Chapter 426: Departing for the Frontier, an Uncertain Journey Ahead
Chapter 426: Departing for the Frontier, an Uncertain Journey Ahead
When Prince Qing heard Suixui's request, his first reaction was to refuse, "No, Suixui, it's too dangerous there!"
Suixui pouted after hearing this, slightly unhappy, "But Father is going, why can't I?"
Her voice choked up as she spoke, almost on the verge of tears, "And I'm worried about Father. I don't want to be separated from you, I can't live without you."
At this moment, Suixui was like a stubborn child, clinging to Prince Qing, refusing to let go, and insisting that he take her along.
How could Prince Qing bear to let his precious and gentle youngest daughter endure hardships at the frontier?
So, holding back his reluctance, he firmly expressed, "No, it's not possible!"
But Suixui was determined to go.
For the first time, the young lady revealed her stubbornness, an innate trait.
The once soft and gentle girl was now as tough as a porcupine, insisting on accompanying Prince Qing.
Prince Qing had to depart for the Northwest early the next day, and this was the time the Emperor had allotted for him to bid farewell to Suixui.
At this moment, Suixui was acting like a stubborn child, insisting on tagging along.
Prince Qing almost gave in to her, his heart softening.
Thinking of the harsh conditions in the Northwest, Prince Qing ultimately shook his head.
He tried to reason with Suixui, but the young lady covered her ears, acting like a stubborn child and being unreasonable, "I won't listen, I don't want to listen!"
Suixui had witnessed Feng You Tan's tantrums, and now she was learning from her, becoming quite adept at it.
She was determined to go, and Prince Qing couldn't stop her.
Princess Qi was heartbroken and tried to coax her, but the young lady remained stubborn, insisting on going no matter what.
There was no need to even mention Prince Qi.
Letting Suixui go to the Northwest?
What was the difference between that and tearing out his heart?
But seeing Suixui with her neck stiff, on the verge of tears, Prince Qi's heart ached as well.
He wanted to stand firm, but what if something happened to his precious daughter in the unstable war at the Northwest?
The frontier city should be able to take care of a child, right?
If not, he would go too!
With this thought, Prince Qi felt a solution had presented itself.
He smiled, his eyes lighting up, "I'll go too, then it's settled. I'll take care of Precious, you don't need to."
Prince Qing: ?
Princess Qi: ??
Wait, one after another, why are they all making things more complicated?
Prince Qi thought his idea was brilliant.
Prince Qing only felt...
Confused, completely confused.
But he couldn't bear to see Suixui cry, so after some thought, he clenched his teeth, "I'll take Suixui with me, and you, Prince, stay in the capital."
Prince Qi was about to object when he heard Prince Qing say, "The grain supply in the capital still needs your supervision."
No matter the dynasty, there were always those who favored peace, as if their brains were upside down, always seeking peace and paying for safety at the first sign of war.
When they couldn't stop the war, they would sometimes tamper with the grain supply, taking a passive approach to warfare.
Prince Qing had encountered this once before, and after returning to the capital, he dealt with the officials involved, executing some and imprisoning others, thus deterring such actions for a few years.
Now, as he prepared for war again, Prince Qing wasn't afraid of these tactics.
With the Emperor's clear stance, they wouldn't dare to act recklessly.
However, Prince Qing needed a reason to convince Prince Qi to stay willingly.
After hearing this, Prince Qi indeed fell silent.
He still couldn't bear to let Precious go, but he was also afraid that the war in the Northwest might put her in danger. Finally, he clenched his teeth and said, "Fine, but I must warn you, if anything happens to you, we can't lose Precious too!"
This didn't need to be said, as Prince Qing understood, "Of course."
With the decision made to take Suixui to the frontier, and with their departure set for the next morning, they had to start preparing.
First...
They needed to pay attention to the personnel accompanying them.
Princess Qi had asked for the opinions of Xiang Gugu and the maids.
The maids were young, and their temperaments weren't very stable. Although they didn't come from prestigious backgrounds and had endured many hardships, the hardships of the frontier...
...were not something they wanted to face.
Seeing their hesitation, Princess Qi knew that they didn't want to go, and she didn't force them.
However, Xiang Gugu was willing.
She genuinely liked Suixui and was happy to accompany her to different places.
She thought, it would be a unique life experience.
When the maid spoke, Princess Qing expressed that there was no need to bring anyone, and they could discuss it again upon reaching the frontier city. Moreover, they had repelled the enemy and would return soon, so there was no need for a large entourage, which would slow down their journey.
The accompanying personnel were decided, but Princess Qi was still worried and prepared various provisions and supplies.
In reality, they couldn't bring much either.
After all, traveling light was crucial for speed, and carrying too many items would be impractical.
In the end, Princess Qi could only select the essentials, and even then, she filled at least one carriage.
As she chose, tears fell from her eyes. Finally, Duke Qi persuaded her, and she reluctantly packed some essential items, reducing Suixui's luggage.
Duke Qi's heart ached as well, and he said, "It's fine. We can send someone to deliver more later. Prince Qing needs to travel fast, and carrying too much will hinder his progress. The Emperor will blame him."
Princess Qi understood, but her heart still ached with reluctance to part with Suixui.
Duke Qi and his wife were reluctant to let her go, and when the news reached her brothers, they were devastated.
Feng Xuanrui was the first to shout in protest, "I disagree!"
After realizing his opposition was futile, Feng Xuanrui pouted and grumbled, "Then I'll go too!"
Prince Qing delivered the final blow with a single sentence, "I heard from the teacher that your recent performance in archery and horseback riding hasn't been good?"
Feng Xuanrui: ...
How did the teacher notice his slacking off?
He couldn't bear to see his sister leave. Feng Xuanrui, being the youngest, cried loudly, like a wolf howling.
Upon hearing this, Feng Xuanbin also joined in, wailing and crying.
Feng Xuanbo, being slightly older, struggled to hold back his tears, but he didn't cry out loud.
Feng Xuanjie cried so hard that his body shook.
Feng Xuan Cang was the most rational among them, but his eyes were also red.
They had too many things they wanted to give to Suixui, and their reluctance to part with her was overwhelming.
In the end, their reluctance turned into blessings, and the items they wanted to send became tokens of their longing.
Suixui was also reluctant to leave her brothers, but she was even more concerned about her father.
She decided to follow her instincts, but seeing her brothers cry so pitifully made her waver.
The system couldn't bear to see the children in distress and quickly comforted them in a gentle voice, "We're not going forever. We'll be back after the battle!"
Suixui realized the same and reassured her brothers, "Father will bring me back after the battle!"
When Feng Xuanrui heard that he had to wait until the battle was over to see his sister, he cried even harder.
The children's cries eventually turned into blessings.
The next morning, before dawn, Prince Qing set off with a group of about thirty people, all of whom were talented soldiers he had recently discovered during military training. He intended to give them firsthand experience.
To better accommodate Suixui and prevent the children from slowing down the journey, Feng Xuan Cang skillfully crafted a traveling basket that could fit Suixui perfectly.
Prince Qing hung the basket in front of him while riding, keeping Suixui safe in his embrace.
This way, they maintained their travel speed, and Suixui didn't have to endure the discomfort of horseback riding.
Prince Qing was very satisfied with the basket, and Suixui found it fascinating.
When it was time to part ways, Duke Qi and his wife escorted them out of the city.
Princess Qi wept uncontrollably several times.
Suixui was also reluctant to leave, and after bidding farewell to her father and mother, she resolutely climbed into the basket prepared for her.
The journey to the frontier lay ahead, and the outcome was uncertain.
Suixui wasn't sure what awaited her in the end.
However, she thought that perhaps Lele was right.
If they were defeated, they would be reunited as a family.
If they were victorious, it would be a triumph for the entire Great Xia!
No matter the outcome, she wouldn't regret her choice.
She believed that if her mother's spirit was watching over her, she would support her decision.
The second chapter will be released at 7 PM.
(End of Chapter)
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