Chapter 55: The Fake Princess and His God of War Prince (Part 12)
After Xiang Yinnian silently escaped the bedchamber, Xiao Ji also rolled over and sat up straight from the couch. Refusing the maid’s request outside the door, he only had water and clothes sent in, grooming himself properly.
The Beichen Wang’s manor had no elders, and the new bride didn’t need to serve tea to anyone. Xiao Ji didn’t like the cumbersome Princess Consort brocade robes, so he wore only a gold-woven cloud brocade jacket. When he arrived at the flower hall, the servants had already prepared the meal.
Cold dishes, hot dishes, soups, and desserts—eighteen items in total. Although many in number, the portions were small; each was only a small plate the size of a palm, exquisite and beautiful, clearly prepared with thought.
Six maids stood by the table, all with lowered brows and submissive eyes, waiting only to serve Xiao Ji food.
“Where is the Wangye?” Xiao Ji took his seat and asked.
The head maid lowered her eyes and answered, “The Wangye went to the drill grounds to train the troops. He instructed the Wangfei not to wait.”
Xiao Ji said indifferently, “Withdraw. No need to serve.”
The maids acknowledged and retreated.
037 hadn’t been this speechless since the last time: 【You scared the little Phoenix away. Did you have to use force? Step by step would be so good.】
Xiao Ji picked up his chopsticks: 【Wedding night requires consummation.】
037 was left without a retort: 【So you just forced yourself on him?】
Xiao Ji didn’t think so: 【He was quite willing last night.】
037 knew early on that Xiao Ji had his own ideas and felt it was redundant to argue with him, so it shut its mouth.
And Xiang Yinnian, who was “quite willing” last night, was currently sitting on the high platform of the drill grounds. Wearing a fox fur cloak and sitting on two soft cushions stuffed under his butt, he pulled a long face, looking as if every soldier in the drill grounds owed him silver.
After Lin Heng let his gaze fall on Xiang Yinnian’s face for the third time, he finally couldn’t hold back:
“Why the long face on such a joyous day? Could it be last night…”
Xiang Yinnian’s butt hurt at the mere mention of last night. Hearing this, he quickly interrupted Lin Heng:
“Don’t ask what shouldn’t be asked. Careful Ben Wang sews your mouth shut.”
Lin Heng choked back his unfinished words and could only signal Yu Qing on the other side.
Yu Qing hadn’t slept all night and was in poor condition today. Looking at Xiang Yinnian’s profile, she asked:
“Did the Wangfei give you grief?”
Xiang Yinnian didn’t know how to answer at all.
This wasn’t even about receiving grief or not.
Honestly, even if Xiao Ji was unreasonable and put on airs, willing to throw a tantrum when bored, he was one hundred percent willing to coax him.
But the crux of the matter now was that he had married a man.
The Ninth Princess of Great Yue was damn well a man!
He, Xiang Yinnian, the dignified Beichen Wang, invincible leading thousands of troops on the battlefield, ended up being pressed down by his own wife.
There was absolutely no logic to this matter; it was the biggest joke under heaven.
And Xiao Ji’s words weren’t wrong. Everyone had their difficulties. Xiao Ji didn’t rush to marry him; it was he who created his own karma, pushing away the Sixth Princess, and self-righteously, smugly begging for this one.
Xiang Yinnian held a ball of wicked fire in his heart now, not knowing where to vent it.
Wanting to vent on that old Emperor—the mountains were high and the road was long; by the time the Emperor got angry, the New Year would probably be over.
Venting on Xiao Ji—thinking about it, a Prince disguising as a Princess must have unspeakable difficulties. It was definitely not Xiao Ji’s own wish.
Thinking back and forth, he felt this anger had to be vented on the Rongdi tribe.
He didn’t say whether Xiao Ji gave him grief, only said:
“Tomorrow, send someone out of the city to find the Khan. Say Ben Wang wants eight hundred cows and sheep from them. If they don’t give it, we deploy troops.”
Lin Heng and Yu Qing looked at each other, responded, and neither dared to ask more.
Xiang Yinnian’s mind and heart were now a chaotic mess.
To say he would never talk to Xiao Ji again from now on—he knew he couldn’t do it, because he couldn’t bear to.
But he didn’t have the cut-sleeve fetish. Growing up, he never thought he would get involved with a man. For a moment, he felt it hard to accept.
Originally, when he kissed Xiao Ji on the way to the wedding and hurriedly came back to prepare the banquet, he had already decided that if Xiao Ji was willing to be of one heart with him, he could go without taking concubines for life.
Just let Xiao Ji give birth to a few little ones for him—boys or girls, he wouldn’t be picky.
But preferably a boy to inherit the title.
But given the current situation, if Xiao Ji produced no offspring after a few years of marriage, someone would inevitably try to stuff people into his manor to ensure he had descendants.
Don’t accept them? Troublesome.
Accept them? Leaving aside whether Xiao Ji would vent anger on him, the main thing was, with Xiao Ji’s appearance, if he really wanted to seduce them, Xiang Yinnian couldn’t even distinguish what style of green hat he would end up wearing.
Wanting to fight Xiao Ji, but afraid Xiao Ji couldn’t withstand his fist. If he hurt him somewhere and Xiao Ji got angry and ignored him completely, the one suffering in the end would still be himself.
It was simply annoying to the extreme.
While watching the soldiers drill, Xiang Yinnian’s mind was full of Xiao Ji. He didn’t know if Xiao Ji would be angry about him leaving today, or how he should respond if Xiao Ji came to the drill grounds to find him.
Pity that for the whole afternoon, Xiao Ji made no movement at all.
Xiao Ji knew Xiang Yinnian was avoiding him.
Avoiding him for an afternoon, Xiao Ji didn’t hold it against him. But when dinner time came and Xiang Yinnian still hadn’t returned, Xiao Ji began to get displeased.
A table of food remained untouched. Until the sky grew dark and the moon was about to climb the branches, seeing Xiang Yinnian still hadn’t returned to the manor, Xiao Ji directly took Lianqiu and went out, forbidding anyone to follow.
Under 037’s guidance, he found the drill grounds. Four soldiers on duty stood under the high city tower. Seeing someone approach, they immediately crossed their long spears:
“Restricted area of the Northern Border. Idlers may not enter.”
Lianqiu flashed the manor token. “Open your dog eyes and see clearly who comes!”
There were differences between tokens.
What Lianqiu held was a First-Class Jade Token, representing the status of the Wangfei. In the manor, aside from Xiang Yinnian’s study, it could go anywhere.
The four soldiers looked at each other and bowed to Xiao Ji:
“Wangfei please forgive us, but the manor token cannot be used for the drill grounds. If the Wangfei seeks the Wangye for a matter, please wait a moment and let this subordinate go in to announce it.”
Xiao Ji said indifferently, “No need. Ben Gong will wait right here.”
With that, he stood under the city tower and began a standoff with the four soldiers on duty.
The winter in the Northern Border was bitterly cold.
It was a cold where not a blade of grass grew, and all things withered.
The snow that had only ceased at the hour of the Dragon today began to fall heavily again at this moment.
Seeing this, the small leader of the four cupped his fists and bowed to Xiao Ji: “Wangfei, it is snowing. Should this subordinate go inside and inform the Wangye anyway?”
Xiao Ji stood straight, no change in his expression. “Ben Gong said, no need.”
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