Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Xie Qingya had already averted his gaze when Xu Duanyi approached.

His expression remained as indifferent and carefree as ever, lightly brushing his cloak with his folding fan, his eyes downcast, not even sparing a glance in Xu Duanyi's direction.

It seemed he didn’t recognize her, or perhaps he didn’t care who she was.

The others had also paused at Xu Duanyi's call.

But they didn't recognize her either.

It wasn't until someone recognized Shiyu by her side that they began to whisper among themselves: "That maid looks familiar, seems like the martial arts-trained girl who serves Your Highness."

"If you say so, it really does seem like her. Last time when the Princess went to the south of the city to distribute porridge, I also saw from a distance, the girl standing beside her seemed to be this one."

As they whispered among themselves.

The group that had intended to beat Xie Qingya earlier, how could they dare to continue their offense in front of Xu Duanyi?

Except for those few who originally carried swords, the rest who had casually picked up stones and sticks from the side also threw them aside, and clasped their hands in the direction Xu Duanyi approached, asking: "May we ask, Your Highness, if you are the Princess?"

Most of Xu Duanyi's face was hidden under her hood.

The cold wind gently blew the fine, soft fur on the hood, accentuating the faintly visible, jade-like face beneath.

As Xu Duanyi approached, she first subtly glanced towards Xie Qingya, seeing that he was unharmed, she then calmly withdrew her gaze.

When the crowd questioned her, she did not hide her identity.

She stopped in front of everyone and gently responded: "Yes."

Those who had earlier doubted and speculated, upon hearing this, all changed their expressions, facing Xu Duanyi's direction, they clasped their hands in greeting.

"We greet Your Highness, the Princess."

Xu Duanyi also slightly bowed, returning the courtesy, and then gestured for them to rise.

"Please, everyone, rise."

Once everyone had somewhat risen, Xu Duanyi then looked towards Xie Qingya.

After many years.

This was the first time they had been so close.

Xu Duanyi remembered the last time they were this close was in the first year of Tianhe, when she was twelve and Xie Qingya was fourteen.

Her cousin had passed away.

Naturally, he no longer needed to continue as a study companion.

At fourteen, he began to follow his father and brothers to the battlefield. On the sixteenth of June, it was the first time she had actively left the palace to find him.

The army was setting out, with flags and drums resounding.

She had left too late, and the roads were congested with carriages and horses, so she didn't make it in time to see him at Prince Nan'an's mansion.

She thought she could only watch him leave from afar amidst the crowd, and the protective talisman she held in her hand would never be delivered.

Xie Qingya, for some inexplicable reason, suddenly turned his head.

Then he galloped straight towards her.

The crowd did not know what he was going to do.

Nor did she.

Beneath her veil, she stared in a daze at the young man galloping towards her, until she heard a familiar voice softly entering her ears.

"Xu Duanyi, you really made me wait."

She slightly raised her head and could see the familiar young man leaning down from his treasured steed. He was clad in silver armor, with the sunlight and the prying gazes of the onlookers all shielded behind him.

His familiar peach blossom eyes met hers silently through the thin veil.

At that time, Xie Qingya was truly spirited and dazzling.

That was also the last time they were so close. He took the protective charm from her hand, and before leaving, he looked at her, raised his hand, and then put it down.

Finally, the young general took hold of the reins.

Before leaving, he left her with a sentence: "Wait for me to come back, Xu Duanyi."

For the next three years, he remained at the frontier and never returned, but she often heard news of him.

The once underestimated young man, within two years, repeatedly achieved great feats, and at the age of sixteen, he was conferred the title of Third-Rank General of Valor.

The young general's fame echoed throughout the Great Xia Dynasty.

Many wanted to marry him.

But before she could wait for him to return, she first heard the news of his engagement to Bao Zhu.

Later, he finally returned, but along with him came the coffins of his father and brother.

The once dazzling young general could no longer be found after that.

She had ventured out of the palace several times, wanting to see him, wanting to see how he was now, but she never managed to see him again.

Later, seeing her aunt and Cao Da's wariness and probing towards Prince Nan'an's mansion, and Bao Zhu growing up and nearing her coming-of-age ceremony, she no longer dared to seek him out.

After several years, they finally faced each other again.

At the same distance as before, yet it felt as though something intangible stood between them.

Even though they were already engaged and about to become the closest people in the world, Xu Duanyi could no longer find any trace of the familiarity that once belonged only to them.

Xu Duanyi lowered her eyes and bowed slightly.

She buried all her emotions deep within her heart.

"My Prince."

She called him softly.

Xie Qingya also looked down at her.

The shy and quiet girl he remembered had grown into a graceful and confident woman, now loved by many and admired by countless.

"Your Highness, you really shouldn't marry this good-for-nothing. Look at him—already engaged to you, yet he flaunts his association with the courtesans of the Zui Hua Lou brothel, showing no respect for you at all! It's utterly disgraceful!"

"This man speaks the truth!"

"Your Highness, with your noble status, how could you marry such a scoundrel? If you do not wish to marry, we are willing to jointly write a letter and petition the emperor to express our concerns!"

This statement quickly garnered agreement from the crowd.

Xie Qingya laughed when he heard this.

He couldn't care less about such talk.

If they truly could petition the emperor and cancel this marriage, he would indeed be grateful to them.

Xie Qingya was about to speak, intending to provoke them further.

But Xu Duanyi, who had been standing across from him, suddenly turned around.

"Gentlemen, please refrain from speaking in such a manner."

"The imperial drum is where the emperor hears grievances and the people seek justice. How can it be used for such matters? Moreover, my marriage to the prince is already decided and will not, nor can it, be changed."

"But Your Highness, this is too unfair to you!"

Someone spoke up in her defense.

Xu Duanyi replied gently, "You're joking, sir. I don't feel wronged."

"What?"

The crowd was stunned by her words.

So much so that those who had been lamenting earlier were now left speechless.

"Your Highness, you... you truly wish to marry... him?"

As they spoke, they pointed toward Xie Qingya behind her, looking at Xu Duanyi with disbelief.

Xu Duanyi did not know what Xie Qingya was doing at that moment.

With her back to him, she could not see his expression, only faintly sensing a gaze as tangible as a physical presence resting upon her.

Yet Xu Duanyi could not discern the meaning behind that gaze.

She dared not guess.

Under her cloak, she silently clasped her hands around the warm stove she held.

"Yes," she replied softly.

A wave of shock swept through the crowd.

Everyone stared at her in disbelief, mouths open as if to speak, but no words came out.

The earlier commotion had completely disappeared, leaving only the sound of the wind whistling past their ears in the stillness.

Xu Duanyi still had something to say.

There were things she had wanted to say for a long time.

Thinking of the scene where Xie Qingya was surrounded and insulted by the crowd earlier, her heart ached.

There was a time when he was so highly regarded and beloved.

Wherever he passed, anyone who saw him would smile and call him "Young General Xie."

No matter what he had become now, he did not deserve to be treated this way.

"I know you all value me, but I am just a humble woman, unworthy of such regard from you all."

Hearing this, the crowd thought she was being modest and were on the verge of speaking.

But then Xu Duanyi changed her tone and continued, "You all think that Prince Nan'an is unworthy of me, but I believe it is I who am unworthy of the prince."

"What I have done are just small acts like distributing porridge and clothing."

"These are things many people can do and indeed do."

"But the prince went to the battlefield at fourteen and became a general by sixteen, and everything he has done has been of great importance. The border town of Jizhou is a crucial stronghold of our Great Xia Dynasty, and every year countless foreign tribes invade, trying to breach our defenses."

"The prince has fought on the battlefield, saving countless lives."

"Nothing can erase or negate his past achievements and sacrifices, and you should not insult the prince because of me."

Those who had wanted to speak now found their lips quivering, unable to utter a single word.

Xu Duanyi also fell silent.

This was the first time she had stepped forward to defend Xie Qingya, but it was not the first time she had wanted to do so.

There had been many banquets where she had heard people discussing how disgraceful Xie Qingya's actions were now, and even those who were at odds with Bao Zhu used the opportunity to humiliate her.

Each time she had wanted to speak up, but her status had always held her back.

Now, she could finally speak.

But while she could talk openly with others, she did not know how to face Xie Qingya.

His gaze was still fixed on her.

She could feel it.

But she did not know how much suspicion and doubt lay hidden within it.

The wind was too strong.

It blew the snow from both sides.

Snowflakes fluttered and fell with the wind, many landing on Xu Duanyi.

Shiyu, worried she might catch a cold, gently brushed the snow off her and whispered, "My lady, it's time to go back."

"Yes."

Xu Duanyi responded but did not leave immediately.

She turned back to Xie Qingya and said, "I have other matters to attend to, so I won't disturb you further, Prince."

After speaking, Xu Duanyi bowed slightly to Xie Qingya.

Then, she bowed to the crowd behind her, bidding them farewell, before leaving with the support of Shiyu.

However, not long after, Shiyu returned once more.

She appeared reluctant as she handed a gold-plated hand warmer to the woman beside Xie Qingya, stiffly saying, "My mistress said, it's freezing cold, and the lady should not catch a chill!"

The woman, unexpectedly handed a gold-plated hand warmer, instinctively glanced at Xie Qingya.

But Xie Qingya was still gazing in the direction of the carriage.

The window was blocked, and the carriage curtain had fallen, so he could no longer see her.

Before leaving, Shiyu was still full of displeasure.

Stuck following her mistress's orders, she dared not do anything to Xie Qingya, so she could only let out a loud huff towards him and then walked away with her head held high.

Soon, the carriage disappeared from everyone's sight.

Those who had originally surrounded Xie Qingya now looked at him, unsure whether to speak or not, and eventually left with a mix of emotions.

A few gentlemen did bow respectfully to Xie Qingya.

"What Your Highness said earlier, we have taken to heart. Your past achievements are indeed beyond our comparison. This gesture is our respect for Your Highness's great contributions to the Great Xia Dynasty."

"But we must add, Princess Jiashun is a blessing others can only dream of. It is indeed Your Highness's fortune to be engaged to the Princess. Your Highness should treat the Princess well, rather than showing off with beauties every day!"

As the man spoke, he grew angry again.

Seeing Xie Qingya with his eyes lowered, tapping his folding fan, and remaining silent, he wanted to scold him again but ultimately restrained himself and led his people away in a huff.

In a moment.

The once bustling spot was now left with only Xie Qingya and the beautiful woman.

"Your Highness, this hand warmer..."

This woman was originally left by Xie Qingya's mother, a former secret guard, now gathering information for Xie Qingya while also playing the role of his close companion.

Holding the hand warmer felt like holding a hot potato.

Having played the role of Xie Qingya's close companion for so long, this was the first time she felt a bit overwhelmed.

What exactly did their future Princess Consort mean by this?

Xie Qingya glanced at the hand warmer in her hand, and after a while, he finally spoke, "Keep it."

"Oh..."

Hearing this, Furong didn't say much more.

After a while, she started to make conversation again, "Actually, the current Princess Consort is quite good, much better than the previous one."

"But it's just this identity..." Furong was a bit worried.

She genuinely wished for the prince to marry a kind and gentle wife, but Princess Jiashun's status was truly troubling.

Xie Qingya stayed quiet, leading his group forward until they neared the Drunken Flower Tower, where he finally stopped.

"Go inside."

Furong understood that the day's performance had ended, so she nodded without saying anything.

Just as she was about to enter, she heard a voice beside her: "Give it to me."

"What are you talking about?" Furong was puzzled.

They hadn't purchased anything that day.

When she met Xie Qingya's eyes, she felt a sudden realization and looked down at the gilded hand warmer covered in Shu brocade in her hand.

Furong blinked, puzzled, and asked, "Why do you need the hand warmer, Your Highness? You don’t even feel the cold."

Xie Qingya looked away, his tone impatient. "You're talking too much."

Furong pursed her lips but didn’t dare argue, and she handed the hand warmer back to Xie Qingya.