After transmigrating into the book, I helped my mother reconcile with her divorced husband.

Chapter 395 Another Change is Coming

Then, Xiao Yebai told Suoya an even more devastating truth: her parents were not saved by the Princess at all, but by Lu Zhiyuan.

Soya's parents were both herdsmen who were displaced by war. Her father died in the war, and her mother struggled to escape with her and her younger sister. They were separated by fleeing refugees, and Soya eventually made her way to the palace.

Just a month before Soya entered the palace, her younger sister developed a high fever. To save her daughter, Soya's mother had to sacrifice herself, but she was deceived. The man took advantage of her without giving her any money and even passed on his venereal disease to her.

Before encountering the Xie family, she had gone to the Princess's residence seeking help with her daughter, only to be brutally beaten by the princess's men and thrown onto the street. The so-called token was something she had dropped at the princess's residence during that time. Because of its unique design and apparent value, it was picked up by a servant of the princess's household.

Soya's mother and sister were both rescued by the Xie family. They lived in the Xie family's clinic for more than half a year, and almost everyone who went to the Xie family's clinic saw the mother and daughter. They learned cooking and medicine at the clinic, and because they did not want to return to their homeland, they stayed in the orphanage run by the Xie family.

"That was a favor from the Xie family, what does it have to do with her?"

Soya pointed at Lu Zhiyuan.

Lu Zhiyuan blinked: "Let me introduce myself. My surname is Lu and my name is Lu Zhiyuan. You may not have heard of my name, but you must have heard of my maternal grandfather and mother. My maternal grandfather was Xie Yuandao, the Pillar General of Beiliang, who was known as the Butcher, and my mother was Xie Chaoyun, the General Who Pacifies the Border, who was known as the General of Yun. As for me? I am the precious darling they cherished."

If someone else were to introduce them, she would think it was pretentious and feel like punching them. But when she introduced them herself, she felt incredibly proud. They were her maternal grandfather and her mother; their achievements and contributions to Beiliang should be known by more people.

"You say you are General Xie's daughter?" Soya's voice trembled. "No, you can't be her. She is the Crown Princess of Beiliang and could not possibly be here."

“The world is vast and full of wonders. Besides, Ye Bai and I are old acquaintances. What’s wrong with me coming to Nan Chu to help him?” As he spoke, he flicked a pill onto Soya.

The pill exploded with a "bang," and white powder instantly enveloped Soya. When the powder dissipated, Soya was frozen on the ground, unable to speak or move, with only his two eyeballs moving in their sockets.

"Don't worry, it's just a little medicine, it should last about seven or eight days." Lu Zhiyuan counted on her fingers: "Now that you know my background, I should kill you. But I'm kind-hearted and don't want to commit any more murders in the Southern Chu palace."

"Sweetie, lie down for seven or eight days. Once Ye Bai and I have finished what we wanted to do, we'll let you go and reunite with your mother and sister."

Soya's eyes were full of distrust; she believed that Lu Zhiyuan wanted to starve her to death.

The next second, Lu Zhiyuan said, "Find two meticulous nannies to take care of her three meals a day, as well as her bathing and changing clothes."

Xiao Yebai waved his hand, and the guards carried Suoya away.

The princess's men waited outside the palace until midnight before leaving.

After an incense stick had burned a while, the man knocked on the gate of the Princess's residence and was led to a side room by the gatekeeper. The Princess knelt there with her back to the door. On the table in front of her were more than a dozen nameless longevity tablets, and in front of each tablet was a silver lock engraved with the words "Peace and safety year after year".

The eldest princess didn't turn around, but coldly asked in a voice devoid of any emotion, "Failed?"

"It should be!" the man replied. "But we need to plan the next steps!"

"What do you think?" The princess suddenly turned around, startling the man who took a few steps back. Just as he was about to look up, he heard the princess say sharply, "Do you want to wait for that scoundrel Xiao Yebai to come and take my head?"

The man took a few steps back: "I'll go right away!"

The princess closed her eyes with satisfaction: "Do not make any more mistakes. Your life, and my life, are all in your hands."

The man raised his eyes to look at the princess's back, as if trying to etch her into his heart.

Moonlight streamed into the side room and fell upon the eldest princess, who muttered to herself, "They're all fools!"

A storm was brewing, and even ordinary people felt the inexplicable, oppressive atmosphere pervading the capital. First, the number of patrols on the streets increased; then, the number of funeral processions surged, with one appearing almost every hour. Among them were high-ranking officials, wealthy merchants, street vendors, and ordinary people struggling to make ends meet. Their coffins varied in quality and size, and the funeral processions themselves differed, but what they all shared was an expression of fear on their faces.

It's hard to pinpoint exactly when, but now only a handful of shops remain open on the street. With fewer shops welcoming customers, fewer people stroll along the street. From dawn till noon, you might only see about ten people at most, and they're all walking briskly.

A gust of wind blew by, and the paper money scattered on the street was swept into the Xie family's restaurant. The waiter quickly closed the door, but a few pieces still drifted in.

"What bad luck! I don't know what's wrong with this city?"

The young shop assistant muttered as he collected the paper money that had rolled into the door, planning to scatter it again once the wind died down.

In the corner, a young man who looked like a scholar suddenly opened his fan: "I've heard that several high-ranking officials have died in court these past few days. One of them was a distant relative of the Empress Dowager, two others were key ministers who assisted my king, and another was a retainer of the Eldest Princess, who was recommended by the Eldest Princess to serve in the court. Coincidentally, of these people, only the Eldest Princess's retainer died a violent death."

The young waiter leaned closer: "Is this a prelude to targeting the Princess?"

"No, in my opinion, this wave is aimed at my king." The scholar closed his fan: "As everyone knows, my king was once a hostage in Beiliang and has no foundation in Nanchu. The reason my king was able to ascend the throne was because of the Empress Dowager's influence. Of course, my king's power should not be underestimated, and my king is indeed a wise ruler. However, this is only the opinion of the common people. As far as the nobles are concerned, my king's bloodline is not pure."

The young waiter shushed him, "That's outrageous! Be careful you don't get caught by those people outside."

The scholar followed the waiter's gaze and glanced outside, just in time to see a pair of patrolling soldiers walking past the restaurant. He shrugged casually and said nonchalantly, "I just said what those people dared not say."

He stood up, patted his folding fan, and walked up to the shopkeeper. "The future of Southern Chu is about to change again. I wonder who Shopkeeper Xie favors to win? As for me, the Xie family naturally supports our king."

The shopkeeper smiled but didn't answer. After the scholar left, he signaled to his assistant to send someone to follow him. He felt the scholar was strange, unlike an ordinary person. The young lady was still in Southern Chu; nothing could go wrong.

Just in case, he wrote a letter and had the young shop assistant deliver it to Lu Yun.