Chapter 72: Undercurrents

Xia Tong lowered her head and hugged his waist without saying a word. Gu Qin was always like this, thinking that whatever others liked was what she wanted. But from the beginning, all she wanted was to live in peace, nothing more.

But since this was his decision, Xia Tong would not object. She knew that from the day his Gu family was raided, he must have wanted to overthrow this corrupt dynasty.

“As long as you smile at me more often, I’ll be content,” she murmured.

Gu Qin’s brow twitched slightly, and after a moment, he curled his lips into a faint smile. His stern features softened considerably, and Xia Tong smiled back, reaching out to touch his face. He looked so good when he smiled. There was no need for him to wear that serious expression all the time, as if everyone owed him money.

As she approached the desk, she initially wanted to see what was inside the small wooden box, but her gaze was drawn to the blueprints on the table.

“This design is quite intricate.” She picked up the blueprint, her expression serious as she focused on the details.

It looked remarkably like something the heroine would create. She recalled that the novel mentioned how the heroine had designed a lightweight weapon to help the hero fight against a rival kingdom. With just a flick of a finger, it could shoot short arrows, and it could even fire three at once. In fact, she had merely adapted certain principles from handguns, making this weapon effective in close combat as well.

“Did Shen Xin make this?” She suddenly leaned over to look at Gu Qin.

He cast her a fleeting glance but didn’t respond, instead picking up a brush made of wolf hair and beginning to write something.

Feeling that he underestimated her again, Xia Tong immediately said seriously, “Actually, this is not much different from a regular weapon. It just has an additional medium in the middle, which triggers a chain reaction.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Gu Qin suddenly looked at her intently. Xia Tong quickly added, “This is what Shen Xin told me.”

Their eyes met, and she pretended to be calm and stopped talking. Gu Qin’s gaze flickered for a moment, but he didn’t ask further questions, continuing to write something with a wolf-hair brush.

Not wanting to disturb him any longer, Xia Tong leaned back on the soft couch with her book, trying to focus on her reading. She wondered what Gu Qin was so busy with, and it wasn’t until lunchtime that she heard Fang Yu’s voice outside.

During the holidays, it’s customary for relatives to visit each other, but since Xia Tong was pregnant, she had been prohibited from leaving the residence. However, it seemed that news of her pregnancy had spread throughout the capital. In the afternoon, the eldest daughter-in-law of the clan leader visited, bringing a lot of nourishing medicine.

Most of the conversation revolved around the recent situation in the clan. The Xia family, being one of the most important branches of the clan, had suffered a fire, which was undoubtedly a double blow to the entire family. If it weren’t for her father supporting them now, they might not even be considered a second-rate family, which explained the clan leader’s urgency.

However, the visitor also brought the clan leader’s intentions. They were much more pragmatic than the old lady. Since they were willing to align with Gu Qin, Xia Tong was naturally willing to speak favorably for her clan.

In fact, the Xia family’s alliance wasn’t without benefits. Although the Xia family residence was burned down, their wealth remained intact. The Xia family had a deep foundation, with a history even older than that of the Grand Tutor’s family, and they must have stored a considerable amount of wealth, which would undoubtedly help Gu Qin in his future endeavors.

The next day, Xia Tong had no idea when Gu Qin left, as she didn’t see him at all throughout the day. Instead, Xifeng stayed at the residence, seemingly determined to remain until she gave birth.

“The wind and snow are so heavy today. If there are any leftover dishes later, you should send them to the beggars in the city to avoid wasting food,” she instructed.

The room was warm as spring, and Xia Tong sat on the soft couch, embroidering a hat for the baby. The more she stitched, the more awkward it felt. After all, the child wouldn’t be able to distinguish beauty from ugliness.

“Madam has already instructed us to do this. She even plans to personally give alms to the beggars in the city today, so no one should have any objections,” Qing’er remarked as she changed the bedding.

Xia Tong knew she was referring to the old lady’s previous dissatisfaction with her mother’s charity to beggars, which had resulted in her mother being punished. Fortunately, that old lady was no longer around. Otherwise, her mother would have suffered even more.

At that moment, the door was suddenly pushed open, and Fang Yu entered, carrying a bowl of steaming medicine. Seeing the medicine, Xia Tong felt her head spin. She was drinking more medicine than water now.

Putting down the hat in her hands, Xia Tong glanced outside at Xifeng and couldn’t help but look meaningfully at Fang Yu. “You are not young anymore; do you have any thoughts of your own?”

As soon as she finished speaking, Fang Yu hurriedly set down the bowl and frowned, her ears turning slightly red. “This servant does not understand what the master means.”

“Master is asking if you want to get married.” Just then, Qing’er walked past her, holding a bundle of clothes that needed washing. “I saw someone talking about medicine with Xifeng from time to time. Xifeng also often brought snacks from Judezhai.”

“You… What nonsense are you talking about?” Fang Yu immediately glared at her, her face flushed.

Qing’er quickly laughed and ran out, leaving Xia Tong, who had a subtle expression on her face. This Xifeng was indeed a man of little character. He could bring pastries for Fang Yu but didn’t think to buy one for her, the princess. How could she have even considered giving him an increase in his monthly silver?

“Master, you shouldn’t listen to Qing’er’s nonsense. There’s absolutely nothing going on,” Fang Yu seemed anxious, her usually calm demeanor showing signs of panic.

As she blew on the steaming medicine, Xia Tong raised her eyebrow and said softly, “Of course, I won’t think too much about it. However, Xifeng has admitted he has feelings for you, and as the master, I must think about the happiness of my subordinates.”

“Master…” Fang Yu’s face turned even redder, and feeling unable to reason with her, she hurriedly ran out.

Xia Tong sighed. She couldn’t let that young man easily deceive Fang Yu. She had to keep him on his toes so that he wouldn’t take Fang Yu for granted.

*

The night was pitch black, and the wind and snow made the capital appear solemn. From time to time, the Imperial Guards could be seen running by, holding torches. All the doors were tightly closed, and even the night watchmen had disappeared, leaving only the steady footsteps of the guards in the darkness.

Some distance outside the city, numerous tents were set up on flat ground. Inside one tent, the candlelight flickered as several generals sat around. The man at the head spoke seriously, pointing to a map on the long table.

“Currently, there are only twenty thousand Imperial Guards in the city. Most of Gu Qin’s Shenji Camp soldiers have been sent to the frontier, leaving only the remaining troops stationed outside the city. We have a hundred thousand troops on our side. We only need half an hour to breach the city gates, and even if the Shenji Camp soldiers arrive, it will be too late.”

Seated diagonally to his right was the Fifth Prince, who replied earnestly, “We have the weapons made by Miss Shen; breaching the city gates is not difficult. There are only five thousand Imperial Guards in the palace. At that time, we just need an insider to open the palace gate, and the entire palace will be under our control!”

After he finished speaking, the man in charge, Xiao Ming, scanned the others with intense eyes. “Once we breach the city gates, a portion of the men will head to the palace gate, while another portion will immediately control all the officials’ residences, focusing on the Grand Tutor’s residence.”

Hearing this, the others nodded in agreement, but the Sixth Prince appeared a bit worried. “Fifth Brother, what about Gu Qin?”

Suddenly, the tent flaps moved, and Xiao Ming fixed his gaze on that spot, his voice dark. “Gu Qin is ambitious; how could he genuinely serve Xiao Jing? As long as we capture his princess, even if he doesn’t care about his life, he will still be concerned about his unborn child and won’t dare to oppose us. Once we take control of the capital, we can deal with him later.”

Gu Qin had extinguished his mother’s family; such a deep-seated grudge could not go unpunished!

Just then, the tent flaps were pushed open, and a woman dressed in fiery red entered. Her exquisite features made her unforgettable at first glance, and the others greeted her warmly upon her arrival.

“Fifth Brother and Miss Shen must have important matters to discuss, so we won’t disturb them.” The Sixth Prince laughed and tactfully left with the others.

Shen Xin glanced at the others, and when there were only two people left in the room, she walked up to Xiao Ming step by step and said with a stern look in her eyes, “I won’t allow you to attack Xia Tong.”

The candle flames swayed enchantingly, casting two long and oblique shadows on the ground. Xiao Ming had been staring at the map on the table. Hearing her words, he just raised his head and glanced at her calmly, “Have you forgotten that villain almost took your life?”

Their eyes met, and Shen Xin rested one hand on the table, his brows full of seriousness. “Of course I remember, but I also remember that it was Xia Tong who saved me at all costs. I helped you only because you promised me that you would not let the court continue to be so corrupt, but I will never allow you to harm Xia Tong.”