"She, she definitely can't get out of bed for now, at least walking is inconvenient..." Yu Qingchuan's old face blushed, wishing he could escape from this world.
Everyone: ...
It wasn't until the afternoon that Yu Qingchuan, supporting a slightly recovered Tamamo-no-Mae, sat down in his room.
When Liang Xiao and Zhuo Zifang arrived, they sat at the door, appraising the astonishingly brave maiden.
Tamamo-no-Mae's face was flushed, and she lowered her head, never daring to meet their gaze, let alone look at Yu Qingchuan, lest anyone ask her about the incident of drugging Yu Qingchuan again.
"Can I interpret this as you have indeed fallen in love with my sixth senior brother and are expressing your stance to us through this?" Liang Xiao asked.
Tamamo-no-Mae then spoke, "As expected of the Marquis of An of Great Gan..."
"Sixth Senior Brother told me that you intend to pledge allegiance to Great Gan and become 'Yu Zao' of Great Gan, no longer 'Tamamo-no-Mae' of Izumo?"
Tamamo-no-Mae nodded solemnly, "Yes, after him, with my surname..."
Liang Xiao couldn't help but tsk-tsk, making Yu Qingchuan and Tamamo-no-Mae lower their heads in embarrassment.
"I can see that you are a genius meticulously trained by Izumo. Can mere love make you betray Izumo?" Zhuo Zifang asked.
Tamamo-no-Mae immediately told them the truth.
It turned out that Tamamo-no-Mae's family was wiped out when she was five years old by enemies who accused them of treason, and her parents were also scourged by the entire nation's condemnation.
However, the Emperor intervened and spared her life, calling it "misfortune does not extend to descendants."
Tamamo-no-Mae, in her ignorance, only knew that the Emperor's mercy saved her life. Relying on her own intelligence and beauty, she became a dancer rigorously trained by the Emperor, proficient in Great Gan culture, all for the purpose of one day crossing the oceans, like the legends of the past in that land, such as Daji, Bao Si, and Mei Xi, to sow discord in the court and seek benefits for Izumo.
Because Izumo already possessed shipbuilding technology but had barren land, it had long coveted Great Gan, hoping to occupy Great Gan's territory one day.
But when Tamamo-no-Mae was fifteen, a family retainer who had escaped under the command of Tamamo-no-Mae's father learned that Tamamo-no-Mae was alive and safe. He found her with her parents' tokens and letters and revealed the truth to her.
It turned out that Tamamo-no-Mae's ancestors were from a prominent clan in the Great Zhou Dynasty. When the Great Zhou Dynasty collapsed, they had hidden some treasures that they could not move in a certain place in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Later, they crossed the oceans and came to Izumo, becoming the prominent clan "Higashino" in Izumo.
However, the news of this treasure was accidentally discovered by the Emperor, who demanded that Tamamo-no-Mae's father hand it over.
Considering that the treasure location also contained several maps of mineral deposits, jade, gold mines, and silver mines in various parts of that land, which were related to the national fortune of that land, Tamamo-no-Mae's father only submitted a fake treasure map. As a result, he was reported by Ito Masamune, a confidant the Emperor had placed beside him for over a decade, disguised as a retainer of "Higashino Masamune"!
After confiscating the Higashino clan, the Emperor reaped a fortune and, to silence the witnesses, fabricated an excuse to eliminate another family that had helped him destroy the Higashino clan, thereby securing Tamamo-no-Mae's loyalty.
Ito Masamune then resumed his identity and rose rapidly.
After the retainer handed the real treasure map to Tamamo-no-Mae, his wish was fulfilled. Knowing that he was old and frail and did not want to be a burden to Tamamo-no-Mae, he chose to commit suicide to prove his resolve, hoping only that Tamamo-no-Mae would not forget her hatred!
Tamamo-no-Mae hid her inner hatred and pretended to know nothing, playing the role of a loyal dancer and dealing with the Emperor.
She also requested to preserve her chastity, citing that "only by remaining pure can one gain the utmost favor of the powerful figures of Great Gan." Coupled with the Emperor's advanced age and his declining physical abilities in marital matters, and his unwillingness to see other people from Izumo possess Tamamo-no-Mae, she was able to preserve her virginity.
It wasn't until this year, when Tamamo-no-Mae came of age and possessed the allure to ruin nations, that she was able to accompany Ito Masamune to Great Gan.
Originally, the Emperor's target was the Emperor of Great Gan. However, the Emperor of Great Gan was not in a hurry to select concubines, so Ito Masamune turned his attention to Liang Xiao, the rising star of Great Gan.
The subsequent event at the Jiangnan Spring Banquet was Ito Masamune's first probe, and incidentally, to avenge his brother who had died because of Liang Xiao.
It wasn't until she met Yu Qingchuan that Tamamo-no-Mae was convinced that Liang Xiao was a master worth pledging allegiance to, and Yu Qingchuan was the person she could entrust her life to.
Yu Qingchuan listened to Tamamo-no-Mae's tearful account, first shocked, then heartbroken.
Liang Xiao and Zhuo Zifang exchanged glances, both seeing the shock in each other's eyes.
Higashino was indeed one of the ancient surnames of Great Gan, originating from the Ji surname. Later, the culture of this land flowed to Izumo, and Izumo also had these surnames, which are verifiable.
Tamamo-no-Mae finally rolled up her sleeves, tore open a section from inside, and took out a roll of ancient parchment, handing it to Liang Xiao: "This is our ancestors' treasure map. From now on, it will be handled by the Marquis of An. Our ancestral teachings are to never betray this land, even if it has undergone dynastic changes, the blood flowing through us is ultimately of this nation."
Liang Xiao took the treasure map and, along with Zhuo Zifang, browsed through it. His face stiffened: "It's actually hidden in such a damn place..."
The treasure map was indeed ancient, which Liang Xiao could discern.
But what truly shocked Zhuo Zifang was that the Higashino clan could have drifted to Izumo!
According to some historical records left by the Great Zhou Dynasty, the Higashino clan was indeed once a prominent clan of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and some members of the clan had served as Prime Ministers, the Three Excellencies, and Great Generals.
However, given that the He family of the Great Zhou Dynasty had been able to cross the oceans to the "overseas solitary state" and befriend the Senra people, and even return to Great Gan with three new crops, Liang Xiao could accept the matter of the Higashino clan.
Tamamo-no-Mae explained: "Because the few topographical maps of mountains and rivers stored within cover many important secrets of this land, our ancestors knew that it would be difficult for them to return to this land and were also worried that these maps would be obtained by the Emperor, so they did not make copies to bring to Izumo. If these mineral deposits and treasures were stolen, it would be a great loss to this land."
"Then how did you persuade Ito Masamune to let you come?" Zhuo Zifang asked in surprise.
"I just said that it would be easier to start from Qingchuan, and I also told him that this trip might damage his reputation. He doesn't know that I've discovered the truth of that year, so he didn't suspect anything, just said it was for the Emperor."
Tamamo-no-Mae replied, then reminded them: "Also, Izumo has contacted the barbarians. They are just waiting for an opportunity to invade Great Gan together. Ito Masamune should be on his way to visit the Great Liang Kingdom and the Peacock Dynasty. He has already visited the Southern King and the Grand Tutor, but he refused to tell me what they discussed. I was afraid he would be suspicious, so I didn't dare to ask more."
Zhuo Zifang looked at Liang Xiao for his opinion.
Liang Xiao pondered for a moment and nodded, "I believe your words, but you are a smart person, and you should also understand that matters of state cannot be resolved with just a word of trust."
Tamamo-no-Mae understood and said solemnly, "I am willing to accept the guardianship of the Marquis of An! Izumo is far overseas, and the Emperor is also nearing death. I do not expect Great Gan to avenge me, I only ask that the Marquis of An not let me leave Qingchuan..."
Yu Qingchuan almost suffocated.
He never expected that not only did he become involved with Tamamo-no-Mae in a muddled state, but he also inadvertently brought such unexpected gains to Liang Xiao.
Liang Xiao slapped his thigh and said, "Good! From now on, there will be no more 'Tamamo-no-Mae' of Izumo in this world, only 'Yu Zao' of Great Gan! Find a time, and you will quietly go with sixth senior brother to find Prefect He. I will send someone to notify him in advance to get you a Jinling household registration first."
"As for this treasure..."