Nan Xuzong gently placed her down beside him, holding her small hand in his. "Wu Shang, I will never abandon you, and you will never leave me."
"Hmm." Ji Wushang lowered his eyes with a slight smile.
He carefully observed her reaction and watched her every move. Ji Wushang felt a sudden sense of relief and picked up a piece of food, placing it in his bowl. "Eat your food!"
The surrounding guests were all delighted.
Time flies, and the guests all returned to their homes. The birthday banquet was a great success, and most people were happy, except for a few who were difficult to please.
After seeing the people off, Ji Wushang ordered her servants to tidy up. As night deepened, she returned to Moxuan Garden. Just as she took a step, she saw Nan Xuzong already waiting for her at the door.
Ji Wushang stepped forward with a smile, "Cong".
"Are you tired?" Nan Xuzong looked at her. She was standing behind him, pushing his wheelchair, and he was helping to push it too.
"I'm not tired." Ji Wushang smiled. "Being able to come back makes everything worthwhile."
“Wu Shang…” Nan Xuzong uttered a sentence with endless emotion. His eyes were somewhat gleaming as he looked at her and they entered the Mo Xuan Garden together.
Zhuangshu Garden.
Nan Jinxue was sitting on one side, while Nan Xianxian and Nan Zaiqing were on the other. At the head of the table sat Aunt Zhao. Aunt Zhao's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. "Today, we've truly had our eyes opened!"
"Hmph, I didn't expect my brother to come back so punctually!"
"Everyone will rebuild their image of the Crown Prince. In their eyes, although he has a leg ailment, he is no longer a good-for-nothing! Marquis, Jin Xue, aren't you worried?" Aunt Zhao looked at everyone present, then at Nan Jin Xue. "Your father is starting to change his opinion of him!"
“Ultimately, it’s all because of my sister-in-law… The couple are now of one mind. If someone else were to interfere, they would surely fall apart on their own! What would we have to worry about then?” Nan Zaiqing said, looking at the teacup in front of him and taking a sip.
Aunt Zhao turned her gaze to Nan Zaiqing, looked him up and down, and asked, "What does Qing'er think?"
“Isn’t Miss Zhao still at the manor? I’ve heard that Miss Zhao is still unmarried!” Nan Zaiqing smiled innocently.
Aunt Zhao nodded.
Nan Jinxue then said, "No rush. There's something strange about my elder brother's return today. Also, I heard that he went to the Western Regions to bring back the second son of the Prince of Zhenbei and the princess of the Western Regions. There must be more to this than meets the eye. I will inform the Second Prince and let him make a decision!"
"Yes, the sooner the better!" Aunt Zhao looked at Nan Jinxue. "The Second Prince may be the future Crown Prince. Jinxue, you should be careful to stay by his side!"
"Jin Xue understands!" Nan Jin Xue's lips twitched.
Bei Gong Minhao returned to his courtyard, only to find Gao Fengfen waiting for him. As Bei Gong Minhao was about to leave, she called out, "Minhao!"
Beigong Minhao stopped and said, "Hmm." He didn't intend to turn around.
"Why didn't you take me to the banquet?" Gao Fengfen caught up and grabbed Bei Gongminhao's waist from behind. Bei Gongminhao felt a wave of nausea rise in his heart, but he forced it down. "I said some harsh words before, that I couldn't let you go out, so I still didn't take you. I'll try my best to make it up to you in the future."
He turned around, pried her hands off, and placed them back down. "How well did you do what I asked you to do?"
"It's all healed!" Gao Fengfen's brows furrowed with a hint of joy. "It's in my arms, come and take it!"
Beigong Minhao almost vomited when he heard this. Her expression made it seem like she wanted someone to rape her!
"Hehe, wait for me in the room later, I have some things to take care of." Bei Gongminhao managed to force a faint smile. With that, he turned and left.
Gao Fengfen was still basking in the beauty of the moment when she opened her eyes and found that the person was gone!
Just as she was about to lose her temper, she saw Beigong Minhao's personal guard come over. "Princess Consort, please go back! The Crown Prince said that you should wait for him in your room."
"Okay." Gao Fengfen went back.
Beigong Minhao sat in his study and gently waved his hand. Shadow fell to the ground and knelt to receive his orders.
"Go and fetch me the letter," Bei Gongminhao said. "Also, please have Jueshi and the princess come with you."
The shadow nodded and vanished instantly.
Before long, the sound of two footsteps approached. Beigong Minhao raised his head and his eyes first saw a pair of black boots and a pair of embroidered shoes with light-colored beige flowers.
He looked up at Bei Gong Jue Shi and Yi Yun Mu Chen.
At this moment, Yi Yun Muchen had a hint of embarrassment on his face, not knowing what to say or do, and could only look at the elder brother that Bei Gong Jue Shi was talking about.
"Brother," Bei Gong Jue Shi spoke first.
Yi Yunmu Chen timidly followed suit, calling out, "Brother."
Bei Gongminhao looked at Yi Yun Muchen, then at Bei Gongjueshi, his already serious face growing even darker. He stood up from his desk and walked over to Bei Gongjueshi.
The two were about the same height, but to be precise, Beigong Jueshi was slightly taller than him.
Beigong Minhao slightly raised his eyes and looked at him, "So you know you're back? Hmm?"
"Brother," Bei Gong Jue Shi lowered his voice, "Don't frighten her..."
"Alright, it's good that you're back." Bei Gongminhao softened his tone. He had seen what Ji Yinxue was like, and his younger brother's departure wasn't such a bad thing!
"This is...?" Bei Gongminhao looked at Yi Yun Muchen. "Is this Princess Muchen of the Western Regions?"
“It’s me.” Yi Yun Muchen looked at Bei Gong Minhao, whose face was serious, and nodded with a hint of awe in her heart.
"You guys?" Beigong Minhao changed his expression.
"They're married," Bei Gong Jue Shi said.
"...This doesn't make sense...you know that." Bei Gongminhao shook his head. Judging from Yi Yun Muchen's appearance just now, she was indeed no longer as innocent as a young girl, so Bei Gongminhao must have guessed that they had already consummated their marriage.
"I will go to the palace tomorrow to request the Emperor to grant us a marriage." Bei Gong Jue Shi also had a hint of nervousness. He and she could not hide in the shadows forever. They either had to run away and not have to worry about any of this, or he had to give her a proper status.
“We can’t ask for a marriage without a reason… His Majesty doesn’t know that Princess Muchen has arrived in the capital. So, for now, what you need is to find the King of the Western Regions and have him arrange for Princess Muchen to marry you under the guise of a marriage alliance.” Bei Gongminhao frowned. However, to be honest, he didn’t even know what Yiyun Shangcheng was thinking. Whether they would marry Princess Muchen to Jueshi was a question!
Moreover, this time, it was Nan Xuzong who brought them out from the Western Regions... This is a blow to Yiyun Upper City!
Yi Yun Muchen trembled. "I... I can't look for my brother anymore. I can go to the palace myself!"
"The King of the Western Regions is here, and you are entering the palace alone. His Majesty will surely be suspicious and will invite the King of the Western Regions in. If the King of the Western Regions refuses you outright after entering the palace, then your marriage with Jueshi will not come to fruition. Princess Mu Chen, please think carefully!"
"Then what should we do? Is the only option to find the King of the Western Regions?" Bei Gong Jue Shi looked at him, hoping he could come up with a good solution.
“There will be a way. You all go back first, find a place to stay temporarily, and don’t let anyone find you.” Beigong Minhao narrowed his eyes. “Remember, just hide for a while!”
"Yes." Bei Gong Jue Shi put his arm around Yi Yun Muchen's waist. "Let's go."
"Yes." Yi Yunmu nodded and followed him out.
Bei Gongminhao watched them disappear and sighed. Could he really not even protect his own brother's happiness? He could see that his brother truly loved Princess Muchen, but war between the two countries would likely break out again in the future! At that time, neither side would benefit! Yi Yun Muchen and Bei Gongjueshi would definitely be affected, and perhaps even the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion would be dragged down!
Beigong Minhao pursed his lips, tilted his head back, and lay on the chaise longue, pondering whether he should talk to him. But he felt a small weight on his chest.
Bei Gongminhao reached into his robes and took out the longevity cake wrapped in a silk handkerchief. He held it in his palm, carefully unwrapped the handkerchief, and stared intently at the cake. Exquisite, beautiful. He pictured Ji Wushang bustling about in the kitchen, meticulously preparing the cake.
With a smile on his lips, he heard a gust of wind. Bei Gongminhao quickly reached out and wrapped the longevity cake in the silk handkerchief, stuffing it into his bosom.
"Speak." His eyes were deep as he looked at the person kneeling on the ground.
An Ying handed over a letter. Bei Gongminhao took it, looked at the words written on it, and his lips twitched slightly.
As night deepened, Nan Xuzong sat at his desk, flipping through the books in front of him. It wasn't hard to imagine how many books Ji Wushang had read since he left. There were medical books, historical records of various states, even martial arts manuals and boxing manuals. She had even read the writings he had once done.
No wonder she knew her birthday; no wonder she chose to sing "Shang Xie" to herself. Flipping through the books he had once copied, he thought of her every little detail. A smile involuntarily crept onto Nan Xuzong's lips.
The footsteps drew closer.
Nan Xuzong looked up at the woman in a gauze dress who approached him. She was gently wiping her dark hair with a rhythmic up-and-down motion. His heart skipped a beat.
☆、169 The night is long! The water is warm for the lovers! (Brilliant!)
"All done washing?" Nan Xuzong asked, his dark eyes lingering on her body as ripples spread through his heart.
"Hmm." Ji Wushang smiled at him. "Do you want to go take a shower? I'll call Gong Shu in." As she spoke, she was about to walk forward, but Nan Xuzong grabbed her hand. "No need to call him."
"Hmm?" Ji Wushang turned around. "Aren't you going to shower? You've been working hard these past few days; a bath will make you feel refreshed. It's your birthday today, so take a shower!"
"I'll listen to you." Nan Xuzong thought for a moment and nodded. "I want your help." He lowered his head, a slight blush on his face.
What? Ji Wushang seemed to have misheard. He wanted him to help him bathe? He just didn't understand why he would suddenly have this idea... although it wasn't impossible.
"If you mind, then there's no need... Let Gong Shu do it instead, since he's good at it." Nan Xuzong saw her hesitation and didn't want to make things difficult for her.
"Well, let me do it!" Ji Wushang blushed slightly, not wanting to disappoint him. Since he had already brought it up, it was naturally on his mind... As his wife, it was only reasonable for her to do these things for her husband.
A hint of triumph flashed in Nan Xuzong's eyes, but it quickly disappeared. Getting her to help him bathe was indeed a difficult thing... No lady from a respectable family had ever served someone like this before, right? Unexpectedly, she did not refuse... Nan Xuzong was both surprised and delighted, his eyes fixed on Ji Wushang's face.
Ji Wushang stepped forward and said, "I... have never served anyone a bath before. You need to teach me... how to do it."
"Mmm." Nan Xuzong nodded, a feeling of happiness welling up inside him.
Ji Wushang, blushing slightly, took a few steps forward again to remove his jade crown, gently tying his hair back with a ribbon, and then pushed his wheelchair behind the screen. Inside, the hot water had just been changed by a maid, and steam rose from it. Nan Xuzong's face was full of satisfaction; the fatigue of the past three days seemed to have vanished in that moment. All he wanted was to spend a little more time with her, to see her a little more, to hold her a little more. Everything else could be less important, everything else could be forgiven. But he just couldn't let her leave him again, he just couldn't let her go.
Perhaps this is what it means to be alone in the night, in the Western Regions, thinking of everything about her, that feeling of longing, so painful, so unbearable. He thinks of her constantly, wondering if she's been bullied, if she's covered herself properly at night, if she's caught a chill, if she's been mistreated by her servants—and he'll certainly deal with those people! Not for his own title, but for her future! Perhaps this truly is love to the bone!
He knew she wasn't that weak; otherwise, she certainly wouldn't have survived in the general's mansion. However, she wasn't fighting alone now; she had married him and they were now one.
"What are you thinking about?" Ji Wushang asked when she saw him deep in thought, and she reached out to check the temperature of the hot water.
"I'm thinking about what happened in the past three days. Did they make things difficult for you or hurt you? Also, I'll install traps in Moxuan Garden to ensure your safety. I really didn't think things through before..."
“You weren’t focused on this manor before, so it was understandable that you didn’t take any precautions. There was nothing wrong with that,” Ji Wushang said. “Now that you’re taking precautions, that’s good.” Ji Wushang smiled, but in reality, he breathed a sigh of relief. He could finally figure out how to defend against those who could fly and walk on walls. Bei Gongminhao, Yi Yunshangcheng, Nan Jinxue… his martial arts skills were inferior to theirs. It was good to be on guard against them.
"What happened in the past three days? Hmm? Tell your husband." Nan Xuzong's handsome eyes were fixed on her, and he pulled her in front of him with his large hand. Her face was slightly red, and the heat was so intense that both of them felt a little hot even though they had just put on their gauze dresses.
Ji Wushang calmed himself down and recounted the events of the past three days, omitting the matter of Yiyun Shangcheng to avoid worrying him that he might impulsively confront Yiyun Shangcheng. He had already fallen out with Yiyun Shangcheng, and the road ahead might be difficult, but he didn't want him to worry. Finally, he said, "I feel that Aunt Zhao won't let this go easily."
Ji Wushang was unaware that he had unknowingly chosen to downplay the severity of the situation. Nan Xuzong's eyes deepened, and he said, "The power behind Aunt Zhao is not to be underestimated. In this backyard, infighting is commonplace. Be careful, and I will help you."
"Mm." Ji Wushang nodded.
"Please help me! It's getting late, and I... I really miss you so much," Nan Xuzong said in a rather tactful way.
Ji Wushang blushed and stepped forward, "How do I do it?"
"Help me up," Nan Xuzong said. "It will only take a moment."
Ji Wushang responded, knowing that his legs were weak and he couldn't stand for long. Moreover, when she helped him up from the wheelchair, he was trying his best to support his body and not let his weight fall on Ji Wushang's shoulders.
Ji Wushang supported him, saying, "Don't push yourself." Seeing him covered in sweat, she knew he was in pain, and how could she bear to let him suffer? "I... I've been practicing martial arts these past few days, so don't worry, I can't support you."
Nan Xuzong looked at her with slight surprise, but after a few seconds, he said, "Your body is too weak, no, let Gong Shu in!" He really couldn't let her suffer like this.
"You don't believe me?" Ji Wushang looked at him with a stubborn look in her eyes, determined that she could do it, she definitely could!
"I believe you." He looked at her slightly hurt eyes, his heart skipped a beat, and with a touch of pity, he said, "If you can't do it, then really give up."