Chapter 41
Mo Yinghuo didn't have time to ask any more questions, and could only follow the dark figure in front of him into the Shuqing Palace.
"Your Majesty, the Princess has returned." The head steward's face was full of smiles.
Emperor Zhaoming turned around and immediately nodded slightly to Zhao Shu, with utmost respect and courtesy, like worshipping a Buddha, without any hint of unfamiliarity or ambiguity. Mo Yinghuo watched this nod, her gaze suddenly filled with a strange mix of emotions, she couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she felt uneasy. Then, she noticed the Emperor's gaze fixed intently on her.
It's been almost five years!
The eldest princess seemed unchanged, yet everything seemed different. Her delicate features had become even more sharply defined, her back ramrod straight, and her dark, deep eyes held an unfathomable depth. The aura of decisive ruthlessness that emanated from her conquering conquests could no longer be concealed by her pink dress.
The Emperor took a step forward and tightly embraced his elder sister, whom he had not seen for five years.
Zhao Shu gently turned his face away.
"Your Majesty." Mo Yinghuo was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I am flattered."
Emperor Zhaoming released him, patted Mo Yinghuo's shoulder a few times with his hand, and said with a serious yet doting expression, "Call me Imperial Brother."
Mo Yinghuo smiled and called softly, "Royal Brother." She noticed that the Emperor of Yunxiu Kingdom, who was a few years younger than her, already had quite a few gray hairs. From childhood to adulthood, he had always been mature and composed, but now his face showed a hint of the political scheming and manipulative nature that only an emperor possessed.
Emperor Zhaoming noticed Mo Yinghuo's gaze, patted her shoulder forcefully again, and sighed, "Princess, being an emperor is not easy."
Mo Yinghuo's face suddenly became unusually solemn, and he remained silent, unsure how to respond. Zhao Shu, seeing the unusual expression on Mo Yinghuo's face, suddenly called out to the Emperor.
Emperor Zhaoming then realized that the siblings had forgotten their benefactor from Yunxiu Kingdom when they met. He quickly turned around and said respectfully, "Abbot Zhao, thank you for your help these past few days."
Zhao Shu: "Your Majesty, it is my duty."
Emperor Zhaoming: "Last time, Prefect Zhao asked me to start forging Xuan Tie arrows. I have already established a special military council to secretly oversee the manufacture of Xuan Tie arrows."
Zhao Shu: "Your Majesty, how many have been manufactured so far?"
Emperor Zhaoming frowned and pondered, "The ministers of the Grand Council met with me the night before last and reported that there were 1,300 of them."
Zhao Shu nodded slightly.
Emperor Zhaoming: "Master Zhao, is this speed acceptable? Should we speed it up?"
Zhao Shu: "Your Majesty, no need. However, we must begin forging the appropriate bow now. The bow arm and bowstring must be able to withstand the power of the black iron arrow, and the range must be sufficient!"
Emperor Zhaoming: "Hmm! The Grand Council has already begun studying this, and they will submit the blueprints in a few days. I would appreciate it if you, Chief Zhao, could review them."
...
Mo Yinghuo listened in a daze, and contrary to her usual self, she stood up in an extremely dignified and serene manner, like a beautiful woman in full bloom. Unbeknownst to her, the vat of vinegar she was secretly brewing was almost ready to be completed.
She still didn't understand what was going on with Presiding Zhao! Now, what about the Xuan Tie Arrow! The Military Affairs Office…
The head steward, however, seemed as content as if he were seeing his daughter return home, his loving gaze falling upon Mo Yinghuo. This princess had been beloved since childhood.
Emperor Zhaoming and Zhao Shu completely ignored the woman in pink beside them, discussing something that Mo Yinghuo was completely unaware of.
"..."
Could it be that he ate too much yellow sand and his kung fu skills have deteriorated?
Suddenly, the head steward walked in, nodded to the two of them, and said, "Your Majesty, Minister of Revenue Li Fenglu requests an audience."
Zhao Shu: "Your Majesty, let's go back first."
Emperor Zhaoming nodded and blurted out, "Where will Abbot Zhao stay upon returning to the capital?"
Zhao Shu: "I will be staying at the Princess's residence for the time being."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Zhaoming's face showed a barely perceptible hint of doubt, but he then said with delight, "Very good, then I will trouble you, my brother, to take good care of Abbot Zhao."
"Princess," the head steward whispered, noticing the princess's distraught appearance.
Mo Yinghuo finally regained his senses and managed a weak smile, replying, "Oh... alright, Your Majesty obeys."
After speaking, she glanced at Zhao Shu out of the corner of her eye, seemingly unintentionally. Clearly noticing her gaze, Zhao Shu nodded politely to Mo Yinghuo.
Mo Yinghuo's eyelids twitched involuntarily. She thought to herself, "What's with the nodding? Is it to show some politeness to this princess? The presiding officer, the military council, the Xuan Tie Arrow... why haven't you ever politely mentioned them to me?"
"By the way, Your Majesty, those two..." Mo Yinghuo finally remembered the important matter.
Emperor Zhaoming immediately frowned. He patted Mo Yinghuo's shoulder and sighed, "Sister, you must be prepared. This matter is very strange. I still can't believe it. The two have been secretly detained. Please ask Abbot Zhao to explain the details to the Princess. Lord Xingchen Siwu will take you there tonight."
Did he know about this beforehand, and perhaps know more about it than I, the princess, did, in greater detail...?
Mo Yinghuo silently swallowed his inner turmoil, which was tinged with anger beneath a calm exterior, and waited for it to dissipate.
At this very moment, both inside and outside the palace, a tremendous uproar was brewing. Ever since Mo Yinghuo, in her pink dress, gracefully passed by the assembled officials, the capital was in an uproar—the Princess had returned!
The emperor's brother-in-law was so excited that his body swelled up slightly, and he immediately ran to Empress Yu; the First Prince, holding a teacup, sipped his tea with a gentle expression as he chatted with the civil and military officials who had come to the palace, occasionally nodding and interjecting a few words; Xiao Hua, her skirt dangling, ran and skipped all the way to Mo Wangshu, cheerfully telling her master the good news; the Minister of War and his son, the Vice Minister, were at a loss for what to do...
This matter had just caused a stir in Beijing, and immediately it also opened up a big gap in Beidaying. In the boring and tedious days of the veterans and new recruits guarding the border, they finally had a vivid topic to whisper about.
The Marquis of Beiding dismissed the matter with a nonchalant "After the war, we'll naturally return to the capital," then mounted a black horse and rode around the Beida Camp at least three times under the bright midday sun. Judging by his posture, he was likely to continue until sunset. Suo Qian and Xu Yong dared not disturb the Marquis's inspection, so they stood in front of the general's tent, arms crossed, asking him questions one after another.
"I also wondered if the Eldest Princess would lead the Yunzhao Army straight to the Northern Camp?"
"The eldest princess will definitely come."
"When the Princess arrives, there will be two generals in the Northern Camp."
"A marquis, a prince, and a princess, this is quite an impressive lineup..."
"I bet if the Xiongnu knew this, their legs would go weak with fear."
"By the way, where is the Seventh Prince?"
"..."
On the training ground of Beidaying, five or six soldiers, bruised and battered, staggered to their feet. Looking at the prince, who seemed even more imposing than usual, they brandished their swords and charged forward again. These men had been summoned by the Seventh Prince early that morning for grueling sparring; they were probably the only ones in the entire court unaware that the commander-in-chief of the Yunzhao Army had returned to the capital.
The two walked out of Shuqing Palace. Mo Yinghuo probably lost another soul and spirit, because he even forgot to ride his horse when leaving the palace. Zhao Shu didn't say anything and followed him out of the palace.
Mo Yinghuo didn't say a word the whole way. For some reason, she felt particularly aggrieved and walked on in silence.
These two, one with bright, clear eyes and the other handsome and dignified, walked down the street back to the Princess's residence, winning the hearts of countless young women in the capital.
The girls exchanged flirtatious glances, whispered amongst themselves, and murmured amongst themselves... However, these two seemed to have crawled out of a grave, leaving no trace of life. The pink-clad woman in front, in particular, looked strange, more like a ghost coming to claim lives.
Perhaps those whose souls are incomplete will inevitably have their footwork delayed, and Mo Yinghuo walked slower and slower.
A moment later, Zhao Shu walked ahead of him. After a short while, the two had unconsciously grown apart. When they reached a small path near the Prince's residence, several tall trees blocked the blazing sun. Zhao Shu stopped and stood quietly in place, without turning around, patiently waiting for the person behind him.
Mo Yinghuo pondered a series of questions. She already knew about the existence of such amazing things as wormholes, and naturally understood that Zhao Shu could very well use wormholes to travel back and forth between the capital and the battlefield. Therefore, it was entirely possible that he had also met the emperor.
After all, the people of Yelan Star were entrusted by their father, the emperor, to assist the Yunxiu Kingdom, so it was only right that they should seek out the emperor of the Yunxiu Kingdom.
In Yunxiu Kingdom, the true power always rested with the Emperor. Even though the Princess had distinguished herself in battle and was of noble birth, there were still places where she could not surpass him.
Zhao Shu also understood this principle.
Mo Yinghuo lowered her eyes, staring intently at the ground, and slowly walked forward, completely unaware that Zhao Shu had already stopped.
Suddenly, her nose touched something warm, and her chest was almost pressed against the incredibly strong and broad back that had appeared several times in her dreams. Mo Yinghuo instantly woke up. She raised her head tremblingly, but forgot that what she should do at this moment was to take a step back.
Mo Yinghuo swallowed hard, the tall figure in front of her blocking out everything, including all the doubts and bitterness she had just felt. Her nose brushed against the warm nape of her neck, a feeling of deep longing lingering. The weak sunlight of midday, during the frosty season, filtered through the rustling yellow leaves and shone on Mo Yinghuo's burning forehead and brows. The last vestiges of her consciousness finally allowed her to control herself.
Mo Yinghuo's breathing was already somewhat disordered.
Was it a dream? No, it wasn't a dream.
She didn't have the energy or the desire to think about it further. She suddenly felt jealous of Mo Yinghuo in her dream, especially whenever she got close to him, knowing his taboos yet unconsciously breaking them.
However, now, whether it's unconscious or subconscious, she herself can't quite say for sure.
All she knew was that her body was incredibly drawn to the warmth of Zhao Shu's body. She remained motionless, her heart pounding, even through her clothes in broad daylight, as her naturally cold body greedily absorbed the warmth.
Fortunately, this was a small path next to the Princess's residence, a place where ordinary people generally dared not pass. Taking advantage of this seclusion, Mo Yinghuo seemed to want to steal a fleeting moment of peace, and stood there for a while. Incredibly, she even thought of moving forward just a little bit more…
A few clear birdsongs from the yellow tree seemed to be kindly reminding or hinting at someone.
"Your Highness," Zhao Shu called softly.
Mo Yinghuo's body jolted, his soul instantly drawn back by those two words. Just as he was about to take a step back, Zhao Shu continued walking forward unhurriedly, casually tossing out a sentence from his deep back, "Your Highness, hurry up."
What goes around comes around.
Mo Yinghuo's entire body returned to its icy state, especially her limbs, as if blood had suddenly stopped flowing. She stood quietly in place, feeling an unspeakable embarrassment and a bewildered calm after calming down. After a while, she strode forward to catch up.
As soon as they entered the mansion, Granny Shen came to greet them.
"Lord Zhao, you're back. Where is His Highness...?"
"Hmm." Zhao Shu looked back.
"Your Highness, you're back."
"Um."
"..."
Mo Yinghuo took two steps instead of three and entered his room, gently closing the door behind him.
"Lord Zhao, your room is next to His Highness's. His Highness said there are many empty rooms in the mansion, so he'll let you stay next to her. It will be more convenient for you to conduct business and discuss matters." Granny Shen, her hands tucked into her sleeves, appeared shrewd and calculating, but in front of Zhao Shu, she unconsciously showed a hint of respect and timidity. She didn't know if it was the man's unique aura or the memory of being kicked without mercy that night, but she felt a chill run down her spine.
"Yes, thank you for your trouble, Granny Shen." Zhao Shu thanked her politely and calmly.
Hearing the words "thank you for your trouble" made Granny Shen feel extremely pleased. As the steward of the Princess's mansion, many people in the court wanted to curry favor with him, and Granny Shen was tired of hearing such words.
However, Lord Zhao's seemingly ordinary words reached her ears like a gentle breeze. Indeed, those who could stand beside the Princess were no ordinary people; his innate, inexplicable yet unique aura alone was enough to win her over.
Granny Shen: "By the way, Lord Zhao, have you and His Highness had lunch yet?"
Zhao Shu slowly shook his head.
Granny Shen: "This old servant will go and prepare it right away."
On the square table, there are six dishes: two vegetarian, three meat, and one soup.
Granny Shen stood to the side, her eyes darting left and right, watching the Princess and Lord Zhao. The two ate like two young ladies of marriageable age, refined, quiet, and polite. Lord Zhao was one thing; she'd only met him a few times. But Her Highness found it strange; she never ate like this normally.
Granny Shen felt extremely uncomfortable watching this, and in fact, Mo Yinghuo also felt extremely resentful while eating.
She ate slowly and carefully, and in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Granny Shen felt that almost an hour had passed. It was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop, and her breathing had become slow.
Suddenly, Mo Yinghuo put down her chopsticks and looked at Granny Shen, who was standing to the side, deep in thought. "Granny, is the manor so poor that it can't even afford to eat? Why are you treating Master Zhao to so much food?"
Granny Shen: "..."
Zhao Shu paused for a moment, then gently put down his chopsticks and said with a faint smile, "General, that's very good. The two of us might not be able to finish. Granny Chen, why don't we share..."
"This princess is full, please enjoy your meal, Master Zhao." With that, she hurried back to her room.
"..."
"..."
In the middle of the night, Granny Shen walked to Mo Yinghuo's door. The light was still on. She knocked lightly. Previously, there were always two guards at the Princess's door, but since her return, His Highness had actually ordered him to remove them. Standing at the door now, Granny Shen felt a little uneasy.
Granny Shen: "Your Highness, Lord Xingchen Siwu is waiting at the gate of the Prince's Mansion."
Mo Yinghuo stepped out of the room and saw a servant standing beside Granny Shen carrying two wide robes, one black and one white. It was currently the Frost's Descent solar term, and the nights in Yunxiu Kingdom were already beginning to feel chilly.
Mo Yinghuo has always been an extremely cold person since childhood. Even in the sweltering summer, she is different from others and never feels hot or noisy.
Granny Shen took a snow-white robe from the servant's hand, tiptoed slightly, and draped it over Mo Yinghuo's shoulders.
Mo Yinghuo glanced at the young and inexperienced servant, a smile playing on her lips. "Granny Chen, why don't you find a maid to accompany you?"
Granny Shen, with her hands tucked into her sleeves, said slowly, "Your Highness, it's time to find a few personal maids."
Mo Yinghuo: "..."
The servant beside her, his face flushed, thought he had done something wrong that displeased the princess and made Granny Shen fire him. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he tried hard to hold his breath.
Granny Shen: "Your Highness, shall we call Abbot Zhao?"
Mo Yinghuo: "Yes, without Abbot Zhao, this princess can't do anything. Don't give him the robe; Abbot Zhao's body is always warm, he doesn't feel cold."
Granny Shen: "..."
Mo Yinghuo took a deep breath of the icy air. Five years had passed, and she had finally returned to the capital. The frost in the capital was indeed much warmer than the frost on the border. She gripped the Chang Geng sword she always kept at her waist tightly and thought of Gongliang Zhong, who had always stood behind her, always with a serious and cautious expression, always afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing, but who had been dismembered three days ago.
Three days, only three days, yet it felt like a lifetime to her; five years, five years have passed, yet it felt like only yesterday to her.
Mo Yinghuo closed her eyes, and many things came to mind again.
"Gongliang Zhong, how about you become my personal guard from now on?"
"good!"
"Being my personal guard is no easy task; you could lose your life at any moment."
“Gongliang Zhong knows.”
...
"Gongliang Zhong, how about you become my left arm from now on?"
"The deputy general obeys the order."
"On the battlefield, you could lose your life at any moment."
“Gongliang Zhong knows.”
"Hmm... How do you know everything?"
“Gongliang Zhong knew this and vowed to follow the Princess to the death.”
...
Suddenly, a few sobs came intermittently from beside him. Mo Yinghuo opened his eyes and looked at the servant behind him with a dazed expression.
It turned out that the servant, seeing that the princess kept her eyes closed, assumed she was annoyed by him. Thinking that he was so disliked by the princess, he became increasingly saddened and couldn't help but sob. Once he started crying, he couldn't control himself anymore, and tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.
As soon as Granny Shen called Zhao Shu and followed her over, she saw this scene.
Looking at the strange, tacit understanding between the two, Mo Yinghuo felt as if he were a guest from the manor. Too lazy to explain, he turned around and walked towards the manor gate.
Seeing the princess's expression and behavior, the naive servant cried even more heartbrokenly, as if his parents had died.
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