Shen Youying shrank her neck, ticklish, and laughed as she nestled into his arms, saying, "You were too fierce and scared the myna bird, so why are you blaming me?"

Perhaps it was because she was far away from the capital, away from all the intrigue and petty scheming, that even her smile seemed much brighter, and she even looked somewhat carefree and charming. Xue Shen pulled her into his arms, pinched her lower back, and asked, "Do you like it here?"

Shen Youying sat up, looked at the bright and dazzling sunlight overhead, and softly hummed in agreement. Not in the capital, free from the constraints of those tedious rules and etiquette, and with no one else recognizing her, she didn't need to maintain the demeanor of a princess at all times. She casually kicked off her shoes, propped her feet up on Xue Shen's lap, and swung them gently, displaying an innocent and radiant appearance.

If it weren't for her noticeably protruding belly, she would look like a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl, innocent, bright, and carefree.

“I had only heard my elder brother talk about the scenery of the Northwest before, but I never had the chance to see it. This time I can finally see the sunset over the long river that my elder brother had mentioned.”

Xue Shen grasped her ankle and removed her stockings. Following the method taught by Master Huodong, he gently massaged her snow-white feet with his fingertips. Shen Youying, a little ticklish, tried to pull her feet away, but he held them firmly, preventing her from moving. She could only bite her lip to suppress her laughter, glancing around like a thief to make sure all the servants had left and no one would see her before relaxing and letting him massage her.

Back when they were in the capital, Xue Shen would often massage her acupoints on the soles of her feet to make her sleep better at night.

While gently massaging her, Xue Shen said, "You've been traveling for so long, let Master Huodong take good care of you and let you rest for a few days. I need to free up some time to reorganize military affairs, so once this matter is settled, I'll take you around to see the world. The northwestern frontier may not be as prosperous as the capital, but it has its own ruggedness and boldness."

Shen Youying responded and then told him about her plans for the next few days: "The servants in the mansion have already finished preparing, and all the major items have been purchased. However, there are still some small things that are missing. Tomorrow, I plan to go out shopping with Bai Luo Liuyun and also take a stroll around the city to experience the local customs and culture of Xizhou City."

Xue Shen knew that she would not be able to be kept at home once she came to the Northwest. Since it was rare for her to be out and about without any restrictions, he did not intend to restrain her. He only instructed her, "Remember to bring two more guards with you. Don't think it's too much trouble."

Shen Youying agreed and let him massage her for a while longer before slipping on her shoes and happily going back to her room to call Bailuo and Liuyun to discuss what items to buy the next day.

After Xue Shen waited until she was far away, he clapped his hands and stood up, summoning the guard captain in charge of protecting Shen Youying: "The city has been quite unsettled these days. If the princess is going out, be careful and don't let the governor of Xizhou's men get close to her and disturb her good mood."

The governor of Xizhou was not a peaceful man. He intended to reorganize the military and political affairs of Xizhou and bring them under his control. This would inevitably affect the interests of the officials in Xizhou, and there would probably be a period of power struggle. However, he did not expect that this would ruin Shen Youying's good mood for going out for a trip.

*

Perhaps because she was relaxed while traveling, Shen Youying slept more soundly at night.

She was still asleep when Xue Shen got up to go to the military camp the next morning.

Back in the capital, whenever Xue Shen got up, she would always wake up with a start; she rarely slept so peacefully and soundly. Xue Shen looked at her tranquil sleeping face, leaned down and gently kissed her forehead, then tiptoed to the outer room to wash and change before heading out of the city to the military camp.

When Shen Youying woke up, Xue Shen had already been gone for a long time.

Hearing her get up, Bai Luo brought in a copper basin for washing. Seeing her rosy complexion, she said, "I've often heard people say that the capital is a prosperous place that nourishes people, while the desolate northwest is the most grueling. But I don't think that applies to you, Miss. I've noticed that since you left the capital, you've become more energetic every day. Now that you've settled down in Xizhou, your skin is so smooth that you don't even need makeup."

Shen Youying was amused by her exaggerated statement and glanced at her: "It's only because you have a thick skin that you can say such things."

Bai Luo stuck out her tongue and helped her rinse her mouth and wash her face: "If you don't believe me, Miss, just wait until Danzhu arrives and let her see for herself. I'm telling you the truth."

After Shen Youying washed up and changed, Liu Yun came in to do her makeup. After looking at her appearance, he hesitated for a long time before saying, "Your Highness's skin is fair and rosy. I think you don't need to use makeup powder. Just draw your eyebrows and apply a little rouge and lipstick to enhance your beauty."

Shen Youying looked in the mirror and agreed with her. She said, "We don't need to make our hair too complicated. When I came to the city yesterday, I saw many women here wearing braids. Some of them looked like the braids of people from outside the Great Wall. Let's follow the local customs and braid our hair too."

Xizhou City is located on the border. In the past, when there was no war between the Great Wei and the Tubo and Beirong tribes, caravans from both sides traveled back and forth, and naturally, they integrated with each other. The style of braiding and styling hair worn by women in Xizhou was likely influenced by the style from beyond the Great Wall.

With skillful hands, Liu Yun added some ingenuity to the traditional braided hairstyles of Xizhou women, braiding Shen Youying's long, black hair into several braids that hung down her back. She didn't even use hairpins or ornaments, only a thin chain of pigeon blood beads adorning her forehead, giving her a somewhat exotic look.

Shen Youying looked in the mirror and praised Liu Yun for her cleverness: "If you change into some foreign clothes, you'll look almost like someone from beyond the Great Wall."

Liu Yun said, "That's still far from enough. At least there's no beauty like the Princess Consort outside the Great Wall."

Shen Youying smiled and patted her hand, then got up to leave.

To make it easier to walk around and to avoid drawing attention, she specially wore a silver-white narrow-sleeved cardigan with short boots today, paired with an exotic braided hairstyle, looking very lively and bright.

Shen Youying, accompanied by Bai Luo and Liu Yun, and four guards, left the house and headed towards the bustling city streets.

The streets of Xizhou City are concentrated in the western part of the city. Unlike the bustling capital, the western market of Xizhou City, while also very lively, exudes the ruggedness and uninhibitedness of the northwest. The market stalls are spontaneously divided by the people and are not orderly, but they reveal a very simple and lively atmosphere.

Shen Youying strolled slowly past the roadside stalls, made a sugar figurine that looked very much like Xue Shen, and bought a bag of pastries that were only available in Xizhou City before heading towards the more bustling shops.

Shen Youying was strikingly beautiful and had an outstanding temperament. Coupled with her lavish spending and the presence of servants, she inevitably attracted the attention of the people in the market. Only after they had gone far away did they cautiously discuss whose lady she was and why they had never seen her before.

Lady Xu, the governor's wife, who had been ordered to gather information, overheard the common people's irrelevant gossip. She spat out the melon seed shells, tossed the seeds to her maid, rolled her eyes, and followed slowly, scoffing, "A woman kept outside the home, probably not even a concubine, yet she puts on such a grand show."