A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace-Chapter 713 Yearning

Noble Concubine Shih waited all night, but the Emperor ultimately did not come.

Only when dawn was about to break did Li Shengan arrive, entrusted with some matters. He then left quickly.

The disappointment and sadness of Noble Concubine Shih were self-evident.

The other women in the Harem also secretly took pleasure in her misfortune.

"And to think she felt so smug; now it seems she’s nothing special after all!"

"Nobody is favored. Let’s see what airs she can put on in the future!"

"Exactly..."

The Concubines quietly mocked the Noble Consort.

Then, their feelings towards Xia Ruqing turned to envy, jealousy, and hatred.

Afterward, there was no more commotion.

After all, whether the Emperor left the palace or not had absolutely nothing to do with them.

Xia Ruqing showed no reaction either.

He had already visited the night before. Her residence was guarded like an iron fortress, and she had everything she needed.

She ate and drank well, served by a host of Palace Maids and eunuchs, living her usual delightful life.

But in truth... she still felt a pang of reluctance in her heart.

After all, he would be gone for more than half a year!

Thinking it over, she could only comfort herself with the thought, It’s actually good that he’s gone. At least he didn’t take any other women with him; isn’t that great?

With this thought, her mood indeed improved again.

In the days that followed, Little Bun remained diligent in his studies.

Xia Ruqing was also leisurely, reading books, practicing calligraphy, painting, and occasionally wandering in the back garden.

Picking some fresh vegetables to eat made her life serene and fulfilling.

「Outside the palace.」

Zhao Junyao led 100,000 troops and finally reached Guangnan after half a month.

The army picked a spot near South Sea Province to set up camp and entrench themselves.

Setting up camp and entrenching sounds simple, but in reality, it is quite troublesome.

This time the Emperor was leading the expedition personally, and his safety could not be neglected.

During the first few days the army arrived, General Liang personally sent people to survey the terrain and landscape.

It needed to be convenient for coming and going but also easy to defend and hard to attack.

Warfare was important, but safety was equally so.

In the end, General Liang found a clever river bend to use as the campsite.

It was surrounded by water on three sides. The river was broad and the current swift; ordinary small boats could hardly navigate it, only large ships could.

And as for large ships... they could be seen from miles away.

If someone wanted to invade the camp, they would probably be turned into sieves by the Archers from the Divine Engine Camp before getting within half a mile.

Therefore, the security was simply impeccable.

Zhao Junyao’s tent was the first to go up.

It would take some time for the other soldiers to get settled.

Seizing this opportunity, Zhao Junyao mounted his horse, preparing to inspect the surroundings.

But he had not ridden far before he realized that warhorses simply could not run properly in such terrain.

"Good thing I didn’t bring the Cavalry!"

General Liang chuckled, "Your Majesty jests. On this riverbank, a horse’s hooves would sink in before it could even run. Even if we had brought them, the Cavalry would have to be used as infantry."

Zhao Junyao nodded thoughtfully.

I’m still too inexperienced, he sighed internally. I’ll need to make more such tours in the future.

"Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles."

Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. One cannot rely solely on theory.

The horses were not suitable for riding.

So, Zhao Junyao proceeded on foot with his men.

General Liang and General Xiao followed behind, and Xia Tingfeng dared not leave his side for even a step.

The group walked along the riverbank until they reached higher ground.

Standing there and looking south, as far as the eye could see, to the south of the riverbank lay a forest, and beyond it, a series of undulating hills.

Further south, there was a misty expanse, beyond which nothing could be seen.

Zhao Junyao furrowed his brows but said nothing.

It was General Xiao’s first time seeing such terrain, however, and he exclaimed in amazement, "I can’t believe such terrain exists! Wouldn’t fighting here be incredibly difficult?"

If the enemy were to hide anywhere and seize an opportunity for a surprise attack, it would be almost impossible to defend against.

General Liang, who was from Jiangnan and accustomed to such terrain, smiled and said, "Actually, it’s not as difficult as you imagine, General Xiao. It’s much better than mountainous dense forests! Those are what truly give you a headache; you can’t even hear a thing in them."

General Xiao nodded without saying anything more.

After observing for a while, the group returned.

As dusk fell, all the tents had been pitched.

General Liang, following the terrain, personally arranged all the patrol locations and shifts for the guards.

Zhao Junyao also ordered the entire army to rest and recuperate that night.

He also instructed the Military Doctors to prepare various medicinal herbs to prevent acclimatization issues. These were boiled in large pots to make a medicinal soup for all the soldiers to drink.

After everything was settled, the officers and men turned in early.

After a journey lasting half a month, it was indeed time for a proper rest.

As for the upcoming battles, they were not matters to be rushed.

Lying in the unfamiliar tent, Zhao Junyao felt a bit dazed.

He should have been resting properly, but he just could not fall asleep.

During the half-month of rapid travel, he had been too busy to think of anything else.

But now that they had suddenly stopped, his mind, though blank at first, was soon filled with thoughts of Qingqing.

What is she doing?

Pregnant as she is, is she eating and sleeping well?

What if someone bullies her?

What is she doing right now? Is she thinking of me?!

Zhao Junyao was shocked.

A battle is imminent! At such a critical moment, concerning the very survival of our armies, I’m actually thinking about a woman!

I am the Emperor! This is simply intolerable!

But then he thought again, She’s Qingqing.

Qingqing isn’t some siren who bewitches rulers; she’s completely innocent, isn’t she?!

This has nothing to do with her!

After much deliberation, Zhao Junyao still concluded it was his own fault.

My willpower just isn’t strong enough.

So, he got out of bed and casually picked up a few books, placing them by his pillow.

That night, he read until the middle of the night before he managed to distract himself from his lovesickness.

Of course, he did not know what "lovesickness" was.

In any case, he was extremely annoyed; that much was certain!

「...」

「Meanwhile, in the palace.」

「Qingya Residence.」

Xia Ruqing was admiring a painting before her.

The painting depicted a woman in white, carrying a flower basket, running through a Red Plum Grove amidst ice and snow.

Her back was turned, so her face was not visible.

Only her graceful figure, her fluttering white robes and sash, and her long hair, lifted by the wind, could be seen.

Although her face was unseen, the woman’s ethereal silhouette looked as if she might ascend to become an immortal at any moment!

The entire painting exuded a transcendent artistic conception, with exquisite brushwork; every stroke was rendered with great care.

Xia Ruqing couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration, "What a beautiful painting!"

"Truly lovely! This is... a painting of a fairy, isn’t it!"

Xia Ruqing did not find anything familiar about the painting at all.

Of course, the exaggerated brushstrokes were one reason for this.

"Eh? Is there an inscription?"

Xia Ruqing slowly unrolled the scroll, revealing two lines of small characters at the bottom.

"Dimly outlined, as if light clouds veiling the moon; fluttering, as if the wind returning the snow."

The *Homage to the God of Love*?

Luckily, I read some ancient poetry in my previous life, or I’d be making a fool of myself right now.

After pondering for a while, Xia Ruqing felt something was off.

"Isn’t the Nymph of the Luo River supposed to be by the riverside? Why would she be in a plum grove..." she mumbled to herself softly, a puzzled expression on her face.

"If it’s not a painting of the Nymph of the Luo River, why inscribe it with lines from the *Homage to the God of Love*?"

"Who sent this painting? The Ministry of Internal Affairs?"