Chapter 129

  The vast sky and earth are desolate, with heavy snow falling and no end in sight.

  A man in a snow-white long coat stands on the white ground, his face is slightly pale, but his eyes are like stars, his sword-like eyebrows are sharp, his face is like jade, his nose is high and straight, he wears a snow fox fur coat, which makes him look even more elegant and refined, his clothes fluttering in the wind, full of an unbridled and handsome flavor that cannot be concealed.

  Across from him was a tall, majestic man wearing a black sable coat, with hair as black as silk and a pair of narrow, long phoenix eyes that shone brightly in the air, with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, his back straight and strong, exuding an aura of great power.

  Behind them, hundreds of paces away, were the dark masses of the armies, silent and still as a held breath.

  A chilly wind blew between the two, and the man in white smiled faintly at the corner of his mouth, with a look of indifference in his eyes. All his thoughts were hidden behind his gaze, making it impossible to discern even half of what he was thinking. Suddenly, a snowy owl spread its massive wings and swooped down from the towering sky, flying swiftly towards the distance.

  "The green hills remain unchanged, the clear waters flow forever, Your Majesty's kindness is boundless, but I'll just send it off from here." A rich and mellow voice suddenly rose up, sounding like the rustling of early spring mulberry leaves, husky yet pleasant.

  Her eyebrows slightly raised, she gazed faintly at the luxurious carriage in the center of Yanzi's camp, her eyes flashing as she turned back to face the man opposite her. In a low voice, she said: "Just because I let her go with you doesn't mean I'm giving her to you."

  Qin's flames smiled lightly and said: "This king knows in his heart, the Great Emperor of Southern Chu is not a person who gives up easily, how to do it, this king has a plan."

  Chu Li coldly laughed and said in a deep voice, "Don't tell lies in front of a true person. In less than half a year or at most one year, I will definitely go to Xianyang and take her away."

  Qin's lips curled up slightly as he said calmly, "That depends on whether Your Majesty has the ability to do so."

  "What? Does King Xuan think I'm not worthy?" Chu Li raised an eyebrow and asked in a low voice.

  Qin's flames laughed loudly and said in a loud voice: "If the King of Chu is not worthy, who else would be qualified? Among the kings and heroes of this world, the one I admire the most is Your Majesty, the King of Chu. If you didn't exist in this world, life would really lose a lot of fun."

  Chu Li smiled and said coldly, "Thank you, King Xuan, for your praise. Unfortunately, there can only be one sun in the sky, and all things should have only one master. Only one person can possess her. Whether it's national hatred or personal vendetta, you and I are destined to be enemies for life, unable to be friends, like the sun and moon, which cannot coexist under the same sky."

  Qin's flames clapped his palms and laughed: "Chu Huang is quick-witted, indeed a true hero. But back then at the White Deer Plain, she was in your hands, yet you couldn't keep her. Half a year from now, what chips do you think you have to take her away from me?"

  Chu Li's voice was cold and detached as he said, "My determination is the stake."

  Qin's flames laughed and said: "It's hard for Emperor Chu to have such confidence. Since that's the case, I'll make a gentleman's agreement with you. For a period of one year, if Your Majesty can't let Eimar leave with you willingly, then you'll have to leave quietly and never bother her again for the rest of your life."

  "Good!" Chu Li shouted loudly and said in a deep voice: "If I win, what then?"

  "I will never force Yima to do something she doesn't want to do. If Your Majesty wins, I, as Yima's elder brother, will send her off in a grand red wedding sedan chair all the way to Southern Chu, and give you all the land south of Tianmu Mountain as her dowry."

  Chu Lirang burst out laughing and said: "If you win, the land north of the Wei River will be a congratulatory gift to Xuan Wang when he ascends to the throne!"

  Two men exchanged a glance, burst into loud laughter, their voices shaking the clouds and resounding for miles.

  "Goodbye!" Chu Li said in a deep voice, turned around and returned to the midst of the Southern Chu army, leaping onto the back of his black horse. His back was straight as a pen, his eyes were sharp as ice and snow, staring fixedly at the magnificent chariot amidst the troops, with waves surging and churning within them. Finally, he suddenly turned his head around, turned the horse's head, let out a stern shout, and led the rolling white snow and a large contingent of Chu soldiers, galloping southward.

  Qin's flames stood tall and slender, his eyes deep and mysterious. The long wind swept across his body, blowing against the snow-white robes that fluttered on him. The sky was filled with white snowflakes dancing, covering all footprints under the blanket of white snow.

  "Your Majesty," a clear and crisp voice respectfully sounded beside his ear, Qin Zhiyan slowly turned his head. He saw a man in purple robes with long hair scattered, standing untamed on the grassland, cupping his hands to say: "I'll send you off here, please take good care of your master."

  Qin Zhiyan nodded and smiled faintly, saying: "Don't worry about the reward, Yima's injuries are too severe and can't be delayed. The matter of finding Yang Feng and Lie Yunji is left to you."

  Yu Qing nodded in agreement and led a group of Penglai disciples, mounted on the war horses of North Qin, galloping towards the direction of White Deer Plain.

  A bamboo umbrella suddenly appeared over Qin Zhiyan's head, blocking out a large amount of wind and snow. The woman in gray fur had an icy expression, her face as calm as water, and she said without changing her tone: "Your Highness, it's time to set off."

  Qin Zhiyan nodded, walked slowly to the side of the horse carriage, looked inside, but did not get on, turned around and jumped onto his warhorse, leading the large army in a majestic manner towards the direction of Daqin. After leaving the Autumn Flat Mountain Range, it was a vast and flat plain, galloping for five days, the border city of Daqin and Xichuan, Xifeng City, finally appeared in the distance, far away, with its back against the Canglang Mountain, Xifeng City looked exceptionally grand and majestic. The officials sent by Xichuan to escort the Qin army out of the border followed all the way, and finally parted ways with the Qin army thirty miles outside Xifeng City.

  On the prairie, it's like this: you see a tree far away and think it's close, but when you run to it, it may take a whole day.

  In the morning, I saw the magnificent city wall of Xifeng City, but it wasn't until evening that we arrived. The torch-lit city gate, Xifeng City Lord Meng Tianhongze, along with the major and minor officials of Xifeng, had been waiting in the wind and snow all day. Upon seeing the great banner of Yanzi Camp, they immediately knelt to the ground, reverently welcoming the young but already pillar-like Qin Xuanwangye of the Qin State Military Department.

  The Great Qin Empire has been established for over 1,200 years. Along the way, it has encountered several peasant uprisings, foreign invasions, feudal lords' fragmentation, and clan rebellions. However, it has never been divided among different surnames like in the past three hundred years. Today, the world is divided into four parts, with various vassal states holding power, numerous small countries, most of which are attached to the four major empires, mutually restraining each other. On the surface, everything seems calm and peaceful, but beneath the surface, there are constant undercurrents, struggles for power and profit, and plots and assassinations filling every corner. The common people live in a turbulent world, suffering unspeakable hardships.

  The camel that died of starvation is bigger than the horse, and although Northern Qin retreated to the northern territory of the mainland, its economy and products were not as good as those of Eastern Qi, and its fertile land was not comparable to Southern Chu. The war horses were even farther away from Western Sichuan, making it the country that directly resisted the Xiongnu's blade. It had a long and unstable defense line along the northern border. However, it was in this harsh and cold place, this war-torn state, that Northern Qin trained its strongest cavalry. Following the legacy of their ancestors, Northern Qin valued military achievements over literary merit, and soldiers who fought bravely on the battlefield would be given opportunities for promotion. Therefore, after coming of age, every man in Northern Qin joined the army with courage, and even if they couldn't enter the imperial court as officials, they considered it a lifelong honor to have resisted the Xiongnu in the northern border. The soldiers of the Great Camp of the Northern Border had defended the country for many years and enjoyed extremely high prestige domestically, among whom the most famous was the Flame Corps trained by Qin Zhiyan himself.

  As a fourteen-year-old who fought against the enemy in the north, over the past decade he has transformed from passive resistance to taking the initiative to attack, defeating the Xiongnu people and leaving them fleeing in disarray without the power to counterattack. The royal prince Qin Zhiyan's reputation among the people is even higher than that of the King of Qin. Under his brilliance, the current crown prince is like a grain of rice, completely unnoticeable. Looking at all twenty-eight princes of the Great Qin, only the second prince Qin Zhiyi can rival him.

  The White Deer Plain meeting was held during this time, and the Xiongnu people took advantage of Qin's absence to repeatedly attack the northern border camp, even destroying some nearby small towns. At this time of turmoil and panic, Qin's return to China was undoubtedly a shot in the arm for the Chinese people.

  Xifeng City is adjacent to Xichuan, the last barrier in the western part of Qin State, and also one of the largest horse trading markets in the world today. It is rich and prosperous, never implementing curfews, and at this moment, it is the busiest time in Xifeng City.

  As soon as the horse and carriage stepped into the gate of Xifeng City, Qin Zhiyan's royal title was shouted out loudly. Although the people of Xifeng City didn't have to worry about the Northern Huns defeating Xifeng, Qin Zhiyan had just eliminated the White Deer Fortress on the White Deer Plain a while ago. For those mercenary bandits who had been roaming the western regions for many years, the war horse merchants of Xifeng had long been gnashing their teeth in hatred towards them. With gratitude and respect towards Qin Zhiyan, coupled with his reputation among the people, the scene was naturally grand and impressive.

  In the luxurious carriage, a pale woman lay under layers of brocade quilts. The carriage moved extremely smoothly, without any bumps or jolts. A foot warmer with soothing incense was lit inside. Two maids in plain clothes knelt beside her, their eyes fixed intently on the woman's every move. Outside, the noise was deafening. The elegant woman's eyelids fluttered slightly, and her eyebrows furrowed lightly.

  "Ah! The young lady is waking up." A young maid in a light green dress exclaimed, and hastily told another maid in a green dress: "Quickly go and inform the prince, tell him that the young lady is waking up."

  "Now?" The green-clad maid said doubtfully: "Or should we call Master Baishi first to take a look, since he's on the way, just in case something goes wrong?"

  "Alright then, you go quickly."

  In a short while, an old man with white hair and yellowish eyes walked in unsteadily, lifted the woman's eyelids, then took her pulse and examined her. He furrowed his brow, shook his head and said: "Strange, really strange."

  "Master, what's going on?" The green-clad maid was obviously very lively, with a clear and crisp tone, her big round eyes staring at the old man, asking anxiously.

  Bai Shi Wuyi furrowed his brow and said, "The Dapeng Huang Niao is an ancient ferocious bird, dwelling underground for many years, feeding on poisonous snakes, rats, and ants. Its blood is yellow and toxic. This young lady has entered the belly of the Huang Niao, her five organs and six viscera are severely poisoned. Even if we eight Wuyi join forces, we can only temporarily preserve her life. I suppose in this world, except for Xilin Yu, the master of the extinct Xilin family, and Shang Qiu, who has been missing for many years, only our tribe's great elder can cure her. But now it seems that the toxins in her body not only have not continued to invade but also show signs of dissipation, truly a strange and wonderful thing."

  The maid in blue clothes blinked her eyes and smiled: "Master, it seems that the girl is blessed with good fortune and a strong fate, this illness will slowly heal on its own."

  "The child is talking." Bai Shi Wu Yi said: "She has multiple severe injuries, with broken ribs, hands and feet, and a severe head injury. She was also poisoned by a highly toxic substance. If it were an ordinary person, they would have died long ago. It's already a huge stroke of luck that she can preserve her life now. Although the poison is temporarily suppressed, she still needs to be carefully nursed back to health with medicine and stones over the next decade or so before there's any possibility of recovery. Let you all read more books, even if you don't listen."

  Two little girls stuck out their tongues at the white stone witch doctor, laughing and showing no fear.

  "Take good care of her," said Dr. Bai Shi, "she may wake up in the next day or two. If there's any unusual movement, notify me immediately."

  Having said that, she lifted the curtain and went out.

  That night, the lord of Xifeng City hosted a banquet at the city lord's mansion to entertain the officers and soldiers of Yanzi Camp. Qin Zhiyan also attended. At the banquet, all the officials and merchants who had a share in Xifeng City were present, and they all wanted to see the extraordinary bearing of this war god of the prosperous age. Various rare treasures poured into the Xifeng Imperial Palace like flowing water. Qin Zhiyan was warm and courteous, with a noble air of royalty, yet without any arrogance or extravagance. For a time, both host and guests were delighted, and the atmosphere was lively until the second watch of the night.

  At this time, Qin Zhiyan's personal bodyguard Lianzhou suddenly walked into the main hall and whispered two sentences in Qin Zhiyan's ear. The originally smiling and gentle Xuanwang suddenly changed color and immediately retreated from his seat, frightening the officials and merchants of Xifeng City so much that they didn't dare to close their eyes all night, wondering what big thing had happened.

  Xifeng City is the western stronghold of Northern Qin. Ten years ago, Xichuan's Emperor Yunliang Ruo was ambitious and eager for quick success, and launched three wars against Northern Qin. At that time, Northern Qin's Emperor Qinzong Cheng was in his prime, and he personally oversaw the war effort from a temporary palace in Xifeng, ultimately shattering Xichuan's attacks on three separate occasions. Xichuan never recovered from this defeat and lost the strength to wage another large-scale war. Yunliang Ruo also lost the support of his people due to this, and was later replaced by his younger brother Yunliang Xi.

  Qin's flames led a group of close guards, rushing into the Yao Xiang Grand Hall in a flurry, and suddenly pushed open the door to see Qing Xia wearing a snow-white padded robe, her face as pale as a painting, her black hair scattered on the couch, drinking medicine from the maid's hand one mouthful at a time.

  Seeing Qin Zhiyan come in, Qing Xia smiled weakly and said softly: "The banquet is over."

  Qin Zhiyan's face was solemn, his eyes like the sea, staring at Qing Xia without blinking. Qing Xia was slightly stunned and asked in confusion: "What's wrong? What happened?" But Qin Zhiyan suddenly took a big step forward and tightly hugged her in his arms.

  Qing Xia was held in his arms, listening to his heavy breathing above, and her heart gradually relaxed. His warm breath sprayed on her forehead, the fragrance of Chinese angelica floated around her nose, everything seemed like a dream, Qing Xia felt like she had fallen into the ocean, surrounded by the warmth of the sea water, her whole body was light and floating. Her hands gently patted Qin Zhiyan's back, repeating softly: "I'm fine, I'm back."

  Everyone else tactfully retreated, Qin Zhiyan's warm eyes sparkled like stars, filled with a gentle and affectionate smile. He picked up the dishes on the table, feeding Qing Xia one bite at a time, overjoyed to the point of being unable to contain himself.

  Qing Xia didn't say anything, she just quietly ate everything he brought over. This time when they reunited, she found that Qin Zhiyan seemed to have changed a lot. He was no longer the thin, desireless, and unrealistically perfect man he used to be. His emotions were now clearly visible on his face - he would get excited and happy if she took an extra bite of food, and tense up if she furrowed her brow even slightly. Although he was still gentle, there was a hint of careful flattery in his gentleness now. She knew that the repeated experiences of life and death, and narrowly escaping death multiple times, had completely destroyed this man's frozen emotions from years ago. Now, as he looked at her with such care, it was as if he were looking at a delicate porcelain vase, constantly afraid that she would accidentally drop it and shatter it to pieces.

  "Yima'er", having eaten and drunk enough, Qin Zhiyan covered the quilt for Qing Xia and said in a low voice: "You don't have to worry about Yang Feng, since Ousilan Ya is not dead, they must also be able to escape safely. The craftsmanship of Peng Lai Gu is exquisite, now under Zhu Yuanqing's leadership, they will definitely rescue them?"

  Qing Xia nodded and smiled, saying: "Don't worry, I won't abandon the bigger picture to go find him on my own. For now, it's better for this body of mine to stay by your side honestly."

  Qin's warm smile, said: "Eight Wu Da Zhang Lao is currently in the imperial palace for father emperor diagnosis and treatment, as long as we return to Xianyang, your illness will not be a worry."

  Qing Xia's smile was as bright as a flower, but suddenly she thought of something and said: "Right, after we left, did you guys rescue Miss Tan? She betrayed Penglai for Chu Zhuang, won't the people of Penglai make things difficult for her?"

  Qin Yanyang said, "Miss Tan's mother is the head of the Goddess Palace and has a high status in Penglai Valley. They wouldn't dare to do anything to Miss Tan. Moreover, now that Penglai is under the leadership of Zhu Ling Shi, who is kind-hearted and straightforward, I'm sure he won't make things difficult for her, a weak woman."

  "That's good, Miss Tan is also a pitiful person, who doesn't understand the world and human cunning. Her secret love has been misplaced, which is already miserable enough." Qing Xia let out a soft sigh, when suddenly, she heard a loud and piercing sound of scratching at the door from outside. Qing Xia raised an eyebrow, and her eyes lit up as she said: "Is that Da Huang? Let it in quickly!"

  Qin Zhiyan walked to the door, just as he opened it, a small white creature suddenly rolled in like a ball, crashing into the wall opposite with a thud, dazing itself and seeing stars. Two short and chubby paws kept rubbing its green eyes, whimpering pitifully.

  Qing Xia saw it and happily called out: "Big Yellow, come here."

  The little beast heard Qing Xia's voice, immediately came to life, suddenly spread out four short legs, ran to Qing Xia's side, desperately wagging its tail, excitedly barking loudly.

  She stretched out her hand to lift the big yellow fat neck, placed it on the brocade quilt, Qing Xia stretched out her slender fingers, touched its black shiny little nose, and said: "I heard that you were very heroic that day, fighting alone with the big yellow bird to save me, brave and unmatched, awesome!"

  Rarely has a young summer been so harmonious in communicating emotions with small beasts, seeing the master praise it, Dahuang immediately jumped three inches high, green eyes shining, chest out and head held high, brandishing claws and making a show of justice, as if to say "who else but me".

  Qin Zhiyan stood by the bed, smiling faintly.

  Dà Huáng was making loud, exaggerated gestures with his limbs when he suddenly saw Qin Zhīyán's face. He froze for a moment, then stared foolishly at Qin Zhīyán from head to toe. His big, green eyes darted back and forth, suspiciously glancing at him, then at Qing Xia. His small nose scrunched up immediately.

  "Ah, Dahuang doesn't know you yet." Qingxia smiled and said: "This is my little brother I picked up from the valley, loyal and reliable, and very clever."

  Qin Zhiyan saw that small thing like a snowball, comical and lovely, and smiled slightly, then stretched out his hand to touch its head. Who knew that with a loud "ah", the little beast suddenly jumped up and bit Qin Zhiyan's palm.

  "Ah!" Qing Xia exclaimed, snatching Qin Zhiyan's hand, only to see two rows of teeth marks deeply imprinted on his wrist, with bright red blood flowing out continuously. Qing Xia felt a pang in her heart and anxiously asked: "How is it? It doesn't usually bite people, we've lived with it at the bottom of the valley for a long time and have never seen it bite anyone, sorry, does it hurt?"

  Qin's eyes flickered slightly, and he smiled, saying: "A flesh wound, it's nothing serious."

  "What's the harm?" Qing Xia said anxiously: "It's very likely to get rabies, and it doesn't know what kind of thing it is, nor does it know if its teeth are poisonous. You'd better go see Ba Wu."

  "Good." Qin Zhiyan replied.

  "Ahh!" Seeing Qing Xia pulling Qin Zhiyan's hand, the little beast jumped up and down in anger, barking non-stop.

  Qing Xia lowered his head and said in an angry voice: "It's all your fault, what's wrong with you? If you shout again, I'll throw you back into the abyss! I know you can understand, stop pretending to be deaf!"

  Qin Zhiyan's face turned blue with rage, his eyes blazing with fury. The small beast was so frightened that it went limp and retreated to the side, but its eyes still stared fixedly at Qin Zhiyan.

  "It doesn't matter," Qin Zhiyan said: "Dahuang should be recognizing its master. This kind of spiritual beast is all about recognizing its owner."

  Qing Xia's eyes rolled over, and she glared at Da Huang fiercely, saying: "Am I not the master? What other masters are there?"

  Qin's flames smiled and patted Qing Xia's head, saying: "Foolish, I'm talking about Chu Huang."

  Qing Xia was suddenly speechless, wanting to speak but feeling as if her throat had been grasped by someone, unsure of what to say.

  "Yima'er, I'll leave first. You rest well. If you want anything, just call someone, there are servants outside, we'll take a break for two days and head to the capital the day after tomorrow."

  Qing Xia nodded, and Qin Zhiyan turned around and walked out.

  But after not seeing each other for a few days, it seemed like something had changed. Qing Xia didn't know whether she herself had changed or if Qin Zhiyan had changed. There were some things weighing on their hearts that neither of them wanted to mention, but even with careful avoidance, they would occasionally unintentionally touch upon them.

  "Wooo..." The little white beast suddenly whimpered and leaned in, Qing Xia looked down to see that Da Huang had a small white fur coat in his mouth, constantly nudging Qing Xia's hand with his snout.

  That was the deerskin coat they made for Dahuan in the snowy wilderness, but later on that stretch of road was too cold, even Dahuan couldn't withstand it. Qingxia made this little garment for Dahuan, and when he put it on, he looked like a little ball of meat, very cute.

  Qing Xia pursed her lips, picked up the fluffy little white beast, and said softly: "It's warm here now, we don't need this anymore. You're wearing it now, you'll be heat-stroked to death, throw it away."

  "Woof woof?" Da Huang immediately shook his head like a rattle drum, and still pushed the clothes towards Qing Xia. Qing Xia furrowed her brow and came over to take a look, only to see that in the seam of the clothes was a piece of pure white warm jade, on which were carved eight beautiful small characters: "Qun Feng Qiao Chu, Can Shang Yong Li".

  The moonlit night is quiet and still, with a clear and bright light all around.

  On the second day, Qing Xia was in high spirits. At noon, she was carried out by two little maids to bask in the sun. Qing Xia was languid and weak all over, wrapped in a large fur coat, sitting under a plum tree, with plum blossoms scattered everywhere. She held a small, delicate hand warmer and was drowsy, almost falling asleep.

  Suddenly a loud noise came over, Qing Xia heard that the sound was coming from the direction of the gate, and thought it was just a servant, so she didn't make a sound, wanting to continue pretending to sleep. But at this time, she felt the little maid Qing Er beside her suddenly standing up with a vigilant expression, she was startled, hurriedly opened her eyes, and happened to collide with a pair of bright and faintly smiling eyes.

  It turned out that the newcomer was a sixteen or seventeen year old young man, wearing a loose robe with large sleeves, with eyebrows and eyes like a painting, his clothes fragrant, and an air of elegance about him that was somewhat reminiscent of Yan Hui.

  The young girl's voice rang out clearly from the side, and she said with a straight face: "Who are you? How can you rush in without going through the proper channels? Do you understand etiquette?"

  At the sight of his elegant clothes and jade belt, she knew that this young man was not an ordinary son of a common family. She waved her hand to stop Qing'er from speaking further, bowed politely and said: "I don't know what this young master wants? Please forgive me for not being able to get up and pay respects due to my physical condition."

  After more than three years of tempering, Qing Xia was no longer the modern person who had just arrived in this place. She used to be a special agent and naturally understood what it meant to adapt to local customs and respond to changing circumstances. So she no longer insisted on her own theory that all people are equal. People in this world were born unequal, and so-called equality was just a self-consoling lie.

  That young master smiled complacently, fanning himself with an ivory fan, and said in a cold tone: "I heard that Third Brother brought back a stunning beauty from the White Deer Plain this time. He defied Father's edict for her sake and went to the Northern Frontier Camp without regard, almost starting a war with the Southern Chu army. I wanted to see what kind of breathtaking beauty she is. Ah, indeed, rumors can be intimidating! As the saying goes, 'hearing about someone is not as good as meeting them', but in this case, it seems that meeting her is not as good as hearing about her."

  Qing'er, who was standing beside him, turned pale and began to sweat upon hearing him call himself Wang Ye. Qing Xia had already guessed eight or nine out of ten and wasn't too surprised at this point. Smiling, she said: "It's not the civilian girl, disappointing Seventeenth Wang Ye."

  "It doesn't matter." Young Master Wang swung his folding fan with a flourish and said with a smile: "Your parents couldn't make you a stunning beauty, that's their fault, not yours. Alright, I've seen the person and said what needed to be said, now I'll take my leave. The Emperor has ordered me to guard the Western Barracks, it's busy to the point of being chaotic, you don't need to see me off, I'm familiar with this place, farewell."

  "Seventeenth Prince, slow down." Qing Xia said respectfully, watching the small prince's swift and fierce figure, a hint of gloom slowly rising to his eyebrows. It seems that now, the name Zhuang Qing Xia is really very famous.

  "Miss," Qing'er finally came back to herself and whispered: "Is that person also the prince?"

  "Yes," Qing Xia smiled and said: "Doesn't Qing Er look like it?"

  "En," The little girl nodded sincerely and said: "It's really different, compared to our family's Wang Ye, it's simply worlds apart."

  Qing Xia said faintly, "The dragon gives birth to nine sons, each son is different. Now the King of Qin has twenty-eight sons, seventeen of whom have been enfeoffed as kings. The Qin clan's descendants are prosperous and flourishing, with abundant incense and fire. Among brothers, their personalities are also vastly different."

  Qing'er smiled and said, "No wonder our Great Qin is prosperous, it's the most powerful among the four countries. A thriving population is a good thing. Unlike Xichuan, they can't even produce an heir, the crown prince doesn't know who to appoint."

  Qing Xia slightly raised the corner of her mouth and said lightly: "Is it a good thing? I doubt it."

  "Huh?" The little girl frowned and said: "Miss, what did you say?"

  Qing Xia shook her head and didn't respond, saying in a low voice: "Qing Er, take me back. It's noon, the prince will be returning, go call Bai Shi Wu Yi to prepare the medicine for this afternoon."

  Qin's flames went to the Western Garrison in the morning to inspect the military, and had lunch with local military leaders. He didn't return until evening. Qing Xia ordered someone to heat up the medicine several times, and finally saw him step into the threshold of the main hall.

  Qing Xia wore a light purple long gown, leaning on the soft couch, casually flipping through some geographical maps. Seeing Qin Zhiyan return, he put down his things, supported himself against the pillar and stood up, saying: "You're back."

  Qin Zhiyan hastily stepped forward, supporting her shoulders and helping her sit comfortably in the chair. He then sat down himself, a warm smile playing on his lips as he asked, "What have you been up to all day?"

  "I'll go out and get some sunshine in the morning, and then give you a warm medicinal soup in the afternoon." Qing Xia replied honestly.

  Qin's eyebrows slightly furrowed, and he said in a deep voice: "This kind of thing, let the lower officials handle it, why do you need to bother yourself?"

  Qing Xia smiled and handed him a bowl of medicine, saying: "If you want me to be more at ease in the future, come back earlier and take your medicine on time."

  Qin Zhiyan shook his head and smiled, picked up the medicine bowl and drank it down.

  Handing him a white handkerchief to wipe his mouth, Qing Xia said faintly: "I saw King Jiang Hua today."

  Qin's eyebrows slightly raised, "Seventeenth brother?"

  "En," Qing Xia nodded and said: "He rushed over, saying he wanted to see what kind of beauty could make his third brother defy the imperial edict and disregard the lives of the people in the northern border."

  Qin Zhiyan smiled and asked with a smile: "Then what?"

  "He then said he was very disappointed."

  "Disappointed?" Qin Zhiyan's voice involuntarily rose, his eyebrows raised, as he looked at Qing Xia and asked loudly.

  "Yes," Qing Xia covered her mouth and smiled, "but he said he didn't blame me, he said my ugliness was my parents' problem, nothing to do with me."

  "Hehe," Qin Zhiyan shook his head and smiled lightly, with a warm and handsome expression. He said half-jokingly, "Yima, I really hope your parents are very ugly people, don't make you so beautiful, it's okay if you're extremely ugly, as long as everyone can't bear to look at you, then there won't be so many people coming to snatch you away from me."

  Qing Xia was taken aback for a moment, and suddenly a warm current surged in her heart. Pretending to be furious, she pushed Qin Zhiyan's shoulder and said with puffed cheeks: "Qin Zhiyan, you're cursing me! Then go ahead and bribe the eight witches of Nanjiang to disfigure me!"

  Qin's flames laughed loudly and said: "Then how can I put it down."

  The warm atmosphere in the room was suddenly disrupted by a loud and urgent voice outside the door, followed by a man's deep voice saying, "Your Highness, the 17th prince is at the main gate, saying he has a gift to present to you."

  Qin's eyebrows rose as he stood up and opened the door with a creak, saying in a low voice, "What trick is he playing now? What gift?"

  He glanced at Qing Xia with a complicated expression, gritted his teeth and said: "The 17th prince brought 200 young women, saying he wanted to give them to Your Highness as concubines."