Chapter 53 Neither the Yong King nor his son will survive this winter.
Gu Nanxiao readily agreed and knelt down in front of her. Yunxi had only said it casually, but she didn't expect Gu Nanxiao to actually do it.
In the Great Yan Kingdom, a man's back is not to be carried by just anyone; apart from the ruler, parents, and teachers, they will not carry anyone else.
Yunxi knew that there was a huge gap in status between her and Gu Nanxiao, so she never expected that the usually arrogant and domineering man would actually bend down for her.
As Yunxi lay on Gu Nanxiao's broad, sturdy back, a strange excitement welled up inside her, and she knew exactly what it was.
Even she, who was always strong-willed, couldn't help but think to herself, if there were a man who would stand in front of her and shield her from the wind and rain, would she no longer have to force herself to be a strong woman?
Yunxi wrapped the two of them in her cloak, and Gu Nanxiao used his lightness skill to quickly reach the summit of the mountain behind the manor. They found a large blue stone, leaned against the bamboo forest, and gazed at the sea of clouds in the distance.
Just moments later, the first rays of dawn broke through the clouds, and the vibrant warm yellow gradually painted the earth, and at the same time, painted their hearts.
Two figures nestled together, admiring the dawn's light, their soft breaths mingling in each other's ears, their bodies pressed close together, feeling each other's warmth and heartbeat.
At this moment, Gu Nanxiao suddenly asked in a low voice, "Yunxi, can you stay by my side forever?"
Unlike his previous domineering command, this time Gu Nanxiao's tone was expectant yet tinged with a hint of pleading. However, the result remained the same; he still received no reply.
Yunxi admitted that at this moment, she was indeed tempted. A voice kept urging her to agree to Gu Nanxiao's offer.
But she quickly suppressed this thought. She couldn't let herself succumb to temptation; no matter how good this man was to her, he would eventually marry another woman.
She refused to become a pathetic appendage; no man was worthy of her sacrificing her dignity to love.
Gu Nanxiao seemed to understand Yunxi's concerns and persuaded her again, "Yunxi, I won't do anything you don't like. Trust me, stay by my side, okay?"
Yunxi wanted to tell him directly that it was no, and to simply put an end to his feelings. But Yunxi found that although she couldn't agree to his request, she also couldn't bring herself to say anything more resolute.
Gu Nanxiao, receiving no response, hugged the person in his arms even tighter. Faced with Yunxi, who remained silent, he was at a loss. Yunxi's stubbornness and resilience were the traits he admired most, but at this moment, they were giving him a headache.
After another moment of silence, Yunxi sighed and said, "It's getting cold, let's go back."
Gu Nanxiao still secretly led Yunxi down the mountain. But he was still a little sullen, like a big boy who hadn't gotten his favorite toy and was throwing a tantrum.
Gu Nanxiao stayed in his room all day, neither going out nor eating. It wasn't until evening, when Yunxi still hadn't returned to the master bedroom, that he realized something was wrong.
Gu Nanxiao assumed that Yunxi must be angry because he had been in a bad mood during the day and hadn't spoken to her. He quickly picked out some jewelry and went to coax her.
When they arrived at the side courtyard, they discovered that Yunxi had started her period, and she was in very bad shape. The little girl was huddled in the brocade quilt, her hands covering her stomach, her forehead covered in cold sweat, and her face was unusually pale.
When Gu Nanxiao asked, he learned that Yunxi had been feeling unwell since returning in the morning and hadn't eaten all day. He was so angry that he questioned Zisu: "How have you been taking care of your master?"
Zisu had always been afraid of Gu Nanxiao. Now, being scolded by him with a stern face, she trembled and stammered, "My...my young lady has never been like this when she came for her period before."
"This servant...this servant doesn't know what to do either. I only heard Miss say she was cold, so I added another brocade quilt for her."
As Gu Nanxiao listened to Zisu's answer, he also recalled that when Yunxi had her period in the past, although she would also feel unwell, it was never as severe as it was now.
He had no time to talk to a servant, so he quickly carried the person back to the main courtyard and ordered someone to prepare a hot water bottle and boil a bowl of ginger and brown sugar water.
These were all things he had seen his mother use when he was a child. When the ginger and brown sugar water was brought over, Gu Nanxiao persuaded Yunxi to drink it. Then he lay down with her and pulled her into his arms.
He noticed that Yunxi's hands and feet were particularly cold, so he used his own legs to warm Yunxi's feet and his large hands to warm Yunxi's hands.
After all that fuss, Yunxi's body wasn't so cold anymore, and her complexion had improved a lot. Gu Nanxiao finally felt a little relieved.
For the next two days, Gu Nanxiao took care of Yunxi personally, which greatly alleviated her physical discomfort. However, this also ruined her three-day holiday.
Gu Nanxiao not only didn't feel sorry, but was also happy for Yunxi's improvement. He held the still somewhat weak Yunxi on his lap and rubbed her stomach with his large hands.
Yunxi found a comfortable position and soon became sleepy, falling asleep. Gu Nanxiao watched her peaceful sleeping face, sometimes frowning, sometimes smiling gently.
Three days later, the two returned to the Yongwang Mansion by carriage. Gu Nanxiao went to court as usual, but Yunxi received a message brought back by Feng Xun.
Ever since Yunxi heard that Liu Shi could predict dreams, she guessed that she might be the legendary reborn person. So she ordered Que'er and Fengxun to keep a close watch on her movements.
Just yesterday, Feng Xun overheard Shi Qingchen angrily telling Liu that since Gu Nanxiao's various shops opened, the Shi family's business had plummeted.
However, Lady Liu dismissed the claim, saying that neither Prince Yong nor his son, Gu Nanxiao, would survive the winter. Shi Qingchen was surprised to hear this and inquired carefully about the matter.
Lady Liu said that she dreamed of the northern border, and that the Northern Di would launch a major invasion this year. The emperor sent Prince Yong and his son to the border to meet the enemy.
Later, it seems there was a problem with the food supplies, leading to hundreds of thousands of border soldiers fighting the Northern Di for several days without resupply. Although they eventually won a pyrrhic victory, both Prince Yong and Gu Nanxiao perished!
Yunxi's expression turned very serious after hearing this. She pondered for a long time and decided to go to the side courtyard to get the explosives out.
Actually, making explosives is not difficult, the raw materials are not hard to find, and she has also read about the proportions in books. However, if she wants to turn the theory into reality, she still needs to experiment with it herself.
Fortunately, she remembered the proportions very accurately, and in one morning she made several explosive packages of various sizes.
After Gu Nanxiao finished court, Yunxi didn't tell him about Liu's precognitive dream. Instead, she mysteriously carried a box, told him to ride a horse, and took him alone to a secluded spot outside the city, saying she had something to show him.
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