The emperor was more excited while waiting for Xiao Jinghan than he had been when his prince was born. The palace servants standing aside didn't even dare to breathe.
The queen felt like laughing. "Your Majesty is so worried about General Xiao. Why don't you just go to the palace gate to greet him?"
That's exactly what the emperor had in mind. But he couldn't let Yi Qing get too smug. She had always been so bold. Now that her husband was about to be honored, she would surely be insufferable.
"I am the sovereign, and he is my subject. There must be a distinction between us," the emperor said seriously.
The queen stifled her laughter. She had come to understand the emperor's temper lately. Although he was the king, he was still a man.
Xiao Jinghan's carriage stopped at the foot of the main hall. The emperor and the queen stood on the topmost steps. Xiao Jinghan helped Yi Qing up the steps.
The emperor felt a twinge of envy at the sight of this loving couple. He glanced at the queen and lifted his arm slightly.
The queen took the hint and held the emperor's arm. It might not have been very proper, but it gave the emperor back a bit of his pride in front of Xiao Jinghan. The queen couldn't help but smile.
Xiao Jinghan and Yi Qing stepped forward to pay their respects. The emperor reached out to help them up.
"General Xiao, this time you have eradicated the remnants of the deposed emperor and helped pacify the rebellion in the Southern Border, enabling our Great Jin and the Southern Border to enjoy a century of peace. Your merits are invaluable. I hereby confer upon you the title of Marquis of Zhenbei," the emperor said excitedly.
Xiao Jinghan bowed. "Your Majesty, please revoke this order. Just grant me one condition."
The emperor felt a sense of unease. He wondered what unreasonable request Xiao Jinghan was about to make. "I have already issued the imperial edict. It cannot be changed."
Yi Qing was about to argue, but the queen shook her head slightly at her. Yi Qing managed to suppress her temper.
"Alright, now that the Marquis of Zhenbei has returned, let's hold a banquet to celebrate," the emperor said as he turned around and walked into the main hall. He looked as if he was running away.
All the court officials congratulated Xiao Jinghan and tried to get on his good side. But Yi Qing sat there sulkily. At this moment, a maid beside the queen came to invite Yi Qing.
Yi Qing went straight to the queen's bedroom. She saw the queen coaxing a baby. "Is this the crown prince?"
"Yes," the queen replied. She was happy to see Yi Qing's genuine delight. Unlike those who flattered just for show, Yi Qing really liked the baby.
Yi Qing leaned closer. "Why does he have a bit of fetal toxin?"
The queen's expression changed drastically. She thought someone was trying to harm the crown prince. "Is there a way to cure it?"
Seeing the queen's nervousness, Yi Qing said, "Don't worry. It's just a common stress reaction in infants. I'll just prescribe some medicine for him. And the symptoms are very mild now."
The queen let out a sigh of relief. She motioned for the servants to leave and then whispered, "I'm relieved that you're back. When you two were in trouble, the emperor couldn't sleep for whole nights. He even asked the imperial astrologer to consult the Book of Destiny and donated oil money to all the temples. Some court officials even submitted memorials to protest."
Yi Qing's expression became a bit strange. "Your Majesty, aren't you jealous that the emperor is so good to Xiao Jinghan?"
The queen was stunned for a moment before she understood what Yi Qing meant. She chuckled. "You're so bold. The emperor and General Xiao have known each other since childhood. It's normal for them to have a brotherly bond. I'm too busy dealing with the concubines in the harem. How could I think like you?"
Yi Qing hadn't thought much about it before, but after the queen's words, she started to wonder. "Your Majesty, you didn't just call me here to tell me this, did you?"
"Actually, there is something else I need to tell you," the queen said, motioning for Yi Qing to prepare herself.
"Your Majesty, just tell me. I can handle anything now," Yi Qing said. She thought that since Baozi and Xiaoran were safe, there shouldn't be any other problems in her life.
"Bai Chengyi is back," the queen said directly.
"So what? He didn't want to come back when Xiao Jinghan asked him to. It's no big deal that he's back now," Yi Qing said.
"He wants to marry Mrs. Di, and it's become a big topic in the capital," the queen said, getting to the point.
Yi Qing stared blankly at the queen. She thought the relationships in the Di family were really complicated. If Bai Chengyi really succeeded in his pursuit, would she suddenly have a step - father? She needed to sort this out.
"Now that you're back, your mother will definitely ask for your opinion. Although it's not a disgrace for a woman to remarry after divorce, their relationship is quite special," the queen reminded her.
Yi Qing shook her head. "If my mother asks for my opinion, it means she's already willing. If she wasn't, she wouldn't bother to ask me."
"So what's your plan?"
"More step - fathers, more connections," Yi Qing sighed.
Although the family titles might be a bit confusing, everyone had the right to pursue their own happiness. Bai Chengyi had been struggling for so many years, and this might be what he had been longing for.
The queen hesitated.
"Your Majesty, do you think there's something wrong with this?" Yi Qing sensed that the queen didn't seem very happy about this.
"Since you've made up your mind, I don't want to say much. It's just that the nobles in the capital are very concerned about their reputation. If your mother really does this, it might affect yours," the queen said.
"I don't care about my reputation. It's okay," Yi Qing said indifferently.
After chatting with the queen for a while, a palace servant came to report that General Xiao had come to pick up his wife. The queen then let Yi Qing leave.
Xiao Jinghan was standing outside Jiaolan Palace with a cold expression on his face. The passing maids were so scared that they walked around him. When he saw Yi Qing coming, he immediately smiled warmly, which made the little maids around him stare in awe.
"Did the banquet end so early?" Yi Qing quickened her steps and came to Xiao Jinghan's side.
Xiao Jinghan naturally took Yi Qing's hand. Her hand was so slender that it felt very reassuring in his. "The emperor took pity on my long journey and let me leave first."
The long journey was nothing to Xiao Jinghan. He just wanted to see Yi Qing. He missed her even after just a short separation.
"The queen told me something..." Yi Qing briefly told Xiao Jinghan about Bai Chengyi and her mother.
As they talked, they walked out of the palace gate. The carriage was already waiting there, along with some palace attendants.
"This is the palace carriage," Yi Qing said, recognizing the carriage that the emperor had used to pick them up.
"Yes. From now on, this will be the ceremonial carriage of the Marquis of Zhenbei's mansion. You can use it when traveling in the marquis's capacity," Xiao Jinghan helped Yi Qing into the carriage.
The carriage was much bigger than their own. It looked very solid, and one could even sleep comfortably inside. After all, it was a ceremonial carriage, so it looked very imposing.
"That dog emperor is finally willing to spend some money," Yi Qing said, quite satisfied with the carriage. She thought she could take Baozi and the others out for a ride in the future.
Xiao Jinghan saw Yi Qing looking around and pulled her into his arms. "Aren't you afraid that Brother Yi's matter will affect you?"
"What do I have to be afraid of?" Yi Qing tilted her head and looked at Xiao Jinghan. "Don't tell me you don't support this?"
Xiao Jinghan smiled helplessly. "You'll know in a few days. The queen told you directly. Do you really think this is that simple?"