Chapter 751
Extra 6
Chapter 751 Extra Chapter Six
On the day the imperial decree for divorce was delivered, an unusually torrential downpour occurred in Jie.
It should be noted that the Jie region is dry and receives little rain for most of the year, and even when it does rain, it has never been this sudden and heavy.
Back in Jie, Yan Shu sat listlessly under the pavilion in her courtyard, sipping a cup of milk tea.
She had made plans with her brothers to go horseback riding.
Somehow they heard about it before, that she had injured her leg when a horse fell over on her way to escape her arranged marriage. They used this incident to tease and laugh at her, saying that she had married a weak and frail prince of Jin Kingdom and had even lost her horsemanship skills.
Yan Shu was both ashamed and annoyed. She was determined to have a competition with her brothers to see whose riding skills were the best.
Her brothers finally agreed to her request, but the heavy rain ruined everything!
Just as she was feeling bored, the maid who usually served her in the courtyard came running over: "Princess! Princess!"
"What's wrong?" Yan Shu was startled by her urgent call. She looked up, puzzled. "Why are you in such a panic? Did the sky outside leak and the earth collapse?"
"No, that's not it!" The maid quickly waved her hand. "The prince sent me to call you. He said you need to go to the front quickly because a distinguished guest has arrived, and you must see him in person. He also told me to tell you that you must go as soon as possible."
Yan Shu was completely baffled. As she got up, she was pulled by a maid and hurriedly ran towards the front yard. She had no idea why her father was suddenly in such a hurry to find her.
You know, the Jie warriors we sent out recently have all returned victorious. My father has been busy taking stock of the troops and rewarding the warriors these days, and hasn't had much time to talk to me.
Why are they suddenly calling me over in such a hurry?
She had just run to the corridor outside the inner hall when, perhaps hearing footsteps, two people rushed out. Upon seeing Yan Shu approaching, they immediately ran over: "Princess!"
Yan Shu was stunned for a moment, thinking she was seeing things. She stopped and looked closely, and when she saw that the two people who came were indeed the two maids who had accompanied her to Jin Kingdom as part of her dowry, she was overjoyed and grabbed the two of them, laughing and jumping.
After being happy for a while, Yan Shu finally came to her senses: "How did you two end up here?! If it weren't broad daylight, I would have thought I was dreaming!"
"Yan Shu, come here quickly." King Jie heard that Yan Shu and her two servants had calmed down from the initial surprise of their first meeting, so he called Yan Shu over from the inner hall.
Yan Shu hurriedly went inside. As soon as she stepped through the door, she saw King Jie sitting in the main seat, and a person sitting not far away. When that person saw her come in, he hurriedly got up.
"How is it you?!" Yan Shu looked at Lu Zhang, who was standing in front of her in a narrow-sleeved robe.
Since she had accompanied Cao Tianbao on his inspection of the Jie people's troops and dispelled General Cao's suspicions about them, Yan Shu did not linger in the camp. After all, Zhu Yu had left, and there was no point in her staying. So, escorted by several Jie warriors, she returned to her own palace.
After that, she never saw Lu Zhang again. Only after her father's confidants returned in triumph with their troops did she hear from them that the Jie people had withdrawn. Lu Zhang did not return to the capital, but chose to stay on the border and continue to patrol with his troops to prevent any remaining remnants of the Brahma rebels from causing trouble.
Yan Shu overheard it casually but didn't pay much attention to it. After all, she had finally returned to her beloved hometown and had so many things she wanted to do. There was no reason for her to waste her energy thinking about someone she disliked.
After that, Lu Zhang disappeared without a trace, which she was happy about. As time went by, she forgot that they were still a couple betrothed by the Emperor. Now, seeing Lu Zhang dressed up properly and appearing solemnly in her mansion, Yan Shu's heart tightened, and her face immediately turned ugly.
She frowned and took a step back: "Why aren't you staying in Jin Kingdom and enjoying your wealth and honor as the Prince of Yi? What are you doing here?"
Could it be... you're going to take me back to the capital?!
While Lu Zhang was exchanging pleasantries with the King of Jie, his eyes kept glancing towards the door. When he saw that familiar yet unfamiliar figure appear, he didn't even have time to react before he hurriedly stood up straight.
Seeing Yan Shu's originally joyful expression turn cold upon seeing him, and even take a step back warily, Lu Zhang's expression froze, and the smile that had just bloomed on his face became somewhat awkward.
"Yan Shu, all guests are welcome, please don't be so rude." King Jie didn't expect his daughter's reaction to be so strong, and quickly said to Yan Shu.
"Father! I finally made it back. I will never go back to that hellhole that was like a prison!" Yan Shu was surprised that her father would stop her from continuing. She felt even more aggrieved. "Back then, Lu Qing and Zhu Yu told me that as long as we Jie people could help solve our immediate problem, the emperor would definitely not make things difficult for us again."
How come things have only just settled down, and he's already going back on his word?
Zhu Yu is my good sister, and her husband Lu Qing is a true and upright man. They certainly wouldn't lie to me. Could it be that the Emperor went back on his word?
"Hey!" King Jie waved his hand at his daughter, both amused and exasperated. "When are you going to change your impatience? You've already said everything before you've even figured it out!"
“Princess, don’t worry. I’m not here to take you back to the capital. And if you don’t want to, you never have to go back again.” Lu Zhang put on a calm and composed demeanor, quickly hiding the disheveled and dejected look in his eyes, and smiled as he took out the imperial edict from his waist. “I came here this time specifically to deliver the imperial edict.”
His Majesty has decreed that we may divorce.
From this day forward, no one can force you to live a life you don't want to live.
As he spoke, he solemnly handed over the imperial edict.
Yan Shu was overjoyed. She quickly took two steps forward, reached out and took the imperial edict. She carefully read its contents and jumped up on the spot with joy. She didn't even care about the other two people in the room. She grabbed the edict and ran out, saying, "I'm going to tell Mother this good news!"
"Mom will never have to cry thinking about me again!"
Before her words had even faded, her figure had already disappeared through the doorway.
Lu Zhang's hand was still raised in mid-air, as if he had forgotten to put it down. His eyes followed the direction Yan Shu ran away, and even after he could no longer see her, he did not look back.
Although the King of Jie was not entirely satisfied with his former son-in-law, the man was, after all, a prince. He had previously gone to great lengths to send his beloved daughter back from the troublesome capital, and the daughter had gotten along well with the Jie people in the camp. This time, the king had come specifically to deliver the imperial decree for divorce.
Yan Shu could disregard everything, but he, as an elder, couldn't be too impolite.
“Your Highness Prince Yi has come all this way to deliver the imperial edict. You must be tired from your journey. If there is nothing urgent, why not rest at my residence for a few days?” He thought for a moment and then greeted Lu Zhang.