Chapter 45

Before Xie Hengzhi returned, Yiling had been pacing anxiously in the room for a long time, contemplating how he might respond if this matter turned out to be true.

There were only two possible paths he could take:

Either he would be ruthless and heartless, sending her off to a political marriage to secure his own wealth and status.

Or he would protect her, as he always shielded his family, refusing to allow the Hu Ba people to humiliate him.

But now, Xie Hengzhi’s attitude baffled Yiling.

“Don’t you want to go?”

“Don’t you want me to agree?”

“Why do you think they want you for a political marriage? Don’t you know?”

Every word seemed like a pointed interrogation, laden with implication.

It was as if, in his eyes, Yiling actually wanted to marry into the Hu Ba tribe.

How could that be possible?

Even unmarried women wouldn’t willingly marry into the bitter cold of Hu Ba, let alone her, a married woman. If she were to remarry into the Hu Ba tribe, wouldn’t she become the laughingstock of the entire world?

She would have to be out of her mind to entertain such an idea!

So why was Xie Hengzhi asking these questions?

Could it be that…

A sudden thought flashed through her mind, freezing Yiling in place, her mouth half-open in shock.

All along, she had been thinking from her own perspective when interpreting Xie Hengzhi’s words—

But she had forgotten… She was now living as Shang Yiling.

Shang Yiling.

Whenever this name came up, Yiling found it both familiar and foreign.

In truth, she knew next to nothing about this woman.

She had no idea what kind of life Shang Yiling had lived, what sort of person she was, or even the details of her past with Xie Hengzhi. Everything she knew was secondhand, rumors without any direct account from Shang Yiling herself.

Could it be that the problem truly lay with Shang Yiling?

Unable to make sense of it all, Yiling looked around the room in confusion, hoping someone might provide answers to her questions.

But in moments like this, the large chamber was empty save for her, not even a maid or servant girl in sight.

Wait—

Where were Mama Cao and Mallow?

The two who usually stayed by her side had gone to the kitchen to fetch soup but hadn’t returned.

Already lost in a fog of uncertainty, Yiling felt even more unsettling. The peculiar behavior of the servants sent by the Shang family added to her unease.

Suddenly, a sense of foreboding swept over her. Without fully forming a plan, she knew she had to find them immediately.

She had barely taken two steps when the door to her quarters was pushed open.

Mama Cao and Mallow entered, each carrying a bowl of steaming soup.

Seeing Yiling standing in the outer room, Mama Cao quickly asked, “It’s so cold outside—was the madam planning to go out?”

After Mama Cao spoke, Mallow chimed in eagerly, “That’s right, and the snow hasn’t stopped yet! Who knows how thick it will be by morning?”

Watching the two of them act as usual, Yiling’s face gradually regained some color.

She slowly nodded and said, “Hmm, I won’t go out.”

After sitting back down, she watched Mama Cao and Mallow busying themselves setting up her bed, and her heart finally settled a bit.

It must have been her overthinking. How could the esteemed lady from the Shang family possibly have any connection with the Hu Ba?

This face doesn’t show any trace of Hu Ba’s bloodline either.

But she couldn’t understand why Xie Hengzhi would say such a thing, and she couldn’t bring herself to ask, fearing that revealing she wasn’t really Shang’s daughter would lead to even bigger troubles.

After thinking for a while, Yiling decided to investigate it herself.

She looked at the backs of Mama Cao and Mallow and suddenly spoke up, “I’ve had some free time recently and feel rather empty inside. I want to look at the poems I wrote before. Mama Cao, could you go and find them for me?”

After a moment, she added, “Bring them all to me. I want to go through them all.”

Mama Cao, bent over while making the bed, froze for a moment before turning around, saying, “Madam, you haven’t written any poems recently.”

Yiling smiled and said, “I didn’t feel like writing after falling into the water. I’m talking about the poems I wrote before that.”

Mama Cao still shook her head. “Before falling into the water, I didn’t see Madam writing anything.”

Yiling turned to Mallow, who also shook her head repeatedly. “I don’t know either.”

This left Yiling utterly confused.

The talented lady Shang, who would write a poem to complain even after eating a sour fruit, hadn’t written a single line since her marriage?

There must be something strange going on here.

After thinking for a while, Yiling lowered her head and smiled, concealing her emotions.

“Right, I almost forgot. I haven’t had any mood for elegance these days.”

She added, “It’s because I miss home so much. Please bring me the letters from home, so I can read them and ease my longing.”

Mama Cao agreed and, as she turned to leave, subtly glanced at Mallow, who remained in the room.

After Mama Cao left, Yiling indeed beckoned Mallow over.

“Mallow, come here.”

Mallow hurriedly approached her. “Madam, what do you need?”

Yiling asked, “Do you remember where I kept the poems I wrote in Jiangzhou?”

Since she suspected Shang might be hiding something, Yiling thought she could uncover the truth through her old poems.

But to her surprise, after being in the Beijing for so long, she hadn’t written a single poem.

She’d have to start looking elsewhere.

Besides the letters from home, the poems from her maiden years before marriage were another option.

The secret must be hidden in the words.

But Mallow just shook her head and said plainly, “Madam, don’t you remember? When we came to the capital, there was an accident on the road. A carriage slid and fell into the water, and everything inside was soaked, including your poems.”

Everything about this was so odd. Everything felt strange.

Yiling was stunned and didn’t dare to think too deeply—after all, Shang should have traveled to the Beijing via the official road, so how could she have possibly fallen into the water so easily?

And why was it only her most important personal writing?

One strange thing after another seemed to confirm her suspicions.

While Yiling was lost in thought, Mama Cao returned with the letters.

It had only been seven or eight months since Yiling came to the Beijing, so there weren’t many letters from home—only about ten.

Yiling opened and carefully read each one, going over them seven or eight times.

The letters were all written by Shang’s mother. Besides the usual pleasantries, they expressed longing and repeatedly wished for the couple’s love and harmony, for their life together to be full of joy.

Yiling read the letters thoroughly but found nothing unusual.

She looked up at Mama Cao and Mallow, who were standing by.

All the clues seemed to be severed, and the only people who knew anything seemed to be the two in front of her.

If Shang really had some secret, asking about it might expose her own secret, trapping her in a difficult situation.

But if she didn’t ask…

After thinking for a long time, Yiling finally spoke.

“Mama Cao, Mallow.”

The two immediately responded.

“Madam, what’s the matter?”

“You both know that after I fell into the water, I was seriously ill and forgot many things.”

Suppressing the unknown fear, Yiling tried to keep her voice calm. “Tell me the truth. Have I ever been to Hu Ba?”

Actually, when Yiling was about to search for the old poems and letters earlier, both she and Mallow had broken into a sweat, knowing that Yiling must have remembered something.

Now, hearing her ask like this, Mama Cao felt a sense of relief.

She quickly said, “No, Madam, how could you have gone to such a barbaric place like Hu Ba?

You were born and raised in Jiangzhou. Before coming to the capital, the furthest you ever went was Suzhou, where Aunt Fang got married.”

Unfortunately, she was just a servant in the inner quarters, and her skills at hiding her emotions were rather poor.

Although she vehemently denied it, Yiling could still see the panic in her eyes.

“Are you sure?”

Yiling stared at her intently and repeated the question.

Mama Cao froze for a moment under her gaze, then quickly said, “I wouldn’t dare deceive Madam!”

She then pulled Mallow over to add, “If Madam doesn’t believe me, she can ask Mallow!”

Before Yiling could speak, Mallow nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes! Madam really didn’t go to Hu Ba!”

Yiling stared at them for a long time, then nodded and stopped pressing.

It seemed they were determined not to tell the truth.

Yiling’s curiosity only deepened—what kind of connection could there be between Shang and Hu Ba that made Mama Cao and Mallow so tight-lipped?

That night, Xie Hengzhi didn’t come again. The servant outside said he had stayed in the East Wing.

Given the current situation, Mama Cao wouldn’t speak the truth, and Yiling didn’t dare press too hard.

She turned her head, wanting to find Xie Hengzhi, but was more afraid that when the time came, there would be too many voices to explain, making her situation even worse.

She could only passively remain on this deadlock of a move.

Yiling didn’t know when she had fallen asleep. When she opened her eyes, she almost thought it was already noon.

She suddenly sat up and looked outside, only to realize that the bright light was from the thick snow reflecting the daylight.

Mama Cao, as usual, entered with a basin of clean water. Upon seeing Yiling awake, she immediately approached to attend to her.

Yiling groggily moved and asked, “What time is it now?”

Mama Cao replied, “It’s just after the third hour. Madam, if you’re still tired, would you like to sleep some more?”

Yiling shook her head and asked again, “Has the master already gone to the palace?”

“Not yet.”

Mama Cao said, “The master woke up early today, but hasn’t gone to the palace yet. He’s still in the study.”

It’s good that he hasn’t gone to the palace yet.

No, wait.

Yiling, who had just relaxed, immediately became alert again.

Today isn’t a rest day. How could he not go to the palace without reason?

Something’s not right.

Thinking of this, Yiling, who had been uneasy the entire night, felt her heart race and quickly put on her outer robe before rushing outside.

When she stepped out of the bedroom, she coincidentally ran into Xie Hengzhi as he walked out of the study.

Although he was dressed in court attire, the time for entering the palace for the morning assembly had passed. His pace was still calm and unhurried, showing no sign of urgency.

Both of their steps stopped the moment they saw each other.

Caught off guard by the sudden eye contact, Yiling didn’t know what to say and blurted out,

“Why haven’t you gone to the palace yet?”

The snow had long since stopped, and the entire Xie residence was dressed in silver, looking beautiful, yet it carried a heavy atmosphere.

Xie Hengzhi took a step forward, staring at Yiling.

“Are you hoping I’ll go to the palace early to report to the Emperor?”

His voice was somewhat muffled by the cold wind. Before Yiling could make sense of it, Li Chun quickly entered and whispered something in Xie Hengzhi’s ear.

Xie Hengzhi’s face, which was already not very pleasant, immediately darkened. He didn’t glance at Yiling again. The two of them turned and left without a word.

In the main hall of Taiyi Palace, everyone’s expression was solemn.

The hall enshrined a statue of a deity, the pedestal towering high above the incense altar, giving the statue a commanding, overseeing presence.

However, the Emperor didn’t like the candles to burn too brightly, and the hall was dim, making the statue appear somewhat eerie.

When Xie Hengzhi entered, the Emperor was standing with his hands behind his back, facing the statue, gazing up.

The several ministers from the Cabinet nearby remained silent, and upon seeing Xie Hengzhi, they all looked with lowered eyes, not daring to speak a word.

Xie Hengzhi’s steps barely made a sound on the soft carpet.

When he stood still, the Emperor turned around at the right moment.

“You’re here?”

“Your Majesty.”

Xie Hengzhi bowed and paid respects, but before he even bent fully, the Emperor called for him to rise.

After raising his head, Xie Hengzhi saw the Emperor sitting down, looking at him with a serious expression.

“Jin Xuan,” the Emperor spoke slowly. “Today, I discussed with the ministers whether we should attack Beiyou. I am finding it very difficult.”

Xie Hengzhi raised an eyebrow but didn’t speak.

The Emperor continued, “All the ministers urge me to act decisively, to use Hu Ba’s help to defeat Beiyou and quell the people’s anger.”

Xie Hengzhi lowered his gaze and quickly glanced at the ministers nearby.

The ministers straightened their backs at once, not daring to say anything against the Emperor’s words.

These veteran officials, who had been in the Emperor’s service for so many years, were the best at gauging his thoughts. Moreover, today, the Emperor’s implication was too clear. He might as well have said outright, “I want to attack Beiyou; who supports it, who opposes it?”

Representatived by Zhou Ge Lao, most of the ministers spoke up, fully supporting the Emperor’s decision:

“The Great Liang has always valued peace and never easily attacked foreign tribes. But Beiyou has become increasingly rampant, and if we continue to tolerate them, they will become too bold. With Hu Ba’s help, now is the perfect time to strike!”

There were a few who spoke against it, giving lengthy, passionate arguments. The Emperor remained silent, not saying a word.

They could tell that the Emperor’s mind was made up, and there was no room for negotiation, so they reluctantly changed their stance to support the attack.

But what the Emperor had not disclosed in advance was—

The condition for Hu Ba’s assistance was Xie Hengzhi’s wife!

Now, with the Emperor’s words, it seemed like everyone was pressuring Xie Hengzhi to trade his wife.

“Jin Xuan, what do you think?”

Seeing Xie Hengzhi remain silent, the Emperor asked.

“Your Majesty.”

Xie Hengzhi said, “In recent years, there have been constant floods and disasters in various regions of the Great Liang. This winter has also been unusually cold, and I fear that next year’s harvest will be greatly reduced, making the national treasury’s situation quite grim.”

“Moreover, the road in Shu is still under construction, the Jingsu Caoyun is unfinished, and the palace in Liuheshan (Liuhe Mountain) has just started its foundation. Even with Hu Ba’s help, now is not the right time to march north.”

These points had already been raised by others earlier.

The Emperor’s response remained unchanged: “The Shu road can be postponed, and the palace in Liuheshan (Liuhe Mountain) isn’t urgent.”

“As for the Treasury.” He looked at a person below him and asked, “What does Yishangshu think?”

Yishangshu, who was named, stood up in a cold sweat, glancing at Xie Hengzhi before saying, “I’ll go back and calculate… it seems it’s not impossible to raise funds.”

The Emperor’s gaze returned to Xie Hengzhi’s face.

Xie Hengzhi pressed his lips tightly and said, “Your Majesty, have you never doubted Hu Ba’s intentions? He’s mobilizing the entire nation for just one woman.”

Upon hearing this, the Emperor’s expression remained unchanged.

“It’s not uncommon for men to act out of anger for a woman, and since Hu Ba is from a barbarian land, wanting to marry a woman of great talent to educate his people is somewhat understandable.”

Xie Hengzhi wanted to say something more, but the Emperor took two or three steps down the stairs and directly stood in front of him.

“Since the founding of Great Liang, the empire has never expanded its territory. If we are able to conquer Beiyou today,” he raised his hand and patted Xie Hengzhi’s shoulder. “Jin Xuan, you will be the first prince of a different surname in Great Liang.”

These words were like thunder, instantly breaking the stillness of the night, causing everyone around to tremble with fear.

Xie Hengzhi, standing before the Emperor, also had a slight change in his gaze. After a moment of contemplation, he lowered his head and said, “I understand, Your Majesty.”