Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Regretful farewell is also one of them. ...

Another day passed, and it was the customary time for the physician to enter the harem to check the emperor's pulse.

But today, is a little different from usual.

When I came to check on his pulse, I was in Xie Guijun's Penglai Palace.

Ji Lian didn't know why Xie Helan frequently called him to play chess and drink tea, but while playing chess, Guijun would confide in him some personal matters, such as what would happen if Xie Tingyu really brought back a gentle man as the opera sang.

"If this is true, what should we do?" Guijun frowned, obviously looking very distressed.

Ji Lian pulled out a white handkerchief from her sleeve, wiped the tea stains from her fingertips, and gently advised, "As an outsider, how can I interfere in matters of love? But if that day ever comes, why not ask Grand Tutor Xie to make the decision, and then Brother Xie to persuade them. Give him some gold, silver, and land, and send him off. The right and wrong of this matter..." He lowered his eyes and casually fiddled with his sleeve, "Madam Xie will make the wise decision."

"You are very thoughtful." The gentleman looked relieved and nodded in approval.

The two of them talked like this, as if they had really foreseen that when Xie Tingyu returned, she would be holding the hand of a handsome man with a slightly bulging belly.

At this moment, the palace servant standing by the side caught a glimpse of a figure moving outside the palace, and hurriedly raised his hand to push aside the hanging pearl curtain.

Just as the sound of bells and bracelets jingled, the person approached with a light lotus-like step, shook hands and saluted, "May your Majesty be well, and may the Emperor be well."

Xie Helan looked closely and saw the man in front of him carrying a medicine box. He was wearing a moon-white robe with wide sleeves embroidered with silver patterns. His whole demeanor was as cold as frost, just like a snow lotus on a high mountain.

He recognized this person; it was Yuan Fuxue, the third son of the Runan Yuan family. They had previously encountered each other from a distance several times at palace banquets.

The tea in Ji Lian's throat suddenly stagnated the moment he saw Yuan Fuxue, neither rising nor falling. He covered his lips and coughed lightly, but his eyes lingered on the face of the Third Young Master Yuan without changing his expression.

"Why is Mr. Yuan Sanlang here to check on An Ping's pulse today?" Xie Helan asked in a gentle voice.

Yuan Fuxue politely replied, "My master is ill and has requested leave from the Imperial Physician's Office. I have the audacity to take his pulse on his behalf."

"That's fine. Since the Emperor is here, I'll have Third Young Master Yuan take your pulse."

Yuan Fuxue took out the pulse pillow from the medicine box slowly and placed it on the table. He waited for him to cover Xie Helan with a silk handkerchief and placed three fingers lightly on his wrist.

"A few days ago, I heard father say," Xie Helan suddenly said, "that you and Tingyu went to visit and comfort the refugees in the city."

Ji Lianyin's finger bones in her sleeves suddenly tightened.

Yuan Fuxue's mind was completely focused on taking the pulse. After removing his fingers, he picked up a pen to write down the pulse and then replied, "That's right. I happened to meet Madam Xie that day, and she invited me to go with her."

This statement was indeed true. It was indeed Xie Tingyu who took the initiative to say that he would protect him and go with him.

The speaker may not intend it, but the listener may take it seriously.

So the silk handkerchief tucked into Xie Tingyu's lapel was really taken from Yuan Fuxue.

Ji Lian's eyes moved to the silk handkerchief on Xie Helan's wrist bone. It was faintly embroidered with dark patterns in silver thread, which was exactly the same as the silk handkerchief that night.

When it was Yuan Fuxue's turn to take Ji Lian's pulse, the Imperial Highness personally took out a silk handkerchief from his sleeve and politely refused Yuan Fuxue's.

Upon seeing this, Yuan Fuxue paused and couldn't help but look at Ji Lian for a few times.

Xie Helan's eyes moved meaningfully between Ji Lian and Yuan Fuxue, but he said nothing.

"Your Highness, your pulse..." Yuan Fuxue frowned slightly and asked with concern, "Six beats per breath, and the frequency is increasing. Your Highness, have you been having trouble sleeping lately and often experiencing palpitations?"

This wasn't just a palpitation; it was clearly provoked by the words just now. No matter what it was, once it involved Xie Tingyu, it would disturb his mind.

Ji Lian withdrew his hand and spat out three words coldly, "I don't have it."

Yuan Fuxue paused his writing, vaguely sensing that there seemed to be a hint of confrontation in the words of the Emperor in front of him.

Xie Helan coughed lightly and took a sip of tea, as if he didn't hear the conversation between the two gentlemen.

After he packed up his medicine box, he heard the noble man say, "It seems that Madam Yuan Er is also on this expedition to the Taihang Mountains?"

"That's right." Yuan Fuxue carefully smoothed the straps of the medicine box. "My sister has volunteered to be the vanguard, and mother has approved. As for me, I will accompany her as a military medical officer."

A handsome man.

Military medical officer.

Ji Lian slowly raised her eyes and fixed her gaze on Yuan Fuxue without any concealment.

Xie Helan was quite surprised when he heard this. "Going on a military expedition is arduous, but you, a mere gentleman, are not afraid of the hardships of sleeping in the open air?"

Yuan Fuxue stood with his robes lowered. "My sister is indeed responsible for failing to supervise the refugees. This expedition can be considered as a way to atone for her sins. I am accompanying her to do my bit and to express my loyalty to Your Majesty on behalf of the Yuan family. This is just a small effort, not worth mentioning."

After these words were spoken, Ji Lian and Xie Helan both showed a little more respect for him.

Ji Lian concealed the dark look in her eyes, stood up, straightened her crown and sleeves, and bowed solemnly to Yuan Fuxue, "Mr. Yuan, you are so kind and righteous. This journey has been hard. I hope you take care."

After Yuan Fuxue left, Ji Lian also stood up and said goodbye and returned to Posa Pavilion.

Ji Lian clenched his hands and paced back and forth in the main hall of Posa Pavilion, from the east window to the west wall, his steps anxious. His fingertips tapped rhythmically on the table, and he thought, "What else can I do for her? I can't let Yuan Lang outdo me."

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Within Jiankang, the people knew the army was about to march, and a chilling, murderous atmosphere enveloped the city. In the streets and alleys, peddlers and women were all discussing the matter. Wandering around the city gates, one could occasionally hear the cries of battle and the clashing of weapons emanating from the martial arts arena on the outskirts of the city.

Xie Tingyu has been very busy recently.

Every day at the hour of Mao, before daybreak, Xie Tingyu would have already organized the Xieyuan Palace soldiers and marched towards the Sirong Palace in the morning light. It was not until the lights faded at the hour of Xu that she and Wang Lanzhi returned side by side.

In the twilight, she glanced sideways at Wang Lanzhi's silhouette, and occasionally felt as if she had returned to twelve years ago. Back then, she and Wang Zhuozhang were also like this, morning bells and evening drums, inseparable.

Behind the screen, Wei Fenghua stood there with his hands hanging down.

In the dim candlelight, Xie Tingyu approached, water dripping from her chin. Her damp hair stuck to her thin cheeks, glistening in the candlelight. "What's going on?" She raised her hand to wipe the water from her neck.

"The eldest son hopes that the young master will come to the palace to have a chat tomorrow. He wants to say goodbye to you in person as he is about to go to war."

Xie Tingyu was shocked to realize that he had not been to the palace for more than ten days. He wondered how Ji Lian had been doing during this period.

"I will go to the palace tomorrow afternoon. Please reply."

At 1:15 PM the next day, Xie's luxurious carriage stopped at the palace gate. Xie Tingyu stepped steadily down on the horse stool, had the fish talisman verified by the Jinwu Guards, and then walked along the familiar palace road to Penglai Palace.

Xie Helan personally welcomed Xie Tingyu into the palace and talked to her for a long time, in which he kept asking her to take care of her health and eat on time.

"I'm the one going to the battle, but you seem to be much more nervous than me, brother." Xie Tingyu laughed, picked up the chestnut cake on the table and stuffed it into his mouth.

Xie Helan gestured to the palace servant to go to the small kitchen to get a few more boxes of cakes, and said angrily, "Brother and sister are like one. I am worried about you. Is that wrong?"

"However," Xie Helan said casually, "Do you have any plans before you go on this expedition? For example, saying goodbye to someone?"

These words brought back memories for Xie Tingyu. That was the year he went out on his first expedition. The three armies marched out of the Jiankang city gate in formation, with the people lining the streets to see them off, drums and music blaring, a scene of great excitement and fervor.

After looking around, she rode to Wang Zhuozhang's side, raised her eyebrows and asked with a smile, "Why don't I see your husband? Did they have a fight, so he didn't come to see you off?"

Wang Zhuozhang sighed slightly, "We said goodbye last night. He cried in my arms for a long time. I didn't let him come over this morning because I was afraid he couldn't stop crying."

He then took out a half-broken Shuangluan Xianshou mirror from his bosom. As his fingertips brushed across the cracks, Wang Zhuozhang's eyes were filled with affection as he murmured, "Looking up at the bright moon, I send my love to the thousand-mile light. My lover is like the light in the mirror, and I will follow you to the ends of the earth."

At this point, Wang Zhuozhang glanced at the person beside him and, for the first time, retorted to her, "How can someone like you, who comes and goes without any worries, understand the feeling of being missed by others? Hey, how can you understand this? You're really talking to a cow."

"Hey! No, Wang Zhuozhang, what do you mean?" She dragged out her voice and pretended to push Wang Zhuozhang's shoulder.

Wang Zhuozhang tilted his body to avoid her attack.

The two looked at each other and laughed out loud.

His eyes fell on the chestnut cake on the table, and Xie Tingyu hummed softly, "I said goodbye to my mother and father last night, and today I came to say goodbye to my brother. There's no one who needs me to come and say goodbye again."

After staying a little longer, Xie Tingyu emerged from Penglai Hall, leaving with the palace attendant who led the way. The path she had taken when she arrived was different from the path she would take when she left the palace. Whether intentionally or not, the palace attendant led her through the gate of the Posa Pavilion.

Looking up at the three large characters written in official script on the vermilion plaque, she felt a faint sense of anticipation and suddenly stopped: "Wait a minute."

The palace attendant stood still with her head bowed. Xie Tingyu turned to the Jinwu Guards on duty in front of the pavilion and asked, "Your Highness, can you rest inside?"

The guards all shook their heads, and one of them clasped his fists and said, "Your Excellency, the Emperor left the palace three days ago and has not returned yet."

Before I asked, I already had several guesses in my mind, and regretfully being mistaken was one of them.

Xie Tingyu nodded, turned around and left with a normal expression, and then walked towards the palace gate with the palace servants.

Just as Xie Tingyu was about to duck into the carriage, a royal carriage with red wheels and a gorgeous canopy was slowly passing by, with brocade curtains hanging low, and was winding its way into the palace gate.

After the palace servant returned, he reported to Xie Helan everything that happened on the way, remembering the noble lord's instructions before leaving, "see if Lord Xie has entered the Posa Pavilion and stayed there for a while", and confidently reported that Xie Tingyu just laughed a few words with the Jinwu Guards and then left.

Xie Helan was puzzled after hearing this and thought: "Could it be that I misunderstood? My sister doesn't have that kind of feelings for Ji Lian? Could it really be a mosquito bite? Did I see it wrongly?"

Five days later, the imperial court officially issued a proclamation to attack the Black Mountain Army, and the army was scheduled to set out on July 12.

Three days and nights before the expedition, a set of black iron armor in the style of a cavalry captain was delivered to the Changhaoyuan of the Xie Mansion.

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The author has something to say: Looking up at the bright moon, I express my feelings to the light thousands of miles away --- "Midnight Song of the Four Seasons: Autumn Wind Enters the Window" by an anonymous author from the Northern and Southern Dynasties