Chapter 103

Chapter 103

Late at night, nearly a hundred men in black, riding tall horses, charged out of the city gates and headed toward the Li State.

The next morning at dawn, the group arrived in the Li State. An Jinzhi led the way, stopping before a residence.

An Jinzhi dismounted and went to knock on the door.

At that moment, Jiang Mo was in the kitchen brewing medicine for Madam An.

She had been in the Li State for over twenty days. Madam An and An Jinzhi had treated her well, and she had gradually grown accustomed to life here, though it was much humbler than before.

No matter how much gold and silver the An family had brought from home, they couldn't take their power, land, or industries from the Northern Domain. The money was running out without being replenished. Madam An was gravely ill, and seeing a doctor and buying medicine cost a great deal of silver. An Jinzhi was used to a life of luxury and, upon arriving in the Li State, had been unrestrained in her spending, spending money like water. By the time Jiang Mo arrived, there wasn't much silver left.

Just two days after Jiang Mo’s arrival, An Jinzhi handed her the warehouse keys and a disorganized ledger, saying, "The steward went to attend my father on the battlefield, and I’m truly not good at these matters. From now on, I’ll leave everything to you." She treated Jiang Mo like the lady of the house.

Jiang Mo sighed as she looked at the ledger. If An Zexin’s wife were still alive, the money wouldn’t have been spent so quickly.

Speaking of which, the day after the An family’s dependents arrived in the Li State, the young grandson of the An family inexplicably started vomiting and having diarrhea. The doctor said it was due to the unfamiliar climate and prescribed medicine. But instead of improving, his condition worsened, and within a few days, the child passed away. An Zexin’s wife, unable to bear the shock, ran out one night in a frenzy and was never found again.

The An family of the Northern Domain was utterly ruined.

Jiang Mo worried over the jade, paintings, calligraphy, and the meager silver in the warehouse. A young lady like An Jinzhi wouldn't realize that as powerless outsiders, they could only get whatever price buyers offered for even the most valuable jade and paintings. There was even a risk of being targeted by criminals if they revealed these items. Without a reliable buyer, they couldn't sell them.

She told Madam An about the money situation, and Madam An authorized her to dismiss some servants. So Jiang Mo let go of over a dozen people, leaving only three maids and two servants in the residence.

An Jinzhi was always out early and came back late, gathering news. About ten days ago, An Jinzhi came back looking pale, silently shutting herself in her room all night. Jiang Mo wanted to ask, but seeing An Jinzhi’s expression, she knew she wouldn’t say, so she didn’t press. She guessed it must be about the war situation of the An Family Army.

The next morning, An Jinzhi visited Madam An and then left, and never returned.

When Jiang Mo delivered medicine to Madam An, Madam An said An Jinzhi had told her that the An Family Army was invincible, having already captured two cities, and that she wanted to contribute and would be away for a while longer.

But Jiang Mo thought An Jinzhi was lying. If it were true, she would have returned overjoyed rather than looking so distressed. Jiang Mo believed An Jinzhi was just trying to comfort Madam An.

Hearing the knock on the door, Jiang Mo thought it was An Jinzhi returning. She quickly put down the fan, took the medicine pot off the stove, and headed toward the courtyard gate.

It had snowed the previous night, and the snow in the courtyard hadn’t been cleared yet. Jiang Mo's footsteps crunched in the snow. The osmanthus tree in the small yard was covered in snow, and a cold wind blew, sending a flurry of snow onto her shoulders.

Jiang Mo shivered, feeling the cold. Only then did she realize she had rushed out without putting on a cloak. She was only wearing a bamboo-green silk padded skirt, which looked very thin.

In the front yard, only a young servant was sweeping snow. When the knocking came, he was far away, called out, "Coming!" as he put down his broom and walked toward the gate.

Jiang Mo, sensitive to the cold, stood with her arms crossed in front of the flower hall, looking toward the gate.

The gate slowly opened. The servant stepped aside, revealing An Jinzhi. Jiang Mo was about to speak when she saw a figure appear behind An Jinzhi.

When she recognized the familiar face of the man, Jiang Mo’s heart seemed to stop. She stood frozen, staring blankly.

The next moment, a mix of sorrow and joy surged within her. Her nose tingled, her eyes grew hot, and tears welled up. She saw nothing else around her—only the man running toward her.

Forgetting the cold, she also rushed toward him, with only one thought in her mind: to throw herself into his arms and never be separated from him again.

Chen Yingchou crouched slightly, opening his arms to catch her. Jiang Mo stood on tiptoe, tightly wrapping her arms around Chen Yingchou’s neck, her tears soaking his hair at the temples. "Chen Yingchou, I thought I would never see you again."

"A Mo…" Chen Yingchou’s voice choked. He stroked her back with his warm hand. "I missed you so much."

Jiang Mo slid her hands from his shoulders down to circle his waist, leaning her head against his chest, listening to his strong, steady heartbeat. Her heart calmed down, as if a drifting duckweed had found roots, a flying bird had returned to its nest.

Chen Yingchou held her tightly in his arms. Her familiar scent nourished his parched soul; her soft body soothed his broken spirit.

"In this life, I will never be separated from you again. Come back to the palace with me and be my empress." The corners of his eyes reddened, and his eyes glistened with tears.

Jiang Mo looked up at him, reaching out to touch his face. "Alright, we will never be apart."

She wanted to ask about the child but dared not, her heart in her throat. She finally spoke, "How is the child?" Thinking of the child, her heart ached. She stared intently at Chen Yingchou, afraid he might give bad news.

"The child is well. We named him Chen Ningyan. Our Yan’er is doing just fine."

Jiang Mo let out a sigh of relief, tears falling as she lowered her head and nodded. "That’s good, that’s good."

When she looked up again, she noticed a strand of white hair on Chen Yingchou’s forehead. She touched it involuntarily. "Your Majesty, how did this hair turn white?"

"It’s nothing." Chen Yingchou said casually, but his eyes could no longer hold back the tears, which fell drop by drop. He grabbed Jiang Mo’s wrist and nuzzled her hand, his deep, dark eyes gazing tenderly at her. "A Mo, you can't leave me again."

"I won't leave, not ever." She wiped his tears with her cold fingers. "Has Your Majesty won?"

Chen Yingchou nodded. "An Shengwu and An Zexin have both died in battle. The An Family Army is completely wiped out."

Jiang Mo looked at An Jinzhi. "Your Majesty, Madam An and General Jinzhi have treated me very well. They were not involved in the rebellion. Could you spare them and let them continue to live here?"

An Jinzhi watched Chen Yingchou nervously. She had guessed correctly—Jiang Mo was pleading for them. But she didn’t know if Chen Yingchou would agree.

Chen Yingchou took off his cloak and draped it over Jiang Mo, then walked up to An Jinzhi. "If you swear the An family will never set foot in Great Qi again, I will spare you."

Even without Jiang Mo’s plea, he had no intention of killing Madam An or An Jinzhi.

An Jinzhi let out a sigh of relief, knelt on one knee, and cupped her fists. "I thank Your Majesty for your grace."

"Rise."

An Jinzhi stood up. "Your Majesty has been riding hard all night without any rest. You may rest here for a day and set off again tomorrow morning." She wasn’t trying to keep Chen Yingchou; she wanted to keep Jiang Mo one more day to bid her a proper farewell.

Chen Yingchou turned to look at Jiang Mo. "No, we’ll leave now." After all, this was the Li State, and their travel documents were forged. It wasn’t safe to stay longer and risk any complications.

"A Mo, go pack your things first. I’ll wait for you here."

Jiang Mo stepped forward and took Chen Yingchou’s arm. "Your Majesty, I want to say goodbye to Madam An and General Jinzhi." She glanced at the water clock. "It’s still early. Let’s have lunch together, then leave."

Chen Yingchou brushed the hair from her forehead. "Alright, as you wish."

He turned to He Ji and said, "You all go get some food and rest for a while. Also, prepare a carriage. Meet here at the hour of Shen."

"Yes."

He Ji left. Jiang Mo said, "Your Majesty, please wait a moment in the flower hall. Madam An’s medicine isn’t ready yet. I’ll see her drink it, say goodbye to her, and then come find you."

Jiang Mo turned to go to the kitchen, but Chen Yingchou pulled her back and looked at An Jinzhi. "How could you let Jiang Mo brew medicine? Can't you even afford maids or servants?"

Since handing over the warehouse keys to Jiang Mo, An Jinzhi had been solely focused on gathering news, her heart consumed by the war. She had no idea what was happening in the residence.

Jiang Mo stepped in front of Chen Yingchou, taking his hands. "We are fugitives. This

It looked like she couldn't keep looking after Madam An anymore.

"An Zeyou showed me kindness. Since he's not around, it's only right I take care of his mother."

"A Mo, An Zeyou is in the Northern Frontier. I will let him return to care for his mother. You don't need to worry about the An family's matters anymore."

His A Mo was kind and knew how to repay kindness. She'd already done more than enough.

An Jinzhi knew that the only reason she could safely go out to gather information during this time was because Jiang Mo was at home. She was reluctant to let Jiang Mo go, but she knew she couldn't and shouldn't stop her.

Jiang Mo was going back to be the empress. An Zeyou couldn't give her anything.

"Jiang Mo, don't worry about Mother. I will take good care of her. Just don't tell her the truth when you see her. Tell her the war isn't over yet, and that Dad, big bro, and second brother are all fine. Tell her that second brother wants to see you, and you need to leave for a while."

Jiang Mo nodded. "I understand."

She slipped off the cloak and handed it to Chen Yingchou. "Your Majesty, General Jinzhi, please wait in the parlor for a bit. Once I say goodbye to Madam An, we'll have lunch together."

Chen Yingchou spread open the cloak and wrapped it around both of them. "A Mo, let me help you brew the medicine."

Jiang Mo poked his cheek with her finger. "Who knew the mighty emperor could be so clingy? Alright, let's go together."

Chen Yingchou, like a kid who'd just gotten a reward, joyfully pulled her into his arms and, holding her, walked toward the kitchen.

An Jinzhi watched them walk away, her heart full of mixed feelings. Since she had known Jiang Mo, she always felt that Jiang Mo carried an indescribable pain and an aloofness that kept others at a distance. It was rare to see Jiang Mo smile from the heart.

Although she had hoped that Jiang Mo would one day accept An Zeyou and become her sister-in-law, the truth was plain to see: the one Jiang Mo loved was Chen Yingchou, and she only smiled like that when she was with him.

It was time to make her second brother move on.

Arriving at the kitchen, Jiang Mo skillfully placed the medicine pot on the stove, took a small stool and sat down, picked up the palm-leaf fan she had set aside, and as she fanned, she pointed to the stool across from her. "Your Majesty, sit."

The kitchen was very warm. Chen Yingchou took off his cloak and placed it on the chopping board, bent down, took the fan from Jiang Mo, and sat on the little stool to fan the fire. "You rest for a while. I'll brew the medicine."