Chapter 13 greatly admires his cousin: "I'll marry you, and you can be my..."

The ministers and soldiers of Zhao waited for several hours at the gate of the Ji family in Zhuxiang, from dawn to dusk.

The moon is bright and the stars are few tonight, which means tomorrow will be a hot and sunny day.

Ji Changyue stepped down from the carriage, her makeup exquisite and unparalleled. Her moon-white robe accentuated her delicate and graceful beauty, her eyes and brows like those of a fairy in the clouds, unmatched by anyone.

"Zheng'er, how much longer are we going to wait?"

Ying Zheng remained silent, staring at the doorway.

Ji Hao and his family stood at the door.

Pang, Zhu, and their servants were already waiting there, but Ji Xiu was nowhere to be seen.

Zhu looked strange and embarrassed. "Your uncle has already gone to look for Banban. She is still asleep. It's not that she didn't come to see you off on purpose."

In the afternoon, Banban suddenly fainted and lost consciousness. A doctor was called to take a look, but he said there was nothing wrong. However, after she woke up, she refused to see her cousin, whom she used to be close to. No matter what he said, she looked refusing and afraid.

This child has always been a bully at home, and she is more afraid of the powerful than children from ordinary families. It's as if she understands what the powerful mean. Ji Xiu said she was precocious, but apart from this keenness, she was no different from ordinary children in other aspects. Over time, they stopped paying attention to her.

She never imagined that suddenly learning her cousin was Gongsun would have such a huge impact on her.

If I had known this earlier, I would have been better off telling her about Ying Zheng's true parentage sooner.

Zhu Shi clenched her fists, hidden under her sleeves. She sensed that Ying Zheng's gaze was sluggish and gloomy, filled with an inexplicable sinister intent. She knew he was angry, so she smiled despite the pressure and said, "I'll go and try to persuade him again."

She knew that Ying Zheng would definitely take his daughter away from Handan today. Judging from how he couldn't bear to be apart from her in the past, she could tell that if his daughter didn't want to see him, he would only become more anxious and impatient to put her on the carriage.

Therefore, she, as a mother, had to persuade him in a way that would save face and prevent him from becoming overly angry.

Coincidentally, Zhu had only taken a few steps when Ji Xiu appeared at the Ji family's door with his daughter, whom he had been hiding for a long time.

Guo Kai raised his eyebrows slightly, breathed a sigh of relief, and calmly gestured to his soldiers to wait a little longer.

Ji Changyue patted her chest lightly, bent down and waved to her, "Chengyin, come over here."

Banban timidly clung to Zhu's hand, hiding between the adults' legs, and peeked at her cousin.

Ying Zheng noticed her peeking at him. Her gaze was unfamiliar and awe-inspiring, as if she were examining an inanimate object through cold air. She only dared to steal a couple of glances before quickly lowering her head, her small hands clenched until they turned white.

She's not coming.

Ji Changyue turned to look at Ying Zheng and saw that his face darkened instantly, his lips twitched slightly, and he was filled with indescribable anger.

"Zheng'er." She wanted to persuade him to give up.

Guo Kai glanced at the time, then cupped his hands and asked for permission, "It's almost time. We'll set off now. Is there anything else Gongsun would like to bring?"

"I, Zhao, also have many things worth playing with, or perhaps some kind of food?"

“We prepared early, and there’s enough food for the journey,” Ji Xiu listed them one by one. “We’ve packed everything that Zheng’er usually needs, including books, swords, halberds, and so on.”

Madam Pang hurriedly smiled apologetically and said with concern, "Do you have enough clothes to change into? I told you to bring more..." As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes, filled with sorrow, "Those things that can't be taken away, let them stay, they'll be a memento. Your maternal grandmother really can't bear to part with you."

Ying Zheng smiled slightly at Pang Shi, "It's not that we won't meet again."

His smile vanished instantly as he turned his head. He stood still and pointed his finger at the little girl cowering behind Zhu Shi. "I want her."

Banban was terrified and grabbed Zhu's clothes tightly.

"Banban, say goodbye to your parents and leave Handan with me. Didn't you say you couldn't bear to be separated from us?" Ying Zheng stared at the other side and gestured in a deep voice.

Ji Changyue felt a little uneasy, startled by his son's action. He was always very opinionated, but rarely forced others to do anything.

Banban clung to her mother's legs, crying in terror as if the sky had fallen.

Ji Xiu and Zhu Shi carried her to the door and coaxed her for a full half hour before they finally calmed her down.

Someone had already packed her luggage; the speed was astonishing.

She sobbed as she said goodbye to her mother and father, "Mother and father, you must keep your word," and as if feeling uneasy, she glanced reluctantly at Zhu's swollen belly, "and so must my little brother."

Madam Zhu was both happy and sad. "It will definitely happen, my son, go."

The Ji family had always intended for Banban to follow in Zhao Ji's footsteps, hoping that she could become the Queen of Qin in the future, and they couldn't wait for her to leave Handan with Ying Zheng.

But Banban was completely unaware of this. As soon as she heard her mother speaking to her, tears streamed down her face like a broken string of pearls.

A boy much taller than her was standing behind her. She almost bumped into him, was startled, and unconsciously took a half step back.

He didn't give her a chance to speak, grabbing her wrist and holding her firmly in his hand.

The carriage swayed and rocked as it moved forward, the sound of the whip cracking dully.

Inside the car, Ji Changyue looked at her son, then at Banban.

As the gate of the Ji family gradually receded into the distance, she began to sob again, remaining silent.

"What did you say to them?" Ying Zheng suddenly asked.

Banban pouted, tears welling up in her eyes, and stammered, "I... I made an agreement with them to have them move to Qin as soon as possible." Zhao probably wouldn't be safe for more than a few years; it was destined to perish anyway.

Seeing her say that, his calm expression softened considerably, and he smiled again. "Didn't you want this? I brought it. Don't cry."

It was that rattle drum that had drawn her attention.

The edges still show signs of carving. It is not a round drumhead, but a simple rabbit shape, with a round little rabbit tail attached to its rear end, making it look adorable.

Banban burst into laughter through her tears, her eyes still glistening with moisture, and lovingly touched the rattle drum.

But as soon as she saw her cousin's eyes, she stopped smiling.

Ying Zheng frowned in confusion, pursed his lips and pondered for a moment, then said, "Banban, I will protect you. Are you afraid? Do you not want to enter the royal court?"

“Even if I am Gongsun, I am still your cousin, and that will never change, no matter when or where.”

Banban hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded obediently, "Mmm."

He held her hand, unaccustomed to her not snuggling up to him.

Ji Changyue smiled slightly and teased her son, "You have to keep your word. Chengyin came to the unfamiliar Qin Kingdom with you, and you are the only one she can rely on. If even you bully her, she will be truly pitiful."

Ying Zheng replied without hesitation, his brow furrowed, "I would never do that."

The carriage made its way out of the city smoothly. In the desolate wilderness, there was no one around. Banban was very sleepy, but she dared not sleep. Her nerves were constantly on edge, and she would occasionally lift the curtain to look outside.

She had been born and raised in Handan, where she lived a life of plenty and had never known of such a desolate place. She was filled with anxiety.

She knew very little about the Warring States period. Although she had eagerly absorbed all the knowledge from textbooks she could find in her previous life, elementary school history textbooks did not provide much detailed information.

Even as she sat in the carriage bound for the Qin state, she remained in a daze, a sense of unreality enveloping her. Her once trustworthy cousin seemed like a strange behemoth, filling her with awe.

She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she was indeed hesitant to get close to him; she felt nervous.

Why did he bring her along?

She didn't know whether this person in history actually had a cousin, or what his cousin's fate was.

These unknowns within the established order filled her with apprehension and anxiety.

What if she died inexplicably? This isn't the modern world where everyone is equal, especially not the kind of place where someone could survive in the palace.

The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became, and she couldn't sleep. She was in great distress and could only rely on her cousin, whose appearance had suddenly become somewhat unfamiliar.

With a hissing sound.

The carriage swayed a few times and then stopped.

Banban screamed, instinctively shrinking her small body and rolling off her seat.

Ying Zheng pulled her into his arms, stroking her forehead and cheeks repeatedly. Then, his eyes widened, and he asked, "What happened?"

Guo Kai's voice suddenly rose, "Speed ​​up, take the left path!"

The sound of whips cracking outside was incessant, the horses abruptly turned around, and the carriage shook violently.

Ji Changyue lifted the curtain and looked out. Her face suddenly turned dark. "It's a group of masked men. Someone must be unwilling to let us leave, so they sent people to intercept us."

She gritted her teeth in hatred and shouted fiercely, "Lord Guo, do you think the men you brought can stand against us?"

Guo Kai's voice came in from outside, "Madam, there's no need to be anxious. We should leave first. If we really can't avoid it, then we can fight. The soldiers my king sent are all brave and will certainly not let you suffer any physical pain."

It was from the lifted curtain that the arrow embedded in the side of the carriage was revealed.

That was the one that spoke just now.

Banban was so frightened that she plunged into Ying Zheng's arms, trembling with fear.

She had never been so frightened, much less suffered like this.

Ying Zheng was unsettled and kept comforting her, feeling that she was just like a newborn kitten, bewildered and pitiful.

Gradually, the people who were blocking the way disappeared behind the carriage, clearly unable to catch up.

Ji Changyue thanked Guo Kai profusely and even took out precious jewelry from her dressing case to give to him.

Guo Kai glanced at the luster of the jewels, looked around, and tucked the dressing case into his wide sleeves. His smile deepened considerably. "You're too kind, Madam. I will certainly ensure your safe arrival in Qin."

Banban looked at Ji Changyue with a half-understanding expression, holding tightly to her cousin's waist and not daring to let go.

After traveling for a day and a night, and confirming that no one was following them, Guo Kai found a post station to rest.

Ying Zheng told Banban to rest for a while, but she didn't sleep and followed him closely like a little tail. So he took her with him to see the horses grazing.

The crisp, clear sound of the horses chewing grass gradually calmed her initial panic, and Ying Zheng gave her some millet cakes to eat.

"I want to eat meat soup." Before leaving Handan, she said she wanted to eat meat soup, so her mother went to the kitchen to ask someone to make it, but she never got to eat it.

Ying Zheng felt guilty and touched her little face, "When we get to Qin, my cousin can eat whatever she wants, I promise."

Banban didn't press the matter, and sullenly watched the horses graze. Just when Ying Zheng thought she wouldn't speak again, she spoke up, "Cousin, will you really protect me?"

"I have never lied to you." Ying Zheng disliked the feeling of not being trusted and was slightly annoyed for a moment, but then he thought that it was normal for her to be afraid and worried, so he calmed down and said, "I will protect you. Forever."

"Forever?" Banban bit her lip, hesitating with suspicion. "Even if my cousin marries in the future, will he still prioritize protecting me?"

That's impossible.

Ying Zheng paused instinctively, his brows furrowing slightly. "I'll marry you; you'll be my wife."

She suddenly opened her eyes wide, her mind going completely blank.

She stared blankly at her cousin, "...Cousin?"

Some words, once spoken, instantly bring clarity to one's mind.

Ying Zheng repeated, "I want to marry you, but you don't want to?"

He hesitated, feeling extremely uncertain, "What if my cousin can only have me as his wife? He won't take concubines or establish a wife, only me."

“That’s easy,” Ying Zheng readily agreed. “I never wanted anyone else to come between us.” Even if she hadn’t said anything, he would never have taken a concubine.

She finally overcame her unease, her face beaming with joy. Her secret delight was like a jar of honey, and she felt as if she had taken a big gulp. Several times she wanted to say that her cousin would be a great emperor in the future, but she swallowed it back.

"Aren't you scared anymore? Why are you staring at me like that?"

"I admire my cousin." The initial awkwardness gradually faded, and he seemed like her beloved cousin again. "Can my cousin ride a horse?"

"I haven't learned it yet." Ying Zheng smiled and put his arm around her. "However, Qin started out as a horse-breeding state, so there must be many skilled people in riding and archery. I will learn it to the best of my ability."