Huicun said, “The Grand Marshal of Bei Di has just appointed the former Director of the Military Police Bureau, Shi Ting, as the Young Marshal. Shi Ting is indeed a man of great integrity, and it would be very difficult to manipulate him.”

“That is precisely why His Highness wishes to replace the candidate with someone more favorable to our nation of Di — someone who would inherit this position and allow us to firmly grasp this fertile land of Bei Di in our hands in the future.”

“May I ask who His Highness has in mind?” Huicun had already guessed, but he still did not dare to presume upon the Prince’s intentions.

“Shi Guang, the second young master of the Shi Family.” Nagase narrowed his slanted eyes: “Shi Guang has met His Highness once before, and the two of them got along very well, with a sense of instant affinity. Moreover, Shi Guang has never severed contact with His Highness — he is very willing to cooperate with His Highness and with us of Di, so that both sides may benefit and achieve mutual prosperity.”

“But Shi Guang has already been imprisoned for offending the Grand Marshal. The information I gathered is that the order was personally issued by the Grand Marshal himself. Although it is not a severe imprisonment, from this point on he will never see the light of day. He has lost even his freedom — how could he possibly cooperate with us?”

“That is precisely why His Highness seeks Uncle Huicun’s help. Only Uncle Huicun has the means to rescue Shi Guang.”

“Me?” Huicun shook his head in disbelief. “This is a private matter of the Shi Family — outsiders should not meddle. Even if I swallowed my pride and went to the Grand Marshal, he may not necessarily do me this favor. From what I hear, what Shi Guang did this time was no small offense — he nearly cost the Grand Marshal his life. If we stick our noses in at this moment, it will only create displeasure.”

“What if this were no longer a private matter of the Shi Family, but rather a private matter of Uncle Huicun himself?”

Huicun was puzzled. “What do you mean?”

Ling’ai carried a plate of freshly roasted sweet potatoes, her steps light and cheerful, as she made her way to Huicun’s front door with a joyful expression.

She had just roasted them in the stove, and at this moment they were still giving off a rich, sweet fragrance.

Unable to help herself, she leaned her nose close and drew in a deep breath, her face full of contentment as she murmured to herself, “Such a delicious thing — next time I must send some to Zheng Yun.”

Ling’ai arrived at the front door and was just about to raise her hand to knock, when suddenly a familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar voice drifted out from inside.

She paused slightly. Nagase?

It had been a very long time since Ling’ai had seen Nagase, and Huicun had been searching for him everywhere. Just when she had begun to think that Nagase might have returned to Di, he had appeared again.

Ling’ai did not rush to knock. Instead, she crept quietly to the door and pressed her face against it.

“No.” Huicun’s somewhat irritated voice came from inside. “How could this possibly work?”

Nagase said, “Uncle Huicun, this is His Highness’s intention — more precisely, it is His Highness’s order.”

“Ling’ai’s marriage must be decided by herself. She should marry someone she loves, not become a sacrifice to power.”

The moment Ling’ai heard the word “marriage,” her ears immediately perked up.

“Uncle Huicun, right now the best solution is to marry Ling’ai to Shi Guang. As long as you go to the Grand Marshal and say that Ling’ai and Shi Guang have long since pledged themselves to each other in private, and that His Highness the Prince himself has given his blessing, then even if the Grand Marshal will not do you the favor, he will not refuse to give face to His Highness the Prince.”

Marry Shi Guang?

Outside the door, Ling’ai heard these words and felt as though someone had struck her over the head with a heavy blow. Her mind reeled in dizziness, and the plate in her hands nearly slipped from her grasp.

Just as her thoughts were scattered into pieces by the shock, the voices inside continued.

“Nagase, you and Ling’ai grew up together as childhood sweethearts — I can see how you feel about her. Why did you not refuse outright when His Highness made this demand?” Huicun said, filled with conflicting emotions. “Ling’ai — she will never agree to marry Shi Guang.”

“Uncle Huicun, do you think I do not want to refuse?” Nagase said with anguish. “The feelings between Ling’ai and me — you have witnessed them. In this world, aside from you, I am the only one who truly has her best interests at heart. When His Highness proposed this plan, I fought against it. But this is His Highness the Prince — toward the imperial family, we owe absolute obedience. Even if we are unwilling, even if we are dissatisfied, we can only struggle for a moment before we must comply. Uncle Huicun, you have always been loyal to the imperial family — do you not understand this principle?”

Huicun looked at Nagase’s grief-stricken expression, and suddenly covered his face with his hand. “All right, I understand. Go out first — let me think calmly.”

“Uncle Huicun, I too am reluctant to give up Ling’ai, but speaking in the most extreme terms — since there is no way to refuse His Highness’s command, marrying Shi Guang would not be doing her wrong. Although Shi Guang has been married once before, his marriage to his previous wife was in name only, and he has long since become single again. At present he does have a concubine, but she merely occupies a separate courtyard. From what I know, Shi Guang is not a man of loose character, so in that regard Ling’ai would not suffer. Moreover, with our intention to befriend and support him, once he becomes Young Marshal, Bei Di will be his domain — and Ling’ai, as Madam Shi, would enjoy wealth and honor without end.”

“Enough — stop talking.” Huicun waved his hand as though he could not hear what Nagase was saying. “Go out first.”

Nagase said, “Uncle Huicun, I know this decision is difficult for you, but in this matter there is no longer any room for us to turn back. His Highness has said that in a few days he will travel from Qian Guan Cheng to Shun Cheng specifically to attend the wedding banquet of his most capable subordinate’s daughter. Please make your preparations early.”

Huicun said nothing, only kept his back turned, waving his hand repeatedly.

Nagase gazed at his silhouette, and a flash of dark, inscrutable light passed through his eyes — but he quickly lowered his head and stepped backward one step at a time, until he had retreated to the doorway, then turned and opened the door and walked out.

By this time, Ling’ai had long since hidden herself behind the wall on the other side. Only after she saw Nagase leave did she lower her head to look at the plate in her hands.

She had originally meant to bring the sweet potatoes to Huicun while they were still warm, but now, after being chilled by the cold wind, even the steam had dissipated.

And the place in her chest felt as though the cold wind had blown in as well, careening and crashing about, leaving her entire body ice-cold, as if she had fallen into a freezing cellar.

Ling’ai returned to her room, set the plate of now-cold sweet potatoes aside, and sat woodenly at the table. Her gaze fell absently on the head of the bed, where a doll dressed in a kimono sat smiling at her.

She walked over and carefully gathered the doll into her arms.

It had been a gift from Zheng Yun — even the face had been painted to resemble her. At a glance, there really was quite a resemblance.

Zheng Yun had known that such dolls were very popular in their nation of Di, and had asked someone to have one specially made.

She still remembered the moment he had stood beneath the lamplight outside the cinema, the way he had produced the doll with a mysterious, secretive air.

She had thought then: this man’s tall silhouette standing beneath the lamplight, his enchanting smile — she would never forget it for as long as she lived.

Thinking this, Ling’ai could not help but clutch the doll tightly to herself — but her body was so cold that no matter what, it could not feel any warmth from her.

It was only when the sound of knocking came at the door that she drew a deep breath and set the doll back in its place.

“Ai-ko.” Huicun’s voice came from outside. “Are you in?”

Ling’ai looked toward the door, pressed her lips together firmly, and after a moment, she worked to push away the unnatural emotions on her face lest Huicun notice.

“Coming.”

Huicun had thought Ling’ai was not in and was just about to turn and leave when the door opened behind him.

Seeing his daughter looking at him with a smile, Huicun felt a welter of emotions in his heart, and for a moment did not know how to begin.

“Father, I just saw Brother Nagase a moment ago.” Ling’ai had Huicun sit down at the table, then poured him a cup of water.

Huicun noticed the plate of roasted sweet potatoes on the table and asked, “Did you roast these?”

Ling’ai did not say she had roasted them specifically for Huicun. She only nodded lightly. “I ate one — the rest have gone cold.”

“Actually, with sweet potatoes, they don’t necessarily have to be eaten hot. Eating them cold makes them even sweeter.”

Ling’ai smiled. “But your body can’t handle cold sweet potatoes.”

“I know — you’ve always kept a strict watch over me.” Huicun looked at Ling’ai with a gaze full of tender affection. “I won’t eat them — don’t worry.”

“If you want to eat, I’ll go warm them up for you.” Ling’ai made as if to rise.

Huicun pulled her back. “No need, Ai-ko.”

He simply did not know what to say, so he kept talking to her in this aimless, meandering way.

Huicun’s gaze fell on the doll at the head of the bed. The doll looked very familiar, and he could not help but ask with curiosity, “This doll looks just like you — when did you buy it?”

They were in Xin Guo, yet this doll was clearly from Di.

“A friend gave it to me.” Ling’ai’s gaze fell gently on the doll’s face. “It was custom-made to look like me.”

“It really does look like you.” Huicun laughed softly. “It’s that young man called Zheng Yun, isn’t it?”

Ling’ai was startled, her surprise nearly spilling out from her eyes. “Father, you — you know Zheng Yun?”

“I wouldn’t say I know him — and I haven’t met him in person.” Huicun said. “I had someone look into him.”

“You investigated him?”

Huicun smiled. “My daughter’s boyfriend — of course I would look into him. Your identity is unusual, and there is no shortage of people who wish to curry favor with you. The men who try to get close to you have only one purpose — to use you to advance themselves. At first, I thought this Zheng Yun was also trying to rely on you to carve out a future for himself. But after my observation, he doesn’t seem to have that kind of intention — though perhaps he is simply hiding it very deeply…”

“He doesn’t.” Ling’ai hastened to defend him. “I trust him. He has never harbored such a thought. When he first wanted to be with me, his greatest worry was my identity — he was afraid you would not approve.”

As Ling’ai spoke, her voice gradually grew quieter. “When he was with me, he never treated me as Huicun’s daughter — he treated me only as an ordinary young woman.”

Huicun said, “Do you like him very much?”

Ling’ai’s face flushed, but she still nodded. “I’m sorry, Father — I didn’t tell you. I was also afraid you would object.”

“Did you think I would object?”

Ling’ai said softly, “I know you do not set store by power and status, but he is a man of Xin Guo with an ordinary background — he may fall far short of the ideal son-in-law you have in mind.”