After a quiet brunch, Mo Yunxuan brought Qing Li to the study.
Mo Yunxuan hadn't wanted to do this at first. They'd finished eating, but Qing Li showed no intention of speaking.
He'd assumed Ji Ruxue had some sort of secret order to pass along!
So, on the spot, he invited Qing Li to join him in the study for a chat.
Qing Li had been a little bewildered at the time. It wasn't that she didn't want to talk; it was just that during the meal, Mo Yunxuan had picked up a little food for her, and she'd eaten a little.
The whole meal had felt like she was being fed, leaving her too embarrassed to speak.
When Mo Yunxuan suddenly invited her to the study to talk, she didn't think much of it and simply agreed.
After Wang Yuan poured the tea and left the study, Qing Li finally relaxed.
Watching the girl, who made no attempt to put on airs, Mo Yunxuan chuckled softly.
"Lord Qing Li, may I ask why you've come this time?"
At the sound of his laughter, Qing Li grew a little flustered. Her expression stiffened as she said:
"His Majesty sent me to deliver the Xuan Niao Guard Qianhu token to the Duke of Wei. Please accept it."
As she spoke, Qing Li turned her hand over, took out a token, and held it out.
Mo Yunxuan accepted it and examined it carefully. Aside from being exceptionally hard, it didn't seem to be anything special.
He put it away, then looked back up at Qing Li, waiting for her to pass on the secret order.
This sneaky little feeling really was exciting. It was just that the person in front of him wasn't cooperating. Why was she staying silent?
After handing over the token, Qing Li rested both hands on the rim of her teacup, trying to calm herself.
But after putting away the token, the bad man in front of her had simply kept staring at her.
It made her think of what Ji Ruxue and Hong Yu had said earlier in the Imperial Study.
Anyone else would have heard those words as a joke, but Qing Li couldn't. She felt that if His Majesty had said them, then they might be true.
Then, could she...
Oh, no!
It was all that bad man's fault!
He kept staring at her. Didn't he know she'd get embarrassed?
Watching Qing Li sway her shoulders bashfully, Mo Yunxuan saw her head sink until it was almost in her teacup.
He quickly reminded her, "Lord Qing Li, is there anything else?"
At the sound of his voice, Qing Li snapped out of her daydream. Looking at the man before her, she had only one thought:
It's over. My image is ruined! I don't want to live! Let me die! Waaaah!
Seeing the girl fall silent again, her gaze growing dazed, Mo Yunxuan's mouth twitched.
What's going on? Why isn't this anything like I imagined? Or is this some sort of code? Why do I feel so unprofessional?
Completely at a loss, Mo Yunxuan could only hint again. "Lord Qing Li, is there anything else? Or does His Majesty have any instructions?"
Qing Li glanced at him dejectedly and said, "Duke of Wei, the matter is settled. His Majesty has no further requests."
Mo Yunxuan was a little disappointed. He was rather curious about what kind of person this Empress was.
But seeing the girl in front of him looking inexplicably distracted, he felt it might not be appropriate to continue the topic.
So he changed the subject. "Lord Qing Li, do you have any free time lately?"
A spark of liveliness flashed in Qing Li's eyes, but her expression barely changed.
As the Empress's personal attendant, she was actually fairly free. She simply had little to do besides cultivate, so she usually stayed by the Empress's side.
But thinking of how she'd embarrassed herself just now, she instinctively wanted to avoid him.
"I might not have much time lately..."
Her voice was low, but Mo Yunxuan, sitting opposite her, still heard it.
Pretending he hadn't, Mo Yunxuan cut her off. "Within a month, I'll be making a trip to Taihua Academy. Then, Lord Qing Li, I'd like you to come see a good show. What do you say?"
Feeling Mo Yunxuan's gaze on her, Qing Li couldn't suppress her happiness.
A heartfelt smile bloomed on her face. She abruptly lifted her head to look at Mo Yunxuan, then gently nodded.
Seeing that she was no longer so downcast, Mo Yunxuan was delighted.
"Good. Then, Qing Li, don't miss my message."
"J-just call me Qing Li."
"Then should Qing Li call me Yunxuan, or perhaps Gege?"
"Yunxuan... Gege?"
"Mm!"
Left Wei Guard Barracks.
"Zilong, how is the selection of soldiers going?"
Jun Tianxiao had just arrived at the Left Wei Guard Barracks from Anle Marquis Manor. With Zhao Yun serving as Commander,
the Left Wei Guard soldiers hadn't made an issue of this small detail.
The moment he saw Zhao Yun, Jun Tianxiao asked about the matter he was most concerned about.
Zhao Yun clasped his hands in salute and answered solemnly:
"Reporting to my lord, the three thousand soldiers have all been selected. The other Left Wei Guard officers remained very calm throughout the process and showed no sign of obstructing us."
Hearing that the selection had gone smoothly, Jun Tianxiao furrowed his brows, instinctively suspecting a trap.
He asked, still unsure, "They really didn't try anything at all?"
Zhao Yun considered it carefully, then nodded again.
"Yes. When I went there, no matter whom I chose, the generals would take one look, sign off, and let them go. They didn't hesitate at all."
Unable to understand why the generals had reacted that way, Jun Tianxiao didn't dwell on the matter.
"Since it went smoothly, let's not worry about it. Once the soldiers are trained, they'll be under our control anyway."
"Once we have this force of White Horse Volunteers, we won't have to fear whatever schemes they might have."
"I understand, my lord."
Near dusk, Qing Li returned to the Imperial Study in a daze to report.
After she finished giving her report, Ji Ruxue asked as usual, "Did the Duke of Wei say how many people he'd arrange to enter the Xuan Niao Guard?"
Qing Li didn't even raise her head. She answered instinctively:
"Yun... The Duke of Wei said that the Wei State Duke Mansion is short-handed at the moment, so he can arrange for at most one hundred people to enter the Xuan Niao Guard, and they'll only be there to protect him personally."
She was relieved she hadn't said "Yunxuan Gege." It was all that bad man's fault.
He'd spent the whole afternoon making her say it. Otherwise, she wouldn't have almost blurted it out just now!
What she didn't realize was that Ji Ruxue and Hong Yu had already noticed her sudden pause.
But they still had official business to discuss. The gossip would have to wait.
Ji Ruxue frowned slightly and sat up straight, her tone displeased.
"I remember the Wei State Duke Mansion has more than a thousand Imperial Guard. How could he only spare one hundred people? Could he be trying to fool me?"
The sudden change in the Empress's tone made Qing Li panic a little.
She didn't know why she was panicking, but she instinctively wanted to explain.
"No, Your Majesty. Perhaps the Duke of Wei really does have some difficulties?"
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