Chapter 14: The Town Chief Turns Pale with Shock

 The guard quickly arrived outside the study and called out loudly toward the interior:
“Town Chief, the Imperial Astrologer’s fiancée is here. She says she has something important to tell you!”

Inside the study, the town chief and his two sons were so shocked by this statement that they all jumped to their feet, their expressions filled with disbelief.

“Father, since when did the Imperial Astrologer have a fiancée?”
The town chief’s elder son asked in confusion. He looked to be around twenty-five years old, tall and muscular, with a strong, powerful build.

The younger son, around fifteen or sixteen, had refined, delicate features and a slender frame—completely opposite in appearance to his older brother.
Anyone who didn’t know better would assume they were born of different mothers, but in truth, they were full-blooded brothers.

The younger son curled his lips and said,
“Brother, do you even realize who the Imperial Astrologer is? Whether or not he has a fiancée is far beyond the knowledge of people like us.”

The elder brother raised an eyebrow.
“So you’re saying the visitor really is the Imperial Astrologer’s fiancée?”

“I didn’t say that,” the younger one shook his head. “Whether he has a fiancée or not is something only he himself would know.”

“Besides,” he continued, “now’s not the time for us to get hung up on whether she’s truly his fiancée.”

The town chief stroked his beard and spoke gravely,
“Ran’er is right. We must hurry out to receive the guest. There’s one thing you both must remember—no one dares to invoke the Imperial Astrologer’s name lightly.”

“So you both need to mind your manners. Regardless of whether she’s truly his fiancée, we must take this seriously.”

“Yes, Father,” the two sons responded solemnly.

The group quickly made their way to the front gate, where a finely crafted carriage was parked outside. Standing beside it was a man exuding a sharp, commanding aura—clearly not someone to underestimate.

The town chief’s eyes shifted slightly as he approached the man with a smile and asked,
“May I ask, brave sir, where is the young lady?”

Meng Guangping cupped his fists respectfully and replied, then lifted the carriage curtain and said to the interior,
“Young lady, the town chief has arrived.”

A gentle voice, like an orchid blooming in a secluded valley, responded softly:
“Mm, I heard.”

With that, An Xiyan swiftly emerged from the carriage and jumped down—

The carriage stopped with swift and clean movements, not dragging things out in the slightest.

The mayor and his two sons were instantly stunned the moment they saw An Xiyan’s appearance. She was dressed in a flowing white gown, with three thousand strands of jet-black hair cascading like a waterfall down her back and over her chest.

Her features were as exquisite as a painting, her face soft and beautiful, and her voice was unexpectedly pleasant to the ear. As a whole, she carried an ethereal air—almost like a celestial maiden.

It had to be said—this was the first time any of them had seen such a breathtakingly beautiful girl. They felt their eyes had truly been blessed.

Meng Guangping noticed how the three men were staring at his young lady without blinking, their gazes blatantly lustful. He was deeply displeased and gave a few loud coughs as a warning.

If they still didn’t retract their toad-like gazes, he’d have no problem beating them so badly even their parents wouldn’t recognize them.

Startled by the cough, the three men snapped back to reality. Their expressions grew awkward as they hurriedly tried to act composed.

They told themselves: as long as they didn’t feel embarrassed, it was others who should.

An Xiyan glanced indifferently at the mayor beside the carriage, then at the two men standing one on each side behind him.

She quickly recalled the proper etiquette for noble ladies and mimicked it, giving the three of them a polite and dignified bow.

Only then did the mayor and his sons snap out of it and quickly return the gesture.

The mayor then beamed and introduced, “Young lady, this is my eldest son, Zhao Mokui, and this is my younger son, Zhao Moran.”

An Xiyan gave a slight nod, parting her red lips gently. “I am An Xiyan, the fiancée of the Imperial Advisor. This is my Uncle Meng.”

She then retrieved a jade pendant from her sleeve. The piece was a vibrant green, carved with a single elegant character—‘Han’ —in a bold and sweeping script. The pendant looked grand and clearly valuable.

She continued calmly, “This is the Imperial Advisor’s jade pendant, and also the token of our engagement. It proves that I am indeed his fiancée.”

She held up the pendant to show them the inscription but didn’t hand it over. She was possessive by nature and didn’t like others touching what was hers.

The mayor and his sons didn’t recognize the Imperial Advisor’s jade, but upon seeing the carved character clearly, their doubts vanished.

Who would dare question her identity after that? The material of the jade was incredibly rare—only two pieces of its kind could be found in the entire empire…

It was said that one piece was in the hands of the Imperial Advisor, while the other had been gifted by his parents to a close friend.

They figured that this young lady’s parents must have been those close friends.

In just a matter of moments, the attitudes of the mayor and his sons grew noticeably more respectful.

Seeing that they now believed her identity, An Xiyan put the jade pendant away—not just back into her sleeve, but directly into her spatial storage. She trusted the security of the space far more.

The mayor stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said, “Miss An, this is not the right place to talk. Please, come with me into the residence to sit and discuss this further.”

“There’s no need,” An Xiyan shook her head, her expression serious. “Let’s keep this short. Time is of the essence, and we can’t afford to waste any.”

The mayor frowned slightly, a bad feeling rising in his heart. He immediately straightened up and asked respectfully, “Miss An, do you have something important to inform me about?”

An Xiyan nodded. “Yes, something very important—this concerns the safety of all the residents in this town.”

“What?” The mayor was shocked. He couldn’t imagine what matter could possibly threaten the lives of the entire town.

But judging from Miss An’s expression, she clearly wasn’t joking. This had to be extremely serious.

The two sons standing behind him also wore grave expressions.

Zhao Moran stepped forward, cupped his fists toward An Xiyan, and said, “Please, Miss An, let us know. The sooner we understand the situation, the sooner we can make preparations.”

An Xiyan looked up at Zhao Moran and spoke calmly, “Dongyang Nation has already launched an attack on the border of our Qiming Nation. Within three days, they’ll reach this very town.”

“I only just received this news, and came straight here to inform you. Please, you must alert the townspeople immediately and have them flee as soon as possible. If they move quickly, they may still avoid this disaster.”

“What? The enemy army is about to attack?” The mayor was utterly stunned. Their remote little border town had known peace for over a decade.

Now, turmoil was returning. His heart was filled with anxiety and uncertainty. He had grown accustomed to life here—but now, where could they even go?

An Xiyan had completed her task and prepared to leave. “Mayor, I’ve delivered the message. I must now depart and escape the town as well. Farewell.”

She turned to board the carriage—but just as she was about to step up, the mayor suddenly called out to stop her.