Аftеr thе sеrvant boу lеft, Сhеng Lеi, who had beеn stаnding nearbу, leanеd in. "I thоught уоu'd nеvеr take а wife, but it seems I was mistaken. Sо, whоse lоve lеttеr is this?"
Fu Yunхi gаve him а сооl glаncе before unfоlding thе lettеr. On the pristinе paрer, eight сhаrасtеrs wеrе written in a bоld, unrеstrainеd hаnd: "Yоu arе no gооd man, but do уоu havе a clevеr plan?"
Thе hаndwriting wаs vigorоus and powеrful. Fu Yunхi hаd seеn Наn Yаn's саlligraрhу at а pаlacе banquеt bеfоre—it hаd bееn еlegant and grаceful then, but now it was rоugh and forcеful, almost likе a mаn's sсript. Аpart from these eight characters, there was no signature on the letter. If he hadn't known better, he wouldn't have understood what it meant. It perfectly matched that girl's cunning nature. If the letter fell into someone else's hands, they would likely glean nothing from it.
"What does it say?" Cheng Lei was itching to see the contents of the letter but was wary of Fu Yunxi's icy glare.
"Nothing," Fu Yunxi replied, refolding the letter and placing it back into the envelope. After a moment's thought, he tucked it into a wooden box nearby, an unconscious faint smile curling at the corner of his lips.
Seeing this, Cheng Lei was astonished. "You're actually smiling? I knew it was a love poem! When's the wedding?"
"Mind your own business," Fu Yunxi chided, tapping his slender fingers lightly against the teacup. At least she wasn't too foolish—she knew to ask for help from others.
Seeing that stubborn, self-restrained person finally learning to rely on someone else instead of bearing everything alone, and most importantly, that she had turned to him for help, Fu Yunxi's mood instantly brightened. But Wei Rufeng... his expression gradually turned cold. He was truly too restless.
After a moment, he pulled a sheet of paper from the table, wrote a few words, folded it, and placed it in an envelope.
Seeing this, Cheng Lei asked curiously, "Are you replying with a love poem too?"
Fu Yunxi turned to him. "The Western Rong have grown increasingly audacious lately. Though they have been defeated, their ambitions remain unquenched."
Suddenly shifting to official matters, Cheng Lei's expression turned serious. "There's still a fierce battle ahead."
Fu Yunxi nodded. "So next year, I will join you on the campaign."
"How is that possible?" Cheng Lei jumped to his feet. Though he had always hoped to fight alongside Fu Yunxi, he protested, "Your elder brother, The Emperor, will never agree. Seven years ago, you donned armor and went to battle, and when you returned, you became as cold as ice. The Emperor already holds me partly responsible. If I let you go again, wouldn't that cause an uproar?"
"What if he disagrees?" Fu Yunxi replied indifferently, his expression filled with arrogance. "Besides," his voice was clear and pleasant, but a flicker of amusement flashed in his eyes, "if I leave a princess consort in the manor, he won't have anything to say."
"You mean..." Cheng Lei stood up in surprise.
"This prince is getting married. What of it?"
Han Yan slept restlessly that night, her dreams replaying the scenes from her past life like a theatrical performance on stage. Zhuangshan, dressed in phoenix crown and bridal robes, forced her to drink the poisoned wine. Ji Lan and Shu Hong resisted weakly, Mama Chen screamed, and finally, her vision filled with the sight of azure-colored official boots.
She abruptly sat up, her body cold and drenched in sweat. Gathering her wits, she saw that the sky outside had already brightened. Lately, due to matters at the Zhuang residence, she had not been practicing martial arts at Chai Jing's place. Han Yan rubbed her hair, rose from the bed, and called for Ji Lan outside.After Ji Lan helped her freshen up, Han Yan felt somewhat more settled. She walked to the window and saw a snow-white pigeon fluttering in from outside, landing on her desk. It tilted its head, looking at Han Yan.
Han Yan was taken aback. The pigeon was entirely snow-white, like a piece of fine jade, with eyes as red as bloodstones. It was clearly no ordinary creature—likely raised by some wealthy family.
Ji Lan exclaimed in delight, "What a beautiful snow pigeon!"
Shu Hong, sharp-eyed, noticed something tied to the pigeon's leg and reminded her, "There seems to be something attached."
Han Yan also noticed the small pouch on the pigeon's leg. She took a few steps closer, and the pigeon didn't shy away. Han Yan easily picked it up in her hands. The pigeon struggled slightly as Han Yan untied the small cloth pouch from its leg. Ji Lan fetched some corn kernels to feed the pigeon while Han Yan carried the pouch to the couch and sat down.
Inside the pouch was a rolled-up envelope. Han Yan opened it and found only four words on the letter: "Seek another worthy husband."
His handwriting, like the man himself, carried an air of lofty arrogance, as if with a faint, disdainful glance, he could already look down upon all living beings. It was infinitely elegant, aloof yet tinged with a hint of delicate charm, utterly mysterious.
"Seek another worthy husband?"
Han Yan stared at the words, somewhat dazed. What did Fu Yunxi mean by this? Was he telling her to find another man to marry?
She hadn't even come of age yet, and it was widely known that she was not favored in the Zhuang household. It was unlikely that any prominent family would want a daughter-in-law like her. Once news spread of Wei Rufeng's intention to marry her, who would dare to take her as a wife under the pressure of Prince Wei's household?
Could Fu Yunxi be toying with her?
Her intuition told her that Wei Rufeng wasn't that kind of person. Han Yan racked her brains, searching for anyone in the court with enough power to rival Prince Wei's household... Suddenly, a person flashed through her mind, and Han Yan froze.
Could Fu Yunxi's meaning... be that the "worthy husband" he referred to was himself?
She recalled Fu Yunxi's earlier jest: "If you truly wish to marry this prince, I will send someone to match our birthdates tomorrow." Han Yan's cheeks flushed slightly at the thought. In truth, Fu Yunxi was an extremely reassuring presence. It seemed that as long as he was there, all problems would be resolved. After their recent interactions, Han Yan felt both fear and a desire to draw closer to him. There was an allure about him that made one want to explore further.
But what about Fu Yunxi's attitude toward her? Han Yan frowned. It seemed like the help of an old friend or the care for a naive child. There was no hostility, but neither was there any affection. So, what purpose would he have in marrying her?
Han Yan's heart was in turmoil. She clenched the letter in her hand. Compared to Wei Rufeng, she would rather marry Fu Yunxi, that great block of ice. But why would the esteemed Xuan Qing Prince want to marry the daughter of a mere fifth-rank official? If it were because Fu Yunxi was infatuated with her beauty or talent, Han Yan would have laughed herself silly.
Then... was it because of the person he had mistaken her for?
Her heart suddenly dimmed.
Could a marriage without love truly be called a marriage?
In Hibiscus Garden, Jiao Meng was carefully feeding Concubine Mei spoonfuls of golden bird's nest soup. The small bowl was soon emptied. Concubine Mei wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, revealing a look of disgust. "Drinking this every day, I'm almost sick of it!"Jiao Meng smiled at the sight and said, "Since the master heard that you are pregnant, he has instructed the kitchen to prepare extra tonics for you every day, so much that you can't even finish them."
Concubine Mei rose irritably. "It all comes down to this seed in my belly!" She glanced at Jiao Meng. "If there's still no movement in a few more days, I'm afraid the master will grow suspicious..." Then she added resentfully, "Now that Madam Zhou has fallen, another vixen of a sister has appeared! How shameless, lingering in the Zhuang residence all day—what is she doing here? Anyone who doesn't know better might think she belongs to the master!"
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