What is not?
Xie Bo remained frozen for a long time.
Seeing her worsening condition, he could only order the coachman to turn back.
The divine maiden of Jing country had chosen the Divine Martial General as her husband. He had already heard this when he arrived. So, was he sending her back to the palace or to the General's mansion now?
"Where am I taking you? Which one is your home?"
Home?
Ling Yao stared blankly, her eyes like a lost fawn, "No home, no home..."
Not knowing where to go, she didn't want to go anywhere.
Xie Bo was perplexed. He went to check her forehead again. It was still incredibly cold, her lips tinged with blue. How could a normal person withstand such a temperature?
"Add more charcoal!" His usually gentle voice was laced with sternness.
The carriage jolted to a halt. The inertia sent Ling Yao lunging forward uncontrollably. Her fragrance filled the air. Xie Bo caught her, carefully avoiding her belly.
Although he was angry with the coachman, he realized his own tone had been too urgent. He suppressed his urge to scold and waited for the charcoal to be added before hurrying back.
"Am I taking you to the Divine Martial General's mansion, or back to the palace?"
Given her condition, she wasn't just sick. Seeing a doctor was clearly out of the question. He could only take her back and let her family help.
"Divine Martial General... A Shan."
"He doesn't want me anymore..." Ling Yao covered her face and began to cry, her sorrow like a dam bursting, surging forth.
"He doesn't want me anymore... He doesn't want me anymore!"
As Xie Bo stood there stunned, the carriage door was yanked open violently. A mountain-like dark shadow loomed, exuding pressure.
"Divine Martial General."
He blurted out. The immense pressure made him instinctively withdraw the arm that had been around Ling Yao.
Under the illumination of the glazed lamps, his face was as dark and heavy as a sky about to unleash a storm, suffocatingly oppressive.
However, his movements were so cautious that his fingers trembled. His arrival made the spacious carriage feel cramped, gradually drawing the huddled figure into his embrace.
"I don't not want you."
His voice was deep and resonant, gentle yet restrained, as if something was stuck in his throat, unable to be released.
His tall frame shielded the person in his arms. He bent down and exited the carriage.
As he dismounted, Xie Bo saw the pale little face burrowed into the Divine Martial General's open embrace.
Then, wrapped in a cloak, the warhorse neighed, and like a whirlwind, they vanished into the dark street in an instant.
Truly the great general who had turned the tide for Jing. This aura was not something an ordinary person could withstand.
Xie Bo lowered his head, pondered for a moment, then called to the terrified, pale-faced coachman to continue their journey.
Alas, he truly did not wish to return to the inn. That Turkic princess was too disgusting. They were all women, yet the difference was so vast.
After offering condolences to the former emperor of Jing and meeting the new emperor, it was best to return quickly to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Song Beiting yanked the reins forcefully, his palms leaving deep red marks. He stood on the street not far away, watching the man whisk her away.
It seemed he was always a step too late.
..............
Among the envoys from the three kingdoms, only Southern Xinjiang was a vassal state of Great Jing. The Turks and Great Jing had just concluded a truce, and Northern Di was also not on friendly terms with Great Jing.
Qi Rong, a neighboring country, had been making frequent moves lately and had not sent any envoys.
The next day, the envoys from various countries, led by the new emperor, paid respects to Emperor Zhao He, then hosted a banquet to discuss future matters. During the banquet, a request was made to meet the divine maiden, but Xiao Shan politely declined, citing the divine maiden's illness.
The divine maiden was indeed ill. After returning to the palace that night, she had finally managed to warm her body, only to then develop a high fever, speaking deliriously.
"A Ye, Mother again scolded me."
"I'm leaving. Who would bother staying in the prince's mansion."
"The hairpin you bought, I'm returning it to you."
"Don't go, you'll die."
"A Ye..."
Her words were jumbled, but they always revolved around one name: A Ye.
He had asked Qing He. There was no one in the palace with the character "Ye" in their name. Perhaps she wasn't referring to this "Ye," but the name had pierced his heart like a thorn. She seemed to be calling out to a lover...
Finally, the high fever subsided, and she had lost so much weight, her face shrunken. It was truly heartbreaking.
When she opened her eyes, she was still a little dazed.
"You're finally awake." A hoarse male voice was heard.
Someone was kissing her hand.
Ling Yao stared blankly at the haggard man before her. Her memory was still stuck at the moment she climbed onto the Southern Xinjiang prince's carriage. The events that followed were fragmented, and she couldn't recall them clearly.
"Does anything else hurt?" His gaze was eager and worried. He gently brushed the stray strands of hair from her forehead, his fingertips tracing her cheeks repeatedly, as if treating a fragile porcelain doll.
Ling Yao shook her head. Seeing the relieved smile on the man's face, she suddenly remembered something and urgently sat up, "I'll get some food."
Her steps were a little unsteady.
He returned quickly. "Qing He said you just woke up and need to drink some soup first. Come, I'll help you sit up."
Ling Yao had no strength in her body, especially her throat, which felt dry and painful. Her mind finally began to function, and she habitually reached to caress her belly.
"The child is fine, don't worry."
He seemed as if he hadn't had water in a long time, his throat dry and his voice hoarse, yet he still exuded a sense of steadiness and security.
Ling Yao lowered her head, not daring to look at him.
After drinking a few sips of soup, she pushed it towards him, her eyes as pure as a young fawn's, "You drink too."
Xiao Shan pursed his lips, his eyes slightly stinging.
"Okay."
Xiao Shan's gaze never left her. He drank a mouthful of soup, then scooped another and brought it to her lips.
After Ling Yao finished, she didn't take the spoon when he offered it again. Only after Xiao Shan drank it did she drink again.
Thus, they finished a bowl of soup together.
A brief silence ensued.
Ling Yao lowered her head, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so willful."
Xiao Shan's hand tightened, and a sharp pain surged in his heart.
Qing He had said: The princess had been a well-behaved child since she was young. She ate diligently, practiced calligraphy, and painted. She never threw tantrums or caused trouble for anyone.
The princess was kind to everyone because she was a divine maiden who saved all beings and harbored great righteousness.
She lacked nothing. The finest things in the palace were all in Fengque Tower.
Fengque Tower was a place of peace and harmony, with fair weather and calm seas. Everyone lived comfortably because of the most benevolent princess.
But she—
She would stop eating meat at the word of a great shaman.
She would practice calligraphy all night for a casual compliment from the Empress.
She would deliberately lose a game of chess at a frustrated remark from the Second Prince.
She would wait from dawn till dusk for a promise from the Emperor.
She lacked nothing, except love.
Everyone said they loved her.
But she couldn't feel their love.
That was why she was well-behaved, sensible, and dared not be willful. Even when acting spoiled towards the Emperor who doted on her the most, she maintained a sense of proportion.
Qing He said: The first time she saw genuine freedom on the princess's face was in front of the General.
Besides that.
There was also a possessive, paranoid obsession, like a beast fiercely guarding its territory.