"Jinghua, I don't like parting."

The woman's voice from his memory overlapped with the soft, sweet voice of the little girl in his arms, causing Nan Rongjinghua's eyes, hidden beneath her long silk robes, to tremble slightly.

A suffocating pain spread uncontrollably through his chest, and the cinnabar dot between his brows shimmered faintly with a silvery light.

A metallic taste rose in his throat, and his grip on the little girl tightened involuntarily.

Her voice, usually clear and melodious, now sounded somewhat hoarse and strained.

"Never again, Ah Sheng, we will never be apart."

"Huh? Master, who is Ah Sheng?"

Sisi lifted her little head from Nanrong Jinghua's arms, blinked her eyes, and looked at Nanrong Jinghua with a blank expression.

The little girl's voice brought Nan Rong Jinghua back to his senses from his daze. His gaze, hidden beneath the long silk robe, fell into the eyes of the little girl in his arms.

Familiar yet strange, a hand gently caressed the little girl's delicate eyebrows and eyes, her divine face, and the unfathomable depths of her eyes beneath the long, silvery-white silk.

“Ah Sheng, it’s Si Si.”

"Aww, so this is another name you gave Sisi, Master?"

Sisi tilted her head slightly, thinking that the handsome teacher was sometimes really strange, or rather, eccentric.

Thinking of this, Sisi raised her chubby little hand and placed it on Nanrong Jinghua's forehead, touching it. Her delicate little brows furrowed.

"No, the teacher doesn't have a fever either."

"It's alright, as long as Sisi knows that I will never be separated from her."

Nan Rong Jinghua chuckled softly, cupped the little girl's hand in his palm, and, noticing the chill in the air, carried her inside.

"Yes, Sisi won't be separated from the teacher either."

Sisi nodded his little head, completely agreeing.

Such a handsome teacher, of course I should marry him and keep him in my harem! Oh ho ho ho!

**

night,

The Imperial Study.

The guards monitoring Yongqing Palace reported back, and Changying's brows furrowed even more deeply on his tense face. Changying waved his hand.

"Okay, go back now."

"Yes." The guard bowed, and in a short while, his figure disappeared into the thick, inky night.

Changying turned and entered the imperial study, bowing to Helian Nie, who was reviewing memorials under the glow of the night-shining pearl.

"Your Majesty, the relationship between Si Beitao and the little princess seems to be beyond our expectations. If we attack Dongchen in the future, I fear the little princess will..."

"The ugly thing is only six years old, and has only been here for seven days. It will forget about it in time."

The chilling voice, devoid of any emotion, was even more menacing than the howling wind outside the window.

His handsome face had well-defined features; his long, narrow, almond-shaped eyes were fixed on the memorial, and his thin, crimson lips were pressed into a straight line.

The dragon robe was as red as blood, with lifelike golden dragon patterns, fully displaying the majesty and ruthlessness of the supreme ruler.

"yes."

Chang Ying's heart skipped a beat, and he lowered his head, no longer daring to look directly at the emperor's face. No one could change the emperor's decisions.

"Winter has arrived, and the journey to the frontier is not far off. Let him prepare; it will take at most ten years, and at least eight."

Helian Nie put down his vermilion brush, closed the last memorial he had reviewed, leaned back in his tall, golden nanmu chair, and rubbed his temples with his well-defined fingers.

"Yes, Your Highness. I will go to Fanghua Palace tomorrow to report to the Second Prince."

"I have another matter. Now that Si Bei Tao Hua has left my Bei Yin, does that Young Master Jing Hua intend to remain in Yong Qing Palace, or...?"