Chapter 363

The Qiao residence buzzed with joy and excitement for several days. Qiao Zhongguo’s face was almost permanently twisted into a smile during these days at court.

Everyone: “Good morning, Master Qiao!”

Qiao Zhongguo: “How did you know I’ve got a chubby grandson now?”

Everyones: “…”

Qiao Zhongguo strutted around for several days. Today, as he sat down in his study, he suddenly remembered—he had forgotten to read Meng Guxue’s letter!

He hurriedly got up, retrieved the envelope from the wooden box, and opened it. After reading it, his expression subtly changed.

Qiao Diyi slowly approached with Qiao Qiao Jiaojiao in tow, alarmed to see their father’s grim expression.

“Dad, what’s wrong with you?”

Qiao Zhongguo raised his head upon hearing her voice. Seeing Qiao Jiaojiao, he quickly embraced her and said,

“I just read Miss Meng’s letter. The situation in Nanli Country is dire.”

Upon hearing this, Qiao Jiaojiao’s heart skipped a beat. “Dad, what did Miss Meng say?”

Qiao Zhongguo looked concerned. “The royal family of Nanli Country is hunting. The Third Prince was ambushed; an arrow pierced his arm quite badly.”

“The assailant committed suicide on the spot, leaving no clues.”

Qiao Jiaojiao’s face turned pale upon hearing this. “Ambushed? There’s definitely something fishy about this!”

Qiao Zhongguo nodded. “Miss Meng mentioned in her letter that the arrow was actually aimed at her. The Third Prince, not far away, realized something was wrong and galloped over, narrowly blocking it for her.”

“Look—”

Qiao Zhongguo pointed to the letter on the table. Qiao Jiaojiao scrutinized it carefully and noticed that the ink at the end of a few words had blurred, as if… dampened by tears.

“Miss Meng must have been frightened.”

Qiao Diyi also saw it and couldn’t help but say with concern.

Qiao Jiaojiao felt worried for Meng Guxue.

[Back when they were married, Meng Guxue confided everything she knew to her father, which really helped our Qiao family a lot.]

[Especially with the matter of the Imperial Guard Temple, if she hadn’t mentioned the Tzu Chi Bureau, I’m afraid this matter wouldn’t have been unearthed so quickly.]

[She came from a time-traveling background, probably couldn’t stand any fighting or killing. The main issue is, without any special abilities, she must have lived in constant fear every day…]

Upon hearing this, Qiao Zhongguo’s face showed signs of deep thought. After a moment’s consideration, he decided to write a comforting reply to Meng Guxue.

Time quickly passed into March. Shen Yuanzhan finally received the official letter from the ruler of Nanli Country.

In the letter, it stated that he would celebrate his 55th birthday on September 23rd and invited neighboring countries to witness and celebrate this joyous occasion together.

Shen Yuanzhan promptly replied, expressing his intention to send an envoy to congratulate him, with Xiao Hongda being the prime candidate to lead the delegation.

Everything was being prepared in full swing. On June 16th, the Empress successfully gave birth to the eldest son of the Yong Dynasty’s imperial family. The Emperor was overjoyed, and the entire nation celebrated together.

On the day of the son’s ceremonial bathing, the Emperor bestowed the name — Shen Chengzhen, and announced to the world that Shen Chengzhen was to be the Crown Prince.

Qiao Jiaojiao attended the bathing ceremony, gazing at the Empress holding the sleeping little Crown Prince in her arms, feeling deeply moved.

Finally, their destinies had all been completely and thoroughly changed. The imperial grandson who had died young in the book had reincarnated once more.

And this time, he was destined to be showered with endless love and favor!

After the Qiao family returned home from the Crown Prince’s bathing ceremony, they received Meng Guxue’s second letter.

This letter arrived five months after the first, which made Qiao Zhongguo somewhat uneasy. During this period, he had sent two letters to Meng Guxue, but she hadn’t replied to either.

If it weren’t for reports from spies confirming that nothing serious had happened to the Nanli royal family, Qiao Zhongguo would have started worrying whether Meng Guxue had encountered some mishap.

Qiao Jiaojiao sat in Qiao Zhongguo’s lap as they opened and read the letter, both of their expressions changing dramatically.

In her letter, Meng Guxue described the extremely difficult situation she and Baili Chengyou had been facing lately.

Baili Chengyou’s biological mother, the concubine who had succeeded as the ruler’s wife, was accused of having an affair with the Second Prince, causing a huge uproar in the capital.

Unable to endure the humiliation and fearing for her son, the concubine chose to end her life but was rescued at the last moment, falling into a coma from which she had not yet awakened.

Baili Chengyou’s mental state had collapsed almost to the point of insanity, leading him to openly confront the ruler in a fit of impulsiveness, resulting in him being confined for a month.

During this time, Meng Guxue had to care for the Concubine, console Baili Chengyou, and remain vigilant against hidden threats, leaving her physically and emotionally drained.

At the end of the letter, Meng Guxue cautiously mentioned the upcoming celebration of the Nanli ruler’s birthday in September, asking with care:

“Will Master Qiao be attending?”

From Meng Guxue’s words, Qiao Jiaojiao could sense her trust and reliance on her father.

[Clearly, Meng Guxue hopes deeply that Father will come to Nanli Country, but she worries about putting him in danger, hence her reluctance to state it plainly.]

[The person who benefited most from the scandal of Baili Chengyou’s mother being accused of involvement with the Second Prince is undoubtedly the Crown Prince, so Shen Yuanbai must be involved!]

[Baili Chengyou shouldn’t have been so easily shaken, but clearly, Shen Yuanbai knows exactly how to exploit people’s weaknesses.]

[Moreover, the real situation must be much more complex than what Meng Guxue wrote, or else the Consort wouldn’t have been driven to such desperate measures.]

[Alas, I never imagined Meng Guxue was enduring such hardships. I feel like flying straight to Nanli Country to help her!]

Upon hearing Jiaojiao’s heartfelt words, Qiao Zhongguo finally decided to act on the plans he had been considering since January.

Suddenly lowering his head, he gently asked Jiaojiao, “Jiaojiao, would you like to visit Nanli Country?”

Upon hearing this, Jiaojiao widened her eyes slightly. “Father, are you suggesting—”

Qiao Zhongguo smiled and nodded. “Back when Miss Meng decided to help our Qiao family, she didn’t hesitate or hold back.”

“I think now, when she needs help the most, we can’t just stand by.”

“And besides, the choice of the ruler of Nanli Country is crucial to the relationship between our two countries. We have both moral and logical reasons to help Baili Chengyou!”

Upon hearing this, Jiaojiao reached out her hands and exclaimed, “That’s wonderful! I want to go! I can also try to wake up Baili Chengyou’s mother!”

Qiao Zhongguo ruffled Jiaojiao’s hair affectionately, feeling a softness in his heart.

“I knew it, Jiaojiao is the kindest child. Let me discuss this matter with His Majesty.”

That afternoon, Qiao Zhongguo and Xiao Hongda went together to seek an audience in the palace.

Upon hearing that his two prominent generals had come together, Shen Yuanzhan was somewhat surprised. He quickly left his son and hurried to the study to receive them.

After paying their respects, Qiao Zhongguo spoke first, “Your Majesty, I request to lead a delegation to Nanli Country.”

Shen Yuanzhan raised his eyebrows curiously upon hearing this. “If Master Qiao wishes to go, naturally, there’s no reason to refuse. But is there a specific reason?”

Qiao Zhongguo nodded and handed over Meng Guxue’s handwritten letter.