"Тhе Princе аnd Рrinсеss Consort trulу shаre a dеep аffесtiоn," Zhuо Qi sаid with a smile аs he stepped forwаrd, his gаze sеttling on Наn Yаn. "If уou wеrеn't аlrеаdy thе Princess Соnsort..." Нe left the sеntencе unfinished, but his frivolоus tоnе hаd аlrеаdy displеаsed Fu Yunхi.
"Nо оne dаres lау a hand оn this Рrincе's Princess Сonsort," he sаid саlmly. "Аnyone whо dоеs will be ехесutеd withоut merсу."
Irina grаbbed Zhuо Qi's hand. "Brоther, lеt's gо. Sinсe thеу аrе so arrogаnt, let them lose cоnvincingly. We сan deаl with them slоwlу latеr."
Zhuo Qi gave a wicked smile. "You're right." He winked at Han Yan. "Princess Consort, regarding what I said earlier—if you wish for me to repay your kindness by offering myself, I will certainly do so."
Fu Yunxi's expression darkened further. Irina also shouted at Fu Yunxi, "I mean what I say, Fu Yunxi. You will definitely become my consort!"
After the two finished speaking, they used their qinggong and vanished from Han Yan's sight. Fu Yunxi watched their retreating figures coldly but did not pursue them. Instead, he noticed that Han Yan beside him was unusually quiet. Puzzled, he lowered his head to look at her.
Han Yan's face was expressionless, but her heart felt as if it had been swept by a raging storm. She slowly spoke, "She... is a princess?" A troubling suspicion arose in her mind.
Fu Yunxi replied, "The Western Rong princess, Irina."
Han Yan's palms turned icy cold.
In her previous life, Fu Yunxi had married this Western Rong princess. At that time, Fu Yunxi was gravely ill, and only this princess had a way to save him. Coincidentally, Irina and her envoy had come to the Great Dynasty, and she married into the Xuan Qing Prince's Mansion under the pretext of a "joyous wedding" to ward off his illness. The Emperor, who had always doted on his younger brother, had no other choice at the time. Seeing that Irina had a solution, he disregarded everything else. Unexpectedly, half a year after their marriage, Fu Yunxi's illness gradually improved. The world believed it was the good fortune brought by this Western Rong princess.
In her previous life, Han Yan had never met this princess. Although she had suspected her identity earlier, she had merely assumed she was some young girl infatuated with Fu Yunxi. She hadn't expected Irina to utter those final words—what seemed like a mere petulant remark had left Han Yan breathless!
This Western Rong princess had still appeared after all!
She had been careless. The path ahead in this life had been relatively smooth, and she had forgotten the potential crises she might face. She had become the Xuan Qing Princess Consort but had overlooked the existence of a Western Rong princess!
Fu Yunxi noticed that Han Yan had fallen silent upon hearing the title "Western Rong princess," her expression shifting unpredictably. She was usually composed, but at this moment, he seemed to sense a faint panic in her heart. After a moment of silence, he reached out and patted Han Yan's head. "Don't be afraid."
Han Yan inwardly smiled bitterly. It wasn't this Western Rong princess she feared. But if things followed the course of her previous life, Fu Yunxi would soon fall gravely ill, and her marriage to him would likely face complications. What exactly... was his illness? Thinking of such a peerlessly elegant person growing increasingly haggard and frail, Han Yan couldn't quite describe the feeling in her heart. If he truly fell seriously ill and only that Western Rong princess could save him, the Emperor would likely issue an imperial decree for their marriage.
And what about her? Was she truly willing to give Fu Yunxi up and watch someone else become his Princess Consort?
Han Yan's gaze grew somewhat wistful.Perhaps sensing the change in her mood, Fu Yunxi took the reins and signaled to escort her back to the manor. The two remained silent throughout the journey. Han Yan leaned against the warm chest behind her, feeling the warmth of Fu Yunxi’s breath by her ear. Stirred by a sudden thought, she said, “Your Highness must remain vigilant at all times.”
Fu Yunxi did not understand why she would say such a thing. After a moment of silence, he simply replied, “Mm.” Then, Han Yan added, “Even those around you cannot be fully trusted. Do not let others handle your food and drink.”
If Fu Yunxi’s severe illness was contracted from the Western Rong princess, it could naturally be cured by her. Han Yan thought to herself that if she wanted to prevent him from falling gravely ill, she must avoid the possibility of it happening altogether. Food and drink were the easiest things to be tainted with poison. If he were more careful, perhaps the events that followed would never come to pass.
Schemes and conspiracies—she could evade them, plan ahead, turn them to her advantage, or retaliate against her enemies without lifting a finger. But life, aging, sickness, and death were inevitable trials of this world, impossible to avoid or foresee.
Fu Yunxi did not respond to her words, only asking, “What’s wrong with you?”
Han Yan’s behavior had been too unusual throughout the journey, making him unable to resist suspicion. This should have been her first time meeting Irina, yet when she learned that Irina was the Western Rong princess, her shocked expression seemed to suggest something had happened before. Did she… know Irina?
How could a young lady from a noble family, secluded within the inner chambers, have any connection to the Western Rong princess? Not only were the two nations separated by vast distances, but even he himself had only met Irina once on the battlefield years ago. Han Yan had never left the capital, and Irina had never visited the Great Dynasty. Few had even heard of the title “Western Rong princess.” Yet Han Yan’s expression told him that she knew Irina.
He couldn’t help but feel a desire to probe further. Han Yan seemed no different from the usual young ladies of the capital, except for her startling composure and calmness, and a cunning that did not match her age. The closer he got to her, the more he discovered her mystery. At times, he even felt that the look in her eyes resembled someone who had witnessed countless trials, quietly watching old events replay themselves.
Irina did not know Han Yan, but Han Yan knew Irina. Fu Yunxi understood that Han Yan was not someone who would engage in meaningless actions. Everything she did carried a strong sense of purpose. Often, a seemingly inexplicable step was paving the way for the next. So, what kind of secret existed between her and Irina?
Han Yan noticed his probing gaze and masked it with a smile. “It’s just that with Western Rong people infiltrating the Great Dynasty, even a prince like you must be in danger. It’s best to be cautious in all matters.”
“That person is a Western Rong prince,” Fu Yunxi said instead.
Han Yan was taken aback. “You mean Zhuo Qi?” As soon as she spoke, she realized her slip of the tongue. By calling out his name, she had revealed to Fu Yunxi that she already knew him. She quickly explained, “He was the assassin who broke into the Zhuang Manor that night.”
Fu Yunxi said, “Stay away from him from now on.”
Han Yan nodded. “Why are Western Rong people infiltrating the Great Dynasty?” If they were ordinary Western Rong people, it might be understandable, but why were a prince and princess of such noble status coming? It made one suspect their intentions.
“Western Rong is currently in the midst of internal strife,” Fu Yunxi said with a stern expression. “Fleeing to the Great Dynasty is both to escape pursuit and to prepare for war between the two nations.”Han Yan frowned. The current ruler of Western Rong was a man named Tuer Mu. Could it be that he was competing with Zhuo Qi for the throne, and the order to hunt down Zhuo Qi was actually issued by Tuer Mu? If they were in the Great Dynasty, those assassins would indeed be more restrained—no wonder they had fled here. Recalling the scars on Zhuo Qi's body that night, Han Yan began to understand. But another question arose: that day, the authorities had clearly stated that someone was planning to assassinate The Emperor.
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