Xiao Jinyu was slightly taken aback. "Xue Ming?"
The Emperor smiled bitterly. "On the eve of his ascension, for some unknown reason, he secretly went to the Liangzhou Prefect's residence and captured Xue Ming, taking him to the Turkic lands. He made no other demands, only insisting on seeing you and Xiao Jue... He also said that since Your Highness the Seventh Uncle is unwell, he wouldn't invite you to the Turkic territory but would personally pay you a visit."
Xiao Jinyu raised a hand to massage his throbbing temples. "Does Lord Jing and Grand Tutor Xue know about this?"
"Lord Jing's opinion is that peace is most valuable. As for Grand Tutor Xue..." Remembering the rare fury on Xue Rucheng's face, the Emperor's plump Adam's apple bobbed nervously. "He's only got this one son left—what else could his reaction be?"
The Xue family's eldest son had died young, the fourth son Xue Yue and third son Xue Qin had both met unnatural deaths. If anything were to happen to Xue Ming in Ashina Suwu's hands...
Although Xue Rucheng hadn't shown much grief over his first three sons' deaths, he had still buried his own children. Since Qing Ping's birth, Xiao Jinyu had come to better understand Xue Rucheng's feelings.
Xiao Jinyu furrowed his brows. "What about General Leng?"
"I've had General Zheng replace him. He's still on his way back to the capital... If the decree had been issued one day later, he would have surely gone to fight Ashina Suwu to the death."
Xiao Jinyu nodded slightly.
For the imperial court, what mattered wasn't a mere Liangzhou Prefect, nor was it Grand Tutor Xue Rucheng's last remaining son—it was establishing the first connection with the newly appointed Khan of the neighboring state.
The court and the Turkic people had been alternating between war and peace for many years. In recent years, not only had the court spent money and soldiers lost their lives, but the people on both borders had enjoyed no peace either. Ashina Suwu was notoriously eccentric among the Turkic and neighboring states—ruthless in methods, mysterious in thoughts, decisive in commands, yet always true to his word. If they could win over this tough nut, peace between the two nations could be maintained for at least twenty to thirty years.
For Xiao Jinyu personally, he was more interested in discovering what Ashina Suwu truly wanted to discuss with him and Xiao Jue.
During their last encounter, Xiao Jinyu had noticed that while Ashina Suwu appeared to act willfully, he was actually an extremely profound and meticulous person—every move was carefully calculated. For him to cause such a scene right after ascending to the Khan's throne surely wasn't just for casual conversation or to flaunt his power.
"Your Majesty, do you know how Xue Ming is faring now?"
The Emperor shook his head. "But Ashina Suwu has guaranteed that Xue Ming will definitely return to the capital alive."
"Good..." Xiao Jinyu exhaled softly. "When will they arrive in the capital?"
The Emperor smiled as widely as he could. "Tomorrow morning... Seventh Uncle, could you have some rooms prepared in your residence?"
Xiao Jinyu was startled. "At my residence?"
"Ashina Suwu originally said he would stay in the palace, but after learning that you don't reside there, he insisted on staying at your home..."
Ashina Suwu's charmingly sinister smile flashed before Xiao Jinyu's eyes. His eyebrows lifted slightly. "That's acceptable... However, my residence has many guests these past two days. I can only accommodate Ashina Suwu and Xue Ming."
The Emperor immediately nodded. "No problem!"
"Ping'er has a heart condition and mustn't be frightened. Ashina Suwu must wear Han clothing when entering the residence."
"Certainly, certainly..."
"The expenses for hosting shall be borne by the Sixth Prince."
"This... certainly..."When Xiao Jin Yu emerged from the Three Thoughts Pavilion, the sky had already darkened. Unwilling to disturb the drinking revelry in the front courtyard yet unable to let ordinary servants or guards handle the case files, he leaned on his crutch and made over a dozen trips between the third floor and ground level. He carried down thick stacks of documents box by box, then seated himself in his wheelchair to pile them on his lap before pushing himself back. After several rest stops along the way, by the time he returned to his room in the One Heart Garden, even his outer robe was soaked with sweat.
Chu Chu hurriedly helped him move all the documents onto the table, staring in surprise at the rare weariness on Xiao Jin Yu's face - a sight she hadn't seen in nearly two years. She took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat streaming down his cheeks.
Leaning back in his chair, Xiao Jin Yu shook his head slightly. "Chu Chu, I want to bathe..."
"Alright... I'll help you."
Xiao Jin Yu had always been particular about cleanliness, but after Qing Ping's susceptibility to illness, he became even more cautious, often bathing and changing clothes two or three times a day. Previously he could manage on his own, but now he was too exhausted to muster any strength, leaving him no choice but to accept Chu Chu's assistance.
As Chu Chu joined him in the bathtub and scooped warm water over his shoulders, Xiao Jin Yu leaned against her, nearly drifting off to sleep.
Ever since learning Chu Chu was pregnant, Xiao Jin Yu had never let her help him bathe. Even when illness made movement difficult, he preferred to struggle into and out of the tub by himself.
With Chu Chu gently massaging his exhausted body through the warm water, Xiao Jin Yu emitted contented murmurs in his drowsy state.
"Wang Ye..." Chu Chu massaged his stiff shoulders with concern. "What have you been doing to become so exhausted?"
Eyes lightly closed, Xiao Jin Yu responded absently, "Looking for case files..."
Chu Chu frowned. "That cook... is he a bad person?"
Xiao Jin Yu shook his head slightly. "He just wanted to work in the manor..."
Chu Chu pouted. "His cooking was way too salty!"
A faint smile touched Xiao Jin Yu's lips. "Mmm... I sent him to chop wood..."
"Then..." Chu Chu couldn't resist pecking his lips, made even softer by the steam. "Why did you bring back so many case files?"
In two years, Xiao Jin Yu had never brought case files to their room. Even at his busiest, he would only spend a little over an hour in the study. This sudden life-or-death intensity made it impossible for Chu Chu not to worry.
"The Sixth Prince's family matters... need to be resolved tonight."
"Tonight?" Chu Chu was taken aback. "Didn't you say this wasn't urgent?"
Xiao Jin Yu's delicate eyelashes fluttered as he slowly opened his eyes and pulled Chu Chu into his embrace.
He had discovered long ago that only holding this warm body could revive him when he was most exhausted.
"Guests are coming tomorrow, and I don't know how long they'll stay..."
Chu Chu wrapped her arms around his waist while continuing to massage his stiff back from prolonged sitting. "What kind of guests?"
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