Chapter 3 Who will pity me when my beauty fades and my fragrance disappears

When Xie Fei woke up, he was lying on an extremely exquisite bed. The sunlight shone through the window onto the table. The purple incense burner on the table emitted wisps of smoke. The huge room was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood, which made people drowsy.

"Is the young master awake?" Xie Fei had just lifted the quilt and sat up when Lu Qi, who was guarding outside, walked in. He was wearing a black guard uniform and had a fine sword on his waist. He walked silently, which showed that his internal strength was quite good.

Xie Fei looked up at him, his voice just waking up with a charming magnetism: "What time is it?"

"Just after the Si hour." Lu Qi said.

During the conversation, the maid outside had brought in a basin of water. Xie Fei stood up in her silk undershirt. The maid holding the clothes beside her was about to change her clothes. Xie Fei slightly turned aside and frowned, saying, "Lu Qi."

Lu Qi was stunned at first, and looked at Xie Fei with some confusion.

Xie Fei glanced at the maid holding the clothes behind him, and Lu Qi understood instantly. He hurriedly took two steps forward, took the clothes with one hand and helped him put them on. Seeing the maid's red eyes, he couldn't bear it and said, "You go down first."

The maid looked at Xie Fei pitifully, not understanding why the gentle prince was so cold to her today. She wanted to speak, but looking at those cold eyes, she finally retreated meekly.

After breakfast, Xie Fei sat on the couch with a book in his hand, frowning slightly, thinking absentmindedly about how to help Xiwen fulfill her wish. At this time, the chatter of the maids in the corridor came in through the open window.

"Princess Anping is really pitiful. She finally got an enviable fiancé, but now she was attacked and disappeared on her way back."

"Yes, I also heard that those men in black are very skilled in martial arts, and General Liang is injured. I'm afraid he is in great danger."

"Who said it wasn't true? Hey, what do you think? Could it be that Princess Anping is... destined to bring bad luck to her husband?"

"Why are you all here gossiping? You've finished your work, right? If you haven't finished yet, why don't you get back to work? If anyone dares to be lazy, she'll have to deal with him!"

Several maids were scolded and went to work quickly. Xie Fei's brows were furrowed even more tightly - was his arrival at such an unfortunate time? Xiwen has already been engaged to Liang Shao, which means Xiwen must be still in love with Liang Shao as before.

The news of Liang Shao's disappearance has spread back to the capital, which means that in three months he will bring Chen Bing'er back to the capital to cancel the engagement, and he must use these three months to cut off Xiwen's feelings.

This was a very difficult thing for Xie Fei, whose love history was as pure as a blank sheet of paper. Even if he had reached a bottleneck in his practice, it was not this difficult.

As Xie Fei thought about it, he began to feel worried. He rubbed his forehead with a headache, sighed slightly, and regretted agreeing to Hou Tu to complete the task himself.

It was the first time that Lu Qi saw the omnipotent prince worried. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, "Prince, if you have any troubles, why not tell me? Maybe I can help you solve them."

Xie Fei looked at Lu Qi silently, and saw at a glance that he was about the same as himself in terms of feelings, so he said with some disdain: "Forget it."

Lu Qi, who was inexplicably disliked by the prince, pursed his lips in grievance, and stood aside with his head hung, looking listless.

Xie Fei tapped the table twice with his slender fingers. He was at a loss for a moment. Then he thought that Xiwen had just heard that Liang Shao was in danger and missing, and had fallen ill in bed in desperation. So he decided to go and see him first, and if possible, cancel their engagement at the same time.

However, if you want to cancel an engagement, you can probably only replace it with another one...

"Lu Qi, have someone prepare a box of rare medicinal herbs. Follow me out of the house in a quarter of an hour." After making the decision, Xie Fei immediately got up from the bed and instructed Lu Qi.

"Where are you going, Prince?" Lu Qi asked. "Recently, there have been undercurrents in the capital, and there has been unrest everywhere. The princess instructed her subordinates two days ago..."

Xie Fei glanced at Lu Qi with a cold expression, which frightened him so much that he swallowed back the words he had not yet finished speaking and smiled in a somewhat forced manner.

"Remember, I am your master." Xie Fei said calmly, but there was an unquestionable tone in his words.

Lu Qi was shocked, with cold sweat on his back, and said, "Yes, I will remember it."

Soon, Xie Fei arrived at the gate of the palace, handed over a sign and waited for the emperor to summon him.

After a while, a eunuch summoned him to the palace to meet the emperor.

At the same time, in Princess Anping's boudoir.

Xiwen was lying on an exquisite and gorgeous bed, covered with a brocade quilt with a pattern of mandarin ducks playing in the water. She looked like a stunning beauty who had fallen asleep, but there was a hint of sadness between her slightly furrowed brows, her face was pale, and her small lips were a little pale. The queen looked at her unconscious daughter, and her heart was filled with indescribable pity and love.

Just after feeding her the medicine, there was a sound of hurried footsteps outside the door. The queen was about to scold the palace maid for not observing etiquette, and then she heard the maid at the door say, "Your Majesty, thank you for the visit from the prince of the palace."

The queen was stunned for a moment, looked at Wang Ma hesitantly, and asked puzzledly: "What is he doing here?"

Nanny Wang shook her head, helped the Queen stand up from the bed, and whispered, "Let's welcome the prince in first."

"Although Princess Xie is the emperor's sister, the two families have met a few times at palace banquets and have never had any contact with each other on weekdays. Why did Prince Xie come to visit me for no reason?" The queen hurried to the flower hall, muttering to herself as she walked.

Soon they arrived at the reception hall. As soon as the queen entered the room, she saw a handsome man sitting upright in a seat. He was wearing a light-colored brocade robe with a white jade belt around his waist, and his black hair was simply tied up with a small jade crown. His every move revealed his extraordinary bearing and peerless grace. He was truly a handsome young man in this corrupt world.

"I don't know what wind brought Prince Xie here today. Xiwen is ill, and I am too busy to take care of her. I hope you won't mind if my servants neglect you." The queen smiled and walked to the main seat with grace and said to Xie Fei.

Looking at Xie Fei up close, the queen was even more shocked. This prince of Xie Palace who was fascinated by mountains and rivers and had no desire for power was actually so elegant and graceful, with a noble air that was even superior to that of the royal family.

After the queen sat down, Xie Fei stood up, bowed, and said solemnly: "Greetings to Her Majesty the Queen, I wish Her Majesty good health. Xie Fei is presumptuous to come to your house today, please forgive me, to be honest, I do have selfish motives for coming here."

The queen was surprised in her heart, but she didn't show it on her face. She smiled and said, "Oh? I wonder what the prince is thinking of as a selfish motive?"

"This selfish desire is nothing but my cousin." Xie Fei's handsome face flushed slightly, and his clear voice was mixed with a hint of shyness. He said word by word, "Xie Fei admires my cousin."

After hearing this, the queen was extremely surprised. How could her frail and sickly daughter suddenly become so popular? Besides, when did Xie Fei fall in love with Xiwen?

The hall was silent for a while. Xie Fei remained calm under the Queen's scrutiny. His expression became more solemn and his tone more earnest: "Since the Queen Mother's birthday banquet last time, Xie Fei has been tossing and turning since he returned home. My love for my cousin has been increasing day by day. My cousin is so beautiful that she has touched my heart and made me fall in love with her. It's a pity that Xie Fei was one step behind General Liang Shao and failed to get the beauty. Fortunately, God has been kind to me. Although a gentleman should not take advantage of others in distress, Xie Fei is willing to be a villain for my cousin. I am visiting you today, and I only hope that the Queen can fulfill my wish."

The queen looked at the elegant young man standing in front of her and didn't know how to react for a moment. She really couldn't imagine that Prince Xie fell in love with her daughter at first sight. It's just that this matter is not a big deal, but it's not a small matter either. Xie Fei comes from a prominent family, is well-educated, and knows when to advance and retreat. He is indeed much better than Liang Shao, who only knows how to wield swords and guns.

But there are two problems. First, Xie Fei came to propose marriage on her own, and she doesn't know the attitude of Prince Xie and Princess Xie. Second, Liang Shao's life or death is still uncertain. Changing the engagement now will be bad for Xiwen's reputation. Besides, it is not known whether Xiwen will agree. After all, she has Liang Shao in her heart.

The queen thought for a moment and said hesitantly, "Thank you, my lord. I also want to fulfill your wish, but..."

Xie Fei smiled faintly and said calmly: "Xie Fei knows what the Queen is worried about. My mother has already handed the matter of the marriage to me. If the Emperor and the Queen agree and give the imperial decree, Xie Fei will ask my father and mother to arrange the wedding. I will never let my cousin suffer any grievances. Xie Fei will protect her health for the rest of her life."

“If Liang Shao returns safely, I will promise Xiwen to you. Wouldn’t it be a joke for the whole world for a woman to marry two husbands? Besides, since Liang Shao proposed to Xiwen when she was in trouble, her heart has been given to Liang Shao. Even if the emperor issues an imperial decree, I’m afraid Xiwen will not agree to marry you until she sees Liang Shao’s body.” The queen sighed softly and said slowly.

Xie Fei raised the corners of his lips and smiled slightly. After laughing, he said confidently: "Your Majesty, what you said is wrong. Now the rumor that the princess is a husband-killer has spread throughout the capital. If it is not stopped in time, it may hurt the princess. Besides, the emperor only granted the marriage, how can it be considered a woman marrying two husbands? Why should I be afraid of other people's gossip? What can compare to the happiness of the princess's life?"

When the queen heard this, she nodded calmly, having already made up her mind.

"What Her Majesty said about the princess deeply loving Liang Shao is not necessarily true. Relatively speaking, gratitude is more appropriate. The princess lives alone in the deep palace and has not seen outsiders for many years. Liang Shao became famous at a young age and is also good-looking, so she likes him a little more. The princess may like Liang Shao, but she is definitely not in love with him deeply. Now Liang Shao's disappearance has put the princess in trouble. For the sake of the princess's health and future, granting marriage to me is the best choice." Xie Fei continued.

The queen looked at the calm and composed young man in front of her, feeling very satisfied. A smile slowly blossomed on her beautiful face, and she said, "I am really old. You young people are much more courageous. The prince is so handsome and graceful. I believe Xin Wen will be very satisfied. I will talk to the emperor about this matter in detail. I think the emperor will not refuse this good marriage."

As soon as Xie Fei heard this, he knew the marriage was done. He smiled slightly and said, "Xie Fei thanks you very much, Your Majesty. This box of medicinal herbs is a little gift from me to the princess. I hope Your Majesty will accept it."

As he spoke, Lu Qi handed the red sandalwood box in his hand to the maid beside the queen. The queen smiled faintly and said, "Thank you for your trouble, my prince."

"Empress, Xie Fei has been bothering you for a long time. I will take my leave today and come to visit my cousin another day." After discussing the marriage, Xie Fei stood up and said goodbye.

"Prince, please wait for good news. Liubi, escort him out of the palace." The queen said with a smile.