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Chapter 45 Only this person in this lifetime
Soon there was a rumor in the imperial city that the Xiongnu seemed to express to emperor Jinghui their wish to form a marriage alliance with Great Liang. It was said that the candidate was emperor Jinghui’s princess.
However, there were only two among emperor Jinghui’s princesses that could form a marriage alliance. This made people anxious.
At the empress’s Qin Palace, Situ Ningan was wearing a gorgeous pink-purple pleated dress. It made her face look more delicate and lovely. However, this stunning face was full of sadness and panic at this moment.
There were only the personal maids of Situ Ningan and the empress inside of Qin Palace. Situ Ningan sadly knelt in front of the empress and said, “Empress mother, does emperor father really want to marry me to the Xiongnu? Ningan doesn’t want to go. Empress mother, please save Ningan!”
The empress also couldn’t bear that. She looked at Ningan’s weeping face and sighed secretly. Then, she touched Ningan’s head lovingly and comforted, “Ningan, don’t panic. The Xiongnu had only expressed this wish so far. Your emperor father hasn’t made a decision yet. Perhaps, there was still room for a leeway.”
Right, emperor Jinghui hasn’t decided yet, but that was only because the envoys who should come with the official document to ask for the marriage alliance haven’t arrived yet. However, it was very likely that emperor Jinghui would weakly agree with the Xiongnu. Among his two unmarried princesses, sixth princess Situ Minghui was already engaged. Then, Situ Ningan was the only one who met the criteria.
The Xiongnu was far away from Liang capital and it was the land of savages. In other words, no one would be willing to abandon the glory and wealth and marry to that kind of place. Situ Ningan didn’t want to marry. The empress naturally also couldn’t bear for that to happen to the person she loved as her own daughter, but she was powerless.
The empress was almost forty-year-old this year. Beauty would fade with age and emperor Jinghui was someone who liked new people and was bored with the old ones. The beauties of the palace changed batch after batch like chives that would newly grow again after a few days. It was endless.
And the empress, this old chive wasn’t cut yet, but it was also not delicious. Naturally, there was no chance of swaying the other party with pillow talk. Moreover, it would attract criticism if the harem meddled in political affairs. The officials at court wouldn’t allow her to do so.
Ningan was very scared. She was scared that she would become a gift and become the plaything for that old leader of the Xiongnu. She was also scared to be ten thousand li away from home and not having anyone familiar to rely on, and she was even more scared of not being able to see the person she thought about day and night. She was afraid of being forever forgotten by him.
After knowing that she couldn’t get help from the empress, the fear and despair in her heart made Ningan make a bold decision. This decision was regardless of the law and natural morality. It took all the courage she had accumulated for the past ten or more years. She must give it a try and bet it all for her future!
Not long after, Situ Ningan arrived secretly at the residence of her fifth big brother Situ Yuanxiao. After she explained her intention to Situ Yuanxiao, Situ Yuanxiao looked at her in disbelief and said, “Ningan, you are crazy! Have you thought about to consequences of doing this? Moreover, that guy threw off my person last time. I still haven’t figured out his identity. How can you like an unknown person? Besides, you are Great Liang’s princess! Noble blooded! How can you do such a thing that would shame the entire Great Liang, emperor father, empress mother and the whole imperial household?!”
Situ Ningan looked sadly at Situ Yuanxiao and said, “Because I am Great Liang’s princess and emperor father’s daughter, should I marry to the Xiongnu and be played by the Xiongnu? And become the sacrifice of fawning favor from the Xiongnu?!”
“You…,” Situ Yuanxiao was so angry that he couldn’t speak. He didn’t expect that Situ Ningan was so rebellious and unfilial. Moreover, he had never thought that the always well-behaved little sister would be so fierce, but he had no way to refute because the truth was like that.
Because Situ Ningan is a girl and is Great Liang’s princess, therefore, it was reasonable for her to make contributions and sacrifices for Great Liang. Even if making her marry to the Xiongnu and sacrifice her life’s happiness, the officials of Great Liang would clap their hands and sing her praises because she is a princess and this was the responsibility and glory of being a princess!
In fact, Situ Yuanxiao didn’t agree on this practice of his emperor father and the officials. After Situ Yuanxiao had took general Pingxi Chen Jin as his teacher in his early years, he gradually developed a taste for iron and blood. Of course, he didn’t like this approach. In his opinion, this was weak and spineless. They should’ve let the army swept over the grassland and exterminate the Xiongnu. This would teach them a lesson to not always do disadvantageous things towards Great Liang.
It was not that Situ Ningan hasn’t thought about begging her eldest brother crown prince Situ Yaohua. However, she knew the personality of her eldest brother very well. How would he do such a thing that would dishonor and disgrace the country for her? She could only beg Situ Yuanxiao.
Situ Ningan begged, “Emperor father hasn’t given an order yet. There is still room for a leeway. Fifth big brother, can’t you help me?”
Indeed, this was still just an idea of the Xiongnu. However, they had already sent people back to ask their khan and prince for instructions. The result would be here soon. By that time, she wasn’t confident that her emperor father would keep her.
Emperor Jinghui likes Situ Ningan, but that was only liking. What was sacrificing a daughter in the face of benefit and peace?
Situ Ningan was so desperate because she had already begged emperor Jinghui. Emperor Jinghui didn’t conceal his thought at all in front of Situ Ningan and directly told her his purpose. He also asked Situ Ningan to fulfil her responsibility as a princess.
This was a request and hurt of a father and emperor to his daughter. He let her give up on herself and marry far away for his country and its citizens. How could Situ Ningan not feel despair when she was sacrificed by her emperor father and the citizens of the country?
Situ Yuanxiao said furiously, “You want me to hold a fake feast of looking or a groom and promise that there would be high interest just to let Zhao Zhong come? But how can you know that he would come?! You still are going…you.”
“I also plan to let him win when he comes, fly away together to far away and never put a foot in Liang capital again!”
“Ningan, you are crazy!” Situ Yuanxiao was flustered and exasperated. A dignified princess of Great Liang became so crazy for an unclear guy.
“I am crazy!” Situ Ningan yelled at her brother. Her tears fell down, “I’m crazy to want to do this for someone I have only met twice. However, if it wasn’t because of him, my chastity would’ve long gone and the Situ Ningan standing in front of you now, would’ve no longer been here. Even if I have to abandon the title of Great Liang’s princess, I’m willing!”
Situ Ningan was too young. Because she was young, she could do this for a person she has only met twice. However, she had never thought whether the person she had just met twice would accept and love her. Moreover, if she did this, it was giving up her identity as a princess. And would the her who was no longer of noble blood really be able to keep the person she loves? All men in the world were fickle. Situ Yuanxiao didn’t think that anyone would be different.
Situ Yuanxiao resisted his anger, “Little sister, listen to the advice of fifth big brother. The matter has not been fully decided yet. Perhaps, there would be a chance to beg emperor father.”
Unexpectedly, Situ Ningan looked at him with a weird expression and with a smile that was not yet a smile. A restlessness made Situ Yuanxiao’s heart tremble, but before he could react, Situ Ningan already took out a dagger from her sleeve, placed it on her neck and said, “Do you agree or not?!”
Situ Yuanxiao immediately panicked and hurriedly said, “Ningan, don’t get stirred up. Put down the dagger first!”
Let’s not talk about the purpose of Situ Ningan coming secretly to his residence. If something happened to Situ Ningan in his residence, this was not something Situ Yuanxiao could bear to take responsibility for.
Ningan’s expression was fierce and crazy. She pushed the dagger in her neck a bit and forced Situ Yuanxiao with her eyes. A trace of redness flowed along the snow-white blade, scaring Situ Yuanxiao that his face paled. He hurriedly said, “Alright, stop. Fifth big brother agrees. Put down the dagger first. We can discuss about everything.”
“Really?” Situ Ningan asked with tears.
“Really, when had fifth big brother lie to you?!” Situ Yuanxiao promised. As long as situ Ningan put down the dagger, he could do anything.
Situ Ningan seemed to believe him and put the dagger down, but then she quickly put it away in her sleeve. Situ Yuanxiao had no other way than to let her be.
However, what Situ Ningan didn’t know was that although Situ Yuanxiao had promised her, but it didn’t mean that he didn’t have other ideas. He couldn’t let Great Liang’s princess do this. This would shame Great Liang. He couldn’t do such a thing.
The simplest solution to this matter was to get rid of that Zhao Zhong. As long as Zhao Zhong doesn’t show up to the feast of looking for a groom, eliminating him later would be an easy matter.
However, Situ Ningan wasn’t the same as Situ Yuanxiao. She had been protected in the deep palace ever since she was a child and was unaware of the complexity and sinisterness of people’s heart, otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to do such a thing. Naturally, she also didn’t know that she had been schemed by her big brother.
After that, Situ Ningan asked Situ Yuanxiao to spread the feast of selecting for a groom throughout Liang capital and let the people of Liang capital think that there was really a feast for recruiting a groom. Only this way could she implement her plan. By then, she only had to design to let Zhao Zhong get the top spot. She believed that that cold and handsome person would marry her.
Situ Ningan also sent her personal maid Wei Er to Fengya Pavilion to find Zhao Zhong because Zhao Zhong came without a shadow and left without a footprint. His identity was mysterious, but she knew that Zhao Zhong and the owner of Fengya Pavilion seemed to have an unusual relationship. Now, she could only give it a try. She had no other way to find him.
Came without a shadow and left without a footprint: come and go without a trace
—
At this time at Qiansui residence, the swords were drawn and the bows bent. A beautiful middle-aged woman adorned in a lavender luxurious dress was pointing her sword at Lin Qing. Zhao Zimu was blocking in front of Lin Qing. No one was around them.
The swords were drawn and the bows bent: state of mutual hostility.
Zhao Zimu was a bit nervous and said with headache, “Aunt Qing, let’s use words and not swords!”
Aunt Qing also didn’t know whether she laughed from anger or fury and said, “Originally, I didn’t believe Xue Yi when she told me about you two. Seeing it with my own eyes today, all of this was probably true. Zimu, don’t tell me that you really like this person! Could it be that you don’t know who he is?!”
Aunt Qing sneaked into Qiansui’s residence after hearing Xue Yi’s report. She happened to bump into the scene where Zhao Zimu and Lin Qing were intimate with each other. Her reaction was very big.
Lin Qing’s lips were in a tight line. Naturally, he knew what kind of person he is. He is a eunuch. Moreover, he is a eunuch who everyone hated, wished to eat his flesh and drink his blood. Sinister, cunning, ruthless, not shrinking from any crime and was most likely to not have a good ending. He knew all of these.
Zhao Zimu stood in front of him and smiled at aunt Qing, “Aunt Qing, I naturally know what kind of person he is, but he is also the one I like! He had treated me well ever since that father of mine sent me to Qiansui’s residence as a gift. Brocade, gold, silver, pearls and jewels; as long as he had it and could give it, he would send them to here and give me a comfortable life. Although, there were many women in his residence, but he had never let anyone bully me. He treats me well, I like him.”
“But he is not a man! No matter how good he is to you, what use does it have?!” Aunt Qing said angrily. She couldn’t understand. The child that she watched growing up was very well-behaved and sensible when she was young, why did she had the tendency to grow crooked now?
Originally, she thought that Zhao Zimu only stayed at Qiansui’s residence because of her easy-going personality. As long as she got tired of staying here, she would leave. However, she had never thought that Lin Qing was able to make her stay. How could this be?!
This was someone she protected, pampered, treated like a gem and watched grow up as the apple of her eyes. She would not allow her to fancy a eunuch! This was the same as ruining her (ZZ)!
Women were born to marry a man and then assist her husband and educate her children. This was the principle that had not changed since ancient times. All the women in the world also regarded this as their lifelong happiness. But Zhao Zimu happened to fall for a man that was not a man. Not to mention assist the husband and educate the children, she couldn’t even enjoy the normal happiness (sex) between a man and woman. Would she be happy?
Aunt Qing obviously thought that Zhao Zimu wouldn’t be happy. Hence, she had to stop her even if she had to sacrifice her life to kill that dog eunuch that everyone hated.
In Chinese, dog was used as a derogatory term
Zhao Zimu calmly turned her head and kissed Lin Qing’s on the forehead to express comfort. Then, she turned to aunt Qing who looked at her with sad eyes and said, “In this whole life, aside from him, I don’t want anyone else.”
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