"But I don't want to leave you," Wei Shuxuan said seriously, looking into Xin Zizhao's eyes. "I wasn't by your side when you were in the most difficult situation. I feel I failed to fulfill my duty as a wife."
Xin Zizhao actually had his own plans. The situation in the palace was turbulent now, and war was on the verge of breaking out. If Xuan'er stayed in the palace, she would surely be in danger. But if she went to the border, it was so far away that he definitely couldn't take care of her.
"It's okay. Anyway, the missing - person cases there haven't been solved yet. I think the cases that happened at the border must be very complicated. So, I hope you can go to the border and help me investigate this case. You're the only one who can figure it out clearly."
"......I'll think about it."
Looking at Xin Zizhao's expectant eyes, Wei Shuxuan couldn't bear to reject him directly. So she decided to stall for time, hoping that Xin Zizhao would change his mind.
"Don't count on me changing my mind. If possible, I hope you can set off as soon as possible."
Hearing his words, Wei Shuxuan knew that Xin Zizhao had seen through her thoughts. She pouted, obviously dissatisfied with what he said. "But I really want to share weal and woe with you. That's what a couple should be like. Don't try to shoulder everything by yourself!"
Xin Zizhao could sense Wei Shuxuan's thoughts, and similarly, Wei Shuxuan could guess Xin Zizhao's. When Xin Zizhao suddenly said he wanted her to go to the border to investigate the case, she already felt something was wrong. Considering the recent events, she had a faint feeling and felt really sad.
"Xuan'er, if you can solve the missing - person case at the border, my situation here won't be as difficult as it is now. Since you want to help me solve problems, why can't you help me solve this case?" Xin Zizhao looked at Wei Shuxuan with a determined look in his eyes.
"......In short, I said I'd think about it when I got back, and I won't agree to you now!" Being refuted by Xin Zizhao like this, Wei Shuxuan couldn't find a proper retort. A sense of uneasiness welled up in her heart. She shouted at Xin Zizhao and then turned around and ran out.
Xin Zizhao watched Wei Shuxuan running away. He frowned slightly and sighed silently. Xuan'er must be angry with him again.
After running out of the Fenghe Hall, Wei Shuxuan heard the chirping of cicadas in her ears and felt an inexplicable stuffiness. She slowly paced on the path. There were beautiful Chinese roses planted on both sides of the path. Under the summer heat, the colorful roses showed even more gorgeous colors.
Suddenly, a small figure ran past quickly. Wei Shuxuan recognized this figure. Isn't it the civet cat raised by Emperor Jinzheng?
But by the time Wei Shuxuan reacted, the civet cat had disappeared without a trace. She had no idea where it had gone. Wei Shuxuan was a bit frustrated. She had wanted to play with this little cat, but now it was gone. There was nothing she could do. She could only take a walk by herself.
Wei Shuxuan came to a pavilion in the imperial garden. She sat there alone. The stuffiness in the air seemed to be getting heavier and heavier, just like the sewage blocked in the sink that couldn't be drained out. She propped her chin up gloomily and looked into the distance. Suddenly, she saw Xin Yeheng appear in front of her. Just then, Xin Yeheng happened to look up, and their eyes met.
"Why are you here, Yong... Yeheng?" As soon as the name slipped out, Wei Shuxuan realized it was inappropriate and quickly changed it. Hearing Wei Shuxuan change the way she addressed him, the expectant light in Xin Yeheng's eyes dimmed a little.
"I just came out for a walk..." Xin Yeheng stood in front of Wei Shuxuan, looking a bit flustered. He didn't know whether he should sit down or not.
"Don't just stand there. Sit down."
"Okay, thank you."
The two started chatting. Wei Shuxuan asked Xin Yeheng, "Do you really not remember what happened between us before? It was me who took you in. Do you remember?"
Xin Yeheng really wanted to tell Wei Shuxuan that he remembered everything about their past. But given the current situation, he couldn't admit it. Doing so would not only harm Xin Zizhao but also her. So he had to endure it.
"I'm sorry, I really don't remember. It's okay for us to get to know each other again now."
Wei Shuxuan looked at Xin Yeheng and seemed to see the former Sima Yongheng again. When Xin Yeheng faced her, he seemed to be less polite, and his tone was a bit more affectionate.
"Okay then. My name is Wei Shuxuan. I'm your brother's wife."
So Wei Shuxuan just went along with what Xin Yeheng said, and the two chatted.
The warm yellow afterglow appeared on the horizon, like a splash of color on rice paper. Seeing that it was almost time, Wei Shuxuan said to Xin Yeheng, "It's going to be dark soon. Go back quickly. I feel much better after chatting with you."
"......Okay then. I'll go back first. Can we chat again next time?" Xin Yeheng looked at Wei Shuxuan carefully.
"Sure. You're welcome to come and find me anytime."
When Wei Shuxuan walked on the path back to the Fenghe Hall, the stuffiness from before was gone. A summer breeze blew by, dispersing the heat that had accumulated for a whole day. This breeze seemed to disperse the irritability in her heart. She was no longer as irritated as before, and she had figured everything out.
"Empress, you're back? His Majesty is waiting for you to come back for dinner."
"Chief Li, go and prepare quickly. I'm hungry now."
"Okay, okay, okay. This servant will go to the kitchen to prepare right away!"
Chief Li scurried away quickly. Wei Shuxuan smiled, and the smile on her lips was full of relief. She walked into the main hall and saw Xin Zizhao drinking tea inside. "Xin Zizhao."
"What's up?" Xin Zizhao put down the teacup in his hand and looked up at Wei Shuxuan. Seeing that there was no confusion on her face, he knew that she had figured it out.
"Fine. For your sake, I'll go to the border to investigate that case again and look for Wei Wei's whereabouts."
"After you get there, remember to find Zian and General Long An. They're in the military camp now. They'll protect you. I'll send some of my secret guards to protect you. You can go out without worry."
Hearing this, Wei Shuxuan frowned. "If you give your secret guards to me, what about you?"
"Don't worry. I still have Xin Shang and Xin Shi. Their martial arts are better than yours. So don't worry. Remember to let me know you're safe after you get there, okay?"
"I know. You're so wordy."