Chapter 1192: Chapter 1192: You’re Not Allowed to Go Anywhere Tonight

"Of course they are divided!"

"There are so many moons!"

"Full moon, half moon, first quarter moon, last quarter moon, crescent moon..."

"I also know..."

Xia Ruqing mumbled and drifted back to sleep.

Zhao Junyao helplessly bent down and carried her to the bed.

The curtain was lowered, allowing sparse moonlight to filter through the gauze.

It just illuminated Xia Ruqing’s pure and sweet sleeping face, making Zhao Junyao’s heart instantly calm and peaceful.

He felt like an exhausted eagle after flying for too long, finding its warm nest, finally able to rest.

Perhaps she was his harbor.

...

From the second day at Guangnan.

Zhao Junyao began to go out, leaving early and returning late.

At first, Xia Ruqing didn’t understand what he was doing.

Later, she thought, could this guy be... using himself as bait to lure the snake out of its cave?

"Emperor!"

One morning, Xia Ruqing grabbed him.

"Hmm?" Zhao Junyao turned around, a questioning expression on his face.

"I want to go out and explore too!"

"No!" Zhao Junyao refused without hesitation.

"It’s too dangerous outside!"

Xia Ruqing was persistent.

"I want to go!"

"Emperor, if you really want to lure the snake out of its cave, I’m more suitable than you!"

She was the Empress, the mother of the Crown Prince, Zhao Junyao’s most important person, his ’soft spot’ (so self-righteous o(╯□╰)o).

As soon as she appeared.

Perhaps those observing in secret would immediately take action!

"Emperor, please let me go!"

Zhao Junyao frowned tightly, saying nothing.

He knew Qingqing was right!

To lure the snake out of its cave, he couldn’t do it alone!

He was like a wandering soul in the street without any purpose.

The other side would find out he was prepared with a little inquiry.

This was like using a straight fishhook to fish, blatantly signaling a trap. The fish wouldn’t bite.

Seeing him soften, Xia Ruqing continued to persuade him.

"Emperor, please let me go!"

Zhao Junyao thought for a while, but still refused firmly.

"No!"

Xia Ruqing: "..."

"Why not? Why won’t you let me?"

"I am the Empress, the mother of the nation. I have this duty!"

"Why do you shoulder all the responsibilities yourself?"

"Why am I here if you won’t let me go?"

Xia Ruqing suddenly became a bit anxious.

Zhao Junyao had been acting strange recently.

She knew his past wasn’t good, and his mother-son relationship was complicated.

To prevent him from indulging in memories, she decided not to mention or ask.

And Zhao Junyao wasn’t someone proficient in speech, let alone sharing lengthy discourse.

Thus, there was a slight sense of estrangement between them.

Perhaps Xia Ruqing overthought, or maybe it was true.

Anyway, they felt a bit distant.

...

Facing Xia Ruqing’s fierce protest.

Zhao Junyao was stunned, it took him a while to respond, incredulous.

"Qingqing, you..."

"Don’t add to the chaos!"

"How could I bear to let you take the risk?"

Xia Ruqing felt a void in her heart, unable to find solid ground.

She was very frustrated.

"Emperor, I know you’re doing it for my sake!"

"You’ve assigned many people to watch me daily like a cage, protect me, ensure no harm comes here!"

"But..."

"I really don’t want to always be someone protected!"

"I want to bear it with you!"

As she said this, her heart was both sour and sweet, indescribably mixed.

She had no clue about love.

She only knew he’s pampered her for so many years, and she couldn’t be heartless, didn’t want to be!

Maybe there was love between them, or nothing at all!

Who knows?! Who cares?

She just wanted to bear it together!

Zhao Junyao looked at her intently, and Xia Ruqing looked back similarly.

Their gazes crossed in the air, sparking colorful fireworks.

The room’s temperature soared rapidly, so hot!

...

Under the bright sun, clear skies.

The two embraced, united in spirit and flesh.

After an indescribable session lasting over a Shi Chen.

They lay together, hand in hand, face to face, like a pair of intertwined mandarin ducks.

Zhao Junyao glanced at the blazing sun outside and sighed helplessly.

"Seems like it’s impossible to go out today!"

Going out in broad daylight would lead the opponents here.

If a fight broke out, it wouldn’t be good as there are eunuchs and Palace Maids here!

Xia Ruqing chuckled playfully.

"Then shall we go out tonight?"

"I must go with you!"

Zhao Junyao was helpless.

"If you follow me, I’ll be distracted to protect you, if caught, neither of us will escape!"

Xia Ruqing scoffed.

"Caught? Isn’t our side prepared?!"

"Can’t we defeat them?"

Zhao Junyao furrowed his eyebrows.

"Who knows?"

He turned his body slightly, gently placing his arm on her shoulder, stroking her silky soft hair.

"Be good!"

"Don’t go, alright?!"

He honestly didn’t know how many people the opponent had.

If Zhao Junqi was desperate, getting tens of thousands of troops wasn’t impossible.

Zhao Junyao squinted, suddenly recalling something.

During the Guangnan battle, he came to inspect the navy and army here.

At that time, Prince Yan mentioned only tens of thousands combined, but the training facilities didn’t match only having tens of thousands.

Such grand grounds, so densely packed with thousands of Iron Plum Blossom Poles! So many iron weights, weapons piled like Xiao Shan.

Impossible to have only tens of thousands? More like... hundreds of thousands.

After all, every barracks had these.

Though not distributed one-to-one with soldiers, proportions were similar, maybe one for two, or one for three were common.

With some calculations using this ratio, one could estimate the military strength here.

Zhao Junyao recalled.

"I roughly saw about ninety thousand then!"

"Years have passed, they should have at least a hundred thousand now!"

If less than a hundred thousand joined the rebellion, would it even be called a rebellion?

Xia Ruqing admiringly respected Zhao Junyao’s thought process.

"Emperor, remember, that was before Prince Yan’s household was seized!"

"I think even if he had troops, it’d be mostly one or two thousand!"

"Not to mention Prince Yan’s death, Zhao Junqi being exiled!"

"As you said, Zhao Junqi was exiled to a freezing wasteland, it took tremendous effort to return!"

"How would he have the chance or energy to organize troops?"

Zhao Junyao shook his head.

"Even so, don’t be complacent!"

"There’s Empress Dowager in the palace, and Prince Yan’s old forces outside!"

"I don’t know how much strength they’ve accumulated!"

Prince Yan was a sly old fox, completely crafty and deceitful, while he was careless, so...

Zhao Junyao shook his head.

"No more thinking!"

"Tonight, you mustn’t go anywhere, listen to me!"