The carriage drove out of the palace. Ningyin and Xiao Xuan rode in the same carriage. Xiao Xuan held her in his arms and said softly, "Ningyin, there is still a long way to go. You can lean on me and sleep for a while. I will wake you when we arrive."
"Um…"
Ningyin was both excited and apprehensive last night because she was leaving the palace today, and she had a strange feeling that something bad might happen.
That night, she tossed and turned and barely slept for a few hours. Xiao Xuan naturally knew this and, fearing that Ning Yin would get tired, thought of letting her get some more sleep.
Knowing it was hot, he specially prepared a round fan. While Ningyin rested with her eyes closed, he gently fanned her.
Ning Yin leaned against Xiao Xuan's chest, and as the carriage swayed, she seemed to be in a daze for a moment.
She was accompanying the current Crown Prince to pay respects to her mother and grandmother. Unbeknownst to her, she had already been Xiao Xuan's wife for some time.
I still remember that autumn when I was seventeen, when I put on my wedding dress and Shen Yun looked so gentle and considerate.
Ning Yin never imagined that so much would happen between her and Shen Yun, nor did she expect that she would have such a fate with Xiao Xuan.
Perhaps it was fate that brought me to know Xiao Xuan, so that I would never have to live at the mercy of others again.
Xiao Xuan is the best man in the world, and she should love him with all her heart.
The man looked down at the little woman in his arms, her eyelashes fluttering slightly, like a little kitten, so docile.
Her eyes softened, and a slight smile played on her lips as she continued to fan the other person.
About an hour later, the carriage crossed a wooden bridge and traveled a little further before arriving at Ningyin's mother's grave.
The man lifted the curtain and jumped down from the carriage first, then helped Ningyin down.
After getting out of the car, Ningyin looked around and saw that the weeds around the area had indeed been cleared away. Even the graves had been surrounded by a marble wall, separating them from the graves next to them.
Looking further ahead, in front of my mother's and grandmother's tombstones were various fruits, wine, and meats that had not been there long ago.
Ning Yin's expression flickered; it seemed that what Shen Jia said was true.
Xiao Xuan ordered all the secret guards to lie in ambush around the area, while the remaining Qingyu guards were responsible for guarding each passage to prevent the thieves from launching a surprise attack.
After doing all this, Xiao Xuan said softly to Ning Yin, "Ning, let's go and pay our respects to our grandmother and mother."
Ning Yin nodded, and the two walked together to the tombstone. Xiao Xuan took the incense from Qing Ying's hand.
Ning Yin knew that Xiao Xuan was the Crown Prince, so she didn't intend for him to kneel. She lifted her skirt and knelt down herself, but the man followed suit and knelt down beside her.
Ning Yin was somewhat surprised, "Jingyuan, you..."
“Ah Ning, these are our mother and grandmother. They raised you so well, which gave me the opportunity to have such a wonderful wife as Ah Ning. I should thank them properly.”
"Don't treat me like His Highness the Crown Prince. In your presence, I am just an ordinary husband."
After saying this, Xiao Xuan kowtowed three times to the tombstone. "Mother, grandmother, Aning is now my wife, Xiao Xuan's wife. I will do everything in my power to protect her for the rest of my life. In this life, I only love Aning. Please rest assured in the afterlife."
As Ning Yin listened to Xiao Xuan's sincere and earnest words, her eyes instantly welled up with tears.
After the two finished their prayers, Xiao Xuan took out a handkerchief to wipe away their tears. "A-Ning, from now on, I will accompany you to visit your mother and grandmother every year."
"Yes, thank you, Jingyuan."
Ningyin's tears were a mixture of reluctance to part with her mother and grandmother, but even more so, they were a result of deep emotion.
"Fool, am I not your husband?"
"yes."
"If that's the case, then don't thank me. It's all my duty to do this."
Xiao Xuan pinched Ning Yin's slightly flushed cheeks and led her back to the carriage.
It was still early, so Xiao Xuan planned to take Ning Yin to the market. She was probably getting bored staying in the East Palace all day.
Just then, Qingying's voice suddenly rang out from outside the carriage, "Your Highness, that bridge...it just...it's broken..."
That bridge is the only way back to Kyoto. If you don't cross it, you'll have to take a long detour to get back to Kyoto.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Xuan frowned slightly, surprised that the bridge had suddenly broken at this moment.
Ning Yin, who was standing nearby, naturally heard the news as well. Her heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason. She suddenly remembered seeing Shen Yun in the palace that day, and Shen Yun's determined look on his face.
At the time, she didn't think much of it, but now, thinking back on the siblings' unusual behavior and the suddenly broken wooden bridge, everything seemed too strange.
Could it be that all of this was Shen Yun's conspiracy?
Before Ning Yin could figure it out, another Qingyu Guard rushed forward to report that a group of unidentified thieves had surrounded the area.
"Commander Qingying, there are quite a few bandits. You should take His Highness and the Empress and leave first. We'll cover their retreat!"
"knew!"
Qingying's expression faltered slightly, and she hurriedly reported back to Xiao Xuan.
"Your Highness, I will escort you and Her Highness away immediately. Those people are probably not Marquis Wuding's or Xiao Ling's men!"
As soon as Qingying finished speaking, the sounds of swords and blades grew clearer.
Xiao Xuan's eyes were extremely gloomy, and he slammed one hand heavily on the seat.
"Hmph, I'd like to see just how capable they are!"
The man's eyes were bloodshot, and he exuded a chilling aura.
If he hadn't been carrying Ning Yin and was afraid of hurting her, he would have wanted to draw his sword and wipe out that rabble right now.
"Your Highness, please take my swift horse and leave with the Empress!"
Qingying was frantic outside, her face contorted with rage. Although they had brought quite a few men, they were still far outnumbered by the thieves.
Xiao Xuan knew he couldn't act rashly, so he quickly stood up. "A-Ning, get out of the car!"
The man's eyes were cold, and his brows were filled with hostility as he helped Ning Yin get out of the car quickly.
With just a little effort, he lifted Ning Yin onto Zhui Feng, then leaped onto the horse's back in an instant.
Xiao Xuan tugged on the reins, and hearing the menacing shouts of the bandits coming from not far behind him, he couldn't help but sneer. He turned his head slightly to Qingying and said, "Qingying, kill them without mercy!"
After saying that, Xiao Xuan lashed Zhui Feng with his whip, and the horse neighed and quickly galloped off in the opposite direction.
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