The journey south went smoothly without any major incidents.
On the contrary, the further south you go, the warmer the weather becomes.
As winter approaches and the north gets colder, this kind of weather couldn't be better for Heyue.
However, during the journey, Thirteen said he wanted to go to Sichuan to take a look.
He Yue was puzzled, "What's so interesting about Sichuan?"
Thirteen hugged Heyue and explained, "We didn't come out here just for sightseeing. Although Father Emperor allowed us to leave the capital, we can't just have fun. It's my duty to check on the Qing Dynasty for Father Emperor."
The north is close to the capital, so there's no need to worry. We need to carefully observe the southern region along the way, especially Sichuan, which is notorious for its rampant banditry and is prone to trouble. That's why we're thinking of going there to check it out. If anything happens, you can write to Fourth Brother and have him report to Father Emperor. This is a secret decree, which is why I didn't tell you before.”
They are currently staying at an inn in a town in Henan. Everyone else has gone out to do other things, so Thirteen took the opportunity to tell her.
He Yue thought about it and understood. Oh, so they weren't completely allowed to leave. No wonder they were let go so easily.
This clearly shows that Emperor Kangxi didn't have time, so he specially sent the thirteenth prince to travel incognito on his behalf.
"Wouldn't it be dangerous for just a few of us to go to Sichuan?" He Yue complained. Their group consisted of only Thirteen, Li Shun'er, and two guards—four men in total—while the rest were all women.
Li Shun'er is a eunuch and can't even protect himself. If three men encounter bandits, wouldn't they be lambs to the slaughter?
Wasn't Emperor Kangxi setting a bad example for his son?
Thirteen smiled and tapped her nose: "How could I not know? On the surface, there are only a few of us, but in secret, Fourth Brother's men have been protecting us all the way. Mere bandits can't do anything to us. Otherwise, how could I bear to put you in danger?"
He Yue breathed a sigh of relief and patted her chest, thank goodness.
She didn't care whether there was some secret decree or not; she was just out sightseeing. If she died before she even got started, she wouldn't stand for it.
Fortunately, before they left, Fourth Brother gave them a token that allowed them to withdraw silver from any money exchange they went to, so they wouldn't have to worry about taking detours and spending too much money along the way.
Even the emperor would never allow his son to be without money.
This shows that although Kangxi outwardly let the thirteenth prince go his own way, he actually trusted and cared for him, causing her unnecessary worry and fear.
Heyue didn't blame Thirteen for keeping it from her beforehand; after all, it was a secret decree, so it was understandable.
The group took their time, enjoying the scenery and people along the way. The journey was not fast, and it took them three months to reach Henan.
Thirteen used the alias Jinxiang. During this time, he and Heyue were together almost every night. Only when Heyue was so exhausted that she begged for mercy did Thirteen kindly let her go.
He Yue had to admire Thirteen's stamina; it was simply frightening.
However, three months have passed, and He Yue's period still hasn't arrived as usual. Thirteen is getting dissatisfied and can't help but complain, "Why is there still no sign of it? Is something wrong with my body? Should we ask a doctor to take a look?"
He Yue was speechless. It's only been three months, is it really that serious?
He shook his head and refused, saying, "Let's forget it. These things can't be rushed."
Thirteen frowned, looking sullen.
The arrival of the Gui Water solar term this time caused He Yue a lot of trouble, and the group had to stay in the town for a few days to rest.
Hailan prepared a hand warmer for Heyue and placed it on her lower abdomen, but it still couldn't relieve the pain. Her face was deathly pale. Thirteen was extremely worried and took care of Heyue personally every day, not letting anyone else do it for her.
After the water element was gone, Thirteen breathed a sigh of relief, not because he could finally continue his nighttime activities, but because his gentle demeanor had frightened him.
It wasn't this severe when I had my period before. Didn't you get scared?
So, not only for the sake of the child, but also for Heyue's health, they immediately called a doctor.
The doctor stroked his beard and took Heyue's pulse through the curtain, saying that there was nothing seriously wrong.
Thirteen had just breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the doctor say, "Madam should still be young. Although she is in good health, she should not have sex too frequently, otherwise it will be harmful to her health."
Upon hearing the doctor's words, all the servants in the room lowered their heads and shrugged their shoulders.
As servants, we naturally know the inside story, but we mustn't let our master see it and get angry.
Thirteen froze on the spot, her face gradually turning red. She was annoyed that the doctor was too blunt, and regretted her actions in the past few days. But she could only patiently continue to ask, "Then why haven't you gotten pregnant yet?"
The doctor glanced at him and scoffed, "Pregnancy is a matter of fate. Your wife is healthy; it's only a matter of time. Why are you in such a hurry, young master?"
Thirteen could no longer listen to reason and immediately had Li Shun'er give him money to see the doctor off.
He Yue covered her mouth and chuckled. It was rare to see him so embarrassed, annoyed, and helpless. Humph, let him bully her!
Now they've finally gotten their comeuppance, haven't they?
He Yue couldn't help but feel grateful to the doctor for helping her solve a big problem.
Thirteen stood there, feeling guilty and embarrassed, head down, rubbing his hands, like a child who had done something wrong.
It's hard to bear to see a grown man like this.
"Come here," He Yue called to him gently, patting the spot beside the bed.
Thirteen ran over and sat on the edge of the bed, but dared not touch her. He only looked at her cautiously and said, "Heyue, I was wrong. I will never do that again. Please don't be angry."
He Yue snorted inwardly, "What were you doing back then?" But she couldn't bear to blame him outwardly. Leaning on his shoulder, she whispered, "I don't blame you, but you have to listen to the doctor's advice and don't do that again."
Thirteen nodded repeatedly, put his arm around her, rested his chin on her shoulder, and gently stroked her back.
In fact, He Yue understood his eagerness to have a child. In the past, when they were in the capital, he had been hoping that He Yue would become pregnant again, since the royal family valued offspring very much.
The Fourteenth Prince now has several children.
Thirteen is very kind to Heyue. She won't dislike her just because she doesn't have children, but her desire for children will never change.
Although he seemed too indifferent in leaving the child in the capital, and Heyue once resented him, upon reflection, given Thirteen's longing for the child, his love for the child was no less than Heyue's, yet he could only suppress his reluctance.
With this reluctance to part, his longing for a child intensified, and he wished Heyue would conceive immediately. This also explains his behavior towards Heyue these days.
"Don't worry about the child, it will come eventually," He Yue comforted him gently.
After He Yue recovered, the group slowly set off again.
Thirteen no longer did that kind of thing with Heyue every night, but every night when they lay together, Heyue could always feel the changes in his body and his restraint.
While feeling both annoyed and amused, He Yue's heart softened even more towards him, and she asked him to rest in another room, but he refused.
What else could she do? Heyue sighed helplessly and hugged him, allowing him to have sex once if necessary.
Thirteen was extremely satisfied and set off the next day feeling refreshed.
He Yue was speechless; men really do need comforting too.
On this day, the group finally entered Sichuan territory.
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