The Heart of Zhaoning, unwavering from beginning to end.
These eight words struck Xiao Changying’s heart one by one, like an iron rod being hammered relentlessly into his chest, the pain so intense it left him dizzy and disoriented.
“County Princess, did you not see just now—” Xiao Changying’s tone was heavy and despondent, unable to conceal his gloom.
Shen Xihe knew exactly what his unfinished words referred to—the fact that Xiao Huayong could not even endure his own capping ceremony, a clear sign of his widely known fate to die young.
“Your Highness, I am well aware of the Crown Prince’s condition,” Shen Xihe replied calmly.
Xiao Changying, puzzled, fixed his pained and bewildered gaze on her. “You do not mind?”
Shen Xihe offered him a faint smile but did not answer. With a graceful bow, she departed in silence.
Xiao Changqing had watched Xiao Changying chase after Shen Xihe and had followed at a distance, careful not to eavesdrop but concerned that his younger brother might act impulsively. Today was the Crown Prince’s capping ceremony, and all civil and military officials were watching.
Only after Shen Xihe had left did he approach and pat Xiao Changying’s shoulder. “Brother, if you can let go, then let go.”
The Zhaoning County Princess’s feelings were now clear for all to see. The Crown Prince had deliberately invited her to witness the ceremony, publicly declaring his intentions.
Xiao Changying lowered his gaze, looking utterly dejected as Xiao Changqing led him away. He followed his elder brother back to Prince Xin’s Residence, where he drowned his sorrows in a pot of wine. “Brother, I fear I cannot let go.”
Ever since Shen Xihe had clearly rejected him, he had tried to numb himself with work—avoiding her, steering clear of anything related to her, and keeping himself occupied. He had hoped that, with time, he might forget.
Was she not just a woman? No matter how unique, could he truly not forget her?
Xiao Changying had admonished himself this way. In the days without her, he had managed to live normally, and he had thought that was what letting go meant.
But when he heard she was in danger during the hunt, he had rushed to find her, abandoning his duty to report the emperor’s slaying of the serpent. He feigned illness, enduring ridicule that he was hiding from the serpent, yet in the end, he had not found her.
He told himself it was fate—that they were not meant to be.
He had tried to convince himself to move on, but seeing her at the Crown Prince’s capping ceremony made him realize he had been deceiving himself all along. What he called “letting go” was merely avoidance, an unwillingness to face the truth.
Only then did he understand that one person could truly take root in another’s heart, etched into the bones and fused with the blood, impossible to sever.
To forget her, to free himself, would require tearing out his own heart.
“Even if you cannot let go, you must learn to,” Xiao Changqing replied, lowering his head as he polished his ocarina.
“Brother, when did you fall for Fifth Sister-in-Law?” Xiao Changying had never mentioned Gu Qingzhi in front of his brother before—not while she was alive, and this was the first time he had spoken of her since her death.
In the past, he had not understood love and had felt that Gu Qingzhi had diminished his brother’s ambitions and vigor. How much better it would have been if his brother had never met her.
Now, he finally understood: some encounters are etched into the soul for eternity, while a lifetime without them becomes a regret that haunts one’s dreams.
Xiao Changqing’s hand stilled. Slowly, he lifted his gaze, his eyes settling on the hibiscus swaying in the wind, his thoughts drifting far away with the delicate, vibrant blossoms.
When did he fall for her?
Was it that distant glimpse from the small tower in the misty rain, where she stood in plain gauze, her expression aloof and detached?
Or was it the moment she gently pulled open the wooden gate, her hair cascading like a waterfall, a flower lantern in hand, her eyes lifting to reveal a face as radiant as the autumn moon reflected in water?Long before this, he had seen her many times, always a cold beauty like an ice sculpture, and he often wondered if she ever smiled.
Until that day, when her crimson robes billowed like blood in the wind as she galloped on horseback, rendering the dazzling sunset a mere backdrop. With a glance back and a smile, he finally saw how breathtaking her laughter could be—a vision forever etched in his eyes and heart.
Xiao Changqing's expression softened unconsciously, a faint smile touching his lips. "You ask me when, but I cannot pinpoint the moment."
"Was it before she called off her engagement?" Xiao Changying rephrased his question.
"Yes." Xiao Changqing nodded.
"Did it hurt you then, Brother?" Xiao Changying pressed further.
"It did." Xiao Changqing lowered his gaze. "I yearned for her, missed her, yet couldn't bear to hear about her—especially not her name paired with another's. Each time, I had to muster all my strength to restrain myself, to avoid losing composure or acting impulsively."
"Why didn't you confess your feelings to Fifth Sister-in-law?"
Xiao Changqing let out a soft, rueful laugh and shook his head slightly. "Wishful thinking would only have invited ridicule."
In others' eyes, he was nobility's jewel, a dragon among men—but wasn't Xie Yunhuai equally distinguished and exceptional? What right had he to make her break her engagement for him? Moreover, she never knew a fool like him pined for her day and night in the shadows.
"If Xie Yunhuai hadn't broken off the engagement back then, would you have just watched her marry someone else?" Xiao Changying clenched his fist discreetly, his body tensing.
"What else could I have done?" Xiao Changqing turned to his brother, his calm eyes sharp and penetrating. "I thought about it—I did."
Taking a deep breath, Xiao Changqing looked up at the overcast sky. "I considered having Xie Yunhuai die in an accident. I even investigated the Xie family and learned about Duke Xie and Yuan Shi's affair before Xie Yunhuai did. I devised a flawless plan to have Xie Yunhuai meet a tragic end, then expose Duke Xie and Yuan Shi, making them the scapegoats."
Xiao Changying stared intently at his elder brother. "Why did you abandon the plan?"
"That day, while offering incense at Fahua Temple, I overheard her chatting with Fourth Sister-in-law. She said she had no desire to marry into the imperial family." Xiao Changqing's fingers tightened involuntarily, even now remembering her words clearly.
To her, becoming an imperial consort was a dead end—if she were to wed into the royal house, she wouldn't survive beyond three to five years.
Echoes of those words lingered in his mind, and Xiao Changqing's hand trembled faintly.
At the time, he assumed she simply wished to avoid the imperial court's scheming and deception. It never occurred to him that she was speaking of the Gu family's fate all along. She saw farther and understood more deeply than he did—that marrying into the imperial family meant stepping halfway into the netherworld.
"Just because of that?" Xiao Changying was stunned.
"Just because of that." Xiao Changqing nodded. "If it wasn't her wish, and I forced it, we would only become a resentful couple."
Xiao Changying parted his lips, then swallowed the words: But didn't you still end up as a resentful couple?
Brother had given up for Fifth Sister-in-law's sake. No one could have predicted that Xie Yunhuai would sever ties over Xie Ji and Yuan Shi's affair, or that the Xie-Gu marriage could be annulled without anyone's death.
Back then, though still young, he knew how many sought Gu Qingzhi's hand.
It was only after Brother pleaded with His Majesty that he finally won the beauty.
"Brother, you want me to neither contend nor seize." Xiao Changying understood the intent behind Xiao Changqing's words."Brother, you and I are different. Qingqing has no say in choosing a husband, so she may not value the marriage arrangement much. County Princess Zhaoning has the right to choose, and the Crown Prince is her choice. She values this marriage greatly."
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