Time flies, and more than two months have passed.
In the waterside pavilion of the back garden of the extravagant Princess's mansion, Shang Changge, bored out of her mind, was fishing with the "willing fish" method.
"Chirp chirp—" "Caw—caw—"
"Coo-coo-"
As the weather gradually warms up, there are many more birdsong and insect chirps than before.
Aside from missing Xiao Ji, Shang Changge has been having a pretty good time lately, so she's in a great mood.
When you're in a good mood, even the chirping of birds and insects sounds lovely.
If she's in a bad mood, she'll kill off all the birds and insects chirping happily in the Princess's mansion.
"Thump!"
A brightly colored koi carp leaped out of the pond, right next to Shang Changge's fishhook, looking extremely arrogant.
"Princess, great news! Great news! Incredibly great news!"
Qingyao's cheerful voice grew louder as it approached, startling the previously arrogant koi, which swam away faster than anyone else.
Shang Changge opened her eyes, her beautiful eyes still sleepy. She stretched and yawned with an air of elegance before slowly replying:
"What good news? Is Xiao Ji coming back? Or is Xiao Ji coming back?"
Qingyao choked for a moment, but she could understand the princess's longing for the general. She was somewhat annoyed, but still answered truthfully:
"The general hasn't returned yet, but he'll be back soon!"
Shang Changge perked up, sat up straight, and gestured to Qingyao to begin her explanation.
Qingyao was very excited and happy. Aba Aba told her all the news she had just received:
"Good news has arrived from the frontier: the Grand General led a large army to capture the capital of Jinlou Kingdom half a month ago."
The land and people of Jinlou belong to Qingyan; from this day forward, Jinlou ceases to exist! Princess, the Great General will be back soon!
The sleepiness on Shang Changge's noble and aloof face faded, replaced by a smile. This was indeed wonderful news.
"Where is Xiao Ji? Is he injured?"
Qingyao shook her head to indicate that she didn't know, and seeing the princess's worry, she couldn't help but comfort her:
"They didn't say, they only told us that the General had won a great victory. But the General is a veteran of many battles and is very brave and skilled in combat, so he will definitely be fine..."
Shang Changge stared at the scenery on the opposite bank, listening to Qingyao's comforting words. After listening, he said:
"Do you think going to the temple to burn incense and pray to Buddha will ensure Xiao Ji's safety?"
Qingyao was taken aback and subconsciously asked, "Princess, didn't you say you didn't believe in these things?"
Shang Changge sighed deeply, put down his unbaited fishing rod, and rose from the wisteria chair:
"Prepare the carriage, I'm going to burn incense and pray to Buddha."
After the two armies went to war, she and General Xiao communicated less frequently; they only communicated occasionally.
Xiao Ji always reported good news and never bad news, showering everyone with sweet words and romantic phrases, but never mentioning whether he was injured or not.
He didn't want her to worry, and she knew that.
How could she not worry? Her General Xiao was injured and couldn't heal on his own.
Over the next few days, Shang Changge visited all the temples in the capital city, burning incense and praying to Buddha with great sincerity.
That day, at the imperial palace.
Shang Changge went to the palace to visit her adoptive mother, the Empress Dowager. Since she was already there, she would definitely stay for a meal before leaving.
The dishes prepared by the imperial kitchen were all impeccable and incredibly delicious.
There were no outsiders present when the mother and her two children ate together, so they didn't adhere to the rule of not speaking while eating or sleeping.
Empress Dowager: "I heard that you have been burning incense and praying to Buddha recently, and you even took Buddhist scriptures back to your residence to copy them. Who are you praying for?"
Shang Changge knew what her stepmother wanted to hear, but she pretended not to know, focusing instead on honesty and telling the truth:
"Xiao Ji".
The Empress Dowager's face darkened with displeasure: "Has there never been a single instance of it done for my sake?"
She gave birth to her and raised her, and now she's nearing the end of her life...
As she pondered this, the Empress Dowager's eyes reddened as she looked at Shang Changge, clearly heartbroken by her daughter's actions.
Shang Changge: ?
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