The group arrived at Bai Linan's study. Bai Chuxiao clicked her tongue in surprise; it was her first time in this study, and surprisingly, it was quite nice, with its antique charm. She had originally thought Chu Tianyou would be with Bai Chuwan, but unexpectedly, he had come along as well.
Chu Tianze and Bai Linan sat facing each other and began their game of chess, while Bai Chuxiao and Chu Tianyou watched from the sidelines.
On the chessboard, two pieces, one black and one white, were locked in a fierce battle. Bai Linan's chess skills were surprisingly good, which slightly surprised Bai Chuxiao. To be able to sit as the Left Prime Minister, he must have some real talent.
Bai Linan held a black chess piece in his hand, not placing it down, and said with a smile, "I've heard that the Crown Prince of Beiyan intends to marry one of our princesses."
"Lord Bai Xiang is well-informed," Chu Tianze said calmly.
Bai Chuxiao wasn't surprised; Xiao Chen's actions were within their expectations. Chu Tianyou, however, was completely bewildered. He hadn't received any news at all. A princess? What princesses were there in Great Xia for marriage alliances now? If there was one, wasn't that his own younger sister?
"Is this news true?" Chu Tianyou's face was grim. That was his only sister. His father hadn't chosen a husband for her all these years; could this be what he was waiting for?
"Xiao Chen is already on his way to Great Xia," Chu Tianze said calmly, placing a piece on the board.
"Isn't Xiao Chen already married?" Bai Chuxiao asked doubtfully. A marriage alliance would be beneficial, and His Majesty would likely agree, but surely he wouldn't marry his own legitimate daughter to him?
"Xiaoxiao, you're mistaken. He did have a princess consort, but she has passed away from illness."
The princess died at a convenient time, but so what? Does that mean the eldest princess, born of the principal wife, has to marry into the family as a second wife?
Bai Linan chuckled, "So choosing the person for this marriage alliance is a big problem."
Bai Chuxiao agreed with this. Seeing Chu Tianyou's ashen face, she nodded. She knew that her sister was still human and worried about her. Given the relationship between Da Xia and Bei Yan, there would be a war sooner or later. How would the person who went to marry into the state then conduct themselves?
Chu Tianze won the game again, and Bai Linan didn't seem to care, appearing to have conceded defeat. His sportsmanship was alright, but his character was truly unfathomable...
The Crown Prince and the Prince of Yan stayed for lunch, which proceeded amicably. However, Chu Tianyou was in no mood for anything after learning about the proposed marriage. He ignored countless glances from Bai Chuwan, much to her annoyance.
One was the Crown Prince, and the other was the Prince of Yan; neither of them were truly idle, so neither of them stayed long after the meal.
Bai Chuxiao entered Bai Linan's study with a puzzled look on her face.
"Father, is there something you want to say to me today?"
Bai Linan slowly spoke, "I called you here to tell you that there is no deep-seated hatred between you and my Bai family, so you don't need to put us on the opposite side. We are all family, and you should understand the principle that we share the same fate."
Bai Chuxiao's eyes turned slightly cold. "Oh? Father is certain?"
Bai Linan stared at her, then said firmly, "I know you believed some rumors that I killed your mother, but I can tell you for sure now that I didn't kill her. Back then, I did consider not letting you live in this world because I felt that without your mother, living might not be a good thing for you. But looking at you, my heart softened. You look a lot like your mother. There is no hatred between us. I am your father, and I never really wanted you and Xue'er to die."
Bai Chuxiao's eyes darkened slightly. She hadn't expected Bai Linan to bring this up today, but she didn't believe what he said.
"Oh? What happened to the people who were with my mother back then, the midwives?"
“The midwife deserved to die for harming your mother. You should know what happened to the Murong family back then. Your mother was a member of the Murong family, and I was in the position of Left Prime Minister. Did you think no one was watching us? I was just using this as an excuse to eliminate the traitor. To avoid suspicion, it's better to kill the innocent than let one go.”
"Then why didn't you explain this to me sooner?"
“If you were stupid, you would never know, but now His Majesty’s attitude towards you and the Murong family is clear, and you are also very intelligent, so your father has no need to hide it from you anymore.”
Bai Chuxiao sneered and stopped listening. She walked out of the study and looked around the square space. Aunt Zhao's half-understanding, Madam Xie's crazy ramblings, and Bai Linan's vague answers all failed to provide a definite answer. What a grand mansion, a high-ranking family. Who could know the truth and falsehood within? And after all, she was a modern soul, completely unskilled in these inner court struggles...
Bai Linan watched Bai Chuxiao's departing figure, a glint of malice flashing in his eyes. The radiance his daughter exuded made him feel threatened. He couldn't let her continue to hate him like this, otherwise...
Back at Liuli Courtyard, Bai Chuxiao sat on the swing, gently swaying, casting aside her worries and enjoying the tranquility of the moment. She had instructed Lanxiang and the others to build this swing when she went to the North, partly to give them something to do and prevent them from worrying about her.
The swing is large enough to accommodate two people, with delicate vines winding around it on both sides and fresh flowers adding to its beauty.
"What is the princess thinking about?" Lanxiang asked softly. It was rare for her young mistress to show such girlish sentimentality; she wanted to play on the swings, and naturally, they wanted to make them exquisite. Seeing this scene, she was quite happy.
Bai Chuxiao shook her head. "What are you holding?"
Lanxiang smiled and said, "Bring the wedding dress designs over for the princess to choose from. Although the wedding date is still a while away, wedding dresses are delicate crafts, so we should start preparing as soon as possible."
Bai Chuxiao took the papers and started looking through them, pointing to one of them and saying, "This one will do."
Lanxiang nodded. "It's a very imposing design, suitable for Miss's style. "When the eldest princess left, she mentioned that she had invited a famous embroiderer from Jiangnan to sew Miss's wedding dress. She should be arriving in the capital soon."
Bai Chuxiao chuckled upon hearing this, "You're so kind, Princess."
Generally, young women would sew their own wedding dresses before getting married, but since she knew nothing about embroidery, that was obviously impossible.
Since she arrived in the capital, the eldest princess had been very friendly to her. Thinking of the reason the princess had mentioned before, she couldn't help but frown slightly. Did he resemble the late empress? She had observed him closely in the imperial study last time. Chu Tianze's eyes were indeed beautiful, but to her, the two people's eyes didn't seem quite alike. Perhaps the portraits weren't lifelike enough…
Bai Chuxiao gave a self-deprecating laugh. The eldest princess thought Chu Tianze's eyes resembled hers, and His Majesty thought her behavior was similar. She and Chu Tianze could be considered to have a connection with the late Empress, but she didn't know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.
His Majesty generously bestowed upon her the title of Princess. What exactly is he up to? It can't just be to appease Chu Tianze and Bai Linan, can it? Bai Chuxiao rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought. A pie falling from the sky can't be anything good!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com