"What are you thinking about?" Ji Wushang asked, both worried and puzzled, seeing him so engrossed in his thoughts. The way he was hugging her was actually hurting her arm!
"I think about that nightmare," Nan Xuzong tried hard to calm himself. What if he really had killed her with his own hands...? What would he do then?
No, no...
"What dream? Can you tell me about it?" Ji Wushang looked at him, her brows furrowed. "You hurt me so much."
Nan Xuzong was taken aback.
Can I tell her?
"I dreamt that you left me." Nan Xuzong looked at her, and only relaxed slightly when he heard her say she was in pain. "I was so scared."
"You silly boy, how could I leave you?" Ji Wushang said reproachfully, looking at him. "I feel you are really tired, you can even fall asleep at this desk. You've been so busy these past few days."
"I'm not tired," Nan Xuzong said, genuinely not tired. He always had abundant energy, but he didn't know why he had fallen asleep sitting here today and had such a dream.
Ji Wushang felt that he was just showing off, but seeing that he had calmed down, he felt a little relieved.
"When I came in, I saw you were asleep leaning against something. There was still enough time, so I thought I'd make you a good pot of tea. But I accidentally broke the teapot." Ji Wushang looked at the ground with regret, where the teapot was shattered.
Nan Xuzong gently embraced her. "Did you hurt yourself?" He looked at her and immediately reached out to check her hands, but Ji Wushang shook her head and smiled. "I'm fine."
Nan Xuzong remained silent, simply holding her quietly, and then the two sat together at the desk.
"This palace banquet is scheduled for noon, I imagine many things will happen, you..."
"I will protect myself and stay by your side often, yes, never leaving your side." Ji Wushang continued his words. He had been very sensitive and worried about him lately, and this was the sentence he often reminded him of.
Nan Xuzong smiled slightly. "That's good."
"Cong, I have good news to tell you!" Ji Wushang looked at him, confirming that he had regained his wisdom.
"Go ahead," Nan Xuzong smiled, placing his hand on her waist.
"I know swordsmanship now!" Ji Wushang laughed. "I can protect myself now!" Seeing his somewhat dazed expression, she added, "From now on, you won't have to worry about me too much."
"Did I teach you this before?" Nan Xuzong suppressed his emotions and asked calmly.
"Yes, and there's something else I figured out myself." Ji Wushang smiled. "I thought of something: if bad guys try to assassinate us, at least I can protect myself so you won't have to worry. You can do a lot of things then! Besides, I'm very confident I can master swordsmanship and fight alongside you!"
Ji Wushang's face showed some excitement as he spoke.
Nan Xuzong narrowed his eyes. Hearing her say that she knew swordsmanship, he couldn't help but think of the day he and she would have their final battle! Both of them would have faced each other, swords drawn! That was not what he wanted! He would have preferred that he simply protect her!
"You really enjoy practicing swordsmanship?" Nan Xuzong frowned slightly, looking at her with gentle eyes.
"Mm." Ji Wushang nodded. After practicing swordsmanship, she could do so many things for him! How could she not like it?
"If it's for my sake, I hope you won't practice swordsmanship. I think it's enough for you to be under my protection. I don't want you to pick up that sword and rush through that bloody rain. Wu Shang, you understand what I mean, right?"
Ji Wushang fell silent as she listened. Looking into his eyes, she saw he was serious. He had been happy to let her practice swordsmanship before, but today… he wouldn't let her?
"Don't push yourself. Your body is still weak. Practicing swordsmanship too much will easily take a toll on your health." Nan Xuzong gently patted her shoulder, not wanting her to misunderstand his meaning.
Ji Wushang shook his head, but the next second, looking into his eyes, he nodded, "Then I... won't practice anymore." What was wrong with him? What he could read in his eyes was dislike.
Did I do something wrong?
A hint of hatred flashed in Nan Xuzong's eyes. Yes, he hated himself! How could he say such a thing? She liked it, she liked practicing swordsmanship, but what he really didn't like was that if she mastered it, she would live a bloodthirsty life with a long sword!
Seeing the change in his expression, Ji Wushang thought for a moment, then buried her face in his chest. "Cong, I'm not practicing anymore, please don't do this."
"I...I'm sorry, Wushang...I'm really...really scared..." He seemed unable to express himself anymore. He cupped her face in his hands, tears welling in his eyes. She noticed his red eyes and immediately became worried. "What's wrong?"
“I dreamt that you left me, carrying a sword,” he murmured.
Ji Wushang immediately understood.
I used to think he was invincible, always my safe haven. He was a good person, very considerate, and although he sometimes liked to play dumb to fool me, I liked that too. I knew he doted on me and loved me deeply. I felt I had done some things to wrong him, so I tried my best to make it up to him, to love him and to understand him.
Today, she suddenly felt that his heart was extremely sensitive, that he was extremely insecure, and that he had great weaknesses, so weak that he would cry like a child and that he was helpless.
All of this originates from myself.
Ji Wushang looked up, cupped his face in her hands, mimicking how he used to caress her, and then offered her red lips, gently kissing his lips.
"Everything I have is yours." Ji Wushang released his lips. "I'm willing to do anything for you."
Nan Xuzong looked at her in surprise, "Wu Shang..."
"I owe no one but three people in this life," Ji Wushang said solemnly. "The first is you. You loved me, doted on me, and went to great lengths for me. You are the one I owe the most in this life, so I will love you with all my life. The second is Wuzi. He is my younger brother, the closest person my mother left me. He is currently on the frontier, and I worry about him every moment. However, I must let him go and gain experience... From now on, I will spend the rest of my life helping him and protecting him. The third..." Ji Wushang took a deep breath and looked at Nan Xuzong.
Nan Xuzong was also looking at her, eagerly anticipating who the third person she was talking about would be. In fact, he had already guessed who it might be...
“It’s Beigong Minhao.” Ji Wushang looked at Nan Xuzong, hoping he would understand.
"The Crown Prince helped me with many things, and he also did many things for you. I will be grateful to him for the rest of my life. I will always feel guilty about his death. If there is an afterlife, I, Ji Wushang, will definitely help him if he asks for anything." Ji Wushang looked at Nan Xuzong. "It was not love between a man and a woman, but rather gratitude for a friend. What have I, Ji Wushang, done to deserve such a friend?"
“I understand.” Nan Xuzong nodded as he listened to what she said.
What Beigong Minhao did is something he can't repay! Oh well, he can only promise to repay it in the next life!
“If I can find his grave, I would like to pay my respects to him,” Ji Wushang added.
"I haven't found it either," Nan Xuzong said, looking down.
He didn't die, so of course we can't find his grave!
At this moment, Hongfei came in from outside. Seeing the broken teapot on the ground, she assumed that Ji Wushang and Nan Xuzong were having a fight, and immediately looked at them in surprise. But she saw that Ji Wushang and Nan Xuzong were hugging each other very intimately...
He immediately knelt down. "Your Highness, Fourth Imperial Consort, lunch is ready. Please eat first. The carriage to the palace is prepared."
Ji Wushang pushed Nan Xucong away and then straightened his clothes.
Nan Xuzong stood up and looked at Hong Fei, "Clean it up."
"Yes." Hongfei immediately agreed. Fortunately, the master and the fourth princess did not blame her for intruding into their world!
Nan Xuzong thought about what they had just talked about, then decided against it and took Ji Wushang's hand, saying, "Let's have our meal."
Ji Wushang complied.
Time will pass slowly.
The palace banquet was held in the Zhengyuan Hall, and many people attended, including officials of the fifth rank and above. Some of the fifth-rank officials even brought their wives, and some even brought their daughters or sons!
Consort Ning's meaning is quite clear.
Nan Xuzong led Ji Wushang inside, glancing around at the surroundings. Huangfu Xuan was already seated to one side with Ma Ruyi. The Sixth Prince, Huangfu Yu, still wore a broad smile, seemingly unaware of, or perhaps simply unconcerned about, the deposition of Empress Yao and the demotion of Huangfu Ting in the early morning.
What does the sixth prince care about?
His gaze fell upon the man and woman who entered the main hall. He smiled and picked up his wine cup to drink.
Huangfu Lan and Huangfu Jing were sitting opposite Huangfu Xuan, Ma Ruyi, and Huangfu Yu. The Zhou Emperor had recently decided to send his eldest princess, Huangfu Jing, to the Abbasid Caliphate to become its queen.
And now, the taste is quite obvious.
Consort Ning wanted to interfere in the marriage between Huangfu Yu and Huangfu Lan.
Huangfu Lan's gaze was somewhat flippant as she looked at Nan Xu Cong and Ji Wu Shang, who had come forward to greet everyone and then taken their seats next door.
"Fourth Imperial Brother and Fourth Imperial Sister-in-law are truly a loving couple, envied by all," Huangfu Lan said with a smile.
Ji Wushang remembered that Huangfu Lan had helped him at the White Horse Temple, so he felt a sense of affinity towards her. "The Seventh Princess is kind-hearted, beautiful and virtuous. She will surely have a good husband to love her in the future."
"Thank you for your blessings, Fourth Princess." Huangfu Lan smiled. A perfect husband? Did she still dare to hope for a perfect husband now?
At that moment, General Ma and Ma Rui entered together.
Ma Rui was tall, handsome, and resolute, with an imposing air of heroism. More importantly, he was unmarried! This made some women from official families even more eager to marry him, and their hearts fluttered with joy.
Ji Wushang looked at Ma Rui. He had once thought of marrying Tie Feng's younger sister, Tie Huafei, to Ma Rui, but there were indeed some problems with their identities. Whether they could be matched in the end depended on fate.
Nan Xuzong glanced at the people around him with a stiff expression, then looked away.
This palace banquet is definitely not that simple!
Nan Xuzong looked at Huangfu Xuan, but Huangfu Xuan didn't react at all. He simply put his arm around Ma Ruyi casually, ignoring everything around him.
While the princes, Consort Ning, and Emperor Zhou were not present, the surrounding ministers chatted about other things, including, of course, the matter of Empress Yao being deposed.
"I wonder what will happen today... Empress Yao has been deposed, and the Second Prince has been demoted to a commoner and is now missing... What exactly is going on?"
"I don't know either. I heard that Empress Yao actually used drugs on the Emperor... she actually wanted to kill the Emperor!"
"Alas, I heard that Empress Yao wanted the Emperor to make the Second Prince the Crown Prince, which is why she did such a wrong thing!"
"Is this palace banquet a public announcement to the world, to announce the choice of the crown prince?"
"It's hard to say. How can we possibly guess what the emperor is doing?"
...
Ji Wushang looked at Nan Xuzong, and when he received Ji Wushang's gaze, he gently took her hand from below and whispered, "Just be casual."
"Yesterday you told Father about the method to understand the properties of those medicines. What was Father's reaction?" Ji Wushang leaned forward and asked in a low voice.
"He said he would try, and I will try my best to prescribe some medication to help him wean off the drugs."
"Hmm." That means that Emperor Zhou is very likely not to appoint a crown prince in the near future, so all those ministers' discussions were in vain.
At this moment, a eunuch stepped forward and announced in a loud voice, "Your Majesty, Consort Ning has arrived!"
Immediately, everyone around stood up, straightened their clothes, and greeted him with clasped hands.
"Long live the Emperor! Long live Consort Ning! Long live Consort Ning!" The three shouts echoed throughout the hall.
"Rise, all of you!" Emperor Zhou waved his hand and sat on the high dragon throne. Consort Ning, still smiling, sat beside him.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" the crowd exclaimed again.
"Please take your seats! Today's banquet was arranged long ago, and I don't want to miss this opportunity to enjoy it with you all!"
"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!" the crowd shouted again.
"Since this is a palace banquet, let's make ourselves at home today! We can skip the formalities between ruler and subject," Emperor Zhou said with a smile.
After everyone thanked them again, things gradually became lively.
Emperor Zhou looked at everyone, his gaze slowly shifting until it finally landed on Nan Xuzong and Ji Wushang. He realized that following Nan Xuzong's advice last night had indeed made him feel much better, and he was gradually able to control himself from taking those medicines.
Nan Xuzong was aware of the Emperor Zhou's gaze, but he did not go to meet it. Instead, he bent down and picked up a pastry for Ji Wushang, saying, "Try it, this pastry is quite good."
"Yes." Ji Wushang nodded and picked up a piece to eat.