CH 68.2

Chapter 68.2 – What Happened?

Earth dragon1 burned in Xuanshi Hall, making the whole side hall warm and comfortable. It was almost as if they were in a separate world from the world of ice and snow outside. Qi Yang and the others didn’t wait long after entering the side hall. Around fifteen minutes later, Zhang Jiang sent someone to summon them.

A they entered the main hall, they saw the Emperor, as well as the haggard Third Prince by the side. He had only been to the northern border for a few months, and he left in such high spirits, but when they saw him again now, he looked a little emaciated.

Not to mention, his black robe had obvious traces of tea stain. Looked like the Emperor threw a cup of tea at him and scolded him severely earlier!

When the princes saw the Third Prince’s appearance, their eyes were full of gloating. Even Qi Yang and Lu Qipei couldn’t help but take another look at him. The Third Prince might look embarrassing, but he didn’t seem injured. Were the rumors that he fled in defeat true or not?

This was obviously what everyone cared about, but it wasn’t easy to ask it directly in front of the Emperor.

The Emperor glanced at the princes with a deep gaze. It was only when he saw Qi Yang and her Prince Consort that his expression eased a little. “Why have you returned back to the palace today? Did your prince consort treat you badly, so you came back to me to complain?”

That last sentence was obviously a joke. Qi Yang immediately denied it and took Lu Qipei’s hand to show the married couple’s love.

The father and daughter laughed and exchanged a few words, and the hall’s tense atmosphere gradually relaxed. The Third Prince’s head still hung down, so his face couldn’t be seen clearly. The other princes’ eyes flashed with disappointment – more than watching the Third Prince’s embarrassment, they were more looking forward to the Crown Prince’s accident. But seeing that the Emperor was still in the mood to laugh with his little daughter, it could be seen that the Crown Prince was still safe in the northern border.

How could their change of expression escape the Emperor’s eyes? He snorted coldly in his heart, said a few words to Qi Yang, then asked those princes, “What have you come to the palace today for?”

The princes looked at each other; it’s not like they could say that they came here to watch the circus, so they just said, “This Child heard that Third Brother came back, so we came to see him.” After thinking a little, he added, “I also heard that the war situation at the northern border has changed, and my heart is filled with worry…”

The Emperor stared at them, and they couldn’t continue speaking. They were not taken seriously, and became even more timid when facing the Emperor. But the more they were like this, the more the Emperor grew displeased. In the end, he sent them all away without any explanation.

The Third Prince was also kicked out, and was punished with a house arrest to ponder his mistakes.

Such a light treatment that did not even qualify as a punishment was confusing.  When those princes left, the only ones left in Xuanshi Hall was the Emperor and Qi Yang’s couple. The Emperor’s originally majestic posture relaxed, and his face showed twenty percent more worry.

Qi Yang had a bad feeling when she saw this and asked, “Royal Father, what happened?”

In fact, the story of the Third Prince’s defeat and escape had spread widely after his return to the capital. However, there was no war report from the northern border, so rumors were still rumors, and no one knew the real situation.

It wasn’t just the princes and the princess who came to find out the news today, but the Emperor had not seen anyone else.

The Emperor seemed a little less wary in front of Qi Yang, so he asked her, “Did you come to the palce toady because of your Third Brother?”

Qi Yang nodded and said honestly, “This Child heard that Third Brother fled back. He was the military’s supervisor, but with his identity, he still escaped…” Qi Yang frowned and said, “The situation in the northern border is probably not good, and Royal Brother’s situation is probably not good either.”

The Emperor silently listened to Qi Yang’s words and stared at her for a long time. Then, he suddenly asked, “Have you thought about the reason why your Third Brother fled?”

After asking that, the Emperor didn’t wait for Qi Yang to answer and said, “Your Royal Brother was originally stationed in Huaicheng. Seven days ago, the Rong army secretly attacked Huaicheng. It was destroyed, and your Royal Brother disappeared. The army’s morale was shaken…”

Speaking of this, the Emperor’s usually majestic and calm voice also changed, obviously tinged with emotion.

Qi Yang didn’t expect that behind the Third Prince’s flight to the capital, it was the Crown Prince who encountered an accident first. Her hand that was holding Lu Qipei’s kept tightening, as she subconsciously put more force and made Lu Qipei’s hand hurt.

Lu Qipei frowned slightly, and stroked Qi Yang’s back with her other hand to calm her down.

After a while, Qi Yang calmed down a little and asked, “What is the situation at the northern border now, Royal Father? Why hasn’t there been a war report being sent back?”

The Emperor shook his head. Before the Third Prince told him this is person, he also hadn’t received any news.

Author notes:

Qi Yang (cautiously): Royal Brother, did you see the lunchbox2?

Crown Prince (…): What I eat are delicacies from mountains and seas. Who wants to eat some stupid lunchbox?

Translator notes:
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