Chapter 28 Joy. She pursed her lips slightly.

The two were only half an inch apart, their noses almost touching.

Lu Songyuan's breath hit her face as he spoke, and Jing Hui looked straight into his eyes, remaining silent for a moment.

"say."

Jing Hui shook the hand that was pinching his chin, snapped back to reality, and patted Lu Songyuan's hand.

She looked to the side and said, "Let go of me."

"good."

Lu Songyuan didn't loosen his grip on Jing Hui's chin, but suddenly pulled away from her waist. Caught off guard, Jing Hui immediately slid down.

"Ah, Lu Songyuan!"

In her panic, Jing Hui reached out and was about to fall off the wheelchair when Lu Songyuan grabbed her again, pulled her back to him, and held her captive once more.

Pulled by inertia, Jing Hui nearly sat on Lu Songyuan's exposed stomach. She turned around in horror, and seeing that she was finally safe, she turned to glare at Lu Songyuan, "You bastard!"

Lu Songyuan leaned back in his wheelchair, glanced down at where Jing Hui was sitting, and then looked up at Jing Hui and said, "You told me to let go."

"despicable!"

"You haven't answered me yet."

Lu Songyuan gestured with his chin toward the door and asked, "Is this your good brother?"

"How about it?"

Jing Hui put her hands on Lu Songyuan's shoulders and glared at him, "No matter what, Lian Zhu will do his best to help me if I'm in trouble, unlike some people who are as hard as iron."

"Ha, really?"

Lu Songyuan chuckled, "Tell me what he did to help you."

"He helped me find..."

Jing Hui stopped abruptly after saying a few words. Seeing Lu Songyuan's teasing expression, a small flame immediately ignited in her eyes. "Why should I tell you? Put me down!"

Looking at Jing Hui's stubborn expression, Lu Songyuan recalled the scene of her standing in front of Lian Zhu earlier. He said, "What can he do for you? Jing Ning's matter? Does he have that ability?"

"What's it to you... only you have it."

Jing Hui feels sad whenever Jingning is mentioned.

With red eyes, she retorted to Lu Songyuan, "Whether he succeeds or not, at least he helped me. He's much better than someone like you who just sits around waiting to see me make a fool of myself!"

Lu Songyuan frowned as he looked at Jing Hui's indignant expression.

He meant to amuse people, but he didn't mean to make them cry.

He pursed his lips, moved his arms from around Jing Hui's waist up, opened them and pressed them against her back, pulling her towards him. Then he pinched Jing Hui's cheek with his other hand and shook it.

"You need to have the right attitude when you ask for help, don't you understand?"

He thought his tone was much gentler, but Jing Hui's eyes reddened even more after hearing it. "I don't understand."

Lu Songyuan paused, released his grip on her hand, and said, "Then forget it."

"Don't!"

Jing Hui swayed slightly, then quickly grabbed Lu Songyuan's arm with both hands. "Tell me, what do I have to do for you to help me?"

Lu Songyuan glanced at the arm pressing against her chest, leaned back in his chair, and said directly, "First, keep Lian Zhu away from you."

"What's so difficult about that?"

Jing Hui readily agreed, her expression brightening from gloomy to cheerful. A spark of excitement suddenly shone in her peach blossom eyes as she turned and called out towards the outside, "Ayu."

Upon hearing the sound, Ah Yu walked in. After only glancing at the two people's postures, she quickly bowed her head and asked, "What are your orders, Princess?"

"Go find Lianzhu now and tell him to stay away from me in the future."

"ah?"

Ayu looked up in confusion, saw Jing Hui's serious expression, and replied with her head down, "Yes, this servant will go right away!"

After Ayu left, Jing Hui raised her chin and looked at Lu Songyuan, "Anything else?"

"I'll think about it slowly when I'm happy."

Lu Songyuan raised the corners of his lips, "Anyway, there's no rush."

This was an extremely urgent matter for Jing Hui!

She took a deep breath, smiled at Lu Songyuan, and said through gritted teeth, "Yes—you decide, just tell me what you need."

"Old man?"

Lu Songyuan's smile froze, and his eyes narrowed dangerously.

Is he considered old man when he's only five years older than her?

Jing Hui was completely unaware of what was happening. She was drowsy during her period and had been busy all day. She was exhausted and covered her lips as she yawned before collapsing into Lu Songyuan's arms.

It's unclear what Lu Songyuan is made of, but even though he's wearing such thin clothes in winter, it feels like he has a furnace inside him, with heat gushing out. Jing Hui feels very comfortable holding him.

She didn't want to move, and forgot about what she had just agreed to. She instructed someone, "I'm sleepy. Take me back to bed and sleep. I'll talk about the rest when I wake up."

Her voice trailed off, and as soon as she finished speaking, her steady breathing came through, each breath hitting the side of Lu Songyuan's neck.

In winter, it gets dark early, and because of the snow, the snowflakes cover the night sky in a hazy mist.

The lights inside were turned on early in the morning.

Lu Songyuan looked down at Jing Hui.

The lamp in Jing Hui's study was specially made by Emperor Jingwen. The light was soft and did not hurt her eyes. When it shone on her sleeping face, it looked like a piece of white jade covered with a warm veil.

Lu Songyuan called out, "Azhu."

The person in his arms remained motionless.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and he tilted his head closer to Jing Hui, pressing his thin lips to her cheek, lingering there for a long time.

The light fell on his eyelashes, casting a small shadow. He lowered his eyes, seemingly lost in thought. After a while, Jing Hui, still feeling unwell in her sleep, stirred slightly, and Lu Songyuan finally reacted, blinking.

The comforting jasmine scent emanating from Jing Hui filled his nostrils. Lu Songyuan tightened his embrace around Jing Hui, gently pursed her cheek with his lips, and then sat up straight.

He whispered to the servant beside him, "Push me back to my bedchamber."

"yes."

The servants lowered their heads, not daring to look or speak, and held onto the handles of Lu Songyuan's wheelchair, steadily pushing him toward the bedroom.

-

The next morning, Jing Hui woke up hungry.

After falling asleep on Lu Songyuan's body last night, I slept soundly until dawn without even eating dinner.

As usual, Ayu brought her a bowl of nourishing soup. After drinking it, Jinghui felt warm all over. She stayed in bed for a while before lazily getting up and letting Ayu help her change her clothes.

After washing up, Jing Hui sat down at her dressing table. She noticed the servants tidying up by the bed picking up Lu Songyuan's pillow, and then remembered to ask, "Where is Lu Songyuan?"

"With the winter solstice approaching, tribute letters from several small southern countries arrived at the palace this morning."

As Ayu combed Jing Hui's hair, she said, "His Majesty has not yet woken up. This morning, the Prime Minister sent someone to summon General Lu to the palace to discuss the deployment of troops around the capital when they arrive."

Snowmelt dripped from the treetops onto the long corridor. Jing Hui glanced out the window and said, "The winter solstice is almost here. This year will be over in no time."

After Jing Hui finished sighing, she suddenly remembered what Lu Songyuan had said yesterday. She sat up straight abruptly, stared at him with wide eyes for a moment, and then slumped her shoulders.

"Princess, what's wrong?" Ayu tied Jing Hui's hair into a simple bun, put down the comb, and asked curiously.

Jing Hui turned her head to look at A Yu and asked, "How do you think I can win Lu Songyuan's favor?"

"ah?"

Ayu momentarily doubted whether she had misheard. "Princess, are you asking how to please General Lu?"

Jing Hui got up and walked to the edge of the bed, propping her pink cheeks up as she looked out the window.

She sighed deeply and said with concern, "Yes, if I want him to help my sister, I need to win his favor first. But how do I win a man's favor?"

If such a thing were to happen to a woman in the common folk, it would certainly not be a trivial matter; making her a piece of clothing or getting her a pot of wine would be considered a good thing.

But Jing Hui couldn't have imagined these things, and they were not relevant to high-ranking families like theirs who had seen all the world's splendor.

Furthermore, since childhood, others had always tried to win Jing Hui's favor, and A Yu, who had never lived outside the palace, could never have imagined this.

"Tsk—"

Jing Hui was frowning and looking worried when someone outside announced that Bai Zhi had come to visit.

"Please ask her to go to the study."

It must still be a matter deep in the mountains. Jing Hui put on his cloak and immediately went to the study.

"Your humble servant greets Your Highness. May Your Highness be well."

Inside the study, Bai Zhi, dressed in black, held a stack of documents as tall as a hand, and bowed to Jing Hui.

"Get up."

Jing Hui walked to the table, sat down in a chair, and said, "Sit down."

"yes."

Bai Zhi placed the case file on the table, sat down in the chair to Jing Hui's right, and said, "Your Highness, this is the case file of the matter in the deep mountains that the Prime Minister has been investigating for many days, as well as the matter that the Prime Minister sent you to the deep mountains and the Censorate to investigate after you returned to the mansion yesterday."

Jing Hui picked up the top book, flipped through it, and asked, "How is it?"

"The whole story remains largely unchanged, except that the hunter said before he died that it was the Second Prince who instructed him, and that the Second Prince had improper dealings with the Camelwind people, which is suspicious."

Bai Zhi said with a hint of helplessness in his eyes, "After the Prime Minister reported this matter to the Empress Dowager yesterday evening, the Empress Dowager immediately ordered someone to summon the Second Prince to His Majesty for interrogation."

"Um?"

Jing Huiben was engrossed in reading the files when he asked, "My father has woken up?"

"No, it's just that the Empress Dowager was furious when she heard that the prince was colluding with foreign tribes. She said that the prince's unfilial behavior was His Majesty's fault, and that His Majesty should know this even if he was in a coma."

Upon hearing this, Jing Hui frowned deeply, her face as dark as ink on the table. After a long pause, she said, "Go on."

"The Second Prince made several earth-shattering oaths in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, refusing to admit that he was involved in the matter."

Bai Zhi glanced at Jing Hui and said, "Seeing him like this, the Empress Dowager brought out the Emperor's whip. The Second Prince only said that regarding the matter in the deep mountains, he had only sent people to spread rumors that the princess had ruined the country, and had not done anything else."

"ha."

Jing replied, "That idiot."

"yes."

Bai Zhi said, "Seeing that they couldn't get any information out of him, the Empress Dowager ordered people to search the Second Prince's palace and several residences outside the palace, and they found several letters."

"letter?"

Jing Hui kept flipping through the files on the table. "What letter?"

"It was the Third Prince who taught the Second Prince how to slander the princess's letter."

Jing Hui looked up in confusion and asked, "Are you saying that Jing Yang instructed Jing Ao to use this to slander me, the princess, for misleading the country?"

"Exactly."

Jing Hui slammed his hand on the table, "You two idiots!"

"The second and third princes confessed to slandering the princess, but claimed to know nothing about what happened in the deep mountains."

Bai Zhi said, "Upon seeing this, the Empress Dowager punished the Second Prince with ten strokes of the cane and the Third Prince with thirty strokes of the cane, and each of them was confined to their quarters for one month as punishment."

The case files on the table were finished, and Bai Zhi had also finished speaking.

Jinghe returned to the case file, glanced at Ayu, and seeing Ayu gently shake her head, she asked Bai Zhi, "Why is it that this princess is unaware of this matter?"

Even if she went to bed early last night, she should still know about this.

"The Empress Dowager has decreed that the princess is busy with matters in the deep mountains and need not be disturbed by you at night."

Now the Empress Dowager is in charge of the palace, and she has indeed married and left the palace.

stop.

Jing Hui pursed her lips, "How is the Camel Wind Man?"

"The Empress Dowager had the Tuofeng people killed directly and their bodies thrown in front of the Tuofeng king."

Jing Hui gestured for A Yu to return the stack of case files to Bai Zhi, and said, "This princess understands."

If it were truly the king of the small country of Camel Wind who sent someone to inspect the gunpowder depot of Great Liang, even if the envoy or the corpse arrived, they would not acknowledge it. They would simply offer up more cities to compensate Great Liang and Jing Hui.

With that, the matter was completely resolved.

Bai Zhi stood up and took the case file, saying, "Young Master instructed me to give this case file to the Princess. When Your Majesty wakes up, you should be able to use it when you report to Her Majesty."

"Alright, thank you very much, young master."

"You're too kind, Princess."

Bai Zhi said, "Young Master originally intended to come in person, but for some reason, when he arrived at the General's Mansion, he suddenly turned around and left."

Why else could it be? Because he was threatened by that evil spirit.

Jing Hui smiled, then suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, you spent some time in the southern borderlands when you were young?"

Bai Zhi paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "Yes, I am from the Southern Frontier."

Jing Hui stood up, walked up to her, and asked, "Are there any rare or unusual items in your Southern Frontier?"

Bai Zhi asked, puzzled, "Who do you mean by 'princess'?"

"An item given to a man to please him."

Bai Zhi pondered for a moment, then said, "There is a type of hairpin in the Southern Frontier made from a hundred-year-old sacred tree from Mount Wudu. That hairpin has a faint fragrance of wood, and wearing it year-round can calm the mind and soothe the nerves. I wonder if the princess would be interested in this?"

Calming the mind and soothing the nerves?

This is perfect for Lu Songyuan!

"Can!"

Jing Hui asked excitedly, "A hundred-year-old sacred tree? Where can I find it?"

Bai Zhi thought for a moment, "There happens to be a master from the Southern Frontier in Xuanwu Lane in the capital."

"Very good!"

Jing Hui snatched the case file from Bai Zhi's hand and handed it to A Yu behind her. She then pulled on her cloak and dragged Bai Zhi outside, saying, "Since you happen to have nothing to do right now, take this princess with you."

Bai Zhi's eyes widened in surprise, and he exclaimed, "Princess, are you going there now?"

"Yes, there's no time to lose. This princess is in a hurry to send someone away."

Jing Hui strode ahead, the wind howling as it billowed her cloak, even her flying hair seemed to radiate excitement.

"yes."

Bai Zhi quickly followed Jing Hui.

The two hurriedly walked out, and just as they were about to exit the general's mansion, a carriage slowly stopped at the entrance.

The carriage curtain was lifted, and Lu Qingyue stepped out, bowing low. Upon seeing Jing Hui, he quickly bowed and said, "Your subordinate greets the princess."

Jing Hui nodded, wanting to know who was sitting in the carriage. She subconsciously pursed her lips at the carriage and turned to leave.

wrong.

Just as he turned around, before he had even taken his first step, Jing Hui suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Her older sister's savior was sitting in the car!

Jing Hui immediately changed his expression, put on a smile, and turned his head to look at the carriage with his eyes crinkling.

Lu Qingyue pushed Lu Songyuan's wheelchair down the stairs. The two came to Jing Hui. Lu Songyuan glanced at the fake smile on Jing Hui's face, then at her holding Bai Zhi's hand, and asked, "Where are you going?"

-----------------------

Author's note: Do it quickly, okay.