Chapter 216 A Show of Force
Princess Rongning tightened her grip on her hand hidden in her sleeve and slightly bent her knees: "I am Rongning."
"Why is the princess still wearing a veil?" King Xijiang glanced at Qiu Heng standing beside Princess Rongning. "Even maids wear veils. Is this a tradition of the Great Xia?"
Princess Rongning said calmly, "King Jiang, the woman beside me is my sister who accompanied me to my wedding, not a maid."
"Oh, whatever your status, since you're here, please remove your veil so I can get to know the queen I'm about to marry."
Upon hearing the King of Xijiang refer to himself as "朕" (Zhen, meaning "I, the Imperial Emperor"), the Zhao envoy frowned.
Xi Jiang has become increasingly disregardful of the Great Xia Dynasty, even referring to himself as "朕" (Zhen, meaning "I, the Emperor").
Princess Rongning's lips tightened, suppressing her anger.
As the princess of the Great Xia Dynasty, and about to marry the King of Xijiang, it's not that she can't show her true face, but it shouldn't be with all sorts of people present, with the King of Xijiang sitting high up.
What is the Great Xia princess? Is she someone chosen by the King of Xijiang?
Qiu Heng removed her veil and spoke up for Princess Rongning: "King Jiang, according to our Great Xia custom, the newlyweds should avoid the wedding area as the wedding date approaches—"
Suddenly, a hand reached out and took away the veil from Princess Rongning's head.
"What customs?" The girl, who was holding the veiled hat lightly, raised her eyebrows and said in a spoiled manner, "Isn't the saying 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do' a saying you people from Great Xia have? When you come to our Jiang Kingdom, you should follow the rules of Jiang Kingdom."
"Who are you, and how dare you be so disrespectful to our princess?" Vice Envoy Zhao demanded.
"Duoya, don't be silly." King Xijiang scolded, but his tone was not angry. His gaze lingered on Princess Rongning's face. "This is my daughter Duoya. She is used to being willful. Princess, please don't be offended."
Princess Rongning could see that Duoya's actions were clearly due to the indulgence of the King of Xijiang, but she attributed it to the willfulness of a young girl, so the Great Xia side could not make a fuss about it.
Ultimately, it all comes down to needing someone's help, not about starting a fight or falling out.
Princess Rongning took a light breath, suppressing her anger and humiliation, and said calmly, "Your princess's willfulness is not a major flaw. Your Majesty, please rest assured, I am not one to hold grudges."
"You actually said I'm willful?" Princess Duoya raised her eyebrows.
“It was your father who said it.”
"Insolence!" Princess Duoya skillfully drew the soft whip wrapped around her waist and lashed it at Princess Rongning.
One hand gripped her wrist tightly, and the whip fell to the ground.
"You're courting death!" Princess Duoya turned her head and was met with a face covered in frost.
It was that silver-armored boy.
"How dare you, a mere envoy, stop me?" Princess Duoya was furious and tried to pull her hand back but couldn't break free.
This overwhelming power actually eased her arrogance, and she couldn't help but glance at Xue Han again.
She thought that the men of Great Xia, especially the handsome ones, only had one face to look at, but she didn't expect that this young man was no less than the warriors of her own country.
"What's your name?" Princess Duoya asked, staring at Xue Han.
Xue Han ignored Princess Duoya's words and looked at King Xijiang: "Princess Rongning is a princess of my Great Xia, and the queen whom the King of Jiang took the initiative to marry. However, your daughter is so disrespectful, which makes me doubt the sincerity of your country's alliance."
King Xijiang looked at the cold-faced young man with some surprise.
The chief envoy of Daxia was not only young, but also tough.
"My daughter has been spoiled by me, Your Excellency, please don't take offense." King Xijiang looked at Princess Duoya, his tone turning cold. "Duoya, apologize to Princess Rongning."
The wealth and skilled craftsmen sent by the Great Xia have not yet been settled, so it's not time to turn against them yet.
Princess Duoya bit her lip and said reluctantly to Princess Rongning, "I acted impulsively, I'm sorry."
Princess Rongning nodded demurely.
King Xijiang laughed: "Princess, you've come from afar, you must be tired. Go wash up and settle in first."
Princess Rongning curtsied and left the main hall.
Walking through the palace, the initial sense of spaciousness was long gone, leaving only a heavy feeling in my heart.
Upon arriving at their temporary residence in the courtyard, with only her own people around, Princess Rongning said softly, "Aheng, today Princess Duoya acted arrogantly in the palace. Perhaps it was at the behest of King Xijiang, just to put us in a better position. You should bear with it while you stay with me these days, so as not to cause trouble for yourself."
She's stuck here because there's nothing she can do; Ah Heng still needs to go back.
"I understand, Your Highness," Qiu Heng replied calmly, without any sign of displeasure.
Acting rashly is useless; to get rid of King Xijiang, you should make him think you are as harmless as possible.
On the King of Xijiang's side, Princess Duoya spoke of Princess Rongning: "Father, this princess of Xia Kingdom is quite remarkable. She didn't show any fear even when she first arrived in a foreign land."
Although she has a temper, she knows when to stop. Her behavior in the palace was at the behest of her father.
"You're a tough one, so don't cause any trouble these next few days."
"Okay."
At the evening palace banquet, there was strong liquor and roasted meat, and barefoot dancers with silver bells tied to their ankles twirled and danced on the brocade carpet.
Princess Rongning had no interest in appreciating the exotic scenery and sat upright with her eyes lowered.
"Does the princess find the food unpalatable?" King Xijiang, who had been speaking with the envoy surnamed Zhao, suddenly asked.
"Your country's cuisine is quite different from ours, but it has its own unique flavor," Princess Rongning said politely but distantly.
"That's good." King Xijiang smiled and continued chatting with the Zhao envoy.
Xue Han interrupted their conversation: "When will your country send troops?"
Xijiang borders the states of Xia and Qi. If some actions are taken on the border between Xijiang and Qi, it can serve as a diversionary tactic, allowing Xia to focus on dealing with internal strife.
"Your Excellency has only just arrived in our country; you seem to be in a great hurry."
Vice Envoy Zhao secretly gave Xue Han a wink, signaling him to lower his stance a little to avoid displeasing the King of Xijiang and deliberately delaying the meeting.
Xue Han said calmly, "If you're here as a guest, there's no rush."
King Xijiang suppressed his anger and said with a smile, "The day after tomorrow is our country's annual Warriors Competition. No matter how anxious you are, you must wait until our warriors have finished competing."
Before Xue Han could speak further, Vice Envoy Zhao interrupted, "The day after tomorrow is fine."
If it could be that fast, that would be really great.
"The princess will also come to see the prowess of my Jiang Kingdom's warriors."
Princess Rongning nodded slightly.
That night, Qiu Heng slept in the same room as Princess Rong Ning, but Princess Rong Ning tossed and turned, unable to sleep for a long time.
"Is Your Highness having trouble sleeping?"
"Ah Heng, you're still awake? Did I disturb you?"
"No, I can't sleep either."
After a moment of silence, Princess Rongning spoke up: "Aheng, for some reason, I feel inexplicably uneasy."
"Does Your Highness still remember what I said on the journey?"
"Yes, you said there's always a way out."
"Your Highness, please don't forget."
After a longer silence, Princess Rongning responded softly, "Okay."
She wanted to ask, what if the road in front of the mountain is a dead end, a dead end?
But then she thought, whatever path she takes, it's the path she has to walk, so why bother Ah Heng?
The two chatted intermittently, then gradually fell silent.
The second day in Xijiang was relatively peaceful, but the third day soon arrived and the Xijiang Warriors Tournament began.
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Synopsis: Three years after the violent death of Princess Yongjia, people in the capital suddenly began to die one after another.
Meanwhile, the top scholar, who was busy marrying a wealthy and powerful woman, also encountered a "wife from humble beginnings" whom he had never met before.
Yan Bei, wanting to gossip, condescended to attend the Marquis's birthday banquet with his child in tow, only to discover that the wife of the top scholar from the countryside was none other than his ex-wife who had disappeared three years ago!
Okay!
The top scholar became her childhood sweetheart and husband, so what is Yan Bei then? A mistress?!
(End of this chapter)
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