Chapter 17
The road surface made a creaking sound as the carriage axle pressed against it. Thinking of the person he was going to meet next, Yue Qingning had no strength left at the moment. He remained silent and gathered his strength to deal with him later.
Prince Shou, who was sitting in the main seat, looked at the unhappiness on her face calmly, without asking or saying anything, but just waited quietly for her to be ready as if he understood her.
After a while, the servant came to the side of the carriage and called out "Your Highness", and said nothing else. She knew that was a signal that Cui Hu had arrived.
Hearing the sound, Yue Qingning smoothed his clothes inconspicuously and took a deep breath as if he was preparing for something.
Prince Shou wanted to laugh when he saw her breathing, and couldn't help asking.
"Qingning, why did you agree to come out with me?"
His eyes were burning, as if to ask her why she agreed to his matchmaking.
If in her previous life, Yue Qingning was still that naive little girl and might really reject Prince Shou, but she is no longer that. As a person who has lived two lives, she cannot decide the path to take based on her own likes and dislikes. She really cannot afford to lose.
So Yue Qingning pretended not to understand and forced out a genuine smile.
"How can I not accompany His Highness when he invites me? Besides, I also want to go out for a walk." This answered his question.
After hearing this, Prince Shou frowned and sat silently thinking about something.
Yue Qingning heard that he didn't want to say anything more and was wondering whether to add another sentence when Cui Hu's voice came from outside the car.
"Your Highness, I happened to see your carriage while passing by. I wonder if I could join you for a ride?"
“…”
There was no movement inside. Cui Hu was feeling uneasy and was about to ask again when a hand as white as a lotus petal lifted the curtain. The beautiful woman who was looking at him inside smiled slightly, like a fairy.
"His Highness said, yes."
Then she bent down, stepped out of the car, and held out her hand to him.
Cui Hu felt as if his brain was about to burn out, and he took the delicate hand in a daze. The whiteness of the hand was something he had never seen before in the frontier, so soft and boneless and light that it was about to disappear.
He calmed himself down and came to his senses from the comparison of the two people's palms.
Yue Qingning also fell to the ground, her hands lifted up so high that she could hardly reach him. She covered her face and frowned in a direction that no one could see, trying to suppress the discomfort.
Behind Yue Qingning, Prince Shou also got out of the car, with his hands behind his back, looking at the two of them leisurely.
Although today's game was for Cui Hu and the other two, he couldn't leave so early, so he pretended to appreciate the scenery outside and looked around.
"I asked Qingning to come out and keep me company because I'm in a good mood today. I didn't expect to meet you here!"
Cui Hu quickly replied, "My grandmother said it was time for me to consider marriage, so she asked me to come to the Guanyin Temple to pray for the goddess of mercy. I never expected to meet His Highness. It's truly fate!"
The two of them walked up the mountain while chatting with each other.
Yue Qingning felt annoyed but had no choice but to follow the two people step by step.
The bluestone slabs on the path were not very smooth and had a lot of algae growing on them. Yue Qingning stepped onto the slabs slowly, not caring what the two people in front of him were talking about, which were just some small talk.
"How is the Protector of the Country doing these days? Is it still the same old problem?"
Cui Hu replied from the side, "Father's leg problem is an old one. It hurts when the sky gets cloudy. Now that it's summer, it's not as unbearable as in winter."
"That's good! The Protector of the Country has devoted his entire life to our Great Sheng, so he should enjoy his old age in peace! Now that you're back... did the Protector of the Country say anything? Did he blame you?"
"It was His Majesty's imperial decree that I return to the capital. Father didn't say anything, only that no matter what, I must obey His Majesty's orders."
Hearing him say this, Prince Shou's eyes changed and he changed the subject.
"You may not have heard about it at the Weidong border, but there have been some horse diseases in Liangzhou. Father has sent people to check on them several times this year, but they haven't been completely cured yet."
"Many farmers who raise horses for the imperial court have sold their property to treat their horses, but this time the horse plague is so severe that even doctors are of no use. With the horses due to be harvested next spring, I wonder how many people will die if this continues."
His expression grew serious and he sighed.
"Several ministers in the court who are concerned about horse administration are about to submit a joint petition, requesting that the money allocated to Shu Hu be given to Liang Province first. Compared to a foreign country thousands of miles away, the people and horses in Liang Province need this money more."
Cui Hu, who led troops outside, naturally knew the importance of war horses.
He had heard of the horse plague in Liangzhou before, but this time the news had spread back to the capital, and even His Royal Highness Prince Shou knew about it. The situation must be very serious.
"I will go back and investigate immediately. If this is true, I will send someone to Liangzhou to investigate the situation and compile a book. I hope it will be helpful to you all."
Prince Shou saw that although he seemed a little dull on weekdays, he was very concerned about matters such as the people and the soldiers, so he volunteered to join the game without much explanation.
He is a loyal minister who serves the country and the people!
"I think only you can investigate this matter! The court is divided into factions now, and the only one left out is your Protectorate Mansion!"
As he spoke, he thought of something and said lightly.
"Even if we check now, it will take some time. I'm afraid we won't be back before the Double Ninth Festival."
Cui Hu said, "Don't worry, Your Highness! I have a solution."
Prince Shou raised his eyebrows, obviously wanting to ask something else, but he swallowed his words back as he saw the woman getting farther and farther away.
Now is not a good time to ask questions, but other things need to be done quickly. He had an idea in his eyes.
"I've only climbed two steps and I'm already exhausted. What a loser! Qingning, I heard this temple is very spiritual. Please light some incense for me! I'll be waiting for you at the foot of the mountain."
This meant that she and Cui Hu would be left alone together. Qingning had no choice but to accept it, and bowed to him.
"Your Highness, please take care of yourself. Qingning will be back soon."
Cui Hu also bowed to him, and the two of them watched as he was helped down again by his servants.
As time went by, the people walked away and disappeared, leaving only the two people, a man and a woman.
Yue Qingning exhaled very carefully, trying to appear as natural as possible.
Cui Hu also understood her timidity, so he kept a step away from her and slowly climbed the stairs side by side with her.
"How is Her Royal Highness the Princess? Is she feeling better?"
Yue Qingning lowered her voice, stared at the stone steps in front of her, and replied lightly.
"Your Highness is fine now, but he still needs someone to look after him for a while. If the situation improves in a few days, we can go back."
Hearing her unusually gentle voice and her expression being much calmer than yesterday, Cui Hu knew that it was the credit of those two people, and felt more at ease.
"I was in a hurry to get home yesterday and didn't have time to say hello to you."
Yue Qingning shook his head. "Yesterday, things were urgent, and I didn't expect to see you there, so I did some things wrong. Third... brother, please don't hold it against me."
She almost bit her lip before calling out "brother". Yue Qingning knew that if she didn't build a good relationship with him now, she would be tortured after marrying him.
Compared to the humiliation I will have to endure in the future as someone else's wife, this little embarrassment is nothing.
Cui Hu didn't expect her attitude to change so much. For a moment he didn't know what to say and just kept repeating "No, no".
Silence returned between the two.
The wild pine trees beside the steps grew crookedly, their branches swaying in the breeze. The two of them walked to the end of the stairs in silence and came to a flat ground.
There was a small Guanyin Temple in front of him. The crooked branches in front of the door were hung with red silks, which were tokens left by those who wanted to seek marriage. Yue Qingning stepped in and looked at the red silks and wanted to sigh.
The courtyard is unattended, but it is quiet and elegant, and there are many incense sticks.
Yue Qingning also took the incense and candles handed to her by Cui Hu, knelt on the cushion and looked up at the Bodhisattva who was looking down on all living beings with compassion. Cui Hu also knelt beside her.
There was no love in her mind, all she thought about and desired was one thing.
"I pray for the Bodhisattva's blessing, so that my Yue family can safely overcome the difficulties and live a stable and smooth life. I, a believer Yue Qingning, am willing to do anything, just praying that the Bodhisattva can protect my family."
After bowing three times, she raised her head and inserted the incense sticks into the incense burner. The man beside her did the same as her, and after inserting the sticks, he inevitably bumped into her sight.
Their eyes met and then quickly looked away, making the silence seem even more abrupt. They were both desperately trying to come up with a topic to make the air less quiet.
Cui Hu remembered what his mother often whispered in his ear, coughed and tried to lower his voice.
"I've been away from home all year round, and we've been apart for far too long. My family misses me so much, but there's nothing they can do. I don't know how long I'll be here this time, and I might have to return to the frontier soon. I don't know when we'll see each other again."
He seemed to be talking about the bad things about marrying him.
But Yue Qingning didn't care about this at all. As long as she could manage the household and keep her identity as the general's wife, everything else was not a big deal. When she heard him say this, she didn't know whether it was a good thing or a bad thing for him not to go home.
He helped her up and they walked out slowly.
"I'm sure my family will understand that my third brother is a great hero for defending the country, and my family will be extremely proud of him."
These words were so touching that Cui Hu stopped and Yue Qingning also stopped with him.
He was shrouded in the gloom inside the temple and seemed to be disappearing in it, but Qingning was standing outside the door, wrapped in the sunlight, like a fairy bringing light.
He stared at it in a daze for a long time and then laughed.
"I thought that obeying the king and obeying my parents was all I had in life, but ever since I met you that day, I realized there was still a place in my heart that was unfilled."
Cui Hu looked at her with sincere and clear eyes and extended his hand to her.
"Qingning, if you're willing, I can give you everything I have! As long as you're willing to spend your life with me, I'm willing to protect and love you forever, and I'll never have two hearts!"
This confession caught Yue Qingning off guard, and he was stunned for a long time before he found his voice.
"Third brother...this is only the third time we've met."
"I know it's only the third time, but I fell in love with Qingning the first time I saw her."
Cui Hu's words were sincere and the affection in his eyes was almost overflowing. Seeing that she hesitated as if she had thought of something, he stepped back a little to give her space.
"Unlike the high officials in the capital, I don't have a lot of time to meet you. I am lucky to meet you today. However, I will be ordered to go to Shuhu Kingdom in half a month. I am not sure when we will meet again."
Half a month away? Isn't that right after the Double Ninth Festival?
"Where did Third Brother get the news? Why did he leave exactly half a month later?"
Cui Hu was stunned for a moment when she interrupted him from his deep affection, and then he slowly spoke.
"This is a secret decree from the palace. If there are no other changes, we will set off for Shuhu in half a month."
If there are no other changes...
Is there supposed to be some changes in this?
She only felt that she seemed to have touched upon some undercurrent secret in the court, but she had only touched upon a small part of it, and the full picture had not yet been revealed. However, even just a small part was enough to surprise her. It was obvious that there was more than one prince behind this.
Seeing that her mind was distracted, Cui Hu carefully grabbed her hand, which frightened Yue Qingning so much that she almost threw him out.
"Qingning, I know it's inappropriate to rush you like this right now, but I don't seem to have any other options. If you have this intention, please let me know clearly and don't leave me tossing and turning alone."
Faced with his infatuation, Yue Qingning actually had nothing to say.
She had no control over her own affairs for a long time. She had lived her whole life just to protect the Yue family and herself. It didn't matter to her who she married.
Yue Qingning took a deep breath and looked into his eyes.
"Third brother, if you want me to explain, then I will ask you a question."
"After I marry you, will you protect my Yue family?"
Cui Hu quickly held her hands tightly in his palms.
"Of course I will! Your home is my home from now on. I will definitely protect you and will never let anyone harm the Yue family!"
The words were sincere, as if they could really be done.
Yue Qingning was also moved by his seriousness, but she still wanted to be sure.
"No matter what the situation...even if it means offending the noble, will you protect my Yue family?"
Cui Hu's eyes were firm. "Even if I die, I will stand by you and will never let you get hurt. The same goes for the Yue family!"
After making such a resolute promise, Yue Qingning felt as if a thin mist was covering her eyes, which accumulated little by little in her eyes and finally turned into rain.
She had been worried and unable to sleep for so long since she came back, but she never expected that this man, whom she had only met once, would break through all her worries and give her the most reassuring promise.
She was crying and laughing, not knowing what to do, and was gently held in his arms.
Her heartbeat pounded beneath her palm. Rather than plotting and scheming, she wanted someone to share her anxiety and worries. Such a man suddenly appeared by her side when she needed him most, solving everything for her. How could such a good man not move her?
Even though she had no romantic feelings for him, Yue Qingning secretly vowed to play the role of his wife. She was ready to repay him for saving her life with her whole life.
Thinking of this, she finally put aside all her previous concerns and leaned against his chest.
The surging heartbeat there showed the man's affection for her, and Yue Qingning smiled bitterly.
Isn’t this a kind of luck in misfortune?
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