Chapter 45: The Fake Princess and His God of War Prince (Part II)
Just as the Empress said, the Prince of Beichen was well-prepared for marrying the princess.
Early the next morning, the wedding procession entered the capital. After settling in the relay station, they entered the palace for the banquet at the end of the Shen hour (3-5 PM).
A legitimate princess marrying far away was no small matter. The entire Moon Palace, from top to bottom, was preparing for Xiao Ji’s wedding. The Ministry of Rites also added many things according to regulations on top of the dowry previously prepared for the Sixth Princess.
The Empress had to accompany the Emperor to host the welcoming party in the Chonghua Grand Hall, so she only sent the senior nun by her side to personally inspect Xiao Ji’s dowry item by item.
Only Xiao Ji, acting as if the matter didn’t concern him, idled away his time on a rattan chair in the pavilion at the heart of the Imperial Garden lake.
A young maid with delicate brows sat on the steps, one leg propped up, tossing peanuts into her mouth while saying to Xiao Ji:
“Over a hundred soldiers riding tall horses and wearing black heavy armor, pulling a pitch-black carriage. Since entering the Imperial City, not a single one has shown a smiling face. Each face is longer than a donkey’s. Those who know know they are here to welcome a bride; those who don’t would think they are here to arrest a criminal.”
Xiao Ji closed his eyes. “At least they are pulling a carriage, not a coffin.”
The little maid froze, then spoke in a coarse voice, “Master, you aren’t allowed to say such things indiscriminately.”
The little maid in front of him wasn’t actually a maid, but a young eunuch.
When he first entered the palace, he made a mistake and was almost beaten to death by the managing eunuch. He was saved by the original owner Xiao Ji, dressed as a little maid, given the name Lianqiu, and kept by Xiao Ji’s side.
This time, with Xiao Ji getting married, he was part of the dowry entourage.
Xiao Ji thought for a moment and asked Lianqiu, “Do you know the identity of the person leading them?”
Lianqiu had gone out of the palace early this morning under the pretext of purchasing to watch the excitement. He followed these people all the way to the relay station before returning, so he saw clearly.
“Wearing a half-face mask of black iron, looking fiendish, with green face and fangs. It’s the Prince of Beichen’s number one lieutenant, Lin Heng.”
The Prince of Beichen had a fiefdom and could not enter the capital without a summons. Sending Lin Heng was considered showing respect to Xiao Ji.
Xiao Ji originally thought that according to this, the journey from the capital to the Northern Frontier would take nearly a month, so the earliest he could see Xiang Yinnian himself would be a month later.
But no one expected that a major event would happen in the palace that very night.
At that time, he had just bathed, changed clothes, and was preparing to sleep when he found that the window behind his bed had opened a crack at some point.
The wind in the early winter night had begun to bite. Drilling into the sleeping hall heated by the earth dragon, it instantly made Xiao Ji feel refreshed.
Xiao Ji thought for a moment, walked to the window, and opened it wider.
At the same time, he suddenly detected an extremely faint sound of breathing in his sleeping hall, along with a trace of the smell of blood.
Because of his identity, the original owner never allowed anyone to keep watch inside the sleeping hall at night. Even Lianqiu could only guard at the main entrance of the sleeping hall and was not allowed inside.
Then, this could only mean that someone had quietly sneaked into his sleeping hall while Xiao Ji was bathing.
This kind of drama fit the Star Lord of Fate’s taste perfectly; Xiao Ji wasn’t surprised at all.
He simply closed the window, walked to the candle stand, blew out the candle, and said faintly:
“Hiding there, if someone comes to search, you won’t be able to escape either. The visitor is a guest; why not come out and chat with me about what you’ve done? Maybe if I’m in a good mood, I’ll help you.”
A light chuckle came from a corner on the beams of the sleeping hall. Subsequently, a black shadow landed lightly behind Xiao Ji.
“I didn’t know Her Highness the Ninth Princess was so charitable and had a Bodhisattva’s heart.”
That voice was deep and pleasing to the ear, carrying a trace of teasing that made it hard to distinguish good from evil.
But the moment that voice rang out, Xiao Ji’s brow jumped.
He turned around and looked at the figure in the darkness.
The night-travel clothes that almost blended him with the night couldn’t confuse Xiao Ji’s vision in the dark.
Tall and robust, masked, with a piece of black iron mask on half his face. His appearance couldn’t be seen clearly, only a pair of long, narrow phoenix eyes staring closely at him, unable to conceal their cold light.
At this moment, half a broken arrow was stuck in his left shoulder. That faint smell of blood must have come from there.
Hit by an arrow yet still standing there nonchalantly teasing people—clearly not a lamp that consumes little oil.
Xiao Ji approached the man, showing no fear on his face. “Tell me, what did you do?”
The man watched Xiao Ji approach and began to retreat imperceptibly, but his mouth stated the facts without taboo:
“Was in a bad mood, killed someone.”
Xiao Ji continued to approach. “Who?”
The black shadow continued to retreat. “Your third brother.”
Xiao Ji stopped. “Assassinating imperial clan members is a capital crime warranting the execution of nine generations. Where did you get the guts?”
Hearing this, the black shadow suddenly laughed out loud.
“Who in the world doesn’t know that the Third Prince is powerful now, repeatedly making contributions in court, his limelight even suppressing the Crown Prince? By killing him, didn’t I do you two siblings a huge favor?”
Xiao Ji raised an eyebrow. “Is this the reason you found me and determined I would help you?”
The black shadow spoke half-truths. “The enemy of an enemy is a friend. Help me once; you won’t lose out.”
“You’re wrong,” Xiao Ji said. “The Crown Prince is the Crown Prince, and I am me. Helping you, I don’t lose out, but I don’t gain any advantage either. Busy for nothing inside and out—why should I help you?”
Hearing this, the black shadow froze first, then let out a “hey.”
“You just said if you were in a good mood, maybe you’d help me.”
Xiao Ji was expressionless. “I’m in a bad mood now.”
The black shadow was almost angered into laughter by him. He immediately pulled out a short knife and held it across Xiao Ji’s neck.
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll slaughter you along with him?”
The original owner had played the female role for too long. There were eyes and ears everywhere in the palace, requiring constant vigilance, and he was sustained by medicine. At this moment, even without makeup, aside from being overly tall, he looked like a peerlessly beautiful woman.
Hearing this, Xiao Ji first raised his hand, erected an index finger, and pushed away the blade across his neck as if it were nothing.
Then he picked up the fire striker by the table, relit the candle stand that had just been extinguished, held the stand between himself and the black shadow, pressed his slender neck back against the cold blade, and said faintly:
“Do it. I didn’t want to live anyway.”
The candle flame flickered, the fragmented firelight reflecting on Xiao Ji’s face.
Ink-black hair like a waterfall, skin like congealed fat, brows like distant mountains containing dai pigment, eyes like autumn waters rippling.
The man in black met Xiao Ji’s gaze, and his heart skipped a beat instantly.
He scrutinized Xiao Ji’s face carefully. After a long time, not knowing what he suddenly remembered, he suddenly became unwilling.
“Don’t want to live? Are you that unwilling to marry into the Northern Frontier?”
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