He smiled, tightening his arms around me. “If you chose the Wu Jin symbol, I would steal you away and hide you, making you only my Yao Yao.”
I pretended to be angry, pulling his beard, making him gasp in pain. It turned out the beard was real. “You are indeed selfish,” I laughed. “But I like it.”
After initially setting up the fake death plan with Tang Wei, he had planned to hide for a while before going to Nan Rui with us. However, the death of his father-in-law and the pressure from Summer of Abyss and Qi Emperor truly angered An Jin. He decided to go to West Liang, collaborate with Summer of Clarity and Yan Huo, and eliminate these major threats.
Summer of Clarity had never fallen off the cliff. When he returned to the country, the Eastern Palace ambushed him, but he survived and used the cliff-falling as a cover to hide in West Liang. Understanding that returning to Qi Country might cost him his life, he chose to stay under Yan Huo’s protection to make further plans.
An Jin wanted to protect his family, Summer of Clarity aimed for power, and Yan Huo sought profit. The three reached an agreement to plan against Qi Emperor and the Eastern Palace. To avoid suspicion, An Jin disguised himself as Mo Qu, while the real Mo Qu waited for an opportunity with Yan Feng.
Although An Jin didn’t elaborate on their plan, it was clear that the royal family of Qi Country was about to undergo significant changes, and who would ultimately sit on the throne was uncertain.
Their plan was not yet complete, so An Jin couldn’t return to Nan Rui with me yet. I was disappointed, but An Jin reassured me that things would be resolved soon and that he would bring the Wu Jin symbol to Nan Rui to face everything together. This Wu Jin symbol was likely a bargaining chip for Summer of Clarity and Yan Huo to control An Jin in their plan.
After finally reuniting, we now faced another separation. I didn’t want to consider these troubling conspiracies.
I turned my face, frowning and poking his chest. “How did you make yourself so muscular?”
He chuckled. “Old Li said the best disguise is to completely transform oneself into another person. To disguise as Mo Qu, I carefully observed him for a month, even memorizing the sound of his snoring. Height and body type were relatively simple—just using some disguise materials.”
“Indeed, it’s similar. No wonder I couldn’t tell the difference,” I nodded seriously. “It feels quite special, like I’m being intimate with Mo Qu.”
His face darkened.
The driver knocked on the carriage door. “Princess, Lord Mo, we cannot pass through due to a royal carriage in front of the inn.”
“Then we’ll take a detour.” I didn’t know which princess had arrived, but she had blocked the street.
Before the driver could respond, I heard my sister’s voice as she opened the carriage door. “Second Sister! Where have you been—”
Before we could assess the situation, we were face to face with my sister’s flushed cheeks.
Her expression became dazed. “…come back.”
“Miss Ya, what’s wrong?” Que’er’s voice grew closer, startling my sister, who immediately closed the door.
An Jin and I exchanged a glance, quickly tidying ourselves up. Fortunately, it was my sister who saw us, not Que’er.
“Miss Ya, why did you close the door? Isn’t the princess inside?” Que’er asked, clearly curious.
“She’s not!” my sister replied decisively. “My second sister is definitely not inside! Absolutely not!”
I felt pressure mounting. An Jin whispered gleefully, “Roll away—my sister has quite the imagination.”
“What?!” Que’er’s voice sharpened. “Mo Qu? And the princess?”
Realizing the situation was escalating, An Jin opened the carriage door. Que’er and my sister both turned to us, while the driver gripped the reins, glancing cautiously.
An Jin coughed, first stepping out, then turning to assist me. “Princess, please.”
“Thank you, Lord Mo.” I accepted his hand and descended from the carriage. Que’er and my sister’s gazes felt intense, as if they wished to burn a hole through our clasped hands.
I quickly withdrew my hand, raising my head to appear calm. “Thank you, Lord Mo, for accompanying me.”
An Jin maintained his formal demeanor, cupping his hands towards me. “Then I shall take my leave.”
After he left, my sister and Que’er remained silent. I coughed, attempting to explain kindly.
“Just now, it was a carriage—”
“No need to say anything,” Que’er waved her hand, looking stern. “The princess’s status is different now. As long as the princess remembers who she is.”
With that, she turned and left, misunderstanding that I had been unfaithful.
I glared at my sister, who stuck out her tongue, looking somewhat guilty.
“Second Sister, I wasn’t just flustered… but even if you want to find a second spring, you don’t need to choose someone like Mo Qu, who’s as black as charcoal and basically invisible at night! How creepy!”
I flicked her forehead. “Then who should I choose? What about General Shen?”
She frowned, eyes sparking with anger. “Don’t mention him. All men talk about loyalty and reliability, but they lose their way when they see a beautiful woman! They’re opportunistic! Betraying trust!”
I quickly stopped her. “What happened? How did General Shen provoke you?”
“It’s because—” She pointed towards the guest inn, then froze. Following her gaze, I saw General Shen walking out alongside a tall, elegant woman in purple. They seemed to be in conversation, the woman graceful and noble, clearly from a distinguished family.
I glanced at my sister, who was staring intently, her lips tightly pressed.
If it’s really like this, my little sister is too pitiful. The matchmaker is unfair; why can’t he help her find a more reliable red thread?
No matter the outcome, I must get to the bottom of it. After dinner, I called General Shen into the room and explained the marriage proposal from Yan Huo, seeking his opinion.
General Shen’s expression remained unchanged as he calmly answered, “Not possible.”
“Why not?” I asked anxiously.
“There’s a conspiracy.”
“A… conspiracy?” I was stunned.
General Shen glanced at me, seemingly disdainful of my reaction. “Yan Di has ill intentions.”
I pondered for a moment and understood. “Are you saying Yan Huo has another purpose in arranging this marriage?”
“His purpose is Nanrui’s military strength.” He added a clarification, indicating my lack of understanding.
Talking to him was exhausting. If he could express something with one word, he’d never use two. His willingness to explain so much showed great respect for me, the princess.
General Shen was crucial in Nanrui, and Yan Huo wanted to use this marriage alliance to investigate military strength through him.
I had considered this possibility but didn’t expect that while he seemed indifferent, he was actually meticulous, shrewd, and cautious.
However, this reason was quite different from what I wanted to hear. So I continued to probe. “If we set aside that factor, what are your feelings about Princess Qinghe herself?”
General Shen looked at me strangely, probably thinking I was being nosy. “Didn’t notice.”
Didn’t notice? But he had been polite and patient with Princess Qinghe!
For my sister’s happiness, I barely suppressed my agitation and guided him gently. “So you don’t like her? I thought you were quite special towards her…”
“Intentional,” he answered concisely, seemingly impatient. “Princess, please speak directly.”
I slammed my hands on the table and stood up suddenly. “Do you like Xiao Ya?”
Shen Danding remained calm, raising an eyebrow and glancing at me. “Yes.”
I wiped my sweat and restored my composure, slowly sitting down. “Then I’m relieved. My sister was quite angry today; you should go comfort her. If she holds a grudge, she won’t speak to you for at least three months.”
