After listening to Qing'er's words, An Ke began to reflect. The conclusion she reached was indeed as Qing'er said: when she was in the palace, she certainly wouldn't have hesitated like this, because she wouldn't have come to see for herself at all.
The reason I'm hesitating now is simply because I've gradually been moved by Ertai's sincerity and good intentions in the little things we do every day.
The thought that he had folded a small flower out of grass for himself this morning, and now he was lying in bed, unable to move, filled Anke with a sense of melancholy.
Yes, Anke, given your personality, if you didn't truly dislike her, you would have clearly refused long ago. Why have you dragged it out until now? You see the feelings in the young man's eyes perfectly clearly.
What are you so conflicted about now? If you weren't attracted to him, why did you keep accepting his gifts? You clearly dislike owing people, don't you? Did you just accept them because of his pitiful expression?
No, it's simply because it was Ertai who showed that expression.
If I didn't like him, I wouldn't be so alarmed by his bleeding today. It's because I care that I worry. It's because I care that I fear he might die without the protagonist's halo.
An Ke gradually understood her own thoughts, and the more she thought about it, the clearer and more determined she became. Now that she understood her own feelings, she was determined to have Ertai.
Qing'er understands An Ke as well as she understands herself, so when she saw An Ke's eyes gradually clear from initial confusion, Qing'er knew that An Ke had figured things out.
Qing'er smiled slightly. It was good that An'an understood her feelings; the two were truly in love. With the Emperor around, An'an had the greatest support.
Yongqi wanted to say something, but seeing the two sisters chatting happily, and with An'an understanding his feelings, he didn't know what to do to Ertai.
Yongqi: I missed a golden opportunity to deal with Ertai fairly and squarely. [Frustrated]
"Then we'll go in with you and take a look together," Qing'er said, offering a reasonable suggestion.
Although An'an has now come to understand her own feelings, she still can't do whatever she wants. After all, they haven't settled down yet. With them by her side, it's not like they're a lone man and woman alone in a room.
An Ke nodded gratefully to Qing'er, expressing her deepest thanks.
Ertai: Princess Qing is truly my benefactor. (Thanks to Princess Qing for her help!)
As soon as they entered, Ertai, who had been unconscious for some time, groggily opened his eyes. Hearing the noise, he looked towards the door. Could it be said that they were telepathically connected? The first person Ertai saw when he opened his eyes was Anke.
Upon seeing Anke, Ertai's initial confusion vanished instantly, replaced by clarity; his eyes could only see Anke. There was no room for anyone else.
Qing'er & Yongqi: So? There are still living people here!
"Princess, are you alright?" Ertai tried to get up and walk towards Anke, but before he could prop himself up, Yongqi, who was quick-witted and agile, pressed him down.
"It's nothing, I'm perfectly fine." An Ke slowly stepped forward, looking at Ertai's pale, bloodless face, and said softly. "I'm fine, but you almost lost your life. That knife was very close to your heart. You need to rest well recently. It's best not to see anyone you can avoid."
Ertai touched his chest; it wasn't too bad, not particularly painful. But the princess told him to rest and recuperate properly, so he would stay home and rest.
“There’s something else I want to congratulate you on.” An Ke’s brows relaxed, and she smiled sweetly. “Because of your merit in saving the emperor, the imperial decree to appoint you as a commander of the Green Standard Army should arrive at your home soon after you return to the palace.”
Ertai froze for a moment, utterly unable to believe what he had just heard. He was merely a prince's attendant with no official rank, yet he had been promoted to a sixth-rank official simply for saving the emperor?
Ertai secretly reached up and pinched the flesh on his thigh; it hurt. It was real!
Ertai never expected that his subconscious decision would bring him such good fortune. In fact, it was because he saw the princess struggling against the overwhelming odds that he rushed over to help. But he didn't know that he had also indirectly saved the emperor.
"Are you so happy you've gone mad?" Yongqi teased Ertai, who was standing there in a daze.
But he also knew how difficult Ertai's journey had been. He himself had only recently realized this. Should he praise Ertai's acting skills, or admit that he had truly misjudged people?
He had previously genuinely believed that Fu Ertai, the second young master of the Fu family, was nothing more than an idle and good-for-nothing playboy. Even though they went to school together, he never answered Master Ji's questions, leading him to believe that Ertai might not have mastered the material. But he never expected that Ertai had been hiding his true abilities all along.
Later, when he went to the Hundred Horses Field with Anke and the others, he witnessed Anke's superb archery skills during the archery competition.
After going through so much, if he still can't see through things or figure them out, then he might as well get stabbed a few times himself.
Overwhelmed with excitement, Ertai coughed repeatedly. "I am very excited." Ertai looked at Anke with excitement; he had finally taken a step closer to his moon.
"Alright, Ertai, get some rest. We'll come see you again tomorrow." Yongqi noticed the awkward atmosphere between them and immediately interrupted, then pulled his cousin away.
"An'an, you should get some rest too," Yongqi gently advised, as if he understood the question in her eyes. "If you stay there any longer, Ertai won't be able to sleep tonight. Look at the way he looks at you, like a hungry wolf, it's practically gleaming with lust."
Anke stared at Yongqi for a long time, and after confirming that Yongqi was doing it for their own good, she did not refuse.
"Fifth Brother, you should get some rest too." An Ke rarely showed concern for Yongqi. "Cousin, I'll head back now."
Yongqi watched Anke leave, then turned a corner and went to see Ertai.
After they left, Ertai had already closed his eyes to rest. Just as he was about to fall asleep, he heard a noise coming from the door. Opening his eyes, he saw that Yongqi, who had just left, had returned.
Ertai was completely bewildered, but still managed to straighten his upper body. "Is there anything the princess has to say?" His only concern was Anke; as for the others, some were unworthy, some didn't want to, but he didn't care.
"Are you serious about my cousin?" Yongqi asked seriously from the side.
Ertai subconsciously straightened his posture and said with great certainty, "Yes, seriously."
"How long can you guarantee it? Five years, ten years?" Yongqi had to seriously examine his brother for the sake of his cousin.
"I will do everything in my power to cherish the princess, and I will dedicate my life to accompanying her." Ertai's eyes shone brightly, filled with utmost sincerity. His earnestness was unprecedented.
His feelings for the princess had long since arisen without his knowledge and deepened over time. Even if the princess ultimately did not reciprocate his feelings, he would still silently offer his blessings and protect her from the shadows.
Looking at Ertai's serious expression, Yongqi couldn't help but ask himself, "Am I the kind of person who's fickle? I clearly liked Xiaoyanzi before, but now I don't like her anymore." That's why he was afraid that Ertai would treat his cousin the way he had.
“You’d better remember what you said today,” Yongqi stood up, preparing to say his last words before leaving. “If you dare to deceive An’an, I will never let you off the hook.”
Ertai nodded seriously, silently thinking to himself: Even without you saying it, I would never bully the princess.
Yongqi was completely relieved. He knew his brother well; he was a man of his word. "Then congratulations in advance on your hard-won happiness." Since that's the case, why not let them be together sooner? Two lovers shouldn't have to go through so many more hardships. Qing'er was already encouraging them, so he should lend a hand.
Traditionally, women have been reserved, dignified, and self-respecting; such matters should be initiated by the man. Perhaps it's best to have your best friend say it.
After saying that, Yongqi stood aside admiring Ertai, his face displaying an unpredictable expression.
At first, he looked determined, then confused, and finally overjoyed.
Even Yongqi couldn't help but sigh, "Ertai, I really didn't know you had so many faces. Today I've truly seen through you."
Ignoring Yongqi's teasing, Ertai grabbed Yongqi as if he were a lifeline. "What does 'after the clouds disperse, the moon shines through' mean? Yongqi, explain it in detail."
"Are you stupid?" Yongqi slapped his hand away with feigned disgust, while Ertai grabbed his hands. "Of course it means exactly what it says, what else could it mean? An'an has feelings for you too, but she didn't understand it at first, or rather, she was hesitant and went down a dead end. After Qing'er's guidance tonight, she finally realized what love is all about."
Ertai kept hearing Yongqi's words: "An'an also cares about you."
Ertai's eyes reddened with emotion, and he couldn't help but shed tears.
If it weren't for the inconvenience of the moment, he would have loved to rush over and tell the princess his feelings. He would tell her that he would work hard to climb the social ladder and wait for the day he could marry her openly and honorably.
Yongqi was stunned. Was this really the same Ertai who was always so refined and gentle? Was the person shedding tears now truly Ertai?
What Yongqi didn't know was that in Ertai's heart, there was a distance as vast as the heavens between him and her. He never dared to imagine that the princess would one day fall in love with him; he thought that if he achieved military merit in the future, he would use his achievements to marry someone.
He would marry the woman he dreamed of, and even if the emperor was angry, he would insist on getting the emperor to issue a decree of marriage.
But now Yongqi tells himself that the princess also has feelings for him, and he can't help but feel elated.
"Oh, right, you don't need to call your cousin An'an 'Princess' anymore." Yongqi slapped his shiny forehead, almost forgetting another important matter.
"What is it?" Ertai was so excited that even if Yongqi said something bad, he would still agree with him with a smile.
“An’an has become Princess Yong’an from the county princess. From now on, you should call her Princess, not County Princess.” Yongqi added quietly, “Now that you have an official position, you should be more loyal to the emperor and serve the country, make more contributions, and use the honor you have won to ask your cousin for a marriage proposal.”
"Yes," Ertai was very excited. If it weren't for the wound on his chest, he would have really wanted to run a couple of laps in the yard.
Yongqi didn't want to see Ertai's foolish appearance anymore, nor did he want to smell the sour stench of their romance. After telling him to get some rest, he closed the door for him and left.
The next morning, after finishing her breakfast, Anke visited Ertai again, accompanied by Qing'er.
Qing'er knew the two had something to say, so she found an excuse to go out and avoid them for a while.
While she was out, Ertai confessed his feelings to Anke. Anke also took the opportunity to express her own feelings for Ertai. The two hit it off immediately, displaying perfect understanding, just like a couple who had been together for over ten years.
Just as the two were beginning to develop feelings for each other, a sound suddenly came from the window.
"Princess, the Emperor has invited you to discuss state affairs," Ying said cautiously by the window. He had originally intended to have Xingxing, the princess's personal maid, deliver the message, but Xingxing said that the princess was currently engaged in very important matters and asked him not to disturb her, so she dared not disturb her either.
Ying was somewhat confused, but the Emperor's orders were absolute, so she gritted her teeth and knocked on the window. Then she prepared to act according to the situation.
Upon hearing that it was her uncle's order, An Ke immediately interrupted the ambiguous atmosphere that had just begun. "It's probably something very important. You should rest first. I'll be right back."
Ertai understood the importance and urgency of the matter and did not force the princess to stay.
But no sooner had An Ke left than a group of people poured into Ertai's room.
The first person to enter was Fu Erkang, who had been jealous all night. Upon seeing the exquisite decorations inside, he became even more jealous.
He started off with a sarcastic tone, "Congratulations! After returning to the capital, you'll be a true battalion commander." He emphasized the words "battalion commander."
Ertai glanced at Fu Erkang, thinking, "What's wrong with him? Why is he acting like this? If he had come to protect the emperor back then, he would probably be back in his position as an imperial bodyguard by now."
He had just found out from An Ke what happened after he fell into a coma. His "good brother" had been demoted to a guard and would be punished with 50 strokes of the cane upon his return.
From a young age, he was competitive and always wanted to outdo himself in everything. After overhearing his father and mother's conversation, he gradually calmed down.
Unexpectedly, Fu Erkang continued to harass him like a mad dog, always trying to outdo him in everything.
Even from the moment he entered the palace, he was a guard in the Qianqing Palace. How unfair this was to the other guards, who all rose through the ranks step by step through examinations.
To become a guard in the Qianqing Palace was such an honor. Many guards struggled for this position for a long time and endured a lot of hardship, only to have it taken away by someone else so easily.
There was nothing we could do; after all, he was the son of an official, so we had no choice but to swallow our pride and bear it.
As a result, he became increasingly arrogant. For example, when he first met Ziwei, he only mentioned his father briefly, but spoke at length about himself.
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