Zhang Silang had always known that his mother was no ordinary sheltered lady.
He had personally witnessed his mother use… a method so unfathomable that it controlled his father’s concubine. He hadn’t known what it was then, but now, after poring over ancient texts, he finally understood.
Gu!
The wicked Gu!
He never dared to mention this to anyone, not even his mother. He didn’t dare reveal that he had seen her practicing Gu to harm others.
However, the more he understood his mother’s methods, the more Zhang Silang feared she would use them on the Princess of Dali.
Even if she managed to get away with it, what then?
If the Princess of Dali died in Linyuan, even if Dali feared Ji Jinmo, under the pressure of public opinion and the inviolable dignity of a nation, how could Dali stomach such an insult?
When the two countries went to war, it would be the common people who suffered.
Though Zhang Silang was unwilling and frustrated, he did not want to disregard the lives of the populace for his own selfish desires.
With this thought, Zhang Silang quickened his pace.
…
Snowflakes fluttered down, swept by the cold wind into the corridor.
Blown by the wind, Mu Baiyu’s flushed cheeks slowly regained their original color. He exhaled heavily.
What was this?
He felt a sense of helplessness.
He couldn’t understand why he was so flustered.
Finding a pavilion, Mu Baiyu sat down and looked at the vast expanse of white snow outside. A flash of emerald green caught his eye.
Was that her?
The maid from the Nan residence?
Before the flutter in his heart could spread, a sudden, sharp pain made Mu Baiyu nearly faint.
Why did it hurt so much!
He supported himself with his hands on the stone table in the pavilion, preventing himself from falling.
Lan Yue’er looked at Mu Baiyu’s reaction, slightly startled. Something felt amiss. Even if her heart was stirred, it shouldn’t be this dramatic.
Could the Gu worm within her have grown stronger?
Behind the pavilion, in the covered walkway, Nan Shiying stood serenely behind a pillar, watching the scene unfold with no sympathy. Although she was the one causing Mu Baiyu such pain, she believed it was for his own good. As the saying goes, one must endure hardship to excel. It was just a little pain, much better than being unknowingly harmed.
However, this one…
Nan Shiying glanced at Lan Yue’er with a strange expression.
Was this girl perhaps inexperienced in love, mistaking arousal for pain?
Footsteps behind her interrupted Nan Shiying’s wandering thoughts. She turned around, somewhat surprised to see the person who had appeared behind her.
The Princess of Dali?
“Wangfei niangniang.”
The Princess of Dali curtsied to Nan Shiying.
“Princess Your Highness.”
Nan Shiying politely returned the gesture.
The Princess of Dali stepped forward and stood beside Nan Shiying, looking in the direction Nan Shiying had been gazing. Upon seeing Mu Baiyu, she gave a slight start, then sneered.
Another rake!
She had almost thought this one was so pure just now.
Such a good actor.
Sensing the change in the person beside her, Nan Shiying blinked. What was this? Could the Princess of Dali be in love with Mu Baiyu?
The Princess of Dali’s mockery vanished in an instant. She smiled and said to Nan Shiying, “Niangniang truly has a good disposition.”
Nan Shiying glanced at the Princess of Dali. Her words sounded like a taunt!
As if not noticing Nan Shiying’s gaze, the Princess of Dali continued to smile, “Since I entered the capital of Linyuan, I have heard countless rumors about niangniang. Now that I see you, I realize those rumors were slander. Your grace is unparalleled throughout Linyuan and Dali.”
Nan Shiying smiled and replied meaningfully, “The Princess Hui’an of Dali. The people of Linyuan say that the princess sent for a political marriage this time has no reputation for virtue, clearly a mediocre person chosen by Dali to appease Linyuan. But I have heard that the Princess Hui’an of Dali possesses both literary and military talents that are exceptionally brilliant.”
“You tell me, why are the rumors so contradictory?”
“Princess, you have been sent for a political marriage. Do you still not understand what it means to bide your time?”
The Princess of Dali, her eyes filled with burning desire, was she still unwilling? Cast out from the political arena during the struggle for the throne in Dali, and now in Linyuan, did she still wish to return?
It wasn’t impossible. When Ji Jinmo ascended the throne and led his troops into the heartland of Dali, she might have a chance to return home with honor.
But for now… she could only accept her fate!
The Princess of Dali was bestowed the title Hui’an.
The ruler of Dali had numerous offspring, with seven or eight princes and countless adult princesses. Among all the princesses, only Princess Hui’an possessed both literary and military talents that did not lose to the princes, even surpassing them. If she were a man, the position of Crown Prince would undoubtedly be hers. But unfortunately, she was not. This meant that her attempts to interfere in court politics were not tolerated by the world.
Few countries were as enlightened as Da Yuan, where the capable rose and the mediocre fell, regardless of gender. Even in a progressive country like Da Yuan, she, Nan Fengluan, had to pay a greater price to become empress than her brothers.
And even more so here, and even more so in Dali.
If she harbored ambitions of returning to Dali through her own power, then Nan Shiying could only say one thing: wishful thinking!
Princess Hui’an fell silent for a moment. She had to admit that Nan Shiying’s words struck home. If it were anyone else, they might have felt utterly mortified, but she merely smiled after her silence.
“Niangniang’s lesson is well taken.”
She lightly brushed aside Nan Shiying’s sarcastic and warning words, showing no anger on her face. In fact, her emotions were less agitated than when she had seen Mu Baiyu earlier. Compared to her, the maid behind her was far more furious, her eyes practically bulging.
Nan Shiying raised an eyebrow. In terms of composure, no one in Linyuan, from the Empress Dowager to the humble maidens, could compare.
“I am simply in a foreign land and wish to find someone to talk to,” she sighed, her voice filled with melancholy and loneliness, like a lonely boat adrift in a foreign country, yearning for a sliver of comfort.
Nan Shiying looked at her.
Even if what she said was true, so what?
Did her feeling of loneliness mean Nan Shiying should accompany her? What a joke!
Moreover, Linyuan already had enough troubles. There was also Xiliang, and Miao Jiang. She truly had no intention of provoking Dali.
Regardless of whether Ji Jinmo and Ji Hong fought, it was an internal conflict.
At this time, anyone who involved Dali would be a complete fool.
Nan Shiying felt she was not a fool. Why was she treating Nan Shiying like one?
Was this Princess Hui’an of Dali smart or foolish?
Nan Shiying tutted, feeling a lack of interest and no longer wanting to say another word.
Meanwhile, in the pavilion, Lan Yue’er had already walked over to Mu Baiyu.