Chapter 41 Sweetness

Are you kidding me?

It was still far from dawn, and the room was pitch black. The warm body she had been clinging to tightly suddenly slipped away, causing Li Youqing to frown in displeasure.

She had finally found such a warm heating source—who dared take it away?

She turned over uncomfortably, gradually waking from her deep slumber.

Opening her eyes, she saw a blurry figure putting on clothes. Instinctively, she reached out to pull at them, her half-awake voice soft and cooing as she whined, “Don’t go, I’m cold—”

She used to be a light sleeper. It was slightly better in the East Palace, but she had never slept so soundly as she did by his side.

Xuan Rui held her hand in return, softly comforting her for a few words. He sat by the bed until she fell back asleep before hurriedly leaving.

This went on for several days. Whenever he got up, she would wake. Although he wished to stay with her longer, the Red Feather Army was advancing with thirty thousand troops, and he had to make early preparations.

Yuchi Meng had also brought three thousand elite soldiers to join him. These days, he needed to focus entirely on military strategy and formations, preparing to face the enemy.

~

The sun had been out for several consecutive days, but today was overcast. Both inside and outside, it was gloomy and dull, making it hard to muster any energy.

Li Youqing had been in a bad mood since waking up. After washing up, she casually took a long-sleeved lined jacket with a plum blossom pattern from the closet and put it on. The skirt was one she had worn before, washed clean and stored in the wardrobe.

If that little wretch Li Yuan found out she had worn the same outfit for two days outside the palace, she would probably mock her for a long time.

As she turned, she unexpectedly noticed an exquisitely crafted small black lacquer box on the square table. Opening it, she found a pair of dazzling ruby earrings inside.

She suddenly remembered that night in the Ancestral Temple when they slept on the common platform—he had taken her earrings and promised to give her a new pair.

Li Youqing didn’t particularly need these earrings and had forgotten about the matter afterward. She hadn’t expected him to quietly take it to heart.

She had assumed the remote, barren northwest wouldn’t yield anything valuable, but the quality of these rubies surprised her slightly.

They were pigeon’s blood rubies, exceedingly rare even in the palace. She recalled the Empress once wearing a pair, though those were smaller.

Then it occurred to her that Rou Lan was a major source of rubies. It probably wasn’t difficult for him to acquire such a pair of earrings, so she didn’t dwell on it.

Trying them on, she found they complemented the dress she was wearing today perfectly, and only then did her mood improve slightly.

Just as she finished dressing, Aunt Chen brought over a pot of angelica and red date porridge for boosting energy, saying General Xuan had specifically instructed it to nourish her body.

“I never thought General Xuan, who seems so unromantic, could be so considerate toward Miss Qingqing.” Noticing the ruby earrings on her ears, she couldn’t help but add, “You’re truly beautiful, miss. Even without adornment, you’re captivating, but with these earrings today, you look just like a fairy from heaven.”

Though Li Youqing was accustomed to flattery, she found it oddly pleasing this time.

Fine, she’d consider these earrings as something he put thought into.

However, since morning, she had been feeling chilly, with a faint ache in her lower abdomen.

At first, she worried she had caught a chill yesterday, but after finishing a bowl of angelica and red date porridge, her menstrual period arrived abruptly.

Faced with this situation, Li Youqing was utterly dumbfounded.

In the past, she always had numerous maids and servants to attend to her needs during such times, but now only Aunt Chen was by her side.

Staring at the crude menstrual cloth handed to her, Li Youqing felt utterly despondent, her mood even more despairing than when she had been captured by the Er Hai people.

After struggling through Aunt Chen’s assistance to make herself presentable, Li Youqing had no choice but to lie obediently in bed, feeling uncomfortable all over.

The stove in the room burned fiercely, yet she still felt cold, longing for that human-shaped furnace.

Though he was fierce and uncouth, he possessed formidable strength and could protect her wherever they went.

Li Youqing even entertained the thought that if he would obediently follow her lead in the future, she might exceptionally appoint him as her consort.

Eagerly awaiting nightfall, she peered out the window several times but saw no familiar figure, her heart sinking with disappointment.

Those girlish fancies she had entertained earlier instantly vanished like mist.

If he couldn’t come at her beck and call, what use was such a consort?

Just as she was about to close the window, she spotted another slender figure approaching from afar.

Cong Ying arrived at the courtyard gate, meeting the princess’s searching gaze. She nodded slightly before heading in another direction.

Knowing Cong Ying must have had unfinished words from yesterday, Li Youqing rose, slipped on her shoes, and stepped outside.

In the kitchen, Aunt Chen was preparing dinner, the aroma already wafting through the air.

Smoke curled from the chimneys of many nearby homes, a stark contrast to the desolation when she first arrived, now brimming with vitality.

“It’s almost dark, and you’re unwell. Why aren’t you resting on the kang instead of coming out?” Having learned from yesterday’s incident, Aunt Chen had been vigilantly watching her movements all day. The moment the door opened, she hurried out with a spatula to inquire.

Li Youqing glanced toward the courtyard gate, relieved to find Cong Ying already gone.

Not wanting to arouse Aunt Chen’s suspicion, she fabricated an excuse: “Lying down has made my back ache. I’d like to take a short walk nearby, not too far.”

Seeing the hesitation on Aunt Chen’s face, Li Youqing lowered her head shyly and whispered, “And… I’d like to wait for the General.”

Aunt Chen, having been through similar experiences, understood how young girls’ hearts often fixated on their sweethearts. She replied understandingly, “Then be careful, miss. Stay close by and don’t wander off like yesterday.”

“Mm.” Li Youqing offered a faint smile before carefully stepping out into the snow.

Just around the corner, near an abandoned warehouse, Cong Ying stood waiting as expected.

Seeing her approach, Cong Ying hurried forward and respectfully said, “This humble servant pays respects to the Third Princess.”

Li Youqing maintained her aloof expression, eyeing her leisurely. “You’ve been lurking around my courtyard. What exactly do you want?”

Although she had seen Jin Cheng’s handwritten letter, she remained wary.

Besides, why would the Crown Prince be so kind as to specially send someone to escort her back to the palace? There were likely traps ahead.

Cong Ying pleaded urgently, “Princess, since your departure from the palace, His Highness the Crown Prince hasn’t had a single peaceful night. I beg you to return to the palace with me.”

Li Youqing cast her a sidelong glance, her tone as cold as the snow on the treetops. “I made it clear yesterday: the Third Princess is dead. The Crown Prince himself announced the funeral. Do you not understand?”

The little princess’s cold and detached attitude made Cong Ying increasingly uneasy. She could only say, “Your Highness, please calm your anger. There must be some misunderstanding in this matter. After you return to the palace, His Highness will personally explain everything to you clearly.”

“Return to the palace?” Li Youqing raised an eyebrow slightly and couldn’t help but laugh, her eyes carrying a trace of mockery. “What if I said I’m not going back?”

Cong Ying’s face changed, and she immediately knelt down, pleading, “Please reconsider, Your Highness. In at most two days, the Zhenbei Army and the Red Feather Army will battle for control of Ming City. This is the perfect opportunity for you to leave the city. Moreover, the Crown Prince has issued a strict order: if we fail to bring you back, both Jin Shilang and I will be executed!”

“He would even sentence Jin Cheng to death.” Li Youqing murmured, the image of Li Jing’s gentle, jade-like face surfacing in her mind. She couldn’t help but clench her fists tightly.

The Crown Prince who had grown up with her and shared both joy and hardship would never issue such a ruthless command.

But ever since Father Emperor fell seriously ill and the Empress passed away, his temperament had gradually become more withdrawn and his actions increasingly unpredictable.

Seeing the princess still hesitating, Cong Ying grew more anxious. “Zhenbei Wang is already plotting a rebellion. General Xuan, as his adopted son, is bound to follow him. The northwest has now become a dragon’s den and tiger’s lair. If you stay, you’ll only get burned!”

Li Youqing lowered her gaze. “You may go now. I understand.”

Without a definite answer, Cong Ying remained uneasy.

But seeing the little princess so silent, she knew it would be difficult to get a firm reply today. Thinking there was still some time left and taking advantage of the fact that no one had seen them, she stood up and hurried away.

On her way back, Li Youqing kept thinking about Cong Ying’s earlier words—

Zhenbei Wang had already rebelled, and as his adopted son, Xuan Rui was bound to follow.

But as she grew to understand him more deeply, Li Youqing didn’t actually believe this.

The fall of Wu City had been suspicious from the start. After following him to investigate both Qing He Dance House and Bai Yao’er’s residence, she had begun to form a vague suspicion based on his attitude.

Last night, when he said he was going out to battle, it wasn’t against the iron cavalry under King Bai but against the Red Feather Army, which belonged to the same three northwestern armies and was under the direct command of the Lu family.

From this, it was clear that Xuan Rui and Zhenbei Wang were likely no longer of the same mind.

The situation in the northwest was chaotic, and as a princess of Daliang, she truly shouldn’t stay any longer. If her identity were exposed, it would cause trouble for Father Emperor.

As dusk gradually fell, she heard the sound of hoofbeats and looked up to see Xuan Rui searching for her with an anxious expression. She simply stood still and waited for him.

As he dismounted and strode toward her, Li Youqing softened her tone first. “I was going to meet you, but I realized I was going the wrong way and came back immediately.”

Xuan Rui frowned tightly. “This isn’t the right path. You went the opposite direction.”

Li Youqing turned to look back, wearing a confused expression.

Xuan Rui shook his head and was about to lift her onto the horse when Li Youqing quickly stopped him. “No, I don’t want to ride today.”

“What’s wrong? You liked it before.” He remembered that on the way to Ming City, she had specifically ridden for a full day.

Tired from walking, Li Youqing pulled on his arm and moved behind him, standing on her tiptoes. “Anyway, you have to carry me back.”

Xuan Rui had already noticed the ruby earrings dangling from her ears, swaying gently with her movements, stirring up some inappropriate thoughts in his mind once again.

His eyes darkened as he crouched down. “Hurry up and get on.”

As Li Youqing lay against his broad back, she inexplicably sensed a restlessness in his mood.

Along the way, encountering passersby, she shyly buried her face in his neck, somewhat regretting having let him carry her.

Xuan Rui teased her, “What’s there to hide? Everyone knows you’re my woman.”

“Hmph—” Li Youqing took advantage of the momentary lack of people and bit his ear.

Seeing the back of his ears and neck flush bright red as he silently continued walking, she finally felt avenged.

Who told him to keep biting her at night? When she woke up this morning, she discovered red marks all over her shoulders from his doing.

It wasn’t just audacious—it was downright lawless.

She indulged in the mental fantasy of pinning him down for a caning, but upon returning to the room, she was suddenly pressed onto the bed by him.

The man’s heavy breathing pressed down, almost immediately looming over her.

Li Youqing felt a surge of warmth in her lower abdomen, her face paling in fright.

Noticing the fear in her eyes and her unusually pale complexion, Xuan Rui paused just as he was about to kiss her.

Then, he saw her eyes redden, tears quickly pooling in her distinct black-and-white pupils.

His heart tightened as he pulled her up and into his embrace, anxiously asking, “What’s wrong? Are you unwell somewhere?”

Li Youqing’s voice trembled with tears, “I’m uncomfortable everywhere. You brute.”

Xuan Rui grew even more frantic, tilting her face up and saying sternly, “What’s this tantrum? If you don’t explain clearly, are you just toying with me?”

He naturally exuded a fierce aura, and even a slight sternness made him look intimidating.

Li Youqing stared at him blankly before suddenly bursting into tears out of grievance.

Seeing her shoulders shaking with sobs, Xuan Rui grew even more agitated. Pressing his throbbing temples, he stood up and left without a word.

Thinking he had simply walked away, Li Youqing petulantly removed her earrings and threw them aside, collapsing onto the bed as her crying intensified.

Xuan Rui went out to consult Aunt Chen about the reason. After a while, he personally brought a bowl of brown sugar water into the room.

The earrings he had gifted her that morning now lay scattered on the floor—one here, one there.

He bent down to pick them up, placing them along with the bowl on the bedside table. Gently pulling her up, he coaxed, “Stop crying. Aunt Chen said drinking brown sugar water will help. Let me feed you.”

Li Youqing’s eyes were swollen red like a rabbit’s as she angrily retorted, “When we return to the palace, I’ll have Father Emperor punish you—give you a caning—”

“No need to wait. If it pleases you, you can hit me now.” Xuan Rui propped a pillow against the headboard for her to lean on, then picked up the brown sugar water, blowing on each spoonful to cool it before feeding her.

Remembering his solid muscles, Li Youqing abandoned the thought of punching him.

After crying for so long, she felt utterly exhausted and temporarily lacked the energy to argue with him.

As she drank the brown sugar water, she felt his warm, large hand resting on her lower abdomen, gently massaging in rhythmic motions. Her body gradually relaxed into comfort.

Overwhelming drowsiness washed over her. Unconsciously, she leaned sideways, sipping the brown sugar water intermittently as he fed her, until she finally fell asleep nestled in his arms.

Feeling warm tears dampen his neck, Xuan Rui looked down to see her still hiccuping softly in her sleep. The aching tightness in his chest deepened.

His entire life had been spent in warfare and conquest; beyond that, all other emotions seemed insignificant.

Yet this sweet burden felt impossible to let go of.

Tomorrow, he would lead the troops beyond the city to face the enemy. Although he had never regarded the Red Feather Army as worthy opponents, this time he had prepared more thoroughly than ever before.

He was not willing to let his life end in the Northwest.

【Author’s Note】

The second male lead is about to make his appearance—allow me a moment of excitement! But rest assured, no matter how significant the second male lead’s role becomes, the official couple will never be separated. There will be no angst, so read with ease!