“Mister… I know this will put you in a difficult position, but Yu’er truly has no other choice.” Li Yuer stood up and bowed respectfully to Xu Ping’an.
“Please… Mister, save Great Qi.”
Xu Ping’an furrowed his brow slightly, his knuckles tapping softly on the table.
Looking at Li Yuer, who remained bowed before him, he finally let out a long sigh.
“Huff… very well. In the next couple of days, find an opportunity to discuss with the Zhen Nan King about bringing the Emperor out of the palace. I will treat him here.”
“Mister agreed?!”
The girl’s eyes lit up.
“Yes, I agreed.”
Hearing this, the girl was stunned for a moment, then suddenly seemed to realize something.
A faint, bitter smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
“Mister… is this for her?”
Although she didn’t name anyone directly, both present understood perfectly well.
“Something like that, and also to help you out a bit,” Xu Ping’an nodded, admitting it straightforwardly.
There was no need for him to deny it, since from the beginning he had no intention of accepting this girl in front of him.
Although there had been many ambiguous moments between them, even some physical intimacy, in this era, it meant he owed the girl a certain responsibility.
But she was the Shunnan King’s Heir—the Zhen Nan King’s only daughter and the future inheritor of the entire Southern Prefecture.
If he got too involved with her, sooner or later he would be dragged into the swirling vortex of political struggles.
Xu Ping’an looked at the girl calmly.
“I have two conditions. First, you must get a written promise from the Zhen Nan King, guaranteeing that after the Emperor’s cure, he will not use any means to control me or detain me.”
“Second, after curing the Emperor, my identity must remain secret from everyone. If you can get the Zhen Nan King to write this promise, then I will give it a try.”
Li Yuer’s brow furrowed deeply, a jolt running through her heart.
“Mister… you intend to leave for Yuan Prefecture immediately after this?”
“Yes.”
He had promised Pei Qingxuan before that if she left, he would go find her.
So no matter what, he had to make this trip to Yuan Prefecture.
“And what about Yu’er?”
The girl’s beautiful eyes filled with tears.
Although she already knew the answer, she couldn’t help but ask.
“Princess Royal, although we have not known each other long, I believe you understand what kind of man I am. You should know that when it comes to matters involving the royal family, it is not something I am willing to get entangled in.”
“Princess Royal, you are still welcome to come to my small courtyard for treatment. As for anything else… I ask for your magnanimity.”
Li Yuer’s heart pounded like a drum, a sharp, heart-wrenching pain spreading across her chest, causing her mind to briefly blank.
But after all, she was the Shunnan King’s Heir. Her status reminded her not to forget the responsibilities she bore.
“I understand what you mean, Mister…”
A bitter smile flickered briefly across her face, but… Li Yuer was definitely not one to give up easily.
“But Mister, Yu’er will not give up just like that.”
Seeing the resolute determination that seemed capable of splitting even gold and jade in the girl’s eyes, Xu Ping’an sighed inwardly and said nothing.
How could he respond to that? There was no way to respond.
“Princess Royal, I am going to rest now.”
“In that case, I won’t disturb you any longer.”
The girl paused slightly, as if she had made up her mind.
Before Xu Ping’an could react, two cool, delicate hands gently clasped his cheeks.
“Li Yuer, you… ugh!!”
Xu Ping’an’s eyes widened in disbelief.
He never expected that this gentle and refined girl could have such a passionate side.
Staring into those eyes so close before him, Xu Ping’an was completely stunned.
But Li Yuer didn’t give him time to reconsider.
The door slammed shut with a ‘bang.’
In the moonlight, her slender figure pressed against the doorframe, her quick breaths causing the window panes to tremble.
“Mister… I still hope you will call me Yu’er.”
With that, without waiting for Xu Ping’an’s reply, accompanied by hurried footsteps, the shadow outside receded.
Under the moonlight, the insects in the trees sang their spring chorus.
On the eaves and outside the door, a gentle breeze stirred the willows in a graceful dance.
His heart pounding, Xu Ping’an couldn’t help but laugh bitterly to himself.
“Well done, Li Yuer… to think you dared to launch a sneak attack on Mister?”
Raising a hand to his chest, it seemed the fluttering heartbeat had yet to calm down.
He went to the door and pushed it open gently.
The spring breeze brushed his face, and the faint fragrance still lingered in the air.
The courtyard was empty, no trace of the beauty remaining. Xu Ping’an looked up at the moon and sighed deeply.
“Ah~ what kind of karma have I brought upon myself!”
“Mister, you’re in a good mood.”
“Who’s there?”
Xu Ping’an furrowed his brows.
The voice didn’t seem to come from nearby, but… from above?
Looking up, he saw a figure holding a long sword—a man wearing a long robe. His eyes were sharp as a hawk’s, full of killing intent.
Yet the moment Xu Ping’an saw him, a slight smile appeared on his face.
“Heh~ it’s you?”
The man leapt down from the eaves like a swimming dragon, landing gracefully in front of Xu Ping’an.
“Master Wen has come down to Chaoge. Han Wujin came to pay his respects.”
The man didn’t bow, but quietly hugged his sword in front of him, standing still.
There was a rebellious air about him that almost made one want to rush forward and punch him.
“Not just a visit, I suppose?”
Xu Ping’an smiled faintly.
This man was none other than the swordsman he once picked up by the roadside.
Han Wujin.
“Of course. Wujin came not only to see you but to protect you.”
Han Wujin did not hide anything, speaking plainly.
“Protect me?”
“Exactly. Wujin received news that the Left Prime Minister is planning to make a move against you. That’s why I came to ensure your safety.”
“Left Prime Minister? An Lüzhi? The one known as One Who Pacifies the World? That An Lüzhi wants to kill a nobody doctor like me?”
Xu Ping’an hesitated for a moment, his heart already alert, but he did not doubt the man’s words.
Han Wujin, though brash in attitude, rarely lied.
Because this man cultivated the way of the sword.
He was called a swordsman because he truly fought his way through the martial world, sword strike after sword strike.
But the level of cultivation the man before him had reached was at least past that threshold, into the realm only attainable by cultivators.
“Hmm, alright… since you’re here, I feel much more at ease. These days, I’ll be relying on you.”
Han Wujin only nodded slightly, said no more, then took a few steps and leaned against the doorpost of Xu Ping’an’s room, folding his arms around his sword and closing his eyes to rest.
Seeing this, Xu Ping’an said nothing further, smiling softly.
He turned and entered the room, taking out a small porcelain bottle from the medicine box before returning to the door.
“Wujin, this is for you.”