Xiao Shan left at midnight, while Ling Yao was fast asleep.
As the source of warmth departed, she instinctively curled up, feeling uncomfortable.
When she woke up the next day, looking at the empty space beside her, her heart felt half empty as well.
Her chest was covered in red marks, and her mind was filled with the man's fierce and passionate love.
Her face flushed, and she searched for her undergarments. After rummaging through the bed, she couldn't find them. Reluctantly, she took another one from a chest on the side and put it on.
She called out, and Yu Liu entered with hot water, followed by a fair-faced woman around thirty years old.
"Miss, this is the physician the Master has assigned. Her original name in Xian Wang Sect was Su Mei, but you may call her Yu Shan now. She will be responsible for your physical conditioning from now on, as instructed by the Master before he left last night."
Ling Yao felt the urge to vomit again, but she nodded in forbearance.
At this moment, Yu Shan stepped forward, holding a cup of hot water, and respectfully said, "Miss, please drink some water first. The early stages of pregnancy are indeed difficult, but it will get better after two months."
After drinking the hot water, the cramping in Ling Yao's stomach subsided. She then washed up and got ready. The meal prepared by Yu Shan included ingredients to alleviate nausea, and it tasted refreshing. She felt considerably more comfortable.
Du Sheng Pagoda was located thirty li outside the capital, belonging to a royal temple. It had a total of seventeen floors. On festive occasions, it would be opened to the public for people to enjoy the view from afar, compose poetry, or offer prayers. It was considered a sacred place for the people of the capital.
Normally, it was guarded by the Imperial Guard, and entry was restricted to royalty and high-ranking officials.
With Yu Liu's assistance, Ling Yao was transformed into an ordinary-looking palace maid.
The First Prince marveled at this, thinking that the Great General indeed had many capable subordinates and wondering when he himself would find such talent.
The group, disguised as the First Prince's guards and maids, headed towards Du Sheng Pagoda.
Du Sheng Pagoda had no guests that day, a fact the First Prince had already ascertained. Everything went smoothly. Upon entering the main hall, the First Prince prostrated himself before the Buddha.
"Imperial Sister, if you can't bear it, come out quickly. Don't push yourself. Your safety is paramount."
"Come pick me up in seven days," Ling Yao said. After uttering these words, she, along with Yu Liu and Yu Shan, swiftly disappeared behind the seven-meter-tall golden Buddha.
The First Prince couldn't even call out in time.
This Imperial Sister said she would be picked up tomorrow, but this time frame is too long! How dangerous!
The wind was biting cold, and the sky was overcast. Large snowflakes began to fall. Thirty people had arrived, and thirty people were leaving.
In a vast open area outside the city, a black-clad guard galloped towards them.
"What happened?" the First Prince asked sternly as he emerged from the carriage.
The guard's expression was grave. He dismounted and whispered a few words into the First Prince's ear.
The First Prince's face instantly clouded over, his eyes filled with a bloodthirsty intensity.
"That dog, Lu, it must be his doing! Ten men, follow me. Twenty men, escort the young lady back to the manor!"
After making arrangements, the First Prince departed with his men.
The carriage continued its journey through the wind and snow. The wind howled, beating against the carriage curtains, through which a white figure could be dimly seen sitting upright.
"Stop!" Wei Hu raised his right hand, halting the procession, his eyes warily scanning their surroundings. "Be on guard!"
As he spoke, a barrage of arrows pierced through the snowflakes and rained down.
"Protect the Miss!"
Wei Hu directed his men to surround the carriage. However, the arrow attack suddenly lessened.
"Hiding like cowards, show yourselves if you dare!"
Dozens of masked figures in black leaped down amidst the wind and snow, wielding curved sabers, each strike aimed at life. Judging by their demeanor, they were death warriors.
"Wei Hu! Retreat!"
Just as Wei Hu was fighting fiercely, he heard the calm command from the young lady sitting inside the carriage.
The First Prince had instructed them to obey the young lady's every command, but how could he in this situation...
The carriage curtain fluttered in the wind. He suddenly saw the cold eyes of the woman within.
"Retreat!"
He shouted, no longer engaging with the death warriors. At the same time, the carriage, as if startled, sped forward.
The black-clad figures followed the carriage like a tide. Their target was the young lady!
Wei Hu was unsure if his decision was right or wrong. He could only send someone to inform the First Prince. Watching his fallen brothers, he repeatedly thought of those sharp, cold eyes from moments ago.
It seemed unlike the young lady he knew.
"Brother Wei, we've lost the Miss. Master, he..." his subordinate said nervously.
"It's alright, I'll explain to Master. Carry the injured brothers, and let's return to the manor first."
..........
The runaway carriage was intercepted. Due to its excessive speed and the slippery snow-covered road, the carriage overturned, and the person inside was thrown out uncontrollably.
However, upon landing, she was caught in someone's embrace. The sharp stones and thorns were blocked, and after rolling a few times, they finally stopped.
"Zhiyu, are you alright?" the man asked with anxious concern, checking her over.
The woman before him shook her head calmly, her eyes displaying the usual gentle gaze of the young lady. Yet, even a beauty's gentle look held a hint of allure that she couldn't replicate. She had only made a rough disguise and hadn't specifically practiced the young lady's demeanor. Who was this person? How well did he know the Miss?
She was Xing Mei, one of the Seven Ghost Officials of Xian Wang Sect, no, now one of the Immortal Envoys. Because she resembled the Miss in appearance, she was chosen to impersonate her. Seeing that those death warriors weren't approaching the carriage, she made the decision to lure them away and then find an opportunity to escape. She hadn't expected to draw out the mastermind.
"This place is not safe. Come back to the manor with me first."
The excitement of seeing her didn't allow Lu Yanmo to notice anything amiss. He picked her up and placed her in another carriage, heading towards the manor.
She weighed a bit more than before, but he didn't think much of it, attributing it to wearing heavier clothing in winter.
A white fox fur coat adorned her, exuding wealth and elegance. However, he found it difficult to bear, knowing it was prepared for her by another man.
The thought of the First Prince's philandering stirred a hidden anger within him.
After all this time, she... with other men...
She probably felt tired, closing her eyes and leaning against the carriage wall. Her complexion was also not as good as before, lacking its former youthful glow.
Could it be that the First Prince wasn't treating her well?
Or was she unwilling?
He hoped for the latter.
His back ached faintly, having been scratched by sharp stones just now. The wound should be quite large, and his hands were also covered in bloodstains from protecting her head.
However, these were trivial matters. He had finally won her back.
"Zhiyu, as we discussed before, you are Xia Zhiyu, the daughter of the county magistrate of Xin'an. I will explain everything else when we get back to the manor."
Xing Mei opened her eyes and nodded.
Lu Yanmo couldn't help but curve his lips, his gaze softening.
Men always simplify things. The inexplicable presence of a county magistrate's daughter living in the Grand Tutor's manor made Chi Qiuying, the eldest young madam, feel a strong sense of crisis.
Ever since her husband returned from his last outing, he had become even more distant. Previously, they had been intimate at least twice a month. After that, it was practically nonexistent, and he often slept alone in his study.
Despite trying every method, she couldn't move that block of wood.
For this reason, she had even swallowed her pride and sought advice from her father's favorite concubine, learning countless tricks. However, before she could even put them into practice, she was driven out of the room.
Facing the sympathetic gazes of the servants, she, a dignified legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister, wondered if she still had any face left!