Two days passed without people noticing.

The following day, when Yun Muxi was having breakfast with Duanmu Gongyu, she suddenly thought of what happened yesterday, and it made her uneasy. “By the way, you seemed to… have offended your big brother yesterday because of me… will he avenge you in the future?”

Duanmu Gongyu did not answer her question but asked with a smile, “Are you worried about me?”

“Well, it would happen all because of me. What kind of a man is he? Will he hurt you? He looks like a tough guy.” Yun Muxi did not answer his question either but pursued the question.

“Take it easy. Are you worried about me or not?” Duanmu Gongyu pressed, teasing Yun Muxi with a cloying smile.

“Hey, I’m serious, so, stop the joking.” Yun Muxi was shy and shot him a glance to disguise her shyness.

“Why don’t you dare to admit you’re worried about me?” Duanmu Gongyu persisted, acting as a naughty boy.

Standing beside, Nanny Wu, Ruixue, Chuxia, and several other maids were shocked and speechless after seeing his behavior.

They could not help but wonder if this man was really the prince they knew and whether he was possessed by the soul of a three-year-old boy. Was this childish man their cold and domineering prince? Did he have his head bumped on the door?

Yun Muxi was wordless at Duanmu Gongyu’s childish behavior as well. She remained indifferent towards him since he was such an immature and boring man.

However, Duanmu Gongyu did not let her go. He pursued again, “Why can’t you just admit you care about me?”

Duanmu Gongyu found it fun to tease Yun Muxi. He felt quite pleased seeing her expression of anger and shyness, so, he did not put a halt to his childish behaviors.

While Duanmu Gongyu was waiting for her to reply with his head tilted, footsteps approached them from outside and stopped at the yard.

“Order from His Majesty, Your Highness Prince Yu, please come to hear the order.” The sharp voice of Eunuch Li, who was highly favored by the Emperor, rang out at the door, and it sounded as if the words were squeezed out of his throat.

Duanmu Gongyu frowned and a sharp light flashed within his eyes. He stood up and strode to the yard in firm steps, followed by Yun Muxi in curiosity.

Face darkened, Duanmu Gongyu knelt down on one knee. Following him, Yun Muxi went down on her both knees and lowered her head.

“His Majesty descends an imperial edict saying that Jiayu City, at the southern border of our country, is suffering from turmoil and invasion from Zhouyue Country. As a result, His Majesty anoints you the Great General of the Country, who will lead 5,000 elite soldiers to the southern border to guard the peace of our country. You’ll have to set off tomorrow morning, Your Highness.”

“Yes, I’ll follow the order. Long live His Majesty!”

Duanmu Gongyu stood up and took the imperial edict with both hands. The sharp light in his deep eyes sent a shiver through Eunuch Li’s body, who could not help but shrink his neck. The eunuch hastily finished his words, “Then, I’ll go back to reply His Majesty. No need to see me out, Your Highness.” After saying this, the eunuch ran away without looking back. He was scared by Duanmu Gongyu’s fierce look and left in fear of becoming his target.

Duanmu Gongyu walked back into the antechamber carrying the imperial edict in his hands. He sat down on the main seat and placed the edict on the table beside. His expression ice-cold, no one dared to make a sound, and they found the cold price that they were familiar with came back. Everyone became cautious and quiet.

Yun Muxi stepped to Duanmu Gongyu tenderly and poked his arm lightly, saying, “What’s wrong? What happened?”

Duanmu Gongyu turned his head to look at her, and the tense in his eyes eased. “Don’t worry, I’ll come up with a way,” he said in a soft voice.

“What’s it exactly? I do want to help.” Yun Muxi’s voice sounded firm and irresistible.

Duanmu Gongyu felt his heart drowned in warmth. For so many years, no one had cared about him as she did. He felt it great to have someone care about and accompany him and share his burden. His heart softened, and a current of warmth ran through his body with his eyes full of tenderness.

Duanmu Gongyu pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly as if he were trying to make her a part of him. He whispered beside her ears, confessing his feeling, “It’s so great to have you with me.”

The others in the room lowered their head embarrassedly.

Their prince behaved like another person in front of Yun Muxi, which made them wonder if he had a double personality. Meanwhile, they were glad to see that their prince became a gentle, affectionate man with emotions, like a real living being. However, they dared not speak out their thoughts because they knew their prince would show this side only to Yun Muxi.

“Well, let’s talk, and don’t behave so intimate. You’re choking me out. Take off your arms!” Yun Muxi complained as she tried to push Duanmu Gongyu away.

Duanmu Gongyu let go of her but stared at her closely with tenderness in his smiling eyes.

“What happened exactly? Why you received such an imperial edict?” Yun Muxi spoke out her doubt. She knew nothing about this strange world, so, she could not judge what the imperial edict was meant for and had to inquire Duanmu Gongyu.

“It must be Duanmu Gongcheng’s idea. His eyes when he stared at you yesterday told everything. He wanted to separate us so that he could take you from me. In such a case, he could not only take revenge for Duanmu Gongjing and Huangfu Yuqing but also dispatch me far away so as to get close to you. What a good plan! He must have recommended me to my father, who, thus, decided to have me guard the southern border. He reckoned that I dared not go against my father’s will so that his plan would work out. He is such a sinister man. I underestimated him, giving him a chance to take advantage of me.”

“So, you’re left with no choice but to go to the southern border?” Yun Muxi furrowed her delicate eyebrows and pressed her lips. The old saying that contemptible man always did despicable things was true. The struggle inside the royal palace could only be more malicious and was impossible to guard against.

Yun Muxi asked at once, “What will you do for it?”

“Well, it’s hard to deal with. Since the imperial edict has been given out, I have to obey. Actually, if I were not with you, I would not mind going to guard the southern border to get some peace. The life there is much quieter than in the cities, and the enemies of Zhouyue Country are easy to defeat. It’s a piece of cake for me to wipe them out with my 5,000 elite soldiers. The only problem is that I’m worried about you. What your life will become if I leave you? I have to think over it…” Duanmu Gongyu looked at Yun Muxi with affectionate eyes as he spoke.

Yun Muxi chuckled on hearing his words and said, “Well, it’s easy. I’ll follow you to the southern border.

“I reckon Duanmu Gongcheng hasn’t expected that I, a weak girl, would follow you to the battlefield. Since he is targeting me, I’ll just disappear from his sight. By the time you return with victory from battlefield and win awards from His Majesty, Duanmu Gongcheng will lose the bait along with the fish. Actually, I’ve read some books about strategies in the world I’m from, so, I may be able to provide my advice as a counsellor. I’m a great student, so you can see how smart I’m.” Her witty words and big black shining words stunned Duanmu Gongyu again and obsessed him.

Duanmu Gongyu laughed lightly and was no longer upset. He fondled Yun Muxi’s head gently with his eyes full of tenderness.

…

After dinner, Duanmu Gongyu went back to his room with Yun Muxi.

“Pack up your luggage. We’ll start the march tomorrow morning. Though we’re not far from the southern border, it will take us ten days to reach there, so, it’ll be tiring. Moreover, in the southern border, it’s not as convenient as in the capital, and life will be harder that. I’m afraid you, as a girl, couldn’t bear the suffering.” Duanmu Gongyu showed an expression of pity and guilt, and there was gloom between his eyebrows. “It’s all my fault. I’m not strong enough to protect you.”

“Well, I’m not a spoiled and pampered girl. Though I never marched with the army or fought on the battlefield, I do have received military training from where I came from. There, to train students into someone who would endure hardships and be capable of hard work, military training will be conducted in primary, junior and senior high schools. So, I’m not afraid of hardship. What’s more, I could enjoy the natural scenes along the way, that’s wonderful. I’d like to take it as a trip.”

Yun Muxi was optimistic about the march. Her hearty laughter sounded in the whole room. Her lively face and vivid expression amused Duanmu Gongyu. This girl always knew how to please him, and he liked her even more.

“Alright, just take it as a journey with me. Be assured, I’ll not bring you into danger. I’ll protect you, and you’ll be able to return with me with victory soon.” Duanmu Gongyu chuckled.

Duanmu Gongyu also realized that he laughed more and more and was in a better mood recently, and it was all because of Yun Muxi. He was determined to protect her and keep her safe, even if it were to cost his life. He valued her as his own life.

Duanmu Gongyu fondled her head, and his eyes were full of tenderness.

“Pack up your luggage quickly so you can go to bed early. Our journey starts tomorrow morning,” Duanmu Gongyu said in a soft voice.

“Well, actually, I don’t have too many things to bring with me except for the bear and several clothes. There is no need to dress gorgeously in the wild, and comfortable and convenient clothes are enough. Dressed up in an eye-catching way may cause me trouble. It would be better and more convenient if I could dress like a man.” Yun Muxi let out light laughter. She started to imagine what she would look like if she put on men’s clothes, and she thought herself smart to have come up with the idea.

Duanmu Gongyu was wordless upon hearing the words. Dressing up like a man? What was in her mind exactly? Duanmu Gongyu reached out his hands and flicked on her forehead. “What’s in your mind, girl? Dressing up like a man…”

Yun Muxi covered her forehead in pain and pursed her lips, muttering, “Don’t flick my head. You’re bullying me!” She sobbed, a bitter expression on her face, and her voice sounded crying.

Duanmu Gongyu laughed loud as he saw Yun Muxi’s lovely looks. “Hahaha, what a lovely girl. You’re right. Just be yourself and make yourself comfortable. There is no need to concern too much.”

He said in a doting voice.