Mistakenly Connected to the Jade Flower Branch

Seeing her embarrassment, Xu Sheng said seriously, "General Yuan has good judgment; Nan Fei is indeed very good."

Yuan Fengcheng sincerely replied, "Thank you for your praise, Your Highness."

Xu Sheng sighed, "I misjudged him. Nan Fei looks like a playboy, but he's a pure-hearted young man at heart. Luo An looks serious, but he's actually cunning and ruthless."

Yuan Feng said, "Young Master has a good character. If he were any less, the Prince would not be alive."

Xu Sheng said, "That's because he doesn't care. If he really cared, who could escape? Xue Nianyao isn't stupid, but she's like a fool in front of him."

Yuan Feng said, "Husbands and wives don't need to be wary of each other. What's wrong with being a little silly? The prince has never been married, so naturally he doesn't understand."

Xu Sheng hesitated slightly: "If I wanted to marry, I could marry even Princess Dongyang."

Yuan Feng said, "I only said that Your Highness has never married, not that Your Highness cannot marry. If Your Highness wants to marry Princess Dongyang, I can act as a matchmaker for you."

Xu Sheng said, "Forget it, this isn't my thing. He's here..."

Yuan Feng couldn't look Luo An in the eye and turned her head away.

Hu Zi brought over the boiling water and tea leaves, Luo An lit the small tea stove, and the group sat in the tea room to discuss business.

Yuan Feng said, "Your Highness, regarding the alliance between Dongyang and Nanyue to destroy Xiling and Beirou..."

Xu Sheng shook his head: "Nan Fei asked me to take him to see his uncle. The plan was to unite with Nan Yue to destroy Xi Ling and divide the country along the river. If Nan Yue doesn't agree, he will join forces with Xi Ling to send troops. General Yuan, you and your husband have a great understanding. It's just that your ambition is greater than his."

Yuan Feng said, "Your Highness, Xiling has stationed troops in Jiangzhou, but there has been no movement for a long time. Aren't you curious?"

Seeing her confident demeanor, Xu Sheng asked curiously, "General Yuan, please enlighten me."

"When I left Bianjing, I had someone spread the word that Dongyang and Nanyue were going to join forces to attack Xiling. By now, the news should have spread throughout Xiling." Yuan Feng smiled. "Your Highness, do you think Xiling might cooperate with Beirou?"

Xu Sheng realized: "If you really want to fight Bei Rou, why don't you just fight them directly? Everyone can fight their own battles and not interfere with each other. Why go through all this trouble?"

Yuan Feng said, "First, it would be unjustifiable to attack directly; second, Nan Yue has a chance of defeating Xi Ling, which would boost our morale; and third, it would confuse Mo Bei and prevent them from causing trouble."

Xu Sheng said, "In the end, it's all about taking advantage of Nan Yue. You've gotten all the benefits, but what good does it do for Nan Yue?"

Yuan Feng smiled: "Nan Yue doesn't need to lend it."

Xu Sheng said, "Sure, why not lend it? If you and Bei Rou both suffer heavy losses, Nan Yue can still benefit from it."

Yuan Feng said, "I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint Your Highness."

Xu Sheng asked curiously, "Where do you get the confidence that you can definitely win? If the Tatars take the opportunity to ally with the Northern Rou, the Southern Yue will have no choice but to defect."

Yuan Feng said, "If we join forces, along with the troops stationed in the southern desert, the northern desert should not dare to make a move. Just in case, Dongyang and the Tatars signed a three-year peace treaty, with Princess Duoyi and Prince Kang serving as hostages to each other."

Luo An paused slightly as he played with the cup.

Xu Sheng said, "General Yuan came prepared. Why didn't you say so yesterday? Do you enjoy being scolded by Nan Fei? That's quite a peculiar hobby."

Yuan Feng smiled.

Luo An asked, "General Yuan, was it really your idea to destroy Xiling Beirou?"

Yuan Feng subconsciously straightened his back and said with a serious expression, "Yes, young master."

Luo An asked, "Why would you voluntarily allow Duo Yi to come to Bianjing?"

Yuan Feng's gaze shifted.

Xu Sheng laughed: "General Yuan, is this Princess Duoyi your rival in love?"

Luo An put down his cup: "Was it Jing Chen's idea? He's been in poor health since childhood and has been taking medicine at the Heaven and Earth Palace to recuperate. He was only brought back to the palace after my father passed away. He used to say that as a prince, it would be a dereliction of duty for him not to contribute to Dongyang."

Yuan Feng said, "Young Master, Prince Kang forbids us to say it."

Luo An asked, "Of the 100,000 cavalrymen in the southern desert, how many do you plan to keep?"

Yuan Feng said, "Prince Kang said that leaving 10,000 to guard the city is enough."

Xu Sheng suddenly realized: "You've been guarding the southern desert and training troops all these years? You're not pacifying the northern desert to lull the Northern Rou into a false sense of security? You want to destroy the Northern Rou first and then pacify the northern desert. In the end, the two tigers, Dongyang and Nanyue, will fight each other."

Yuan Feng said, "Prince Kang said that we cannot divide the country with Nan Yue along the river. If the three kingdoms stand in a tripartite balance, Dongyang will be surrounded by enemies on three sides, with one side facing the sea. If Nan Yue and Bei Rou form an alliance, Dongyang will be in danger, not to mention the struggle for the world."

Luo An asked, "Why didn't I get any news about Jing Chen being sent as a hostage?"

Yuan Feng said, "Prince Kang instructed us to keep it a secret so as not to worry the young master."

Luo An said, "His health is not good. The desert is dry and windy, hot in summer and cold in winter. How can he stand it?"

Yuan Feng said, "Prince Kang sent someone to Dadan to discuss the matter before informing the emperor. Young master, you know he's stubborn."

Luo An left the tea room with a cold face.

Nanfei was waking up in the courtyard when he saw Nianyao come out of the willow grove courtyard, holding a long, narrow, vermilion lacquered box in her hand.

Nanfei asked, "What is this?"

Nianyao said, "I searched through all of Uncle Liu's things and found this, but there was no key."

Nanfei said, "I can drive."

Nanfei broke off a tree branch, shaved it into a thin strip with her sword, bent it, and poked it into the keyhole a few times, and the lock opened.

Nanfei proudly declared, "Isn't this young master amazing?"

Nianyao scoffed: "Such petty thievery."

Nanfei said, "Chief Xue, you can't just abandon someone after they've served their purpose so quickly."

Inside the box was a willow-leaf hairpin, smooth and delicate, as shiny as a mirror.

Nanfei blurted out, "Good stuff."

Nianyao turned the willow-leaf hairpin over and saw that the bottom was engraved with: "Now I come to think of you, the willows are swaying."

Nianyao asked, "What do you mean?"

The word order is wrong. Nanfei said, "Uh..."

Nianyao scoffed, "You read books all day, and you don't even know this?"

Nan Fei said, "Chief Xue, you know about this?"

She had only read the Book of Poetry a few times. Nian Yao raised her head slightly: "Of course."

Nanfei said, "You should know that I'm giving you... one tael of silver."

Nianyao said, "One hundred taels."

Nanfei chuckled and turned to leave.

Nianyao said, "Ten taels. If I didn't know, I would give you twenty taels."

Nanfei said, "Deal."

Nianyao said, "This line comes from the Lesser Odes of the Book of Songs, titled 'Gathering Ferns.' It means that when I left, the willows bid me a reluctant farewell. Now that I have returned, all I see is rain and snow."

Nianyao held out her hand to him: "Ten taels of silver, thank you, Young Master Nan."

Nanfei said, "When I came here today, the willows were swaying gently. Chief Xue, where did you see the rain and snow falling all over the sky?"

Nan Fei held out his hand to her: "Twenty taels, thank you, Chief Xue."

Nianyao said, "Hmph, ignorant and incompetent. This is only two lines; there are two more that haven't been engraved. The original lines are: 'When I left, the willows were swaying. Now I return, the rain and snow are falling.'"

Nanfei said, "Hmph, ignorant and incompetent. This line comes from Jiaxuan Jushi's 'A Spray of Plum Blossoms,' the original line being 'How many times have we searched for plum blossoms in the snow? Now I come to think of it, the willows are swaying.' It means that we once searched for plum blossoms together in the snow, and after parting with reluctance, I now miss it very much."

Nianyao's face darkened slightly, and she turned and left.

Nanfei followed behind: "Chief Xue, if you can't handle losing, don't gamble. Aren't you ashamed to cheat?"