"Xiao Shijing."

Jiaping saw him from afar, and a trace of joy unconsciously appeared on her face, but it quickly disappeared. She quickly walked towards him.

Xiao Shijing heard the sound and turned his head to look. He smiled. "What is the matter, Your Highness?" His smile was modest and polite, just like how he always treated everyone, without any clues.

Jiaping saw his distant smile and felt a sudden stifling feeling in her heart. It was so stifling that it was difficult to speak.

She had originally wanted to say more to him, but now she felt that it was meaningless and didn't want to say anything.

But when she thought of her purpose in coming, she still opened her mouth. "Aren't you looking for someone?

I can help you. "She clasped her hands together, half of them in her sleeves. She lifted her chin slightly, as if quietly waiting for his request.

He seemed to be startled when he heard this, as if he hadn't expected her to say this.

"Many thanks for Your Highness' kindness. This subject appreciates it, but this subject doesn't dare to trouble Your Highness with this matter." His smile became more sincere, but his words were firm in his refusal.

Her hands, which had been tightly clenched in her sleeves until they were white, suddenly loosened. She looked at him in disbelief.

"You're so sick of me?

You won't even let me help you? "She hadn't expected Xiao Shijing to refuse so decisively.

She had heard from Linlang that after the woman went missing, he had sent many people to search for her, but to no avail.

She didn't care what happened to the woman, but she was worried that he would be annoyed, so she had come over to say this to him.

What was the meaning of his rejection?

Her hands hung dejectedly at her sides, her fingertips digging into her palms. The pain in her palms reminded her that she didn't say anything that would make her lose her composure.

"Your Highness worries too much," he said.

"She's just an ordinary woman. If she goes missing, then she goes missing. This subject doesn't dare to trouble Your Highness."

***

"Didn't he say that she was just an ordinary girl? Why are you still angry?"

Duan Linlang looked at the Jiaping with his chin in his hand. He didn't understand what she was worried about. "You should be happy. I think he was just temporarily obsessed with that woman. Now that she's gone missing, he's awake again. You don't have to worry about anyone snatching him away from you."

"He doesn't believe me," she murmured, her expression unknowingly showing stubbornness.

"Ah?

What? "Duan Linlang didn't hear what she said and called out in confusion.

She didn't want to talk about it anymore. Forcing a smile, she changed the topic and talked about other things with Duan Linlang.

***

Outside the hall, Xiao Shijing stood with his hands behind his back, as if waiting for someone.

His figure was tall and straight, and no one could ignore him in the crowd. At this time, his expression was indifferent as he stood in front of the steps. Many officials walked past him, and from time to time, they would smile and nod to greet him. When they met someone they were familiar with, they would exchange a few pleasantries.

He didn't seem like a boorish military official. Instead, he seemed more like a scholarly and refined official.

Suddenly, a thin and small old man slowly walked past him.

Xiao Shijing didn't miss him. "Eunuch Li, please wait." He called out to that person.

When Li Xiaoquan heard his call, he paused and turned around to look. His expression seemed to be surprised, and he chuckled. "So General Xiao was actually waiting for this old servant. I'm really flattered." He bowed slightly.

"What business does General Xiao have with this old servant?" He then looked up and asked in confusion.

By now, most of the people had left. Only the two of them were left in front of the Great Hall to talk.

"Please let Si Yue go, Eunuch Li." Xiao Shijing's smile had faded as he spoke in a low voice.

"What is General Xiao saying?

This old servant is confused. "

Xiao Shijing's expression darkened. "Eunuch Li, I'm afraid you're playing dumb with me," he said in a low voice with a cold and stern expression.

Li Xiaoquan could sense the coldness in his voice, but he didn't care and continued to smile amiably.

His eyes narrowed as he smiled, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes piled up. He appeared to be very amiable as he slowly said, "General Xiao is really impatient. It seems like you really care about that Si Yue girl."

"This old servant was just joking. I wanted to see what kind of girl the famous Great General has taken a fancy to. I didn't expect that General Xiao would come looking for this old servant."

Seeing Xiao Shijing's gaze grow colder, he pretended not to notice. "But I really like that girl. Why don't General allow me to keep Si Yue as my guest for a few more days?"

"I'm old and have no one to keep me company. Now that I've finally found someone pleasing to the eye, I want to keep her for a few more days. General, please don't blame me."

He pretended to sigh as he spoke. His stooped body was short, and his turbid eyes were half-closed, revealing his shrewdness.

"What do you want?"

Xiao Shijing knew that he wouldn't let her go so easily, so he had already prepared himself. Now that he understood the meaning behind his words, he followed along and asked.

"This old servant has one foot in the grave, so I don't want anything. I'm just worried about my nephew.

Although he's not my biological nephew, I'm still acquainted with Old Brother Zhao. I can't bear to … "Li Xiaoquan said," This time, the Emperor will definitely send him on an expedition to the North. I don't know if General can … "He stopped speaking.

***

Si Yue knelt on the cold ground. Her clothes had been covered in dust for a long time and were so dirty that it was impossible to distinguish her original appearance.

Her forehead was pressed against the ground. The rough ground was rubbing against her forehead, but she couldn't care less.

Her hair scattered messily on both sides of her face. Her eyes were tightly shut, and her cheeks were red. Her delicate brows unconsciously furrowed.

Her body was boiling hot, but she also felt waves of cold.

Her hands and feet were still bound and she could not move. She could only weakly kneel in an unnatural position to reduce her fatigue.

She was like a fish that had left the water, stupidly and humbly lying on the ground, struggling to survive.

Her lungs felt like they were being roasted in a fire, and her throat was dry and tight. She couldn't say a single word.

She vaguely heard the sound of hurried footsteps, and the tightly closed door opened once again.

The sunlight rushed in without warning and squeezed into the dark and cold room, illuminating the small room with a brightness that had never been seen before.

She could feel the warmth of the sunlight on her body. It was so weak that she almost couldn't feel it, but it still warmed her heart.

Then the cold bamboo fragrance wantonly seeped into her nose. In a daze, she was embraced by someone.

She seemed to know who the person was and unconsciously loosened her furrowed brows. It was as if the pain and discomfort all over her body had gradually faded away. Her originally frozen stiff body also relaxed in his warm embrace.

His chest was burning hot, driving away all the coldness in her body. She unconsciously snuggled up to him and pressed her head against his chest. This intimate and dependent posture was as natural as if she had done it countless times before.

As if noticing her momentary relaxation, sleepiness suddenly surged up and seeped into her entire mind in an instant.

She no longer resisted and allowed the exhaustion to seep into her body. She peacefully sank her consciousness into the darkness.

"Ruan Ruan?" Xiao Shijing carefully held her in his arms and called out, but she did not respond.

The person in his arms was thin and quiet, curled up in his arms. Her porcelain-white face was stained with dirt, and upon closer inspection, there were also fine scratches from friction, adding blemishes to her originally pure white face.

He raised his hand to caress her cheek, slowly wiping away the dirt and fine gravel on her face.

She still did not open her eyes, and her breathing was so weak that it was almost undetectable. His heart trembled slightly.

His gaze landed on the unnatural redness on her face. He gently brushed her sweat-soaked and messy hair away from her forehead and touched her forehead.

Feeling the scalding temperature from the back of his hand, his expression could not help but change slightly.

***

"Why hasn't she woken up after taking the medicine?" Xiao Shijing's eyes flashed with anxiety as he looked at Doctor Zhang, who was checking her pulse.

Doctor Zhang was the fu's usual doctor and was highly valued by Xiao Shijing. Previously, Si Yue's body had always been taken care of by him.

Hearing this, Doctor Zhang gently put down Si Yue's hand and stood up.

Confusion flashed across his eyes, as if he did not understand something. Then, after some thought, he said hesitantly, "Perhaps it's because Miss's body is weak to begin with, and this time, she has encountered such a calamity …" He paused and shook his head, looking troubled as he said, "This medicine has only temporarily stabilized the situation, but we don't know what will happen in the future …"

"If she still doesn't wake up by tomorrow … I'm afraid it will be bad," Doctor Zhang said hesitantly as he looked worriedly at Xiao Shijing.

"Thank you, Doctor."

Hearing this, Xiao Shijing's heart sank. "Please help me save her life. I will be eternally grateful." He steadied his emotions and solemnly pleaded.

"General, you're exaggerating." Doctor Zhang hurriedly waved his hands and said shamefully, "This one is truly lacking in talent and knowledge … Since I am indebted to General, I will definitely do my best."

Then, he picked up the medicine box that had been placed to the side and turned to go back to modify the prescription to brew a new medicine. However, when he thought of the strange pulse he had taken, he hesitated and paused. "General, Miss's condition doesn't seem to be a normal high fever. It's more like …"

***

Walking out of the door, the old doctor couldn't help but turn back to look at the unconscious woman on the bed.

He sighed inwardly.

He had never seen this official so anxious and uneasy. He had even put aside his status to plead with him so earnestly.

He didn't know if he should say that she had a good life. She was loved by the general, but she couldn't bear such good fortune. Her life was so bumpy.

Shaking his head, he stopped thinking about it and walked out of the courtyard without stopping.

After the doctor left, Xiao Shijing walked over to Si Yue's bed and sat down beside her. His eyes carefully scanned her face.

She had lost a lot of weight, he thought.

The little bit of flesh that she had grown was now nowhere to be seen.

"Ruan Ruan, I've found you this time." He held her slender hand and said in a low voice.

"Ah Shi gege didn't abandon you this time." He bent down and rested his elbow on the bed.

Raising her hand, he pressed her palm against his forehead.

"But, did I come too late?" He closed his eyes.

"Maybe I was wrong. I shouldn't have selfishly wanted to keep you by my side."

"I thought I could protect you, but I always break my promise … … It's not good to be by my side. You're always bullied."

He stared blankly at the deep bloodstains on her hand that were left behind by the rope. They were so deep that he could almost see the bone.

How painful it must be.

He clearly wanted her to be well, but he let his little girl suffer so much.

For the first time, he felt that he was so useless and hateful.

Arong stood guard outside the door. He looked inside with some worry, but he couldn't see anything. He didn't know how the girl was doing.

She had clearly been fine when she went out, but now she was carried back by his daren.

He sighed in his heart that the world was unpredictable. This girl's life was truly suffering.

Following his daren, he didn't see her enjoying any good fortune. Instead, she had encountered a lot of bad luck.

Others envied her for being able to hit the jackpot and reach the heavens in a single bound. At this time, he felt that this wasn't necessarily a good thing.

Just like the general, he had stepped on a path of blood and used his military achievements to reach his current position. A commoner, rising quickly. It was almost like reaching the heavens in a single bound, shocking everyone.

Compared to the noble children in the court who relied on the protection of their ancestors to reach a decent position, his daren was too eye-catching, too eye-catching.

He pretended to be deep in thought. He pitied Si Yue and sighed with emotion about his daren's past achievements. At the same time, he couldn't help but yawn loudly.

After standing guard outside for most of the night, he was already sleepy. He patted his face to wake himself up and continued to stand guard.

He thought that his daren would come out quickly, but he didn't expect that he would be guarding the girl for the entire night. Fine, what else could he do? He couldn't just go lie down without his master saying anything. Of course, he had to stay with her.

He raised his head to look at the night sky. It was already late at night. It happened to be the fifteenth day of the month. The moon was perfect, hanging high in the sky. There wasn't a single star in sight, as if they were all hidden behind the thick clouds.

He rubbed his chin.