Chapter 136 I have a hair loss remedy, do you want it? ...

Xie Qingyu closed the door and quietly stepped in. After hesitating for a moment, she finally sat down opposite Qi Yan and said, "Madam, I...I have something I'd like to discuss with you..."

Qi Yan looked away from her son and smiled faintly at Xie Qingyu, "Husband, please speak your mind, I am listening."

For years, she remained gentle and compliant, no matter what Xie Qingyu said to her or what unreasonable demands he made, she was always so gentle and quiet, as if she had a naturally good temper.

Xie Qingyu was gentle, and she seemed even gentler than him.

Xie Qingyu's hands, resting on her lap, tightened slightly. "This matter is of utmost importance..."

"Yes, I believe that my husband is decisive in his actions, and I will listen to him." Qi Yan nodded, her eyes crinkling, and then shifted the focus back to Xie Qingyu.

Xie Qingyu felt utterly powerless. He had clearly said that this matter was of utmost importance, yet she remained completely indifferent, letting him make all the decisions for her.

“Wei Li has sent troops to the Xianbei, and I want to lend him a hand.” Xie Qingyu’s long eyelashes trembled slightly as she subconsciously glanced at Qi Yan’s expression.

Her smile remained unchanged, as if what he had just said wasn't about using the Yongzhou army, but simply about discussing what to eat for tomorrow night.

"Mm." Qi Yan nodded, indicating that she understood, and then thoughtfully added, "Then husband, please be careful."

An unexpected crack appeared on Xie Qingyu's handsome face. His fingers tightened and loosened, then tightened again. He took a deep breath and repeated, "I said I was assisting Wei Li, but I might not necessarily gain any benefit from this."

How could she react like that?

Qi Yan didn't understand why he was repeating himself. Was it because her answer wasn't considerate enough? She thought about it carefully, but no, her answer was the epitome of a virtuous wife and loving mother. She was both obedient and showed her concern for him. What could he possibly be dissatisfied with?

She had no choice but to add a few more words, "When does my husband plan to leave? I'll pack your luggage in advance. Don't worry about things at home, I'll take good care of Yulin."

Xie Qingyu suddenly felt a sense of powerlessness welling up from the bottom of her heart.

Is Qi Yan's gentle and virtuous nature good? Honestly, yes, it is good, the best thing could be.

Over the years, she has excelled in both social interactions and domestic affairs, handling everything with ease and leaving no room for criticism. She is obedient to her parents-in-law, raises her children, and is incredibly devoted and understanding towards him. She is also skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and needlework. There is no more perfect daughter-in-law in the world.

But he always felt something was wrong for no reason.

No matter what he said or did, Qi Yan remained the same. Her eyes shone when she looked at him, filled with admiration at all times. Anyone who saw her would think that she loved and worshipped him, and even Xie Qingyu himself initially thought so.

But as time went on, she seemed to maintain that distance. Sometimes Xie Qingyu wanted to take things a step further with her, but she used this unchanging attitude to build a high wall between them. No matter how Xie Qingyu communicated and got along, she was always the same, giving people a sense of powerlessness, like punching cotton.

He could still clearly sense whether someone loved him or not; it seemed that Qi Yan was just playing the role of someone who loved him.

True love is definitely not like her—no arguing, no complaining, and unconditionally giving in and tolerating.

"Is there anything else you want to say, my husband?" Qi Yan noticed that Xie Qingyu's expression was not good. Perhaps her words just now had not touched his heart.

Aren't you going to ask me why I did this?

"My husband has his reasons for doing things," Qi Yan replied with words she knew by heart.

She used Xie Qingyu's influence to get revenge on her biological father's family; Xie Qingyu needed a wife who was quiet, capable of everything, and she could do just that, which was a way of repaying him.

Xie Qingyu forced a smile, feeling as if a heavy stone had been placed on her heart.

Before telling Qi Yan about this, he even presumptuously imagined many of her reactions.

There was no shock or disbelief, no tears of reluctance, but none of that happened...

He was even worried that she might be petty and jealous, thinking that he was only helping Wei Li because of Zhao Xiheng.

Xie Qingyu wanted to rush out the door for a moment, but he felt that there were some things he wanted to say but couldn't. He felt suffocated. "I assisted Wei Li for no other reason than that Emperor Huiwu and my father were sworn brothers. As his nephew, it was only right for me to help him avenge his father. I am very sorry for what happened back then. It was not for any other reason."

Qi Yan listened quietly, then nodded to indicate that she understood.

Xie Qingyu was both unwilling and saddened, but even after he had given her such a hint, she remained unmoved. Was Qi Yan's heart really made of stone? He hadn't been able to warm it up even after all these years.

"Qi Yan..." This was the first time in so many years that Xie Qingyu had called Qi Yan by her full name.

Qi Yan couldn't help but feel a jolt in her heart.

Xie Qingyu's deep and melancholy gaze was filled with emotions she couldn't understand.

"Qi Yan, wait for me to come back, let's have a good talk." Xie Qingyu flicked her sleeves, frowned, and left.

Qi Yan couldn't help but frown deeply. Xie Qingyu had become increasingly difficult to understand lately. Couldn't he just give her a hint about what he wanted to say or how he wanted her to behave? That way, she could do as he said.

"Mother! Do you think I'm pretty?" Four-year-old Xie Yulin suddenly exclaimed.

Qi Yan felt uneasy. When she was talking to Xie Qingyu just now, it seemed too quiet. When Xie Yulin became quiet, it was definitely not a good thing.

She hurried towards the direction from which the sound came, and saw Xie Yulin clumsily imitating how she usually did her hair and makeup, pinning flowers in her hair and applying rouge to her cheeks, before asking her, "Mother, do I look pretty?"

Qi Yan couldn't help but sigh and rub her forehead. She squatted down, beckoned to him, wiped the rouge off his face, took off the silk flower, and scolded, "Don't touch these things anymore."

When she was with Xie Qingyu, she was as still as a stagnant pool. But now, when she was with the child, that stagnant pool came alive.

To be fair, Xie Yulin is a very beautiful child, inheriting all the best features from his parents. Perhaps because of his young age, he has some feminine features and a delicate appearance. With a little dressing up, he looks like a refined little girl.

Xie Qingyu seemed angry with Qi Yan, and left quietly without even asking her to see him off.

Three days after he left, Qi Yan received a letter left for her by Xie Qingyu.

Originally, Xie Qingyu wanted to wait until he returned to have a proper talk with Qi Yan, but he didn't know if he would be too shocked to speak when he returned and faced Qi Yan's unchanging face, so he simply wrote her a letter instead.

The two of them were now far apart, giving them enough space and time to think.

Qi Yan opened the letter.

This is probably the most straightforward and explicit thing Xie Qingyu has ever written in her life.

Qi Yan finished reading, and her facial features all scrunched up.

Xie Qingyu wants to talk to her about feelings?

This is a difficult problem. She can do everything, except love.

Has her acting deteriorated lately? Did Xie Qingyu realize she doesn't love him anymore? That shouldn't be the case; she's always been careful to measure the depth of her affection when she looks at Xie Qingyu.

Wei Li's military campaign against the Xianbei was arguably the biggest event of the past decade.

The Xianbei had dominated the north for many years. When Zhao Xinglie was alive, he could still contend with them for a moment, but in the end, he was outmaneuvered and ended up being crushed to pieces.

Everyone remained still, observing the situation; they did not want to get involved.

If Wei Li can conquer the Xianbei, he will establish an undisputed position not only in the north but throughout the entire country.

The best outcome for them would be for Pingzhou and the Xianbei to both suffer heavy losses, giving them a chance to catch their breath.

The Xianbei king suffered from a chronic illness that was difficult to cure, yet he had refused to relinquish power to his son all these years. As a result, he is now seriously ill and still holds all the military and political power of the Xianbei in his hands.

The Xianbei prime minister, looking increasingly old, couldn't help but complain, "I advised Your Majesty earlier; if Wei Li is not eliminated, he will surely become a major threat."

"The only way now is to send our princes to fight them, so that they will know that we can kill Zhao Xinglie, and we can also kill Zhao Xinglie's son-in-law."

The Xianbei king's green eyes were murky and lifeless. He was arrogant back then, thinking that Zhao Xinglie was not Wei Li's biological father and would certainly not offend him for Zhao Xinglie's sake. But now, he has raised a tiger that has become a threat.

No one could have imagined that someone would actually dare to challenge them.

Eight or nine years ago, Wei Li's fighting style was extremely fierce and cruel, almost to the point of being reckless.

He doesn't care about other people's lives or his own, but over the years he has gradually become more stable, and sometimes even seems conservative.

When people have something to worry about, they cherish their lives even more.

Wei Li left in February, just in time for the lean season. Both sides were suffering from withered grass and fat horses, and the standoff almost reached a stalemate.

Xie Qingyu arrived in March to provide assistance, which broke this delicate balance.

"Hey, isn't this my brother? It's been so many years! I heard your son is already four years old?" As dinner smoke rose from the chimneys, Wei Li leaned on the fence, whistled towards the opposite camp, chewed on a sprig of foxtail grass, and teased Xie Qingyu in a nonchalant manner.

After Xie Qingyu got married, their two families only exchanged gifts during holidays, since their relationship was somewhat special and they had to avoid suspicion.

Xie Qingyu's white battle robe was covered in dust. He used a horse brush to sweep the dust off his clothes, and suddenly glanced at Wei Li. He was already twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, but he was still not steady enough.

He glanced at it, then glanced at it again, and finally couldn't help but ask, "Is your hair falling out a lot? I have a remedy for hair loss: boil 30 grams of arborvitae leaves, 30 grams of mulberry leaves, a little ginger, and a little ginseng leaves together and use the liquid to wash your hair..."

Wei Li's hair was noticeably thinner than when I saw him four or five years ago.

Xie Qingyu frowned, unable to contain her worry. He was so young and already bald; she wondered if he would pass it on to Zhizhi.

Wei Li's face turned pale. He spat out the foxtail grass in his mouth and cursed, "You're the one who's going bald! Your whole family is going bald!"