A Farm Girl: Three Acres of Fertile Land Can Be Exchanged for a Country

Ruolan scrutinized his expression and said, "You all think I'm ruthless and will do anything to become a concubine. But we're all the same. If she didn't have enough cunning and means, how could she have transformed from a soldier into the King of Dongqi? If you hadn't done anything, would you be sitting on this throne now?"

She paused, then said sadly, "Everyone has things they want, and it's wrong to strive for them and give up what you have. It's just that I failed, which is why I'm looked down upon. In short, for Wutong, Southern Xinjiang is like home; her friends and lover are there. What does Phoenix City have?"

Nanxing raised his head, his eyes fierce, as if he wanted to devour someone.

"shut up!"

He cursed through gritted teeth, and Ruolan dared not speak again, standing before him like a wooden stake.

Nanxing processed the information she had gleaned from her, a scene she had never witnessed before repeatedly replaying in her mind—Wutong entangled with Duan Fufeng in bed, being pinned down by him, crying, embracing…

He had loved her for half his life, and now even holding her hand was a luxury. Why did Duan Fufeng have to do nothing to make her throw herself into his arms?

Reason told him that Ruolan might not be lying. But the flames of anger were impossible to suppress, making him want to drag the whole world down with him and destroy it.

As Nanxing left the palace, Ruolan smiled triumphantly behind him.

The reason a means is a means is that even if you are in a disadvantageous position, you can still easily disrupt the mind of the victor.

As night fell, Nanxing entered the side hall and shared dinner with Wutong.

Wutong sat on the chair next to him, glancing at him every few bites of her food. She felt that something was wrong with him today; his expression was very unpleasant, and she wondered what had happened to him.

"Is there anything in the court that's bothering you?" she asked casually, placing a piece of meat in his bowl.

Nanxing shook his head.

But you don't seem very happy.

"That's because..." Nanxing stopped mid-sentence, took a deep breath, and said, "Never mind, let's eat."

Wutong took a bite, then caught a glimpse of his waist out of the corner of her eye, and remembered something else.

"By the way, how did the interrogation of those people from southern Xinjiang go? Did they get them to explain why they wanted to go to the palace?"

Nanxing raised her head, her gaze sharp, all because of the two words in her words.

"You care about them a lot?"

Wutong didn't know why he was reacting so strongly, so she quickly explained.

"I'm not concerned about them, I'm concerned about you. What if someone sneaks in and tries to assassinate you again if we don't get the information out of them?"

Nanxing calmed down considerably after hearing this, and casually picked at the rice grains in her bowl, saying:

"It's still under review, no rush."

“Actually…” Wutong said slowly, “When I was escorting goods to the capital with Long Er and the others, we also encountered a group of people from the Southern Frontier.”

"Oh?"

“They raided our camp and used sleeping incense while we were asleep. I thought they were there to rob the caravan, but they just opened all the chests, ransacked them, and left without taking anything. The next day, when we entered the city, we learned that people from Southern Xinjiang had entered Phoenix City, and they were probably part of the same group.” She asked, “Do you think they might have been looking for something?”

Nanxing didn't answer, but instead asked her curiously, "When did you enter the city while escorting goods?"

"On the day of the execution."

Wutong was still a bit dazed when he talked about it. He entered the city in the morning and was arrested and beheaded at noon. If Nanxing hadn't seen him, he would have already lost his head.

To behead someone for knocking over a waterwheel in the palace is far too harsh a punishment.

Nanxing nodded thoughtfully, "I see..."

"What's wrong?" Wutong asked suspiciously, "Could it be that there were some of your things in that shipment? Is that tattered cotton coat yours?"

Nanxing did not deny it. Wutong finally understood why Long Er was so concerned about the tattered cotton clothes in the box. It turned out that they were meant to be sent to the palace.

But what use would Nanxing have for a tattered cotton-padded coat? He wouldn't wear it himself.

Nanxing initially refused to say, but after she pressed him for a long time, he finally admitted that it was someone's old item, which he had someone find and bring to him.

Wutong asked again whose old things they were, but Nanxing stopped answering. Instead, she felt a sour smell emanating from her body and glanced at her, asking, "You care about everything, but you don't care about me?"

Since Wutong didn't have the ability to communicate with the vinegar jar, she had no choice but to shut up.

Nanxing left after finishing his meal. Wutong washed up and went to sleep. Yang Bainiu helped her turn off the light and was about to leave when she called him back.

"and many more."

"what's up?"

Wutong asked, "Has the sect leader contacted you recently?"

Yang Bainiu shook his head.

"Do you know where she is?"

"You still want to find her? Forget it, they left the city a long time ago. It's all your fault, otherwise I would have gone with them, instead of staying here to serve people."

Yang Bainiu went out rambling on and on. Wutong looked at the hazy curtains above the bed and sighed softly.

Where is Long Er now? She must have seen the note she slipped to her that day, right? Did she help her inform Duan Fufeng?

With a car, the travel speed is much faster. If Duan Fufeng had known the news and wanted to come to rescue her, he should have already entered the city by now.

That night, she was actually a little surprised to learn that those people were from southern Xinjiang.

However, they didn't even look at her, nor did they show any sign of wanting to save her, making her doubt that she had made a mistake.

Did Duan Fufeng not know she was in Phoenix City, or... had he already given up on her?

Wutong had been thinking about this problem for several days in a row, and she was so absent-minded that Nanxing tapped the edge of her bowl with her chopsticks and asked with dissatisfaction, "Why are you spacing out again? What are you thinking about?"

Wutong snapped out of her daze, glanced at him blankly, and then lowered her head to eat.

Nanxing crossed his arms and stared at her, as if trying to see a hole through her.

Wutong ate a few bites, but had no appetite. She looked up and met his gaze, and asked, almost as if possessed, "Have you found out what those Southern Frontier people's purpose was?"

Instead of answering, Nanxing asked, "Do you want to go to Southern Xinjiang?"

"what?"

"If you didn't want to go, why would you keep asking me this question? You know perfectly well that I don't want to answer."

Wutong looked away. "I didn't."

Nanxing didn't believe her and pointed at her nose, saying, "Let me tell you, you'll never escape. Even if you run to the ends of the earth, I'll still chase after you and bring you back. I mean what I say!"

His voice echoed throughout the dining room. Wutong didn't speak, picking up her chopsticks and eating in silence. She didn't exchange a single word with him until she finished the last bite, got up, and left.

Nanxing regretted speaking so harshly. Having been an emperor for so long, he always felt that he needed to have some authority over others so that they would listen to him and respect him.

But the sycamore tree is none other than a stranger.