The situation is turbulent, with the Empress Dowager’s death, those children’s marriages have to be postponed.
Bai Ruozhu bid farewell to the two and found a chance to read Jiang Yichun’s letter. The letter stated that he had accepted a mission to secretly return to the Capital City and publicly claid he was going to the Southwest to mobilize troops with General Ma Tongfang of Zhenan. He instructed Bai Ruozhu not to leak this information. He also ntioned that the Emperor had entrusted him with most of the Shadow Guard, so she needn’t worry about his safety. Additionally, he said he would return in two months and urged her to take care of herself.
At the end, he instructed her to burn the letter after reading it. She had no choice but to fold the letter, called Jianqi to strike a flint, and watched as the paper with his handwriting turned to ashes.
After returning to the ng Residence, Bai Ruozhu went to visit the old Madam ng and conveyed the Emperor’s decree. She needed to return to the countryside for two months for a peaceful pregnancy. She told them to contact her anyti if anything happened in Beiyu City.
The old Madam ng agreed readily but pondered to herself that they should not disturb her unless it’s sothing serious. She was exhausted beyond recognition in saving Huilin.
"I will check on my foster brother Huilin before leaving. There are so many things to do, you don’t need to see off," Bai Ruozhu gently pressed the old Madam ng back into her seat to spare her further trouble.
"Alright, I’ll instruct the steward to send you so supplents, don’t refuse them," the old Madam said with a smile.
Bai Ruozhu winked at her and said, "Why would I be polite to you, grandma? I will surely eat well when I return, and promise to appear plump and healthy next ti we et."
The old Madam laughed and said alright, then she instructed the maid to see Bai Ruozhu out.
Bai Ruozhu secretly sighed. In previous tis, the old Madam would have teased her a bit, saying no woman describes herself as plump, that’s how one describes little babies. But although the old Madam wore a smile, she was suffering inside.
She couldn’t comfort her, only let ti wash everything away. Besides, Achun had gone to the Capital City, maybe there was still a twist of fate, wasn’t there?
Bai Ruozhu asked soone to send a ssage to her parents and elder brother, saying she’d return ho soon. She herself went to Xu Huilin’s yard.
"Master Bai, the young master is practicing his calligraphy inside," said Xu Huilin’s servant as Bai Ruozhu arrived, greeting her with a grateful face. ntioning Xu Huilin’s "practice of calligraphy" brought a look of pride to his eyes, mixed with a sense of heartache.
Bai Ruozhu opened the door and saw Xu Huilin standing on the left, holding a brush in his mouth to write on the Xuan paper. Since he hadn’t been practicing for long, it was impossible to master it quickly, his writing looked like ghost-drawn talismans.
When Xu Huilin saw Bai Ruozhu enter, he stood up to greet her, "You’re here..."
As he spoke, he realized he still had the brush in his mouth. But it was too late, the brush fell from his mouth onto his clothes, leaving two ink stains on his grey garnt.
Bai Ruozhu hurriedly helped him pick up the brush and placed it on the nearby table, then wiped him clean with a cloth.
"Senior Fox, to be honest, I haven’t admired many people, but now I truly respect you," Bai Ruozhu said after putting down the brush.
Xu Huilin smiled, that smile took on a bit of a cunning fox’s look, similar to how it was when Bai Ruozhu first t him.
"Among these people, you have the most open mindset, making embarrassed to be sorrowful," Bai Ruozhu laughed.
Xu Huilin raised an eyebrow, "You have no reason to be sorrowful, isn’t it just a man going to work on a mission? You should wait for him with a smile. Being gloomy all the ti might bring bad luck to your man."
Bai Ruozhu laughed heartily, "You make sound like a resentful wife. Alright, seeing that you’re fine, I should return to the countryside. Contact imdiately if there’s any situation."
"Why go back? The countryside’s conditions aren’t as good as here, right?" Xu Huilin frowned, "Lately, only talking to you feels undisturbed, but everyone else, including my father and grandmother, looks at with sympathy. I really can’t stand it."
"Achun asked the Emperor for a decree for to return to the countryside for a peaceful pregnancy, afraid that I’m always worrying unnecessarily," Bai Ruozhu said, shrugging her shoulders.
"Haha, this is indeed sothing my junior brother would do. Alright, you can go. If anything cos up, I’ll contact you," Xu Huilin said as he bent down to pick up the brush with his mouth again. Though the movent was a bit awkward, he had beco quite adept.
Once a charming and dashing young man, he now needed to bend over the desk and pick up the brush with his mouth, which was far from elegant. Other young n might find these brushes and desks unsanitary, yet he put aside this level of pride without care.
Her heart felt moved and compassionate for him, but quickly she put away her overflowing sympathy. She always knew from the beginning that Senior Fox didn’t need pity—he needed others to treat him as usual and see him as an ordinary person.
At that mont, the brush slipped from Xu Huilin’s mouth with a "clunk" onto the table.
Bai Ruozhu’s heart tightened as she wanted to help him pick up the brush, but reason told her not to do so. Doing so would not be helping him, it would be an affront to him.
"I truly am a person without the strength to truss a chicken," Xu Huilin chuckled self-deprecatingly, his tone was not particularly disappointed, more lightheartedly joking.
Still, Bai Ruozhu felt even more upset inside, and quickly said, "If you’re determined, there is a way to recover your martial abilities. You didn’t lose much of your inner strength. I once heard of soone who lost their hands and could use their hair to fight others. Their braid was incredibly powerful. Then there are those who use their legs, like the invisible foot technique, very formidable, able to go unbeaten against anyone in the world."
Xu Huilin burst into laughter, "Where did you read such a miscellaneous book? Fighting with hair and braids—anyone would shave you bald with a sword, wouldn’t they? How could you believe that, you’re really so naive."
Bai Ruozhu’s mouth twitched; in her past life as a child, she saw a movie where a man had a powerful braid-fighting skill, and she recalled it just then but ended up being teased by her Senior Fox.
"But the invisible foot technique does sound impressive. I might just invent my own leg technique soday, call it the invisible foot, and maybe I could truly be unrivalled around the world," Xu Huilin’s mood visibly improved, his smile even brighter.
Seeing him like this, Bai Ruozhu too smiled as she said goodbye, maybe he truly could train the invisible foot technique. People need confidence and hope after all.
Afterwards, Bai Ruozhu left Beiyu City with her family, only her second brother stayed behind since he was a court official.
This ti Bai Ruozhu didn’t stop in Anyuan Town. With such significant events occurring, she wasn’t in the mood for social visits and feared encountering acquaintances who might inquire about Imperial Court affairs. Whether she spoke or not, it would be problematic, thus it was better to return to the countryside to nurture her pregnancy.
Little Dengdeng was young and didn’t understand the turmoil of the Imperial Court. Once he arrived in the countryside, he was exceedingly excited, as the endless fields were his playground for running and frolicking.
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