Quick Transmigration: Why did you provoke him? He's love-struck!

Chapter 36 The Phoenix Terrace (5)

Xiahou Jin not only wanted to present Xiao Lingyi with all the good things he thought were good, but also had the "desire to share" that people in love have.

If you liked her, why did you watch helplessly as the Xiao family was destroyed and she died from illness caused by depression?

Yan Zhen put the wheat ears back into the brocade box and instructed Lü Zhu to put them away.

As evening fell, the lamps were lit in Yihua Palace. Yan Zhen had his dinner, read for a while, and then prepared to go to sleep.

Hongyu removed her makeup and hair, lowered the curtains, and blew out the candles. The bedchamber was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

After an unknown amount of time, Yan Zhen felt the curtain being lifted, and a bright gaze fell on her face.

She was a light sleeper and woke up instantly, but didn't open her eyes immediately.

She waited quietly for a while, but the person showed no intention of leaving, nor did they do anything to her.

Yan Zhen then opened her eyes. Xiahou Jin was sitting by the couch, looking at her with tender and affectionate eyes.

"Your Highness..." Yan Zhen immediately sat up, "You're back?"

"It's just past 11 PM."

After spending more than a month in Xuzhou, Xiahou Jin got tanned and thinner, with light bluish stubble on his chin. However, his dark eyes, as black as lacquer, were brighter and more spirited than before, adding a touch of composure and determination to his originally gentle and refined appearance.

He grasped Yan Zhen's hand: "Today is your birthday. I originally traveled day and night, thinking of returning as soon as possible. However, when I passed through Yizhou, some people stopped my horse and cried out for justice. Upon investigation, I found that local officials colluded to seize the people's farmland under various pretexts, forcing the people to live in misery. Dealing with these matters delayed me for a few days."

"Business is important," Yan Zhen said considerately. "We can celebrate our birthdays every year."

“It’s different. You only get to be sixteen once in a lifetime.” Xiahou Jin said, getting up to fetch his cloak and extending his hand to her. “Come on.”

Yan Zhen asked in surprise, "Where are you going?"

Xiahou Jin smiled and kept it a secret: "You'll know when you get there."

The two left Yihua Palace through a side gate without alerting the guards.

As the night deepened and the dew grew heavy, Xiahou Jin led Yan Zhen by the hand through the Imperial Garden to his residence, Changxin Palace.

Although Xiahou Jin was nineteen years old, he had not taken any concubines. He only had two maids serving him. Apart from the main hall, most of the side halls of Changxin Palace were empty, appearing desolate and lonely in the night.

The two entered the small kitchen, where Xiahou Jin rolled up his sleeves and began to cook noodles over a fire.

Yan Zhen sat on a small stool to the side, watching the pampered eldest prince clumsily put noodles into boiling water, almost getting scalded by the splashing water. His flustered appearance was a far cry from his usual confident demeanor.

There's a strange, endearing contrast that makes her want to laugh.

She thought that this man knew how to please young girls.

Before long, a steaming bowl of longevity noodles was placed in front of Yan Zhen. Xiahou Jin wiped the chopsticks dry and handed them to her, his expression showing a hint of flattery, wanting to please her: "Try it."

Yan Zhen picked up a mouthful of noodles and tasted it; it was a bit too salty.

To avoid upsetting him, she nodded: "It's delicious."

Xiahou Jin immediately beamed with joy.

Yan Zhen continued eating his noodles, while Xiahou Jin pulled out several tightly wrapped envelopes from his pocket: "Here you go."

"What's this?"

"A letter from the border."

Yan Zhen was taken aback.

Duke Xiao Dingfang had been stationed at the border for more than ten years and could not return to the capital without being summoned.

As a leading candidate for crown prince, Xiahou Jin was even more wary of having private dealings with military generals who held significant military power at this critical juncture.

If this letter passes through Xiahou Jin's hands and is discovered by someone with ulterior motives, and then reported to the Emperor, it would be enough to give Xiahou Jin a hard time.

Yan Zhen took the letter, opened it, and read it. A slight tremor ran through his heart.

The letter was written by Xiao Dingfang and the wife of the Duke of Zhenguo. It was full of the parents' longing and guilt for their daughter. At the end of the letter, they repeatedly told her to take good care of her health and to cherish everything.

After reading the letter, Yan Zhen sniffed. Influenced by the original owner's emotions, she felt like crying.

Xiahou Jin couldn't bear to see her suffer, so he hooked his little finger around hers and gently shook it: "Aheng, with me here, one day I will definitely be able to reunite you with your family and stop you from suffering the pain of separation from your loved ones."

Yan Zhen looked up, and Xiahou Jin's eyes were full of determination and sincerity.

At that moment, she believed that the nineteen-year-old Xiahou Jin truly loved Xiao Lingyi, regardless of power, only for the person in front of her.

"Okay, I believe you."

Yan Zhen burned the two letters on the candlestick. After finishing her noodles, Xiahou Jin escorted her back to Yihua Palace.

The journey from Yihua Palace to Changxin Palace, and then back to Yihua Palace, was not short. Yan Zhen, wearing soft-soled satin shoes, found it somewhat difficult to walk, and his pace noticeably slowed on the return trip.

Xiahou Jin noticed and quickly took two steps to stand in front of her, then squatted down with his back to her: "Come on up."

Yan Zhen glanced around and said cautiously, "What if someone sees us?"

"It's alright," Xiahou Jin said. "If any ignorant fools gossip, I'll have them slapped."

Yan Zhen chuckled and climbed onto his back, which Xiahou Jin steadily carried her on his back.

After passing through the long palace alley, Xiahou Jin escorted her back to Yihua Palace.

“It’s too late today. I’ll have Wende send over a little trinket tomorrow.” Xiahou Jin tucked the collar of her fluffy cloak around her neck. “If you like it, take good care of it. If you don’t…”

He paused for a moment, then said, "I'll give you something else next time."

Yan Zhen nodded: "Okay."

Xiahou Jin frowned and complained somewhat discontentedly, "I'm so busy all day long that I barely have time to breathe. When I finally get to see you, besides being nice, what else can you say to me?"

Yan Zhen tilted his head and looked at him: "What do you want to hear me say?"

Xiahou Jin's lips moved, but he held back. He raised his hand to tuck a stray strand of hair that had fallen to her cheek behind her ear, his eyes full of restraint: "We'll talk about it later... There's plenty of time."

The next day, Xiahou Jin's personal eunuch, Eunuch Wende, delivered a white Persian cat with blue eyes.

The kitten was round and chubby, with an adorable appearance. As soon as it was brought to Yihua Palace, everyone in the palace rushed to see it. Green Pearl, in particular, was very fond of it.

“Miss, His Highness is so good to you.” Green Pearl hugged the cat, her smile wide and her eyes narrowed. “Please give it a name.”

Yan Zhen thought for a moment and said, "Let's call it 'Snowflake Turning'."

The arrival of the snow added a lot of fun to the peaceful Yihua Palace. Even Xiahou Chuan, who came to stroll around Yihua Palace, couldn't help but touch it a few more times.

"I heard the other day that a foreign vassal state presented a blue-eyed raccoon as tribute. My elder sister asked my father for it but to no avail. It turns out that my elder brother took it and sent it to you." Xiahou Chuan said sourly, "Your elder brother is really quick."

Yan Zhen teased him, "What, you want one too?"

Xiahou Chuan's eyes lit up: "Are you going to give it to me?"

Yan Zhen glanced at him sideways: "Dream on."

Xiahou Chuan immediately deflated, stroked the cat's head a few times, and then walked away dejectedly.

Time flew by and early winter arrived.

During this period, a major incident occurred in the capital: someone reported that a second-rank official in the imperial court was corrupt and had accepted bribes, and the amount involved was enormous.

Xiahou Jin was ordered to thoroughly investigate the matter. By following the clues, he implicated more than 30 people, including many high-ranking and powerful veteran officials.

The emperor was furious. Some were beheaded, others had their homes confiscated and were exiled. For a time, everyone in the court lived in fear.

By November, everything had settled down.

At the same time, an imperial edict was issued, appointing the eldest son of the emperor, Xiahou Jin, as the crown prince.