Chapter 142 Sword Tassel: She owes the Ji family nothing.

Inside the princess's bedchamber, the lights were on.

The two figures sat by the bed for an unknown amount of time, constantly watching the movements of the person on the bed.

As the blue ice crystal pattern on his forehead slowly disappeared, the person on the bed finally opened his tightly closed eyes, as if the pain had finally been relieved.

"The fever is almost gone, she should wake up tomorrow."

The silence in the hall was broken by a clear, calm voice.

Jiang Yuhuo gently placed the girl's hand back into the quilt.

She ultimately did not leave.

Xiao Jing's fever came on suddenly and was intense, lasting for three whole days.

The imperial physician and Zhou Sidao both came to examine her, but medicine was useless, and her spiritual energy couldn't soothe the fever either. Furthermore, her spiritual energy was tainted with fire element; using it now would only worsen her fever.

Just when everyone was at a loss, Jiang Yuhuo suddenly remembered the Ice Spirit Technique she had learned from Qingping and gave it a try.

Although it cannot be cured, the Ice Spirit Technique can greatly reduce fever, so people with fever will at least feel less uncomfortable. However, the Ice Spirit Technique has a limited duration; the hotter the body, the faster it dissipates. Therefore, Jiang Yuhuo stayed here for three days, using the Ice Spirit Technique to help her lower her fever every day.

Finally, on the third day, the heat subsided.

The empress, sitting opposite her, gave her a grateful look. "Thank you, Hongyu."

Upon hearing this name, Jiang Yuhuo frowned slightly.

Seeing the Empress's earnest expression and gratitude, she refrained from offering any explanation. Since Xiao Jing had fully recovered, she planned to visit her briefly after she woke up the next day and then return home.

Suddenly, the person on the bed turned over, revealing a red tassel that had been underneath them. The tassel was loose and shapeless, clearly only half-tied.

The Empress removed the tassel and handed it to a palace maid, lightly scolding, "Why weren't the items on the bed tidied up before the princess went to bed?"

The palace maid hurriedly knelt down. "Your Majesty, this was made on the couch by the silk thread that Her Highness the Princess sent over." She glanced at Jiang Yuhuo and said, "She said it was to be given to Her Highness the Eldest Princess as a sword tassel."

The bedroom fell silent again.

Jiang Yuhuo took the unfinished red tassel from the palace maid. The top of the tassel had a loop that could be tied somewhere. Its thickness and size were probably based on the Dingchun sword in her hand.

She woke up by the riverbank that day, and the Dingchun Sword was already in her hands. She originally wanted to give the sword to her master to take back to Kunlun, but her master said that the Dingchun Sword originally belonged to Bai Hui and did not belong to Kunlun. Spiritual weapons choose their masters, and now that it was in her hands, it was undoubtedly Bai Hui's doing. He told her to keep it and that if she found a more suitable sword in the future, she could exchange it for another one.

A more suitable sword had already been returned to its rightful owner, so this Dingchun Sword became her spiritual sword.

Xiao Jing was also present when she was talking to her master on the riverbank. Perhaps it was from that moment that she had the idea to tie a sword tassel for her.

Seeing her gazing at the tassel for a long time, the Empress chuckled, "Her handiwork isn't very good, so please don't be offended."

Jiang Yuhu shook her head. "No."

A person's heart is precious, and she will cherish it.

The Empress smiled and said, "Xiao Jing was my and His Majesty's first child. At that time, she had no younger siblings, and you were the closest to her in age. She was very close to you from a young age. Everyone doted on her, and she became a lawless person. Later, you... left. His Majesty and I didn't dare to tell her. We only said that you went to a very far place."

"At first, she kept insisting on going to see you and ran away a few times, but each time she was caught by Mr. Zhou before she got very far. Later, I don't know what Mr. Zhou said, but she finally behaved herself. His Majesty and I both thought that she would be fine once she grew up. But we never expected..."

The elegant and dignified woman sighed, "...She's not even grown up yet, and she's already getting married."

Jiang Yuhuo looked at the sleeping face on the bed without saying a word, but she could hear the Empress's unspoken meaning.

If marriage with a celestial sect is the only way out for the Great Zhou, then getting married is an unavoidable responsibility for Xiao Jing as a princess, just like that one a hundred years ago.

And she is Jiang Yuhuo, not Ji Hongyu.

She has already paid the price for this body; she owes the Ji family nothing.

"...At first, she was angry for a long time. One day, Mr. Zhou took her to the border. When she came back, she didn't say a word and locked herself in her room. When she came out again, she agreed, but made only one request: that the envoys take her with them when they went on missions, so that she could personally see the people of the three great families and see what the man she was going to marry looked like."

"I never expected that this visit would lead me to find you."

Jiang Yuhuo finally understood why she had met Xiao Jing at the Li family in Yanling.

Everything seemed to have been preordained, and the threads of fate had already drawn her into this arranged marriage.

Jiang Yuhuo asked, "Who from the Li family agreed to the marriage alliance?"

The Empress was taken aback; she had never previously paid attention to matters of marriage alliances…

"He is the young master of the Li family, named Li Mengbai."

The Empress recalled the messengers' report that the Li family of the Immortal Sect only had this one son left. It was said that he was the eldest son born to a concubine, but it seemed that he had disappeared many years ago.

Jiang Yuhuo thought she wouldn't hear this name for a long time. But in just over a month, she not only heard it again, but this person was also about to become Xiao Jing's husband.

The world is absurd, so absurd that she wanted to laugh.

Seeing her unusual expression, the Empress asked in confusion, "Hongyu knows him? Does he know what kind of person he is?"

Jiang Yuhu sneered, "He's not a good person after all."

*

On a moonless, starry night, someone comes from afar.

The leader, draped in a black cloak that covered him from head to toe, gracefully landed at the palace gate. As he revealed his token, the palace gate slowly opened, and the group entered the palace silently under the cover of night.

"Still unwilling?"

In the pitch-black palace, a tall and elegant figure stood.

The man ignored the person bowing behind him who was reporting, his gaze fixed on the window, tapping his palm with his folding fan intermittently.

Through the open window, one can see another brightly lit area.

The man seemed somewhat troubled. "Oh, I see... But the effects of the medicine are almost worn off."

"What should we do?"

The subordinate lowered his head, knowing that his master wasn't really asking him a question.

Sure enough, the man chuckled softly, "Then spread the word."

"yes."

The dark figure vanished into the pitch-black palace in an instant, scaled the palace walls, crossed the city gates, and headed straight for the camp outside the city.

The person inside the palace slowly raised their hand and placed it on their chest. Unlike the calmness on their face, the contents of their chest were already pounding violently.

The man looked up at his heart and asked himself, "Am I really that impatient?"

Gazing at the brightly lit palace not far away, the woman in the cloak, her face as beautiful as a peach blossom, unconsciously curled up the corners of her lips, her fingers gently tracing patterns in the air.

I really want to see you right now...

*

As expected, Xiao Jing woke up early the next morning.

Jiang Yuhuo was resting and recuperating when he heard the movement on the bed. He turned his head and saw that Xiao Jing had already opened her round eyes.

"Auntie, what are you doing here?" The person who had just woken up was obviously overjoyed and turned to hug Jiang Yuhuo's waist.

Jiang Yuhuo told her about her persistent high fever and three days of unconsciousness, but the person involved seemed somewhat bewildered, "Was my fever really that high? How could I have slept for so long?"

That night she felt a little feverish, but not to the point of being delirious, so she didn't take it seriously, thinking that she would be fine after a good night's sleep.

"You had a very high fever; I almost thought you weren't going to wake up." Jiang Yuhuo wasn't exaggerating. The imperial physician who came to treat her genuinely thought the princess was beyond saving. She then asked, "Are you really not feeling any discomfort?"

Jiang Yuhuo touched her forehead with concern.

She had indeed recovered completely, and her spirits were no different from usual. Jiang Yuhuo was relieved, but couldn't help feeling puzzled. The fever in her body had vanished like a receding tide overnight, leaving not a trace of discomfort. This was unlike a typical fever; it seemed more like something within her body had failed. She couldn't detect it.

"I don't feel anything. Oh no, have I fried my brain?"

Xiao Jing rubbed her head against her and said, "Auntie, your clothes are cool and comfortable. I want some too."

Jiang Yuhu chuckled, "Don't you have any?"

No.

Jiang Yuhu hesitated for a moment. Wasn't this prepared for her by the palace?

On her first day in the palace, she stayed in Ji Hongyu's bedchamber. When she woke up the next day, this outfit was placed beside her pillow. It was a white inner garment and a black outer robe, exactly the same as what she usually wore, except that she didn't know what material it was made of. The fabric was soft and cool to the touch. It fit her perfectly, almost as if it had been made to fit her figure.

At the time, she simply thought that this was the skill of the court weavers.

So that's not true.

She wouldn't be foolish enough to think that the Empress would give the finest fabrics to outsiders instead of her own precious daughter.

Moreover, this outfit was already placed by her pillow on the second day after she entered the palace; even if it were made on the spot, it wouldn't be that quick.

Previously, she had been preoccupied with Xiao Jing's fever, but now, thinking back, the outfit seemed to raise many questions.

Even the dream I had that night was suspicious.

Before she could think it through, the emperor and empress arrived.

The two thanked Jiang Yuhuo, then pulled their daughter into their arms to examine her carefully. Only after confirming that she was really alright did they hug her tightly, as if they had found her again after losing her.

The family was warm and affectionate, and very close.

Jiang Yuhuo stood to one side, feeling it was time to say goodbye.

She gave a slight bow and said, "In that case, I shall take my leave."

Xiao Jing quickly stopped her, "Auntie, wait a minute!"

Then he started rummaging through the bed, looking through the blankets and pillows.

Seeing her anxious expression, Jiang Yu conjured the Dingchun Sword and smiled slightly, "Is this it? If so, I've already got it."

Xiao Jing turned around in surprise.

The unfinished sword tassel had already been tied to the hilt by her aunt.

Knowing it was time to say goodbye, Xiao Jing didn't try to stop her. With red eyes, she murmured, "Then, Auntie, remember to come back and see me."

Jiang Yuhuo nodded.

The Empress looked at her with a hesitant expression, but ultimately said nothing more.

Jiang Yuhuo stepped out of the palace and was about to summon a bird when a hurried figure suddenly entered her field of vision.

A palace attendant came from the front hall, his steps hurried and flustered. Before he even reached the princess's bedchamber, he repeatedly called out, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

He practically stumbled into the hall in the end.

"How can you be so flustered? What kind of behavior is this!" the emperor rebuked sternly.

"What is it?"

The eunuch knelt down, panting heavily, and hurriedly answered before he could catch his breath.

"Urgent report from the front: The Emperor of Yong Kingdom has recently led a personal expedition. The army has already reached Jiuyou Mountain."