“Ye Fang, why are you sitting on the rockery alone, lost in thought?” Leng Ruo Li asked curiously.
“Consort, Consort, your subordinate… your subordinate…”
Ye Fang stammered for a long time, unsure whether to voice her request to Leng Ruo Li. Although she knew her Consort was very kind, her request was somewhat…
“Just say what you want to say. The Consort has had a busy day and is very tired!” Ye Ying urged from the side.
“Consort, can you please help save Zuo Qing?” Ye Fang finally mustered up the courage to say.
Hearing this, Leng Ruo Li paused slightly.
“Isn't Zuo Qing the personal guard of King Qing?”
“Yes, Consort. After King Qing died, King Qing’s estate was confiscated. Zuo Qing, as King Qing’s personal guard, although he wasn't beheaded, he was sent to the harsh lands for labor along with other guards, with no possibility of return.”
After hearing Ye Fang’s words, Leng Ruo Li guessed her request.
“Ye Fang, do you want me to keep Zuo Qing here?”
Ye Fang was a little surprised.
Did the Consort read minds? She hadn't even spoken her request, and the Consort had already guessed it.
Immediately, Ye Fang readily admitted it.
“Yes, Consort! Your subordinate wishes for you to request the Emperor… to… to let Zuo Qing stay in the capital.”
“Sigh…”
After hearing Ye Fang’s request, Leng Ruo Li sighed, then turned to Ye Ying and asked, “Ye Ying, when will Zuo Qing be escorted out of the capital?”
“Reporting to the Consort, Zuo Qing and the others will be escorted out of the capital the day after tomorrow.”
“Hmm, tomorrow morning, I will prepare two desserts and a grilled meat and bacon pizza. You will personally deliver them to the Emperor in the palace.”
Upon hearing this, Ye Ying quickly understood her Consort’s intention and replied respectfully, “Yes, Consort!”
Ye Fang, on the other hand, was overjoyed.
The Consort had agreed to her request and would petition the Emperor on Zuo Qing’s behalf.
“Your subordinate thanks the Consort!” Ye Fang said, her heart filled with gratitude.
“Mm, however, I cannot guarantee whether the Emperor will agree to Zuo Qing’s matter.”
“Consort, if this matter fails, then Zuo Qing’s luck is simply not good,” Ye Fang said with a hint of sadness in her expression.
Seeing Ye Fang’s expression, Leng Ruo Li knew she had developed feelings for Zuo Qing.
Afterward, Leng Ruo Li dismissed Ye Ying and Xing'er, and invited Ye Fang to sit with her in the Cold Che Yuan.
“Ye Fang, do you like Zuo Qing?” Leng Ruo Li asked, staring intently at the expression on Ye Fang’s face.
Upon hearing this, Ye Fang’s fair cheeks instantly flushed with an abnormal redness.
“Consort, your… your subordinate…”
“Don’t be afraid. Liking someone is your right.”
“Yes, Consort, your subordinate truly likes Zuo Qing.”
“I can see that. Actually, Zuo Qing’s nature is not bad. Although he followed King Qing for many years, he was clever and never did anything wicked. Otherwise, the Emperor would not have spared him. He just followed the wrong master. But let me remind you, even if Zuo Qing is not sent to that harsh land, the Cold King’s estate will not take him in. You have been in the Cold King’s estate for so long, you should understand why, right?”
“Your subordinate understands. Your subordinate just doesn’t want to see him suffer in the harsh lands.”
“Mm, it’s good that you understand! But your state today is very dangerous. Go down and willingly accept your punishment from Ye Ying.”
After speaking, Leng Ruo Li waved her hand at her.
“Yes, Consort!” Ye Fang replied and then left.
After Ye Fang left, Leng Ruo Li went alone to the window in her room, gazing up at the dark night sky. The crescent moon was like a shy maiden hiding behind thin clouds, or like a darting fish, weaving through the dark clouds, looking a bit playful.
Leng Ruo Li stared at the crescent moon, but her entire heart flew to the military camp outside the city.
Jun Mo Han and her father had been at the military camp for several days, but she had not yet received any news from them, nor did she know how they were doing at the camp.
Thinking of this, she suddenly sighed.
Meanwhile, the two individuals Leng Ruo Li longed for were about to face an unknown danger.
At night, after Jun Mo Han and Leng Jin Yu returned from the training grounds, they entered the military tent to prepare for dinner.
“Your Highness, following your training methods these past few days has greatly boosted the soldiers’ morale, spirit, and courage, as well as their physical fitness. Where did you learn these troop training methods from?”
As Leng Jin Yu entered the tent and sat down, he asked Jun Mo Han curiously.
“Father-in-law, these training methods were actually told to me by Li’er. This is the first time I’ve experimented with them.”
“Li’er told you? I never expected my Li’er to know how to train troops and fight. My Li’er is truly capable and has my youthful demeanor.”
When Leng Jin Yu heard that the training methods they were implementing were proposed by his daughter, his previously admiring gaze towards Jun Mo Han shifted, and he became proud of his daughter’s intelligence and talent.
Jun Mo Han, standing by, felt speechless at Leng Jin Yu’s words.
He didn’t know when his father-in-law had become so narcissistic.
In reality, these training methods were learned from watching television in his Consort’s space. Although Leng Ruo Li would sometimes explain her past training experiences in the organization when she had free time, she was always busy in her space, either researching in the laboratory or sorting medicinal herbs on the grassland. She rarely had much time to chat with him.
However, the televisions and computers in her space were excellent resources. He could find answers to most of his questions there. The only difficulty he encountered was that he hadn’t learned English yet, and he couldn't understand some English abbreviations.
Just as Jun Mo Han was lost in thought, Leng Jin Yu asked again, “Your Highness, did Li’er tell you anything else besides these training methods?”
“Uh…”
“Father-in-law, Li’er is usually too busy. She just casually mentioned things about training soldiers to me and rarely said anything else,” Jun Mo Han replied somewhat perfunctorily.
“Oh, indeed. Li’er is either researching those pills or treating patients at the Anji Tang every day, so she really doesn’t have time for idle chat.”
Hearing this, Leng Jin Yu nodded in agreement.
As they were talking, a soldier’s report came from the entrance of the tent.
“Your Highness, General Leng, the mess hall has sent dinner.”
“Let them in!” Jun Mo Han replied casually.
Immediately, two mess hall soldiers entered the tent carrying trays. The trays held two meat dishes, two vegetarian dishes, and two bowls of white rice.
The two sturdy soldiers, carrying the trays, glanced into the tent with strange expressions. Then, they quickly approached Jun Mo Han and Leng Jin Yu, efficiently placed the food before them, and respectfully withdrew.