In Xi Yang's eyes, the Empress Dowager was the embodiment of kindness and benevolence, her every gesture radiating an unparalleled nobility that transcended mere rank. Yet it was this very same noble lady who would set aside her lofty status to jest with Xi Yang, to ease her melancholy with gentle conversation and warm companionship. Over the course of several days, the two had grown remarkably close—Xi Yang had come to regard her almost as a mother figure, while the Empress Dowager's affection for the young woman deepened with each visit.
The Empress Dowager would often stroke Xi Yang's long hair with maternal tenderness and sigh wistfully. "Ah, had I known that bearing a son would result in him caring only for state affairs, I might have preferred to have a sweet daughter like Xi Yang to bring me comfort in my old age."
Whenever this happened, Xi Yang would smile with shy pleasure. "The Emperor's dedication to state affairs is a blessing for the nation. Besides, isn't Xi Yang just like a daughter to you?"
One afternoon, the Empress Dowager took Xi Yang's hand with an air of gentle excitement. "Come, let us go to the garden to admire the newly cultivated tribute flowers from the vassal states."
Xi Yang happily agreed, and they set off together. As they walked through the palace grounds, the faint sounds of combat drifted through the air—the clash of weapons, grunts of exertion. Xi Yang looked questioningly in the direction of the noise, and the Empress Dowager, reading her confusion with practiced ease, smiled knowingly. "It must be the Emperor. He loves to practice martial arts in the garden. Xi Yang, why don't you accompany me to take a look?"
Xi Yang nodded instinctively, her curiosity piqued.
The scene that greeted them was striking in its intensity. Unlike the formal imperial attire from their previous encounter, this time the Emperor wore only a simple white training outfit. His collar hung open, revealing the powerful lines of his chest. Every movement was executed with precise, devastating force. Before long, the palace guards sparring with him were forced into disarray, stumbling backward under his relentless assault.
"Utterly useless." The Emperor stopped abruptly, his rebuke cutting through the air like a blade. "Go back and train harder. If you perform like this next time, I'll issue a decree to strip you of your ranks."
As the guards meekly accepted his criticism and bowed in submission, he turned to accept a clean towel from a waiting servant. Only then did he notice the two women standing at the garden's edge.
"Mother, why are you here? And the Marquis of Zhen Nan's wife as well." The Emperor approached them with fluid grace, still radiating the heat of exertion. His resemblance to Xia Jingshi was undeniable, yet where her husband was cold and distant, the Emperor possessed a masculine vigor and an air of supreme authority that made Xi Yang inexplicably flush. "It's been a few days since I've seen you, Mother. Your complexion looks much better."
"It's been several days since you visited the Ci Yang Palace, and now that we meet, you only have flattering words." The Empress Dowager gently pulled Xi Yang closer to her side, a subtle smile playing at her lips. "Fortunately, Xi Yang has been coming every day to keep me company, so I haven't been too lonely."
The Emperor chuckled warmly. "In that case, I must thank Xi Yang."
He called her Xi Yang. Not "the Marquis's wife" or "Princess." Just... Xi Yang.
Startled, she raised her eyes to meet his. His lips curved upward in a gentle smile—a smile that reminded her painfully of Xia Jingshi, though her husband had never looked at her with such warmth.
Her heart stuttered in her chest, but she quickly collected herself. Suddenly she felt cold and clammy, perspiration breaking out on her forehead. Instinctively, she tried to step back, but the Empress Dowager's hand held her firmly in place.
Through the roaring in her ears, she heard the older woman speak softly. "If Your Majesty has no urgent matters to attend to, why don't you accompany Xi Yang for a walk? I'm getting old and can't walk long distances."
With that, the Empress Dowager gently but inexorably pushed Xi Yang forward and turned to leave, her departure swift and decisive, giving neither of them a chance to refuse.
The attendants and guards withdrew with practiced tact, melting away into the garden's shadows. Soon, only Xi Yang and the Emperor remained, surrounded by flowering trees and the distant murmur of fountains.
The silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken tension. When everyone had gone far enough away, the Emperor suddenly spoke, his tone teasing yet deliberate. "It seems you blush easily in my presence. I hear Xia Jingshi is quite cold towards you. Why don't you leave him and come to me instead?"
Xi Yang's hands clenched into fists so tight her nails drew blood from her palms. She struggled to control her breathing, silently repeating the same desperate mantra: Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry…
She straightened her spine, fighting to maintain the graceful curve of her neck and shoulders that had been drilled into her since childhood. Gathering every scrap of courage, she raised her head and spoke softly but clearly. "Xi Yang doesn't understand. Your Majesty is so noble and dignified, yet why do you have such an ugly and dark heart?"
The words had barely left her lips before she regretted them. For the sake of a moment's verbal satisfaction, she had forgotten to consider whether her impudence might cause trouble for Xia Jingshi...
Not daring to look at the Emperor's expression, Xi Yang suppressed the panic rising in her chest like floodwater. She bowed slightly. "If Your Majesty has no other business, Xi Yang will take her leave."
Then she turned and fled from the garden as if her robes were aflame.
The carriage rolled slowly through the palace gates, wheels creaking rhythmically against the stone road. Xi Yang sat inside with her eyes closed, weariness etched into every line of her face as she pondered how to explain today's events to Xia Jingshi.
The sudden sound of rapid hoofbeats shattered her thoughts. The carriage lurched to an abrupt halt.
"What's happening?" Xi Yang lifted the curtain, her puzzled question dying on her lips as she recognized the horseman blocking their path.
What was he doing here? Hadn't he humiliated her enough? Or had he changed his mind and decided to punish her for her impudence?
Xi Yang slowly stepped out of the carriage, her movements careful and measured, looking up at him with barely concealed apprehension.
Then, amidst the shocked gasps of onlookers and palace staff, the Emperor bent down from his saddle and swept her onto his horse with one powerful motion. His arm locked around her waist, and with a resounding crack of his whip, he spurred the horse into a gallop, carrying her away.
The horse ran with wild abandon, its hooves pounding against the earth. Wind whistled past Xi Yang's cheeks, stealing her breath. The long tassels of her earrings whipped violently against her neck. She could only cling desperately to his strong waist, burying her face in his chest to shield herself from the rushing air. Her entire body felt as though it would be shaken apart by the jolting ride, her heart beating so fast she feared it might burst.
Time became meaningless. Distance stretched into eternity. Finally, gradually, the horse slowed to a stop.
Xi Yang pushed away the Emperor's offered hand and struggled to dismount on her own, stumbling several steps away from him in panicked retreat.
"What's wrong? Are you afraid now?" The Emperor smiled as he dismounted with practiced ease. "Where's that courage you had when you rebuked me earlier?"
Xi Yang lowered her head, straightening her disheveled clothes with trembling hands. When she had regained some semblance of composure, she raised her head to meet his gaze directly. "If Your Majesty can apologize for your earlier insulting words towards Xi Yang, then Xi Yang is also willing to apologize for her impudent words to Your Majesty."
"Xi Yang considers it an insult?" The Emperor's smile deepened as he took a deliberate step toward her. "I don't see it that way."
Xi Yang instinctively retreated several steps, her voice rising in protest. "Xi Yang is already the wife of the Marquis of Zhen Nan. She is no longer the princess of Su Sha."
"I'd prefer if you were still the princess of Su Sha." The Emperor paused, his expression shifting to something more complex—part amusement, part genuine curiosity. Then he flashed her a brilliant smile. "Xi Yang, he treats you so poorly for the sake of a fickle woman, yet you remain so devoted to him. Is it worth it?"
Having expected to struggle past several hidden guards before making her escape, Yi Xiao was surprised when the maid led her smoothly through the Prince's mansion, weaving through corridors and courtyards with confident familiarity, arriving at the back door without incident.
"Commander Fu, this way." The maid deftly removed the door bolt with practiced hands. "There's a carriage waiting outside."
Yi Xiao hurried aboard the waiting carriage, the maid following close behind. Once they were moving, Yi Xiao could no longer contain her urgent questions. "Did His Highness come in person? Wasn't he supposed to take Princess Xi Yang to the imperial capital to meet the Emperor?"
The maid's smile was sweet but knowing. "Doesn't Commander Fu understand His Highness's intentions yet? His Highness returned to Su Sha some days ago, but the scrutiny inside and outside the Prince's mansion was too tight, so it took many days to arrange this meeting."
Hearing this, Yi Xiao felt a tumultuous mix of joy and sorrow surge through her chest. After a long moment of silence, she sighed softly. "Very well, I suppose I need to speak with him face to face and clear things up."
The carriage rolled onward through the darkening streets, carrying Yi Xiao toward a reunion that would change everything.
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