A pure heart in a jade pot - Chapter 175
Volume 3, Chapter 19
Upon returning to the camp, a maid served Zhao Yu a bowl of bird's nest porridge, which brought back some color to her face.
"Xiao Qi, let's go," Zhao Yu said to Mo Yan. "Maybe that turtle just likes to come out in the thick fog."
Mo Yan exclaimed in disbelief, "Ah! We're going to go turtle fishing again?" She secretly gave Ning Jin a wink, signaling him to persuade Zhao Yu.
"Stop fooling around. You're not fully recovered yet. How can you stay out in the wind every day?" Ning Jin emphasized his tone.
Zhao Yu smiled faintly and said, "Little Imperial Uncle, you don't need to worry about this."
"Are you just going to let your health deteriorate like this? How am I supposed to explain this to my elder brother?"
“If Father Emperor knew I did this, he would be happy too.” Zhao Yu’s voice was somewhat low.
"You go fishing every day, what do you want with that turtle?" Ning Jin asked curiously.
Mo Yan leaned close to his ear and whispered quickly, "The princess said she would give the tortoise to Yelü Hongji."
"Yelü Hongji?" Ning Jin understood the relationship after a moment's thought. "I understand your intention, but even if it's to give him something, you could have chosen something else. Why insist on this tortoise?"
“I have my own ideas, little royal uncle. You don’t need to worry. I know my own body. Besides, fishing isn’t that tiring.”
Ning Jin still disagreed: "Since you still call me Imperial Uncle, I can't just watch you ruin your body. What doesn't our Great Song have? Just tell me what rare treasures you want, and I'll find a way to get them for you. Why do you have to have that worthless turtle?"
“He may like rare and precious treasures, but they cannot move people’s hearts. What I want him to understand is my feelings.”
"You..." Ning Jin couldn't argue with her, his brows furrowed, and he sighed repeatedly. In the future, when Zhao Yu became Yelü Hongji's concubine, the many trials and tribulations she would face were beyond his help. But now, Zhao Yu's actions were to win Yelü Hongji's heart, so how could he possibly stop her?
"Little Imperial Uncle, there's not much I can do anymore, and it's rare that there's still this one thing I can do," Zhao Yu paused, a faint smile playing on his lips, evoking pity, "Please grant my request."
Having said all that, Ning Jin could only sigh and ask helplessly, "Then... what if you can't catch it? I've heard that the Five-Colored Divine Turtle is extremely rare. Even if you guard it every day, you might not be able to catch it."
"If I can't catch it, that's fate. I won't force it. I'll just do my best."
"Then I'll help you too, call more guards..."
Zhao Yu interrupted him: "No, I don't want to make a big fuss or let everyone know. Just me and Xiao Qi is enough."
Ning Jin stared at her for a long time without speaking. Finally, he smiled wryly and said, "Your demeanor just now was somewhat like that of my elder brother. When it comes to serious matters, you're just as stubborn."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yu smiled slightly: "Of course, I am his daughter."
The two looked at each other and smiled.
After a moment, Ning Jin stood up and finally stopped talking, only simply reminding her, "Wear something warm."
"I know, don't worry, little royal uncle."
Without saying another word, Ning Jin left the tent.
“Princess…” Mo Yan sighed, not expecting that Ning Jin would be persuaded by Zhao Yu instead.
Zhao Yu looked at her, raising an eyebrow slightly: "Let's go!" She stood up, went behind the screen to get her fox fur cloak.
Mo Yan did not move, and called out again, "Princess."
"What's wrong? You don't want to..."
She had only spoken half a sentence when Mo Yan's next words caught in her throat, and she couldn't say anything more.
Mo Yan's voice came from behind the screen, very soft and calm: "The person in your heart, is it Lord Yelü?"
In that instant, the outstretched hand froze in mid-air. Zhao Yu stood there, stunned, speechless for a long time.
She remained silent, but Mo Yan already knew the answer.
"So it really was him. And what about him..."
"Stop talking, there's absolutely no way it's possible for us to be together."
Mo Yan remained silent. Given Zhao Yu's current status and the imminent wedding ceremony, there was absolutely no possibility of a relationship between them. If they were truly in love, it would only be adding insult to injury for both of them. For a moment, she didn't know what to say. She had thought that missing her elder brother was already a source of great distress, but now she realized that Zhao Yu's pain and inner turmoil were probably even greater than her own.
Nothing happened that day. As evening approached, Mo Yan and Zhao Yu had just returned to camp when a guard came to report that the Xiao siblings were hosting a banquet in the camp that evening, inviting Prince Ning and the princess.
Zhao Yu instinctively didn't want to go, but Ning Jin was quite interested.
"Go, of course you have to go. If you don't go, you've already lost a step." Ning Jin was eager to stand up for Zhao Yu and couldn't bear to see her back down. He turned around and instructed the maids to carefully dress Zhao Yu and change her into the gorgeous robes for the banquet. He himself went back to his tent to change.
As the maid combed her hair, Zhao Yu called out to Mo Yan, "Xiao Qi, come with me."
“With His Highness Prince Ning with you, I don’t need to stand there,” Mo Yan said. “Besides, I really don’t want to see the Xiao siblings.” Three years ago, Xiao Xin almost hurt Zhan Zhao. Although it was a misunderstanding, just hearing Xiao Xin’s name made her feel suffocated.
Zhao Yu sighed softly and didn't press her further.
Seeing that there was nothing else to do, Mo Yan withdrew on her own. She had a quick meal with the maids and then wandered around by herself, intending to return to her tent to rest after digesting her food.
The fog that had lingered all day finally dissipated in the gentle snowfall. She pulled up the hood of her cloak, veiling her face low, avoiding looking at the passersby. Since arriving in Liao, fine weather had become a rare sight, and it seemed to have dragged down everyone's spirits.
After learning about Zhao Yu's feelings, Mo Yan felt increasingly depressed and sad.
Her older brother died, and she was powerless to do anything about it.
Yelü Pusa Nu was right in front of her, but the princess was powerless to help.
The misfortunes of life can be so heavy, so oppressive that it's hard to breathe. What can one possibly do?
She slumped back, exhaled a long breath, and watched the white mist dissipate in the air in an instant, but her sorrow did not lessen in the slightest. Thinking that she had been fishing for so many days without even seeing a glimpse of a turtle, her steps became increasingly weak and listless.