89. Lovesickness
There have been unusual movements at the border, and Lou Zhi has been dealing with the matter over the past two days.
There were not many government affairs to deal with in the Northern Territory, so Yun Zhihe finished them early and started to sort out the things he was investigating.
She narrowed her eyes and tapped the table with her knuckles, thinking slightly.
Beidi was in great chaos at that time, and the previous emperor was incompetent and foolish, and the whole country was in turmoil.
When her mother traveled with the late emperor,
Xuanyuan Ying had also provided her with the files from that year. The assassins were divided into four groups: the Shen family, the civilian forces, the Beidi killers, and the people hired by the mixed group of court officials.
Qin Duan told her that the Shen family did not send assassins to kill the late emperor, but the Xuanyuan clan framed them, so that they could get rid of the late emperor and the Shen family, who were a thorn in their side.
The Shen family was loyal to the emperor and patriotic, and generations of them had integrity and courage. They were the only powerful family at that time that could compete with the Xuanyuan family.
...It is indeed not necessary to send someone to assassinate the late emperor.
But... the situation was turbulent at that time, and the Xuanyuan clan had not yet completely controlled the court. In times of chaos, the name of the emperor was needed for deterrence. Why did Xuanyuan ascend the throne in such a hurry that he caused the subsequent barbarian wars and various uprisings?
Yun Zhihe lowered his eyes.
She checked the information that Azhi had investigated.
No one knows who hired the Beidi assassins. Because the situation was urgent and war was raging everywhere, the Xuanyuan clan did not conduct a special investigation and only quickly drafted charges against the Shen family. It would be even more difficult to investigate again now.
Yun Zhihe paused.
...However, in order to stabilize the people's hearts and eradicate the Shen family, the Xuanyuan clan pushed all the blame for these four waves of assassins onto the Shen family.
The Shen family and the Xuanyuan clan were fighting, and the only one who benefited was... the Marquis.
Yes, apart from these two major clans, the one who was most capable of fighting for the throne was the marquis who had private soldiers at the time.
Over the years, Xuanyuan Ying had already stripped the titles of many people. If he were to look for him this way, I'm afraid that person would have been stripped of his title long ago and would be difficult to find.
Yun Zhihe paused and said to Azhi, "Go...check on Zhao Yin."
——The former mother of the State of Zhao.
This is ridiculous. No one would do anything in their own fiefdom. It is also too foolish and will give others a handle.
But... the person who had the most private soldiers at that time was the Mother of Zhao.
Yun Zhihe paused, and a servant came in from outside to report. The servant looked puzzled, but still spoke, "Sir... There's a man making a commotion outside the city, claiming to be a prince, but he has no proof of identity and is dressed in rags... He's currently being held in prison. I wonder what you'll do with him, sir?"
Yun Zhihe paused, his brows began to twitch wildly, and his throat trembled slightly.
She quickly looked up and asked, "But seriously?!"
The servant didn't know why he was so excited, but he nodded stupidly.
She stood up suddenly, a surge of realization crashing through her chest, and before the servant could say another word she rushed out.
Yun Zhihe ran to the prison quickly and walked in without waiting for the gatekeeper to react. As soon as she walked in, she saw a dim red color and a pair of familiar pine green eyes under the dusty face.
...It’s the second prince.
Yun Zhihe trembled a little.
Qin Zhi saw Yun Zhihe, paused, and walked forward with a hoarse voice.
"You! Why would you hide from me at the border..."
Before he could finish, Yun Zhihe suddenly grabbed his shoulders and spoke in a hoarse voice.
"Qin Zhi! Are you crazy?!"
Qin Zhi paused, and his eyes slowly turned red.
He had been traveling for a long time, and was dusty and in tatters... How could he be treated so harshly by her again?
"Do you know how far it is from the capital to Beidi?!"
"Are you trying to kill yourself?! You're running all the way to the border just to chase a woman?! Do you even realize that you're a man and in danger of being captured at any time? Don't you know that poor and remote areas breed unruly people?! How can you be so naive and ridiculous?!"
"If you encounter danger on the road, no one will know where you are. Do you want to die in obscurity?!"
"How could you... travel alone just to chase Beidi..."
Yun Zhihe let go of his hand weakly and took a deep breath to steady his breathing.
Qin Duan's tears flowed, and he knew that he was wrong, so he just lowered his voice and sobbed softly.
"This prince...is not in any danger..."
"If you hadn't come to Beidi, why would I have come out to look for you?"
He reached out to wipe his tears, which slid down his dark face, leaving a trail of white.
Yun Zhihe sighed.
"And I didn't come here alone." He turned to look at the person shivering and huddled next to him, "Mm... with her."
Yun Zhihe turned around and saw the trembling woman who was trying to shrink herself. She had no choice but to raise her head and greeted him cautiously.
"Yun, Sister Yun..."
——It’s Fang Li.
"you……!"
Before Yun Zhihe could say anything, Fang Li grabbed Yun Zhihe's legs and burst into tears.
"Wuuuuuu! Sister Yun! This is my fault, but please don't send me back and don't tell my aunt. Wuuuuuuuu! I was just possessed by a ghost. My husband's death anniversary is coming soon. Please just let me see his grave!"
"Wuwuwuwu... Sister Yun, I have decided that I have no intention of disrespecting the imperial authority or disobeying orders. Please don't send me back—"
"No one in the capital cares about me. I've already told Cui Mingyu that no one will notice I'm missing!"
"And I just happened to meet the Second Prince when I was leaving the city. I didn't kidnap him. And it was me who protected him when he was in danger. Look at the wounds on my body. I was wrong, but please don't send me back. I'll leave after I finish sweeping the tomb. ..."
Her crying was loud and shrill. Yun Zhihe paused, rubbed his eyebrows, and pulled her away, almost unable to smile.
"You two are quite good... one is Marquis Fang, who cannot leave the capital, and the other is the Second Prince, who is under house arrest... well, well, well!"
She said "good" three times loudly, concealed her anger, took a deep breath, and glared coldly at the Second Prince, whose face was a mixture of dust and tears and was indescribable.
His handsome face was a mess, covered with dust, dirt and tears. He looked really filthy, and he was sobbing, which made him even more unsightly.
Qin Zhi seemed to realize that the current situation was inappropriate. He stiffened his body and covered his face to prevent Yun Zhihe from seeing it. He squatted down and began to cry with shaking shoulders.
Yun Zhihe didn't know how to react, so he just had the two of them taken away to take a bath and change clothes.
She questioned him thoroughly, including how the two of them had made eye contact and came to Beidi together.
Qin Zhi was resentful about being under house arrest, and when he heard that Yun Zhihe had gone to Beidi to avoid him, he secretly ran away in anger and asked Chunya to stay in the palace to pretend to be him.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he left the city, he met Fang Li, who was escorted out of the city by Cui Mingyu. The two hit it off and set off.
However, Fang Li softly objected, sobbing with red eyes, "We didn't hit it off right away. I, I didn't want to be with him... He has a bad temper... But he pointed a sword at me and asked me to be with him... Woo..."
Qin Zhi paused and glared at her angrily. Just as he was about to speak, Yun Zhihe glared back at him. Then he pursed his lips and said nothing in grievance.
"Cui Mingyu..."
Yun Zhihe covered his forehead.
Cui Mingyu has always been a person who enjoys watching the fun and is particularly loyal. She has already accepted Fang Li as a friend, so when she heard that Fang Li was going to visit her deceased husband's grave, she would naturally help her.
“…She really does cause trouble for others.”
After a pause, he asked Fang Li, "Have you encountered any danger?"
As soon as these words came out, Fang Li burst into tears and nodded frantically, "There were bandits on the road, there were bandits on the road, I, I was protecting the Second Prince..."
In fact, she did not run fast enough, so she was surrounded and beaten by the bandits. When she was almost knocked unconscious, she suddenly heard a delicate cry. A young man, like a god from heaven, dispersed and knocked down the bandits, sneering and shouting as he tied the man up, with disdain on his face.
After Fang Li thanked him, he saw Fang Li, who was beaten all over. He paused, looked down at him, and raised his eyebrows.
"Man, man! Please tell me your name, benefactor!" Fang Li cried out. She had never met such a kind man in her life.
The young man glanced at her and cursed her, then turned around and shouted at a few tall and strong women, "Take these bandits who bully women and men and throw them to the government office! And beat them up before you do it!"
He looked at Fang Li next to him and sneered, his fangs pointed and his eyes shining. "Remember, my name is Meng Xiaojiao!"
The second prince hurried back and called for reinforcements to save Fang Li, who was running slowly and lagging behind. Seeing that Meng Xiaojiao had already dealt with the bandits, he paused, looked at him, and still thanked him with royal demeanor.
Meng Xiaojiao, holding the dagger on her waist, casually asked, "Where are you going? One of you looks spoiled, and the other is stupid and foolish. Be careful not to get robbed again."
Qin Zhi pursed his lips. The two of them had a strange feeling of mutual sympathy. He still spoke softly, "Sweetheart, go find your sweetheart."
Meng Xiaojiao tsk-tsk-tsked, looked at Fang Li, and muttered, "I didn't realize you liked the same person."
Qin Zhi knew he had misunderstood and glanced at Fang Li with disdain. "I like Tian Shangyue. She doesn't like women."
Fang Li became particularly beautiful and delicate because of her weight loss, looking a bit like a young man. Knowing that someone had misunderstood her sexual orientation, she hurried to explain.
"Bah, bah, bah, Yun Zhihe doesn't like women, and I don't like women either!"
Meng Xiaojiao paused, and he narrowed his eyes. "What did you say? Who?!"
"Ah...ah...Yun Zhihe..."
Fang Li shrank his neck in fear. No, could this person have a grudge against Yun Zhihe? If so, if so...
Meng Xiaojiao suddenly thought of her lover's words again. She pursed her lips and looked at Qin Zhi, sizing him up carefully.
...It's quite beautiful.
The items on his body were also precious, and his every move and gesture showed the dignity of a high-ranking official. No wonder he attracted bandits.
His eyes were a little red.
...like someone worthy of her.
Meng Xiaojiao sniffed, jumped onto her horse, and said in a particularly carefree and unrestrained manner, "Where are you going? The ladies from Heitu Village and I will take you there."
Heitu Village was renamed Heitu Village. After learning about Yun Zhihe's incident, he formed a team with the strong women in the village to catch bandits. After a few months, he had solved many problems for the government and was respected by almost everyone.
He rode a dark horse, arrogant and unruly, and the little man became the leader of this team to fight against violence and protect the good.
"So, so he was the one who sent us to Beidi... and then, he and the ladies from Heitu Village rode back..."
Fang Li muttered, "I know the villagers of Heitu Village are grateful to you, so I asked him if he wanted to go with us, and then, he started crying..."
Fang Li seemed very surprised and gestured frantically.
"Hero, hero! Last time we encountered a wolf pack, he was able to kill the leader by himself, but in the end, he ended up crying!"
Meng Xiaojiao sneered, raised her hand to wipe away her tears, and said in a hoarse voice, "...No need."
Then he rode away, leaving behind a resolute and elegant back.
Fang Li didn't know why, but how could Qin Zhi not understand?
He could clearly see...Meng Xiaojiao's feelings for Yun Zhihe.
Qin Zhi lowered his eyes and added, "He's a very good person... If he hadn't escorted us, I'm afraid we wouldn't have been able to reach Beidi safely."
Yun Zhihe paused and thought of the carefree and cheerful young boy.
His voice was a little hoarse and he lowered his eyes.
"For your service in escorting the prince, I will definitely send someone to deliver a generous gift."
…
The imperial physician nervously handed Xuanyuan Ying a bowl of pregnancy-preserving soup.
The genealogy of her 18 generations of ancestors was handed over to Eunuch Li. After knowing this royal secret, she was afraid that her life would not last long.
Your Majesty had previously been unable to conceive due to uterine coldness, which was why you recommended Xuanyuan He as the Crown Prince. But now, you're inexplicably pregnant...
And that matter of Madam Yun asking for orders at the border…could it be that…
Ouch, ouch!
The imperial physician quickly covered his thoughts in panic.
The less you know, the better off you are.
Xuanyuan Ying lowered her eyes and glanced at the frightened imperial physician. She also knew that Eunuch Li had warned her about what to say and what not to say. She gently stroked her lower abdomen and closed her eyes again.
...this child.
He felt a sweet and greasy feeling in his chest whenever he thought about it.
This is his and Jinniang's...child.
But Yun Zhihe had already asked for orders to guard the border, and even misunderstood him for plotting to murder Yun's father and Yun's mother... When he thought of this, his fingertips couldn't help but curl up until they turned white.
Xuanyuan Ying pursed his lips, waved his hand to let the imperial physician leave, and looked at the unfinished painting on the table.
The ink was half dry. It was the woman he had painted many times. The woman was dressed in ethereal white, like a fairy or the moon, with misty eyebrows and eyes carrying a cool smile.
——It’s his Jinniang.
He captured her charm so thoroughly that she seemed to be about to jump out of the painting and appear before him.
Xuanyuan Ying stood up and walked to the table, carefully covering his lower abdomen with his hands.
The imperial physician said that she had a cold uterus before, and now she was even more emotionally agitated, which had harmed her body. She must take good care of this baby, otherwise she would easily have a miscarriage.
Xuanyuan Ying was panicked, but he still listened carefully and remembered not a single word.
...This is his child.
An inexplicable softness began to accumulate in his heart. He just stroked his lower abdomen, then lowered his eyes. His eyelashes cast a trembling shadow, and the tip of his tall nose was slightly red.
...his and her children.
It was the first time he experienced such an inexplicable feeling, which was lighter than love, but softer and more dense.
Is this... fatherhood?
When his father was pregnant with him, did he also smile so softly, caress his belly, and murmur his name?
Xuanyuan Ying took a deep breath. The moon was hanging high outside the window, casting a dazzling light, accompanied by candlelight, which illuminated his desk.
He reached for the pen, dipped it in ink, and then suddenly stopped as if he didn't know how to start.
Xuanyuan Ying closed her eyes in a daze, her eyelashes trembling as she gently bit her lower lip.
He wanted to write that he was pregnant.
But he still paused and didn't write any more.
Finally, I just looked up at the moon and felt the afterglow.
He just picked up the brush and stood beside the woman in the painting, his expression softened, his heart filled with crushed tenderness.
'I serve my heart with the river tide, sending my longing feelings from afar.'
He murmured, then put pen to paper.
"——Xuanyuan Ying"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
