"Jing... Jingzhe!"
Zheng Yuanqing stared at her with wide eyes, unable to tell what he was feeling. The violent pounding in his chest made his breathing slightly labored. There was a glint in his eyes as he looked at Jingzhe.
"Yeah." Jingzhe looked back at them. Rarely, there was a faint smile on her face. She said to him, "Your Highness the Third Prince, long time no see."
"Lady Jingzhe." Cheng Lang knew that Jingzhe was highly skilled in martial arts, but he didn't expect her skills to reach such a level.
"You can just call me Jingzhe." Jingzhe's expression softened a bit. She said to them, "The crisis is temporarily averted for now. You gentlemen should take a rest. We'll stay here tonight and continue our journey tomorrow."
"I set off first, so I was able to find you gentlemen. There are reinforcements on the way, so you can rest assured."
It was the first time Zheng Yuanqing was so grateful to Song Huaizhi. Cheng Lang's face relaxed, while Jiang Lingyun seemed to be lost in thought.
He had been in a hurry to come here and hadn't met Song Huaizhi yet. He had only heard about him in Mr. Lin's letter.
Now it seemed that this man was indeed extraordinary.
Knowing that there were reinforcements, everyone present heaved a sigh of relief. The attendants dealt with the tragic aftermath and tidied up the inn by the way.
The innkeeper had run away at some point. It was likely that this place had been a carefully laid trap for them.
Thank goodness...
Thinking like this, Zheng Yuanqing couldn't help but look back at Jingzhe. He saw that the bow in her hand had disappeared at some point, and she had changed back to her familiar long sword.
Jingzhe had a high ponytail, looking heroic and full of vigor, with a kind of straightforwardness he had never seen before.
As if sensing his gaze, Jingzhe looked at Zheng Yuanqing and asked, "Does Your Highness the Third Prince have something to say?"
Zheng Yuanqing didn't expect her to notice his gaze. Subconsciously, he felt a bit uncomfortable and scratched his forehead. For a moment, he couldn't think of what to say.
The night gradually darkened.
Seeing the moon rising on the branches, Zheng Yuanqing looked at the night and the person sitting in front of him. Subconsciously, he felt at ease.
The others had gone inside at some point without disturbing the two of them.
Jingzhe was sitting on a rock, staring blankly at the moon. When she looked back and saw Zheng Yuanqing still there, she was startled. She said in slight surprise, "Your Highness the Third Prince?"
"I..."
Zheng Yuanqing could hear his own heartbeat.
There was the chirping of cicadas ringing in his ears. It was a rare fine night with a bright moon and gentle breeze.
Looking into Jingzhe's eyes, Zheng Yuanqing wondered if it was an illusion. Her eyes were softer than ever. She gently curled the corners of her mouth and looked at him.
"Does Your Highness the Third Prince want to ask something?"
"I..." Zheng Yuanqing hesitated for a moment, then finally said to the person in front of him, "Jingzhe, where do you plan to go in the future?"
"Future?" Jingzhe thought for a while and said, "Naturally, I'll go back with Miss Meng. Wherever Miss Meng is, I'll be."
Jingzhe was a very simple person. She thought Meng Ruyi was very nice and in line with her own taste. She felt comfortable following her, so she didn't plan to leave.
However, she thought the only drawback of Meng Ruyi was that she would have to marry Song Huaizhi in the future.
"Don't you plan to stay in the capital?"
Zheng Yuanqing tried his best to conceal his uneasiness on his face, but his voice still revealed a bit of anxiety. "The capital is the most bustling place in the world, with everything one could want."
"So what?"
Jingzhe smiled, turned to look at the bright moon, and said, "Although I can only read and haven't read many books, the moon in front of me makes me happy. The prosperity of the capital is also good."
"For me, these things are all the same. There's no difference."
"But I like freedom very much. Miss Meng once said that she wanted to travel around in the future, so I'll naturally follow."
As Jingzhe said this, a smile had unconsciously appeared on her face.
Zheng Yuanqing was speechless.
Freedom?
He understood.
"Then I wish you all the best in the future, to see all the beautiful scenery in the world and taste all the delicious food."
Jingzhe looked back at him. Seeing the tiny bright moon reflected in his eyes, she suddenly felt the sadness of the person in front of her.
She slightly nodded and replied, "Thank you, Your Highness the Third Prince. I also hope that Your Highness will achieve what you wish for after returning to the capital."
...
It was ten days later when they returned to the capital.
Different from the quiet departure, when they returned to the capital, there were crowds of people lining the streets to welcome them.
Zheng Yuanqing felt a bit uncomfortable and glanced to the side. As a result, he was hit in the face by handkerchiefs and sachets. He immediately turned his head and didn't dare to make any more moves.
It was relaxing now, but the audience with the emperor later might not be.
After thinking for a while, Zheng Yuanqing silently sighed in his heart and prepared to face the coming storm.
Just before entering the palace, he caught a glimpse of Song Huaizhi and Meng Ruyi standing hand in hand in the crowd, waving at him.
Zheng Yuanqing was stunned for a moment, and an unconscious smile curled up on his lips.
When they reached the main hall, the palace official who led the way had a tense expression. He nodded to the chief eunuch.
"Your Highness the Third Prince, gentlemen, His Majesty has been waiting for you for a long time."
Saying this, he pushed open the door of the main hall and motioned for them to enter.
Zheng Yuanqing smelled the strong smell of medicine and was immediately shocked. His expression became even more solemn.
It seemed that the emperor might...
Frowning, he entered. Zheng Yuanqing led the other two and knelt down at the lower end.
The emperor was leaning on the head of the bed. When he saw them coming, he seemed to wake up from a dream. He stared at them for a long time before saying, "Get up."
He didn't expect that the Third Prince would do so well this time. It completely exceeded his expectations. In his impression, Zheng Yuanqing was just a poor little fellow whose maternal family had dragged him down.
Who would have thought!
"My Third Prince, you've made great contributions this time. What do you want?"
Zheng Yuanqing didn't expect him to ask so straightforwardly. He said, "Father, your son... your son hasn't thought it through yet."
"Oh?" The emperor squinted at him and said, "Then there's no hurry. We'll talk about it at the celebration banquet."
"Step back." The emperor sighed. "I'm tired."
Zheng Yuanqing led the other two out.
Next, they were going to Bailu Academy.
On the way there, Cheng Lang frowned tightly and said to Zheng Yuanqing, "Your Highness the Third Prince, His Majesty's condition seems a bit strange?"
"Hmm?" Zheng Yuanqing suddenly looked at him.
"His Majesty looks extremely tired, but I only feel that his body isn't that bad. Maybe..."
Zheng Yuanqing stared at him intently. A cold sweat broke out on his back.
Thank goodness! Thank goodness he hadn't shown any other thoughts just now. Otherwise, he might have been on His Majesty's radar!
"Thank you."
Zheng Yuanqing said seriously to Cheng Lang, "If it weren't for you, sir, I'm afraid we would have been in big trouble later."
Who would have thought that the emperor had been ill on and off for so long, but now it seemed that he had been pretending?
Zheng Yuanqing's expression was a bit ugly. When they reached the academy and he saw the familiar small courtyard, he inexplicably let out a sigh of relief.