Chapter 125 “Are you like this tonight because…”

Chapter 125 "Are you acting this way tonight because...?"

Jiang Congyan took the initiative to introduce them. "Your Highness, this is my third cousin from my maternal grandparents' family, Zhang Xun. Third Brother, this is the famed Prince of Mobei."

As she said "famed," her tone turned playful.

Zhang Xun observed the Prince of Mobei—towering and imposing, with a formidable physique and an aura that commanded respect even without anger. Truly, he was a natural prodigy, radiating authority. His appearance was also rather handsome, and surprisingly, he was clean-shaven, unlike the crude barbarians he’d met before, who carried themselves with dignity. Aside from his excessive muscularity, he appeared a decent match for Chang Shengnu—at least based on outward appearances.

Seeing him in person, Zhang Xun could now give his grandmother a somewhat satisfactory report. At least the Prince of Mobei wasn’t the monstrous brute from tales, nor did it seem like a fragile blossom had been crushed under a beast’s hoof, as his grandmother had feared.

Noticing Tuo Baxiao’s slightly scrutinizing gaze, Zhang Xun dismounted and saluted first. "I am Zhang Xun, grandson of Marquis Zhang of Liang State, currently serving as the Chief Clerk of Liang State. Greetings, Prince of Mobei."

He bowed respectfully, his posture straight as a pine.

Jiang Congyan quickly dismounted and took her brother’s arm, smiling. "Third Brother, no need for such formalities. The Prince doesn’t fuss over formalities."

Tuo Baxiao also dismounted, his frown fleeting, barely noticeable at her action. But since she only touched Zhang Xun’s arm briefly before letting go, pointing it out would make him seem petty. Suppressing his displeasure, he said, tone clipped, "Rise."

Zhang Xun straightened up, his gaze subtly flickering between the two.

From Chang Shengnu’s earlier behavior, it seemed she had real influence over Tuo Baxiao—enough that the prince didn’t perceive her cutting in to excuse Zhang Xun from bowing as an affront to his authority.

This observation confirmed that Chang Shengnu hadn’t been painting a rosy picture in her letters. Her relationship with Tuo Baxiao was indeed decent.

After the formalities, Zhang Xun had little interest in dwelling on Tuo Baxiao. Instead, he looked directly at Jiang Congyan. She carried herself differently now, her features more mature than the previous year. Whether it was due to marriage or not, her aura had shifted—still youthful, yet now carrying an added charm.

Zhang Xun raised his hand to measure her height against himself. "You’re up to my chin now. You’ve grown taller since leaving Liang State last year."

"I was always a late bloomer in height. Growing a bit more isn’t strange—maybe I’ll even gain another inch this year," Jiang Congyan replied with a laugh.

She didn’t realize it, but she had been smiling nonstop since seeing her cousin. Her tone when speaking to him unconsciously carried the childlike teasing of her childhood, a stark contrast to her usual composed and rational demeanor, now softened with a girlish sweetness. This lively, obedient side of her only surfaced around close family.

Despite not seeing each other for over a year, they fell into easy familiarity. Finding her utterly endearing, Zhang Xun instinctively reached out to tousle her hair.

"Of course our Chang Shengnu will grow tall," he said habitually.

Seven or eight years ago, when Jiang Congyan’s poor health stunted her growth, she often worried about staying short. Her Zhang family relatives would always comfort her with these words.

As the two chatted animatedly, Tuo Baxiao’s voice cut in, deep and firm. "Let’s continue this conversation back at the palace."

Both turned to look at Tuo Baxiao. Jiang Congyan nodded. "You’re right. Standing here isn’t proper, and the caravan needs time to settle. Third Brother, let’s head into the royal court."

The three remounted their horses.

Jiang Congyan had initially intended to ride beside her cousin so they could keep talking, but Tuo Baxiao deliberately inserted himself between them.

As the prince, it was only natural for him to claim the lead position. Yet Zhang Xun sensed a pointed chill in his demeanor.

Was he jealous?

So far, Tuo Baxiao had said almost nothing. Zhang Xun also noticed that for most of the time, the prince’s gaze remained fixed on Chang Shengnu’s face.

Zhang Xun chuckled inwardly. The Prince of Mobei clearly cared for Chang Shengnu. But then again, Chang Shengnu wasn’t just beautiful—she was noble in status, outstanding in temperament, intellect, and capability. No one in Liang State could rival her. If Tuo Baxiao, having forcibly married her, didn’t treat her well, Zhang Xun would be tempted to put a knife to his throat.

With someone separating them, conversation wasn’t as easy, but they could still hear each other. Jiang Congyan asked after her grandparents.

"Both are in good health, especially Grandfather. He still drills soldiers and inspects the garrisons every day. Early this spring, he toured the borders of Guazhou and Suzhou. Grandmother, however, was worried after hearing about your distant marriage and not being able to see you. Now that I’ve seen how well you and the Prince of Mobei get along, I can reassure her when I return. Grandmother can rest easy now."

"Grandmother put her heart and soul into raising me for so many years. Now that I’ve grown up, I can’t stay by her side to show my filial piety and instead make her worry about me..." Mentioning her grandmother, Jiang Congyan was filled with guilt.

"As long as you live well, that in itself is filial piety to her." Hearing her tone grow somber, Zhang Xun comforted her and quickly changed the subject. "You wouldn’t believe it—once, when Grandfather returned and saw your letter, he got so excited he grabbed it without washing his hands, leaving a smudged black fingerprint. Grandmother scolded him for ages..."

Listening to these amusing anecdotes, Jiang Congyan couldn’t help but laugh, especially at the phrase "paws fresh from horse dung," vividly imagining the scene.

"I thought they’d send Zhang Ling or Qiu Ping to lead the delegation. Why did you come yourself, Third Brother? Early spring is the busiest time for guarding against the border barbarians. With so much to handle, were you really able to leave?"

Zhang Xun replied, "Don’t worry about that. Since I’m here, everything must have been arranged properly."

The siblings chatted warmly, exchanging one remark after another, while Tuo Baxiao, stuck between them, seemed to become invisible. Their conversation revolved entirely around Liangzhou affairs, leaving him no room to interject.

They rode slowly and soon arrived inside the royal court. Upon returning to her tent, Jiang Congyan instructed A Chun to get the Liangzhou group settled and turned to her brother.

"I didn’t know you were coming, so I didn’t prepare extra quarters. Should I have someone set up a nearby tent for you to rest in?" She called for A Fei to make arrangements.

Zhang Xun waved it off. "No need to go to extra trouble. Whatever you originally planned is fine."

Jiang Congyan insisted, "It’s not the same at all. You’re my brother."

People always draw lines between family and outsiders.

Just as she was about to press further, Tuo Baxiao suddenly spoke up. "After such a long journey, your brother must be tired. Let him rest first. These matters can be settled later."

Jiang Congyan gave him a sidelong look.

Under her scrutinizing gaze, Tuo Baxiao felt slightly uneasy but maintained a composed facade, as if his words had been entirely sincere, devoid of any ulterior motive.

Zhang Xun also subtly observed Tuo Baxiao. From the moment they met, he had sensed the man’s faint hostility toward him. Though unmarried, Zhang Xun, skilled in reading people, had already guessed the reason behind it.

Hiding a smirk, Zhang Xun said earnestly, "The Prince of Mobei is right. It’s just a place to sleep, after all."

Well, if they both insisted, Jiang Congyan relented, only instructing A Fei to give the place another once-over and add some comforts.

She ordered tea to be served and had Auntie Zhu prepare a feast to properly welcome her brother, who had traveled so far.

Though she had maintained correspondence with Liangzhou over the past year, the distance meant letters were infrequent, and their contents limited. Nothing compared to meeting in person and asking questions directly.

The siblings had endless things to talk about.

Noticing Tuo Baxiao standing awkwardly to the side, Jiang Congyan said, "My Prince, these are just trivial family matters between my brother and me. If you have other duties, you needn’t stay. Save him from sitting through idle chatter."

She meant to spare him the boredom, but instead, he replied, "Your brother is naturally my brother as well. I should properly accompany my brother-in-law."

Jiang Congyan gave him a few odd looks. Weird—now he’s calling him 'brother-in-law'?

Oh well. She brushed it off.

As she chatted with her brother, Lingxiao suddenly entered.

It stood before Zhang Xun, craning its neck to study him, as if trying to recognize who he was. After a moment, it seemed to remember something and turned to Jiang Congyan with a pitiful "yo," like it was snitching.

"What did you do to Lingxiao in Liangzhou? Why is it tattling to me the moment it sees you? Did you bully it?" Jiang Congyan joked.

Zhang Xun quickly defended himself. "With how sharp it is, I wouldn’t dare! Though... there was one person who had it out for it."

"Who?" she asked idly, stroking Lingxiao’s head as it nuzzled against her.

"Who else? You know who."

Jiang Congyan understood immediately.

Zhang Xun continued, "Back when it pecked you and flew off, it made Grandmother furious. Last year, after it followed your convoy to Liangzhou, the moment the old lady saw it and learned this big bird was the same little troublemaker from years ago, she immediately grabbed her cane to beat it. The chaos was indescribable—we tried to stop her but couldn’t. Despite her age, she fights like she’s still young..."

Zhang Xun had a way with words, painting the scene so vividly it was as if it were unfolding right before her eyes.

Jiang Congyan burst out laughing so hard she nearly folded in half and had to brace herself against the table with one hand.

"No wonder Lingxiao risked the snowstorm to sneak home."

As for why it was "sneaking," she had told it before departure not to return until after the New Year. Moreover, there was no message tube on Lingxiao’s leg, so it clearly wasn’t delivering urgent news—meaning it had come back on its own.

Zhang Xun said, "After Lingxiao disappeared, Luo Qi and the others were in a panic for quite some time."

Jiang Congyan lightly tapped Lingxiao’s head. "See what you’ve done?"

Lingxiao: "Yo~"

The two chatted for a long time, and it wasn’t until the afternoon that Jiang Congyan finally let him go to prepare for tonight’s welcome banquet.

Strictly speaking, Zhang Xun was an imperial official and couldn’t travel without imperial permission. He had come discreetly, with few aware of his identity. The evening banquet was also kept small, only inviting Zhang Zheng, He Zhou, Gan Luo, and a few others. Unfortunately, Ruo Lan wasn’t present, but she was expected to return in a few days.

She had been sent to Tumochuan last year and had only returned twice since. Tumochuan was Jiang Congyan’s most important development project, even surpassing iron. Grain was everything’s foundation—only with sufficient grain could other industries flourish. She couldn’t afford any mishaps this year and was determined to cultivate as much land as possible.

There was no time to waste.

Seeing familiar faces from Liangzhou, everyone was delighted. Jiang Congyan specially brought out fine wine, prompting Zhang Zheng and the others to say to Zhang Xun, "Today, we’re lucky you’re here, Young Master, getting to taste the lady’s good wine."

Zhang Xun smiled. "I’ve heard you command like a veteran general already."

Zhang Zheng replied, "It’s all thanks to the lady giving me this opportunity."

Noticing Tuo Baxiao drinking alone, Zhang Xun raised his cup and stood, addressing him, "To be frank, Prince of Mobei, my elders tasked me with ensuring Ah Yan hasn’t been wronged during this visit to Xianbei. Now that I’ve seen her, I know you’ve treated her with nothing but sincerity. I toast to you, Prince of Mobei, wishing you and Ah Yan endless happiness like today."

Hearing this, Tuo Baxiao’s mood improved considerably. He raised his wine cup as well, miming a toast in the air. "Then I’ll take your kind words to heart."

The revelry lasted well into the night. Having traveled for days, Zhang Xun needed proper rest. After three rounds of drinks, the banquet concluded.

Jiang Congyan personally escorted him part of the way and sent her personal maids to attend to him, instructing them to fulfill any requests to ensure her third brother was well taken care of.

After settling these matters, Jiang Congyan turned to bathe. Just as she finished washing her face, stripped off her clothes, and stepped into the tub, the tent flap suddenly whipped open.

She looked up to see Tuo Baxiao’s tall figure blocking the entrance, his deep, narrow green eyes beneath his high brow fixed intently on her.

She felt a sudden prickle of danger. Instinctively, she hunched her shoulders slightly and averted her gaze.

"What are you doing here?"

Tuo Baxiao’s gaze lingered on her face for a moment before drifting downward—taking in the strands of dark hair clinging to her slender, jade-like neck, the dewdrops glistening on her porcelain-smooth shoulders under the warm candlelight, making her skin glow. Further down, the shadow of her curves beneath the steamy water made him tense up.

"Did you have a good day today?"

Was that all he barged in to ask? Weird.

Jiang Congyan cleared her throat. "Of course I did."

After a pause, she added, "And of course, I must thank... my husband for humoring me."

Reflecting on the day, she realized she had been so engrossed in talking with her third brother that she’d left him out. She really had neglected him.

Though she had told him not to accompany her, his actions put Third Brother's mind at ease considerably.

"You're happy now. Shouldn't you pay me back the same way and make me happy too?" Tuo Baxiao was already standing at the edge of the bathtub.

"......"

Jiang Congyan thought she was ready, but found that the man was way wilder tonight than in the past few months.

Water sloshed in overlapping rings, while puddles kept spreading across the floor without pause.

By the time the water finally cooled, he carried her back to the bed, yet the wolf-pounced continued—almost slamming her into the wooden headboard. Fortunately, his quick reflexes shielded her head in time.

"Were you... jealous tonight?" Jiang Congyan gasped out between breaths.