In the soft glow of paper lanterns and candlelight, Xia Jingshi sat motionless at the table, unconsciously counting the drips of the water clock.
In the instant the massive tree collapsed, Xiao Weiran had pushed him out of harm’s way with all his might. As a result, Xia Jingshi only suffered minor scrapes, while Weiran took the full brunt of the impact. Severely injured, Weiran had shown no signs of improvement. However, the physician said he had only suffered internal injuries and would gradually recover with bed rest.
The broken rope had been found. One look was enough to tell it was an old rope, weathered by sun and wind, with an uneven break that showed no signs of deliberate sabotage. Yet the craftsmen swore that the rope they had originally received with the log was new…
Could someone have switched it? If it wasn’t an accident, then what had happened?
Xia Jingshi rubbed his temples in frustration, then stood up to push open the half-closed window. A cool night breeze immediately rushed in.
Besides Weiran’s injuries, Feng Xiyang’s close association with the royal family in the inner city also worried him greatly—if it weren’t for the mandatory pilgrimage, he would never have set foot in the imperial capital again.
He had originally planned to return to Lu City after moving his mother’s mausoleum, but given Weiran’s condition, it would likely be at least a month before they could depart.
He could only hope that no further incidents would occur during this time.
As dawn barely broke, a lone rider galloped along the official road outside the Splendid Holy City. The horse’s mouth and nose constantly sprayed white foam as it ran, showing signs of extreme fatigue.
Since entering the borders of the Splendid Kingdom, Ning Fei had left his four deputy generals far behind. He changed horses at every border post, replenishing water and provisions along the way. Riding without rest, he had returned to the imperial capital in less than ten days.
As the outer city came into view in the distance, Ning Fei gritted his teeth and cracked his whip once more on the horse’s flank, speeding towards the city gate.
“Open the gate!” Ning Fei shouted as he leaped from his horse, wiping the sweat mixed with morning dew from his face. He pounded on the gate, calling out, “Which squad is on night duty? Come open the gate!”
“It’s not even daybreak yet, what’s all the noise about?” A garrison officer lazily poked his head out from atop the city wall. Seeing it was Ning Fei, he immediately perked up. “Oh, General Ning, you’re back!” Before Ning Fei could respond, the officer had already ducked back inside.
In just a moment, there was a thunderous sound of the inner bolt dropping, and the city gate swung open. The junior officer and several guards came out to greet him. “General Ning, you’ve made such quick time. I thought it would take at least half a month—eh? Where are the others?”
“I rode ahead,” Ning Fei said hastily as he mounted his horse, not bothering with pleasantries. He quickly asked, “How is His Highness’s injury? Where is he?”
The junior officer smiled and replied, “The Prince of Zhen Nan is currently doing well. He’s naturally staying at Ming De Palace…”
Upon hearing this, Ning Fei tossed back a “Thank you” and galloped away. The rhythmic sound of hoofbeats echoed particularly clearly in the dim, empty streets.
“Thanks?” The junior officer snorted softly, giving a knowing look to the guards beside him. “Did you hear that? He thanked us. Well, I suppose that makes all these days of guard duty worthwhile.” The others immediately burst into snickers.
Feng Suige leaned against the cushions in the corner of the carriage, with Fu Yixiao sleeping on his lap. He gently brushed away the strands of hair falling across her cheek, then idly played with the ends of her hair.
On that spring night when he had abducted her, he had watched her this closely too. The difference was that back then, he had gazed upon a face so peaceful and serene in sleep. Now, even in her dreams, her brows were furrowed. Compared to Fu Yixiao who burned as brightly as fire during the day, she now appeared delicate and fragile, profound yet sorrowful, beautiful yet lonely.
Perhaps it was the carriage wheel hitting a pothole, causing a slight jolt and a small noise. Yixiao was immediately startled awake, her eyes fluttering open. He quickly soothed her, patting her gently and saying softly, “It’s nothing, go back to sleep.” Yixiao smiled at him hazily, turned over, and fell back into an exhausted slumber.
At Yixiao’s insistence, Xue Ying had moved from her carriage to share with Yixiao. Every night, Yixiao would secretly get up to keep watch until dawn. Only when most of the Splendid Kingdom’s imperial guards had risen would she sneak into Feng Suige’s carriage for a brief nap.
Feng Suige’s fingers traced the slight dark circles under her eyes. He had once asked Yixiao why she insisted on personally guarding Xue Ying. After a moment of silence, Yixiao answered with two words: “I’m afraid.”
Yes, she was afraid.
She was terrified that with one moment of carelessness, Xue Ying would vanish before her eyes again. If anything were to happen to Xue Ying, she would never be able to forgive herself. And he didn’t want to see that deathly stillness in Yixiao’s eyes again—that would be just a body without a soul, not Fu Yixiao…
Just as he had said, because he was a son, because he was still a royal subject, because he would become the ruler of the country, there were many things he was powerless to change. His father’s stubbornness also left him feeling guilty about abducting Yixiao.
If he hadn’t brought her back to Xu Sha that day, if he hadn’t drawn her into the vortex of palace intrigue, perhaps she would now be living happily in some corner of the world, rather than being constantly on guard against everyone around her, day and night.
But he didn’t regret it. If he hadn’t abducted her, how could he be by Yixiao’s side like this now, greedily drinking in the sight of her sleeping face, waiting for her to wake up and smile again?
So he had always been trying to make amends for his father. He only hoped that one day his father would truly understand Yixiao’s heart, and Yixiao would be able to forgive his father’s overly stubborn words and actions in the past. From then on, the two of them could set aside all grievances, no longer resenting or opposing each other.
He just didn’t know how far away that day might be.