"Is it... news about Cheng'er?!"
Shen Lingyun suddenly stood up from her chair, rushed up to him, snatched the secret letter from his hand and eagerly read it.
The secret letter said that a troupe called Taoyuan had emerged in the area south of the Yangtze River. They set up stages everywhere to perform a play called Slaying the Evil Flood - Dragons.
In this play, it was the current Southern Sheng Emperor who had taken control of the south and Crown Prince Xiao Yixuan who had caused the flood in Cangzhou. It was because they had blown up the Jinning Canal that the rushing river had flooded many towns and villages downstream of the Xijiang River, turning them into a vast expanse of water.
And the protagonist who had turned the tide and finally beheaded the two "evil flood - dragons" that had brought disaster to the world in this play was none other than Xiao Jingcheng!
Shen Lingyun read the letter from beginning to end again, making sure that the words "Crown Prince Xiao Jingcheng" were indeed written on it.
It was really, really Cheng'er!
He wasn't dead!
Not only was he alive, but he had single - handedly saved many common people. To show their gratitude, these people had formed a troupe to spread his heroic deeds everywhere so that his name would not be forgotten by the world.
The letter also said that there was a group of bandits called the Flood - Dragon - Slaying Army following the troupe around. These bandits didn't harm the common people. They only fought against the guards sent to arrest the troupe, luring Xiao Yixuan there and giving him a huge headache.
Maybe the leader of the Flood - Dragon - Slaying Army was her Cheng'er!
Tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down. Shen Lingyun's fingers trembled. She let out a sob and tightly hugged the secret letter to her chest.
"It's Cheng'er. He... he's still alive."
Xiao Tianchi looked down at the patterns on his clothes. Listening to the suppressed sobs of the woman beside him, he tried his best to resist the urge to pull her into his arms to comfort her. He kept telling himself in his heart that it wasn't the time yet, that he had to give her time. Their relationship had just started to ease a bit, so he should wait.
When the sobs stopped, he finally looked up at the woman beside him.
Shen Lingyun had already regained her composure. Only her slightly red eyes showed that she had been crying.
"Now you can rest assured," Xiao Tianchi said.
Shen Lingyun tugged at the corner of her lips.
She was relieved. Her Cheng'er was truly blessed. He had managed to avoid others' schemes and survived luckily.
She remembered that the secret letter had said that in the play Slaying the Evil Flood - Dragons, it was Xiao Tianye and Xiao Yixuan who had blown up the Jinning Canal.
If the leader of the Flood - Dragon - Slaying Army was really Cheng'er, it meant that he also knew what his biological father had done.
She should be glad. She should be glad that her son had a sense of national responsibility and righteousness, and that he hadn't chosen to side with his father for the so - called power. He was a qualified crown prince.
But according to the secret letter, he was currently leading the Flood - Dragon - Slaying Army to outmaneuver Xiao Yixuan and had no intention of returning to the capital.
She handed the secret letter back and said, "Cheng'er is alive, but he neither sided with Xiao Tianye nor returned to the capital. Neither you nor I won our bet."
She was still thinking about that bet.
Xiao Tianchi looked at her. "Yes, neither of us got the upper hand. Lingji, look, what should we do now?"
Shen Lingyun frowned. "What do you mean by 'what to do'? Since the bet wasn't won, it should naturally be voided."
Xiao Tianchi let out a soft sigh, looking helpless but also with a hint of natural doting. "I'm not talking about this. I'm afraid I'll have to leave the capital for a while to pick up a friend who's coming from afar. I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you, Lord Shen, with the affairs of the court again."
His somewhat teasing look made Shen Lingyun a bit uncomfortable. She asked, "What kind of friend coming from afar needs you, an emperor, to pick up in person?"
Xiao Tianchi handed her another secret letter. "You know this person too, Lingji."
She knew this person too?
Shen Lingyun took the secret letter. The handwriting on it felt extremely familiar. After reading the content of the letter, her surprise and shock were no less than when she had learned that Xiao Jingcheng was alive.
"Li Bingjun?! It's him?! He's also alive?!"
How could Shen Lingyun not be shocked? This was Li Bingjun!
Xiao Tianchi nodded and slowly stood up from the dragon throne. "Yes, not only is he alive, but he's also on his way to the capital."
After the shock, Shen Lingyun couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
Others might not know, but she knew this man best.
Li Bingjun was once the Chief Secretary of the State of Chu. His talent, courage, and strategy were extraordinary. If the King of Chu hadn't gone crazy and ordered the execution of the entire Li family, with Li Bingjun in hand, the Xiao family's rebellion would surely not have succeeded. Maybe he could even have helped the State of Chu last for a few more decades.
Now, this legendary Chief Secretary of the State of Chu - Li Bingjun - was on his way to the capital.
Moreover, this letter was written by Li Bingjun to Xiao Tianchi on his own initiative.
What did this mean?
It meant that Li Bingjun was well - aware of the current situation in the world, of the struggle between the Northern and Southern Sheng States. And between Xiao Tianye and Xiao Tianchi, he had chosen Xiao Tianchi.
It was said that the current Chief Secretary beside Xiao Tianye was the brother - in - law of Empress Feng, Ye Ping'an, the former Censor Ye.
But everyone who had come from the State of Chu knew that ten Ye Ping'ans were not even half as good as Li Bingjun.
"Li Bingjun is such an important figure. I have to go secretly. I can't let others know. Lingji, what excuse should I use to slip away now?" Xiao Tianchi asked her. "I just told the ministers today that I've left my seclusion. It's not very appropriate to suddenly go into seclusion again to chant scriptures and pray for the world, is it?"
He blinked, looking embarrassed.
Shen Lingyun paused for a moment and said, "There's an unusual movement at the imperial mausoleum. Your Majesty should lead ten thousand personal guards to the imperial mausoleum to investigate. Minor affairs in the court will be approved by the Secretariat, and major affairs will be put on hold until Your Majesty returns."
"Lord Shen has really found a good excuse for me," Xiao Tianchi said. "Then let's do it this way. I'll leave the capital to you, Lord Shen, for the time being."
After saying that, he took a step to leave. Shen Lingyun paused and called him back.
"Xiao Tianchi."
"Be careful on the way."
An hour later, several unremarkable carriages quietly left the imperial city and headed out of the city. Shen Lingyun stood under the eaves and looked up at the sky. The sky above was cloudless, and a flock of birds was freely soaring among the clouds.
She had experienced war and was also a beneficiary of the war. She knew how cruel war was to the world and the common people. If possible, she hoped that Li Bingjun could bring a different outcome to this land.
The weather in Chenzhou at this time was not very good. The sky was densely covered with thick dark clouds, and the air was so stuffy that it was hard to breathe.
This kind of weather not only made people sweat all over but also made them feel inexplicably flustered.
Two carriages passed the inspection of the guards at the city gate of Yunfu County and smoothly entered the city, heading towards an inn in the city.