Qing He was enfeoffed as Princess Yongfu and resided in Fanghua Palace, but she retained her room in Fengque Tower and rarely returned to Fanghua Palace. When she was selecting physicians outside, she saw Xiangyun and Fenghuang, and knew that Lingyao had opened the altar.
Upon returning, she heard Yu Liu recount the events at the altar and knew Lingyao must be very sad. She understood the general's anger but, out of personal affection, felt more concern for her princess.
"Princess, the physicians have been chosen and await the Emperor's order to go to Xichuan. However, the Consort of the Prince of Jiangbei, Qu, also wishes to go."
"Linglong wants to go too? Does the First Emperor Brother agree? And the child is so young." Lingyao hadn't slept well in the latter half of the night, her spirits were not good, and she was restless, unable to calm down.
"The Prince of Jiangbei seems... not very interested." Qing He thought of the demeanor of Qu Linglong's maid, as if the couple rarely communicated.
Lingyao frowned. What was going on between them? Was it not for her good that the First Emperor Brother kept the news of Qu Yuanpan's death from Linglong? Was there still a misunderstanding between them?
"Shall we leave the palace? Let's go to the Prince of Jiangbei's manor, I quite miss Nan Xing."
"But the outside is still not peaceful." Qing He worried.
It wasn't peaceful. Xiao Shan had said he would take her out to play when things settled down. She was born in the imperial city but had never properly toured the city!
But she didn't want to hide behind someone anymore.
It made her seem very useless.
So, she did what she thought was simple, yet he was still afraid, angry, distrustful, and thought her willful?
Once Lingyao made up her mind, she wouldn't change it.
Yu Liu could only assign a few guards to accompany her, and also arranged for hidden guards to protect her.
As soon as they left Fengque Tower, they saw Emperor Mingde approaching, seemingly looking for her.
Seeing her with a group of people, with maids carrying items behind her, his handsome face darkened. He thought she was going out of the palace to the General's manor. "Imperial Sister, where are you going?"
He had naturally heard the news that Xiao Shan hadn't returned last night. They had parted unhappily yesterday, and he hadn't expected him to be so bold as to disregard his little sister.
"What's wrong? I'm going to see the little county princess at my First Emperor Brother's place." Lingyao was confused. "Don't you have important matters today? Why are you here?"
"Oh, it's nothing." Emperor Mingde was relieved, then thought of her saying she wanted to leave, not today but in the next few days, and became unhappy again.
"Imperial Sister, are you really going to the General's manor? In this vast imperial palace, there is only me. Are you so heartless?"
"General Xiao resides in the palace, which is not proper."
Then don't let him live in the palace! Emperor Mingde roared inwardly.
But he knew his imperial sister wouldn't agree, and that fellow wouldn't agree either.
"Besides, I will often enter the palace, it's not like we won't see each other. You, an Emperor protected by the Ziwei star, aren't afraid of ghosts at night, are you?"
"Ghosts don't come to find me. At night, I can only talk to Shadow Lord." Emperor Mingde's handsome eyes were sorrowful, as if he had been abandoned.
Just as she thought he had gained the dignity of an emperor, he became so meek again. What kind of bearing was this!
"If you are lonely, find someone you like to serve you. After a year, grant them a rank. Then, when the imperial harem is filled, you won't be lonely, and you'll have empresses and consorts to accompany you."
"Imperial Sister!" Emperor Mingde's face turned red.
Imperial Sister was indeed corrupted by that rough fellow. Listen to what she was saying! He was busy enough with state affairs every day, why did he need so many women? His loneliness wasn't meant in that way!
"Alright, alright! You're an adult emperor, why are you blushing! I'm leaving!" Lingyao was truly thick-skinned and didn't feel anything was improper.
"Then at least wait until I marry the Empress before you go, alright? I don't care about the rules regarding General Xiao, he can go wherever he wants!" Emperor Mingde shouted from behind.
He can go wherever he wants? How dare he!
From today onwards, she wouldn't return to the palace!
Lingyao went to the Prince of Jiangbei's manor with suppressed anger.
Because her arrival was sudden, the entire manor was in a state of disarray. The Prince of Jiangbei was not in the manor; he had gone to welcome envoys from various countries. The steward gathered a group of beauties and ran out to welcome her, only to find that the divine princess had already entered Tingyu Garden, with guards stationed outside the courtyard, preventing anyone from entering.
Qu Linglong had already knelt in the courtyard waiting.
"Linglong, if you do this, I'll be angry. Just be like you were before." Lingyao went to help her up.
How could this be? She was now the most honored person in Jingguo.
Qu Linglong was reluctantly pulled into the room by Lingyao.
Nan Xing was over four months old and had fully blossomed. Her phoenix eyes were exactly like her father's. She was as tender and pink as a little dumpling, incredibly beautiful. Her plump mouth was pouting, and Lingyao happily leaned over to look at her for a long time.
"Linglong, how could you bear to leave such a cute daughter to go to Xichuan?"
"The posted notice stated that after returning from Xichuan, one would have the qualification to take the imperial examination for the Imperial Hospital. Princess, I want to enter the Imperial Hospital."
"If you want to go, I can recommend you. There's no need to go to Xichuan."
"Let's follow the rules. I also want to go out and see the world."
"Linglong." Lingyao looked at the resolute Qu Linglong. "You seem to have changed a bit."
Yes, ever since she learned of her father's death, she suddenly understood. But it was too late; she would never see him again, even though he had been strict with her since childhood, devoid of warmth, even though he had cursed her and driven her out of the house when she most needed care.
But he was still the father who had raised her since childhood, her only relative.
He loved her, he just wasn't good at expressing it.
She had disappointed him.
She wanted to enter the Imperial Hospital and no longer be confined to this four-walled prison for a man.
"First Emperor Brother probably didn't tell you about the death of Qu Yuanpan because he was afraid you would be sad during your pregnancy. He still cares about you."
No, he didn't.
He was just too indifferent.
In his eyes, it was a trivial matter.
But she was still grateful to him, grateful that he hadn't brought her back just to win over her father. At least, she was different from those concubines.
"Princess, there has never been any affection between him and me. I won't force it anymore. I don't want to be bound by emotions. The world is so vast, and there are so many things to do!" Confidence radiated from her face.
Lingyao had never seen her so vibrant. She seemed to have truly let go and rediscovered herself.
"My medical skills were taught by my father. Before entering the medical profession, he made me swear: to uphold medical ethics, save the dying and heal the injured, that human life is of utmost importance, without regard for merit or profit, and never to give up halfway."
Lingyao nodded. "Qu Yuanpan was a good physician."
"Now that the country is reborn and the Emperor is selecting talents through examinations, I also want to do something for Jingguo. Only then will I be worthy of my father's teachings."
"I support you, Linglong."
Who told the First Emperor Brother not to cherish her! He was going to lose a woman as wonderful as Linglong.
Serves him right!