Long Feiye’s smile deepened at the sight of Han Yunxi’s curiosity. He placed all of the command tokens back in the box before handing the whole thing to her. “It’s you!”
“Me?” Han Yunxi didn’t react at first as she accepted the box by instinct.
“I was planning to wait until Northern Li stabilized in two to three years before handing the command tokens to you. Seems like now will work, too,” Long Feiye said.
Han Yunxi finally understood his intentions. Long Feiye had been planning to let her have the ultimate military command token!
“Me?” she asked again. It had to be said that Han Yunxi was inexplicably nervous. Military might was the best guarantee of a country’s stability!
“What are you afraid of?” Long Feiye arched a brow.
“Aren’t you afraid of Baili Yuanlong coming to annoy you everyday?” Han Yunxi retorted. They had just settled affairs in Northern Li and here Long Feiye was stirring up trouble again. Once news of this spread, all of Cloud Realm would be boiling again.
Baili Yuanlong had been assigned to take care of deploying materials to Northern Li’s disaster areas. He was very fair with his work, so Long Feiye couldn’t get anything on him. In a few more days, the general would return.
Long Feiye grew earnest. “I want to tell the wold that I don’t favor East or West Qin. I only favor you, the female master of Cloud Realm Continent!”
In the end, Northern Li’s matter affected the fortunes of the Di Clan’s Ning family too. With the Ning Clan troops withdrawing from the front lines, Han Yunxi wouldn’t give them command of Northern Li’s soldiers in the future. His actions were to tell the world’s people that Han Yunxi was not only the West Qin princess, but Long Feiye’s woman and Cloud Realm’s future female master. She had massive strength behind her–not from the Di Clan, but himself! She would share in his power.
He’d like to see who dared to suspect his strength.
Without further explanation, the words “female master” told Han Yunxi everything. She was both surprised and pleased. Actually, she always had the will to rule the country together with Long Feiye. Thanks to her modern thoughts and conventions, she could do her best to consider and fix Cloud Realm’s situations even if she didn’t have the most fitting mindset.
However, she wouldn’t risk claiming half of the imperial court. This was still a patriarchal society. Men showed themselves to the world, while women remained cloistered. It wasn’t suitable for them to meddle in politics. However, she could discuss things with Long Feiye in private. Nevertheless, she couldn’t sit at the same table in his imperial study or face the civil and military officials with him during discussions.
Who knew that Long Feiye had the guts to let her stand out and get involved!
She looked at him, not knowing what to say.
“What, so you agree?” Long Feiye creased his brows at her.
“No!” Han Yunxi rejected instantly. She held the brocade box in both hands ans replied, “If I agreed, you wouldn’t have any room to retreat! Also, you’re not allowed to give these command tokens out. Wait until the day you confer honors. Then I’ll personally give them to Baili Yuanlong and the rest!” As she spoke, she picked out the highest authority command token and slipped it into her sleeve. “Meanwhile, I’ll take this one!”
Long Feiye looked at Han Yunxi’s rare moment of cuteness and couldn’t help but let his thoughts wander again. If we had a daughter, would she be even cuter than Han Yunxi?
Since Rui’er was only six months old, he couldn’t bear to act. The days ahead of them were long, so he’d wait for now.
Han Yunxi was in quite a good mood as she lazily stretched. By her side, Mu Linger quickly rose to her feet. She’d been too afraid to speak this entire time.
Heavens, it’s too scary seeing how Long Feiye spoils my big sis! Although Long Feiye looks really handsome when he smiles, but…it’s still super terrifying to my eyes.
She wanted to leave ages ago, but didn’t want to disturb the couple. All she could do was sit quietly and pretend she was air.
“Linger, I’m going to take a walk outside the palace. Are you coming?” Han Yunxi asked. She’d almost forgotten how long it’d been since she left Yunning Palace.
“Are you bringing Rui’er along?” Mu Linger asked hastily.
“Rui’er napping right now, so I won’t,” Han Yunxi replied.
“Then I’m not going. I’ll go guard Rui’er until he wakes up!” Mu Linger grinned. She had no idea how ugly her smiling expression looked right now.
A complicated look flickered past Han Yunxi’s eyes. She knew there had to be some unknown story between Mu Linger and Jin Zi. However, since Jin Zi wasn’t going to Wintercrow Country and told them to their faces that he wasn’t marrying Mu Linger, the girl should be out of danger for now. Whatever happened between them, she didn’t want to pry. Feelings were complicated matters. She was luckiest of all to like and be liked with Long Feiye.
“Find a few more people to go with you. Be careful,” Long Feiye muttered softly.
“Alright,” Han Yunxi replied, feeling rather helpless. Is there anyone else in Cloud Realm Continent besides Long Feiye who has the skills to harm me?
She was planning to go to the markets and pick out some fabric to make new clothes for Long Feiye and Rui’er. Although Zhao mama was in charge of arranging their food and clothes, as a wife and mother, she still had to care for her husband and son.
Once Han Yunxi left, Long Feiye instructed a shadow guard, “Go to Kangan Private Bank and tell Manager Luo that this crown prince wants to purchase all of the biggest wine shops in Cloud Realm Continent.”
The shadow guard couldn’t help reminding him, “Your Highness, there’s a shortage of grain after the war so alcohol businesses aren’t profitable!” If there wasn’t even enough grain to eat, who would be brewing wine from it instead? Moreover, it’d be difficult to do business with those shops if their costs were high.
Long Feiye turned to the guard before he realized he’d said too much. He quickly accepted the orders and left.
Long Feiye wasn’t planning to do business in wines. He was going to force Ning Cheng out! First, he’d control all the wine shops, then hunt him down! He dares to break his promise with me? Let’s see Ning Cheng knock on my door after he’s run out of wine to drink!
Ning Cheng’s pickiness of wine, and his massive drinking capacity, would make it nearly impossible for the smaller shops to satisfy him. If he wanted to drink, he’d definitely head for the big stores. With the public issues resolved, it was time to pursue private debts…
—
Mu Linger followed Han Yunxi out of the study and walked with her for a while before they parted ways. However, after Han Yunxi left the palace, Mu Linger didn’t head for Rui’er, but the back mountains. After leaving the place for three months, she returned to the thorny thistle tree. She realized she didn’t feel as sad as before, but only felt an inexplicable closeness to the tree. No matter how restless her heart felt, she could always calm down hre.
Jin Zi, I’m sorry for breaking our promise.
Qi gege, you should know that Linger’s free again!
But Linger won’t be chasing you all over the world again. Linger’s satisfied enough knowing you’re on the same world, staring at the same sky and moon!
Mu Linger lived for a few days in the small hut next to the tree. She decided to head for Medicine City next to revive the Mu Clan! It wasn’t just for the reputation of her family, but because she wanted to do what she loved best. During her trip in Northern Li this time, she found many problems with the medicinal ingredients. If Gu Beiyue hadn’t stopped her in time and told her to privately exchange the bad ingredients with good ones from Medicine City, she would have made a big deal out of the scandal by now!
She wanted to restore the Mu Clan and personally tutor a generation of disciples to supervise every single package of medicine that Medicine City sent out!
When Mu Linger descended the mountain to resign formally with Long Feiye and Han Yunxi, she happened to run into a letter delivery from Medical City. Chu Xifeng handed it to His Highness with a smile.
“Miss Linger came at the right time. Doctor Gu sent you a letter too.”
“Linger has one too?” Han Yunxi was a little curious. What kind of private news needed separate letters instead of on message?
When Long Feiye opened the envelope, he discovered that it was a wedding invitation. The group was stunned by the sight.
Mu Linger quickly opened her own envelope and found an identical invitation.
“The eldest young Miss of the Qin Clan!” Han Yunxi and Mu Linger chorused.
Although they knew about Gu Beiyue and Eldest Miss Qin’s impending marriage, they never expected it to happen so soon. How recently had Gu Beiyue returned to Medical City? Did he leave early just so he could get engaged and start the wedding preparations?
“Why is he in such a rush? Is he afraid he can’t get a wife?” Han Yunxi was a little mad. How can Gu Beiyue be so hasty?
For one thing, since he already send a marriage proposal to the Qin Clan, they wouldn’t dare stuff Eldest Miss Qin off to another man,
For another, Long Feiye was about to ascend the throne now that peace had come. Gu Beiyue would definitely be conferred with titles and honors then. Couldn’t he stabilize his own matters before thinking over who to marry next? He hadn’t even answered Long Feiye about being the Grand Tutor yet.
Even the ever-calm Long Feiye wore a face of shock. He quickly opened up the invitation and saw the date of the wedding was the end of the month. In other words, it was only a dozen days away, giving them just enough time to travel to Medical City for the ceremony.
“Big sis, I still think Doctor Gu was forced into this wedding!” Mu Linger couldn’t help exclaiming.
Han Yunxi didn’t like to meddle in private affairs, but now she was growing restless. She looked at Long Feiye and said, “Let’s make some preparations and set off. We should at least try to meet Eldest Miss Qin once before the wedding.”
“No one’s capable of forcing him to do anything. I would like to meet him myself, however,” Long Feiye smiled helplessly. He was genuinely curious about this wedding. Beyond that, he was more concerned with whether Gu Beiyue would accept the position of Grand Tutor.
Han Yunxi and Mu Linger left first while Long Feiye remained for two to three more days. He finished off all the work at his hands. Before winter set in, he still had to pay respects to his parents, predecessors, and consecrate his ancestors. Directly after that would be establishing his kingdom.
It was still impossible to spend the winter with Han Yunxi in Plum Blossom Sea this years. Perhaps they’d need to wait until Rui’er learned how to walk.
Neither Gu Qishao nor Ning Cheng received an invitation because no one could track them down. However, news of his upcoming wedding soon spread across all of Cloud Realm Continent and naturally reached their ears. Whether or not they’d show up on the big day was still a mystery.
Currently, Gu Beiyue was walking alone in the longest covered walkway of the academy. Above him, the bright moonlight flooded the entire yard, giving it a quiet, serene air. It was very much like the slim form of Gu Beiyue dressed in spotless white robes and wearing a calm, gentle face.
He was as bright as the moon, as still as the shadows. When it smiled, even the moon in the sky seem to warm.
In the stillness, Lil Thing scurried out from his sleeve and swung on the hems like a swing. It then flipped into the air, grabbed his sleeve again, and scampered up to his shoulders to sit down.
Gu Beiyue walked further and further along, occasionally tilting his head to nestle against Lil Thing’s body. One man and one beast formed a world all their own.
Where was Gu Beiyue heading?
