The Return of the King: A Generation of Prodigies

When Qiong Niang and the others returned, they saw Shen Tianjiao looking listless.

Chunchao originally wanted to step forward to ask, but was pulled back by Qiong Niang. Qiong Niang shook her head at her and told her not to ask anything. Qiong Niang had noticed that something was wrong with Shen Tianjiao when she said she wanted to eat beef pancakes.

But in the adult world, there are many secrets that cannot be known to others and can only be kept by oneself. Shen Tianjiao must have her reasons for not saying it. There is no need to ask. She will naturally tell it when she wants to.

Shen Tianjiao remained silent along the way, and Qiong Niang said nothing either, but just stayed quietly by her side.

After returning to Yuxiu Palace, Shen Tianjiao said she was tired and went to the bedroom to rest.

"Is it really okay not to ask?" Chunchao was very worried about Shen Tianjiao. She had gotten used to her master's energetic appearance these days. Now he suddenly returned to his previous state. Besides being uncomfortable, she was also worried.

"It's okay. You have to believe in our Queen. She's not just a powerful person. She might just be in a bad mood for a while. She should be fine after a good night's sleep." Qiong Niang dragged Chunchao to the small kitchen. "Let's go, let's figure out how to make beef pancakes. I don't know if we can make them."

Qiong Niang was very good at everything else, but she was completely clueless about cooking. Chun Chao could cook, but he wasn't an expert.

The two of them went to pull Dongyang along, and they all went to the small kitchen together, making a lot of noise.

After returning to the room, Shen Tianjiao lay in the rocking chair, but she couldn't fall asleep. The dream just now was like a shackle that bound her, leaving her without comfort and peace of mind.

After a while, Shen Tianjiao broke out in a cold sweat. Feeling restless and uneasy, she simply got up from the rocking chair and went outside.

The cold wind outside made Shen Tianjiao feel comfortable physically and mentally.

Shen Tianjiao, who had finally calmed down, was just thinking about closing her eyes and taking a nap when she saw Qiu Tong running towards her in a hurry.

Qiu Tong has always been calm and composed, so something that could make her so flustered must not be a trivial matter.

Shen Tianjiao sighed silently in her heart, then resigned herself to her fate and prepared to face the battle.

"Master." Qiu Tong ran out of breath, and when she arrived in front of Shen Tianjiao, her breathing was unstable.

"Don't panic, catch your breath first." Shen Tianjiao patted the stone next to her and motioned Qiu Tong to sit over.

Qiu Tong did as she was told. Only after her breathing evened out did she stand up and say, "Master, something's happened to Concubine Jing."

Shen Tianjiao's heart sank, and even her expression changed. Something happened at this critical moment, it was obviously not a coincidence, nor was it a trivial matter. "What happened to her?"

Seeing Shen Tianjiao getting anxious, Qiu Tong quickly said, "Actually, it didn't happen now. It happened after we left the palace."

"Don't panic, speak slowly and clearly." Seeing Qiu Tong's helpless look, Shen Tianjiao calmed down.

Qiu Tong regrouped her words before continuing, "After the late emperor's death, Concubine Jing was sent to Yanyun Mountain for retreat. Shortly thereafter, she was replaced. The current Concubine Jing is not only an imposter, but also a man."

"What? It's a man?" After a brief moment of astonishment, Shen Tianjiao quickly regained her composure. After all, from the time she came here until now, there have been endless outrageous things that constantly refreshed her worldview. Even though this matter is even more bizarre now, she seems to have immunity to it and can easily accept it.

"Yes, after our people replaced Concubine Jing, Concubine Jing and everyone around her were put under custody. The person in charge of guarding them was Qingshi, who was beside the eldest young master. He also discovered something strange about Concubine Jing a few days ago, so he sent people to keep a close eye on her. Only then did he discover that she was actually a man in disguise." Qiu Tong had just heard about this, and she hadn't had time to digest such a bizarre and outrageous thing.

"Let a man pretend to be a woman, and this woman is my Yun Li's concubine. What kind of drama is this Xirong people singing?" After living a new life, Shen Tianjiao felt that there were surprises everywhere. Even the thing of a man disguising himself as a concubine, which only appeared in operas, could be encountered by her in reality. It seems that this life is really not lived in vain.

"Qingshi, have you interrogated him?" Shen Tianjiao suddenly became excited, as if she had caught some terrible handle on Xirong.

"Qingshi has interrogated him, but the man is very tight-lipped. Even after being tortured, he refused to say anything." Qiu Tong was very interested in such stubborn people. She was born with a desire to conquer and liked to challenge impossible things. She felt that if this matter was handed over to her, even if she couldn't get the whole truth out of him at the moment, she could at least make him spit out something useful.

Shen Tianjiao knew Qiu Tong very well. Seeing the flicker in her eyes, she knew what she was thinking. She smiled and said, "Have Qingshi bring the man into the palace and hand him over to you. You will interrogate him. But the condition is that I am eager to know the truth. I will wait until the sun rises tomorrow morning. How about that?"

"Your servant will follow the master's instructions. There is no need to wait until tomorrow morning. There will be news tonight." Qiu Tong was so sure because she had a new magic weapon in her hand, which she had looted from Hongying. It was a kind of elixir made from poisonous insects, called psychedelic powder.

As the name suggests, this is a drug that can cause hallucinations, but what makes this drug different from ordinary psychedelics is that its effect is not just to make people hallucinate. It will make people who are drugged, under the control of the bone flute, reveal everything they want to know without reservation.

Qiu Tong had already seen the power of this medicine. She was thinking of finding someone to try it out, but unexpectedly someone gave her the opportunity.

"Okay, I'm waiting. Don't make me wait too long." Shen Tianjiao looked at Qiu Tong and nodded to her with a smile.

Having received permission, Qiu Tong was in a very good mood and even walked happily.

Shen Tianjiao, whose attention was diverted by the incident, felt better. She stood up and stretched, and began to look forward to what kind of surprise Qiu Tong would bring her later.

The pancake-making trio, along with the royal chef, had been tinkering in the small kitchen for most of the day. They had made the beef pancakes, but they were not sure if they were what Shen Tianjiao wanted to eat.

After all, Qiong Niang had only heard about this kind of food from the Western Regions from Shen Tianjiao. None of them had ever eaten it or seen it, so they could only make it based on their own imagination.

"Is this it?" Qiong Niang looked at the beef pancakes they had worked so hard to make, not knowing how many times they had failed and how much flour they had used. She had no confidence at all.

"That should be it." Chunchao didn't know either, but she looked at the well-made beef pancake in front of her, and she was more confident than Qiong Niang. "This pancake looks delicious. I think the master will like it. If not, it doesn't matter. We can just make it again. Don't you agree, Dongyang?"

"Yes, that's right. If the master doesn't like it, then we can improve it. Try a few more times and you will succeed." For Dongyang, if something doesn't taste good, it means there is still a lot of room for improvement, and she can think of ways to make it taste better.

"Okay, let's go." Qiong Niang no longer hesitated, picked up the cut beef pancakes and left, with the two little girls Chunchao and Dongyang following closely behind her.

When Shen Tianjiao saw the beef pancake, she was stunned. She didn't expect that Qiong Niang and the others could actually make this pancake.

She really wanted to eat at that time, but now she has no appetite at all.

But seeing the three pairs of eyes staring at her eagerly, Shen Tianjiao still cooperated and took a piece to eat. This beef pancake was much more luxurious and richer than the beef pancakes she remembered, but it didn't taste the same as before.

"Well, not bad, delicious." Shen Tianjiao stuffed a small piece of cake into her mouth.

Seeing Shen Tianjiao eating and eating happily, the three people in the room breathed a sigh of relief and put their minds at ease.

"You guys should try it too. You've worked hard for most of the day." Shen Tianjiao pushed the plate in front of the three people.

The three of them picked it up and started eating without hesitation. The beef pancake tasted really good, much better than the ones they usually ate.

"Chunchao, take the remaining pancakes away and distribute them to everyone. By the way, keep Qiutong's portion for her." Although the beef pancake tasted good, Shen Tianjiao only ate one piece and couldn't eat any more.

"Yes, master, where has Qiu Tong gone?" Chunchao realized belatedly that he had not seen Qiu Tong since he came back.

"She," Shen Tianjiao smiled and said, "She is preparing a good show for us."

"Good show? What good show?" Hearing that there was going to be some fun, Qiong Niang also became interested. Her temperament now was much more cheerful and lively than before.

"It's a good show anyway, just wait. If I tell you in advance, there will be no surprises." Shen Tianjiao was also looking forward to how exciting the show would be.

"Mu'er, are you back?" Half a day had passed before Shen Tianjiao remembered her eldest son. She didn't know whether he was used to going to Cui's house for class for the first time today, and how he got along with Cui Yi.

"My Lord, the little prince has returned. He must have been too tired from studying today, so he insisted on going to bed right after returning. He is already fast asleep now."

Hearing that Haodaer was fine, Shen Tianjiao was relieved and instructed: "This cake is well made. Bake some more for him and keep them warm. Give them to him when he wakes up."

"Okay." Dongyang smiled happily with her eyes curved. The fact that the food she cooked was liked by everyone was the happiest and most satisfying thing for her.

It was already late at night. Usually, Shen Tianjiao would have gone to bed by this time. But today, she was still reading under the lamp, waiting for news from Qiu Tong.

Qiong Niang brought a cloak to Shen Tianjiao. Although the temperature was gradually rising, it was still a bit chilly at night.

"It's late at night, and there are still many things waiting for you to do tomorrow. The news will definitely come when it is time. It will be the same if you hear it tomorrow. Otherwise, you should just settle down first." Qiong Niang put the cloak on Shen Tianjiao and turned up the light a little brighter.

"I can't sleep anyway, so I'll just wait." Shen Tianjiao didn't actually have to wait for Qiu Tong to bring back news tonight. She really couldn't sleep because she was not sleepy.

Qiong Niang knew that Shen Tianjiao was worried, so she didn't say much. She just sat beside her quietly and made clothes to keep her company.

After interrogating the fake Concubine Jing who was dressed as a woman, Qiu Tong came back with shining eyes and her mouth wide open.

Looking at Qiu Tong's expression, Shen Tianjiao knew that the news she brought back must be jaw-dropping.

Shen Tianjiao personally poured Qiu Tong a glass of water and handed it to her, jokingly teasing her, "Come, pour a glass of water for our hero. Thank you for your hard work."

Qiu Tong smiled sheepishly, lowered her head, drank some water, then looked up at Shen Tianjiao and said, "Master, that man has confessed everything."

"Well, go ahead." Shen Tianjiao had already sensed that what Qiu Tong was going to say might be related to the changes in the future pattern of Yun Li and Xirong.

"The man pretending to be Concubine Jing is called Ainur Jinghe. He is in charge of the Xirong intelligence network. When Concubine Jing just left the palace, he came to our Yunli from Xirong and replaced Concubine Jing. Using Concubine Jing's identity, he placed and trained their people, and stole important intelligence back to Xirong to make it easier for Xirong to take action against us." When Qiu Tong heard this, she was so angry that she almost beat Ainur Jinghe to death. The territory that her master and those soldiers fought to defend was destroyed by these people using despicable means, and many soldiers even lost their lives.

"Ainur?" Shen Tianjiao tapped the table with her fingers. "That's the surname of the Western Rong people. It seems this Ainur Jinghe is no ordinary person. As a member of the royal family, he can be so humble as to disguise himself as a woman. It's really hard for him."

"Xirong has invested so much money. I guess their people should have infiltrated every corner of Yunli by now. Then there should be many people in the court who obey their orders."

When Yan Jun'an was assassinated in the street, Shen Tianjiao guessed that there must be a force that did not belong to the Yunli Kingdom running rampant in the court. Today her guess was indeed confirmed.

The Yunli Kingdom, both inside and out, has long been corroded by these termites and is rotten to the core. It seems that we must speed up the pace of cleaning up the court and building up our own power.

"What about the real Concubine Jing?" What Qiong Niang heard just now was so unbelievable that she couldn't believe it. No matter how careful a man is, he will inevitably reveal flaws if he disguises himself as a woman. How come he was discovered only now?

"Ainur Jinghe said that she was sent back to Xirong, but no one knows whether she is alive or dead now." For a person who knows a secret that should not be known, the most useful way to keep this secret is to die, because the dead will not speak out.