Huan'er pulled Xue Zining and Ye An to a hearty meal, offering numerous instructions and expressing her worries.
Compared to Huan'er's concerns, Ye An wasn't too worried.
"Brother Ning, you're going as a guard. Even if they were to choose someone, they wouldn't choose you. You can rest easy," Ye An said, glancing at Xue Zining.
She nodded. With her current appearance, even if His Highness Prince Jing had a penchant for men, it would be difficult for him to act on it, wouldn't it? After all, Xue Changjing had seen all sorts of beauties. He wouldn't have any thoughts about someone as ordinary as her.
Nor would she let him have any thoughts.
In the end, Huan'er and Ye An were somewhat drunk, leaving her the only one sober.
Ye An returned to her tent alone. She helped Huan'er towards hers.
"Ning... Brother Ning, you must be careful, you..."
Huan'er, though drunk, was still concerned about her safety.
"Sleep!" Xue Zining pressed Huan'er's acupoint, and Huan'er quickly fell asleep.
After placing Huan'er on the bed, she turned back and said, "You can come out now!"
A figure appeared before her, clad in black that perfectly matched the night. His eyes, however, were exceptionally bright, even somewhat dazzling.
"Little lady, how can you go to another man's side?" Yan Li stepped forward, attempting to take her hand.
The moment he touched her, she dodged.
Yan Li was slightly stunned, his face showing a hint of sadness. "Little lady, you are..."
"What business is it of yours where I go?" Xue Zining asked coldly.
Upon hearing this, Yan Li looked at her with a hint of grievance. "Little lady, you saved me just last night, and now you choose to forget? We agreed that a life-saving grace should be repaid with oneself."
"Then you must have misheard. I never said anything about repaying with myself. Moreover, you didn't save me last night. So, there's no such thing as a life-saving grace," Xue Zining raised her eyebrows as she looked at Yan Li.
"Little lady, how can you be ungrateful?" Yan Li spoke righteously, as if she were the one who had broken a promise.
"Excuse me, I actually quite like being ungrateful," Xue Zining replied coldly.
Yan Li managed a bitter smile. "Little lady, you..."
"Yan Li, we are not on the same path. You should leave quickly and never come looking for me again," she said calmly to the person before her.
His gaze was fervent, like a bright fire in the vast night, illuminating the path ahead. But she knew that the path forward might be thorny and difficult. She couldn't drag him down with her. He would have better choices, but definitely not her.
"Little lady, when you speak like this, I am truly saddened," Yan Li's gaze dimmed.
"Yan Li, there are even more unpleasant things I could say, but I don't think you're the type to be clingy. Go! You will find someone better," Xue Zining said.
Yan Li had saved her. For reasons of both emotion and logic, she couldn't say any more hurtful words.
Besides, she knew Yan Li wasn't that kind of person. In that case, why say any more unnecessary words?
"Little lady, I..."
"Go..."
Yan Li looked at her. Suddenly, faint footsteps could be heard from outside, even though they were very light. He heard them.
"Little lady, I will come again." With that, he left without waiting for her reply.
Xue Zining sighed, watching Yan Li's retreating back. A fleeting gleam crossed her eyes.
"Is Ning An here?" a voice called from outside the tent.
"Yes," she replied, stepping out of the tent to see Song Jiang standing there.
"Song Jiang."
Song Jiang nodded and stepped forward. "Why did you come here? Why?"
Xue Zining knew what Song Jiang was asking. She replied, "By His Highness Prince Jing's side, I might be able to find news of Fenghua's whereabouts."
"This is something I should have done, not you," Song Jiang said.
"We are both people of the master. Does it matter who goes? Moreover, with such convenient conditions, shouldn't we seize the opportunity?" she asked.
Song Jiang was taken aback. He seemed to hesitate, and Xue Zining asked, "What is it?"
"I heard that His Highness Prince Jing might have..."
"a penchant for men?"
Song Jiang was startled. He looked up at her. "You know?"
She nodded. "Yes, I've heard."
"You must be very careful. His Highness Prince Jing is meticulous. Even when His Majesty was alive, he once said he couldn't see through him," Song Jiang said.
"Song Jiang, don't worry. I'm just a guard. Besides, with my appearance, I feel quite reassured."
Song Jiang looked up, gazing at her rather plain face, and nodded. "That's good."
Xue Zining twitched the corner of her mouth. Did her appearance really make people feel so reassured?
Perhaps sensing something was amiss, Song Jiang continued, "You're not unattractive, just a bit ordinary."
Xue Zining felt that she felt better when Song Jiang hadn't said this.
After sending Song Jiang away, she lay on the bed, gazing at the vast night. She had an indescribable feeling about tomorrow. She just felt that perhaps her father was a step closer.
The next morning, early, Xue Zining boarded a carriage with the other three chosen individuals.
About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the carriage stopped. Getting out of the carriage, the words "Prince of Chaoyang's Estate" were emblazoned above the mansion gate. Xue Zining was somewhat surprised. She had thought His Highness Prince Jing's estate would be magnificent, but it seemed to be just like this.
It wasn't that she was so surprised. Prince Jing had been enfeoffed and granted a residence upon coming of age, and she had never visited it. In fact, her relationship with Prince Jing was not as good as her relationship with Chang Jun.
She had never visited the residence where Prince Jing, her grandson, lived after coming of age.
In her impression, even if it wasn't as grand as her own palace, it should have been more presentable. She hadn't expected it to be so simple.
It had overturned her understanding.
She seemed to understand Prince Jing's thoughts of rebellion.
Before coming of age, Prince Jing had lived in the side hall next to Consort Yi's palace. The palace was not large, and she had visited it. Consort Yi had never requested a larger palace for Prince Jing from His Majesty.
She hadn't expected him to be assigned such a residence after coming of age.
The steward of Prince Jing's estate walked over and said, "His Highness has gone to court. After court, His Highness will personally meet with you."
"Yes," Xue Zining and the others replied.
The steward assigned servants from the estate to take them to their rooms. There were other people in the rooms. One of them stood up and walked to Xue Zining. "Ning An, we will be working together from now on. Please offer your guidance."
Xue Zining looked up at the person speaking to her. She recognized this person from the same tent as Ye An. He seemed to be called Jiang Bei.
His skin was somewhat dark, and when he smiled, his white teeth were revealed, creating a stark contrast with his skin.
The remaining two, seeing Jiang Bei speak to Xue Zining proactively, showed expressions of disdain.