Chapter 43  

In mid-November, at the teahouse,  

“Oh, have you heard? The King of Zhenbei went to the palace to meet the emperor today.”  

“The King of Zhenbei… the one who guards the northwest?”  

“Tsk, you’re so clueless. Who else could it be? ‘The King of the North.'”  

“But doesn’t it say that a vassal king can’t enter the capital without the emperor’s order? The last time the King of Zhenbei came to the capital was eight years ago…”  

“Come on, look at what you’re saying, the King of Zhenbei can’t come to the capital? He must’ve come this time because of his conferment.”  

“Yes, yes,” another person interrupted, “Didn’t the old King of Zhenbei die last year? The new King of Zhenbei is the one who came to the capital this time.”  

“If you ask me, this new King of Zhenbei is much stronger than the old one… Take the battle with Xiqiu for example, it was excellent.”  

“Do you remember? Last spring, the King of Zhenbei was summoned by the emperor for his military achievements. What did he ask for as a reward? He asked to marry a princess from the emperor’s family…”  

“A marriage…”  

Both of them were surprised. They hadn’t heard anything about King Zhenbei getting married. In fact, there had been rumors lately that the emperor wanted to arrange a marriage for him, and that the King of Zhenbei was choosing a concubine.  

“Stop being so mysterious, just tell me the details.”  

“Ah…” The speaker sighed regretfully, “It’s not that I’m being mysterious, there’s just no further news on it.”  

“Ah…” The two were puzzled.  

Not only were the two confused, but Xu Lianqiao, who was buying tea in the teahouse, also found herself puzzled.

She knew that Brother Ning was going to the palace to meet the emperor today, but he hadn’t told her about it. It turned out that he had been in the capital for more than a year.  

Asking for a marriage…  

Who had he been asking for a marriage from? Why had she never heard about it?  

“Girl, here’s your tea.”  

The waiter’s voice interrupted Xu Lianqiao’s thoughts.  

“Thank you.”  

Xu Lianqiao paid for her tea, watching as the three of them stopped talking and left.  

On her way back, Xu Lianqiao couldn’t stop thinking about what she had overheard at the teahouse.  

Why hadn’t Brother Ning told her about this?  

She tried to think…  

Maybe it was because Brother Ning had been feeling sad and didn’t want to mention it.  

But the more she thought, the more tangled her mind became. She wanted to ask him immediately.  

Xu Lianqiao paused.  

Only then did she realize how much she cared about Brother Ning.  

Had she become so attached to him that she wanted to know everything about his past? Xu Lianqiao sighed deeply.  

She was now ready to return to her current residence.  

Half a month ago, she had moved out of Jiang Mansion after receiving the divorce papers from Jiang Huai.  

She was now living in a small house on the outskirts of Beijing.  

Brother Ning had explained that this was his original residence in the capital. Before she could ask how the King of Zhenbei could live here, he had told her the whole story.  

The emperor had summoned him for his conferment, and so he entered the capital in July this year.  

But after just a couple of visits, he found the entertainment in the capital too overwhelming and had claimed to be sick, staying home because he couldn’t get used to the city.  

However, as the time for his official title conferment approached, he couldn’t remain ill forever.  

During the time he pretended to be sick, he had stayed in this small courtyard on the outskirts of Beijing.  

There were mountains and forests nearby. When he had time, he would chop wood and hunt.  

“Is the King of Zhenbei really so free?”  

She didn’t mean to be rude, but she couldn’t help asking. She had always thought that high-ranking people were very busy.  

“As a general, you’re not so busy when there’s peace in the world.”  

“In the last ten years, almost all the wars that could be fought have already been fought. There won’t be any more major wars… I’ll also be able to spend more time with you.”  

When Ning Yuan said this, he was so close that his breath brushed against her cheek.  

Her ears flushed.  

“Ah Qiao, even though the northwest is harsh and cold, I won’t let you suffer.”  

Ning Yuan promised her seriously.  

Xu Lianqiao nodded gently, knowing that he was always kind to her.  

Even when he kissed her, his first concern was whether she liked it.  

So… He could tell her that he was pretending to be sick, but why hadn’t he mentioned asking for a marriage from the emperor a year ago?  

Has Brother Ning once been in love with someone else so deeply?  

It felt like there were two voices in her head, one telling her that Brother Ning was hiding something from her, while the other reminded her to trust him.  

Even if Brother Ning had once liked someone, that was in the past.  

Ah, the more she thought about it, the more confused she became. By the time she came to her senses, she had already reached the entrance of the alley.  

“Ah…”  

“I’m sorry.”  

She had been so deep in thought that she accidentally bumped into someone while turning.  

“Are you okay?”  

Xu Lianqiao quickly bent down to help the person.  

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”  

But before she could finish, the person turned around and a burst of powder fell on her face.  

Xu Lianqiao fainted before she could react.  

The tea she had just bought spilled onto the bluestone path.  

Then, a figure stepped out from the shadows.

_

After a midday banquet, Ning Yuan was about to leave, but unexpectedly, the emperor kept him behind to discuss family matters.

“Mother, look, Ah Yuan is becoming more and more handsome,” the emperor said.

“Yes, yes,” the Queen Mother responded with a smile.

“Of all the four brothers, Ah Yuan was the first to stand up.”

Ning Yuan raised an eyebrow and glanced at the emperor, who was sitting next to the Queen Mother.

Four brothers…

The emperor was comparing him to his three sons.

The emperor’s expression darkened at this comparison.

“Wei Chen^[1]a formal way of referring to oneself. doesn’t dare,” Ning Yuan responded.

He stood up and continued, “Wei Chen was born in the northwest. He’s a martial artist with a rough personality, not worthy to compare with your Majesty’s princes.”

This is why he disliked dealing with such people. Their words were convoluted, and their thoughts were like a tangled mess.

The Queen Mother’s words were clearly meant to provoke the emperor’s dissatisfaction with him.

No wonder his late father once said the Queen Mother hated them more than the emperor.

But why?

It was because the Queen Mother was not his biological mother.

Her face showed surprise, but the emperor’s expression softened.

“Ah Yuan, don’t belittle yourself. You and your father have made great contributions to the border. It’s we, the ones who have failed, who should learn from you.”

The emperor nodded at his sons, and the three of them acknowledged him in response.

The Queen Mother, not dwelling on that topic, sipped her tea and smiled before asking, “Your Majesty, your three princes are all married or engaged. I wonder if there is anything important in Ah Yuan’s life. Has he settled his marriage yet?”

Once again, the conversation turned to him.

He felt exhausted.

“The Queen Mother reminds me, more than a year ago, Ah Yuan requested a marriage, but I never heard which girl he had in mind,” the emperor said, glancing from the Queen Mother to Ning Yuan.

Ning Yuan frowned and prepared the excuse he had thought up earlier.

“Reporting to Your Majesty, I don’t have anyone I like at the moment. When I asked Your Majesty for a marriage, it was just to express my frustration with my father. I wanted you to decide the matter.”

Ah Qiao and he had been apart for only half a month. If he mentioned her name now, it would surely cause trouble for her.

He didn’t want Ah Qiao involved with the complicated people in the palace.

When they returned to the northwest, they would plan the wedding.

Let them be.

“Why are you dissatisfied with the way your father sees you?” the emperor asked.

“Your Majesty, yes, I don’t like them,” Ning Yuan replied.

Hearing this, the emperor seemed relieved.

It was just a young man’s temper; he couldn’t always control his emotions.

He had exchanged his military achievements for a marriage proposal that wasn’t even real.

“Since the girls of the northwest haven’t caught Ah Yuan’s eye, I wonder if there is someone in the capital who interests you.”

The emperor pressed his lips together. “The Queen Mother mentioned to me a few days ago that there’s a girl from her maternal side, a 28-year-old named Hua, who is very clever. She especially admires your heroic feats.”

“I think she could be a good match for you.”

The most important thing was that she wasn’t from a high-status family and was also from the Queen Mother’s side. There was no need to worry about Ning Yuan marrying into another powerful family.

Ning Yuan froze, realizing he couldn’t escape.

“I would like to thank Your Majesty and the Queen Mother for their kindness. It’s just that I am a rough man, and I don’t know how to show mercy to women. I fear I might disappoint her,” he said.

“Besides, the customs of the northwest and the capital are very different. I’m afraid I might mistreat her.”

“Ah, don’t refuse so quickly. You’ve never met this girl, so how can you know you don’t like her? I heard she’s not like other girls raised in boudoirs. Since childhood, she’s been climbing trees and daring to mimic her father’s beard.”

The emperor paused and added, “That’s very similar to you when you were young.”

“Her father is also a military commander. She followed him as a child to suppress bandits. Such bravery is something I think you’d like.”

After hearing the emperor’s “praise,” Ning Yuan cursed internally. Why didn’t the emperor marry the girl himself?

He wasn’t a mind reader and knew what kind of woman he liked.

He didn’t like any other woman. He only liked Ah Qiao, and he only wanted to marry her.

No matter how beautiful or remarkable other women were, it didn’t matter to him.

“Your Majesty, there are things that are difficult for me to say…”

Ning Yuan didn’t want to use this excuse, but he had no choice.

“But I should be honest with Your Majesty. Wei Chen… I have suffered many injuries on the battlefield…”

There was a stunned silence in the room.

Only Ning Yuan apologized to Ah Qiao a thousand times in his mind.

In the future, he would inevitably have to drag her into these lies.

_

It was already evening when Ning Yuan returned.

He first pretended to return to his late father’s mansion, planning to change clothes and sneak out through the back door.

He still remembered that Ah Qiao had promised to make him a special meal.

But before he could leave, someone came to report that Ah Qiao was missing.

She hadn’t come home since she left in the morning.

Hearing this, Ning Yuan’s face darkened instantly.