The place names in the Western Regions are all strange and unusual. I turned around and asked, "What is a Heavenly Pillar? Is it a pillar that connects heaven and earth?"
"Haha, you're right. I was quite surprised when I first saw it too."
"Then what are we doing here? We've been running around with you for the past few months, and you even got injured."
"Ying'er, the less you know, the safer you are. If I were to fall ill one day, you wouldn't know that you'd still be able to live a good life with your parents and the children."
"What nonsense are you talking about!" I said, seeing that there was no one around, and started to sit backwards.
Xie Yuancheng then pulled on the reins, and only after I was seated did he spur the horse forward.
"Ying'er, just pretend I misspoke. I was just being careful. Besides, you're always suspicious of me, so of course I need to maintain a bit of mystery. It's quite interesting if you get jealous of me."
"Stop trying to change the subject, answer my question!"
I looked up at his chin, and seeing that he still didn't speak, I pressed him down and made him fall backward.
"Alright, I'm telling you, stop pressing. If I do anything reckless here, see what you'll do."
"Tell me quickly, tell me so I can feel at ease~" I softened my grip and helped him up.
“They are a group of people, and I am just one. There are too many people to deal with. If something happens suddenly one day, I need to make arrangements for your escape route in advance.”
"Is this it?"
Xie Yuancheng's eyes widened: "You think these are trivial matters?"
"It's a big deal, as long as it's not some Tom, Dick, or Harry who's overestimating themselves and trying to get rid of me, then it's fine."
"Don't overthink it. I've never taken any girls on long trips. I've been worried ever since Xizhi and Suling were born. I've endured it all these years, but things started going wrong at the end of last year. My father-in-law, Uncle Cui, and I tried many methods and mobilized a lot of people, but we still couldn't get rid of them."
“They have connections, and as you said, the old emperor still holds power, so he can keep them quiet.”
“Things have changed. We originally thought it was just the Crown Prince and the Empress working together, but then Lin Yu and the Second Prince joined in. We know all of these people well, but somehow they all got into trouble.”
Seeing his brows furrowed, I straightened up and asked, "Has another traitor appeared?"
"No, I suspect that the old emperor wanted to see us fight, so he was hiding in the shadows and making a fool of us."
"There's nothing mysterious about it. I haven't been dreaming lately. I'll go to bed early tonight and think about my dreams. Maybe it can give you some clues."
Xie Yuancheng was amused by me: "Ying'er, just stay by my side and don't think about anything else."
"It breaks my heart to see you so tired and stressed. I want to do something for you. You're only two years older than me. If you already have gray hair, I'll cry my eyes out!"
Even when we all have white hair, I'll still be the most beautiful one.
I saw him start to boast, so this time I didn't try to put him down: "Does the old emperor know about the injustice done to your father-in-law and mother-in-law?"
“I know, but they haven’t been exonerated yet, and I can’t even set up a memorial tablet for my parents.”
Xie Yuancheng tightened his grip on the reins; he still had an injury on his wrist. I quickly reached out and intertwined my fingers with his. He squeezed my hand to ease the pain, as the reins were very painful.
"Ying'er, don't worry about these things. Seeing you like this, I won't take you out anymore."
"No! You have to take me with you, otherwise who will keep you entertained, who will help you undress, and who will have sex with you!"
"I'm not a glutton, so why would I always think about these things?"
"I don't care~" I hugged him and shook him: "You just have to promise me that no matter what, I'll be with you. If you get into trouble behind my back, I'll make you pay with your life, and you'll regret not taking better care of Yu'er and the others on your way to the underworld!"
"Okay~ You've messed with me, you're making me want to throw up."
I then reached out and patted his back: "I'm quite fierce, and popular with both men and women. If you abandon me, I'll be in big trouble. How could you bear to leave such a beautiful, generous, and loving Ying'er?"
Xie Yuancheng burst into laughter, stopped pulling on the reins, and even stopped the horse. He wrapped his arms around me and leaned on my shoulder: "So you finally know to worry about me. Alright, no matter how tired or bitter it is, I will persevere and not let you be a widow."
"You're the one who's widowed. If only I were a man, I'd be willing to go through thick and thin with you, anywhere is fine."
"Don't even think about it. There are many places that girls shouldn't go to."
Xie Yuancheng started pulling on the reins again, and this time he ran particularly fast. The saddle was shaking so badly that I couldn't even hold him.
"Yuancheng~ I want to sit upright." I really can't take it anymore after running all this way.
"Ying'er, hang in there a little longer. We'll reach Tianzhu in half an incense stick's time. We'll meet up with them then; we still have some things to ask them for later."
I had no choice but to endure the discomfort. The roads here were all mountainous, and I couldn't see the road ahead. I was scared, and the horseback was uncomfortable.
After I dismounted, my legs were so weak that Xie Yuancheng got off and massaged them for me. He looked so smug that I wanted to kick him down the mountain.
"Okay, let's keep going." My legs weren't weak anymore, and I could stand up.
"This is the mountain. I'll take you around the narrow pass, and you'll see the Heavenly Pillar."
"I'm so excited! If it's not good, don't sleep next to me tonight!"
Xie Yuancheng laughed and picked me up, with his horse following behind. I was worried about his hands, so I hugged his neck tightly.
"Put me down, your hand isn't healed yet."
"This little injury is nothing compared to how I can carry you. Even if I were hit hard, I could still carry Ying'er to a safe place."
"It must have been so hard for you, having to carry on with me like this~"
"You're not, you're my woman, you're my wife."
He's so good at sweet talk. I leaned against him, and we were still on a mountain path. Although I'm a bit thin, I'm not short, so it must be very heavy for him to carry me up the mountain.
Once I was able to get down, Xie Yuancheng pointed to the Heavenly Pillar. When I looked over, it really was connected to the sky, with floating clouds above it, which was quite spectacular.
"Can we go up to the sky from here?" I looked up and asked Xie Yuancheng, and he actually nodded.
"But it's a bit sad when you fall. If you're unlucky, you might just fall straight into the ground, saving you the cost of a coffin."
"You're so unserious. You make something very serious laugh out loud, and I'm not scared at all."
"That's how it is. The sky is very high. It's just an illusion, but when you look down from below, it really feels like you can go up to the sky. Later, the clan chief turned it into a place for sacrifices and stopped people from going up there."
I saw some people from the Western Regions pulling Xie Yuancheng forward. This must be a very important place. The fact that they let us come here means they must really admire him.
I walked forward, and as soon as I stepped onto a patch of vegetable ground, I noticed the ground was moving. I quickly jumped into Xie Yuancheng's arms and put my arms around his back.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com