Li Huaiyu had no idea what he was scheming. Lu Jingxing was already injured, and sitting for a while would surely be uncomfortable for him. So, she grabbed the windowsill, climbed in, and supported his elbow.
Seeing her graceful movement, Lu Jingxing’s face twitched. “The door is right there. Will walking a few more steps break your legs or something?”
“It’s closer this way.” Remembering that she couldn’t engage in vigorous activity right now, Huaiyu smiled sheepishly and exerted herself to help him up.
As Lu Jingxing stood, he raised his arm, resting it on her shoulder as Qing Xian had done earlier, his phoenix eyes glinting with a provocative light as he glanced at Jiang Xuanjin.
Come on, go ahead and smash another vase! Even if you break the house, I won’t let go. What’s it to you?
Jiang Xuanjin: “…”
“Have you changed the dressing on your wound?” Completely oblivious to the tension between the two men, Huaiyu asked as she helped Lu Jingxing toward the door.
Lu Jingxing smirked, “No, they were too rough. Changing the dressing is something only a lady can do.”
That was true; Lu Jingxing had always favored women over men. Having a girl attend to him was much more reliable than having Jiu Wu or the others. Huaiyu nodded, thinking she would find a maid later.
However, this remark was quite cunning. Huaiyu understood his meaning, but Jiang Xuanjin frowned.
Lu Jingxing had only Li Huaiyu as a lady by his side.
“Your Highness.” Jiang Xuanjin called out, stopping the person about to step over the threshold.
Huaiyu paused and turned her head. “What does the prince want?”
Adjusting his sleeves, Jiang Xuanjin said, “There’s an important matter I wish to discuss with you.”
An important matter? Huaiyu thought for a moment and replied, “Let me first take Shopkeeper Lu back to his room, and then we can discuss it?”
“It’s not urgent.” Jiang Xuanjin slowly said, lowering his gaze as he stepped closer to them. “First, it’s important to take Shopkeeper Lu back.”
This posture seemed to indicate he wanted to accompany her. Huaiyu was taken aback; the former Ziyang Jun had always found such trivial matters bothersome and never wasted time on them. Now, he seemed relaxed and willing to lower himself to do these things.
Adjusting Lu Jingxing’s arm on her shoulder, Huaiyu nodded at him and then led him out of the room.
Jiang Xuanjin followed casually, listening to her and Lu Jingxing bicker along the way:
“Why is your wound still bleeding? Are the medicines at the pharmacy fake?”
“Ridiculous! My Lu family’s pharmacy would never sell fake medicine to the master!”
“That’s not certain. If you die, the shop will fall into their hands, right?”
“…” Thinking about it, that made some sense. Lu Jingxing looked down at his chest, deep in thought.
Once inside, Huaiyu gently laid him on the bed, her movements careful, but he kept hissing in pain, his expression contorted.
“Is my wound going to split open again?”
Hearing this, Huaiyu naturally reached to lift his clothing.
However, just as her hand reached out, it was caught.
“I’ll do it.” Jiang Xuanjin expressionlessly pulled Lu Jingxing back, sitting down at the edge of the bed. With two fingers, he pulled apart Lu Jingxing’s outer robe and glanced at the white cloth wrapped around his body.
“Split open? Hmph, if it split, would it only bleed this much?”
Lu Jingxing rolled his eyes. “This is just a little?”
Half of the white cloth was soaked in blood, okay?
Glancing at him, Jiang Xuanjin said coolly, “If this injury were on a woman, it wouldn’t be worth making a fuss over.”
Implying that if he continued to make a fuss, he might as well act like a woman! He would surely be well taken care of.
Lu Jingxing: “…”
Li Huaiyu leaned in to ask, “Are you okay? Do you need to call a doctor?”
“No need.” The words squeezed out from between his teeth, Lu Jingxing replied, “It’s not worth making a fuss over!”
“Is that so?” Huaiyu nodded. “Then the prince should take his leave and let him rest well.”
Jiang Xuanjin smiled slightly, watching her decisively walk toward the door, and he stood up, following her with his hands clasped behind his back.
The autumn air was thick, and the courtyard was filled with withered flowers and trees. A gust of wind blew, bringing a chill.
Huaiyu rubbed her arms and asked, “What’s the matter?”
Glancing at her, Jiang Xuanjin stood to her west and said softly, “Before I arrived at the border city, I encountered a pursuit. There were many assassins, all skilled in martial arts.”
Huaiyu had heard of this, her expression strange. “Does the prince know their origins?”
“Near the capital, with so many of them, what else could it be?” Jiang Xuanjin pursed his lips.
He had defied the edict, ultimately angering the emperor. But Li Huailin hadn’t come at him directly; instead, he was playing tricks.
“There’s a saying: ‘When the lips are gone, the teeth feel cold.’ Have you heard it, Your Highness?”
Huaiyu pouted. “I just can’t write well; I’m not illiterate.”
Indeed, back then, she pretended not to know how to write but could still lean against him and help him read documents. Jiang Xuanjin lowered his gaze, recalling the time when she smiled at him with sparkling eyes. His heart felt slightly warm.
“Ziyang is backed by Danyang. If the emperor insists on taking action against Ziyang, Your Highness will surely not have many peaceful days left.” He said softly, “Why not cooperate?”
Li Huaiyu looked at him, raising her eyebrows. “You and I? Cooperate?”
“Is it strange for the lord of Ziyang to cooperate with the lord of Danyang?” Jiang Xuanjin’s voice was calm.
He seemed to have let go of the past more decisively than she had. In front of her, he was merely the lord of Ziyang. In his eyes, she was just the lord of Danyang. With shared interests, they could cooperate; who cared what had happened before? They were no longer children.
However… Huaiyu narrowed her eyes. “If you want to cooperate, shouldn’t there be some sincerity? You’re blocking my people from leaving the city; how do you expect them to see you? How could they possibly trust you?”
Jiang Xuanjin replied, “If I hadn’t stopped you then, you would have gone to the next city and been immediately sent to prison.”
What does that mean? Huaiyu was puzzled.
The man in front of her explained for once, “The general who stopped you was sent from the capital.”
Throughout history, emperors would place their people in various counties to ensure the peace and obedience of the fiefs, keeping an eye on their movements and reporting to the emperor. Ziyang Jun had never returned to Ziyang; he had to hand over one place at a time and remove the emperor’s eyes to ensure their safety.
Huaiyu suddenly understood, feeling a bit embarrassed as she scratched her hair. “Then we misunderstood the prince. I’ll go explain to them later.”
Jiang Xuanjin looked down at her, suddenly recalling her many habitual little actions. When she was embarrassed, she would scratch her hair; when she was sad, she would look down at her shoes; when she was nervous, she would bite her nails.
He had never thought of it that way, so he hadn’t noticed.
If he had exposed her identity himself, he might not have been so angry. He wouldn’t even want to confront her; he would have sentenced her to death in his heart. But this mask was torn off by Liu Yunlie, making him feel truly foolish, played with at will, while he had firmly believed in her.
The anger he felt before the imperial study when he had raised his sword, was less about her rebellion and more about his self-hatred, hating himself for not being able to weigh his actions.
His cold fingers brushed against her neck, startling Li Huaiyu, who took a half-step back and frowned. “Your Highness?”
Regaining his composure somewhat awkwardly, Jiang Xuanjin turned his head away. “My apologies.”
As she touched the scar on her neck, Huaiyu’s gaze shifted slightly as she looked at him for a moment before suddenly smiling. “Speaking of which, the people in my palace are also familiar with you. If I can return to Danyang smoothly, cooperation wouldn’t be out of the question.”
The people in her palace… Jiang Xuanjin sneered. They were indeed familiar; he had seen all ten of her suitors. Every day, when he opened the door to Feiyun Palace, he could see her playing and joking with them, completely unrestrained.
He liked cleanliness, so the people he disliked the most were from Danyang.
As his fingers slowly curled, Jiang Xuanjin asked, “Is Your Highness reminding me of something?”
“Yes.” Huaiyu smiled, pointing at herself. “You should recognize who I am.”
He could accept the bold and straightforward Bai Zhuzhi, but he certainly couldn’t accept the infamous Li Huaiyu. The truth was already clear; why look at her with that expression? If she couldn’t hold back and soften her heart, what would happen? She didn’t want another scar on her neck.
His gaze gradually turned cold as Jiang Xuanjin said, “Thank you for your concern, Your Highness.”
“No need to be polite.” Huaiyu grinned, looking down at her shoes. “Let’s get back to business. How does the prince want to cooperate?”
The western wind howled, blowing against Ziyang Jun’s back, his dark hair fluttering forward, brushing against her cheek.
She listened quietly as he spoke, nodding occasionally. He was calm, and she remained unperturbed.
“I understand.” After a long while, Huaiyu said, “Since the prince still dares to trust me, I have no reason not to trust you. But meeting daily at the hour of the dog… won’t that be too troublesome?”
“It won’t be.” Jiang Xuanjin replied, “If we are to unite against a common enemy, we must share information. I don’t mind telling you everything, so what do you care?”
That was true. Huaiyu clapped her hands. “Then it’s settled. It’s chilly outside, and the prince still has injuries on his back. It’s better to rest early.”
Jiang Xuanjin didn’t move, standing in place and watching her return to her room, then let out a long breath.
“Master!” Cheng Xu, who had been hiding nearby for a long time, finally approached when the two finished talking. “Someone from the capital has arrived!”
“Same as before.” Jiang Xuanjin coldly tossed out those two words and turned to leave.
“This time it’s not the same!” Cheng Xu hurried after him. “Leading the charge is Bai Daren.”
His footsteps paused. Jiang Xuanjin frowned. “Bai Dezhong?”
“Yes.”
A surge of anger rose in Jiang Xuanjin’s chest, and he sneered. “I wonder who taught him these tricks!”
Bai Dezhong was a loyal minister and had always served the country faithfully without any mistakes. Li Huailin was good at using people; to deal with him, he had brought Bai Dezhong in as a shield.
What would Bai Yushi think of such behavior? What would the others in the court think?
“Master, what should we do?” Cheng Xu asked.
What else could be done? Taking a deep breath, Jiang Xuanjin said, “Let him through.”
Setting aside Bai Zhuzhi, he couldn’t possibly act against Bai Dezhong.
Linjiang Mountain was only fifty miles from the border city. By evening, Bai Dezhong stepped into the governor’s mansion.
“Father?” Li Huaiyu bumped into him as she stepped out, startled and jumping in place.
Bai Dezhong looked at her with a complex expression. “Your Highness.”
“Ah… don’t.” Huaiyu chuckled awkwardly. “Isn’t it strange for you to call me Your Highness with this face? Just call me as you used to; I’ll be your daughter!”
Bai Dezhong shook his head. “I fear I don’t have that fortune.”
Her face fell. Huaiyu said pitifully, “Are you abandoning me?”
She still looked like Bai Zhuzhi, but her personality had truly changed dramatically. Zhuzhi had never acted so spoiled with him.
Bai Dezhong felt somewhat uncomfortable, his face stern. “Your Highness is a daughter of heaven; how can you say such things?”
“Once, I was a daughter of heaven, but not anymore.” Huaiyu grinned, pointing at herself. “Now I’m here to honor you on behalf of Bai Zhuzhi!”
When it came to coaxing people, she would claim second place, and no one would dare claim first. This statement struck Bai Dezhong’s heart, making even the sternest person unable to help but feel teary-eyed as he looked at her.
Huaiyu took the opportunity to knead his shoulders. “What brings you here?”
His attitude softened considerably. Bai Dezhong pointed to the group of people following behind him. “I’ve come with an imperial edict.”
An imperial edict?
Her smile faded instantly as Li Huaiyu turned to look.
Outside the moon gate in the courtyard, a group of imperial guards held their sword sheaths, protecting a bright red palanquin. Beside the palanquin stood a yellow-robed eunuch, holding a roll of bright yellow material in both hands, standing still.
With this display, one didn’t need to announce the imperial edict to know its contents.
“Surprisingly, you were sent to deliver it.” Huaiyu squinted, then smiled again. “This method is quite reminiscent of six years ago when Pingling Jun had me lead the charge to meet the various lords with rebellious intentions.”
In the past, the various feudal lords wouldn’t touch the Grand Princess, and today, Jiang Xuanjin wouldn’t touch Bai Dezhong either. But what happened to Pingling Jun later? Didn’t Li Huailin understand that?
He used people, but people would also hold grudges against him. Pingling Jun could teach tactics but couldn’t teach human nature.
“Bai Daren.” Jiang Xuanjin emerged from the room and stood beside Huaiyu, cupping his hands.
Bai Dezhong returned the gesture. “Your Highness, the imperial edict has arrived.”
“Daren has traveled a long way. Please bathe and change first. After dinner, we can discuss the imperial edict.”
“This…” Bai Dezhong hesitated. “According to the rules…”
“Oh, don’t worry about that.” Huaiyu cheerfully pulled him inside. “Your demeanor is more important than anything else. Go wash up and see how much dust is on your beard!”
Half-pushing, half-urging, Bai Dezhong still entered the guest room. As Huaiyu called for Jiu Wu and the others to take care of him, she exchanged a glance with Jiang Xuanjin.
Jiang Xuanjin understood and instructed Cheng Xu to settle the eunuch holding the imperial edict outside, dispersing the imperial guards, leaving only a few to watch the palanquin.
Thus, Huaiyu smoothly lifted the curtain of the palanquin.
“Oh, it’s been a long time.” Seeing the person inside wearing a pearl crown, Huaiyu smiled slyly. “Second Sister.”
Bai Xuanji sat upright, glancing at her through the pearl curtain, and coldly scoffed, “Don’t call me Second Sister. You’re a fugitive, and I’m the legitimate daughter of the Bai family.”
Huaiyu raised an eyebrow, leaning against the door of her palanquin with a playful demeanor. “The legitimate daughter of the Bai family? Then why did you come here dressed like this without a marriage proposal?”
“What do you know?” Bai Xuanji straightened her back. “I’ve been granted a marriage by the emperor.”
“No marriage proposal needed if the emperor grants a marriage?”
Bai Xuanji was momentarily taken aback, snorting lightly. “No matter how jealous you are, it’s useless. I’m the emperor’s personally appointed Lady Consort.”
Jealous? The fact that she could say that meant Bai Xuanji still didn’t know her true identity.
Huaiyu smirked, teasing her. “Weren’t you trying to marry Jiang Yan before? In the blink of an eye, you’re now the Lady Consort. Aren’t you afraid of being criticized?”
To be honest, Bai Xuanji was quite conflicted on this journey. The news of her engagement to Jiang Yan had already been released. Although they had never married, everyone in the capital knew about it. Now, suddenly being granted marriage to Ziyang Jun, while it was better, she was still afraid of rumors.
However, seeing the person in front of her, whom she couldn’t stand, Bai Xuanji clenched her fists. Bai Mengshi was still locked up because of her. Because of her, her marriage was difficult, and she had lost her father’s favor. More than anything, she wanted to see this person in front of her suffer!
Steeling herself, Bai Xuanji smiled. “If you’re not afraid, why should I be? I heard the prince personally sent you to prison. What’s this? Weren’t you very affectionate before?”
She still remembered the affectionate way the two had looked at each other at the Jiang family’s gate. There’s a saying: the more a relationship is displayed in front of others, the more false it is. Look, now it was her turn to watch the joke!
Li Huaiyu truly had no way to refute this. She scratched her chin, feeling a bit awkward.
Seeing her expression, Bai Xuanji felt pleased, sneering, and was about to throw in another jab.
However, someone approached from behind and draped a cloak over Li Huaiyu’s shoulders.
“It’s so windy; do you have to stand here all the time?” Jiang Xuanjin reached out, turned her body around, grabbed the ties of the cloak, and leisurely tied it for her. “Just say a few words and be done with it.”
Huaiyu was stunned, looking up at him, somewhat confused.
Jiang Xuanjin’s dark eyes sparkled as he glanced at her, then at the person in the palanquin.
So, Huaiyu understood. When it was just the two of them, they could tease each other without concern, holding onto their grudges. But if someone else came to disrupt, they still had to present a united front.
Breaking into a smile, she said, “I thought you were busy, so I didn’t rush to leave.”
“Let’s go inside. Dinner is ready.” He tied the ties into a bow.
Huaiyu watched, her mouth twitching in annoyance as she fiddled with the knot. Jiang Xuanjin narrowed his eyes, his expression unfriendly.
Not cooperating at all?
Quickly smiling, Huaiyu said, “Help me a bit; my legs are sore.”
He nodded, ignoring her outstretched arm and directly placing his hand on her waist.
“Let’s go.”
A shiver ran through her body. After taking two steps, Huaiyu couldn’t help but whisper, “Could the prince change his position?”
Just holding her arm would be fine!
Jiang Xuanjin paused, slightly furrowing his brows, seeming a bit troubled. But after a moment’s thought, he let go of her.
Huaiyu sighed in relief, just about to say thank you when she suddenly saw him lower his body and directly scoop her up, carrying her horizontally!
“Wow! What are you doing?” Unable to hold back, Huaiyu exclaimed, “That’s not what I meant!”
“What did you mean?” He carried her straight into the room and gently set her down by the table, his expression unchanged. “Please clarify next time, Your Highness.”
Li Huaiyu: “…” She thought normal people could understand her gestures.
Dinner was served together, but Bai Xuanji refused to get down from the palanquin, so no one brought her food. A group of people quietly ate in the dining hall. Bai Dezhong’s expression was serious, and he quickly finished his meal, as if he had something to say to Jiang Xuanjin but, due to the Jiang family’s rule of silence during meals, could only wait.
Huaiyu emptied her bowl in two bites and glanced over.
Jiang Xuanjin’s dining posture was elegant, but he was just too slow, making her want to pry his mouth open and pour the food in.
Noticing her gaze, Jiang Xuanjin paused, directly putting down his chopsticks and turning to her. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, nothing!” Huaiyu quickly waved her hands. “Hurry up; Father is still waiting.”
Jiang Xuanjin pursed his lips, picked up his chopsticks again, and reached for the dishes, but for some reason, he struggled to pick up a piece of asparagus.
Li Huaiyu was an impatient person, and seeing him like this was infuriating. She grabbed the already set-down chopsticks and said, “I’ll do it!”
With a quick, precise motion, she picked up the asparagus and dropped it into Jiang Xuanjin’s bowl.
He looked down, slowly picking it up and putting it in his mouth. After swallowing, he tried to pick up another piece but still couldn’t manage it.
Huaiyu’s mouth twitched. “You’re so quick with a pen, but you’re so clumsy with chopsticks?”
Jiang Xuanjin raised his eyes, wanting to put down his chopsticks to respond to her.
“Don’t, don’t, don’t!” Seeing Bai Dezhong’s anxious expression, Huaiyu quickly pressed his hand down. “Just eat; I’ll help you!”
Saying this, she quickly picked up three pieces of asparagus for him, thought for a moment, added some meat, and then served him a bowl of soup to place beside him.
Ziyang Jun was in a good mood, elegantly finishing everything she gave him, then putting down his chopsticks to look at Bai Dezhong. “Daren, please speak.”
Bai Dezhong let out a long breath and cupped his hands. “Why I am here, Your Highness should understand. There’s no need to say more; I only wish to ask the prince for one thing.”
“Please speak, Daren.”
Glancing at the door, Bai Dezhong said, “Xuanji is innocent; she is also my biological daughter. The emperor’s will is like this, so I hope the prince will show mercy.”
Originally, the daughter of the Qi family was to be given to him, but seeing that it wouldn’t work, he simply sent the daughter of the Bai family to his door. Would you accept her? If you refuse, you offend Bai Dezhong; if you accept, you sever ties with Danyang.
This tactic of sowing discord was beautifully executed.
Jiang Xuanjin’s expression darkened slightly. “As for marriage, I have always disliked others interfering, even the emperor.”
Bai Dezhong nodded. “I understand, but Your Highness, can you defy the imperial edict? Ziyang borders the capital to the east, Pingling to the north, and Changlin to the west. Pingling is now under the emperor’s direct control, and the lord of Changlin is easily incited. If you are labeled as defying the edict, you will be attacked from three sides.”
This reasoning was clear to everyone, so Ziyang Jun could not defy the edict at this time. Li Huailin had considered this thoroughly; sending Bai Xuanji here would not immediately force Ziyang Jun to rebel, but it would make him uncomfortable.
Huaiyu stroked her chin, thinking for a moment. “Then we can only accept the edict.”
A sharp gaze swept over from the side, but she didn’t avoid it and met it head-on, saying seriously, “You can’t just rise against the emperor now, can you?”
That was true, but why was she so calmly suggesting he accept the edict? Jiang Xuanjin was quite displeased and stood up to leave.
Cheng Xu stepped in to smooth things over. “This matter is significant; I ask the Yushi to give some time for the prince to consider it.”
Bai Dezhong nodded.
“Your Highness.” Cheng Xu whispered beside her, “You should persuade him.”
“Your master is so clever; he doesn’t need me to persuade him.” Huaiyu rolled her eyes. “I’m going to rest now.”
“Ah…” Cheng Xu scratched his head awkwardly.
Li Huaiyu left decisively, first checking on Lu Jingxing, then sending Jiu Wu and the others off to sleep. Finally, she lay on her bed, staring at the canopy in a daze.
She had written the “Release Husband” letter, and Jiang Xuanjin had nothing to do with her anymore. The person in his position would eventually marry someone else; it didn’t matter who he married, and she didn’t need to worry about it at all.
But Bai Xuanji… had always been at odds with her. If she started whispering in Jiang Xuanjin’s ear, that would be a bit troublesome.
After worrying back and forth for a long time, her consciousness gradually began to blur, and drowsiness overtook her, leaving her vision hazy.
In the already darkened room, a light suddenly flickered.
“Who is it?” she mumbled.
A turquoise robe brushed past the edge of the bed, and someone reached out to pat her, gently saying, “Sleep.”
The familiar scent of incense wafted over, and Huaiyu let out a soft hum. Without opening her eyes, she asked, “What are you doing here?”
Jiang Xuanjin replied helplessly, “The room is filled with people.”
Bai Xuanji had gone to his room and was sitting there, waiting for him to lift her pearl crown.
Huaiyu chuckled, turning over and hugging her pillow, mumbling, “Even Ziyang Jun has a day when he’s forced out of his room.”
“Indeed.” He pulled the blanket over her back. “I must trouble Your Highness to accommodate me for a night.”
“On the table or the floor, wherever the prince likes to sleep is fine.” Feeling extremely sleepy, Huaiyu waved her hand, her voice growing softer. “I don’t have time to entertain you…”
The room fell silent, the rhythmic sound of breathing rising and falling like gentle cat paws scratching.
Jiang Xuanjin quietly looked down at her. She seemed to sleep very soundly lately, unlike before when he moved, she would wake up. Now, even if he placed his hand on her face, she didn’t react.
He could have kicked Bai Xuanji out, but Jiang Xuanjin suddenly felt that having his room occupied wasn’t so bad.
Huaiyu slept soundly, dreaming a peaceful dream where feathers brushed against her lips, accompanied by the faint scent of incense from the temple.
The next day, when Li Huaiyu got up, Qing Xian was already waiting beside her.
“Bai Daren is leaving today,” he said. “You should hurry up and get ready. The prince said that once Bai Daren leaves, we can set off too.”
Looking around, Huaiyu asked him, “When did you arrive?”
Qing Xian replied, “I arrived at the hour of the rabbit.”
“…Didn’t see anyone?”
“Hmm?” Qing Xian was puzzled. “What person?”
“Nothing.” Huaiyu got out of bed, rubbing her head. She must have been too tired yesterday and had been dreaming all night.
After getting ready, she went to the dining hall, where Bai Xuanji was already seated.
Having changed out of her wedding dress, she was now in regular clothes, her hair styled into a woman’s bun.
“Did my sister sleep in a bit late?” She had completely changed her previously hostile attitude and spoke to Huaiyu very gently. “Fortunately, I had the prince wait a bit longer; otherwise, you would have missed your meal.”
Seeing her looking so pleased, Huaiyu couldn’t help but marvel at how powerful Ziyang Jun was; in just one night, he had turned a resentful woman into a virtuous lady.
It was impossible to say she felt comfortable, but she was always good at hiding her emotions. She didn’t show any signs of embarrassment. “Then thank you, Second Sister.”
“No need to be polite.” Bai Xuanji said, “The prince said that as a woman abandoned by her husband, your life must be difficult, so we should take more care of you.”
Jiu Wu’s expression darkened behind her. “Miss Bai.”
“Eh? Who is this?” Bai Xuanji looked at Jiu Wu, then at Li Huaiyu. “Could it be…?”
Huaiyu smiled, pressing down on Jiu Wu and saying to Bai Xuanji, “This is your stepfather. Are you satisfied?”
She smiled sweetly, but her words were quite crude. Bai Xuanji was momentarily taken aback, her expression darkening. “No wonder you were abandoned; what kind of upbringing is that?”
“You should ask your father about that.” Huaiyu raised an eyebrow, gesturing toward the door. “Look, they’ve all arrived.”
Bai Xuanji turned to look and saw Ziyang Jun and Bai Dezhong stepping through the door together.
She immediately closed her mouth, lowering her head to look at the porridge in her bowl.
“Everyone is here.” Jiang Xuanjin walked over and naturally sat down beside Li Huaiyu.
Huaiyu smiled on the surface but felt angry inside, rolling her eyes at him.
Why was he squeezing in with her instead of sitting with his new wife?
Jiang Xuanjin was confused by her glare but remained silent, quietly finishing his breakfast before taking her to see Bai Dezhong off.
The rolled-up imperial edict remained unopened, and the eunuch hadn’t announced it, but Bai Dezhong took the people away, planning to return and report to the emperor that Ziyang Jun had accepted the edict. As for Bai Xuanji, Bai Dezhong had no other requests; he only asked him to treat her well and to find a way after this storm passed.
Jiang Xuanjin found this method feasible, exchanging formalities with him and sending him off with a very good attitude.
Huaiyu stood by, watching as the carriage drove away, then turned to head back.
Her wrist was grabbed, and her steps faltered. She turned back, speaking harshly. “Let go.”
“Where have I offended Your Highness?” Jiang Xuanjin frowned. “You haven’t had a good expression all morning.”
Do you want a good expression? Huaiyu turned back, mocking him. “The prince and I are merely cooperating for mutual benefit. There are no outsiders here, and you still expect me to greet you with a smile?”
His jaw tightened. Jiang Xuanjin stood stiffly for a moment before releasing her hand. “Indeed, it’s too much to ask of Your Highness.”
Huaiyu waved her hand. “Just let me know when you’re about to leave. I’m going to check on Lu Jingxing.”
Looking at him, she thought, it’s just a few knife wounds. Jiang Xuanjin sneered, clenching his fists and standing still.
At the side door of the governor’s mansion, only he and Cheng Xu remained, feeling as desolate as a theater after the show.
“Your Highness.” Someone called him softly.
Jiang Xuanjin didn’t turn back. “If Miss Bai wants to stay here, it’s best not to speak to me.”
Bai Xuanji’s face turned pale with fright, standing eight steps behind him, clutching her skirt. She said softly, “I didn’t mean to speak; there are some things you need to know, Your Highness. It’s related to Fourth Sister!”
Jiang Xuanjin glanced at her.
Bai Xuanji hurriedly said, “Before, Xiyun went to find Lingxiu and accidentally discovered a token in her bundle, which belonged to Shopkeeper Lu. I found it strange; how could a mere maid be valued by Shopkeeper Lu? After checking the records of entries and exits, I found that after you engaged with Fourth Sister, this maid frequently left the mansion and returned shortly. Several times, people in the mansion even saw Shopkeeper Lu coming and going in the west courtyard!”
Lu Jingxing had known from the start that Bai Zhuzhi was Li Huaiyu, which was why he treated her differently.
Jiang Xuanjin listened in silence, and when she finished speaking, he waved his sleeve and walked toward his room.
“Does the prince not believe me?” Bai Xuanji bit her lip and pressed on.