The man’s tone was indifferent. “Send Xiuhe back to my mother’s place. As for Miao Ling, she’s of age now. She’s been reliable these past years—reward her with some fine clothes and jewelry, and let her return home.”
Miao Ling was holding a bowl of medicine and had just stepped into the inner chamber when she heard these words.
The Heir was actually sending her home.
Miao Ling couldn’t control her tears as they streamed down her face.
Su Fei’s eyes swept over Miao Ling with a cold glint, and his tone grew even frostier. “Lu Xi, bring a fresh bowl of medicine.”
Hearing this, Miao Ling’s tears stopped instantly.
All the blood in her body ran cold.
She had crossed a line with the Heir.
Miao Ling set the bowl of medicine on the table, quickly knelt down, and kowtowed. “This servant knows her mistake. This servant kneels in gratitude to the Heir.”
It was at this moment that Li Mengxi gracefully stepped into the room.
She happened to see Miao Ling kneeling on the ground.
Lu Xi bowed to Li Mengxi, lowered his gaze, and stood quietly.
Li Mengxi walked past Miao Ling.
Though Miao Ling remained kneeling, the corner of her eye could still see the Consort of the Heir Apparent’s exquisite embroidered shoes with golden threads.
She was like dust on the ground, trampled beneath those embroidered shoes.
She felt resentful and bitter.
If it weren’t for the Consort taking it upon herself to elevate her to the status of concubine.
She could have continued serving by the Heir’s side as his senior maidservant, attending to him.
It was all the Consort’s fault!
Li Mengxi stopped.
She stood just a fist’s distance from Miao Ling.
She looked at Su Fei and asked gently, “Husband, how do you feel now? Are you feeling any better?”
Su Fei replied flatly, “Mm.”
Li Mengxi gave a soft smile and said with a hint of helplessness, “By the way, Miao Ling and Xiuhe—they’ll be your concubines from now on. For all these years, people outside have been spreading rumors that I’m only pretending to be virtuous, that I’m a jealous wife. It truly leaves me feeling helpless.”
She should have referred to herself as “this concubine” before him, to show humility.
But she wasn’t inclined to do so now.
Su Fei, leaning against the headboard, turned his head slightly to look at Li Mengxi.
The woman’s demeanor was still gentle and mild.
But he was somewhat puzzled—he was puzzled by that faint trace of aloofness in Li Mengxi.
Yet the puzzlement lasted only a moment.
To him, as long as she fulfilled her duties as the Consort of the Heir Apparent, everything else was irrelevant.
The man’s eyes were cold and clear.
This reminded Li Mengxi of the scene she had witnessed in the study in her previous life.
When he had held Li Ya in his arms, had that cold clarity in his eyes turned especially tender and affectionate?
Probably tender.
Li Mengxi pressed her lips into a smile. She felt a bit nauseous, like she wanted to vomit.
“Husband, tomorrow Second Sister will be returning to the capital. I plan to make a trip back to the Li Residence.”
Su Fei’s cold, clear eyes flickered slightly at these words.
She was coming back to the capital.
He coughed a few times.
After the coughing subsided.
The man spoke in a hoarse voice, “When you return to the Li Residence this time, prepare an extra gift for your Second Sister. She has rendered meritorious service this time—the Emperor will likely bestow rewards upon her.”
Li Mengxi lowered her eyelids and said with a smile, “Husband is truly thoughtful.”
With this smile, her features were radiantly beautiful.
…
Li Mengxi left the Eastern Courtyard and returned to the Western Courtyard.
She had barely sat down to rest when Lu Xi arrived.
Lu Xi was holding a box made of ebony.
The outside of the box was inlaid with gilded flower petals.
Lu Xi opened the box, revealing a curved blade inside, its scabbard inlaid with cloud patterns.
He bowed and said, “Young Madam, this is the Heir’s congratulatory gift for Second Miss.”
In the past, Li Mengxi might have thought that Su Fei was doing this to save face for her.
Now… ha.
The room fell silent for a moment.
Li Mengxi signaled with her eyes for Nanny Wang to accept the gift box.
She glanced at Lu Xi and said, “The Heir is unusually considerate.”
Lu Xi’s heart suddenly leaped.
Was the Consort of the Heir Apparent’s remark laden with hidden meaning?
Li Mengxi gave a soft laugh. Her fingertip brushed against the cup as she said casually, “I’ve been married into the Hou Mansion for three years, and I’ve yet to receive a gift from the Heir. Second Sister is truly blessed. Go back and tell the Heir that I thank him for his kindness.”
Lu Xi bowed. “Yes.”
After Lu Xi left the room.
Li Mengxi had Nanny Wang bring the gift box closer.
She reached out, her slender, fair hand picking up the curved blade from inside the box.
She gripped the hilt and examined it—the hilt was exquisitely carved.
Li Mengxi drew the blade from its scabbard.
The blade was sharp.
She remarked with a sigh, “What a fine blade this is.”
Nanny Wang looked at the blade and nodded in agreement—it was indeed a fine blade.
Could it be that the Heir had thought to send Second Miss a congratulatory gift because he was taking an interest in the Consort’s affairs?
She thought this, and so she said it to Li Mengxi.
After hearing this, Li Mengxi covered her lips and smiled.
One couldn’t blame Nanny Wang for thinking that way.
Because even Li Mengxi herself didn’t know that Su Fei and Li Ya had been in contact behind the scenes.
Not to mention that for the past two years, Li Ya had been at the border.
Speaking of the border, Li Mengxi furrowed her brows slightly.
Su Fei had once been dispatched to the border—could it be that the two of them had gotten together back then?
After her smile faded, Li Mengxi’s eyes held undisguised indifference as she said in a flat tone, “Nanny, I don’t have that kind of influence to make the Heir save face for me.”
Nanny Wang’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing this.
Li Mengxi said, “The Heir really is something—how could he send a knife as a gift? That’s truly inappropriate. Put this knife in the storeroom, then take out a bolt of dark blue fabric and send it to Second Sister tomorrow.”
Nanny Wang acknowledged the order.
As for why dark blue fabric?
Because Li Ya’s skin had a wheatish tone, and she would never wear dark blue dresses.
…
The next day, at noon, the sun hung high in the sky.
The common folk gathered on both sides of the streets.
They were all waiting—waiting to catch a glimpse of the soldiers returning from the border campaigns.
Li Mengxi wore a black veiled hat.
She was dressed in an emerald green gown; just looking at her from behind was a pleasing sight to the eyes.
She stood by the window on the second floor of the tavern, lowering her gaze to watch the soldiers approaching on horseback from ahead.
Riding at the very front, clad in a suit of silver armor, was the Ninth Prince, Mo Yulin.
His bewitchingly handsome features, tempered by the battlefield, now carried an added air of killing intent.
He swept a faint glance across his surroundings and inadvertently caught sight of the woman in the black veiled hat at the tavern.
It was merely an inadvertent glance.
Their gazes seemed to meet through the veil.
Li Mengxi paused behind her veil but did not look away.
She knew the Ninth Prince was not to be trifled with, and Li Ya happened to be a soldier under his command.
Not far behind the Ninth Prince, the only woman among the riders was Li Mengxi’s half-sister, Li Ya.
The noise around them was clamorous.
Li Ya sat tall with a straight back, riding her horse with a dashing bearing, a smile curving her lips as she listened to the cheers of the crowd.
She had endured countless hardships to reach the border—this was the moment she had been waiting for.
She had returned.
To Li Ya’s left rode a man on a brown horse, dressed in blue robes rather than armor.
He was Li Ya’s maternal uncle, Ruan Yaocheng.
Ruan Yaocheng served as the Ninth Prince’s strategist.
Standing at the tavern, Li Mengxi curled her lips faintly with a cool gaze.
Li Ya was not only Su Fei’s beloved, but also a soldier under the Ninth Prince’s command.
It was said the Ninth Prince was fiercely protective of his own.
Li Ya also had a resourceful maternal uncle—Ruan Yaocheng, once a top scholar—who had later gone to the border to follow the Ninth Prince.
As for her, there was no one behind her.
Even if the road ahead was fraught with danger, Li Mengxi was not afraid.
For one who had already died once, the worst that could happen was losing and dying again.
There was nothing to fear.
“Oh? Young Madam, this old servant spots Lu Xi over there—look, he’s over there. Could the Heir be there as well?”
Nanny Wang lowered her voice and pointed in a direction.
Across the street from their tavern, off to the left, there was a teahouse.
“Oh, the Heir really is there too.”
He was standing right by the window.
The Heir’s illness had not yet recovered; she hadn’t expected him to come out today.
Nanny Wang inexplicably recalled what the Consort of the Heir Apparent had said to Lu Xi yesterday.
The Heir and Second Miss?
The Li family would never agree to sisters serving the same husband.
Li Mengxi quietly glanced at Su Fei.
What a moving love story!