Chapter 49 Returning to the Palace on a Rainy Night
That night, the army tent was brightly lit. Xiao Jingzhan and his generals discussed the new battle formation until late into the night. Suddenly, a strong wind arose outside the tent, followed by a torrential downpour.
"Your Highness, the rain is too heavy. Why don't we discuss it again tomorrow?" a general advised.
Xiao Jingzhan glanced at the torrential rain outside the tent and frowned slightly. He recalled Su Jingyu's soft words of advice as she straightened his clothes before he left the palace: "Your Highness, you must take care of yourself while you are busy with military affairs. If the weather changes, remember to add more clothes." And the unconcealed concern in her eyes.
"That's all for today." He stood up, his tone decisive. "He Yong, prepare the horses."
The generals were taken aback: "Your Highness, are we returning to the city at this time? The rain is heavy and the roads are slippery; it could be dangerous!"
"It's alright." Xiao Jingzhan had already taken off his cloak. "I know what I'm doing. There are still important matters in the capital." He naturally wouldn't say it, but he remembered that Yu'er was afraid of thunderstorms and couldn't sleep well, so he had to go back and check on her to feel at ease.
The Eastern Palace, the Glazed Tile Pavilion.
Lightning flashed and thunder roared outside the window, and torrential rain pounded against the windowpanes. Su Jingyu sat on the edge of the bed, wrapped in a quilt, unable to sleep. Yun Shu urged her several times, "Consort, it's getting late. In this weather, His Highness must be staying at the camp tonight. You should rest."
Su Jingyu glanced at the water clock; it was already midnight. She sighed softly, "Your Highness has been working hard these past few days, and today there's been a heavy rain... Yunshu, is the ginger tea kept warm in the kitchen still hot?"
"It's hot, I've been simmering it over a low flame." Yun Shu said helplessly, "Liangdi, you've asked three times already."
Su Jingyu smiled slightly: "Let's wait a little longer, what if His Highness comes back?" It wasn't that she didn't trust He Yong and the others' judgment, but... what if? She didn't want him to come back in the pouring rain without even a cup of hot tea.
She got up and walked to the window, gazing at the night sky blurred by the rain. She remembered the tenderness with which he had whispered "Be a good girl and wait for me to come back" as he held her the night before he left, and the slight furrow in his brow as he reviewed military reports. Her heart was filled with a bittersweet feeling. She knew he was exceptionally capable, but swords and spears were indiscriminate, and training soldiers was arduous; she was always on edge.
On the official road, several riders on fast horses broke through the rain and galloped towards them.
Xiao Jingzhan took the lead, his black cloak soaked through by the rain, clinging tightly to his body and outlining his muscular physique. Rainwater streamed down his cold, handsome face, but he seemed oblivious, urging his horse onward with an eager heart.
By the time he arrived at the palace gate, it was nearly midnight. He waved away the palace servants who tried to attend to him, and led only He Yong, wading through the puddles, straight towards the Glazed Pavilion. Wherever he went, the palace servants knelt on the ground, not daring to raise their heads.
Inside the Liuli Pavilion, Su Jingyu finally succumbed to sleepiness and drifted off to sleep against the soft pillows.
She didn't know how much time had passed when she felt a warm sensation on her lips and a familiar, masculine scent with a damp, cool vapor lingering around her nose.
She suddenly woke up, opened her eyes, and in the dim candlelight, what came into view was that handsome face! However, his hair was wet, with a few strands sticking to his forehead, his face was a little pale, his lips were cold, and his phoenix eyes held an undisguised weariness, but the moment she opened her eyes, a gentle smile appeared on his face.
"Your Highness!" Su Jingyu was both surprised and delighted. She sat up abruptly, not caring that he was soaking wet and cold, and reached out to cup his face. "Why are you back? In such heavy rain! Was the journey safe? Why are you covered in blood..." Her voice was hoarse with sleepiness, but more so with heartache and anxiety.
Xiao Jingzhan let her hold him, then lowered his head and nuzzled her nose against hers. His voice was low and hoarse from the cold and exhaustion: "I missed you, so I came back. Nothing happened on the way. The blood was just from an accidental splatter during the drill; it's a superficial wound, and it's already healed." He spoke casually, raising his hand to brush away the stray strands of hair from her cheek. "Didn't I tell you to go to sleep first? Why did you wait so late again?"
"Your Majesty, I have prepared ginger tea..." Before Su Jingyu could finish speaking, he pulled her tightly into his arms. The cold armor pressed against her, and her soaked clothes sent a chill through her, but she only felt incredibly warm and at ease.
"Silly girl." Xiao Jingzhan buried his face in the warm crook of her neck, taking a deep breath of her comforting fragrance, and the fatigue of the past few days seemed to disappear instantly. "You're not allowed to wait anymore, okay?"
Su Jingyu felt his body tremble slightly and felt extremely distressed. She quickly said, "Your Highness, quickly change out of these wet clothes! Yun Shu, quickly bring the ginger tea!"
The palace servants had already prepared hot water and clean clothes. After a simple bath, Xiao Jingzhan changed into comfortable nightgown, and Su Jingyu insisted on personally feeding him a full bowl of hot ginger tea. Only when she saw his complexion gradually warm up did she feel a little relieved.
"Is military life tough?" she asked softly, leaning against him.
"It's acceptable." Xiao Jingzhan played with her hair, his tone relaxed. "The new formation has been practiced to perfection, and the soldiers are fighting bravely. Given time, it will surely become an elite force."
He spoke calmly, yet Su Jingyu could imagine his heroic bearing and hard work on the training ground from just a few words. She looked up at the newly sprouted stubble on his chin and gently touched it: "Your Highness has lost weight."
Xiao Jingzhan took her hand, kissed it, and said with deep eyes, "It's alright, I'll make up for it when I come back and have a good sleep with you." He blew out the candle, pulled her into his arms and kissed her for a while, then pulled the quilt up, "Sleep peacefully, I'll hold you."
The rain continued to fall outside the window, but the palace was warm and cozy. Su Jingyu fell into a deep sleep to the sound of his steady heartbeat, a sweet smile on her lips.
Xiao Jingzhan gazed at her sleeping face, a sense of peace settling over him.
The crown prince still left the palace to go to the military camp to train soldiers.
...
Inside Qinghui Pavilion, Consort Zhang applied makeup in front of the mirror.
The maid, Green Bamboo, carefully placed a gold and kingfisher feather hairpin in her hair and whispered, "Miss, His Highness the Crown Prince has been away from the palace for three days. I've heard that this military training is crucial, and he probably won't return for another ten days. This is a good opportunity..."
Zhang Yuyao looked at herself in the mirror, touched her now smooth cheeks, and a hint of determination flashed in her eyes: "Father wrote the other day, saying that several uncles in the Northern Frontier Army praised His Highness's methods of training troops. The busier His Highness is with military and political affairs, the more important the Zhang family becomes." She snorted coldly, "Su Shi is only good because she gave birth to the Crown Prince's eldest son. His Highness's mind is all on military affairs now, how could he possibly care about her?"
“Miss is right,” Green Bamboo chimed in. “Why don’t we spend more time with her when we go to pay our respects to the Crown Princess tomorrow? After all, she is the principal wife; if we can gain her favor…”
Zhang Yuyao pouted: "Li Shi has the title of Empress Consort, but His Highness has never even given her a second glance. However... we must at least put on a good show." She thought for a moment, "Go to the storeroom and pick out a few bolts of the latest fashion fabrics to take with me when I pay my respects to the Crown Princess tomorrow."
Inside Changchun Palace, Crown Princess Li was burning incense and copying scriptures.
The trusted nanny, Granny Sun, whispered, "Your Highness, Consort Zhang has been exchanging letters frequently lately, and she's even inquiring about His Highness's return date. The General of the State's residence has also sent things to the palace several times recently; they're probably up to something."
Li continued writing, her expression calm: "A clown, nothing to worry about." She glanced out the window, "Who is His Highness? How could a mere military achievement sway his will? The more Zhang jumps around, the more annoying she becomes."
“But what if His Highness takes General Zhang’s sake…” Granny Sun worried.
“There’s no ‘what if’.” Madam Li put down her pen, a cold sneer playing on her lips. “His Highness only has the one from Liuli Pavilion in his heart. Madam Zhang’s behavior is nothing but self-humiliation.” She paused. “As for Madam Su, how has she been lately?”
"Your Majesty, Consort Su is doing as usual. She spends her days playing with the young prince, reading storybooks, preparing perfumes, and occasionally going to the study to help the prince organize documents. She is very well-behaved."
A complex emotion flashed in Li's eyes: "She's quite composed." Then she waved her hand, "No need to pay attention to them, let them make a fuss. I'll just focus on doing my job."
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