Impératrice douairière Xiaoxuan

Chapitre 172

"...It looks like it's about to snow!"

Mo Yan looked up at the increasingly heavy clouds and muttered to herself.

Zhao Yu glanced at the sky indifferently, then looked down at the ice hole again, saying, "Concentrate, the pole is almost in the water."

Mo Yan picked up her fishing rod and reluctantly continued fishing for turtles with Zhao Yu.

“Oh, by the way, I also ran into Lord Yelü last night,” she said casually. “He had just come out of the physician’s office.”

Zhao Yu turned to look at her: "Is he injured?"

"Probably. I saw him take out some medicine to clear blood stasis and promote blood circulation," Mo Yan continued. "Later, I gave him the Green Jade Ointment, which is better than those medicines. I thought, he has done me a favor after all, so I should just repay him."

"Where is he injured?" Zhao Yu's voice sounded strange.

"I don't know, it's probably just a minor injury, maybe he bumped or bruised himself somewhere."

As Mo Yan spoke, she felt a cool breeze on her cheek. Looking up, she saw that fine, dense snowflakes were already falling all around. She wanted to call Zhao Yu back, but as she opened her mouth, Mo Yan realized that the dampness on her cheeks wasn't just from snow.

Zhao Yu stood silently in the swirling snow, her gaze fixed on some unknown place beyond the ice cave, lost in thought...

"Princess?" She spoke as softly as possible, as if afraid that a louder voice would bring more tears to her eyes.

At her call, Zhao Yu's fishing rod fell to her side. She slowly squatted down, curled up, buried her head between her knees, and her body trembled slightly.

Fearing that she might be unwell, Mo Yan couldn't help but panic, looking her up and down: "Princess, are you feeling unwell? Stomach ache? Or leg cramps?...Princess! Princess!"

Zhao Yu didn't even look up, only stretched out one hand and tightly gripped Mo Yan's robe, sobbing softly, "Xiao Qi, what should I do? What should I do? I miss him, I miss him, I miss him so much my heart aches..."

Mo Yan was completely confused: "Who is it? Could it be Lord Yelü? Princess, please explain more clearly, and I will find him for you."

It's better not to see him at all than to meet him again—Zhao Yu simply shook her head, refusing to utter another word. All the bitterness that had been suppressed in her heart for so long poured out in tears…

The snow fell heavier and heavier, and Zhao Yu cried even louder.

Mo Yan could only stand by her side, patting her back gently from time to time, secretly relieved that their place was so remote that no one could hear them.

Not far away, behind an old tree unseen by them, Su Zui leaned tightly against the trunk, one leg struggling to support his body. Though his eyes were closed, he couldn't stop the tears from streaming down his face.

After an unknown amount of time, it had become completely dark.

Mo Yan packed up her fishing rod, helped Zhao Yu up, and walked back along the way they had come. Because Zhao Yu had only allowed Mo Yan to accompany her before, the maids did not dare to come to greet them, but waited at the crossroads with lanterns lit. When they saw the two of them return, they hurried forward to meet them.

"Princess, Prince Qi has sent a lot of fresh venison."

Although the maid noticed that Zhao Yu's eyes were red and swollen, she did not dare to ask any questions and only whispered her report.

"He's back?" Zhao Yu was taken aback. Xiao Xin and Xiao Guanyin had gone hunting with Yelü Hongji. "So His Highness Yelü and his entourage have all returned?"

"I heard that only Prince Qi and Princess Ruixiang have returned. His Highness and the others split up and have not yet returned."

Zhao Yu nodded: "You can divide up the venison. I'm still sick and can't eat it. Bring in some congee and side dishes later, and Xiao Qi can eat with me." After saying that, she went into the tent to wash her hands and change her clothes.

The maid obeyed and was about to leave when Mo Yan grabbed her again and whispered in her ear with a smile, "Roasted venison tastes best. Remember to save some for me. I'll be there later." Mo Yan had been with Zhao Yu these past few days and had hardly eaten anything oily or greasy. Normally, she didn't feel anything, but today the camp was filled with the aroma of meat, and she was really craving it.

The maid smiled and nodded before turning to leave.

Author's Note: Lion actually soaked my phone in the toilet!

This little guy, we can't just ignore him.

Volume 3, Chapter 17

After having dinner with Zhao Yu and watching her drink her medicine, Mo Yan took the bowl from her, frowned, and looked at her: "Princess, how about taking a day off tomorrow and not going turtle fishing?"

"Are you feeling bored?" Zhao Yu asked wearily, leaning back on the soft couch.

"It's stifling, but it's not a big deal," Mo Yan said truthfully. "But look at your health now. If you keep going like this, how will you ever get better? Besides, your wedding is just around the corner, so taking care of your health is the most important thing."

"Don't say anything more, I know what I'm doing. If you don't want to go, then don't go." Zhao Yu said calmly, then turned over, turning his vest towards Mo Yan, clearly unwilling to discuss it further.

With no one else in the tent, Mo Yan leaned close to Zhao Yu's ear and whispered, "Princess, who exactly are you thinking of? It can't be Yelü Hongji, can it?"

Zhao Yu whirled around, his head colliding head-on with hers. Crying out in pain, he gritted his teeth and glared at her fiercely: "Xiao Qi, you..."

"Tell me!" Mo Yan rubbed her forehead and looked at her with a forced smile. "Since you miss him so much, I'll find him and you two can meet. Wouldn't that be great?"

"You don't understand anything. Forget it, you don't need to worry about it. Just consider it a nightmare I had before." Zhao Yu sighed softly, her heart filled with endless sorrow, yet she couldn't find any relief.

"Princess..." Mo Yan wanted to say something more.

Zhao Yu pulled the quilt beside her over her head and refused to speak again.

Helpless, Mo Yan had no choice but to get up and walk out of the tent dejectedly.

Not far from the tent, a fire was lit, on which sizzling venison dripped oil. Snowflakes drifted down, and seven or eight people sat around the fire, mostly guards and maids who had accompanied Zhao Yu to the Liao Kingdom, chatting and laughing in hushed tones.

Mo Yan arrived drawn by the aroma and squeezed out a spot. At first glance, everyone there seemed to be an acquaintance, so without any hesitation, she took a knife and began cutting the venison.

"We still need to refresh the honey, what's the rush?"

A loud voice came from beside her.

Mo Yan was stunned for a moment. She had been so focused on eating that she hadn't noticed the person next to her. Now, looking down, she realized that the person speaking was an old man with a full beard, who seemed somewhat familiar.

"You...you're not that lame old man?" Mo Yan put down the dagger, recalling the scene by the river, and asked in surprise, "How did you get here?"

The bearded old man took the honey jar and brushed honey onto the meat, completely ignoring her.