Shen Xihe met those eyes without showing a trace of surprise, calmly shifting her gaze to others as if merely observing unfamiliar faces.
Although she had once suspected this person might be Xiao Huayong, without concrete evidence, anything could still happen.
This time she decided to play a new game with him. During their mutual observation, Xiao Huayong and Cui Jinbai rode over on horseback. Someone laughed heartily and said to Bu Shulin, "Worldly Son Bu, have we interrupted your pleasant time with the Junzhu?"
"Yes." Before Bu Shulin could respond, Shen Xihe coldly uttered a single word.
The speaker hadn't expected Shen Xihe to be so aloof, offering no polite remarks and directly displaying unwelcome attitude. Given Shen Xihe's status, he couldn't say much and could only awkwardly rub his nose in defeat.
"Xiao Dalang, Cui Shaoqing, Wen Silang..." Bu Shulin greeted them one by one.
Shen Xihe pulled the reins, turning her horse slowly to the side, completely ignoring them.
"The Junzhu, she..." Someone wanted to comment that Shen Xihe was too arrogant and lacked manners, but was silenced by a glance from Xiao Dalang, forcing them to swallow their remaining words.
After these people arrived, Shen Xihe dismounted with Moyu's assistance, handed the reins to Mo Yuan, and stood on a nearby hillside accompanied by Moyu. She gazed at the distant rolling mountains, feeling the cool autumn breeze carrying thick autumn scents.
After finishing his greetings, Bu Shulin hurried after Shen Xihe. How could these people delay his time accompanying the beauty?
"I usually play with them, so they followed..." Bu Shulin explained quietly.
He had forgotten to warn these troublesome friends not to disturb his precious time with the beauty. They always had to join in on everything!
Shen Xihe tucked the wind-tousled strands of hair behind her ear, glanced toward the distance, and noticed the group seemed aware of her dislike for them. Though they hadn't left, they kept their distance. She asked, "Who is their leader?"
Bu Shulin also looked back before answering, "Xiao Fuxing, the eldest son of Princess Ruyang."
"The son of Wei Tao, who was involved in the Rouge Case?"
This was Shen Xihe's first time seeing Wei Fuxing. He could be described as handsome and dignified, his every movement refined and restrained. Sitting tall on his large horse, he exuded an indescribable heroic aura. His figure was slender and well-proportioned, with long limbs. His complexion wasn't as pale as the young men in the capital, nor as rough and dark as Shen Yungan's from long residence at the border.
His skin tone perfectly displayed a healthy and powerful beauty. His face had distinct angles, yet he possessed affectionate eyes.
"Consort Wei was implicated in the Rouge Case. The Princess was kept in the dark and later surrendered a large amount of the illicit funds from the case to the national treasury. His Majesty, grateful for her efforts in protecting the Empress Dowager, Himself, and Qian Wang during their exile in the northwest, did not pursue the matter further."
"The Princess was granted a divorce from Wei Tao, and Xiao Fuxing subsequently took his mother's surname. His Majesty originally wanted to grant him a peerage, but he refused."
Bu Shulin still admired Xiao Fuxing. How many people coveted a marquis title?
As a man in this world, one should either inherit peerage to bring glory to the family without shaming ancestors, or achieve great deeds to be enfeoffed as a marquis or become a chancellor.
Although the Princess divorced her consort, the consort ultimately passed away. He must observe three years of mourning and cannot go to the battlefield to achieve military honors.
"So he's still royalty..." Shen Xihe murmured thoughtfully.His father Wei Tao was capable of orchestrating the rouge scandal that even made the Youning Emperor pale at the mention, and after it was exposed, his mother still managed to protect him. The Youning Emperor even considered bestowing a noble title upon him—this shows that the Wei family and the Grand Princess cannot be underestimated.
Such a figure is indeed capable of upholding such a status, but whom does he pledge allegiance to?
"Who does he usually associate closely with?" Shen Xihe asked again.
Bu Shulin noticed that Shen Xihe seemed overly attentive to this young man and couldn't help but glance back at him once more.
Sunlight broke through the clouds, spilling from the sky and enveloping him, making him appear as if carved from jade and gilded—a strikingly handsome young man unforgettable at first sight.
"Youyou, you couldn’t possibly be…" Bu Shulin couldn’t help but let her thoughts wander.
Shen Xihe hailed from the northwest and should naturally favor more robust and masculine men, but she was a betrothed imperial consort!
Shen Xihe cast her a faint glance.
Bu Shulin immediately stopped herself, thought seriously, and replied earnestly, "In his childhood, he was inseparable from Prince Jing. Later, after Prince Jing went to Annan, he and I became friends through rivalry. We’ve spent a considerable amount of time together since then."
"Prince Jing?" Shen Xihe fell into deep thought.
"You… you wouldn’t marry him because of Prince Jing, would you?" Bu Shulin expressed concern. "Although I don’t think much of the sickly Crown Prince, for Prince Jing to marry you would come at a great cost. I don’t think it’s very likely."
Prince Jing commanded the Annan army. If he were to marry Shen Xihe, he would have to lay down his armor and relinquish his military power. Otherwise, nearly the entire territory of Daxing would fall into their hands—how could His Majesty sleep soundly then?
"The only feminine trait you possess is your tendency to let your imagination run wild." Shen Xihe shot Bu Shulin a disdainful look and was about to instruct Moyu and the others to prepare for the journey back to the manor.
Just then, Cui Jinbai and Xiao Fuxing approached. Xiao Fuxing said to Bu Shulin, "Worldly Son Bu, we plan to hunt some game and have a feast here. We’ve come specifically to invite you and the County Princess."
"Great, great…" Bu Shulin loved nothing more than hunting game in the wild and roasting it on the spot—a preference shared by the Shunan soldiers. But after agreeing, she remembered that Shen Xihe disliked being around too many people and quickly declined, "Another day. I’ll invite you all another time."
"Go if you wish," Shen Xihe said indifferently.
"I don’t want to," Bu Shulin replied, thinking Shen Xihe was displeased, and shook her head vigorously like a rattle-drum.
Cui Jinbai stared at Bu Shulin, his gaze growing increasingly hostile. In front of others, this person was fierce and unruly, like an untamed leopard, but in the presence of Zhaoning County Princess, she became as docile as a house cat, almost wagging her tail and begging for favor!
"What are you looking at?" Noticing Cui Jinbai’s gloomy stare, Bu Shulin took offense and retorted sharply, "Let me make this clear: because of a stubborn rock like you, I’ve lost my appetite. How could I possibly eat?"
Cui Jinbai gritted his teeth and suddenly let out a cold laugh: "In that case, if you see me every morning and evening at mealtimes, wouldn’t you starve to death?"
"It wouldn’t go that far," Bu Shulin replied, not about to fall into his trap. She stepped forward, nudged him with her elbow, and even winked at him. "Cui Shaoqing, weren’t you avoiding me like the plague before? What’s made you want to spend every morning and evening with me today? Let me be clear: I won’t marry, and I won’t be the one lying beneath. If Cui Shaoqing is willing to be carried in a grand procession into my Shu Southern Royal Manor and also willing to…"
Ahem! Xiao Fuxing cleared his throat lightly, cutting off Bu Shulin’s increasingly outrageous and frivolous remarks.Bu Shulin finally snapped back to reality. Teasing Cui Jinbai had become such a habit that she'd forgotten her pure and innocent sister Youyou was still present.
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