Chapter 56 Hibernation

No matter how you look at it, Yi'an found the letter to be really strange.

However, Yi'an really understood her younger sister's personality and knew that she would never be ambiguous when it came to important matters.

So the letter sent using the flying smoke token mentioned—

Lin Quan, the commander of Yangcheng, is in a dangerous situation.

The Khan has found the threatening young prince, Rakar.

And his elder sister, who was poisoned after being framed by the eldest prince, etc...

Both stories unfold from a perspective detached from worldly concerns.

The younger sister also mentioned that she personally witnessed Miss Shang performing her "ritual." No matter what, could Miss Shang really be a true fortune teller?

Gongsun Ming read aloud: "To cure the poison and win over Rakar? How do we find Rakar?"

Cui Shu waved his fan: "The most poisonous grass on the grassland is the red grass. How should we solve this problem?"

“It seems like this is aimed at me…” Zhou Chaoyun sighed. “If we’re talking about antidotes, I do have something that can cure hundreds and thousands of plant poisons.”

The hand waving the fan stopped, and Cui Shu was speechless: "Your Highness, are you perhaps referring to the holy antidote that can cure all herbs?"

Seeing that the princess did not deny it, Yi'an said urgently, "Your Highness, you mustn't! This medicine is too precious. It should only be used as a last resort."

Zhou Chaoyun lowered her eyes, her gaze falling on the tea swirling in her cup, and said softly, "Yi'an, the people and things she mentions are all extraordinary; we must take them seriously."

The people in the manor have been searching for many years and only have one antidote pill. It should be carefully preserved, as it could save His Highness's life in a critical moment. How can it be given to a strange little prince from the grasslands?

Zhou Chaoyun closed his eyes and made a decision: "Cui Shu, when you go to Yangcheng, remember to bring Jie Baicao with you."

"……yes."

The gathering around the stove for tea was unexpectedly canceled due to a letter, and the household once again fell into a flurry of activity.

After the eldest princess got up to leave, Yi'an asked, "Why didn't Young Master Cui stop His Highness?"

The swaying palm-leaf fan stopped, and the woman in the green robe, like a bamboo still standing tall despite being covered in snow in winter, slowly looked over, then asked with a soft laugh:

"Miss Yi, do you know how the witchcraft box hidden in the west wing of the mansion was discovered last year?"

The official explanation was that the west wing of the mansion was under renovation, but by chance, a servant discovered this and reported it.

Ke Yi'an also understood that this was just an excuse to rationalize the matter and cover up the real reason why the witchcraft wooden box was discovered.

Before she could figure it out, Cui Shu said, "...It was Miss Shang who, along with Young Master Jiang, went to the west wing and dug it up from under the tree."

"At that time, they had just arrived at the mansion. They had planned to leave the capital by carriage, but before leaving, they asked for a shovel and dug out a wooden box that had been hidden in the mansion at some unknown time."

The winter wind was biting cold, and Yi'an felt her heart beat a little slower, her fingertips trembling with cold.

"What if Miss Shang's entry into the manor was premeditated from the very beginning? We have no way of knowing."

"Miss Yi, do you dare to oppose someone who has such foresight into the future?"

Someone who always knows your next move, someone you can't escape from.

Once you've predicted the next three steps, she'll already be waiting for you at the finish line.

"We should be grateful that she stands with us."

Yi'an was silent for a moment, then voiced the fear that had been weighing on her heart for so long: "What if one day her predictions are no longer accurate?"

Cui Shu smiled and said, "None of us are as insightful as Your Highness in this regard."

"His Highness said that rather than worrying that Miss Shang is unable to predict or that her prediction is wrong, we should take advantage of the fact that the prediction is useful and make good use of the prophecy to do something big."

It would be a shame not to take a bite of a pancake that's been offered to you.

Yi'an was speechless for a moment, then sighed and said, "It turns out I was worrying unnecessarily."

.

Lotus Path in the West of the City.

A light snow began to fall from the sky, and everything was adorned in a lovely silver coat.

Two people dressed in blue sat on the soft couch in the study. They were so close that their clothes piled up as they moved.

The doors and windows were half-closed, and the cool sunlight shone into the room. Shang Yuji rested her face on her hand, watching intently as Jiang Xi skillfully threaded a needle.

Knowing that his wedding dress was sewn with candles after he finished his martial arts practice and returned to his room to rest each day, Shang Yuji was worried that it would damage his eyes over time, so she requested that the dolls not be made with candles at night.

To get his consent, she had to sew the doll on her days off when she didn't have martial arts lessons, and she also promised him that he could come to the study and sit beside her to weave.

Jiang Xi couldn't possibly refuse such a tempting offer, and nodded rapidly in agreement.

The doll's palm-sized body was thus created in his hands.

Shang Yuji curiously stretched out her finger and poked its round body and limbs, which were stuffed with soft fabric. When she pressed it, a dent appeared on its belly, but it returned to its original shape when she released her hand.

"Is it Xiao Ji's body?"

"Mmm!" Jiang Xi responded, not forgetting to embroider the doll's eyebrows and eyes.

She looked down and exclaimed in amazement, "How amazing!"

With just a few simple stitches, the charm of her eyebrows and eyes was embroidered.

Jiang Xi was decisive in placing the needle. He knew everything about A Ji and didn't need to hesitate; he knew where to place the next needle.

With eyes closed, a gentle expression, and a rosy complexion, the little baby gradually took shape.

He's a legendary craftsman!

Shang Yuji was filled with admiration; the speed of his hands was so pleasing to the eye that she couldn't keep up with it all.

The charcoal fire crackled and burned, warming her face and hands. She reached out and picked up the travelogue from the table, sat on the soft couch, leaned back, pressed her upper arm against his, and opened the book to read.

One person reads a book, while the other knits, undisturbed by each other, yet a tender scene unfolds.

After a long while, amidst the rustling of snowflakes, the crackling of charcoal fire, and the faint fragrance of epiphyllum blossoms, Shang Yuji felt increasingly drowsy. Her eyes closed with sleepiness, and the travelogue slipped from her hand and fell to the ground with a dull thud.

And so he fell asleep.

Jiang Xi noticed that her breathing had slowed down, so she stopped what she was doing and turned her head to look down.

Ah Ji fell asleep.

The winter wind blew in through the half-open wooden window, and Jiang Xi continued to shield her from the cold wind with his body, then pulled a fleece blanket from a corner of the soft couch.

With his hand still, he used his other hand to try to drape the blanket over her.

Wrapped up tightly, preventing the cold wind from getting in.

Shang Yuji vaguely sensed his movements, took the initiative to grab the blanket and drape it over herself, and then gave him a corner of the blanket to keep him warm.

Jiang Xi thought he had woken her up, so he froze, not daring to move. It wasn't until she handed him the blanket that he hesitated for a moment before gently asking, "Aji, shall we go back to our room and sleep?"

The cot is too small; Ah-Ji can't stretch out her arms and legs, and she'll feel uncomfortable if she sleeps on it for too long.

In a daze, Shang Yuji casually agreed, but really didn't want to move. She slowly shifted and buried herself in his arms: "Carry me..."

Jiang Xi reacted quickly, throwing the needle and thread onto the table, thus avoiding accidentally injuring her.

Upon hearing this, they carefully picked up the person, blanket and all, and carried them towards the main house.

As she walked down the corridor, she encountered A-Cuo, who was out looking for food. She was used to such sights, nodded in greeting, and then they parted ways.

Jiang Xi hugged the person tightly and finally managed to get them back to the house.

As soon as she was placed on the bed, the slightly cool bed made Shang Yuji shiver. She quickly pulled off the quilt and shrank back under it.

It wasn't until Jiang Xi lit the charcoal fire inside the house that warmth was restored.

He looked at the person on the bed, squatted down beside it, buried his face in his arms, and whispered, "Ah Ji, I want to rest with you too..."

Understanding the meaning behind his words, Shang Yuji turned around to make room for him to lie down, leaving half of the bedding behind.

"...Sleep." Shang Yuji yawned. After all that tossing and turning, she could no longer resist the sleepiness and fell into a deep sleep.

Jiang Xi, having received permission, immediately lowered her voice, changed out of her outer garment, and carefully climbed onto the bed.

Even though he wasn't asleep, the sound of Ah Ji's calm breathing lulled him into a deep sleep.

On the desk in the study sits an unfinished rag doll, facing a half-open wooden window, where one can admire the winter snow as light as willow catkins.