The next day, when Luo Momo came to attend to Qingge, her face was still swollen. It was clear that the people of Ning Wang Manor were aware of her punishment, and Qingge was openly unapologetic about it.
She knew that her actions had already strayed from the behavior Mo Jingxi had outlined for her. However, if she continued to act cautiously and adhere to the prescribed demeanor of Miss Xiahou, it would ultimately lead to her downfall.
With Ning Wang’s personality, if his Xiahou bride insisted on maintaining her haughty and noble attitude for the sake of preserving family dignity, they would soon have a fallout. And if a confrontation broke out, who would come to mediate? Mo Jingxi? Luo Momo?
What a joke. In the face of Ning Wang’s dominance, neither of them would dare to say a word. They had clearly demonstrated it. Why, then, should she be the one sent forward to face the brunt of it?
So, Qingge decided to act according to her own instincts.
Despite her swollen face, Luo Momo kept her emotions hidden as she respectfully helped Qingge onto the soft sedan chair. Qingge did not even spare a glance in her direction as she stepped on board. Today, she wore a thin veil to cover her face. She had initially planned to wear a gauze hat, but her personal belongings were left in that broken carriage, and her dowry items were with the accompanying convoy. The best she could find now was this simple veil.
As the sedan exited the inner courtyard, she saw rows of fully armored cavalry lined up in formation, over a thousand in total. They were the imperial guards. Clearly, the court placed great importance on this marriage alliance and was determined not to let anything untoward happen to the Xiahou bride.
Following the lead of the court ladies, Qingge stepped down from the sedan and walked out the gate of the post station.
The carriage she would be using today was a hastily prepared replacement. While not as ornate as the previous one, it was still a proper imperial carriage adorned with colorful silk and fabric, which matched the status of Ning Wangfei.
Soldiers stood on either side of the carriage, flanking it in a protective formation. They wore green caps and wide-sleeved uniforms adorned with golden embroidery, each gripping black lacquered staves capped with silver.
Qingge walked on with her head lowered, but her sharp eyes caught sight of a familiar figure. Yes, there was Ye Min, standing silently in a distant corner, his presence low but impossible to ignore. His sharp brows and eyes were accentuated by his lean features, and his slightly pale hand clutched his iconic silver cane. For today’s occasion, he wore a wide-sleeved brocade robe adorned with auspicious cloud patterns, which emphasized his slender build even more.
Compared to the chief steward Wen Zhengqing, Ye Min did not look as imposing, but everyone in Qianying Pavilion, Ning Wang Manor, Yuning Province, and even among the tribes Xiyuan, knew that this head of Qianying Pavilion was not one to be trifled with. Despite his limp, Ye Min had led the Qianying Pavilion for more than a decade and remained as Ning Wang’s right-hand man—a sure proof of his strength and ability.
A cool breeze stirred, lifting the loose ribbon tying back Ye Min’s ink-black hair. He kept his gaze lowered, not even glancing in the bride’s direction.
Supported by Luo Momo and a row of maidservants, Qingge moved forward, keeping her gaze low and straight. She knew that with her face veiled and a fair distance between them, Ye Min would never catch a glimpse of her face.
But the moment he did, she was finished.
Every step Qingge took was light and graceful, embodying the poise of the daughter of the prestigious Xiahou clan.
In reality, she had never walked this way before—not once.
Now, she carefully suppressed every trace of her true self, making sure not to show anything that could trigger any sense of familiarity on Ye Min or the secret guards nearby.
Somehow, it reminded her of her childhood, when she started her training after joining Qianying Pavilion. She had to walk on a high, suspended wooden beam, barely the width of a finger, slick and narrow. One misstep and she would fall, fall into a pit below, teeming with writhing venomous snakes.
Today her situation did not improve a bit—one wrong move, and her life would be forfeit.
Step by step, Qingge crossed the threshold and walked up to the carriage, moving delicately with the assistance of Luo Momo and the attendants.
It wasn’t until the canopy of the carriage fell that Qingge felt truly at ease. It seemed Ye Min hadn’t suspected her. This brought her a great sense of relief—if Ye Min couldn’t recognize her by her silhouette or movements, then no one could, not even Baizhi.
Inside the carriage, all the accompanying attendants were seated at the back, leaving only Luo Momo to attend to the bride. Qingge did not lift her veil, closing her eyes to catch some rest. Luo Momo also wore a black veil, which did not completely conceal the noticeable swelling around her eyes. The momo sat silently, her expression stern.
The carriage moved on amidst the clattering of hoofs. After about the time it takes to burn an incense stick1, Luo Momo finally turned to glance at Qingge and cautiously spoke up, “Miss, Mr. Mo mentioned that he has something to discuss with you.”
Qingge responded with a single word: “Speak.” Employers could be threatened or manipulated, but as long as she still needed to collect her payment, maintaining healthy communication was a must.
“Yesterday, His Highness Ning Wang saw your face and seemed somewhat satisfied,” Luo Momo started.
“That’s expected. No gentleman will despise a stunning beauty,” Qingge’s response was nonchalant.
Luo Momo pursed her lips, clearly disapproving but having to hold back her irritation, “However, after leaving you at the post station last night, he departed immediately. That’s quite cold on his part.”
“Isn’t it said that His Highness Ning Wang is not fond of women? That’s even more expected.”
Luo Momo frowned and shot Qingge a look of displeasure. This girl truly had a way of twisting words to suit her! Stifling her annoyance, the momo continued, “But Miss, you are the legitimate daughter of the Xiahou clan, married by imperial decree. That makes you different from ordinary women.”
Qingge nodded, maintaining her air of calm indifference. “Yes, different from ordinary women.”
Luo Momo pressed on, “Perhaps you could consider trying to draw His Highness closer?”
“Oh?”
Luo Momo patiently advised, “It would be beneficial if—”
But Qingge interrupted her, “Luo Momo, didn’t you just say I am the legitimate daughter of the Xiahou clan, married by imperial decree, and different from ordinary women?”
At the mention of ‘the legitimate daughter of the Xiahou clan,’ Luo Momo’s stern expression was lit with a touch of pride. “Yes.”
“Then, Luo Momo, how could you suggest that I, the legitimate daughter of the Xiahou clan, use my beauty to attract a man’s attention? Are you implying that the worth of a Xiahou daughter is higher if she resorts to using her charms?”
“…” Luo Momo fell silent, her face turning livid as she stared at Qingge, her fingers trembling with anger and frustration.
‘How on earth Mr. Mo spent ten thousand taels of silver to hire such a troublemaker!’
Qingge didn’t bother paying the momo any more attention. She turned to take in the view outside the window, looking past the hanging curtain at the figure of Ye Min riding in the distance. With his keen gaze focused forward, his face was expressionless as usual.
Ning Wang’s marriage to the legitimate daughter of the Xiahou clan was clearly intended to solidify alliances. Qingge speculated that the Emperor sought to integrate the prestigious, centuries-old legacy of the Xiahou clan into the imperial bloodline.
Put simply, it was a move to integrate the imperial bloodline with the main lineage of the Xiahou clan, enhancing the prestige of the Great Sheng imperial dynasty and further undermining the longstanding power of the Four Great Clans.
Surely, both the court and Ning Wang had paid a price to achieve this. But unfortunately for them, the bride he was about to marry was a counterfeit.
If it were in the past, she, the secret guard Qingge, would have informed Ning Wang of this scheme, or else his plans would come to nothing. But now that she was already trapped in the eye of the storm, there was no escape. For the sake of her life, her only choice was to go along with the flow.
Staring at Ye Min’s distant back, Qingge’s eyes gradually turned cold.
She had considered coming clean, but unfortunately, it was already too late. From the moment she accepted Mo Jingxi’s proposal, the path back had been sealed.
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Walking a knife’s edge tightrope! I look forward to what happens next and I’m cheering for her! And really he’s kind of invited his own trouble by doing what he did to her before the start of the story without any substantial evidence, simply because he is used to being a high-handed high-falutin guy LOL