Chapter 48: The Fake Princess and His God of War Prince (Part 5)
Since reconciling with Fang Yinnian in his previous life, Xiao Ji had always slept in a bed with him.
In this life, he finally caught a chance to sleep on the cool, refreshing floor, only to have his good dream disturbed by Xiang Yinnian. Opening his eyes, he was somewhat displeased.
“If you aren’t sleeping, why are you bothering me?”
Earlier, when the guards were patrolling, Xiao Ji had told Xiang Yinnian to get on the bed. Although it was an expedient measure, Xiang Yinnian had still felt somewhat displeased.
But now, seeing Xiao Ji guarding his virtue so strictly—preferring to sleep on floor tiles rather than share a bed with him—that hurdle in his heart was crossed. Seeing Xiao Ji’s cold, petty temper, he felt as if a piece of his heart had caved in. It felt rather unpleasant, so he made room and said:
“Come up and sleep. I won’t disturb you.”
Xiao Ji sat up, looked at the sky outside, and covered his mouth to yawn.
“No need. We leave the capital today. There are only two shichen (four hours) left before departure. Sleeping or not makes no difference now.”
Xiang Yinnian used his right hand to pull him up, making him sit on the edge of the bed. After a thought, he said:
“You said you would let me leave the palace with your wedding procession. Does that still count?”
Xiao Ji looked at him. “Do you not trust me?”
Xiang Yinnian denied it. “That’s not it. If you are willing to send the Buddha all the way to the West, and I can save one of my men from taking the fall, that would naturally be best. It’s just that right now, if I want to send a message out…”
“I’ll lend you paper and brush. As for sending the message, I have a way,” Xiao Ji interrupted him.
Xiang Yinnian pursed his lips. “I didn’t expect you would be willing to help me. I thought you were unwilling to marry into the Northern Border.”
“Helping you is helping myself. Didn’t you promise that you’d make the Wangye favor me a couple more times, ensuring I wouldn’t guard an empty room or be tormented by others?”
Xiao Ji stared at Xiang Yinnian, narrowing his eyes. “What, is Vice General Lin… perhaps deceiving Ben Gong?”
Stared at by Xiao Ji, Xiang Yinnian felt his insides bristle. Although somewhat awkward, he still insisted firmly:
“How could that be? You can rest assured. A gentleman’s word is his bond. When the time comes, if the Wangye is unwilling to share a room with you, I’ll knock him out and deliver him to your bed myself!”
Xiao Ji’s eyelid twitched. He took paper and brush from the desk by the window. Just as he was about to step away to give privacy, he saw Xiang Yinnian scribble a few strokes on the paper, then hand it to Xiao Ji.
“My left hand is inconvenient. Please help me cut it out, fold it, and send it to Eunuch Zhao at Chaoyang Hall. I would be endlessly grateful.”
Xiao Ji was just about to say that Xiang Yinnian might be trusting him a bit too much, but when he looked down, he saw that nothing was written on the paper. Only in the corner, there was a drawing of a pile of shit.
He was silent for a moment, then tore off the shit drawing and folded it. “The Northern Border’s method of conveying secret messages is truly unexpected.”
Xiang Yinnian laughed dryly. “I’m a rough man. As long as my subordinates can understand it, it works.”
Xiao Ji walked to the window and whistled softly. A round little shrike flew out from under the eaves. Xiao Ji said nothing more; he simply stuffed the paper into the shrike’s beak and instructed:
“Go. Do not mistake the person.”
The shrike nuzzled Xiao Ji’s finger, then flew away with the secret message in its beak.
The Northern Border’s welcoming procession had no desire to linger in the capital, which now seemed to be a good thing.
Xiao Ji called Lianqiu in. Under the pretense of checking the dowry, he had several wooden chests carried in. Then, closing the door, he spread the silks and satins from one of the chests under his own bed, clearing a space for Xiang Yinnian to hide inside.
The assassin who tried to kill the Third Prince was never found. The palace had to send off a funeral right after sending off a wedding; every palace and courtyard was busy beyond belief.
No one was a fool. The people from the Northern Border had just entered the palace, and that very night the Third Prince was assassinated. Anyone with a brain knew this matter was likely inseparable from the Northern Border.
Now that the assassin had inexplicably vanished—no person seen alive, no corpse seen dead—no one could directly pin the crime on the Northern Border.
Even if the Emperor was unwilling and wanted to detain the Northern Border’s welcoming procession for a while longer, he could not block the Bureau of Astronomy’s declaration that the “auspicious hour” could not be delayed.
Xiao Ji was tied to the fate of the Great Yue. His affairs were the Great Yue’s top priority.
Xiao Ji changed into his wedding attire. Stepping into Qianyang Hall for the last time to serve tea to the Emperor and Empress, the Emperor held Xiao Ji’s hand and patted the back of it.
“Wherever you marry, you are always Zhen’s child. No matter what happens, just write back to the palace. Father Emperor will uphold justice for you.”
It sounded like kind intentions, but Xiao Ji understood. The Emperor was telling him to remember his identity: if there was any movement in the Northern Border, he was to send word back to the palace at any time.
Xiao Ji lowered his head. “Erchen understands.”
From the moment the Empress saw Xiao Ji walk into Qianyang Hall wearing wedding robes, her tears fell like pearls from a broken string, never stopping.
She didn’t say anything that would stab at one’s heart, only choked out a sentence:
“The journey is long and the mountains are high. Who knows when we mother and daughter will meet again. Take good care of your body. The future is long.”
Xiao Ji performed the kowtow ceremony to the Emperor and Empress. It seemed deeply moving, but in reality, his heart was completely unmoved.
According to Great Yue regulations, the welcoming procession only needed to wait at the palace gate and merge with the send-off procession once it exited.
But today, the Emperor specially invited the welcoming procession to enter the palace for the reception.
The reason was clear to everyone implicitly.
If the person who assassinated the Third Prince was hiding in the welcoming procession, then the number of people in the procession today should differ from when they entered the city yesterday.
Unfortunately, when the welcoming procession stood outside Qianyang Hall, each one wearing a sour face, the headcount was exactly the same as when they entered the city yesterday. Not a single person was missing, not even with an excuse of a stomachache.
Leading them was Lin Heng, wearing a mask, standing at the very front of the hundred-plus Black Cavalry, his expression solemn.
The Emperor personally held Xiao Ji’s hand and walked up to Lin Heng. After locking eyes with Lin Heng for a moment, he raised his hand to rest on Lin Heng’s left shoulder and squeezed hard.
“General Lin has worked hard. For Zhen’s Little Ninth, Zhen troubles you to take extra care on this journey.”
Lin Heng accepted the Emperor’s probe without a change in expression, saluting rigidly.
“Bixia, rest assured. This subject will certainly not disgrace the mission.”
The Emperor felt nothing unusual. He could only pat Lin Heng heavily on the shoulder again and say no more.
Regarding the arrow from last night, the Governor of the Yexing Si had reported truthfully. If it was indeed done by someone from the Northern Border, the only one with such skill would be Lin Heng.
But seeing him now, Lin Heng appeared normal.
Since the probe was fruitless, the auspicious hour could not be delayed.
As the sun rose in the east and a hundred birds gathered above Qianyang Hall, the ceremonial officer from the Bureau of Astronomy looked up at the celestial phenomena and chanted loudly:
“The auspicious hour has arrived! Respectfully sending the Ninth Princess off on her journey!”
Hearing the voice, the hundred officials chorused in unison:
“Respectfully sending the Ninth Princess off on her journey!”
Xiao Ji boarded his bridal carriage. Finally, followed by the crowd of the Northern Border’s welcoming procession and under the gaze of the hundred officials, he exited the Imperial Palace, heading all the way out of the Imperial City.
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