Zhao Jingyu was stunned by the sudden invitation to "sleep". He stood there in the dark for a moment and laughed out loud, "When did you become so unrestrained?"
"What are you thinking about?" Xie Nanjia slapped him. "I was afraid you were too tired, so I asked you to sleep for an hour or two before leaving."
"Oh." Zhao Jingyu responded, sounding a little disappointed. "It's a good idea, but do you think I can sleep in your bed?"
"..." Xie Nanjia raised his hand and slapped him again, "Stop talking nonsense. You have to sleep even if you can't. Come up quickly!"
Zhao Jingyu hesitated and struggled, but in the end, she couldn't resist the temptation to sleep on the same bed with her beloved. She sat on the edge of the bed obediently and whispered, "Then I'll lie down for a while. I'd better not take off my shoes. I haven't washed them for a few days. I'm afraid they will stink you."
Xie Nanjia didn't force him. She moved inside to make room for him, let him lie down on the outside of the bed, and she lay against the wall, trying not to get close to him.
Zhao Jingyu rested his head on his arms, with his feet hanging off the bed, his back pressed against the soft bedding, and let out a comfortable sigh.
"No wonder people say that gentle places are the graves of heroes. I don't want to leave now."
"Tsk!" Xie Nanjia sneered in the darkness, "Second Young Master is a playboy and amorous. He has been through so many pleasures. If that's the case, then wouldn't your grave be everywhere?"
"How could I? I told you before that I have always been a virgin. If you don't believe me, I will prove it to you now." Zhao Jingyu cried out in grievance.
"How to prove it?" Xie Nanjia asked. When she said this, she hadn't realized what Zhao Jingyu meant. By the time she realized what he meant, Zhao Jingyu had already reached out and pulled her into his arms.
"How can I prove it when we're so far away?" Zhao Jingyu said, holding her waist with one hand while the other hand started to become dishonest.
"Stop it, stop it right there!" Xie Nanjia scolded him in a low voice.
Zhao Jingyu refused to stop, and while moving around, he chuckled in her ear, "If you trust me, I will stop."
"I believe it, I believe it. I believe everything you say. Is that okay?" Xie Nanjia begged for mercy.
Zhao Jingyu stopped, hugged her and asked, "You didn't refuse me last time in the military tent, why do you disagree now?"
Xie Nanjia recalled the time when the two of them almost lost control and were caught by Xie Nanfeng, and her face became hot: "The situations are different, so we can't generalize. You need to rest now. If you keep making trouble, it will be dawn soon."
"Okay, I won't make trouble anymore. Let's have a good sleep." Zhao Jingyu hugged her again and closed his eyes obediently, "Remember to wake me up before dawn."
"Yeah!" Xie Nanjia responded and closed her eyes. She could feel his strong heartbeat through her clothes and couldn't fall asleep at all.
After a pause, Zhao Jingyu suddenly said, "I almost forgot. Zhou Yuncheng said that you are now in the palace helping Concubine Shu to manage palace affairs. Why didn't you tell me?"
"It's just a temporary help, what's there to say? I don't want to distract you because of such a small matter." Xie Nanjia said, "The Concubine Shu gave birth to a nine-pound brother for you, are you happy?"
"Happy." Zhao Jingyu said, "I will be even happier when you give me a son."
"..." Xie Nanjia pinched him hard, "You're not serious again, are you?"
"I was wrong, I was wrong..." Zhao Jingyu begged for mercy, and stopped laughing. "Seriously, with your ability, I have no worries about you helping me in the palace. The only thing I want to remind you is to be careful of the emperor and don't fall into his trap."
"What do you mean?" Xie Nanjia asked in surprise, "That's your biological father. You want me to be on guard against him?"
"I know that's my biological father." Zhao Jingyu said, "I don't mean to say that he's bad. What I mean is that he's in a high position and looks at things differently from ordinary people. He always considers the interests of the country. So, in his eyes, as long as it's for the country, anyone can be used. Anyone can be his pawn. You're so smart and quick-witted, he'll inevitably use you to do things that others can't do, so you have to be more careful and don't always let him use you."
This answer far exceeded Xie Nanjia's expectations. She didn't expect that Zhao Jingyu would value her more than his father, the emperor. Even for national interests, he didn't want her to be used by Song Wanji, even though this country would be his in the future.
"I know what to do, don't worry!" She leaned against Zhao Jingyu's chest and said softly, "Unless I am willing, no one can force me. Everything I do in the palace is for you, for our future, not for anyone else. I know all this."
"Even if it's for us, you can't work too hard. I hope you can be the happiest woman in the world, not the most capable woman." Zhao Jingyu held her face with infinite tenderness and said, "Xie Nanjia, listen carefully. In this life, your happiness will be protected by me. You can only be happy with me!"
The sudden confession hit the softest spot in Xie Nanjia's heart, making her suddenly at a loss for words. She could only let her heart full of emotion turn into tears and quietly slide down.
She nestled in Zhao Jingyu's arms, silently thanking God for allowing her to meet such a good person after experiencing the most miserable and painful suffering in the world. With him, no matter how vicious people's hearts were or how difficult the world was, she could face it bravely and calmly.
As the night grew deeper, the two finally stopped whispering and fell into a sweet dream in each other's arms.
Before dawn, Xie Nanjia failed to wake up in time. Wei Jun and Huangfu, who had slept on the roof for half the night, woke up Zhao Jingyu through the window. The three masters and servants left the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion and the capital city during the darkest time before dawn, and rode back to Shanyang Pass at full speed.
When Xie Nanjia woke up, it was already noon. The autumn sun came in through the window, filling the room with golden light. She opened her eyes and looked at the empty half of the bed beside her. She felt as if she had a dream.
She lay there silently for a long time, fearing that turning over would destroy the traces left by Zhao Jingyu, until Liusu came in and called her, saying that the emperor had sent a sedan chair to take her back to the palace. Only then did she have to get up from the bed, change her clothes, wash up, bid farewell to her family reluctantly, and leave in the sedan chair.
Although the palace had everything, the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion still prepared generous gifts for her to take to the palace as a return gift out of courtesy.
After not seeing her for two days, the Queen Mother's attitude towards her had returned to its former enthusiasm, as if her previous neglect of her had never happened.
Xie Nanjia didn't care and remained respectful to the empress dowager as always. She picked out the best gifts she had brought back and gave them to her.
Naturally, something had to be sent to Concubine Shu as well. After Xie Nanjia was settled, she went to Jinghe Palace in person to visit her and the little prince.
The little prince has grown up now. When he was born, he was red and hairy, but now he has turned into a plump, white and delicate New Year picture doll. Anyone who sees him can't help but want to hug him and kiss him.
Concubine Shu was grateful for Xie Nanjia's great kindness to her and her son, and teased the child to call her sister-in-law.
Xie Nanjia couldn't help but laugh: "Our little prince is so young, isn't this embarrassing?"
Concubine Shu said seriously, "I just want to teach him to be grateful from a young age, to let him know how difficult it is for him to come into this world. When he grows up, he must be good to his brother and sister-in-law, and not be ungrateful."
Who can predict what will happen when you grow up? Xie Nanjia smiled and didn't continue the topic.
She doesn't want to be anyone's benefactor, nor does she need a child to be grateful to her. It is enough for her to have a clear conscience.
…
Half a month later, news came from the north about the great victory at Shanyang Pass.
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and General Wu'an led the army to capture Shanyang Pass. Song Jingxing committed suicide on the tower of Shanyang Pass in front of Queen Meng. Queen Meng was completely desperate and immediately took the knife to commit suicide to follow her son.
Before she died, she made two requests to Zhao Jingyu. One was to treat Princess Wen'an well, and the other was not to bring her and Song Jingxing's bodies back to the capital.
Even as a ghost, she never wanted to return to the place that carried all her glory and humiliation.
Zhao Jingyu agreed to her request and asked Hu Qianshan to find a Feng Shui treasure land in Shanyang Pass to bury her and Song Jingxing there.
After the war, Zhao Jingyu ordered Zhan Feiyu and Yun Shu to lead the Red Army to do the aftermath work, while he and General Wuan led the army back to the court. As for the rest of the matter, he would ask the emperor to arrange them one by one after he returned.
A month later, the large group of people returned to the capital city exhausted.
The streets of the capital were deserted, and the common people spontaneously went out of the city ten miles to welcome the prince back to the court. Song Wanji personally led the civil and military officials to welcome them on the city wall and prepared fine wine to welcome the soldiers.
Inside and outside the city gate, drums and music sounded, cheers were deafening, people shouted slogans such as "Long live the emperor, a thousand years for the crown prince", and surrounded the team and slowly entered the imperial city.
Zhao Jingyu, wearing a bright red battle robe, sat upright on his horse, looking around for Xie Nanjia, but unfortunately, he did not see Xie Nanjia appear until he entered the imperial city.
"What's wrong with your cousin? Everyone else came to pick me up, but she didn't." Zhao Jingyu couldn't help but complain to Xie Nanfeng who rode his horse to her side.
Xie Nanfeng rolled his eyes at him: "It's so cold, why did you insist on asking her to come out to pick you up? Would you feel sorry for her?"
"..." Zhao Jingyu choked and said depressedly after a long while, "Okay, you are a brave boy. Now you are the only one in the whole Great Zhou who dares to roll his eyes at me. I won't bother with you!"
"Hmph!" Xie Nanfeng snorted disdainfully.
Going further, they arrived at the Zhengyang Gate, the central gate of the imperial palace. Song Wanji specially allowed all the soldiers to accompany the Crown Prince into the imperial palace from the Zhengyang Gate and go to the Taihe Hall for a banquet and celebration.
When everyone arrived at the Zhengyang Gate, they unexpectedly found a pretty figure standing in front of the gate. Her bright red cloak was blown up by the wind, fluttering like a flame, dazzling. The early winter sunshine gently enveloped her, giving her bright and fair face a layer of soft golden light. Her smile bloomed like a spring flower the moment she saw Zhao Jingyu, so beautiful that it was breathtaking.
"Xiu'er welcomes His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the soldiers who have returned victoriously!" She stepped forward with a smile and bowed.
Zhao Jingyu paused, and after a moment of indifference, he grinned and revealed a silly smile, baring his two rows of white teeth and happily called out, "Wife, so you were waiting for me here!"
The word "wife" was blurted out by him in excitement. After he shouted it, he realized that it was not the right occasion. It was too late to take it back. The soldiers behind him burst into laughter.
Only Xie Zhanting and his son did not laugh.
In front of her father, brother, and so many soldiers, Xie Nanjia's face instantly turned red with shame, and she wished she could find a hole in the ground to crawl into.
"What are you laughing at? She's my wife." Zhao Jingyu turned around and scolded those guys who were grinning foolishly. He simply said, "Well, my wife is here to pick me up. Are you envious or jealous?"
"We are so envious and jealous! Your Highness the Crown Prince is so blessed!" The soldiers started to make a noise.
"Hmph!" Zhao Jingyu raised his head proudly, took Xie Nanjia's hand and swaggered towards the palace.
"..." Xie Nanjia could never have imagined that the welcome ceremony she had carefully prepared would turn out like this. As she walked, she cried out in her heart: What should I do? What should I do? If this gets out, it will be so embarrassing!
(End of this chapter)