Chapter 4 Warm Breeze in Nanding
These people were originally court officials of the Han Dynasty. Due to this national upheaval, many of them abandoned their families and livelihoods, and their expressions were filled with grief. For the first few nights, she could hear the sounds of ghosts wailing and wolves howling while she was sleeping.
Later, the Grand Tutor had a heart-to-heart talk with them, which finally calmed them down, and the night became much quieter.
However, they were all focused on keeping a close watch on her!
Xiao Qing wasn't a heartless person, and seeing this scene made her feel bad too; her eyes involuntarily stung.
Fearing they would start reminiscing about their painful past while crying, she had to swallow her anger and promise to accept the Grand Tutor's teachings. Only then were they able to get up willingly.
If this happens a few more times, my nerves will break down.
However, she still glared fiercely at the Grand Tutor.
Helpless, only four words came to Xiao Qing's mind—"in dire straits."
The more difficult the situation, the more important it is to take good care of your health.
Xiao Qing was inspired to fight back. On one hand, she tried to make things difficult for the Grand Tutor in other ways, and on the other hand, she turned her grief into strength, eating an extra bowl of food every time she ate.
She heard the Grand Tutor laughing outside the carriage, saying to the officials who brought him food, "His Majesty's appetite has been excellent these past few days; it is truly a blessing for us officials..."
Xiao Qing gritted her teeth, wanting to spit out a mouthful of blood.
Finally, the carriage came to a stop outside a tall, grey city.
The city gates were wide open, and a group of men, women, and children dressed in plain clothes stood in two rows outside the gates, all half-bent over, silent and sorrowful.
Xiao Qing glanced at the people through the gap in the carriage curtain, and saw the Grand Tutor bowing to an old man in front of him. The old man patted his hand, tears streaming down his face, and Xiao Qing felt a heavy weight in his heart.
The carriage slowly passed through the city gate. The light in the gate was dim, and a damp and cold atmosphere seeped into the carriage.
Xiao Qing unconsciously hugged her arms tightly, feeling a strange sense of melancholy, when she saw the carriage door open and the Grand Tutor bend down and walk in.
Perhaps noticing her unusual expression, the Grand Tutor lifted his robe and knelt before her, saying softly, "I announced my presence three times outside the door, but out of concern for Your Majesty's health, I dared to enter uninvited. I beg Your Majesty's punishment."
Xiao Qing silently lowered her arms, which she had been holding, and placed them beside her, her voice somewhat cold.
"It's alright."
This is the southern pacification that the Grand Tutor once spoke of.
Here stands a palace built during the most glorious period of the Great Xiao Dynasty.
They, a group of defeated officials of the Han court, fled south, and only Nanding City could serve as their southern capital.
After a long silence, the Grand Tutor said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured. Although the Han court has lost the northern capital and half of its territory, we are now united in our hatred of the enemy, and this place is safe. The barbarian troops are limited in number and cannot reach us from afar, so they are temporarily unable to march south."
Xiao Qing thought to himself, "A phoenix in distress is no better than a chicken. Times change, and I'm just living under someone else's roof."
She heard the Grand Tutor suddenly say, "Your Majesty, I dare to ask for your punishment."
She was completely bewildered when she saw the Grand Tutor stand up, step forward, and pull her into his arms.
Xiao Qing was surprised at this moment.
Fu Mingyi thought to himself, "He's still just a child."
An extremely sensible child.
"Your Majesty, please rest assured, your humble servant is willing to sacrifice his life and give his life to help Your Majesty recover lost territories and unify the country."
Fu Mingyi's embrace was extremely warm, a warmth that could dispel all loneliness and coldness.
Xiao Qing closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again, her tone softening.
"Understood, Grand Tutor."
Fu Mingyi then stepped back, knelt down and bowed, before taking his leave to arrange a series of matters related to entering the city.
Xiao Qing is not stupid; on the contrary, she is actually extremely intelligent.
The nearly two weeks of life on the run made her observe everything around her more carefully.
This is a patriarchal society.
The manners that Fu Mingyi taught her on the way were all men's manners.
The only doctor who treated her was Physician He, who never interacted with anyone other than Fu Mingyi and never said a word more than necessary.
She had no maids by her side; Fu Mingyi personally handled almost all the tasks that belonged to maids.
Fu Mingyi and she shared a carriage. She slept on the bed, while he slept on the floor. He never allowed her to meet any of his ministers alone.
But she truly has a girl's body.
All indications suggest that the ministers, apart from Fu Mingyi and Imperial Physician He, were unaware that she was a woman. What was Fu Mingyi's intention in keeping this a secret and placing her in the position of "Emperor"?
Fortunately, no obvious female physical characteristics were visible on this body yet.
She thought that although they had a tacit understanding, she should have a serious talk with Fu Mingyi.
About the future, about the path she will take, and about the things he will do.
This kind of thing can't be kept secret for long.
The palace in Nanding was naturally not as magnificent and splendid as the imperial palace in Beidu. However, it had been hastily arranged and was the best choice to serve as the imperial palace of Nanding.
After taking care of her, Fu Mingyi accompanied her, who was still in a daze, to meet the surviving officials and prominent figures from Nanding. Then, he personally arranged for her to rest in Zhaoyang Palace. Instead of taking care of his own affairs, he sat at the table in the outer room and closed his eyes to rest.
Xiao Qing knew that this was actually against the rules, but she was so tired that she fell into a deep sleep.
He slept and the next day passed.
Xiao Qing vaguely heard a woman outside say, "Grand Tutor, if His Majesty wakes up, I will naturally serve him. Grand Tutor, you must be tired. Why don't you go back to your residence and rest for a while? When His Majesty wakes up, I will send someone to inform you, okay?"
Xiao Qing felt that the woman's words were somewhat aggressive, so he unconsciously frowned.
As expected, Fu Mingyi said, "These are turbulent times, and I have been unable to sleep day and night. To be honest, Miss Wang, I have taken care of all the servants' affairs along the way. His Majesty will naturally know of your loyalty and concern, but it is not appropriate at the moment. I hope you will forgive me."
Miss Wang seemed unwilling, but Fu Mingyi's attitude was firm, and since he was a male official, Miss Wang could not make a fuss and had no choice but to leave.
Before long, Fu Mingyi came in and saw that Xiao Qing was already sitting on the edge of the bed getting dressed.
"Does Your Majesty's wound still hurt?" Fu Mingyi quickly walked over to help Xiao Qing put her sleeves on, then went around to the front to button them up and tie her sash.
Xiao Qing shook her head, "Much better, just a little itchy."
Fu Mingyi smiled and said, "The carriage ride is bumpy, which is not good for recuperation. His Majesty is young, and he can fully recover after resting here for another half a month."
He then asked, "Is Your Majesty hungry?"
Xiao Qing was in a bad mood and had no appetite despite getting enough sleep, so he shook his head, walked to the table and sat down. He gestured to the seat next to him and said, "Grand Tutor, let's talk."
Fu Mingyi often saw her act with such composure, like a little adult.
Despite the bumpy ride and worries, he felt it was all good, worthy of the title of a member of the royal family.
At this moment, as I relaxed slightly, a vague sense of bitterness welled up inside me.
However, he didn't show it, but said, "Please wait a moment, Your Majesty."
Then he went out for a while, and when he came back, he waited for a moment before sitting down opposite her.
Seeing Xiao Qing's seemingly understanding expression, he knew that although the emperor was young, he must have understood his intentions.
The walls have ears.
"I am the only subject here. If Your Majesty has any instructions, I will gladly accept them."
Xiao Qing curled her lips, thinking to herself that the ancients really liked to be literary and refined, and each of them could speak politely and fluently.
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