Xia Siheng drew her into his arms and let her lean against him. "Wan'er, my heart is one with yours. This is a matter of national importance, and I do not know how it will end. If things go badly, live however your heart wishes afterward. You need not consider the reputation I leave behind..."
"If I return safely, I will lay down my armor and come home, spending the rest of my life with you, our daughter, and the other children. Our family will be together, whole and happy."
His words seemed rather heavy.
Indeed, before the Late Emperor ascended the throne, Eastern Lin had been a great nation on par with Great Xia. How could conquering it possibly be easy?
Before he married, he had fought to quell wars without a thought for his own life. With nothing to worry about, that had been one thing.
But now, he had a family.
Liu Wan wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face against his chest without a word.
My heart remains unchanged. You are my whole life. How else could I live?
The carriage soon returned to the Ninth Prince's Residence.
By the time Liu Wan and Xia Siheng reached their daughter's courtyard,
Yuanbao had already explained everything.
"He stayed very obediently in his room these past two days. Sometimes he went to see Zi Mu, but even when they were alone together, he did nothing. He just sat quietly to one side, meditating with his eyes closed."
"Early this morning, he said he wanted to go to the study to see Zi Mu again. Brother Jing Wu and I didn't stop him and went to eat. But after breakfast, we went to Zi Mu's study and found no one there... Gu Ming was gone too."