Chapter 69
Xie Yao was stunned in place.
Head Constable Liu also put away his smile.
The news of the regent’s disappearance on the battlefield had already reached Lingquan County. He had been rushing around the county, checking for any signs of a Rouran invasion, but had seen none. For a moment, he thought that the regent was already gone, and his heart was not in a good mood. Then he thought that he was still alive, and his heart was even less in a good mood.
Now that he saw Yuli, he thought it would be better if he were gone.
Mei Qing said calmly, “Her husband may have already died in battle. In the future…” his face looked better, and he did not continue.
Behind the window, Xie Yao pushed his sword into its scabbard. His ashen face gradually regained the luster of a living person, and a smile slowly appeared on his lips, and his face became flushed.
A small county magistrate, what is there to worry about?
Xie Yao threw his sword to Song He, took a few quick steps, and jumped over the wall of the county yamen.
He felt a wave of dizziness when he landed, probably from not having slept for several days.
But he was extremely excited. Yuli had left the residence at great risk because she was worried about his safety, to find him.
She loved him, more than she had once loved Mei Qing. At that time, she had given up Mei Qing under his intimidation, but now she dared to risk her life to find him.
In her heart, he was more important than anything else.
Xie Yao hurried back to the yet-to-be-opened pastry shop, but the door was tightly closed.
A shadow guard immediately appeared. “The four of them went out together.”
Xie Yao’s voice was hoarse. “Take me there.”
The shadow guard followed the special internal markings, leading Xie Yao, sometimes walking, sometimes stopping, out of the county town.
*
Majestic high mountains, deep and secluded valleys.
Gurgling spring water seeped from the rock formations, gathered into streams in the mountain cliffs, and then into a stream, flowing out of a quiet and deserted valley. It formed a stream on a gentle grassy slope.
It was midsummer, and the summer wind was hot. Only by this stream was it cool and refreshing.
The setting sun was about to set, casting a golden-red glow on this stream. The tips of the grass on the bank were shining with a dazzling light.
Yuli and the others were picking flowers on the grassy slope, preparing to decorate the shop.
This place was the lifeblood of this county, called Lingxi.
The people of the county could all come here to get water to make wine, which would then be uniformly purchased by the county yamen and sold to the neighboring counties.
Yuli had previously thought that there was a more amazing transmigrator than her in this world. After knowing that it was Mei Qing, she was not surprised.
She had once mentioned to him in a casual chat that Xihe County was too poor, and the county magistrate was just a figurehead. They should develop a unique business, mobilize the collective wisdom of the people, and let everyone get rich through more work.
She had not expected him to remember such words.
Encouraging women to start businesses was also related to her. In Xihe County, when she was gossiped about, she had also told him that if it were normal for women to start businesses, no one would gossip about her. He had listened silently. She had gotten carried away and had said some things about liberating the productive forces.
She had thought that he would not understand, nor would he take it to heart. Unexpectedly, he had remembered it all and had even put it into practice after becoming a county magistrate, and had achieved results. As expected of the original heroine’s white moonlight.
Yuli held a handful of yellow wild flowers, matched with grass leaves of different shapes, looking full of life.
But everyone has their own destiny. Her state of mind at that time had determined that she had no fate with him. For someone like her, who was used to the indifference of human relationships and valued self-protection the most, perhaps only a strong and domineering person like Xie Yao could open her heart.
Yuli suddenly missed him very much.
All along, it had been him who had been trying to get her to get close to him, both forcefully and weakly, and with some temptations that she didn’t know if they were intentional or unintentional, as if they were tailor-made for her, to make her accept him both physically and mentally, and to want him.
If he were healthy, no matter what his identity was, as long as she saw him again, she would surely strive to plan a bright future for them.
Yuli sat on a stone, and the three maids were picking flowers and playing in the water on the side, laughing and making a fuss.
She was in a daze, looking at the small path below. Suddenly, she saw two black figures.
From a small dot, they gradually became taller, looking more and more familiar.
Yuli couldn’t believe it. How could he possibly appear here now?
It looked like Xie Yao and Song He. Her heart pounded, and she stood up.
They also seemed to have seen her and quickened their pace.
Yuli saw it clearly. It was them.
He was healthy, able to walk. The panic that she had suppressed for so long and didn’t even dare to think about instantly surged out, and then instantly dissipated. Yuli’s tears streamed down her face.
She ran towards him recklessly, wanting to throw herself on him and hold his neck tightly. But when she reached him, she saw that his face was paler and more haggard than ever before, and she froze.
But Xie Yao held her heavily in his arms and called out in a hoarse voice, “Yuli.”
The bouquet of flowers in Yuli’s hand fell to the ground. She wanted to answer, but she cried out first.
After a long time, she sobbed out a sentence, “Mingyan.”
Xie Yao held her tightly, his body and breath scorching hot.
He must have been extremely worried about her. Yuli also held him tightly and explained in his arms, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have run out of the residence. But I was too worried about you. When I heard that something had happened to you, I was at a loss and thought that I could find you if I left the residence…”
Xie Yao’s chest heaved, and his whole body trembled. “Are you hurt?”
Yuli: “No, I’m fine. What about you?”
Xie Yao wanted to reply, but his body went limp uncontrollably, and Yuli, who was leaning against him, also half-knelt on the ground.
Only then did Yuli let go of him and saw that his face was pale, and his usually rosy lips were dry and cracked. His whole body was unusually hot.
Yuli was extremely flustered. “Are you sick? Are you hurt somewhere?”
Her eyes were red, full of panic and heartache. Xie Yao smiled, wanting to say it was nothing, don’t cry, but he fainted before he could speak.
Yuli struggled to support his falling body. In her extreme panic, she became calm and asked the equally panicked Song He, “Where is he hurt?”
Song He frowned and shook his head. He didn’t know either.
Yuli didn’t dare to touch him much. The cheek pressed against the side of her neck was scorching hot, but he was shivering with cold. He had a fever.
Yuli had Song He carry him back to the county town and opened another upper room.
After placing him on the bed, Song He was also panting and couldn’t straighten his back.
“Where did you come from? Is it a nearby battlefield? Are there any Rouran chasing you? Are there any survivors from the Shenwu Army?” Yuli asked as she untied Xie Yao’s clothes.
Song He was familiar with Huilong City. According to the time it took to travel from the capital to Huilong City, he should have known that Yuli was missing at the first opportunity and had immediately rushed back to the capital.
In the middle, he probably had not been defeated and had not gone missing.
Having followed him for twelve years, Song He naturally guessed that there was a plot, but he had hidden it from everyone. He naturally did not dare to say it, especially to Yuli, who had believed it and had left the residence to find him.
Song He kept his mouth shut and shook his head, only saying, “It’s safe for now.”
Yuli was very puzzled, but she had no time to think about it. She took off all of Xie Yao’s clothes and carefully examined his body, but saw no wounds.
Half of her suspended heart fell. She covered him, and the doctor also arrived.
After the diagnosis, the doctor said that he had a fever due to overexertion and excessive worry. He prescribed some medicine and instructed her to take good care of him.
So his immune system was down, and he had a cold.
After the doctor left, Yuli asked Song He, “Where did you come from? Did you not rest on the way?”
If Song He pretended not to know anymore, he would probably be exposed. He could only tell the truth. “We came from the capital and did not stop on the way.”
“How many days did it take?”
“Three days.”
It had taken Yuli and the others eleven days to travel. They had rushed for three days.
Yuli looked at Xie Yao’s haggard face. It seemed that he had come to find her as soon as he had returned to the capital and had not seen her.
But something was not right. How had he returned to the capital so quickly?
Yuli wanted to ask something more, but Song He bowed and withdrew. “The master is left to the Mistress’s care. This subordinate can’t hold on any longer.”
Yuli saw that his face was also pale, and he probably felt very unwell. “Then you should go and rest quickly.”
Hearing this, Song He did not delay for a moment and turned to leave.
Yuli brought warm water to wipe Xie Yao’s body. He was so hot that his cheeks were flushed, and his forehead was covered in fine sweat.
Yuli wiped him clean. After a while, Jingyu came to call her for a meal, and only then did she go out.
When she came back after her meal, Xie Yao was still not awake. She had many questions she wanted to ask, but after Song He had left, no other shadow guards had appeared.
She thought that the worst-case scenario was that the Shenwu Army had been completely annihilated, and he had escaped with his life. He had returned to the capital and had not seen her, so he had come here without stopping.
The capital was in such a mess, and he only had a few shadow guards left. He had no place to stay for the time being. He must have been extremely frustrated and heartbroken.
In a better situation, he might still have some remnants of his troops, but he was too worried about her safety and had left them to find her.
No matter how serious it was, at least he was still alive and had all his limbs. In the future, whether he wanted to make a comeback or live in seclusion, she would be with him.
Xie Yao was in a coma for a whole night and only woke up when it was broad daylight.
Most of his fever had subsided, but he was still a little weak. There was no one in the room. He propped up his drowsy body and was about to get out of bed when the door was pushed open, and Yuli walked in with two bowls.
Seeing him awake, Yuli’s slightly furrowed brow relaxed, and a smile bloomed. “Don’t get out of bed yet. Lie down for a while longer.”
Xie Yao looked at her and lay back down as he was told.
Yuli brought him medicine and congee. “Which one do you want first?”
Xie Yao pointed to the congee.
Yuli put down the medicine bowl and handed him the congee.
Xie Yao did not move and said in a hoarse voice, “I have no strength.”
“Then I’ll feed you,” Yuli said, sitting by the bed, scooping up a spoonful, and holding it to his mouth.
Xie Yao looked straight at her and opened his mouth to drink the congee.
The congee was very fine, with vegetables and minced meat, very fragrant.
Xie Yao ate a bowl, and Yuli brought the medicine again.
“Do you still want me to feed you?” Yuli asked.
Glancing at the dark medicinal soup, Xie Yao propped himself up, took the bowl, and drank it in one gulp.
He seemed not to find it bitter, his face unchanged. Yuli poured him some water to rinse his mouth, and he drank it all.
He still looked weak. Yuli was about to go out, but he held her and wouldn’t let go.
Yuli could only let him be and called for Jingyu to help.
Yuli stayed with him for a while, and he fell into a deep sleep again.
For two consecutive days, Yuli took care of him without leaving his side. When she was tired, she would get into bed and sleep with him for a while. On the third day, he finally recovered his spirit.
Yuli went out.
Not long after, she heard two regular knocks. She went downstairs and, after standing for a while, went back and forth.
Hearing the sound of conversation in the room, she took off her shoes and held them in her hand, and silently approached the door.
“Arrange to go back to the capital in two days.”
“This subordinate has already told the Mistress that the master rushed here from the capital for three days.”
There was a moment of silence.
“The Mistress asked twice, and this subordinate had to say it.”
After another moment of silence, she heard Xie Yao say, “Alright.”
Yuli paused, then walked away barefoot.
Xie Yao ordered Song He to have someone bring water and took a detailed bath. He lay in bed and waited for Yuli to bring dinner.
The setting sun had set. Yuli came on time.
He coughed twice and sat up.
Yuli’s expression was as usual, and she came to feed him as usual.
After he had finished eating, she looked at him. His complexion had returned to normal, and his lips were also rosy.
It was just that his eyes still looked a little listless. He was half-lying in bed, and his spirit was not particularly good.
Yuli sat down by the bed and comforted him, “Husband, don’t be sad. As long as the green mountains are there, there will be no lack of firewood. Even if the Shenwu Army is all gone, as long as you are well, everything is possible in the future.”
Xie Yao looked up at her.
Yuli: “It’s probably impossible to return to the capital in a short time. Fortunately, I can make pastries. Let’s settle down here first. The county magistrate here governs well, and it is very peaceful. We can live a simple life. If you like it, we can live like this forever. If you still want to fight your way back to the capital and take back your throne, I will also support you.”
Xie Yao looked at her. “The Shenwu Army is still here. The capital has also been cleaned up. We can take another step forward when we go back.”
Yuli’s smile vanished. “So, your disappearance was false news.”
Xie Yao silently held her wrist and hummed in agreement.
Yuli was so angry that her eyes turned red. “Why did you even hide it from me?”
“The fewer people who know, the better,” Xie Yao said, his expression a little complex, but he did not feel that he was wrong.
Yuli could understand. Such a secret and a conspiracy that involved so many innocent people, it was naturally better for fewer people to know.
And, he could play the entire court and the common people in the palm of his hand. One more of her was not much.
“Let go of me.”
Xie Yao did not move a single bit and said softly, “Now I’ve told you. There are only three people in the world who know.”
“Do you think everyone in the world is a fool?”
“It will be too late when they come to their senses.”
“How can it be too late? If you can do such a thing, why can’t others?”
A power struggle that actually used innocent people as pawns was far beyond Yuli’s imagination. And it was not the first time such a thing had happened.
Yuli once again clearly recognized that she and Xie Yao were really people from two different worlds.
Seeing Yuli’s face turn a little pale, Xie Yao’s brow twitched, and he suddenly began to cough dryly, as if he were about to cough out his lungs.
Yuli subconsciously wanted to pat his back.
Seeing her nervous, Xie Yao pulled her closer. “I rushed back to the capital from Huilong City overnight to find you, and then rushed here from the capital without stopping. Those things are meaningless without you. Yuli, I’m so tired. Can you hold me?”
Yuli turned her head. She saw that his eyes were slightly red from coughing, and in the end, her heart softened. “Did it have to be this way? What if one day others find out and use this as a reason to rebel against you? What will you do?”
Hearing her say this, Xie Yao was relieved. He pulled her into his arms again, and she did not resist.
He pushed his luck and pressed her down, holding her, and comforting her, “Then we’ll be more careful. Only the two of us will know.”
Is he going to kill the person who risked his life to do this for him?!
Yuli pushed him. “Is your heart black?”
“Red,” Xie Yao said, not relaxing his grip at all, and gently bit her earlobe. “If you don’t believe me, you can dig it out and see.”
Yuli was on the verge of tears.
Yuli closed her eyes to calm her emotions. Xie Yao rubbed and kissed her ear, and his palm also slipped into her collar and pressed against her.
Yuli’s anger burned throughout her body.
She pushed him away with all her might. “It’s so hot. Sleep on your own!”
Xie Yao lay back down, rustling. Yuli glanced at him from the side. He had already taken everything off.
“What are you doing? Put it on!”
“I’m hot.”
Yuli turned back and ignored him.
His hand reached out again. “Aren’t you hot too? Take it off.”
Yuli pushed him, using both her hands and feet, but was easily suppressed by him.
“You’re still sick!”
“I won’t die.”
“Don’t kiss! You’ll infect me.”
“Infect?”
“You’ll pass your sickness to me.”
“I’m better.”
Weren’t you on the verge of death just now?
Yuli’s lips were held, and she could no longer speak.