On our second wedding anniversary, we embraced and fell asleep. An Jin was in an unusually good mood, mumbling incoherently all night. I listened in a daze, realizing that all the strange incidents in my family—my father’s evaluation being sabotaged, my mother being robbed, my older brother’s marriage rejection, my younger sister’s mocking—were the work of the Seventh Princess. This was her third time targeting me and my family, and the rumors of discord between An Jin and me were also linked to her.
An Jin patted my back, comforting me that the Seventh Princess would soon stop troubling us and that the Eastern Palace matter would eventually be resolved. I listened, puzzled by his certainty.
Not long after, the Western Liang country changed hands. The new ruler sought a marriage alliance with Qi Kingdom, promising to consider releasing Prince Xia Zhichun. The Qi Emperor, overjoyed, decided to marry the Seventh Princess to Western Liang to forge an alliance.
This news surprised many, including myself. While Western Liang’s gesture appeared benevolent, the two countries had ongoing conflicts, making the peace uncertain. The Qi Emperor had over a dozen princesses available, yet he chose the Seventh Princess, the empress’s beloved legitimate daughter, which seemed illogical. I heard the empress pleaded with the emperor against this decision, and the Seventh Princess protested with a hunger strike, but ultimately, their efforts were in vain.
The Seventh Princess would no longer trouble us, which was good news, but I couldn’t comprehend An Jin’s foresight.
Did he already know that Western Liang would send someone to request a marriage alliance? What puzzled me most was how the Eastern Palace’s issue would be resolved if the Seventh Princess could be married off. Would they also be “married” to Nan Rui? An Jin smiled mysteriously, brushing off my questions.
After this news spread, the Seventh Princess and the Eastern Palace never appeared again, seemingly caught off guard. My younger sister quickly recovered from her heartbreak and started spending time with Song Sitian, and they became obsessed with playing the zither, taking lessons in the music hall. Although I suspected they were there for the handsome music teacher Ya Qin, he was gentle, so I didn’t worry about my sister meeting an unsuitable person.
