Winter of the fifth year of Emperor Yunwu's reign.
When General Nangong He returned from his expedition, the people lined the streets to welcome him, all the way to the gates of Yonghua Palace. The emperor personally came to welcome him, and he became a household name.
The Penglai Palace's New Year banquet had a new important agenda: to confer titles on the meritorious officials of the Nangong family.
It was also the first time for the concubines to see a military general in armor entering the hall at such an important banquet. They all leaned over to take a look and marveled at him.
Wei Shuyi remained seated, away from the emperor, her gaze fixed on the crimson battle robe. Three years of garrisoning the border had left the general's hair gray, yet it was neatly tied. His face was rugged and deep, unlike his usual friendly self. The armor shone coldly, and a faint aura of solemnity emanated from it, instantly silencing the bustling banquet.
"Your Majesty, your ... is greeted by your old servant, Nangong He!"
"General Nangong, please stand up and take a seat." Xie Yanci thought highly of him. After helping him up personally, he sighed with heartfelt emotion, "When the emperor was alive, you followed him on his campaigns. Now that the crisis in Dashuo has been resolved, it's time for you to return and enjoy your retirement!"
"I only wish for peace and prosperity for the country and the people! If those ungrateful foreigners dare to invade again, I will lead the troops to fight, and I will do my utmost to do so!"
"Great! It is a blessing for me and the people that the Great Zhou has these loyal ministers like the Nangong clan!"
Xie Yanci glanced at Eunuch Yang, who understood and quickly stepped forward, clearing his throat.
"Nangong He, listen to my command! By the will of Heaven, the Emperor proclaims: General Nangong He is a pillar of the imperial court and a capable minister of the Great Zhou. He is a loyal and upright guard, and a man of great virtue and grace. I hereby grant him the title of Duke of Wuling County, a reward of five thousand taels of gold, a fief of three thousand households, and an increase in his official rank of two thousand dan. I decree this!"
"I accept your command! Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!"
Being promoted from a military general of the Great Zhou Dynasty to a hereditary county duke can be considered a privilege bestowed by the emperor.
Wei Shuyi was secretly happy for him, but he saw Eunuch Yang walk up to another person——
"Nangong Heng, listen to my orders!"
Only then did she notice the man wearing a bamboo hat as he and the old general entered the inner hall one after the other. She had thought he was an attendant, but she had never imagined that he was the young general whom the girl admired so much!
"By the providence of Heaven, the Emperor proclaims: Junior General Nangong Heng has a record of serving the public, using his inner virtue to cultivate friendships. In the battle of Dashuo, he defeated the enemy with divine grace, and brought glory to the nation. He is now promoted to the rank of Third Rank Lieutenant General and granted the title of Anyuan. I commend his service to the government and bestow this special honor upon him. This is my decree!"
"I accept your order and thank you for your grace, Your Majesty."
He was young and promising, far surpassing his peers, and became a third-rank military commander. However, his tone was indifferent, without joy.
Jing Ning couldn't help but whispered, "My lady, is he injured? Why did he enter the palace wearing a hat and veil?"
Coincidentally, Xie Yanci also mentioned this matter.
"My dear, why are you acting like this today?"
"On my way back to the capital, I encountered the Dashuo assassins and hacked them all to pieces. However, I was wounded and my face was grimy. I rode back at full speed and had no time to wash, so I had no choice but to resort to this last resort."
"Injured?! Have you asked the imperial physician to see him?"
The young man's tone remained calm, "Your Majesty, this minor injury is nothing to worry about. I will return home later to deal with it."
Jing Ning clutched her handkerchief anxiously. "What a despicable barbarian! After losing the battle, they actually came up with such a vicious plan. What kind of ability is it to plot against us from behind?!"
"Look how anxious you are. You only regret that you don't have Aunt Wenyu's skills. Otherwise, you would have found an opportunity to treat his wound, right?"
It was a rare occasion for Jing'an to make a joke, and Jingning was so choked that he couldn't speak for a long time.
Wei Shuyi had no intention of joining their discussion, only paying attention to the dark figure. Until he suddenly turned around and sat down, his eyes hidden behind the veil meeting hers.
"Sister Yi, is this the pine nut candy you wanted?"
"Sister Yi, Grandfather said that I will definitely go to the battlefield and kill the enemy in the future. However, I am afraid of blood and killing. Can I do it?"
"Sister Yi, have you ever seen flowers from the Western Regions? I went there with my grandfather and saw them once. I'll pick some and bring them back for you to see next time."
…
He was originally such a simple and talkative person. Sometimes, she would feel annoyed by his endless chattering, which disturbed her piano practice and reading.
But she just couldn't bear to reject him, because when she met those clear eyes and those chubby cheeks, she couldn't speak.
However, things have changed and everyone has changed a lot.
Wei Shuyi couldn't see where his gaze was going, and hurriedly lowered her head after their eye contact.
Wen Yu saw this and asked considerately, "Miss, are you uncomfortable sitting for a long time? Do you want to go out for a walk?"
"Okay."
They left Penglai Palace together and walked to a nearby rockery. Wen Yu dusted off the stone bench, spread out the cushions he had brought with him, and then helped her sit down.
"The young lady's face turned pale after she saw the people from the Nangong clan. I was worried that someone with ulterior motives would notice us, so I brought you out."
"Thank you." Wei Shuyi lowered his head and covered the hot water bottle. After a while, he asked again, "Is it really that obvious?"
"yes."
A small stone fell from a great height and landed right in the middle of the water in front of the two of them!
Wen Yu looked up alertly: "Who is it?"
"I'm here." Someone responded sullenly, walking up from behind them. "Pregnant women shouldn't be exposed to cold winds. Why do you insist on walking towards the wind?"
It's him!
Wei Shuyi stood up subconsciously: "Lord Nangong, isn't it the same? The emperor is hosting a banquet today, and you and the old general are the protagonists. It would be bad if you were to leave the table for too long."
"Sir? That's not a nice name. Why don't you just call me by my name?"
He took off his hat and pulled open his veil as well.
The moonlight cast a silver gleam on his willow-leaf armor, and even his military uniform couldn't erase his elegance and gentleness. A single, jade-like tree, untouched by the fierce wind, lurked a bloodthirsty Shura in his brows. He smiled faintly in response, and memories pierced through his iron armor, surging forth, startling her.
"You and I have different identities. Calling you by your name is inappropriate."
"What's wrong with that? Our emperor is a wise ruler. Can he kill me just because you called my name?" He didn't care at all. He leaned against the rockery and stared at her. "My nickname is Qingshi. Don't forget it, Your Majesty."
Wei Shuyi continued to play dumb: "Your Excellency still overestimates my status. I am the Concubine Xi of Lin'an Palace, but I am not worthy of the honorific title of Empress."
"Wait until the eldest prince is born. Are you still afraid that you won't be able to wait until that day?"
How long has he been back in Beijing?
Why did you find out about things related to her?
She looked up in confusion and happened to see the wound on his forehead, which was oozing blood and stuck to the spot along with the mud. It was indeed as "dirty" as he had said before.
"Since you have time to leave, why not ask a doctor to clean your wound? Minor ailments left untreated could lead to major problems later. You are an important official at court, and you cannot allow illness to affect you."
Nangong Heng's voice was then mixed with laughter: "Are you worried about me?"
"The people of Da Zhou will all be worried."
"Then you go back first and I'll go later, so as to avoid being gossiped about."
She had no doubt about this and pulled Wen Yu back.
However, after passing each other, a cold wind blew over, which was completely different from the feeling just now.
Wei Shuyi turned sideways——
The young man was standing right in the wind's vent. He was gazing at the moon, his expression normal.
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