At dusk, Qin Guan and her party arrived at Luozhou City.
Last year when traveling north from the south, Qin Guan had also passed through Luozhou, but this visit felt entirely different. She had assumed that given their precarious situation, Yan Chi would avoid official roads and cities. To her surprise, not only did Yan Chi take the main road into Luozhou, but he also brought her to stay in a civilian residence within the city.
As night began to fall, the carriage stopped in a narrow alley in the western part of Luozhou.
Yan Chi helped Qin Guan alight from the carriage, holding her hand. Bai Feng stepped forward to knock on the door, which soon opened to reveal a familiar face. Xun Niang, upon seeing Yan Chi and Qin Guan, exclaimed, "Your Highness! Princess Consort! We've been waiting for you!"
Qin Guan was astonished to see Xun Niang here and asked, "Why are you here, Xun Niang?"
Looking further inside, she noticed another familiar figure standing behind Xun Niang—it was Master Yuan!
Xun Niang ushered them in, explaining, "His Highness had made arrangements in advance, so this servant and Old Yuan came here to await your arrival."
Qin Guan glanced at Yan Chi, who wore a faint smile and showed no intention of elaborating. The group entered the courtyard, revealing a modest two-sectioned civilian home. Though small, the courtyard was fresh and elegant, and the alley housed only this residence, making it exceptionally quiet and secluded. Xun Niang cheerfully led them to the main room, personally fetched hot water and served tea to help them wash off the journey's dust. After they rested briefly and drank the tea, dinner was ready.
Master Yuan had personally cooked the meal, preparing all of Qin Guan's favorite dishes. Exhausted from the journey, she ate heartily. Only after the meal did she feel half of her fatigue melt away. Soon, footsteps sounded outside, and Bai Feng announced, "Your Highness, Fan Xin has returned!"
Qin Guan looked at Yan Chi, who permitted Fan Xin to enter.
Yan Chi added, "He came with Xun Niang and the others."
Fan Xin quickly entered. After days apart, his injuries had fully healed. Thanks to Master Yuan's excellent cooking, he had regained his vigor. Dressed in simple cotton robes and a dark blue cape lined with gray squirrel fur, his attire was ordinary, but his brisk movements and sharp gaze conveyed an air of competence. Upon entering, Fan Xin knelt and performed a formal salute. "Your humble servant pays respects to the Prince and Princess Consort—"
Qin Guan nodded, and Yan Chi said, "Rise and report. What is the situation?"
Fan Xin hurriedly replied, "Lin Xie has already reached Luozhou, but he left at nightfall, heading toward Yuzhou. He likely assumes that Your Highness is urgently heading to Shuoxi and won't stop anywhere, so he aims to intercept you beforehand."
Yan Chi listened impassively. Fan Xin continued urgently, "The entire Luozhou remains unaware of General Zhou's situation, but the local garrison has begun to mobilize. Additionally, the Anyang Marquis-led Jinzhou garrison has arrived west of Luozhou and is expected to reach the capital the day after tomorrow. Although the capital knows the military report is false, the Emperor, in pursuit of the Crown Prince and Empress, has dispatched Prince Cheng northward. The Duke of Wei remains in the capital for now, presumably to await the Anyang Marquis's arrival before finalizing battle strategies."
Yan Chi nodded. "Good. Go eat and rest. We depart at first light tomorrow."
Fan Xin responded excitedly, "May this humble servant accompany Your Highness to Jianzhou?"Yan Chi gazed intently at Fan Xin for a moment before nodding. Seeing this, Fan Xin's eyes brightened even more, and he promptly took his leave and departed.
Though night had just fallen, the shadow guards who had accompanied them had already retired. The days of travel were taxing enough, but these guards had to remain extra vigilant to handle any potential mishaps along the way, making their exhaustion even greater. Before long, Bai Feng brought in two confidential letters. After reading them, Yan Chi went to the side room to write two replies. When he returned to the main chamber, he found Qin Guan leaning against the pillow, nearly asleep. Yan Chi’s heart ached at the sight.
"Is the hot water ready?" Yan Chi asked Baiying and Fuling.
Fuling quickly nodded. "It’s ready, but it’s still early…"
Yan Chi instructed, "It’s not early. Bring in the hot water."
Baiying and Fuling hurried to prepare, while Yan Chi walked over to check on Qin Guan. Qin Guan was already drowsy but opened her eyes upon hearing him and asked, "Have you finished giving your instructions?"
Yan Chi nodded, then leaned in and scooped her up into his arms.
Just then, the hot water in the side room was ready, so he carried Qin Guan there. Startled awake, she asked, "What are you doing?"
"Taking you to bathe. Once you’re done, you can rest."
Qin Guan glanced at the sky outside. "It’s still early."
"You’ve been weary from the journey. Rest early, as we have to continue traveling tomorrow."
Qin Guan said nothing more. When they reached the side room, Yan Chi set her down but didn’t leave. Instead, his hand went straight to the sash at her waist. Qin Guan was taken aback, her face flushing crimson instantly. She grabbed his hand and exclaimed, "What are you doing?"
Yan Chi looked at her calmly. "Attending to your bath…"
Qin Guan’s face burned as if on fire. She glanced at Fuling and Baiying, who were standing by, their faces also red as they lowered their eyes, not daring to speak. Struggling to maintain composure, Qin Guan pushed Yan Chi’s hand away. "N-no need. They are here—why would you need to?"
With that, she began pushing Yan Chi out. "You go rest. Once I’m done, you can come wash up…"
A deep smile spread across Yan Chi’s face as he allowed himself to be half-pushed out. Once the curtain of the side room fell, he stood outside the door and laughed silently.
Inside the side room, Fuling and Baiying looked at Qin Guan, their faces still flushed, and couldn’t help but giggle. Qin Guan felt as if her face were about to emit smoke!
"Stop laughing! Help me undress quickly…"
Fuling and Baiying stifled their laughter and stepped forward, wanting to say something but too embarrassed. However, Fuling, being straightforward, blurted out, "Speaking of which… the princess consort and His Highness haven’t yet consummated the marriage…"
On their wedding night, they had faced a life-and-death crisis, followed by two days of travel. Indeed, she and Yan Chi had not yet completed the marital rites…
Qin Guan had only been shy before, but at these words, her heart began to pound wildly!
Since they were husband and wife, this step was only natural. As a physician, Qin Guan had a general idea of what it entailed, but now that it was happening to her, it felt entirely different. Watching her clothes being removed piece by piece, thinking of Yan Chi just a wall away, and imagining what might happen later, her entire body flushed a deep red, as if stained with rouge.
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