Chapter 189: Keeping The Promise

Although Xie Wei had already put on his clothes and even freshened up a bit, he was only wearing a simple, thin white robe, with his hair loosely tied up by a wooden hairpin. His expression was calm, giving him a more relaxed and casual demeanor compared to his usual formal attire.

Jiang Xuening could tell at a glance that he had just gotten up.

After all, Xie Wei was usually impeccable from head to toe, leaving no room for criticism.

When facing Xie Wei, she was mostly cautious, so compared to her usual boldness, she appeared quite reserved. After some thought, she replied, “Sir, I have already eaten. I apologize for not considering properly and coming to disturb you without sending a message first. If it’s inconvenient for you, I can come another day.”

Xie Wei finally glanced at her.

There was a fleeting silence in his eyes, and when his lips tightened, a hint of impatience appeared. However, he simply pointed to the seat opposite him, signaling her to sit, and called out, “Dao Qin, bring another set of bowls and chopsticks.”

When Jiang Xuening entered, she hadn’t dared to get too close. Now, her body stiffened slightly, and she remained standing, unmoving.

Xie Wei let out a cold laugh, “Do you plan to stand there and watch me eat?”

Jiang Xuening finally realized her mistake.

Over the past two years, Xie Wei had been keeping a low profile in the court. Now that he had left the capital and come to Jinling, it was clear that he had something urgent to discuss with her. If she didn’t sit down and join him, but instead waited for him to finish his porridge, wouldn’t that be awkward? Even if she wasn’t embarrassed, he might not feel comfortable eating.

She had been foolish.

Over the years, she had handled many matters and dealt with numerous people. How could she, upon seeing him again, become so nervous and make such a mistake, failing to grasp such a simple situation?

Feeling somewhat frustrated, Jiang Xuening scolded herself silently and quickly said, “Thank you, sir. Since you insist, I will comply.” After a moment of hesitation, she walked over and sat down at the table.

The seat was directly opposite Xie Wei.

Only a table separated the two of them.

Outside, Dao Qin brought in the bowls and chopsticks, picked up a bowl, and was about to serve her some porridge.

Without even looking up, Xie Wei, with his slender fingers holding ivory chopsticks, picked up a piece of lotus root and placed it in his bowl, saying, “Does she not have hands of her own?”

Jiang Xuening’s eyelids twitched at his words.

Dao Qin’s scalp tightened, not daring to look around, and he quickly said in a low voice, “Yes,” before putting the bowl down and retreating.

The atmosphere was as tense as if they were in the presence of the King of Hell.

In the past, Xie Wei had always been good-tempered, with few things in the world capable of making him cold-faced. Even when he rebelled and slaughtered the royal family in his previous life, he had done so with a gentle demeanor, showing little sign of temper.

But now…

If it had been two years ago, when she was still unaware of his true nature, Jiang Xuening would have probably put on a smile and tried to coax the young master to calm down. But now, she didn’t dare to overstep in the slightest.

She pretended not to hear anything, comforting herself with the thought that Xie Wei might just be in a bad mood after waking up. She quickly served herself a small bowl of porridge and began sipping it slowly.

Xie Wei said nothing more.

Even with a cold expression, his demeanor was still graceful and pleasing to the eye, reminding Jiang Xuening of the time when they first traveled to the capital.

Back then, he wasn’t yet known as Master Xie or the young master Xie.

She had thought he was just a distant relative of the Jiang family, a sickly young master who was barely related. He had boarded the carriage halfway with a guqin in his arms. Although he was quiet, every move he made was different from her childhood friends in the mountain village, like a refreshing breeze or the bright moon above the pines.

She had been nervous about going to the capital.

Would her wealthy family in the capital look down on her, having grown up in the countryside?

She had never learned any etiquette or poetry. Despite hearing many things from the accompanying maid, she still didn’t understand…

Meeting someone like him made her involuntarily examine herself.

Fear and inferiority intertwined, making her force herself to put on airs, lifting her chin, resisting him, looking down on him, and showing strong hostility toward such a person.

She deliberately knocked over his teacup, tore his sheet music…

But in secret, she couldn’t suppress her inferiority and quietly imitated him, hoping to learn a thing or two so that she could gain some respect when she arrived in the capital.

She still remembered when she tore his sheet music while Xie Wei wasn’t in the carriage. The usually silent sickly young man, holding the torn sheet music, asked her, “Did you do this?”

She played dumb, “What?”

Upon hearing her response, the other person’s expression gradually turned cold. The veins on the back of his hand, which was clutching the sheet music, bulged slightly, but he suddenly smiled at her, “This time, I’ll assume you’re too young to understand. But if there’s a next time, you can try and see what happens.”

To be honest, even though Xie Wei looked sickly and somewhat listless, he still had a handsome appearance. His smile was strikingly beautiful, and for a moment, it dazzled her young eyes. At the same time, a chill ran down her spine, startling her.

But after saying this, he turned and went back into the carriage.

Jiang Xuening didn’t take his words to heart, thinking he was just making empty threats. He was merely a distant relative living under someone else’s roof, while she was the daughter of a high-ranking official in the capital. What could he possibly do to her?

So not only did she dare to tear his sheet music, but later, in a fit of anger when she fell into hardship, she even smashed his guqin. Yet, she never saw him actually do anything to her.

It wasn’t until some time after returning to the capital that she accidentally learned of Xie Wei’s true identity. In that instant, a cold shiver shot from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, making her shudder and feel a wave of fear.

Ignorance truly breeds fearlessness.

Jiang Xuening silently drank her porridge, and when she thought of this, she bit her spoon and chuckled.

Xie Wei heard her and looked up.

Jiang Xuening had momentarily let her guard down, revealing a glimpse of her true nature. When her eyes met Xie Wei’s, her body stiffened immediately.

Xie Wei’s gaze fell on the spoon she was biting.

Embarrassed, Jiang Xuening put the spoon down.

Xie Wei asked, “What are you laughing at?”

Jiang Xuening initially wanted to give a casual reply, but seeing Xie Wei’s icy expression, devoid of the warm smile that usually made people feel at ease, she felt strangely uncomfortable. She also thought of the difficulties Shen Zhiyi might be facing, and her heart felt heavy. In the end, she slowly said, “I just suddenly realized that things are no longer the same, and people have changed…”

Even with her light makeup, her face was still strikingly beautiful.

Her delicate features, after two years, had fully blossomed like radiant peach blossoms on a branch. When her thick eyelashes gently lowered, the faint shadows they cast carried a hint of quiet melancholy.

Xie Wei suddenly remembered that small green apricot on the windowsill that summer.

The hidden irritation in his heart surged up again.

He had once warned Zhang Zhe that if one had attachments, they should not provoke others. But were his own attachments any fewer than Zhang Zhe’s? Yet, he had still crossed the line and revealed his intentions. This was absolutely not what he should have done.

Having little appetite to begin with, Xie Wei set down the small white porcelain spoon, which made a faint clinking sound against the bowl for the first time, and asked, “Have you read the secret letter I gave you?”

Jiang Xuening’s fingers trembled slightly, “I have.”

Recalling the contents of the letter, her eyes suddenly reddened, and she choked back a sob, “Her Highness is a princess of the court, a member of the royal family. The Emperor is her own brother. How could he be so heartless and cold, disregarding their familial bond?!”

The secret letter was originally an urgent report from the border, detailing matters concerning the Tatar court.

First, the barbaric tribes, with their wolfish ambitions, had been recuperating for two years and were now secretly preparing their troops, likely planning to make a move against the Central Plains. Second, Princess Leyang was pregnant with a child of barbarian blood. Aware of the impending changes in the Tatar court, she had secretly sent a message to the court for help, hoping to escape from the Tatar court before the war broke out!

It was Shen Zhiyi’s cry for help.

In her previous life, she had only known the outcome. She hadn’t known that as a princess sent to marry a foreign ruler, Shen Zhiyi had sent a plea for help to the court before the disaster struck. She hadn’t known that Emperor Shen Lang, Shen Zhiyi’s own brother, would respond in such a way—

By granting her three feet of white silk and a cup of poisoned wine!

Before the Tatars could make their move, she was to end her own life to avoid being taken hostage, humiliated, and to preserve the dignity of the princess and the honor of the nation!

Xie Wei had already read the secret letter. He asked her calmly, “I will depart for the border tomorrow. Will you come with me?”

Jiang Xuening looked at him, “What are you going to do there, sir?”

Xie Wei lowered his gaze, “If you didn’t have an idea, why would you come today?”

Jiang Xuening remained silent.

Xie Wei continued, “If the princess does not die, she will become a hostage when the war breaks out next spring, putting the court in a difficult position. The court’s resources are just beginning to mobilize, and preparations for war are urgent. They will never start the war early to save one person. Whether you want to bring back the princess or her coffin depends on this decision.”

Although she had anticipated this, when Xie Wei spoke these words, Jiang Xuening still felt her heart tremble, as if she were being swept into a turbulent current, filled with unease and fear—

What could she do to bring back the princess, not her coffin?

Her emotions surged, and she closed her eyes, clenching her fists.

Xie Wei suddenly laughed, “Are you scared?”

Jiang Xuening gritted her teeth, “Of course not!”

Xie Wei was, after all, the ultimate victor. Now that Yan Lin’s wings had fully grown, even if they acted early, there was still a chance of success! Besides, how could she stand by and watch the princess be ordered to die?

She had made a promise.

To hold that handful of native soil and welcome her back to her homeland!

But…

Jiang Xuening slowly opened her eyes, “I promised the princess, so I won’t break my word. But have you truly thought this through, sir?”

Xie Wei’s smile faded. He looked back at her and slowly said, “I, too, do not break my promises to others.”

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