Meng Qianqian curled her lips slightly. "Prime Minister Xun himself may be a man without weaknesses, but who told him to have such a foolish son who keeps causing trouble? I already said your chances of winning are great. You should believe it now, right?"
Lu Yuan snorted coldly.
Meng Qianqian: Fine, fine, I know you’re stubborn.
Lu Yuan said, "He waged war in the Western Regions for seven years, likely to build up his forces."
The court needs constant recruitment of soldiers for war, but the numbers of recruits and the casualties of martyrs can always be falsified.
Ultimately, where those recruited troops actually went—how would the court know?
"Plotting against the Chu Family and killing the Chu Grand Marshal were also meant to divert the court’s attention."
It directed more focus to the war with Beiliang, thereby neglecting the Western Regions.
Meng Qianqian agreed with Lu Yuan’s speculation. "This game of chess is truly on a grand scale."
"How many days has it been?"
"Three days," Meng Qianqian replied.
Lu Yuan said, "It doesn’t matter. Even if they’ve relocated the military funds, as long as we find the troops, he’ll still be held accountable."
The location of the hidden funds had been leaked. Xun Yu wouldn’t wait passively for the blow; he would surely try to transfer them promptly.
Meng Qianqian blinked. "I think he won’t be able to move them."
Lu Yuan gave her a peculiar look.
Meng Qianqian touched her fingers innocently and said, "The Miaojiang guards left by my grandfather and mother—I’ve sent them to... find the funds."
On the morning after she discovered the key and the parchment map, she made a copy and also had the key duplicated.
No matter whether her guess was correct, it was better to act first; at worst, it’d just be a wasted effort.
But now, with Lu Yuan’s deductions matching hers, she was nearly certain it was indeed the military funds.
Lu Yuan opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words.
"How did you get them to leave?"
He remembered that the Miao King had ordered them to guard the Governor Mansion, and only the Miao King could command them. Even Bai Yuwei couldn’t make them step out of the Capital City.
Meng Qianqian blinked her eyes. "I said it was my grandfather’s order."
That’s forging the sacred decree of Miaojiang!
Lu Yuan calmly remarked, "Well done."
Meng Qianqian let out a breath of relief. "So this blame..."
Lu Yuan: "You’ll shoulder it yourself."
Aren’t husband and wife supposed to stick together through thick and thin!
Lu Yuan gave Meng Qianqian a complicated look. "Aren’t you afraid it’s another ploy to lure the tiger away from the mountain? What if it’s a fake map?"
Meng Qianqian said earnestly, "If it came through other channels, I’d doubt it. But if Zhaozhao obtained it, it must be real."
Meng Qianqian continued, "Oh right, there’s one more thing."
The two had been talking in the room for a long time. Who knew if it was because too much had happened recently, or if they had unknowingly built a trust between them?
Their conversation lasted significantly longer than usual, and what started as a discussion of official matters grew to include a touch of personal topics.
"Xun Qi asked me if you’re the son of King Chu."
Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow, a faint and enigmatic smile curling at his lips. "Oh? They suspect that’s the reason I’m reinvestigating the Chu Family massacre? Quite the bold assumption."
Meng Qianqian asked curiously, "Are you?"
Lu Yuan replied nonchalantly, "I’m not sure either. When my mother returns, you can ask her. Let’s go to Tinglan Garden and let Great Grandmother know we’re safe."
Meng Qianqian stared at his back, thinking to herself, who doesn’t care about their own lineage ?
Lu Yuan coolly added, "Not moving yet? Waiting for this commander to take your hand?"
Meng Qianqian froze. "Huh?"
Before she could deny it, Lu Yuan strode back over with a frosty expression and took her soft hand in his. "Can we go now?"