On the way to the palace, Mo Qu walked beside me, silent. He was known for being taciturn, which was not surprising, but I felt he seemed angry, with an icy aura emanating from him. Could I have offended him without knowing?
I tried to speak to him, but he only responded with nods or shakes of his head. Feeling frustrated, I fell silent.
Yan Huo had chosen an excellent location. His Ping Yao Imperial Palace was built on high ground, perfectly overlooking the entire city, with a breathtaking view.
“How is it?” Yan Huo stood beside me, with Mo Qu standing nearby. The sun was setting in the west, casting a beautiful scene. “Isn’t the scenery of Xi Liang just as good as that of Nan Rui’s Da Qi?”
“Your Majesty’s invitation to the palace surely isn’t just to appreciate the scenery.”
First the Crown Prince, now him. If I wasn’t still hoping to find out about Xia Zhichun and An Jin, I wouldn’t waste my time.
“Don’t you want to sit and enjoy the scenery?” Yan Huo looked regretful. “The current Grand Princess Zhao Hua is indeed no longer the thirteen-year-old from before. I thought you would have many questions.”
“Zhao Hua indeed has many doubts,” I frankly said. “Your Majesty is wise and naturally knows what Zhao Hua wants to ask.”
“Let me guess,” he touched his forehead, seemingly glancing at Mo Qu. “I hear the Nan Rui court is unstable, with senior officials urging Emperor Hong to have the Grand Princess hand over the Wujin Token. This token was in the hands of Xia Zhichun, the third prince of Qi Kingdom, who brought it to Xi Liang. Could it be that the Grand Princess has traveled to Xi Liang for this Wujin Token?”
I smiled and took a sip of wine.
Yan Huo, seeing my silence, seemed quite pleased. “I thought the Princess had come for An Daren, but it turns out it’s for this Wujin Token. Those who achieve great things must sometimes be ruthless. The Princess is indeed becoming more like a true heir.”
He had misunderstood my intentions, but I was in no hurry to argue. Yan Huo was too cunning. If he knew my true thoughts, he might try to exploit them, and I would not get the information I wanted. For now, I could only be patient.
“May I ask Your Majesty about the whereabouts of this Wujin Token?”
He raised an eyebrow, speaking leisurely: “Only Xia Zhichun knows the token’s location.”
“Then may I ask Your Majesty if you know Xia Zhichun’s whereabouts?”
Yan Huo paused briefly, then smiled and nodded: “I’ve said that whenever the Princess has a request, I will do my utmost. Finish this cup, and I’ll have Mo Qu take you to see Xia Zhichun.”
I was surprised. I never expected Yan Huo to agree so easily to letting me meet Xia Zhichun. Given Yan Huo’s character, he would usually seize such an opportunity to set conditions, yet he had readily offered his chips. It was incomprehensible.
Could he have another plan?
I raised my cup: “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Just as he was about to drink, he seemed to remember something and put down his cup. “Oh, I almost forgot. Is the Cavalry General who accompanied the Princess to Xi Liang currently married?”
General Shen? I was momentarily stunned, then replied, “Not yet.”
“My sixth imperial sister, Princess Qinghe, is eighteen, considered beautiful and intelligent, and also unmarried. These past few days, she mentioned having a very good impression of your country’s General Shen. If the Grand Princess has no objections, why not facilitate this marriage?”
If it were someone else, I would be happy to see it through. After all, with Nan Rui and Qi Kingdom at odds, we could only maintain good relations with Xi Liang. A marriage alliance would help stabilize relations.
“Zhao Hua fears she cannot make this decision,” I politely declined. “Although General Shen is unmarried, he may already have a marriage arrangement or someone in his heart. Let me consult with General Shen before responding to Your Majesty.”
Yan Huo’s expression was strange, seeming both triumphant and regretful. “The Princess isn’t reluctant, is she? I hear Emperor Hong intends to bestow General Shen in marriage to the Princess. Could it be the Princess also has her own desires?”
That prickling sensation on my back returned, and I felt uncomfortable. Looking around, only Mo Qu stood expressionlessly nearby.
It was truly bizarre.
Yan Huo, seeing me unresponsive, raised an eyebrow: “Princess?”
I came to my senses, cleared my throat, and asked, “Your Majesty’s informants reach quite far. Even I didn’t know about this, yet you’ve already ‘heard’ about it. May I ask from where?”
Yan Huo was finally stunned and downed the wine in his cup. I had gained a slight advantage, which made me inwardly jubilant.
Chapter Sixty: My Choice
I never imagined that Xia Zhichun was actually hiding in Yan Huo’s inner palace. This inevitably led me to have some less-than-noble speculations about their relationship.
A hostage sent to an enemy country, an ambitious monarch—their love seemed complicated, a painful and deep entanglement, emerging from a collaboration into endless complications…
Strictly speaking, the place where Xia Zhichun lived was an extremely remote and cold side hall in the inner palace, similar to a cold palace, where absolutely no one would think of visiting, and it was indeed very safe.
Moqu led me into the side hall, and a palace maid came out to report that the young master was harvesting vegetables.
I thought I had misheard, but Moqu nodded calmly and led me directly to the backyard garden.
There were no flowers or trees in the garden, only a plot of fertile, tilled land with vibrant green onions, tomatoes, and other plants growing. Two figures, one tall and one short, could be seen in the distance.
After several years, seeing Xia Zhichun again, I never expected him to be not writing poetry or enjoying tea, but wearing a gray cloth garment, rolling up his sleeves and squatting in the field harvesting small white cabbage. Even more unexpected was the simple, unadorned woman standing beside him, gently wiping his sweat with a smile – and she was actually someone I knew – Su Hui.
I closed my eyes, steadied myself, and then opened them again.
Moqu was looking at me, seemingly puzzled by my reaction.
The Eastern Palace ethereal and otherworldly, Yan Huo’s words with double meaning, Xia Zhichun farming, Su Hui virtuous and plain. What kind of place was Xiliang that could make everyone seem so strange…
“He—” I pointed in Xia Zhichun’s direction, struggling to decide which question to ask first. “She— The two of them— Is this really Xia Zhichun?”
“Absolutely true,” Moqu nodded. “Princess, please follow me.”
I looked at Moqu questioningly. Although I had not interacted much with him and rarely conversed, I remembered he had a deep, resonant voice and spoke quickly, often making it hard to understand him if one didn’t listen carefully. But this time, his words were much clearer than before, and his voice seemed to have changed somewhat.
He paid no attention to my questioning look, simply walked to Xia Zhichun, cupped his fists in greeting, and explained the purpose of their visit.
Xia Zhichun stood up, glanced at me with slight surprise, then placed the small white cabbage in the bamboo basket Su Hui carried, nodding and smiling at me: “Long time no see.”
Indeed, it was him.
Although he had grown taller and his features more defined, his always unhurried tone and demeanor were completely consistent with the gentle and kind third prince in my memory. I was unsure of my own feelings and returned his smile. He turned to Su Hui: “Hui’er, please take the princess to the hall to sit, I’ll change my clothes and be right there.”
Su Hui poured me a cup of tea, and I just stared at her, amazed by the bizarre scene. Moqu stood dutifully behind me, still not saying a word.
