Chapter 424: Not Entirely Without Affection

The commendations and secret orders from Luoyang arrived once more, thoroughly igniting the desires burning in the hearts of Dou Wen, the head of the Fu family, and others!

Western Liang King Wei Wenlie issued a personal oral commendation, and Si Wushuang provided instructions in a secret letter with a tone of rare clarity.

The time is near; you must stabilize Luo Feng and make him "yearn for the divine." Once the great army moves, he must be decisive.

Dou Wen and the others seemed to already see a future where their families would rise to power and prestige as the Western Liang banners were planted atop the walls of Chang'an, and they placed unprecedentedly high hopes on the "progress" with Fu Qingshuang.

Rewards, guidance, and pressure all surged toward that cold, small courtyard of the Fu residence.

Yet, Fu Qingshuang, who was at the center of the vortex, felt her heart grow colder with each passing day.

From their several "chance encounters" and "requests for advice"—from boating on the Qu River to "coincidentally" attending a poetry gathering of a retired old scholar, and then Luo Feng "happening to be on the way" to escort her home—every contact made the doubts in her heart grow clearer.

Luo Feng's acting, after the initial enthusiasm and clumsiness, seemed to be improving.

He could perfectly pick up the next line of a poem whenever she mentioned one; he could reveal sentiments and a posture of seeking advice that befitted a distressed general when she subtly discussed local governance; he would even fall silent and look complex, as if his heart had been touched, when she inadvertently mentioned the confusion of certain "men of insight" in Guanzhong regarding the Northern Border's new policies.

Everything looked perfect.

The nanny sent by Dou Wen to secretly observe and record the details of their every encounter would report back with joy each time, believing that Luo Feng had fallen deeply into the web of love and was obedient to Fu Qingshuang, needing only one final push.

But what Fu Qingshuang saw were the holes in Luo Feng's performance.

The stiffness when Luo Feng recited poetry, the sharpness that occasionally flashed when discussing government affairs—which did not match his persona as a "distressed general"—and especially that "silence" and "complex look."

At first, she thought it was his heart being stirred, but after it happened several times, she tasted that in that complexity, there was not much real pain or struggle; instead, it was more like... a calculation.

He was observing, observing how she led the conversation, observing the scale of her evaluation of the "new policies," and observing what information the family behind her was trying to convey.

Once, on the way to escort her home, they encountered a squad of Northern Border patrol soldiers.

When the soldiers saw Luo Feng, they immediately saluted with solemnity, their eyes filled with heartfelt awe and closeness.

Luo Feng merely nodded casually, swept his gaze over the squad, and asked the leading Colonel two questions about defense; his tone was brief and stern, yet it possessed a natural air of a convincing commander.

The Luo Feng of that moment was like a different person from the general who carried a hint of sorrow and dependency in front of her.

More importantly, Fu Qingshuang had been thinking: could someone so highly valued by the Northern Border's master, Jiang Jinshi, really have ulterior motives?

Chang'an is such an important place; the fact that the Prince of Ming could entrust it to him to garrison—what kind of trust is that?

And would Luo Feng's feelings for the Prince of Ming be shaken by the new policies?

Thus, Fu Qingshuang suddenly understood: Luo Feng was not a fool in love, but a crouching hunter!

And she, along with the Dou family and Fu family behind her, and even the entire network connecting Guanzhong with Western Liang, were the prey waiting to be caught in his—or rather, the Northern Border master Jiang Jinshi's—net.

The moment this thought appeared, it sent a chill through her entire body.

She remembered the fanaticism of her uncle when he spoke of Western Liang's promises, the greed in the eyes of Dou Wen and the others when they conspired, ignoring risks and costs for the sake of family interests, and the faces of the Western Liang secret envoys, which seemed polite but actually contained commands and threats.

They threw her out as bait, but had they ever thought: if the prey were fierce and struck back, who would be the first to be devoured?

The Dou family, the Fu family... these powerful Guanzhong clans were, in the eyes of Western Liang, merely pawns used to disrupt the Northern Border and weaken Jiang Jinshi, consumables to be discarded after use.

Western Liang wanted Chang'an, wanted Guanzhong, wanted the world; would they really care about the survival of a few local families?

If they succeeded, they might get some scraps!

If they failed... the Northern Border's blade would be the first to strike these "insiders."

And with Western Liang far away in Luoyang, would they really fight to the death with the Northern Border for the sake of a few discarded pawns?

She, Fu Qingshuang, an orphan whose parents were both dead and who relied on her uncle's family, was even more of a pawn among pawns, bait among bait.

Regardless of whether this matter succeeded or failed, what benefit was there for her?

If it succeeded, she might be rewarded as a concubine to some Western Liang general or meritorious official, becoming another gift for the family to cling to power.

If it failed, she would be a femme fatale, the culprit who seduced a great general and committed treason, dying without a burial place.

When that time came, the Dou family and her uncle would likely be the first to distance themselves from her, or even push her out to take the blame.

A chill spread from the soles of her feet to her whole body; she never doubted such an outcome, because this was the way of great families.

Fu Qingshuang closed her eyes and pondered; regardless of success or failure, there was no benefit for her in this matter; it was a dead end.

But she could not leave her life and death to others; she had to... preserve herself.

This thought was stronger than ever before.

But how could she find a way to survive in the cracks between the Northern Border and Western Liang, between her family and Luo Feng?

Continuing would surely lead to death, and the Dou and Fu families only saw interests, even being blinded by the interests of Western Liang.

If she told the truth, she feared the Dou and Fu families would be the first to not let her go, so this path was blocked!

Defect to Luo Feng?

Once this bold thought arose, it could no longer be suppressed.

Luo Feng was a great general of the Northern Border, a confidant of Jiang Jinshi, and one of the true controllers of Chang'an at this moment, and even the future Guanzhong.

He seemed to have already seen through the schemes of the Dou family and Western Liang.

Continuing to work for the Dou family and Western Liang was a dead end.

If she could play along, turn the fake into reality, and truly gain Luo Feng's trust, or even... become his person, then regardless of the outcome for the Dou family and Western Liang, she could at least gain a glimmer of survival on the Northern Border's side.

The risk was immense.

Luo Feng might not believe her at all and instead view her as an even more dangerous pawn.

This move was also equivalent to betraying her family and her uncle; once leaked, she would die without a burial place.

But... this was the only chance to survive, and perhaps even change her fate.

If she gambled, there might be a chance for survival.

And... deep in her heart, she was not entirely without affection for that general who seemed clumsy but occasionally revealed a resolute nature.

Compared to the calculations of Dou Wen and the others, the straightforwardness of a soldier in Luo Feng made her feel a hint of... reality.

But how could she let Luo Feng perceive her thoughts next?

She could not do nothing! If she waited until everything was settled, it would be too late to explain!

So she must reveal some things before Western Liang made its move, letting Luo Feng feel that she was on the side of the Ming Army; only then would there be a chance!