Jiang Xingyan looked helplessly at the teasing smile on Yun Chunfeng’s face as she listened to him play with little Ya.
“Your daddy is about to get himself a new wife.”
Little Ya wobbled her head back and forth, completely unconcerned. “New wife! New wife!”
Jiang Xingyan couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
If Huo Ci saw this, he’d be furious enough to cry again.
“General, we’ve arrived at Rangchen Pavilion.”
Jiang Xingyan stepped down from the carriage alone. The sound of zither music drifted into her ears—refined, delicate, and soothing to the soul.
A young servant who had been waiting by the door quickly came forward. “General Huo, this way please.”
Jiang Xingyan followed the servant all the way to a private room on the third floor.
There was no denying it—the place Xiao Chonghua had chosen was far more elegant and tasteful than anything Xiao Mingxu would pick.
The three-story bamboo building had an open courtyard in the center, ensuring that the zither music from the main hall could reach every corner of the pavilion.
All the servants coming and going wore moon-white robes and square-cornered hats, looking just like young scholars.
In passing, they could casually trade a few lines of poetry or verses—extremely refined.
The room Xiao Chonghua had reserved was called The Story of the West Wing.
The implication was obvious.
It seemed that today, he was playing the role of the matchmaker, wasn’t he?
Jiang Xingyan, with the mindset of “meet the soldiers with arms, block the water with earth,” strode right in.
At first glance, she saw Xiao Chonghua sitting side by side with a woman wearing a veiled hat. The two were whispering about something.
Seeing “Huo Ci” enter, Xiao Chonghua greeted him with a faint smile. “General Huo, please take a seat.”
For the first time, his smile looked so innocent that it made Jiang Xingyan uneasy.
“With military affairs keeping you so busy, General Huo still managed to make time for this appointment. It shows how much importance you place on me.”
Jiang Xingyan downed a whole cup of tea in one gulp, making the servant standing nearby wince.
Wasn’t General Huo supposed to have the bearing of a gentleman? How could he not even know how to taste tea?
“Easily said.
May I ask what important matter the First Prince has called me here for today?”
Xiao Chonghua signaled with his eyes, and the servant respectfully withdrew.
“General Huo is a straightforward man, so I won’t beat around the bush.
My cousin has admired General Huo for a very long time. She just returned to the capital from Yingtian Prefecture today and has been clamoring to see you.”
“Oh, cousin!”
The veiled woman stomped her foot shyly and turned her back to the two of them.
The corner of Jiang Xingyan’s mouth twitched.
A cousin? Another cousin?
Had Huo Ci, in this lifetime, stumbled into a nest of cousins?
No wonder Yun Ge’er had such a meaningful look on his face—so this was what he was waiting for!
It seemed Huo Ci was simply fated to marry a cousin.
She furrowed her brows and pretended to be troubled. “Well…
Men and women shouldn’t have physical contact.
The Third Prince’s cousin is still an unmarried maiden. How could she meet a strange man in private?
This goes against propriety and would also harm a young lady’s reputation.
I humbly take my leave.”
With that, Jiang Xingyan stood up to leave.
“Wait!
Is General Huo going to be so hardhearted as to disregard Shi’an’s sincere feelings?”
Hearing that name, Jiang Xingyan immediately guessed the identity of this “cousin.”
The empress’s father had reached the highest rank a minister could achieve, serving as chancellor for four dynasties.
When one person rises to the top, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.
Every member of the Mu family had an official post. The wives and young ladies were either titled madams or princesses.
Among them, the one most beloved by the emperor and empress was Princess Shi’an—Mu Shi’an.
It was said that when Princess Shi’an was born, the entire courtyard was bathed in red light, and on that same day, news of a victory arrived from the border, which had been locked in stalemate for days.
The late emperor was overjoyed and personally bestowed upon her the title of Princess Shi’an.
After Chancellor Mu passed away, she followed her father’s wishes and went to Yingtian Prefecture.
Mu Shi’an had been pampered and spoiled by her family since childhood. She often dressed as a man, rode horses, shot arrows, practiced martial arts, and drank wine—bold and uninhibited.
She looked down on those dull, overly pedantic scholars who spoke only in clichés and instead admired true heroes who stood tall between heaven and earth.
When news of Huo Ci leading the Huo family army to annihilate the Beiluo forces spread to Yingtian, even though she had never met Huo Ci, her heart had already been promised to him.
She had told her father more than once that she would only marry Huo Ci in this lifetime.
But then word came back from the capital: Huo Ci was already engaged.
Mu Shi’an was both anxious and furious and ended up falling seriously ill.
After she recovered, she never mentioned Huo Ci again, nor did she speak of marriage.
By now, she had already reached the age of eighteen.
At the Dust-Cleansing Banquet, when Shangguan Luoyue had openly requested a marriage decree, it reminded the empress.
Since Huo Ci was now divorced, why not seize the opportunity and betroth her niece to him?
Even if that merchant’s daughter reconciled with Huo Ci, letting her be a concubine would already be an honor for her.
As soon as Mu Shi’an received the news, she rushed back to the capital without stopping.
After paying her respects to the emperor and empress, she wasted no time and immediately wanted to see Huo Ci.
Now, meeting him from behind a veil, her heart was already racing like a wild hare—unstable and hard to calm.
She wasn’t the type to be coy and shy like an ordinary young lady anyway. So without hesitation, she lifted her veil and revealed a face that could topple cities and nations.
Truly, her skin was like flawless jade, her eyes bright and alluring, her appearance elegant and radiant, glowing like a celestial being.
Even Jiang Xingyan was stunned for a moment.
Huo Ci sure had some luck with romance.
She cupped her hands in salute and bowed deeply. “So it’s Princess Shi’an. I’m honored.”
Mu Shi’an stared intently at “Huo Ci.” He matched every single thought and image she had ever had of him in her heart.
Nine feet tall, a face like fine jade, strikingly handsome features.
What was most rare was the gleam in his eyes and his bold, unconstrained demeanor.
Not a single thing about him disappointed her.
For the first time in her life, Mu Shi’an blushed deeply with shyness, a smile involuntarily spreading across her lips.
When she glanced back and saw her cousin’s teasing gaze, she quickly lowered her head, her ears turning red as well.
“I am deeply honored by Princess Shi’an’s affection, truly unworthy of it.
But I have yet to achieve any merit on the battlefield and dare not think of romantic matters.
We can discuss this after the Beiluo are wiped out.
Farewell!”
Jiang Xingyan finished speaking, cupped her hands in salute, and turned to leave.
This time, Mu Shi’an did not stop her.
If “he” had eagerly agreed, she would have looked down on “him.”
A true man should set his ambitions across the four seas, protect his country and home, and only then attend to personal matters.
Xiao Chonghua lifted the corner of his mouth. “Cousin, are you satisfied?”
Mu Shi’an playfully pushed him, her heart and eyes full of swirling emotions.
She picked up her teacup, but her mind was still immersed in every gesture and word of “Huo Ci” from just now.
How could there be such a perfect man in this world?
If she had known he would divorce, she never should have given up so easily back then.
That merchant’s daughter wasn’t favored anyway—letting her be a concubine wouldn’t have been a problem.
A smile lingered on her lips as she remained silent for a long time, not taking a single sip of the tea by her mouth.
Xiao Chonghua didn’t rush her. He gently swayed his folding fan and simply sipped his tea.
“Cousin, do you think General Huo really meant that he’ll marry Shi’an after the Beiluo are wiped out?”
“Could it be false?
‘Huo Ci’ said it himself. A man of honor’s word is as good as a team of horses—once spoken, it can’t be taken back.
He wouldn’t want the whole world to criticize him behind his back either, would he?”
Crash!
Suddenly, the sound of shattering roof tiles came from above the private room.
“Who’s there!”
Xiao Chonghua’s secret guards rushed to the rooftop in an instant.
There wasn’t a single shadow to be seen—just a pile of glazed tiles crushed to dust.
In the distance, Shangguan Hanshan, galloping toward the military camp, radiated murderous intent.
“You little brat. I’m taking your life today!”
