The Prince Wants to Assassinate Me Every Day

Chapter 1398: Chapter 805: Qianyun’s Birthday (Part 4)

"Your father and I don’t really count as falling in love over time," Xie Ruotong said. "Back then we were betrothed since childhood. As for me, it was love at first sight with your father; as for your father, it probably counted as the gratitude of having his life saved."

"You saved my father?" Xie Qianyun’s face was full of curiosity.

"Your father used to be really blind." Speaking of it, Xie Ruotong still felt a bit of a knot in her heart.

"What happened?"

"In short, your father isn’t as smart as you think."

"I think so too, especially when he’s in front of you, Mother." Xie Qianyun strongly agreed.

Xie Ruotong smiled.

Still, she couldn’t help feeling a bit of longing in her chest.

Longing for Song Yanqing...

She shifted her attention and said, "Your father and I don’t really count as falling in love over time, but the Supreme Emperor and the Empress Dowager really did."

"Really? They didn’t have feelings before? How did they end up together?" Xie Qianyun hurriedly asked.

"Back then the Supreme Emperor liked someone else, treated the Empress Dowager very badly, and was always trying to have her assassinated."

"...The Supreme Emperor could really do that?" Xie Qianyun couldn’t believe it.

Right now the whole Daxuan Kingdom knows how much the Supreme Emperor dotes on the Empress Dowager.

He’s afraid she’ll break if he holds her in his palm, afraid she’ll melt if he keeps her in his mouth.

"So he suffered quite a lot trying to win her back," Xie Ruotong said. "Qianyun, I’m very sorry I agreed to let you enter the palace as Empress without asking your permission back then, but what I want to say is, feelings really can be cultivated. His Majesty may look cold and distant, but he’s not a bad person. Think about it, he was taught by your father himself—your father wouldn’t push you into a fire pit, would he?"

"I once suspected I wasn’t their real child..."

Xie Ruotong glared at Xie Qianyun.

Xie Qianyun grinned. "I’m joking. I really love you and Father so much."

As she spoke, Xie Qianyun suddenly threw herself into Xie Ruotong’s arms.

"You’re already sixteen and still acting so spoiled—does that seem appropriate?" Xie Ruotong chided dotingly, but she didn’t push her away in the slightest.

"Mother, even though today is my birthday, Father always says it’s the day of your suffering, so every time my birthday comes, he comes not to accompany me but to accompany you." Xie Qianyun leaned in Xie Ruotong’s arms. "Mother, thank you. Thank you for going through so much pain to bring me into this world."

Xie Ruotong smiled.

But her eyes were starting to redden a little.

Xie Qianyun had never been this sentimental; seeing her like this now made Xie Ruotong a bit unaccustomed.

"I’ll be setting out to war in a few days," Xie Qianyun said. "Mother, you must take good care of yourself. His Majesty said that once this war is over, he’ll let you go back home to enjoy your old age. Then you and Father can see each other morning and night every day. Maybe you can even give me a little brother..."

"Xie Qianyun!" Xie Ruotong’s tone carried reproach.

Whatever emotion she’d just felt toward Xie Qianyun immediately dropped by more than half.

"Hehehe, let’s drink. I want to drink with Mother." Xie Qianyun slipped out of Xie Ruotong’s arms.

She raised her cup again and resumed drinking.

In the end Xie Ruotong was rational; after finishing one pot of wine, no matter how Xie Qianyun pouted and acted cute, she still stuck to her principles.

Left with no choice, Xie Qianyun could only sulkily leave her mother’s tent.

The wine had just gotten her into a bit of a buzz, and then suddenly it was cut off halfway, neither here nor there.

She strolled back toward her own tent.

There was a familiar figure standing at the entrance.

When that person saw Xie Qianyun return, he hurried up obsequiously and said, "Your Majesty, it’s your birthday today. I prepared roast chicken and wine for you."

Xie Qianyun looked at Wu Huahao.

This kid actually knew it was her birthday.

She suddenly felt a bit emotional.

This birthday, several people were celebrating it with her.

"Every year Prime Minister Song uses your birthday as an excuse to come keep the Great General company and throws you aside. Haven’t I been the one drinking wine and eating roast chicken with you every year?" Wu Huahao said with an utterly straight face. "This year Prime Minister Song didn’t come, and the Great General is busy, so there’s even less chance of anyone celebrating with you. Don’t you think I’m especially good to you?"

Xie Qianyun was speechless.

This guy’s confidence really came out of nowhere.

"I’ve already tasted the roast chicken. I guarantee there’s nothing wrong with it," Wu Huahao went on talking to himself.

Xie Qianyun punched Wu Huahao on the shoulder. "At least you’re not completely stupid."

"Come on, let’s go drink at our old spot," Wu Huahao invited.

Xie Qianyun nodded.

She and Wu Huahao went to sit on the haystack in the camp where they often used to drink together.

Under the night sky, the stars were scattered everywhere.

The world felt vast and open.

It made one’s heart feel free and clear.

Xie Qianyun and Wu Huahao were drinking in a rather hearty manner.

Xie Qianyun suddenly sighed. "I actually once thought about marrying you."

Wu Huahao was mid-sip and promptly sprayed his mouthful of wine.

Xie Qianyun looked at Wu Huahao with distaste.

Wu Huahao hurried to wipe the corners of his mouth. "Your Majesty, don’t scare people like that. If His Majesty heard this, would one head really be enough for him to chop off?!"

"Coward." Xie Qianyun said in exasperation, then added, "Back then I thought, for a woman like me, how many men would ever like me..."

"Then why did you think I would like you?" Wu Huahao cut in.

"I never thought you’d like me," Xie Qianyun said. "I just figured I could force you. Anyway, you can’t beat me. If you wouldn’t marry me, I’d just beat you until you did."

"...Thank goodness you became Empress," Wu Huahao said, still shaken.

Xie Qianyun rolled her eyes at Wu Huahao again and said, "I thought that I should marry and have children sooner or later. Rather than randomly marrying some man, I might as well marry someone who shared my ideals. At least we’re both passionate about shedding blood for our country. Then we could spend our whole lives hand in hand, galloping across the battlefield together. But who would’ve thought I’d be snatched up to become Empress."

Wu Huahao suddenly fell silent.

"Wu Huahao, you’d better shine bright on this land and not let me down," Xie Qianyun said solemnly.

There was regret in her tone, but also a helpless kind of acceptance.

Wu Huahao looked at Xie Qianyun, at the disappointment in her eyes under the night, and that faint, desolate smile.

"Actually..." Wu Huahao’s voice dropped low.

He turned his gaze to the starry sky above.

That sentence—"I once thought about being with you too"—in the end, was swallowed down into his heart for a lifetime.