Bai Li’s expression of concern deepened as he read the Emperor’s ssage.
ili saw her eldest brother, i Renlong, striding over to join them. The guards parted to let him through, and she leapt to her feet and ran to embrace him.
He wrapped her in a hug, then held her by the shoulders, searching her face for answers.
"ii! What on earth are you doing here?"
"Gege! I’m so happy to see you!" she cried.
Tears of anxiety and joy in equal asure, trickled down her cheeks, and her brother reached out to brush them away for her.
"Join us here, i Renlong," called Bai Li. "I’ll catch you up on what you’ve missed."
When they were all seated, Bai Li passed First the Emperor’s ssage to read. First Brother’s eyebrows shot up, but his face otherwise remained impassive and serious.
He nodded in military fashion, handing the precious parchnt back to his Commander.
"Understood, Commander Bai. What do we know so far?"
"What was the exact position as you left the palace?" Bai Li asked ili, as he refolded the note, tucking it into his sleeve. "When was this passed to you, and by whom?"
"Feng Bao passed it to after Prince Haoran’s n stord the palace. They had the Emperor and so of his senior servants trapped in the courtyard behind the Imperial study. The prince appeared and challenged his Father to a duel. Before the fight began, our Lord turned to and asked to escape once the fighting started to fetch you and the army. He specifically said ’tell him everything. Yicai must take the throne.’"
She felt a sense of relief for having carried out these critical orders from the Emperor. It was over to Bai Li and her brothers now.
"How long ago did this happen?" First asked her intently.
"I escaped the palace as soon as our Lord requested it of , and I ran all the way ho. Panic was already breaking out across the capital. Fifth and I left our mansion imdiately. We have only slept one night. So I guess this happened only yesterday morning?"
Ba Li nodded and moved the rise to his feet. i Renlong leapt to join him.
"i ili, i Sunren," Bai Li addressed her and Fifth. "I know you will both be exhausted, and we have another long and urgent journey ahead of us. Please try and grab a short rest while your eldest brother and I make the necessary plans."
Bai Li motioned at Lieutenant Ju, who jogged across to join them at the table.
"Lieutenant, please set up tents for Young Master i and Miss i to rest before we set off. Start to mobilise the n. We’ll be riding back to the capital in rapid ti. The provisions may need to catch up to us later. Get them fed now so they’re prepared to march into the night. See that Miss i and Master i are fed well too."
"Yes Sir!" Ju Rong gave a tight bow and gestured at the youngest two i siblings to follow behind him.
"Bai Li," ili said, standing her ground instead of following the second-in-command. "Can I speak to you alone for a minute before you and my first brother start planning the assault?"
i Renlong and i Sunren both looked at her in surprise for being so assertive when she knew the importance of the battle to co.
Bai Li nodded, looking at her brothers and motioning with his eyes for i Renlong to give them a mont.
ili pulled another sealed letter from her sleeve and handed it to him.
"I think you should be the one to carry this docunt from the Emperor too, Li,".
Bai Li saw that this letter was not sealed with wax, though when he opened the folded page he saw that it did indeed bear the Emperor’s seal.
He saw within a few seconds, that the docunt was a marriage grant for himself and ili, and he allowed himself a rare smile, despite the dire circumstances.
"I know the timing is awful, Li, but the Emperor gave this just before the rebellion started. He and I planned to share the news with you together, but I think He would forgive for giving it to you without Him, given the circumstances we find ourselves in. I feel better with you keeping hold of such an important docunt."
"It’s wonderful news amongst the terrible news, ili," he reached out and tucked a loose hair behind her ear, the intensity in his eyes forcing her to drop hers, to avoid tearing up. "It gives even more reason to fight Prince Haoran and beat him. The sooner I can install the Crown Prince on the Dragon Throne, the sooner we can get married. You were right to give this to look after," he touched her chin gently, tilting her face back towards him so he could see her eyes.
She smiled shyly back at him now, her eyes glistening. She was suddenly embarrassed by how pleased she felt at the thought that she was to beco his wife; especially when such hurdles faced them, not to ntion she was still so deep in her grief for Tricky, and terrified at what they might find on their return to the capital.
"We both know yours are the safer pair of hands, Li."
ili was more shaken than she was willing to admit by the attack on them that had killed Tricky.
"I’m not sure that’s true, but I’m very happy you told , and I promise to guard this with my life, ili. Just as I will protect you for the rest of your life."
"I know you will, Li," she said his na with such an unshakeable confidence in him that he couldn’t help the little flutter in his chest.
Now it was his turn to feel guilt at the wellspring of happiness he was feeling when he should have been planning out the details of how to storm the capital.
"I’ll leave you with my first brother now," she told him. "Don’t worry about on the journey back to Nanjing. You do what you need to with First and Lieutenant Ju. Fifth will look after ."
"I’ll post so guards around you both. Tell your Fifth Brother that you two are to travel with i Renbing and i Renjun," he said, referring to her third and fourth brothers. "They know all there is to know about travelling with the army now."
"Okay Li, I’ll tell him," she flashed him a small smile before she turned and walked away.
He noticed a sadness in her eyes he had never seen there before...
He supposed that in the circumstances, following her escape from the palace while it was under attack, and not knowing if the Emperor was dead or alive, her being sad and anxious was only to be expected.
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