Chapter 58: The Regent is in a Bad Mood

Upon hearing this, Xia Tong felt a bit frustrated, especially since Gu Qin was not home at the moment.

“Please inform me as soon as the prince returns,” she said.

After saying that, she could only turn back, leaving the butler with a puzzled expression. It was rare to see the princess in such a hurry, what could be so urgent?

Gu Qin did not return that night, and by noon the next day, he still hadn’t come back. Xia Tong was anxious and felt she couldn’t wait any longer. She decided to go to the outskirts of the city to find him from the Shenji Camp.

Outside, heavy snow fell like goose feathers, and the snow on the ground was quite deep. The carriage moved slowly and with great difficulty, and there were very few pedestrians on the street. Xia Tong was still thinking about how to talk to Gu Qin when the carriage suddenly came to a halt, causing her to lurch forward.

“What’s going on?” she called out.

Immediately, Fang Yu’s voice came from outside, “Master, it’s Miss Shen.”

Xia Tong paused for a moment, then lifted the curtain. She saw a woman with bright eyes and pearly white teeth standing in the snow-filled street. She was wearing a light purple fox fur coat, which was covered in snowflakes, and she was indeed blocking the way of the carriage, not knowing what she was there for.

“Sister Shen,” Xia Tong said, biting her lip. “Come in and let’s talk.”

The woman outside did not hesitate, lifting her skirt and stepping into the carriage, bringing with her a chill from the outside. Xia Tong couldn’t tell how long she had been outside.

“I saw your carriage and couldn’t help but come out to see. Where are you going on such a cold day?” Shen Xin asked curiously.

Xia Tong didn’t want to reveal too much to others, so she just smiled lightly. “I’m heading out of the city for some errands.”

Seeing that she didn’t want to elaborate, Shen Xin didn’t press further. Instead, she mentioned something else. “Actually, I just wanted to tell you that there will be major changes in the palace five days from now. No matter what happens, you just need to ensure your own safety. If you encounter any danger, feel free to find me at the Jinhui Restaurant.”

Shen Xin’s expression was serious. She didn’t trust that traitor and knew Xia Tong would undoubtedly be in danger. That traitor wouldn’t have time to care about anyone else.

Noticing that she wasn’t joking, Xia Tong was taken aback. Someone had already lost their patience so soon, but hadn’t there been a major incident at the border?

After a moment of silence, she suddenly looked at Shen Xin intently, her small face serious. “Forgive me for speaking bluntly, Sister Shen, but what is your current stance regarding the Fifth Prince? Do you really want to get involved in this turmoil?”

She still didn’t believe that the heroine would genuinely be with the second male lead. After all, the Crown Prince had a much better chance of winning, especially since the villain also wanted a piece of the action.

“I am just an ordinary friend of his. It’s not what you think,” Shen Xin replied, her expression vague.

Not knowing if she was being sincere, Xia Tong didn’t press further. They talked about other topics, and after Shen Xin left, the carriage resumed its journey outside the city.

According to the heroine, there would be major events in the palace five days later, but she didn’t know which prince was losing patience. The old fox’s insistence on sending her to steal the villain’s seal must be related to this matter.

Xia Tong suddenly felt quite troubled. She had never thought of getting involved in these disputes, but if the villain truly took that position in the future, would he also have a harem of beautiful women? Would she really end up as a resentful concubine in the deep palace?

After traveling for a full hour, the carriage finally arrived at a bamboo forest on the outskirts of the west side of the city. Thick snow piled on the bamboo leaves, swaying precariously. At a sentry post, a group of soldiers stood tall and vigilant, their eyes scanning the surroundings. Even though their armor was covered in snowflakes, they didn’t shake them off at all.

When they saw a suspicious carriage approaching, the soldiers immediately raised their long spears to block it, their expressions solemn. “Who are you? The Shenji Camp is a restricted area that no one can enter!”

Xia Tong handed her waist token to Fang Yu, who promptly displayed it in front of the soldiers, explaining, “The princess is here to find the prince, we hope you can inform him.”

After examining the waist token, the soldiers exchanged glances, unsure of how to respond. They had heard that the prince had recently married a beautiful princess, but since the Shenji Camp didn’t allow even royal relatives to enter freely, they dared not let her through without caution. They could only send one person to report.

Xia Tong leaned back in the carriage, idly watching the snowy scene outside. She knew very well that, as a woman, she shouldn’t easily come to a military stronghold, but circumstances forced her hand.

Not knowing how long they waited, she finally lifted the curtain again when she heard footsteps outside. There, she saw a familiar figure approaching, with several soldiers respectfully speaking to him.

Upon seeing Xia Tong in the carriage, Xifeng furrowed his brow, wondering why the princess would seek him out. He hadn’t heard of any urgent matters happening at home.

“Your subordinate greets the princess. In this weather, what brings you here?” he asked, signaling for his men to let the carriage pass.

As the carriage began to move forward again, Xia Tong merely glanced at him and replied calmly, “I have very important business with the prince.”

The soldiers behind them were envious, having caught a brief glimpse of the princess. She truly looked like a celestial being, no wonder even the prince was so fond of her.

Not hurriedly but steadily, Xifeng walked beside the carriage, his curiosity piqued. The Xia family was doing well, what could be so important that the princess needed to come here?

As the carriage went deeper, an open training ground came into view. In the freezing weather, a group of soldiers trained with their bare chests, their loud shouts echoing, as if they were completely unfazed by the cold.

“The prince is over there. It’s quite windy outside, perhaps the princess should wait in the tent first?”

Following Xifeng’s gaze, Xia Tong saw a tall figure at a distance in an archery range. He was talking to someone, seemingly indifferent to the falling snow. This man appeared to never be afraid of the cold.

This was the first time a woman appeared in the Shenji Camp, and she was an extraordinarily beautiful one. A group of men couldn’t help but stare, but as soon as they caught sight of Lord Xifeng’s displeased expression, they quickly averted their gazes.

A bunch of little rascals, if they got caught by the prince, they’d surely have their eyes gouged out.

As she approached, the man’s outline became clearer. Xia Tong gestured to Xifeng to remain silent, then slowed her steps to sneak behind him. She stood on her tiptoes and slowly covered his eyes, speaking in a rough voice, “Guess who I am.”

The officer, who was speaking with Gu Qin, stared at the woman in surprise. Seeing that she was brought by Xifeng, he didn’t say anything.

The man’s gaze flickered, and without turning around, he reached out with a large hand to pull her closer, his intense eyes locking onto her clear ones. Recognizing her, he said coldly, “You have quite a lot of nerve.”

Snowflakes settled on her bright red fox fur, and even her long eyelashes had delicate snowflakes clinging to them. Xia Tong’s delicate face was slightly flushed. Gu Qin frowned; the doctor had warned her that if she didn’t take care of herself, she might become infertile. How could she still be running around?

Clearing his throat, Xifeng glanced at the officer, who took the hint and retreated.

“I… I have something very important to tell you,” Xia Tong said innocently, blinking.

As soon as she spoke, Gu Qin’s eyebrows twitched, and his intense gaze suddenly fell on her flat stomach. “Are you pregnant?”

Xia Tong: “…”

“No… it’s definitely not that. How could it happen so soon?” Xia Tong’s face turned red as she lowered her head, too embarrassed to meet his eyes.

Holding her cold little hand, Gu Qin’s expression was full of displeasure. “Is that so?”

As he spoke, he walked toward the tent, his angular face serious and clearly upset. Xia Tong hurriedly lifted her skirt to follow behind, confused about why he was angry again.

The soldiers on the training field were still hard at work. Xia Tong stole a glance and noted how impressive it was to see so many men training bare-chested, their physiques quite remarkable.

As if he sensed something, Gu Qin suddenly turned to look at the distracted woman behind him. His expression shifted, and he grabbed her by the back of her collar, speaking in a tone devoid of warmth, “Is this something you should be watching?”

Xia Tong held her breath and didn’t dare to say a word. She just took a sneak peek, so it didn’t count as being unfaithful to her husband, right?

“Tell everyone to put their clothes back on.”

With that, the man coldly strode away, leaving the surrounding officers exchanging puzzled glances. It was obvious that the prince was in a bad mood, and they were so scared that they quickly ordered everyone to put on their clothes. They just didn’t understand why the Shenji Camp had always been trained like this.

Following him to a tent, the air inside was still cold. Xia Tong was unsure why he was angry again, so she moved closer and tugged on his arm gently. “I really just took a quick look, I definitely didn’t stare. Besides… they aren’t as good-looking as you.”

As she spoke, she unconsciously lowered her head. It was undeniable that the villain had an impressive physique.

The man sat at the table, flipping through documents without even glancing at her.

Xia Tong pouted, then removed the snow-covered fox fur and squeezed into his arms, wrapping her small hands around his waist. She looked up at him with innocent eyes and said, “I really have something urgent to discuss, or I wouldn’t have come out in such a terrible storm.”

Perhaps having been outside for too long, she still carried a bit of coldness. Gu Qin frowned slightly, his lips pressed tightly together, as he fixed his gaze on her without saying a word.

“My mother was captured by the Grand Tutor. That old fox threatened me to steal a seal from you, or he would kill my mother. He only gave me three days. I had no choice but to come find you.” If it weren’t for necessity, she wouldn’t want to risk wandering out in this snow.

Yet, the man remained unfazed, his large hand gradually enveloping her cold little one, gently squeezing it as he spoke with an ambiguous tone, “You only think of me when something goes wrong.”

Their eyes met, and Xia Tong felt suddenly guilty, her face flushing as she spoke softly, “Does the prince really wish for me to betray you again?”

At her words, the man looked at her thoughtfully. “You also know how to say this word again.”

Xia Tong’s ears turned red, and she felt a bit ashamed. Who hasn’t made mistakes? A good child learns from their errors, and she has certainly come clean this time.

“This king is in a bad mood and can’t think of anything else.”

He continued to read the documents, his expression serious and restrained, radiating an air that kept others at a distance.

Xia Tong pouted, he hadn’t said anything like this when they were in bed earlier.

With a request to make, Xia Tong took a deep breath, tugging at his sleeve desperately, her pale face reflecting her helplessness. “What would make the prince feel better?”

As soon as she finished speaking, the man’s eyes darkened. He wrapped his large hand around her slim waist, looking into her clear, aggrieved eyes. “Give me a child.”