Chapter 9 Good Waist

Zhao Ying went to change her clothes, leaving Chen Zhelan and Xue Mingyao staring at each other in the room.

Xue Mingyao slowly ate the meat jerky she hadn't finished, and even shared some with Chen Zhelan.

Chen Zhelan politely declined, saying, "Princess, I'm afraid of gaining weight, so I dare not eat it."

The third daughter of the Chen family was slender and delicate, like a willow swaying in the breeze, with a charming and touching appearance.

Hsueh Ming-yao expressed her understanding, saying that she was also afraid of gaining weight, but she had a good constitution and no matter how much she ate, the weight would only go to the places where it was supposed to grow, and her waist remained slender and delicate.

But in the last two years, she seems to have been eating more and more, and she has to get new clothes made every year for the changing seasons, and her underwear sizes have to be altered. Xue Mingyao looked down at her chest and put down the dried meat in her hand.

Chen Zhelan asked softly, "Princess, you come from a military family and married a general. Could you tell me what kind of women generals like?"

Xue Mingyao said, "There's no commonality in this, but men, of course, all like beautiful women. Third Miss is extremely beautiful, so I'm sure she will please General Xie."

not necessarily.

She was even more beautiful than Chen Zhelan, yet Xie Zhuo still didn't treat her well.

However, Chen Zhelan is Chen Liangqing's younger sister. Xie Zhuo admires Chen Liangqing, and perhaps because of this, he might fall in love with her as well.

Because Chen Zhelan was Chen Liangqing's sister, Xue Mingyao, out of a sense of affection for her, advised her, "You have a good family background and good looks, why insist on marrying a general? Swords and spears have no eyes, and it is not uncommon for generals to die on the battlefield, such as my elder brother and my deceased husband."

Xue Mingyao's eldest brother received meticulous instruction from General Xue from a young age, becoming proficient in martial arts and military strategy. He was exceptionally talented, but unfortunately, in his early twenties, he was shot by a poisoned arrow while accompanying his father on a campaign and died young. General Xue was deeply grieved and never again devoted himself to cultivating his sons. This was one of the reasons why his second son, Xue Xingtai, was mediocre.

As for Cen Zongjing, his fate was just as tragic. He was already a rising young general, leading troops to guard Xichuan, when he unfortunately lost his life there.

"There is also the situation of being defeated in battle and captured by the enemy, which may be more painful than death... Anyway, becoming a general's wife can easily lead to becoming a widow, and being a widow is not a pleasant experience."

Actually, it's not bad.

However, Xue Mingyao couldn't say that she was happy being a widow. Judging from the state of the Chen family, she estimated that if Chen Zhelan were to become a widow, she probably wouldn't be as comfortable as she was.

Chen Zhelan said, "I understand the princess's good intentions, but General Xie is an unparalleled hero and will not die as easily as an ordinary general."

Doesn't this mean that her husband and brothers were ordinary generals who were prone to losing their lives?

Xue Mingyao stopped trying to persuade him, saying, "Since Third Sister has so much confidence in General Xie, then I was just being nosy. General Xie is very fortunate to have won Third Sister's favor."

Chen Zhelan smiled, and after a while, said softly, "I heard that the princess and my second brother have been getting very close lately..."

Xue Mingyao looked up. "Who told you that?"

She deliberately avoided people when she went to the Hanlin Academy last time; it couldn't have been Chen Liangqing who told her.

"It was your younger sister, Yuniang, who told me."

Xue Mingyu and Chen Zhelan were the same age and both belonged to the same circle of unmarried noble ladies, so it was not surprising that they had a private relationship.

Xue Mingyao thought to herself, her good sister kept saying she was worried that she would seduce men and ruin the reputation of the Xue family, but behind her back she couldn't wait to leak the news.

She smiled gently, "Yes, I really like Chen Hanlin."

Chen Zhelan hadn't expected her to admit it so readily. She let out a soft "ah" and slowly said, clutching her handkerchief, "My second brother is devoted to writing and has always maintained a pure and virtuous character, avoiding any contact with women. Many noble ladies of noble birth, pure and talented, have shown interest in him, but he has remained unmoved. I admire your courage, Princess."

Her voice was soft and melodious, like a gently flowing stream, which was soothing to listen to.

Xue Mingyao really wanted to teach Xue Mingyu how to speak rudely in a refined way. In terms of scholarly background, the Xue family, which had risen to prominence through hardship, was far inferior to the Chen family.

Xue Mingyao yawned and said lazily, "This princess loves doing challenging things. The more someone I like dislikes me, the happier I am."

Chen Zhelan paused for a moment, "As long as the princess is happy."

After changing her clothes, Zhao Ying called to them through the beaded curtain, "Yaoyao, Zhelan, let's go."

......

In Qingyuan Garden, the tender yellow wintersweet is in full bloom. The branches are covered with delicate buds, like gold and jade, and when the wind blows, it spreads the fragrance of the whole tree.

Hidden among the plum trees is a small, exquisite flower pavilion, open on all four sides, all facing the plum branches. In the center is a table, on which sits a sand tray and two cups of hot tea.

"General, please don't blame me for asking you to come to this appointment while you're ill. I'm just afraid that once you recover and His Majesty bestows a post upon you, you'll be too busy to meet with friends," the refined young man sitting opposite Xie Zhuo said gently.

Xie Zhuo fiddled with the sand table and said with a faint smile, "Brother Liangzheng, to be honest, I think the same way, which is why I cherish this time during my illness so much."

The garden was quiet, and the sound of the rustling branches was slightly mixed with something else, which easily attracted people's attention.

Chen Liangzheng looked into the distance upon hearing the sound and saw a figure getting closer and closer amidst the faint fragrance and sparse shadows.

Xie Zhuo also heard the noise, but he didn't pay much attention to it until the person entered the small pavilion, at which point he turned around and glanced back.

Princess Yi'an, with a perfectly timed expression of surprise, apologized and explained that the weather was fine today, and she and her two ladies had come to admire the plum blossoms. They hadn't expected to encounter the prince consort and the general here, and she hoped they hadn't disturbed them.

"It's alright. General Xie and I were talking in the hall when we remembered that the plum blossoms in our mansion were in bloom, so we brought the general here to take a look."

After Chen Liangzheng finished speaking, he introduced Xie Zhuo to his younger sister, who was standing next to Zhao Ying, and Princess Yongning.

The three greeted each other, and Chen Liangzheng asked Xie Zhuo if he minded having the three young ladies sit down and enjoy the plum blossoms together.

Xie Zhuo readily agreed, "The guest is free to do as the host says; I certainly don't mind."

As he said this, his gaze was fixed on Xue Mingyao.

Xue Mingyao was dressed in finery today. The gold hairpin in her hair shone brightly against the surrounding winter plum blossoms. Her silver mink coat made her skin look as white as snow. Her gorgeous red brocade skirt swayed with her steps, emerging from her cloak and gently brushing against the emerald green shoes with upturned toes adorned with pearls.

No widow in the world was more beautiful than her.

Xue Mingyao was naturally also looking at Xie Zhuo.

Xie Zhuo was still wearing his silver mask. Perhaps because of the warm weather, he no longer wore a cloak. His narrow-sleeved, round-necked, royal blue brocade robe accentuated his strong chest, arms, broad shoulders, and narrow waist. Xue Mingyao was secretly astonished at how someone could have such a muscular upper body while having such a slender waist.

Shouldn't a broad back be paired with a thick waist?

She quickly looked away. Although she wanted to inquire about Xie Zhuo's condition under the guise of concern but actually with sarcasm, and to exchange a few sarcastic words with him, she was not the main character in this flower pavilion today, nor should she be impolite to the guests of Zhao Ying and his wife.

She sat a little distance away from the other four, on the balustrade in the small pavilion, holding a wine cup, admiring the plum blossoms, and quietly listening.

Zhao Ying was a very competent hostess. She ordered her servants to bring several stools of melons and fruits, inquired about Xie Zhuo's health, discussed the varieties of winter plum blossoms, praised the general's achievements, and mentioned Chen Liangqing's writing of "The Southern Expedition." She also subtly and naturally brought Chen Zhelan into the conversation, even getting her to write a poem about plum blossoms.

Chen Zhelan gave Xie Zhuo a flirtatious look, her cheeks flushed and her shy demeanor was exceptionally beautiful.

Xue Mingyao looked at the girl and felt a pang of pity for her; in an instant, any slight aversion she had felt towards the young girl vanished without a trace. A young woman in the throes of first love was truly a beautiful sight.

She observed Xie Zhuo's reaction; he didn't seem to show any particular emotion towards Chen Zhelan.

I wonder if he realized Zhao Ying's intentions.

"Yaoyao, come sit here."

Seeing that Xue Mingyao was sitting far away and not saying anything, Zhao Ying forcibly pulled her over, and Xue Mingyao was forced to sit opposite Xie Zhuo.

Their eyes met once again.

Xue Mingyao sensed that Xie Zhuo's gaze towards her wasn't as hostile anymore. However, she was very vengeful, and as usual, she harbored resentment and subtly stabbed him a few times.

After several rounds of tea and conversation, Xue Mingyao noticed that Zhao Ying, as the hostess, seemed a bit tired and decided to let her rest for a while.

She rested her chin on her hand, a gentle smile playing on her fair face, and stared at Xie Zhuo's silver mask as she asked softly, "General Xie, it's quite strange that someone as talented and handsome as you is still unmarried. Didn't you marry before you joined the army?"

Entering the army meant facing a life-or-death situation, especially for the soldiers of the Northwest Frontier who had been fighting for years. Many men would take a wife before joining the army to take care of their elderly mothers back home, so that if something happened to them, they could have someone to carry on their lineage.

Xue Mingyao asked this question out of curiosity, and also because she had a thought in her mind: Could it be that Xie Zhuo had been married before, but abandoned his wife after becoming successful?

Zhao Ying and her husband trusted Xie Zhuo implicitly, but she was not. Xie Zhuo's ability to rise to the rank of general through the harsh conditions of the frontier showed his strong will and ruthlessness towards himself. Such a person could do anything, so how could she be sure that Xie Zhuo wasn't a heartless, fickle, and greedy man seeking fame and fortune?

If he were to marry Chen Zhelan, she would be in for a world of trouble.

"Never." Xie Zhuo's voice was cold and deep. As if to make it more convincing, he added a little explanation, "My parents died early, and I am all alone. Marrying would only be a burden."

"Then there was never even a marriage agreement?" Xue Mingyao pressed.

Xie Zhuo paused for a moment, a strange smile appearing in his eyes. "To be honest, Princess, it did happen."

Everyone else in the flower pavilion was surprised. Chen Zhelan's watery eyes shimmered with a hint of worry.

Xue Mingyao, like a wicked woman who had caught a fox by the tail, leaned excitedly toward him, her thick, dark eyelashes blinking as she eagerly parted her red lips.

"And then what? Is the engagement still valid?"