"Don't worry, she's not here."

“There’s a guilty feeling.”

Xia Xiao was quite happy to see Ah Zhu coming. As long as it wasn't Shangshan, he wouldn't get angry at anyone.

"I suddenly admire those ** people."

"People play for excitement."

Xia Xiao had just finished breakfast and felt refreshed, but when he saw the invitation handed to him by Azhu, he sighed helplessly and became listless.

"Whose invitation is this?"

"My sister and Xie Yi's."

"he?"

Ah Zhu knew that Xia Xiao had an older sister named Xia Wan, but why did she want to marry Xie Yi? The ages didn't match.

“It’s just a political marriage.”

"That's too unfair. This will delay my whole life?"

"Second sister did not reject Wang Chao's idea. There must be a reason for that."

After checking the time, Xia Xiao said to Xiao Ran:

"I'm going to a wedding in ten days, will you go?"

Xiao Ran hesitated. She liked the quiet water and the academy, and didn't like noisy occasions. She had heard of human weddings, which were very lively, but when she thought of many people getting together to drink and talk, she felt disgusted from the bottom of her heart. But she still wanted to go with Xia Xiao, so she nodded. Xia Xiao was attentive enough to see what she was thinking, and his hand fell on her shoulder.

"It's okay. You don't have to go if you don't want to. Don't force yourself."

Xiao Ran saw Xia Xiao smiling and nodded. Xia Xiao could always guess what she meant, and this feeling made her feel very comfortable. But Xia Xiao felt a little irritated when he held the invitation.

The invitation was decorated with pure gold, which was luxurious but too fake. Behind this marriage, Daxia and Nanguo were all thinking. In order to maintain her own interests and safety between the two, or to get rid of her status as a puppet, Xia Wan had to use her intelligence.

Xia Xiao knew his second sister. She was smart, cautious, and well-read. She would definitely find a way. But this wedding was inherently sad and not a happy one. Even if his second sister could keep herself safe, she was bound to lose something for Daxia.

Opening the invitation, there were two names, Xia Wan and Xie Yi. Xia Xiao cherished the former so much that she looked very kind. And a line of poetry in the invitation was too ironic about their situation.

I wish to be a pair of wings in the sky, and a pair of branches on the ground...

Love words are always better than reality, and wishes are always perfect. If you don't know the inside story, you would think it would be a beautiful wedding where lovers finally get married. Xie Yi is a prince of a country, and this wedding will be very lively, with guests from all over the world. But the desolation behind the prosperity makes Xia Xiao feel the coldest.

Xia Xiao felt empty inside. Half a year had passed in the blink of an eye. The last time Xie Yi told him about this, Xia Xiao wanted his second sister to make her own decision. If his second sister didn't want to marry, he would not let her marry even if it offended Daxia or the Southern Kingdom. But the Xia family has always been dedicated to serving the country. His father went to the north to reorganize the Xia family army, and his eldest brother followed him. His second sister would not back down. Sure enough, Xia Wan bravely threw herself into a political marriage.

The second sister made her own decision, and Xia Xiao naturally had no way to influence her. However, if the Southern Kingdom or Da Xia did anything bad to his Xia family in the future, Xia Xiao would never give up.

Xia Xiao had seen through the importance of the invitation, and he slammed it shut and sat on the sofa. He was definitely going to this wedding, and he also had to do something else.

Today, the weather in the academy was sunny, but in the distance, the capital of the Great Xia Dynasty, Yinxun, was cloudy. Although it was easier to travel on a cloudy day, it was hard for anyone to cheer up in such weather.

Under the sky, the imperial capital, Yinxun, was filled with a cautious atmosphere. It was always like this here, everything was in order, as if it was under unwritten rules. Xia Jinghong and Xiao Rong got on the carriage together. The carriage was one of a very long convoy, with many in front and behind.

The convoy was long, with the flag of the Great Xia Dynasty flying vertically, and it slowly moved toward the city gate. There were two people standing on the city wall, one old and one young. The old one was hunched over, looking humble, while the young one held his head high, but looking at this convoy, he only felt apologetic.

This marriage should have been undertaken by the royal family. There were so many ministers with the surname Si, and there were always several young and beautiful daughters in their families. However, Si Yi couldn't bear to let a cultivator like Si Qingling marry to Nanshang. Cultivators were precious resources and could not be wasted at will. But ordinary people couldn't show off their talents. If their looks and figures were not good enough, it would be a disguised form of disrespect.

After thinking about it, Xia Wan was well-educated and even had the demeanor of a princess. Of course, she also had another identity that could elevate her to a very high position, that is... the elder sister of Xia Xiao who came from afar.

This identity is very important. Since Nan Guo agreed to the marriage, he dared not cancel it easily. Xia Wan also had some security when she married him, because Xie Yi was Xia Xiao's classmate. But Si Yi was ultimately sorry for Xia Jinghong's family. First, he wronged Xia Xiao and exiled the whole family. More than a hundred people in the Xia family were killed by the sword, and then this happened.

This was the knot in Si Yi's heart, and Eunuch Mu could do nothing about it.

"Your Majesty, it's time to return to the palace."

Before they knew it, the extremely long convoy had completely left Zhenxun, but Si Yi was still standing there, as if tree roots had grown under his feet.

"Did you give the letter?"

Eunuch Mu looked at him, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepened a few points, and then he said he would give it to him. This was the fourth time Si Yi asked today, but his heart was all in that letter. He hoped that after Xia Jinghong read it, he would understand what he meant and pass it on to Xia Xiao. Si Yi was still relieved about Xia Jinghong. He was a true loyal minister, a minister that the emperor could not wrongly use again. But Xia Xiao was not an easy person to deal with.

Si Yi once said that he would let Xia Xiao return to Daxia after four years in the academy to serve the dynasty. If Xia Xiao stayed in the academy, he would be helpless. Therefore, this letter was a soul-fixing needle. After watching the convoy go away, Si Yi turned around and left, leaving a lonely figure on the city wall.

Now is a special moment. In order to prepare for the war in a year, only the Xia family will go to the South Country this time, but they have a lot of gifts, so they are personally escorted by the Dynasty Army. It is no exaggeration to say that the treatment of the Xia family at this time is better than that of a prince of a country, and no one dares to say anything. The contribution they have made is far beyond that of ordinary military generals. The glory and benefits brought are even more difficult for many ministers to get in three lifetimes. In comparison, many so-called ministers are just eating dry meals.

There were dark carriages in front and behind the convoy, each carrying practitioners, making the convoy impeccable. Although the gifts in the convoy were priceless, the people in the three carriages were what we really needed to pay attention to.

Three large carriages were located in the front of the convoy. Xia Jinghong and Xiao Rong sat in the first carriage. The former finished reading the letter with a calm expression. He understood what His Majesty was worried about. However, the most urgent matter was not Xiao Er's stay or departure, but the advance of Nanshang in a year. The truce of three years was about to break out!

"Jinghong, when we arrive at Yu Valley, Xie Yi should have returned home, right?"

"That's for sure. By then, Xiao'er will probably be back too."

Xiao Rong was excited and looking forward to seeing her little son. She hadn't seen him for a year and missed him very much. The deep concern was too much to be expressed on a piece of paper or in words. But what Xia Jinghong was worried about was who was accompanying Xia Xiao? The last time Xia Xiao said Shu Shuang had passed away, they were sad for a long time. They all regarded Shu Shuang as a family member and waited for them to grow up and hold a lively and sweet wedding. Unexpectedly, he passed away at such a young age before enjoying the beauty of the world.

Xia Xiao had to bear the hard days of leaving Shu Shuang alone, which was not easy. But soon, they would meet. Behind Xia Jinghong and Xiao Rong's carriage were Xia Xu and Xia Wan. Xia Xu had something on his mind, and even though the carriage was not stopping, he also rushed into Xia Wan's carriage.

"elder brother?"

Xia Wan was reading a book. When she saw Xia Xu coming, she closed the book with a happy expression. She was gentle and elegant, with the fragrance of books between her eyebrows.

At home, Xia Xu likes to watch Wan'er doing things. Whether she is reading or calculating, she is very serious. Occasionally, she is as beautiful as a fairy. And her elegant and Confucian temperament adds a bit of calmness to Wan'er. But in the future, Xia Xu is afraid that she will be bullied when she is outside.

"Wan'er, I'm worried about you."

Compared to Wan'er, Xia Xu was just a crude warrior, good at fighting, heroic, and open-minded, expressing his concern for Xia Wan directly. She laughed when she heard it, covering her lips with her beautiful hand.

"Although this trip is like entering a dragon's den and a tiger's lair, once they meet their father, eldest brother, and Xiao'er, they will definitely not dare to do anything shady."

"Of course. If they dare to bully you, even if I am in the northern border of Daxia, I will come to seek justice for you."