Mistakenly Connected to the Jade Flower Branch

Chapter 304 Fat and Thin

Nianyao downplayed the issue: "His Majesty said that Yunfan and Yunyao are too young and indeed not suitable for the battlefield. He didn't want to offend the Prince in court before. Now, taking advantage of Qiyang's wedding, it's a good opportunity to bring them back."

Xue Longpan asked, half-believing, half-doubting, "Didn't they say anything else?"

Nianyao said, "His Majesty said that the people have suffered from the long years of war and hopes that this war will have a result next year, for better or for worse. So he decided to send the Prince to lead the army in person and have me supervise the troops."

No one questions Xu Sheng's ability to lead troops, but Nian Yao has never been on the battlefield, nor has she systematically studied military strategy. What exactly is His Majesty planning?

Xue Longpan was still worried: "The military supervisor can stay in the rear; there's no need for him to go to the battlefield in person."

Nianyao said, "Uncle, don't worry, I will protect myself."

Xue Longpan cautioned, "Be careful of the prince; he's keeping an eye on our family now."

Nianyao nodded: "I know. Uncle, have I gained weight?"

Xue Longpan looked her up and down: "No, you're still the same as always."

Thinking that the man was rather rough and careless, Nianyao turned to Madam Xue and asked, "Aunt, have I gained weight?"

Madam Xue said with certainty, "No, you've even lost a little weight. I've already instructed the kitchen to stew bird's nest for you every day to nourish your body; a plump figure is a sign of good fortune for a girl. Nianyao, tell your aunt what you usually like to eat..."

Nianyao said, "I can eat anything, I'm not picky. Aunt, I suddenly remembered that when I was little, after I returned to Chongming Island from Qinzhou, I always told my father to have the cook from Qinzhou tied up and brought back to cook for me every day."

Father said no, we're not bandits, we can't kidnap people, we can only hire someone. Later, Father really did hire a cook from Qinzhou, and he didn't leave until I was eleven years old. Before he left, he specifically told me that he had taught all his culinary skills to the cooks on Chongming Island.

Xue Longpan laughed and said, "That chef is an imperial chef. Your father wrote to say that you like the chefs from Qinzhou and asked me to help you hire one. I was originally planning to send the chef from my family there."

That day, when I went to the palace, the Emperor asked how you were doing. I casually mentioned it to him. The Emperor said that since you had been staying in the palace for so long, you must have enjoyed the cooking of the palace chefs, so he sent the imperial chef who usually cooked for you to Chongming Island.

That's it!

In places and times unknown to her, there were so many people in Nan Yue who genuinely cared for her, yet she remained completely unaware.

When Nianyao returned to her room, she encountered Lexi sitting in the courtyard playing the zither.

Le Xi stood up, holding the zither, and bowed, saying, "Greetings, elder sister."

Nianyao quickly replied, "Don't be so polite. We're just ordinary folks, we don't need so many formalities."

Le Xi said, "I saw my sister and Wuming in the palace today."

Nianyao said, "Wuming took me to the palace to discuss the return of Yunfan and Yunyao with the Emperor."

Lexi asked, "Will they be able to come back?"

Nianyao said confidently, "I will come back."

Le Xi smiled and said, "Qi Yang probably doesn't know about my marriage yet. It was all planned by the Prince and Wuming, or perhaps by the Emperor."

They were just making up an excuse to get my sister back, and she really did come back. Sister, you truly are as the nameless one said—kind and compassionate.

It was the first time someone had used the word "compassion" to describe her, and Nianyao was very embarrassed: "You said it was an excuse, so you should know that even if you two don't get married, Xu Sheng will think of other excuses to make me come back."

Le Xi said, "Last time my sister asked me whether I hoped Qi Yang would come back or not? I'm not a malicious person, why would I hope my fiancé won't come back?"

"I personally agreed to the marriage; I'm getting old, so I had to get married eventually. Qi Yang is a very good person, and he likes me too. After we get married, we'll move out of the Su residence and live alone. I won't be so restricted anymore, and I can come back often."

Nianyao asked, "Was it you who suggested dividing the family property after the marriage?"

Le Xi said, "Wu Ming agrees."

Instead of asking Qi Fei's opinion, they want Su Wuming's consent for this matter. It seems that Su Wuming is the head of the Su family.

Nianyao said, "It's fine. The most important thing in life is to be happy. Do you think I've gained weight?"

Le Xi shook her head: "No, compared to last time, my sister seems to have lost a little weight."

Xu Sheng wouldn't be so bored as to comment on her weight, and besides, he has a sharp eye and wouldn't miss the fact that she's lost weight.

So, Xu Sheng deliberately led her to look at the mirror: The Realm of Immortality? The Mirror of Immortality? Is it a mirror that allows one to see through things, or is there an error in the inscription?

Xu Sheng said the mirror wasn't his, so it must be the conch shell's? Yang Hua's description suggests the conch shell's origins are suspicious. Yet, judging from the conch shell's behavior, it does seem quite bewildered.

After seeing Lexi off, Nianyao sat at the table and earnestly drew on the mirror:

The very end of the mirror handle is adorned with a datura flower: behind the Heaven and Earth Mountain lies a sea of ​​datura flowers.

The three golden lines of the Realm of Immortality are not connected; it is an octagonal circle with only seven trigrams: exactly the same as the stone octagonal circle in front of Xu Nanqiao's grave.

What does the Bagua circle surrounding the Azure Dragon in the east signify? In terms of location, the legendary Penglai Mountain is indeed in the east, so what does the dragon represent?

Is this mirror related to the late emperor, or to the goddess of the immortal mountain? Or is it just a coincidence?

Is the hole on the back naturally there, or is it inlaid with gemstones? If it is inlaid with gemstones, what kind of gemstones are worthy of the realm of immortality?

Xu Sheng deliberately targeted her, orchestrating Qi Yang's marriage to bring her back, and sending Yun Yao to the battlefield to force her to fight...

What does Xu Sheng want from her? What does she have that Xu Sheng can use?

What outcome does Xu Sheng hope to achieve in this war? And what benefits would this outcome bring him?

Xu Sheng took Nianyao to Jiangxinzhou, saying that Jiangxinzhou was a key location in the war.

Nianyao didn't think Jiangxinzhou was anything special, but since she was now the military supervisor, she had no choice but to follow Xu Sheng.

Zhou Yan brought Xue Yunfan and Xue Yunyao to the dock to welcome them, and Nianyao told Xue Yunfan and Xue Yunyao to go back with the ship.

Xue Yunyao interrupted, "I won't go back, and neither will my brother."

Nianyao frowned: "Do you think war is a game? The battlefield is an amusement park?"

Xue Yunyao said, "Father said that we children of the Xue family are born to be generals, and it is our mission to protect our country. Father is getting old, and my eldest brother is no longer here. Now it is our turn."

Nianyao said to Xue Yunfan, "You stay here and let your sister go back."

Xue Yunfan's voice was weak: "In our family, she listens to no one except my eldest brother."

Nianyao said to Xu Sheng, "Let her go back, let them both go back."

Xu Sheng said, "Qi Yang won't be getting married until the end of next month, there's still plenty of time. It's good for them to broaden their horizons by reading ten thousand books and traveling ten thousand miles."

Nianyao instantly flew into a rage: "Your Highness, you instructed Wuming to write me a letter, telling me to return to Nanyue, and I did; you asked me to be your military supervisor, and I did; you asked me to come to Jiangxinzhou, and I came."

"We agreed on this before, that I would be the military supervisor and they would return to Qinzhou, but now you disagree? Do you think your words are just empty promises?"

Xu Sheng felt very wronged: "I accept that you blamed me for Su Wuming's letter, but you discussed with the emperor about becoming the military supervisor, so how can you blame me for that too?"

"It's their own fault for not wanting to go back, and you're blaming me? Why do you blame everything on me? Just because I'm easy to talk to?"