Оn the marсh, Yin Gеzhi dividеd his trооps into sixtееn battaliоns. Theу trаvеlеd withоut stоpping аnd reached the northwеst bоrder in lеss than hаlf а mоnth. Just аs theу раssеd thrоugh the bоrder gate, hе rеcеived an invitatiоn from Ye Yuqing.
"Тo His Маjеstу, thе rulеr оf Wei: Thе jоurneу hаs bеen lоng and аrduоus. Yuqing, along with Wаngуou, hаs prepаred a humble rесеptiоn at the Laifеng Inn аt thе foоt оf Сhоngnаn Мountаin tо welсomе Your Mаjestу. Wе rеspесtfullу аwait Your Mаjesty's arrival arоund youshi."
Wangуou?
His gаze сirсled thоse two words. Yin Gezhi chuckled, thinking, Did Ye Yuqing deliberately add this name to coerce me into going, or what? A mere woman, who had little to do with him. At most, she could make Feng Yue care. What kind of bargaining chip could she be?
He casually crumpled the letter and tossed it into the brazier. Yin Gezhi called out, "Niu Zicang."
"This subordinate is here." A man entered at the call, his head covered in sweat despite the deep winter, and looked at him with trepidation.
He had originally intended to have the man deliver a reply, but upon seeing his state, Yin Gezhi narrowed his eyes. "Did something happen?"
"No... nothing happened." Niu Zicang shook his head repeatedly and swallowed. "This subordinate has just finished taking stock of... of the people under your command."
"Hm?" Sensing something was amiss, Yin Gezhi reached out, grabbed his collar, and stared at him with a hint of ferocity. "Tell me the truth. What happened!"
His legs went weak. With a thud, Niu Zicang fell to his knees, trembling as he said, "This subordinate... this subordinate was just too surprised. Guan Qing has also returned to your side."
Guan Qing? Looking at him with some confusion, Yin Gezhi didn't react for a moment. Wasn't Guan Qing Guan Qingyue? And wasn't Guan Qingyue Feng Yue? Feng Yue was recuperating and nurturing her pregnancy in Lidu, so what did he mean, "also returned to his side"?
His eyes moved stiffly. Yin Gezhi asked, "You saw her?"
"I... I saw her." Niu Zicang lowered his head. "I just don't know why her belly is so big. It looked quite frightening..."
Before he could finish, the emperor before him vanished in a flash. The tent flap flew high, and the cold wind from outside blew in, making him shiver.
There was no need to search for her himself. The moment Yin Gezhi stepped out of his tent, he saw Guan Zhi kneeling before him. The moment Guan Zhi saw him, he scrambled over to hug his leg, crying his heart out. "Master! This subordinate was forced! Master! Her Ladyship threatened me with her life. This subordinate truly had no other choice but to hide it from you! Master, please listen to my explanation, don't be rash!"
Kicking him away with one foot, Yin Gezhi narrowed his eyes at the person standing before him in armor, grinding his teeth so hard they audibly creaked. "Guan! Feng! Yue!"
"Hehehe." Flashing him an obsequious smile, Feng Yue held her belly and looked at him, blinking as she asked, "Does this consort look good in this? It's the lightest and sturdiest soft armor!"
The red undergarments contrasted with the white armor, making her look valiant and heroic despite her large belly. Beneath her hair, which was tied up high in a man's bun, was a face without a trace of makeup that made his heart skip a beat.
This was not Feng Yue; it was Guan Qingyue.
Composing himself, Yin Gezhi remained furious. "Do you think I won't be angry just because you've dressed up nicely?!"
Never mind that this was the border with its harsh environment; just the half-month journey, sleeping out in the open—how dare she?!
"Calm down, calm down. Your Majesty, this consort is not as delicate as you think." She ran over to soothe him, batting her eyes. "This consort asked the imperial physician before leaving. The physician said this child won't be born until summer, so it's still early. He also said that this consort's body is well-nourished and the pregnancy is very stable, so even traveling wouldn't be a problem. Besides, Guan Zhi kept a close eye on me the whole way, and we found doctors to check my pulse whenever we passed through a small town. There are no problems, feel for yourself if you don't believe me!"
With that, she grabbed his hand and placed it on her belly.
Feng Yue's thinking was that her belly could serve as a shield. Even if Yin Gezhi was furious enough to punish her, he would have to feel her belly and think twice, right?
However, the moment his hand was on her, before she could even let him feel the baby's movements, she was startled by the trembling of his hand.
Yin Gezhi lowered his gaze, looking deeply at her belly, his hand shaking violently.
Silence fell for a moment. Feng Yue's heart softened, and she reached out, struggling to embrace him. She patted his back and comforted him softly, "It's alright, it's alright now. I'm fine, and the baby is fine too."
Guan Zhi squatted quietly to the side, wiping away his sweat, thinking that his master truly had it rough. In his twenty-some years of life, he had probably never been so terrified.
When Niu Zicang lifted the flap and came out, he saw Guan Qing standing on her tiptoes, hugging the emperor. The tall emperor was bent slightly, his head buried in the crook of her neck, while Guan Qing gently patted him, murmuring, "There, there, don't be scared now!"
As if a bolt of lightning had struck him from a clear sky, Niu Zicang stared, dumbfounded. "This... Your Majesty?"
Coming back to his senses, Yin Gezhi pushed Feng Yue away with a look of disdain and turned to him with a cold expression. "What is it?"
"...Nothing." Glancing at his clearly displeased expression, Niu Zicang shrank back and asked, "Is there anything else you need this subordinate to do?"
He really wanted to ask why Guan Qing had turned into a woman. And was pregnant? Why could this pregnant woman hug the emperor like that? And why was the emperor's expression so gentle a moment ago, only to turn so fierce in the next?
However, under the emperor's frigid gaze, all these questions were swallowed back down.
"Send someone to Chongnan Mountain to reply to the Crown Prince of Wu. Just say that We must continue on to rendezvous with General Yin up ahead and will not be stopping." Yin Gezhi ordered in a low voice, then pulled him close and added in a whisper, "Have the first six battalions break camp at nightfall and continue heading past the border. The rest will remain stationed here."
Slightly taken aback, Niu Zicang asked, "Are you setting out, Your Majesty?"
"You will set out in my place." Yin Gezhi placed the commander's tally in his hand. "Go at once."
Years of service had cultivated a certain tacit understanding. Niu Zicang asked no more questions and turned to carry out his orders.
Feng Yue frowned. "You are traveling in secret, yet Ye Yuqing knew you were here?"
Yin Gezhi pulled her into the tent and had her warm herself by the brazier. "There are no walls in the world that do not leak."
With such a large movement of troops, he had never expected to be able to hide it from Ye Yuqing, so receiving his invitation was not surprising. But what came next would be the real battle of wits. With the audacious Guan Fengyue by his side, he felt even more grounded than before, and his mind felt sharper. He immediately turned and called a soldier in. "Go to a nearby town and find a doctor. Get some pregnancy-stabilizing medicine. Bring the medicine pot with you when we break camp later."
"Yes."
Feng Yue raised an eyebrow, thought for a moment, and shook her head. "Truly insidious!"
"You shouldn't use pejorative terms for your own husband." Yin Gezhi lifted his eyelids and gave her a cool glance. "Say it again."
A smile immediately appeared on her face. Feng Yue said with admiration, "Your Majesty is truly so wise!"
Nodding proudly, Yin Gezhi was very satisfied. He handed her a cup of hot tea and reached out to warm her frost-reddened face.
At the foot of Chongnan Mountain.
Wangyou looked at the empty path outside the window and lowered her eyes. "Youshi has passed. No one is coming."
Leisurely reading the book in his hands, Ye Yuqing said as he turned a page, "You really are useless."
Though he said that, he never thought Yin Gezhi would be foolish enough to dine with him at a time like this. The invitation was meant to startle him, to let him know that he knew all the news Yin Gezhi was trying so hard to conceal. A man that clever must have a very interesting expression on his face upon realizing his plans had a flaw.
As for why he added Wangyou's name, it was a whim, a desire to tease her a little.
Ever since her miscarriage, Wangyou had not been as lively as before. She was always silent, and he didn't know what she was thinking. He had not neglected to favor her since, and had even said he forgave her, that he wouldn't hold her mistake of letting Duanxian go against her, but none of it had earned him a smile.
Ye Yuqing was a little angry. He had already let it go, so he didn't know what she was still angry about. That was why he had brought her out this time, scaring her along the way by saying he would trade her to the Wei Kingdom for something.
In reality, what could a mere palace maid be traded for?
"Crown Prince!" A scout came to report. "A message came from the Wei side. They said the Wei ruler is in a hurry to continue his journey and will not be attending the banquet. Also, it seems traces of the Wei Empress have been discovered in their military camp."
Feng Yue? Slightly stunned, Ye Yuqing closed his book and sat up straight. "Isn't she pregnant? How could she be in a military camp?"
"This subordinate does not know, but the Wei army has already sent men to a nearby town to fetch a doctor."
A ripple of emotion finally appeared in her eyes. Wangyou frowned and murmured, "Her belly should be big by now, what is she doing in a military camp? What if it affects the baby..."
"Is Wangyou very worried?" Ye Yuqing smiled gently. "If you beg me, I might let you go see her."
Her body stiffened. Wangyou thought for a moment, then knelt before him. "I beg Your Highness to allow this servant to see the Wei Empress."
Her child was gone; it would be nice to see someone else's. Even though it wasn't born yet, it would be nice if she could just touch the belly.
Glancing at her sideways, Ye Yuqing covered his mouth and chuckled. "If you want to go that badly, then go. I will have Feng Chuang take you."
"Thank you, Your Highness!" Giving him a grateful look, Wangyou immediately followed Feng Chuang out.
The doctor came and took her pulse. After confirming that both mother and child were indeed safe, Feng Yue rolled around on Yin Gezhi's soft couch. "You should be able to rest easy now, right?"
Yin Gezhi pressed her down onto the bed with one palm. "Behave yourself. Don't roll around."
She shot him a flirtatious look and sighed. "Back when you looked down on this consort in every way, you surely never imagined this day would come."
Her words made Yin Gezhi's expression darken, but he was helpless against her. Wasn't it true that he had never imagined this day? If he had, he certainly wouldn't have committed such sins.
"Master," Guan Zhi said from outside. "The guards outside say the Wu army sent a young lady over, named Wangyou, requesting to see Her Ladyship, the Empress."
He Chou was still alive? Feng Yue's eyes lit up, and she immediately sat up. "Let her in."
Yin Gezhi grunted in affirmation, and Guan Zhi bowed to go lead the person in.
The curtain was lifted. Yin Gezhi feigned nonchalance as he shielded the person behind him and looked up at the newcomer.
OpenNovel