Farm Tough Girl
Chapter 349 - 349 350 Conspiracy_1

Chapter 349: Chapter 350 Conspiracy_1 Chapter 349: Chapter 350 Conspiracy_1 Nangong Qian’s sword-like eyebrows lifted slightly. “Have you guessed who it is?”

Muniang was teetering on the edge of fury. “You tell me!”

“Such a strong reaction. The woman in your heart must not be an ordinary person. I had thought that Yu Ze loved you wholeheartedly. It seems I was mistaken,” Nangong Qian said, his tone laced with a hint of mockery.

Muniang’s eyes were red with anger, her teeth clenching, yet she was unable to utter a single word. She feared, feared so much that it might be that person, the one she thought she could stop caring about.

“He Suxue,” Nangong Qian’s icy words shattered the last shred of Muniang’s rationality.

“Where is he?” Muniang’s voice was cold to the bone.

“That’s the camp of our army. Furthermore, we have already cast a wide net in the camp. Do you think he could possibly return? His desperate attempt to break through indeed got him out, but now he’s trapped in the mountains, surrounded by layers of my soldiers.”

“Do you think trapping him is of any use? Since the outcome of the border conflict has already been decided, and he’s just a general, the emperor will not budge an inch, even if you were to kill him. Now alone, he’s just a disposable pawn. Do you really think he’s worth your trouble?”

Nangong Qian curved his lips slightly. “Whether he has value or not remains to be seen.” He was well aware that the outcome of the war was already determined. The Daqian Dynasty had reclaimed all lost cities from the Qilian Kingdom, and the border defenses had been tightly arranged according to Yu Ze’s instructions. Now with the Qilian Kingdom’s military forces severely depleted, they couldn’t wage war again for at least another decade. As for using Yu Ze to threaten the emperor of the Daqian Dynasty… heh, he knew the emperor better than Qiao Muniang did. The emperor would rather Yu Ze die after pacifying the border.

However, Nangong Qian still committed such “foolish acts,” not knowing for whom he did it.

Turning around, Muniang walked away, unwilling to stay another second. She could no longer keep up her facade. The colder her demeanor appeared, the more her heart crumbled inside. But she was used to hiding her weakness, never showing her fragility in front of others, so she fled back to her home.

Nangong Qian did not follow her. Instead, he silently watched Muniang’s departing figure, his eyes filling with a complicated depth.

Upon returning to the mansion, Muniang immediately released a small firework into the sky, the signal flare given to her by Yu Ze for emergencies. Naturally, a Hidden Guard would arrive to receive her commands.

Soon, four black-clad figures dropped from the sky, knelt on the ground with hands clasped in front of them, “Lady!”

Muniang’s eyes were slightly reddened, yet she forced herself upright and asked, “Where is Yu Ze?” Her voice trembled without her realizing.

She believed only half of what Nangong Qian had said. She needed to verify it herself. She was not rash or thoughtless. Nangong Qian’s brazen revelation had a hidden agenda. If this was nothing but his unilateral claim, she would absolutely not take it at face value.

“General—” The hesitation in the Hidden Guard’s voice suggested uncertainty over whether to speak or remain silent, but Muniang’s demeanor made it clear she had sensed something was amiss.

“Speak!”

“The General has gone into the enemy camp alone to save someone.”

“Who?”

“The subordinate does not know. After seeing the letter sent by the enemy, the General became furious, smashed a table, and immediately mounted his horse to head for the enemy camp alone.” The Hidden Guard’s gaze flickered, avoiding her eyes. In truth, he knew. From highest-ranking officers to common soldiers on the border, everyone was aware. The General had stormed into the enemy camp in a fit of rage for the sake of a beauty, without any fear of death. Storytellers were making it a tale to tell, turning the event into a saga of its own.

“Don’t lie to me, who was it!” Muniang gritted her teeth.

The Hidden Guard lowered his head, “It was He Suxue, the daughter of the He Family.”

Muniang laughed in rage, pulling a miserable smile at the corner of her mouth. She had once thought that he could finally let go of his obsession and disregard her, but even now he had chosen to resolutely go to her rescue!

He had promised her that he would come back alive. He had said he never cared about his life before, but now he did, because of her. But now, he risked his life to break into the enemy camp for He Suxue, what did this mean? Did he really care about his own life? Or, did he really care about her?

Muniang’s eyes reddened, a sour taste rising in her throat. The Hidden Guard hastened his words, “The General didn’t tell Lady mainly because he was afraid Lady would worry, Lady—”

“Get out.” Muniang no longer had the strength to say anything more.

The Hidden Guards looked at each other, daring not to stay in front of Qiao Muniang and irritate her any further. Seeing her current emotional state, naturally, they couldn’t just leave her alone, so they swiftly hid in a dark corner to protect her.

Muniang was now both furiously angry and anxious. Although she felt bitterly cold about Yu Ze rushing to save He Suxue, she still loved him. He was trapped in the mountains. Was his life now at risk? Could something happen to him? Could he come back alive?

All of this pushed her to the brink of collapse.

——

“Master, the task has been handled. Yu Ze was hit by a poison-tipped arrow when he broke through our army’s encirclement. He can’t use his Inner Strength now, or the poison will only spread throughout his body. Now trapped in the forest, he’s like a bird in a cage, unable to fly out.”

“What about He Suxue? Is she still alive?” Nangong Qian asked coldly.

“She’s alive. Otherwise, how could she still be clinging to Yu Ze? Now, at the border, everyone is spreading the romantic story of Yu Ze and He Suxue. If Qiao Muniang knew about this, it would probably make her heartbreak even worse.”

“Was Yu Jin brought back?”

“Yes, I had already ordered it. We swapped out the person early on. Now Yu Jin has been taken back to the Royal Palace.” The guard recalled the incident when they used Yu Jin as bait to lure Yu Ze into the trap and to attack the camp. When he found out that it was a body double, he killed the double right away. That furious gaze almost made the soldiers’ legs go soft, like a terrifying deity.

Of course, he would not tell Nangong Qian this; otherwise, Nangong Qian would surely order them to be dragged out and beheaded on the spot. What use were men who could be so easily frightened?

A strange smile curved Nangong Qian’s lips, “The fish has taken the bait.”

The guard shivered at the sight of Nangong Qian’s smile. As cunning as their master was, what he desired was always within reach. The greatest mistake of all was that Qiao Muniang crossed paths with Nangong Qian, unknowingly stealing this man’s heart. Because the cost that followed was far from trivial.

Just like the “beautiful story” being passed around by the people that broke Qiao Muniang’s heart, behind it all was one plot after another woven by Nangong Qian. It was true that Yu Ze had stormed the enemy camp alone, but the letter mentioned threats involving Yu Jin. And as for He Suxue?

Nangong Qian scoffed. Such a woman was not even worth Yu Ze frowning over. She had served as an Army Prostitute in the Qilian Kingdom’s army camp for three days without Yu Ze showing the slightest interest.

(Two more updates to come in the afternoon)