Throughout the ensuing conversation, Xu Han remained in a daze.
Before he knew it, it was time for lunch, and a servant came to inform Xu Han that the kitchen had prepared the meal.
When Xu Han had initially asked for the meal to be prepared, it had merely been a polite formality; he had never imagined that Xu Chen would stay until lunchtime. He could not have foreseen that events would unfold in such a way.
Xu Han cast another glance at Xu Chen and noticed that the traces of intoxication and debauchery had completely vanished from her face. Her previously frenzied gaze had settled into calmness, though a faint, menacing shadow lingered between her brows, making one dare not offend her.
Was this the Xu Chen he remembered? Xu Han could not tell.
For a man whose life revolved around his wife and children, these matters were simply too complicated.
At this moment, he had no choice but to entertain Xu Chen and Lu Qiuci for lunch. With a touch of resignation, he summoned a servant and instructed them to fetch his son, Yun Kai, to pay his respects to Xu Chen, his imperial cousin.
When giving the order, Xu Han deliberately emphasised the syllables ‘Kai’ and ‘er’, meaning that the servant should summon only his own son, and not the cousin staying at their home.
Xu Han also gave the servant a meaningful look; the servant immediately nodded at him, and only then did he feel reassured.
It was not proper for a young man to meet a young woman. Unlike Yun Kai, Liu Qingyu was of marriageable age and had no blood or familial ties to Xu Chen. Furthermore, given the Princess’s past conduct, Xu Han felt it would be best not to have Liu Qingyu make an appearance.
Upon reaching the dining hall, Xu Han promptly invited Xu Chen and Lu Qiuci to take their seats, and the attendants began serving the dishes.
Soon, the table was laden with a wide variety of delicacies from land and sea.
“I do not know what dishes Your Highness prefers, but should there be any shortcomings in our hospitality, I ask for your forgiveness.”
“Your Highness and the Princess Consort, please try the dishes first to see if they are to your liking. If not, the kitchen is still open; simply ask the chefs to prepare whatever you wish.”
Xu Han looked at Xu Chen and Lu Qiuci with a beaming smile, his tone exceedingly courteous and attentive.
Although he addressed him ‘Your Highness’s Consort, Lu Qiuci did not truly consider himself superior to the other. Setting aside the fact that Xu Han was a prince’s son himself—his father being the Prince of Zhennan, a powerful noble of the Great Zhou—and that he was married to Yun Qian, with Xu Chen addressing him as ‘Uncle’, Lu Qiuci dared not show the slightest disrespect towards him.
“Thank you for your trouble, Uncle. These are all first-rate dishes; I’ve been fortunate to enjoy them today.”
Xu Chen chimed in, his voice measured and melodious.
Lu Qiuci wasn’t sure if he was simply particularly sensitive to Xu Chen, but he suddenly felt that his behaviour just now must have pleased her.
Xu Chen: “It is often said that the same blood carries the same essence. I, too, possess half the Yun family’s bloodline, so naturally my tastes are those of the Yun family. Uncle need not worry.”
“These are all dishes I love.”
However much he wished to deny it, Xu Han found his mood improving considerably beyond his control, and the smile on his face grew more genuine.
He sighed softly, gazing at Xu Chen’s face. It was easy to spot the features inherited from her late father; there was no denying that with a face like that and the completely renewed poise she possessed, it would be all too easy for Xu Chen to win people’s favour.
If it was like this with him, what of others… Xu Han dared not even imagine.
Just then, a servant brought Yun Kai over. A crisp “Father” rang out, followed by a figure darting towards Xu Han like a little cannonball.
The boy, dressed in a red jacket, had bright eyes. After rising from his father’s embrace, he immediately turned his curious gaze towards Xu Chen and Lu Qiuci.
It had been a long time since Xu Chen had had any dealings with the General’s Mansion, and the boy’s memories of Xu Chen had long since faded. It took him a moment to recognise her, but then he cried out with delight, “Princess Sister!”
Xu Han doted on this son more than any other; seeing this, she felt no need to reprimand him, merely intending to remind him to behave with more composure in Xu Chen’s presence.
After all, he still could not fathom Xu Chen’s true intentions.
Little did he know that as Xu Han turned his gaze, he suddenly caught sight of another figure clad in moon-white. His expression darkened almost instantly.
Xu Han came from a distinguished family and had later married Yun Qian, becoming the Consort of the General’s Mansion; his imposing presence was truly intimidating.
Whilst he was usually gentle and amiable, the sudden chill in his expression startled Liu Qingyu, who stood frozen in place, unable to move.
Xu Chen had long since noticed the young man who had appeared alongside Yun Kai, though she had paid him no mind.
There was nothing particularly remarkable about him; Xu Chen could guess his identity at a mere glance. The only thing noteworthy was perhaps his good looks.
However, for someone like Xu Chen, good looks were almost the cheapest of virtues; if she wanted to see handsome men, there were plenty of them in the inner courtyards of her Princess’s Mansion.
“Who told you to come? Is this a place you ought to be?”
Liu Qingyu was completely taken aback by the scolding; tears welled up in his eyes instantly, and he stood there, at a loss.
Yun Kai grew anxious and immediately grabbed his father’s hand, speaking up for Liu Qingyu: “Father, I invited Cousin Qingyu to join us for dinner. Surely one shouldn’t refuse someone a meal!”
The servants standing behind them cowered like quails. Xu Han was furious, yet he could not bring himself to scold his own son.
He couldn’t help but glance at Xu Chen, only to find that Xu Chen hadn’t spared Liu Qingyu a single glance. She was intently asking Lu Qiuci in a low voice which dish he fancied, whilst offering him a brief introduction to the menu.
Although Lu Qiuci had been at the Princess’s residence for two days, how many dishes could he possibly have tasted in that time?
It was merely the tip of the iceberg; compared to the lifestyle of the imperial family, it didn’t even scratch the surface.
If Xu Chen hadn’t been there to guide him, he certainly wouldn’t have dared to eat dishes he didn’t recognise, for fear of making a fool of himself.
Xu Han’s gaze quickly shifted from Xu Chen to Lu Qiuci, and he realised that Lu Qiuci’s features were clearly three times more striking than Liu Qingyu’s.
In every gesture and movement, the refined air of a gentleman about him surpassed even that of Liu Qingyu.
It was not that Xu Han was belittling his own nephew; when it came to looks, tastes varied, and it was difficult to judge which was superior. Yet, when one’s bearing was taken into account, it was immediately apparent who held the advantage.
After all, Lu Qiuci was one of the Four Gentlemen of the Capital, renowned for his poetry, prose and musical talents. As the saying goes, ‘A scholar’s grace comes from within’; it was only natural that Liu Qingyu could not compare to him.
It seemed that although Lu Qiuci’s family background was not a match for the Crown Prince’s, his appearance alone was enough to win Xu Chen’s favour.
With a more handsome and refined husband by his side, and their newlywed passion still burning bright, Xu Chen naturally had no eyes for any other man.
Xu Han formed a plausible theory in his mind, which put his mind at ease. Looking at Liu Qingyu, who was on the verge of tears, he softened his tone and said, “Hurry up and pay your respects to Her Highness.”
Liu Qingyu hastened to bow to Xu Chen, and Xu Han took the opportunity to introduce him briefly.
Xu Chen merely gave a noncommittal ‘hm’, appearing not to take Liu Qingyu seriously, whereupon Xu Han felt completely at ease and invited Liu Qingyu to join them for the meal.
During the meal, Xu Han exchanged a few words with Xu Chen, and the atmosphere was considerably more harmonious than at the start.
Yun Kai, meanwhile, was as chatty as a little sparrow, chattering away to ask Xu Chen what exactly she had sent him as a gift. He also addressed Lu Qiuci as ‘brother-in-law’ and asked if he might visit the Princess’s residence in the future.
Yun Kai hadn’t been to the Princess’s residence for many years and was extremely curious about it.
Lu Qiuci cast a discreet glance at Xu Chen; upon seeing him nod, she quietly agreed to welcome Yun Kai’s visit.
As the person of the lowest standing at the table, Liu Qingyu did not dare speak a word from start to finish, merely keeping his head bowed as he ate his rice and vegetables.
Listening to Xu Chen’s aloof, cool voice, he could not help but steal glances at Xu Chen out of the corner of his eye; with every glance, he was momentarily dazed, his mind filled with a single thought:
So this is Her Highness the Crown Princess!
……
Once lunch was over, Xu Han hastened to send his son and nephew on their way. Having achieved the purpose of her visit, Xu Chen made no further delay and prepared to take her leave of the General’s Mansion.
Xu Han saw her off personally and soon spotted the carriage—devoid of any insignia, making it impossible to discern that it belonged to the Eastern Palace.
The two guards driving the carriage were also dressed in plain clothes; Xu Han had not noticed this before, but now he realised immediately that Xu Chen had clearly intended to conceal her identity.
Yet he could not quite understand why Xu Chen felt the need to hide her identity when visiting the General’s Mansion.
A glint flashed in Xu Chen’s eyes, and just as she had anticipated, Xu Han noticed it.
“Uncle, there is great terror in the balance between life and death. Had it not been for the men Father left behind to protect me during this assassination attempt, you would likely not have seen me today.”
“All these years, I have often felt as though I were trapped in an airtight net; no matter how I struggled, I could not break free, and so my temperament has grown increasingly extreme.”
“Those people have been watching from the shadows, manipulating my fate. This assassination attempt proves that they seem to have grown impatient and are eager to take my life.”
“They were unlucky; they failed. But I believe these people would hardly wish to see me reconcile with the General’s household.”
“Uncle, I realise I have come to my senses rather late, but I wish to do my utmost to make amends for all the harm caused by my former thoughtlessness.”
Xu Han fell silent, unsure how to respond to Xu Chen’s words; he did not even know whether he should believe her.
After all, Xu Chen had behaved like a scoundrel for far too many years; trust could not be regained with a mere few words. Indeed, at Xu Chen’s words, Xu Han could not help but let a hint of wariness slip across his face, and he grew even more tense.
Xu Han’s composure was not to be scoffed at; after all, he was a man who had seen his fair share of high-stakes situations. With his natural shrewdness and the breadth of experience he had acquired over the years, he had managed to turn what had once been a marriage of convenience into the happy union it was today.
Xu Chen knew her uncle’s true nature, and was somewhat surprised by the sudden display of emotion.
However, she realised that some matters were best not probed to the very bottom; proving that her character had changed could be counterproductive. She therefore dropped the subject and said to Xu Han, “Uncle, I shall take my leave now.”
“The situation is unclear; please do not tell anyone that I was here.”
With that, she took Lu Qiuci’s hand and walked towards the carriage.
Lu Qiuci had remained remarkably quiet throughout; he spoke only when necessary and made his presence felt only when required, just like the perfect prop needed for Xu Chen’s performance in the play of life.
Xu Chen first helped Lu Qiuci into the carriage, but suddenly a voice called out from behind her: “Wait!”
She turned to look, and saw that it was Xu Han who had called her back.
Standing several metres apart, Xu Han suddenly spoke: “Chen’er, your uncle doesn’t know whether what you’re saying is true or not.” he hesitated.
“If you are truly sincere, then please stop putting your Aunt in such a difficult predicament, won’t you?”