"Was there anything big happening here when I was in the border areas?" Shuo Ling looked at Zhou Ji and asked.

Zhou Ji cupped his hands and answered, "My Lord, no big events happened other than the princes' fight for the throne during this period. Given the present situation, the Third Prince gains the upper hand. His wife, the daughter of Grand Mentor Liu, will give birth to a baby next spring."

"I see. How about people in my mansion?" Shuo Ling nodded and asked one more question.

Zhou Ji surely knew who Shuo Ling was talking about, so he continued, "His Majesty indeed had sent people to the mansion. As you'd ordered, I didn't kick them out. But as for Concubine An..."

When speaking of her, Zhou Ji paused.

"Go on." Shuo Ling put down the chopsticks when hearing An Qin mentioned, and he looked at Zhou Ji.

Then Zhou Ji quickly explained, "When you left for the border areas, she once got ill but Miss Qiao cured her."

"Qiao Shu?" Shuo Ling said with his eyebrows slightly knitted.

Zhou Ji nodded, "They two were somehow close and Miss Qiao came here several times to treat Concubine An. But My Lord, don't worry. I had sent people to spy on Miss Qiao and we didn't find that she was in touch with other parties."

"Keep spying on her." Shuo Ling ordered and then lowered his head to have his meal.

Hearing that, Zhou Ji cupped his hands and responded, "My Lord, don't worry."

In the meantime, An Qin was back to her room. Sitting on the chair, she was pondering Shuo Ling's words. He didn't say too much but every word he said was as sharp as a knife.

At this time, Sicha took out the drug for healing scratches out of a box in the room, cut off a piece of gauze, carried them, and walked to An Qin.

"Your Highness, please give me your hand. It needs to be bound up. The low temperature will make the injury hard to heal. It won't look good if there is a scar left on your fair hand." Sicha put down the drug and gauze on the table and held An Qin's hand up to check.

Seeing the bleeding wound, she felt bad for An Qin and said, "Your Highness, you haven't got injured for one time since you were born. But look now. You have a huge wound on your hand. If your father knows this, he will be heartbroken."

"Sicha, hurry. Apply some medicine." Sicha's words made her worried, too. So, she ordered quickly.

Sicha answered, "We can't do it right now because there is dust on your wound. I should clean it up first before applying any medicine."

While explaining, Sicha held up the kettle to feel the temperature of the water inside by touching it. It was still warm so she aimed the spout at An Qin's hand and poured water out.

An Qin withdrew her hand just when the water met the wound.

Sicha looked up at An Qin and comforted her, "Your Highness, please don't take your hand back. Your wound may get infected if it is not cleaned."

"I see. I'm fine. Just do it." An Qin closed her eyes and reached out.

As Sicha poured water out to clean her wound, An Qin closed her eyes tightly and bit her lip.

Sicha wiped away droplets around An Qin's wound after cleaning and then sprinkled the powder on the wound.

Later, she bound the wound up with the gauze.

"Your Highness, how do you feel?" Sicha looked at An Qin and asked.

An Qin nodded, "Much better. It's not painful now."

"That's great." Sicha said and put things on the table away.

But An Qin ordered, "It's cold outside but Marquis has traveled a long way. Sicha, you go to ask the chef to cook some soup and I'll send it to him."

"Your Highness, Marquis treated you like that. Why do you..." said Sicha who couldn't help but frown and look at An Qin.

Before Sicha finished, An Qin interrupted, "Alright, stop it. I have chosen to live this life. No matter what happens, I will stick it out."

"Your Highness..." Sicha wanted to add something.

But An Qin directly raised her voice, "Hurry up."

Seeing An Qin pulling a long face, Sicha pouted and walked out.

When Sicha left, An Qin looked determined. She believed that Shuo Ling would have a thing for her as long as they spent enough time together!

Thinking of that, An Qin raised her injured hand and looked at it coldly.

Shuo Ling was full, so he put down the chopsticks and stood up.

Then he asked Mo Li to tie his hair up and put on his clothes.

At this time, Shuo Ling looked at Zhou Ji and said, "After I leave for Beiling, don't take any action. Just wait until I'm back."

"Yes, My Lord. I'll keep that in mind!" Zhou Ji cupped his hands and answered.

"Everything's ready?" Shuo Ling asked again.

Zhou Ji nodded, "Yes."

Then, Shuo Ling walked out, followed by Mo Li and Zhou Ji.

The carriage Zhou Ji prepared already waited before the mansion gate.

Seeing the carriage, Shuo Ling frowned and ordered, "Bring me a horse."

"My Lord, it's winter now. The closer you're to Beiling, the worse the weather is. And you just came back from the border areas..." persuaded Mo Li who cupped his hands and walked forward when hearing that.

Before he finished, Shuo Ling interrupted, "We may switch to take the carriage when we arrive in Beiling."

"Yes, My Lord," Mo Li nodded and looked at Zhou Ji.

Zhou Ji understood and led the horse to Shuo Ling. "My Lord."

Shuo Ling took over the rein and jumped onto the horseback.

Then Zhou Ji walked to the carriage, took out things he prepared, and handed them over to Mo Li.

Mo Li took them over and hung them on the saddle. When settled, he mounted a horse, too.

Shuo Ling took a look back and then pressed the horse’s belly to ride to the city gate.

"It's cold outside. You can go back now." Mo Li said to Zhou Ji.

Zhou Ji nodded, "Take care."

Mo Li gave him a response and held the rein to run after Shuo Ling.

Zhou Ji didn't turn around and walk back to the mansion until they both disappeared.

At this time, Sicha walked into the room with the hot soup the chef cooked.

"Your Highness, the soup is ready." Sicha put down the bowl on the table and said while keeping a poker face.

An Qin stood up to walk to her and ordered, "Hold it and follow me."

"Yes." Sicha responded with a pout and followed An Qin out.

When they were close to Shuo Ling's room, An Qin stopped and turned around to say to Sicha, "Give it to me. I'll hold it."

"Your Highness, your hand is injured. Just let me do this." Sicha said after taking a look at An Qin's hand.

But An Qin shook her head and insisted, "It's not a big deal. Give it to me."

Hearing that, Sicha hesitated for a while but she handed the bowl over to An Qin at last. "Your Highness, be careful."

"I will." An Qin nodded and took over the bowl.

Her hand was just bound up so she couldn't use it flexibly. Even when holding the soup, she could feel the pain.

Then An Qin took a breath, wore a smile, and walked forward.

When arriving at Shuo Ling's room door, An Qin frowned because the door was open.

As An Qin walked in with the hot soup, she only saw Zhou Ji who was cleaning up the table. Shuo Ling wasn't here.

Seeing An Qin, Zhou Ji looked up and put down things he held. He cupped his hands and greeted, "Your Highness, why are you here?"

Zhou Ji looked at the soup An Qin held and asked.

"Marquis just came back from the border areas and traveled a long way. Besides, it's cold outside, so I cooked some soup for him." An Qin put down the soup and said with a smile.

Then, An Qin looked around and asked Zhou Ji smilingly, "Where is Marquis? It's better to drink the soup when it's still hot."

"He's not in the mansion." Zhou Ji answered.

When he finished, An Qin still wore the smile and asked, "Not in the mansion? Hasn't he just come back?"

"Yes, but he left right after having a meal." Zhou Ji answered and then went back to clean up.

Hearing that, An Qin quickly asked, "Do you know where he is going?"

"He left for Beiling to look for Madam." Zhou Ji told her the truth.

The smile on An Qin's face froze. Right after coming back from the border areas, Shuo Ling didn't even take a break and just set off to Beiling to look for Qingcheng. Was he really in love with her?

"Your Highness, are you alright?" Zhou Ji asked when seeing that An Qin was in a trance.

Hearing Zhou Ji's call, An Qin came to herself and shook her head. "I'm fine. Now that Marquis is not here, I'd better go back."

An Qin turned around to leave the room.

Sicha followed her out.

When they left, Zhou Ji shook his head and continued to clean the room up.

"Your Highness, slow down. Wait." Sicha called An Qin when seeing her running quickly to her bedroom.

But An Qin didn't stop. Therefore, Sicha had to speed up to run after her.

Back to her room, An Qin closed the door and leaned on it.

Sicha knocked the door and shouted, "Your Highness, please open the door. Tell me your worries and everything will be fine then."

"Sicha, leave me alone." An Qin closed her tear-filled eyes and said.

Sicha who stood outside said, "Your Highness, I will wait outside. If you need anything, just call me."

When Sicha finished, she didn't hear An Qin's response. So she sighed and walked to the rail before the door to sit down.

Marquis Shuo really went too far. Her Highness was an exalted lady. She wouldn't have got injured at all if he hadn't dodged today.

Even so, she still worried about him but he should directly leave for Beiling without telling her.