“I have no regrets, and I believe she won’t look down on me either. Besides, we still have Qingfeng and Baiyu by our side, don’t we?”
Though Prince Ji’s worries echoed in Leng Mingye’s heart—would she really never come to disdain him in the future?—for the sake of the young woman, he still turned his cold gaze to his father and spoke.
“Very well, I agree to let you seek out your birth parents. As long as you can reconcile with them, I won’t stand in your way. Then you and Princess Qingya can be together openly.”
Though Prince Ji was filled with apprehension over his son’s words, he sighed and resignedly agreed, nodding with deep sorrow as he reminded him.
Three days later, Feng Moli indeed found Leng Mingye within the agreed time.
Hearing his decision and words, the worry in Feng Moli’s heart dissipated significantly.
“Good. Since you’ve made this decision, I won’t obstruct you any longer. But I have one condition: you must come with me to Daqi. Travel with Qing’er along the way. As for me, I have matters to attend to in my country and will depart first.”
Leng Mingye’s resolute attitude made Feng Moli reflect on the man who had devoted ten years of his youth and even his inner strength for his niece. Truthfully, Feng Moli couldn’t bring himself to do the same.
Yet, to test his resolve, Feng Moli looked at him and said, “Alright, I’ll go with her to Daqi.”
Uncertain of Feng Moli’s true intentions, though Leng Mingye longed to stay and investigate his earlier claims in Bo Country, the thought of Feng Moli’s imminent return to Daqi and the young woman’s purpose for going there made him nod earnestly.
“Good. I’ll depart at dawn tomorrow. You two can leave later, as you’re both injured. Follow two days after. On the journey, you must take good care of Qing’er. I won’t tolerate even the slightest harm coming to her. Can you do that?”
Leng Mingye’s response moved Feng Moli. After a pause, he added his instructions, then asked again for reassurance.
“No problem.”
Though puzzled by Feng Moli’s early departure, Leng Mingye understood his current lack of strength and skill, and that the young woman hardly needed his protection. Yet, he still frowned slightly and agreed.
Soon, it was the morning Feng Moli had mentioned.
“Ye’er, your injuries haven’t fully healed. Where are you going like this?”
Early that morning, Leng Mingye had Qingfeng and Baiyu prepare for the journey. Though the two attendants didn’t understand Feng Moli’s motives, they knew their master, now devoid of inner strength and martial prowess, intended to accompany Princess Qingya to Daqi.
Unable to dissuade him, they feigned compliance but secretly informed Prince Ji.
Thus, as Leng Mingye—dressed in a moon-white robe, his face unusually pale and weak—stepped out of his courtyard with his attendants, Prince Ji arrived and stopped him. Seeing his son’s improved yet still frail condition, Prince Ji couldn’t help but ask.
“Today is the day Princess Qingya leaves for Daqi. I must accompany her to ensure her safety along the way.”
At his father’s intervention, Leng Mingye noticed his attendants’ guilty lowered heads. He shot them a reproachful glance before turning to Prince Ji.
“You foolish child! The Emperor and Prince Ning have already arranged escorts for Princess Qingya’s journey to Daqi. With no inner strength, you’d only be a burden. Why trouble them?”
Though Prince Ji understood his son’s feelings for the princess, the long journey to Daqi and his son’s current state made him question the decision.
“Father, is this how you see me? True, I no longer have my former abilities, but I’m still a man. How can I not accompany the woman I love to another country? I may not be what I was, but even without inner strength, I still have my skills.”
Though Leng Mingye knew his father meant well, the loss of his strength had made others treat him like a child. His pride, long suppressed during his search for his birth father, now flared. Hearing his father belittle him before Qingfeng, Baiyu, and even the maidservants, his anger and resentment surged.
“Must I be seen as so useless without my inner strength?” he thought bitterly.
“You stubborn boy! I’m only worried for you. What if something happens on the road? How would I explain it to your mother? Is Princess Qingya worth risking your life?”
Prince Ji, startled by his son’s rare defiance and the fury in his eyes, realized his mistake. His son had always been proud, and though he’d seemed to accept his condition calmly, his reaction now revealed deep-seated insecurity.
With a sigh, Prince Ji asked helplessly, knowing he couldn’t stop him but still pleading.
“Father, I’m not so weak that I need constant protection. What does it matter if I lack inner strength? I can still protect her. Enough—I’m leaving. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of myself.”
Leng Mingye met his father’s troubled gaze coldly, masking his own turmoil. Turning away with Qingfeng and Baiyu, he paused briefly when Prince Ji followed, then strode off without looking back.
Though his face bore traces of hardship and pallor, his steps were as steady as ever. Yet, after leaving, an unfamiliar wave of sorrow and loss washed over him.
“Must I be judged like this just because I’ve lost my inner strength?”
The thought that even his father, who claimed to care for him, saw him this way gnawed at him. But then he recalled the young woman’s words the day before when she visited.
He had asked her, “Now that I’m powerless, practically a cripple, aren’t you afraid I’ll be a burden?”
Her reply had been, “What does it matter if you lack inner strength? If you can’t protect yourself, I’ll protect you.”
Though touched, the idea of being shielded by her as a man left him disheartened. He’d nearly refused her outright, letting her travel alone. Yet, thoughts of the challenges she might face in Daqi made him relent.
Thus, despite their strained parting, he rose early to wait for her at the palace gates.
“You came. I thought you were angry with me after yesterday and wouldn’t show up.”
At the palace gates, the young woman had already boarded her carriage but waited, uneasy after her uncle’s warnings. Just as she prepared to leave, she saw Leng Mingye approaching with Qingfeng and Baiyu.
Though his face was pale and weary, her heart lifted at his arrival.
“Why wouldn’t I come? Do you think me so petty?” Leng Mingye’s mood darkened at her words. Despite her evident joy, his heart sank. Clenching his fists, he replied coolly before heading to his own carriage.
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