Chapter 57

In the seventh year of Zhaoming, an unbelievable event occurred in the Great Xia Dynasty. The Emperor personally issued an edict, ordering the Grand Princess to lead the Ministry of War in a massive quarrying operation.

"boom!"

"Boom!"

"Long!"

The deafening sounds of blasting rocks echoed through the sky. The new Minister of War had been completely bewildered for the past two weeks. He walked to Mo Yinghuo's side and reported the situation of the blasting over the past two weeks to the Princess, who had finally taken the time to show her face.

"Your Highness, in ten days, the matter of the Emperor's decree will be completed." The new Minister Wang Xu was handsome and had a square face.

Mo Yinghuo: "Thank you for your hard work, Minister."

Wang Xu: "However, Your Highness, the Ministry of War is worried that some wealthy and powerful families are secretly keeping those expensive stone statues and have not handed them over."

Mo Yinghuo straightened his clothes. "Yes, Lord Wang need not worry about these things. After the Ministry of War has finished cleaning up, the Star Division will clean up again."

Wang Xu said happily, "Then I am relieved. With the Star Division taking action, I guarantee that not a single one will be spared."

Mo Yinghuo: "Lord Wang, the key point is those desolate and deserted places in the Great Xia."

Wang Xu: "Your Highness, rest assured, I will follow Your Highness's wishes and set up a reward system for the people. Now, it can be said that the people of the entire Great Xia Kingdom are participating in this 'Stone-Breaking' activity."

Mo Yinghuo tightened the reins, which were itching to move. "Hmm, remember not to set the rewards too high, lest some people get the wrong idea."

Wang Xu: "This subordinate understands."

Mo Yinghuo pointed to Zhu Chunhua not far away, "Lord Wang, please call that squinty-eyed soldier over for me."

Zhu Chunhua rushed over in a flash.

Mo Yinghuo: "Chunhua, come with me to the palace. The Emperor summons you."

Zhu Chunhua stared wide-eyed and opened her mouth wide, feeling both excited and terrified.

Emperor Zhaoming looked him over again from head to toe, and then Mo Yinghuo smiled wryly, "Sister, if we count from birth, he should be the same age as the Imperial Uncle, right?" After saying that, he glanced at the Marquis of Beiding beside him.

Marquis Beiding was taken aback for a moment, then said seriously, "Your Majesty, you flatter me. This soldier is more like my son."

Seeing Zhu Chunhua's embarrassed state, standing awkwardly with her hands and feet not quite right, Mo Yinghuo gave the Emperor a wink, then waved to Zhu Chunhua, telling him to wait outside the door.

Emperor Zhaoming smiled, his face amiable. "Sister, my uncle came here this time not only to report to me on the deployment in the northern frontier, but mainly to see you."

Mo Yinghuo was taken aback, looked at Marquis Beiding, and then composed himself. "Uncle, what is it?"

Marquis Beiding: "Your Highness, it's about the Iron Pagoda. Now that the Yunzhao Army has been incorporated into the Beida Camp, with Shurong around, they are gradually integrating. However, this Eastern Liang Iron Pagoda, led by Marquis Haitang, only listens to Princess Ling, making it difficult to mobilize them. Recently, not only have the soldiers started fighting with the Iron Pagoda, but even the Seventh Prince has started fighting with Marquis Haitang."

Mo Yinghuo had anticipated this situation, but she didn't expect it to happen so quickly. She rubbed her temples and smiled, "It was my oversight; I forgot that the Seventh Prince was also at the Northern Camp."

A sharp glint flashed across Emperor Zhaoming's face. "Imperial Uncle, please pass on my decree that the Seventh Prince should return to the capital temporarily."

Marquis Beiding frowned. He clearly didn't mean that, but since the Emperor had spoken, how could he dare to say anything more?

Mo Yinghuo: "Uncle, rest assured, once the war breaks out in the Northern Frontier, His Majesty will definitely send the Seventh Prince back ahead of time."

Marquis Beiding glanced at the Emperor, who remained silent, clearly acquiescing. He couldn't help but think to himself, "It's always been rumored that the Eldest Princess's achievements are so great that they threaten the Emperor's position. Moreover, she was favored by the late Emperor in her youth and was the undisputed choice for the throne. Although they are siblings, the current Emperor will eventually find her unbearable, and then there will surely be a bloody storm." Then he thought again, "The Eldest Princess is indeed decisive. After conquering several kingdoms, she immediately dispersed the Yunzhao army, either incorporating them into the Northern Camp or making them garrison troops. Then, I heard she simply shrugged and either practiced archery or recuperated."

The Marquis of Beiding couldn't figure out what these two siblings were up to.

A few days later, several soldiers from the North Camp scrambled out of the Seventh Prince's tent. Suo Qian and Xu Yong stood silently at the tent entrance as usual. Only after the sounds of kicking tables, smashing chairs, and throwing objects subsided did the two lift the curtain and go inside.

"Seventh Prince, the Marquis said that the Emperor intends for you to return once the war begins."

"Seventh Prince, I think that as long as we can go to the battlefield, we can wait for several years. Your Highness is not in a hurry."

"..."

Suo Qian and Xu Yong talked in the Seventh Prince's tent for nearly an hour. That same day, Mo Chonghua led a few soldiers and rode off to the capital.

Zhu Chunhua followed beside Mo Yinghuo, watching her gloomy expression and her unusually upright posture on the horse. She wondered, "What's wrong with Your Highness? You've been frowning for the past two weeks. What did the Emperor say to you just now?"

Mo Yinghuo suddenly asked, "Has Abbot Zhao returned to his residence these past few days?"

Zhu Chunhua shook her head and said, "It seems like I haven't seen Host Zhao for more than ten days. Where did he go?"

Mo Yinghuo knew that he was avoiding him. Just now in the Shuqing Palace, the Emperor said that he had seen him the day before yesterday and inquired about the progress of the Xuan Tie Arrow manufacturing at the Military Affairs Department.

"Your Highness, where are we going?" Zhu Chunhua asked.

Mo Yinghuo: "Go to the Military Affairs Office and find Lord Zhao."

The two wandered around the Military Affairs Office for half a day, but didn't even catch a glimpse of Zhao Shu. Mo Yinghuo's expression grew increasingly grim, and she beckoned to Zhu Chunhua, "You stay here and keep watch. If Lord Zhao returns, tell him to go back to his residence and that I, the princess, have something to discuss with him."

Mo Yinghuo grew increasingly furious. What was wrong with this man? He had refused her then and there. No one in the entire Yunxiu Kingdom was his match. Even if she had a knife, she couldn't beat him. But afterward, he just disappeared. What did that mean? If he regretted it, he should have said so. Love is a matter of mutual consent. She, the Princess, would never force anyone and would never pester Zhao Shuai!

Zhu Chunhua nodded solemnly.

Mo Yinghuo mounted his horse, spurred it on, cracked the whip a few times, and disappeared from the puzzled gazes of the Military Affairs Bureau personnel. Zhu Chunhua found a place that was a necessary route to the Military Affairs Bureau, leaned against the wall with a sword in her hand, and stared intently.

Upon arriving at the mansion, Mo Yinghuo went straight to Zhao Shu's room. As soon as she pushed open the door, she found it empty. Just as she was about to leave, a wormhole suddenly appeared.

This wormhole was actually light blue.

Mo Yinghuo stared at it warily. It couldn't possibly be Hunxie King and his group of northern barbarians. Compared to Zhao Shu's wormhole and this one floating in the office, theirs was indeed, as he said, far too rudimentary. Besides, Zhao Shu had said they wouldn't reappear.

After a long while, Mo Yinghuo saw no one appear. She slowly took a step closer, intending to throw something in to see the reaction. Zhao Shu had once told her that the Great Xia people must never enter the wormholes created by the Yelan Star people alone, or their bodies would be torn apart. She had a feeling that this wormhole also belonged to the Yelan Star people, and moreover, it was highly likely that it was created by someone Zhao Shu knew.

"General, is that you?" A gentle and intellectual voice suddenly rang out.

Mo Yinghuo: "Who are you?"

"I am Zhao Shu's older sister."

Mo Yinghuo was startled. She noticed that the voice was coming from the light blue wormhole. She suddenly remembered that the voice was familiar; it was the voice of another woman she had unintentionally overheard outside Zhao Shu's door that night—Zhao Shu's sister.

"That's me." Mo Yinghuo was actually a little nervous.

"It's an honor to meet you for the first time. I am Zhao Yang, Zhao Shu's older sister."

Mo Yinghuo was stunned. So his name really was Zhao Shu. "Hello, sister. I am... Mo Yinghuo. Um, has Zhao Shu returned to Yelan Star?" After saying this, she suddenly felt empty inside, even though she guessed it was unlikely.

There was a chuckle on the other end, and then he said, "Yinghuo, I wanted him to come back. The Stone Spirit Kingdom had already discovered it. I really didn't expect it to be the people from Wanshi Star. Zhao Shu said a lot of good things about you, and even said that it was thanks to Your Highness's extraordinary insight that he was able to discover the people from Wanshi Star so quickly."

Mo Yinghuo murmured softly, "He said so many nice things about me."

"If we were to return to Yelan Star from your place, even using wormholes, it wouldn't be a quick process; it would take at least several years."

"A few years? Before that, Zhao Shu would sometimes suddenly disappear for a long time. Didn't he go back to Yelan Star? He said before that he was going back to the manor to get something."

Another warm and gentle laugh came from the other end. "He's returning to the nearest star system. The people of Nightfall Star are used to staying in different star systems."

“Um, he’s been like this lately…” Mo Yinghuo didn’t know how to ask, so she covered her lips with her white hand, lost in thought.

"Your Highness, our Nightfall Star people have much more acute senses than the Great Xia people, so there are some things we need to trouble you to bear with."

Mo Yinghuo was taken aback, vaguely feeling that he had overlooked something.

"I don't know if Zhao Shu told you, but we Nightfall Star people are much more sensitive than the Great Xia people. How should I put it? Well, even the slightest physical touch is like... yes, like your teasing and flirting gestures; an embrace is like a kiss and a caress; and a kiss is... well, you know..." She gave a slight, shy laugh and continued, "So, when Zhao Shu arrived in Great Xia, he was quite unaccustomed to it and complained to me about how people often teased him. However, he had read many books his mother brought back before he left, so he understood in his heart, he was just a little unaccustomed to it."

Mo Yinghuo froze on the spot, desperately searching for words, her eyes, nose, mouth, and heart focused. "I...I understand..." Then, her tongue stammered, words stuck in her throat, her heart tangled in knots.

Therefore, it's understandable why she reacted so strongly when she lightly punched Zhao Shu when they first met; and why she never let others get too close, always assuming he was cold and aloof by nature, but it turns out... holding hands, the coffin, and a bunch of other strange things, Mo Yinghuo is becoming clearer and clearer.

It turns out that, for Zhao Shu, the two of them had already been intimate.

So, when Zhao Shu took the initiative to contact her later, it meant that he had already begun to develop feelings for her. When exactly did it begin? Mo Yinghuo rubbed her temples vigorously, feeling like her head was about to explode.

Suddenly, she felt as if she had plunged into an ice cave, her entire body seeping cold water. So, what he had done that night, under her guidance, had completely overturned the Nightfall Star's understanding and perception?!

At this moment, all Mo Yinghuo wanted to do was stab himself.

Those on the other side of the wormhole clearly noticed Mo Yinghuo's unusual behavior and seemed to have guessed something. They coughed lightly and said, "Well, Yinghuo, you don't really need to worry about it. My younger brother is usually quite taciturn and keeps many things to himself. He's been sent to the outer reaches of the Milky Way by our father since he was a child, and he mostly travels alone. There are some things he doesn't know how to express, nor does he know what others think. Well, we are from the same clan. You'll get used to it eventually."

Mo Yinghuo replied woodenly, "Mmm, okay, okay."

"That's alright, I'll head out now." The light blue wormhole, accompanied by a considerate voice, gradually disappeared.

Mo Yinghuo's head was buzzing. She tried to find a table to lean on, but her head swayed stiffly from side to side before she remembered that Zhao Shu's room only had one bed. Her gaze fell on the bed; the bedding had been changed and was folded as neatly as tofu. Mo Yinghuo quickly lowered her head, staring at her feet, feeling utterly ashamed of her legs. She took a difficult step towards the door, not daring to linger for even a moment longer.

As Mo Yinghuo stepped out the door and turned to close it, she felt a warm, almost fervent, sensation behind her, and her hand trembled violently. Turning around, she saw Zhao Shu already standing behind her, having retreated six or seven steps away at some point.

Mo Yinghuo took a deep breath, not daring to move too far forward. After maintaining a certain distance from him, she said loudly and nervously, "Zhao Shu, I really don't know..." She had a lot to say, but it was all stuck in her throat, and she didn't know how to say it.

Zhao Shu stared at her blankly for a long time, his lips moved slightly, then stopped.

Mo Yinghuo continued, "I... I didn't know the Nightfall Star people were so sensitive, and I didn't know your customs. If you had told me, I would never... flirt with you." She really couldn't think of any words to express herself.

"Teasing?" Zhao Shu repeated her words in a low voice.

Mo Yinghuo then explained, "In short, it's all my fault. I drank too much that night. It was really unintentional, Zhao Shu."

Zhao Shu quietly repeated, "Unintentional? Drunk?"

Mo Yinghuo: "Yes, it was unintentional, I drank too much..."

Zhao Shu suddenly took another step back, turned his face to the side, and stared expressionlessly at the peach tree not far in front of him.

A hint of panic flashed across Mo Yinghuo's face, but he quickly realized what was happening and stepped forward again.

Zhao Shu took another step back.

Mo Yinghuo said urgently, "No, Zhao Shu, it wasn't unintentional, it wasn't because I drank too much. No, it was because I drank too much. No, sigh, it's not what you think!" Her face grew paler and weaker, and she rubbed her brows vigorously with the back of her hand, her brows instantly turning red.

Zhao Shu lowered his head, his long eyelashes fluttered, and his hands were clenched into circles, as if he was trying to suppress something.

Mo Yinghuo didn't notice his change. After rubbing his face a few times, she finally cleared her mind and said calmly, "Zhao Shu, listen to me, it's like this. I did drink that day, quite a lot, but I knew what I was doing. I want to say that I only realized then, well, without being ashamed, that I really enjoyed it. I'm sorry, it wasn't because I was drunk, it's because I didn't know the Nightfall Star people didn't like this, I really didn't know. If I had known, I definitely wouldn't have seduced you like that..."

She paused, took a deep breath, and continued, "Doing that kind of thing... I really didn't mean it. I thought you were like us. Zhao Shu, I've had many dreams about you and me before, but I've never dared to say it. I... I don't know if some of those dreams misled me. Sigh, but whether they misled me or not, I really like you and want to do that with you. Do you understand my feelings?"

Mo Yinghuo had never been so incoherent before. As soon as she finished speaking, Zhao Shu grabbed her hand and said, "Huo'er, it's okay. I, it's not because of that. I'm just really not used to it. I'll be fine in a while."

Mo Yinghuo felt her wrist being gripped so tightly that it was burning hot. Without thinking, she placed her hand on Zhao Shu's forehead and asked, both surprised and nervous, "Zhao Shu, are you just feeling unwell? Are you running a fever?" She didn't say he had a fever because she always felt that Zhao Shu would never catch a cold.

Zhao Shu shook his head, his breathing a little rapid, repeatedly avoiding Mo Yinghuo's gaze, not daring to look directly at him for too long.

Mo Yinghuo seemed to understand something. She cautiously approached him and asked in a low voice, "Zhao Shu, are you holding back?"

Zhao Shu shook his head.

Mo Yinghuo was at a loss for what to do. She placed her hand on the back of Zhao Shu's hand and said gently, "Zhao Shu, I'm sorry for what happened. Listen carefully, if you need me to do anything, or if you want my help, I will do as you say."

Suddenly, the wormhole reappeared.

Zhao Shu hurriedly pushed Mo Yinghuo's hand away and said hastily, "Huo'er, I... I need to calm down first." After saying that, he went into the wormhole. Seeing this, Mo Yinghuo didn't think twice and quickly grabbed Zhao Shu's hand, and together they traveled into the wormhole universe.