Ren Yaoqi slowly took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. "When will you depart?"
Xiao Jinglin helped Ren Yaoqi sit down on the southern kang and replied, "Immediately. We’ll leave as soon as Hongying has gathered the troops."
Ren Yaoqi nodded, wanting to ask more but unsure what to say. It had been a long time since she had felt so utterly lost.
Thinking back to Xiao Jingxi’s words before he left, Ren Yaoqi felt she should trust him—trust that he would return safely for her and their child.
Xiao Jinglin watched Ren Yaoqi with concern. Most women would have burst into tears upon hearing such news, but Ren Yaoqi did not. Precisely because she did not, Xiao Jinglin worried even more, fearing she might bottle up her emotions and harm her health.
Yet, at this moment, Xiao Jinglin could think of no words to comfort her. Given Ren Yaoqi’s intelligence, any comforting words would be futile. All she could do now was to reach Xiao Jingxi as quickly as possible and ensure his safe return.
True to her word, Xiao Jinglin departed swiftly. Not long after, Hongying returned to report.
After a moment’s thought, Xiao Jinglin simply placed a hand on Ren Yaoqi’s shoulder and said, "Don’t worry."
By now, Ren Yaoqi had regained her composure, at least outwardly showing no trace of panic. She looked up at Xiao Jinglin with a faint smile and nodded. "Yes, you must also take care. I’ll wait for your return."
Xiao Jinglin nodded and stood to leave.
After Xiao Jinglin had gone, Ren Yaoqi picked up a book she had left on the kang table, hoping to calm her mind. But after a long while, she realized she hadn’t turned a single page.
Ren Yaoqi let out a bitter laugh and finally set the book aside, shedding the pretense of calm. She was, after all, just an ordinary woman, restless and anxious for her husband who was in danger.
The situation in the north was complex, and Xiao Jingxi’s whereabouts were unknown. Even with Xiao Jinglin leading a rescue mission, Ren Yaoqi couldn’t fully set her mind at ease.
Was she only to sit here and wait for news? Ren Yaoqi had always believed that one must exhaust all human efforts before leaving things to fate. Though Xiao Jingxi was thousands of miles away and she was confined to the inner quarters of the palace, there were still things she could do.
With this thought, Ren Yaoqi stood up.
Pingguo, who had been waiting nearby, immediately stepped forward to support her. "Miss, what would you like?"
Ren Yaoqi said, "To the study."
Pingguo assumed Ren Yaoqi intended to practice calligraphy or painting, but instead, Ren Yaoqi headed outside.
There were two studies in Zhaoning Hall. The western chamber within the main hall’s five rooms served as a small study, which Ren Yaoqi often used. Sometimes, Xiao Jingxi would join her there to read or write.
However, Xiao Jingxi also had his own study in the outer hall of Zhaoning Hall, where he handled official matters. It was this outer study that Ren Yaoqi intended to visit.
Pingguo glanced at Ren Yaoqi but said nothing, quietly supporting her arm as they walked.
Xiao Jingxi had never forbidden Ren Yaoqi from entering his outer study, though she rarely went there herself. She adhered strictly to the propriety expected of a woman in the inner quarters, leaving no room for criticism.
Even in Xiao Jingxi’s absence, his study remained guarded by his personal attendants, Tong Xi and Tong He.When Ren Yaoqi approached, Tong Xi and Tong He respectfully stepped forward to greet her, addressing her as "Young Madam."
Ren Yaoqi nodded and asked, "Do you have the key to the study?"
Tong Xi and Tong He exchanged a glance. Tong He lowered his head and replied, "Yes, Young Madam. We clean the study daily, and the key is in my possession."
"Then please open the door for me. I wish to enter."
Tong He glanced at Ren Yaoqi, thought for a moment, and without further question, retrieved the key and unlocked the study door behind him.
Logically, Xiao Jingxi's study was where he handled official matters daily, making it a crucial area within the residence. When Xiao Jingxi was absent, others should not be allowed inside, as any mishap could cost the attendants their lives, or worse.
If someone else had been guarding the study that day, they might not have dared to let Ren Yaoqi enter in Xiao Jingxi's absence. However, Tong He had served by his master's side since childhood and understood his intentions with precision. After only a brief moment of consideration, he made his decision.
After Ren Yaoqi entered, Tong He and Tong Xi remained outside to avoid impropriety, with only Pingguo following inside to attend to her.
Tong Xi whispered softly, "Isn't this against the rules?"
Tong He lifted his eyelids to glance at Tong Xi and whispered back, "Why didn’t you say anything when I opened the door?"
Tong Xi blinked. Originally from the Xianwang Residence, he regarded Ren Yaoqi as his mistress. When the mistress gave an order, was it not his duty to obey?
Tong He replied calmly, barely moving his lips, "The master instructed long ago that Young Madam’s commands are his commands. I am merely following orders. No rule is more important than the master’s command."
Tong Xi glanced at Tong He, grinned, and dutifully stood guard at the door for his mistress inside.
Tong Xi and Tong He’s whispered conversation was so quiet that even someone standing beside them might not have heard it clearly, let alone Ren Yaoqi, who was already inside the study.
Upon entering, Ren Yaoqi surveyed the room and walked directly to the desk piled with official documents, where she sat down and began examining the papers.
Although the desk was cluttered with stacks of documents, Xiao Jingxi had organized them meticulously by category, so nothing appeared disordered. Ren Yaoqi took her time, carefully reading through each document one by one.
Pingguo stood silently behind Ren Yaoqi, attending to her without a word.
Ren Yaoqi remained seated for several hours until the sky darkened. Pingguo quietly brought in a lamp stand, lit a candle, placed it on the desk, and then retreated without a sound.
After a while, Pingguo returned with a tea tray, which she set on a small side table. On the tray were a bowl of chicken soup, a bowl of porridge, and a few plates of small pastries.
"Miss, please have something to eat."
Ren Yaoqi, who had been pondering a document, snapped back to attention. Though she had no appetite, thinking of the child in her womb, she set aside the papers without needing further persuasion from Pingguo. She walked to the small table, sat down, and slowly ate all the food Pingguo had brought, leaving only a few pastries.
After finishing her meal, Ren Yaoqi paced around the study for a while before returning to sit behind the desk once more.
It was not until the third watch drum sounded outside that Ren Yaoqi finally rose and left the study with Pingguo.Tong Xi and Tong He were still waiting outside. They had originally thought about going in to remind their mistress that it was getting late, but unexpectedly, the mistress came out on her own.
After Ren Yaoqi left, Tong Xi said to Tong He, "Don't worry, the young mistress knows what she's doing. She’s well aware of when to eat and rest."
Ren Yaoqi indeed knew her limits. Now that she was with child, she wouldn’t let her temper affect the baby in her womb.
Ren Yaoqi had spent several hours in the study, but it wasn’t without gain. After resting for the night, she ate her usual portion of breakfast the next morning, satisfying the senior maid sent by the Princess Consort to monitor her meal, who then returned reassured.
After finishing breakfast, Ren Yaoqi took Pingguo and returned to the study.
Ren Yaoqi gathered the official documents she had found the previous day, reviewed them carefully once more, and then fell into deep thought.
From these documents, Ren Yaoqi pieced together some clues. At this moment, she felt especially grateful to Mr. Pei. When she had studied under him in the past, Mr. Pei, the imperial tutor, had often tested her ability to analyze useful information from texts. Sometimes, a single book might not provide the answer, but by piecing together several books, one could find it.
After pondering for a long time, Ren Yaoqi took a blank letter from Xiao Jingxi’s desk, picked up a brush, and wrote a letter.
Once finished, she sealed it and handed it to Pingguo. "Have Yuan Dayong go to Hezhong and deliver this letter to my maternal grandmother."
Pingguo accepted the letter with both hands and bowed in acknowledgment.
After the two left the study, Pingguo called Leshan and Leshui to attend to Ren Yaoqi, while she hurried off with the letter.
Ren Yaoqi, accompanied by Leshan and Leshui, went to the Jiuyang Hall. She remembered the Princess Consort’s advice to take more walks when she had nothing else to do.
That same day, after leaving the Yanbei Prince’s Mansion, Xiao Jinglin and her entourage immediately left the city, galloping northward at full speed.
Half a day after departing Yunyang City, upon reaching Sheng’an County, Xiao Jinglin suddenly and unexpectedly reined in her horse.
The people she had brought with her were all her trusted elites. As soon as she raised her hand to signal a stop, everyone halted in unison, their movements synchronized, and even the neighing of the horses was uniform.
"Commandery Princess? Shall we rest here?" Hongying tightened her reins and asked for instructions.
Xiao Jinglin was supposed to be rushing to Wuzhou at full speed, so logically, she shouldn’t have stopped to rest at this point.
Xiao Jinglin remained silent for a moment before calmly saying, "Lead the others and continue on. I’ll meet up with you at the next resting point."
Hongying bowed and acknowledged the order, then gestured to the others before spurring her horse forward and leading the way. The entire team followed, not a single person glancing back at Xiao Jinglin, who remained behind.
Only after everyone had left did Xiao Jinglin turn her horse around.
They weren’t traveling on the main road but on a relatively wide path. Behind them, aside from the dust kicked up by the horses, there was nothing.
Yet Xiao Jinglin said coldly, "You’ve been following me all this way. Show yourself."
There was still no movement in front of her. Xiao Jinglin didn’t speak again, merely staring coldly at a mountain path hidden behind a rocky cliff not far away.
After a while, there was finally movement. A person and a horse emerged from behind the cliff, stepping out from the fork in the road.Is it because time is too short, or is my speed too slow?
Tears streaming down my face... T_T
Please don't hit my face...
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