Last time, during the great war, Duke Zhi Wei had already drawn away most of the army from the Southeast Province, so even Donghai City, the provincial capital, had only a few thousand second-tier soldiers left.
From Tianshui City to Donghai City, nearly six hundred miles away, Suo Lun and the Ashi Liren led fifteen thousand cavalry, as if entering an uninhabited land.
However, as soon as the army left Tianshui City and entered Baiyun County, countless falcons took to the sky, and numerous spies on swift horses sped off in all directions.
At this time, every move Suo Lun made captured the attention of the world.
Especially after he became the acting governor of the Southeast Province, everyone watched with wide eyes to see how he would seize control of the province.
In the eyes of the lords, nobles, the bureaucratic groups, and the elite civilians, Suo Lun’s next actions would reveal his ambitions and political stance. It was these shadowy watching forces who would decide whether to pledge loyalty or offer him support.
Now, the whole world faced an opportunity to reposition themselves. Would they continue to stand on Zhi Li’s side, or would they stand on Suo Lun and Zhi Yan’s side?
Three days ago, Suo Lun and Fu Lingxi had a falling out, and he expelled her.
Fu Lingxi returned to her room crying, but she did not leave; she stayed on.
Then, in front of Suo Lun, she wrote a letter, requesting her father, Marquis FuE, to come personally to Tianshui City for discussions, and sent the letter to BaiHuo City with a falcon.
BaiHuo City was too far away for the falcon to deliver such a distant message, so it had to be relayed through Zhi Du.
After sending the letter, Suo Lun again suggested that Fu Lingxi, due to her prominent position at the Dragon Temple, should leave Tianshui City as soon as possible and return to Zhi Du.
Fu Lingxi responded at that time, "I will stay a few more days until I receive a reply from my grandfather, and then I will go."
Therefore, after Suo Lun led his troops away, Fu Lingxi remained behind.
Having been educated by the Dragon Temple since childhood, she had attained a high level of proficiency in certain classics and arts; during these few days, she planned to teach Qin Qin and Ashi Yuanba.
Fu Yan’er was silent as the grave in front of Fu Lingxi, but Qin Qin was quite cold towards her.
Although willing to attend her classes, Qin Qin remained silent, unresponsive, unaffected by any amount of gentle coaxing from Fu Lingxi.
Though the little girl was only six years old, she was precocious, remembering every word the adults said.
In conversations between Suo Ningbing and Suo Lun, Suo Ningbing had talked about their mother, Fu Lingxi, which made Qin Qin aware that this woman, who should have been called grandmother, had once abandoned her father and aunt.
Thus, Qin Qin would never pay her any attention.
Fu Lingxi, of course, did not hold this against her granddaughter and continued to teach the two children with all her might.
The second day after Suo Lun’s departure, Fu Lingxi finally met privately with Yan Nai’er, which was another important reason for his visit to Tianshui City.
"Greetings to grandmother," Yan Nai’er saluted.
Fu Lingxi took Yan Nai’er’s hands, looking at her with a gentle gaze, silent for a long while.
"Nai’er, can you leave Suo Lun?" Fu Lingxi suddenly asked.
Yan Nai’er’s exquisitely beautiful face trembled slightly as she responded, "Why?"
Fu Lingxi said, "Because you have demonic blood in you, perhaps you do not know, Fang Qingshu once led a large force of Judges and Knights to Tianshui City to capture you. However, for a very special reason, his capture operation was aborted. But that doesn’t mean you are safe; your demonic blood is linked to a matter of great importance. If you are captured again, Suo Lun will surely be implicated."
Yan Nai’er’s face turned pale instantly!
Fu Lingxi continued, "If love lasts for a long time, does it even matter if it’s day by day or night by night? If you leave Suo Lun, others won’t try to implicate him through you, which is good for both you and Suo Lun. As a Judge of the Dragon Temple, perhaps I could even protect you then."
Yan Nai’er’s complexion had already lost all its color.
Fu Lingxi said, "Because you’ve been blessed by the Dragon Mark relics and have d the Dragon Seal Stele, I can arrange for you to enter the Dragon Temple as a female monk. This way, even if you carry demonic blood, you could be regarded as a Holy Temple Monk who feeds on darkness for research purposes!"
Nai’er closed her beautiful eyes as if deep in thought.
"You love Suo Lun very much, and I also want to protect him. This course of action is the best outcome for both you and him," Fu Lingxi said. "Leave his side, enter the Dragon Temple with me."
Nai’er opened her eyes and shook her head, "I can’t do that. If I really leave him and follow you into the Dragon Temple, he might create a massive storm to snatch me out. For his safety, I must depart. It sounds very noble and grand, and I am willing to sacrifice for love. But for a matter this grave, it’s his opinion I must heed, not yours."
Upon hearing these words, Fu Lingxi could not help but be taken aback.
Nai’er continued, "Moreover, my husband has said that my demonic blood wouldn’t cause much danger for the foreseeable future and he has mostly resolved it; Fang Qingshu wouldn’t be able to do anything with it anymore."
Fu Lingxi’s eyes narrowed as she said, "He says that just to reassure you. Men can be very blind for the sake of love."
"No!" Nai’er objected. "I love him very much and understand him well. I can distinguish which of his words are meant for comfort and which are true. My husband clearly told me, my demonic blood won’t bring about a significant threat, and he has essentially settled the matter; Fang Qingshu can no longer use this issue to his advantage."