At this point, Yun Mu Jing seemed to finally be unable to maintain her outward composure and began to sob uncontrollably.
She hugged her knees, curling into a ball in the corner, burying her head deeply.
“Your Highness… I know my request is excessive,” Yun Mu Jing choked out between sobs. “But I still want to be willful just this once. Could you… let me be alone for a while?”
Mo Han Zhao was taken aback. As the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, Yun Mu Jing was the first woman who had ever dared to dismiss him.
Surprisingly, he felt not the slightest bit of anger. Instead, he felt a pang of pity and heartache for her.
“Alright, I will go deal with those bandits first,” Mo Han Zhao said gently. “Zhu Ye is outside. If you need anything, just tell him.”
Yun Mu Jing did not look up, only softly uttering an “Mm.”
A helpless expression crossed Mo Han Zhao’s handsome face as he rose from the carriage seat and stepped out.
Before letting the carriage curtain fall, he caught sight of Yun Mu Jing’s shoulders, veiled by her cascading black hair, trembling uncontrollably.
“Wuwu…”
Yet, as if unwilling to let anyone witness her vulnerability, she forcibly suppressed her sobs, appearing utterly lonely and pitiful.
Mo Han Zhao’s dark eyes instantly revealed a look of compassion, but he was burdened with numerous matters. Many of the Moqian Mountain bandits still remained to be eradicated.
Thus, after briefly instructing Zhu Ye, he had no choice but to leave.
Yun Mu Jing remained in the carriage, and as if finally exhausted from crying, she fell into a deep sleep.
When she awoke again, the sky outside had gradually darkened, and Mo Han Zhao had not returned.
A flicker of panic appeared on Yun Mu Jing’s exquisite face as she hurriedly lifted the carriage curtain and stepped down.
“Your Highness!”
Mo Han Zhao had been discussing the bandit suppression route map with Zhu Ye. Noticing Yun Mu Jing’s approach, he waved his hand, signaling Zhu Ye to go attend to his duties first.
Zhu Ye’s gaze swept over Yun Mu Jing, and he blinked in surprise.
As the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, His Highness held a noble status. Countless women flocked to him, yet he held nothing but disdain for them.
For so many years, His Highness had only been kind to Miss Si Yu, and only she could get close to him.
And now, there was also Miss Jing.
It must be said, the Yun family truly knew how to raise daughters who pleased His Highness.
With this thought, Zhu Ye, ever perceptive, led a portion of the Eastern Palace Shadow Guards to vanish into the night to eliminate the next group of bandits.
Seeing Yun Mu Jing lifting her skirt and running over, looking as if she feared he had abandoned her, Mo Han Zhao said helplessly, “I’m here.”
The moment Yun Mu Jing saw Mo Han Zhao, her anxious heart instantly settled.
She approached him, blinked, and said somewhat awkwardly, “I thought… Your Highness had also left me behind.”
“That… earlier, I didn’t mean to drive you away on purpose, I…”
Seeing the lingering fear on Yun Mu Jing’s face, Mo Han Zhao looked utterly helpless. “Finished crying?”
“Huh?” Yun Mu Jing was momentarily stunned, then a shadow quickly passed through her eyes. “I’m fine. I just don’t know what to do to make myself more likable.”
“If only… someone would just look at me properly.”
Mo Han Zhao fell silent once more, then changed the subject. “There’s a tree over there. Let’s go sit for a while and have some provisions.”
“Come with me.”
“Alright.” Yun Mu Jing obediently followed Mo Han Zhao to sit beneath a nearby tree, then properly seated herself at a distance from him.
Like a harmless little rabbit, she curled up without speaking, only taking the dry rations Mo Han Zhao handed over and eating them bite by bite.
It was the transitional period between early winter and late autumn, with heavy frost and chill, especially in the mountains, where it was even more damp and cold.
Although Mo Han Zhao had ordered someone to light a bonfire in the middle, Yun Mu Jing was dressed very lightly and still shivered from the cold.
Seeing this, Mo Han Zhao’s handsome brows furrowed, and he beckoned to Yun Mu Jing, saying, “Cold? Come here to me.”
Yun Mu Jing was taken aback and smiled, “It’s fine, Your Highness. I live in a side courtyard in the General’s Mansion, and it’s like this every night. I can endure it.”
Mo Han Zhao’s breath hitched, and he said quietly, “Does the side courtyard of the General’s Mansion not even provide you with charcoal or winter bedding?”
With that, he remembered—earlier, there had been only a thin quilt on Yun Mu Jing’s bed.
And it seemed… he had made it a bit dirty.
Yun Mu Jing slightly lowered her brows and did not answer, but the implication was clear.
The General’s Mansion! The anger in Mo Han Zhao’s chest flared up again, and he said to Yun Mu Jing in a low voice, “If you don’t come over, I’ll get angry.”
Hearing this, a trace of fear instantly appeared on Yun Mu Jing’s innocent and pure face, and she slowly moved step by step to Mo Han Zhao’s side.
Mo Han Zhao hesitated for a moment before pulling Yun Mu Jing into his embrace, gathering his outer robe and the black cloak embroidered with golden osmanthus patterns, wrapping Yun Mu Jing inside as well.
In that instant, Yun Mu Jing immediately felt warm.
However, the cozy warmth all came from Mo Han Zhao’s body, causing Yun Mu Jing’s face to flush with shyness.
Mo Han Zhao was extremely close to Yun Mu Jing and, following the firelight, immediately noticed her fair neck turning red.
His heart also stirred slightly, and his handsome face showed a hint of unease. In his awkwardness, he explained, “This way, it’s warmer.”
“I understand, Your Highness is a good person,” Yun Mu Jing whispered softly.
A good person? Mo Han Zhao’s eyes were filled with complexity.
Yun Mu Jing was truly the first person to say that about him.
“Your Highness will be the ruler of Dongliang in the future and will have countless noble and beautiful ladies from prestigious families,” Yun Mu Jing said, lowering her head and brows. “Those… should be the women by Your Highness’s side.”
“A firefly is not worthy of circling around a bright moon. I won’t think too much of it.”
Hearing this, Mo Han Zhao raised an eyebrow and said, “When did I ever say I wanted to find countless ladies from prestigious families?”
Yun Mu Jing smiled, “Since ancient times, men have had three wives and four concubines. Even those with a little wealth marry several concubines, let alone someone as noble as Your Highness.”
“If Your Highness doesn’t take concubines, the royal lineage of Dongliang will dwindle. The Emperor and the Empress Dowager probably won’t allow it.”
“Taking concubines…”
Mo Han Zhao was stunned for a moment. Yes, it was an extremely common thing for men to marry wives and take concubines.
As the Crown Prince, it would be strange for him not to take concubines.
In fact, if he could marry Yun Mu Jing into the Eastern Palace, all the problems would be solved.
If it came to status and appearance, Yun Mu Jing was the legitimate daughter of the Zhenguo Great General’s Mansion, her status comparable to that of a princess.
Especially her demeanor and beauty—even Mo Han Zhao was captivated by her for a moment.
Moreover, Yun Mu Jing was the only woman besides Si Yu whom he didn’t dislike. If he were to take concubines, Yun Mu Jing would indeed be the best choice.
But his late mother had deeply loved his father, yet his father had a harem of three thousand beauties, often causing his mother to shed tears late at night.
Therefore… he deeply despised those who were unfaithful in love and had no desire to become such a person himself.
He had once vowed not to let his wife walk the same path as his mother, and thus resolved never to take a concubine.
Mo Han Zhao had previously promised Yun Si Yu that he would love only her in this lifetime and take no other wife.
If he were to marry both Yun Mu Jing and Yun Si Yu, would he not become the very person he despised most?