Spring arrives and the land smiles

With the task completed, Qingyan felt extremely tired. As she and Yunxuan walked out of the sword-making workshop, it was already dawn.

Unbeknownst to me, I had already spent a day and a night at the sword-making workshop.

"I'm so tired." Qingyan rubbed her eyes, and Zhuier quickly handed her a handkerchief.

"Let's go back and get some sleep." Yunxuan helped Qingyan, whose steps were a little unsteady, toward the Liuli Palace.

Having not slept all night, Qingyan was exhausted, but covered in dust from the sword-making workshop, she really couldn't fall asleep without washing off.

Qingyan was half asleep as several maids washed her. She had already fallen asleep leaning against the edge of the bath.

"Where is the princess?" Yunxuan sat on the edge of the bed, looking refreshed.

"The princess is still bathing," the eunuch serving her replied.

He's still bathing after half an hour; he's probably fallen asleep in the tub. Yunxuan smiled and went to the tub.

Sure enough, when Yunxuan came in, Qingyan was fast asleep by the bath. When she saw the palace maids about to greet her, Yunxuan made a shushing gesture and then sent all the servants away.

Qingyan lay on the edge of the bathtub, showing no signs of waking up. Yunxuan squatted down and gently stroked her sleeping face.

Asleep, Qingyan was as peaceful as a white lotus flower, her eyes tightly closed, her brows slightly furrowed, perhaps because she was not sleeping comfortably. Her eyelashes trembled gently, each movement slowly brushing against his heart, inch by inch eroding his consciousness and soul. Suddenly, he no longer hesitated, casually grabbed a bath towel, pulled her out of the water, and carried her straight to his bedchamber.

Yunxuan carefully placed her on the bed, afraid of waking her. Perhaps she was sleeping very soundly, because the discomfort of falling into the bedding only made her groan softly.

Lying on the bed with her, Yunxuan took a deep breath to calm his agitated emotions and body, and reached out to pull the naked Qingyan into his arms.

The impulsiveness from before had subsided, and Yunxuan knew that some things were not yet ready.

Fortunately, having not slept all night and feeling extremely exhausted, Yunxuan fell into a deep sleep after a short struggle.

The two slept until the afternoon.

Yunxuan was awakened by Qingyan's surprised exclamation.

"I, I... what happened?"

"You fell asleep in the bathtub." I was worried you'd catch a cold, so I carried you to the bed.

"Then, why am I not wearing any clothes?" Qingyan pulled the blanket up a little higher.

"Don't you like to sleep naked?" Everyone knows that.

"I..." Qingyan choked. Okay, it's all her fault.

"Remember to dress me next time," Qingyan thought for a moment and added, "The blanket is too thin and I'm cold."

"I'll get the princess a thicker blanket tonight." Yunxuan raised an eyebrow at her, his smile utterly irritating.

After leaving Yunxuan's bedroom, Qingyan went straight to the side hall. When she entered, Ningyuan was sitting at the table preparing for lunch.

"I'm so hungry, I want to eat." Qingyan bent down and moved to Ningyuan's side, staring at the food on Ningyuan's chopsticks, pouting and acting coquettishly towards him.

Ning Yuan frowned and was taken aback, but still put the food on his chopsticks into Qing Yan's mouth.

What was originally an ordinary intimate gesture, Qingyan saw helplessness and desolation in Ningyuan's eyes.

Qingyan knew why. Ning Yuan only needed to inquire about her whereabouts slightly to know where she had been since yesterday. But wasn't this exactly what he wanted? Now that he regretted it, wasn't it too late?

Therefore, Qingyan did not intend to explain, letting Ningyuan misunderstand as much as he wanted to, in order to relieve his displeasure.

"Yan'er."

Ning Yuan was feeling down when Yun Xuan joined in the fun again, saying, "I'm hungry too, do you mind eating together?" He even shamelessly sat down.

"This is Ning Yuan's bedchamber. You can ask him if you mind." Qing Yan sat down next to Ning Yuan, staring at him with wide eyes, a clear provocation in her gaze.

I slept at his place last night, do you mind?

Ning Yuan hesitated for a moment before replying, "...How could that be? It's more lively with more people." Then, he called for the eunuchs to add more dishes and tableware.

Okay, if you want a lively atmosphere, I'll give you plenty of it.

"Yunxuan doesn't like these, so let's add some of his favorite dishes." Qingyan winked and acted coquettishly, reciting the names of several dishes she had memorized to please Yunxuan, glancing at him as she named each one.

His daughter Yan'er cared for him so much, and Yunxuan smiled as if watching a play.

During the meal, the three of them each had their own thoughts.

"I'm full, you all enjoy your meal. I'm going to check out the sword-making workshop." Qingyan couldn't bear the oppressive atmosphere any longer and ran away again.

The scene was so similar; the two people looked at each other.

"Congratulations, you've got what you wanted." Ning Yuan smiled helplessly.

"This morning she was lying asleep in the bathtub, and I took it upon myself to carry her away... I didn't dare do anything." Yunxuan's smile became even more helpless.

This one sentence alone made Ning Yuan realize: Yan'er was still as difficult as ever.

I felt a mixture of joy and...contradiction.

The sword-making workshop was bustling with activity at this moment.

The flames in the furnace leaped up under the pulsation of the bellows, the tongues of fire enveloping the iron to be forged, heating it until it was red-hot. Only when the temperature was just right were they pulled out of the furnace and moved to the forging table. The craftsmen, sweating profusely, hammered and refined the iron to the rhythm of their work chants. In the process of continuous repetition, it finally became refined steel.

Qingyan held a half-finished product in her hand, the heavy iron weight causing her hand to drop downwards. Suddenly, a large hand appeared in front of her, lifting the half-finished product and placing it in front of her.

Qingyan looked up and saw Ning Yuan smiling at her.

"What are you doing? It's so heavy, put it down quickly." Qingyan, with strength she didn't know she had, snatched the ironware that Ning Yuan had held up in front of her and handed it to the craftsman next to her, staggering as she did so.

"Yan'er," Ning Yuan said with a fawning smile.

Qingyan glared at him, her expression suggesting that Yunxuan had betrayed her again.

"Don't call me, I don't know you." After saying that, he went to the tempering room of the sword-making workshop.

A wave of heat swept over Qingyan. Although it was late spring, it was still hot, and she was soon drenched in sweat.

Ning Yuan followed closely behind her and entered the tempering room as well.

"Go back to bed right now, or I'll divorce you if you don't listen," Qingyan threatened him in a voice that the two of them could definitely hear.

Ning Yuan smiled slightly, picked up a well-forged saber, and swung it around with a few smooth and effortless movements, showing no signs of being a seriously ill patient who needed to lie in bed.

"You're all better?" Qingyan reached out and touched his chest, then squeezed his arm, seemingly not noticing that he frowned.

"Ahem, well, I'm fine now." Ning Yuan blushed slightly as she touched him, and answered awkwardly.

"You still have to support me." Qingyan glanced at him and ignored him, turning to talk to the craftsmen. However, Qingyan only half understood the craftsmen's technical terms, but Ning Yuan would explain them to her.

The two spent the entire afternoon at the sword-making workshop, only emerging at sunset.

"Yan'er, Hai Tu's actions of submitting to the emperor are likely part of a scheme." Ning Yuan, having already learned of Qiu Rong's craftsmanship, grew worried.

“Therefore, we urgently need a batch of sharpened weapons to equip the garrison on the Qiu Rong border.” Qing Yan thought for a moment and then said, “Ning Yuan, if Hai Tu violates the vassalage agreement and outwardly complies with the garrison of our Great Qi and its royal court, then have your two brothers, Zhao Minghui and Xing Mufeng, defeat him until he submits. What do you say?”

“Okay, Minghui, Mufeng, and I will beat him until he submits for you.” Ning Yuan rubbed his fists together, eager to get started.

"Don't even think about it until you've fully recovered." The thought of Ning Yuan getting hurt again made Qingyan turn and leave.

"I'm all better now." Ning Yuan quickly followed.

"Imperial Physician Wang..." Qingyan was interrupted by Ningyuan before she could finish speaking.

"I deliberately made Physician Wang say that."

"why?"

"That way you'll feel sorry for me for a few more days."

"Wh-what?" Qingyan's eyes widened.

"Yan'er, can't you see that I'm trying to win your favor?"

I honestly didn't notice!

Qingyan ignored him, simply turned and left.

After taking two steps, Qingyan suddenly turned back and almost bumped into Ning Yuan, who was chasing after her.

"what's wrong?"

"Ning Yuan, is Lan Zhen more seriously injured than you?" Qing Yan asked, frowning.

"Including those that haven't fully recovered, the number should be about the same as mine."

"He's a military officer just like you, and his body's self-healing ability shouldn't be any worse than yours, so why hasn't his injury healed yet?" Qingyan voiced her doubts, pausing for a moment in thought:

"...Could this be a trap?"

“We’ll know once we go and see,” Ning Yuan suggested.

"Hmm." Qingyan thought for a moment, "Sicheng."

Si Cheng, who had recovered from his injuries, had already returned to his place. Hearing Qing Yan call him, he appeared in front of her.

Still not used to these elusive bodyguards, Qingyan paused before saying, "Send someone to keep a close watch on Lan Zhen and Li Muqing, and report them immediately if they make any moves."

"Yes."

"Sicheng is secretly visiting, while I'm going openly. I want to see what they're up to." Qingyan told Ningyuan to go back and rest first, and then headed towards Qixiang Palace.

When she came in, Lan Zhen was leisurely enjoying tea on a lounge chair in the garden, with Li Muqing sitting opposite him, and the two chatted from time to time.

"Your Highness, what a refined taste you have." Qingyan walked in without being announced, abruptly joining their laughter and conversation.

"Your Highness, the Princess, has arrived. I am so sorry for not greeting you sooner." Li Muqing greeted Qingyan before Lan Zhen.

"General Li, you're too kind. I'm the one who has bothered you." Qingyan returned the greeting, then looked at Lan Zhen, smiling with narrowed eyes.

"How is the prince's injury?"

"If you came to see me every day, why would you need to ask now?" Lan Zhen looked at her with a mournful expression and a pitiful gaze.

No matter how dramatic you are today, don't think you can get away with it.

Qingyan stepped forward, took the box from Zhuier's tray, and handed it to Lan Zhen: "These past few days, Qiu Rong's craftsmen have been in Suizhou and have neglected Your Highness. Please forgive them, Your Highness."

"You think you can get rid of me with something like this?" Lan Zhen picked up the box and weighed it in her hand.

"Open it and take a look." Qingyan raised an eyebrow.

Lan Zhen's face immediately turned serious. He quickly opened the box, and an arrow flashed with a cold light, catching his eye. He took out the arrow and examined it carefully for a long time before speaking: "This is Qiu Rong's blade tempering technique? You actually used it on an arrowhead."

“No, besides tempering the blade, there is also the technique of steel clamping,” Qingyan corrected. “Haitu promised me ten craftsmen from the Qiu Rong army camp, but none of them knew how to temper the blade. They tried to play tricks on me, but he overlooked the fact that one of the craftsmen had secretly learned this skill, and he was a genius.”

"You mean, he made this?" Lan Zhen stood up excitedly.

Qingyan didn't speak, but that was an admission.

"What are your plans?" Lan Zhen asked hesitantly.

“My plans depend on Hai Tu’s attitude. However,” Qing Yan said, staring into Lan Zhen’s eyes, “I would like to know Your Highness’s plans.”

Lan Zhen paused for a moment, then saw Li Muqing looking at him. After thinking for a moment, he gestured for Li Muqing to step back and moved closer to Qing Yan.

"Little Yan'er, when did you start caring about my thoughts?" Lan Zhen's signature mischievous smile reappeared on his face, making Qing Yan want to punch him.

"Lan Zhen, how about we make a deal?" Qing Yan was too lazy to waste words with him.

"Xiao Yan'er, I'll agree to whatever you ask, but I have only one request."

"You said."