199 Little Princess x Major General
"Xie Qi is not a good match for my daughter."
In the spring of the twenty-seventh year of Yongshun, Jizhou.
Xu Qinghe suddenly opened his eyes, like a person who had been drowning for a long time and finally climbed to the shore, and couldn't help gasping for breath.
She had a nightmare in which her parents died in Mengyuan Valley, and 50,000 soldiers of the Southern Border Army also perished. Afterwards, Uncle Xie was falsely accused of treason, and the whole family died in a fire.
Only Xie Qi managed to escape and was rescued by an old friend, giving him a chance to survive.
She herself was trapped in the deep palace for five years, and later reunited with Xie Qi. The two of them worked together to find out the truth of the year, and she even killed her enemy and avenged her parents.
Her breathing was so loud that it attracted Nanzhi, who had been waiting in the back room.
"Princess? Do you want Nanzhi to come in and serve you?"
Xu Qinghe calmed down and said, "Come in."
Nanzhi came in and helped her dress up. When she walked out of the yard and was surrounded by the warm spring sunshine, Xu Qinghe felt her body gradually warming up.
"The prince and princess are returning triumphantly today. When does the princess plan to go to the city gate to welcome them?"
Xu Qinghe walked briskly back to the dormitory and tidied her appearance in front of the dressing mirror.
The little girl in the mirror is in her prime. Although she had a nightmare at night, she is still radiant. Her eyebrows and eyes are picturesque, and her skin is whiter than snow. Just standing there, it is hard to take your eyes off her, not to mention that her eyes are full of smiles and expectations, which brings out the advantages of this beautiful face to the extreme.
"Now."
The nightmare that made her feel empty inside was soon put behind her. Xu Qinghe took Nanzhi and several guards and drove to the gate of Jizhou city.
When people on the road saw the carriage from Prince Nan'an's Palace, they all tacitly made way for it. The brave ones would even take the initiative to greet the little princess who happened to be sticking her head out to enjoy the scenery.
Xu Qinghe responded with a smile, feeling very good.
The Nanyi Kingdom had always been a major concern for Da Ling, but this time, her parents first caught the spies in the army, and then made plans. In just half a year, they defeated the country and forced it to retreat. Its monarch even quickly submitted a letter of surrender and asked for peace.
From now on, her parents no longer had to lead troops to war, and she finally didn't have to guard the empty palace alone anymore.
When the guards at the city gate saw that it was Princess Qinghe, they not only did not ask any questions, but also sent a few soldiers to accompany her.
This princess is the treasure and the apple of the prince and princess' eyes. If anything happens to her, they won't be able to compensate her, and the young general will probably skin her alive.
Outside the city wall was a turbulent moat. Xu Qinghe stood on the wall. Apart from the whistling wind, the only sounds in his ears were the rushing water in the river.
The sky was a deep blue with a few white clouds on the edge. She stood on tiptoe and looked out from the battlement, but in the distance there was only an empty wilderness, without any sign of marching troops.
Xu Qinghe sighed, feeling a little lost.
The wind was strong on the city wall, so Nanzhi put the cloak on her arm and said, "The princess left too early. Even if the prince and princess set out early in the morning, it would take them until noon to get here from Yingzhou."
But it was only the hour of Si, the sun had not yet become completely hot, and the wind was still a little cool.
Xu Qinghe also knew that she came early, but she really wanted to see them as soon as possible.
Seeing that her clothes were rustling in the wind and the wind brought some fine sand, Nanzhi blocked the wind for her and advised her to go back to the car and wait.
"It's been a cold snap these past few days. If the princess caught a cold, the prince and princess would be heartbroken."
Xu Qinghe hid behind the wall and pulled Nanzhi over. "It's okay. It'll only take another two hours. Let's wait."
Nanzhi was about to agree, but after a moment's thought, she said, "The last time the young general came back, the princess caught a cold and didn't see him. If it's the same this time, wouldn't it be more trouble than it's worth?"
The last time Xie Qi came back was more than half a year ago. At that time, the war was still in the deployment stage. He was ordered to come back to mobilize troops and rested in the city for a day.
The two of them had a chance to meet, but she caught a cold and had a high fever, so he couldn't come to visit her no matter how anxious he was.
However, what Nanzhi didn't know was that Xie Qi had secretly climbed over the wall to see her that night.
At first, Xu Qinghe stubbornly stayed on the city wall for a while, but the cool breeze became stronger instead of weaker, forcing her to return to the carriage.
Because the army was returning victoriously, more and more people were gathering at the city gate. She ordered people to park the carriage in a corner under the sun and wait quietly.
About two hours later, the sound of horse hooves could be heard outside the city, and the people at the gate began to cheer.
Xu Qinghe immediately got out of the car and ran up the city wall.
At this moment, she no longer cared about her manners. She stood on tiptoe on the battlement of the city wall and saw the triumphant Southern Border Army at a glance.
At the forefront of all the soldiers were her parents walking side by side. A huge flag with the word "Xu" fluttered in the wind on one side, and her parents' faces were filled with smiles of victory.
Behind my parents, there were several older generals, including Xie Huaiyuan, the uncle of the Xie family. Further behind them were some young generals with some fame in the army.
She stood on tiptoe to look, but did not see the person in her heart.
Even the eldest and second brothers of the Xie family were there, but he was not.
Why isn't he here?
But injured?
She was so worried that she wanted to fly to her parents immediately to find out what was going on.
After a while, a handsome white horse suddenly ran out from the huge crowd, and on the horse was Xie Qi, who was wearing silver armor and waving at her with a smile.
The young man was full of energy, his smile was as radiant as the sun, and he sat upright and steadily on the horse. It seemed that he was not injured.
Xu Qinghe breathed a sigh of relief quietly, and had already half-waved his hand to greet her, but immediately withdrew it with reserve.
**
That night, the moon was bright and the evening breeze was gentle. Guests gathered in the back garden of Nan'an Prince's Mansion, and the sound of congratulations was endless.
"The prince and princess are brave. Nanyi has been a nuisance for many years, but they have finally surrendered!"
"From now on, we no longer have to live in fear and worry about going to war with them at every turn."
"We, the people of the Southern Territory, have been looking forward to this day for a long time."
During the dinner, some people talked about the rising stars in this war and praised the young men's bravery.
"Major General Xie captured Nan Mingzhao alive amidst the chaos. He is truly a young hero and has a promising future."
Seeing that his third brother was still staring at the little princess sitting at the upper seat and didn't listen to what others said at all, Xie Zheng coughed softly and kicked his third brother under the seat without making a sound.
Xie Qi came back to his senses, followed his elder brother's gaze towards the table, raised the corners of his lips and complimented the other party a few words.
Having spent so many years in the military camp and attended many celebration banquets, Xie Qi was adept at handling these situations.
In addition, he really has a pair of charming peach blossom eyes. Even if he is not smiling, those eyes can make people feel good about him for no reason.
He finally finished entertaining everyone with just a few words. When he looked back, the little princess at the opposite table had disappeared.
He looked around hurriedly and saw a piece of aqua blue clothing next to the rockery on the east side.
"Brother, I'm a little drunk, go out and sober up."
"sober up?"
Xie Zheng raised his eyebrows and saw that the wine jar in front of him was still full. He hadn't even taken a few sips, so how could he be drunk?
Take another look at the empty county chairman seat opposite, what else is there to understand?
"Well, be careful." He whispered.
The little princess is the apple of the prince and princess's eye. This is a fact that everyone in the southern border can see. They only have this one daughter, so there are naturally countless people who want to marry her.
The elders of the Xu and Xie families were all friends who had fought for their lives on the battlefield. Ever since Xie Zheng could remember, the two families had been extremely close. He still remembered that when he was young, the prince and princess had hinted to his parents in both explicit and implicit ways that his third brother was a talented young man and could be a good match for him. But since when, the prince never showed this thought again.
Now the little princess and the third brother are at the age of the young Mu Ai, but after all, they are not married yet, so they have to be careful when interacting secretly.
He indulged his third brother in his mischief, but Xie Heng, the second son of the Xie family, would not do that.
Just as Xie Qi was about to leave, his second brother grabbed his wristband. Xie Heng lowered his brows and whispered, "The prince and princess are watching, don't do anything reckless."
Xie Qi glanced at the two seats sitting side by side at the top. The princess was fine, but the prince's slightly cold gaze happened to turn towards him.
But he wanted to see her, very much.
When the girl's eyes met his from a distance today, he wanted to spur his horse back to her and hold her tightly in his arms.
But Xie Qi knew that for some reason, the prince didn't seem to like him.
When they met at the city gate, they were only inches apart. He stood in front of the generals, and when the breeze blew over him, he could almost smell the faint plum fragrance on her body.
However, due to the prince's attitude, he did not dare to make any move. He just lowered his brows and respectfully called out "Princess" with everyone else.
Her expression was indifferent. Did she no longer have feelings for him? Or was she being reserved because so many people were around?
He didn't know, but he was eager to find out.
While he was struggling in his heart, Xie Qi met the restraining gazes of his parents.
It seemed like everyone was trying to stop him from seeing her, which didn't make sense.
He had no choice but to return to his original position and drink the liquor in the glass as if it were water.
The Xie family had made outstanding military achievements, so they naturally had seats near the front of the table at the celebration banquet. Of course, any small action they made could not be hidden from the Prince of Nan'an and the Princess who were sitting at the table.
The princess poured wine for the two men and sneered at the man beside her, "It's not like you can't see what your daughter is thinking. Isn't she leaving the table just to wait for Xie Sanlang to go out and look for her? Your daughter's intention is clear, why do you have to stop her?"
Prince Nan'an snorted coldly, "Xie Qi is not a good match for my daughter."
What is a good match or a bad match? Is he the only one who has the final say? Princess Nan'an only knows that her daughter is attracted to the boy from the Xie family.
Since this is the case, she naturally wants to make her daughter's wish come true.
"I think Sanlang seems drunk, so let's leave and sober up."
Xie Qi had been feeling very uneasy, but now he felt as if he had been pardoned. He thanked the princess and quickly stood up.
With the princess's order, no one dared to stop him this time.
Just as they walked out of the garden and turned around an octagonal pavilion, at the entrance to the rockery complex ahead, Nanzhi, holding a flower lantern with red plum and pink lotus prints, bowed and saluted, "Young General, please."
Xie Qi took the lamp from her hand and walked step by step into the depths of the rockery.
The moment he took the lamp, his heart began to beat faster. Perhaps it was because he was more timid about being close to home. The closer he got, the more nervous he became.
The last time we met was on a night in early autumn last year.
Half a year had passed, and she was alone in Jizhou City. Was she lonely? Did she miss him? Had she made friends with other people?
He recalled the girl's cold treatment of him this morning. Could it be that... she really had someone else?
She was so good that those who wanted to marry into the Nan'an Palace could already circle the city from the palace gate and then line up in front of his Xie family's door.
However, when he saw the girl's slender figure, the chaotic thoughts in his mind were suddenly blocked, just like a raging flood encountering a high embankment.
Xu Qinghe was standing in front of him, wearing a soft, thick aqua blue dress, with long hair hanging down to her waist.
She has grown taller and thinner, but her figure is more slender than before.
When she turned around, her long hair was blown up by the breeze and almost covered her face.
Xie Qi hurriedly took two steps forward and helped her to comb through the flying hair.
Suddenly, I saw her red ears.
Xu Qinghe felt embarrassed.
We finally met, why is this hair so disobedient? Just now, with black hair all over his face, he must have looked extremely ugly.
Unexpectedly, the person in front of her seemed to see through her thoughts and said with a smile: "I haven't seen you for half a year. Your grace is even better than before."
The hair in front of her was pushed aside by a few bony fingers. Xu Qinghe looked up at him and found that the man in front of her was much taller than the last time they met, almost a head taller than her.
He was thinner and seemed a little darker, but compared to ordinary men, he was still fair.
After returning to the city, he obviously went back to his house to take care of himself. She remembered that when they met again at the city gate, there was still a blue stubble on his chin, but now it was as smooth as jade.
"You are good at talking smoothly." She turned her face away, not wanting to look at him, but her redder ears were exposed in front of him.
Xie Qi raised his lips and smiled: "It's the truth."
Before the reunion, both of them missed each other very much, but now when they meet again, they don't know where to start expressing their longing, and instead there is silence.
The temperature in late spring was a bit chilly, and the wind made Xu Qinghe shrink his shoulders slightly.
She thought her action was insignificant, but Xie Qi still noticed it.
He raised his hand and pointed to a cave behind her that could accommodate two people, and suggested that they go there to take shelter from the wind.
If there were only two slender women, the cave could indeed accommodate two people, but Xie Qi had indeed grown a lot taller this time, and his physique was tempered in the battlefield and military camp. As soon as he entered, he took up most of the space in the cave.
When he lowered his head, he saw the girl's bulging chest and the dazzling white beneath her clothes. It was obvious that the little girl had now grown into a big girl.
His face flushed and he quickly withdrew from the cave. "I'll be fine outside."
"Are you injured this time?"
"Is the princess's cold better?"
The tacit silence just now turned into a spontaneous opening of the mouth.
The burning gazes collided in the air for a moment, and then quickly separated in different directions.
Xu Qinghe's heart was pounding as he whispered, "I caught a cold six months ago, so I'm definitely better now. How about you? Were you injured in capturing Nan Mingzhao alive this time?"
"No, that fellow Nan Mingzhao was very easy to deal with. I took him down easily."
Xie Qi also laughed at his own stupidity. He had clearly prepared many things to say on the way, so why did he rush into saying something that he had never prepared?
After the words were spoken, silence fell again.
Xu Qinghe found it strange. When they were together before, she was quiet, but Xie Qi was a talkative person. Why did he become so quiet when they met again today? It was a little unlike him.
Only when he mentioned the battlefield just now did his eyes become as vivid as in her memory.
She racked her brains to find something to say, and just as she was about to open her mouth, she heard Nanzhi outside whisper, "Princess, the prince's attendants are coming over here."
At the celebration banquet, everyone knew that the boy and girl had left one after another. Prince Nannan could not stop his wife from indulging Xie Qi, but he also had no way to prevent any more rumors from spreading between his daughter and him, so he immediately sent someone around to urge them to stop.
Xu Qinghe pressed the corners of his lips and had to leave.
When he was about to leave, the person in front of him said "wait", and a tall figure leaned towards him.
“…”
Xu Qinghe resisted the urge to step back and subconsciously held her breath. Her heartbeat became more chaotic due to his sudden approach.
What is he doing?
She remembered that he was not such a reckless person before.
Then a light laugh was heard from above his head. Xie Qi quickly widened the distance between them, and the moonlight fell in front of Xu Qinghe again.
"What are you afraid of? There's a spider web in your hair. You're always afraid of spiders. I'm just helping you get rid of it."
There was indeed a dense cluster of spider webs on the bony knuckles.
When he smiled, his eyebrows curved, and his ink-black pupils were full of her.
This was the beginning of the unrestrained and uninhibited boy she remembered.
Xu Qinghe's heart was beating fast, as if there were a hundred or so captive deer hiding there, beating the rhythm against her chest, urging her to release them quickly.
But of course she couldn't do that, so she just pinched the hem of her skirt, whispered thank you, and left almost in a panic.
Xie Qi looked at her back, the smile in his eyes remained for a while, and after a long time, it gradually faded away.
He looked down at the flower and grass lantern in his hand, which was the one he had made for her that year.
Fortunately, she still has him in her heart.
I just don't know how to get past the prince's hurdle.
**
A few days later, in the morning, Xie Huaiyuan, his wife and their three sons were in the main hall of Xie's house.
"Tell me now, what is going on between you and the princess?"
Sitting in the main seat, Xie Huaiyuan frowned and stared at his youngest son who was kneeling in the hall.
Dalang is kind and gentle, Erlang is gentle and polite, but the third son has shown his talent since he was young. Now he is even more arrogant with his youthful spirit. He dared to charge into the enemy camp alone on a horse, and he even managed to capture the third prince of Nanyi Kingdom alive. It makes him neither love nor hate him.
Xie Qi stiffened his neck, the wound on his waist from Nan Mingzhao's knife still aching. He raised his eyes stubbornly and said in a deep voice, "Father, I want to marry the princess."
Madam Xie frowned softly and said helplessly, "Qi'er, if you had said this a few years ago, it might have been possible, but now...ah..."
"Why not now? I've made so many military achievements over the years, am I still no match for others?"
Xie Huaiyuan lowered his eyes, "In the prince's heart, perhaps I really can't compare."
No matter how many military achievements his son had made, the prince had already crossed his name off the list of ideal sons-in-law.
"My son has always been puzzled. Why does the prince have a problem with me?"
However, no one in the Xie family knew about this. They only knew that from some point on, the prince's eyes on Xie Qi changed. He no longer admired him as before, but instead felt a bit of resentment.
"I will discuss this matter with your mother and two brothers. Please withdraw first. Before that, please do not act rashly or offend the princess."
Xie Qi lifted his robe, stood up, and strode out of the mansion.
When passing by the palace, he paused slightly, and even had the idea of rushing in to ask the prince for clarification at this moment, but suddenly his mind flashed back to the panic of the girl yesterday when she heard that the prince's attendants were coming, so he had to give up.
He couldn't make things difficult for her.
The locations of both houses are good. It takes less than a quarter of an hour to walk to the most lively restaurant in the city. Xie Qi ignored his injuries and went to the second-floor window to ask for two jars of good wine and drink by himself.
There was a commotion outside the bed. He lowered his eyes and saw a few matchmakers dressed in red and decorated with colorful ribbons, praising something joyfully.
He withdrew his gaze and drank another bowl of strong liquor. The wound on his waist was the most painful, but he was thinking, I don’t know when I can go to the palace to ask for marriage.
Tonight... go and meet her secretly again?
If she is willing, he will make the prince change his mind even if it means going through mountains of swords and seas of fire.
If she didn't want to... No, why would she not want to?
Thinking of Xu Qinghe, his eyes suddenly softened again.
The restaurant was noisy, and there were many people even at the windows on the second floor. Several young men were invited upstairs, and when they saw him, they immediately started muttering.
Although it was whispering, the voice was actually very loud, as if she was afraid that he couldn't hear her.
"Some people want to be the prince's son-in-law, but unfortunately, the prince doesn't even look at them!"
"What good is a reckless man like him? If I were a prince, I would not marry my daughter to such a man."
"Oh, that's not right. I heard that people risked their lives on the battlefield just to become a son-in-law, just to earn more military merits and win the prince's favor."
"What a shame, it's completely useless. The prince has someone else in mind as his ideal son-in-law...Ah!!"
In a flash, the man who was speaking was suddenly grabbed by the throat, and his already plump cheeks quickly turned the color of liver.
The people beside him looked at Xie Qi, who appeared beside them like a ghost, and their momentum suddenly decreased by half. "Xie...Xie Qi, what are you doing? Do you want to kill someone again?!"
Xie Qi gritted his teeth and said word by word: "Say what you just said again."
The people around him immediately repeated what they had just said, and it was not until they said, "The prince has someone else in mind as his ideal son-in-law" that a crack finally appeared on Xie Qi's face.
"What do you mean? Speak!"
The man trembled and said, "You... don't you know? At the celebration banquet that night, the prince and the Li family had a very pleasant conversation. Today... today they went to visit the prince's mansion, and everyone... everyone said that it was the prince's instruction to marry the princess to the Li family..."
Before he could finish his words, he saw the man who had been so ferocious just now suddenly loosen his grip, and the next moment, even his figure could not be seen.
Everyone searched frantically for a while before they saw the young man running towards the palace through the window.
He was like a gust of wind, but he didn't know if he could catch up with the coming rain.
【Author’s words】
Finally I wrote about my favorite childhood sweetheart [rainbow fart]
I even thought about starting a new story about my childhood sweetheart’s rebirth. Hahaha [狗头]
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I have fixed all the bugs left in the comments section before, and I will slowly fix the remaining bugs later [starry eyes]
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