"I know my imperial sister suffers in the Turkic lands," the Second Prince said, his eyes filled with extreme pain. "She is the most delicate, unable to bear even the slightest pain. It was my failure to protect her."
"Knowing she fears pain, you still let her go for a political marriage! How can you call yourself a brother!"
"I, but the Emperor..."
"The Emperor is the Emperor, and you are you. The Emperor did not order you to start a war. What are you doing here at the border city? Sightseeing?"
The Second Prince clutched his head, his face etched with regret. Yes, he was useless. At the time, he dared not disobey the Emperor. Now, even if he came running back, he couldn't save his imperial sister. It was all too late. He was too useless.
"General Xiao, only you can rescue my imperial sister. Please, save my imperial sister!"
He could give up his position as commander of the border city, he could return to the capital, as long as General Xiao rescued his imperial sister.
Regardless of whether he harbored rebellious intentions, as long as Lingyao was saved, he would not care about anything else.
Nor could he.
"Yuan Bufei! Find someone to escort the Second Prince back to the capital."
"General Xiao, have you agreed?"
"Second Prince, you are truly foolish."
If it weren't for Xue Niang's sake, he wouldn't want to waste words with him. He would have simply tied him up and handed him over to the First Prince. "If you don't go back now, the capital is about to change hands."
Ah? What did that mean?
The Second Prince's eyes were filled with confusion: "Then Brother Song..."
"He cannot leave. He is still useful here."
The Second Prince was forcibly sent away. Half a day later, Song Beiting received the news and was completely enraged by Xiao Shan's forceful actions.
However, upon leaving the military tent and looking around blankly, aside from the people brought from the capital, everyone else had been taken by Xiao Shan.
After months of managing the military camp, he hadn't even won over a single useful person. Was Xiao Shan's prestige that immense?
...
As Lingyao and the other two emerged from the tunnel, they did not see the First Prince. Instead, a young monk appeared, saying that the situation was unusual and that they needed to hide first.
"No need. You may leave on your own."
Lingyao dared not trust others lightly. She knew there was another way out of the pagoda, one her father had told her about.
After sending the young monk away, Lingyao led Yu Liu and Yu Shan through winding paths into the backyard, behind the rockery, and emerged in a desolate mountain several miles away.
"Miss, let me carry you!"
After walking for so long, and not eating or sleeping well these past few days, Lingyao's stamina was clearly failing. She didn't force herself and climbed onto Yu Liu's back.
However, they did not know that the separate residence had already been targeted. As the three finally approached the vicinity of the separate residence, they were surrounded by a group of men in black.
"Miss, step back."
Yu Liu threw a smoke bomb into the air and, with Yu Shan, shielded her and engaged in a fierce battle with the men in black.
The smell of blood in the air grew thicker, and Lingyao clutched her abdomen, vomiting.
The guards in the separate residence heard the commotion and rushed out, but there were only a few of them.
"Miss, the separate residence has been discovered. Did the First Prince not accompany you?"
Everyone else had gone to the Du Sheng Pagoda with the First Prince. They had also planned to withdraw shortly.
"No, who are these people?"
"They are assassins. The First Prince suspects they are from Grand Tutor Lu's faction. A group came on the day we entered the pagoda, intending to snatch you. Your subordinates will protect you as you leave."
Lingyao had no time to ask further questions and was escorted back by the guards.
Yu Shan scattered a handful of poisonous powder, slightly halting the assassins' advance.
Fortunately, the people from the Xian Wang Sect arrived in time. As soon as the black-masked figures appeared, the assassins' movements noticeably slowed. They also knew fear.
"Kill without mercy!"
Yu Liu gave the order and, along with Yu Shan, escorted Lingyao away.
"Go to the First Prince's manor!"
The guard paused: "Miss, the master has already found another hidden separate residence."
"Go to the First Prince's manor!" Lingyao emphasized again.
This time, the guard said no more, his only recourse being to obey.
When the First Prince, far away at the Du Sheng Pagoda, was about to lose patience, he saw a guard from a separate residence enter the pagoda.
"Your Highness..." he whispered into the First Prince's ear: "Consort Qu, it seems she is about to give birth..."
His voice was faint, barely audible.
Lu Yanmo, opposite him, calmly drank his tea.
"What? She's giving birth already? I haven't even offered my blessings yet! Never mind, I'll go back first. This is my eldest son, there can be no mistakes!"
"Captain Lu, we'll have to meet another day. Farewell!"
Truly a persistent fly, impossible to shake off.
After the First Prince left, Lu Yanmo was soon joined by someone. After hearing the report from the assassins, his eyes darkened, and he violently smashed the teacup in his hand.
The person was not found, and another batch of assassins was lost. The First Prince's strength was greater than his father had imagined.
In the First Prince's backyard, Yu Shan tended to Lingyao, stabilizing her pregnancy.
Qu Linglong's body was already very heavy. She felt her large belly and checked her pulse, confirming there were no issues before feeling relieved.
"Linglong, your complexion is worse than mine. Is the First Prince not treating you well?"
Qu Linglong smiled faintly: "The First Prince is very busy. How could he have the leisure to concern himself with matters of the inner court?"
This was the truth. With over a dozen women in the entire inner court, even if he had the time, how much could he allocate to Linglong?
How did Linglong end up being ravaged by that bull of a First Prince!
Qu Linglong was a very intelligent person. Seeing the respectful attitude of the Wangfu guards towards Xue Niang, she knew her status was different from the other women in the inner court.
Xue Niang also explained that Xiao Shan had entrusted her to the First Prince's care, and she was now the First Prince's sworn sister.
This made sense, but she wondered how Brother Xiao could entrust his care to the First Prince, who had a notorious reputation. It was somewhat strange.
Soon, the First Prince returned.
Qu Linglong returned to her room.
"If it weren't for this child, I truly wish I could return to the border city and serve as a military doctor under Brother Xiao."
Although she would be too busy to even eat, and she would spend her days mingling with rough men, how fulfilling that time was! When happy, she could drink heartily with the soldiers and watch the bonfire dances held by the nomadic tribes of the grasslands.
Even the crude jokes told by those rough men, thinking back now, held a certain carefree spirit of drinking today and not worrying about tomorrow.
Thinking about it, that was actually the happiest time of her life so far.
"Miss, let's find an opportunity to escape!"
Su Mian looked at her with heartache. Miss had suffered too much. In the past year, she hadn't been happy at all. Her whole life was still so long, how could she be wasted in this Wangfu's inner court, breeding maggots and becoming moldy!
"I have no strength left," Qu Linglong said softly.
"Qu Linglong!" The First Prince pushed the door open and entered: "You sent word saying you were about to give birth, right?"
Su Mian quickly said, "Your Highness, Miss still has some time. It was just a casual excuse, not real..."
"It is real!" The First Prince stared at Qu Linglong with a gloomy expression, his thin lips uttering cold words: "It must be real."
"First Prince?" Su Mian was astonished.
Qu Linglong stared blankly, her lips moving, her whole body feeling as if she had collapsed: "Yes, it's real."
"Su Mian, go and boil the labor-inducing soup."
...