Qin Shaoqing didn't know how to respond.
Witnessing the emperor so deeply in love with a woman that he was willing to risk his life was something that was completely foreign to Xuanyuan Ye.
Xuan Yuan Ye, of course, did not intend for Qin Shao Qing to say anything.
In that critical moment, he urged An Yi to take Jiang Tian away, and naturally he could tell that they would not return to the palace.
The emperor was assassinated, and everyone in the palace had to be questioned.
The fact that a princess from a southern country was brought here by the emperor carries profound significance.
An Yi must have taken her somewhere else to hide.
Half a month has passed, and he had already instructed his guards that if Jiang Tian returned, they should not obstruct her, but bring her directly to him.
But there was no one there.
Xuanyuan Ye had anticipated this long ago. By letting Jiang Tian go that night, he was actually presenting her with two paths, forcing her to make a choice.
What will she choose?
Xuanyuan Ye couldn't guess.
If she really wanted to escape this time, it was within his expectations.
But Xuanyuan Ye couldn't help feeling disappointed.
Three days later, when Xuanyuan Ye woke up, he was very troubled.
Last night he dreamed of Jiang Tian. She was like a bird, leaving this place and going to a wider world.
He was tormented in his dreams, but she never looked back.
Xuanyuan Ye didn't want to let go of Jiang Tian.
The world is in turmoil right now, and the arrogance of the Southern Kingdom is about to spread to the Zhao Kingdom. It would be too dangerous to leave a weak woman like her and a secret guard to fend for themselves in the world.
He made up his mind: if Jiang Tian hated him, let her hate him.
He has to send someone to bring her back.
But before he could put his idea into practice, the moment he opened his eyes, his gaze fell on the hand that was serving him water and holding the teacup.
He had played with this hand countless times.
Her skin was fair and delicate, and her lips were as thin as green onions.
His heart skipped a beat, and he abruptly looked up to see the woman who haunted his dreams.
She was standing right in front of him.
His sideburns were thick and dark, his eyebrows and eyes were exquisitely beautiful, and his expression remained as calm as ever.
Xuanyuan Ye stared at her blankly for a long time without saying a word, but simply pulled her into his arms.
The familiar temperature and aroma filled a void in his heart once again.
"...You actually came back."
Xuanyuan Ye didn't know what to say.
She could have escaped, and he guessed she would.
But she didn't; she came back.
Jiang Tian was still dressed as a palace maid, just like always.
But Xuanyuan Ye didn't want to let go for even a moment.
"If I don't come back, won't the Emperor send people to look for me?"
Jiang Tian asked this question in a calm tone.
Xuanyuan Ye looked at her and said, "The situation in the world is unclear, and I will not joke with your life."
Then he murmured, "I've also thought about what I should do if you really don't want to come back."
"Your Majesty need not worry, I will return. If you hadn't taken that blow for me, I would have left given the chance. After all, you protected me in the palace, and I gave myself to you; we owe each other nothing."
"But you almost gave your life for me. I am not an ungrateful person, how could I abandon you?"
Xuan Yuan Ye keenly noticed that Jiang Tian was much quieter than before.
Even though he saved her life, the distance between them suddenly grew.
He had long known that the woman's obedience was all an act, but now, she didn't even want to pretend anymore.
"...Are you blaming me?"
Xuanyuan Ye's voice was hoarse.
Jiang Tian calmly met his gaze: "I don't resent you, but in this world, lives have different values, so please don't do this for me again."
"I can't pay it back."
Upon hearing her words, Xuanyuan Ye felt a sudden pang of pain in his heart.
He originally thought that Jiang Tian would soften her stance for a moment because of his efforts, but he never expected that it would become a burden for her.
He was speechless.
The room suddenly became quiet.
Jiang Tian picked up the cup she had just put down and held it to his lips: "Your Majesty, please have some water first."
Her expression was so aloof, and her eyes were simply clear.
Xuanyuan Ye raised the cup in a daze and drank the water in one gulp.
He told himself that he couldn't rush things.
The deep-rooted and complex history between the two of them is too profound for him to let a moment of anger disrupt his future plans.
This woman is like ice; he has to melt her heart.
"How did you get back? Where have you been hiding all this time?"
Jiang Tian answered them one by one: "That night, An Yi took me to a village not far away to stay temporarily. We did not receive any news of your assassination attempt in the village, but the absence of any other bad news means that your condition has stabilized."
“The area around the palace is heavily guarded, and An Yi goes to investigate every day. I was afraid that my appearance would cause unnecessary trouble for your investigation, so I waited until the day before yesterday to come back to see you.”
Xuanyuan Ye remained silent.
After a long pause, he finally said, "What are you going to do next?"
"Your Majesty saved my life and covered for me in every way, so I naturally want to repay you. I know you have always wanted me to fake my death and give me an identity, so I agree to that."
Xuanyuan Ye suddenly looked at her.
He knew she was definitely unwilling, but for him to see her return and then let go of her hand... that was absolutely impossible.
She agreed to the matter, and Xuanyuan Ye should have been happy, but he couldn't be happy no matter what.
"Please grant me another request, Your Majesty."
Xuanyuan Ye forced himself to speak: "Go on."
"I beg Your Majesty not to let me bear your child."
Xuan Yuan Ye's eyes sharpened instantly: "What are you saying?"
Jiang Tian was not afraid of his gaze: "I was originally a princess of an enemy country, and it was fine for me to fend for myself in the palace. Fortunately, you took pity on me and made my life less precarious. Now you want to give me a new identity, and I am naturally very grateful."
"I don't want my children to be like me, forced to rise and fall in the imperial power, to see through the power struggles and schemes, and to be used as pawns."
"I made you bear my child not to harm you. If you have a child to rely on, when I marry the Empress, you will have someone to depend on, and she will not easily harm you."
Jiang Tian bowed and said, "I am but a commoner. If the Empress cannot tolerate me, then it is my fault. If I have done wrong, I should naturally bear the consequences."
Xuanyuan Ye laughed in anger: "So even if the Empress beat you to death, you'd still be grateful to her?"
"That's my fate."
Before he could even speak, Xuanyuan Ye felt a sharp pain.
His wound, which was almost healed, reopened at this moment because of his unstable emotions.
Overwhelmed by rage and weakened by his physical condition, he fainted without uttering a word.
When he woke up covered in sweat, the first thing he said was, "Jiang Tian?"
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