Chapter 6: Why Don’t You Just Be My Dad!

Xue Qingyin cheerfully took the flower from her hair and stuffed it into King Xuan’s hand. “Take it. I’m leaving.”

King Xuan instinctively curled his fingers.

Two petals fell immediately, and the edges of the flower were crushed, its juices staining his knuckles.

“Miss Xue.”

“Miss Xue?”

“Is Miss Xue here?”

A voice called out from beyond the bushes.

Wen Hui’s expression shifted slightly. “That’s the voice of the little eunuch who serves King Wei.”

King Xuan remained silent.

Xue Qingyin’s figure gradually faded into the shadows of the trees.

Wen Hui sighed. “What kind of situation is this? Why did she even give you the flower?”

King Xuan looked at his hand.

These hands of his—broad, strong, and calloused—had taken many lives. They had wielded swords, held tiger tally seals, gripped reins, and strangled enemy generals.

Yet they had never held a flower.

The flower, so delicate and fragile.

An absurd thought arose in his mind—it was as if he were holding that delicate and fragile Xue family girl in the palm of his hand.

Meanwhile, Xue Qingyin followed the voice, which made it easier to navigate.

She walked straight toward the little eunuch. “Are you looking for me?”

The eunuch froze for a moment when he saw her.

Then he looked again.

Yes, the lilac-colored attire matched, though she now wore a cloak. But where was the flower she had in her hair?

“Who sent you to find me?” Xue Qingyin asked.

“His Highness King Wei was worried you might get lost and sent me to look for you,” the eunuch replied, still mulling over how beautiful she was. There couldn’t be another Xue family lady like this. It had to be her.

Xue Qingyin sighed inwardly.

Well, it seemed there was no escaping this.

What kind of strings had He Songning pulled to leave such an impression on King Wei?

The eunuch led her out.

Not far along, they encountered her maid.

The maid was carrying brushes, ink, and paper. When she saw Xue Qingyin, she let out a breath of relief. “You scared me! I couldn’t find you anywhere.”

Xue Qingyin smiled. “You were worried. Tomorrow, I’ll ask Mother to reward you with some silver.”

The maid’s alarm turned into delight. She quickly smiled. “It’s just my duty as a servant. I wouldn’t dare ask for a reward.”

“I’m going to see my brother. Come along,” Xue Qingyin said.

“What about these?” The maid glanced down at what she was carrying.

“Bring them along, of course.”

“But—”

“Let’s go.”

Afraid to lose her again, the maid hurried to follow.

But the eunuch didn’t take them back to the main banquet. Instead, he led them to another pavilion.

This pavilion was situated higher up, surrounded by thick drapery. Once the curtains were drawn, it was impossible to see what was happening inside.

After Xue Qingyin was seated, the eunuch lifted a corner of the drapery. Through the gap, she could clearly see He Songning—and King Wei.

“Now that the banquet is halfway through, it won’t be long before your elder brother comes to see you,” the eunuch said.

While they talked, someone stood up in the main hall.

The figure, slender and veiled, appeared to be a young woman.

She raised a glass to toast King Wei, proposing to compose poetry with him.

After finishing their exchange of verses, another man stood up and said, “My younger sister loves reading—”

It seemed this was another sibling who had brought his sister to the poetry gathering.

Could they also be vying for King Wei’s favor?

Listening to all this made Xue Qingyin drowsy. She lowered her head and started cutting paper and drawing game cards.

The maid cut the paper.

She drew the designs.

Meanwhile, King Wei, looking at the graceful and talented young woman, felt a trace of impatience.

His residence already had a scholar woman, one who knew nothing of the joys of the inner chambers beyond her poetry.

The poem he had just composed was meant to impress Xue Qingyin in the pavilion, showing her that his talent was no less than her brother’s.

But now this woman insisted on competing in poetry with him. No wonder he felt no mercy.

King Wei effortlessly bested her with another verse, saying, “Your sister reads too much Liu-style poetry. Her work is overly sentimental and lacks refinement. She should read a few more books.”

Though his words sounded like advice, they were blunt and merciless, implying that her learning was shallow.

The young woman, thin-skinned, immediately sat back down, tears brimming in her eyes yet afraid to wipe them away. She dared not speak again for the rest of the evening.

Surely by now, Xue Qingyin would recognize his literary prowess and understand that he wasn’t a man who fell for every beautiful woman. His affection was unique, unattainable by others.

King Wei contentedly set down his wine cup.

Before long, King Xuan arrived.

Everyone rose to greet him.

King Wei smiled. “Where have you been, Brother? It’s rare to have you join us today. Please, take a seat. But first, three cups of wine and a poem to start!”

Everyone knew King Xuan was a military man, unlike the literary King Wei, who dabbled in poetry every day.

No one had dared ask King Xuan to compose poetry before.

The atmosphere turned subtly tense.

King Xuan walked straight up to King Wei. “Since I am the elder brother, have you forgotten the order of seniority?”

King Wei’s expression briefly stiffened, but he quickly forced a smile. “Ah, yes. My mistake. Brother, please take the seat of honor.”

Unwillingly, King Wei gave up his spot.

King Xuan said flatly, “Do you have any brave men in your household guard? Let them perform a sword dance for me.”

King Wei’s face stiffened again.

The words made it sound as if King Xuan were the host of the gathering.

King Wei deflected, “You won’t compose a poem, Brother?”

“I’ve only ever written poetry for Father’s birthday,” King Xuan replied, still calm.

And who would dare compare themselves to the Emperor?

The others quickly jumped in to smooth things over.

A clever man stepped forward. “I can perform a sword dance. It might not be elegant, but I’ll take the liberty to demonstrate in front of His Highness King Xuan.”

With that, King Wei had no choice but to let it go.

The poetry gathering turned into a sword dance performance. Xue Qingyin perked up a little.

She peeked out.

First, she saw the straight-backed, solemnly seated King Xuan.

Then, the scholarly dancer performing a sword routine.

The swordplay was feeble.

What nonsense was this?

Xue Qingyin withdrew her head.

Yet King Xuan seemed to sense something. He suddenly looked toward the pavilion.

Was it that Xue family girl again?

Because of King Xuan’s arrival, King Wei, though annoyed, didn’t visit Xue Qingyin after the event.

Only He Songning came to fetch her.

“Where did you get that cloak?” He Songning quickly noticed the addition to her attire.

“Someone lent it to me.”

“And the flower in your hair?”

“It fell on the way.”

Xue Qingyin thought to herself: Why don’t you just be my dad? Why do you care so much?