In Love With My Fierce Farming Wife!
Chapter 1397 - 33 Unchanging Forever (33)

Chapter 1397: Chapter 33 Unchanging Forever (33)

"Are you alright?"

Seeing Su Pan’er’s troubled look, Ye Han furrowed his brows with concern.

"I’m fine, just feeling a bit sentimental!"

Su Pan’er sighed. She recalled the youth in the side palace hall whose words resonated with conviction: "I, Qin Feimo, swear! As long as I, Qin Feimo, still breathe, I will never let anyone harm you, including myself!"

The words are still fresh, but everything has changed.

The sense of loss in Su Pan’er’s eyes pained Ye Han, who fell briefly silent before speaking: "Your Highness, you mustn’t dwell on it. If he insists on walking the path of wickedness, let him be!"

"It’s hard to say whether it’s wickedness or not."

Su Pan’er lamented, her thoughts drifting to the deceased Feng Xiyue, and to the child Qin Kongyang, still trapped within the deep palace.

She remembered discussing Qin Kongyang’s situation with Qin Feimo once, only for the two to part on bad terms.

Now, Qin Feimo was marrying the Princess of Western Xia, promising her the position of a concubine. Su Pan’er thought the topic of the child still locked behind high walls would come up. But in the end, Qin Feimo did not mention the child at all.

In the past, having Qin Kongyang in the palace simply meant arranging a few more palace maids and wet nurses.

But now that the child has grown, everything is different!

"Brother Ye, do you remember Qin Kongyang?"

"Of course, Your Highness. Are you talking about the child left by ’Feng Gui Ren’?"

Ye Han, having been regent in previous years, naturally remembered Qin Kongyang. Still, he asked in return: "What about him? Is there something wrong with the child?"

"There’s something greatly wrong!"

Su Pan’er held her forehead, smiling bitterly: "I thought, just raise one more child! After all, he had palace maids and wet nurses looking after him. But just two days ago, while I was fishing by the lotus pond with the three children, that child suddenly emerged from the bushes. His frail body teetered as he walked, his large eyes filled with longing, he ran towards me, calling me Empress Mother. At that moment... the shock in my heart was indescribable! I was... I was just..."

Su Pan’er didn’t know how to describe her feelings at that time!

Reason told her that while adults may be guilty, their sins should not befall their wives and children.

The past mistakes of Feng Xiyue should not be blamed on an innocent child.

But when Qin Kongyang suddenly ran out calling her Empress Mother, and Huanhuan immediately ran over happily, taking his hand and excitedly saying she had another royal brother, it was like a bolt from the blue!

"That child is about the same age as the Prince, even if he was born a moment earlier, he has always been weak. To go from his residence in Shuiyan Park to the lotus pond in the Imperial Garden, it’s impossible without help from someone. Your Highness, have you ever inquired who has been inciting him in secret?"

Ye Han’s brows were deeply furrowed.

That Qin Kongyang was born before the little prince Ah Mann.

The ministers did not know the origins of Qin Kongyang’s life, and there were murmurs of discontent for not having registered him in the family to this day.

But this was a major matter concerning the imperial bloodline, and authentic lineage cannot be tainted by outsiders. And yet, these people had brought Qin Kongyang in front of Su Pan’er, clearly up to something.

"This matter was investigated, and I have swapped out all those serving around him. As for the rest..."

Su Pan’er chuckled coldly: "Resist the soldiers with the generals and resist the water with the earth. Let’s wait! I think there will soon be follow-up actions."

"Are you suspecting..."

Ye Han held back from completing his thought.

"Before the truth emerges, everything is just suspicion. Let’s wait!"

Su Pan’er looked solemn.

Ye Han pressed his thin lips together: "Did the Virtuous King set any conditions for marrying the Princess of Western Xia?"

"Yes! He said he wanted to choose his Primary Consort himself."

Su Pan’er sighed.

Then she carefully packed away her feelings of loss, turned back to Ye Han: "I just feel like we’ve just left Luoyan Village, where we were fighting life and death with those people. How come in the blink of an eye, the once children are now grown up, getting married and having children of their own. Suddenly, I feel old."

"Old?"

Ye Han silently observed her, then shook his head: "Why would Empress say that? With your beauty, even after another ten or twenty years, it would not be related to the word ’old’."

"It’s the state of mind, the mind is aging!"

Su Pan’er couldn’t help but laugh too, dispelling the gloom from a moment ago.

She turned to glance at the guards following on either side, and seeing a ripe peach orchard not far ahead, suddenly felt eager: "Brother Ye, would you like to join me for a walk there?"

Ye Han naturally nodded: "If Empress wishes to go, this subject will always guard by your side."

Su Pan’er was startled, then burst into laughter!

"Alright, let’s take a walk."

Excited, Su Pan’er decided to go on the spot, directly commanding everyone to continue moving forward, taking only Jiu Lan, two guards, and Ye Han to the peach orchard happily.

The peach orchard was having a bumper harvest, with heavy honey peaches dangling from every branch, bending the branches with their weight.

"What large peaches! They seem even bigger than the ones in the palace on usual days."

Su Pan’er gently picked up a branch hanging down full of fruit, bringing it close to her nose, a rich fragrance assaulted her senses.

Ye Han approached and instead spoke of the origins of the orchard: "This place is still within the range of the Virtuous King’s territory; it should be his orchard. Does Empress wish to eat?"

As he spoke, he reached out to pick one.

"No! I didn’t come to eat, just to look around."

Su Pan’er pointed to the other side of the orchard: "Before coming here, I had already seen it, we could take a shortcut over this mountain top, catching up with the caravan ahead. I had them slow down a bit earlier. It should be just about the right time now."

"Let’s hurry then. After you, Empress!"

Ye Han immediately complied, beginning to scale the mountain with Su Pan’er.

Both were skilled in martial arts, naturally fast walkers. Jiu Lan was very capable as well, showing no fear, and the group quickly crossed the peach orchard and over the mountain top, reaching the other side of the mountain.

The peaches on the trees were tantalizing, yet no one in the group plucked any, their gaze instead turning to below the mountain.

At the foot of the mountain, a main road hugged the river, wrapping the peach orchard in a band of jade, looking exceptionally picturesque. Unfortunately, the sound of skirmishing below shattered the tranquil beauty.

Su Pan’er guessed the beginning and the end, but she couldn’t feel any joy.

Ye Han walked beside her, raised his hand, and gently patted her shoulder.

"Don’t be upset, things in this world are just like this. Those who can withstand the test of time without changing are rare as a phoenix feather or a unicorn horn. It’s good if you understand."

"I understand..."

Su Pan’er’s lips carried a hint of bitterness, drawing a shallow smile, as she watched the battle at the bottom of the hill.

It should be said, not that others have changed. It’s that she herself has never changed, still standing in the same place, hence feeling that others have changed. In truth, in this world, what can remain unchanged forever?