The following morning, Yan Shiyao was already waiting beside the carriage early.

Yan Yunning and Xuan Yanyu came out hand in hand and spotted Yan Shiyao at once, standing there hugging a bundle.

The latter bit her lip with a pitiful, delicate look, not saying a word.

There was nothing she could do. She had originally dreaded the idea of settling in Xuanzhao and had put herself through the trouble of caring for Qi Qingchen — only to have that ungrateful little schemer turn around and have a marriage arrangement set with her. She did not want to marry Qi Qingchen, and Xuan Yanyu had refused to help her.

She had no choice but to follow Ningning and Xuan Yanyu to Xuanzhao. Once inside the Xuan Royal Palace, she would find a way to get close to His Majesty the Xuan King — she did not know why, but His Majesty always seemed willing to grant her requests.

She could ask His Majesty to help her.

“A’Jie, what are you doing?” A flicker of confusion crossed Yan Yunning’s eyes.

“Ningning, you are going to Xuanzhao with Brother Yu, and A’Jie is worried about you.” Yan Shiyao pressed her lips together. “A’Jie wants to go with you.”

Yan Yunning looked up at Xuan Yanyu and lowered her voice. “Do you want me to talk her out of going?”

The man raised an eyebrow slightly. “No need.”

If she wanted to go, then let her go — and let her meet the Grand Commandant’s wife while she was at it.

His Imperial Father’s intention was not to let the two of them recognise one another, yet they could still meet face to face.

Yan Yunning stared at him with a puzzled look. What was he scheming now?

Xuan Yanyu patted her head and turned his gaze to Ye’an. “Have another carriage prepared. You stay behind and travel to Xuanzhao together with the elder Miss Yan.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” Receiving the instruction, Ye’an bowed respectfully toward Yan Shiyao. “Elder Miss Yan, please follow me.”

Yan Shiyao softened her voice and made her request. “Brother Yu, I want to ride in the same carriage as Ningning.”

Riding together, they could at least talk along the way.

Xuan Yanyu’s eyelids dropped halfway. Without waiting for Yan Yunning to speak, he took her hand and boarded the carriage.

Inside the carriage was a resting couch, with yellow silk curtains tied on both sides, and from the fine cords holding the curtains hung two small, rosy-red lanterns.

The floor was laid with a soft rug, and in the centre of the carriage stood a round table laden with an assortment of pastries.

Yan Yunning clicked her tongue. The difference between this carriage and the one Brother Liu, that sixth elder brother, had put her in when he brought her to Xuanzhao last time was worlds apart!!!

“Elder Miss Yan, shall we go?” Outside the carriage, Ye’an said with a smile on his face.

The corners of Yan Shiyao’s eyes curved slightly. With nothing more to say, she followed behind Ye’an to hire a carriage.

……

Yan Yunning and Xuan Yanyu’s group had barely left when Mu Shiqing came rushing frantically to the Prime Minister’s residence.

Aqici was leaning against the stone lion at the gate, letting out a disgruntled huff.

“What kind of attitude is that?” Mu Shiqing knocked him on the head.

Aqici shot him a sideways glance. “I said it wouldn’t work, but the young master refused to listen. Now I must have completely lost my standing in little Lemon’s eyes.”

After recognising the young master, he had brought him to sneak into the Prime Minister’s residence that very night, where the young master and Grandma Lu had hatched the whole plan together. On one hand, Grandma Lu genuinely wanted to leave the Prime Minister’s residence. On the other, they wanted to use the opportunity to drive a wedge between little Lemon and Xuan Yanyu. The two of them had finished scheming, and the young master left him behind while he himself returned to Qingyu Village.

Madam was near her due date — someone had to stay by her side at all times.

Mu Shiqing glared at him. “It’s because you were so useless. Grandma Lu was right — you really are hopelessly stupid. Such a golden opportunity and you ruined it like this.”

Aqici put on an aggrieved face. “Did Grandma Lu really say that?”

Mu Shiqing lied without so much as a flicker of shame. “She did. Grandma Lu called you an idiot. I wonder why I ever let you follow me out here to find Ningning. If it had been anyone else, maybe I wouldn’t still be wandering around without my memories.”

“You don’t have your memories — doesn’t that make you even more of an idiot than me? At least I still have mine.” Aqici muttered under his breath.

Mu Shiqing raised his hand and knocked him on the head again. “Am I not your master? Show some respect!!!”

Aqici swatted his hand away. He was respectful enough — back when the young master used to go to the privy, hadn’t he always left a bit of paper behind even when he was pilfering some?

Was that not respect enough??

If he had no respect, he would not have left a single sheet!!!

“That little brat followed Xuan Yanyu and left?” Mu Shiqing asked in a muffled voice.

“Mm.” Aqici answered sulkily. “Grandma Lu’s whole business didn’t affect them one bit. Those two never once raised their voices at each other.”

“Why can’t Ningning be with Xuan Yanyu?”

Grandma Lu had only said that Mother would not permit it, without knowing the specific reason, and had forbidden him from revealing his identity.

Above all, it could not be known to outsiders that Ningning was his little sister — she had said that otherwise, Mother would have sent Ningning away for nothing.

Aqici grimaced. “Wasn’t it you who said they couldn’t be together? I don’t know either.”

Mu Shiqing: “……”

He was starting to think he might as well just let Ningning and Xuan Yanyu be together — no matter how he tried to pull them apart, it never worked.

Perhaps Mother had been afraid that if Ningning married Xuan Yanyu without a family to back her up, she would be mistreated in the Xuan Royal Palace. But watching things now, he could see that would never happen.

What’s more, Ningning was already meant to be Xuan Yanyu’s Crown Princess.

Aqici narrowed his eyes and leaned closer to Mu Shiqing. “Young master, what are you thinking about?”

Mu Shiqing draped his arm over his shoulder. “I think we should stop trying to keep Ningning and Xuan Yanyu apart.”

He did have a bit of a cunning streak. If he broke them up at this point, Ningning might hold it against him — which was precisely why he had sent Aqici to put on that little performance in front of her.

He himself had not been involved at all. He remembered that Aqici was always stealing his privy paper, so taking a bit of the blame was no big deal.

When Ningning confronted him, he would simply act as if he knew nothing.

But Aqici had not managed to pull off the act. No wonder the two of them had ended up separated after being beaten apart when they came to Qilan — one left senseless, the other without his memories.

All because Aqici was too stupid!!!

Aqici’s eye twitched slightly. “Young master, I have no objections.”

Whatever the young master said, so it shall be.

Mu Shiqing patted him on the shoulder. “Then stop meddling. Let’s go — back to the village.”

“Young master, when are we going back to Xuanzhao? To restore the General’s Manor to its former glory?” Aqici asked with a curl of his lips.

“Tsk, me? I could be a general??” Mu Shiqing gave him a baffled sidelong glance.

“Young master, if you can’t do it, I could step in.” The amusement in Aqici’s eyes deepened.

“Get lost!” Mu Shiqing landed a kick squarely on Aqici.

“Young master!!!” Aqici pouted.

Mu Shiqing crooked a finger at him, and Aqici leaned in, puzzled.

“Aqici, your most important duty in the coming days is to help me look after the baby.”

Aqici: “……?”

What was the point of finding this young master??

Why had he been so fixated on searching for him???

“Then once A’Yu has recovered, I’ll head back to Xuanzhao to check on A’Jie, and along the way, go find that little brat Ningning.” The corners of Mu Shiqing’s eyes curved with a smile.

A’Yu was close to giving birth — he could not leave her side. He would have to wait until A’Yu safely delivered the child before he could go looking for Ningning.

He could not say why, but even though he barely remembered Aqici, he trusted Aqici more than any of the brothers in the village.

Aqici pursed his lips slightly, his expression turning serious. “Chief Mu, there is actually something I have been too embarrassed to say all this time — I mistook you for someone else. You are nothing like my young master.”

Look after what little master?

Did he know how to do that??

“Get lost!” Mu Shiqing smacked him on top of the head.

It wasn’t a hard blow. Aqici made a show of going limp and slumped against Mu Shiqing. “Chief Mu, I can’t walk anymore.”

Mu Shiqing grabbed hold of his tied-up ponytail. “Can you walk or not?”

Aqici tugged at a strand of Mu Shiqing’s dark hair. “I can walk.”

Without giving Mu Shiqing a chance to lose his temper, he turned on his heel and sprinted away.

Mu Shiqing felt at the end of his hair — a strand or two of dark hair had come loose — and bellowed in fury, “Aqici!!!”

……

After travelling for many days with stops along the way, the carriage finally arrived at the city gates of Xuanzhao. Yan Yunning lifted the cotton curtain aside and spotted the captain of the Imperial Guard who had stopped her the last time.

She smiled and waved to him cheerfully. “We meet again.”

“Your subjects pay their respects to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.”

They had not seen the Crown Prince, but Ye Chen was driving the carriage — and if Ye Chen was there, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince must certainly be inside.