Though Xie Wei had donned his clothes and even briefly washed up, he wore only a simple, thin white robe. A green wood hairpin loosely bound his hair, and his expression was also light—he appeared several degrees more easygoing and casual than when properly and formally dressed on ordinary days.

Just by looking, Jiang Xuening knew he had only just risen.

After all, ordinarily, Xie Wei was impeccable from the tips of his hair to the hem of his robe.

When facing Xie Wei, she was ultimately more apprehensive than anything else. Compared to her previous recklessness, she appeared quite restrained. After thinking for a moment, she replied: “In response to Teacher, I’ve already eaten. It’s this student’s fault for being inconsiderate—coming to disturb Teacher without first having someone announce my visit. If it’s inconvenient for Teacher, this student can come again another day.”

Xie Wei finally glanced at her.

A fleeting silence passed through his eyes. When his lips pressed tight, they held an additional measure of impatience. But he only pointed to the position across from himself, indicating she should sit, while simultaneously calling out: “Daoqin, add a bowl and chopsticks.”

When Jiang Xuening entered, she hadn’t dared walk too close. At this moment, her body stiffened slightly, and she stood without moving.

Xie Wei gave a cold laugh: “Do you intend to stand there watching me finish eating?”

Jiang Xuening finally came to her senses.

These two years, Xie Wei could be said to have concealed his brilliance in the court. Having left the capital in one stroke to come to Jinling, he clearly had matters to discuss with her, and time was urgent—he necessarily needed to keep her to talk. If she didn’t sit down together with him but instead stood to the side waiting for Xie Wei to drink his congee, wouldn’t that be awkward? Even if she weren’t embarrassed, the other party would hardly be able to eat this meal of congee in comfort.

She had been muddled.

Over these years, she had managed quite a few matters and dealt with many people. How was it that upon suddenly meeting face to face, she had grown nervous and made mistakes again, unable to navigate even this small turn?

Unable to avoid feeling somewhat stifled in her heart, Jiang Xuening secretly cursed herself once, hastily saying “Then I thank Teacher—it would be more disrespectful to decline than to obey,” then after hesitating a moment, still walked to the table and sat down.

This position happened to be directly across from Xie Wei.

Between the two of them was only the width of a table.

Outside, Daoqin brought in the added bowl and chopsticks. Taking the bowl, he was about to serve her congee.

Without lifting his eyes, Xie Wei’s slender fingers held ivory chopsticks, picking up a piece of lotus root into his bowl as he said: “Does she not have hands of her own?”

Jiang Xuening’s eyelids jumped when she heard this.

Daoqin’s scalp tightened even more. Not daring to let his eyes wander even slightly, he said in a low voice “Yes,” quickly set down the bowl, and withdrew.

This manner was simply like the King of Hell himself.

Ordinarily, Xie Wei always had a good temperament. Few things under heaven could make him cold his face. Even in his previous life when he raised armies in rebellion and slaughtered the imperial clan, he maintained a mild and gentle appearance without much killing aura visible.

Yet now…

If this were two years ago when she was still completely oblivious, Jiang Xuening would surely have already plastered on a smiling face to coax this Lesser Teacher to calm his temper. But now, she didn’t dare overstep boundaries in the slightest.

She only acted as if she had heard nothing at all. Comforting herself in her heart that perhaps Xie Wei simply had a temper from just waking up, she hurriedly served herself a small half bowl of congee and drank it in small sips.

Xie Wei said nothing more.

Even with such a person maintaining a cold face, his manners remained extremely proper and pleasing to the eye. This made Jiang Xuening recall that year when she traveled to the capital.

Back then, he wasn’t yet any Teacher Xie or Lesser Teacher Xie.

She had only thought him a distant relative of the Jiang household—a sickly young master who couldn’t be more distantly related. Boarding the carriage halfway with a qin in his arms, though he rarely spoke, his every movement was different from those playmates she’d had in the mountain village—like a clear breeze among mountains or bright moon upon pines.

She had originally been apprehensive about going to the capital.

Would those wealthy relatives in the capital city look down upon her for growing up in the countryside?

She had never studied any etiquette or books. Though the accompanying matron had explained much to her, she still understood nothing…

Encountering such a person made her unable to help examining herself.

Fear and inferiority thus overlapped. This instead forced her to put on airs, raising her chin higher, resisting him, scorning him, displaying toward such a person intense hostility.

She deliberately knocked over his tea cup, tore up his qin scores…

Yet secretly, she couldn’t restrain that inferiority. She quietly imitated him, wanting to learn a little, hoping that when she arrived in the capital, people would think more highly of her.

She still remembered when Xie Wei wasn’t in the carriage and she tore up his qin score—that sickly person who barely spoke the whole journey had, for the first time, held that score with several pages torn out and asked her: “You did this?”

She played dumb: “What?”

Hearing this, the other party slowly cooled his face. The veins on the back of the hand clutching the qin score slightly protruded, yet he suddenly smiled at her: “This time I’ll take it that you’re young and don’t understand. But if there’s a next time, try it and see.”

Frankly speaking, though this person surnamed Xie had a face full of sickly appearance with somewhat languid spirit, he ultimately had fine features. When he smiled, it was quite attractive. In her youth, she couldn’t help being dazzled for a moment. Simultaneously, her spine felt a chill—somewhat frightened.

But after speaking, the other party turned and returned to the carriage interior.

Jiang Xuening also didn’t take these words to heart, only thinking this person was merely making empty threats. A distant relative living under someone else’s roof—she was the daughter of a high official in the capital. What could he dare do to her?

So not only did she dare tear up his qin score, but later when in difficulty, in a fit of anger she even smashed his qin, yet never saw this person truly do anything to her.

Until quite a while after returning to the capital, she coincidentally learned of Xie Wei’s identity.

In that instant, truly a cold air rushed from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, making her shiver with a chill and feel several measures of belated fear.

The ignorant truly know no fear.

Jiang Xuening silently drank her congee. Thinking of this, with the spoon held in her mouth, she let out a laugh.

Hearing this, Xie Wei looked up at her.

Jiang Xuening had been momentarily distracted, revealing a bit of her true nature’s tail. Upon meeting Xie Wei’s gaze, her form immediately stiffened.

Xie Wei’s gaze fell upon the spoon she was biting.

Jiang Xuening awkwardly set down the spoon.

Xie Wei asked: “What are you laughing at?”

Jiang Xuening had originally intended to answer evasively. But seeing Xie Wei’s cold face without that smile that ordinarily made one feel like basking in spring breeze, somehow she felt unaccustomed and rather uncomfortable. Moreover, recalling the predicament Shen Zhiyi might be facing, her heart felt blocked. Ultimately, she slowly said: “Just suddenly feeling that things are not as they were, and people have also changed…”

Though her makeup was light, hers was still a vivid countenance.

Her delicate features, two years later, were like brilliant peach blossoms on branches—completely opened. When her thick lashes gently lowered, within the faint shadows they cast lay some serene melancholy.

Xie Wei suddenly recalled that summer day—that small green apricot on the window ledge.

That vague irritation in his heart surged up once more.

He had warned Zhang Zhe that if one had attachments, one should not provoke entanglements. Yet when had his own attachments ever been fewer than Zhang Zhe’s? However, he had ultimately still crossed boundaries and revealed telltale signs. This absolutely wasn’t what he should have done.

Having had no appetite to begin with, Xie Wei set down the white porcelain spoon. It fell against the bowl’s rim, producing for the first time a faint sound of collision, as he said: “You’ve already read the secret communication I gave you?”

Jiang Xuening’s fingers trembled slightly: “I’ve read it.”

She recalled the contents of that secret communication. Her eyes suddenly reddened and she said with a choked voice: “Her Highness is after all a princess of this dynasty, of imperial bloodline. His Majesty is her closest elder brother—how can he disregard familial affection and be so cold-hearted?!”

That secret communication had originally been an urgent border report, detailing matters of the Tatar royal court.

First, that this barbarian race with wolfish ambitions had, after two years of recuperating strength, already begun secretly organizing troops and horses. There would likely be unusual movements detrimental to the Central Plains. Second, that Grand Princess Leyang was with child, carrying barbarian offspring. Having detected that Tatar affairs would undergo changes, she had secretly transmitted a message to the court seeking rescue, hoping to escape from the royal court before hostilities arose!

That was Shen Zhiyi’s cry for help.

In her previous life, she had only known the outcome. She hadn’t known that as a princess sent for marriage alliance, Shen Zhiyi had sent a letter seeking help from the court before the incident. Even less had she known that as Shen Zhiyi’s elder brother, Emperor Shen Lang would actually give such a response—

Bestowing three feet of white silk and a cup of poisoned wine!

Before the Tatars could make their move, she should first end her own life to avoid becoming a hostage subject to humiliation and abuse, thus maintaining the dignity of a princess and the honor of family and nation!

Xie Wei had long since read that secret communication. He asked her lightly: “Tomorrow I will depart for the border. Can you go together?”

Jiang Xuening looked at him: “What is Teacher going to do?”

Xie Wei lowered his eyes, saying: “If you didn’t understand in your heart, why would you have come today?”

Jiang Xuening didn’t speak.

Xie Wei said: “If the Grand Princess does not die, when war begins next spring, she will become a hostage, placing this dynasty in a dilemma. The court’s funds and grain have just begun moving, and war preparations are still urgent—they absolutely will not start war early to rescue one person. Whether you wish to welcome back the Princess or welcome back the Princess’s coffin—it all lies in this single thought.”

Though she had indeed anticipated this early on, when Xie Wei spoke these words, Jiang Xuening still felt trembling in her heart—a kind of uneasy panic at being swept into a torrent.

What method could welcome back the Princess rather than the Princess’s coffin?

Her heart surging with emotions, she closed her eyes and clenched her hands.

Xie Wei suddenly laughed: “Afraid?”

Jiang Xuening gritted her teeth: “How could I be!”

Xie Wei was ultimately the final great victor. Now that Yan Lin’s wings had grown full, even if he acted ahead of time, there wasn’t necessarily no chance of success! Moreover, how could she watch helplessly as the Princess was given death by decree?

She had promised.

To carry that handful of native soil and welcome her back to her homeland!

Only…

Jiang Xuening slowly opened her eyes: “I promised the Princess, so naturally I won’t break my word. But has Teacher truly thought this through clearly?”

Xie Wei’s smile faded. Looking back at her, he slowly said: “I also do not break faith with others.”