"You..." Ji Feiyu looked at him, and he stared deeply back at her. The trust in his eyes was unwavering.
She slowly withdrew her hand, lowered her eyes, and said calmly, "If you accompany me, and it might lead to the downfall of the kingdom, is it worth it?"
Yong Yaxuan replied firmly, "If you trust me, I will surely protect you. I know you might say I have millions of common people on my back, but I never do things without certainty. You once hated my attempt to have it all. If I can safeguard the kingdom and protect you at the same time, would you accept it?"
These were words spoken with confidence born of great strength. Ji Feiyu was tired of dealing with everything alone. If there was someone to stand side by side with her, why should she refuse?
At that moment, she was suddenly filled with grandeur. "Fine, then let's place the biggest bet in the world and have a gamble. Let's also tell Bei Han that all conspiracies will bow down in the face of true strength. Since he has had a smooth life and tried to manipulate us, I'll make him pay the due price and show him what true imperial power means!"
At that moment, Yong Yaxuan seemed to see her regal bearing once again, and he recalled the time when they had walked forward hand in hand. The Ji Feiyu he knew was supposed to be like this. It was he who had obscured her radiance in the deep palace.
Caught in a web of intrigue, even the brief moments they could spend together were as precious as jewels to him. This was their second time joining hands after so many experiences. Even if it was just for a moment, he would cherish it.
"Don't worry. I'll handle my own identity. The one who can accompany you in your madness will always be Yong Yaxuan," he said softly, as if answering her initial question.
Ji Feiyu looked at him and smiled. It was such a beautiful smile, like the gentle autumn breeze blowing countless feathers, swirling in the sky. One of them accidentally fell and gently plucked at his heartstrings.
How Yong Yaxuan wished time could stop at this moment. He wanted to engrave this smile deep in his heart.
Ji Feiyu finally got into Yong Yaxuan's carriage. She wasn't coerced, nor was she reluctant. At this moment, her heart was free.
Yong Yaxuan didn't sit in the same carriage as her. They indeed needed to reserve some time and space for themselves.
Zhan Shan and Xi Zhuang rode their horses, one on each side of Yong Yaxuan's carriage. Yong Yaxuan lifted the curtain on one side and looked at the scenery outside. At this time, his features regained the calmness and aloofness of an emperor. He stared into the distance, lost in thought.
Zhan Shan couldn't help but cough lightly. Yong Yaxuan came back to his senses and looked at him, asking, "What?"
Zhan Shan said in a soft voice, "Your Majesty is truly amazing. The Empress has come back, and she even looks amiable."
Yong Yaxuan couldn't help but give him an extra look. He wondered why Zhan Shan had become more and more like an old woman lately. He knew Zhan Shan was being nosy again, so he silently lowered the curtain and decided not to pay attention to him.
Zhan Shan got anxious at once and said, "Hey, Your Majesty, tell me. What did you say to the Empress in the room..." He was so curious because he had witnessed the Empress's attitude towards the Emperor before.
Hearing this, Xi Zhuang let out a soft laugh. As soon as Zhan Shan opened his mouth, he knew he would be rebuffed. Maybe it was because Yong Yaxuan had been closer to them these days that Zhan Shan had forgotten his place and dared to pry into the private affairs of the Emperor and the Empress.
Seeing Xi Zhuang laughing at him, Zhan Shan said, "What are you laughing at? Don't you want to know?"
Xi Zhuang ignored him and only said, "Your Majesty, the scenery on my side is also very nice. Why not look at this side?"
Zhan Shan was unhappy. These two cold - hearted people were so inconsiderate.
At this time, Ji Feiyu was also looking at the scenery outside the window. In the next few days, she still needed to discuss the specific plan with Yong Yaxuan and would rely on him for protection for the time being.
They stopped and went along the way, and time passed quickly. On the way, she and Yong Yaxuan finalized some details. In just a few days, they arrived at the Western Desert Palace. The Crown Prince had specially reserved a place for Yong Yaxuan in the palace. Yong Yaxuan asked Xi Zhuang to allocate rooms to everyone. Ji Feiyu was assigned a room quite far from Yong Yaxuan's, and she was very satisfied with this.
Speaking of which, on the way here, Ji Feiyu had heard that Ran Wei had also come, and she had been worried about it all the time. When she was in the Crown Prince's entourage, she had seen the Crown Prince's other concubines but had never seen Ran Wei. This made her have many doubts in her heart. So she wanted to take advantage of her free time to see how Ran Wei was doing.
However, she didn't expect that things would always develop beyond her expectations...
Ran Wei had been married to the Crown Prince through a political marriage. The Crown Prince was the heir apparent of Bei Han, so when he ascended the throne, Ran Wei would become the new Khatun of Bei Han. This was no disgrace to her status as a princess of Da Yong.
But when Ji Feiyu was in the Bei Han Palace, someone had told her that Ran Wei was not favored by the Crown Prince and lived alone.
Ji Feiyu had felt like scolding at that time. If he didn't like her, why did he marry her? After marrying her, he ignored her. And after ignoring her, he didn't abide by the friendly agreement between the two countries and tricked her and Yong Yaxuan here to ask for cities. The thoughts of these people from outside the pass were really beyond the understanding of normal people.
However, when Ji Feiyu finally managed to sneak a peek at Ran Wei's residence in the palace, she saw the calmness and relaxation on Ran Wei's face. She thought maybe such a life was more suitable for Ran Wei. First, settle down in one place, and then accumulate strength for future development.
It was strange. According to what she had heard about the Crown Prince's attitude towards Ran Wei, Ran Wei should be unhappy. But there was not a trace of resentment on her face. Her expression was even more relaxed than when she was in the Da Yong Palace.
Ji Feiyu was peeping from a corner when suddenly someone grabbed the back of her collar...
"Hey, this little rabbit is so naughty. It just ran out of the tiger's den and then ran back..." A long sigh sounded behind her. The voice was very familiar, but it made Ji Feiyu wonder: How could he be here?
As Ji Feiyu was thinking, she was suddenly pulled down from the wall by him and hid outside the palace wall, avoiding a patrol.
Maybe because of her, most of the Crown Prince's defensive troops were in Ji Feiyu's courtyard and his own. The defense of Ran Wei's courtyard was obviously lax. Otherwise, two people could come to peek without being noticed.
Seeing the patrol leave, Ji Feiyu distanced herself a little from the person in front of her and whispered, "Why is the Second Prince here?"
Yes, the person who had just pulled Ji Feiyu down was the Second Prince.
The Second Prince then showed a mysterious smile. His expression was so ambiguous that it was as if she had caught him in an affair...
"Oh! So you..." Ji Feiyu suddenly realized, but he interrupted her and said, "I'm here specifically to catch rabbits."
Ji Feiyu couldn't help but roll her eyes at him.
The Second Prince laughed. "Do you want to change back so soon?"
Ji Feiyu seemed a bit complaining. "If I change back, how can I peek?"
The Second Prince shook his head. "What you just did was too dangerous. If I hadn't passed by..."
Ji Feiyu immediately said, "Stop. Don't avoid the topic. Why are you here? I want to hear the truth!"