Shocking news
Chapter 47, Shocking News
Upon entering the territory of Western Shu, it was already pitch black. The carriage swayed and came to a stop in front of a palace garden.
I was dragged off the bus by Zhicha. The night wind was cool and carried a damp, earthy smell, which made me instinctively shrink my neck.
Looking up, I saw that the palace was sparsely lit, and the dark red eaves cast shadows in the moonlight, as if they were asleep. Only a few dim lanterns hung under the eaves, swaying in the wind, making the surroundings seem even more desolate. I thought, this must be the palace of the Western Shu kings? Although it wasn't exactly shabby, it seemed to be more rudimentary than the palace of Bozhou.
Lan Feiyu walked towards me, took my hand, and whispered, "Let's stay here for the night and pay our respects to the King of Western Shu tomorrow morning."
I grasped her hand in return, feeling a lingering chill clinging to my skin, and I couldn't help but shiver: "Yu...Yu'er, are you staying in the same room with me tonight? This place is creepy."
Before Lan Feiyu could answer, Yuanzi stepped forward and coldly interrupted, "No, you'll be in your own room. Are you a child? You think you're afraid to be alone?"
I opened my mouth to argue, but Yuanzi had already raised her hand, and two tall and burly servants immediately squeezed forward, sandwiching me between them. One of them said with a forced smile, "Little Princess, please come this way."
Knowing I was powerless against the powerful, I had no choice but to swallow my anger and follow them. I glanced back at Lan Feiyu, who was also silently watching me. Her helplessness and frustration made me try to smile at her, but before I could say anything to comfort her, Yuanzi called her away.
Alas, this is probably what is meant by "separated by a mere stream, yet unable to speak to each other."
What saddened me even more was that even "Chirp" followed the kite away... I was left alone in a dark bedroom.
The room was quite spacious. Pushing open the door, a faint scent of sandalwood wafted out, giving it a rather upscale feel. Inside, there was a carved wooden couch covered with thick bedding embroidered with unique cloud and mist patterns, soft to the touch. In the corner stood a bronze incense burner, its surface inscribed with ancient Sichuan seal script, burning pine resin, wisps of smoke drifting out and casting a hazy, yellowish glow on the candlelight. The window frames were carved from local nanmu wood, intricately decorated with hibiscus patterns. Outside, the night was so dark it looked like ink had been splashed on, and not even a single insect chirped.
I walked to the bed and collapsed into the soft bedding.
My heart is filled with sorrow—the thought of tomorrow makes my heart feel like it's hanging off a cliff, empty and vulnerable, as if it could fall into an abyss of no return at any moment.
I closed my eyes and tried to fall asleep, making up my mind that no matter what, I would never acknowledge Xie Kun as my relative... Besides, I really didn't believe that his painstaking efforts to find me were truly because he had been thinking of me, his sister whom he had never met since birth.
For some reason, thinking about this sent a chill down my spine, and I shivered again before burrowing into the covers without hesitation. The blankets were soft and fluffy, but the chill seemed to seep into my bones and wouldn't dissipate. I tossed and turned, my mind a jumble of thoughts—my mother, Aunt Xian, and my uncle; my brothers and sisters; and most of all, Lan Feiyu. Finally, I don't know how, I drifted off to sleep.
Then, I was woken up by the kite poking me.
She stood by the bed, bent over, and poked my face with her finger. Not very hard, but not enough to push my cheek down even slightly. I groggily opened my eyes and saw her raise her hand, about to poke me again. I sat up in shock: "W-what are you doing?"
Iris remained calm, as if she wasn't the one who had just poked me: "Get up. You still need to dress up and go see the King of Western Shu—it's nominally his territory, so you have to go out of courtesy."
I looked at her and noticed a slight hint of disdain at the corner of her lips. I couldn't help but sigh softly: "Yuanzi... I didn't ask you before, but now... are you one of Tuluo's people?"
Yuanzi didn't answer. Instead, she straightened up and walked to the door. She pushed the door open, and two maids who had been waiting outside came in carrying clothes and a basin of water. She paused, turned to look at me, and said expressionlessly, "Zhao Xi, I gave you the choice to leave. You didn't choose it yourself, so you can't blame anyone else."
I stared blankly as she left, and then, like a puppet on strings, I was lifted up to get ready.
It wasn't explicitly stated, but... but...
My heart felt as heavy as a mountain. When I came to my senses, I found myself dressed up as another big gold ingot, shining brightly. I couldn't help but sigh. This jingling and rattling was not comfortable at all. Why is it that only this is considered a fine dress?
After we finished tidying up, Yuanzi led me out of the house. It was just dawn outside, and the palace gardens were shrouded in mist, like a thin veil. After walking for a while, we arrived at the main hall. I looked up and saw the hall doors wide open, the interior brightly lit, yet the chilling atmosphere still lingered.
I looked around but didn't see Lan Feiyu. Before I could even ask, Yuanzi had already read my mind: "Lan Feiyu isn't here." She stepped forward and grabbed my wrist, adding, "No matter what you hear later, just shut up."
The expression on her face told me that if I provoked her now, she would definitely pull out the hairpin from my forehead and poke me again without hesitation, but I still couldn't help but ask her, "If I don't behave, will you hurt Lan Feiyu?"
Iris glanced at me and gave a cold laugh: "No, she's still useful."
“Hmm,” I murmured softly, in a very low voice, “I still have some use, so if I can’t help it, I can still yell.”
The kite tightened its grip on my wrist; it seemed the sound wasn't quiet enough.
Upon entering the hall, I saw the king of Western Shu sitting in the center. To my surprise, he was a boy of only about ten years old. He was as thin as a bamboo pole, his face as pale as if he had just applied powder, his eyes deeply sunken, with dark circles under them, as if he hadn't slept well in a long time. His hair was jet black, tied up with a thin gold hairpin, and he wore a wide purple silk robe embroidered with unique cloud patterns. The sleeves hung down so long that they covered his hands, making him look like a child wearing an adult's clothes. He leaned slumped in his chair, looking as if a gust of wind could knock him over.
The little boy glanced at me listlessly, as if he had no desire to speak to me at all.
Xie Kun was sitting next to him... oh no, there was a woman between them.
My gaze fell again on the woman seated in the main hall. She was much younger than Xie Kun, her features as delicate as willow branches swaying in the spring breeze, exuding a fragile, graceful air. Her skin was as white and smooth as a freshly peeled lychee, her eyes slightly upturned—I suppose that's what allure is, a pitiful yet captivating allure that even I couldn't help but stare at for a moment. She wore a light peach-colored gauze robe, as thin as mist, tied at the waist with a thin gold ribbon, emphasizing her slender waist. Her hair was loosely tied in a bun, a few strands falling over her shoulders, trembling slightly with her slight tilt of her head, like a flower branch swaying precariously in the wind. A faint smile played on her lips, but when she looked at me, her eyes shone with a sharp light, completely at odds with her gentle appearance—clearly, she was not someone to be trifled with—this must be the Queen Dowager of Western Shu, right?
As expected, Xie Kun spoke up: "Xi'er, come and greet Empress Dowager Fan and the King. After I fell on hard times, I was fortunate to be taken in by the Empress Dowager, for whom I am deeply grateful."
Empress Dowager Fan listened, then glanced at Xie Kun with a light laugh, her eyes full of allure: "General, you are no outsider, why speak of gratitude?"
I shivered downstairs—it's not that I'm prone to overthinking, but, but?
The way they were exchanging glances... I'm not some naive child anymore; there must be something sinister going on between them! But I still find it hard to believe. Isn't the king the Empress Dowager's biological son? How could they be so shameless?
My mother and Aunt Xian only hugged and kissed in front of me. As for my uncle and his emperor... no, the emperor has always been the emperor, and my uncle has always been my uncle. I have never seen them being affectionate, and I can't imagine it.
I couldn't help but look at the king of Western Shu again. The little boy sensed something, tilted his head slightly, and met my gaze with disgust and forbearance. My heart tightened: He understood!
I recalled my older brother telling me that Western Shu was established by some former royal family members who fled when the original Shu Kingdom was destroyed, with the support of Tuluo. When Eastern Chu attacked, they fled into Eastern Chu territory, retreating and returning repeatedly until they finally managed to survive. In this way, their national strength could not possibly be strong, so wouldn't they also have to depend on others?
In this way, the Empress Dowager and Xie Kun might truly not be "outsiders".
Just as I was lost in thought, Yuanzi pulled me to the group and said calmly, "General Xie, Zhao Xi is here. You may immediately arrange for her to be recognized as a member of the clan and announce it to the Eastern Chu. After that, it will be time for you to fulfill your promise."
As soon as she said that, I almost flew up on the spot, but Yuanzi seemed to have foreseen it and held my wrist tightly.
Xie Kun smiled slightly and said, "Your Excellency need not worry that I will break my promise. I have already made arrangements for this matter." He paused, turned to me, and narrowed his eyes slightly. "Xi'er, since you are of Xie blood, your recognition of your ancestors should be celebrated in a grand manner. Tomorrow, we will set up an altar in the palace and invite the King and Empress Dowager Fan to witness the worship of the Xie ancestors. Afterward, you will officially marry into the Western Shu royal family as a daughter of the Xie clan and become the Queen."
This time, even the kite couldn't hold me back. I yelled, "What did you say?"
Unexpectedly, Yuanzi's expression was also as cold as iron. She took two steps forward, stared at Xie Kun, and asked, "General Xie, what do you mean by that?"
"Isn't this the most appropriate arrangement? With Xi'er becoming the Queen of Shu, my Xie family should do everything in our power to support Shu. We will share both glory and loss. Why is the envoy so angry?" Xie Kun said with a smile, gently taking Queen Fan's hand. Queen Fan smiled at him, her beauty captivating.
Iris clenched her fists but remained silent.
My heart sank to the bottom.
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