Zhang Xiue and Qin Xiaoniang were both taken aback. Who would come looking for her in this desolate wilderness?

"Let's go down and see if the imperial physician has anything else to say."

"Um."

Zhang Xiue lifted the curtain and jumped down from the carriage, but as soon as she looked up, she was met with a pair of sharp eyes.

Jiang Huaifu stood there, his face cold, like a demon who had just emerged from hell.

Zhang Xiue panicked and quickly took a few steps back, asking in a low voice, "Your Highness, did you look for me?"

"How is she? The imperial physician only said she caught a cold, but how could she have caught a cold out of the blue?"

"She didn't sleep well last night, and now that the weather is so cold, girls are bound to be a bit delicate. As a result, she caught a cold."

Jiang Huaifu remained expressionless for a long time before lowering his head and handing a small, red-gold pot that he had brought with him to Zhang Xiue's hands.

"This is a hand warmer for me to use personally. Why don't you take it to her?"

Upon hearing the words "for personal use," Zhang Xiu'e was stunned. It was completely illogical for the prince to give away his personal belongings to someone else!

I already sent a cloak last night, and I sent another one this morning. This is probably more than the usual concern a master shows to his servant.

“Your Highness, you’ve given away all your personal belongings. What will you use then? I’ve watched He’er grow up since she was little, so I won’t let her suffer any injustice. You are the pride of heaven; these things should remain with you for your own use…”

Jiang Huaifu frowned slightly, his gaze drifting into the distance.

Zhang Xiu'e was also caught in a dilemma. After all, she was not Song He'er's biological mother, and she couldn't just make decisions for her. It seemed that Qin Xiaoniang would have to deal with it alone.

After all, some things need to be said face-to-face for Jiang Huaifu to understand.

Thinking of this, Zhang Xiue suddenly spoke up and said, "Your Highness, wait a moment, there is someone who wants to see you."

Jiang Huaifu turned his gaze back and nodded at Zhang Xiue.

With his permission, Zhang Xiue jumped onto the carriage, ready to explain the matter to Qin Xiaoniang in detail.

"Why are you in such a panic? Who's looking for you? Did something happen?" Qin Xiaoniang asked.

Zhang Xiue took a breath and peeked out through the gap in the carriage to look at Jiang Huaifu. Seeing that his expression was normal, she then spoke.

"The young prince just took out another personal item, saying he wanted to give it to He'er to warm her up. I've already seen it; it's made of pure gold and inlaid with gemstones—it's quite valuable. How can he just give his personal item to a girl like that? I can't accept it without telling you, after all, you are He'er's biological mother. There are some things you need to decide and explain to the young prince face to face..."

Although Qin Xiaoniang was sometimes not very bright, she heard those words clearly.

Zhang Xiu'e's idea was for her to step forward and explain things clearly to the young prince from the Western Regions, so that he would give up and not make any futile efforts, thus avoiding an ugly situation for both sides later.

"Madam Zhang, what if...we're just overthinking it?"

"Don't worry about whether you think about it too much or not. The important thing is to prevent problems before they arise. It would be better if the young prince didn't have this idea. If he did, we should nip this budding idea in the bud as soon as possible to avoid endless troubles. He is a man of a different race. Marrying a man of a different race without the permission of the Central Plains is a crime on top of a crime!"

Qin Xiaoniang was well aware of the seriousness of the matter, so without saying a word, she got off the carriage.

Jiang Huaifu knew Song He'er's stepmother, so when he saw her, he immediately suppressed his arrogance and his gaze softened considerably.

Qin Xiaoniang was not as nervous as usual; instead, she was more frank this time.

"May Your Highness be well."

"No need for such formalities."

Qin Xiaoniang smiled and said, "Your Highness is too kind. We are just exiles. It is already a blessing we have accumulated over several lifetimes to be rescued by Your Highness. I heard from Zhang Niangzi that you are going to give He'er your personal belongings?"

Jiang Huaifu took out the exquisite and beautiful hand warmer and gestured for Qin Xiaoniang to accept it.

"I am sincere in my heart, and I hope my wife will not disappoint me."

Qin Xiaoniang calmly accepted the hand warmer and smiled gently. "This thing is really good. It can warm both hands and heart. But has Your Highness ever heard a saying from the Central Plains?"

"What?"

"It's a case of the Prince's intentions being unrequited, Your Highness. With your noble birth, it's truly inappropriate for you to get involved among us. You must know, He'er is still young and has never had a single good day since she was little. Now that she's finally grown up, her family has suffered another tragedy, and she's forced to wander with us, destined to live a life of hardship in Xinzhou..."

Seeing that he didn't speak, Qin Xiaoniang mustered her courage and continued:

"Your Highness is also well aware that without the pardon of the Emperor of the Central Plains, we will never be able to shake off the mark on us, which is also the dividing line that separates us from you by a great distance."

Jiang Huaifu was a smart man. Although he didn't know much about Central Plains culture, he could understand the meaning behind Qin Xiaoniang's words.

On the surface, it was said that they were of lowly status and not worthy of a prince of such noble birth as him.

But in her heart she was begging him not to continue bothering them, because the closer he got to them, the more likely he was to harm them.

Although Jiang Huaifu didn't show any dissatisfaction, he was genuinely bothered by those words, so he turned and left without saying a word...

Qin Xiaoniang breathed a sigh of relief, finally able to say all the things that had been bottled up in her heart!

Thinking of this, I felt much better.

When they got back to the carriage, Zhang Xiu'e was eavesdropping by the curtain. When Qin Xiaoniang went up, she was really startled.

What are you doing here?

Zhang Xiue stared at her with an incredulous expression.

"I never expected you to have such eloquence! Look at how you spoke to that young prince, he was completely speechless! Sigh... why did he have to be a prince of Xizhou? If he were an ordinary family's child, we might really have to reconsider."

Qin Xiaoniang rolled her eyes and shoved the things in her hand into Zhang Xiue's hands.

"In a little while, give it to the soldier and have him deliver it to the young prince."

"Then why didn't you just give it to him?"

"I just said a lot of things he didn't want to hear, so I need to give him some time to process it. If I return the things he offered to me in front of him then, I think he'll really explode and kill me! Let him calm down and send them back later!"

......

Just a heads up! This story is fictional and completely unrelated. Please don't try to analyze it too closely! If you find anything unbelievable, please go back and watch it carefully. Every detail is explained clearly!