Under the reverent gaze of the entire court and populace, Xiao Qing, hand in hand with Liang Xiao, descended the Golden Terrace. Accompanied by the two chief shadow guards, they boarded the Emperor's carriage.
The crowd was almost breathless!
To ride in the Emperor's carriage with the Son of Heaven himself?
What an extraordinary honor!
Since the founding of the Great Qian dynasty, only the founding Prime Minister, Zhuo Mingfeng, and the founding Marshal, Gongsun Wuji, had ever shared the Emperor's carriage with the High Ancestor. Now, Liang Xiao, the Marquis of An, was added to their ranks!
Ding Wuyi and Ning Xuejun, masked and mounted on their steeds, rode guard on either side.
The Emperor's carriage finally set forth.
Jian Qinwan and others reunited with the Liang family members, returning to their manor, all the while casting proud glances back at Liang Xiao, their faces beaming with pride.
As they passed, the common folk knelt in succession, crying out, "Long live His Majesty! The Marquis of An is virtuous and benevolent!"
Liang Xiao and Xiao Qing sat side by side, as if they had lived through different eras.
He had merely wished to be a wealthy man.
The invasion from the wilds and the strife among aristocratic clans had shattered his dreams!
Since that was the case, he would seize this opportunity, sweep away the enemy, and restore peace and order to the land!
The warmth emanating from his palm caused Liang Xiao's heart to stir inexplicably.
His little Shuangzi, her hand still holding his, felt as though she would never let go, as if she feared he might wander off.
Liang Xiao couldn't help but glance at Xiao Qing, his heart filled with increasing doubt.
Could it really be...
Liang Xiao could no longer suppress the curiosity in his heart. He leaned closer to Xiao Qing and sniffed.
He remembered Princess Ning Shuang having a faint, natural fragrance.
Xiao Qing, who had been beaming with joy and looking straight ahead, suddenly felt her heart race as Liang Xiao drew near. She pinched his thigh in playful annoyance, maintaining an outwardly dignified composure.
Liang Xiao was startled.
He hadn't smelled a faint fragrance, but...
Wasn't this the same attack style the female Rakshasa often used against him?
Liang Xiao's curiosity grew, and he began to push the boundaries, repeatedly testing the waters.
His right hand was still held by Xiao Qing, but he subtly extended his index and middle fingers, lightly tapping Xiao Qing's thigh twice.
Xiao Qing's face instantly flushed red, and she pinched Liang Xiao's calf again.
Ding Wuyi and Ning Xuejun, oblivious to the subtle movements between the two in the Emperor's carriage, merely saw Xiao Qing blush and couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "Indeed, even just sitting with young Master Liang can make her blush."
"In broad daylight, if you keep touching me, I won't speak to you anymore..."
Liang Xiao, who was still frantically probing, heard Xiao Qing's plaintive warning and finally settled down.
Why did even her warning sound so girlish...
Nearby, Ding Wuyi, with his astonishing hearing, finally caught Xiao Qing's voice and couldn't help but roll his eyes at Liang Xiao.
This fellow, we still underestimated his shamelessness...
Seeing Liang Xiao finally behave, Xiao Qing breathed a sigh of relief, but her heart soon fluttered in panic.
Did he suspect already...
No! I'll pretend not to know and surprise him on the fifteenth of August, then I'll spank him with a small leather whip!
In the spacious Imperial Study, the four Grand Ministers stood on either side, looking at Liang Xiao and Xiao Qing with relief.
"Little Shuangzi, elder brother is back..." Liang Xiao clasped Xiao Qing's hand, his throat tight.
Half a year had passed!
Hearing the depth of Liang Xiao's emotion, Xiao Qing said with delight, "Elder brother must have many things to say to little Shuangzi..."
Liang Xiao then grinned, "Little Shuangzi actually didn't cry. Unbelievable."
The four Grand Ministers gasped, forced to concede.
This young man's focus was always so bizarre!
Xiao Qing's gaze turned resentful, and she stared fixedly at Liang Xiao.
"I've practiced, hmph hmph~"
Liang Xiao realized with a start and tenderly squeezed Xiao Qing's small face, "You've truly had a tough time, little Shuangzi."
Xiao Qing was on the verge of tears, but she managed to hold them back and said, "Elder brother is the one who has had it the toughest!"
"Elder brother doesn't feel it's tough," Liang Xiao responded vaguely, then asked, "Where is Shuang'er?"
The four Grand Ministers remained silent.
Xiao Qing huffed, "When the fifteenth of August arrives, you'll see Princess Ning Shuang in her wedding attire. You're not allowed to see her now!"
Liang Xiao eyed Xiao Qing with suspicion, "Are you saying that, according to the traditions of the Great Qian dynasty, a woman cannot see her husband before marriage?"
"Of course~" Xiao Qing beamed.
Liang Xiao fell into thought, ultimately suppressing the questions he wanted to ask little Shuangzi.
Because he didn't dare face the truth. It would mean that one of them might have perished, and how heart-wrenching would that be for the one remaining...
"Alright then, we'll wait until the fifteenth of August. If Shuang'er is naughty, she can experience the power of her husband," Liang Xiao pouted.
Xiao Qing's heart was in turmoil, and she forced herself to remain calm, responding with a soft "Oh," daring not to reply.
Today is the ninth of August. This fellow...
Liang Xiao looked at Xiao Qing, a pang of inexplicable pain striking him, and held her small hands even tighter.
"Little Shuangzi has truly grown up, stronger than before. Will she still be elder brother's little Shuangzi..."
Hearing this, Xiao Qing held back her tears and replied, "Of course! No matter how strong little Shuangzi becomes, she will always be the little Shuangzi in elder brother's heart who never grows up. Without elder brother, perhaps little Shuangzi would have been a doomed ruler."
Liang Xiao was deeply touched and, going with the flow, squeezed Xiao Qing's little face again, "Little Shuangzi is the best!"
Ding Wuyi, watching from the side, was filled with emotion!
This couple, these two lovers...
As long as Xiao Qing didn't ask, Ding Wuyi wouldn't rush to tell his lord about the contents of the inscription.
He suddenly wondered, on the wedding day of these two, who would be the more skilled?
"Alas, it's not my fault. It's all young Master Liang's doing. I've caught his mischievousness and become increasingly shameless," a self-deceiving voice arose in Ding Wuyi's mind, offering him solace.
Lu Yi and Wang Canghai simply watched, saying nothing.
Calling her "little Shuangzi" incessantly...
This child was clearly deeply ensnared in love, unable to extricate herself!
However, they could also understand.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, especially after half a year apart?
Having lost her imperial brother and empress mother since childhood, her father at fifteen, ascending the throne under her imperial brother's name while bearing a woman's body, facing a nation that appeared prosperous but was actually riddled with deep-seated problems.
Living her entire life for the Xiao family, and having to consider bearing heirs with the most outstanding men in the country to continue the royal lineage, only to encounter the barbarians breaking their pact and marching south shortly after her ascension...
Only the young empress herself could truly comprehend these feelings.
In such circumstances, Liang Xiao appeared like a comet, pulling her out of the abyss of despair, amusing her, doting on her, and trusting her...
How could anyone not love such a man!
"Elder brother need not be reserved. The four Grand Ministers trust you completely. No one is more trustworthy than elder brother..." Xiao Qing said softly.
Liang Xiao's heart was moved, and he put an arm around Xiao Qing's shoulder, causing her to blush.
"Little Shuangzi, eternal peace is a long and arduous path," Liang Xiao sighed.
"Mm!" Xiao Qing nodded solemnly.
Pacifying Jiangnan was merely one step.
The nation still required more talent and stronger military might; these could not be achieved overnight!
But what truly pleased Xiao Qing was that her elder brother had not become arrogant or complacent, nor had he slacked off because of his achievements!
What he had accomplished was something others wouldn't even dare to imagine!
The Gongyang clan, which had caused Gongsun Ye so much humiliation, was now toyed with in his palm, and then unceremoniously cast aside!
Xiao Qing secretly glanced at him, feeling as though she could no longer suppress the urge to hug Liang Xiao tightly. She quickly said, "Elder brother, your family is still waiting for you. On the fifteenth of August, I'll wait for you..."