Transmigration: The Little Chef Calls The Shots-Chapter 1408 - 227, Return to Beijing (24)

Tsk-tsk! Lin Yuan couldn’t help but grit her teeth. Was this deep and treacherous plan really thought up by the Third Prince? Why did it feel off?

Xia Zheng also seemed skeptical, "Are you sure those words you just mentioned were said by Little White Rabbit, not by that stinky fox Su Tianrui?"

The man in black lowered his head, his face covered and hard to discern, but Lin Yuan clearly heard a low, muffled chuckle.

"Responding to Second Master Su, this subordinate was present when receiving the assignment, and indeed Second Master Su was also there. As for whether it was his idea, this subordinate..."

This subordinate wouldn’t know.

Xia Zheng snorted, and Lin Yuan likewise blinked with interest. The Third Prince had no use for mirrors, so if Su Tianrui was the one who’d said it, then the person who truly wanted the mirrors must be Su Qiuyu.

Although she was reluctant to give the mirrors she made to her rival, Lin Yuan still generously came to terms with it; even if not for the glaze, Xia Zheng should indeed join the military campaign. Leading an army to war might not be his forte, but he had his clever moves. Xia Zhen had routed the Xiliang Army, leaving them shattered and fleeing, whereas Xia Zheng infuriated the captured Crown Prince of Xiliang to near death.

Wow, just thinking about this play made her blood boil with excitement!

If it weren’t for the fact that women were not allowed to follow along to the camps, she herself would have wanted to deal with that naughty prince. They’d gone through so much trouble to transport the glaze, and he dared to hijack half of it—how greedy! Moreover, according to what Xia Zheng said, Xiliang not only treated Dayong poorly but also often bullied the poorer Western Region, truly a bad seed!

Having made up her mind, Xia Zheng understood even more. According to this man, the Imperial Court would soon learn of this news, so it would be too late for him to head back later. Therefore, without delay, he decided to ride back tonight at breakneck speed.

With Xia Zhen around, Lin Yuan naturally didn’t need to worry about Xia Zheng’s safety, but still, at the moment of their parting, she felt extremely reluctant to say goodbye.

Xia Zheng felt the same reluctance. The two of them talked in the room for a long time, until the man in black simply couldn’t wait any longer, and Lin Yi had to summon the courage to knock on the door.

Unexpectedly, Xia Zheng came out quite quickly. Lin Yuan’s eyes were slightly red, she didn’t say a word, just quietly watched Xia Zheng mount his horse and leave, silent the entire time.

Xia Zheng did the same, only looking back once after mounting his horse before riding away.

Although it was just one glance, the look in his eyes was incredibly complex—reluctant, worried, hopeful, longing...

That night, for the first time, Lin Yuan suffered from insomnia. As soon as she closed her eyes, all she could think about were scenes from movies about fighting she had seen in her past life. Even though she knew Xia Zheng wasn’t going off to war, she couldn’t help but feel worried.

The Third Prince and Xia Zhen would not have agreed to Xia Zheng coming along if it were not out of necessity. With trade banned between the two nations, Xia Zheng had managed to bring back two huge carts of glaze all the way from the distant Western Region without anyone knowing. This was not something an ordinary person could achieve. Although one cart was unfortunately seized by the Crown Prince of Xiliang due to an accident, his accomplishment was still impressive.

Therefore, both had hopes of leveraging Xia Zheng’s secret informants in Xiliang and the border areas to obtain some valuable information—sometimes merchants are more well-informed than soldiers.

The sudden news of Xia Zheng’s departure took everyone by surprise, especially Lady Liu and Lin Jiaxin. He was there before bedtime, and by morning he had suddenly disappeared. Coupled with Lin Yuan’s poor spirits, the couple unanimously assumed that Lin Yuan and Xia Zheng had quarreled, with Lin Yuan angering Xia Zheng into leaving.

So, without having fully explained the situation, Lin Yuan was scolded fiercely by Lady Liu, leaving her in a state that was somewhere between laughter and tears.

Although the Xiliang harassment at the border was a military matter, they were all family after all, and Lin Yuan still shared this matter with them. She had thought that they would keep their mouths shut and stop nagging, but to her dismay, they only grew more anxious.

One moment they spoke of how swords and spears have no eyes, and the next, they lamented the dangers of the battlefield, making Lin Yuan feel even more anxious.

The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became, until finally, Lady Liu, with a slam of the table, decided on the spot: they should leave immediately to return to the Capital city, hoping they might still have time to properly warn Xia Zheng.

Although Lin Yuan felt that Lady Liu was worrying over nothing, she too wished to return sooner.

No sooner said than done, the family immediately started packing, planning to hit the road for the Capital city after lunch.

While packing, Lin Yuan sent Lin Yi to Liu Family Village to give Lady Fan and the others notice. She had thought it would be a simple message, but to her surprise, he returned bringing along a Little Tail.

Seeing a grinning Liu Zhiguang, Lin Yuan was dumbfounded.

Lin Yi, feeling somewhat embarrassed, said, "The guy kept asking, so I told him because he was getting on my nerves."

Lin Yuan didn’t need him to say it; she could guess that Lin Yi had spilled the beans.

But the fact that Liu Zhiguang was thinking of joining the army did cross her mind, just not that her uncle and aunt-in-law would actually agree to it. Since they had already agreed, there was nothing more Lin Yuan could say, so she let him accompany them back to the Capital.

The sudden departure of the family to the Capital city sparked much curiosity in the village, but upon hearing the rumors, many still came out to see them off. Auntie Three had really aged, not showing as much reluctance as she did today during Xiao He’s departure. It made Gui Zhi’s sister-in-law who came to see them off tear up as well.

Xiao He cried even harder, even going so far as to sob that she wouldn’t go to the Capital city. However, for Xiao He’s better future, Auntie Three and Gui Zhi’s sister-in-law both urged her not to think foolishly.

While Xiao He was crying inconsolably, Lan Hua also gave Lin Yuan a reluctant admonition to take good care of herself in the Capital city. If someone should bully her, she shouldn’t be afraid; no matter the distance, Lan Hua would come to her aid.

Patting Lan Hua’s back, Lin Yuan was filled with emotion. To ease the oppressive mood of their parting, Lin Yuan forced a smile and joked, "I have Xia Zheng to help me, so you can rest assured. As for you, with your marriage just a few months away, prepare your things well. I’ll come back to add to your dowry!"

Lan Hua let out a giggle, pushed her hand away, and said with a playful reprimand, "Of course, I’ll wait for you. You’re the only rich person I have. You need to prepare the most expensive dowry gift for me!"

Knowing that Lan Hua was deliberately speaking this way, Lin Yuan played along and nodded in agreement. novelbuddy.cσ๓

There were many who came to bid farewell, including Lady Yang and Lin Jiazhong. The two little boys had enjoyed their time playing with Xiao Linshuang these past days, clinging to her hand and continuously pleading for them to visit often.

Though one can follow a departing friend a thousand miles, a parting is inevitable. Seeing that evening was approaching, the family quickly boarded the carriage and hurried on their way. Unlike the journey back, the carriage to the Capital city moved swiftly, but thankfully, due to its quality build, it wasn’t too bumpy.