Where is the early stage of the marriage alliance?

The next morning, before dawn, Ling Xi's eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her sleepy eyes. Before her vision was clear, she met a pair of deep, dark eyes.

Xiao Ce lay on his side opposite her, propping his head up with one hand. His dark hair was scattered on the pillow. He looked languid, and his eyes were clear and bright, without a trace of the haze of just waking up.

Ling Xi's heart trembled slightly. This man was just too handsome. She was really too weak-willed and completely seduced by his good looks.

Wait a minute, how come he's in her bed?

Ling Xi's heart tightened, and she subconsciously lowered her eyes and head to quickly check her nightgown. Seeing that the clothes were neat and intact without any mess, her tense heart instantly settled down, and she quietly breathed a long sigh of relief.

But before he could completely relax, the man opposite him suddenly moved.

He slowly released his hand that had been resting on his head, leaned forward slightly, and his eyes, which had just been calm and gentle, instantly turned lustful as they locked onto her lips.

Before Ling Xi could react, he had already leaned down and approached, his warm breath instantly enveloping her, bringing with it the refreshing scent of agarwood.

He didn't rush or act rashly; his fingertips gently gripped the back of her neck, his strength gentle yet not allowing her to back down.

The next instant, his slightly cool, thin lips gently covered hers, touching lightly and slowly, with a cautious probing and tenderness, caressing and gently turning, the movements lingering and tender.

Ling Xi froze, her hands and feet gradually tensing up, and she lay there motionless, stunned.

Perhaps seeing that she did not dodge, he tilted his head slightly, and the originally restrained kiss gradually deepened. Each lingering kiss was filled with increasing force, and their hot breaths began to intertwine between their nostrils.

As he relentlessly pried open her lips, Ling Xi finally snapped back to her senses. Her chaotic rationality was pulled back somewhat by this overwhelming intimacy. In her panic, she raised her hands and pressed them against his firm, warm chest.

She used the momentum to step back half a step, but he seemed to be glued to her lips, following her forward. The next moment, his hand on the back of her neck suddenly tightened, gently pulling her closer to him, making the two of them even closer together.

The entanglement of their lips intensified, and no matter how she tried to push him away, her strength was weak and powerless, posing no obstacle whatsoever. He remained unmoved, lost in his passion, until finally, in a greedy and tender embrace, he reluctantly released her.

Ling Xi was breathing heavily, and the corners of her eyes were tinged with a thin layer of wet red.

"you……"

Her breath was unsteady, her voice trembling and fragmented. Before she could speak, Xiao Ce gently pressed his forehead against hers, their noses brushing together. The deep affection in his eyes had not yet faded. He restrained himself and lowered his head to gently peck her slightly swollen and red lips again, a tenderness that seemed like a comforting kiss.

"Don't push me away, Ling Xi."

He raised himself slightly, creating some distance between them, his gaze fixed on her, his voice low and hoarse.

"I have to go now, you can sleep a little longer."

He shed his previous domineering demeanor, and a faint look of longing and reluctance appeared in his eyes.

"Setting off? Where are you going?"

Ling Xi's mind was still a mess, the lingering warmth on her lips lingering. After a moment of stunned silence, she seemed to remember something.

In an instant, her clear, beautiful eyes widened, and the haze in them vanished completely.

"Are you going to Qizhou?"

"Yes. Urgent military intelligence came from the border yesterday. The Jin army has clearly moved eastward, and a battle between Daliang and the Jin is inevitable."

Xiao Ce quietly bent down, carefully explaining, gazing at her with deep affection, his profound eyes filled with longing and reluctance. He placed his hand on her cheek, his thumb gently stroking it.

"If you encounter any difficulties while I am not in Jinling, you can seek help from Lu Baixu and Qin Qi. I have already spoken to Mother Consort, and she will not make things difficult for you."

He spoke in a low voice, carefully instructing her word by word, his gaze fixed intently on her face.

"Also, my study has a rich collection of books, which you can browse at your leisure to pass the time. If you really feel bored, you can go and visit Yongle to relax together."

"Why are you telling me all this?"

Ling Xi was stunned and at a loss, feeling a sudden pang of sadness in her heart.

Xiao Ce's voice choked slightly as he roared, his fingertips almost touching her eyebrows and eyes, his eyes filled with an undisguised sadness and determination.

"If...if I don't return alive, take the divorce papers I gave you and go back to Chu with your brother. Your royal uncle...won't make things difficult for you."

A sudden sense of panic washed over Ling Xi as she looked at Xiao Ce, who seemed to be making his final arrangements, and she suddenly felt a little scared.

The next moment, he suddenly threw off the covers and got out of bed, standing quietly with his back to her. He gently untied the ties of his nightgown and slowly changed into his everyday clothes, making every move extremely light, probably afraid of aggravating the unhealed wound on his back.

As he was putting on the last piece of soft armor, a pair of slender hands suddenly reached out from behind him. She gently supported the soft armor, slowly covering it from his shoulders, then moving around to the front of him, carefully fastening the gilded hidden clasps, and smoothing the nail patterns along his body.

Xiao Ce lowered his eyes, his gaze fixed intently on her face. She kept her eyes down, her long hair cascading down, obscuring her delicate features, as she carefully tightened the brocade leather belt around his neck.

He suddenly grasped her slightly cool hand and pulled her tightly into his arms, his palm trembling slightly as he gently stroked the top of her head.

"You care about me, don't you?"

Xiao Ce's voice was deep, revealing both trepidation and anticipation.

She leaned against his chest and nodded gently. At this moment, she didn't want to lie. Although she wasn't sure how much she cared, he was about to go to the battlefield, and she didn't want him to be distracted.

The early spring breeze carried a hint of chill as it swept across Yongmen Gate in western Nanjing. The warm spring sun was tempered by the somber atmosphere of troops setting off at the city gate.

Prince Rui, dressed in his court robes, had a solemn expression. His long experience in the court and in war had left him with no emotion. Only in his eyes, when he looked at Xiao Ce, was there a hint of worry that was not easily detected.

"On the battlefield, remember to exercise caution, protect yourself, and return safely."

"Father, rest assured, with General Qin in Qizhou, I will not act rashly."

He raised his hand and gently patted Xiao Ce's shoulder, his few words carrying the deepest entrustment of a father.

Princess Rui, standing beside him, had long since lost her composure. Gazing at her son in military uniform, about to depart for the border, her eyes were red, tears streaming down her face. Her lips trembled slightly, and she couldn't utter a single word of her earnest advice.

Ling Xi watched from the side, her heart also clenching. She suddenly thought of her mother, Consort Consort. Every time her brother went to war, she would cry, but she wouldn't cry when seeing him off, but after he left and they returned to the mansion.

Mu Wanning, standing to the side, also had red eyes, his eyelashes trembling, and he held back his tears, looking pitiful.

"A-Ce..."

"Wan Ning, don't worry, I'll be fine."

As soon as he finished speaking, Mu Wanning's tears streamed down her face, as if she could no longer control them.