A dense fog shrouded the ruined temple, its crumbling walls appearing and disappearing within the morning mist. The vines that scaled the walls were like traces etched by time itself.
By now, Old Wu had already sent Zhao Lan off and returned to the ruined temple.
"Let's go. We can talk once we're outside."
Pei Su and the others stepped out of the ruined temple.
The first thing he saw was Jiang Suining standing pressed close to the old woman, and Pei Su couldn't help but scoff.
"I say, Granny, are you planning to accompany us back to the Imperial Capital?"
The old woman ignored him, speaking only to Jiang Suining in a low voice. "Your Highness, I must be on my way."
Jiang Suining nodded gently and released the old woman's hand, her eyes as clear as the purest autumn lake, free of any impurity.
Pei Su watched quietly as Jiang Suining and the old woman parted, his gaze following until the old woman's figure soared over the forest and vanished completely from view.
At that moment, the distant horizon glowed with the pale white of dawn. The night was about to recede, and the sun was soon to rise.
The first light of dawn draped itself over the countryside like a silver veil. The ruined temple flickered in and out of view in the morning mist, its crumbling walls covered in vines.
Beside the green bricks and red tiles, a young woman in a pale gold cloak gazed into the distance.
It was as if the first ray of sunlight had landed on the tips of her hair, casting a faint, colorful shimmer.
Jiang Suining gazed for a long time, until not even a trace of Spirit Granny's shadow remained.
Sensing a faint, almost imperceptible gaze on her from behind, her heart inexplicably fluttered with panic.
From this day forward, barring any unforeseen circumstances, she would be following the Heir of the Northern Marquis…
And what was that Spirit Granny had said… about being his Heir's Consort? It was simply…
The thought threw her heart into turmoil. Not daring to meet Pei Su's gaze, she kept her back turned to him.
"I say… Your Highness, how much longer do you plan to stand there staring?"
Only when Pei Su's voice drifted over did Jiang Suining quickly turn around, her eyes slightly lowered.
"Heir of the Northern Marquis, where are we going now?"
Pei Su didn't answer. He simply looked at Jiang Suining and said with a smile—
"No rush. Before we return to the Imperial Capital, we ought to sort out our relationship. Or am I to call you 'Your Highness' or 'Miss Jiang' forever?"
Jiang Suining froze.
She hadn't considered this, but now that Pei Su brought it up, she realized he was right.
She was indeed a princess, but one of a fallen dynasty. The current Great Jin Dynasty had its own princesses.
And the surname "Jiang," while not exactly a taboo, was a topic rarely broached. If anyone knew her surname was Jiang, it would inevitably raise suspicions. This chapter was copied from NovelPing without permission.
"Then…" Jiang Suining ventured, "should I use an alias?"
Pei Su frowned, pondering for a long moment.
"How about this? Once we're back at the Pei Duke's Mansion, you can act as my handmaiden for the time being. It will help conceal your identity. Is that acceptable?"
As Pei Su finished speaking, Banxia, who stood beside him, opened her mouth, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
*His Lordship… he's been planning this all along!*
*Making a princess serve as a handmaiden… only His Lordship would dare to do something like that.*
*No wonder he waited until the old woman was gone to say it. Otherwise, I can't even imagine how furious she would have been.*
"Well?" Seeing Jiang Suining still frozen in a daze, Pei Su pressed her again with a cool tone.
Jiang Suining didn't know how to answer. She had never been a handmaiden, and besides, this seemed a little different from what Spirit Granny had told her…
For some reason, perhaps out of a strange sense of vexation, Jiang Suining blurted out:
"But… Spirit Granny told me you wanted me to be your Heir's Consort."
The moment she said it, everyone fell silent. Even Pei Su froze for a second.
He had counted on her being simple-minded and agreeable, someone who wouldn't argue back. He just wanted to have a little fun by making her his handmaiden.
The idea of ordering around the noble princess of a fallen dynasty as a handmaiden greatly amused him.
As for the title of Heir's Consort, that was just an empty promise he'd made offhandedly. Even the old woman knew that the future was uncertain and nothing was set in stone.
It was hard to say if the Pei and Jiang clans could even stand on the same side.
*Did she… actually take it seriously?*
Taking it seriously was one thing, but to ask about it so directly… It made even Pei Su feel a rare flash of embarrassment, and an awkward tension filled the air.
Flying into a rage out of embarrassment, Pei Su strode up to Jiang Suining, grabbed her by the wrist, and sneered:
"What, you're that eager to be my Heir's Consort? Fine!
"We'll turn back to Lin'an County right now and consummate the marriage tomorrow! There won't be a grand sedan chair or a phoenix coronet, and the conditions will be a bit crude, but you mustn't mind!"
Startled by his sudden fury, Jiang Suining's star-like eyes misted over, and she shook her head reflexively.
A short distance away, Banxia's jaw dropped.
*His Lordship, how can you bully a girl like that? If the Jiang Clan ever saw this, wouldn't they all want to fight him to the death?*
"N-No, that's not necessary," Jiang Suining choked back a sob and whispered.
Pei Su released her wrist, his own brow furrowing slightly.
He had only meant to scare her. He hadn't expected her to actually start crying. *Fine,* he thought, *I'll stop teasing her.*
"I've never been a handmaiden, but I'll… I'll learn diligently. I won't let anyone see through the disguise."
"So, a mention of the wedding night is all it takes to make you agree to be a handmaiden? Have you forgotten that a personal handmaiden also has to warm her master's bed at night?"
Jiang Suining's shoulders trembled, but she bit back any sound.
"Alright, alright, I'm just teasing you! You're a princess, can't you tell the difference between a joke and a serious statement?"
Pei Su clasped his hands behind his back and glanced around.
"If you're to be my personal handmaiden for the time being, I'll need to give you a new name."
Pei Su closed his eyes for a long moment. As the autumn wind whispered past his ears, he slowly opened them again.
"'The month of Zhe has just begun, and the biting winds grow ever tighter...' We met in the month of Zhe, so I will call you Zhe Yue. How does that sound?"
*Zhe Yue?*
Jiang Suining murmured the name to herself, then nodded lightly.
When she looked up, she saw a smile spread across Pei Su's face.
"So, where are we going now?"
"We continue south, to the Imperial Capital."
The Imperial Capital…
A flicker of panic went through Jiang Suining's heart.
It was the most magnificent capital in all the land, the very place where the draconic aura of the Great Jin Dynasty converged.
It was also the great city that her Jiang Clan had once ruled.
But she had never had the chance to lay eyes on it, not since the day she was born. For her, the city existed only in the stories of elders like Spirit Granny.
...
The distant mountain range rose and fell like the spine of the earth, its majestic yet gentle silhouette outlined by the sun.
A procession of riders and carriages descended along the mountain path. Above them, the azure sky was like a vast sapphire.
From within the procession, a head would occasionally emerge, gazing toward the distant horizon with a look of hesitation, bewilderment, and a sliver of anticipation.