Forced love, an inescapable fate

The next morning, the convoy that was to take Jiang Ci back to Beijing set off. Before leaving, Jiang Ci wanted to say something several times but finally just smiled and waved at her.

Mu Qingli originally wanted to talk to him more, but looking at the looks of the people around who came to pick up Jiang Ci to take him back to Beijing, she could only smile at him in the end, without even saying take care.

After this separation, I don’t know when we will meet again.

Mu Qingli knew that Jiang Ci's journey back to Beijing would not be smooth sailing, but what could she do?

During the two years in Dongli Town, the longest time she and Jiang Ci were separated was no more than half a month. That was when the poison in Jiang Ci's body was almost under control. Bai Yu said he wanted to take him out to gain some experience. Mu Qingli had no doubts, but was just worried. However, she finally put her mind at ease when the two returned safely.

There were several such situations later, but they never lasted long. They usually came back in ten days or half a month. But this time she knew it was different from that time.

She watched the convoy leave, feeling extremely sad.

Feng Zong stood with her, and seeing her face full of reluctance, he comforted her: "Don't be sad, I will take you back to Shangjing after I have dealt with the military affairs."

Mu Qingli pursed her lips and tried her best to remain calm, but in the end she could only reveal a smile that was uglier than crying.

To her, Jiang Ci's existence was like a kind of sustenance, a belief that supported her to live here. Now that he was gone, she felt empty in her heart, as if a piece was missing.

Feng Zong touched her head and asked her, "Although I knew from the previous intelligence that you two have a good relationship, I am still a little surprised. Ali, you are a smart person, and I will not beat around the bush with you. You are so close to him, but have you ever thought about it? The Sixth Prince has been a hostage in Qi State for many years, and his brothers have never thought that he can come back. They have been fighting openly and secretly for the position of the East Palace. Now that the Sixth Prince has returned, he is the legitimate son. Although he has no power now, he will definitely become an obstacle for the other princes to fight for the position of the East Palace. So he must be the target of public criticism at this time. Moreover, because of you, The officials in Shangjing have already speculated that if I choose to side with him, you will inevitably be implicated. The other princes will not stand by and watch him become associated with our Feng family, and you will inevitably become their breakthrough point. At best, they can try to win him over, but the worst case scenario is that they may threaten your life to save my brother. My brother has a large army and is capable of protecting himself, but you will inevitably put yourself in danger. Ah Li, the Feng family never chooses sides. The Feng family is loyal to the Emperor of Jing. But if the Sixth Prince is truly capable of sitting on that throne, the Feng family will naturally support him.

Mu Qingli didn't expect Feng Zong to make the conflict of interest clear to her so quickly. She was speechless for a moment and didn't know how to respond.

Feng Zong looked at the convoy that had turned into black dots in the distance, and he already had the answer in his mind.

"What I just said is why I temporarily left you at the border. If you return to Shangjing with the Sixth Prince now, you will inevitably be in danger. The Sixth Prince has just returned to Shangjing and is weak. He can't protect you. So that night I discussed with him and asked you to stay at the border temporarily. Wait until he has established himself in Shangjing and has his own strength, then you can go back. This is also for your own good. As for the possibilities I just mentioned, you don't have to worry too much. I just told you the possibility first. With your brother here, I won't let you fall into danger."

It turned out that this was the real reason why he stayed at the border. It turned out that there were people in this world who really cared about his safety and would think about him. Feng Zong's words made Mu Qingli feel warm in his heart.

It’s so nice, this is the feeling of being cared about.

The sadness that had just shrouded my heart slowly melted away, and now all that lingered in my heart was a warm feeling.

She raised her head and smiled brightly at Feng Zong: "Thank you, brother, I understand."

Seeing that the person who had been wary of him since they met yesterday now had a bright smile on his face, Feng Zong also raised the corner of his lips, and the two smiled at each other.

"So just stay here for the time being. I haven't seen you for many years. Let's catch up on the past."

"Well, can you tell me about your childhood? You know, I've lost my memory and can't remember anything from the past. Tell me about it, for example, my life story."

Feng Zong was silent for a moment, then nodded.

"That's no problem, I have nothing to do right now. Come on, I'll take you for a walk around here."

The two walked side by side. They were in a large courtyard, which was divided into several small courtyards. Feng Zong explained to her as they walked.

"You and I will live next door to each other. The Qing'er you met earlier was specially arranged for you by me. Her father and brother are both in the military camp, and she grew up in this border town. She has good martial arts skills and knows everyone well. You can rest assured and tell her anything. By the way, the woman named Wanyue has also stayed here. She and Qing'er will serve you from now on. Brother is busy with military affairs and sometimes can't take care of you. With these two around, brother can rest assured."

"Actually, Wanyue is all I need. We've lived together in Dongli Town for two years and we're familiar with each other."

"Although there are troops at the border, we still have to be careful at the junction of the two countries. I can only rest assured if Qing'er has kung fu and can protect your safety."

Seeing Feng Zong's insistence, Mu Qingli did not refuse any more.

"Okay then, thank you, brother."

"You're still so polite to me. You and your brother were very close when you were little. You don't have to be so distant in the future."

Then Mu Qingli asked the question in his mind.

"Brother, why have I been in the Feng family since I was a child? What about my parents? Where did they go? And what about our engagement?"

When talking about the engagement, Mu Qingli felt a little embarrassed, after all, they did have a childhood engagement.

But according to her observation, judging from Feng Zong's behavior yesterday and today, he should only regard her as his sister. After all, a person's eyes can't lie. But in fact, it is understandable if you think about it. When he left Qi State, he should have been only fifteen years old, and the real Mu Qingli was only ten years old. The two grew up together. How could teenagers have the concept of engagement? Even if they knew it when they grew up, the friendship of their youth was just the feelings between brothers and sisters. How could they think of anything else?

When she thought about it this way, she felt that she was being superficial.