Spring arrives and the land smiles

Chapter 45 Willingness to Give

"Princess--"

When Ji Xian saw that Princess Yinghua was safe and sound, he finally felt relieved.

"Ji Xian—"

Yinghua was so frightened that when she saw Ji Xian come in, she rushed into his arms.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here." Ji Xian hugged Yinghua and patted her shoulder to comfort her. A knife slashed in through the carriage window, but Ji Xian blocked it with his sword and handed the princess to Siyou and Siwu: "Protect the princess." He then picked up his sword and prepared to rush out.

"Ji Xian—" Yinghua rushed over and hugged him around the waist, "Don't leave me..."

When Lord Ji was about to leave, the princess was so excited. Siyou and Siwu exchanged a glance and understood each other. Siyou said, "The princess is in Lord Ji's care." The two of them immediately rushed out of the carriage to clear the way for Ji Xian and the princess. Ji Xian knew that the two maids that the princess had left for Yinghua were not simple, so he did not hesitate any longer. He grabbed Yinghua's waist and jumped off the carriage, quickly leaving the encirclement.

Strangely, as soon as he left the encirclement, Ji Xian clearly felt the attacks on him weaken, to the point that Ji Xian alone was able to protect Princess Yinghua completely.

Siyou and Siwu also sensed it. The two paused, suddenly realizing the reason, and immediately retreated from the encirclement while fighting, heading towards Princess Ina's carriage.

As expected, Princess Ina's carriage was surrounded and attacked by assassins in black. Fortunately, General Ning came to her rescue in time, and the assassins' repeated attacks did not gain much advantage. Siyou and Siwu immediately drew their swords and rushed into the fray. Under Siwu's cover, Siyou jumped into the carriage and saw Princess Ina, pale-faced, embracing Zhuier. Fortunately, she was not injured. Siyou's expression was cold, but she breathed a sigh of relief.

Siyou and Siwu obeyed Qingyan's orders and were determined to ensure the safety of Ina and her unborn child at all costs. It was clear that today's attack was aimed at Ina, but judging from the assassins' purpose, they did not intend to harm her, but rather to kidnap her. However, if they wanted to kidnap someone under heavy guard, wasn't it too frivolous to use so few people?

Therefore, the battle was over in less than half an hour.

Over there, Ji Xian led Yinghua out of the battle until no one was chasing them, at which point they stopped. Yinghua was exhausted. Ji Xian helped her sit under a tree, the moonlight shining on her pale face, her eyes brimming with tears, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't.

"Brother Ji Xian, I twisted my ankle." Yinghua pouted, finally unable to hold back her tears of pain.

"Let me see." Ji Xian gently supported her injured left foot, recalling the obvious stumble when he carried her off the carriage earlier, which probably caused the injury then. "Why didn't you say so sooner?"

"The assassins around us are all fierce and menacing. I'm afraid they'll drag you down with them." Yinghua's eyes were still wet with tears, and she looked pitiful.

"Silly girl." Ji Xian smiled slightly, his heart filled with tenderness and his eyes full of doting affection. He patted Yinghua's head and continued to check the extent of her sprain.

Perhaps to check for any bone damage, Ji Xian applied a bit too much force, causing Yinghua to cry out immediately.

"Ouch... be gentle, this is my foot, not a pig's trotter."

Pig's trotters

Ji Xian was speechless, and the feeling of pity he had felt vanished instantly.

He really is a master at ruining the mood. Ji Xian chuckled to himself.

"Don't push yourself next time."

"Oh, okay." Princess Yinghua was especially well-behaved today, not acting up at all.

Because there were signs of fighting along the way, General Ning quickly found the two and welcomed them back to his tent.

The princess was injured and sent to her bedchamber to rest, while Ji Xian, who was supposed to go with her to deal with the attack, was forced to stay in the bedchamber with Yinghua.

After handling the aftermath, General Ning returned to his main tent, whereupon his personal guards came to report:

"General, three assassins have been captured."

"These are a bunch of assassins. I doubt we can get any useful information out of them. Drag them away and execute them." General Ning waved his hand. When he was cleaning up the mess earlier, General Ning had already noticed Qiu Rong's marks on the black-clad assassins. General Ning glanced at Li Zhangwu beside him and felt very disdainful of such a trick.

Upon hearing the word "execution," Li Zhangwu's brows furrowed, his thick lips pressed into a thin line, and the muscles on his face contorted in a look of extreme anger that he dared not show, a truly ferocious expression.

Back in his tent, Li Zhangwu took off his military cloak and threw it on the ground, his eyes flashing with a fierce light: "Shen Qingyan—"

Reflecting on the past few days, whenever assassins attacked, Ji Xian was always the first to rush to protect the princess's entourage. As a guard, this was perfectly acceptable. However, judging from the way Ji Xian protected the princess as she fled, the two seemed remarkably in sync and familiar with each other. When he found them today, the princess's gaze towards Ji Xian was noticeably intimate and dependent, and she even kept him in her tent to keep her company. This clearly went beyond the duties of a younger sister in a guard unit assigned to her older sister. What was even more suspicious was that the princess seemed different today, as if something was missing from her memory. Adding to this, Ning Yuan had announced a few days ago that he had been sent on another mission by General Ning. All these things combined, and Li Zhangwu finally understood the princess's elaborate scheme of switching the princess for the emperor.

Princess Yinghua bears a striking resemblance to the Eldest Princess, and having been raised under Empress Shangguan's care since childhood, she and the Eldest Princess share a deep sisterly bond. It's certain that Princess Yinghua was already in the procession when the entourage passed through Yongzhou. Judging by the timeline, even if someone were sent to chase after her now, it would be too late.

Today's assassination attempt was a staged performance for the Eldest Princess, intended to make her believe that Qiu Rong had intentionally kidnapped Princess Ina, thus prompting the Eldest Princess to question Qiu Rong. Of course, a series of framing plots were planned to sow discord between the two sides. Now that the real princess is not even present, the performance has no effect. General Ning seems to have known about the switcheroo all along; the assassin's execution without even a trial is likely a warning to him to stay out of trouble. Even if stronger evidence is found on the assassin to frame Qiu Rong, General Ning has ways to turn a blind eye and maintain a semblance of peace until Suizhou.

Thinking of this, Li Zhangwu was so enraged that he drew his sword from his waist and slashed at the corner of the table.

The next day, Princess Yinghua was still in a state of shock in the main tent. Half of it was because she was still shaken, and the other half was, of course, deliberately putting on an act. Otherwise, why would she keep Ji Xian there with her?

Both General Ning and General Li sent people to inquire about her well-being, but in reality, they were there to urge her to proceed with the journey. Yinghua remembered her sister Qingyan's instructions, and looked at Ji Xian with teary eyes. Only after Ji Xian nodded and stayed by her side did she agree to let the group set off. As for Siyou and Siwu, since they had Lord Ji protecting Princess Yinghua, they naturally stayed by Princess Yina's side to take care of her.

The assassination attempt, neither too serious nor too minor, ended without incident. Everyone tacitly agreed and continued on their way. Princess Yinghua, accompanied by Ji Xian in the ceremonial procession, wore her joy on her face.

Inside the Suizhou Imperial Palace, Qingyan sat by Ningyuan's bedside, carefully changing his dressing.

After several days of recuperation at the inn, the wounded were brought back to Suizhou. The doctors in Suizhou were even more skilled, and after a few more days of recuperation, the wounds were still so horrifying and shocking. Qingyan could not bear to look at them and could only force herself to endure the pain in her heart, and her bandaging technique became even gentler.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Ning Yuan smiled and reached out to touch her forehead.

"I'm not sick." Qingyan gently slapped his hand away. "I just don't want to talk."

Since being named Crown Prince, Ning Yuan has been constantly injured. This position seems like a curse, a fight to the death. Should he hand it over? He fears that in the end, it will still be a fight to the death. Therefore, he must stand firm and not give an inch. For those I want to protect, and for those who want to protect me, it's either take the first step forward and seize the initiative, or stand still and be crushed to ashes.

Ning Yuan looked at her helplessly, knowing that any persuasion would be futile at this point. Unless his injuries healed immediately, she would only become more stubborn.

"By the way, how is Prince Zhao's injury?" After she finished bandaging, Ning Yuan took the handkerchief handed to him by the maid and washed her hands, then changed the subject.

"do not know."

That answer is absolutely hilarious.

Since bringing Ning Yuan from the inn, Qing Yan had been by his side, so naturally she knew nothing about his safety. Besides, Yun Xuan was handling things with Lan Zhen, so Qing Yan didn't need to worry about his safety. She had previously instructed Si Cheng to send someone with a token to see Li Muqing, and she estimated that he would be picked up by Li Muqing in the next few days. Everything was arranged, and there was nothing she needed to concern herself with. However, it seemed necessary to go and see him out of courtesy. Qing Yan thought for a moment and said:

"I'll go see him later."

Ning Yuan nodded.

"You rest well, and you're not allowed to get out of bed until I get back. Otherwise—" Qingyan deliberately made a show of frightening him.

"Okay." Ning Yuan just smiled.

Surprisingly, he was so obedient. A few pink bubbles of malice rose in Qingyan's heart, blooming instantly before her eyes. She leaned down, lowered her head, and kissed his lips. The faint medicinal scent wafted from Ning Yuan's mouth, bitter yet incredibly alluring. Qingyan couldn't help but want more. Her tongue nimbly slipped in, entwining with his, the kiss growing deeper and more intense, as if she would only stop when the end of time had come.

Not wanting her to get too engrossed, she accidentally touched Ning Yuan's wound. Ning Yuan let out a muffled groan, and the kiss ended with apologies and worry.

"Yes, I'm sorry." Qingyan blushed, realizing she had acted rashly.

"Take it easy, Ning Yuan's injury is quite serious." A mocking voice sounded from behind, and Qing Yan was completely stunned. She knew who it was without even turning around. The maids knew to avoid her when they saw her being intimate with Ning Yuan, so why did this guy just barge in?

"The number one talent of the Great Qi, don't you know what it means to 'not look at what is improper'?" Qingyan glared angrily, showing no politeness.

"You look rather sexually frustrated." Yunxuan ignored her question, crossed his arms and looked them up and down, one hand stroking his chin as he stared into Qingyan's eyes, making her feel uneasy.

"If that's the case, I can help."

Help, help, this can help too! What is he saying?!

To have Ning Yuan so openly flirt with her in front of her, coupled with the fact that they had been forced to share a bed a few days ago, Qingyan's face turned so red it could bleed.

Ning Yuan, who was sitting on the bed, showed no sign of discomfort and was even preparing to watch the two of them argue with great interest.

"I'm going to see King Zhao." Qingyan blushed and quickly ran away.

"You scared her away." Ning Yuan laughed as he watched Qing Yan flee in a disheveled state.

"It's not the first time, I'm used to it." Yunxuan said helplessly. He thought that after a few days of sharing a bed, their relationship would improve. He didn't expect that as soon as Ningyuan arrived in Suizhou, Qingyan stayed from sunrise to sunset and never returned to the main hall of the Liuli Palace.

"Have you ever thought about...being...tougher?" Ning Yuan asked hesitantly, his words carrying a hidden pain in his heart.

"You're willing to give him up?" Yunxuan was surprised by the suggestion. Although Ning Yuan had said he could accept him, Yunxuan had never thought of such a concession.

Ning Yuan smiled bitterly to himself.

Whether he was willing to give her up or not was not up to him. He longed for a lifelong, monogamous relationship, but the thought of Qingyan's worried words in his arms that day—"I'm afraid if I don't become strong enough, I'll eventually lose the Fu family's support"—made Ning Yuan hate that he couldn't be stronger, strong enough to protect her even without the Fu family. But she wasn't an ordinary princess; she was the crown prince. No matter how powerful she became, the Ning family couldn't be the only force in the court and the nation. The imperial court and harem were always a place of constant change, a complex web of checks and balances. What did personal feelings matter in such matters?

Ultimately, you have to be willing to let go.

Helplessly, Yunxuan had to let go in the end. He sighed inwardly: Ningyuan was right. For Ningyuan, for himself, for the present and for the future, he had to let go in the end.

Qingyan left the side hall where Ningyuan lived and went straight to Qixiang Palace, where the officials from outside the palace resided. Because she was in a hurry, she hadn't even put on her outer cloak, so the head maidservant in charge of the princess's daily life sent someone to fetch it. Soon, the cloak was draped over Qingyan's shoulders, carrying a faint, almost imperceptible scent of orchids. Qingyan knew that Yunxuan had deliberately sent his cloak to her. Qingyan was touched, but the thought of his teasing words made her incredibly embarrassed.

Inside the main hall of Qixiang Palace.

When Qingyan arrived, Lan Zhen had just finished changing his dressing. The smell of medicine filled the room, reminding Qingyan of Lan Zhen's deep, bone-revealing wound that day, and she couldn't help but frown.

"How are you feeling? Are you feeling better?" The question was asked with a touch of gentleness.

"I won't die." Lan Zhen smiled dismissively.

Qingyan no longer frowned at his attitude: "I have already sent someone to inform General Li Muqing that he will come to pick you up soon. Take good care of yourself. I don't want people to say that I'm mistreating you."

“I’ve been in Suizhou for three days now, and you’re only now coming to see me. And you still say it’s not abuse,” Lan Zhen replied with a sarcastic tone.

What? This is considered abuse? Does he even know how to spell the word "abuse"?

The embarrassment of being teased by Yun Xuan, Ning Yuan's indifferent and expectant expression, coupled with Lan Zhen's absurd logic, finally pushed Qing Yan to her breaking point:

"That's what you call abuse."

He raised his hand, about to slap Lan Zhen hard, but when he saw the bandages all over Lan Zhen's body, he realized he had nowhere to strike and withdrew his strength.

"Never mind, you get some rest. I'll come see you again tomorrow." Qingyan turned and left.

"Hey, your two sons-in-law have offended you."

"It's none of your business!" How did he see through it so easily?

"Hahahaha—" Lan Zhen laughed heartily with ill intent.

Qingyan frowned and quickened her pace.

"Princess." The bodyguard who replaced Sicheng handed a letter to Qingyan.

The seal on the letter was Li Muqing's private seal. When Qingyan opened it, she was relieved to see that Lan Zhen's matter had finally been settled.

A few days later, Li Muqing will lead his entourage to welcome Prince Zhao back to the country with diplomatic protocol. Since Lan Zhen moved into the palace, Qingyan knew that he could not keep it a secret, so he sent someone to report to Emperor Longqing by fast horse. The memorial stated that he had rescued Prince Zhao, who was seriously injured, on his way west. In order to show the friendship between the two countries, he would treat him with national protocol and had notified Nanxia to come and take him away.

Lan Zhen, since you want people to know your ambition to seize the throne, I've made such a high-profile effort to have you brought back and stood on your side with fanfare, as a way of repaying a favor. The rest is up to you. Just don't perish in the struggle for the throne and waste all my efforts.

"Keep a close eye on Li Muqing."

"Yes."

Back in the side hall where Ning Yuan was staying, Qing Yan felt a little better seeing him still lying obediently asleep on the bed. She waved away the maids who were serving him, sat by the bed, and carefully traced his young face with her eyes. His skin was as white as honey, and he was resolute and handsome. His features and figure, sculpted by military discipline, were steady and composed, making him someone one could rely on and trust.

Is it a blessing or a curse that such a good man was paired with her?

"What a pity," Qingyan sighed softly.

"What's a pity?" Ning Yuan opened his eyes.

"It's nothing, you're awake." Qingyan composed herself, placed a soft cushion behind him, and helped him sit up. "Are you hungry? I'll have someone prepare a meal."

“Okay.” Ning Yuan nodded. “Eat with me.” These past few days, the little girl had been worried about his injury, so he hadn’t been eating much, and she had been eating even less.

"How about I feed you?" Qingyan raised an eyebrow and winked at him suggestively.

"I can do it myself," Ning Yuan said shyly, avoiding her burning gaze that was sparkling with stars.

"What if I insist?" Qingyan leaned closer, her breath sweet as orchids.

The girl's sweet fragrance filled his senses, her warm breath sprayed behind his ears, and his body temperature suddenly rose.

"Okay," Ning Yuan said hoarsely, his body speaking more truthfully than his mind.

"Ning Yuan," Qing Yan called softly, her breath like a wisp of mist, "Do you want me to treat other men the same way?"

Ning Yuan suddenly raised his head.

“I will rest in the main hall of the Glass Palace tonight,” Qingyan said, stepping away from him. “As you wish.”

"Yan'er." Ning Yuan panicked and reached out to grab her, which aggravated his wound. A dull pain shot through him, causing him to groan and unconsciously let go.

"Are you out of your mind? You're so badly injured, why are you moving around like that? Have you forgotten what the doctor said? The last assassin smeared corrosive poison on the tip of his blade, which is why the wound is healing so slowly. Why don't you take this seriously? Go lie down and rest." Qingyan was originally angry with him, but now she was angry with herself: Why was she arguing with an injured person?

"Don't go, I can't bear to." Ning Yuan smiled; he knew that his Yan'er still felt the same way about him... she couldn't bear to let him go.

Ning Yuan, I understand your feelings. It's just that someone like Yun Xuan, perhaps, maybe, possibly, who knows, one day I might fall in love with him.

We'll see what you do then!