Chapter 472: Mother……

Good.

Jiang Yunchu nodded, lightly lifting the corners of her mouth, "Don't worry about me."

She was somewhat reluctant, and also felt as if separated by an age; three years ago, the allied armies of the three nations, a 150,000-strong force, had come to the city walls.

They were struggling to hold on.

And three years later, they had already established another realm; the former border residents had begun to trade and intermarry.

Especially the people of Xijiang, who used to worry they might die at any moment, now suddenly felt hope; they no longer fretted over war's turmoil, nor agonized over mere survival.

Ning Chengyan held the horse with one hand and grabbed her hand with the other; his hand felt icy cold.

"Yun chu, I will walk step by step with you on the road ahead."

Jiang Yunchu glanced at him, then shook her head: "You have your path, and I…"

Over these three years, she constantly searched for information, constantly sought the cause, even hurting herself, until she finally knew that the ring on her hand was the root of the living spirits.

The green inner force gathered within her body was not inner force at all, but a kind of living-spirit aura.

Living-spirit aura counters deathly qi.

For a shaman to face her is practically seeking death.

And she needed to intensify her training, enter Zhongzhou, and save her mother.

It's been twenty-four years; Mother, are you still well?

Ning Chengyan looked at Jiang Yunchu's appearance, gently pinching her hand: "My path and yours have always been walked together."

"You forgot—I am the son-in-law chosen by Mother; how could I not go to Zhongzhou?"

As soon as Ning Chengyan spoke, Jiang Yunchu immediately lifted her head and looked at him.

He…

How could it be.

Ning Chengyan gave a light smile: "I have always known where my endpoint lies."

"Yun chu, even without you, my path was long since destined."

All his efforts ultimately weren't they just to save Mother?

And the efforts of the imperial elder brother, the great general, and Kang Fu—aren't they all for the same purpose?

At this moment, she recalled the painting by her maternal uncle the emperor, a portrait of several people; she never imagined that to this day, so many would still not have forgotten.

"First rest; we also need to know a little about Zhongzhou's situation—I have plenty of Zhongzhou intelligence on my side." Ning Chengyan looked at her weary eyes, already slightly red.

"I can…"

Before Jiang Yunchu could finish speaking, Ning Chengyan shook his head: "No."

"First rest; I'll give you the materials later."

He knew she was anxious; over these three years she had trained and studied day and night, wasn't it all to reach Zhongzhou a day sooner?

Living-spirit power is the hardest to cultivate.

But the myriad things of Xijiang are reviving—this is the best place to cultivate living-spirit power, which is why she has stayed for three years.

"Let's discuss it."

In Jiang Yunchu's eyes lay something like a clear spring, making one unconsciously sink into them.

Ning Chengyan's thoughts stirred slightly; his Adam's apple twitched lightly, suppressing the sudden urge that surged up.

Just…

Jiang Yunchu's somewhat icy little hand reached out; her soft, smooth, round fingers covered his Adam's apple and lightly stroked it.

The string Ning Chengyan had been repressing seemed to snap suddenly.

"Jiang Yunchu!"

"Do you know what you're doing?"

His originally warm, moist voice carried a hint of hoarseness; his whole body tensed, afraid of frightening the girl before him.

At that moment, Jiang Yunchu lifted her eyes; her watery eyes held a touch of ancient liveliness, and her long lashes cast a shadow beneath them.

"Ning Chengyan, I suddenly want to lean on you."

Her voice carried a hint of fatigue, together with an unconscious hint of reliance.

This was something she herself hadn't realized, yet it slipped out naturally.

Even after she spoke, Ning Chengyan felt the surprise in her eyes.

"Good."

Ning Chengyan suppressed his primal desire, then turned and sat on the side couch, holding Jiang Yunchu in his arms; her soft body carried a faint fragrance after bathing.

"Yun chu, after we rescue Mother, let us redo the wedding ceremony, all right?" Ning Chengyan buried his head in Yun chu's neck, feeling the rich fragrance and the soft touch of her skin, making him somewhat unable to restrain himself.

Jiang Yunchu stared, stunned: "Redo the wedding ceremony?"

She lowered her head, looking at Ning Chengyan; her eyes were somewhat red.

Perhaps from exhaustion, or perhaps for another reason.

She lowered her head; her moist red lips lightly touched his, just a brief contact, then she lifted her face.

In her previous life she had never experienced romantic love; in this life, there is only Ning Chengyan.

"Jiang Yunchu."

Ning Chengyan's voice remained hoarse, his Adam's apple rolling faster; warm fragrance and soft jade in his embrace, yet he did not want to frighten Yun chu.

At least, they cannot be in the relay station.

Jiang Yunchu raised her eyebrows, glanced at the man holding her, then rose and stepped down.

"I think you'd better go take a bath."

Ning Chengyan's face darkened somewhat, then he poked her nose: "You!"

He left only two words and a sigh, then hurriedly pushed the door open and left.

In the room remained Jiang Yunchu, laughing uncontrollably.

This man, ah...

Jiang Yunchu didn't know why; inexplicably she felt that entrusting herself to such a man might not be bad?

They whipped their horses and, after over twenty days, finally returned to Ning Jing.

Yun chu, return to Wang Fu first; I'll go check the Imperial Palace.

They had already received word about Ning Jing's situation; besides that, Jiang Yunchu's urgency to return to Jingdu stemmed from another matter: the emperor's maternal uncle had been poisoned.

No one raised a fuss, but her maternal grandfather sent her a message through other means.

Okay.

I fear the situation has changed; they have divided their forces into two routes.

"Princess Consort!" Zi Su watched the person approaching step by step, then dropped to her knees and performed a deep bow.

She had always been strong; with the masters absent from the manor, she, a lone maid, struggled to hold on, yet she had never shed a tear.

But the moment she saw the Princess Consort, she could no longer hold back.

All she asked for was the Princess Consort's safe return.

Zi Su bowed to the Princess Consort.

Jiang Yunchu stepped forward two paces, then helped Zi Su up, asking, "What are you doing? Is it because I haven't returned to the manor for so long that you've forgotten my rules?"

Looking at Zi Su, her eyes also turned slightly red, and she said, "Over these many years, you've worked hard."

Ning Jing was not at peace; since the Ning Emperor began to act, Ning Jing fell into turmoil, and all factions sprang into action.

And the Regent Prince's Manor was the first to bear the impact.

"It's not hardship; I only wish the Princess Consort would return," Zi Su said, lifting her head to gaze deeply at the Princess Consort.

This is her master, the person she will loyally serve all her life.

Jiang Yunchu wiped her tears and said, "I'm back, aren't I?"

As Zi Su was reporting and they walked toward Rhyme Courtyard, a sweet voice called out, "Mother."

Jiang Yunchu suddenly turned her head and saw the girl.