"You find him crude, unworthy of a precious princess, but you haven't seen how his arrow-wielding hands washed clothes for me, cooked meals, meticulously smoothed my scars, and gradually pulled me from the darkness, willingly bowing to me once more."
"Even if ten thousand people deem him unworthy, in my heart, he is the best."
Ling Yao's words plunged Song Beiting into utter despair. His heart felt as if it had been ripped out and placed in the bitter cold of the deepest winter, his body trembling uncontrollably.
So, she had fallen in love with him?
She had fallen in love with the man who had saved her from the abyss.
His absence was the greatest mistake of his life, an error that could never be rectified, could it?
"I..." Song Beiting felt a surge of sweetness and blood rise to his throat, which he forcefully swallowed.
At that very moment, a sharp arrow suddenly pierced the air, hurtling towards Ling Yao. The dark arrowhead gleamed with the cold light of profound iron, moving like lightning, unstoppable.
It was evident that the wielder of the arrow possessed profound skill.
Yu Liu sensed the rush of wind and scrambled towards Ling Yao in terror. The distance of over ten meters felt like a separation across vast oceans and mountains.
In the nick of time, Song Beiting lunged in front of Ling Yao, and the arrow pierced his body.
The blood from his throat finally erupted.
"Brother Wen Tang!" Ling Yao, her face pale, supported the collapsing Song Beiting and cried out, "Qing He, Qing He, hurry!"
Yu Liu and the guards immediately rushed towards the archer, "Kill without mercy!"
Qing He quickly stepped forward to examine Song Beiting. "Princess, we must get him to Feng Que Lou immediately. He needs urgent treatment!"
Song Beiting gripped Ling Yao's hand, blood continuously flowing from his lips, yet his eyes held a look of relief and release. "I'm sorry. I wasn't by your side when you needed me most. I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."
"Don't speak!" Ling Yao, her eyes red, shook her head.
As the guards carried him into Feng Que Lou, he had already fallen unconscious. The arrow had been coated with a potent poison.
"This poison can be resolved by this servant, but the arrow wound is severe, likely injuring the internal organs. The arrow must be removed immediately," Qing He efficiently began preparing the necessary items.
Then, she frowned, looking at Ling Yao, who refused to leave.
"Princess, it would be best for you to return and rest. You are fatigued today, and your health is paramount."
With her belly growing larger, Ling Yao's back was indeed aching. She sat on a soft chair, her fox fur cloak still bearing bloodstains. Her small face was set as she shook her head, "Just save him. I know what I'm doing."
Qing He said no more. Yu Shan went to brew her a bowl of calming soup for the pregnancy.
Song Beiting's clothes were removed. Strangely, besides the fresh bruises and contusions on his body, there were numerous old, scarred stab wounds of various sizes.
Ling Yao knew he had gone to the border and participated in a battle, but these scars were different from Xiao Shan's. Each scar was like a wound inflicted by a dagger.
And these new injuries, who in the palace dared to attack the commander of the Imperial Guard? Moreover, Brother Wen Tang's martial arts were not weak; who could have harmed him?
Ling Yao's eyes held a chilling glint.
It seemed there were many things in this palace she did not know.
While Qing He was treating Song Beiting, the Second Prince, upon hearing the news, rushed over. He and Song Beiting were close friends, and with Ling Yao's past connection to him, their bond was like that of brothers. Compared to the First Prince, they were more like true siblings.
Seeing Song Beiting lying on the bed, on the verge of death, his eyes reddened, and for the first time, he displayed a fierce expression.
"Investigate! Find all those remnants of the Lu barbarians for me!"
"Second Brother, he saved me," Ling Yao's voice was low. She sat upright in her chair, lost in thought.
"It is his duty to save you, and you are also his..." The Second Prince stopped himself, seeing her pale face, and urged her to rest.
"You are pregnant and must not be careless. Leave this to your Second Brother. Go and rest now."
"Where is Xiao Shan?" Ling Yao looked up at him, a hint of vulnerability in her eyes.
The Second Prince, with a heavy heart, replied reluctantly, "He has gone out of the palace to the western suburbs."
Ling Yao nodded, then looked towards Qing He. Just then, Qing He pulled out the arrowhead, causing a gush of blood. Song Beiting let out a muffled groan of pain. Yu Shan helped to cover the wound with a cloth pad filled with medicinal powder.
Ling Yao felt a wave of dizziness. The Second Prince quickly supported her and said without room for argument, "Let's go out first!"
Ling Yao no longer insisted and returned to her chambers.
The Second Prince saw the exquisitely decorated and spacious canopy bed. A half-embroidered man's belt lay upon it, and without a doubt, he knew who it was made for.
His handsome face showed a trace of annoyance, and his heart felt a pang of bitterness.
"Little sister, did you see the scars on Wen Tang's body?" The Second Prince continued without waiting for her answer, "He inflicted those on himself."
Ling Yao looked at him, bewildered.
"You were forced into a political marriage. How could he stand idly by? But he was placed under house arrest by the Prime Minister, just like me. Without his freedom, how could he have saved you?"
"So, he began to starve himself, self-harm, stabbing himself again and again, forcing the Prime Minister to compromise. When I saw him again, he was brought into the palace by the Prime Minister to discuss his marriage with Ling Xi. You cannot imagine how thin an eight-foot-tall man would become."
"But he didn't give up. His eyes were filled with determination. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have had the courage to defy Father. Later, we went to the border city together, and he thought he could find you again."
"When he heard that General Xiao had returned from the dead, he thought he finally had hope..."
Little did he know, this was the most grievous blow.
His heart had never changed. He had searched desperately, gazed longingly, yet he did not know that the person he yearned for, like the wind, had long since drifted elsewhere, becoming a flower in another's hand.
"Little sister, I don't understand. That man was only with you for half a year, how can that compare to your more than ten years of connection with Wen Tang?"
Love is not measured by time.
Although her time with Xiao Shan was short, she felt as if they had known each other in a past life.
"Second Brother, when you meet someone you love, you will understand."
Ling Yao's indifference angered the Second Prince. Seeing her weary state, he felt a surge of pity and tenderness.
That scoundrel, knowing his little sister was frail, had gotten her pregnant so early. He must have been thinking of continuing his family line; how detestable!
"Take care of yourself. For the next few days, do not leave Feng Que Lou. Your Second Brother will handle the funeral rites for Father and Mother."
"Let Father be buried with the Consort, and Mother shall have a separate coffin!"
"Alright."
Ling Yao: "You don't blame me for hitting you?"
"It was good that you hit me. Without it, how could Second Brother have woken up? Soon, envoys from various countries will come to pay their respects, and Second Brother must quickly take on his responsibilities. You have been worried for these past few days."
Hearing these words, Ling Yao knew her Second Brother had truly understood.
He would surely become a diligent and benevolent emperor who loved his people, just like their father.