Chapter 44

As Xie Hengzhi stepped out of the palace gates, he looked up to see the vast, endless snow covering the red towers and green tiles, transforming the entire landscape into a sea of white, extending all the way to the horizon.

The vast dusk and the snow’s light mingled, casting a mysterious glow that made the pedestrians in the snow appear especially small.

Even the usual sounds were swept away by the howling cold wind, and the once-prosperous capital seemed to show a hint of desolation in moments like this.

But the people of the Hu Ba tribe carried a natural wildness within them, unversed in the notion of restraint. The voice of their shout was enough to pierce through the thick snow.

“Lord Xie!”

Xie Hengzhi had already been about to board his carriage when he heard the shout. He paused for a moment, gazing ahead, before slowly turning around.

Hu Yanqi was walking quickly toward him.

The weather in Hu Ba was cold year-round, so this little bit of snow and wind was nothing to them.

He wore a left-over robe with a straight collar, with fur armor covering it. His waist was wrapped with a leather belt adorned with hooks. The wolf’s tooth ornament on his forehead held back his curly hair, yet it couldn’t hide his handsome face.

Xie Hengzhi had always treated envoys from allied nations with courtesy.

Even when dealing with positions that were at odds with one another, he could maintain a calm expression and steady demeanor.

“Prince Hu Yanqi, what is it?”

Upon hearing his calm voice, Hu Yanqi’s sharp eagle-like gaze burned as he observed the man in front of him.

When Hu Yanqi had entered the Ganqing Palace earlier that day to propose his condition, Xie Hengzhi was not present. He had first discussed the matter with the Emperor of Great Liang, and the Emperor had become angry, sternly declaring that, although the lady was from Great Liang, she was highly praised by many scholars and poets. Moreover, he had personally arranged the marriage between her and Xie Hengzhi, so how could she be given to a foreign tribe for an alliance?

For a moment, Hu Yanqi thought this matter would not succeed.

However, the Emperor had then turned and said that, since she was Xie Hengzhi’s wife, the decision should ultimately be left to him.

It was then that Hu Yanqi understood: the Emperor was moved.

But the people of the Central Plains were known for not speaking directly. Faced with such huge stakes, they still had to maintain a façade to protect their reputation.

Soon after, the Emperor of Great Liang summoned Xie Hengzhi alone, while Hu Yanqi waited quietly elsewhere.

He had been confident that since the Emperor had already made a covert decision, Xie Hengzhi would likely follow the current and agree without resistance.

After waiting for several hours, Hu Yanqi finally saw Xie Hengzhi step out of the Ganqing Palace.

From a distance, it appeared that Xie Hengzhi had merely discussed regular state affairs with the Emperor. His face remained calm, his steps unhurried, making it hard for Hu Yanqi to gauge the outcome. This prompted him to follow.

Now face-to-face with Xie Hengzhi, Hu Yanqi scrutinized him for a long time but saw no trace of emotion.

This was typical of the people from the Central Plains.

Hu Yanqi didn’t bother with any indirect approach and asked directly, “Lord Xie, I wonder what you think about the proposal I made today.”

Seeing that Xie Hengzhi did not respond immediately, Hu Yanqi added, “I know that people from the Central Plains value a woman’s reputation greatly, even to the point of erecting memorial arches for chaste women. However, in our Hu Ba, it is common for women to remarry multiple times, and no one would comment negatively on it.”

But Xie Hengzhi seemed to ignore his reasoning, simply narrowing his eyes as he stared at him.

“The world has three thousand rivers of water; why must Hu Yanqi choose her?”

Snowflakes swirled between them, blurring their vision.

There was no anger in his voice, and Hu Yanqi thought to himself, He truly prefers his country over everything else.

But when he lifted his gaze, Hu Yanqi felt that Xie Hengzhi’s eyes seemed to see through his facade, seeking a true reason.

“We of the Hu Ba have long admired the teachings of Confucius and Mencius from Great Liang.

We’ve also heard that Mrs. Xie is highly esteemed, well-versed in the Four Books and Five Classics. If she were to become our Hu Ba princess, she would surely spread the teachings of Confucianism throughout our land.”

This reasoning he had already repeated several times in the Ganqing Palace.

Xie Hengzhi looked at him deeply and suddenly smiled.

“Unfortunately, Hu Ba is cold and harsh, and my wife has been raised in comfort since childhood. She may not be able to endure such hardship.”

It seemed like another rejection?

“There’s no need to worry, my lord,” Hu Yanqi said. “While Hu Ba cannot compare to the prosperity of Great Liang, if I could marry the talented daughter of the Shang family, I would ensure her life in Hu Ba matches that in the capital, without a trace of disparity.”

Xie Hengzhi simply looked at Hu Yanqi, his smile carrying an ambiguous meaning, but he said nothing.

After a long pause, Hu Yanqi was met only with a light laugh—tinged with disdain. It seemed to belittle not only Hu Ba but perhaps him personally.

Just as Hu Yanqi prepared to say more, Xie Hengzhi didn’t bother with even a farewell. He turned and stepped directly into his carriage.

The tracks left by the carriage wheels were soon buried under the heavy snow. Watching the Xie family’s carriage disappear into the distance, Hu Yanqi suddenly understood why Xie Hengzhi had delayed his agreement.

He was waiting for a better price.

Waiting for the emperor of Great Liang to offer sufficient benefits before he would bear the infamy of giving up his wife.

In that case, Hu Yanqi thought, all he needed to do was quietly watch this powerbroker’s negotiation with the emperor unfold.

He understood these Central Plains (Centalists). They would not remain indifferent when faced with such overwhelming interests.

The snowy roads were treacherous, and the carriage moved with extra caution. A trip that would normally take less than half an hour to return to the Xie residence had only reached its halfway point.

Li Chun rode alongside the carriage, his horse’s hooves silent on the snow. Inside the carriage, the atmosphere was so quiet one could hear a pin drop.

Xie Hengzhi sat upright, his eyes closed in a brief rest, his expression as composed as ever.

When he slowly opened his eyes, a flicker of irritation finally surfaced in his dark gaze.

Back when rumors began circulating that Shang Yiling was infatuated with him, he had known it was nothing more than a baseless claim.

Indeed, he had once studied at the Jiangzhou Academy, founded by the Shang family, and could be considered a peer of Shang Yiling.

At the time, though Xie Hengzhi was of humble origins and far less privileged than his fellow students, Shang Yiling’s father, Shang Xingwei, had already determined that he was destined for great things. He had even subtly hinted at a potential match between his daughter and Xie Hengzhi.

At the time, Shang Yiling had been a little girl with her hair in twin buns, and Xie Hengzhi had no intention of getting engaged. The matter was left unresolved.

Later, when Xie Hengzhi left Jiangzhou for the capital to take the imperial examinations, he and Shang Yiling had no private interactions, let alone any romantic relationship.

Who would have thought that years later, rumors of Shang Yiling’s unrequited love for her senior would spread from Jiangzhou to the capital, supported by over a hundred heartfelt poems?

The absurdity of it was that no one cared those poems never explicitly named Xie Hengzhi as their subject.

Someone claimed they were for him, and everyone simply accepted it.

Even though Xie Hengzhi could hardly recall Shang Yiling’s face.

At that time, based on his understanding of the Shang family, Xie Hengzhi had a rough guess.

The Shang family’s pride, their celebrated talented daughter, must have secretly pledged herself to someone they disapproved of. With the poems already circulating, they were backed into a corner, their reputation on the verge of ruin.

Their only recourse was to preemptively spread rumors of an idealized love story between senior and junior, since the poems lacked explicit names.

Xie Hengzhi never intended to respond. Whether he admitted or denied it, it was of no benefit to him.

Unexpectedly, on the Emperor’s birthday celebration, His Majesty, in high spirits from consuming an elixir, read Shang Yiling’s poems and publicly decreed the marriage.

The imperial word was final, witnessed by the entire court.

And during the Emperor’s birthday festivities, only a madman would risk offending the Emperor by rejecting his decree.

So, marry, he did.

Xie Hengzhi had long grown accustomed to making the most of situations he couldn’t change.

The Shang family’s Jiangzhou Academy had nurtured many influential figures, creating a faction of its own in court.

Marrying Shang Yiling wasn’t entirely disadvantageous for Xie Hengzhi.

After their marriage to Xie Hengzhi, Shang Yiling was no different from Xie Xuan.

And he knew that in this matter, Shang Yiling was the most pitiful party, denied even the right to resist.

Thus, after their marriage, he ensured she received respect and care, whether in public or private.

That was all he could do.

As for whom her poems were truly for, Xie Hengzhi neither asked nor cared.

He never imagined that the answer would come knocking on his door.

The wind howled outside, dislodging snow from withered branches.

Yiling frequently glanced toward the window, but the brightly lit courtyard remained absent of Xie Hengzhi’s figure.

Mama Cao, who had gone to the kitchen to fetch soup, had yet to return, leaving Yiling restless and uneasy.

She still couldn’t believe Hu Ba would demand her, a married woman, as part of a marriage alliance merely because of an old claim of “admiration.”

Nor could she understand why Hu Ba would commit to aiding Great Liang against the Beiyou solely for the sake of a woman they had never met. Even with her reputation as a talented woman, it was beyond reason.

But the news had come from Shen Shufang.

As the Crown Princess, she would never send Feng Yu with a false report unless it were absolutely certain.

What angered her most was that Xie Hengzhi was delayed in the palace at such a critical moment, leaving her without answers and consumed by wild thoughts.

After what felt like an eternity, footsteps finally sounded outside. Yiling instantly recognized them as Xie Hengzhi’s.

She immediately stood up, intending to open the door.

But as she rose, she hesitated.

What if Xie Hengzhi confirmed that it was all true… what then?

As the cold wind swept in, Xie Hengzhi stepped inside.

Yiling stood frozen, her eyes fixed on him.

He entered, the chill of the wind clinging to him. Closing the door behind him, he shook the snow off his cloak before turning to see Yiling standing stiffly, her gaze wary and guarded.

His gaze swept her up and down before he asked, “What’s wrong with you?”

Yiling didn’t even dare to ask directly, fearing the answer she dreaded most.

“You… why did you come back so late today?”

“There were important matters at the palace.”

Xie Hengzhi had always been dismissive about such things and didn’t intend to elaborate.

But after speaking, he sensed something off about Yiling.

When he turned back, he indeed saw Yiling’s entire body tense, as if trying hard to maintain her composure, though her eyes betrayed her unease.

Xie Hengzhi’s gaze suddenly sharpened. Locking eyes with her for a long time, he asked, “Someone from the Eastern Palace came today?”

Yiling didn’t speak but tacitly admitted it.

He lowered his gaze and sneered softly, murmuring, “The Crown Princess seems quite concerned about you.”

Yiling didn’t catch what he said, but his attitude had already made everything clear—

“Hu Ba really wants me to marry?”

Xie Hengzhi didn’t answer immediately but instead stared directly at her, his gaze sweeping inch by inch over her face as if trying to discern something.

After a long while, he calmly said, “Yes.”

It was like a thunderclap on a sunny day, exploding beside Yiling’s ears and leaving her mind completely blank.

So, it was true!

“How is that possible?” Yiling’s heart raced, her body heating up. “I’m already married!”

At that moment, Xie Hengzhi, her husband, seemed like an outsider. He wasn’t panicked at all, still calmly scrutinizing Yiling.

Watching her flustered, watching her tense, he finally said, “The Hu Ba people don’t care about that.”

As he spoke, he stepped closer to Yiling, his dark eyes revealing nothing of his thoughts.

“You don’t want to go?”

“…What do you mean?”

A chilling thought crept into Yiling’s mind.

Her entire body suddenly felt like it had fallen into an ice cellar. She looked up at Xie Hengzhi and said word by word, “You agreed?”

As she asked this, Yiling’s hand, hanging at her side, slowly began to rise.

If Xie Hengzhi insisted on sacrificing her for a political marriage, then… she would take him down with her!

Just then—

Xie Hengzhi suddenly curled his lips, a faint smile appearing as he asked, “You don’t want me to agree?”

“They’re mad, and now you’ve gone mad too?” 

Yiling stared at him in disbelief, gritting her teeth. “Xie Hengzhi, I’m your lawfully wedded wife. How dare they demand I marry someone else!”

Faced with Yiling’s fury, Xie Hengzhi remained unnervingly calm.

“Do you really not know why they want you for this marriage?”

Leaving these words behind, Xie Hengzhi cast Yiling a deep look before turning and walking out of the chamber.

The cold air he brought in earlier hadn’t fully dissipated, and now, with his departure, another chill swept in.

As his footsteps gradually faded, Yiling stood frozen in place.

What the hell… did he mean?