Dressed As a Consort in Ancient Times - Chapter 76

But Gu Yun did not want the Seventh Princess to take risks with her, nor did she feel at ease leaving Xingxing alone in the capital.  

However, before she could say anything, Jiang Libai had already started to whimper in a soft, fake cry, complaining in a low voice while crying, “I just want to be with you, to never be apart no matter where we go, yet you actually refuse and want to drive me away… Have you grown tired of me? Are you trying to take this chance to find someone new where I’m not around…”  

What kind of nonsense was this?  

Gu Yun sighed lightly. Even though she could tell the Seventh Princess was only pretending to cry—her eyes were completely dry—she still couldn’t bear to refuse her plea.  

The lead envoy behind them was already urging them to depart. Gu Yun gave a light cough toward Muzhou, who had been keeping his head down beside the carriage, then pulled the Seventh Princess into the carriage with her.  

Once the curtain was drawn, blocking out the strange gazes of others, Gu Yun turned Jiang Libai’s body straight and lifted her chin with her fingertips, staring into her blinking eyes with a rather helpless tone.  

“Do you know how dangerous the road ahead is…”  

“I know, I know!” Jiang Libai nodded vigorously, promising, “No matter how dangerous it is, I will stay by your side and face it with you.”  

The carriage had already started moving forward.  

Now that she no longer had to worry about Gu Yun sending her back to the capital, Jiang Libai relaxed. She removed her veil hat, squinted her eyes, and snuggled into Gu Yun’s embrace, rubbing against her.  

“I knew you couldn’t bear to leave me behind.”  

The road was uneven, and the carriage swayed as it traveled.  

Gu Yun wrapped an arm around her waist, steadying her seat, and then asked in a low voice, “What about Xingxing? Now that you’ve left too, she’s all alone in the capital.”  

Jiang Libai, inhaling the faint fragrance around her, felt as comfortable as a contented kitten.  

“I already had Chunxi take her into the palace to find Mother Consort. She should be with Mother Consort now.”  

Gu Yun thought about it and still felt a bit uneasy.  

“But Xingxing is only three months old and hasn’t been weaned yet. Leaving her so suddenly—is that really okay?”  

Although Xingxing was nursed by a wet nurse, whenever she cried too much, the Seventh Princess would personally feed and soothe her.  

Now that she was being separated from her birth mother all of a sudden, wouldn’t Xingxing cry and fuss?  

In truth, Jiang Libai also couldn’t bear to part with Xingxing.  

But she couldn’t bear to part with Gu Yun even more.  

Besides, the border was harsh and cold—she could go, but Xingxing absolutely couldn’t.  

After weighing her options, she had no choice but to leave Xingxing in the care of her mother consort.  

“With Mother Consort and the wet nurse, Xingxing will adapt to being without us.”  

Jiang Libai had complete trust in her mother consort, believing that she would take good care of Xingxing.  

“Besides, we’re just going for peace talks. Once the negotiations are done, we’ll return. It won’t take that long.”  

“I also told Chunxi to write us a letter every day, so we’ll know everything about Xingxing…”  

Hearing this, Gu Yun understood that Jiang Libai had properly arranged everything before chasing after her.  

“That works too. We’ll finish the talks as soon as possible and return.”  

And with that, the matter was settled.  

These two rather unreliable mothers left their child in the care of Noble Consort Yuan without any burden on their conscience and then set off lightly toward the border.  

—  

Inside the solemn and towering imperial palace.  

It was already early autumn. Many leaves had started to turn yellow, falling from the branches and fluttering through the air, piling up on the ground.  

Noble Consort Yuan looked at the tiny swaddled baby in Chunxi’s arms, nearly exploding with anger.  

“Where has the princess gone?!”  

Chunxi quickly dropped to her knees, stammering as she confessed the Seventh Princess’s whereabouts.  

“The princess… she has already left for the border with the Prince Consort…”  

Noble Consort Yuan’s vision went dark, and it took her a long time to recover from her fury.  

“The princess told this servant to bring the little princess to you… She said she wanted you to take care of her for a while…”  

The more Chunxi spoke, the weaker her voice became, until it was as quiet as a mosquito’s buzz.  

At this point, no matter how angry Noble Consort Yuan was, it was useless.

Let that scoundrel, Jia Ning, accompany them to the frontier and endure hardship! If they are indifferent to little Xingxing, then she shall be the one to cherish her. 

The tiny milk dumpling, blissfully unaware that her unprincipled mother has already stealthily fled, gazes around with her round, bright eyes. Upon catching sight of Imperial Concubine Yuan, she smacks her tiny lips and grins with squinty eyes. 

This smile melts Yuan Guifei’s heart; she quickly takes Xingxing from Chunxi’s arms, gently playing with the little dumpling. 

“Has the wet nurse of the little princess arrived?” Chunxi, crouched on the ground, responds eagerly, “She has already been brought to Changchun Palace. The princess has also packed all the little princess’s daily essentials and clothing for me to bring along…” 

Hearing this, Yuan Guifei’s irritation towards Jiang Libai diminishes somewhat. At least Jia Ning, as a mother, remembers Xingxing and ensured everything was prepared before entrusting it all to her. 

“This matter must not be publicized. Do you understand?” Yuan Guifei swept a glance around at the palace maids and eunuchs, gently warning them. It would be best if the chaotic mischief of Jia Ning remained a secret. When she returns, she will have ample time to deal with her accordingly. 

The border between the Yu and Jin kingdoms is quite distant; a carriage journey, with day and night travel, would take more than a month to reach. Although the scenery along the way is beautiful, the roads are bumpy. 

Jiang Libai, unaccustomed to long journeys, found herself unable to endure after several days in the carriage, her spirit now lacking, appearing as if she had just recovered from a severe illness. This distressed Gu Yun, who carefully held her in her arms, trying to minimize the jolting of the carriage. 

One day, Xu Zhengshi finally decided to rest for the night, to regain his strength before setting off again the next day. 

The soldiers, receiving orders, swiftly pitched tents, built a fire, and began cooking, creating quite a lively atmosphere. 

Gu Yun placed the seventh princess on a soft cushion, as the carriage had come to a stop, allowing her to relieve some discomfort. 

“Rest for a while. I will go set up the tent with Muzhou and call you once everything is ready,” she kissed the princess’s forehead and tucked her in with a small blanket before gently disembarking the carriage. 

Xu Zhengshi assigned several soldiers to assist, and soon Gu Yun had the tent prepared. By this time, darkness enveloped the sky, and the lit torches illuminated only a small area around them. 

Glancing at the busy figures nearby, Gu Yun silently approached the carriage, tapped lightly on the half-open wooden window, and in a hushed voice called, “Princess, please come rest in the tent.” 

The tent was spacious, and she had intentionally laid down more soft cushions, making it more comfortable than the carriage. 

Jiang Libai slowly opened her eyes, shifting slightly and feeling as if her body was falling apart, discomfort overwhelming her. “Gu Yun, I… I cannot get up…” 

At her words, Gu Yun climbed into the carriage and gently helped her sit up. The girl’s body felt soft and heavy, leaning entirely against her. 

Noticing her lack of strength, Gu Yun decided to carry her horizontally, taking advantage of the night to move her unnoticed into the newly set-up tent. 

“Do you still feel uncomfortable?” 

The bedding was already laid out, exceptionally soft, and should be much more soothing to lie on. Jiang Libai reclined, yet still sensed a swaying around her, desperately clutching Gu Yun’s arm, her tone feeble: “I still feel a bit unwell…” 

“My head is spinning… my legs feel weak… everything feels off…” 

“I will give you a massage.” 

Gu Yun rolled up her sleeves, using her warm fingertips to gently press against Jiang Libai’s forehead, applying just the right amount of pressure. 

“Is this alright?” 

She attentively monitored Jiang Libai’s expression, and upon seeing her brows gradually unfurl, she slightly increased her pressure. 

After a while, Jiang Libai finally started to adapt; her dizziness waned. 

She half-opened her eyes, moved her legs, and pitifully said, “My feet also hurt.” 

Gu Yun retracted her hand, shifted to the foot of the bed, and began to gently massage Jiang Libai’s legs. Her elegant fingers glided from the ankle upward, the comforting pressure making Jiang Libai squint her eyes, issuing a soft, contented sigh. 

Gu Yun paused her movements for a moment before casually flipping the unresponsive girl over. 

Jiang Libai, nestled in the bedding, glanced back in confusion at Gu Yun, “Jiejie?” Gu Yun’s hands reached toward the pert curve of her backside, her tone natural and expression serious, “After sitting in the carriage for so long, isn’t this area numbed as well?” 

At this moment, Jiang Libai’s face flushed a deep red. Feeling a tinge of embarrassment, she had to admit that Gu Yun’s technique was exceptional; after just a short while, her body felt pliant again. Just as she released another blissful sigh, Gu Yun’s hands began to wander upward… 

The tingling sensation startled her wide awake. She turned to the side, seizing Gu Yun’s wandering hand. 

Her eyes glistened, tinged with pink at the corners, soft lips parting slightly, “Jiejie, what are you doing…” 

Gu Yun glanced behind her. Fortunately, when she entered moments ago, Muzhou had discreetly closed the tent. 

The little sprite beside her had already wrapped around her, and Gu Yun loosened her outer robe, one hand gripping the girl’s slender shoulder, leaning down to imprint her lips upon the enticing little mouth. 

“Be gentle later…” Jiang Libai tilted her head back, feeling her mouth stripped of warmth, her voice grew muddled. 

Under the full moon, Xu Zhengshi prepared the freshly cooked meal, intending to deliver it to the seventh prince consort. Approaching the tent, he was intercepted by the seventh prince consort’s personal guard. 

“The prince consort is resting now; you may have your dinner first, sir.” Muzhou firmly blocked Xu Zhengshi from approaching the tent. 

Upon realizing this, Xu Zhengshi gave up the thought, nodded, and began to eat, “Just keep the food warm and let him have it when he awakes.” 

“Would you like to join?” he cheerfully invited Muzhou, who declined courteously. Thus, he said no more and contentedly savored his fragrant dinner. 

Within the gently swaying tent, Jiang Libai lay under the bedding, her hands clutching the cotton blanket tightly, sweat dampening her cheeks and strands of hair, shimmering droplets falling as they swayed. 

She bit her lip hard, trying to suppress the whimpers threatening to escape. As her movements grew frantic, she whimpered, tears spilling over and mingling with the sweat, saturating the bedding around her. 

Her waist sagged under the strain, unable to bear the weight. When she finally lost all strength, she sobbed softly, “It’s… it’s been too long…”