Chapter 65: Covering Up the Passion in the Car

After the news of the postponement of the Long Summer Festival spread, it once again aroused discussion among the people, but soon the notice that had been hanging for a while was torn down and replaced with a new one.

Seventeen stood beside Long Langyue with his wrist resting on the sword hilt. It was clear that he hadn't rested well these past few days, as the dark circles under his eyes were quite noticeable.

He hesitated for a moment and then asked in a low voice, "Is Your Majesty going to the North?"

Long Langyue propped her head up, her brows furrowed with deep sorrow.

"It should be so. When the time comes, you will go with me, Seventeenth."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Seventeen had guessed that he would definitely be brought along, so he wasn't surprised, but he was worried about something else.

"Your Majesty...have you not been getting enough rest these past few days?"

Long Langyue's fingertips trembled slightly as she turned her head to look at Seventeen. The worry in Seventeen's clear eyes seemed genuine.

"Yes, Xiaoyun is my younger brother, and his mother is..."

Before Long Langyue could finish speaking, Yuanfu announced from outside, "Your Majesty, Consort Rong requests an audience."

"Let her in."

Consort Rong rushed in, lifting her skirt, and after giving a proper bow, her expression was very anxious.

"Your Majesty, Xiaoyun, he..."

"Your Highness, please don't worry. Xiaoyun has probably fallen into the trap of that Northern Rong bandit. He has been courageous since childhood and will surely return safely."

Consort Rong nodded, clutching her pounding heart; she was clearly still somewhat flustered.

"Then, Your Majesty?"

"I will soon travel to the north and will surely bring Xiaoyun back safely."

These words finally put Consort Rong at ease. Those of them from the previous dynasty knew Long Langyue's abilities all too well. Although they were still worried, they prayed for him even more.

I pray that my child will live to see the day His Majesty departs.

After Consort Rong took her leave, Seventeen felt inexplicably nervous.

He had met Long Xiaoyun once, when he was transporting that batch of weapons in Fenglin Town.

The other party is a spirited young man, only eighteen years old this year, with a bright future ahead of him. If it were... that would be such a pity.

Long Langyue took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, only determination remained in her eyes.

The following day, Long Langyue announced his upcoming trip to the North during the morning court session. In the past, some old-fashioned people would have jumped out to oppose him, but now most of the people standing below were young officials whom Long Langyue had promoted himself, and they naturally stood on the same side as him.

Those who wanted to object were forced to shut up because no one dared to speak out.

The matter of the imperial expedition was thus settled. Because it involved members of the royal family, they did not have much time to prepare. Seventeen hurriedly packed his luggage and sat in the carriage.

No matter how urgent it was, it would take almost half a month to travel from Yejing to the North, but even on the road, Long Langyue couldn't get a proper rest.

Urgent reports from the north arrived one after another. His long eyelashes drooped as he looked at the black and white words on the paper.

The name Xie Qingyan was clearly written on it.

Since the disappearance of the deputy general, the Northern Army was not in a state of panic, but they were still somewhat worried. At this time, Xie Qingyan took the initiative to step forward, and his strategic talent convinced some of the soldiers.

The main reason was that there was no one else who could speak to him, and after that, Xie Qingyan's judgment did indeed help repel the surprise attacks of the Northern Rong people on several occasions, so everyone gradually accepted him.

Long Langyue's fingertips swept over the names on the paper before he realized that Long Xiaoyun probably hadn't told Xie Qingyan the truth. Since that was the case, there was no need for him to waste any more words.

He could also see that Xie Qingyan was not a talentless person. To be honest, when he was unaware of the truth, he had doubted whether the former crown prince was the emperor's biological son. After all, his brothers and sisters, while not necessarily gifted, were all intelligent and quick-witted. Only the former crown prince, until his death, was mediocre and even somewhat foolish.

He used to think that the Empress Dowager and his father had spoiled the child too much, but now he understood that the child was not his father's at all.

On the other hand, Xie Qingyan... if he hadn't been replaced by Consort Ling's arrogance, perhaps the throne really wouldn't have been his.

After pondering this, Long Langyue could only sigh.

He doesn't believe in fate, yet he repeatedly proves what is called fate.

By a twist of fate.

＊

After a bumpy two-week journey, we finally arrived in the north.

Seventeen was left in the carriage by Long Langyue. He lifted the curtain and looked at the familiar scenery outside, feeling a little sentimental.

He never imagined he would come back to this place.

He didn't really remember what happened back then. He only knew that there was a sudden commotion at home. His mother hurriedly stuffed him into the rice jar and put a lot of heavy things on top of it. She told him to wait until there was no more noise and then break open the rice jar and head south.

The little boy knew nothing, only that he was huddled in the rice jar trembling. After a long, long time, long enough that he started to experience tinnitus, he suddenly realized what was happening and picked up the hammer in his hand to slowly smash open the rice jar.

He climbed out of the rice jar. It was very quiet outside; there wasn't even a sound of wind.

A moment later, he suddenly heard a raindrop hit the eaves, which startled him. He hid under the stove and dared not go out.

A long, long time passed, so long that he was so hungry that he could barely walk and could only slowly crawl out using both his hands and feet.

His vision was already blurry. He called for his mother, but no one answered. He called for his father, but no one answered either. Only the pattering rain on the eaves sounded like a death knell.

Later... later he didn't really remember anything, he only knew that he was so hungry that he couldn't distinguish between reality and illusion, and then... he was picked up.

After waking up from his coma, he found himself in a room with a faint fragrance, where the handsome older brother was sitting by the bedside holding medicine.

Large raindrops pattered onto the carriage, pulling Seventeen out of his reverie. He blinked and sighed silently.

"Your Majesty, it's raining."

Seventeen leaned on the windowsill, looking at the increasingly heavy rain outside, and said...

"Yes, we should arrive in Snowfall Town this afternoon."

Snowfall Town is the closest town to the northern border. Before the northern army moved in, the people here lived in fear almost every day. Those who could leave had already left, and the remaining elderly, women and children had nowhere to go.

For decades, Snowfall Town was practically a gladiatorial arena for the Northern Rong people to vent their anger, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it was a place of utter devastation. Just when the people of Snowfall Town had long since given up hope, the Northern Army descended like gods, driving away the evil Northern Rong people and leaving them with the seeds of life.

However, because Snowfall Town is located in a frigid area, many crops cannot survive, so every household still suffers from food shortages.

However, it's much better than constantly worrying about the Northern Rong people rushing in.

"Your Majesty, why is it called Snowfall Town?"

This name is a bit strange. Most towns are named after ancient sayings or local dialects.

"Snowfall Town is located in a frigid area, and it is covered in snow for nearly half the year. It snows almost every day, hence the name Snowfall Town."

Long Langyue bent his knuckles and pressed them against his temples.

The situation in the Northern Army is relatively good for now. With Xie Qingyan here, things are relatively stable. However, the lack of a leader to lead the troops has made everyone somewhat timid, fearing that the Northern Rong bandits might make a comeback.

But in any case, he can rest for a few days now.

Seeing his actions, Seventeen paused, then asked softly, "Is Your Majesty feeling unwell? Shall I press on your arm?"

Long Langyue opened her slightly narrowed eyes, looked at Seventeen, and smiled, "You can also give massages?"

"Uh, actually I'm not very good at it. I learned some simple relaxation techniques at the camp before. Would Your Majesty like to try them?"

Seventeen moved closer to him, tilted her head, and asked him, her eyes filled with obvious expectation.

Long Langyue subtly moved to the side. Although the north was frigid, it was the height of summer, and even in Snowfall Town, the sun was blazing.

Therefore, they only wore a thin shirt on top. Because of Seventeen's movements, his neck was exposed, and some of his jade-like skin could be vaguely seen through the open collar.

Sometimes Long Langyue would wonder why Seventeen, despite his rigorous training and occasional exposure to wind and rain, still maintained a fair complexion.

"Alright, then I'll trouble you, Seventeenth Guard."

His voice was soft and slow, and you could almost hear a faint laugh in it, but Seventeen glanced at the other person's earlobe and the back of his neck, and they were clearly red.

Pretending to be so serious...

Seventeen pretended not to know anything, moved closer, and said, "If Your Majesty doesn't mind, please lie down, it will be easier to massage you."

Lie down, lie down?

Long Langyue remained silent for a while, then closed her eyes and lay down on Seventeen's soft legs.

Seventeen's closed eyelashes concealed her chaotic thoughts. She hadn't expected that he would actually agree, and her body froze instantly.

However, he quickly suppressed his nervousness and obediently began to massage Long Langyue.

A moment of tranquility flowed between the two, but it seemed... something more had been added.

Seventeen looked down at the increasingly mature face of the person on her lap, her heart pounding like a deer.

Why? Why would they conceal their identity?

And why, in that capacity, with myself...?

Seventeen's breathing was very light, almost imperceptible without careful observation, but Long Langyue, with his eyes closed, felt as if the other's breath was swirling around him, making him feel restless and uneasy.

But soon, the soft flesh on Seventeen's legs and the comfortable massage, along with the hypnotic sound of rain outside, relieved him of the fatigue from the journey. His breathing gradually became steady, and he actually fell asleep.

Seventeen noticed that the person had fallen asleep, so she moved more quietly.

If someone unaware of the situation saw this, they would probably praise the depth of their friendship.

When the rain gradually stopped, Long Langyue woke up from her absurd dream, her face still seemingly tinged with the heat of the dream.

He himself was still lying on Seventeen's lap, but the person who had been pressing his head down was now leaning to the side, fast asleep.

Long Langyue paused, slowed her movements, sat up, straightened her clothes, and then helped Seventeen to a more comfortable position on the cushion.

No one was awakened throughout the entire process.

Everyone has been rushing around lately, and they are indeed exhausted.

Yuanfu came in once and saw that His Majesty was lying on the lap of a junior guard. He was so frightened that his soul almost flew away, but fortunately, he had been tempered by what he had seen in the palace before. He just turned to the side and went back out.

When he heard the noise inside the carriage, he cautiously peeked in through the curtain again and saw their wise and mighty emperor looking at the little guard who was fast asleep on the soft cushion.

Even a eunuch like him found that look disgusting.

"How much longer?"

Long Langyue's voice rang out, and Yuanfu quickly replied softly, "Soon, in another half incense stick's time."

The emperor waved his hand, and Yuanfu tactfully withdrew. But just as the curtain was lowered, he saw a hand from the wide sleeve of the emperor's robe caress the cheek of the person lying on the ground.

In the blink of an eye, the emotions filling the car were completely obscured.