As night fell, the convoy camped in the wilderness. A figure flashed into the carriage: "Si Feng pays his respects to Your Highness."
"The rest is up to you now." Nangong Yu immediately took off his outer clothes, revealing a black robe underneath. He had clearly come prepared.
"Yes, Your Highness." Si Feng put on a human skin mask, disguising himself as Nangong Yu, and remained in the carriage. Nangong Yu had already vanished.
Ye Qing tried to follow, but Si Feng stopped him: "Divine Doctor Ye, where are you going?"
"Of course, I'm going to chase..." Ye Qing glared at Si Feng and finally understood. Nangong Yu had planned to leave Shengjing City long ago. This mission to the Northern Rong was less about being forced and more about him proactively seeking an opportunity to leave Shengjing openly!
"Where is he going?"
"Where the master goes, how would a servant know?" Si Feng flopped onto the soft couch. It was good to be in the Prince's carriage; all amenities were provided, and one could even sleep in it.
"His injuries are not fully healed!"
"Can we stop what His Highness intends to do?" Si Feng rolled over. "We just need to do our jobs. As for His Highness, he knows what he's doing."
Ye Qing lifted the carriage curtain. The outside was pitch black, with no trace of Nangong Yu. Having just left Shengjing, Nangong Yu had left the convoy alone. Was he planning to go to the Northern Rong single-handedly?
"Do you really not know what he's doing?"
Si Feng pondered for a moment. "I can probably guess."
"What is he doing?"
"The one from Blue Moon is going to choose a consort." Si Feng said in a low voice. They had received news that the Blue Moon Empress was selecting a consort for the Princess. Once the consort was chosen, she would be married. Given their Prince's personality, he would surely not be able to sit still.
"Xiao Man is getting married?"
"Blue Moon has issued an official document to publicly select a consort for the Princess." Si Feng sat up. "Given His Highness's feelings for her, he wouldn't be able to remain unmoved."
Ye Qing felt a headache coming on. "Xiao Zhen's death hasn't been investigated yet, and he's going to Blue Moon rashly at this time. Isn't that suicidal?"
"Divine Doctor Ye, you only see His Highness and have overlooked one person."
"Who?"
"The State Preceptor, Feng Tianlan." Si Feng said mysteriously. "According to reliable sources, the State Preceptor has already left Shengjing and gone to Blue Moon."
"Xiao Man is in Blue Moon, and he's still poisoned. The only way to detoxify is to find Xiao Man." Ye Qing's eyes, when mentioning the State Preceptor, were filled with barely concealed hatred. They had tried countless times to expose the State Preceptor's true face, but they had failed, suffering heavy losses. Now that the State Preceptor had left Yusheng, it was even harder for him to act against him.
"I wonder what Wen Mohan is doing, letting that person choose a consort." Si Feng sighed. "What is love in this world..."
"That makes your heart break into pieces." Ye Qing finished the line. "Once the wound heals, you forget the pain?"
Si Feng chuckled and lay back down. Luo Bingqing had not shown herself since her escape from the Prince of Qin's mansion, as if she had vanished from the face of the earth. Even her family didn't know her whereabouts.
"Doctor Ye, do you have someone you like?"
"I used to."
"Used to?" Si Feng asked, puzzled. "Don't you like her anymore?"
"I do, but it's not the kind of love between a man and a woman. I see her as a sister." Ye Qing said slowly. "There's never a possibility between us, so why not step back and be her family, content to see her happy."
"You're quite philosophical about it." Si Feng propped his head with his hands. "I know clearly that Qing'er doesn't like me, she likes Your Highness. I can't give her what she wants, and I even know in my heart that she's not a good person, but I just can't let go of her. I don't even understand why I'm so infatuated."
"Love, how can it be severed just like that?" Ye Qing sighed. "I simply regained my senses before I fell completely, while you are still deeply mired."
"Isn't Your Highness also suffering from lovesickness, losing his appetite for her?" Si Feng said with a smile. "Even someone like His Highness suffers for love, let alone a humble guard like me. His Highness is so outstanding, holds high office, and is peerless in elegance, yet he's still rejected by women. It shows that everyone has someone they can't obtain."
"He's different from you. He and Xiao Man are mutually in love, but due to various reasons, they cannot be together. But you and Luo Bingqing are like a wilting flower and flowing water, destined for no good end." Ye Qing said earnestly. "She never loved you, and even after learning the truth, she intended to take your life. Xiao Man would still show mercy, but she was determined to see you dead."
Si Feng fell silent. How could he not understand? Luo Bingqing's gaze, upon learning the truth, was filled with hatred. Her once tender eyes were full of hate and murderous intent. At that moment, she truly wanted to kill him, and at that moment, he truly wanted to die.
"Divine Doctor Ye, do you know? At that moment, I truly wanted to die at her hands, rather than live in her hatred for me."
Yan Yao sat upright at the desk, grinding ink for Xiao Man.
Xiao Man was surrounded by memorials. As the Empress, Xiao Man was handling the state affairs. The Eldest Princess had directly sent all the memorials to the Imperial Consort's mansion without a word.
Yan Yao finished grinding the ink, then sorted and organized the memorials that Xiao Man had reviewed, ordering them to be sent to various locations. It was not until nightfall, when the lamps were lit, that Xiao Man was still reviewing memorials. Yan Yao felt drowsy, his eyelids fluttering. His small head bobbed, and eventually, he slumped onto the table and fell asleep.
Xiao Man glanced at him, then got up and took a cloak from the side to cover him. She continued reviewing the memorials.
The dim candlelight seemed faint in the deep night. The wick sputtered, dimming the light, and Xiao Man's hand paused as she reviewed the memorials. A moment later, she resumed.
Under the candlelight, a shadow stretched long, standing behind Xiao Man.
The room was quiet, with only the sound of Xiao Man's writing and Yan Yao's breathing. It felt as though there were only two people in the room, yet there was indeed a third.
"It's getting late, aren't you going to rest?"
Xiao Man dipped her brush in ink and continued reviewing the memorials. "You shouldn't have come here."
"If I hadn't come, you would have become someone else's wife." Nangong Yu moved to the front of the desk and sat face-to-face with Xiao Man. Yan Yao mumbled something in his sleep. Nangong Yu reached out and pressed his pressure points, putting him into a deeper sleep.
"Whether you come or not, it will not change my decision." Xiao Man looked up at Nangong Yu and said calmly, "Just as I cannot change your decision."
Nangong Yu stared at Xiao Man's face. It had only been three months, yet he felt as though he hadn't seen her in three years. The person before him was still as he remembered her, but she had become even more cold and proud.