Fan Changyu was stunned for a good while after hearing his words.
Suddenly, she cupped his face and quickly stood on her tiptoes to give him a quick peck on the lips.
Before Xie Zheng could react, she swiftly opened the door and bounded out a few steps. Only then did she turn back under the dim glow of the eaves lantern, trying to maintain her composure with a straight face? “Um… I can go back by myself. Don’t escort me. It’s late, you should rest early too.”
Without waiting for Xie Zheng’s response, she walked towards a small path.
Xie Zheng raised his hand to touch his lips, still somewhat dazed.
With her back to him, he couldn’t see the deep blush on her face. All he could glimpse were the tips of her ears, tinged pink in the moonlight.
He called out, “Changyu.”
Fan Changyu didn’t turn around, only raising a hand to wave behind her, “I said you don’t need to escort me. I’ll be there in a few more steps.”
He tugged at the corner of his mouth slightly, saying softly, “You’re going the wrong way. That leads to the kitchen.”
Fan Changyu stumbled, nearly falling over.
The air was silent for several breaths before she turned around, walking towards another path with a seemingly normal expression. She explained matter-of-factly, “It’s too dark. I couldn’t see the path.”
As she continued walking forward, she heard a faint chuckle from Xie Zheng behind her.
Fan Changyu ignored him, half annoyed and half embarrassed at herself. For some reason, her heart was still beating rapidly, as if a small deer was prancing inside her chest.
She returned to the east wing with her head down. The Blood Robe Riders on night duty saw her return and immediately brought her hot water for washing up.
After a quick wash, Fan Changyu flopped onto the bed, staring at the dark canopy above. Remembering her embarrassing moment on the way back, she silently pulled the nearby blanket over her head.
How could she have made such a fool of herself?
Yet her heart was still pounding, a mix of embarrassment and an indescribable joy enveloping her.
Perhaps it was because she had been too slow in matters of the heart, or because she had been preoccupied with too many thoughts before. Only after this night of opening up completely did she realize that liking Xie Zheng seemed to be an extremely joyful thing.
Thinking of him made her want to smile for no reason.
It became too stuffy under the blanket, and she was about to poke her head out for some air.
At that moment, the window made a soft sound. Fan Changyu instantly became alert, her hand reaching for the boning knife hidden under her pillow.
The edge of the bed sank slightly, and Xie Zheng’s clear voice was particularly distinct in the darkness: “Are you asleep?”
Fan Changyu released her grip on the knife handle and poked her head out from under the blanket.
Her hair was mussed, with a few strands sticking up. Her eyes were clear, and her face was slightly flushed from being under the blanket for too long. She exuded a charming naivety as she asked, “Why did you come over?”
Xie Zheng lay down directly, still clothed. His large hand slipped under the brocade quilt, wrapping around her waist and pulling her into his embrace. “Don’t worry, no one saw me come. I’ll leave before dawn.”
Fan Changyu choked slightly, “Isn’t this too much trouble…”
Xie Zheng’s firm chest pressed against her back as he lowered his head to inhale the faint fragrance of her hair. “It’s no trouble,” he said.
His breath tickled Fan Changyu’s nape, making her feel a bit itchy. She tried to move away, but Xie Zheng pulled her back. However, after that, he behaved very properly, as if he had truly come just to sleep while holding her.
Fan Changyu was about to let it be, but after being held for a while, she felt something pressing against her from behind. Her expression changed slightly, and she couldn’t help but say, “You… maybe you should go back to sleep?”
Xie Zheng held her motionless, his voice deep and husky as he replied, “Don’t talk. Sleep.”
Fan Changyu heard the restrained tone in his voice and didn’t dare move. She didn’t speak again either, just lying there in his arms, feeling as if she were on pins and needles. Perhaps she was truly tired, as her breathing gradually evened out.
Xie Zheng listened to her steady breathing, opening his eyes to gaze at her sleeping face in the darkness. After watching silently for a while, he lowered his head and caught a soft patch of skin on her neck between his teeth, gently nibbling and sucking until he left a red mark before releasing it.
He pulled her even tighter into his embrace, slightly adjusting his position. With his chin resting on the hollow of her shoulder, he too closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
When Fan Changyu woke up the next day, Xie Zheng was indeed gone, as promised.
After washing up, she went to the front hall to have breakfast with Xie Zheng. He needed to prepare for his “return to the capital,” and Fan Changyu, after her discussion with Zhu Youchang yesterday, wanted to go to the prison to interrogate the loyal servants of the Sui family who had been brought to the capital, hoping to extract some useful information.
Zhu Youchang, upon learning that Changning was also in the capital, wanted to meet her. However, given the current unclear situation, to avoid exposing the location of the estate and potentially attracting Wei Yan’s assassins, it was decided to wait until Wei Yan was officially convicted before arranging a meeting.
Outside the estate, a carriage was prepared to take Fan Changyu back. She had come empty-handed, but when leaving, Xie Zheng gave her all the military books with his annotations and several maps from his room.
Fan Changyu didn’t refuse, accepting them all without hesitation.
Xie Zheng still had to arrange various matters for his “return to the capital,” including submitting a memorial to the young emperor about his return. Only after he led his troops through Zhengyang Gate would he be able to officially appear in the capital.
So it was Xie Eleven who ended up escorting Fan Changyu back.
She had already settled in the carriage when the heavy curtain was suddenly lifted.
It was a rare fine day. Xie Zheng held up the curtain with one hand, pressing it against the carriage door. The warm sunlight fell on his dark eyelashes, softening his usually stern features.
He looked at Fan Changyu and said, “Take these military books back and read them slowly. If there’s anything you don’t understand, write it down and ask me next time.”
Fan Changyu had the stack of books on her lap, with the topmost one already open, clearly having started reading as soon as she got in the carriage.
She nodded, glancing at Xie Zheng before her gaze returned to the open page of the book.
When she focused on something, her whole being exuded a sort of earnest silliness that was inexplicably endearing. Because of the sunlight streaming in through the carriage door, her long lashes were half-lowered, creating a fluffy fringe. Her swollen lips appeared even fuller.
Xie Zheng looked at her, his eyes narrowing slightly. Suddenly, he said, “Is there already something you don’t understand? Let me see.”
With that, he lowered the curtain and stepped into the carriage.
Fan Changyu stared at him in bewilderment. Aware that the carriage was right at the estate’s gate and that any slight movement inside would draw the attention of the guards at the door, she didn’t dare struggle when Xie Zheng held the back of her head and kissed her.
As the kiss ended, Xie Zheng glanced at the open page of the military book on her lap. His breathing was not yet steady, but his tone was as cool as ever, betraying no abnormality: “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting. Thus, the highest form of generalship is to balk at the enemy’s plans; the next best is to prevent the junction of the enemy’s forces; the next in order is to attack the enemy’s army in the field; and the worst policy of all is to besiege walled cities. Therefore, in military strategy, attacking the enemy’s strategy is of supreme importance. Most often, this involves attacking the enemy’s mind.”
Fan Changyu listened to him grandly summarizing this page of military strategy while panting slightly, continuing to glare at him.
Her hands had already clenched into fists, but remembering that Zhu Youchang and the others were just outside, she ultimately held back.
For the first time, she realized how shameless this man could be!
Xie Zheng seemed to read her thoughts from her wide-open almond eyes. He tugged at the corner of his mouth in a silent smile, then leaned down to kiss her lips again before saying in a low voice, “I’m going now.”
Only after Xie Zheng had jumped down from the carriage did Xie Eleven, who had been stroking the horse’s mane and checking if the reins were securely fastened in front, climb onto the driver’s seat.
Zhu Youchang, sitting in a wheelchair, was pushed out of the main gate by a Blood Robe Rider to see Fan Changyu off.
As the carriage disappeared into the distance, Xie Zheng also mounted his horse and left the estate with several Blood Robe Riders to join the second wave of troops returning to the capital, creating the illusion that he had “just” returned from the northern territories.
Zhu Youchang said with great satisfaction, “If the old general knew that niece Changyu had attained the position of a third-rank official in the court and gained the Marquis’s favor, allowing the Meng family to continue serving the Xie clan, he would be able to face General Xie with a smile in the afterlife.”
Xie Zhong watched the carriages and horses heading south and north without saying a word.
His lord’s feelings for the Cloud and Mist General were probably not as simple as comradeship…
Fan Changyu had often been in military camps before, so Zhao Daniang and her husband, along with Changning, were already accustomed to her being away from home for several days at a time.
Yesterday, when she left the Memorial Institute, she had also instructed Xie Seven, so when she returned, the elderly couple and Changning thought she had gone to handle some official business and weren’t overly worried.
Changning excitedly held up a bamboo basket with a rabbit inside, showing it to her: “Sister, sister, look at Ningniang’s little rabbit!”
Fan Changyu had previously said she wouldn’t let Changning keep pets, fearing it would be troublesome when they left the capital. But now that the rabbit was already here, she didn’t scold her. She just smiled and said, “Did you persuade your Seventh Uncle to win this for you, or was it your Fifth Uncle?”
Changning’s large grape-like eyes were shining brightly as she exclaimed happily, “Bao’er won it for me!”
Fan Changyu was surprised: “Bao’er knows how to play pitch-pot?”
That child wasn’t much older than Changning and usually seemed quite gentle. He had a good memory for reciting poetry and books, but in terms of being lively, he wasn’t as playful as Changning.
Xie Five, who had accompanied Yu Bao’er out yesterday, smiled and answered, “The young master spent the whole afternoon playing pitch-pot at the vendor’s stall. He almost pawned his jade pendant to the vendor, but finally managed to win. The vendor was so pleased that he even gave him a rabbit lantern.”
It turned out that Yu Bao’er had gone out yesterday to act as a fortune god for someone, leaving Fan Changyu both amused and exasperated.
She looked at Yu Bao’er, who was standing quietly with pursed lips, and squatted down to him. “When your aunt has time tomorrow, I’ll take you back to that vendor and win back everything from his stall!”
Changning perked up at this, clapping her hands in delight. “Win everything back! Then Ningniang will also set up a stall and let people play pitch-pot!”
Fan Changyu couldn’t help but chuckle, pinching her soft, chubby cheeks. “Ningniang is quite the little money-grubber, isn’t she? Already knows how to make money!”
Changning glanced nervously at Yu Bao’er, twisting her fingers. “Bao’er spent all his money playing pitch-pot. I’m his little aunt, so I have to earn it back for him.”
This made both Aunt Zhao and Uncle Zhao burst into laughter.
Aunt Zhao praised, “Our Ningniang is acting like a little aunt now.”
Changning’s eyes squinted with joy, her lips curling up, and her little chest puffed out a bit.
Only Yu Bao’er shot a glance at Changning, looking somewhat displeased.
After watching the two little ones, Fan Changyu returned to her room to put away the military books Xie Zheng had given her, but Yu Bao’er followed her like a little shadow. “Changyu Auntie.”
He clenched his fists, hesitating to speak.
Fan Changyu asked, “What’s wrong, Bao’er?”
Yu Bao’er looked at her and said, “I want to learn martial arts.”
This question gave Fan Changyu a slight headache. Given Yu Bao’er’s noble status, the hardships of practicing martial arts would be considerable, and falling and getting hurt were common.
She replied, “Learning martial arts is very tough. Why do you suddenly want to learn?”
Yu Bao’er lowered his long lashes, pursing his lips in silence. After a while, he said, “I just want to learn. If I can be as strong as Aunt Changyu, I can protect my mother in the future.”
The incident when the Crown Prince’s men tried to abduct Yu Qianqian and her son left a significant shadow in Yu Bao’er’s heart.
Hearing him say this, Fan Changyu’s expression turned serious.
She said, “Learning martial arts is hard, but the most valuable part is persistence. Studying is like rowing upstream; if you don’t advance, you will retreat. Learning martial arts is the same. How about this: I’ll teach you the basics first. If you can endure this hardship and stick with it, I’ll teach you more later.”
Yu Bao’er nodded vigorously. “Okay.”
Changning, having overheard their conversation, suddenly popped up and declared, “Ningniang wants to learn too! In the future, I’ll punch a bad guy flat and slap a pig unconscious!”
As she spoke, she waved her little fists.
Fan Changyu couldn’t help but facepalm, remembering how Changning had once helped with the pig slaughtering.
She said, “You shouldn’t mess around since your health isn’t good.”
Changning had a wheezing condition and often struggled to breathe.
When Fan Changyu’s mother was pregnant with her, she encountered the Jinzhou incident, and it was Fan Changyu’s father who rescued her. They had fled to Jizhou, suffering along the way, and it was only because Fan Changyu was strong that she was born safely.
However, her mother’s health had not improved over the years. It wasn’t until she was nearly ten that she had Changning. Due to her mother’s weak constitution, Changning was born small and frail, and she had a congenital wheezing condition, which meant she had to take medicine constantly from the moment she started eating.
When she was little, she refused to drink goat’s milk because of its strong taste, and it was only when Fan Changyu secretly mixed in some sugar that she was coaxed into drinking it.
After joining the army, Fan Changyu earned money but never stopped providing medicine for Changning.
When Changning heard Fan Changyu refuse her, she hurried over, tugging at her sleeve insistently. “No, no! Ningniang wants to learn!”
Perhaps afraid that Fan Changyu would still disagree, her eyes began to redden, and her voice turned nasal as if she was about to cry from grievance.
Fan Changyu’s heart softened. She bent down to pat Changning’s head and said, “Ningniang, be good. Your sister will find the best doctor in the capital to treat you. If the doctor says you can learn martial arts, then I’ll teach you, okay?”
Changning finally nodded, albeit reluctantly.
Having gained a lead on investigating Wei Yan from Zhu Youchang, Fan Changyu was busy with a multitude of matters. However, getting a doctor for Changning was equally urgent, so that afternoon, she sent Xie Five out to inquire about renowned doctors in the capital.
As Fan Changyu hurried off, Yu Bao’er looked at the still unhappy Changning and said, “It’s okay if you can’t learn martial arts. In the future, I’ll protect you.”
Changning pouted, her face scrunching up in anger. “No way!”
Yu Bao’er asked, “Why not?”
Changning’s chubby fingers fiddled with the pearl button on her clothes, feeling awkward. “If you get stronger than me, I won’t be able to beat you anymore.”
Yu Bao’er replied, “Then in the future, if you hit me, I won’t fight back.”
Changning’s round eyes glanced at him sideways. “Really?”
Yu Bao’er nodded. “Really.”
Changning’s lips finally curled up uncontrollably, and she extended her chubby little pinky. “Then let’s make a pinky promise. If you go back on your word, you’ll be a little dog.”
Yu Bao’er linked her pinky with hers, saying earnestly, “Okay, it’s a promise.”
—
**In the Palace.**
Qi Sheng stared at the memorial that had just arrived in the palace that morning, pacing anxiously in the hall. “Xie Zheng is about to return to the capital, but Wei Yan hasn’t informed me of his response to the accusations against the Li faction…”
His eyes were bloodshot with rage as he kicked the dragon table. “If Xie Zheng turns against me like that old bastard from the Li family and sides with the heir of the Chengde Crown Prince, then his return will mean he’s trying to push me off this dragon throne!”
“I need to think of a way, think of a way…”
The newly appointed chief eunuch was a shrewd man and immediately flattered, “Your Majesty, don’t worry. The Marquis of Wuan holds a strong military force. If he turns against the heir of the Chengde Crown Prince, it’s only to bring down Wei Yan. Once the heir of the Chengde Crown Prince usurps the throne, he can be promised rewards. You can promise the Marquis of Wuan the same now. As long as he helps you, first deal with the Li family, then bring down Wei Yan, and give him the position originally meant for Wei Yan. That’s better than helping the heir of the Chengde Crown Prince and having to share power with the Li family.”
Since Xie Zheng had defied the imperial edict and even cut off the ear of the eunuch who delivered it, Qi Sheng had always remembered the hatred of being disrespected by imperial authority.
He was a thousand times unwilling to let Xie Zheng take Wei Yan’s position, but now it was clear that Wei Yan could do nothing about the Li family. Qi Sheng began to waver about whether Wei Yan could help him keep his throne.
His slightly bulging eyes fixed intently on the eunuch. “I’ve already made enemies with him to this extent. Can you think of a way to win him over?”
This question left the eunuch speechless. Under Qi Sheng’s seemingly predatory gaze, he could only force a smile and say, “For men, what can be used to win them over? It’s nothing but power, wealth, and beauty.”
This statement was essentially useless.
Qi Sheng, however, sat back down on the dragon throne, propping his head with one hand. His slightly bulging eyes were bloodshot. “Beauty? I wanted to marry her to him and my elder sister. How has he treated me?”
The eunuch’s eyes darted, and he suddenly said, “The Princess Chang seems to have connections with the Marquis of Wuan…”
Qi Sheng’s eyelids shot up, and he sneered, “He Xie Zheng rejected my marriage proposal and then turned around to have dealings with my elder sister. What does he want? My elder sister has also disappointed me. I’ve treated her so well, and she’s looking for a way out for herself?”
His gaze turned cold as he suddenly looked at the eunuch. “How did you find out about this?”
The eunuch’s legs went weak, and he knelt. “I wouldn’t dare deceive Your Majesty. I have a godson who has become a matchmaker with a maid in Princess Chang’s palace. When that maid went in to serve tea, she accidentally overheard the Princess giving orders to her trusted eunuch to ensure that a letter was delivered to the Marquis of Wuan.”
Qi Sheng’s fingers began to tap rhythmically on the armrest of the dragon throne, the sound of his nails clashing with the metal was particularly grating. “What movements have the Princess made recently?”
The eunuch discreetly observed Qi Sheng, speaking in a low voice, “I’ve heard that people from Princess Chang’s palace have been frequently visiting the Cold Palace lately, getting quite close to a mad maid from the late Concubine Jia’s palace…”
Qi Sheng’s fingers dug in harder, the neatly trimmed nails were worn down by the carved armrest, leaving uneven notches. He murmured, “She’s helping Xie Zheng investigate the matter of the Sixteenth Prince… What does Xie Zheng want with the Sixteenth Prince?”
One of his nails broke under the pressure.
This slight pain jolted Qi Sheng from his thoughts, and he suddenly raised his head.
His bulging eyes gleamed ominously, causing the eunuch to break out in goosebumps under his gaze.
Qi Sheng smiled, a strange excitement flickering in his expression as he fixed his gaze on the chief eunuch. “Go, bring that mad maid from the Cold Palace to me. Make sure she’s clean and doesn’t let my elder sister catch wind of anything.”