Xiao Shan did not throw Qing He back to the Turks because he had been poisoned and numbed by her.
He had truly underestimated this young maidservant.
No wonder Ashina Tu Lu had glared at her like a wolf when he came to pick her up; he must have suffered many losses at her hands.
Alas, with her abilities, she could have run back to Jing Country on her own.
However, considering she had gone to the Turks for his wife, he would tolerate it just this once.
"No!" After the numbness wore off, Xiao Shan couldn't sleep again.
That little maidservant was not right, she had a possessive, beast-like demeanor.
She hadn't smiled once on the way back, yet she was so affectionate with Xue Niang. It was abnormal.
"Chi Gui, oh Chi Xian'er, that Jade What's-her-name, come here."
Yu Liu walked over expressionlessly, "What are the General's orders?"
"Go into the room and see if the Princess is asleep, and if she needs more hot water."
"Miss Qing He said she is on duty tonight."
Xiao Shan looked at her, his gaze sharp as a knife.
"Very well, General, this servant will go in and check immediately."
Yu Liu went in for a while and quickly came out.
"General, the Princess is asleep, and Miss Qing He said not to disturb her if there's no need."
Hmph, she was too used to being a housekeeper, meddling too much.
"Um, where is Qing He sleeping? The Princess is restless when she sleeps, don't let her fall off the bed."
Mainly, she liked to cling to people when sleeping. Tonight it wasn't him, so she shouldn't cling to the wrong person.
Yu Liu blinked. If that were to happen, it would be dangerous. What if she really fell...
"Then this servant will go in and speak to Miss Qing He, asking her to move the couch closer to the bed to block the Princess."
"Wait, you mean Qing He is sleeping on the couch?"
"Yes!" Yu Liu was very confused. If not on the couch, where else would she sleep? On the floor?
His Lord was acting strangely today.
"Since she's finally asleep, don't go in and disturb her."
Xiao Shan waved his hand and paced away.
He was overthinking. She was just a maidservant, and there were so many palace rules, how could she sleep in the same bed!
He would just make do for the night.
But this making do didn't last long, as he was called up in the middle of the night.
"The Princess is having a nightmare."
Although Qing He was skilled in medicine, the situation was different. She couldn't wake her up no matter what, so she had to call Xiao Shan.
Ling Yao was seen with her eyes closed, tears streaming from the corners of her eyes, crying silently and heartbreakingly.
She couldn't wake up, just kept crying.
Qing He was anxious and was about to take out her silver needles, wanting to force her awake.
Xiao Shan stopped her with a shout, "All of you, get out!"
Qing He was unwilling, but Yu Liu pulled her and whispered, "Miss, please go out. The General will take good care of the Princess."
Qing He could only bite her lip and leave.
"Princess, does this happen often?" she asked Yu Liu absentmindedly.
Was it because of the hardships she endured on the journey that she was often plagued by nightmares? Were those experiences terrifying?
Although the Princess had told her, those light descriptions couldn't possibly be the whole story. It must be something she couldn't face, an indelible wound in her heart.
Had she made a mistake back then? Should she have made more thorough arrangements and not let the Princess escape alone?
The Princess was ignorant and naive, as pure as a blank sheet of paper. How could she have thought she could reach the Xiangshan Water Pavilion a thousand miles away on her own!
"It's this servant's fault, my fault, my fault..." She squatted down and covered her face.
"Miss Qing He, what's wrong?" Yu Liu asked, puzzled. "Oh, don't be sad, it's not your fault. It's just that the Princess might be having a premonitory dream again, probably about something bad. Don't worry, with the General here, she'll wake up soon."
"Premonitory dream?" Qing He looked up, her eyes red-rimmed.
"Yes, the Princess is a goddess! Perhaps something bad is about to happen in Jing Country."
So that was it? Qing He was stunned for a long time, and her heart felt a little better.
"With the General here, no one else is needed to serve. Miss Qing He, you should rest early!"
In Yu Liu's words, she kept emphasizing the irreplaceability of the Divine Might General, and that the Princess also depended on him immensely.
She was no longer the indispensable head maid by the Princess's side. Qing He felt a sense of loss, and also a hint of happiness.
She couldn't help but think of the past, of the folk tunes circulating in the capital, the brilliant and talented scholars, or the popular "Five Young Lords of the Capital." Every time she spoke of outside affairs, the Princess found it fascinating, but she only listened.
Only when she spoke of the General who had appeared out of nowhere would the Princess ask questions: what did he look like, how old was he, how could he be so powerful, and if there were more such generals, would the Emperor be more at ease, and would Jing Country no longer be bullied.
So, every time she went to the Imperial Hospital, she would take the opportunity to inquire, but he was far away on the frontier, who could know anything about him!
Later, when he was appointed Divine Might General, legends began to circulate.
For example, he was not interested in women, he was called a煞神 (Sha Shen - God of Slaughter), he was fierce and murderous...
She didn't want to tell the Princess, but seeing the disappointment in the Princess's eyes, she still did.
Unexpectedly, the usually soft and naive Princess, upon hearing this, not only was not afraid but also defended him: If he weren't like this, how could he deter the enemy? Those bad rumors were probably spread by the enemy. As for not being interested in women, that was how it should be! If a general were infatuated and lost his senses, how could he fight?
That made sense.
Later, she continued to inquire, and the Princess listened with great interest each time. When the Divine Might General returned to the capital to report on his duties, the Princess had secretly gone to the main hall to peek, but she was discovered by Commander Song and never saw him.
However, after all the twists and turns, the Princess had actually met the Divine Might General and become his wife.
Qing He stood outside the door, thinking a lot. She not only thought about the wonderful fate between the Princess and the General, but also about the situation.
Currently, the Divine Might General was indeed the best person to protect the Princess.
Was this fated destiny?
In the bedroom, Xiao Shan had no other recourse but to hold her, comfort her, and wipe away her tears again and again. If it were before, she would have woken up long ago, but today it was taking a long time.
He didn't know what she was dreaming about, and he began to panic.
So, he started to caress her, murmuring her name, and saw her react.
"Xue Niang, you spoiled thing, are you done crying?"
"You only want me when I'm not holding you?"
"If you miss me, just say so. They've all come to serve you, why are you still crying? Your tears will be all dried up."
...
With this gentle coaxing, Ling Yao finally stopped crying.
In her dream, Ling Yao felt as if her soul and body were separated. She could see herself being held in Xiao Shan's arms and feel all the warmth.
However, her soul stood aside, talking to a faint figure in front of her.
She was talking properly, but her eyes were drawn to Xiao Shan's restless movements. Moreover, her consciousness could also feel, and she couldn't concentrate.
The figure in front of her looked at her one last time with longing.
"Good girl, Daddy is leaving."
"Jing Country, I entrust it to you."
The figure slowly disappeared, and the dream turned into emptiness.
"Daddy, don't go, don't go!"
A feeling of weightlessness came over her, and Ling Yao suddenly opened her eyes. A furry head was rubbing against her neck.
She was so angry that she slapped it away.