Chapter 115 : The Expedition

Xue Qingyin confidently said, “Everything is for my older brother,” before handing over the items to He Songning and slipping away.

Her attitude was so straightforward, and she passed the things over so smoothly, that He Songning didn’t suspect anything odd about the items she had given him.

Returning to the Xue family, He Songning summoned his trusted subordinates.

“Send this gift to the Xiao family in Huainan and hand it to Master Xiao. Leave immediately,” He Songning paused, adding, “Don’t delay.”

He Songning’s character is one where those who follow him thrive, while those who oppose him perish.

His subordinates knew this well. Therefore, after receiving the items, they wasted no time and hurried to the dock.

When he said to deliver it to Master Xiao, it meant it had to be done personally, without a hint of error.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the other room was entirely different.

Xue Chengdong asked, “Where is Madam?”

The servant knelt, not daring to raise his head to look at the master’s expression, stammering, “Madam… Madam, she…”

Xue Chengdong instantly understood, his voice cold: “She returned to the Xu family again?”

“Yes, yes.”

Xue Chengdong furrowed his brow.

He truly didn’t know what Madam Xue wanted anymore.

The servant nervously asked, “Shall we send someone to the Xu family to ask Madam to return?”

Xue Chengdong fell silent for a moment before replying, “Wait a bit longer.”

If she leaves again, he will follow. If this happens too often, things will become chaotic.

…

For several days afterward, Xue Qingyin couldn’t see King Xuan.

In the end, the reward from King Xuan was canceled.

Xue Qingyin figured it was due to the many matters in the army, so she didn’t inquire further. Instead, she told the palace maid, “Bring me a deck of cards, let’s play cards.”

The palace maid thought it was improper but knew the lady’s position in King Xuan’s heart. She reluctantly went to fetch it.

Soon, the palace maid returned with the cards, followed by a eunuch.

The eunuch saw Xue Qingyin and bowed with a smile, saying, “Please, Side Concubine , follow this servant to the palace. His Majesty has summoned you.”

Well, no card games now.

Xue Qingyin wiped her hands, which were covered with pastry crumbs, and stood up to follow.

It was close to noon when they entered the palace.

The eunuch led her into the main hall, where a figure quickly stood up, walked two steps in her direction, then abruptly stopped.

Xue Qingyin couldn’t help but look toward that figure.

It was King Wei.

After not seeing her for so long, King Wei’s face showed signs of excitement.

“Sit down,” the Emperor’s low voice rang out.

Only then did King Wei awkwardly sit back down.

Xue Qingyin almost rolled her eyes.

Is he alright? Acting like that in front of the Emperor, is he hoping I’ll die faster?

Xue Qingyin showed no signs on her face and instead respectfully bowed toward the emperor sitting on the throne: “Greetings, Father Emperor.”

“Mm, rise. Today, you all will dine with me. Soon, King Xuan will also arrive.”

The eunuch quickly brought her a seat.

Once seated, Xue Qingyin noticed that Qiao Xinyu was sitting next to her.

Qiao Xinyu nodded slightly, acknowledging her.

Further ahead was Liu Yuerong, whose face was frosty, lips tightly pursed, clearly unhappy.

This was one of the rare occasions when everyone from King Xuan’s household was gathered in one place.

Emperor Liang De suddenly asked about Qiao Xinyu’s life in the Wei family.

Qiao Xinyu replied properly, “Thanks to His Majesty’s favor, I have adapted well to life in the household.”

Emperor Liang De nodded, saying, “You are all sisters-in-law; you should spend more time together. It will keep things lively.”

Qiao Xinyu responded with, “Yes.”

Liu Yuerong then seized the opportunity, boldly saying, “I’ll host a poetry gathering soon and invite the Side Concubine  to our house to join us.”

Emperor Liang De smiled in approval, “The late Empress used to host such gatherings; it’s a good idea.”

Xue Qingyin thought to herself, Do you think I look like someone who writes poetry?

The Emperor continued, “I’ve heard that you were skilled in poetry when you were in your boudoir. The Empress Dowager praised you as a talented woman with a great love for books. You are well-matched with King Wei.”

Upon hearing such praise, Liu Yuerong couldn’t hide her joy and turned to say, “The Side Concubine ‘s brother is also a famous scholar in the capital. Perhaps the Side Concubine  is even better at poetry than I am.”

Xue Qingyin pouted.

Is this intentional?

With a shy expression, she said, “You flatter me, Your Majesty. I never liked reading books as a child, and I can’t write a single poem.”

Liu Yuerong’s lips twitched.

How could anyone be so bold in admitting their lack of education?

Qiao Xinyu, who hadn’t spoken much, suddenly said, “I’m not very good at poetry either.”

Emperor Liang De sighed, “Although your father is a regional military commander, he is not like any ordinary soldier. His poetry is so good that even I have praised it. If he were here, he could personally teach you to write poetry.”

This led the conversation down a different path.

Liu Yuerong bit her lip, feeling disappointed that Xue Qingyin hadn’t made a fool of herself.

Not long after, the sound of footsteps grew closer.

It was Princess Jinque.

She greeted Emperor Liang De and then immediately came to Xue Qingyin, saying, “It’s been a while, and you look even better.”

Xue Qingyin smiled and replied, “You look radiant as always, Princess.”

Princess Jinque laughed, covering her lips, “You have such a sweet tongue.”

King Wei, over on the other side, couldn’t sit still, constantly glancing at Xue Qingyin.

He thought to himself,

Her lips must indeed be sweet.

Too bad, he wouldn’t be the one to taste them.

After Princess Jinque spoke, she had a chair placed next to Xue Qingyin and sat down closely beside her, ignoring everyone else.

Liu Yuerong felt displeased upon seeing this.

Soon, the Fourth Princess also arrived.

At first glance, she spotted Xue Qingyin.

After the lessons a few days ago, there had been no follow-up, and this made the Fourth Princess feel uneasy, like a heavy stone hanging over her heart.

The Fourth Princess bowed to Emperor Liang De but quickly turned toward Xue Qingyin. However, when she looked, she saw that Princess Jinque was on Xue Qingyin’s left and Qiao Xinyu on her right.

There was no space left!

The Fourth Princess felt greatly disappointed and reluctantly walked over to sit next to Liu Yuerong.

Liu Yuerong noticed this and secretly cursed in her heart, thinking: “The Fourth Princess is really ungrateful! It’s clearly the gentle Empress who’s raised her, yet she’s wagging her tail at Xue Qingyin!”

Emperor Liang De observed all of this quietly, furrowing his brow.

Finally, a eunuch called out, “King Xuan has arrived.”

King Xuan, dressed in dark blue robes, stepped in with a large, imposing presence that made everyone feel the weight of his presence.

Xue Qingyin could clearly feel his gaze sweep over her first, before he proceeded to greet the Emperor.

“Today, everyone who enters the room will look at her first.”

“With this meal, everyone is gathered.”

“Today is a family banquet,” Emperor Liang De said with a gentle expression. “There’s no need to be too formal.”

Liu Yue Rong didn’t feel honored at all.

How could a family banquet have the presence of Qiao Xinyu and Xue Qingyin? They were just two secondary concubines.

But no matter how displeased she felt, she could not change Emperor Liang De’s mind.

King Xuan and King Wei sat on either side of Emperor Liang De, with their wives sitting next to them.

Even the status of a princess had to take a backseat.

This arrangement wasn’t ideal.

Because this way, King Wei was sitting diagonally across from Xue Qingyin. His gaze kept lingering on her, almost imperceptible but persistent.

It was annoying.

King Wei ate absentmindedly, restless and irritated.

Men were like this; the more they couldn’t get something, the more desperately they desired it.

A sudden sound rang out.

King Wei knocked over a dish.

The atmosphere immediately became awkward, especially with Emperor Liang De’s face darkening. He could easily guess why King Wei had acted this way. But a royal prince couldn’t even control his composure like this?

Xue Qingyin was also irritated.

She pursed her lips, maintaining a composed expression, but subtly extended her leg.

King Xuan immediately tensed up.

“Your son… has lost his manners,” King Wei muttered, his face darkening as he hurried to pick up the broken dish.

The palace attendants quickly stepped forward to help, but were pushed aside by King Wei.

King Wei tightly grasped the broken dish, his gaze freezing.

Under the table, Xue Qingyin’s toes were firmly hooked onto King Xuan’s leg.

Jealousy burned in King Wei’s chest, and he nearly flipped the table.

Emperor Liang De only felt a slight shake on the table.

He coldly said, “What’s going on? Are you so stupid you’re knocking your head too?”

King Wei gritted his teeth, straightened up, and stammered, “I… I…,” but couldn’t find a proper excuse.

Emperor Liang De was also frustrated.

How had Concubine Wan raised her son to be like this?

“Enough, we’ll clean up after the meal,” Emperor Liang De said in a deep voice.

King Wei lowered his head and replied, “Yes.”

Not wanting to see King Wei make another blunder, Emperor Liang De turned to Xue Qingyin. “Tomorrow, King Xuan must depart for the western military to deal with matters there. He will be gone for two or three months. Being alone at King Xuan’s mansion might be boring for you. Therefore, I allow you to return to your family home for a short stay. I know your health is delicate, so if anything happens and you cannot handle it, you may come to the palace to see me.”

Xue Qingyin was momentarily stunned, but it was within her expectations.

After all, they had mentioned the troublesome Anxi army before.

Xue Qingyin nodded in response.

Everyone else finally understood that today’s family banquet was actually about King Xuan’s secondary concubine.

By bringing this up at the banquet, it was a way of informing everyone that since King Xuan was leaving the capital, they should take care of his concubine and make sure she wasn’t mistreated while alone in the capital.

Everyone had different thoughts.

The most jealous was Liu Yue Rong.

The most worried was Emperor Liang De.

Would King Wei be foolish enough to take advantage of the situation?

He probably wouldn’t.

“Father, I have already volunteered. Why not send me instead?” King Wei suddenly spoke out, agitated.

Emperor Liang De didn’t expect him to still be persistent and coldly said, “If you go to war, who will manage the imperial examinations while the crown prince is ill?”

King Wei had thought this through. “It can be entrusted to King Xuan.”

But King Xuan would certainly not be able to handle such a task. It would surely be a disaster.

King Wei thought he was more than capable now, with many advisors around him. Surely, he could handle the Anxi army.

Emperor Liang De laughed in frustration. “A war expert goes to manage the examinations, and a scholar runs off to fight. You’re not thinking clearly, but my mind is still sharp.”

King Wei was unconvinced. “How do you know it won’t work if you haven’t tried?”

“Military matters cannot be decided just because you are my son. The court has already discussed this matter and made a decision. No need to say more,” Emperor Liang De replied firmly.

It was to keep King Wei from dying on the battlefield.

Xue Qingyin’s gaze flickered.

A thought crossed her mind. Over the years, had Emperor Liang De ever feared that King Xuan might die on the battlefield as well?

She turned to look at King Xuan.

But he remained calm and indifferent, unaffected by King Wei’s outburst.

Had anyone ever cared about King Xuan’s safety?

Xue Qingyin thought, lost in her thoughts.

She then composed herself and asked the Emperor for a royal physician.

“I spoke with the Crown Princess the other day, and her health is worse than mine. I thought that if I saw His Majesty, I might dare to ask if a royal physician could be sent to treat her.”

Perhaps because he had just sent King Xuan away, the Emperor was more approachable, nodding in approval. “You are considerate, thinking of your royal sister-in-law. The Crown Prince’s condition hasn’t improved for a long time, and I fear it’s because the palace physician isn’t capable.”

After a moment of silence, the Emperor ordered two royal physicians who regularly attended him to go to the East Palace.

Liu Yue Rong felt some regret.

When she learned that the Crown Princess was so ill, why hadn’t she thought of sending a royal physician?

Now, Xue Qingyin was gaining favor by appearing considerate.

The meal ended without much enjoyment.

Emperor Liang De had only intended to convey his attitude and message.

Now that his purpose was achieved, he distributed some pastries and dismissed everyone.

As they left, Xue Qingyin took a small carriage by herself.

She smiled and said, “Sorry, I’ll leave first.”

Liu Yue Rong almost broke her nails from frustration.

At the palace gates, King Xuan followed closely behind.

His personal guard brought King Xuan’s horse, but King Xuan said, “No need,” and instead got into the carriage with Xue Qingyin.

Before she could settle into her seat, King Xuan pulled her waist and gently pressed her against his chest.

His deep eyes met hers. “Did you miss me?”

Xue Qingyin didn’t understand why he asked such a question.

But she felt it was best to nod.

So, she nodded heavily.

King Xuan accompanied her back to the mansion and didn’t go to the military camp.

He carried her to bathe and change clothes.

The palace attendants, seeing this, skillfully closed the door.

Xue Qingyin, softened by the steam, leaned weakly against King Xuan, her voice barely a whisper, “It’s still daytime…”

King Xuan’s voice was deep. “It doesn’t matter.” He then grabbed her ankle, rubbing it gently as if handling a priceless treasure.

Xue Qingyin instantly understood… it was the fire from under the table earlier.

No wonder he asked if she missed him.

He must have thought she was desperately longing for him, and that’s why he couldn’t control himself…

Xue Qingyin whispered, “Earlier under the table… I was just trying to annoy King Wei, that bastard…”

But Xue Qingyin didn’t get to finish her sentence.

King Xuan pushed her onto the bed.

Elsewhere…

Two royal physicians arrived at the East Palace.

“I am ordered to reexamine the Crown Prince.”

“I am ordered to examine the Crown Princess.”

Jiang Hua’s face changed.

So, King Xuan’s secondary concubine wasn’t just making empty threats?

The Crown Prince sighed inwardly, casting a reproachful glance at her. Fortunately, he had resisted continuing with heavy medicine for the Crown Princess.

A palace maid soon rushed back to the Crown Princess, tears welling in her eyes. “You can live.”