Section 1

Xiao Qi took a step back after putting down his hands: "I really... want to know if she is still alive." His tone conveyed a sense of apology, concealing a hint of disappointment

Behind him, four guards closely followed, serving both as protection and surveillance

The room is tranquil, the sound of breathing clear and distinct, the towering peaks rising and falling incessantly, the valleys partially hidden and partially revealed, filled with temptation that is difficult for a man to resist.

Yan initially understood: "Because of the Vietnamese army? The late emperor hesitated in establishing a successor, and whether we can win the territorial dispute with the Mufeng Kingdom is crucial. The Vietnamese army is formidable, and Your Majesty and King Ding wish to gain support; a marriage alliance is the best approach"

The maid raised her tear-streaked face and reminded her: "Your Highness, do you not recognize me? It is I! I am Hongye!"

If that is truly the case, I will naturally restore your status

Xiao Qi said: "Liu Yu has always been kind, it's just that..."

At last, with a slight exertion of the fingers, the final concealment was torn away. The perfect upper body lay bare in the air, dazzling like a fleeting bloom.

The red leaves softly responded, standing up to wipe away the tears

There are no fragments in memory regarding that body. Xiluo, who has never worn such complex and extravagant clothing, has also never been so frivolous and emotional. She is accustomed to wearing loose robes while practicing the Yue family's sword techniques, looking beautiful in a clean and simple manner. However, she is unaware of this and does not care. Perhaps this is the reason why he appreciates her and likes her but did not choose her. She loves him, but it is not enough. A woman who loves a man deeply would not disregard her own body and appearance, yet Liuyu has managed to do so. Beautiful in a clean and simple way, but she is unaware of this and does not care. Perhaps this is the reason why he appreciates her and likes her but did not choose her. She loves him, but it is not enough. A woman who loves a man deeply would not disregard her own body and appearance, yet Liuyu has managed to do so.

Twilight

The starry eyes gradually became hazy, and Xiao Qi hesitated, his hand slowly descending

The corners of her lips curled slightly, a trace of mocking amusement passing over her face. Yan Chu said softly, "Does the prince hope that I will be his princess, or not?"

Realizing that she had mistaken the person, Hongye looked at her in disbelief for a long while, before finally lowering her head and saying: "Miss, your appearance is too... similar to that of the princess, which made me unable to help myself... Please do not take offense, Miss."

Playing this role is certainly disadvantageous for oneself, and even quite dangerous. However, the information channels around General Lu Shan must have been controlled by Yun Ze and Xiao Qi. To find out his whereabouts, it is essential to demonstrate cooperation

Xiao Qidao: "From now on, you shall stay in Fengyuan to serve Miss Yan Chu."

The messenger in white smiled politely and said, "It is the master of chess who sent me to fetch the young lady."

Thank you for leading the way. Yan nodded slightly.

In the grand scheme of things, many matters may not be under one's control, Xiao Qi said with difficulty, "I have wronged her."

Night, a chaotic and brutal battlefield. The wind howls fiercely, dust swirls, icy currents surge, the clashing of weapons echoes, ambushes are encountered, and having lost the advantage of terrain, the army of the Flame Nation is thrown into disarray. Amidst the blazing fire, arrows streak like meteors, accompanied by the sound of breaking air, flying towards her, but Liu Yu's unexpected appearance caused him to change direction without a second thought

At the waist, the belt loosens silently

Yan Chu looked at Xiao Qi in confusion

A thick layer of dark clouds loomed overhead, while Yan sat in the center pavilion of the pond, disregarding the careful demeanor of the maidservants.

Xiao Qi fell silent for a moment and said: "It is a spy from the Kingdom of Mufeng"

Yan Chu had no arrow wounds on her body, which disappointed the Duke. In a moment, Yan Chu had tidied her clothes, her charm completely absent, and her smile exuded an air of dignity. Yan Chu was not so foolish as to waste time on unworthy individuals, especially after hearing the story of the princess; she was even less inclined to stay here. Otherwise, with a single word from the lady, who knows how the Duke might deal with me in the future

Falling in love with him is not worth it, will she regret it? Xiao Qi nodded expressionlessly: "Indeed, it was my negligence that allowed someone to infiltrate the camp and exchange secret messages, resulting in the delayed arrival of reinforcements, leading to the misfortune of General Yue and his son. She followed me into battle for revenge, and I owe her an apology."

Amidst the murmurs of discussion, the goose slowed its pace, glancing sideways.

Being forced to marry a woman one does not love is always a source of shame and disgust for a man, especially when it is done to gain the support of his wife's family

The Five-Colored Land is a country that does not border the Flame Kingdom, and there has been little interaction between the two sides, with the wild geese no longer speaking much. The envoy led her directly to the Cliff of Chess, where the massive stone inscribed with characters still stands majestically, though most of the flowers on the platform have withered, and new leaves are abundant on the branches. As the two approached the edge of the cliff, they arrived at the spot where Lord Xiling had played the zither last time. In just over ten days, the nearby dwarf maple had grown even more lush, its leaves elegantly shaped and delightful to behold.

As soon as they caught sight of that handsome face inside the carriage, the guards and maidservants reacted quickly and hurried to follow. However, in the blink of an eye, as they turned the corner, they unexpectedly lost sight of Yan Chu ahead.

The body was about to be fully revealed, the goose had just paused its movements, and the phoenix eyes glanced up at him at an angle.

This matter was anticipated long ago; a person who is renowned throughout the world yet does not belong to the Five Spirit Realm, since she is allowed to tend to flowers, there must be comprehensive arrangements in place to ensure that she can return on time

Yan initially turned towards Xiao Qi: "I want to go out for a walk"

Strange peaks and cliffs, precarious pavilions and flowing waterfalls, having re-experienced the splendor of the world, the eternal now appears even more desolate, even with gentle breezes and beautiful days, and spring flowers like brocade, one still cannot feel the slightest warmth, only an infinite loneliness like water, flowing with the passage of time

Xiao Qi walked onto the curved bridge, followed by a senior maid behind her

Seeing that he was about to speak, she timely covered his mouth: "The great revenge has been avenged, General Yue has closed his eyes, and the Yue army has submitted to King Ding. Why should King Ding allow the dead to bind himself? If King Ding still has feelings for the princess, Yan Chu does not mind being a substitute."

The story of the Duke and his wife is very touching, Yan Chudao said, but since the Duke has long been fond of his wife, why did he still agree to the princess?

Regarding such arrangements, Yan Chu did not mind much and continued to walk forward. Upon reaching the intersection, the sound of hooves could be heard in the distance as a royal carriage approached slowly, flanked by dozens of horsemen clearing the way, exuding an imposing and dignified presence, while the surrounding pedestrians and vendors hurriedly retreated to the sides of the street

"Madam and the Duke have known each other for a long time?" Yan Chu was taken aback, revealing a narrow and frivolous smile, "I foolishly regarded the Duke as a gentleman among men, but it turns out he is just as capable of infidelity outside."

How will the Duke arrange for his wife

Xiao Qi grasped the soft jade hand on his shoulder, halting her movements: "Years ago, when I was at war with the Mufeng Kingdom, I fell into a trap and was severely injured. It was Liu Yu who saved me, and we had known each other before that. Xiluo's condition was that I could only marry one person in this lifetime. Liu Yu willingly compromised for me and waited for a full hundred years. She is not as weak as you think."

Silence

At the moment of his astonishment, Yan Chu pulled on her outer robe again: "Has the Duke of Ding seen clearly?"

The passersby all turned their gaze this way, speculating what matter could capture the attention of the Southern King

Xiao Qi was taken aback for a moment, then slowly averted his gaze: "Liu Yu was granted in marriage by His Majesty and has already entered the household. Her requests are not many; I hope you can allow her a place."

It is His Royal Highness, the Southern King

The messenger said: "The master of chess has not yet returned from the land of five colors."

As dusk falls, a gentle voice carries a plea, tinged with a hint of tension

In recent days, Yan Chu has become much more restrained and has taken the initiative to rise and pay her respects

The wild goose initially did not respond but countered with a question: "What if it is so, and what if it is not so?"

Her accompanying maid, Hongye, "Xiao Qi signaled for Hongye to rise, "This is the Miss Yan Chu whom I wanted you to meet today.

Xiao Qi fell silent, yet his hand weakly loosened.

Yan Chubang asked: "Who changed that secret letter? Were they caught?"

Casual conversation eased the atmosphere. Xiao Qi gazed at the green leaves by the window for a long time before nodding and saying: "She likes maple leaves; when asked about the reason, even she cannot explain it clearly."

Yan Chutian sighed, "How innocent the princess is."

Yan Chuli immediately sank her face and turned to leave

Yan Chu smiled faintly

Of course, I hope so, "Starry eyes shining faintly," Xiao Qi grasped her shoulders, "Xilu, is that you?"

The wind blows in, and the delicate garments gradually slide down to the waist, revealing more and more of the exquisite skin, as white as jade, smooth and alluring; just by looking, one already knows the sensation.

After a while, the exquisite curtain was lifted by a hand

In the capital city of the Flame Kingdom, the prosperity is undoubtedly beyond description. Observing the increasingly heavy clouds in the sky, it seems that rain is imminent. The wild goose leisurely turns down a few streets, occasionally stopping to watch street performances or entering shops to purchase a few items, which are carried by two maidservants.

It is indeed disheartening: "To marry only one person, and to agree to such conditions is already rare for a man. No wonder the princess chose the Duke of Ding. Unfortunately, General Yue and his son died in battle for this, and the Duke of Ding's heart belongs to another. Had she known the cost would be so great, the princess would surely have preferred to choose the Southern King, who has many wives and concubines."

Red Leaf was taken aback: "Miss Yan Chu?"

Is it time to make full use of everything so soon? Yan first touched the maple leaf pattern on the window frame and changed the subject: "Is this the residence of the princess during her lifetime?"

What kind of rumors would arise from the gifts bestowed upon one, only to be cast aside? Moreover, the Shadow Concubine and others are adept at fanning the flames. Xiao Qi did not respond directly, his gaze returning to its usual coldness: "It is difficult to confirm solely based on the arrow wound; perhaps my memory is faulty, and the matter is not yet certain. You may rest assured for now."

"Only women get jealous," Yan Chudao said, "Now that it has been confirmed that I am not the princess, will the prince let me go?"

Yan Chuxi followed him forward and casually asked, "Is Lord Xiling not here?"

Before Xiao Qi could speak, the maid following him already showed a look of surprise, rushing to kneel before Yan Chu, "Your Highness, the Princess!"

I also wish I were a princess," Yan Chu sighed, smiling gently, "but unfortunately, I truly do not remember.

In just over ten days, rumors spread throughout the capital that the Duke had taken in a stunning beauty, whose appearance closely resembled that of the late Duchess. The Duke indulged her in every way, even to the detriment of his new wife, leading to considerable discontent among the household.

Yan Chu also scrutinized her

At that moment, the luxurious red-wheeled carriage in the middle seemed to have stirred, prompting a higher-ranking attendant beside it to lean in close to the window, listening for instructions while casting glances at Yan Chu not far away. He then straightened up and commanded the procession to halt.