Xie Lanyan hadn't expected to meet Zhao Jian again so soon. Leaving Lin'an City, she traveled south, avoiding attention and concealing her whereabouts. The journey was arduous, but she persevered and finally arrived near Tongcheng.
After passing through Tongcheng and continuing south, it would take less than half a day to reach the border of Dayuan. After realizing that Zhang Yu, Zhao Jian, Zhao Liang, Zhang Ye and others were all unreliable, Xie Lanyan decided to leave Daqi and go to Dayuan based on what she remembered.
Before even entering the city, Xie Lanyan encountered men sent by Zhang Yu to await Zhao Jian, who had also fled to Tongcheng. A chaotic melee ensued. Xie Lanyan initially thought these men were sent by Zhang Yu to capture Zhao Jian, but she hadn't realized she was also involved. Thus, she was caught in the crossfire and forced to desperately try to escape. No matter what, she was unwilling to be captured or killed here.
She was already outside Tongcheng and couldn't enter the city. All she could face was desolate mountains and fields. Xie Lanyan had no other choice but to flee for her life in a panic.
Although she had hired someone to escort her, when things really went wrong, she ran away first. Already in poor health, and still exhausted from the journey, she was then caught in a chase, and Xie Lanyan thought she was doomed.
As darkness fell, Xie Lanyan, who was being chased by four people, finally stumbled upon a dilapidated temple. Inside the temple, someone had lit a bonfire, and Xie Lanyan, dragging her nearly immobile body, approached the place.
Just then, someone came out of the dilapidated temple. Xie Lanyan couldn't see the person's face clearly, but she felt that the person was unusually tall and didn't seem to be from the Great Qi. She only managed to grab the person's clothes and managed to say, "Save me..." before she completely fainted.
-
Upon receiving news that Xie Lanyan and Zhao Jian had both been rescued, a sinister glint flashed in Zhang Yu's eyes. He had thought he would surely be able to capture them this time, but unexpectedly, they escaped again... Both of them were planning to abandon Daqi and seek refuge in Dayuan, which made them quite a perfect match.
However, the thought that the people who rescued them were most likely sent by Dayuan made Zhang Yu's expression grow even darker. If Zhao Jian had indeed colluded with the ruler of Dayuan and revealed his intention to surrender, then Daqi and Dayuan would likely still be drawn into a fierce war in the end.
Zhang Yu sighed deeply, suppressing his myriad emotions. Things had come to this point; worrying about the whereabouts of these two was pointless. The war with Dayuan was already part of his plan; proper preparation was the priority. He didn't believe that with Zhao Jian and Xie Lanyan added to Dayuan's ranks, he couldn't win this battle.
·
After this matter was settled, Zhang Yu's birthday was just a few days away. Ahao didn't know about Xie Lanyan and Zhao Jian's escape from Daqi, but she noticed that Zhang Yu seemed to be in a bad mood lately. Even though they still ate together every day, he was always indifferent to her.
Ah Hao only knew that Zhao Jian had fled back to his fiefdom and caused internal strife. She assumed that Zhang Yu was troubled by this matter. Ah Hao didn't take Zhang Yu's attitude to heart too much, but she was much quieter than before, and she was focused on preparing a birthday gift for Zhang Yu.
On Zhang Yu's birthday, he attended the morning court as usual, then went to Changning Palace to pay his respects to Empress Dowager Feng, and then went to Fengyang Palace to see Empress Shen, whose health was fluctuating. He then returned to Xuanzhi Hall to handle state affairs. His waist injury had healed considerably, and he no longer needed Ahao to change his dressings every day.
Although Zhang Yu wished to keep his birthday celebration simple and did not allow the palace to hold a special banquet for him, Empress Dowager Feng still set up a table for dinner at Changning Palace that evening. Empress Dowager Feng sent someone to invite Princess Zhang Jin and Prince Ning to the palace, and also invited Princess Zhang Xin. Empress Shen, despite her poor health, also came.
Knowing that Zhang Yu was preoccupied with court affairs, Prince Ning frequently urged him to drink during the meal. Empress Shen coughed lightly from time to time, and halfway through the meal, Zhang Yu told her to go back and rest, and not to force herself. Hating that her body was weak but powerless, Empress Shen could only return to Fengyang Palace in tears.
After this incident, because Zhang Yu was already in low spirits, everyone felt somewhat uncomfortable during the meal prepared for his birthday. A-Kai, observing this, began to hesitate about whether to give him the gift she had prepared. Unexpectedly, after returning to the Xuanzhi Hall and helping Zhang Yu wash up, he took the initiative to ask...
Ah Hao could only reply, "It's ready, I'll go get it right away."
Zhang Yu lay on the recliner waiting for Song Shuhao to return, wondering what kind of gift she would prepare, and then he remembered how much he had neglected her lately. When Ahao returned to the side room, she saw Zhang Yu playing with the jade pendant at his waist, gazing at a landscape painting hanging on the wall, seemingly lost in thought.
Noticing that Ah Hao had returned, carrying something that looked like a scroll, Zhang Yu's spirits lifted, and he stood up to greet her. He glanced at the object in Ah Hao's arms and asked, "What is this?"
Seeing his interest, Ahao smiled and said, "Your Majesty, would you like to take a look first?" She then walked to the ebony wood table with its carved lacquer, placed the scroll on it, and slowly unfurled it. Zhang Yu stood beside her, watching the scroll slowly unfold before his eyes.
An embroidery piece that uses various colored threads, each stitch representing countless hours of painstaking effort.
Zhang Yu examined the embroidery before him inch by inch. He recognized that Song Shuhao had embroidered him, and guessed that it might depict the scene of him drawing his bow and shooting a deer during the winter hunt. The distant mountains were like dark eyebrows, the sky was clear and blue, and the person in the embroidery had a firm gaze and a resolute face.
How did she manage to do it in such a short time? Such a time-consuming and laborious task, prepared right under his nose… every stitch was imbued with affection. Zhang Yu still remembered that when he asked Ahao for a gift, she said she wouldn't like any of hers.
Zhang Yu could hardly look away, his hand reaching out to touch the scroll. Thinking of A-Hao possibly staying up late into the night, he regretted making such a request. A-Hao, watching Zhang Yu's expression, saw he wasn't smiling, nor could it be clearly discerned whether he liked it or not; rather, he seemed…moved?
Ah Hao had originally planned to embroider the scene of Zhang Yu hunting a deer with a single arrow, but there simply wasn't enough time, so she could only do what she had done so far. Before showing it to Zhang Yu, she was a little worried that it might be too shabby. After all, the gifts Zhang Yu received when he dined at Changning Palace were all priceless treasures.
"You prepared this all by yourself?" After looking at it carefully for a moment, Zhang Yu finally broke the silence and turned to look at Song Shuhao.
Ah Hao looked up and met Zhang Yu's gaze. Her face flushed slightly from the intensity in his eyes, and she looked away unconsciously, nodding. After a moment's thought, she still said, "It's just that there wasn't enough time, otherwise it could have been even better."
The two stood very close. Before Ahao could finish speaking, she was suddenly pulled into Zhang Yu's arms, and the last half of her sentence was muffled in his embrace. The next moment, Ahao heard Zhang Yu say, "It's already very good. I like it very much and will definitely preserve it carefully." Looking up, she saw a smile on his face.
These past few days, Zhang Yu hadn't smiled, so when Ahao saw his handsome smile, she was stunned. As their eyes met, a flurry of kisses fell upon them, carrying the fragrance of pine and orchid, filled with tenderness and heartfelt love, sometimes gentle, sometimes passionate.
Ah Hao's heart was pounding for no reason. Thinking of Zhang Yu's long-lost smile and feeling his overflowing enthusiasm, she felt a surge of joy. Before she could even react, Zhang Yu had already pressed himself against her as he lifted her up and placed her on the bed.
Zhang Yu gently kissed the tip of her ear, his tongue tracing her earlobe, and whispered in her ear, "Thank you." At that moment, Song Shuhao didn't know what she was thinking; she just reached out and hugged him, unable to say a word.
Ah Hao could feel Zhang Yu's physical reaction, and she could also feel his hand reaching into her clothes. But when she met Zhang Yu's eyes, and his lips were captured on hers, she seemed to lose the ability to think, and she forgot that she should resist.
...
It was late at night, and thinking that Zhang Yu was probably fast asleep, A-Hao carefully removed Zhang Yu's hand from her waist and got up to get dressed. Before she could even get out of bed, she was hugged from behind, and Zhang Yu pressed himself against her, resting his chin on her shoulder, and asked in a slightly hoarse voice, "Where are we going?"
"Hmm... According to the rules, this servant cannot stay here overnight." Ah Hao turned her head slightly and said softly. Although she didn't regret doing such a thing with Zhang Yu, she still couldn't help feeling shy. Especially since the two of them were sleeping together completely naked, she really couldn't calm down and couldn't fall asleep.
One sentence only earned Zhang Yu's displeasure, and he directly shoved Song Shuhao back into bed. The two were face to face for a moment, and Zhang Yu leaned in, kissed her, and said with a smile, "What I say is the rule. You stay here and won't go anywhere."
Chapter 73 Update
After being pestered by Zhang Yu all night, Ah Hao finally fell asleep just before dawn. [Phoenix/Phoenix/ Fast updates, please search] She vaguely felt Zhang Yu get up. Her mind sharpened, but before she could act, Zhang Yu, who was already dressed, came over, pressed Song Shuhao back onto the bed to prevent her from getting up, and then covered her with the blanket even more tightly.
"I'm going to court now. You can sleep a little longer and have breakfast when I return."
Ah Hao opened her eyes, nestled in the covers, and looked at Zhang Yu. He had indeed washed and groomed himself, looking dignified and energetic, not like someone who had been up all night. As soon as Zhang Yu finished speaking, a kiss landed on Ah Hao's lips, and he covered her eyes with his hand.
"Go to sleep, I have to go."
The unhappiness that Zhang Yu had been harboring before yesterday was completely swept away by Song Shuhao's carefully prepared gift and everything that had happened between them last night. Naturally, he was in a very good mood now, unlike the gloomy and unapproachable demeanor he had shown a few days ago.
Looking at Ahao on the bed, Zhang Yu recalled the wonderful moments of the previous night and couldn't help but plant a kiss on her forehead. Perhaps it was because she blinked her eyes twice, and her eyelashes brushed against his palm, causing a slight tickle, but Zhang Yu only felt a sense of joy.
When Ahao opened her eyes again, she saw Zhang Yu's tall figure leaving. Although she was still sleepy, she couldn't fall back asleep. After Zhang Yu left, she rubbed her aching head and got up on her own.
While getting dressed, Ah Hao easily saw the various traces of love and passion that Zhang Yu had left on her body, and couldn't help but recall the intensity of the night... After getting dressed, she looked closely in the bronze mirror and saw that her neck and other areas were fine, which put Ah Hao at ease.
Back in her room, after washing up and changing her clothes, A-Hao went to the Imperial Hospital to find Ling Xiao. Ling Xiao had just returned from Fengyang Palace, and after washing his hands, he readily agreed to A-Hao's request upon hearing her purpose.
"Wait here for a while, I'll go get the medicine and brew it for you. You can go back after you drink the medicine, otherwise what will happen when that person finds out?" Ling Xiao smiled, sat down next to A-Hao, and asked again, "Won't you regret it?"
Having served the emperor but not being rewarded with a contraceptive potion, it was clear that the emperor intended to keep her. While the chances of getting pregnant on the first try were slim, many things are unpredictable. Ling Xiao understood Song Shuhao's feelings, but he didn't know if she had made up her mind. If Shuhao suddenly changed her mind, he would be in an awkward position.