Qiu Lanxi discovered that after he made this decision, the princes seemed somewhat excited because Emperor Qinghe no longer regarded them as those who were being protected, but as people who could stand on their own.
But swords have no eyes; what if they all die?
Qiu Lanxi couldn't help but think that this was probably the difference between an ordinary emperor and a ruthless emperor. After all, she had suffered hardships herself, so she didn't want her future heirs to be hothouse flowers. If they died, it was just their bad luck. Anyway, she had many children, so she could just choose from the remaining ones.
Of course, the reason why Emperor Qinghe was so confident was probably because he was in his prime and felt that he had plenty of time to cultivate a new successor.
With Yan Qingli present, Qiu Lanxi remained relatively calm. Although Emperor Qinghe had only summoned one general, it was impossible for there to be only a few of them. A small group of guards had also withdrawn from the group. With the trees providing cover, it was difficult for people to notice that someone was missing. After all, Emperor Qinghe had not deliberately dressed in a conspicuous manner, and in the midst of the chaos, it was indeed not easy to discern who was missing.
They were still some distance from the camp. Qiu Lanxi had a good sense of direction and realized that they were not heading towards the camp. She couldn't help but look at Yan Qingli, who didn't seem surprised, as if he had guessed where they were going.
The calmness of those around her helped Qiu Lanxi quickly regain her composure after the shocking turn of events, but this composure was soon disrupted.
If the ones we just saw were merely elite soldiers who could only demonstrate their strength when they joined forces, then the martial arts masters who are now intercepting the path are all individuals with extremely strong individual combat abilities.
It is true that swords and blades have no eyes, but if a martial artist who has reached a high level of skill has practiced hard skills, even swords and blades may not be able to leave a mark when they are hit.
Most soldiers in the army do not regard martial arts as their main means of making a living. When General Sheng saw that they were about to be overwhelmed, he immediately rushed over. Only a few secret guards who came from somewhere and Yan Qingli remained by Emperor Qinghe's side.
Seeing that General Sheng had held the man back, Emperor Qinghe did not stay and watch the show. Over the years, Ning Dynasty had been under his control, and it would be difficult for the enemy to develop under his nose. All he could do was to capture the leader first. However, Emperor Qinghe had already dealt with most of the martial arts circle, so the other side could not possibly send out too many martial arts masters.
The group continued on their way. In such a place, it was difficult for scouts to even find people, let alone launch an attack. So they did not encounter many setbacks on the road. Just as they relaxed slightly, the guards around them suddenly fell to the ground. Qiu Lanxi heard a few clanging sounds and saw Yan Qingli draw a soft sword from somewhere.
"Frost Soul Needle!" Yan Qingli's expression was solemn. With her inner strength surging, her robes fluttered. Without turning her head, she pushed Qiu Lanxi toward Emperor Qinghe and said, "Father, you go first."
The Cold Soul Needle is renowned in the martial arts world because of its concealed nature and the fact that it cannot be mastered by those without profound internal strength. However, a martial artist's qi and blood will decline after thirty or forty years, which means that only the most outstanding talents can master this martial art.
Although Emperor Qinghe had practiced martial arts, he was well aware of his own limitations. He knew that Yan Qingli was not someone who spoke without reason, and seeing that Qiu Lanxi was still in a daze, he immediately pulled her away.
He knew in his heart that this level of person was probably the other party's last resort.
This was clearly not the time to be concerned about the separation of men and women. Emperor Qinghe reached out and hugged Qiu Lanxi, and disappeared without a trace in a few leaps. This level of lightness skill clearly showed that he was quite accomplished. When Qiu Lanxi came to her senses, she immediately realized that he was fishing.
But who would use themselves as bait when fishing? Aren't they afraid of losing themselves and their children?
She couldn't help but look in Yan Qingli's direction. The ground exploded with a thunderous roar, clearly indicating that the martial artist's destructive power was only fully revealed after the absence of irrelevant people.
Upon arriving at the cave, Emperor Qinghe immediately put Qiu Lanxi down and let her stay inside.
Several groups of people arrived at the cave one after another. Qiu Lanxi sat at the table and couldn't help but think, since he had made arrangements in advance, why did he still let Yan Qingli cover the rear? Does he really not care about his fate if it's not his own?
When Emperor Qinghe returned after arranging everything, he saw Qiu Lanxi still standing there in a daze. Fearing that she had been frightened, he sat down beside her, poured her a cup of tea, and asked, "Were you scared?"
Once a person has been severely beaten, their mind will immediately clear. Having witnessed the bloodshed of the battlefield, the feeling is enough to suppress any sadness or melancholy. As long as a person still has the will to live, they can always be pulled out of it. Qiu Lanxi shook her head: "Your Highness will be alright, won't you?"
Emperor Qinghe calmly said, "She would only stay if she was confident."
Qiu Lanxi: "What if she's not confident and just wants you to leave first?"
She spoke rather bluntly, but Emperor Qinghe laughed and said, "Then you will become the only princess of a different surname in Ning Kingdom."
She even took Qiu Lanxi with her at that time, which shows she cared about her, right? Since that's the case, he doesn't mind letting her leave in peace.
Qiu Lanxi couldn't understand Emperor Qinghe's way of thinking. Perhaps the emperor would always put reason above family affection. If her parents were in danger, they would definitely stand in front of her without hesitation, while Emperor Qinghe would only choose to let himself live.
Yan Qingli probably understood this as well. She and Emperor Qinghe were not only father and daughter, but also ruler and subject. Qiu Lanxi didn't know if she had ever felt sad about this, after all, she had never harbored any ill will towards Emperor Qinghe, and her affection for him was genuine.
Perhaps having witnessed countless selfless sacrifices between modern parents and children, Qiu Lanxi increasingly felt the clear dividing line between herself and this era. Emperor Qinghe poured her a cup of tea, intending to offer some words of advice. After all, even if she couldn't defeat Shaoguang, she could still escape him; he wasn't truly worried. However, before he could speak, Qiu Lanxi, holding the teacup, said in a muffled voice:
"Thank you, Father-in-law."
Emperor Qinghe: "…………"
His eyelids twitched involuntarily. He hadn't expected Qiu Lanxi to be so impolite. However, before he could refuse the address, he heard Qiu Lanxi choke out, "Eunuch, if something happens to Her Highness, will all of her inheritance go to me?"
Emperor Qinghe pressed his temples: "Shaoguang isn't dead yet?!"
Qiu Lanxi: "I already said it's just a hypothetical situation. Let's make arrangements beforehand, since I might not be able to see you again in the future."
Emperor Qinghe was speechless, never expecting his partner to change his attitude so quickly, coveting the inheritance right in front of his own father. His face darkened: "We were husband and wife after all, and you..."
After a pause, Emperor Qinghe felt that something was wrong with what he was saying, so he couldn't continue.
Qiu Lanxi looked listless: "If you don't care, how long have I known His Highness? How sad could I be because of something happening to her?"
If she really angered Emperor Qinghe, it would be better to die and be done with it. Yan Qingli could express her feelings in front of Emperor Qinghe without any concern, but for Qiu Lanxi, it was too heavy. She had never given anything and did not want to live with other people's expectations.
"...How long have I known Her Highness? How could I possibly be so saddened by something happening to her?"
Yan Qingli followed the marks to the cave, and upon hearing these words, she paused in her tracks.
"Are you courting death?" came Emperor Qinghe's voice, which betrayed no anger.
Yan Qingli was startled and quickly said, "Father."
She shielded Qiu Lanxi behind her, saying, "Your subject is incompetent; he escaped."
Emperor Qinghe gave her a cryptic look before saying, "It's nothing."
His gaze swept over the other man's dark robes, making it difficult to discern the bloodstains, but he immediately frowned. "You're injured?"
Yan Qingli lowered his eyes and said, "My right arm is a little weak, but it's nothing serious."
Upon hearing this, Qiu Lanxi reached out and found her palm sticky. She instinctively tried to lift it to check, but her eyes were covered.
Yan Qingli: "It's not my blood."
Qiu Lanxi didn't believe her: "Let me see."
Yan Qingli still remembered how frightened she had been before. She hadn't seen blood yet, so she said, "It's definitely not mine. I only have some fractures."
She pulled Qiu Lanxi into her arms, paused for a moment, and then continued, "We'll be going back soon, you should go to sleep."
Before Qiu Lanxi could speak, Yan Qingli directly pressed her pressure point to put her to sleep.
Emperor Qinghe glanced at her and said, "You're really something."
Yan Qingli knew what he meant, and bowed his head, saying, "Your subject is guilty."
Emperor Qinghe put down his teacup: "Alright, there's a screen inside, don't bother me."
Upon hearing this, Yan Qingli carried Qiu Lanxi inside and breathed a sigh of relief when she discovered that she only had scratches from the journey.
Reaching out to pluck the leaves from her hair, Yan Qingli sat on the edge of the bed, her expression somewhat gloomy.
Chapter 43
They didn't stay in the cave for long. When Qiu Lanxi woke up, she found herself in a carriage without knowing how she got there. However, Yan Qingli wasn't in the carriage; only Chun Su was.
She lifted the curtain and looked out, only to find that the other person was riding a horse outside.
Qiu Lanxi's eyes flickered for a moment before she casually looked away, asked Chun Su about the current situation, and quickly understood the situation.
Emperor Qinghe's brothers who participated in the rebellion were all executed, and their families were all arrested. Qiu Lanxi probably understood Emperor Qinghe's thoughts. Those brothers had long been dissatisfied with him, and they also knew that the longer it dragged on, the more they could watch their power and thorns being removed bit by bit.
Because of the war, Emperor Qinghe had no time to worry about them too much, so they were able to build up some power. But once the war ended, Emperor Qinghe was able to focus on dealing with them. Therefore, even though they knew there was something wrong with this autumn hunt, they were willing to step into the trap.
This is a perfectly legitimate and aboveboard strategy.
After all, Emperor Qinghe is willing to take the risk, which is undoubtedly the best chance of success at present. Therefore, they will spare no effort to send out all their forces. Otherwise, it would be more difficult to carry out methods such as besieging the palace, which is where Emperor Qinghe is most deeply rooted. If they make any move, Emperor Qinghe will quickly find out.
Therefore, it is understandable that they did this, after all, they could only take a gamble. The only thing Qiu Lanxi couldn't understand was Emperor Qinghe's actions. After all, he had the advantage, and he didn't need to do this. If he waited for ten or eight years, those brothers would naturally not be able to cause any trouble.
Such urgency could mean either that Emperor Qinghe harbored deep hatred for them, or that he was experiencing health problems and wanted to leave a stable Ning Dynasty for the future emperor.
Based on Qiu Lanxi's observations, the former is more likely, but the latter may also be involved, as she may not want to leave the mess for her offspring to solve.
After a moment's thought, Qiu Lanxi stopped thinking about these things that had nothing to do with her. Because she was exhausted, she fell asleep again. When she woke up again, she was already back at the mansion.
Yan Qingli was not in the room. Chun Su said that she was going to the study to rest for a few days. Qiu Lanxi understood that she had probably heard something. However, even without that incident, her previous behavior was enough to arouse suspicion.
To her surprise, Yan Qingli didn't want her to move out; instead, she left on her own.
Qiu Lanxi thought about it carefully and realized that perhaps she had overestimated herself. Maybe Yan Qingli went to the study to make arrangements. After all, the internal troubles had been eliminated, and it was time to put the successor on the agenda.
As for her own role in it, Qiu Lanxi no longer wanted to speculate.
The bloody scene briefly brought her to her senses, but that feeling was quickly replaced by a deeper weariness.
She couldn't accept her fate, yet she knew she had no other choice but to accept it.
Since their past relationship was obvious to everyone, their separation from each other for several days would not arouse any suspicion. Only a few close maids vaguely noticed something, but dared not say anything.
After all, the place where Qiu Lanxi lived already said it all; having a conflict and falling out of favor are two different things.
When Qiu Lanxi heard the word 'disfavored', she was stunned for a while. Although everything she had done before was indeed to win Yan Qingli's 'favor', she still found it hard to accept when the word was actually spoken.
This is probably because the independent personality cultivated in modern times makes it impossible for her to truly depend on someone, so the closer she gets to her original success, the more resistant she becomes.
Neither of them went to see the other. No matter how Chun Su tried to persuade Qiu Lanxi, she remained unmoved. However, soon everyone in the princess's residence had no time to care about all this, because Emperor Qinghe had established a crown prince.
It is the seventh prince, Prince Rui.
Prince Rui was one of the princes who had been by Emperor Qinghe's side. On his birthday, the Ning Dynasty also achieved its first great victory against the Teng Kingdom. Overjoyed, the seventh prince became Prince Rui.
Because of this title, his maternal family background was not bad, and Prince Rui himself was not bad either, he had always been a strong contender for the throne. This time, he had saved the emperor and demonstrated good military talent, so he became the crown prince.
Qiu Lanxi couldn't help but purse her lips. If it weren't for Yan Qingli, Emperor Qinghe might have really messed up. If we're talking about who really saved the emperor, then it's Yan Qingli who deserves credit. After all, once a person dies, everything ends. What good is it if you do well in other aspects?
She didn't know how Yan Qingli was feeling now, whether she had expected it or was indignant. After all, after gaining real power, she had achieved a lot and overshadowed the other princes, which made her relationship with them even colder.
If the other princes were merely at a normal level, cultivated under the elite royal education system, then Yan Qingli was undoubtedly an exceptional performer.
In ancient times, however, gender alone was enough to extinguish all of this.
Qiu Lanxi thought about it a lot. Yan Qingli wasn't made of iron either, and she probably wasn't in a very good mood at the moment. She hesitated for a long time before making up her mind.
Regardless, Yan Qingli had never mistreated her. If she didn't even think of taking a look at her at a time like this, it would be too heartless.
Although, the other party probably wouldn't really want to see her either.
Qiu Lanxi went alone. Yan Qingli was not in the study, but in the pavilion, drinking alone. Only when she got closer did she realize that it was wine, not tea.
"Your Highness, are you alright?" Qiu Lanxi walked over, hesitated for a moment, and sat down opposite her.
Yan Qingli paused for a moment before saying, "It's not a good idea."
She looked at the pool not far away; the water appeared somewhat desolate under the moonlight.
Like a silent cry.
When Emperor Qinghe was choosing a crown prince, he asked her who she preferred. In his eyes, all the princes were acceptable, and none of them were indispensable to him. Shaoguang's personality was very different from that of ordinary women, and Emperor Qinghe did not want to choose someone who was not on good terms with her, as she would have a difficult time after ascending the throne.
Yan Qingli jokingly said that she preferred herself. Emperor Qinghe took it as a joke. Or rather, although Emperor Qinghe had seen her achievements since she came to power, he had never wavered in his original idea. When they finally chose her as his target, he even said that if she were a man, the position of crown prince would be rightfully hers.