Yi Qing was such a proud woman. Xiao Tian was really curious about who on earth had the ability to make Yi Qing follow him without a proper name and even be willing to have a child for him.
An absurd thought even popped into Xiao Tian's mind. Could it be the emperor?
Apart from the emperor, he didn't respect anyone else.
But he quickly dismissed this thought. The emperor was far too busy for such things.
From his days in the mansion before ascending the throne to his time in the palace, the emperor had so many women of all shapes and sizes that he probably couldn't even recognize them all.
Moreover, even if it wasn't the emperor but someone of noble status, it would be a piece of cake to deal with a mere Marquis Huai'en's Mansion.
So who on earth was the bun's (the child's nickname) biological father? Was he alive or dead?
While Xiao Tian was lost in thought, he suddenly heard the sound of the main house door opening.
The sound was extremely soft, but it couldn't escape his sensitive ears.
Then came Yi Qing's soft footsteps.
Xiao Tian's heart tightened. For some reason, he felt a sense of nervousness as if the truth was about to be revealed.
In the middle of the night, Yi Qing sneaked out without sleeping. Who was she going to meet?
Maybe it was the bun's biological father.
There must be something fishy going on!
He had to get up and follow her. Although a fleeting thought crossed his mind that the bun might be scared if he woke up alone at home.
This woman was so hateful that she didn't even care about her own son.
Just as he was daydreaming, there was a soft knock on his door.
Was it for him?
While Xiao Tian was hesitating, Yi Qing's cold voice came: "Guard Xiao, I need to talk to you."
Xiao Tian responded and got up to light the candle. He put on his coat and opened the door.
Yi Qing was dressed exactly the same as during the day, which showed that she hadn't rested at all.
The dim candlelight softened her features. She said, "I want to ask you some questions about General Xiao."
Xiao Tian invited her in. They sat opposite each other across the table.
"Just tell me what it is," Xiao Tian said. In this late - night encounter between a man and a woman, he felt so awkward that he didn't know where to put his hands and feet.
"Has the emperor changed his mind?"
Yi Qing's mention of the emperor right at the start made Xiao Tian's heart skip a beat.
He had just associated the two of them in his mind, and here she was talking about it!
"Changed his mind about what?" Xiao Tian began to suspect that Yi Qing was sleep - talking.
"Before, he said all those nice things, like building a tomb for General Xiao and finding a son to inherit his lineage. Why has there been no movement recently?"
Yi Qing didn't have to go to much trouble to find out a lot of things about Xiao Jinghan.
For example, the court officials had jointly submitted a memorial opposing the emperor's arrangements for Xiao Jinghan's post - death affairs. There were also those who argued for him, like the old Duke Di, Yi Qing's step - mother's father and Xiao Jinghan's master.
Her step - mother hadn't come to see her these days. She must have been overwhelmed with anxiety about Xiao Jinghan's post - death reputation.
It was just that no one had tried to verify the bun's identity, and she couldn't understand this.
After all, Xiao Jinghan was dead. Wasn't his bloodline important?
Xiao Tian carefully observed her expression but didn't see any sign of panic. He told the truth, "I don't know. Since I came here, I haven't contacted anyone else. Are you getting impatient?"
Yi Qing glanced at him sideways. "Do you think I shouldn't be worried, Guard Xiao?"
"Worried? Worried that your deception will be exposed?"
"I'm worried that instead of getting any benefits from Xiao Jinghan, I'll be implicated by him. From the emperor's current attitude, it seems that he thinks 'the dead is dead, and the living matters more'," Yi Qing said point - blank.
"Don't speculate about the emperor's will. It's a capital offense."
"If I die because of this, it will be your fault. Only the two of us know this," Yi Qing said coolly.
Xiao Tian: "..."
"Don't lie to me by saying you haven't been in contact. You take the bun out every day. Are you going to tell me that a grown man like you just likes to go shopping?"
Xiao Tian was rendered speechless by her words. He could only say, "They are really busy. Lu Tianzuo will come tomorrow. You can ask him directly then."
"So you've really been in contact," Yi Qing snorted.
Xiao Tian: "You tricked me?"
"All's fair in war. I'll come to you again tomorrow," Yi Qing said as she gracefully stood up. "Get some rest early."
She was wearing a simple light - red narrow jacket. She didn't walk like a gentle and delicate young lady, but there was a natural air of heroism about her.
Her waist was quite slender, Xiao Tian thought as he watched her back.
Sure enough, Lu Tianzuo came the next day. He greeted Yi Qing with a big smile. "Miss Yi, long time no see."
Maybe to avoid any suspicion of colluding in their statements, Xiao Tian said, "You two talk. I'll take the bun to practice kung fu in the yard. General Lu, please try your best to explain everything Miss Yi wants to know. If there are things you really can't say, please be honest with her."
Lu Tianzuo nodded with a smile and watched the big and the small leave.
"Miss Yi, please ask your questions."
Yi Qing first asked about the emperor's attitude.
Lu Tianzuo was evasive. "The emperor's mind is hard to fathom. But you can rest assured. The emperor and General Xiao had a very good relationship. Apart from the relationship between the sovereign and his subject, they also grew up together. Even if he is restricted by the opposition of the court officials and can't give General Xiao the proper post - death reputation, he won't take action against his descendants."
"However," he changed the subject and said with a half - smile, "if someone dares to impersonate, the emperor's wrath will be something no one can bear."