Thousand Miles of Bright Moonlight

Chapter 22: Elder Brother, I'm Afraid

The close guards waited outside the palace gate with their mounts. Li Zhongqian took the reins and his figure suddenly paused.

　　"I want to ask you one thing. You answer honestly, must not have the slightest concealment."

　　His tone was cold and imposing.

　　Ah Wei said respectfully, "Your Highness's question, I dare not conceal anything."

　　Li Zhongqian asked, "Has qiniang vomited blood again in the past few months like she did last year?"

　　Ah Wei was stunned, thought back for a moment, then shook her head.

　　"Your Highness, the princess has been consistently taking Ninglu pills and has not vomited blood."

　　Li Yaoying was sickly since childhood; even though her health had improved a lot in the past two years, she couldn't stop taking medicine. The medicine was a pill formulated with dozens of rare herbs given to the Emperor as tribute, called the Ninglu pill.

　　Li Zhongqian did not speak, but he relaxed a little.

　　Last year, Li Yaoying suddenly had spasms and vomited blood. Her life was hanging by a thread, and the Feng Yu was completely helpless.

Li Zhongqian felt that his little sister's illness was strange and guarded her for several days.

　　But Yaoying was not concerned, saying that she just ate raw fish and had an upset stomach.

　　Li Zhongqian had seen her pained look when she vomited blood, so naturally, he didn't believe her.

　　When he asked Feng Yu about it, the was unable to tell him the reason.

　　Afterward, Yaoying quickly recovered. Her whole body was glowing with health and vigour, not at all like she had been seriously ill.

　　Li Zhongqian had no choice but to put his doubts at the bottom of his heart.

　　He saddled up his horse and met with sinking twilight, gently sighing.

　　Regardless of what Yaoying was hiding from him, as long as she was okay, it was fine.

　　Half an shichen later, Li Zhongqian returned to the wangfu.

　　The front courtyard was crowded with people, laughing and talking. The wide expanse of the front hall was packed with a dense mass of people inside and out.

The Chief Historian guided Li Zhongqian around the front courtyard and laughed: "Your Highness, the front courtyard is giving out rewards."

　　The corner of Li Zhongqian's mouth hooked: "Qiniang ordered this?"

　　The Chief Historian nodded. Whenever the second prince went to war or was triumphant, the seventh princess would order the steward to give rewards to the inner and outer servants of the residence.

　　The front courtyard was a cacophony of voices, and the inner courtyard was also a busy scene, with open boxes and chests piled up in the corridor. The maidservants carried bunches of boxes in and out, a mess of footsteps.

　　Yaoying was standing in front of the door directing the maidservants.

　　The glorious glow of the setting sun filtered through the blossoming branches of the trees, lightly enveloping her body.

　　The shadow of the flowers were rippling. She stood in front of the steps, her posture graceful, vermilion lips and teeth as even as pomegranate seeds. When she looked back and saw Li Zhongqian approaching, her eyebrows were slightly curved.