“Hey you, why do you always end up in my arms?” she heard him ask mischievously.
‘Eh!’
She wriggled free from his embrace, ears crimson. She didn’t answer his question.
Seeing her in such a state, Jing Rong’s smile deepened. He didn’t expose her, instead, he pointed at a carriage behind him. “Bring that carriage over.”
“Yes, your Highness!” The imperial guard behind him immediately complied.
“I won’t hold it against you if you wish to return with Wei Yi first.” Jing Rong whispered as he leaned close to her ear.
Ji Yunshu looked at him strangely. “How did you know Wei Yi was brought into the imperial palace?”
“Didn’t I tell you? I arranged several lowly eunuchs to keep an eye on Concubine Xiao’s hall. I know about everything that happens there even if I’m away tending to court matters.”
“…” She suddenly felt a cold and shivered.
The carriage was brought over and the pair quickly returned to the Rong estate.
———
The two sat in the carriage. Jing Rong stared at her. His hand reached for her. “Do you want to know the result of today’s pourparler?”
She lifted her eyes, shaking her head. “I don’t.”
“I insist. This time Qujiang came forward under the order of their King to propose marriage.”
“Oh!” She was not interested in the least. “Earlier, at the gate, I saw the great Qujiang general.”
Jing Rong caught her meaning and his expression became serious.
“You sense something?”
“Your Highness’ tone suggests you already have your suspicions.”
“You first.”
Ji Yunshu frowned. “I am… not convinced this man is capable of fighting 100,000 men with just 30,000.”
Jing Rong was shocked by her words. He looked at the woman in front of him and carefully examined her
“We have the same thoughts!” he finally admitted
——–
Inside a tavern, Li Shiyan sat at a table. His chin rested on one of his hand while the other was occupied with poking at the lantern in front of him. Many thoughts swirled in his mind.
Xiao Luzi, tidying things near him, asked, “Heir, do you really want to leave the capital?”
“If we don’t leave now, we can’t leave at all! Hurry and tidy everything!”
“Eh! Oh!” Xiao Luzi sped up.
Li Shiyan watched him, about to get up.
Swish!
A needle suddenly shot through a small gap in the door. Fortunately, Li Shiyan was quick to react. He jumped away and evaded.
“Heir, be careful!” Xiao Luzi shouted loudly.
Several more needles came through the door immediately after.
Li Shiyan opened the fan he always carried with him abruptly. He waved his fan and blocked a few needles, then, in the same motion, redirected them, flinging them at the mahogany bed where they embedded.
‘Lucky! How lucky!’
It was indeed lucky that the needles hadn’t been thrown with the intent to kill
Creak! The door opened.
Li Shiyan looked at the man coming into the room. He wasn’t surprised by his arrival; on the contrary, he looked dejected as he folded his fan. He sighed and sat down, grumbling.
“I knew you would come find me!”
There were two people at the door, one standing, the other seated in a wheelchair.