138 Chapter 138
◎ "Xie Qi, I will never like you again."◎
Xie Qi's heart tightened: "This matter has nothing to do with the princess. I hope Your Majesty will not implicate her."
"Nothing? She was first the princess of the Southern Territory, and then the wife of your Southern Territory commander. You told me this matter has nothing to do with her?"
Xie Qi said, "But when I was the third son of the Xie family, I never fulfilled my engagement with the princess, and when I was Wei Che, I even divorced her. Now, the princess has nothing to do with me or the Southern Border Army. Your Majesty, she is just a weak woman who has never interfered in military or political affairs."
Emperor Yongshun sneered, "Never mind. Whether it's related or not doesn't matter. I only care whether you can truly fulfill your promise."
After removing Xu Qinghe from this matter, Xie Qi finally had the energy to negotiate with the man on the throne: "Three years is not enough, I need five years."
Emperor Yongshun narrowed his eyes, and after a long moment, Xie Qi heard his voice again: "Okay, I'll give you five years. After five years, either Nanyi will submit, or you, Xie Qi, will come to me with your head."
"I will definitely fulfill your mission."
From the very beginning, he intended to fulfill this promise with the determination to die.
In that case, how dare I delay her?
In early summer, the weather is not yet very hot. Even the wind blowing across your face is refreshing, and it carries the fragrance of grass and trees.
Xie Qi looked up and found that the trees and flowers outside the city gate were already lush and green, no longer dry and desolate as in autumn and winter.
Most of those accompanying Xie Qi to the southern border were his trusted aides, whom he had cultivated over the years in the capital. These individuals had never before journeyed thousands of miles to a national border. Although they knew the journey was dangerous, each of them held a deep resolve to serve their country, their hearts overflowing with anticipation and joy.
In order to stop himself from dwelling on the past, Xie Qi cheered himself up and spoke loudly to everyone about his hometown and his past.
A group of young soldiers walked away gradually in the gentle breeze.
Only after the entire army became a small dot in the distance did Xu Qinghe walk out from the darkness of the city wall.
"Didn't you say you'd never see him again? Why did you come to see him off today? And why didn't you let him know..."
Jingan held her hand and sighed softly: "Why are you doing this?"
Xu Qinghe looked at the figure that was getting smaller and smaller until it finally disappeared at the end of his sight, and said softly, "After parting today, we probably won't see each other again in the future. I must let the child in my belly see his biological father from afar."
But in fact, she knew very well that she just couldn't let go.
I can’t let go of my childhood sweetheart, nor can I let go of the daily interactions we’ve had over the past year.
She still likes this person too much.
These past few days, she kept thinking back to their last meeting in Nianxiangju. On some lonely, still nights, she even thought with self-mockery that he must have been tossing and turning like this, unable to sleep, when she heard him say in person in the deep snow in the southern border that she didn't like him anymore and didn't want him anymore.
In this way, no one suffered any loss.
Thinking about it this way, they are both self-righteous people, whether it is that she entered the capital alone at the beginning, or he is going to the battlefield alone now.
All the same.
The wind was strong at the city gate, so Princess Jing'an advised her to go back quickly.
Xu Qinghe took one last deep look at the distance where the man was leaving, but there was no trace of him there anymore.
Before this, she really couldn't let him go.
But from now on, Xie Qi, I will no longer allow myself to continue liking you.
**
Just three days after Xie Qi left the city, Xu Qinghe also left Beijing.
Princess Jing'an and her husband Qi Sheng came to see her off.
Inside the carriage, Jing'an clutched her hand tightly, sobbing, "Why are you leaving in such a hurry? Why don't you stay a few more days and celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival together?"
When they parted, Xu Qinghe didn't know what to feel, but he hid his emotions very well.
She first took up a handkerchief to wipe Jing'an's tears, then pointed to her belly beneath her dress and said, "It's already five months. If we wait any longer, not only the Concubine Chen, but everyone else might notice. Everyone in the capital knows me. If the news spreads from one person to another, and finally reaches him, what will I do?"
Jing'an knew without hesitation who the "he" here was.
"Qi Sheng told me that it takes at least a month to travel from Kyoto to the southern border. How can I be at ease with you traveling while you're pregnant? And what if he finds out? Words spoken can't be taken back. He already said we wanted to break up. Would he rush back from the southern border just because you're pregnant?"
Xu Qinghe pursed her lips, but quickly smiled faintly at the person in front of her: "I didn't realize when you became so tough. Where is the shadow of your former self?"
She still remembers how Jing'an looked when she first met him.
Although the ice and snow had melted at that time, the weather had not yet warmed up. The thin little girl, wrapped in a thin cloak, stood by the wall and looked at her timidly.
Xu Qinghe was in a bad mood at that time. She looked over with a cold face and found that this girl, who was a few months older than her, was actually half a head shorter than her. She did not have the arrogant aura of an ordinary princess. After meeting her gaze, she ran away timidly.
However, time flies, and the timid girl has now grown into a graceful young lady and even become the imposing mistress of the house.
"Qi Sheng treats you well. Even though it's not his day off today, he still took a day off to accompany you and see me off."
After hearing what she said, Princess Jing'an was indeed attracted.
At this moment, the breeze happened to blow open a corner of the carriage curtain. Qi Sheng was riding a tall horse beside the carriage. He seemed to have noticed her gaze and looked back.
Princess Jing'an's heart was pounding, and she lowered the curtain with a trembling hand, blocking his sight.
"...Why are you talking about me again?"
Jing'an suddenly realized what was happening. She took Xu Qinghe's hand and looked into her eyes. "It's been so long, and you still haven't told me about your future plans. You don't have many relatives and friends in Beijing, and I'm the only one you can talk to. Don't you plan to tell me about it? Since Xie Qi abandoned you, and you don't want to tell him about the child, what will you do in the future? Are you really going to raise the child alone?"
The word "abandon" is really unpleasant to hear, and it hurts one's pride. Princess Jing'an realized she had made a mistake and apologized quickly: "Qinghe, I...I didn't mean that..."
Xu Qinghe said, "What's the big deal? It's a fact that he doesn't want to be with me. There's nothing to hide. I gave up on him six years ago, and he gave up on me six years later. This way, no one suffers. As for raising a child, I have enough manpower and financial resources to raise a child well. I don't need his help, nor do I need him to know about it."
However, Jing'an's voice was very soft and cautious: "What about you in the future? What if you meet someone you like again?"
“…”
Xu Qinghe seemed to have never thought about this question before. Now that Jing'an asked her, she thought about it and replied, "Since he and I have separated, I will naturally be free to marry in the future. As for the future... everything will be up to fate."
She had liked someone before and had given her whole heart to him, but that person did not stay with her for various reasons, so there was no need for her to seal her heart and wait for him.
Perhaps even he himself didn't know whether he could see her again alive, so he would rather separate than wait in vain.
But Xie Qi never asked her whether she was willing or not, nor did he ever give her a chance to choose.
He never asked her whether she was willing to wait for him, nor did he ask her whether she wanted to break up.
Because he knew that he would definitely wait and would definitely not want to separate.
And he didn't want that.
This is the crux of the matter.
Hearing her say this, Jing'an finally breathed a sigh of relief: "I'm relieved that you won't be trapped in the past and refuse to let it go easily."
After all, Qinghe has only fallen in love twice in all these years, and it was still the same person after all. This is already unforgettable enough.
But after a while, her heart, which had just calmed down, began to rise again, and she hesitated and said, "I still feel it's dangerous. You should avoid fatigue during pregnancy, and you still want to travel such a long distance. This really makes me feel uneasy."
Her tearful look softened Xu Qinghe's heart. She sighed and whispered to her, "Alright, let me tell you the truth. I don't plan to return to the Southern Territory right away. Given my current situation, even if I go back, I'll be expecting. And he's already in the Southern Territory, so wouldn't it be even harder to hide it?"
What's more, as Jing'an said, she was getting further and further pregnant, and even she didn't dare to take the risk of traveling during pregnancy.
Hearing this, Jing'an blinked in surprise.
Xu Qinghe continued, "Less than forty miles south of Kyoto, there's a town called 'Little Southern Territory.' I'll go there and return to the Southern Territory after giving birth. So, I estimate it might take a year."
"Then the Emperor's will..."
Among the three imperial edicts issued by Emperor Yongshun, one was to have Princess Zhaoning return to the southern border to supervise the construction of the hero's tomb.
Xu Qinghe lifted the curtain behind her and pointed to Nanzhi who was walking beside the car.
Jing'an felt as if he understood something: "You mean... let Nanzhi take your place?"
Xu Qinghe nodded. "That's right. Nanzhi and I grew up together and are very familiar with everything about me. It would be perfect for her to go back disguised as me. Even those from the Southern Territory wouldn't be able to spot her."
Only then did Jing'an finally feel relieved.
Ever since her father's birthday, she understood the ingenuity of the art of disguise. Nanzhi has always been meticulous in her work and would not cause anyone to worry.
In the swaying carriage, the two sisters talked about a lot of things. However, Xu Qinghe was the quietest person, and most of the time it was Princess Jing'an who did the talking while she listened.
They walked like this for another quarter of an hour, but after traveling a thousand miles, they had to say goodbye, so Xu Qinghe still advised Princess Jing'an to return early.
"We have to get back before the city gates are locked, right? Otherwise, Commander Qi will have to abuse his authority to let you in."
Princess Jing'an shed tears and reached out to hug her gently.
"You are alone...you must take good care of yourself. The child is not important, you are the most important, understand? If there is anything, you must send a message to me, don't be afraid of bothering me, and don't be afraid that Qi Sheng will think too much. He listens to me now, no matter what he helps..."
"Okay, I understand."
Xu Qinghe nodded, and a layer of mist appeared in his eyes.
She seems to have experienced too many separations in the past twenty years.
When she was young, she was rarely with her father, mother and concubine. When she was young, she left home with Nanzhi and said goodbye to the Xie family. Later, she went to Beijing and met Jing'an. A few years later, she got married again.
Later, I first reunited with Xie Qi, and then separated from him. Now I have to say goodbye to Jing'an, and in a few days I will have to say goodbye to Nanzhi.
There is always a time for gathering and separation, and this seems to be a trend that no one can reverse.
I just don’t know if some people can get together again in the future.
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