Liu Youran understood their thoughts. No matter how you looked at it, Xuanyuan Yi was more outstanding than Helian Zhi. How could she have been so stubborn back then, choosing such a person and harming her daughter?
She still remembered clearly: as soon as the Marquis’s Mansion announced that they were seeking a match for her daughter, Xuanyuan Yi rushed over in person that very evening.
The moment the young man saw her, he dropped to his knees with a thud, startling her greatly.
He looked utterly anxious at the time, having likely come straight from the military camp without even changing his clothes, his face covered in sweat.
“Zhennan Wang, what is the meaning of this? If others were to see, the Changxin Marquisate could be charged with disrespect toward the royal family.”
She had been somewhat angry then, her tone not particularly pleasant, carrying a hint of reproach.
Seeing that he remained kneeling without moving, she spoke coldly again, “Zhennan Wang, if there is something to discuss, rise first.”
Xuanyuan Yi complied with Liu Youran’s words, scrambling to his feet in an ungainly manner, then sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, looking rather embarrassed.
Liu Youran stared at Xuanyuan Yi like this, somewhat unable to react. This was not at all like the rumors she had heard about him.
She had seen him before—he always carried an air of keeping others at a distance.
There was a saying among the common folk: if a child cried uncontrollably, one only needed to say, “If you keep crying, Zhan Wang will come.”
The child would immediately stop crying.
Once, a noble lady who admired him devised a chance encounter, but before she could even get close, his guards threw her out.
For a time, that woman became a topic of gossip among the ladies and daughters of the capital during their tea gatherings.
In the end, her family hastily married her off to a scholar far from the capital.
Even so, it still couldn’t stop the noble ladies of the capital from admiring him.
Now, here this man was before her, grinning like a fool—it was truly indescribable…
Xuanyuan Yi put away his foolish expression, clasped his hands, and bowed to Liu Youran. “Marchioness, I apologize for my abrupt visit today!”
“Knowing it’s abrupt, yet you still came!” Liu Youran thought to herself, then heard him continue.
“I have heard that you are selecting a husband for your esteemed daughter. To be frank, I have long admired her. I beg you to grant me this wish!”
Xuanyuan Yi bowed deeply to Liu Youran once more.
This time, Liu Youran was prepared early on and stepped far aside, not accepting his bow.
“Prince, first, I thank you for your regard for my daughter. However, you and she are not suitable. I ask that you seek another fine lady elsewhere!”
Xuanyuan Yi had not expected to be rejected as soon as he opened his mouth. The words he had prepared afterward remained unspoken.
But he was not one to give up easily, especially when it concerned someone who had long occupied his heart.
“Could you tell me, Marchioness, why I am unsuitable?”
Liu Youran looked at the young man before her, thinking to herself that if only he weren’t a member of the royal family—this man was truly exceptional.
“Prince, you should understand that your marriage is not something you can decide on your own. Above you, there is the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and Imperial Noble Consort Xi. My daughter left for Mei Shan to study at the age of eight and did not grow up in the capital. Although I have taught her household management this past year, she is not suited for the complexities of a deep mansion. I only wish to find her a family with a simple household.”
Upon hearing this, a flicker of determination and reluctance flashed in Xuanyuan Yi’s eyes, but he quickly composed himself. After a moment of contemplation, his eyes suddenly lit up as if he had thought of a brilliant plan.
He chuckled softly and said, “What the Marchioness says is absolutely right, but how do you know I cannot achieve it? I promise you, I will marry only Xia Xing’er in this lifetime, to be with her and her alone, forsaking all others. Could you give me a chance?”
“Although I was born into the royal family and had no choice in my birth, I will strive for it. I beg you to give me three years. If, after three years, I can obtain the Emperor’s special permission, allowing her to be free from the burdensome rituals of the imperial harem, and marry only her as my wife, never taking a concubine, what would you think?”
Liu Youran was inwardly shocked by these words, but she neither agreed nor disagreed.
Later, Xuanyuan Yi went to the border battlefield and did not return for over three years.
After hearing this, everyone understood the reason behind it.
Xia Xing’er truly had not expected there to be such a turn of events.
Regardless, their top priority now was to prepare for what would happen two days later. Everything else would have to wait.
The Prince of Zhennan’s Mansion was in the same boat as them. They would observe the reaction from that side before deciding whether to offer a reminder.
Xia Chengsheng repeated to his sons and daughters-in-law what Xia Xing’er had previously told the two of them.
The three Xia brothers found it hard to believe. If these words had not come from their own sister, they would never have believed it.
So far, there had been no signs at all.
Xia Qingfeng questioned Xia Xing’er again because, in his mind, the Changxin Marquisate had already kept a very low profile. His father had long retired from the battlefield and handed over his military authority. Now, he was merely an idle marquis with nothing to make the Emperor wary.
Although he had topped the imperial examinations in his early years, he had never entered court service.
His second brother was a deputy general under the Prince of Zhennan. Was it because of this that their entire family would be convicted?
His third brother had always acted like a playboy. Their family had already kept such a low profile, yet they were still destined to become cannon fodder for imperial power.
“Xing’er, is what you said true?” In truth, he knew in his heart that everything his sister said would happen, but he just wanted to confirm it once more.
Xia Xing’er looked at her eldest brother and said word by word, “Every word I said is true.”
Xia Qingfeng quickly adjusted his emotions. “Then what can we do now?”
Xia Xing’er pondered for a moment before speaking slowly, “What is most lacking on the exile journey is supplies. Dismiss as many of the mansion’s servants as possible. Find a few loyal ones, give them some money, and have them prepare supplies to give to us when relatives and friends come to bid farewell. Also, transfer the ownership of the family’s shops and estates to trustworthy individuals within these two days. Hide money wherever you can on your persons. This is all we can do for now.”
What she did not say was that she possessed a Portable Space—her greatest secret. She had no intention of revealing it even to her closest family.
After her death in her previous life, for some reason, her soul had never dissipated. Instead, it had lingered around the General’s Manor, near Helian Zhi and Ye Qingyu.
She had watched them use her dowry, spend her silver, and eventually overthrow the Xuan Yuan Dynasty step by step, establishing their own nation.
Among her dowry was a Longfeng Chengxiang jade pendant. Ye Qingyu fell in love with it at first sight and had carried it with her ever since. Once, when she was injured, her blood accidentally dripped onto the pendant.
The moment the jade was soaked in blood, Xia Xing’er saw a brilliant light envelop Ye Qingyu. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself in an unfamiliar place, following Ye Qingyu.