During this period, Yong Yaxuan was busy negotiating with the bordering small countries and suppressing the profiteers to stabilize the national prices, while Ji Feiyu was poring over the records of old cases and inquiring about all kinds of palace rumors.
Since that day when angry words were spoken, the matter of establishing a queen had been postponed again and again.
Yong Yaxuan always felt that there was something strange about Shuanghua's marriage this time. That strong sense of familiarity made him both want to get closer and feel a bit uneasy. However, he was afraid of getting trapped in this substitute - like relationship. He was clear in his heart what he wanted, but he also would not allow himself to be manipulated.
Fortunately, it seemed that she had lost interest in him recently and was clamoring to investigate the case of the two concubines' miscarriages back then. He had long ordered people to look into this case. Although he hadn't found out who was behind Xinfei's miscarriage, Zhenfei's miscarriage was a self - directed conspiracy. He didn't quite believe that she could come up with any new results. But since she was willing to shift her attention, he just let her be.
...
In the south, at the border of Liuyun.
The warm and humid wind blew by. It was almost October, but the plants in Liuyun were still lush and green. Hu Hudie rode his horse through a forest, looking around. He was travel - worn and exhausted, but his eyes were carefully searching for the marks left by Ji Feiyu.
Before he knew it, two months had passed since he chased Ji Feiyu from the cold north to Liuyun. During these two months, he had felt countless times that he was about to catch up with her, but she always remained elusive.
Today, he finally found her trail in this forest, so he followed and started searching.
"Ling'er, is that you? Are you nearby? It's Hu Hudie!" Hu Hudie shouted while looking around. He wondered if it was because there was going to be a war in Liuyun and Ji Feiyu needed to return secretly that she refused to show up.
Hu Hudie continued moving forward and gradually went deeper into the dense forest.
Suddenly, the sound of horse hooves came from ahead. Hu Hudie was overjoyed and quickly rode his horse towards the sound. Sure enough, from afar, he saw a familiar figure riding a horse slowly forward!
Hu Hudie was extremely happy and couldn't help shouting, "Ling'er!" Then he spurred his horse forward.
The person in front heard the sound and stopped. When she turned around and saw that it was Hu Hudie, a faint smile slowly appeared on her face. Hu Hudie galloped towards her.
After two months, Hu Hudie finally saw Ji Feiyu, the one he had been longing for. His eyes sparkled. As he got closer and closer to her, he was extremely happy. Just as he was about to pour out his longing, he heard the person on the horse in front speak in a voice that was both strange and familiar to him, "Junior brother, long time no see."
Hearing this voice, Hu Hudie slowed down his horse. His smile gradually faded, and he felt as if he was in an ice cellar!
How... How could it be her?
When the woman saw Hu Hudie's smile freeze, she turned her horse around and rode towards him, saying with a smile, "What? Aren't you happy to see your senior sister here?"
The two horses soon met. Hu Hudie slowly came to his senses from the shock and then asked casually, "Why is it you, senior sister?" But his tone was filled with deep disappointment.
The senior sister immediately understood and said, "It seems you're very disappointed."
Hu Hudie probed, "Did you disguise yourself as Ling'er to attract others' attention and let Ling'er return to the Liuyun Palace first?"
Hearing this, the senior sister laughed, "Junior brother, why do you deceive yourself? You should have guessed that only I came to Liuyun."
Hu Hudie looked at her in disbelief, "So did you come to Liuyun to solve the crisis on behalf of Ling'er?"
The senior sister couldn't help sighing. Her look at him was a bit pitying, "You're really quite optimistic, junior brother. I really admire you for this. There's actually no trouble in Liuyun at all. It's all a scheme."
Hu Hudie's eyes instantly turned cold, "So, where on earth is Ling'er?"
The senior sister said, "Since she's not here, she must have gone to Dayong."
As if thinking of something, Hu Hudie's eyes tightened, "Did she go voluntarily?"
The senior sister thought for a while and then said, "Not exactly voluntarily."
Hu Hudie immediately got angry, "So you guys plotted against her and me too?"
The senior sister nodded, "You can put it that way."
Hu Hudie was a bit sad, "I really didn't expect that I followed the familiar marks all the way here, only to be told that it's a scheme."
The senior sister said, "It's you who were careless, junior brother. I was the one who taught you this way of communication in the first place. You just passed it on to her as your way of contacting each other."
Hu Hudie was extremely heart - broken, "Speaking of the way of communication, senior sister, you deliberately lured me into this trap this time. You really didn't care about our fellow - disciple friendship at all!"
Hearing this, the senior sister stared at him. After a long while, she finally said, "You're wrong. I came here precisely because I cherish our fellow - disciple friendship. I've been by her side for many years and have witnessed her feelings for that man with my own eyes. I don't believe that you can't see what I can. You clearly know that there's no future for you two. Why still hold on to hope? If you really went back to Liuyun with her, what then? Keep your current relationship forever? Or do you hope to get closer? I'm afraid that all your waiting and efforts will be in vain, so I want to persuade you to get out of this situation earlier."
Hearing this, Hu Hudie smiled bitterly, "Senior sister, you're not me. How do you know that I'm not willing to bear all this?"
The senior sister smiled bitterly, "Although I'm not you, I'm just like you."
Hu Hudie stopped smiling and was a bit confused, "Senior sister, do you like that person?"
The senior sister said, "I can let go of my feelings. That man has now ascended the throne and has a beautiful concubine by his side. Naturally, it's time for me to leave."
Hu Hudie didn't expect that his senior sister had fallen in love with Yuchi. If that was really the case, then she and he were equally dejected...
"Junior brother, I'm setting an example. I wonder if I can persuade you to turn back." The senior sister looked at him with a smile, asking somewhat playfully. She looked a bit like the time when they were in the master's sect together. The only difference was that there was a trace of helplessness in her eyes.
Hu Hudie looked at her, not knowing what to say. Finally, he had to calm his resentment and sighed, "Since you've said so, senior sister, I can't blame you anymore."
The senior sister then said, "Junior brother, we haven't seen each other for a long time. I wonder if you'd do me the honor and have a drink with me?"
Hu Hudie looked at his senior sister and finally nodded helplessly, "In that case, let's not stop until we're drunk."
Just as Hu Hudie was about to turn his horse around, the senior sister said, "Wait. I'll first find a water source to remove my makeup. It would be troublesome if I'm recognized while wearing this face in Liuyun and going to drink."
Hu Hudie immediately laughed. His senior sister was still his senior sister. Although she was wearing Ji Feiyu's makeup, her real way of doing things was completely different from Ji Feiyu's. Otherwise, with Ji Feiyu's character of not fearing chaos in the world, she wouldn't care about any trouble. She would definitely drink first. Thinking of Ji Feiyu, a bitter smile involuntarily appeared on Hu Hudie's lips. It seemed that they were really destined to be apart. He didn't know how she was now. She was probably going to stir up trouble in the harem again, right?