After crossing, I surrounded the capital from the countryside

The baby rubbed his eyes and indeed felt a little tired, so he turned around and went to rest obediently.

After the baby left, Xu Qingqing turned to face Lu Zhenting, her eyes full of seriousness. She looked at Lu Zhenting and slowly spoke, telling him everything she had experienced during this period of time, especially the fact that the current emperor was not of the Great Zhou bloodline. She also told him everything that Yuan Ye had found out and what she knew.

"What! What did you say?!!!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhenting's face instantly turned pale as paper, his eyes widened, as if he was struck by a bolt from the blue, and he stood there in a daze.

He shook his head in disbelief, trying to regain some sanity from this sudden news. However, Xu Qingqing's firm eyes and unquestionable tone forced him to face this cruel reality.

After Lu Zhenting learned that the current emperor was of Northern Barbarian descent, his heart was filled with anger and resentment.

He thought of the suffering he had endured because of the emperor's suspicion and his tacit approval of his subordinates' mischief, and how, if Xu Qingqing had not rescued him in time, his family would have been destroyed. The hatred in his heart was hard to contain.

"No wonder you suddenly want to kill me and even my family. You're afraid that I can't protect the Northern Frontier if I'm still here!" Lu Zhenting's voice trembled slightly, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth. "This concerns the foundation of the country. If it's really as you said, the consequences will be disastrous!"

"These people are so brave... The Northern Barbarians are still ambitious!"

Xu Qingqing nodded heavily, "Wealth and honor are sought in danger. Low investment and high returns also come with high risks."

"General Lu, I know this news is hard to accept, but we have to face it. Judging from the current situation, he probably already knows his life experience. If we allow him to continue to sit in this position, I believe it won't be long before the Great Zhou becomes the Great Zhou of the Northern Barbarians."

"you're right."

Lu Zhenting clenched his fists and calmed his excitement.

He tried to adjust his breathing and calm himself down. When he was calm, he turned to Xu Qingqing, his eyes gleaming with determination.

"Qingqing, we must not sit idly by and watch such national affairs being manipulated by the Northern Barbarians. The Northern Barbarians actually want to replace the original with the fake. It's simply a daydream. I, Lu, will never agree! But this matter is of great importance, and we must act with caution."

After calming down, Lu Zhenting quickly focused his attention on how to deal with this sudden change and future plans.

"The emperor actually has northern barbarian blood. This is undoubtedly a huge earthquake in the court and the country. If not handled properly, it may lead to endless disputes and turmoil."

Upon hearing this, Xu Qingqing nodded solemnly. Of course, she knew this.

"General Lu, you are right. In this situation, the enemy is strong and we are weak. We must first ensure our own safety and then make plans. Perhaps we can start by collecting evidence in secret. After all, such a secret cannot be completely untraceable."

"If we can find definite evidence, this matter will be much simpler."

Lu Zhenting nodded, a hint of approval flashed in his eyes: "Your idea coincides with mine. We need to find those who may know the secret of the emperor's life experience, whether it is the old eunuchs and palace maids in the palace, or the court officials who participated in this matter in the past, or even the spies of the Northern Barbarians. At the same time, we must also strengthen the patrols and guards near Xiaoyao Sect to prevent any accidents."

"In addition," Lu Zhenting continued, "we must keep a low profile and not let anyone notice our actions. After all, that person is still sitting on the dragon throne. If he notices our intentions, he might take the initiative."

Xu Qingqing added: "Also, we can try to contact those forces that are dissatisfied with the emperor's rule. They may be able to help us. However, this requires extreme caution to avoid backlash."

After the two men had made their decision, they left and prepared to go back to their rooms to rest.

Xu Qingqing planned to go to Xiao Yuheng's room to see if he was awake.

He tiptoed into the room, which was quiet and gentle. The moonlight shone through the window lattice, sprinkling on his body in patches, adding a touch of gentleness and tranquility to him.

She slowly approached the bedside, her eyes gently falling on Xiao Yuheng's slightly pale face. His breathing was even and light, as if even his dreams seemed particularly peaceful.

Xu Qingqing couldn't help but stretch out her hand, and her fingertips gently touched the hair on his forehead. Then, she carefully slid along his brow bone, as if she was touching a precious work of art.

Her movements were gentle and loving, as if she was afraid of disturbing the tranquility. Her fingertips wandered between his eyebrows, sometimes pressing gently, sometimes stroking slowly, her eyes full of tenderness and care.

Every touch was like plucking the strings of memory, causing her thoughts to drift involuntarily to the distant past.

In her mind, scenes unfolded slowly like a movie: the ancient land ravaged by war; her and him, meeting in troubled times; that stormy night; the deafening shouts and blazing flames of war, the tightly held hands and the unfulfilled vows of love.

At this moment, touching his eyebrows again, those past scenes came flooding back like a tide, filling Xu Qingqing's heart with complex emotions. There was nostalgia, gratitude, relief, and a subtle bitterness.

Suddenly, Xu Qingqing found that the eyelashes under her hand were trembling slightly. She thought he was about to wake up, but she saw that he did not move for a long time. Instead, his eyeballs kept moving. She couldn't help but raise her eyebrows.

A faint smile appeared on the corner of my mouth, and I felt funny.

She whispered softly, "You guy, you're pretending to be asleep even though you're awake, huh?" As she spoke, she deliberately slid her fingers lightly across the tip of Xiao Yuheng's nose.

Xiao Yuheng's eyes moved more frequently, and finally when Xu Qingqing gently stroked and kneaded his lips, he could no longer hold back and opened his eyes, with a dark flash in his eyes.

“Qingqing…” Although his voice was still a little weak, his tone was full of pampering and coquettishness, with a hint of desire.

Xu Qingqing pretended to be angry and patted him lightly, saying angrily: "Well, I told you to pretend to sleep. How is your injury? Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?" As she spoke, she checked Xiao Yuheng's injuries with concern, her eyes full of worry.

Xiao Yuheng felt Xu Qingqing's care and warmth surged in his heart. He gently held Xu Qingqing's hand and said softly, "Don't worry, Qingqing, I'm fine. It's just some superficial injuries, I'll be fine after a few days of rest. But you, after I fainted today, you still had to run around for my affairs, you look so thin."