Chapter 136 Everything Settled Down

Qi Sian left in the middle of the night. Although Pan Yueqing felt some movement in her courtyard, she still closed her eyes and pretended not to hear anything.

Qi Sian stood at the door, and his figure, silhouetted against the moonlight, carried a sense of loneliness.

For some reason, he didn't raise his hand to knock on the door or climb into Pan Yueqing's room. In the end, he just let out a sigh. His murmured words lingered in Pan Yueqing's ears like a spell: "Qingqing, it's only you. Please don't betray me."

Pan Yueqing frowned. Listening to Qi Sian's receding footsteps, she opened her eyes, covered her chest, and slowly exhaled. When Qi Sian spoke at the door, his voice was low and tinged with sadness, making her feel suffocated. This feeling was different from all the despair she had experienced in her previous life. She could sense the pressure as heavy as a mountain bearing down on her back.

The morning sunlight finally broke through the thick clouds and shone on the land of the northern border. Suoyue City welcomed the first ray of sunlight. Pan Yueqing got up and dressed herself. She was still wearing a refreshing men's outfit, with a whip pinned to her side and wearing thousand-layer cloud boots. She pushed open the door and saw Su Ruoqing standing at the door. He was wearing a brand-new suit of armor, and the helmet made him look even more heroic.

"A Yue," Su Ruoqing looked a bit stunned and called out. "You're up so early."

Pan Yueqing looked Su Ruoqing up and down twice. "Have you thought it through? Ten years of hard study will be in vain if you make this choice."

Her third cousin had always disliked the military. Since he was young, he had chosen to study beside her second uncle. Now he had also obtained the status of a Xiucai and was supposed to prepare for the provincial examination in three years. In this regard, her first uncle had always supported him. Her first and second cousins had already joined the army on the frontier. Her first uncle no longer forced the third one as much.

It wasn't that he didn't expect him to bring honor to the family and carry on the family business. It was just a way of protection, hoping that the Su family could be passed down from generation to generation.

But now Su Ruoqing had also chosen to put on this military uniform. Pan Yueqing let out a slight sigh. She wondered if Su Ruoqing, who had made a different choice, would not have such a hard life as the one she knew.

Probably not.

"Yeah," Su Ruoqing nodded solemnly. "I still want to be a member of the Dingyuan Army that defends the country."

Pan Yueqing raised her hand and slowly helped Su Ruoqing straighten the scarlet cape behind him. "You look very imposing, much more imposing than Uncle. You really have the air of a young general."

"Be smart when you go back," Su Ruoqing looked at Pan Yueqing in men's clothing, reached out and held her hand. His gaze was calm, but the smile on his lips couldn't be suppressed. "But don't be overly cautious. You look your best when you're full of spirit and galloping on a horse with a whip in hand." After thinking for a while, he added, "Go and visit Grandma more often. You know, she loves you the most in her life."

Pan Yueqing nodded. She raised her eyes and looked past Su Ruoqing's body, seeing Pan Haiyun and Su Jing coming from not far away. She withdrew her hand and saluted Pan Haiyun and Su Jing respectfully, and Su Ruoqing did the same. Pan Haiyun looked at Su Ruoqing in armor and smiled. Pointing at Su Jing, he said, "You have to be careful. Your father won't be as easy to talk to as he is at home when he's a general."

Su Ruoqing looked at Su Jing's serious expression and couldn't help but joke, "Uncle is kidding. Father isn't easy to talk to at home either." After receiving a fierce look from Su Jing, he couldn't help but shrink his neck.

"Yue'er, we're leaving today," Pan Haiyun smiled at Pan Yueqing.

Pan Yueqing understood that after today, she would shed the identities of the son of Prime Minister Pan and Deputy Officer Pan, put on her long water-sleeved dress, and return to being the legitimate daughter of the Pan family. She nodded slightly towards Pan Haiyun. Today, instead of leaving on horseback, she walked in Suoyue City with Pan Haiyun and Su Jing. On the main road that was originally filled with the stench of rotting corpses, the common people were hurrying to get seeds from the government.

Grandma Sun was holding her little grandson and waving at Pan Yueqing with a smile.

The blind old woman was also standing nearby. Although she couldn't see, she unconsciously smiled when she heard the commotion of the crowd.

The children who had lost their parents in the famine were uniformly adopted by the orphanage. According to Pan Haiyun's intention, the expenses for their food and clothing were all covered by public funds. After strict governance, Suoyue City showed a harmonious scene. Many people who had fled from the disaster were gradually preparing to return to their hometowns. His Highness the First Prince, Qi Simeng, stood far away on the city wall and bowed deeply to Pan Haiyun and the others.

They didn't tell the common people that they were leaving, but the common people still noticed the change of the officials.

"Prime Minister! General! Young Master!"

Looking at the common people with tears in their eyes welcoming them along the road, Pan Yueqing's eyes involuntarily turned red. She had never seen such a scene before. In her previous life, she was the Asura General. Both the enemy country and her opponents feared her existence. She had fought for thousands of miles, and the common people had always been terrified when they saw her. But now this scene made her eyes fill with tears.

"Young Master!" Grandma Sun led some old and weak people to kneel in the middle of the road. "During the famine, you gave us two bowls of porridge. Many pregnant women were able to give birth to their children because of these two bowls of porridge. We will never forget your kindness, Young Master. Please accept our bow!"

"This..." Pan Yueqing was a bit flustered and stepped forward to help Grandma Sun up. "This is not appropriate..."

Grandma Sun insisted on not getting up. Pan Yueqing looked back at Pan Haiyun helplessly. Pan Haiyun couldn't help but feel amused when he saw Pan Yueqing, who finally looked like a child asking for help. He had seen too much of this child's calmness, and this childlike behavior was rare. He cleared his throat. "We'll accept your kindness. He's just a child. How can he bear your kneeling? It would be too much for him." Then he stepped forward to help Grandma Sun up. "Yes, yes, I'm just a little child. I really don't dare to accept the kneeling of the venerable old lady and all the aunts." Pan Yueqing hid behind Pan Haiyun. Grandma Sun thought this was the etiquette of wealthy families and then stood up.

Pan Yueqing looked back at the common people of Suoyue City who were seeing them off from afar and boarded Pan Haiyun's carriage.

Pan Haiyun was closing his eyes to rest. When he saw Pan Yueqing jump in like a little monkey, he couldn't help but laugh. "Why didn't you ride a horse?"

Pan Yueqing clicked her tongue and looked a bit disgusted. "Riding a horse is too tiring. Since we're not in a hurry, your daughter wants to take a good nap in Father's carriage." She stretched and leaned against the carriage, muttering as if she were acting coquettishly. "I don't want to ride a horse ever again in my life."

Pan Haiyun smiled. "After we go back, Father will ask for a reward for you."

"Father, do you know why His Highness the Prince of Xiangyang rushed back in such a hurry?" Pan Yueqing didn't seem to be interested in the reward. Instead, she boldly started gossiping with Pan Haiyun.

"I don't know," Pan Haiyun shook his head with a smile. "I've always refrained from inquiring about the affairs of the royal family."

"But there's one thing I must tell you, daughter," Pan Haiyun said with a bit of helplessness. "The Emperor, out of gratitude for our merits, has already allowed Miaoqian to go home."

It's really letting her off easy, Pan Yueqing said indifferently. "That's good. Grandma won't get sick because of her, and Father won't have to worry about it either."