147 Chapter 147
◎He secretly traced her eyebrows and eyes in the dark.◎
During the confinement period, Xu Qinghe was advised to avoid being exposed to wind or getting tired, so she could not go anywhere and could only stay in her room to take care of her body.
Fortunately, the newborn baby is changing day by day, growing up safely, fair, tender and pretty. At least he is not as wrinkled as a little monkey when he was just born.
A month later, she held a full-moon banquet for her child in the town.
In order not to attract attention, this full moon banquet was held in a conventional manner and was not grand. It just brought the neighbors together for a banquet.
Xu Qinghe didn't think that this was unfair to the child. Ping'an was still young anyway, and the little guy had no idea whether the full moon banquet was lively or not, and he wouldn't remember it in the future. So why bother with this?
However, when the little girl reaches the age of marriage in the future, she will definitely hold a grand coming-of-age banquet for her.
It was to make up for the regret of her full-moon banquet, and also to make up for the regret of my own coming-of-age ceremony.
The full moon banquet was attended by many neighbors, and everyone said nice and auspicious words, including Aunt Mo's family next door. The whole family was determined to kowtow to Xu Qinghe to thank him for saving their lives on the day of delivery.
There was another round of praise during the meal.
"It seems like I haven't seen Mr. Yang for a while." Suddenly, someone asked about the child's father.
Xu Qinghe still had her face covered with a veil as she spoke softly, "Something happened at home these past few days, so we called him back. He should be back in about two days."
Although she was talking about Yang Ye, the person she thought of was Xie Qi.
I don't know whether that person has received the maps and portraits she sent over, and whether he has already started to deal with it.
After the full moon banquet, Xu Qinghe's life became more leisurely and comfortable. Every day she either read or painted, or played with her child. Later, she even picked up needlework, which she didn't like. She was satisfied even if it meant embroidering a soft and beautiful little bellyband for Ping An.
Time passes with every word, every page, every stroke, and every stitch.
As autumn turned to winter, the town experienced several heavy snowfalls. Even though there was a heating system in the house, Xu Qinghe was unwilling to sew. She just took a few poetry books to read, and read them to Ping An while holding her in her arms.
It was not until the next year when the ice and snow melted, winter passed and spring came, and the weather was no longer so cold that she finally picked up the needle again.
Counting the time, the little girl is now seven months old. Because she is well taken care of, the child is in good health and has never had any serious illness.
Xu Qinghe asked the doctor, and he said that as long as she was taken good care of on the way, he could take her on a long journey now.
She ordered her people to pack their luggage and decided to bid farewell to Jing'an on March 21st and set off for the southern border.
Jing'an once asked her reluctantly, "Why don't you stay a little longer? At least until the child is older."
Xu Qinghe said, "I originally thought I would go back at the end of last year, at least to celebrate the New Year in the Southern Territory, but at that time, Ping An was too small, so it was delayed until today."
Princess Jing'an wanted to say something else, but then she heard Xu Qinghe speak frankly, "Jing'an, I miss home too."
She never forgot that her home was in the South.
Even though she no longer has any relatives there, it is where she grew up and has all the beautiful memories she has with her relatives and friends.
Jing'an stopped trying to persuade them and sent them ten miles away without saying anything, and then left with Qi Sheng.
The journey was very slow, and Xu Qinghe spent late spring and early summer in the carriage, taking in the blooming flowers and vibrant scenery along the way.
Two months later, on May 25th, everyone finally arrived at Jizhou in the southern border.
Xu Qinghe held Ping'an in his arms and asked someone to open the curtain of the car.
Looking at the familiar streets in the city, her vision gradually blurred, as if she was looking through time and seeing the carefree self from many years ago.
She lowered her head, touched her daughter's soft forehead, and whispered, "Safe, we're home."
After seven years, she finally returned to the southern border.
I just don’t know if the old friends are still here.
**
By the time Xu Qinghe and Ping'an had settled down completely, it was already July.
On the seventh day of the seventh month, the night was deep and all around was quiet, with only a crescent moon in the sky.
Someone walked in the moonlight, dodging the heavy patrols of the palace guards, and finally arrived at Princess Zhaoning's former boudoir as if he was familiar with the place.
The candle in the room had gone out and the person inside had obviously gone to bed.
The visitor climbed in through the window.
The scene in the room was still the same as when she was young, but the girl on the bed was no longer as lively as before. She just lay there straight and stiff.
He didn't dare light the lamp, fearing that even the faint candlelight would wake her.
With Xie Qi's eyesight, he could see the girl on the bed clearly even with only the candlelight in the corridor and the moonlight outside the window.
She still looked the same as when they parted, neither fat nor thin, still as pretty and beautiful. The only difference was that there was a bit of gentleness on this girl's face that was rarely seen before.
It seemed as if it had undergone some kind of transformation.
He didn't dare sit down, but stood quietly beside the bed, carefully sketching the girl's eyebrows, eyes, lips and nose, and then deeply engraved them in his mind, hoping not to forget them until his death.
He had clearly decided not to come to see her again, but when it came time to leave, Xie Qi couldn't help but rush from Yingzhou to the palace on his birthday.
Just like she was when she was young.
The longer he stayed here, the more his heart wavered.
Half an hour later, it was almost midnight and Xie Qi forced himself to leave.
He wanted to kiss her between the eyebrows before leaving, but when he thought of her determination that day, he didn't dare to do it.
Even though this girl has no idea what happened tonight.
Xu Qinghe was clear about gratitude and resentment. Even though he had a grudge with his side, he did not implicate the Xie family at all. After returning from the capital, he specially ordered people to rebuild the Xie Mansion that had been destroyed by a fire.
So, after leaving the palace, Xie Qi returned to the Xie residence. He first went to the Xie ancestral hall to burn incense for his father, mother and two brothers, and then returned to his own yard to take a nap, and left again at dawn the next day.
That night, Xie Qi arranged everything in the army.
"This trip will take at most a few months, or at most three or two years. The two countries will not go to war while I'm away. Just follow my instructions and train my troops well after you've disguised yourself. I've arranged everything else, so don't worry about it."
"If I can't come back, they will most likely have perished together with them. Nanyi will be plunged into civil strife and will no longer have the heart to disturb the Southern Territory. By then, Qi Sheng, the commander of the Imperial Guards in Kyoto, will take over the Southern Territory Army. You can return to Wulin and continue to be the Young Master."
Fu Zongying lowered his head and said nothing.
Xie Qi hesitated for a moment, then pulled out a letter from his pocket. "From now on, please...even if it's just for me, please take good care of her. If she ever remembers me or asks about me, please give her this letter."
"But if she... doesn't ask me about it, just pretend it doesn't exist and don't bother her."
Fu Zongying turned his head away, still refusing to respond in anger.
But Xie Qi knew that he would definitely do his best for what he said.
Now he had no more worries. Xie Qi took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and finally turned around and walked out of the tent.
Fu Zongying then looked up, and in her blurred vision she saw him plunge into the dark night and never look back.
In the following three years, the southern border did not go to war again, just as Xie Qi had said.
It was not until October of the 36th year of Yongshun that the two princes of Nanyi Kingdom started fighting among themselves and decided that whoever could capture Yingzhou in the southern border would be the condition for succession to the throne.
At the end of October, the two countries went to war.
The battle lasted for two months and finally ended at the end of December, allowing people to finally spend the New Year in peace.
**
It’s the Lantern Festival again.
The city of Jizhou was decorated with lights and bustling with people. Although the weather was still cold, it was a festive occasion and everyone had a warm smile on their face.
"Have you heard? Yingzhou has finally reached a ceasefire."
"This war has been going on for two months, it's time to stop. How about it, Major General Xie, let's win beautifully, right?"
The person who spoke sneered fiercely: "What's so beautiful about that? What's this about Major General Xie? I think he's just an embroidered pillow. He surrendered and asked for peace very quickly. Forget about winning beautifully. Since he came to the southern border, we haven't won!"
He was defeated five years ago due to a surprise attack, which was understandable, but this time it was a serious battlefield showdown between the two countries, and he was defeated again!
"How could this be? Major General Xie went to the battlefield when he was a teenager. He was the man who single-handedly penetrated the enemy camp and beheaded enemy generals with ease. How could he suffer another defeat and then actively seek peace?"
"Have you forgotten how he spent those five years in Kyoto? He talks about sleeping on straw and eating bitter food, waiting for the right moment to seek revenge. I think it's all just the allure of wealth and fame. He's been spoiled for a long time. He can no longer endure the hardships of the military camp and is simply incapable of fighting. If the Southern Border Army is handed over to him, hmph, it will be destroyed sooner or later!"
Another person couldn't help but sigh: "Alas, that's such a pity. He was a rare military talent when he was young..."
…
"Hey, are you guys still selling these wontons? Why are you talking on and on?"
As the two were talking, a dark-faced young man stood in front of the shop. Not only was he covered in dust, but he also looked impatient. "What do you know about the battlefield? Our general called a truce because..."
"He Yu."
Amidst the flickering lights, a tall and handsome man stood over there, holding an exquisite plum blossom lantern in his hand that did not match his tall figure.
The man scolded the young man, then looked at the two people in front of the shop and said gently, "Two bowls of wontons, please. Put more chili on one bowl."
While the wontons were being cooked, He Yu came over dejectedly and sat down, head bowed, and whispered, "General, I just can't stand those people slandering you. They know nothing, yet they still speak nonsense and make random comments."
"It's not enough for you to know the inside story of this place yourself. Do you really want to let all the people know? Wouldn't it be best to prepare a good horse for you and send you to Nanyi Kingdom to make everyone know about it before you are satisfied?"
Xie Qi didn't look at He Yu, but just put the lantern on the table, carefully protecting the candlelight inside.
He Yu immediately bowed his head and admitted his mistake: "General, please punish me."
Xie Qi raised his head, gave him a sidelong glance, and said calmly, "You have leaked military secrets without authorization. According to military regulations, you should be punished with thirty military sticks. When this matter is over, you will go and receive the punishment when you return to the camp."
He Yu lowered his head even more, like an eggplant hit by frost.
A moment later, two large bowls of steaming wontons were served, one of which had a layer of red chili floating on the soup.
He Yu moved the bowl of spicy wontons to his side: "General, the military doctor said that you should avoid spicy food."
Xie Qi just glanced at him, and although it was silent, it made people's backs chill.
So the bowl of delicious wontons returned to him again.
After eating wontons, the two of them relaxed their tired bodies and stepped into the bustling streets again.
"General, what are we going to do on this trip?" He Yu asked after a moment.
Xie Qi took a long breath and said, "Raise money."
Maintaining an army is a big challenge, especially when Wei Yiqun had almost emptied the Southern Border Army.
The little money the court later gave was not enough.
Xie Qi put in all his savings over the years, but it was still not enough. In addition, the war between the two countries made him discover new situations. In desperation, he had to raise money everywhere.
He Yu asked again: "Where can we raise money?"
Xie Qi stared at the lantern in his hand in a daze. After a moment, he said, "Princess Mansion."
Originally, there was no princess's mansion in Jizhou City.
The so-called Princess Palace is actually the Nan'an Prince Palace of the past, with only a new plaque.
He Yu shut up and stopped asking.
This was because the person living in the princess's mansion was none other than the former princess of the southern border, who later became Princess Zhaoning.
Like most people in the southern region, He Yu had only heard about the affairs between the general and Princess Zhaoning, but had never witnessed them.
There are several versions of rumors about the two of them in the three southern states.
What about the general who abandoned the princess after having an affair, or the princess who changed her mind and fell in love with someone else, or the two of them no longer had feelings for each other and parted ways amicably...
In short, there are all kinds of true and false statements.
When they arrived at the princess's residence, they handed over the visiting card, but were told that the princess was not at home at the time.
"You two are from other places, right? Every year during the Lantern Festival, the princess goes to Zhaixing Tower to release sky lanterns for everyone to pray for blessings."
Xie Qi took He Yu to Zhaixing Tower again.
When they arrived at the place, they found that it was already surrounded by crowds of people. Many people were holding Kongming lanterns in their hands, waiting to release the lanterns with the princess.
Xie Qi was tall and strong, so he managed to squeeze in.
It’s a pity that He Yu is only fifteen or sixteen years old and not tall enough, so he can only jump around in the back.
In the gap of the crowded crowd, Xie Qi, like everyone else, looked up at the girl in gorgeous clothes on the roof.
Princess Zhaoning held the pen in her bare hands, her face as bright as the moon between the clouds being looked at openly. She wrote on the lantern her wish for peace and tranquility in Daying, and then slowly released the sky lantern amid the cheers of the people.
Everyone stared at the sky lantern that was getting smaller and smaller, and put their own hands on it, closing their eyes and praying sincerely.
Only Xie Qi was still staring at the person on the roof, his brows furrowed, and his handsome face was covered with a layer of heavy frost.
Later, the princess returned to the building and the crowd gradually dispersed.
Xie Qi still stood there.
He Yu came over and asked him, "General, what's wrong?"
Xie Qi shook his head without saying anything, took out his purse from his pocket, and said, "Go find an inn to stay in, I will come to find you tomorrow."
Xie Qi returned to the princess's mansion alone, but did not go in immediately.
After midnight, when all the shops on the street had closed, he covered his face with a black scarf, walked around to the back door of the princess's mansion, and tiptoed in.
Xie Qi bypassed the patrolling guards and finally arrived at Xu Qinghe's door.
She still lives in the same house.
The candlelight in the house was still on, and a graceful figure could still be seen reflected in the window, as if she was sitting on a couch sewing something.
His face became increasingly gloomy, and he climbed in through the back window again. Before the people in the house could be prepared, he drew the dagger from his sleeve and pressed it against the other person's neck.
The woman froze for a moment, then pretended to be calm and asked, "Who are you, the thief, to dare to cause trouble in the princess's mansion?"
wrong.
This sound is wrong.
Even though he hadn't spoken to her for almost five years, Xie Qi would never forget Xu Qinghe's voice.
This is clearly not her voice.
So he moved the sharp blade in his hand half an inch closer and walked around to the front of the woman.
Under the bright candlelight, the face was clearly identical to Xu Qinghe's.
But his body shape was wrong, his voice was wrong, and even his movements while writing and lighting the lamp were wrong.
This is clearly not her.
Over the years, except for the night before she went to Nanyi Kingdom and secretly met him, he deliberately did not let anyone inquire about her news. He only knew that she had returned to Jizhou.
But why wasn't she the person in the Princess's Mansion in Jizhou City?
He shifted his gaze to the side. On the couch was a sewing basket, and next to it was a children's coat that had not been finished yet.
Her hands, which were used to writing, painting, playing the piano and playing chess, never liked doing these tiring tasks.
"This brave man has not wanted my life yet. I guess he wants money. Please ask for it as long as it is something I can give. I can also ensure that you leave Jizhou City safely." The woman said.
Xie Qi came back to his senses, put the sharp knife to the side of the woman's neck, and asked coldly: "Where is Xu Qinghe?"
The woman froze, a look of panic flashing across her face before quickly returning to normal. "You brave man barged into my princess's residence, unaware that I am Princess Zhaoning?"
No, she wouldn't make such an expression.
It was strange to see an expression on a familiar face that she had never seen before.
Xie Qi suddenly thought of something, leaned closer to the woman, groped her temples for a moment, and finally pulled hard.
He really tore off a human skin mask from her face.
When he saw the true face beneath that mask, Xie Qi's brows furrowed even more tightly: "Nanzhi? Why is it you? Where's Qinghe?"
Seeing that she was confused and alert, Xie Qi put away the sharp knife in his hand and pulled off the black scarf on his face to reveal his face.
Now it was Nanzhi's turn to be shocked: "... Major General?!"
She subconsciously called him by his old name, and then quickly changed her tone: "Thank you, Lord Marquis, why are you here?"
Xie Qi: ...
Naturally, he was more accustomed to the way she addressed him at the beginning.
But everything is gone and there is no going back.
"Where's she?" he asked.
Nanzhi pursed her lips and refused to say anything.
Xie Qi felt a little panicked for no reason: "Where is she?"
Nanzhi still didn't speak.
"Don't think that I won't dare touch you just because you belong to her."
With a swish, Xie Qi's face darkened. He drew out his dagger again and pointed it at Nanzhi, saying coldly, "Where is she now? What happened to her?"
Nanzhi also had a cold face.
Now I know the question, where was he when the princess was enduring the pain of pregnancy alone and raising the little lady alone?
The sharp blade on her neck was slightly cold, but it eventually left a blood mark on her slender neck.
Nanzhi felt a little pain, and finally spoke, but her tone was a bit sarcastic: "The princess is fine now, so there is no need to thank you for your concern, Your Majesty."
I'm glad nothing happened to her.
Xie Qi breathed a sigh of relief and put away the sharp blade: "Then where is she?"
Why did she hand over the entire princess mansion to Nanzhi without showing up herself?
...Could it be that she knew he was coming here, so she was hiding on purpose?
He couldn't help but think of the tears and determination on the girl's face on the day of their separation.
"Thank you, Lord Marquis. What does it have to do with you where our princess is now? Don't forget, it was you who insisted on separating from the princess. Now that we are separated, we should break up completely!" Nanzhi sneered.
Xie Qi was heartbroken by the question and remained silent for a while.
"I have something serious to discuss with her, concerning the Southern Border Army."
Nanzhi said, "The princess has handed over all the affairs of Jizhou to me. If you have anything to say, please tell me. Our princess is doing well now and doesn't want to see you."
When she said these words, she was actually a little afraid that the marquis in front of her, who always cared a lot about his reputation, would get angry and embarrassed.
Fortunately, the other party just remained silent and did not use violence.
Xie Qi said, "The Southern Border Army is short on military funds. I wonder if the Princess's Mansion has any surplus money that you could lend me to help with this emergency."
Nanzhi was so angry that her teeth were itching.
This man abandoned the princess and her daughter for five years without asking a single question. Now that he has finally returned, he actually comes back to ask for money!
She wanted to say no, but this was a serious matter after all and there was no room for nonsense.
After a while, she said unhappily, "The matter of money still needs to be decided by the princess herself."
Xie Qi: "Okay, tell me where she is and I'll go find her."
【Author’s words】
Fixed the timeline
The war started in October of the 36th year of Yongshun.
The reunion took place in the first month of the 37th year of Yongshun.
Anyway, we met again five years after Qinghe left the Fuguo Mansion.
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