Lu Xingjian rolled over, pulled her down, and wrapped his entire body around her, his voice still heavy with sleepiness:
"Stay with me."
Su Wanwan obediently lay in his arms, her eyes taking in his face so close to hers with a complicated expression.
"Shou, no matter what happens in the future, don't give up, okay?"
Her voice was gentle and soft, with a breathy quality.
I wonder if he can hear me if he's asleep.
Lu Xingjian rubbed his eyes, straining to focus his pupils as he carefully observed her expression.
"What's wrong?"
“Yan-ge’er took me to the tiger enclosure. He was very scared,” Su Wanwan said.
She had seen Yan Ge'er's affection for her these past few days.
That kind of maternal love etched into one's bones is slowly returning.
Which mother would bear to see her son sad?
This clearly shows how terrible the situation was at the time.
Lu Xingjian cupped her small face in his hands, and the despair, exhaustion, and guilt of those days instantly welled up in his heart.
"As long as you are okay, I will never give up on you."
He buried his face in the crook of her neck.
"Without you, what is there to cherish in this world?"
“There’s still a lot,” Su Wanwan thought he was being too narrow-minded and tried to pull him out of it, “You still have children, and the throne…”
"They could even take in a large number of concubines, and might find someone even more suitable."
Lu Xingjian lightly bit her shoulder: "You're deliberately trying to annoy me, aren't you?"
"If I were to take in many concubines, you would be the first one to object. Don't think I don't know that."
“Wanwan is more petty than a pinhead.”
"But I just like it, what can I do?"
"Aren't you tired of it?" Su Wanwan raised an eyebrow.
Lu Xingjian snorted coldly.
He rolled over and pinned her beneath him.
His well-defined knuckles reached for her belt.
"I've known you since I can remember. We eat at the same table and take naps in the same bed. If I were going to get tired of you, I would have gotten tired of you long ago."
"Will it still be today?"
"Besides, once I get tired of you, won't you just turn around and run off with someone else? How could I dare to get tired of you?"
"Wanwan, give me another daughter, okay?"
After the two of them joked around for a while, it was lunchtime.
Lu Xingjian sat on the edge of the bed, putting socks on Su Wanwan, who was weak and sore all over, with a pleasant expression. "You said, Yan-ge'er wants to find a wife for Xiao Bin?"
“Mmm,” Su Wanwan’s voice was hoarse.
Lu Xingjian looked up at her and asked, "What are you thinking?"
"I don't know any nice girls, and I'm not interested. What about you?"
Lu Xingjian's mind was racing.
"This is a good thing."
"The youngest granddaughter of the Duke of England and the youngest daughter of Chief Minister Yang are both eligible for marriage."
"Should I issue a royal decree to bestow a marriage upon you?"
He couldn't wait to get Xiao Bin married, so that even if Xiao Bin still had designs on Wanwan, he would have to consider his family.
"A marriage decree?" Su Wanwan slowly opened her eyes.
She pulled Lu Xingjian's hand and played with his fingers little by little.
"Only when two people are in love will they not become a resentful couple."
"Like the two of us, don't you think?"
These words greatly pleased Lu Xingjian.
He was also a victim of arranged marriage.
Back then, when the throne was unstable, he was forced to marry Xia Xueyi and establish one empress and two concubines.
Which of these women truly cares for him?
She either seduces him or drugs him, trying to use him as a stud, hoping for a one-night stand and to gain status through her child.
Only Wanwan, whom he deeply loved, never thought of harming him.
What started as a painless power grab turned into a catalyst for his relationship with Wanwan.
The two of them actually got better together.
Lu Xingjian readily agreed: "That's fine too. I'll have someone arrange to find him a wife. It'll be a way of repaying him for the kindness he showed us back then."
He then entrusted this task to the highly respected Duke of England, Zhang Mao.
Currently, the conflict between the Beijing army and the border army is somewhat acute.
If a marriage alliance could bind the old aristocratic families and border generals together, the conflicts might be resolved.
...
Xiao Bin was invited to the Duke of England's residence as a guest.
Amidst pavilions and towers, elegant ladies, their clothes swaying and hairpins jingling, gather to admire flowers and compose poems.
Xiao Bin watched from afar across the water, his face calm and expressionless.
Duke Zhang Mao of England, already over seventy years old and in poor health, asked from his wheelchair, "Does Lord Xiao have any plans to settle down?"
"The young ladies from prominent families over there are all talented and beautiful. If you find one you like, why not invite her over for a chat?"
Xiao Bin lowered his eyes and looked at the water.
Zhang Mao personally came to act as matchmaker for him, which was clearly at someone else's request.
“I am a few years older than those young ladies and am not worthy of them. I have failed to live up to the Duke of England’s good intentions and I am ashamed.”
Zhang Mao let out a long sigh.
"Lord Xiao, don't you think about your future?"
"Two fists can't beat four hands."
In Zhang Mao's view, Xiao Bin was once Su Wanwan's bodyguard and could be considered a member of the Su family faction.
The Su family had many connections among civil officials.
He had very few connections among military officers and nobles.
Xiao Bin has recently faced numerous impeachments. If he doesn't find a powerful backer soon, he might be impeached and lose his job one day.
Xiao Bin knew that Zhang Mao meant well.
"Regarding this matter, I, Xiao, hope to have an audience with the Emperor."
...
When Xiao Bin went to the Wenhua Hall to meet the emperor, an urgent military report arrived: "Tens of thousands of enemy troops have invaded Piantou Pass, entered Yanmen Pass, and then plundered Wutai Mountain, Fanshi, Guoxin and other places, penetrating more than 500 li deep, causing great harm!"
The Tatars have fled to Mount Wutai, which is not far from the capital.
They have already penetrated more than 500 li into the heart of Daliang.
This is an extremely serious intrusion.
The first thing Xiao Bin did upon seeing Lu Xingjian was to request permission to go to the border to fight the enemy: "Your Majesty, please grant me permission to go to the border to fight the enemy!"
Lu Xingjian raised an eyebrow. "What, can't get used to life in the capital?"
He used to want to get Xiao Bin as far away as possible.
But I don't think that way now.
It's good that Wanwan has amnesia this time; her feelings for Xiao Bin don't seem as deep as before.
Although the wariness and jealousy in my heart were still there, they had dissipated considerably.
"I only wish to make the most of my abilities, rather than hold a position without doing any work."
Lu Xingjian tapped his fingers lightly on the table without saying a word.
If that's the case, he doesn't care, but Wanwan and Yan Ge'er might easily leave him with the impression of being petty and narrow-minded.
"This matter will be discussed later."
"Your Majesty, has your poison been completely cured?" Xiao Bin suddenly asked.
Lu Xingjian's eyes sharpened.
It's kind of bittersweet to have your love rival showing concern for your health.
He didn't believe Xiao Bin was genuinely looking out for him.
"Not yet." After a long silence, he uttered two words.
A struggle flashed in Xiao Bin's eyes, "Then we'll have to find another doctor."
"According to the medical records left by Physician Luo, there may be a doctor in seclusion in the Tatar or Datong and Xuanfu border areas who can cure this poison."
"It's just that he's too low-key, so it's not certain that we can find him."
"I am willing to take care of this matter."
Lu Xingjian pursed his thin lips: "Why should I believe you?"
Xiao Bin was very frank: "Whether you believe it or not is irrelevant."
"I promised Wanwan that I would find an antidote for you."
"I cannot break my promise."
Lu Xingjian's face immediately turned ugly.
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