Spring arrives and the land smiles

The following day, due to the assassination incident, the team's pace increased rather than decreased within Qingyan's tolerance range, and they arrived at Yushan at nightfall.

Yu'an, a small town at the foot of Yushan Mountain, is the no-man's-land that Lan Zhen mentioned yesterday. It is also a paradise for criminals. Therefore, no one cares about what you do here, and no one cares.

Brothels, casinos, smuggling, and human trafficking filled the city, creating a chaotic yet orderly environment. This is why Yu'an was able to survive and not be eradicated by various countries.

With the emperor far away and the local authorities far from the capital, the local tyrants are both the rule-makers and the rule-keepers.

The only place in Yushan that neither various forces nor marginal figures dared to provoke without cause was the iron ore mining area developed by the Great Qi. Given the immense importance of iron ore to a nation, no civilian force would be foolish enough to oppose a country during a prosperous era.

The mining area was frequently inspected by patrol officers, so the official post station was very well prepared. As soon as Qingyan and his party arrived, they checked into the post station.

Qingyan did not inform Yunxuan of the itinerary, so Yunxuan only found out when they arrived at the official post station.

Inside Qingyan's room at the post station.

"Yan'er."

After not seeing each other for many days, Yunxuan eagerly pulled Qingyan into his arms and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Yunxuan".

His cautious manner made Qingyan's heart ache. Over time, Qingyan felt her soft-heartedness and dependence on Yunxuan growing deeper and deeper.

"Was the journey smooth?" Yunxuan asked.

Qingyan wanted to lie, but when she thought of Lan Zhen saying that this no-man's-land was the Seven Colors' stronghold, she decided it was better to tell Yunxuan so that he would also be careful.

"I was attacked by assassins last night, but I wasn't injured. It was supposedly the work of an assassin organization called Seven Colors, hired by Haitu," Qingyan said in one breath.

Upon hearing about the attack, Yunxuan felt a pang of anxiety, but seeing Qingyan's composure, he didn't feel any need for feigned worry.

“I’ve also heard of Seven Colors. They’re ruthless and unscrupulous. Yan’er, why are you so sure that Hai Tu was behind this?”

"Lan Zhen said he received a secret report," Qing Yan replied truthfully.

"Does Yan'er believe him?" Yunxuan frowned.

"Whether you believe it or not, there were indeed assassins who came to kill me that night, and Lan Zhen's arrangements prevented me from being injured. So, no matter who sent the assassins or who the target was, if they fail this time, there will be a next time. I'll just be careful." Last night's situation suddenly became complicated again, and Qingyan couldn't make a judgment.

Yunxuan nodded in agreement with Qingyan's opinion.

"Yunxuan, how is the forging of Su Iron going?" Su Iron is the raw material for new weapons, which is the main reason why Qingyan rushed here.

“It went very smoothly. Several batches have been cast and transported to Suizhou. Ningyuan replied to me saying that several batches of new weapons have also been delivered from Suizhou. He will come to Yushan to meet me once he has made the necessary arrangements,” Yunxuan said.

Everything went smoothly, and Qingyan felt relieved.

"Yan'er, you start talking about business as soon as we meet. Don't you miss me at all?" Yunxuan smiled and lifted Qingyan's chin with his fingers. His bright red lips made him unable to resist kissing her.

In such situations, Qingyan knows she has no way out, so she simply closes her eyes.

The touch on her lips grew increasingly hot, and Yunxuan seemed unsatisfied, occasionally biting Qingyan's lips gently, gradually increasing the force. Qingyan felt a slight pain as Yunxuan pried open her teeth and kissed her deeply.

Yunxuan's skills are becoming more and more refined, Qingyan sighed inwardly.

After a long while, Yunxuan slowly withdrew, but Ke Qingyan was still intoxicated by the kiss. Her lips, which were slightly swollen from being kissed, suddenly lost their warmth and were slightly parted, at a loss.

Yunxuan smiled slightly and carried Qingyan into the inner room.

Qingyan immediately came to her senses:

"Yunxuan!"

The little girl in his arms was clearly flustered, but Yunxuan decided to ignore it.

"I see you like it quite a bit, and I plan to continue."

what? !

Qingyan blushed deeply and lowered her head.

This Yunxuan, how come he's so good at flirting?

"What do I like? I don't know. You, you put me down." Qingyan lay in Yunxuan's arms, her refusal coming out haltingly and without confidence.

Seeing the little girl's embarrassed look, Yunxuan chuckled softly, put her on the bed, and even considerately helped her undress.

Qingyan quickly grabbed Yunxuan's hand: "Um, I, I can do it myself."

Yunxuan didn't insist. Watching her slowly undress, he stood by the bed and began to undo his belt.

This situation made Qingyan's heart beat more than twice as fast, and she didn't know what to do for a moment.

Yunxuan's movements did not stop. Summer clothes were thin, and soon Yunxuan was only wearing an inner layer.

Well, what's meant to happen will happen. Instead of struggling with a pretentious attitude, it's better to accept it calmly. Now that she's become the crown prince, she should take on some responsibility, and not only herself, but Ning Yuan as well.

Qingyan steeled her heart, took off all her clothes, leaving only a modified version of a bellyband.

This bra-like garment was specially made for Qingyan by Zhuier, originally intended for comfort, but also to make her breasts appear fuller.

But now, this bellyband has become the most direct trigger.

"Yan'er, you are so beautiful." Yun Xuan couldn't help but press Qing Yan down beneath him, taking control of her softness, kissing her neck, and whispering in the crook of her shoulder.

Qingyan resignedly closed her eyes, waiting for the overwhelming passion to engulf her.

After a while, Yunxuan finally let go of her, pulled the blanket over her naked body, and lay down beside her.

"Yunxuan?!" Qingyan asked, puzzled.

"Ningyuan said you like to sleep naked. This habit is really testing my willpower." Yunxuan didn't answer Qingyan's question, but instead made a teasing remark without any real concern.

Why bring up Ningyuan at this time?

Ningyuan...

Qingyan felt a lump in her throat.

Simply give it a go.

"Yunxuan, take me!"

I don't want to face you with such guilt and anxiety every day. I can't give you what you want right now, so this is my way of making up for it.

"Don't worry, Yan'er, I will want you, but not now." Yunxuan hugged Qingyan, who was wrapped in a quilt, and looked at her deeply. "If I take you today, it will only be this once. You can treat this as a debt, and once it's paid off, you won't owe me anymore. But I don't want it to be just once. I want you a thousand times. I want to be your true bedmate, just like Ningyuan. So, I will keep waiting until you stop hesitating and stop resisting, until you completely fall in love with me."

It turned out he knew everything, and even had a plan. Qingyan closed her eyes helplessly.

Summer mornings always come especially early, with the blazing sun marking the start of the day.

Qingyan was awakened by Yunxuan's gentle kiss. When she opened her eyes, she met Yunxuan's eyes, which were filled with deep affection but were clear and alluring.

"woke up."

Qingyan nodded.

"Are you hungry? I've already had breakfast prepared for you."

Surrounded by such gentleness so early in the morning, Qingyan felt quite dizzy.

"Yunxuan, you don't really need to be so good to me." Qingyan slowly sat up.

"Why? Are you afraid you'll fall in love with me?" Yunxuan smiled faintly.

There's nothing you can hide from him.

Qingyan sighed in utter frustration.

Breakfast was as lavish as ever, and with Yunxuan by my side, it was naturally a sweet and indulgent meal.

Just after we finished eating, Zhui'er came to report: The Emperor's secret envoy requests an audience.

The two looked at each other.

“I just arrived at Yushan yesterday, and today my father’s secret envoy has arrived. Yunxuan, this is too much of a coincidence.” Qingyan’s brows furrowed with worry.

"In this matter of Qiu Rong, His Majesty has granted him the authority to make decisions on the spot. Afterwards, many matters have been submitted for instructions, and His Majesty has not blamed us. Apart from the Prince of Jin's faction, none of the court officials have said anything. There should be no problem." Yunxuan's analysis was thorough.

Qingyan agreed and instructed Zhuier, "Send it quickly."

The envoy rushed in, greeted the messenger, and handed over a secret letter.

Even the imperial seal and document box were omitted; there was only a sealed secret letter. Qingyan did not quite understand Emperor Longqing's intentions this time.

He waved for the envoy to go and rest, and Qingyan opened the secret letter.

Jiaojiao?!

This was the first time the Emperor had used this title in an official document, so Qingyan quickly read on.

The entire piece was only a few hundred words long, with the first half consisting of words of concern and care, while the last few sentences, in Qingyan's view, revealed the true intention.

"How is it?" Yunxuan asked.

"My father ordered me to bring all the craftsmen sent by Qiu Rong back to the capital, and he specifically mentioned Shen Ye." Qingyan handed the secret letter to Yunxuan.

Yunxuan was also stunned when he saw the title at the beginning.

"Is Jiaojiao Yan'er's nickname?" Yunxuan was quite interested in this.

Qingyan nodded: "My mother said that I was particularly petite and adorable when I was little, so she gave me the nickname Jiaojiao."

Yunxuan glanced through the secret letter before putting it down.

"The letter only mentioned craftsmen and nothing else, so Jiaojiao doesn't need to worry."

This form of address made Qingyan slightly taken aback. She glanced at Yunxuan and found that he could pronounce it quite naturally. This Yunxuan was really pretentious.

"If you're not worried, then I'm even less worried about Jiaojiao. If Father Emperor blames us, you're a man, so naturally I'll hide behind you."

She's throwing a little tantrum over a title! Yunxuan chuckled softly and ruffled her hair: "If that's truly how you see it, then that's for the best."

Although Yunxuan said this, he still had other thoughts on the matter. The secret letter seemed to only mention bringing the craftsmen back to the capital, but it made one think of another side of the story. The emperor still had some reservations about Qingyan, and mutual testing was inevitable. Therefore, it was absolutely not advisable to do something that was outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant at this time.

"Yan'er, tomorrow write a letter to the secret envoy, and have him take your warrant to Suizhou to bring Shen Ye and his group to the capital." Yunxuan made the final decision.

"What will happen to the forging of new weapons once they leave?" Qingyan frowned.

"Half of the craftsmen at the Suizhou sword-making workshop have mastered the art of tempering blades, so the weapon forging should not be delayed."

"Moreover, more than half of the 100,000 Ning family troops at the front have been equipped with new weapons."

"With the autumn campaign now settled, there will be no war, at least not in the short term."

Yunxuan analyzed it point by point, and what he said made perfect sense, so Qingyan was no longer worried.

However, this secret letter is so strange.

"Yunxuan, why did Father Emperor personally write me a secret letter, almost like a family letter?"

Yunxuan shook his head: "Perhaps, he wants to be a good father, not an emperor."

perhaps?

maybe!

Speaking the emperor's demands in the tone of a father—it truly is like walking on thin ice while serving a ruler.

"Princess, His Highness Prince Zhao requests an audience," Zhuier announced as she entered.

"What is he doing here? I won't see him."

Qingyan still harbors resentment about being forced to call Lan Zhen "Brother Zhen" that night. This persistent ghost is giving her a constant headache.

"Let him in, he's here to collect a debt." Yunxuan patted her hand reassuringly.

Debt collection? Yes, that's it.

Upon arriving at Yushan, Lan Zhen sent Li Muqing back to the military camp on the border of Nanxia, ​​but stayed behind himself. Wasn't that all for the half of the iron ore he had promised before?

Qingyan waved helplessly to Zhuier.

“Little Yan’er,” Lan Zhen entered the room gracefully, fanning herself with a folding fan. When she saw Yun Xuan sitting next to Qing Yan, her eyes flickered. “So your consort is here too.”

"Shouldn't he be here?" For some reason, Qingyan couldn't help but retort to Lan Zhen the moment she saw him.

This way of getting along is indeed to Lan Zhen's liking; it's better for a little devil to be playful and assertive than to keep people at arm's length.

"What brings Your Highness Prince Zhao here?" Qingyan asked in a muffled voice.

"This place is only a dozen miles from the border of Nanxia. I will be returning to Nanxia soon. I wonder when the princess will deliver the promised Yushan iron ore?" Lan Zhen didn't need Qingyan to greet her. She sat down and poured herself a cup of tea.

Qingyan looked at Yunxuan with an expression that said, "You guessed right," but she couldn't think of a solution to Lan Zhen's request.

Although I had previously written to my father, explaining in detail the matter of allocating iron ore from Lanzhenyu Mountain, my father did not object. Relying on his power of discretion, he took my words as tacit approval. Therefore, today's demand to fulfill this promise was only a matter of time.

"Your Highness may fulfill your promise whenever you wish. However, the delivery of iron ore is not something that can be accomplished overnight. Your Highness will need to send a close advisor to make the arrangements."

Qingyan remembered that she had only promised him half of the iron ore mined in Yushan, but she had not mentioned a specific amount. In other words, only the mined ore counted, and the ore that stayed in the mine could not be shared with Lan Zhen.

“Sending a close advisor is too troublesome. How about we find another way? It won’t be considered that you’ve broken your promise,” Lan Zhen asked with a smile.

“Tell me about it,” Yunxuan said.

"Give me ten thousand of your new weapons, and I can offset the promise of half the iron ore. How about it?" Lan Zhen extended an olive branch.

Qingyan looked at Lanzhen, then at Yunxuan, weighing the pros and cons of both options. Clearly, ten thousand weapons would solve everything, while half of the Yushan iron ore was worth far more than ten thousand weapons. For Qingyan, this was a profitable deal, but for Lanzhen, it was a loss.

"Why?"

"make a deal."

One question and one affirmative statement were spoken at the same time.

"Great." Lan Zhen stood up and looked at Yun Xuan. "Notify me when the weapon is finished, and I'll send someone to pick it up."

"Okay." Yunxuan gestured for her to leave. Lan Zhen raised an eyebrow, glanced at Qingyan indifferently, and walked out.

"Yunxuan, why is that? Lan Zhen isn't one to suffer a loss." Qingyan asked after Lan Zhen left.

“He’s not at a loss.” Yun Xuan paused. “With Lan Zhen’s shrewdness, he certainly didn’t report the iron ore issue to the Southern Xia Emperor. So, the continuous supply of iron ore is a burden for him. But if it were replaced by well-made weapons, it would be a different story.”

"It is said that Li Muqing commands a force of 5,000 elite cavalry, each capable of fighting ten men at once, and each equipped with two swords, making them exceptionally powerful. These 10,000 new weapons are probably intended for them."

Qingyan suddenly realized, and deliberately lowered her voice: "Then isn't he trying to... rebel?"

“That’s beyond our control. The situation in Southern Xia is tense right now. The Emperor of Southern Xia is ten years older than our Emperor, but he has not yet appointed a Crown Prince. All eleven princes are involved in the struggle for the throne. Among them, the eldest prince Lan Jing and the second prince Lan Yu are the most popular candidates, while the fifth prince Lan Zhen is also a hot candidate for Crown Prince because of his outstanding military achievements and long service in the army, which has prevented him from making enemies in the court.” Yun Xuan explained in detail.

It was exactly the same as the struggle for succession among the nine princes at the end of the Kangxi Emperor's reign.

However, due to all that had happened before, Qingyan had become an insider after being an outsider, all because of Lan Zhen.

Before long, Lan Zhen came to say goodbye, and Qing Yan waved her hand and said: "Goodbye and don't see me off."

"Yunxuan, Lan Zhen is so shrewd. If he becomes the crown prince, we'll be in big trouble." Qingyan sighed. Although Lan Zhen had promised back in Suizhou that he would never raise his sword against the Great Qi as long as he was alive, times have changed. It's possible that he might forget his vow the day he ascends the throne. Of course, perhaps others are even more difficult to deal with than Lan Zhen.

“Yan’er,” Yunxuan smiled and patted Qingyan’s head, as if petting a restless little pet, “Don’t worry about things that are about to happen. How about I take you out for a walk so you won’t overthink things all day long.”

"Is there really a place worth visiting in this lawless area?" Qingyan asked skeptically.

“Yu’an is indeed a bit rough around the edges, but Yushan is a rare scenic spot, especially Qingquan Valley in the mountains, which is an excellent summer resort. Not only are there many streams and waterfalls, but there are also hot springs and mineral springs for recuperation. Yan’er, would you like to go and see it?” Yunxuan said with great charm, which made people yearn for it.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Qingyan had already walked out.

However, what Yunxuan didn't tell Qingyan was that Qingquan Valley also had another name: Immortal Doctor Valley.