Two years later, in the Ghost Valley.
Shen Qing sat on the swing, idly swaying back and forth. Her eyes were fixed on a certain direction, with a tinge of melancholy in them.
"Sister, the medicine is ready," a gentle voice from behind pulled her out of her reverie.
Shen Qing turned around and saw the person coming. She gave a gentle smile. "Thank you, Third Brother."
Shen Qing returned to her room. Inside, a beautiful woman was already waiting for her.
Seeing Shen Qing come back, she quickly got up, took her hand, and sat her down. Then she asked the man beside her, "How is Niannian's health after the recuperation?"
The medicine boy brought the medicine. Shen Qing was already used to it. She picked up the medicine bowl and drank it all in one gulp.
The man and the woman were none other than the Third Prince of the Jiang Kingdom, Shen Jizhi, and the Queen.
In that explosion, she hadn't been able to escape. She thought she was doomed, but when she woke up again, she was already in the Ghost Valley.
The Ghost Valley was the sect of Shen Jizhi. Few people knew about it. It was Shen Si who had sent her here.
Before losing consciousness, she had vaguely felt someone behind her. It was true. Shen Si's secret guards had arrived in time and shielded her. Two of them had sacrificed their lives to save hers.
Even so, she had lain on the cold jade bed in the Ghost Valley for a full six months before waking up.
The cold jade bed was a priceless treasure. If it hadn't been for the cold jade bed protecting her heart meridian, she wouldn't have survived until she woke up.
In the past two years, she had been recuperating in the Ghost Valley. It wasn't just the internal injuries from the explosion but also the weakness left from giving birth to Si Bao years ago.
As soon as she woke up, she saw the Queen of the Jiang Kingdom, who was also her biological mother.
The Queen had stayed with her for these two years.
Shen Jizhi felt Shen Qing's pulse again. Just as he was about to say something, Shen Si suddenly came in with a bamboo tube. "Mother, Third Brother, Sister, there's news from Shengjing."
Shen Si bowed and then his eyes fell on Shen Qing all the time.
The Queen was stunned. "Is it related to Niannian?"
The Queen took it and looked. Her face instantly turned bad.
Shen Qing was sitting close to the Queen, so she naturally saw the content of the letter too. She was a bit stunned. Ji Junye had actually sent a state letter to the Jiang Kingdom to propose marriage. If the Jiang Kingdom didn't agree, he would... launch an attack on the Jiang Kingdom?
Was he crazy?
Although she had been living in seclusion for the past two years, she wasn't completely unaware of the situation outside. After Ji Junye had reconquered the South of the Yangtze River, he had turned his spearhead towards Xing Shu. Now, Xing Shu was almost on the verge of extinction.
She had thought he was crazy when she heard about it.
The Jing Kingdom had already been in war for two or three years. Just when it finally managed to solve the external enemies and the civil war and it was the perfect time for recuperation, he not only didn't stop the war but also took the initiative to attack Xing Shu.
It was a completely reckless way of fighting.
And now, was this a proposal or forced marriage?
The Ghost Valley had been in seclusion for many years. If it weren't for Shen Jizhi's sake, they wouldn't even be allowed in. Even Shen Si only came here occasionally to visit her. Most of the time, he stayed at the foot of the mountain.
She was afraid that Ji Junye would disrupt the peace here if he knew where she was, so she hadn't told him her location. But she had written to him to report her safety after she woke up. Hadn't he received it?
A pair of warm hands covered Shen Qing's hands, pulling her back from her thoughts. She looked up and met the Queen's gentle eyes.
"Niannian, don't worry. Although our Jiang Kingdom doesn't participate in disputes, our national strength is there. It's not that easy for him to attack. As long as you're not willing, no matter what, your father and I won't hand you over," the Queen said.
Even if the Emperor of the Jing Kingdom came to propose marriage nicely, she would still carefully consider whether he was sincere, let alone his current threatening attitude!
How could Niannian live a peaceful life with such a person?
She had just managed to see Niannian. How could she rest assured to hand her over to a cruel and domineering person?
"Mother, actually he..."
She wanted to say a few good words for Ji Junye, but the Queen had already spoken first. "No. I'll write back to your father right away."
So what if it meant war? If a war really broke out, no one could be sure who would win!
The Emperor of the Jiang Kingdom, who was thousands of miles away, had the same thought. Although the Jiang Kingdom had ignored external affairs for many years, they weren't afraid of a fight.
He didn't need to sacrifice his daughter to ensure the peace of the country!
Shen Qing wanted to say something else, but the Queen had already got up and gone to the study to write a letter. It was obvious that she wasn't willing to listen.
In the past two years, the Queen had always been by her side, making up for all the longing and lack of family affection in her heart. She didn't want to make her sad.
Shen Qing cast a pleading look at Shen Si, but Shen Si just smiled faintly and didn't say a word.
He had always been a bit dissatisfied with Ji Junye. Not to mention his current attitude of proposing marriage to his sister. If it weren't for someone's sake, he would even add insult to injury!
Shen Qing had no choice but to look at Shen Jizhi. "Third Brother... How is my health now?"
Seeing that she was eager to go back, Shen Jizhi smiled softly. "I was just about to say. Your health has been recuperated quite well. You just need to take the medicine on time for a while longer. You don't need to stay on the mountain anymore."
Shen Qing quickly went to find the Queen. The Queen was almost done writing the letter. It was so impassioned that Shen Qing thought that if this letter was sent back, a war that might not have happened would surely break out.
"Mother, Third Brother said I can go down the mountain now," Shen Qing said quickly.
The Queen stopped. Her hand trembled, and a drop of ink dripped onto the letter paper that she hadn't had time to put away yet, spreading out in a stain.
"Go down the mountain? Are you going to find him?"
Shen Qing knew that she had misunderstood. "Not entirely, Mother. I don't want unnecessary disputes to break out between the two countries because of me."
Seeing that the Queen was silent and seemed to be wavering, Shen Qing bit her lip and continued, "Mother, this time he was really too impulsive. But if the two countries really go to war because of me and cause countless casualties, Si Bao and I will be in a difficult position at that time."
"Mother, don't worry. I'll only meet him once and ask him to withdraw his troops. Then the rest will be up to you and Father. If you don't agree to this marriage, I won't nod either."
She had originally thought that her health had been recuperated well enough and planned to go down the mountain soon. After going down the mountain, she would go to find him first and then take him to meet her father and mother. Who would have thought that he would...
Could a war between two countries be a trifling matter?
The Queen sighed and gently tapped Shen Qing's forehead in a half - angry way.
"You've said it all. What else can I say?"
Niannian was right. If they had no connection, it would be fine. But since she and the Emperor of the Jing Kingdom already had a child, they couldn't really let the two countries fight to the death.
She held Shen Qing's hand. "Niannian, remember. You're no longer the orphan girl of the Shen family in the Jing Kingdom. You're the legitimate princess of the Jiang Kingdom. Your father, I, and the whole Jiang Kingdom are your backers. Do whatever you want. Don't worry about anything. Your elder brothers are not to be trifled with either."
The Queen's words stirred up deep ripples in Shen Qing's heart. So this was family affection?
It meant that no matter what, there would always be someone standing behind you.