Morning light streamed into the bridal chamber through the exquisite window lattice, and Qi Yue slowly awoke in Xiao Suiyun's arms. Looking up, she met a pair of smiling eyes; she wondered how long he had been gazing at her like that.
"Awake?" Xiao Suiyun's voice was hoarse from the early morning as he gently combed her long hair with his fingers.
Qi Yue's face flushed, and she buried her face in his chest: "When did you wake up?"
“It’s been a while,” he chuckled. “I can’t bear to look away from your sleeping face.”
After a brief moment of tenderness, the maids waited in the outer room to attend to their grooming and dressing. According to custom, the newlyweds were required to enter the palace to express their gratitude the day after their wedding.
As the carriage traveled towards the palace, Xiao Suiyun held Qi Yue's hand the entire time. She noticed the faint dark circles under his eyes and asked softly, "Didn't you sleep well last night?"
Xiao Suiyun shook her head, her gaze gentle: "It just feels like a dream, and I'm afraid you'll be gone when I open my eyes."
Qi Yue felt a warmth in her heart and intertwined her fingers with his: "It's not a dream, I will always be by your side."
Inside the palace, the Emperor and Empress had already prepared a banquet in the Imperial Garden to await the newlyweds. Upon seeing the couple, the Empress exclaimed with a smile, "Look at this perfect couple, truly a match made in heaven."
The emperor, unusually so, said in a gentle tone: "Suiyun, now that you have a family, you should serve the country with even greater dedication."
"Your subject obeys the decree." Xiao Suiyun bowed respectfully, and Qi Yue followed suit.
During the banquet, Crown Prince Xiao Chengji and Crown Princess Su Qingwan also came to offer their congratulations. The Crown Princess held Qi Yue's hand and whispered, "Look at the way Sui Yun looks at you, it's full of love, it's truly enviable."
Qi Yue blushed slightly and looked up to meet Xiao Suiyun's gaze. The two smiled at each other.
The newlywed days were sweet and fulfilling. Although Xiao Suiyun had been granted the title of Marquis, he still assisted the Crown Prince in handling military affairs, leaving early and returning late every day. Qi Yue, on the other hand, learned to manage the Marquis's residence and helped out at the charity hall in her spare time.
That day, Qi Yue was organizing the household accounts when she suddenly felt dizzy and almost fell. Fortunately, Xiao Suiyun had just returned to the manor and caught her in time.
"What's wrong?" he asked anxiously, and immediately summoned the imperial physician.
After taking their pulses, the imperial physician's face lit up with joy: "Congratulations, Your Excellency and Madam, this is a pregnancy pulse!"
Both were startled, then overjoyed. Xiao Suiyun carefully pulled Qi Yue into her arms, her voice trembling with excitement: "We're having a child..."
The news spread quickly, and both the Qi family and the imperial palace sent congratulatory gifts. Xin Xiyao made a special trip to visit her, carefully giving her advice on precautions during her pregnancy.
However, beneath the joy, undercurrents were still surging.
One day, Xiao Suiyun returned home from court with a solemn expression.
"What happened?" Qi Yue asked with concern.
Xiao Suiyun pondered for a moment and said, "Although the Northern Barbarians have signed a peace treaty, there are still ministers in the court who advocate taking advantage of the victory to completely annihilate the Northern Barbarians. At today's court meeting, several generals jointly submitted a petition requesting the dispatch of troops."
Qi Yue's heart tightened: "What do you think?"
“I advocate peace,” Xiao Suiyun said. “War is a waste of resources and manpower. Now that the Northern Di have submitted, why create more bloodshed? Besides…” He paused, “The new king of the Northern Di is my cousin. If we can maintain peace through negotiations, it will be good for the people of both countries.”
Qi Yue nodded: "I support you."
However, the pro-war faction is quite powerful, and they have been submitting memorials to the emperor for days. Some have even been spreading rumors that Xiao Suiyun is obstructing the military campaign because he is related to the King of the Northern Di, and that he may have ulterior motives.
On this day, Xiao Suiyun had a dispute with the pro-war generals at the Ministry of War, and he still looked angry when he returned home.
"They don't understand the situation of the Northern Barbarians at all, and they insist on war, which is simply ruining the country!" He rarely showed his emotions.
Qi Yue poured him tea and said softly, "Since you believe your own views are correct, don't let others' opinions influence you."
Xiao Suiyun grasped her hand and sighed, "I'm just worried that if war really breaks out, there will be endless suffering and death."
That evening, Qi Yue wrote a letter to her elder sister, Qi Mingyue. Qi Mingyue and her brother-in-law, Yao Xiuyan, had been stationed at the border for many years and were most familiar with the situation of the Northern Barbarians. Soon, Qi Mingyue's reply arrived, in which she provided a detailed analysis of the current situation of the Northern Barbarians, concluding that they were internally unstable and unable to wage war in the short term, and that peace was the best policy.
Xiao Suiyun presented the letter to the Crown Prince, who read it and agreed with it. At the next court assembly, the Crown Prince overruled the objections of the others and decided to send an envoy to negotiate peace with the Northern Barbarians.
However, the pro-war faction did not give up. A few nights later, a group of uninvited guests arrived outside the Marquis's residence.
Xiao Suiyun woke up alertly, gently shook Qi Yue awake, and whispered, "There's noise outside. Stay in the room and don't come out."
Qi Yue nervously grabbed his sleeve: "Be careful."
Xiao Suiyun put on his clothes and went outside. Soon, the sounds of fighting came from outside. Qi Yue was very worried and quietly went to the window to look. She saw dozens of men in black attacking Xiao Suiyun in the courtyard. Their moves were ruthless, and they were obviously professional assassins.
Seeing Xiao Suiyun gradually losing ground, Qi Yue was extremely anxious. Suddenly, she remembered the secret code Xiao Suiyun had taught her, and immediately went to the zither and began to play a specific tune.
This was a secret signal between the Marquis of Zhenbei's residence and the Crown Prince's residence, indicating an emergency. Sure enough, within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the Crown Prince's personal guards arrived at the scene, and the assassins scattered and fled upon seeing this.
Xiao Suiyun returned to his room with a knife wound on his shoulder. Qi Yue hurriedly bandaged him, her hands trembling slightly.
"I'm fine, don't be afraid," Xiao Suiyun comforted her.
"These people...were sent by the pro-war faction?" Qi Yue's voice trembled.
Xiao Suiyun nodded: "They want to get rid of me, the representative of the pro-peace faction."
The following day, the Crown Prince thoroughly investigated the matter and eventually discovered that it was instigated by several pro-war generals. The Emperor was furious and dismissed the masterminds from their posts for investigation. As a result of this incident, the pro-peace faction gained the upper hand in the court, and the peace negotiation mission departed as scheduled.
After the turmoil subsided, life returned to normal. Qi Yue's morning sickness gradually worsened, and Xiao Suiyun returned to the mansion early every day to accompany her, personally brewing herbal soup to relieve her morning sickness.
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