Chapter 807: Chapter 767: The More You Look, the More Pleasing It Is

Zhao Xunyin accompanied Emperor Guangxi in the Qianqing Palace for half an hour. Seeing the sky darkening, Emperor Guangxi urged her to return.

Zhao Xunyin had no choice but to bid farewell and heard that Wanwan had come when she returned to her mansion.

Zhao Xunyin quickened her pace slightly, and as soon as she entered the courtyard of the Liufang Courtyard, she saw a slender figure standing by the Albizia tree, her face full of anxiety despite the bright lights under the porch.

"Wanwan, it’s chilly at night, why not go inside?" Zhao Xunyin stepped forward and held her hand.

"Mother, I heard that Eunuch Sanbao hurriedly summoned you to the palace. Is there something urgent?" Wen Wan asked.

Zhao Xunyin’s eyes flickered slightly, "It’s just your Emperor Uncle again; he coughed up blood, and the Imperial Physician was worried something might happen, so we were called to have a look."

"If Emperor Uncle has really reached that point, I’m afraid you wouldn’t have returned tonight," Wen Wan detected her mother’s lie. "Just tell me the truth, is it something about the Northern Border, about father..."

"Wanwan." Zhao Xunyin interrupted her, "Your father is a naturally gifted commander. He was once called the ’War God,’ and just that title was enough to make the enemy tremble. Such people are blessed by heaven and will surely live a long life. You needn’t worry; if there truly were an issue, I couldn’t hide it even if I wanted to."

"Really?" Wen Wan looked into her mother’s eyes, seeking a reassuring answer.

"Of course it’s true." Zhao Xunyin smiled and patted the back of her hand comfortingly.

The Crown Prince mentioned that the young Divine Doctor beside Master Yun would be sent back to treat Second Master’s leg, which indicated a glimmer of hope that he could be cured before returning to the Capital. There was no need to inform her daughter and make her worry unnecessarily, especially since the family had both the elderly and the young to care for, constantly worrying about this and that. How could one manage?

Thinking of this, Zhao Xunyin felt a pang of heartache for her daughter, "Wanwan, is everything alright over at Madam Su’s place?"

She had heard from the servants that the Su Family’s adopted child incident was causing an uproar among the populace, demanding the child be handed over for sacrifice. During that time, friends and relatives who used to visit frequently avoided the Su Family, unwilling to be associated with them. Only Wanwan took the time to accompany Madam Su whenever she could.

This showed that Wanwan had a close relationship with Madam Su.

Upon hearing her mother’s question, Wen Wan sighed and shook her head, "It’s the same; every day, people come to criticize them, turning the whole family into outcasts, with doors shut tight, and no one dares to show themselves."

On several occasions, it was Wen Wan who arranged for the delivery of rice, flour, vegetables, and meats to the Su Family by carriage, knowing that when people saw it was from the Song Mansion, they dared not say a word against it.

Thinking of this, Wen Wan added, "I’m just afraid that when Mr. Qi receives the news, it would affect him and distract him from the battle."

"Don’t worry, the court has already stepped in," Zhao Xunyin reassured her. "Today, the Crown Prince gave an exam topic at the Baohe Hall, aiming to find ways for the people of Chu Country to accept the Jiuli Clan. This issue will soon subside."

Wen Wan moved her lips but said nothing. She originally wanted to ask, wasn’t Amuer the Chosen One desired by the Bei Yan? Why, after so long, was there no response from the court? Did they change their mind and not want Bei Yan to take him, or did Bei Yan decide not to take him?

But, regarding the matter of the Chosen One, few knew about it, and Wen Wan couldn’t speak of it lightly, not even to her own mother.

After Wen Wan left, Lu Yanqing arrived at the Liufang Courtyard, and without a word, knelt before Zhao Xunyin.

Zhao Xunyin was startled, "Yanqing, what are you doing?"

"The reinforcements are already assembling; I am heading north," Lu Yanqing said calmly.

"The Northern Border is dangerous; you cannot go!" Zhao Xunyin didn’t want him to see Lu Xingzhou’s injuries.

Lu Yanqing carried guilt towards Lu Xingzhou, and if he learned that Lu Xingzhou had lost a leg to the Beiyang people, he would surely go mad.

"If I want to leave, mother cannot stop me." Lu Yanqing left this remark and returned to his room.

Zhao Xunyin watched his figure gradually disappear into the darkness, initially wanting to instruct the household guards to stop the young master from leaving, but she thought better of it.

Forget it, let it be. Yanqing harbors a knot in his heart, regarding his own lineage. If he wants to do something now to repay Lu Xingzhou’s kindness for raising him, it is his filial duty. If I interfere, it would only bring back the rebellious Lu Yanqing of old.

Zhao Xunyin thought of preparing a nice meal to send him off the next morning, but as dawn broke, Dou Kou knocked on her door, saying the young master had already left.

Zhao Xunyin hurriedly dressed and got out of bed, opened the door, and asked Dou Kou, "When did he leave?"

Dou Kou replied, "The young master’s servant said he left at early morning; at that time, the city gates were opened, so the young master probably wanted to get an early start."

Zhao Xunyin asked again, "What about Miss Fan?"

"She also left."

"What?" Zhao Xunyin was slightly shocked. How did Fan Zhuowen know that Yanqing was leaving first thing today, and how did she manage to follow Lu Yanqing at that early hour?

These questions, no one could give her an answer.

Dou Kou furrowed her brows, "Princess, should we send someone to bring the young master back?"

Zhao Xunyin waved her hand, "No need. Even if we manage to catch up with him, he won’t come back willingly."

Though not Lu Xingzhou’s biological son, having been raised for so many years, Yanqing’s temperament now is very much like Lu Xingzhou’s. Once he decides on something, he charges forward stubbornly, and no one can persuade him otherwise.

...

On the official road outside the city.

Lu Yanqing sat on horseback, looking at the woman with outstretched arms blocking his path, his attitude cold, "Move aside!"

The woman was none other than Fan Zhuowen, whom Lu Yanqing brought back to the Capital and stayed for several months at the Changning Marquis Mansion. Despite the cold dew of the morning, she had chased after him breathlessly, her face flushed with heat, her temples dampened by fragrant sweat, looking somewhat disheveled but with bright, determined eyes, "Unless you take me with you, let your horse trample over my corpse!"

Lu Yanqing’s expression was impassive, "What are you up to this time?"

"I’m not causing trouble," Fan Zhuowen said. "From the day you decided to go to the Northern Border, I told you, wherever you go, I go."

Lu Yanqing’s face darkened, "I’ll say it again, go back to the Marquis Mansion and stay there!"

Fan Zhuowen retorted defiantly, "If you don’t take me with you, I’ll go back and tell the Eldest Princess that we’ve already held a wedding ceremony and consummated the marriage outside. I won’t call her princess, I’ll call her mother-in-law."

Lu Yanqing’s handsome face turned black instantly, his pupils shrank, and he tightly gripped the reins, "Get on the horse!"

"I can’t, pull me up."

After much difficulty getting on the horse, and just when she wasn’t quite stable, Lu Yanqing suddenly whipped the reins, and the horse galloped forward. Fan Zhuowen was terrified and had no choice but to cling tightly to Lu Yanqing’s waist, her cheek pressed against his back, eyes closed, not daring to look at the trees rushing past.

Lu Yanqing frowned, "Let go!"

"I won’t!" Fan Zhuowen, frightened, held on even tighter.

"Will you let go or not?" Lu Yanqing’s voice turned cold.

"If I let go, I’ll die," Fan Zhuowen said, tears in her voice. "You brought me to the Capital, and you’re responsible for my safety."

...

The night before Yun Huai escorted Xu Jia into the Capital, he received a letter from Zhao Xi stating that Marquis Changning was ambushed by the Chi Long Guards and injured his leg. The military doctors were at a loss, and they wanted Yun Shiliu to return and treat Marquis Changning. If the Yun Family had any conditions, they were free to state them.

Yun Huai was aware of Lu Xingzhou’s injury before Zhao Xi, but his status was too sensitive. Without a formal decree from the court, he could not intervene lightly, so he hadn’t taken any action.

Now that Zhao Xi had personally written to him, he naturally couldn’t refuse.

As for conditions?

Not to mention that with his current status, he lacked nothing, and even if he did, since the Crown Prince himself requested it, who would be foolish enough to ask for benefits from the soon-to-be enthroned Crown Prince?

Yun Huai wrote a letter back to Zhao Xi, stating that Yun Shiliu had already returned to the Northern Border.

Upon hearing that Lu Xingzhou was injured, Xu Jia became even more worried about her father.

Yun Huai noticed her desire to return and said coldly, "Your only path now is to return to the Capital."

Xu Jia said, "Then have your people ensure my father’s safety, and I’ll obediently return to the Capital."

Upon hearing this, Yun Huai paused with the black-glazed teacup near his lips, "Does this count as the third favor?"

"Call it what you want, I can’t repay it anyway," Xu Jia muttered quietly.

The next day, Yun Huai directly escorted Xu Jia back to the Western Marquis Mansion.

Xu Jia went straight to the inner courtyard.

Yun Huai, welcomed by the maids, sat in the front hall drinking tea. He said nothing and did nothing, but the young maids in the hall blushed.

Mrs. Xu didn’t know anything about the Yun Family Head or what that status meant. But upon entering and seeing Yun Huai, the young man escorting her daughter back, she found him exquisitely graceful. His slow and elegant manner of drinking tea revealed a stable personality; he was pleasant in every way.