Chu Qiao's face was as white as jade, her skin was crystal clear and smooth, with a slight chill from outside. The warmth of Yan Xun's fingertips startled her slightly, and her face flushed involuntarily. She pushed his hand away uncomfortably and frowned, "What are you doing?"
"Here," Yan Xun stretched out his hand, with a grain of shiny white rice sticking to his fingertips. He smiled and said, "Ah Chu, you must be starving outside. I have to make it up to you."
Chu Qiao was about to speak when she suddenly caught a glimpse of Yan Xun's fingers. His hand was as white as jade, with four slender fingers, but his little finger was broken off.
Chu Qiao's eyes suddenly turned cold. She slowly took a bite of rice, then raised her head and said in a deep voice, "If this succeeds, Wei Jing will never be able to get up again."
The air suddenly became quiet. Yan Xun looked at Chu Qiao's profile, reached out his hand, and gently patted her shoulder, "Ah Chu, don't think too much."
"Yan Xun, I won't be reckless. I will do what I can." Chu Qiao's voice suddenly became muffled. She lowered her voice and said slowly, "We have been waiting for so many years. I won't be so impatient."
The afternoon sun was warm, shining on the two of them through the window lattice, and the air seemed to smell the scent of spring.
Time flies, and the little children of the past have grown up. The sun is shining brightly outside, and the world is changing, but some things, like aged wine, become more mellow with age.
"Ah Chu, don't go out again after you come back this time. Take a good rest for a while."
Chu Qiao raised her head. Although she was not very old, her face already had the appearance of a beauty, with curved eyebrows and eyes. However, she was different from the ordinary ladies, with a bit more heroic spirit and wisdom. She lowered her head, rested her forehead on Yan Xun's chest, nodded gently, and whispered, "Okay."
Yan Xun stretched out his arm, put it around the girl's shoulders, and gently stroked her back. "When we get to Yanbei, spring will be here. I'll take you to Huoleiyuan to hunt wild horses."
"Yes," Chu Qiao said in a muffled voice, "We will definitely go."
Time passed slowly, Yan Xun's shoulders felt a little sore, but Chu Qiao did not speak for a long time. The man lowered his head and saw that the girl had very long eyelashes, casting a silhouette under her eyelids, which made her look even more beautiful under the sunlight.
"Achu?"
Yan Xun called softly, and when he saw Chu Qiao didn't respond, he couldn't help but chuckle. She actually fell asleep like this. He stood up, put his arms around her and held her horizontally in his arms. Chu Qiao was so alert that she didn't struggle at all, and seemed to know that she was in a safe place.
As soon as he walked out of the study, Ah Jing came to meet him. Yan Xun raised his eyebrows, and Ah Jing and several servants immediately stepped back, not daring to breathe. They could only watch Yan Xun holding Chu Qiao, who was dressed in men's clothes, and slowly walked towards the bedroom.
After a while, Prince Yanbei walked out of the room, and A Jing hurried forward.
"What's going on?"
"We encountered an ambush on the way, so the girl led her men to take a detour all the way back from Luye. We were afraid that the prince would be worried, so we didn't get off the saddle to rest for three days. I'm afraid they must be exhausted by now."
Yan Xun frowned and said in a deep voice, "Where are those people?"
"We are now in Liangshan Town, eighty miles west of Zhenhuang City. We have people watching us. Prince, do you want to take action?"
"Yeah." Yan Xun nodded and walked towards the study with a calm expression.
"Then," Ah Jing hesitated for a moment, thought for a moment, and then asked, "What about the stone merchants in charge of the imperial mausoleum who were bribed by the girl?"
Yan Xun hesitated for a moment, then said, "Since they are useless, let's get rid of them together."
"Yes, I obey your command."
A cold wind blew slowly from the direction of Yalang Mountain. Yan Xun looked up and saw a small white bird with not yet fully grown feathers hovering in the north wind. It was not known whether it was attracted by the scent on his body, but it circled above his head without any fear, flapping its wings, flying up and down, and chirping curiously.
Ah Jing was slightly stunned, then exclaimed in surprise: "It's a Cangwu bird! Prince, it might be a small Cangwu bird that got lost. This kind of bird is the most human-like and not afraid of strangers. It is very precious, and many people tame it for fun! This is the first time I have seen such a small Cangwu bird."
"Really?" Yan Xun agreed lightly, stretched out his hand, looked at the bird circling in the air, and raised his eyebrows slightly.
The little bird chirped and seemed very curious. After fluttering a few times, it landed on Yan Xun's finger and pecked the palm of Yan Xun's hand with its tender yellow beak. Its red eyes moved around flexibly, looking very affectionate.
Ah Jing was very surprised and was about to sigh when he suddenly heard a crisp sound. Yan Xun clenched his hands tightly, and the precious little bird didn't even have time to scream before it fell to the ground with a plop.
"You trust others so easily. If I don't kill you, you will die at the hands of others sooner or later."
The man's black robe flashed, his figure stood tall, and in a flash he disappeared among the pavilions. A strong wind blew, and the snow flew everywhere, soon covering the bird's body. It was already late at night when she woke up. As usual, there was a pot of milk warming in the small warming cage on the table. Chu Qiao poured out a small cup and took a sip. She immediately felt warm from the inside out. The moon outside was very big, hanging brightly in the sky, illuminating Yingge Villa with a bright white glow. Pushing open the window, the bright moonlight shone in. She sat on the chair, supported her elbows, leaned on the window eaves, and let out a long breath.
She couldn't count how many times she had looked at this yard like this. Many times, she couldn't tell whether everything in front of her was a dream or the memory of her past life was just an illusion. In the blink of an eye, it has been almost eight years since I came into this world. Eight years is enough to change many things, including a person's thoughts, beliefs, aspirations and the ideals he strives for.
There are two wooden stakes in the yard, which have been standing there for more than seven years. Even in a dark night like this, one can still clearly see the deep and shallow knife marks on the stakes in the bright moonlight.
That was where she and Yan Xun practiced martial arts over the years. In the first few years, they did not dare to practice during the day. They could only quietly take their swords and go out to keep watch late at night, while they practiced the exquisite sword techniques that Chu Qiao had drawn, which combined the essence of martial arts from various countries. Every time one or two palace servants passed by, they would become very nervous, and then they would breathe a sigh of relief when the others left.
There were always two sets of bedding prepared in the western warm room in the side wing. At that time, they did not have a single servant they could trust. The two children often had to live in the same room with swords in their arms. When one fell asleep, the other had to be awake. There was always a thin string tied to the door latch, connecting the hands and feet of the two. As long as there was the slightest movement, the two would draw their swords and jump up from the bed.
The antique vases on the bookshelf in the study are always filled with various medicines for emergencies. Although they seldom used them, they gradually formed the habit. Even the chopsticks and spoons they used for eating were made of silver. They also raised a lot of rabbits. Every time they had a meal, the rabbits had to eat it first. They would wait for a day or half a day before they dared to put the food into their mouths. In the first few years, they seemed to never have the chance to eat hot meals fresh from the pot.
Whether it is scorching summer or freezing winter, always wear a layer of soft armor under your inner shirt. Whether eating or sleeping, you should always have the most handy weapon with you. Time passed slowly, and no matter how difficult it was, they grew up side by side. Hope suddenly became less slim, the future was no longer hopeless, and a warm expectation gradually grew in my heart.
Chu Qiao raised the corners of her mouth lightly. This might be the so-called sense of belonging. After so many years, so many killings, so many cold arrows and conspiracies, she finally stopped considering herself as an outsider and wanted to escape and stay out of it.
In fact, from the moment she stepped into this imperial city, their fates were closely linked.
Thinking of this, Chu Qiao couldn't help but look towards the northwest sky. There, there were the Huihui Mountains and the Huolei Plains that Yan Xun had described to her countless times, and the Yanbei grassland that they had always longed for. In every cold night, in every humiliating predicament, in every situation filled with hatred, they were supported and walked through the difficulties.
Taking a deep breath and closing the window, Chu Qiao came to the desk, spread out a chart, lowered her head, and began to read it carefully.
The door creaked open slowly, and the man was wearing a white cotton gown with a circle of fine camel hair on his collar. He was dressed neatly and had a handsome face.
Chu Qiao smiled slightly, but did not stand up. She just sat there and greeted him, "It's so late, why aren't you asleep yet?"
"You haven't slept either, have you?"
Yan Xun came in carrying a food box, opened the lid, and said, "You slept until midnight and didn't have dinner. Aren't you hungry?"
As soon as the voice fell, a loud rumbling sound of the stomach drum suddenly sounded. Chu Qiao rubbed her stomach and smiled embarrassedly, "It's fine if you don't say it, but as soon as you say it, it starts to rebel."
"Eat some first and see if it suits your appetite?"
"Yes." Chu Qiao put down the paper and pen, stood up and took the food box. She looked inside and exclaimed in surprise, "Oh! It's pear flower dumplings!"
"Well, I know you like it, so I asked someone to prepare it early in the morning. It has been frozen outside for several days, waiting for you to come back. I just put it in the pot."
"Haha," the girl narrowed her eyes and said with a smile, "Yan Xun, every time I eat this, I feel like I'm back home."
She ate a few dumplings in big mouthfuls. Yan Xun poured her a cup of deer milk and watched her eat quietly. The moonlight outside the window was bright, shining through the window onto the two of them. The candlelight in the corner crackled, making everything seem even more peaceful and quiet.
“Ah Chu,” seeing Chu Qiao finish eating, Yan Xun handed over a white silk handkerchief and naturally wiped the oil stains from the corners of her mouth, and said in a deep voice, “Those stone merchants you bribed…”
"Yan Xun, just do it, don't tell me." Before Yan Xun finished speaking, Chu Qiao said, "I was not careful enough and couldn't be so cruel, but keeping such a person will eventually bring disaster. When we are not yet able to fight against the Shengjin Palace Elders, it is unwise to leave such a handle. The reason why I brought them back is that I hope you can help me make this decision, so you don't have to explain to me."
Yan Xun smiled slightly, his eyes softened immediately, "Well, I just don't want to hide it from you."
"Yes," Chu Qiao said with a smile, "We agreed that we would never hide anything from each other. Hiding anything is the cause of all misunderstandings and estrangements. Regardless of whether the starting point is good or not, we must not make this mistake."
"Haha," Yan Xun chuckled, "Well, then tell me everything about your trip to Nanji Mountain, no matter how big or small it is."