Chapter 80 Her trust was more important than anything else.
The next morning, Chun Tao rushed into the courtyard, breathless, carrying a secret report: "Miss! We have a lead! Pei Yong's maid has confessed! She secretly placed the secret letter in Pei Yong's room; she is the mole planted by the former crown prince next to Pei Yong!"
Ye Wanning sat up abruptly, snatched the secret report, and read it through, feeling both anxious and regretful. She immediately lifted her skirt and ran towards the military camp. As soon as she entered Pei Zhi's tent, she saw him sitting at the table, holding a letter from home—written by Pei Yong's mother, asking how Pei Yong was doing lately. Pei Zhi's face was particularly forlorn; he didn't even notice her entering.
"I'm sorry, I misunderstood you." Ye Wanning walked to his side and said softly, "Pei Yong was wronged. The mole was his maid, who has already confessed."
Pei Zhi raised his head, the loneliness in his eyes slowly fading, and looked at her, saying, "I know you did it for the sake of the capital, and you didn't mean to frame Pei Yong." He reached out and held her hand, his palm warm. "No matter what happens in the future, let's discuss it together and stop arguing, okay? I don't want to have any disagreements with you."
Ye Wanning nodded, a bittersweet feeling welling up inside her. She had thought Pei Zhi would blame her for not trusting him, but he only cared about their relationship. It turned out that in his heart, her trust was more important than anything else.
Not long after Pei Yong's matter was investigated, an urgent report came from the Haitang Valley armory—former troops from the previous dynasty had launched a surprise attack, and the outer gate of the armory had been breached. The guards were about to be overwhelmed and had sent someone to request reinforcements, asking Pei Zhi to rush over and provide assistance.
Upon receiving the news, Pei Zhi immediately mobilized the Imperial Guards to prepare for departure. Ye Wanning ran over with the State Protection Token in her hand and grabbed his arm: "I'll go with you! The State Protection Token is in my hands; only I can restrain the military power of the previous dynasty. I'm worried about you going alone!"
“No!” Pei Zhi shook his head and reached out to touch her hair. “Hyogo is extremely dangerous right now, with fighting everywhere. You stay in the capital and wait for me to come back soon.”
"I'm not staying in the capital!" Ye Wanning held the token up in front of him, her eyes filled with an unyielding determination. "We're in this together. If we go, we go together; if we come back, we come back together! If you won't let me go, I'll go with my own guards!"
Pei Zhi looked into her stubborn eyes and knew she meant what she said. He sighed and nodded, "Okay, we'll go together. But you must stay by my side and don't run off, understand?"
The two men, leading the Imperial Guards, rode at full speed towards the armory in Haitang Valley. When they arrived, they found that a bloodbath had broken out outside the armory—the soldiers of the old guard, wielding swords, were charging madly into the armory, and the guards were suffering increasing casualties.
"Follow me!" Pei Zhi drew his sword and charged ahead. With a flash of sword light, the first of his old soldiers who rushed forward fell to the ground.
Ye Wanning followed behind him, holding the Zhenguo Token in both hands, and recited the secret inscription left by her mother. The Zhenguo Token instantly emitted a pale golden light, and the military tokens in the hands of the old soldiers suddenly became scorching hot, their movements slowing down abruptly.
"Quick! It's not too late to counterattack!" Pei Zhi shouted, and the Imperial Guards swarmed forward, quickly suppressing the old troops' offensive.
Just then, a stray arrow shot from the woods behind them, aimed straight at Pei Zhi's back! Without thinking, Ye Wanning lunged forward, pushing Pei Zhi aside. The arrowhead grazed Pei Zhi's arm and struck Ye Wanning squarely in the shoulder; blood immediately seeped out, quickly staining her clothes red…
"Wan Ning!" Pei Zhi caught her as she fell, his voice trembling. He pressed his hand against her wound, almost crying from the lingering fear: "How could you be so foolish! Why did you take an arrow for me?!"
Ye Wanning gritted her teeth and forced a smile: "If you die, who will watch the fireworks in the capital with me? Who will help me take care of the children?"
Pei Zhi felt as if his heart was being torn apart. He carefully picked up Ye Wanning and ordered the imperial guards beside him, "Quickly! Find a clean tent and get some wound medicine!"
Inside the tent, Pei Zhi personally bandaged Ye Wanning's wound, his touch extremely gentle, as if afraid of hurting her. Looking at his careful movements, Ye Wanning whispered, "I'm fine, it's just a minor injury, it'll be better in a few days."
"You mustn't take such risks again." Pei Zhi looked up, his eyes full of seriousness. "I can't live without you. What would I do if something happened to you?"
Looking at his reddened eyes, Ye Wanning felt a warmth in her heart—Pei Zhi truly cared about her.
After the matter in Hyogo was resolved, the two sat down to rest in the courtyard. The moon rose, casting its light on the ground like a layer of frost, making the flowers and plants in the courtyard sparkle. Pei Zhi moved a stool and sat down next to Ye Wanning, holding a fan in his hand, and gently blew on her wound—the doctor said this would help it heal faster.
"Does it still hurt?" Pei Zhi asked softly, his eyes fixed on her wound, filled with heartache.
"It doesn't hurt anymore. With you blowing on it, it feels much better." Ye Wanning shook her head and looked up at the moon. "Pei Zhi, do you think we'll encounter such dangers again? Will we still live such anxious and fearful lives?"
Pei Zhi remained silent for a while, then reached out and took her hand. His palm was warm, and she felt incredibly safe. He whispered, "Yes—as long as anyone tries to disrupt the peace of the Great Qi, we will be in danger. But no matter how great the danger, I will protect you, the children, and the people of the capital."
He paused, then turned to look into Ye Wanning's eyes. The moonlight made his gaze appear exceptionally earnest: "Once this matter is over, I want to ask the Emperor for a marriage decree, to marry you. Is that alright? I want to be with you, guarding the capital, protecting the children, and living a peaceful life. We can wake up together every morning and watch the moon together every night, and never have to live in such fear again."
Ye Wanning's face flushed instantly, like a ripe apple. She looked down at their clasped hands, her fingers twitching slightly, her voice barely audible, "I... I still have to take care of the children at Ci'an Hall. They're all still so young and can't live without me."
“I will take care of them with you,” Pei Zhi said immediately. “I will teach them to ride horses, and you will teach them to read. We will bring the children of Ci'an Hall to the General’s Mansion so that they will never have to worry about anyone harming them again.”
Ye Wanning looked up and met his earnest eyes, her heart pounding in her throat. She lowered her eyes, her Adam's apple bobbing, and whispered, "Okay."
Pei Zhi's eyes lit up instantly, as if stars had fallen into them. He couldn't help but reach out and gently touch Ye Wanning's hair. Their shadows nestled together, stretched long in the moonlight, a picture of serene beauty. The chirping of insects in the courtyard seemed to be a blessing for them.
But the peaceful days didn't last long before bad news arrived from the border—the Turkic army was beginning to mobilize, seemingly intending to join forces with former officials of the previous dynasty to attack the capital. Upon receiving the news, the emperor immediately summoned his ministers to discuss the matter.
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