A piece of Japanese incense

Chapter 206 Talk

"Yihe, wait a moment," the princess said in a soft voice, "I do remember the painting you mentioned very clearly."

When Zhi Yihe heard this, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes. She stopped and turned to face the princess.

The princess smiled gently, raised her hand and motioned her to come closer: "Why leave in such a hurry? Why don't you stay here and have a chat with me by candlelight at night. I often envy those ordinary people, mother and daughter..."

"Your Highness," Zhi Yihe interrupted anxiously. She was extremely uncomfortable with the term "mother and daughter," and she didn't want to spend the whole night talking to someone she didn't know well. "Have you ever seen the painting that appeared in my dream?"

The princess curled her lips and forced a smile. "Of course! This is something I saw when I was a child. It's a painting of people and landscapes. The birds and animals in the painting are lifelike, and stories from various schools are interwoven in it. The allusions of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism are vividly portrayed on the paper. Although it was only a glimpse, it is truly engraved in my heart."

Zhi Yihe's eyes sparkled, and she was very excited: "May I ask Princess, where did you see this painting?" She realized that she was too excited, and quickly added: "I didn't expect that the painting in my dream would actually exist. It's amazing."

The princess's face darkened slightly, she held Zhi Yihe's hand, and sat back on the Luohan bed together, recalling: "People only know that my father has favored Concubine Xin for many years, but few people know that decades ago, there was a beauty in the palace who was truly favored.

She lived in the Pearl Mirror Palace, close to her father. When her father didn't have to deal with government affairs, he always rushed to her palace. Treasures and rewards were sent to her palace like water, and her father racked his brains and took great pains to prepare unique surprises for her, just to make her smile.

She didn't even need to greet anyone, and few people in the palace had seen her appearance. That day, because I hadn't seen my father for several months, I was curious and sneaked into the Pearl Mirror Palace to see with my own eyes what kind of stunning face this person who had seduced my father was.

At this point, the princess paused, her eyes drifted towards Zhi Yihe, and then she said nonchalantly: I was there, and I saw the painting. "

Zhi Yihe was a little confused. She secretly speculated that the beauty the princess was talking about might be her grandmother. However, judging from the princess's expression, it didn't seem like a beautiful memory. So she asked with a smile, "So, is that painting still in the Pearl Mirror Hall?"

"I don't know. After the beauty passed away, my father sealed the Pearl Mirror Palace. Now, I don't know if the painting is still there."

Zhi Yihe finally said goodbye to the princess, left the courtyard where she was, and walked alone in the night. The railings of the corridor shone coldly in the moonlight, and the rockery, flowers, and trees that were familiar during the day were looming in the darkness.

The moment he pushed open the door, Zhi Yihe was stunned.

Under the dim light, Zhi Siqi sat there quietly, staring at the door, as if he had been waiting for a long time.

There was a trace of fatigue on his face, but his eyes flashed with surprise for a moment. He tried hard to stand up, and his originally hunched back straightened a little. The corners of his mouth rose unconsciously, and he whispered softly, "Sister is finally back."

Zhi Yihe gently took a blanket and draped it over his knees, asking in a concerned voice, "Xiao Qi?! When did you come? Why didn't you send someone to tell me?"

"Yuyi said you wanted to walk around by yourself, and I didn't want to disturb you, so I'll wait for you here."

That voice was like a warm spring breeze, blowing away Zhi Yihe's fatigue. She felt a warm current in her heart, and her eyes were moist. In this strange place, there was actually a relative who was waiting for her silently in such a corner. This feeling was extremely reassuring.

She rubbed Zhi Siqi's head, sat beside him, held her cheeks with both hands and asked him: "What's the matter? Is there anything you want to discuss with me?"

Zhi Siqi said slowly: "Sister He, I don't think we should go to join the Yan Family Army."

Zhi Yihe lowered his eyes for a few moments before responding with a smile, "Hmm~ Young man, please state your opinion."

Zhi Siqi's expression did not relax at all, and he said slowly: "When I said goodbye to my father, he repeatedly told me to put my sister first in everything. So, sister, let's stay in Sanchuan, and I will definitely protect you."

Zhi Yihe looked at him with a smile, and asked calmly with a hint of surprise, "Don't you want to be reunited with your grandmother? Aren't you worried about your grandfather's safety? Don't you want to meet them soon?"

"According to intelligence, although Feng Jinqi and his son are actively expanding their military forces, Feng Yuanqi needs to feed on the blood of the men every day, and the morale of the soldiers is unsettled. Sister, weren't you able to evacuate safely because of the riot in the army? The army's morale is unstable, and most of the officials in the court are wavering. In addition, the relationship between the father and son is not harmonious, so it is not difficult to conquer them.

Since we have heard the news, I believe my grandmother must have heard it too. But Feng Jinqi and his son still have my grandfather and cousin Zhiyu in their hands, so they will inevitably use this as a threat. The two sides are about to go to war, and the situation seems balanced, but in fact the people in our hands are crucial. I am well aware of my physical condition..."

Zhi Yihe held his hand tightly and shook his head, saying, "Xiao Qi, don't be so pessimistic. I will definitely try to save you."

Zhi Siqi waved his hand and continued, "Sister, listen to me carefully. Sanchuan is a place with mountains and rivers, and it has both offensive and defensive advantages. We should hide our strength and watch others fight each other. Regardless of the outcome, we have the advantage to compete with them. At that time, we may be able to compete with them and share the world. Father's long-cherished wish may also come true."

Zhi Yihe's eyes were focused on him. For a moment, she seemed to see the shadow of her father in this brother. She frowned slightly, with a melancholy look on her face: "Xiao Qi, have you ever thought about what the princess' situation would be like if what you said was true? And those relatives who raised you, can you really abandon them just because of your father's wish?"

Zhi Siqi responded calmly: "Sister, for you, life is long and you can live for tomorrow. For me, life is like a mayfly, full of hardships, and I want to leave a trace of myself."

"Xiao Qi, life is a tree full of possibilities. You can't just give up because of a temporary problem..."

"And sister! I know your love for me, so I am fearless. However, I don't know my father's heart. Do you still remember? Brother Zhixu once sighed that jasmine was falling, and you said that you would let him paint jasmine. In this way, even if the years pass, the jasmine will wither and rot and become soil, but its fragrance will still remain in the painting. I want to be the jasmine in my father's heart. Whenever the scroll is unfolded, I can enter his heart, and my long-cherished wish will be fulfilled.

Zhi Yihe put his hand to his forehead and closed his eyes, not wanting to continue facing this innocent and silly brother in front of him.

"I'm sorry." Zhi Siqi noticed her impatience and apologized in a low voice.

"Xiao Qi, you should say sorry to yourself." Zhi Yihe shook his head helplessly: "Forget it, I was planning to stay put. You can rest here and recuperate. I will definitely find a treatment for you. Now? I will take you back to sleep!"

Zhi Yihe pushed Zhi Siqi back to his residence. He seemed too exhausted. When she lit calming incense for him, he had already fallen asleep.

"Young Master! I finally found you!" Shan Yi hurriedly ran in from outside the door.

Zhi Yihe shushed him, closed the door, and gently scolded him, "Keep your voice down! Why are you so flustered?"

Shan Yi carefully handed over the secret letter in his hand and panted heavily: "This is an urgent matter, fight! Fight!"

Zhi Yihe behaved unexpectedly calmly. She placed the secret letter under the candlelight and read it carefully: At the hour of You, Yan's army attacked Wusheng Pass. Feng Jinqi led his troops to be ready for battle and personally met the enemy, successfully repelling Yan's army by fifty miles.

Zhi Yihe murmured in a low voice: "How did he know that the enemy would take Wusheng Pass first? Could it be that there are spies among the generals of the Yan family army?"

"Little Lord?"

Zhi Yihe saw the big face in front of her and threw the letter to him without saying a word: "Inform the city lord that I have something to discuss with him."

"Ah? Then are we still joining the Yan family army? Brothers, should we also be prepared for war at any time?" Shan Yi followed behind her, chattering non-stop.