The fact that the King of Zhen was going to marry into his wife's family was known to few people in the Great Jin Dynasty, for it was truly a disgrace. So, the news of the King of Zhen being with Zisu was also known to very few.
Xiao Jinghan bowed with clasped fists.
The group then reached the camp.
"Did you do something to Xiang Beizheng? You even made him foam at the mouth in anger," Zisu said, looking at Yi Qing seriously.
If it hadn't been for Yi Qing making Xiang Beizheng foam at the mouth in anger today, they wouldn't have been able to retreat unscathed so smoothly.
Hearing Zisu's question, Yi Qing got smug. "I once met Xiang Beizheng's son. His son has epilepsy, and this disease is hereditary. So I guessed that Xiang Beizheng also has it. People with this disease can't get angry. Once they're really angry, they'll have an attack."
Everyone suddenly understood and then burst into laughter.
"You mean Xiang Beizheng has children outside?" Zisu didn't laugh. Instead, she looked puzzled.
"Not just one. The women who were pregnant with his children were all killed by him," Yi Qing said. She thought Xiang Beizheng was really ruthless. He could even kill his own flesh and blood.
Zisu rolled her eyes. "Xiang Beizheng and Chen Yuqing always claim to be deeply in love with each other. Who would have thought they'd do such a thing?" As she said this, she looked at the King of Zhen.
The King of Zhen immediately raised his hand and swore. "I'll surely be loyal to you."
Yi Qing was speechless. Even the majestic King of Zhen could be firmly controlled by someone.
"Alright, even though we've escaped smoothly this time, our whereabouts have been discovered. We should go back as soon as possible," Xiao Jinghan reminded them.
"I just saw Zisu. I haven't even sat down for long," Yi Qing said as she walked over and took Zisu's arm.
Zisu smiled. She really envied Yi Qing. She was still as carefree as before.
Xiao Jinghan then looked at the King of Zhen.
The King of Zhen turned to the side. Xiao Jinghan was reluctant to scold his own woman, but did he dare to scold his?
"We've all been tired after just escaping. Let's have a good rest and leave tomorrow," Zisu saw what Xiao Jinghan meant.
"Then it's settled," Yi Qing said as she pulled Zisu out.
As soon as Yi Qing and Zisu left, only the three men were left in the camp.
"You're just here. Do me a favor," the King of Zhen looked at Xiao Jinghan.
Xiao Jinghan leaned slightly to the side, indicating that he didn't want to help, but he didn't directly refuse.
"Xiang Beizheng captured you. He's your enemy, too. How about we go and destroy the place where he grows the Ruyi grass to vent our anger?" the King of Zhen suggested.
"I've already burned it," the Ghost Lord said directly.
"Burned it?" the King of Zhen looked at the Ghost Lord in surprise. "Who are you?"
"Fang Huai," Xiao Jinghan said directly.
The Ghost Lord curled his lips. This name was given by Yi Qing to conceal his identity when he was poisoned. Now that he was well, he didn't need to hide anymore.
"I wonder where Brother Fang is currently serving," the King of Zhen thought this must be a talented person.
Hearing what the King of Zhen said, Xiao Jinghan knew what he was up to. "The emperor asked me to take the prince back."
"I still have something to do," the King of Zhen said and then ran away in a flash.
The Ghost Lord sized up Xiao Jinghan without any respect.
"This is the Southern Border. You'd better behave yourself," Xiao Jinghan reminded him.
"I'm not afraid of your Great Jin Dynasty. What's the Southern Border?" the Ghost Lord folded his arms. "Let me make it clear to you. I've paid you silver for the antidote. We're even."
Xiao Jinghan ignored him.
Zisu took Yi Qing back to her camp. Although they hadn't seen each other for a long time and a lot had happened in between, there was no sense of strangeness between them.
"The emperor of the Great Jin Dynasty once promised me to help you. Why haven't you defeated Xiang Beizheng yet?" Yi Qing thought Zisu had already become the empress. She even thought she'd have an empress best friend.
"The emperor of the Great Jin Dynasty did help me. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been evenly matched with Xiang Beizheng. But..." Zisu looked a bit embarrassed. "How could he really want the Southern Border to be stable and prosperous?"
"You're right," Yi Qing nodded. "Then why didn't you write me a single letter? I'd worry about you every summer."
Zisu used to visit her every summer. Although she later knew what Zisu was really doing, she still worried about her.
"You didn't receive my letters?" Zisu looked at Yi Qing in surprise. There was no need for Yi Qing to lie to her about this.
"Ah?" Yi Qing looked at Zisu's expression. "Baozi often misses you, too."
"I wrote them. At least one every two months," Zisu thought the letters she wrote to Yi Qing might have been intercepted.
"Really?" Yi Qing frowned and thought for a while. "Could someone have intercepted them?"
Zisu wasn't sure. "What are you doing in the Southern Border?"
Yi Qing didn't hide it. She told Zisu the general process. Officially, they were on an inspection tour. For the emperor, it was to find the source of the Ruyi cakes. For Yi Qing, it was to detoxify the Ghost Lord.
Now, everything except the inspection had been done.
"I didn't expect you'd experienced so many things after I left the capital," Zisu said in surprise.
"Tell me about it," Yi Qing felt like her life had been full of hardships.
"According to what you said, the Ping family should be the one cooperating with Xiang Beizheng. This also explains why Xiang Beizheng has so much military pay," Zisu didn't know this before.
"Really?" Yi Qing didn't expect this either.
"The Ping family is much more powerful than you think. If several merchants in the Great Jin Dynasty unite, they may even affect the regime in the Southern Border," Zisu said seriously.
"Is it that serious?"
"However, they never support only one side. But this time, they firmly stand on Xiang Beizheng's side."
"Maybe they think they can't get any benefits from you," Yi Qing said.
Zisu would surely never give the Ping family any benefits.
"By the way, what's Xiang Beizheng's identity in your Southern Border?" Yi Qing was very curious about Xiang Beizheng's identity.
"He was originally an adopted son of the Heyan family in the Southern Border. My father really appreciated him."
"An adopted son?" Yi Qing didn't expect Xiang Beizheng to have this identity. "Do you know whose child he is?"
"It's rumored that he was born to the mistress of the Heyan family's clan leader."
"Is the Heyan clan leader henpecked?"
"No."
"Then that's it. If he's not henpecked, there's no need for a child born to a mistress to pretend to be an adopted son," Yi Qing said.
Zisu nodded. "I think so, too. And Xiang Beizheng doesn't seem to care about such rumors."
"Maybe he just disdains them," Yi Qing looked at Zisu.
"I don't know about that. He was just using me from beginning to end. I could never hear a single true word from him," Zisu said.
Hearing what Zisu said, Yi Qing sighed. There was too much pain in this kind of thing.
"Then keep an eye on Xiang Beizheng's identity. I'm going back to the Great Jin Dynasty tomorrow," Yi Qing knew she couldn't stay in the Southern Border for long. "When I get back, I'll go and confront that hypocritical emperor."
"No need. We can handle the affairs in the Southern Border by ourselves," Zisu didn't want Yi Qing to get involved in these things.
Yi Qing thought it made sense. That emperor would never help Zisu for free. There would surely be a lot of troubles then, and Xiao Jinghan would be in a difficult position.
"Then just tell me if there's anything I can do for you," Yi Qing patted Zisu's shoulder.
"Well, there really is one thing," Zisu said without being polite.