“Eldest Miss…” Wei Zhong stepped across the threshold and, through the landscape painted silk screen, bowed to Bai Qingyan before saying, “The Ninth Prince of Yan has heard that His Majesty has arrived in Pingyang City. He has brought people to request an audience, wishing to discuss the alliance treaty with His Majesty.”
Xiao Rongyan has come…
A layer of extremely light smile appeared between Bai Qingyan’s brows. Perfect timing—she was just worrying about the content of these books left behind by Empress Ji. Xiao Rongyan was Empress Ji’s son, so he would surely understand more than she did.
“Please have the Ninth Prince wait in the front hall first. I’ll change my clothes and come right away!” Bai Qingyan said, picking up the bamboo slip beside her and gripping it tightly in her hand.
Hearing this, Chun Zhi silently went to fetch Bai Qingyan’s clothes.
·
The masked Xiao Rongyan was invited by Wei Zhong to the front hall for tea. Yue Shi and the guards who had come with the Ninth Prince of Yan were left at the entrance of the main hall of the prefect’s mansion, brushing the falling snow off their bodies, when they were attracted by the whistle sounds from the Bai family’s hidden guards.
Using the excuse of needing the privy for urgent business, Yue Shi followed the whistle sounds around to the side room at the back, where he saw that Bai family hidden guard waiting behind a tree.
Just as Yue Shi was about to show a smile, the Bai family’s hidden guard grabbed Yue Shi by the back collar and brought him into the pitch-black side room, closing the door behind them.
“You little rascal! What’s going on with you? The young master is gone… instead of coming to serve by the eldest miss’s side, how did you end up as a guard for that Yan Kingdom’s regent?” The Bai family’s hidden guard knocked Yue Shi on the forehead. “You were the young master’s guard. Would the eldest miss mistreat you? The eldest miss is the Emperor of Great Zhou. Following the eldest miss’s prospects—surely they’re not inferior to following a Yan Kingdom prince?”
Xiao Rongyan had mentioned this matter to Bai Qingyan before. He originally wanted Yue Shi to stay by Bai Qingyan’s side to protect her and the child, but was afraid that his mother-in-law Dong Shi would think he left Yue Shi beside Bai Qingyan to spy on intelligence. So he still kept Yue Shi by his side, but when going out… Xiao Rongyan had Yue Shi blend in among the guards, serving only as an ordinary guard.
Yue Shi knew this Bai family’s hidden guard was treating him as one of their own, which was why he had called him aside to say these words. He felt very grateful in his heart.
Yue Shi bowed deeply to the Bai family’s hidden guard: “The Ninth Prince of Great Yan once saved our master’s life, but our master didn’t have time to repay this kindness before he passed away. So… Yue Shi wants to stay by the Ninth Prince of Great Yan’s side, which can be considered repaying the debt on behalf of our master!”
When Xiao Rongyan had planned to keep Yue Shi by his side, he had already thought of this explanation. Yue Shi just needed to repeat it, but… deceiving the Bai family’s hidden guard who treated him sincerely inevitably made Yue Shi feel guilty.
Seeing Yue Shi’s undisguised guilty expression, the Bai family’s hidden guard opened his mouth but finally pressed his lips together. No matter what… Yue Shi was a good child who repaid kindness with gratitude.
The Bai family hidden guard placed his large hand on Yue Shi’s head and finally just said “take care” before slipping out of the side room first.
Yue Shi stood motionless in the side room. The lantern hanging in the corridor cast light through the partition, illuminating half of Yue Shi’s face full of guilt…
After a long while, Yue Shi finally came out of the side room. He looked at the falling snow, dyed golden yellow by the lantern firelight, and clenched his fists, not even knowing how he would face the Bai family’s hidden guard who trusted him so much when his master and the eldest miss were reunited in the future.
·
After the hot tea in Xiao Rongyan’s hand had been changed twice, he finally saw Bai Qingyan stepping across the main entrance threshold, supported by Chun Zhi’s hand.
Xiao Rongyan looked at the elegantly composed Bai Qingyan, gracefully lifted the hem of his robe, and stood up, bowing to Bai Qingyan: “This foreign minister pays respects to His Majesty…”
Bai Qingyan nodded: “Qing Zhu is guarding outside. No one else needs to follow inside… I have matters to discuss privately with the Ninth Prince of Great Yan.”
After speaking, she released Chun Zhi’s hand.
Chun Zhi quickly responded and withdrew from the main hall, closing the doors for Bai Qingyan and Xiao Rongyan, properly retreating behind Shen Qingzhu, but still couldn’t help glancing toward the room.
Wei Zhong, holding a whisk and standing opposite, coughed lightly and said with a smile: “Miss Chun Zhi…”
Chun Zhi quickly shrank her neck in fright, not daring to look anymore. She was still filled with fear toward Wei Zhong.
Wei Zhong maintained his smiling expression: “His Majesty has always been sensitive to cold. Miss Chun Zhi, why don’t you go back first and use a hot water bottle to warm His Majesty’s bed, so His Majesty can sleep more comfortably later.”
“Yes!” Chun Zhi clasped her hands in front of her lower abdomen, responded with a bow, and slowly withdrew.
At this time, the brightly lit main hall’s doors were tightly closed. Wei Zhong and Shen Qingzhu guarded on both sides of the main entrance, while the guards brought by the Ninth Prince of Great Yan stood under the corridor. Intimidated by the aura emanating from Shen Qingzhu that was even more bitter than the wind and snow, they remained completely silent.
Xiao Rongyan had originally thought that after not seeing each other for many days, Bai Qingyan would miss him very much. At least… when the two sat together, they should have some words of longing to share.
But as soon as they met, after he had just asked a few questions about Bai Qingyan and the child’s condition, she spread open the bamboo slips and beckoned Xiao Rongyan to come look, inquiring about the constitutional monarchy and republican system issues that Empress Ji had recorded on the bamboo slips. Bai Qingyan’s questions came one after another like a string of pearls.
Xiao Rongyan removed his mask and turned his head to look at Bai Qingyan, who was pointing at the text on the bamboo slips under the lamplight, seriously examining every word. Her exquisite features were illuminated brightly, especially those dark, calm eyes that carried a radiance when she was serious, making one unable to help but fall deeply into them.
Xiao Rongyan smiled and helped her sit down in the chair. He knelt on one knee in front of Bai Qingyan, gently caressing her gradually obvious abdomen, then supported the armrests on both sides of her chair and straightened up. He touched his straight nose to the tip of Bai Qingyan’s nose, gazing at her flawless skin outlined by the flickering lamplight. His deep eyes quietly watched her as his rich, low voice arose, pressed very low: “After so many days apart, has A’Bao missed me?”
Still immersed in the words left by Empress Ji, she looked into Xiao Rongyan’s deep eyes and only then came back to her senses with a start.
Perhaps due to the lamplight, she only felt that Xiao Rongyan’s voice seemed even more enchanting. Her heartbeat involuntarily quickened…
The two were very close, their breaths intertwining as they breathed. Her entire being was filled with the familiar, steady scent from the man’s body, making her palms itch and her ears gradually heat up. She restrained the shyness in her heart and put on a composed appearance as she looked at Xiao Rongyan: “Naturally, I missed you.”
Getting an affirmative answer, Xiao Rongyan lowered his eyes and gently held her hand, lightly kissing her palm before placing her hand on his shoulder and leaning down toward her…
When his straight nose touched the tip of her nose again, she instinctively held her breath. Before they could kiss… all the strength in her body seemed to be silently flowing away.
Pressure came from her lips. She gripped Xiao Rongyan’s solid wrist and tilted her head back to respond.
Because Bai Qingyan was pregnant, Xiao Rongyan didn’t dare to kiss her deeply, not knowing if it would have any effect on the child. He was also afraid that if his emotions ran too deep, he wouldn’t be able to control himself and might hurt Bai Qingyan and the child.