âI donât think the war between Qingyan and Nanjiang started because of the emperorsâ ambition.â Duan Wuluo turned around to look at Murong Xue with a glimmer in his dark eyes.
âIndeed, it wasnât. It was all because of Cang Qiong. He wreaked such havoc that the Emperor of the Qingyan Kingdom declared war out of rageâŚâ Murong Xue looked at Duan Wuluo with his calm eyes as if suggesting: the one who provoked the war was from Nanjiang Prime Ministerâs Mansion instead of Qingyan.
âIt was Cang Qiongâs mistake to have offended the emperor,â Duan Wuluo said, staring at Murong Xue. âBut why did the emperor declare war against Nanjiang and embitter innocent people?â
âNo emperor of integrity can tolerate such humiliation and assassination. Suppose Cang Qiong assassinated the Emperor of Nanjiang Kingdom in the capital, the emperor would definitely sentence his whole clan to death out of rage.â
âLikewise, if the Emperor of Qingyan Kingdom wanted to punish Cang Qiong, he would send troops to liquidate Nanjiang because Cang Qiong, a lineal descent of the prime minster, is backed up by the entire kingdomâŚâ
Strictly speaking, it was the Prime Minster of the Nanjiang Kingdom who had brought up such an arrogant son that provoked the war between two kingdoms. If Duan Wuluo would like to question someone, he should question Prime Minister Cang. Why did he question Murong Xue? Was he trying to sound her out?
Murong Xue raised her eyebrows and looked at Duan Wuluo with an alarmed look.
Duan Wuluo was lost in thought, with a touch of sullenness in his half-closed eyesâŚ
âWow, so many beautiful lotus flowersâŚâ There came a clear voice before Murong Xue looked up and saw bunches of lotus flowers dotting the lake 100 meters away. They covered the whole surface, and even stretched to the horizon, on which light pink flowers bloomed, all of which created this uniquely fresh and elegant sceneryâŚ
Murong Xue blinked with excitement and looked up at Duan Wuluo. âPrefect Duan, do you have a canoe here?â
âWhat do you need it for?â Duan Wuluo looked at her confusedly.
âIâd love to pick some lotus flowers and seeds by canoe,â Murong Xue answered gently. The giant pleasure boat was too high for her to reach the lotus. But she could shuttle through the lotus clump and pick whichever lotus she liked by canoe.
Looking at her sparkling eyes, Duan Wuluo said softly with a touch of happiness in his eyes, âTheyâre tied behind this pleasure boatâŚâ
âThanks,â Murong Xue said happily as she hurried down the decks to the back of the boat.
Cang Ying blinked and followed Murong Xue hastily. âIâm coming with youâŚâ
Murong Xue untied a canoe at the back of the pleasure boat before boarding carefully. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Cang Ying running to her. When Cang Ying was about to jump onto her canoe, she said blandly, frowning, âThereâs one over there. We donât have to share this one.â
Cang Ying abruptly pause as the big smile on her face froze. She said, glowering at Murong Xue, âI donât know how to row.â
âBut all servants here do, you can order anyoneâŚâ Murong Xue said casually as she put away the rope and picked up the paddles.
Cang Ying retorted with a snort, âWill I deign to share a canoe with any vulgar servant? You look kind of pleasing, so I guess I can share the canoe with youâŚâ
Well, Cang Ying treated her as a boatman.
âThank you for deigning to share a canoe with me. But Iâm sorry I donât share a canoe with strangers. If you donât row, then just wait here. Iâll pick up more lotus flowers and seeds to share with youâŚâ Murong Xue said gently as she rowed the canoe.
As Cang Ying watched Murong Xue rowing away, her pretty face was flushed with anger instantly: it was respectful enough of her to board Murongâs canoe, but unexpectedly, Murong rejected her. That was awful! In spite of that, she insisted on boarding Murongâs canoe.
Upon pushing herself off on tiptoe, Cang Ying flew up towards Murong Xueâs canoe. The moment she was about to land, Murong put on a strange smile and rowed her paddles, making the canoe drift several meters away like a shooting arrow.
Cang Ying had no time to react and fell into the lake with a splash. She struggled and surfaced but her delicate chignon was ruined and her dress was drenched, pressed against her body. Sinking and floating in the water, she yelled in panic, âHelpâŚHelpâŚâ
Duan Wuluo heaved a sigh at the awkward Cang Ying and ordered servants to save her. He cast a glance at Murong Xue and found her looking as if nothing had happened, before he sighed meaningfully, âWhat a pussycat friend of Heir OuyangâŚâ
A pussycat could scratch people with its sharp claws protracted and leave them in rage with its claws retracted, but it would not get hurt either wayâŚ
âAt least that can prevent her from being pushed around!â Ouyang Shaochen said in a bland tone. He looked up at Murong Xue with the barest hint of a smile on his face.
As Murong Xue rowed through the lotus clump, she admired the view leisurely, inhaling the light addictive aroma. Whenever she fancied a lotus or a seed, she would pick it and throw it onto her canoeâŚ
Rowing alone without Cang Ying allowed Murong Xue some time in peace and spared more space for lotus flowers and seedsâŚ
There suddenly came the faint sound of rowing. Murong Xue looked up and saw a rustically-dressed middle-aged woman rowing through the clump slowly.
On the canoe stood a pretty lady, looking slightly pale in her red clothes. It was obviously Cang Ying, who had got changed after cleaning herself up.
Murong Xue slightly raised her eyebrows and thought: she showed up just a while after the cleaning up, so the drowning didnât seem serious; or perhaps she messed around so often that she could easily survive this kind of trifle such as chokingâŚ
Whatever its reason was, since Murong Xue didnât hold a grudge against her, Murong would ignore her as long as she stopped stirring up trouble.
As Cang Ying toured in the lotus clump standing on a canoe, all she could see was nothing but the lotus clump. Her pretty face turned slightly sullen as she thought: it was nothing difficult to pick lotus flowers and seeds. She decided to provoke Murong Xue by picking more than herâŚ
All of a sudden, she felt her throat scorching, which made her cough. She picked a lotus, twisted off the green stem and threw it onto the canoe: Murong Xue was to blame for everythingâŚ
The wind blew with a vague voice, âAh⌠HelpâŚâ
Something happened! Cang Ying narrowed her sparkling eyes, âHurry up. Over thereâŚâ\n