The Third Prince's residence was originally the former Yong Prince's residence, which was rebuilt. Emperor Liang specially ordered the Ministry of Works to supervise the reconstruction, and it took hundreds of craftsmen nearly a month to complete the work.
A light rain was falling on the ground, and heavy gray clouds covered most of the sky. A small cluster of wildflowers by the red-lacquered corner gate, bearing a few drops of rain, peeked out shakily, as if secretly watching the couple outside the gate, reluctantly saying goodbye.
Xiao Ziwu, dressed in military uniform, stepped out from inside.
Tianyun followed closely behind, a straw raincoat slung over her wrist. Her gentle features resembled those of a young wife who watched her husband leave his hometown and stayed home alone in hardship.
Fine raindrops dripped from the dark eaves, forming curtains that splashed up as they hit the ground.
Last night, Duan Ximu was attacked, but fortunately, thanks to the ointment that his little woman had sent a few days ago, the bleeding from his wound was barely stopped. This morning, Tianyun came to the mansion to examine his pulse. Fortunately, the steel needle was not poisoned, and all that was needed was to remove the steel needle that remained in his thigh from the flesh.
Tianyun helped him put on a raincoat, tidied the collar, and tied the leather belt in a tight knot to make sure it wouldn't be blown away by the wind.
With a barely perceptible hint of melancholy in her voice, she said, "Take care, Your Highness." To make the performance convincing, she feigned sadness, lowering her eyes to conceal the cunning glint within them.
Xiao Ziwu stared at her quietly—
His narrow eyes burned with undisguised passion. He suddenly grasped the little woman's hand, his resolve to marry her growing even stronger.
"When I return victorious, I will welcome you into the house."
After leaving those words, he mounted his horse, turned around, pulled on the reins, and gazed at her one last time, the emotions in his eyes burning like a raging fire in Tianyun's heart.
If I look again, I might not want to leave.
Xiao Ziwu steeled himself, withdrew his gaze, spurred his horse, and galloped away through the drizzling rain.
She gave a slight bow, her clear, almond-shaped eyes brimming with tears as she watched his figure gradually become a black dot.
Drifting further and further apart...
A short while later.
Lingqi, trailing behind Tianyun, stared blankly as her mistress casually wiped away her tears. The sorrowful and reluctant expression vanished instantly, and she lifted her skirt with both hands, urging her urgently, "Quick, quick, let's go back to the manor and pack our luggage!"
"..."
If you're going to chase after your husband a thousand miles away, you don't have to run after him the moment he leaves, do you?
Lingqi inwardly complained, but didn't dare to be negligent in her actions, opening her umbrella and following behind the young lady to shield her. The carriage embroidered with the gold and jade emblem of the Siye Mansion was parked not far away. After the two of them got into the carriage, it sped towards the Siye Mansion without stopping.
Xiao Ziwu was unaware that this little woman, whom he had spoiled so much that she had become incredibly audacious, was already planning to go to the border with him.
He rode his horse to the military camp to check the troops, and the army marched forward in a grand procession. When they left the city, the people lined the road to see them off. Because of the drizzle, they crowded under the canopy, but their momentum was not diminished at all, and they all shouted in unison.
"The Third Prince has descended with divine troops; he will surely protect our Great Liang!" The people were in high spirits.
Facing those hopeful eyes, Xiao Ziwu nodded slightly, a hint of emotion showing on his face.
With the nation in peril, it was time to set aside personal feelings. He touched the purse stored in his chest, gave a low shout of "Giddy up!", and quickened his pace.
The Liang army was well-trained, and even in the drizzling weather, their marching speed was not slow. However, as night fell, they had to stop and rest. Unable to find any inns to stay in, Xiao Ziwu waved his hand and ordered them to set up camp on the spot.
This was a plain, flat and suitable for the soldiers to rest, and without the cover of trees, there was no need to worry about wild beasts attacking at night. The scouts, in twos and threes, dispersed in an arc to explore the vicinity for water sources and fodder for the horses.
※※※※
The Office of the Director of Studies.
Tianyun obediently ate dinner with the Shangguan couple, then pretended to feel dizzy and went back to her bedroom to rest.
On the deserted street, an old man in a dark blue mandarin jacket, carrying a lantern in his left hand and a gong in his right, beats the drum along the street, the drumbeats alternating between slow and fast.
"Thump—thump! Thump! Thump!"
Muttering to himself, the old man drawled, "It's past four in the morning—a cold wave with rain, doors and windows tightly shut!"
It was one in the morning. As Tianyun listened to the watchman's drum, her mind, which had been pecking at rice like a chick, gradually became clear. She hugged the small bundle in her arms tightly, nudged Lingqi and Shique who were dozing at her feet, and whispered, "It's time. Let's go quickly."
Finally, when the night was deep and all was quiet, the night was still and the world was silent.
The rain gradually stopped, with only one or two raindrops slowly dripping from the eaves of the pyramidal roof.
Tianyun blushed with excitement and quickly shook the two of them awake. The three of them tiptoed over the wall and left the mansion.
Shi Que was skilled in light-footed martial arts and carried Tian Yunlingqi and the other person out of the mansion in two trips.
But she remained uneasy, feeling a sense of unease...
Miss Tianyun is pampered and has fair and delicate skin. She is going to the border, which is thousands of miles away. She will probably suffer a lot on the way...
If His Highness knew that he not only failed to dissuade the young lady, but also aided and abetted her evil deeds, he would surely be furious!
The one who will suffer then will not be Tianyun, whom he cherishes so dearly, but rather this innocent and pitiful little brat...
If something were to happen to Miss Tianyun along the way, the punishment she would face might not be as simple as skinning her alive!
When His Highness went to war, Miss Tianyun braved dangers to rush to the border. Shi Que admired her unwavering loyalty.
At the same time, Shi Que found it perfectly reasonable that such an ordinary woman would never do something like this when it happened to Miss Tianyun.
Therefore, although she looked miserable, she still resignedly followed and protected him.
As long as he escorted Miss Tianyun safely to the border, it should be considered that he had made amends... Shi Que thought anxiously.
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