Chapter 256 The Southern Xinjiang Market

A pure white pigeon, its ankle bound with a scarlet-gold lacquered bamboo tube, landed precisely on the arm that Shen Jue had outstretched.

Immediately after, a gray falcon marked with the exclusive secret insignia of the Jinyiwei swooped down like lightning and perched steadily on Lu Yan’s shoulder.

These were top-level secret messages from the capital!

The expressions on both their faces instantly hardened into coldness.

They each turned their backs and deftly unrolled the scrolls tied to the birds’ legs.

Shen Jue unfolded the thin, almost translucent sheet of paper. A single glance was enough to chill the air around him.

It was an imperial edict from the Empress Dowager.

Though the wording on the letter seemed gentle, every line carried an air of authority, pressure, and urgency.

The Empress Dowager ordered him to return to the capital immediately, subtly hinting within the letter: “The Emperor is young; he always needs reliable people by his side to guide him.”

Clearly, this was a command for him to return and continue being the Empress Dowager’s watchdog against the imperial power!

What truly revealed the murderous intent in Shen Jue’s eyes, however, was the seemingly casual, offhand line at the end of the letter:

“The Director’s public obedience hides private defiance in taking the person away. I hope Director Shen has the means to protect her!”

Shen Jue read those words and let out an icy low laugh from deep in his throat.

Pressure? A warning?

Threatening him with Su Hewan’s life?

That old fox, the Empress Dowager, had overreached yet again.

Meanwhile, Lu Yan’s gaze was fixed on the letter in his hand, his eyes growing colder.

This was written in the Emperor’s own handwriting.

Every word questioned why he had not returned promptly, reminding him that as the Emperor’s personal guard, he must not neglect his sacred duty.

But what cut into Lu Yan’s heart like a knife was the latter part of the letter.

The young Emperor wrote that yesterday, in court, his father had knelt before him and could not rise in front of all the civil and military officials!

He had begged the Emperor for forgiveness and accused Lu Yan of being bewitched by a demon woman, not only consorting with her but falling into infatuation!

At the end, the young Emperor earnestly advised him: “Lord Lu, do not, for the sake of a lowly maid, ruin the centuries-old reputation of the Lu family. Turn back before it is too late!”

Demon woman? Lowly maid? Turn back before it’s too late?

Lu Yan’s breathing grew heavy, his chest heaving violently.

He clenched his fingers tightly, crumpling the paper carrying the weight of imperial authority into a useless wad.

When he lifted his head, for the first time, his black eyes reflected a weariness and disgust toward the gilded Forbidden City he had sworn to serve.

This was the court he had pledged his life to!

This was the family he had once been proud of!

They defined everything from their lofty heights, using etiquette and rules to belittle the one he held most dear!

Shen Jue tore the Empress Dowager’s secret letter into pieces, bit by bit.

He turned and gazed beyond the layered bamboo groves toward the mist-shrouded southern Xinjiang mountains in the distance.

“The capital…”

Shen Jue muttered, his pale, handsome face clouded with an impenetrable gloom.

“Truly a disgusting place, not worth lingering in for even a moment.”

Beside him, Lu Yan did not speak. He silently stuffed the crumpled paper into his sleeve, his eyes so dark they seemed to drip with water.

A suffocating tension, like a storm brewing in the mountains, quietly spread with the arrival of these two secret letters.

Around lunchtime, Qin Feng had food delivered to them!

He then reminded them that there was an exit here leading to the southern Xinjiang market, suggesting that they could take a walk there if they wished.

After thanking him, Yu Qing saw Qin Feng off.

The table was laden with delicacies, yet no one had the heart to touch them.

Su Hewan lowered her gaze, stirring the white rice in her bowl repeatedly, not even touching her favorite bamboo shoot stir-fry.

Lu Yan sat silently beside Yu Qing, saying nothing.

The atmosphere was so stifling it felt as if water could drip from it.

Yu Qing, caught in the middle, looked left and right, feeling the remnants of last night’s hangover still gnawing at her stomach.

At this moment, it felt even worse!

“Help! What’s with this suffocating atmosphere? Eating a meal shouldn’t feel like a last supper!”

Hearing this lively inner voice, Lu Yan’s fingers paused mid-movement.

He discreetly shot a glance at Yu Qing.

Yu Qing took a deep breath and slammed her chopsticks onto the table.

Successfully drawing the attention of the other three.

She lifted a carefree, bright smile.

“I’m asking you all, why the long faces? The food doesn’t taste good when you look like this!”

She looped her arm through Su Hewan’s and tilted her chin toward the two cold-faced men across from them.

“We haven’t even properly admired the scenery of the Southern Frontier’s ten-thousand mountains!”

“Since we’ve got free time anyway, why don’t we take a trip to the nearby town this afternoon?”

To break the stalemate, Yu Qing blinked her eyes and made her suggestion loudly.

“I heard there’s a market in town today, with lots of delicious food and quirky little things. Are we going or not?”

In the end, the two cold-faced men yielded.

Or perhaps, they simply couldn’t resist her hopeful gaze.

The four of them followed the winding mountain road and arrived at a hidden town market deep within the Southern Frontier’s ten-thousand mountains.

It lacked the bustling grandeur of Chang’an Street in the capital, but everywhere they looked, life breathed vividly!

Stalls lined the streets in no particular order.

Rows of dazzling Southern Frontier handicrafts, strange and pungent yet oddly enticing spices, all carried on the mountain breeze.

And those unheard-of, unseen exotic snacks, steaming and bubbling as they cooked.

All of this gave the four of them a strong sense of surreal wonder.

“Wow! Wanwan, look at those silver ornaments, they’re so beautiful!”

Yu Qing, like a lively skylark, pulled Su Hewan’s hand and weaved excitedly through the bustling crowd.

She radiated vitality and cheer.

Although Su Hewan had a calm and composed personality, her cold, clear eyes reflected the dazzling colors around her.

A faint smile tugged at her lips as she allowed Yu Qing to drag her around.

Lu Yan and Shen Jue followed silently behind them.

Both had deliberately restrained their normally intimidating presence.

As temporary bodyguards, they were unconsciously being infected by this lively energy.

Looking at the nimble figure ahead, darting her eyes left and right,

Lu Yan’s tense jawline softened bit by bit.

Even Shen Jue’s eyes, unusually, softened into a rare tenderness.

Su Hewan’s steps eventually brought her to a herbal stall emitting a strong, bitter medicinal scent.

“Uncle, did you pick this Seven-Leaved Ginseng from the shaded cliffside?”

She crouched down, her long fingers gently touching a herb with its roots intact.

The stall owner, a dark-skinned man from the Southern Frontier, immediately widened his eyes.

“Oh! Young lady, you have sharp eyes! You can tell just like that?”

Su Hewan smiled faintly.

“This herb prefers shade. If the hairs on the underside of the leaves show a purple hue, it must have grown in extremely cold regions.”

“If processed with ordinary roasting methods, much of its potency would be lost. Only by air-drying in the shade can its strength be preserved.”

She not only knew history; since arriving here, Shen Jue had arranged for her to be taught by a forensic expert and an imperial physician.

She was a top student by nature, learning anything quickly!