of the imperial palace. The Seventh Prince ordered people to seal off Golden Hall and all parts of the imperial palace. The Emperor just woke up; his first action upon regaining consciousness was to...Chapter 91: Parents' Affairs

Yun Qianyue rode straight out of the West Gate on a fine steed, with great speed. The autumn wind blew through her hair and clothes, making them flutter in the breeze. From afar, she looked like a purple mist descending from the sky, even though the sun was not intense, stunningly beautiful.

Yu Zishu followed Yun Qianyue closely on horseback as well. He wore luxurious brocade robes and jade belts that flapped in the wind as he rode swiftly. His graceful appearance and incomparable charisma left everyone who saw him speechless with admiration.

The two of them, one following the other, were like an unfolding scroll painting along the long street.

The common people on the streets hurriedly moved aside, then stared in amazement at Yu Zishu's distant figure for a long time before finally turning away. Only after the two riders left the city gates did groups of three or five gather together to discuss who this person was and what his identity might be.

Yun Qianyue paid no attention to the fact that people were already talking about Yu Zishu's looks, which seemed likely to sweep through the capital. She just spurred her horse and galloped westward towards Mount Xi.

Once out of the city walls, the road leading to Mount Xi was smooth all the way. Gradually, Yu Zishu caught up with Yun Qianyue; the two horses flew like dragons, leaving only a whistling wind in their wake.

An hour later, Yun Qianyue reined in her horse and turned to look at Yu Zishu, smiling. "Your horsemanship has declined"

"I'm not familiar with this terrain; it gave you an advantage," Yu Zishu said with a warm smile.

Yun Qianyue looked at the two horses whose hooves were in perfect alignment, raised her eyebrows. "Even if you're unfamiliar with the terrain, can you ride alongside me like this Are you being modest or proud"

Yu Zishu laughed softly. "What do you think"

Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes and dismounted from her horse, releasing its reins so it could graze freely. She said to Yu Zishu in an elongated tone, "Come on, Grand Prince Yu, let's go up to that pavilion for a rest. I want to examine how you suddenly appeared in Heavenly Saint."

Yu Zishu smiled and nodded, then dismounted too and followed Yun Qianyue. He said, "I'll answer any questions truthfully; there will be no concealments."

Yun Qianyue turned her head to give him a glance but didn't say anything; instead, she smiled brilliantly.

Yu Zishu reached out and held Yun Qianyue's arm. She stopped walking and looked back at him as he straightened the hairpin that had been knocked askew by the wind, tucking her loose strands behind her ears. He then lowered his hand and glanced at her thin clothes, saying, "It's already late autumn; you're still wearing so little Didn't you know to add more"

Yun Qianyue felt a warmth in her heart as she looked back at him. "You didn't add anything either."

"But you have a chill constitution, after all," Yu Zishu said with a frown.

Yun Qianyue suddenly laughed and embraced his arm, sighing softly. "Little Seven, my previous body was cold-sensitive but this one isn't! Rebirth always brings changes, right"

Yu Zishu was startled for a moment before bursting out laughing. "Right, I forgot that Yun Er is no longer Yun Qianyue!

"This Xiao Qi is no longer the same Zi Shu!" Yun Qianyue's tone carried a slight sense of melancholy.

Yu Zishu used his arm that wasn't embraced by Yun Qianyue to stroke her head. He also sighed, "Yes, sometimes we live in the past and can't adjust to changes even when time and circumstances have changed, even though appearances and identities may have changed, it's still hard to forget."

"If you can't forget, don’t force yourself to. That is our life and memory—whether it’s black, white, gray or colorful, they are all the paths we’ve walked through step by step with sincerity. Why must we forget" Yun Qianyue leaned half her weight on Yu Zishu's arm, dragging him forward while hugging his arm. Her tone was extremely soft, "Because we have lived two more lifetimes than others. Because of that lifetime’s incompleteness, so now we know better how to live well, knowing what we want and making our utmost effort to live splendidly and comprehensively. This life is different from the previous one and should be free from regrets."

Yu Zishu looked down at Yun Qianyue. Seeing her gaze directed towards the horizon, he noticed that her once cold eyes had been replaced by softer ones in this lifetime. The meticulousness, cool rationality, and restrained emotions of the previous life were nowhere to be found in this one; all he saw was a gentle, tranquil, leisurely, and comfortable demeanor. His gaze softened as he whispered, "Qianyue, you have changed!"

"Yes, I’ve changed!" Yun Qianyue nodded earnestly.

“Changing isn’t necessarily bad!” Yu Zishu averted his eyes to look at the horizon. It was an autumn day with clear skies and no clouds; he said warmly, "In our previous life, we did everything that needed doing, even things that didn't need to be done. We spared nothing and gave our all. In this lifetime, we should live according to our own will—this is a gift from heaven."

"Yes!" Yun Qianyue looked up at the sky.

The two of them walked step by step towards the mountain, as if they had returned to years ago when they would take time each year to pick new tea leaves. When she was tired, she’d lean on his arm for support while he silently endured it without complaint.

Together through all these years, from children to adults in their twenties—long yet short decades of inseparable companionship. Those sealed memories seemed to have a release in this quiet mountain, like scenes played out in a film.

No one disturbed them!

Around the halfway point of the mountain where there was a pavilion, Yun Qianyue still didn't let go of Yu Zishu's arm.

Yu Zishu gave her an exasperated look and reminded her, "If Young Master Jing sees this, he’ll be jealous again!"

"Are you afraid he'll be jealous" Yun Qianyue stopped thinking about it as she looked at Yu Zishu with amusement but still didn't let go.

Yu Zishu could only allow her to drag him down to sit. As usual, she leaned half her body against him as though time hadn’t changed them. He smiled and said, "After all, things aren’t the same as before."

Yun Qianyue’s smile faded a bit as she shook her head, “Only the environment and time have changed—what's different No matter how you change, you’re still Xiao Qi, and I’m still me. Rong Jing is my sweetness, not a burden.”

Yu Zishu gave a faint smile, "Qianyue, I'm happy for you."

"What" Yun Qianyue raised an eyebrow at him.

"You found Young Master Jing. Anyone can see that he truly loves you. He wouldn’t let anyone who shouldn't be close to him get any closer; his concern for you even surpasses his own." Yu Zishu smiled, "People like Rong Jing are rare in this world. To meet someone like him is a blessing."

Yun Qianyue smiled gently with more tenderness on her face and said sincerely, “Xiao Qi, you will also find an excellent woman!”

Duke Yuzishu smiled without speaking.

Yun Qianyue suddenly sat up, looked at him, and saw right into his eyes. His eyes were full of warmth, the color rich and lustrous, with no other colors visible. She opened her mouth as if to say something but then gave up and withdrew her gaze before leaning against him again.

Duke Yuzishu observed Yun Qianyue's emotions in that fleeting moment thoroughly without saying anything.

After a long while, Yun Qianyue poked Duke Yuzishu with her hand. "You wanted to explain something How did you come to Tiansheng"

"When the incident at the Lan Clan in the Ten Great Clans reached the East Sea, Luo Yao heard that she was being talked about across the world for her relationship with Prince Rui of Nanliang. She couldn’t sit still and went to ask my father for permission to go to Nanliang. As a woman alone, Father naturally wouldn't allow it. So, she went to find Zi Lao. Zi Lao has always been at odds with Luo Yao; she doesn't like her, and vice versa. When they are together, they treat each other as if the other isn’t there. This makes my father very troubled. After hearing that Luo Yao wanted to go to Nanliang and maybe even Tiansheng, Zi Lao immediately agreed." Duke Yuzishu explained slowly: "So, the two of them went to ask my father for permission together. My father was overjoyed at seeing his daughters getting along so well, but when he heard that they wanted to leave the East Sea, and since Zi Lao often runs outside with Uncle Huawang and Auntie before, he wasn’t very comfortable about letting two girls go alone. Thus, the two of them kept pestering my father, who was worn out by their persistence and called me over."

“So you came along with them” Yun Qianyue blinked her eyes.

"I thought it was time for you to come of age soon! Since I have nothing much to do in the East Sea’s court, I agreed to accompany them." Duke Yuzishu smiled and said, "After seeing me agree, Father felt reassured and allowed them."

“But you didn’t go with them. Instead, as soon as you entered Tiansheng territory, you split up from them Could you really be so at ease, not worried about anything happening to them that would make it hard for you to explain yourself to your dear father” Yun Qianyue raised her eyebrows.

"I arranged people in the shadows to protect them. Ordinary people can’t harm them. If someone extraordinary were to come after them, they’d definitely know their identities and wouldn't trouble them because of it. No major incidents could happen!" Duke Yuzishu shook his head and looked at Yun Qianyue with a smile: "Besides, didn't you send people to the East Sea Once you knew that they had left the East Sea, how could you not send someone to find their whereabouts Since you know where they are, of course, you would protect them. Tiansheng is your territory; I can’t reach them."

Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes in anger and said, "You really do calculate things precisely!"

"As a prince, I have no choice but to scheme," Duke Yuzishu nodded with a smile.

"Even the people you sent to the East Sea, you knew about! You're too... The territory of the East Sea is also over ten thousand miles!" Yun Qianyue said again.

“Entering the East Sea has several checkpoints. Over the past thousand years, there's been little exchange between Tiansheng and the East Sea; they’re largely unrelated to each other. Only a hundred years ago did Prince Rong travel to the East Sea, taking away its Evil-Averting Bead, with my great-aunt following him. That’s when connections started.” Duke Yuzishu explained: “Afterwards, there were some curious Tiansheng citizens who traveled to the East Sea, and vice versa for the East Sea people; they gradually came into contact with one another. However, it was still a small amount of interaction until my aunt’s generation, due to her frequent travels between the two places, that prosperity began at the border in recent decades. Trade started flourishing, increasing traffic. Yet even so, there is still a limit. I have people guarding each checkpoint; anyone entering will be registered on file. If there are any suspicious individuals, they’ll be secretly observed upon entry and can’t escape my notice. Although your people are very secretive and look ordinary at first glance, under closer scrutiny, there are flaws. That’s how I knew it was you."

“You’re really not having an easy time as a prince. Without internal or external troubles, you still have to be so vigilant!” Yun Qianyue said after hearing this, unable to help but admire him.

"Old Uncle Wang observed the stars and saw signs of great upheaval in Tiansheng, which might affect the East Sea; I had to take precautions to prevent it from impacting that peaceful land," Duke Yuzishu said with a helpless tone.

Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes. "Old Uncle Wang A fortune-teller Do you still believe in star-gazing"

"I don’t really believe it, but the situation in Tiansheng doesn’t need to be seen through star patterns; one can already see that there will be chaos," Duke Yuzishu said with a smile.

“That’s true!” Yun Qianyue nodded and asked: "Is your aunt called Yu Qingqing Is Uncle Huawang called Yun Shaoyuan"

Duke Yuzishu's gaze flickered slightly as he lowered his head to look at Yun Qianyue.

“Did Auntie and Uncle Huawang tell you this”

"They didn't say, and I didn't ask them. Guesswork! After all these events, clues, and Luo Yu and Zi Luo, if I can’t guess it out, then I am truly dumb." Yun Qianyue pursed her lips.

"Huh..." Jade Zishu smiled as he looked at Yun Qianyue, "So you didn't ask them about their story"

"I didn’t!" Yun Qianyue shook her head.

"Then let me tell you." Jade Zishu asked with a smile. Seeing that Yun Qianyue was indifferent, he slowly spoke: "I only know the general idea and don't know the specific details. It's said that when my aunt was born she was on the brink of death. At that time, my Uncle King from the East Sea happened to be traveling in Southern Liang and learned about it. So he went to the imperial palace and took away my aunt without allowing Southern Liang to announce her as a princess. Back then, he wanted to avoid trouble because he was born hating trouble. He might also have loved my aunt so much that he wanted to keep her for himself. In short, Old Uncle King had extremely high medical skills and saved my aunt's life, bringing her back to the East Sea. At that time, there hadn't been a princess in the royal family for two generations. My aunt was cute and very pretty, deeply loved by Grandpa Emperor who wanted to adopt her as his daughter. However, Old Uncle King adamantly refused, saying she was his hard-earned daughter whom he had no reason to give away. The brothers fought over it. Although Old Uncle King won the fight, since the one in charge of East Sea was Grandpa Emperor, he issued an imperial decree announcing that he had a new princess named Qingqing Princess. Old Uncle King shouted out in anger but could do nothing about it. After several arguments, he finally got custody rights over my aunt. Knowing that he couldn't provoke Old Uncle King further, the emperor stepped back. Therefore, from then on, my aunt became a princess of the royal family, yet she was raised by Old Uncle King."

"Mother is still quite sought after!" Yun Qianyue chuckled.

"Indeed!" Jade Zishu nodded and smiled: "Old Uncle King is extremely knowledgeable, not only excelling in martial arts but also in medicine, poison, orthodox kung fu, or even the dark side. There's nothing he doesn't know about. He is the most talented person in East Sea. Back then, Grandpa Emperor originally wanted to make him the Crown Prince, but unfortunately, he had no ambition for it. Despite using every method possible, Old Uncle King still remained indifferent. In the end, only the current emperor got to sit on the throne. Since both brothers were born of the same mother and loved each other very much, there wasn't any dispute over the throne. The Emperor always favored his younger brother but broke his precedent this time by forcefully taking a daughter from Old Uncle King."

"Not only sought after, but also a golden goose!" Yun Qianyue commented.

Jade Zishu gave her a look of amusement and continued: "Old Uncle King enjoys frolicking in the world and dislikes being constrained. His actions are unrestrained although he is full of talent, seeing through all worldly matters too clearly. Perhaps it's due to this clarity that his thoughts aren't delicate enough. He met several women but missed them all. Later on, his heart cooled off, and without listening to Grandpa Emperor’s advice, he went off to become an old Taoist priest. For the rest of his life, he never remarried and only raised my aunt."

"Old Taoist Priest" Yun Qianyue's mind moved as she thought of someone.

"Yes, it’s that Old Taoist Priest!" Jade Zishu nodded, seeing that Yun Qianyue wasn’t asking anything more, he continued: "Because he likes to frolic in the world, he often travels everywhere. Naturally, wherever he went, my aunt went with him. When she was ten years old, she met someone who had similar natures and felt a deep connection with him. They did many things together without explicitly stating their feelings but understood each other deeply."

"That person is your Uncle Huawang, my father" Yun Qianyue asked.

"Yes!" Jade Zishu nodded and continued: "From that moment on, my aunt stopped traveling with Old Uncle King and started spending time with Uncle Huawang. During this period, they jointly established the Red Pavilion. Of course, everyone knows the Red Pavilion was built by a woman but doesn’t know there’s also a man involved—probably because Uncle Huawang didn't want to expose himself so he helped my aunt from the shadows. When my aunt turned fifteen, Grandpa Emperor brought back Old Uncle King and my aunt for her coming-of-age ceremony. At that time, they also talked about her marriage arrangements and mentioned the engagement with the Glory Prince."

Hearing this far, Yun Qianyue sat up straight and listened intently.

Jade Zishu smiled at her expression and said: "Back then, the Glory Prince was renowned across the land. Although he didn't reach the level of the Glory Prince ancestors a hundred years ago, men from the Glory Prince family were still top-notch in the realm. East Sea knew about the Glory Prince naturally. Back then, there were several outstanding young masters among various mansions in East Sea's capital city but none compared to the Glory Prince. Grandpa Emperor loved his daughter dearly and wanted to find her the best match possible. Therefore, he was willing for my aunt to go to Heavenly Saint City to fulfill the marriage engagement with the Glory Prince."

Yun Qianyue listened quietly without interrupting.

"At that time, my aunt agreed and came to Heavenly Saint City with East Sea's contract with the Glory Prince. My aunt and Uncle Huawang were acquainted for five years; he didn't know she was a princess of East Sea while she didn't know he was the crown prince of Yunwang Mansion. Neither ever asked or investigated each other. After my aunt arrived in Heavenly Saint City, she naturally wouldn’t reveal her identity as a princess nor contact Uncle Huawang but instead stayed at an inn in the city where she met many people including the Crown Prince and the Crown Prince from Glory Mansion. She had no chance to meet the crown prince of Yunwang Mansion." Jade Zishu said, seemingly amused: "She saw many characters and explored every corner of the capital city but found it meaningless. Not wanting to marry so early, she left the city with her engagement contract, returning to Sky Touching Cliff. Upon reaching there, she heard news that Uncle Huawang had learned about a Red Beauty Flower on Toxin Peak in Northern Frontier which could keep one young forever and had gone alone to gather it. What is Toxin Peak It’s the most toxic place in the world! My aunt was terrified and hurried after him. Inside Toxin Peak were all venomous beasts. After much hardship, my aunt found Uncle Huawang who told her that Red Beauty Flower wouldn’t bloom until a month later; he went early to wait so it wouldn't be picked by others. Frustrated, she followed him every day battling toxic creatures. They would often suffer several poisons daily but fortunately they both knew medicine. After being harassed for a month, when they finally gathered the Red Beauty Flower and left Toxin Peak, they were in such bad shape."

"He picked the Red Beauty Flower to give it to my mother" Yun Qianyue thought about her father’s act of courage; no wonder he could win over her mother and bring a beauty back home.

"Yes! According to what my aunt said, when she asked Uncle Huawang why he picked the Red Beauty Flower, he replied that he wanted eternal youth. He didn’t mention giving it to her. Later on, on the day the flower bloomed, they both split it and ate half each!" Jade Zishu chuckled.

Imagining the two of them splitting the flower to eat, Yun Qianyue couldn't help but laugh too.

"After leaving the Poisonous Fog Peak, my aunt said she was going to Southern Liang while Uncle Hua wanted to return to Heavenly Saint. They went their separate ways. Not long after, news spread throughout the land that the Crown Prince of Cloud王府世子would marry a miss from the Lan府小姐household; this wedding rumor was widely publicized and reached Southern Liang as well. My aunt recalled the rumors about the Crown Prince of Cloud王府世子being a weak-willed person without backbone and felt pity for that Miss Lan府小姐, but then she left it behind, not bothering with it anymore. Unexpectedly, after several days, my aunt received a letter from Uncle Hua. Uncle Hua said he was actually the Crown Prince of Cloud王府世子and asked if she would marry him; if she agreed, she should arrive at Heavenly Saint before their wedding to claim her bride-to-be."

Yuzishu chuckled as he continued his story: "After receiving the letter, my aunt was stunned for a long time. Then without saying another word, she left for Heavenly Saint. Later on, she replaced Miss Lan府小姐and became the bride herself; entering the bridal chamber to start her new life. The rest of the story you must know already."

Yun Qianyue nodded with a chuckle and said: "Stealing someone else's place in this kind of underhanded way, it seems only they could pull something like that off!"

"My aunt married Uncle Hua, so the marriage agreement between her and Prince Rong was put on hold. Later, my aunt took Uncle Hua back to the East Sea without saying she had already married him; she just said he was a friend of hers. Although Emperor Grandfather knew that the Crown Prince of Cloud王府世子had played a trick by switching brides at his wedding in Heavenly Saint, he didn't know the girl who replaced the bride-to-be was actually his granddaughter. He grew increasingly fond of Uncle Hua and invited him to take office; Uncle Hua happily accepted it. With his extraordinary talent, Emperor Grandfather continuously promoted him. After dealing with a plague that ravaged the East Sea and saving countless lives there, he earned great merit for himself while remaining humble and unassuming, which pleased Emperor Grandfather immensely. Thus, an unprecedented exception was made to appoint him as a non-royal king, Prince Hua. By then, Emperor Grandfather had already forgotten about arranging my aunt’s marriage with Prince Rong; instead, he personally proposed giving his princess in marriage to Uncle Hua because they seemed very well-matched emotionally. Uncle Hua didn't immediately agree with the emperor's proposal and said that he needed time for consideration. This deliberation lasted a whole month during which several ministers were sent by Emperor Grandfather to inquire about it, but every time Uncle Hua responded that he hadn’t made up his mind yet. After another month had passed without any decision from Uncle Hua, Emperor Grandfather couldn't sit still anymore and personally asked him again; then Uncle Hua finally agreed. Therefore, Prince Hua married the princess and became a prince consort of the East Sea."

"What happened next" Yun Qianyue felt that her parents were truly heartless to have tricked Emperor Grandfather.

"Those two never told Emperor Grandfather they had already gotten married back at the Cloud王府. It was only years later when Old Uncle Hua got drunk and inadvertently let it slip out, which made him aware of it." Yuzishu laughed: "But by then neither my aunt nor Uncle Hua were in the East Sea anymore; he couldn't find anyone to vent his anger on. After half a year had passed since their return, his temper had already cooled off."

Yun Qianyue was speechless.

"Alright, talking this much has made my mouth dry. What else do you want to hear" Yuzishu asked with a smile.

"There's nothing left; anyway, you're not going anywhere for now so we can chat at our own pace! And there’s no guarantee that you will tell me everything you know right away." Yun Qianyue shook her head and put her thumb and middle finger to her lips, whistling loudly. The horse grazing nearby immediately ran over; she reached out to untie the water bag and handed it to Yuzishu.

Yuzishu took the water bag from her.

Yun Qianyue closed her eyes as both of them fell silent for a while.

About half an hour later, someone gracefully landed nearby and exclaimed in surprise: "Moon"

Opening her eyes, Yun Qianyue saw Rong Feng standing several meters away from them, looking at her in astonishment. She gave him a smile, asking, “Rong Feng, how did you get here”

Rong Feng looked at the two of them; Yuzishu was sitting casually while Yun Qianyue leaned half-sideways against his body naturally and without pretense. Rong Feng fixed his gaze on Yuzishu and took a closer look, then turned to Yun Qianyue but remained silent for a moment.

"How many days have passed since I last saw you Have you lost your mind" Yun Qianyue looked at him with amusement.

“You... how did you end up here” Rong Feng, seeing the two of them acting so intimate and close to each other, seemed somewhat stunned as he asked Yun Qianyue cautiously: "Is this... Prince Jade"

"Yes, his name is Yuzishu!" Yun Qianyue sat upright, thinking that her posture with Little Seven might be quite shocking in Rong Feng’s eyes; thus, the usually calm and collected man was showing such an expression. She smiled at him saying: "He's a very old friend of mine."

"Are you referring to the Earl Wen family’s Prince Consort Feng A pleasure!" Yuzishu gave Rong Feng a slight smile.

Rong Feng regained his composure, hiding his astonishment in his eyes. He slightly bowed and said: "Prince Jade, it's an honor! I'm Rong Feng."

“Prince Consort Feng is close to Yun Qing, while Yuzishu is a very old friend of hers; therefore, Prince Consort Feng doesn't need to be overly formal with me.” Yuzishu sized up Rong Feng from head to toe. He didn’t refer to himself as Your Highness but used the name Zishu, clearly indicating that he understood Yun Qianyue and Rong Feng’s relationship.

Rong Feng relaxed and looked at Jade Zishu, giving an unnatural smile and said, "I was handling affairs in the War Council when I heard Yue'er's whistle, so I rushed over. This is quite abrupt. Prince Jade, please forgive me."

"Where are you talking about! Meeting Viscount Maple Rong Feng makes Zishu very happy!" Jade Zishu smiled and shook his head.

"I heard that the Eastern Sea Kingdom's Prince Jade had come, thinking I could only see him two days after the Fourth Prince’s wedding. Unexpectedly, I saw you today! Prince Jade is indeed as they say," Rong Feng said again.

"Today Emperor Tiensheng held a banquet in the palace; afterwards someone wanted to test my horsemanship. Before I could sober up, I was dragged out," Jade Zishu smiled and said, "They say Viscount Maple can compare with Minister Wenbo of old for talent. Today upon meeting you, indeed you are not ordinary." Jade Zishu also smiled.

Before Rong Feng could speak again, Yun Qianyue reached out and pulled his arm; he hadn't reacted in time to be dragged beside her. She impatiently said, "We're all comrades, why so much formal talk"

Rong Feng laughed dumbly.

Jade Zishu helplessly glanced at Yun Qianyue and also shook his head with a smile.

Yun Qianyue turned her head to Rong Feng, "Aren't you the Walking Minister of War How did you end up staying in the War Council"

"Night Qingran is guarding the capital city. No one was looking after the Western Mountain War Council; so Emperor and Seventh Prince sent me," said Rong Feng.

"That's right, you are Night Tianyi’s junior brother, wouldn't stab him in his back," Yun Qianyue smiled.

Rong Feng looked at her with a smile fading from his face, "The capital is not tranquil these days. Emperor doesn’t have much time left. Court factions are entrenched, secretly entangled with each other privately; while the newly-entered upright faction can’t hold up the scene, every single person walking on eggshells out of fear that one wrong step will bring disaster upon him or her. After figuring it all out, I ended up being the most suitable person to watch over this War Council."

Yun Qianyue nodded, "Night Tianyu’s wedding is two days later When are you going back"

"I originally planned on returning two days from now. But accompanying you all into town works as well," Rong Feng said. “At the War Council, I'm merely a caretaker; there are people loyal to the Emperor, Seventh Prince's men, and Little Prince Wang’s group here, so it would be hard for anything to happen."

"Since that’s the case then come back to town with us! Let’s go, anyway it is getting late," Yun Qianyue only now realized how late it was. Rong Jing hadn’t come looking nor sent someone; to have let him relax for so long was quite a feat already, she couldn't continue testing his limits.

Jade Zishu and Rong Feng naturally didn’t mind. The trio stood up.

The place wasn’t far from the War Council; hearing Yun Qianyue’s whistle, Rong Feng had used lightness skills to rush over so obviously hadn't ridden a horse. Yun Qianyue mounted her horse and reached out to pull Rong Feng; he didn’t hesitate but gave his hand to her as she lightly sat behind him.

Two horses, three people, without further talk, they headed for the city gates.

The sky had darkened when they entered the capital city. Yun Qianyue planned on first sending Rong Feng back to Minister Wenbo’s residence before returning to Cloud Manor. The trio was just walking along the main road when passing a storefront, suddenly several strings of firecrackers were thrown down from upstairs; the firecrackers made loud bangs aimed straight at Jade Zishu who was riding his horse on Yun Qianyue's right side.

———interlude———the Yun王府 and your support." Yun Qianyue looked at Yun Li and spoke earnestly word by word: "Don't shoulder everything alone; sometimes one person can't handle such heavy pressure. While the Yun王府 is...