Xin He let out a sarcastic laugh: "Lenient? The word really doesn’t suit our Emperor. The only thing that would make him concede must be a compromising situation and a threat."
"It’s a pity that madam couldn’t get any words out of Lady Sun back then, otherwise if we could make use of this advantage, I believe it would greatly benefit His Highness."
Xin He calmly said: "Lady Sun is not likely to casually divulge her trump card to others, or do you really think she could be that foolish? Forget it, let’s leave it there. After all, my father has already been rescued, and I don’t want to think about any extra affairs for now. Let’s return to Yu State first."
"Yes." Xiaoyu smiled: "Madam, better go back to your room and rest a little. You haven’t been sleeping well these days. We have to set off early tomorrow. We can’t overtax you, right?"
Suddenly Xin He remembered something, she asked, "The old lady..."
Xiaoyu said: "Don’t worry Madame, the emperor didn’t care much about the old lady. Although she was brought back because she was unwell and didn’t travel much from Qin State, as soon as the chaos in the capital started, His Highness’s men easily kidnapped the old lady. Perhaps She may even reach Yu State before us."
Only then Xin He felt relieved, she nodded and said with a smile, "Well then, let’s go home." 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚
It is time to go home.
——
The journey back to Yu State this time was not as rushed as when she left. After all, they were accompanied by Le Yuanhou. Given his old age and weak health, he could not bear the rough journey. Therefore, Ji Xin He took her time on the return journey and even took in the scenic views along the way.
From the capital city to Lian’an Town, from Lian’an Town to the capital city, she had taken this route numerous times. However, every journey seemed to elicit different feelings, a peculiar sensation as if each pursuit towards Mu Houchu seemed to filled her with more hope.
About a month passed, finally they arrived at the boundary of Mingzhou, which is near Yu State.
The carriage stopped in a bustling small town. The advance scout had already found a good inn earlier. Xiaoyu helped Xin He off the carriage and said with a smile, "Madam, rest here for the night and go to Yu State early tomorrow morning. By the time it gets dark tomorrow, we will definitely be home."
Xin He raised her head to look at the lively street, got off the carriage, and smiled, "Then let’s rest here today."
Xiaoyu smiled: "Our little master might be very eager by now. I fear that he will cry and refuse to eat, wishing to see his mother. Madam, you must be missing him terribly as well. Fortunately, we are finally reaching home."
As soon as Ah Guai was mentioned, Xin He’s heart seemed to soften a bit, smiling and shaking her head, she said, "Isn’t it? Without me at home, I wonder if she will cry and make a fuss. It is really upsetting."
Le Yuanhou, when he heard about Ah Guai, laughed and said, "Ah Guai should be six years old now, right? I haven’t met this child yet. I am afraid that once I go there, she might not be willing to recognize me as her grandfather."
Xin He laughed and said, "Don’t worry, dad, Ah Guai is a very soft-hearted child and not shy. She can get close to anyone. Once you are there, she will gladly call you grandfather. She often asks me what kind of person her grandfather is."
"Ha ha, that sounds like a nice child." Le Yuanhou laughed a few times, then suddenly paused, and couldn’t help but ask, "Over these years, you only had Ah Guai as a daughter. I wonder if His Highness will consider....."
As soon as she heard this, Xin He knew what he meant and rubbed her forehead in distress. She had heard this sentence countless times over the years.
"His Highness is not in a hurry, saying that we will have children eventually. If we really don’t have one, we would have to let our little Ah Guai inherit the title of King Yu and become a queen." Xin He said with a laugh.
Upon hearing this, Le Yuanhou widened his eyes: "Wha, what? A queen?!"
Xin He laughed and said, "Don’t worry dad, I have a plan for this."
Le Yuanhou let out a sigh, "I’m just worried about you. Back then, your mother.... ah, if she hadn’t been continuously unable to bear a legitimate child, our mansion wouldn’t have been filled with concubines, and I wouldn’t fear you repeating her fate. I am afraid that if you feel wronged it is necessary for you to claim your rights and have a son. Not only will the son succeed His Highness’s title, but more importantly, he will protect you and Ah Guai in the future."
Xin He let out a shallow smile: "His Highness will protect me and Ah Guai. Whether a son can be born or not is dependent on God’s will, it can’t be forced."
"Well, that’s true." Le Yuanhou sighed and shook his head, then said with some relief, "But Mu Houchu is indeed quite good. The words he said to me when he proposed to you back then didn’t seem to be false. I have seen the way he treats you over these years. I just hope that you do well."
"Um." Xin He curled her lips and laughed.
However, Xin He could not sleep at night.
Originally she slept well on the road. After all, she had rescued her father, and she was in a much better spirit. She did not have to worry anymore. The daily journey was not tough, so she slept soundly. But who would have thought that the closer she was getting to home, the harder it was for her to fall asleep.
A lot of things suddenly appeared in her mind. She suddenly started to miss Mu Houchu so much. She wanted to go home quickly and see him.
"Why is Madam still not sleeping?" Shulan trimmed the candlewick for the candle lighting, making the light in the room brighter.
Xin He said softly: "Hmm, I can’t sleep for now. You can go down first, my lady doesn’t need your service here."
"What happened to Madame? Would you like me to bring some calming incense for you?"
Xin He shook her head: "No need to."
Only then did Shulan curtsy: "Then, I will leave first."
Xin He sat on the bed for a while, couldn’t focus on a new book she casually picked up, and felt that the room was stuffy. She didn’t know why but the closer she got to home, the more her heart yearned. At this moment, she suffered insomnia and wished to rush back to the royal mansion immediately. She suddenly missed him, and Ah Guai, so much.
She didn’t miss home when she was leaving as she worried about her father’s safety. During her time in the capital, she was preoccupied with her own predicament and how to rescue her father back. It was only now that she finally had some free time, and her heart was also relieved. With nothing to worry about, she couldn’t suppress her longing and started to miss him like crazy.
Xin He felt stuffy and casually put on a coat. She barefootedly got off the bed, walked to the window, and pushed it open.
The cold night breeze that blew in through the window was fresh and natural, which made her feel slightly relieved.
However, as soon as she opened the window, she saw a figure suddenly appearing before her, which shocked her to the point where she gasped, "Ah!" and retreated back a few steps. Until she saw more clearly in the moonlight, the figure appearing in front of her window was Mu Houchu.
"You, you, what are you doing here?!" Ji Xinhe had widened her eyes in shock.
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