She wasn't dressed as Martai Ruoxi, nor was she the Fourth Prince, yet she still experienced the heart-stopping moments. Tang Zhuyun sighed inwardly.
"It started much earlier; I was just unaware this time. A-Yun, I'm sorry."
Because he misjudged people, he almost caused her to be alone in the future.
It's a miracle that I survived; I'm truly blessed.
As for the pain, it must be buried deep inside. Only after you have rebuilt your empire can you have the right to lament the passing of spring and the coming of autumn.
Tang Zhuyun said, "Fortunately, we're all alright."
As intelligent as she was, after a brief moment of shock and silence, she realized something was amiss.
"Why did you hide it from me?" she asked, looking into the eyes of the Prince of Jin.
She still can't figure out why it was necessary to keep it from her.
"You can't possibly be thinking of going back to the battlefield like this," she asked.
The Prince of Jin smiled wryly, "I can't go even if I wanted to. Besides, the war should be under control. Let me tell you about the war..."
"We'll talk about the war later," Tang Zhuyun said, not wanting to be led by the nose. Instead, she pressed on to her question, "I just want to know, why did you keep it from me?"
If there was nothing she couldn't say, she felt the Prince of Jin would let her know.
He wouldn't let himself be in a state of anxiety.
Tang Zhuyun's heart pounded, sensing that the Prince of Jin was hiding something even bigger from her.
The Prince of Jin sighed, his eyes filled with a mixture of affection and helplessness. "A-Yun, are you really a fairy? Otherwise, how could you be so clever?"
A mind with seven orifices and exquisite beauty is nothing more than this.
Hearing the music, she understood his refined sentiments; she was not only his wife but also his soulmate.
Don't flatter me; I want to know the truth.
"I want to go to the capital," said the Prince of Jin.
Tang Zhuyun was silent for a moment. "When are you leaving?"
"I originally planned to pretend I had never returned tomorrow," said the Prince of Jin.
Tang Zhuyun bit her lip tightly, her eyes glistening with tears.
So, he plans to go directly to the capital with all these injuries?
How can this hide the fact that he was injured?
As long as she's alright, he can go to Beijing like this.
Why was he so cruel to himself?
"A-Yun, don't cry." Prince of Jin raised his hand to wipe away her tears. "When you cry, my heart is in turmoil. Let me tell you slowly—"
"Go on, I'm listening." Tang Zhuyun forced back her tears, took a deep breath, and calmed herself down.
She even got up and poured herself a cup of tea, which calmed her down considerably. She then sat down on the edge of the bed, holding the cup.
"I had already predicted that someone from the Northern Yi would launch a sneak attack after I left."
Therefore, the general direction of the war was entirely under the control of the Prince of Jin.
However, he hadn't anticipated the appearance of someone like Leertai; nor had he foreseen that Tang Zhuyun would get into trouble; and he certainly hadn't expected that someone would be so utterly depraved as to turn against his brothers at such a crucial moment.
"With Leertai's actions, and the fact that the Northern Yi have already lost 30,000 troops, the crisis facing the Northern Yi is basically resolved. I intend to leave the rest to Qu Nian."
"You're going to the capital by yourself?"
"Yes," the Prince of Jin nodded, "And it must be done by surprise."
He planned to publicly claim that he was recuperating at home, but in reality, he would secretly travel to the capital.
As for Tang Zhuyun, just tell her to think he was faking his injury and not to worry about it anymore.
The trip to the capital had already caused her great anxiety; if she were to find out he was injured, she would likely lose sleep and appetite.
But after all the calculations, she still managed to cleverly detect something unusual.
"And me?" Tang Zhuyun asked, "What do you need me to do?"
She didn't stop her.
If going to Beijing is a necessary choice, she won't stop her.
The Prince of Jin and she were a generation that started from scratch; no matter how much hardship or pain they endured, they had to grit their teeth and bear it.
She longed to go with him to take care of her, but she couldn't.
And the children.
Even if the Prince of Jin's path leads to certain death, she still has to live so that her children can still have a mother.
"I'll hand over this whole mess of the border town to you, is that alright?" Prince of Jin tightened his grip on Tang Zhuyun's hand.
Tang Zhuyun nodded. "Okay."
What she doesn't understand, she can learn.
She will do everything in her power to provide him with a secure home front.
"Is there anything you want to tell me? Tell me."
Neither of them were willful or reckless people; some things, though heavy, were necessary.
"We'll talk about it tomorrow," said the Prince of Jin. "I'll wait two days before I leave; I still need to see Leertai."
Leertai was an accident, and perhaps even a pleasant surprise.
"Good."
Tang Zhuyun pulled her hand away from his and touched his forehead.
Thankfully, it's not hot.
Unexpectedly, the Prince of Jin took her hand...
Tang Zhuyun blushed deeply.
--Are men always fighting to the death?
They're already in such a terrible state, yet they're still thinking about that little thing. It's both infuriating and laughable.
The Prince of Jin, however, felt that it would be unmanly not to miss someone after such a long time apart.
Having survived such an ordeal, I understand even more the impermanence of life and the importance of seizing the day.
Moreover, she was so intelligent and had a deep connection with him; she understood all the weighty instructions he hadn't explicitly given him without even a hint.
She was his one and only soulmate in this life.
Love must be shown through actions.
"A-Yun," the Prince of Jin raised an eyebrow, a playful glint in his eyes, "I..."
He returned every single one of the jokes and teasing remarks he had made in the past.
This man has mastered his craft.
Tang Zhuyun wanted to treat this reckless act as an unspeakable dream.
--If others knew that she was still indulging the Prince of Jin's frivolous behavior at this time, they would definitely call her a vixen.
Feeling very guilty, she endured the aches and pains to clean up the mess.
Not yet satisfied, but already indulging in the pleasure, the Prince of Jin watched her busy at work and sighed, "How could I have come up with such a foolish idea? I almost missed out on such a great perk before coming to the capital."
Tang Zhuyun: "Shut up right now!"
She's gone mad.
Destroy the body and cover your tracks immediately!
Fortunately, Prince of Jin is currently injured, so whether he needs hot water or a change of bedding, no one should think of anything else.
They tried to hide it, but fate played a cruel trick, and the matter was eventually brought to light.
Then, Mingzhu, seeing that Tang Zhuyun had returned and that the couple were together again, was relieved that there would be no conflicts or misunderstandings.
She went to check on Yanran and found her asleep. She instructed the maids and servants to take good care of her, then walked towards the room where the twins lived.
Xiu'er was there too, but Guagua was still in Xiu'er's own yard.
Mingzhu told her to go back and take care of Guagua, while she stayed behind.
Xiu'er didn't refuse, and stood up, saying, "The wet nurse and servants are taking care of things, so I don't need to. I'm going to see the Empress at the Prince's place!"
Mingzhu nodded.
Xiu'er added worriedly, "Wuji can sleep through the night, he's fine. It's Wuxian who's gone to bed without eating last night, he should be up soon, so we need to keep a closer eye on him."
"Good."
After Xiu'er left, Mingzhu sat by the kang (a heated brick bed), looking at the two little ones sleeping soundly, feeling a sense of relief at having survived a disaster.
She has always been strong-willed, believing in herself rather than ghosts and gods, but after this incident, she decided to go to the temple and make a proper donation of incense money.
I don't seek marriage or wealth; I only wish for my family to be safe, sound, and together.