Xie Jue gazed at the figure in vivid red attire, like a streak of fire surging toward him, the icy chill in his heart gradually dispelled by this warmth. The two walked side by side.
The Sixth Prince Manor wasn’t far from the Second Prince Manor. After sending away the person who had escorted Xie Jue, he and Lan Ningzhen strolled leisurely through the city.
"Why aren’t you at ho recovering? What are you doing here?" Xie Jue asked knowingly. Lan Ningzhen’s injury had been healing for a while now, though perhaps it was due to the winter that the wound recovered slowly. Now that they had an official engagent, Lan Ningzhen demanded, with brazen possessiveness, that Xie Jue visit her every day, as if he were her miracle cure. Xie Jue indulged her, obliging her daily by visiting the Lan Family. Today, however, he had co to the Sixth Prince Manor and hadn’t made it to the Lan Family yet. "Is your wound all healed?"
"Nope, still hurts!" Lan Ningzhen replied with a bright, playful tone, tinged with a bit of coquettishness. Xie Jue felt slightly uncomfortable, shrugging his shoulders to suppress his laughter. Lan Ningzhen didn’t seem to notice. "I heard at the manor that you ca to the Sixth Prince Manor, so I was worried you’d be silenced to cover sothing up. Ca quickly to rescue you—touched, aren’t you?"
"If it were truly a rescue, why did you just stop at the door? You should’ve barged in to find ," Xie Jue exposed her nonsense.
"You were perfectly fine—if I had barged in, it would’ve been inappropriate. Let share a secret with you. Do you know why Dugu Jing is so eager to marry ?"
"Isn’t it because you’re such a troublemaker, drawing him into infatuation?" Xie Jue teased, "After we returned from the outskirts, didn’t you keep seeking him out just to force closer to you? You lure him intentionally and then bla him for falling for it?"
Lan Ningzhen flushed, her embarrassnt barely concealed and her guilt palpable. "So you’ve known it all along and just watched make a fool of myself?"
Xie Jue smiled without saying a word. Lan Ningzhen imdiately went on the offensive, "This is all your fault!"
"Why is it my fault?"
"Because you’re clearly drawn to but you keep playing hard to get. If I don’t push you, you’d never co closer on your own. A young lady like can’t just throw away her dignity to chase after you, can I? I had to make you take the initiative—how else would it work?"
"A young lady?" Xie Jue looked at her with an amused expression. "What part of you resembles a young lady?"
"Well then, what’s a young lady supposed to be like? Whatever you like, I can play the part." Lan Ningzhen tossed him a flirtatious wink.
Xie Jue quietly thought to himself, **What a performance!**
As Lan Ningzhen accompanied Xie Jue to the long street just outside the prince’s manor, she suddenly asked, "Why are you treating so nicely all of a sudden?"
"Have I always treated you poorly?"
"Distant, polite, looking at as if saying ’Who are you, don’t block my way.’ You seriously lack self-awareness, don’t you?"
"It’s not personal—it’s how I am with everyone."
"But now it’s different. Why?"
"You’re my fiancée. With that title, you’re family. Naturally, it’s different."
"Oh..." Lan Ningzhen reached out to grasp his wrist, her tone turning serious. "And you? Are you willing to marry ? That night, although it was a sche we devised, mainly to resolve your predicant and avoid marrying Dugu Jing, the Emperor’s decree for your marriage surprised both of us. In the rush, we didn’t consider your feelings. Did you sincerely want to marry ?"
"Yes!" This ti, Xie Jue didn’t dodge nor force Lan Ningzhen to guess his mind. "I truly want to marry you."
**If you are willing to marry, I am happy!**
Lan Ningzhen’s heart raced, and amidst her excitent, she felt a slight pang of disappointnt. However, being a straightforward person, she didn’t show it. She reminded Xie Jue, "My brother-in-law isn’t in Fox City, and the battlefield is ever-changing with unpredictable dangers. Should the Sixth Prince or the Great King invite you in the future, you must be cautious or take along to prevent them from playing dirty tricks."
"The Second Prince has just entered the battlefield. Even if they covet military supplies, as long as the Beiman King is alive, they wouldn’t dare disrupt the transportation of supplies. If they affect the war effort, they’d face severe consequences. Therefore, as long as they can’t take control of the red mineral mines, they won’t dare harm . If I were to die, they’d fail to control the Prince Manor or the red mineral mines. The mines would still remain under the Second Prince’s managent. Killing would gain them nothing. They’re more likely to coax or tempt with benefits." Xie Jue had analyzed the forces of the princes and Beiman thoroughly and showed no concern about being assassinated. "For now, their best bet is to win over with interests, not eliminate . You’ve been quite well-inford, I see."
"Don’t underestimate the Sixth Prince. Though he’s frail and often ailing, he hasn’t lost the Beiman King’s trust, which proves his intelligence. In the martial, strength-oriented Beiman Imperial Court, for soone as feeble as the Sixth Prince to hold his ground, his mind must be sharp. Today, he invited you to his manor, but the Great King was already there early in the day. Did you see him?"
"I didn’t, but I knew soone was in the study." Xie Jue, ever perceptive, had sensed sothing amiss long ago. "The Sixth Prince couldn’t align interests with , so there was no need to et. On the surface, he’s just a bridge of communication between and others, a re pawn. But in reality, who’s the pawn and who’s playing the chess ga is another matter. This Sixth Prince... poses a greater threat than the Great King. Though frail, he has a fearless brother who’s loyal to him. If I were the Beiman King, I’d entrust him with the empire. With one brother waging war and the other managing city affairs, there’d be no concerns for the kingdom’s stability."
Lan Ningzhen nodded slightly. "The Great King has indeed earned nurous military rits, and the Great Queen’s stronghold in Fox City runs deep. Multiple tribes follow her lead. But she wields no actual authority over city governance. The Great Prince is straightforward and surrounds himself with advisors mostly of military backgrounds. As a result, the Sixth Prince oversees the military supplies for the front lines. From food and clothing to weaponry, all must pass through his hands. Ostensibly the Great King’s vanguard, he has, over the years, progressively consud power and established real authority. The Great King, for all his bluster, is a paper tiger— the truly formidable one is the Sixth Prince."
When Xie Jue had initially entered the Sixth Prince Manor, his original plan was to stay there. However, after so ti, he realized it wouldn’t work. The Sixth Prince was too sharp and cunning, making it nearly impossible for Xie Jue to carry out his sches. Thus, he intentionally provoked the Princess, frequently subjecting himself to her scoldings and beatings, so he could eventually leave under a plausible pretext.
General ng’s incident was a heaven-sent opportunity.
"As long as you have a plan." The prince’s manor was now within sight, but Lan Ningzhen couldn’t bear for him to return so soon. She could, of course, follow him in, but with so many prying eyes and wagging tongues inside, she much preferred being alone with Xie Jue. "Do you have any official business left today?"
Xie Jue hesitated for a mont. Since the Second Prince entered the battlefield, Xie Jue had been extrely busy, making countless arrangents on his behalf. After today’s eting with the Sixth Prince, he still needed to return to discuss counterasures with his advisors. Yet, seeing Lan Ningzhen’s sparkling eyes, he suddenly grasped why so rulers neglect their morning court duties.
"No."
Lan Ningzhen bead with joy. "Then I’m starving. The food at the manor isn’t to my taste. Co eat with ."
"Alright!"
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