Chapter 416 - 349: How About We See This Prosperous Age Together?
Chapter 416: Chapter 349: How About We See This Prosperous Age Together?
’I think the title "Princess Consort Shuang" sounds much better than "Princess."’
’Xiao Mo.’
’What do you think?’
「The next morning」
Qin Siyao woke up and slowly opened her eyes.
As soon as she regained consciousness, she recalled what she had said to Xiao Mo the previous night.
The more she thought about it, the more her fair cheeks flushed with embarrassment, the blush spreading all the way to the tips of her delicate ears.
’I... How could I have said something like that...?’
Qin Siyao rolled over onto her stomach, the tops of her feet straightening as she kicked the bed again and again. Her light nightgown occasionally fluttered up, revealing a flash of her fair, shapely thighs.
Even though she had already confessed her feelings to the man she loved, she still felt she had been far too forward last night, not nearly demure enough...
But then she remembered Xiao Mo’s reply: "It does sound nice."
A happy smile crept onto Qin Siyao’s lips despite herself. A sweet spring of joy and shyness bubbled up in her heart, and she couldn’t help but hug her pillow and roll back and forth on the bed.
Just as Qin Siyao was endlessly replaying Xiao Mo’s words from last night, Sister Hua Sheng’s voice came from outside the room.
"Princess, Young Master Xiao is here."
"Ah? Xiao Mo?" Qin Siyao froze for a moment, then said in a fluster, "I—I know! Sister Hua Sheng, ask Xiao Mo to wait a moment. I... I need to change..."
"Of course, Princess," Hua Sheng replied. She then turned to Xiao Mo with a smile. "Young Master Xiao, would you care to sit for some tea and pastries? I imagine you’ll be waiting for quite a while."
"Why is that?" Xiao Mo asked.
"As the saying goes, a woman adorns herself for the one she loves. Every time the Princess meets with you, Young Master Xiao, she tries on who knows how many outfits," Hua Sheng explained.
"Sister Hua Sheng, don’t say such things! I... I’ll be ready in a second..." the young woman’s voice called out from the room again.
Hua Sheng said nothing, only chuckling softly before pouring Xiao Mo a cup of tea. "Please, have a seat, Young Master."
"Thank you, Sister Hua Sheng." Xiao Mo sat on a stone stool, took a sip of tea, and looked at the woman before him. "I’ve been so busy these past few days that I haven’t had a chance to properly thank you."
Xiao Mo stood and gave a respectful bow, his hands clasped before him. "For your assistance in the battle at Yanmen Pass, I thank you, Sister Hua Sheng."
"You’re too kind, Young Master." Hua Sheng returned the gesture with a slight curtsy. "All I did was spit a little fire. It was hardly any help at all."
"You’re being too modest, Sister Hua Sheng." Xiao Mo shook his head. "But will entering the battlefield have any consequences for you?"
’I never would have guessed that Sister Hua Sheng was of the Demon Race.’
In this world, the relationship between the Demon Race’s World and the World of Ten Thousand Laws was reasonably good, with open interaction between them. However, the Demon Race and the Human Race had a pact: neither side was to interfere in the other’s wars.
"Thank you for your concern, Young Master Xiao. But please, don’t worry. Few people will care. Besides, I’ve already been exiled from the Vermilion Bird Race. No Vermilion Bird is going to care about an outsider like me," Hua Sheng said frankly.
"..." Xiao Mo was momentarily at a loss for words. It wouldn’t be right to ask Sister Hua Sheng how she had been exiled from the Vermilion Bird Race.
"Xiao Mo, I’m ready!"
Just as the conversation between Xiao Mo and Hua Sheng trailed into an awkward silence, Qin Siyao opened her door and walked out happily.
"My, the Princess was quick today. You must have been worried your beloved would get upset from waiting too long," Hua Sheng said teasingly as she turned to face Qin Siyao.
"Sister Hua Sheng, you’re still at it..." Qin Siyao blushed as she walked over, her bright, limpid eyes blinking. "Xiao Mo, don’t listen to her. What did you need me for?"
"Nothing in particular. I just happen to be free today and wanted to ask if you, Siyao, would like to go for a stroll in the city," Xiao Mo asked.
"The city? Of course! Let’s go now." Qin Siyao’s eyes instantly lit up. She waved to Sister Hua Sheng. "Sister Hua Sheng, we’re leaving! We won’t be back for lunch..."
With that, Qin Siyao tugged on Xiao Mo’s sleeve and started walking.
Watching them leave, Hua Sheng couldn’t help but shake her head and smile. ’Honestly. The Princess is always talking about being demure, but she doesn’t look very demure right now...’
...
「In the city of Yanmen Pass.」
Xiao Mo and Qin Siyao walked along the streets.
Yanmen Pass was gradually returning to its pre-war state. Most of the shops had reopened, and a few street vendors had begun to appear here and there.
Only some of the brothels remained closed. This was mainly because the girls had grown too thin from starvation and lacked the energy to properly serve their clients; they would need more time to recover.
Overall, however, Yanmen Pass was still a long way from its former prosperity. In fact, you could see the gauntness on everyone’s face.
Fortunately, routes between Yanmen Pass and the Northern Wilderness had been opened, so trade from the Qin Kingdom would soon reach the city.
Furthermore, to win the hearts of the people of Yanmen Pass, the Qin Kingdom had also sent over a great deal of supplies.
In the future, Yanmen Pass would likely be developed into a major trade hub, and life in both the city and the greater Southern Realm should steadily improve.
But that was all in the future. For now, the city remained quite desolate.
Taking in the scene, Qin Siyao couldn’t help but tighten her grip on the hem of Xiao Mo’s robes.
"Xiao Mo, why must there be war in the world?" Qin Siyao looked up and asked the man she trusted most.
To this day, Qin Siyao could still remember the horrific sight of tens of thousands of corpses on the battlefield and the ruin within Yanmen Pass on the day she first arrived.
"Nations have different interests and different ambitions, which naturally leads to conflict. And where there is conflict, there will be war. The only difference is whether the Wei Kingdom attacks the Qin Kingdom, or the Qin Kingdom attacks the Wei Kingdom," Xiao Mo said slowly.
"Then how can we stop the wars?" asked the young woman, who had lived a sheltered, pampered life deep within the palace.
"Perhaps when the entire world becomes a single nation, there will be no more war," Xiao Mo replied.
Qin Siyao looked up at Xiao Mo’s profile. "And will the people’s lives get better and better then?"
"Not necessarily."
Xiao Mo shook his head and looked at the young woman beside him.
"You would also need an enlightened Monarch. Otherwise, if you ended up with a ruler like the current Monarch of the Wei Kingdom, the people would still suffer immensely. If they didn’t, so many men from Yanmen Pass wouldn’t have joined my Northern Wilderness Army."
"If the world were unified under an enlightened Monarch... that would be the golden age you read about in books, wouldn’t it?" Qin Siyao mused.
"I suppose so." Xiao Mo smiled. "And I believe that golden age is not too far away."
"Really?" The young woman looked up, her face full of joy.
"Really." Xiao Mo nodded. "I believe you, Siyao, will definitely live to see that golden age."
"Then, Xiao Mo... if that day comes, can you be by my side?"
Xiao Mo: "..."
"Xiao Mo, say something! Let’s see that golden age together, okay?" The young woman pouted, shaking his sleeve.
Xiao Mo turned, gently stroking the young woman’s head as he gave her a warm smile.
"Okay."