“Xiao Duzhu.”
Xue Ru and Hua Wu quickly stood up inside.
Xiao Yan’s face darkened. As he entered the room, he cast a cold glance at Hua Wu.
Hua Wu felt a sudden chill and, for some reason, her scalp tingled. She looked around like a frightened animal. Why does it feel so cold all of a sudden?
Tang Ning stifled a laugh. “Brother is back. Why are you so late?” She turned to Hua Wu and whispered, “Hua Wu, go to the small kitchen and bring the food I warmed up for my brother.”
Hua Wu was confused as she went out, only to bump into Cang Lang, who was laughing uncontrollably.
Cang Lang gave her a thumbs-up. This little girl was really brave.
But Hua Wu had no idea what was going on.
Inside, Xue Ru saw Hua Wu leave and vaguely sensed something was off. She couldn’t help but glance at Xiao Yan’s face, recalling Hua Wu’s words earlier. She shivered in her heart.
Such a handsome man, and he’s nice to his sister... She nearly choked on her own saliva.
“Sister, it’s getting late. I’ll be heading back now.” Xue Ru quickly stood up.
“Why are you in such a hurry? Have something to eat…” Tang Ning quickly looked up.
Xue Ru shook her head like a rattle drum. “I’m not hungry. You and Duzhu eat.” She bowed to Xiao Yan. “Xiao Duzhu, you and Sister can chat. I’ll be leaving now.”
Seeing her younger sister slip away faster than anyone, Tang Ning couldn’t help but laugh and looked at Xiao Yan. “Brother, you scared them.”
Xiao Yan glanced at her. “Wasn’t it you laughing too much?”
Tang Ning burst out laughing, almost collapsing onto the table.
Xiao Yan couldn’t help but laugh too, though a bit annoyed. Seeing her wobbling, he reached out to stop her from bumping her head on the corner of the table but couldn’t resist giving her a light pinch on her smiling face. “What made you want to tell stories?”
Tang Ning rubbed her slightly sore cheek. “I was waiting for you, Brother. I said I’d leave food for you, but you didn’t come back. I had A Ru help me organize some things for the academy’s opening, and since it was too late and nothing urgent, I just chatted with them.”
She stopped laughing and, noticing the fatigue in Xiao Yan’s eyes, asked, “Was today very busy for you, Brother? Why did you come back so late?”
Xiao Yan replied, “I went out of the city to find someone.”
Tang Ning thought Xiao Yan was visiting his great-grandmother, but his tone didn’t suggest that, so she didn’t ask further. When she saw him reaching for the tea, she quickly stopped him.
“It’s too late. Brother, don’t drink tea, or you won’t sleep well tonight.” She called out to the outside, “Xi Chun, bring some hot water over. Don’t add tea leaves.”
Xi Chun answered and hurried off.
Tang Ning added, “You should drink some water first to soothe your stomach. The kitchen made a fish soup, originally meant for you, but it’s too greasy to eat so late, so I had them replace it with lighter dishes. You can try them later, Brother, see if you like them.”
Her voice was soft, every word full of concern.
Xiao Yan softened his expression and smiled. “Whatever you prepare, I like.”
…
Hua Wu soon brought the food. Xiao Yan, who had no appetite earlier, ate quite a bit due to his good mood.
When the bowls and plates were cleared away, Tang Ning felt a bit full, so she took Xiao Yan to the yard to walk in circles, enjoy the moonlight, and digest.
The weather was already very hot, and even after nightfall, the warmth lingered. Xiao Yan held Tang Ning’s small fan, walking and fanning her at the same time. “I heard that the Empress sent gifts today?”
“Not just gifts, she even tried to force me to return a favor in front of everyone.” Tang Ning’s tone soured as soon as the Empress was mentioned. “She hadn’t bothered me for so long, and I thought she had calmed down, but here she is again today.”
Xiao Yan replied, “King Cheng is dead, and she thinks her affairs are over. I suppose she’s trying to win you over to get closer to me.”
Tang Ning stopped in her tracks and looked at him. “Win me over? Did you say something to the Empress?”
“You’re getting smarter.”
Xiao Yan lightly tapped her forehead with the fan and began to explain the situation in the palace.
“After the Fourth Prince’s fall, Lu Qin bribed the physician who treated him to tamper with the medicine. The Fourth Prince’s legs and face were ruined. With her enmity toward the Lu family, Empress Lu hated them deeply.”
“I’ve been forcing her to sever ties with the Lu family for some time to get some things in her possession. This time, in her hatred, she gave them to me. To gain her trust, I pretended to agree to help the Fourth Prince usurp the throne. She’s probably trying to win you and Lady Rong over because of this.”
He briefly explained everything, including the blood letter and the letter from the He family.
Tang Ning, after hearing all of this, was both shocked and incredulous. She could hardly believe that such malicious people existed. Those were real lives at stake!
For a moment, she felt intense disgust toward Emperor An and the Lu family, to the point where the meal she had just eaten made her feel slightly queasy.
Suppressing the discomfort in her stomach, she turned her head and asked, “Does this mean we can’t act against the Empress for now?”
Xiao Yan responded with an “Mm.” “What she gave me is very useful. If I can confirm my suspicions, it’ll be halfway to success. But right now, the Lu family is paranoid, and Lu Chongyuan is extremely wary of me. We still have to deal with the Empress and her son for a while, using them to distract the Lu family.”
He fanned her as they walked. “But don’t worry too much about her. The Empress is wicked, and her methods are despicable. If she asks you to do anything excessive or makes any demands, just refuse her outright.”
Xiao Yan needed to keep the Empress around for now, as she was still useful, but that didn’t mean he would let her harm his little “Haitang.”
“The King Cheng left some things behind before he died. Tomorrow, I’ll have Cang Lang give them to you. If it’s too hard to control the Empress, there’s no need to keep her around.”
Tang Ning seemed to understand Xiao Yan’s intentions and nodded. “I understand.”
The moonlight was bright, and the night wind carried soft whispers as they continued walking and talking. Although there was no ambiguity between them, the atmosphere felt warm and comfortable.
Once Tang Ning felt her stomach no longer felt overly full, she and Xiao Yan returned to their room. Cang Lang was waiting outside and dismissed everyone.
Xiao Yan spoke, “Tang Ning, after the academy opens, I may need to leave the capital for a while.”
Tang Ning was momentarily stunned. “Leave the capital?” She looked at him and asked, “Where to?”
“The Northwest.”
Xiao Yan lowered his eyes, his gaze deep and unreadable. “There’s something very important that I have to handle in the Northwest. If everything goes well, I’ll be back in about twenty days. But no one must know about it, especially not anyone in the palace. It’s crucial that no one finds out that I’ve left the capital, and they absolutely cannot know I’m heading to the Northwest.”
Tang Ning frowned slightly. Xiao Yan’s position was special, and he served in front of the Emperor. So many people’s eyes were on him in the capital. If he left, it would be impossible to keep it a secret. Even once he left the city, there was no way to hide where he was going.
Unless there was some way to make everyone believe he was still in the capital, without anyone seeing him, and he could secretly slip out.
“Is it absolutely necessary?”
“Absolutely necessary.”
Xiao Yan didn’t hide anything from Tang Ning. “This is about military power. I can’t entrust it to anyone else.”
Tang Ning’s heart skipped a beat. She had already suspected Xiao Yan’s identity to some extent, but she hadn’t imagined it would involve military power. She didn’t dare to ask further, just looking at him and asking, “Is there anything I can do to help, Brother?”
Xiao Yan placed a small seal into her hand. “I already have a plan to leave the capital. All I need from you is to cooperate. But once I leave, I need you to help manage the Privy Council and handle some matters in the capital.”
Tang Ning’s hand trembled as she held the seal. “Brother, I can’t do this…”
She could help Xiao Yan, cover for him, or even deceive others with the people he arranged. But to handle matters that originally belonged to Xiao Yan... she felt anxious. What if she made a mistake or overlooked something?
Xiao Yan didn’t let her back out. He grabbed her hand and held the seal in his palm.
“You can do it, Tang Ning.”
He lowered his gaze, his eyes firm. “You’re very smart and adaptable. I’ve seen your growth these days. You’re not as weak as you think.”
“Cang Lang will help you with the Privy Council. You won’t need to be directly involved in most matters. I’ll arrange things with the court, and Qian Baoqun will help cover for you. This seal represents my identity, and it can also mobilize the Black Armor Guards in the capital. If anything happens in the capital while I’m away, I’ll only trust you.”
Tang Ning hesitated and looked up. “But I’ve never done these things before…”
“Then you’ll do it for the first time.” Xiao Yan held her hand. “I trust our girl and know that little Haitang can protect the capital for me.”
There were others he couldn’t fully entrust with this.
The seal in her hand felt especially warm, and every word he spoke seemed to sink into her heart.
Tang Ning looked up at him. His dark eyes were filled with understanding and trust. Her inner turmoil and fear were slowly soothed by his unwavering conviction.
“Brother, do you really trust me like this?”
“Yes.”
“Are you not afraid I’ll make a mistake?”
“I’m not afraid.”
Tang Ning’s hand grew warmer. She was silent for a long time before slowly tightening her grip on the seal. “Okay, I’ll protect the capital for you, Brother.”
Xiao Yan reached out and pulled her into his arms. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
If his guess was correct, when he returned from the Northwest, he could finally act on his plans in the capital.
============
You can read ahead to chapterr 400 (100+ extra chapters) here
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