Chapter 13

Qi Xinglan's illness came and went quickly. When she woke up in Lin Huaili the next day, she found that she was healed.

Hui Lin was originally asleep, but Qi Xinglan moved twice in his arms and he woke up immediately. Before he could react, Qi Xinglan patted him twice excitedly, "Hui Lin! I'm cured!"

Hui Lin's expression didn't change much. She just hugged him tighter and rubbed his head. "Then sleep a little longer. It's still early anyway."

Today happens to be a day off for all officials, and I finally don't have to go to court. I will go back to the forest and hold the person in my arms and sleep for a while.

Qi Xinglan refused and got out of his arms. He said righteously, "No, I was delayed for a day yesterday. I must hurry back today! I will trouble Liang Yin to come to the royal court in the afternoon. We can get the initial results out today."

Lin Wunai was about to get up, but Qi Xinglan pushed him back down, "You should have a good rest. It's too bad to get up early after a long rest."

Qi Xinglan sat on the edge of the bed, putting on his shoes while talking to Hui Lin. Hui Lin saw that he was happy and couldn't help but kiss him.

Having just recovered from a serious illness, perhaps Qi Xinglan was in a really good mood, and she gave him a favor in return.

"I'm going to wash up first. You just wait here for me to come back."

At that moment Hui Lin felt like that young wife who needed others to remind her to have a good rest.

It was almost evening when Qi Xinglan came back. Qi Xinglan had been ill the day before, and Liang Yin thought that he would probably fall ill again today, so he got up early and rushed to the palace as soon as he received the letter from the royal court.

Therefore, we arrived much earlier, and the earlier we came, the earlier we finished.

Hui Lin didn't move much and stayed in Lanquan Hall all day. He also brought some memorials to Lanquan Hall to read. When Qi Xinglan came back and saw Hui Lin sitting at the desk working, she was very surprised.

"So you didn't go back to Hengyi Palace?"

Huilin put down the memorial and pen, propped his cheek with his hand and looked at Qi Xinglan with a smile, "It's hard to rest, I want to stay with you forever."

Seeing that he was still standing there, Qi Xinglan walked over to sit beside him, facing Hui Lin's gaze and staring at him for a long time before asking, "When is the New Year's Day in Xiyuan?"

Hui Lin looked at him as if he was a fool, "The ninth day of the next month."

"So fast?" Qi Xinglan looked surprised.

"Well, what's the problem, Lan'er?"

"Liang Yin said that the trial operation of the imperial examination system could begin after the New Year holidays,"

Qi Xinglan explained one by one, and then looked back at Lin at the end, and said confidently: "I don't know Xiyuan, and I don't know when the New Year's Day is. I am embarrassed to ask Liang Yin, so I can only ask you."

Hui Lin also knew that he was not very happy to marry Xiyuan at first, and expressed understanding, "It doesn't matter, it's not too late for you to know now."

"only..."

"Lan'er, you're probably going to be busy this year. There's a letter from Southern Xinjiang saying someone is coming to give you a holiday gift. Luckily Shen Tinghan from the Great Zhou has been here before, otherwise we'd probably bump into each other."

The place where Qi Xinglan was originally going to be exiled was Southern Xinjiang. If it hadn't been for that incident that happened halfway and if he hadn't met Huilin, Qi Xinglan estimated that he would have been there long ago.

However, Xiyuan and Nanjiang are two countries that have nothing to do with each other. The Great Zhou has a vast territory and it was indeed the hegemon of the world at one time.

It’s fine for them to come, but why is it necessary for Southern Xinjiang to come?

"People from Southern Xinjiang are coming too? Isn't this a clear message to Great Zhou that our two countries want to be on good terms?"

"Can Da Zhou be assured?"

Hui Lin did not reply to him, but just took his hand and held it tightly, and rubbed it for a long time. Seeing Qi Xinglan getting anxious, he slowly spoke, "If the Great Zhou and Xiyuan——there will be a war."

"I have no interest in his kingdom, but if he insists on going to war, Xiyuan cannot just sit there and wait for death."

Qi Xinglan blinked and nodded as if she understood. "Just make the decision. You are the King of Xiyuan, and your decision must be correct."

"I trust you."

Qi Xinglan smiled beautifully, and Hui Lin's heart softened, so he carried out what he had thought. He stood up, hugged Qi Xinglan and walked to the couch.

Qi Xinglan had already prepared himself to be thrown on it, but he did not expect that as soon as he opened his eyes, not only did he not feel any pain, but he also sat in Hui Lin's arms. Hui Lin sat on the couch and held him steadily.

"you..."

Hui Lin raised his eyebrows when he saw his surprised expression and gave him another punishing kiss. Qi Xinglan's lips were swollen from being touched on the back of her neck before Hui Lin let him go.

When Qi Xinglan opened her eyes, she was still confused, but she heard him say in her ear: "Why, Lan'er, do you think your husband is a beast and will just pull you to the bed when he sees you?"

Qi Xinglan:...

Don't you know why I think so?

Qi Xinglan shook her head quickly, her eyes full of sincerity, but she heard him expose her mercilessly, "Is this what you think in your heart, but you don't say it?"

After saying this, he shook Qi Xinglan again, as if reminding him to answer. Qi Xinglan's eyes turned around, and then he hugged Hui Lin and snuggled into his arms. Hui Lin heard a muffled voice coming from his chest, "Because I know my husband likes Lan'er very much..." So he wouldn't really do anything too harsh.

Hui Lin originally thought that when a person is ill, he should control himself and not go too far, but who can stand being called like that!

Hui Lin immediately decided to grab Qi Xinglan's chin and kiss her again.

But he didn't do anything else in the end. His Lan'er was not as healthy as himself, and it would be bad if she got sick again.

At night, the two of them lay together peacefully. Qi Xinglan looked at the tent above her head, and her voice was particularly clear in the empty hall, "Hui Lin, what is there to see in Xiyuan? I have only seen this place in winter."

Hui Lin thought for a moment and said, "After the New Year and the beginning of spring, I will take you to Lecheng to see the snow-capped mountains. It's not far from the west and can be reached in half a day by horseback."

Qi Xinglan frowned and thought, "Why do we have to wait until spring?"

"Can't we see the snow-capped mountains at any time?"

Hui Lin shook his head and described to Qi Xinglan the scene of Lecheng after the spring in his mind.

"It must be the most beautiful in spring. There are flowers everywhere on the plains, and looking up, there are rolling snow-capped mountains."

“Maybe you’ll like it.”

"Then I hope the New Year will come soon." Qi Xinglan's voice became softer and softer. She looked back at Lin and found that he had fallen asleep.

She leaned over and kissed his smooth forehead gently, then looked back at him with a tenderness that he himself had not even noticed.

—

Qi Xinglan’s words were not in vain, as the New Year arrived as promised.

People from southern Xinjiang arrived early and have been accommodated at the post station.

It was not until today that Qi Xinglan saw the true face of the envoy from Southern Xinjiang.

"Announcement, the envoy from Southern Xinjiang has come to see you."

The visitors were a man and a woman. They walked into the hall neither fast nor slow but very steadily. Qi Xinglan judged from their gorgeous clothes that they were members of the royal family.

If the clothing style of Xiyuan is somewhat similar to that of Dazhou and is not completely foreign, then the clothing of Nanjiang is very different from that of Xiyuan.

Luxurious and novel, it was a scene that Qi Xinglan could only see in books during the Great Zhou Dynasty.

"My lord Zhuoke, my lord Alxi, have met the King of Xiyuan."

The two men placed their right hands in front of their left chests and half-knelt, speaking in unison.

Regardless of whether they are male or female, they all have very deep eye sockets and high nose bridges, which is indeed very different from the Da Zhou.

"No need to be polite, please stand up."

"I am visiting from Southern Xinjiang to maintain friendship between our two countries. Although my sister is a princess of Southern Xinjiang, she is also quite familiar with the culture of Western Plains."

After the man finished speaking, he turned his head and glanced at the woman. The latter's expression was very cold and distant. If Qi Xinglan remembered correctly, her expression had not changed from the beginning until now.

But Princess Aerxi still stepped forward and said to Huilin, who was sitting in a high position: "Your Majesty, I specially learned a piece of Xiyuan folk music using the southern Xinjiang instrument huqin. Please allow me to perform it."

Hui Lin nodded. He couldn't afford to offend the envoy from Southern Xinjiang on such an occasion.

He was afraid that Qi Xinglan would have an opinion on this, so he glanced at the person next to him, but when he saw that he was listening intently, he turned his head away silently.

When the song ended, Qi Xinglan was the first to applaud, which caused Princess Alxi to look at him more. He was not shy and smiled at others generously.

Qi Xinglan naturally knew what the princess was here for, otherwise she wouldn't have attracted so many ministers' attention when she applauded. But it didn't matter, that was Hui Lin's business.

During the banquet, Prince Zhuo Ke did not say anything about a marriage between the two countries, and the whole thing went smoothly.

Qi Xinglan was going back to Lanquan Palace after the banquet, but when he returned to the forest, he had to talk alone with the Prince of Southern Xinjiang about some matters concerning the two countries.

The palace where the banquet was held was not close to the Lanquan Palace, and Qi Xinglan was full, so she called Fu Wen to take a rest in a pavilion on the road.

What a coincidence that I ran into Princess Alxi, "I've met Her Majesty the Queen."

Qi Xinglan nodded with a smile, "Hello, Princess."

Seeing Qi Xinglan still looking indifferent, Princess Aerxi couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, aren't you worried about what I'm doing in Xiyuan?"

Qi Xinglan shook her head, looking very confused, "Isn't it just to be Lin's concubine? Otherwise, what is the purpose?"

The princess was even more confused and she folded her arms and said, "Aren't you worried that King Xiyuan will change his mind?"

"That's Hui Lin's business. What does it have to do with me? If I don't let him change his mind, will he change his mind?"

This person is quite clear-headed. I wish I could be like him.

Alxi found a stool and sat down, and the maid who followed her was instructed by her to stand in the distance and wait.

"I just came back from where they were discussing something. Just now, the King of Xiyuan...your husband has already talked to my brother and said that he doesn't like me and won't let me enter the royal court."

Qi Xinglan was hesitant and asked her carefully, "Are you...unhappy?"

"I'm happy. This princess didn't like him anyway." Alxi no longer considered Qi Xinglan a threat to herself, and she spoke more freely.

"At first I heard that my father wanted to marry me to someone who liked men," A'erxi glanced at Qi Xinglan again, "and they got married."

"I am totally unwilling. Men cannot have children, but men and women can. If the officials of Xiyuan force him, the King of Xiyuan will have no choice but to take a concubine. That's what my father told me."

A Erxi pointed at herself and Qi Xinglan, "I knew she liked men, but I still went forward and wanted to have a baby? How is that possible!"

"Besides, he's too tall. I prefer someone like you..."

Ah Erxi said this nonchalantly, which made Qi Xinglan panic. He looked around and found that no one else was around before he felt relieved. "What are you talking about? I'm married too!"

“And I like men, too.”

A'erxi rolled her eyes at him and said, "I knew it long ago, otherwise I would have taken you back to Southern Xinjiang long ago - but I think your words and actions are very much to my liking..."

"Okay!" Qi Xinglan said as she was about to stand up and motioned for Fu Wen to follow. "I'm going to look for my husband. Princess, just sit here and wait for your brother."

"This little princess is quite interesting."

Qi Xinglan certainly didn't let Alxi hear her mumbling, otherwise she would have kept talking.

When Hui Lin came back, he was drunk. As soon as he entered the house, Qi Xinglan urged him to take a shower in a disgusted manner and threatened that he would not be allowed to go to bed if he did not do so.

Huilin Zizhi explained the injustice and went to Qixinglan after washing himself clean. "Lan'er, I don't know her and I have never seen this Princess Alxi."

"This incident happened suddenly, but I rejected Prince Zhuoke as quickly as possible," Huilin said, holding Qi Xinglan's hand again with a pious look, "Lan'er, I will never have anyone else in my life, no matter if it's a boy or a girl, or if we have children or not."

Qi Xinglan nodded in response, then returned to Lin and happily hugged him to sleep.