"And where are her accomplices?" inquired Xuanyuan Yan.
Ming Jiu, with his head lowered, answered, "Master, all those captured were fatally poisoned."
Xuanyuan Yan massaged his temples, "Order an investigation into this matter, and kill without mercy if their traces are found in Shengjing."
The woman who could silently escape from a heavily guarded prison certainly won't give up easily. They needed to capture her quickly.
Currently, she was pregnant and was unlikely to get very far.
Ming Jiu acknowledged the order, "Understood, I will see to it immediately."
The news of Xuanyuan Sheng's demise reached the border.
Although Qin Yuchuan knew this was an inevitable event, he didn't expect it to happen so quickly.
Just two months after his departure from Shengjing, there were earth-shattering changes in the region's situation.
"General, what are your thoughts on this matter?" asked Na Muqi.
Qin Yuchuan: "What should my perspective be? Regardless of who becomes the emperor, this war will continue."
Na Muqi replied, "You and the prince have been good friends since childhood, perhaps there will be better days ahead."
"All of that concerns the future; what is important is the matter at hand."
As to who would become the emperor, Qin Yuchuan didn't have any particular thoughts.
However, if it was to be Xuanyuan Yan, things would indeed be much easier.
But what they should be focusing on now is the war with the southern border, the recent battles have made it difficult to understand the commander of the opposing side.
"General, are you thinking about the commander from the south, Murong Yi?" questioned Na Muqi.
Qin Yuchuan didn't answer, but Na Muqi could tell he had guessed correctly.
This southern commander is indeed a mystery.
Sometimes, he would surprise you, and at other times you would feel like he's just a local thug playing minor tricks, unworthy of grand courtesy.
He is inconsistent and unpredictable, even Qin Yuchuan finds him difficult to comprehend.
They have dispatched people to investigate, but their opponent has hidden himself well. They haven’t even seen Murong Yi.
"In my humble opinion, perhaps they are being assisted by an expert." speculated Na Muqi.
Qin Yuchuan considered this, and it wasn't out of the realm of possibility.
However, no matter the case, in the face of absolute power, these minor tricks weren't to be feared.
In April, the Capital City blossoms in a riot of color.
The Begonia flowers were in bloom. Amidst the other flowers, few people stopped to admire them, even as they flourished abundantly.
Every time Feng Qingyi walked past the villa, the sight of the begonias in bloom made her feel contented.
Influenced by Qin Yuchuan's preference, Feng Qingyi decided to take the Begonia as the subject of her painting, which was now halfway done.
Their three-person team had successfully made it to the final of the Math Modeling Competition. With their previous teamwork experience, their collaboration was more synchronized than before.
All three of them were participating in such a competition for the first time. Although they made it to the finals, their opponents were too tough, and they had to settle for third place.
"The fact that we reached third place in our first competition is amazing. Why are you all looking so glum?" Zong Huanyi tried to comfort them.
Feng Qingyi looked at the issued certificate, "Junior, thanks to your last-minute effort, we would have ended up at the bottom, let alone the third place."
Zong Huanyi said, "Sister, stop flattering me. It's expected that we were outperformed by the first two teams."
"After all, they have been through a lot of battles. It’s already impressive that we, three naive students, were able to stand out among a group of experts."
"To celebrate us winning the third place, I'll treat you both to dinner."
Lou Xi spoke, "Thank you, but no need; I have a date with my boyfriend tonight."
Zong Huanyi looked towards Feng Qingyi, "Sister Qingyi, you're not going on a date as well, are you!"
"I don't need to. But instead of having dinner with me, let me help you arrange a date with Yue Yue!" Feng Qingyi suggested.
Zong Huanyi cheerfully said, "Then, thank you, Sister."
"Remember to pick a good restaurant." Feng Qingyi added.
Zong Huanyi replied, "Don't worry, I'm leaving now."
"You plan to play matchmaker here?" Lou Xi asked.
Feng Qingyi responded with a smile, "I think this junior of ours is quite good. Whether he can succeed, it’s up to himself."
"How's it going with your boyfriend lately?" Lou Xi nonchalantly asked.
This reminded Feng Qingyi of something. When one starts to get busy, they tend to forget many things.
It seemed like she hadn’t contacted him for several days. With all her focus on the modeling competition, she almost forgot she has a boyfriend.
Hurriedly, Feng Qingyi pulled out her phone, checked their chat record; the last message she had sent him was a week ago, he hadn’t even messaged to check up on her.
"What, did you forget about your boyfriend!" Lou Xi felt like she had learned a secret.
Feng Qingyi scratched her head, "I've been too busy and forgot about it."
"Didn’t he call you, or send any messages?" Lou Xi continued to ask.
Feng Qingyi nodded, slightly irritated.
"It seems like your romance is a lonely one. But, as a saying goes, 'as one drinks water, let him understand the temperature', I won't advise you on anything."
Shouldn’t Feng Qingyi break up with that boyfriend of hers? Lou Xi had constantly whispered into her ears.
However, Feng Qingyi found her way of dating quite satisfactory; with no one hovering over her all the time, she enjoyed her freedom.
"Feng Qingyi said, "Actually, I quite like the current state of affairs. Yes, he's indeed very busy and doesn't have much time to accompany me. However, he explained this to me, and I understand."
Lou Xi checked her phone, "I need to go now, you should head home early too."
Feng Qingyi nodded, "Alright, bye!"
Living alone, cooking was a bit of a hassle, which involved buying vegetables, washing them, and then stir-frying. The whole process would consume at least half an hour.
Due to its time-consuming nature, Feng Qingyi usually dined at the cafeteria, and today was no exception.
After her meal, Feng Qingyi leisurely walked towards her villa.
Begonias along the way bloomed generously. With the gentle breeze, many petals fell to the ground, adding a touch of color to the always tidy road.
Feng Qingyi approached the villa, only to spot Qin Yuchuan standing by the entrance, seemingly waiting for her return.
Recalling how attentive he used to be, responding to her messages whenever he could, but now, couldn't spare a moment to drop her a simple message of concern, Feng Qingyi suddenly felt a rush of indifference towards him.
The few steps to the entrance of the villa seemed to stretch itno forever as Feng Qingyi took her time, strolling at a leisure pace that lasted for an eternity before she reached the doorstep.
Facing the man of jade-like complexion and pine-like nobility, Feng Qingyi almost spoke up.
However, she held back, sidestepping past him into the house, even giving him a slight shove.
Caught off guard by her actions, Qin Yuchuan appeared truly puzzled, "Qingyi, who has upset you?"
