The Crown Prince Chases His Wife
Extra 13 Adopted Daughter
Xiao Weiru wasn’t truly trying to probe for every little detail from Qin Lin. Although Miss Lin seemed mature and steady, she was still a young woman, perhaps with a thin skin. Xiao Weiru didn’t want to continue joking too much.
“Miss Lin, I’ve heard from Governor Chen that you seem to have some unique insights into water management. Could you share your thoughts with me?”
“Princess, you must have spent too much time in the military camp, and now you’ve picked up a bit of a rough edge. Have you forgotten you’re still a young lady yourself?”
Xiao Weiru straightened up, her face becoming more serious as she spoke to Qin Lin.
Qin Lin was surprised by the mention of official matters from Princess Rong’an. Why is this princess bringing up work matters?
Xiao Weiru smiled and said, “Water management is crucial for any nation. If I could learn something useful to take back to Northern Liang and make a contribution, perhaps I could even ask the emperor for a higher Princess title.'”
“Those who help will be rewarded generously.”
Qin Lin couldn’t help but laugh at Xiao Weiru’s half-serious, half-joking remark.
She hadn’t expected Princess Rong’an to be such a lively and charming person.
The issue of water management in the northwest wasn’t a secret, so Qin Lin had no real concerns.
Now that the Great Xia and Northern Liang were allied, and since the County Princess had been escorted here by General Shen, and had even learned some information from Governor Chen, it wouldn’t hurt to talk.
Qin Lin smiled faintly at Xiao Weiru and said, “I wouldn’t dare offer guidance. Please follow me to the study.”
Both Qin Lin and Xiao Weiru stood up and left the hall, heading toward the study.
————
Feng Subei quickly exited the governor’s office, but instead of taking a carriage, he mounted his horse, and with a sharp crack of the whip, he urged the horse into a gallop.
On horseback, the biting cold wind of the northwest filled Feng Subei’s robes like blades cutting into his flesh, but it didn’t slow down his pace at all.
He knew a bit about the Northern Liang Princess Rong’an. In terms of determination, strategy, and methods, she was far from ordinary.
What exactly was her intention for going to Qin Lin’s place? Was she still harboring ulterior motives?
Feng Subei’s thoughts turned cold, and he lashed the whip again.
Xiao Weiru!
————
After Xiao Weiru expressed her apologies to Qin Lin, thanked her, and said that they would talk again another day, she left the study, content with the blueprint that Qin Lin had given her.
In the study, Qin Lin briefly explained her thoughts to Princess Rong’an and drew a simple sketch for her.
It was only after Qin Lin lightly coughed twice that Xiao Weiru suddenly realized the girl was unwell.
Qin Lin stood up and politely escorted Princess Rong’an out.
Xiao Weiru didn’t pretend to refuse, as the distance to the courtyard gate was not far, and it seemed there would be no harm in staying a little longer. She admired Qin Lin’s wisdom and clarity, and naturally, she was happy to spend more time with her.
Outside the courtyard gate, just as Xiao Weiru was about to turn and bid Qin Lin farewell, the sound of hurried horse hooves suddenly came from the cold wind, drawing nearer. The sound made everyone turn their heads in unison.
Shen Ci, who had been resting with his eyes closed in the carriage, suddenly opened his eyes, and then quickly jumped out of the carriage, on high alert.
The man on horseback was tall and handsome, dressed in a dark black brocade robe, covered by a dark cloak. He urged his horse to a halt in front of the courtyard gate, then dismounted swiftly.
Feng Subei, bearing the frost and wind, stopped about a yard away from the gate. He first glanced at Qin Lin, standing inside, then turned his cold gaze toward Princess Rong’an, Xiao Weiru.
Seeing the cold, murderous look from the man before her, Xiao Weiru took a half-step back in surprise, her voice trembling slightly, “General Shen, protect me!”
Shen Ci furrowed his brows, uncertain of the situation.
Even though he had long ceased to involve himself in matters beyond military strategy, he could still sense that something was off. However, this wasn’t something he could interfere with as an outsider, so he didn’t respond to Xiao Weiru’s call.
Xiao Weiru stopped playing around. She turned and raised the scroll in her hand, waving it at Qin Lin.
“Miss Lin, thank you.”
Qin Lin bowed respectfully, and as Xiao Weiru walked towards another carriage, she paused after taking a few steps. She turned back and smiled at the cold-faced man still standing where he had been, “Does Shizi live next to Miss Lin?”
“Miss Lin has caught a cold. If Shizi could kindly remind her to drink plenty of hot water, I would be very grateful. Farewell.”
Xiao Weiru dropped these words, then turned and got into the carriage. The carriage slowly moved away.
Outside the courtyard gate, Feng Subei walked step by step toward the woman wrapped in a white fox fur cloak, her figure still appearing somewhat fragile.
Qin Lin let out another soft cough, which made Feng Subei’s heart tighten.
Feng Subei stood still in front of Qin Lin, furrowing his brow and asking, “Have you drunk hot water?”
Qin Lin: ……
————
In the end, Feng Subei, under the guise of discussing official matters, ceremoniously followed Qin Lin into the house.
In the study, the maid brought in tea, checked the charcoal fire, and then left the door slightly ajar before retreating.
Feng Subei didn’t touch the tea but instead directly asked Qin Lin, “What did the Princess say?”
Qin Lin put down her tea cup and met the man’s gaze. After a moment, she slowly spoke, “The Princess said that Shizi has someone he wishes to spend his life with.”
Feng Subei was slightly surprised in his heart. This Xiao Weiru actually said such a thing.
And Qin Lin was…
A glimmer of light flashed in Feng Subei’s eyes as he slowly rose to his feet and walked step by step toward the woman across from him.
Feng Subei’s tall figure came to a halt in front of Qin Lin, then he leaned down, placing his hands on the armrests of the chair Qin Lin was sitting in. His deep, dark eyes locked onto Qin Lin’s as he spoke in a low voice, “Qin Lin, the person I want to spend the rest of my life with is you, it has always been you, and only you.”
Qin Lin was so startled by Feng Subei’s sudden confession that her heart skipped a beat, and she was left in a daze, her expression somewhat foolish.
Feng Subei’s brow relaxed as he leaned in closer once more.
But Qin Lin suddenly turned her face away, “Shizi, I have caught a cold.”
Feng Subei chuckled softly, then raised his hand to caress Qin Lin’s cheek, turning her face back towards him.
Feng Subei looked at Qin Lin and said in a low voice, “After meeting you, I have been suffering from an incurable illness for a long time, so why should I fear a mere cold?”
Qin Lin’s expression remained calm, but only she knew how her heart was pounding like a drum, uncontrollably, because of the shameless words this man before her kept saying.
Before Qin Lin could calm down, Feng Subei moved his hand from her cheek to the back of her head, holding it firmly as he leaned in and kissed her.
When their lips parted, both were slightly breathless. Feng Subei gently stroked Qin Lin’s glossy black hair and said, “Qin Lin, let me tell you everything. Don’t run away anymore.”
Outside, the cold wind howled, but inside, warmth filled the room.
In the study, the charcoal fire occasionally crackled, interspersed with the man’s gentle murmurs.
The harsh winter of the northwest didn’t seem so cold after all.
————
Feng Subei told Qin Lin many things, including matters about An Yanxi.
However, Feng Subei was very restrained in his words, not overly disparaging An Yanxi, but calmly recounting the facts of what had happened.
Back then, when Feng Subei proposed the marriage alliance with the An family, it was for factional interests, and his motives were never pure. The final outcome, whether for An Yanxi or the An family, left Feng Subei with a sense of guilt.
The An Yanxi of the past was not like this. Feng Subei had watched as she gradually lost her original intentions and could guess why.
An Wenjing and An Yanxi, siblings who lost their mother at a young age, later had their father remarry. The stepmother initially treated the An siblings well, but as she bore more children, the An Mansion was never peaceful again.
From a young age, An Yanxi and her half-sister, An Suyue, were constantly at odds. An Yanxi was fiercely competitive, striving to be the best in everything, but her methods grew increasingly extreme and narrow-minded, and she gradually lost her true self.
Feng Subei could imagine how defeated the proud Miss An must have felt when she encountered Qin Yan, who had suddenly returned to the capital from the northwest.
After all, An Yanxi was just a sheltered young woman. What chance did she have against a woman like Empress Qin Yan?
In the end, she was also a pitiful soul.
————-
Over the next few days, Princess Rong’an Xiao Weiru accompanied by a group of civil and military officials from Northern Liang, toured Cangcheng with Shen Ci and Chen Xun, the governor of Yongzhou, as their guides.
On the day before her departure, Princess Rong’an escorted by Shen Ci, strolled through the streets and markets of Cangcheng.
To Shen Ci’s surprise, the items purchased by the Princess were not limited to typical feminine goods. Instead, she had her subordinates buy every kind of item they came across, whether familiar or unfamiliar, and meticulously record the amount of money spent.
Shen Ci smiled faintly, thinking that the Princess must be doing this for official business.
When they reached a foreign merchant’s spice stall, Shen Ci stopped and asked the vendor for two sets of the finest rouge and face powder.
Hearing this, Xiao Weiru turned around and looked at Shen Ci with a teasing expression, “General Shen, are these for Lady Shen and the Empress?”
Shen Ci’s brows furrowed slightly as if he were pondering something.
Seeing this, Xiao Weiru’s playful interest was piqued, “Could it be… for a sweetheart?”
Shen Ci had no intention of responding to Xiao Weiru’s question.
Shen Ci’s mother, Fang Su, didn’t use such things, and it was simply a habit of Shen Ci’s to bring small gifts for Yan Yan and Princess Jingyi whenever he traveled. Thus, he would instinctively request two sets of these feminine items without much thought.
But… a sweetheart?
Xiao Weiru noticed that Shen Ci looked a bit puzzled, and she smiled lightly, casually saying, “General Chen, a soldier like you will probably never understand what love is in your lifetime.”
“Maybe the person you habitually want to protect and take care of is the one you truly care for, even if you don’t realize it.”
Princess Rong’an didn’t continue to ask further, as it was ultimately Shen Ci’s private matter. After the shopkeeper handed over two sets of packaged rouge to Shen Ci, the group continued on their way.
The next day, Shen Ci had originally planned to send someone else to escort Princess Rong’an and her entourage back, while he stayed in the northwest to attend to official duties in the spring.
However, news suddenly came from the capital that the marriage of Gu Junyan, the Shizi of the Marquis of Pingnan Mansion, was approaching.
Shen Ci had previously promised Gu Junyan, so he decided to personally escort Princess Rong’an and her group back to the capital. After preparing in the capital, he would then head to Lingnan to celebrate Gu Junyan’s wedding.
———-
In this city, some people leave, and others enter.
Xie Changyuan arrived in Cangcheng. After briefly discussing official matters with the Shizi of Duan Wang Mansion, Feng Subei, and Governor Chen Xun, he continued on his journey alone, riding towards the northwest direction of Xiao Pass.
With more than a month remaining before his official appointment, Xie Changyuan planned to leave Xiao Pass and head to Gu City.
Gu City, the place where Qin Yan had spent several years.
Xie Changyuan did not believe that he had an obsession or deep affection for Qin Yan. He simply felt dissatisfied and unresolved.
Xie Changyuan’s life had always been constrained by fate, filled with irony and absurdity.
And Qin Yan was one of the twists of fate that had haunted him, a lingering regret in his heart.
This was the place where the misunderstanding had begun, the root of the turmoil that had plagued half his life. Could he sever the ties of the past here and start anew?
On the road from Xiao Pass to Gu City, even though it was already evening, there were still merchant caravans coming and going. The once desolate frontier was no longer as barren as before, with food stalls and tea sheds scattered every few miles along the way.
—————
Midway through the journey, Xie Changyuan dismounted and rested at a tea shed. He ordered a pot of tea but did not drink it. Having once served closely by the emperor’s side, Xie Changyuan was extremely cautious and would not easily consume anything from the outside.
Other travelers were resting in the tea shed as well. Xie Changyuan’s hearing was sharp, and the hushed conversations from the neighboring table clearly reached his ears.
“Now that the pass is peaceful, with no fear of foreign enemies or bandits, how else could we be wandering around on the road at this hour?”
“True. Back in the day, we only dared to travel during the day when the Silver Armor Guards of Gu City were out on patrol. Times have really changed.”
“Hey, have you heard? Boss Wen has stopped doing business and is now setting up schools all over Great Xia. He’s truly a money-spending philanthropist!”
“Exactly, exactly…”
“Of course, I’ve heard. There are rumors that Boss Wen has the backing of the current Empress. He’s made a fortune over the years. Compared to the Yu family from Yangzhou, who were raided and ruined, Boss Wen is like heaven and earth. But I wonder why he plans on retiring now?”
“I find it strange too. With the Empress in power, why doesn’t Boss Wen try to become an official merchant? He might even become the second richest man in Great Xia, after Yu Qingfeng.”
……
As the group of people continued their discussion, a middle-aged man at the same table, who had been silent up until now, slowly placed his cup down and spoke, “Boss Wen has managed to maintain his principles, not being greedy. Cutting off one’s arm in the face of danger, retiring at the right moment, this is the wisdom of a truly great person.”
After a brief pause, the others seemed to suddenly understand.
“Boss Zhang is right…”
“Boss Zhang has a sharp insight…”
After the group left, Xie Changyuan didn’t stand up immediately.
The “Boss Wen” they had been talking about, Xie Changyuan likely knew of, Wen Luo, the head of the Wen family business in the capital.
Xie Changyuan had once sent people to secretly investigate various matters about Qin Yan, and, of course, those reports also included information about this “Boss Wen,” who Qin Yan had supported in rising to the position of the richest man in the capital.
Thinking about what the group had just said, Xie Changyuan couldn’t help but smile.
Qin Yan truly had an eye for people.
But in an instant, a trace of sorrow appeared in Xie Changyuan’s eyes.
Qin Yan… Empress Qin Yan…
—————-
Moments later, just as Xie Changyuan was about to rise, a man and woman suddenly approached his table.
The woman looked at Xie Changyuan and spoke, “Shizi Xie, could we have a word in private?”
Xie Changyuan squinted and looked up, seemingly recalling something in his mind.
Is that her?
On the side of the official road, Song Yin briefly told Xie Changyuan what had been weighing on her mind.
Song Yin had narrowly escaped death when Empress Qin Yan led her forces to storm the Yizhou Wang Mansion, but she had spent a long time recovering before she was almost fully restored.
Later, Song Yin’s people reported to her about the events that had taken place in the Yizhou Wang Mansion, including the fact that Lady Yan’s daughter had been taken away.
Upon hearing this, Song Yin felt a sense of doubt.
That night, everyone in the Yizhou Wang Mansion had been running for their lives amidst the chaos and fighting, who would have had the time or opportunity to take a baby girl?
Song Yin then speculated that it might be related to the Marquis of Yongding Mansion in the capital.
So, she sent people into the capital to inquire. Indeed, they heard that the Marquis Xie of Yongding Mansion had adopted a daughter, and this new young lady of the Marquis Mansion was about the same age as the missing baby girl from Yizhou Wang Mansion.
Song Yin’s suspicions were further confirmed.
But if that were true, why was the child adopted by the Marquis of Yongding instead of being recorded under Shizi Xie’s name? Wouldn’t that cause a mix-up in the family’s genealogy?
Song Yin couldn’t figure out the reason and wasn’t particularly interested in continuing her speculation.
Song Yin had no particular connection to the Marquis of Yongding Mansion, but she didn’t want to let Ye Qingli manipulate everyone any longer.
The secret of the Yizhou Wang Mansion, apart from her, probably no one else knew. Song Yin had plans to travel westward with her senior brother, Shen Hong, to the Western Regions for a couple of years. Meeting Xie Changyuan here, she thought, was fate.
After hearing Song Yin’s words, Xie Changyuan merely furrowed his brows, not responding.
Once she finished speaking, Song Yin clasped her hands in a fist and bade farewell, “Shizi Xie, this is just my suspicion; you’ll need to judge for yourself. Farewell.”
Xie Changyuan nodded, watching the pair of a man and woman mount their horses and leave.
The sky grew darker, and a cold wind blew, but Xie Changyuan stood still in the wind, breathing deeply, allowing the chill to pierce his lungs.
At this moment, Xie Changyuan felt an unprecedented sense of relief in his heart. He had finally cut ties with that woman.
A wry smile curled at the corner of Xie Changyuan’s lips.
Xie An, you’re nothing but a joke too.