“Ling’er…” Feng Qingyin was momentarily taken aback, but his heart softened. The impulse to scold her vanished, leaving only a sense of satisfaction.
“Hmm… Little Yinyin, why did you only come now?” I whined, nestled on his shoulder, desperately absorbing his warmth.
“You still say, if you hadn’t run away without a word, how could I have…” He stopped mid-sentence. After the storm, there’s always a rainbow; seeing her again made all the hardship worthwhile. Those crazy days were no longer important, right?
Sensing his unfinished words, I tilted my face up to study him: Though still in the same blue robe with a gentle smile, his gaunt face and bloodshot eyes revealed the toll of his struggles. I could imagine the scene after a long search when he finally learned of my whereabouts and prepared himself. How could such a sight not break one’s heart?
Tiptoeing, I pressed my lips against his.
Suddenly realizing something was wrong, I said, “Shouldn’t border garrison troops be sent out? Why are the imperial city’s elite troops being transferred?” Cold sweat followed my words.
There were only two elite troops in the imperial city – one was the palace’s forbidden guard, the other my father’s iron army…
Swallowing hard, my voice trembled: “No… go tell my father, don’t agree! Quickly!” I tried to push him outside. Jin Mo’s move was too vicious! This was no longer just a battle against frontier tribes! If not stopped soon, the imperial city would be transformed drastically!
“It’s already too late.” Feng Qingyin’s words chilled me to the bone.
Standing in a daze, my heart raced at the thought of Jin Mo’s deviousness surrounding the tea leaf incident, the pretext for sending troops, and the looming threat of court bloodshed. I collapsed to the ground, realizing the absurdity of the situation: I had only taken some expired tea leaves.
Now, the once harmless Jin Mo had transformed from a little white rabbit into a big bad wolf.
I cried in Feng Qingyin’s arms, expressing my despair over my father’s stubbornness. Despite my pleas for him to resign, he insisted he was innocent and believed the Emperor would recognize his loyalty. But Jin Mo had long held a grudge against him.
