Toward Prince Xuan, the Qin people did not show the same kind of awe they held for Prince Jianghua or even the Qin King, but rather heartfelt respect. At this moment, seeing him standing before them with a slightly pale complexion, no ornaments, wearing only white robes, all the Qin people, after a brief moment of astonishment, unanimously knelt to the ground and loudly called out: “We pay our respects to Prince Xuan!”

Qin Zhiyan gestured for the people to rise, then turned back to continue questioning Prince Jianghua: “Seventeenth Brother, what foolishness are you up to now?”

The uniform sounds of respectful greetings made Prince Jianghua slightly stunned. Hearing Qin Zhiyan’s voice, he quickly said: “Third Brother, I came to bring you gifts. How about it? These are all carefully selected for you. You can keep them all, or choose some that catch your eye.”

Qin Zhiyan’s brow furrowed slightly as he said sternly: “Stop this nonsense. You’re a dignified prince – behaving like this in front of the people, what kind of propriety is this? Wherever you brought these women from, take them back there.” With that, he turned to head back to the mansion.

Prince Jianghua was greatly alarmed and took two steps to block Qin Zhiyan’s path, saying: “Don’t go, Third Brother! I went through great trouble to bring them here. You don’t know – several brothel madams have already hanged themselves over there. Where do you want me to send them?”

Qin Zhiyan’s face showed slight anger as he said sternly: “Then take them back to your prince’s mansion. Don’t send them to me.”

“Third Brother, my place can’t hold them all. This younger brother already has more concubines than Father Emperor – I have no use for them. Third Brother, don’t be so lacking in romantic understanding. As the saying goes, ‘After three years in the army, even a sow looks like a fairy.’ You’ve been a soldier for ten years, yet you don’t even have a single warming concubine in your mansion. Now you’re treating that monkey-like woman as a treasure. This younger brother couldn’t stand it anymore, so I kindly came to help you.”

Prince Jianghua shook his head and said: “Third Brother, I’m not criticizing you, but your taste is really poor. That kind of woman can only barely be called decent-looking – where is there any charm? The places that should be large aren’t large, the places that should be round aren’t round. She’s skin and bones without an ounce of flesh – a gust of wind could blow her away. Yet you treat her like a treasure and oppose Father Emperor. Look at the women this younger brother selected for you – each plump and jade-like with their own merits. You’re a dignified Great Qin prince – what kind of woman couldn’t you have? Why be obsessed with such withered flowers and defeated willows, especially one that’s someone else’s leftovers?”

“Silence!” A clear voice suddenly rang out. Qin Zhiyan looked at Prince Jianghua with a dark expression, his usually gentle and calm eyes blazing with anger as he looked at the brightly dressed Prince Jianghua and said sternly: “I don’t want to hear such words again. I’m only saying this once – you’d better remember.”

“Lian Zhou, close the gates! See the guest out!”

The heavy vermillion-lacquered gates slammed shut with a bang, leaving Prince Jianghua locked outside, his expression stunned. After a while, he came to his senses and frantically pounded on the gates, shouting loudly: “Third Brother! Third Brother! Open the door!”

Meng Tianhongze slowly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking silently how dangerous that was. He turned to instruct the prefectural yamen soldiers to disperse the crowd, glanced at the troublemaking Prince Jianghua, and sighed helplessly. How did Xifeng become this ancestor’s fiefdom? Had he known this would happen, he might as well have spent less money to become an official on the northern frontier. With a long sigh, the sixty-year-old man returned home in trepidation.

Qin Zhiyan turned around with a dark expression, about to head back when he suddenly saw Qing Xia sitting in a bamboo chair, wearing white robes with a plain face, covered with snow-white fox fur, quietly watching him from under the second gate’s corridor, her gaze peaceful but carrying a silence that didn’t match her temperament.

He didn’t know when it had started, but she was becoming less and less like that energetic woman with sharp eyes he had first met in the imperial mausoleum. She rarely laughed out loud anymore, rarely spoke eloquently, rarely joked with him unrestrained. Having experienced so much life and death, so much killing, so many difficult choices, those sharp edges of hers had finally been worn smooth.

He slowly walked to Qing Xia and said softly: “Don’t take his words to heart.”

Qing Xia shook her head, her lips curved in a gentle smile, but she said nothing. Seeing her pale complexion and slightly yellowed hair ends, Qin Zhiyan felt a pang in his heart and asked gently: “Yima’er, are you cold?”

“Not cold,” Qing Xia shook her head, then suddenly reached out to embrace Qin Zhiyan’s waist, resting her head against his body and saying softly: “Just a bit tired, want to sleep.”

Qin Zhiyan lowered his head slightly and smiled: “Then let’s go back and rest.”

“Mm.” Qing Xia said almost inaudibly, as if she had already fallen asleep. Looking at her pale cheeks, Qin Zhiyan reached his arms through her legs and scooped her up horizontally, striding toward the bedchamber without avoiding the subordinates around them.

Qing Xia leaned in his embrace, still holding his waist, burying her face in his robes like a small cat.

As soon as they opened the door, Da Huang’s angry cries rang out. The small white beast bared its teeth and claws at Qin Zhiyan, its small body jumping up and down, but too timid to dare approach.

“Lian Zhou, take this little thing to the kitchen and stew it into soup.” A mild voice suddenly rang out, gentle as a soft breeze and light rain, yet the words spoken were ice-cold. The originally fierce Da Huang immediately whimpered, its voice weakening as its long ears drooped down. Its small eyes warily watched Qin Zhiyan’s back as it cowered to a corner of the room, hiding under a cabinet and staring at everyone with round eyes.

Seeing this little beast’s bullying-the-weak-and-fearing-the-strong behavior, Qing Xia chuckled quietly. Back then, Chu Li had also beaten it a few times, and afterward it had respectfully become his lapdog. It seemed this bad habit hadn’t changed. Thinking of Chu Li, her heart immediately ached, and the woman slightly furrowed her brow, bitter in her heart as she forcibly swallowed that feeling.

“Zhiyan.” Qing Xia lay on the bed and gently tugged at his sleeve, calling softly.

Qin Zhiyan had been about to leave, but hearing her call, he sat back down on the bed and asked softly: “What is it?”

“Just now, you shouldn’t have driven away all the people Seventeenth Prince brought.”

Qin Zhiyan hadn’t expected her to bring this up. He smiled faintly: “Seventeenth Brother has a childish nature. He’s young and spoiled – don’t take offense at his behavior.”

Qing Xia shook her head: “You don’t need to hide it from me. I’m severely poisoned, and with your nature, you wouldn’t delay time in Xifeng City like this. There must be problems in Xianyang. I was formerly a consort of Southern Chu and had unclear entanglements with Prince Qi. I nearly caused great trouble at Bailu Plain – the Qin King would never agree to you bringing me back to Xianyang. Even if Prince Jianghua acts chaotically, he’s still covering for you. If you had accepted those two hundred women, it would show that you’re not as devoted to me as the world thinks, preventing people from using me as an excuse to attack you when you return to the capital. Such good intentions – you should appreciate them.”

Qin Zhiyan smiled faintly as he listened to Qing Xia speak. After she finished, he said seriously: “Have I received few attacks over the years? Even without you, they would definitely find other excuses. Don’t worry about these matters – I’ll handle them properly. As for you, you should rest well and recover. Don’t you like looking at geographical maps? When you’re better, we’ll visit each place one by one, traveling to all the famous mountains and rivers under heaven. How about that?”

Qing Xia nodded and was about to speak when suddenly there was a loud crash outside, startling Da Huang so much that it jumped up and crashed hard into the cabinet.

“What’s happening outside?” Qin Zhiyan raised an eyebrow and asked sternly.

“Your Highness!” Lian Zhou said breathlessly, obviously having just run over, reporting: “Prince Jianghua brought dozens of women and climbed over the wall from the north using ladders!”

Even someone as gentle and calm as Qin Zhiyan felt his head pounding at this moment. With a long sigh, he said: “I’ll go take a look first. You rest for now.”

“Mm,” Qing Xia smiled: “Go ahead. He’s determined as iron – you’ll have plenty to deal with.”

Qin Zhiyan helplessly stood up and walked out. Qing Xia leaned against the headboard, watching Da Huang become lively now that its main tormentor had left, the smile gradually fading from her face, leaving only an unmaskable loneliness.

In the evening, this traveling palace that had been empty for years suddenly became lively. With over a hundred young women added at once, the entire palace seemed filled with the fragrance of cosmetics and powder. Box after box of silk, satin, rouge, and powder were carried in for over three hours without finishing. Though Qin Zhiyan had already declared these women free to leave – those with families could return home – few were willing to depart. He then announced that unmarried officers in the Yan Division could freely choose, and as long as the women had no objections, they could marry. Only then did he set aside some of his concerns.

After dealing with the Xifeng city governor who had been frightened out of his wits today, he made a trip to Qing Xia’s room. The room was warm and cozy, filled with the smell of medicinal soup. Qing Xia sat on the bed with a large wooden basin in front of her, the bedding pushed aside. Half her clothes were already wet, her hair disheveled as she rolled up her sleeves, struggling fiercely with Da Huang who was swimming and fighting in the basin.

Seeing Qin Zhiyan, Qing Xia quickly called: “Quick, come help me.”

Qin Zhiyan walked over with amusement: “What are you doing?”

“I’m giving it a bath,” Qing Xia said breathlessly. “It absolutely refuses.”

Suddenly Da Huang broke free from Qing Xia’s clutches, standing in the basin and frantically shaking the water from its body, splashing water droplets all over Qing Xia and Qin Zhiyan’s heads and faces.

Qin Zhiyan was always elegant and rarely in such disarray. Seeing his appearance, Qing Xia couldn’t help but smile, but then suddenly remembered he couldn’t catch cold. She quickly grabbed the clean white cloth prepared for Da Huang and was about to kneel up, but the movement pulled at her chest wound, causing sharp pain that made her bend over.

Qin Zhiyan was alarmed and quickly sat on the bed, nervously half-embracing her as he said sternly: “Does it hurt? I’ll call Master Baishi.”