Chapter 26 "Xue Mingyao, see clearly who I am..."
Xie Zhuo followed the maid to the side hall in the princess's courtyard. Lüzhi came over to greet him, "General Xie, the princess seems to be asleep in her room. I'll go wake her up. Please wait here for a moment."
She curtsied, closed the door behind her, and went out. As she approached the main house and was about to push open the door, she suddenly sensed a cold, sharp presence behind her. Turning around, she shuddered and said with a pained expression, "General Xie, you've followed me..."
Xie Zhuo's imposing presence was too strong, so Lüzhi dared not say anything and could only obediently go inside. Inside, the air was filled with the fragrance of incense, and the princess was fast asleep on the couch, her black hair slightly curled and her face fair with a rosy glow.
Chen Liangqing sat at his desk, coloring with his brush. Hearing the sound, he looked up and met Xie Zhuo's gaze as he slowly walked in. He was somewhat surprised; Xie Zhuo had been showing his true face to the court for the past few days, but today he was wearing a mask again.
"I had no idea that Hanlin was here," Xie Zhuo said calmly.
Chen Liangqing put down his brush. "I came to paint a portrait of the princess, and by sheer coincidence, I ran into the general."
Xie Zhuo said, "When I came, I saw that the doors and windows were tightly closed, and there was a man's figure in the room. I was a little worried that I would disturb the princess's good time. When I saw that it was Brother Liangqing, I realized that I had judged a gentleman by my own petty standards."
The words sounded strange, and Chen Liangqing frowned slightly.
"Since you were worried about being caught, why did you come in so brazenly, General?" Xue Mingyao was woken up by Lüzhi, her eyes still drowsy, as lazy as a cat, and her words made people weak in the knees. "Besides, you did indeed catch me and Chen Lang doing something intimate."
Xie Zhuo turned to look at her, unhurriedly, "The princess invited me here, but you had other guests and were fast asleep. What kind of logic is that?"
"Who told the General to avoid me every day? The only free day he had was when I had arranged to meet Chen Lang. Whose fault is that?" Xue Mingyao said coolly, then bowed to Chen Liangqing and smiled, "Chen Lang, I'm really sorry, I need to talk to General Xie. Once I've resolved that, I'll come back to be with you."
It was as if Xie Zhuo was not treated as a guest, but as something that needed to be gotten rid of.
Chen Liangqing also understood, and gained a deeper understanding of the hidden sharpness in Xie Zhuo's words. He knew that leaving at this moment was the best choice, but when he opened his mouth, he could only form the shape of the word "okay".
"Princess, please feel free to do as you please. There's no need to accommodate me." He picked up his pen again.
Xue Mingyao and Xie Zhuo arrived at the side hall. Learning from her previous experience, and also to spite Xie Zhuo, she deliberately ordered Lüzhi not to close the door or draw the curtains. Sure enough, she saw that Xie Zhuo's eyes, hidden behind his silver mask, had turned even colder, which made her feel a little better.
She crossed her arms and sneered, "The general has recovered and returned to court, so why is he still wearing a mask? Does he intend to show his face to everyone every day? You want to marry me, but I haven't even seen your true face yet. Isn't that ridiculous?"
“Of course not. I’ve come today to show you my true face,” Xie Zhuo said.
Xue Mingyao raised an eyebrow, but he didn't make a move.
"Let's wait a bit, I'm afraid I'll frighten the princess," he said quietly.
Xue Mingyao chuckled and clapped her hands, saying with a sneer, "Looks like you've been scarred, as scary as Zhong Kui. It doesn't matter, General, you don't need to show me. Anyway, I won't marry you, and I won't see you again. What you look like is none of my business."
As she spoke, Xie Zhuo stared intently at the glistening lip rouge on her lips, as if trying to find traces of her infidelity. After a long while, he finally replied, "Whether or not we become husband and wife is not up to the princess to decide."
"Do you think you get to decide?"
"I'm in charge."
Xue Mingyao couldn't bear it any longer, and raised her voice, "General Xie, did I not make myself clear? I hate you, I hate you a million times over. If I had to marry you, I would rather die!"
Xie Zhuo remained calm, saying, "The way you threw yourself at me doesn't seem like you dislike me."
"So what? After how you treated me in that brothel, I'll only hate you to the core. What woman in the world would like a wicked person who uses force and power?"
Xue Mingyao leaned back, as if she couldn't bear to be any closer to him.
Xie Zhuo said, "It is clear that the princess does not quite understand the principle of 'Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you.'"
Xue Mingyao, not understanding her meaning, continued angrily, "You probably know my temperament. If you marry me, I'll be unfaithful every day, inviting other men to my bedchamber for romantic encounters. Are you willing to tolerate that?"
"I refuse." Xie Zhuo said coldly, "I just happen to be a general, and I'm used to killing people. Whoever has an affair with you, I'll send them to the underworld. I suppose that in the long run, no one will dare to have an affair with you."
"Trying to scare me? The lovers I choose are all people of high standing, like Chen Hanlin. Do you dare to touch him?" Xue Mingyao said recklessly.
Xie Zhuo raised an eyebrow. "What did you and Chen Liangqing do?"
“A man and a woman alone in a room, anything is possible,” Xue Mingyao said deliberately.
Xie Zhuo felt a fire burning in his chest as he thought of Xue Mingyu's description, but he forced himself to suppress it. "I originally thought he was a gentleman. I was wrong."
Xue Mingyao felt guilty, since she hadn't said anything and Xie Zhuo had guessed it himself. But then she heard Xie Zhuo say in a sinister tone, "It seems I'll have to keep a close eye on you after we get married."
"Get married? I told you I wouldn't marry you!"
“I’ve already said, marriage is not your decision. You want to persuade me to give up because you can’t persuade His Majesty,” Xie Zhuo said slowly. “As long as I insist, you will have to marry into the Xie family.”
Xue Mingyao took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to punch him. "My father had someone calculate my fate. I am destined to bring misfortune to my husbands. My first husband died on the battlefield not long after marrying me. If you marry me into the Xie family, I'm afraid I'll die even faster than him."
"It's alright. I'm tough. My parents and relatives all died because of me. The princess can't bring me any harm."
"I'm extravagant and spend money like water. How much wealth can a general have after being promoted to a high position? I'll empty his pockets in less than a month!"
"It's alright. After you've emptied your pockets, we'll just starve together. I've always been frugal, so I don't mind."
"Who's going to starve with you?" Xue Mingyao retorted fiercely. "Once I've emptied your treasury, I'll grab a knife and kill you. No matter how good your martial arts are, you can't escape the sharp blade right next to your bed. At worst, we'll each take one of our lives and go to the Yellow Springs together!"
For the first time in her life, she wore a fierce expression.
Of course, she wouldn't dare kill him, nor would she risk her own life, but Xue Mingyao really wanted to stab him a few holes right now.
Abusing their power to bully others, forcibly marrying and seizing property—how can there be such despicable people in the world!
"Then let's be a dead couple in the underworld." Xie Zhuo remained unmoved, and Xue Mingyao could even sense that he was smiling, as if he were watching a good show.
He enjoyed her going crazy.
Xue Mingyao clenched her teeth, trying her best to calm herself down, when a flash of inspiration suddenly appeared in her mind.
"There's something I need to confess, and I don't know if the general is magnanimous enough to accept it." A sly smile appeared on her face as she lowered her voice. "When I was in Xichuan, I had a lover. We were inseparable, and our feelings for each other were much deeper than those for General Cen. In my heart, I had long regarded him as my husband."
Xie Zhuo said in a dry voice, "I asked the princess during the spring hunt, and she said she was already tired of this person."
"That was a lie."
“The princess’s words are contradictory, I can’t believe it.” Xie Zhuo paused. “Even if what she’s saying now is the truth, I don’t mind. The princess and him are both things of the past.”
Xue Mingyao sensed a mocking smile beneath his mask.
With a heavy heart, she played her trump card, "I have more to say than that. Not long after I left Xichuan, I discovered I was pregnant with his child. I wanted to keep it as a memento, so I secretly gave birth to the child. General, don't be angry with me right now. Think it over carefully. Do you really want a widow who has given birth to a child?"
Xie Zhuo's usually calm and composed eyes finally changed; he was stunned.
Xue Mingyao, feeling smug, pressed her advantage, "Although the child's father is of lowly status, I want to give the child a proper identity and the best of everything. Therefore, my next husband must recognize him as his heir, treat him as his own son, and pass everything on to him. General Xie, I'm afraid you can't do that."
Before he could finish speaking, Xie Zhuo suddenly stood up, his voice urgent, "You're not lying, there really is such a child?"
Xue Mingyao was startled and raised her head, saying, "Of course, I don't joke about such things."
Where is the child?
"At... the Xue family ancestral home, she was raised together with the young duke. To avoid suspicion, she wasn't raised by my side," Xue Mingyao said, forcing herself to speak.
Xie Zhuo stared intently at her. "What's his name? What year and month was he born?"
Xue Mingyao realized this wasn't the reaction Xie Zhuo had expected, and frowned. "Why are you asking these questions?"
"Take me to see him, right now." Xie Zhuo grabbed her arm and pulled her up forcefully.
"Let go of me!" Xue Mingyao pushed him away forcefully. "I didn't lie to you, I really do have a son—"
"Then let me see him!"
"Why should I?" Xue Mingyao couldn't understand Xie Zhuo's agitation at all, and asked in a panic, "Do you really want to be his father?"
"That's right, isn't this the condition you proposed?"
Xue Mingyao was stunned. He loved her to this extent? She was at a loss for words, as if she had shot herself in the foot.
Seeing her reaction, Xie Zhuo became suspicious. "Does this child even exist?"
Xue Mingyao remained silent.
"Xue Mingyao, if you're lying to me..."
Hearing his gritted teeth, she was utterly bewildered. "Why are you so angry? I'm the one you're pushing so hard for, why are you so concerned about the child...?"
Xie Zhuo felt like a rag, being repeatedly tossed about, thrown into the air, and then slammed back to the ground.
He closed his eyes, took off his mask, and said, "Look carefully at who I am. Tell me if I care about the child or not."
The silver mask suddenly slipped off and fell to the ground with a sharp sound.
General Xie Zhuo, with his jade-faced face, finally revealed himself to Xue Mingyao.
Looking at the familiar face she hadn't seen in so long, Xue Mingyao felt as if she had been hit by a boulder, a loud thud followed by a buzzing dizziness.
"Xie... Qinglang?" She swayed, squeezing out a voice that didn't belong to her.
"It's me." Xie Zhuo couldn't bear her piercing gaze and turned his head slightly.
"How could you possibly be him..." Xue Mingyao seemed completely confused, looking at his tanned skin, which was different from Xie Qinglang's, and her voice became wary, "You're impersonating him? His voice isn't like that!"
Furthermore, Xie Qinglang was not as tall or strong as him, nor as physically imposing, and his chest was not as fiery...
But those clear, deep eyes, those sharply defined lips, and those full, rounded cupid's bow—it was clearly him. The person she wanted to kiss the first time she saw him.
A wave of fear washed over Xue Mingyao, and she involuntarily took three steps back. "Go away, don't scare me."
Xie Zhuo's expression was complicated. He wanted to explain but found it difficult to speak, so he silently took three steps toward her.
"Get out of the way!" Xue Mingyao's beautiful eyes widened. "I'm calling for help, A-Zhao, A-Zhao—"
Her shrill voice was barely halfway out when Xie Zhuo leaned forward, grabbing her waist with one hand and covering her mouth with the other. Xue Mingyao struggled violently, making muffled noises, but Xie Zhuo simply withdrew his hand and lowered his head to seal her red lips with his own.
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Author's Note: Finally
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