After a night of chaotic dreams, Yan Yuanheng woke up at the right time.

He hardly ever drank, so he had no idea that drunkenness could make his body sore.

Yan Yuanheng rolls over and sits up in a daze, but the view he sees is not the familiar interior of his tent.

The hanger, which he had always required to be neatly arranged, fell over, and his clothes were thrown about, white loincloths and gold sashes, tangled in a mess, one pair of shoes in front of the bed and one pair kicked carelessly under the window.

Yan Yuanheng held his forehead in pain and thought, “Drinking is really a mistake.

He turned his body on its side, lifted the covers with the intention of getting up, and opened his mouth to call the guards in to clean up: “Ren ……”

Before his voice was out, his mouth was covered.

Covering him was a bare, thin arm, scarred with calluses from a lifetime of drawing bows and arrows.

”Hush.” Shi Tingyun took him from behind, “…… I would like to sleep a little longer, would the thirteenth prince allow it?”

It was yesterday that these hands took him helplessly in their grip when he could not enter, and guided him to the right place.

”Thirteenth prince, this is the place ……”

A thunderbolt rolled through Yan Yuanheng’s mind, knocking him upright.

At this point, countless moments from last night flooded into his mind.

They had done more than their fair share of the nonsense last night.

Neither of them screamed out, both of them keeping their voices deep in their throats.

Yan Yuanheng vaguely remembers that he seemed to be saying a lot of jerky things, calling Shi Tingyun by his name, and whispering blunt words that made people blush, close to his ear.

With respect, he called him General Toki, and in a gentle voice asked him to arch his back higher, as if he were just a junior soldier under him.

After eating the marrow, the two of them rolled from the bed to the bottom of it, where Yan Yuanheng carried Shi Tingyun to the window and held him down, facing the bright moon directly outside.

Shi Tingyun’s back was so weak that she slipped to her knees several times, only to be picked up by his waist and carried deeper.

Later, they left a pair of shoes by the window.

Yan Yuanheng embraces him and returns to bed.

About half an hour later, Shi Tingyun could not stand it any longer and tried to get out of the bed, but his hand was just held up to the curtain, but he was grabbed by the ankle and dragged back, dragging the green tent down, the light veil draped over them and sliding down to the ground with the undulating movements.

After remembering everything, Yan Yuanheng’s first reaction was to test Shi Tingyun’s temperature.

Shi Tingyun’s fever has gone down considerably after last night’s fiasco and is only low to the touch.

Only after confirming that he was all right did Yan Yuanheng bother to blush.

He stammered, “…… Su Chang , I didn’t mean to offend ……”

Shi Tingyun rested on his arm, his voice hoarse: “Then, Your Highness, the Thirteenth Prince, I meant to offend, so please punish the Thirteenth Prince.”

Yan Yuanheng : “……!!!”

Shi Tingyun looks closer at him with a smile in her eyes, but her cheeks are gradually reddening.

Yan Yuanheng stared blankly at his slightly red lips, the knot in his throat rolling discreetly up and down, his eyes looking like he was watching a beautiful dream.

He tentatively moved forward a little.

Shi Tingyun tilts his head to look at him.

Yan Yuanheng plucked up his courage and was about to kiss him, but Shi Tingyun ducked back and he missed the kiss.

Yan Yuanheng’s face immediately flushed red, and she looked at Shi Tingyun with a mixture of confusion and aggression.

Shi Tingyun smiled and kissed him.

Yan Yuanheng’s brain exploded and he thought, “That’s soft.

The sinews he held in his arms were hard and strong in a man’s way, but his mouth was hot and soft.

He held Shi Tingyun in his arms and kissed her red-faced and fascinated, like a child eating candy, and when his lips had tasted enough, he went on to gently touch his cheeks, the beads of his lips and the tip of his nose.

Really good.

Shi Tingyun took the initiative to kiss the flower inlay on his forehead that he hadn’t had time to remove, calling a halt to his childish antics.

He scares Yan Yuanheng: “Someone’s coming.”

Yan Yuanheng covered his head with the blanket and said in a small voice, “Don’t scare people. Sleep a little longer.”

There was already the sound of movement outside the tent, and the two of them curled up in this little corner of the world, feeling a little nervous and unable to hide the sweetness that filled their hearts.

Yan Yuanheng got off the ground on weak legs, put on some clothes, opened the curtain and was surprised to see Ren Qing on guard not far from the tent.

Yan Yuanheng is the emperor’s son, how dare they, the guards, leave their posts without permission?

Yan Yuanheng said in as calm a voice as she could muster, “Draw some hot water.”

Ren Qing did not dare to raise his head: “Yes, Master Thirteen.”

The hot water was brought in by Yan Yuanheng himself, and he did not want anyone to see Shi Tingyun in such a sorry state.

Clutching a handkerchief, he wiped Shi Tingyun’s fingers and arms, lifted the covers again, saw his thighs tremble uncontrollably and, blushing again, silently wiped the filth from them.

His heart rejoiced, but he was also a little depressed beyond words.

After casting the towel back a few times and wiping Shi Tingyun clean, he sat on his knees on the edge of the bed and said seriously, ” Su Chang , I have something to say to you.”

Shi Tingyun barely managed to prop himself up, “Well, I have something to say to you too.”

The two men were silent.

Yan Yuanheng : “You first?”

Shi Tingyun smiled, “How dare I rob the Thirteenth Prince first?”

Yan Yuanheng sank a deep breath: “I thought a lot yesterday. Just now, I was also thinking. I think I have to give you an explanation. When I return to Wangcheng, I will beg my father for the position of Prince of the Border, and come to the border to guard with you ……”

Two young men of twenty, one sitting and one kneeling, discussing their relationship, and the way forward, very seriously.

Shi Tingyun listened patiently to Yan Yuanheng’s thoughts and said, “Su Chang also has a thought.”

Yan Yuanheng : “You speak, I listen.”

Shi Tingyun said, “The dignity of the throne is not an ordinary crown that you can push around with others. Yuan Zhaoge knows that his talent is inferior to yours, and he has retreated for many years, but he has also wasted many years of his life.

This is the exact point of Yan Yuanheng’s heart.

”And how can the Emperor’s years of favour and Consort Yan’s years of longing be thrown away?”

Yan Yuanheng’s mother’s position before she was reprimanded.

Shi Tingyun said slowly, “I agree with Yuanzhao’s idea of having fun in time, but you and I are by nature different from Yuanzhao. You have the Yan family and I have an army in the North, both of which have ties, and ties are hard to leave behind.”

”The Yan family kingdom may be otherwise glorious when left in the hands of others; but I want to see what it would look like in your hands.”

Yan Yuanheng looked at Shi Tingyun and felt as if he had lived more than ten years longer than himself, sober, sensible, old and gentle in his words.

”But what are you ……” Yan Yuanheng could not hide his heartache when he heard his voice, “and what are you going to do? What shall we …… do?”

”Your heart and mine are already connected to each other. I, Shi Tingyun, have no more regrets in this life.” Shi Tingyun said with a smile on his face, “I have …… made a great mistake in the past and deserve to atone for the souls of those who died in vain. If I were to take over the Yan family dynasty again, I would be too greedy.”

Yan Yuanheng guessed that the ‘big mistake’ he was referring to was his misplaced faith in Chu Ziling.

He said with relief, “The fault is not yours ……”

”The fault lies with me. I will not blame myself.” Shi Tingyun said, “My wish for the rest of my life is to die for the sake of the Yan family and the people.”

Yan Yuanheng did not say another word, but looked at Shi Tingyun, not knowing whether to be disappointed or sad.

Shi Tingyun knew that it was too much to say such things after a night of pleasure.

But some things must also be stated at this time.

There is a scar in his heart, a scar that has cut his heart and sewn it back together, perhaps a pain that will remain hidden for the rest of his life, preventing him from enjoying happiness.

Shi Tingyun intended to keep his mouth shut for life, but it was a good thing that he had a chance with Yan Yuanheng.

And Yan Yuanzhao’s words on the riverbank finally gave him the resolve to tackle it head-on.

Shi Tingyun said solemnly, ” Shi Tingyun understands his own heart, and will never marry because he has promised his country all his life. In the future, if you can become the emperor, three palaces and six houses, the main palace queen, since it is not rare. I will not expect anything more than that, so let’s leave it at ……”

Yan Yuanheng interrupted him, “There won’t be.”

Yan Yuanheng, who has always abided by the rules of etiquette and rarely interrupts, seems to be in a real hurry.

Shi Tingyun smiles a little helplessly, thinking, “Child’s play.

He said, “Well, don’t gamble with me. Is that something you can’t account for when you say you won’t marry, just to say that you can’t account for the heir.”

Yan Yuanheng said straightforwardly, “I only ask you one question: do you have me in your heart, apart from the Yan family and the peace of the people?”

Shi Tingyun’s heart aches a little at this question.

He inclined his head, not nodding or shaking it.

Without saying a word, Yan Yuanheng rolled out of bed, got down on one knee and looked up at Shi Tingyun, who was leaning against the bed.

Shi Tingyun was a little surprised and couldn’t straighten up, so he could only turn sideways to look at him.

Yan Yuanheng did not know what to say to convince Shi Tingyun of his words, so he tightened his grip on his chest and said, word for word, “…… If you do not have me in your heart, you are the first person that Yan Yuanheng is pleased with.”

”If you have me in your heart, you are the one person Yan Yuanheng is happy with.”

Shi Tingyun’s eyes are slightly warm: “…… What is a world of one?”

Yan Yuanheng said, “In one world, you have only me and I have only you.”

He wanted to shake Shi Tingyun’s hand, but because of his shyness, he only dared to hold onto the quilt he had draped over the edge of the couch: “…… One day, if you and I are lucky enough to be in the same book of history, it will be a book of marriage for you and me. That will be the book of our marriage.”

Shi Tingyun leans over, gripping the covers tightly, and laughs softly while tears fall from her eyes.

……

Ten years later.

In the twenty-ninth year of his reign, the emperor, aware of his advanced age and lack of energy, gave way to the crown prince, the thirteenth son of the emperor, and retired to the position of emperor.

In the winter of the twenty-ninth year of Jianping, Yan Yuanheng, the thirteenth son of the emperor, ascended the throne and changed the name of the state to Yong’an.

It is said that Yan Yuanheng, the thirteenth son of the emperor, went to Zhennan Pass for two years as a young man and made a great achievement, and made a marriage there, taking a woman as his wife. Yan Yuanheng loved this woman so much that he refused to take another wife, and was unwilling to look at any other woman.

He has only given his father’s enlightened palace maid a high rank since he ascended to the throne, and no more concubines have been recruited, and he does not mention the matter of re-establishment, no matter how many officials advise him.

The two imperial historians were about to persuade again, but Yan Yuanzhao on the side couldn’t listen any longer, shaking his fan and smiling, “Are the imperial historian Liu and the imperial historian Zhang so eager, do they want to serve the emperor personally in the palace? If the two lords have such a desire, this king can introduce you to the palace ……”

Liu and Zhang said they didn’t dare, wiped their sweat and went out of the hall.

Yan Yuanzhao took it as a joke and wrote to Shi Tingyun, who was guarding the border.

Shi Tingyun was already a famous general in his own right.

The armistice was signed, but the Southlanders were still stupid.

Two years ago, when war broke out on the border, he fought with Tie Muer’s own army and nearly killed him with an arrow. Since then, the southern border has lost its temper and has suffered two more heavy defeats before hunkering down like a quail.

Shi Tingyun opened Yan Yuanzhao’s letter and laughed from the beginning to the end at his jumbled words.

Li Yeshu sharpened his ink, and when he saw how cheerful he was, he smiled and said, “My lord, seeing you so cheerful, I guess it’s a letter from the Sixth Prince.”

He has been washed away by the beacon with a cry of bravery, long gone is the shadow of the youthful boy who cried out to die and went to the border with him.

He was married to a woman from the south of the border and now has children all over the camp, but when Shi Tingyun is around, the chatter doesn’t stop.

Shi Tingyun laughed: “General Li, I’m thirty years old and I’m still considered a son.”

Li Yeshu naturally said, “The Duke is the Duke of A Shu for a time and for a lifetime.”

Shi Tingyun reached out and patted his head, and Li Yeshu, with a tame smile, continued to sharpen his ink with a peaceful light in his eyes.

Shi Tingyun opened the next letter.

Only Shi Tingyun’s name was written on the envelope, but by looking at the handwriting alone he could recognise who the letter was from.

He unfolded three pages of letterhead.

The man was really uninteresting, short and concise, talking about things in his life and all that, and only wrote two pages.

Shi Tingyun mutters unhappily and turns to the last page.

At that moment, the wind picked up outside the tent, and the dark red army flag embroidered with the words “Northern Government Army” swept up and flew, its shadow curving like the wings of a dragon.

Li Yeshu presses the letter aside with a paperweight, fearing that it will be blown away by the wind that has been poured into it.

Shi Tingyun looks up, looks out of the tent and smiles broadly.

In his hand he held the letter the man had sent.

On the last page are his restrained but powerful words, “…… If there is a long wind around the flag, it is me thinking of you.”