When Ye Jingchen left the military camp, he still took those eunuchs with him.
Xie Chang'an had a stern face and exuded an aura that kept strangers at bay.
When Xie Shaoling and Xu Jingjing saw him like this, they both sighed inwardly.
It's obvious without even thinking that their little girl must have had another conflict with His Highness the Crown Prince.
They were perfectly fine last night, but when I woke up they were all gone again—
These young people these days! I really don't understand them!
Xie Shaoheng led 30,000 soldiers and set off for Tianji Pass.
The distance from the Shenwei Army camp to Tianji Pass was a full two hundred li, and the soldiers carried their packs and walked swiftly.
After following them for an hour, Ye Jingchen decisively returned to his horse.
As expected of the strongest army in Dayuan, Ye Jinghe still has a long way to go if the soldiers of the Guard Battalion want to catch up with them.
However, this is not something that can be accomplished overnight. There is always a difference between soldiers who have been on the battlefield and those who have not.
Small-scale bandit suppression doesn't count!
It was a rare day that there was no snow and the sun was out, but the sun's color was pale and it didn't feel warm at all.
When the sun was high in the sky, the soldiers went to a sheltered place to rest and have lunch.
During the march, cooking was too troublesome and could easily reveal their location, so the soldiers ate dry rations. Mixed flour cakes were easy to carry, and tearing them into small pieces and soaking them in water made them very filling.
Xie Chang'an also ate mixed flour pancakes, but he secretly slipped Ye Jingchen two pieces of dried meat.
His movements were very discreet; the soldiers didn't see them, but Xie Shaoheng did.
"Chang'an, I didn't expect you to be so thoughtful. Your father and mother are always worried that you have a bad temper and won't be able to find a wife. It seems they are worrying too much!" Xie Shaoheng patted Xie Chang'an on the shoulder and said with relief.
Xie Chang'an didn't react to these words, but Ye Jingchen choked on the dried meat.
Xie Shaoling and Xu Jingjing didn't worry too much; Xie Chang'an was unlikely to find a wife in his lifetime. Rather than hoping for Xie Chang'an to get married, they thought it would be better to have another child while they were still young.
If Xie Chang'an had younger siblings, he might not feel so guilty when he confessed to them later.
Should he encourage Xie Chang'an to 'urge' the baby to be born?
"Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you." Xie Chang'an said, unscrewing the cap of the water bag and handing it to Ye Jingchen.
Ye Jingchen rolled his eyes at him, took the water pouch, and drank a few sips of water to moisten his throat.
Seeing that he had finished drinking, Xie Chang'an took the water bag back from him.
"You've done a very good job as a guard!" Xie Shaoheng said again.
"General Xie, my brother Chang'an is not just my bodyguard, he is also the young heir of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion!" Ye Jingchen said to Xie Shaoheng with a smile.
The title made Xie Chang'an's eyes darken, while Xie Shaoheng was filled with mixed feelings upon hearing it.
With such a crown prince, the future of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion and the Xie family finally has a glimmer of hope!
After resting for fifteen minutes, they continued marching.
They walked until the sun went down and the sky grew darker and darker.
Finally, before the world was completely shrouded in darkness, they reached Tianji Pass.
The soldiers guarding Tianji Pass had already received the news, and the entire pass was brightly lit, awaiting their arrival.
As the person of the highest status, Ye Jingchen moved into the best barracks here.
Xie Chang'an naturally continued to live with him, while the Eastern Palace Guards and eunuchs were scattered in tents around the barracks to protect his safety.
Inside the barracks, the well-trained eunuchs tidied his room and put away his luggage. Hot water was also prepared quickly. By the time Ye Jingchen finished his bath, the meal was ready, including Xie Chang'an's portion.
Xie Chang'an discovered that these eunuchs took everything into consideration, leaving him no room to interfere.
He couldn't interfere either, because although these people were eunuchs in the Eastern Palace, they were also the emperor's spies.
The eunuchs didn't leave until Ye Jingchen was ready to retire for the night.
Xie Chang'an was furious at losing so much time alone.
As soon as those people left, he hugged Ye Jingchen.
He felt that Ye Jingchen had deliberately brought these eunuchs to Tianji Pass, even though he could do the things they did for him and would do them willingly.
"I did bring them to Tianji Pass on purpose." Just as Xie Chang'an was thinking this, Ye Jingchen directly voiced Xie Chang'an's suspicions.
Xie Chang'an didn't ask why, but he tightened his grip on him.
"We've known each other for ten years, and perhaps because we've always worked together so well, it seems we've never truly opened up to each other. Today, are you willing to open up to me?" Ye Jingchen asked.
"A heart-to-heart talk?" Xie Chang'an repeated the two words with a look on his face, and slowly released Ye Jingchen.
He walked to the table, sat down, and poured himself a cup of tea.
"Don't you know all my secrets and all my obsessions?" he asked softly, staring at the tea in his cup.
But he still couldn't understand Ye Jingchen.
Ye Jingchen is too good at hiding himself.
He always seemed completely at ease, no matter the situation.
Xie Chang'an knew what he wanted, but he never understood what Ye Jingchen wanted.
As an emperor, he was used to controlling everything, but Ye Jingchen was never under his control, so even if Ye Jingchen reciprocated his feelings, he would still feel uneasy.
Even the contract with Ye Jingchen's signature and fingerprint only provided him with a temporary sense of security.
Did Ye Jingchen realize this, which is why he said he wanted to open up to him?
"Actually, what I want is very simple, so simple that you might not believe it." Ye Jingchen sat down opposite Xie Chang'an and poured himself a cup of tea.
"Tell me," he said, wanting to see just how simple it was!
Ye Jingchen took a deep breath before speaking: "I don't want to be the crown prince, much less the emperor. I don't want to govern a country or bear the burden of countless people! I have no ideals or ambitions, I just want to eat and drink without worry every day!"
After finishing speaking in one breath, Ye Jingchen covered his face with his hands.
It takes courage to personally expose the perfect persona you've created for yourself.
Xie Chang'an: ......
"Do you feel like your positive impression of me has shattered?" Ye Jingchen asked, seeing that Xie Chang'an remained silent. He then spread his fingers and peered at Xie Chang'an's expression through the gaps.
"What do you mean by 'the filter is shattered'?" Xie Chang'an asked, puzzled.
Ye Jingchen thought for a moment and explained, "It's just that you originally imagined me to be a very wonderful and high-class person, but now you suddenly realize that I am such an ordinary person."
"No," Xie Chang'an said.
"What do you mean, 'nothing'?" Ye Jingchen asked.
"I never imagined you to be wonderful or high-class."
Ye Jingchen's lips twitched. "If that's the case, then what do you like about me?"
Xie Chang'an looked at Ye Jingchen with an expression he couldn't understand, his eyes gradually filling with laughter. "I always thought you were a cunning little fox, but now I realize you're even more cunning than I imagined!"
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