Chapter 168 I'm sorry, I can't!
"Hey, why are you so stubborn? Whose side are you on anyway?"
Xue Shu was angered by Xie Xuanxiao's words.
Xie Xuanxiao blurted out, "Of course I'm on the side of facts!"
"you!"
Xue Shu's pretty face was full of anger as she glared at Xie Xuanxiao, her voice tinged with urgency.
"Xie Xuanxiao, do you want to marry me or not?"
Xie Xuanxiao's face turned bright red, and he stammered as he spoke.
"Of course I want to marry her!"
The boy's gaze was intense and sincere, which eased the anger on Xue Shu's face and made her blush.
"Since you want to marry me, you should stand on the Xue family's side, on the Empress's side, and on the Princess's side."
How could you expose the princess in front of Li Nanke's family?
Xie Xuanxiao's handsome eyebrows furrowed into a deep frown.
"You mean that if I see the princess bullying others by abusing her power in the future, I not only can't stop her, but I have to help her?"
Xue Shu met his slightly somber expression, pursed her lips, and lowered her voice.
“The princess is still young. If she does something wrong, you can speak to Her Majesty the Empress in private, and Her Majesty will naturally educate her.”
"What about those who are bullied by the princess? Are they just destined to be bullied by the princess? Like Li Nanke, who clearly saved the princess, yet was still abandoned in the wilderness by her?"
Xue Shu bit her lip. "Didn't Li Nanke come back unharmed? Nothing happened to him, so why do you keep bringing it up?"
Besides, the princess is of noble status, and for a subject's daughter, to suffer some grievances in front of the princess is an honor.
Xie Xuanxiao took a step back and looked Xue Shu up and down, his gaze as if he were seeing her for the first time.
Xue Shu felt inexplicably flustered.
Why are you looking at me like that?
Xie Xuanxiao pursed his lips tightly and spoke softly after a long while.
"What do you mean it's their honor to suffer injustice? How could you say such a thing, A-Shu? You weren't like this before."
You used to treat girls from wealthier families than you with kindness and never bullied them.
Xue Shu frowned slightly.
“I am me, and the princess is the princess. My aunt only has Zhaoning left, and she cherishes her like the apple of her eye.”
"Couldn't you have shown a little more favoritism towards Princess Zhaoning?"
Xie Xuanxiao shook his head.
"My Xie family grew up in the military and were taught to distinguish right from wrong. If you're wrong, you're wrong."
I cannot deliberately favor her just because she is a princess.
Xue Shu's eyes reddened, and tears fell in a steady stream.
Her voice choked with emotion, "Even for my sake?"
Xie Xuanxiao's lips tightened, and after a long silence, he shook his head.
"I'm sorry, I can't!"
"you!"
Xue Shu was furious, and her tears of grievance fell even faster.
"In that case, I... our marriage is off!"
She twisted her waist, covered her face, and ran away crying.
"Ah Shu!"
Xie Xuanxiao subconsciously raised his foot to chase after him, but remembering the conversation just now, his foot stopped in mid-air.
After hesitating for a moment, he dejectedly withdrew his foot, drew his sword, and irritably hacked at the boxwood bushes behind him to vent his frustration.
"oops!"
A crisp cry of surprise rang out from the bushes.
"Who's there? Show yourself!"
Xie Xuanxiao's expression changed, and he walked towards the direction from which the sound came, his sword tip sharply parting the bushes in front of him.
A beautiful little girl sat among the lush green trees.
She wore a pale yellow dress and had jet-black braids. Facing the gleaming sword tip, she waved her small hand at him.
With an embarrassed smile, she said, "Brother Xie, what a coincidence!"
Xie Xuanxiao's angry face froze for a moment.
"Li Nanke?"
His expression immediately darkened further.
"When did you arrive? What did you hear?"
"If I said I just arrived and didn't hear anything, would you believe me?"
"So you heard everything?"
Xie Xuanxiao narrowed his eyes slightly, a hint of embarrassment flashing in them, and unconsciously thrust his long sword forward a little.
Li Nanke tilted his head back, increasing the distance between himself and the sword tip.
Xie Xuanxiao: "You're not a three-year-old anymore. Don't you understand the principle of 'don't listen to what is improper'?"
"I don't understand, what does that mean?"
Li Nanke blinked her clear, big eyes, feigning confusion.
"you!"
Xie Xuanxiao was furious, his chest heaving violently, like a small beast that had been provoked.
Li Nanke was startled by his appearance and subconsciously said, "Brother Xie, you don't want to kill me, do you?"
You said the Xie family army never bullies women and children.
Xie Xuanxiao's expression froze, his hand holding the sword trembled, and then he reluctantly withdrew it.
Li Nanke breathed a sigh of relief and secretly patted his chest.
She was really afraid that Xie Xuanxiao would lose his temper and stab her with his sword.
Fortunately, it seems that the fourteen-year-old Xie Xuanxiao and the twenty-four-year-old Xie Xuanxiao are not entirely the same in personality.
Xie Xuanxiao is still a young man who can distinguish right from wrong.
Xie Xuanxiao gave her a cold look, his face still showing anger.
"At such a young age, he's already full of scheming and doesn't know any manners. He's even eavesdropping on other people's conversations. It seems that the upbringing of the Marquis of Anping's family is nothing special!"
Li Nanke...
This person had an extremely bad impression of her.
Forget it, considering he defended her earlier, she decided not to hold it against him.
He made a face at Xie Xuanxiao.
"It's just a fight with Sister Xue. It's normal for young couples to argue. You can make up with Sister Xue in a couple of days."
Xie Xuanxiao was stunned for a moment, then his face turned bright red.
"You... what young couple? How can a little girl like you speak so recklessly?"
Li Nanke was bewildered. "Was I wrong? Aren't you all discussing marriage? Don't you like Sister Xue?"
"I...I...you little brat, don't you know anything about shame? Besides, this is my private matter, who gave you permission to talk nonsense?"
"I wasn't talking nonsense. I was genuinely trying to comfort you. Didn't you realize that?"
"I don't need your comfort!"
Li Nanke pouted and muttered softly.
"Alright, I guess I was being nosy. Anyway, what Sister Xue said was just in anger. You two will definitely get married."
Although her voice was soft, Xie Xuanxiao heard it very clearly.
How do you know we'll definitely get married?
Li Nanke didn't want to admit that he saw it in his dream, so he rolled his eyes and said with a grin, "Because the Duke of Xin's mansion and the Duke of Xue's mansion are a good match, and the Empress also likes you very much."
Xie Xuanxiao frowned, a look of confusion flashing in his eyes.
He and Xue Shu had known each other since childhood and knew each other very well.
When she reached the age of first love, Xue Shu was pretty and gentle, a stark contrast to her mother, the Duchess of Xin, who was fiery and impulsive.
He was naturally drawn to Xue Shu and gradually fell in love with her.
The Xue family also intended to arrange a marriage. Although his mother didn't like Xue Shu very much, she still respected his wishes, and the two families began to discuss the marriage.
He always believed that he and Xue Shu were in love and that they would eventually become a couple with the witness of their families.
But Xue Shu's words today made him doubt for the first time, and after listening to Li Nanke's words, he couldn't help but feel confused about this marriage for the first time.
Was the marriage proposal between the Xue and Xie families due to Xue Shu's affection for him, or because the Empress Dowager favored him?
Did the Empress favor him, or the entire Duke Xin's mansion?
Xie Xuanxiao turned and left, lost in thought.
Li Nanke immediately became anxious.
"Brother Xie, don't go! Please help me out..."
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