18: Empress Shen: I'm just passing by, you may continue.

“Wait a moment, Sister Yongning!”

“I've waited five years, I don't want to wait anymore...”

Luo Yongning gave him no chance whatsoever; she practically threw herself onto him, a pleasant fragrance washing over him. The sensation on his lips was accompanied by a feeling that left him somewhat breathless.

“Alright, it's time to eat.”

Luo Yongan had walked in at some unknown point, grabbing Luo Yongning by the back of her collar and dragging her off Mo Yingqi.

“Look how careless you are. Your lipstick has made Yingqi's mouth all red.” Luo Yongan glared playfully at her sister, then took out a handkerchief and gently wiped Mo Yingqi's still-stunned lips. “Honestly, what would the maids think if they saw this?”

“Sister, how dare you lecture me?” Luo Yongning wasn't angry about being pulled away by her sister; she merely straightened her dress. “Fine, fine. The food is getting cold. Yingqi, come here. This is all your favorite food. See if it suits your taste?”

“Ah, oh... No, you two, this, this, I, this...”

Usually, when interrogating and extracting confessions, he was eloquent and persuasive, sometimes managing to completely crush his opponents without resorting to torture, but now Mo Yingqi's heart was pounding and his mind was a mess.

“What's wrong?” Luo Yongning pouted like a playful little girl and gently patted Mo Yingqi's face. “Let me tell you, Yingqi, my sister and I will be equal wives, following the example of Ehuang and Nüying. There is no senior or junior; we are the same. So, as I said before, what my sister has, I must also have...”

Then, she lowered her voice and added, “And what she doesn't have, I must also have...”

Her answer didn't come from Mo Yingqi, but from a date thrown by Luo Yongan: “Are you pretending I'm dead, Luo Yongning?”

When Mo Yingqi saw all this, his previously chaotic mind suddenly felt as though it had returned to childhood. If there was one thing most important in Mo Yingqi's life, it was probably the memories he shared with them.

In truth, he didn't really resent them in his heart. His master had told him back then: “Don't resent them. Some matters were beyond their control...”

As the junior apprentice brother of the two sisters' maternal grandmother, Mo Yingqi's master knew best: what kind of decent person could his crazy senior apprentice sister raise? It would be a blessing if she didn't ruin his most talented apprentice, but unfortunately... the damage was already done.

“You two are still the same as before...” Mo Yingqi's face held a hint of nostalgia. “I thought after five years apart, and with both of you being princesses, you would have long forgotten me...”

“Silly Yingqi, we could forget anyone but you!” Luo Yongan came over and gently held his hand, just like when they were children. “Hurry up and eat. Oh, right, why don't you stay in the palace tonight and not leave?”

“Ah, no, this...”

“Just kidding. You haven't married yet. Even the future Imperial Son-in-Law can't casually stay overnight where a princess resides, right?” Luo Yongan winked. “Yingqi, are you... disappointed?”

“Ah, I, I, I, why would I be disappointed?” Mo Yingqi turned his face away. “I still have official duties. I, I have to return to the yamen after eating...”

“Oh, is that so? I thought Yingqi was really looking forward to it.” Luo Yongan looked regretful. “But it doesn't matter. The end of the month is coming soon...”

At that time, don't think you can run away, Yingqi... For some reason, Mo Yingqi involuntarily shivered. For a split second, it felt as if something cold had touched his back. He wasn't superstitious, but for some reason, this feeling was deeply unsettling.

Thinking back to what that old Daoist said today... Could it be that everything he sought and desired truly depended on them? Although it seemed to be the case, Mo Yingqi still harbored a trace of doubt, and even wondered if the two of them were deliberately messing with him.

However, this meal was genuinely delicious. Since Mo Yingqi joined the Pacification Bureau, he only occasionally got to eat good food when he freeloaded at Tang Jingzhong's home. Normally, he either ate the communal food at the yamen or went home to cook some noodles.

Yet, he had a rather large appetite. Even if he could fill his stomach, the yamen's communal food and the noodles he cooked himself lacked flavor. But today was different; it was the taste he had missed dearly for the past five years.

“Slow down, Yingqi. If it's not enough, we can have the Private Kitchen make more for you.” Luo Yongan watched him with a touch of heartache while serving him food. “You're all alone outside, with no one close to look after you. Say, why don't you move house?”

Mo Yingqi was focused on eating and was surprised when he heard her mention moving: “Sister Yongan, where would I move to?”

“After the Princess and the Imperial Son-in-Law marry, Imperial Father will arrange for us to live in the Princesss Residence.” Luo Yongning served him a bowl of soup and set it down. “The Princesss Residence has already been renovated. Why don't you move there first? My sister and I can arrange for people to look after you.”

“Let's forget about it...” Mo Yingqi lowered his head and continued eating. “The place I live now is closer to the yamen. Besides, moving into the Princesss Residence before we're even married...”

“Alright, then I'll send people to deliver food to you every day.” Luo Yongan had guessed Mo Yingqi wouldn't agree, so she didn't press him further. “The wedding is at the end of the month. I've already mentioned it to Imperial Father, so try not to be assigned any official duties at your yamen during this period.”

Mo Yingqi wanted to object, but on second thought, she wasn't wrong. He was, after all, marrying a princess, and the end of the month was only about ten days away. However, some cases were still in his hands, and more importantly... there had been no resolution regarding Xu Fengzhang.

“Are you thinking about the matter of the Xu Family's Young Marquis?” Luo Yongning seemed to have read Mo Yingqi's mind. “Imperial Father is furious, and the Grand Empress Dowager is also very unhappy. It is outrageous to behave like this during the national mourning period, and yet no Censor Official has submitted a memorial. The Grand Empress Dowager had deep affection for the Late Emperor; her eyes were still red when she summoned me.”

“He should have been thrown into the Imperial Prison yesterday, but unfortunately...” Mo Yingqi sighed. “Grand Chancellor Zhou is the head of the Grand Secretariat, and the Pacification Commissioner is also his man.”

“Oh, please. Do you really think I don't know?” Luo Yongan gently pinched his face. “Your direct superior, Commander Fang, is Eunuch Fang's nephew. This arrangement was made by Imperial Father precisely to deal with the Xu Family when they returned to Jingzhong. However, Mother told me that Imperial Father knew he was absurd, but didn't realize he was this absurd—during national mourning... sigh.”

“When will His Majesty issue a decree?” Mo Yingqi couldn't help but ask. “Or did the Marquis of Anding truly invoke the iron certificate of immunity to protect his son?”

“I don't know. Imperial Father is still discussing this matter in the Imperial Study.” Luo Yongan put down her chopsticks. “Yingqi, I know you care deeply about your duties at the yamen, and I know why you are so invested in the Xu Family matter, but...”

She slowly leaned closer to Mo Yingqi, a cryptic smile on her face: “But what you should be focusing on now is your marriage to us sisters. Yongning, what do you say?”

“Exactly, Yingqi. How about I personally go find Imperial Father and just ask him to grant you leave?” Luo Yongning grabbed his hand and gently pressed it against her cheek. “Yingqi, we are sorry for leaving you alone these past five years. We will make it up to you properly in the future.”

“It's all in the past... I never truly blamed you, but I just didn't understand why you left so suddenly.”

Mo Yingqi slowly put down his chopsticks, his eyes slightly red as he looked at them: “At least leave a letter, or a message. But you didn't. You knew that ever since I was young, besides my mother, my grandmother, and my master, you two were the only ones who mattered most to me...”

Almost simultaneously, Luo Yongan and Luo Yongning embraced Mo Yingqi from the left and right, gently stroking his head.

“We're so sorry, Yingqi. It truly was unavoidable...” Luo Yongan said choked up, tears streaming down her face. “It won't happen again. Never again...”

Never... Not in this life, the next life, or for all eternity... We will never let you leave us again... The door suddenly pushed open, and Empress Shen's voice came from the doorway: “Yongan, Yongning, I heard my son-in-law arrived, so I specially came to bring him some...”

Empress Shen and Qingzhu stood there, witnessing the scene before them. Mo Yingqi, who had just been feeling sentimental while lost in memories of the past, now only wanted to find a crack in the floor to crawl into!

However, Empress Shen and Qingzhu exchanged a look, and Qingzhu turned around and instructed calmly, “Put down the gifts and retreat!”

Empress Shen neither got angry nor showed displeasure. In fact, Mo Yingqi clearly saw the irrepressible smile on her lips. Then, the dignified Mother of the Nation, the legitimate Empress, actually backed out of the room and personally closed the door: “I was just passing by. Please continue, continue.”

The instant the door closed, Mo Yingqi heard her say very clearly, “Hey, Qingzhu, what do you think would be a good name for a grandson or granddaughter?”