Chapter 133

Si Yanmo was taken aback by his action and almost forgot to catch her breath before he came closer to her.

The two held each other tightly, reluctant to part. When they finally separated, her rosy lips were slightly swollen, and she was breathing heavily.

She chuckled softly, "It looks like it's really all better."

These words lightened the mood, and Zhou Yanqing smiled slightly, raising his hand to brush her stray hairs behind her ear. His gaze lingered on her face, as if trying to imprint her image in his mind.

He hadn't had a chance to look closely before, but now he realized that Si Yanmo was wearing Lanyu's style.

The clothing of Lanyu is quite different from that of other countries. They prefer to wear dresses with various patterns and also make silver accessories.

Si Yanmo wore very few accessories, only a bracelet and earrings on her wrist, and the bell hanging from her waist was the one he had given her.

She didn't choose the pretty silver crown like those worn on Lanyu Island, but instead wore flowers in her hair.

She loved flowers and had captivating eyes. When paired with various fresh flowers, she exuded a lively charm amidst her understated elegance, which made her beauty shine even brighter than when she wore only a simple hairpin.

Zhou Yanqing looked at it and liked it even more, and felt much more at ease. "It seems that Lord Lanyu treats you well too."

“Yes,” Si Yanmo said playfully, “She genuinely wanted me to stay! She didn’t make me suffer at all.”

"You really like it here?" He felt a little sore as he listened, and tightened his grip on her arm.

"Why are you jealous as soon as you recover?" The person in his arms raised his hand to poke his head, but then gently touched him, remembering that he wasn't fully recovered yet.

"My wife is about to die, and I can't even be jealous?"

After exchanging a few jokes, Si Yanmo couldn't help but ask with concern, "Are you really alright?"

This injury is not something that can be healed in a short time. He must have rushed to Lanyu without giving himself any time to rest.

Si Yanmo was really worried that something else would happen to him.

Zhou Yanqing took her hand and kissed the back of it. "Silly girl, it's really okay."

As she spoke, she stood up and jumped a couple of times, saying, "Look how lively and energetic I am."

Unexpectedly, he started coughing as soon as he finished speaking.

Si Yanmo quickly helped him sit down. "Alright, alright, stop being stubborn. Don't you know what you're like?"

He didn't seem to mind, and chuckled, "With you by my side, I'll definitely recover quickly."

Si Yanmo lightly slapped his hand, scolding him angrily, "You smooth talker."

"That's also for my wife." He grinned and pulled her into his arms, kissing her neck. "I'm serious, I can only feel at ease and get better when you're by my side."

Si Yanmo was no different; she had been worried about him almost every minute of the past few days, wishing she had a clone of herself to stay by his side.

Fortunately, it's all over now.

"However, if you come to Lanyu, what about Qindi? I heard..."

Before she could finish speaking, a palace maid from the Lord of Lanyu entered and interrupted their conversation, "Your Highness Prince Qin, Mo Wubu, the Lord of Lanyu is already waiting for you in the main hall."

Si Yanmo had no choice but to give up and go to the banquet with Zhou Yanqing.

It must be said that Lord Lanyu truly kept his word. After the banquet, not only did he not make things difficult for the two, but he also specially ordered people to escort them back to Qin.

Knowing that Zhou Yanqing had been traveling a long way and that her health would be affected, they sent her many pills.

"I am eagerly awaiting news of His Highness Prince Qin's triumphant return." Before departing, she toasted the two of them with a cup of wine.

Zhou Yanqing was still ill, so Si Yanmo drank the medicine on his behalf.

Watching the two figures ride away on horseback, Master Nie asked her, "Island Master, are you planning to sit back and watch the tigers fight?"

The owner of Lanyu smiled mysteriously, "It's certainly a good thing that the fisherman benefits, but..."

The woman's words were drowned out by the howling north wind. She looked up and a snowflake landed on her brow, quickly melting away.

The weather this year is strange. Before the Lunar New Year, there was a severe frost disaster in Sak, but after the Lunar New Year, the Qin region and Nandu, which should have warmed up, started to get cold. Nandu even had a rare snowfall.

Zhou Junsong stood in the snow wrapped in a fox fur coat, with a dark gold figure beside him.

The woman spoke up: "Have you thought it through?"

He smiled faintly, "It seems Your Majesty didn't give me a chance to think about it."

Qi Tingyun broke off a red plum blossom from the courtyard and handed it to him, saying, "Then, shall we have a pleasant cooperation?"

The man did not reach out to take it. "I still have the same question: how are my wife and mother?"

She pulled back the plum branch, kneading one of the petals with her fingertips, harder and harder, until the red plum was crushed to pieces, and the juice seeped into her fingers.

She laughed, "Then it's up to you. Their fate is in your hands."

The man unconsciously clenched his fists in the wide sleeves of the fox fur coat, his knuckles turning white, but he could only loosen them in the end.

A bright red stain appeared on his palm, dripped into the snow, and was covered by snowflakes.

He followed the woman out, then looked back at the crimson stain for a long time, wondering if his decision was right or wrong.

——

As Si Yanmo walked back, it was indeed snowing, but she hadn't brought any cotton-padded clothes; the thickest thing she had was a cloak.

Zhou Yanqing chuckled as she looked at her troubled expression. "I brought it for you a long time ago."

He took out the fox fur coat that the shopkeeper of Jasmine Garden had given him in Sack and draped it over her shoulders.

"That way you won't be cold."

Si Yanmo instinctively grabbed his hand, "And what about you?"

Zhou Yanqing, who was about to take out his own fox fur coat, paused upon hearing her words, a mischievous thought forming in his mind. He grabbed her tightly, asking, "What if you forgot to bring it?"

She was too worried to see through his disguise, and she usually saw right through him. But now she couldn't tell at all. She quickly pulled him closer to her. "Silly girl, you know it's going to snow, why didn't you bring some warm clothes? We'll ride the same horse later."

The man, pleased with his success, hugged his wife tightly. "Alright, my dear wife, you must hold me tight. It wouldn't be good if you got sick again."

Si Yanmo quickly told him to "spit it out."

"What nonsense are you talking about? You won't get sick again!"

Seeing her worry, Zhou Yanqing felt a surge of sweetness in her heart and kissed her cheek. "Okay, okay, I won't get sick again. I'll definitely stay with my Amo for a long, long time."

"Mmm, for a very long time."

At this moment, he could still joke around with Si Yanmo, pretending that he didn't have warm clothes and that he was in the same city as her.

The further they went, the colder it got. The two were in a hurry to get going, so Zhou Yanqing had no choice but to take out his fox fur coat and ride back to Qin with her on horseback.

Si Yanmo had been listening to the guards on Lanyu report on the situation in Qin to the Lanyu lord. Now that she had returned here in person, she discovered that the Southern Army and the Qi Army had already captured three cities, and the Qin Army had clearly lost its initial advantage.

She followed Zhou Yanqing to the military camp, only to discover that in Zhou Yanqing's absence, Mo Wenzhong and Lin Niang were in charge of the affairs of the army.

The two couldn't help arguing, but they also cooperated perfectly amidst their bickering.

Upon seeing Si Yanmo, Lin Niang rushed over and hugged her tightly, saying, "Oh dear, my little apprentice, your master was so worried about you."

“He’s clearly my apprentice…” Mo Wenzhong rolled his eyes. Compared to Lin Niang, he was much more restrained. He simply patted Si Yanmo’s shoulder and said, “It’s good that you’re alright.”

Now that they have returned, Mo Wenzhong will relinquish the leadership position to Zhou Yanqing.

“Now that the Qi army and the Southern army have chosen to attack from two directions, we have too few men and can only defend one side at most,” Mo Wenzhong said.

Zhou Yanqing glanced down at the sand table; the weaknesses of both the Qi army and the Southern army were quite obvious.

Although Nandu has many elite troops, they are few in number and good at defense but not offense; Qigu has few elite troops and cavalry, but its army is large, its supplies are plentiful, and it excels at rapid attacks. Yes, yes, yes.

In a one-on-one situation, the Qin army would be certain of victory against any opponent, but now they are being attacked from both sides.

"Any news from Sanhok?" he asked.

Chen Wu shook his head. "Not even a letter. Your Highness, do you think Sak might be planning to... ignore it?"

“No.” Si Yanmo interrupted him. “Sano wouldn’t be that kind of person. I think things are just too troublesome over there.”

She told the others about Nanhou and Zhou Junsong, "If they reach an agreement, they are very likely trying to contain Sak's side and leave us to fight alone."

Although the Lord of Lanyu is now willing to form an alliance, he will not actually come to help them.

Even if they do come, Lanyu has fewer troops and is better at defense, so they still can't really solve the problem.

Si Yanmo hadn't expected her actions to put them in a passive position, and she couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

Zhou Yanqing noticed her emotions and secretly took her hand to comfort her, "This is not your fault. Since the Empress has thought of this, whether you go to her or not, she will find a way to make the Emperor compromise. I am actually glad that you came back."

He turned around and hugged her tightly. "If you hadn't come back, I would be dead by now. Even if I were still alive, without you here to put my mind at ease, I'd probably be in a lot of chaos."

“Otherwise, I wouldn’t have abandoned them and chosen to go to Lanyu to find you first.” As he spoke, he pressed his forehead against hers, his breathing slowing down. “Amo, I need you.”

Hearing his confession, Si Yanmo's eyes reddened, and she couldn't help but lightly peck him on the lips. "I've always been here."

This left everyone around them bewildered. Lin Niang and Mo Wenzhong, who had seen a lot in life, were fine, but Chen Wu and Zhao Wan were in an awkward position, unsure whether to leave or stay.

Mo Wenzhong coughed twice, which brought the two of them back to their senses, and they released each other.

This also drew Zhou Yanqing's attention to the problem on the sand table. He suddenly asked, "What do you think the King of Qi wants?"

Si Yanmo answered instinctively, "The throne."

That's how it was in his past life. Although he helped Zhou Junsong, he only wanted to take advantage of the chaos to annihilate the Southern Emperor and him in one fell swoop.

If one can become the emperor of the south, who would want to be a subject?

It's just slightly inferior.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yanqing raised an eyebrow and gestured for everyone to look at the sand table.

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that although the Qi army appeared to be attacking from both sides with the Southern army, their offensive position was actually located near Wufeng Pass.

Despite the fact that the two countries are adjacent, he could have easily attacked from the rear, launching a pincer movement, yet he chose a location so close to the Southern Capital.

"A good position for adapting to changing circumstances," Mo Wenzhong said.

Lin Niang realized, "This guy is trying to be the one who suffers the consequences."

“But being the oriole that doesn’t live up to your reputation isn’t so easy.” Si Yanmo raised an eyebrow.

The Southern Emperor always wanted to be the oriole, but now he has no choice but to become the mantis. Revealing his ambition too early is not a good thing.

"What do you think we should do?" she asked Zhou Yanqing.

"I remember you have an uncle who was the shaman of the King of Qi." He smiled mysteriously. "Would you like to meet him sometime?"