor that "Qin Yueye" had been lurking in Jianye for over two months, precisely for today’s escort mission.

Emperor Guangyi didn’t dare to act against the Northern Zhou envoy, but as an emperor, he absolutely couldn’t allow a wanderer faction to disregard him.

Emperor Guangyi looked around: he didn’t have Commander Cao Xing, the leader of the imperial guards, by his side, and the other civil officials represented the Southern Zhou court, making it inconvenient for them to show force.

It would be better to leave this to Lin Ye, who was about to depart.

After all, Lin Ye is the real General of the Shining Night. Even though he has been tormented by drugs for months and cannot fight, handling a wanderer should still be no problem, right?

Emperor Guangyi held Lin Ye's hand, trembling slightly: "Ah Ye, this journey is long and arduous, it is your elder brother who has let you down."

In recent days, the Emperor of Southern Zhou announced to the world the name of the young prince: Li Linye. Therefore, during the young prince's journey, if he wishes to go by "Lin Ye," it should not arouse suspicion.

The imperial flag hung on the pole, and beneath the dragon steps, the ministers of Southern Zhou were both mournful and resentful.

Lin Ye, held by Emperor Guangyi, cooperated with him. As he looked up, his eyes, as dazzling as gemstones, stared at Emperor Guangyi for a long time.

Emperor Guangyi glanced at him, then stole a glance at the female leader of "Qin Yueye" wearing a bamboo hat. Emperor Guangyi blinked his eyes forcefully.

Lin Ye asked with genuine surprise: "Your Majesty, what's wrong with your eyes? Your Majesty, are your eyes dry?"

Emperor Guangyi: "..."

Lin Ye held his hand, making a fuss and urging him to take care of his health, which made Emperor Guangyi feel somewhat embarrassed. Emperor Guangyi thought his plan had failed, but then the young guard behind Lin Ye jumped out.

Liang Chen pointed directly at Xue Li: "Why don't you reveal your true face when meeting our Emperor?"

The Northern Zhou envoy beside Xue Li, who had been praying "don't notice us," immediately stuttered: "Dong, Dong, Dong Jun..."

Emperor Guangyi gave several hints, which the young prince didn't notice, but Liang Chen saw clearly. Liang Chen moved swiftly and agilely, leaping forward to grab the bamboo hat, trying to reveal the person's true face.

Xue Li caught Liang Chen's strike and instinctively counterattacked. After counterattacking, she paused, feeling she shouldn't provoke others. But Liang Chen, with a stern expression, continued to fight, clearly provoked.

On the Southern Zhou side, the imperial guards protected the Emperor, while on the Northern Zhou side, "Qin Yueye" also did not back down, comforting the envoy: Dong Jun is very skilled, she won't lose.

Emperor Guangyi felt reassured: So there are still people in this world willing to stand up for Southern Zhou.

The Northern Zhou envoy felt troubled: If Dong Jun stirs up trouble and the marriage alliance falls through, how will we explain it to our Emperor?

Outside the fight, Lin Ye let out a deep sigh.

His sigh was so prolonged that it nearly made Ah Zeng beside him faint.

Ah Zeng: "Are you worried that Liang Chen is no match and can't defeat that woman? Do you also think that woman seems familiar?"

Lin Ye said seriously: "I don't think so. I think you've ruined my grand wedding procession, and my deceased ancestors will laugh at me."

Ah Zeng: "..."

He really wanted to grab Lin Ye's ear: Aren't you embarrassed to go for a marriage alliance as a man, but you feel ashamed when others fight here?

Lin Ye commented: "Besides, look at this messy fight, dust flying everywhere, soiling my new clothes."

Ah Zeng stiffly turned his head, staring at Lin Ye's fair face: You, you, you, forget it.

--

As chaos broke out below, on the "Danyang Tower" beside the Xuanwu Gate, a father and daughter sat, watching the grand wedding ceremony of the two nations below.

This father and daughter were Grand Chancellor Lu and his daughter, the future Empress of Southern Zhou, Lu Qingmei.

After the death of the General of the Shining Night, the grand wedding ceremony of the young prince of Southern Zhou marked the start of a new era between Northern and Southern Zhou. Many lamented, many were anxious, and many Southern Zhou citizens did not understand why their country had to submit.

Although Lu Qingmei was the future Empress, she had not yet entered the palace. She wanted to witness this grand ceremony in person and see the young prince. Emperor Guangyi, out of compassion, allowed her to secretly ascend the "Danyang Tower," the palace tower closest to the ceremony, to observe the farewell below.

Her father, Grand Chancellor Lu, accompanied her.

Lu Qingmei was pale and thin, suffering from a congenital weakness. Yet, despite her frailty, her beauty was striking, as radiant as a blooming peony.

At this moment, she sat quietly in the elegant room, her tone cold as she said, "Father, there's no need to accompany me. As the Grand Chancellor, you should be below leading the ministers and negotiating with the envoys of Northern Zhou."

Grand Chancellor Lu responded indifferently, "Let Northern Zhou believe that the monarch and his ministers in Southern Zhou are at odds. Only if Northern Zhou underestimates us does Southern Zhou stand a chance."

Hearing this, Lu Qingmei raised her eyes and looked at her father.

Her father was handsome and scholarly. Over forty, Grand Chancellor Lu was still a handsome man.

Grand Chancellor Lu, however, kept looking at her: "You saw His Majesty today. He claimed to pity his younger brother, yet he sent him away for a political marriage. Do you still want to marry into the palace?"

"Why not?" Lu Qingmei's tone was light, but her resolve was firm. "The Lu family and the prominent families of Jianye both benefit from and guard against each other. We are not among the top aristocratic families. To stand out, aligning with the imperial power and achieving mutual success is the best way. Only by marrying His Majesty can the Lu family rise above the countless aristocratic families."

Grand Chancellor Lu frowned, "The Lu family does not require you to make such a sacrifice."

Lu Qingmei replied, "How is this a sacrifice? It is a necessity."

The father and daughter often engaged in such disputes.

Grand Chancellor Lu could not comprehend his daughter's stubbornness, and Lu Qingmei did not understand her father's "naivety." Every time they argued over this matter, they would part on bad terms. Today, the old topic resurfaced, and Grand Chancellor Lu aimed to use the current situation to persuade his daughter.

Lu Qingmei started coughing, and Grand Chancellor Lu immediately fell silent, gazing at her with concern. Lu Qingmei turned her face away, covering her mouth with her sleeve, her complexion even paler. She shook her head at her father, but her gaze lingered as it swept past the curtains by the window.

Lu Qingmei stared at the commotion below and saw a familiar face. How could this be?

Grand Chancellor Lu inquired, "What is it?"

Lu Qingmei suddenly shifted her shoulder to block his view.

In Lu Qingmei's typically cold and calm expression, Grand Chancellor Lu detected a hint of panic. He was about to probe further when he heard Lu Qingmei ask him, "Father, is that young man below really the young prince?"

Grand Chancellor Lu was startled.

He recalled what Commander Cao Xing had reported to him a few nights ago.

Although the Imperial Guards were the Emperor's guards, the infantry commander Cao Xing secretly pledged loyalty to the Lu family.

There was a secret between Emperor Guangyi and the young prince whom no one had ever seen. Every time they had a private conversation, they would dismiss everyone around them. The young prince Cao Xing had seen, though sickly, was clever and lively.

One might ask, would a young man who had been ill for many years and secluded from the world truly harbor no resentment or malice?

Now that his daughter asked, Grand Chancellor Lu carefully considered his words: "Before this, the young prince was recuperating by the Xuanwu Lake. No one had seen him."

Lu Qingmei caught a hint of doubt in her father's words.

But Lu Qingmei's thoughts were not really here.

While she guided her father to shift his focus, she glanced several times at the commotion below. Her dark eyes were calm and composed: "Father, it's been a long time since I've seen Liangchen."

Grand Chancellor Lu replied, "Liangchen? He went to Tanzhou to study. Didn't you know?"

The commotion below started again, and this time, Lu Qingmei did not stop Grand Chancellor Lu. They saw everyone kneeling in astonishment.

--

Liang Chen and Xue Li were fighting. Although Xue Li was handling him, she knew that delaying the situation would not benefit her.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lin Ye and came up with an idea.

Xue Li slowly moved toward Lin Ye during the fight. Liang Chen did not notice, but when Xue Li was still three or four zhang away from Lin Ye, Ah Zeng, who was beside Lin Ye, felt an inexplicable sense of alert. Ah Zeng saw the hooded girl pass through Liang Chen's sword and flick a finger in their direction.

The finger's wind carried no killing intent.

Ah Zeng immediately moved to block, but the finger strike diverted him, and another finger technique took the opportunity to strike Lin Ye. Ah Zeng and Liang Chen were drawn into the skirmish by Xue Li, and Xue Li's finger technique accurately hit Lin Ye's knee.

"Thud—"

Lin Ye, who had been quietly dozing off, felt his knee give way and he fell to the ground.

Before anyone could notice, Xue Li rushed toward Lin Ye. Lin Ye thought Xue Li wanted to capture him as a hostage and was considering whether to resist when Xue Li placed a hand on his shoulder.

Lin Ye suddenly woke up. He looked up and saw the girl in the bamboo hat landing gracefully, her veil fluttering, her fragrance calm and subtle. Through the veil, he seemed to see a wall of flying flowers again, and behind the flowers, the girl's distant eyes.

How could a girl have such lonely eyes? Was she really the Snow Girl sister from that day?

She dropped to her knees beside Lin Ye with a thud.

Lin Ye: "...?"

Everyone was stunned.

Although Xue Li was numb, she had years of experience in the martial world. She didn't understand them, but after years of constant punishment, she knew what they were thinking.

Under everyone's gaze, the female leader knelt straight beside Lin Ye. She knelt with her sleeves hanging down, her hands clasped and pressed against her forehead, offering a reverent bow to Emperor Guangyi several paces away.

When Liang Chen's sword pressed against her neck, she stopped resisting.

Emperor Guangyi: "Stop."

Lin Ye tilted his head, guessing why Xue Li had pulled him down to kneel—she knew they couldn't continue fighting. The misunderstanding initially arose because everyone thought she was provoking Emperor Guangyi, but as long as she showed submission, the misunderstanding would be resolved.

Xue Li didn't want to remove her hat and be recognized by Lin Ye and his group. By pulling Lin Ye to kneel, she used the high-ranking figure from Southern Zhou as a "buffer."

Realizing this, Lin Ye smiled: Alright, alright, who makes me enjoy "doing a good deed every day"?

He raised his hand and said loudly, "Your humble servant bids farewell to Your Majesty, wishing Your Majesty a long life, Southern Zhou prosperity, and a day when ruler and servant reunite."

Time seemed to pause for a moment. Xue Li turned her head: he had helped her.

He had figured out her plan.

Figured out the plan of this... creature.

Xue Li quietly looked at Lin Ye, and Lin Ye quietly looked at the emperor.

At that moment, everyone stared at the kneeling pair and suddenly understood. The Southern Zhou officials quickly followed the young lord in kneeling, while the Northern Zhou envoys, unable to kneel, bowed and clasped their hands in apology, politely apologizing to Emperor Guangyi.

Emperor Guangyi looked at the young man and woman kneeling at the front, then at the crowd kneeling behind them.

His resentment dissipated, and as he looked up at the sky in silence, a strange thought arose: Lin Ye and that girl in the bamboo hat looked as if they were kneeling in a wedding ceremony.

Never mind, never mind.

Emperor Guangyi no longer cared about Xue Li not removing her hat and leaned down to gesture for them to rise: "Please rise. I am here to see you off, wishing you a safe and smooth journey, and that all your wishes come true—"

The chaotic misunderstanding was resolved.

Lin Ye looked up, catching Emperor Guangyi's subtle hint, and found it amusing: Will I really get what I wish for?

Xue Li looked up, peering through the veil at the unfamiliar faces around her: As I wish? But what do I even wish for?

--

Afterwards, the escort convoy left first, and the Southern Zhou officials and Northern Zhou envoys feasted. The Northern Zhou envoys would soon leave Jianye, racing back to the Northern Zhou capital, Bianliang, to report the marriage alliance to Emperor Xuanming of Northern Zhou.

At "Danyang Tower," the father and daughter of the Lu Clan watched as the grand caravan departed from the imperial city, heading towards an unknown future.

With this matter concluded, Lu Qingmei followed her father downstairs.

Lost in thought, she glanced once more at the distant procession: Did I see correctly? Was that really Lu Liangchen, the guard beside the young master?

Lu Xi, Lu Liangchen, her own younger brother, should be studying at the Yuelu Academy in Tanzhou at this moment. How could he be accompanying the young master on a diplomatic marriage mission, and how did he even come to know the young master?

Judging by her father's reaction, the Grand Chancellor was unaware of this. Lu Qingmei felt a surge of anger: Lu Liangchen, shouldn't you be dedicating yourself to your studies, considering the family's honor and your own future? What mischief are you up to behind our backs?