Spring arrives and the land smiles

The consequence of indulging in sensual pleasures was physical exhaustion; Qingyan slept until the next day without even eating dinner.

When she woke up, Ning Yuan was still lying beside her, which made Qing Yan feel very safe and comfortable.

With delicate touch of her fingertips, she traced his thick eyebrows, their peaks distinct and their ends handsome. His eyes were closed, yet their contours were clear and deep—this must be the legendary sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes.

Actually, Ning Yuan was one of the most handsome men in the capital of the Great Qi, but his rugged military background made people overlook his appearance. Now, however, he was considered exceptionally handsome.

Qingyan smiled and couldn't resist stealing a kiss on his lips, only to hear Ningyuan let out a soft moan.

Qingyan quickly looked at Ningyuan casually and said, "You're awake."

"What time is it?" Ning Yuan opened his eyes. Few soldiers slept until the sun was high in the sky.

"The first quarter of Chen Shi (7:15 AM)," Qingyan said. Converted to her previous life, that was 7:15 AM, which wasn't even considered sleeping in for her.

"It's so late, you should get up." Ning Yuan patted Qing Yan, who was still nestled in his arms, but then noticed that her back was bare, and his hand froze.

Qingyan chuckled softly. This guy always acts like a controller before things happen, but afterwards he's completely at a loss.

"Hmm, it's time to get up, but my clothes are gone." Qingyan stretched out a small, slender, white arm and waved it in front of Ningyuan.

"I'll go find them for you." Ning Yuan blushed and quickly got out of bed to deliver all the clothes that Qing Yan had thrown on the chaise longue yesterday.

Qingyan gathered her close-fitting undergarment, deliberately letting Ningyuan see her bruises. She then carefully put on her clothes one by one in front of him. Ningyuan was embarrassed and quickly dressed and ran out.

"Princess, you've bullied General Ning again." Zhui'er came in with utensils to serve him, and seeing Ning Yuan's flustered appearance, she naturally had to tease him.

The bruises on her body were still there. Qingyan gently stroked her arm and smiled tenderly: "He's destined to be bullied by me for the rest of his life."

Qingyan ate a lot for breakfast today because she didn't eat dinner last night, especially since the two of them were vying for her attention and piling all sorts of delicious food into her bowl.

I didn't eat until I was stuffed, thanks to the servant boy outside who came to tell me:

Zhang Yinqiu, the eunuch in charge of the case at Jingxin Hall, requests an audience.

Zhang Yinqiu? Qingyan was taken aback. What could possibly require Eunuch Zhang, who served by the Emperor's side, to travel all this way?

"Quick pass."

The Emperor's personal attendant has come to deliver an imperial decree; it must be something important.

Qingyan dismissed her attendants and, together with Ningyuan and Yunxuan, received the imperial decree. Unexpectedly, Eunuch Zhang did not bring the imperial decree, but instead brought a sealed letter.

After receiving the imperial edict, Qingyan instructed Zhuier to treat Eunuch Zhang well, and then gathered with Ningyuan and Yunxuan in her inner chamber.

There were two imperial edicts, one personally instructing the minister, and the other issuing an order to Ningyuan. The two men opened the seals.

"My father wants me to return to the capital."

"The Emperor also ordered me to return to the capital as soon as possible."

“Yesterday, someone from the Dali Temple also came to urge me to return to the capital.”

They were all reporting a return to Beijing, but their paths led to the same destination.

"Why are we suddenly being told to go back?" Qingyan was puzzled, especially since the orders were received almost simultaneously.

"Could it be related to the gold mine in Yushan?" Yunxuan guessed.

"Then why did Father Emperor order Ningyuan to return to the capital?" Qingyan looked at Ningyuan. "You were ordered to investigate the reinforcement of troops in Sichuan before. It's only been two days, and there's still no progress on the matter in Sichuan. He urgently summoned you back, and even summoned me back. What is Father Emperor trying to do?"

The affairs of Yushan were not yet resolved. The three people in charge were all summoned back to the capital at the same time, leaving behind only Li Renhe, a seventh-rank military supervisor. No matter how capable he was, he was no match for a steward from a prince's mansion in the capital. Therefore, with the departure of the three, Yushan became a ghost town.

If it were just about the forging of Su Iron at Yushan, the city would be empty. But now, there are Lan Zhen's weapons, the gold mine at Yushan, and the reinforcements from Sichuan—each a thorny issue. Without someone in charge, things won't go smoothly.

An empty city is a place where anyone can get involved and anything can happen as a matter of course.

Although she was urged to return by imperial decree, Qingyan was in no hurry to set off, because that eunuch Zhang had also brought her a separate imperial edict from her father.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Eldest Princess." Eunuch Zhang greeted Qingyan.

She smiled and greeted him, neither distant nor intimate.

The eunuchs around the emperor could die quickly if they were even slightly careless. The head eunuch of the Jingxin Palace was naturally a shrewd and cunning individual. Zhang Yinqiu treated this Crown Prince Qingyan with a mix of formalities and official duties, showing no intention of siding with him.

Qingyan sneered inwardly, thinking that her position as the crown prince was not very secure in his eyes.

Zhang Yinqiu conveyed the emperor's edict to Qingyan with impeccable manners, and Qingyan accepted the edict with the same impeccable manners.

As Qingyan had expected, Zhang Yinqiu read out the imperial edict and then withdrew, without offering any advice to Qingyan. He even bid her farewell, saying that he had urgent business to attend to and needed to return to the capital.

Qingyan did not try to stop him, but simply had Zhuier give him some money as usual.

This urgency surprised Qingyan somewhat.

The small town of Yu'an at the foot of Yu Mountain offers everything imaginable in its debauchery and extravagance. As far as Qingyan knows, none of the palace eunuchs, from the Grand Eunuch to the ordinary eunuchs, dislike gambling. Once they arrive in this paradise on earth, how could they possibly resist staying for more than a few days unless something extraordinary happens?

This eunuch Zhang is quite intriguing.

"Sicheng, go and investigate Zhang Yinqiu." Qingyan called Sicheng, who had been waiting outside the door, in.

"Yes."

Si Cheng received the order but did not take any action.

"Is there anything else?" Qingyan frowned. This guy never says anything directly when he has something to say. He just stands there. I really don't know how he communicated when he was my brother's bodyguard.

"Siyou and Siwu are back. Princess, may we allow them to protect you closely?" Sicheng had always thought that Qingyan did not allow him to serve as a bodyguard because of the separation of men and women. If Siyou and Siwu were to protect him, there would be no problem.

"No need, I have important matters to attend to, and besides, with General Ning by my side, I'm safe." Qingyan waved her hand.

"Yes." Si Cheng's eyes darkened, and he retreated helplessly.

There was only one person left in the room.

Qingyan rested her chin on her hand, pondering her father's imperial edict. The imperial edict urged her to return, but the verbal edict instructed her to settle the gold mine matter before setting off, and even left her with a military tally that allowed her to mobilize the border troops stationed at Yushan, which surprised Qingyan greatly.

The border garrison general of Yushan is the Supreme Protector Chu Shen, and his younger brother Chu Huai is a member of the hidden Jin Prince's faction. Without the military tally, it would indeed be impossible to mobilize him. The Emperor has given him great trust. Qingyan felt a mix of emotions, whether she should be grateful to tears or terrified.

Qingyan held the military tally in her hand. The exquisite semi-circular shape exuded the subtle luster unique to bronze, understated yet imposing, and its cold, hard texture made people feel solemn.

This was Qingyan's first time controlling the military tally, and also the first time she had ever seen it.

Collecting her confused thoughts, Qingyan took the military tally and went to the side room to find Ning Yuan, only to find him frowning as he stared at the imperial edict.

"Let me show you something." Qingyan handed the military tally to Ning Yuan, which was placed on top of the imperial seal.

"A military tally?!" Ning Yuan exclaimed in surprise.

He picked it up and examined it carefully, then asked, "This is a military tally that can mobilize the garrison troops on the border of Yushan. How did you obtain it?"

"My father sent Eunuch Zhang to give me this military tally," Qingyan replied.

"Your Majesty?" Ning Yuan was shocked.

"My father ordered me to settle the gold mine matter before setting off. This military tally is probably for me to deal with the bandits and thieves who are eyeing the gold mine," Qingyan said, making what she considered the most accurate guess.

“The border garrison at Yushan is large enough to deal with the reinforcements from Sichuan,” Ning Yuan analyzed. “The Emperor’s granting of the military tally was unexpected.”

Upon arriving in Ningyuan, Yushan, Chu Shen immediately sent men to gather information. The number of reinforcements from Sichuan was small, but they were concentrated in the border area closest to the gold mine. Logically, such a large military movement should have been known to the border garrison long ago. As the garrison commander, Chu Shen, regardless of Sichuan's intentions, would take measures. He couldn't bear the blame for dereliction of duty in defending the city. Giving him the military tally was somewhat unnecessary, however…

Qingyan and Ningyuan exchanged a glance and said, "What if Chu Shen is secretly colluding with Sichuan?"

Sichuan is eyeing the Yushan gold mine, but not necessarily to possess it entirely; they merely want a share. Currently, the mine is unexploited, and its reserves are unknown. It seems that Sichuan taking some of the gold wouldn't constitute negligence. If Sichuan were to send troops disguised to harass the border while secretly infiltrating the mine, employing a strategy of feigned cooperation while covert operations, Chu Shen could simply turn a blind eye, facilitating Sichuan's activities.

In this way, the military tally given by the Emperor became the lifeline of the Yushan Gold Mine.

Ning Yuan nodded, indicating that he understood the meaning behind her words.

Qingyan gripped the military tally tightly in her palm, as if she had an idea: "Let's go and take a look at the Yushan border defense camp first."

Due to the urgency of the Dali Temple's official business, everyone discussed that Yunxuan should return to the capital first, while Qingyan and Ningyuan would return after handling all matters. However, the next day, when Qingyan and Ningyuan were about to set off for the Yushan military camp, a second imperial edict arrived at the post station.

When Qingyan and the other two saw it, it turned out to be another imperial edict urging them to return, and even a gold edict was issued to Ningyuan.

First came the urging to return, then the verbal edict, then the imperial decree—what exactly is His Majesty the Emperor up to?

Qingyan frowned, watching Ning Yuan hold the gold medal in his hand, looking troubled. He kept urging her to return, but never said what it was about, which was really frustrating.

"There must be important matters at court. You two go back first. I will come to meet you after I have finished dealing with everything at Yushan," Qingyan finally decided.

"No." The two said in unison.

"If I say it's okay, then it's okay." Qing's words were stern and left no room for argument.

The official letter from the Dali Temple was on red paper, so Yunxuan had to rush back to the capital; the Emperor's decree came with a gold plaque, and if Ningyuan did not comply, it would be considered disobeying the imperial edict, and the general and his consort would be executed without exception.

Only if you receive an oral decree can you stay a little longer.

"If you're really worried, then leave everyone to me," Qingyan finally compromised.

"No way." The two of them simply refused.

"The matter of the assassination attempt by Seven Colors is still unresolved. How can I leave you alone in Yushan?" Yunxuan felt that his reasoning was quite sound.

"We don't know yet whether the mine collapse is related to Sichuan. I can't leave until we find out." Ning Yuan also wanted to stay.

"Fine, you two stay here. When the time comes, I'll have Father issue an imperial edict to execute you both. From now on, we'll be separated by life and death. Even if you become ghosts, you must remember to protect me. Otherwise, when I become a ghost, I won't let you go." Qingyan said in a fit of pique, but her words, though rough, were not without reason.

The two looked at each other, then smiled in unison.

I'm so worried that I get confused. When will I ever get rid of this bad habit?

"I won't let anything happen to me." Qingyan then turned to Ningyuan. "What I said to you also applies to myself. You didn't break your promise, and I absolutely won't."

The following day, the two, accompanied only by four attendants, returned to the capital by express courier at Qingyan's urging.

Watching the two figures disappear into the distance, Qingyan said to Sicheng behind her, "Let's go to the Yushan military camp."

As soon as Qingyan's entourage arrived, Protector-General Chu Shen came out of his camp to greet him.

"This humble general greets Your Highness the Eldest Princess. I was unaware of Your Highness's arrival and failed to greet you properly; this is my dereliction of duty." Chu Shen, dressed in military uniform, performed a simple salute.

"General Chu, there's no need for such formalities. I apologize for my intrusion." Although Qingyan raised her hand in a perfunctory gesture, her words, though seemingly casual, conveyed a rather forceful tone.