EWRN - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Married You by Mistake (III)

When Yan Xi awoke, it was already broad daylight. A tearing, fiery pain wracked her entire body, rousing her consciousness. She opened her eyes, feeling as if her body weighed a thousand catties; she was powerless to even lift a finger.

She gazed at the bed canopy above, thinking to herself that she was, after all, still alive. She was actually still alive. Yan Xi tried hard to recall the events before she lost consciousness. She vaguely remembered that gentle figure in black telling her that he was her future husband. A husband? Hadn't she been sent a thousand li by the Wu Clan to be married into the Great Yuan Kingdom, specifically to its emperor? But how could the Emperor of Great Yuan possibly be here? And to have saved her, no less. It was simply incredible.

She struggled to turn her head and was surprised to see that familiar figure in black. After a night's rest, her vision had cleared. Yan Xi studied the man, who was propped up on one hand, his head resting against it at the head of the couch. The man in black had a slender build, a handsome face, and fair skin. His hands were long and beautiful, with well-defined knuckles, exuding a heroic air.

As if sensing her gaze, Huo Jinyu frowned and woke up. She looked up and saw that the beauty who had been unconscious just two hours before was now awake. Their eyes met, and both were startled.

"Miss, you're awake," Huo Jinyu said, getting up and walking over to her.

"Thank you for saving my life. May I ask your name?" Yan Xi said, pushing herself up with difficulty to express her gratitude.

"You may call me Jinyu. And how should I address you, Miss?" Huo Jinyu replied politely. So the Emperor of Great Yuan is named Jinyu, Yan Xi thought. Although they both knew each other's identity, neither of them exposed it.

"Young Master Jinyu may call me Yan Xi," Yan Xi also said courteously.

A silence then fell over the room.

"Are your injuries any better, Miss Yan Xi?" Huo Jinyu asked, clearing her throat.

"Thanks to Young Master Jinyu's help, I am much better," Yan Xi replied.

"I'll go see if the medicine is ready," Huo Jinyu said, rubbing her nose, feeling a little awkward, and headed for the door.

Seeing the tips of the other's ears turn a little red, Yan Xi laughed inwardly. So this is what the Emperor of Great Yuan is like in private? Once outside, Huo Jinyu calmed her slightly flustered heart. Princess Yan was truly a beauty; just a few casual words had flustered her, a fellow woman. She was the monarch of a nation, someone who had seen grand spectacles! She couldn't lose her composure in front of this woman!

With these thoughts, Huo Jinyu strode toward a servant boy not far away. The medicine that had been put on to brew an hour ago could now be brought up.

Inside the room, Yan Xi leaned against the headboard, quietly sorting through the events of the past two days. The Northern Kingdom had gone to great expense to send so many assassins after her, and the location of the attack was within the borders of the Great Yuan Kingdom. It was obvious they intended to frame Great Yuan for her death and use it as a pretext to stir up trouble. While her Yan Clan vied for the throne, the Wu Clan had unexpectedly interfered. This was something the Yan princes had not anticipated. She had long ago warned those straw-bag princes to be wary of foreign clans, but none of them had cared, and they ended up dead. After her Imperial Father's death, her Imperial Brother had seized the throne. She had no intention of getting involved, so she had ordered her own forces to stand down. But she never expected the Wu Clan to collude with a traitor inside and breach the imperial city. Because they didn't take a mere woman like her seriously, the Wu Clan had only imprisoned her, while her foolish younger sister had been cut down by a single sword strike for resisting desperately.

They were all a bunch of fools. Didn't they know that as long as the green mountains remain, there will be no lack of firewood? Although she had never been close to her imperial siblings, she couldn't help but feel the sorrow of the fox when the rabbit dies. Now that she was married into the Great Yuan Kingdom, everything had to be planned for the long term. The Wu Clan—she would not let them go. She didn't care for the throne herself, but to prevent the kingdom her father had worked so hard to build from being ruined by her straw-bag brother, she might need to make other preparations for a successor. The heir, ideally, would be her own child. This required long-term planning.

Meanwhile, Huo Jinyu had no idea that this Princess Yan Xi, before they were even married, was already scheming about a child that could never be born. She personally carried the medicinal soup back to the room. "This is your medicine, Miss. It's a bit bitter, but good medicine is bitter to the taste but effective for the illness. I hope you don't mind." Huo Jinyu handed the medicine to the pale-faced woman on the bed.

Yan Xi took the bowl and drank it all in one go, without even knitting her brows. 'She's someone destined for great things,' Huo Jinyu thought in silent admiration.

Huo Jinyu took the empty bowl and offered the candied fruit from her sleeve. "Have a couple. It'll take away the bitterness."

Yan Xi was surprised by this man's thoughtfulness, but her face remained impassive as she accepted them. The medicine was, indeed, a bit bitter.

"We will set out for the imperial city tomorrow. Will your body be able to withstand it, Miss Yan Xi?" Huo Jinyu asked after a moment of thought.

"My body is fine. Being alive is the best one can hope for," Yan Xi said faintly. Indeed, it wasn't as if she hadn't been injured in the Northern Kingdom in years past. This time was just a bit more severe, but it was tolerable. After all, she was from a former grassland clan, not to be compared with the delicate, soft-skinned women of the Great Yuan Kingdom.

Having decided to leave the next day, Huo Jinyu didn't linger in the room. She spent the entire day at the Emerald Fragrance House, listening to the madam's reports and checking the accounts. Huo Jinyu's private coffers had grown quite a bit fuller.

As night fell, Huo Jinyu opened the door and returned to the Heaven-grade room. Yan Xi, who was on the bed reading a book a servant had found for her, was startled. "Young Master Jinyu, why have you come? Are there no other rooms?" Though she could guess with her toes that a place as large as the Emerald Fragrance House couldn't possibly be out of rooms, especially for an esteemed guest like Huo Jinyu.

"It's fine. You get some rest," Huo Jinyu said, paying her no mind. She walked straight to the couch and sat down, projecting an air of 'I'm not leaving unless you kick me out.' And Yan Xi didn't actually kick her out. Since he was her savior, a slight transgression was of no great consequence. Of course, Huo Jinyu wouldn't admit that she wanted to stay and watch over her, worried she might develop a fever or something else, which was why she insisted on sitting on this hard couch.

It was late. A maidservant came in to blow out the lamps, then closed the door and left. In the room, one person lay while the other sat, each lost in their own thoughts. Neither slept well.

Early the next morning, Huo Jinyu left to wash up. Only then did Yan Xi slowly rise from the bed. Two young maidservants came in to help her dress. Once everything was ready, she went downstairs. In the main hall on the ground floor, some men who had been drinking through the night had yet to disperse. When they saw a peerless beauty in white descending the stairs, they were all stunned, asking the courtesans beside them who she was, and if she was new to the house.

The madam had long since instructed the girls that the woman in the Heaven-grade room was not to be trifled with, her status not to be underestimated. Though most of the girls were jealous of Yan Xi's beauty, they didn't dare act out of line; the madam's words were for their own good. The girls quickly placated the men beside them, saying only that she was a young lady from a great family who was borrowing a room at the Emerald Fragrance House, that her background was significant, and that she was not one of the house's courtesans. They heard she was even accompanied by several hundred guards. The men, though their eyes burned with desire, dismissed the idea of approaching her for a chat. If they were beaten up for being lechers or taken to the authorities, wouldn't that be a disgrace?

Yan Xi ignored the lewd and trashy gazes and walked straight out the door. Huo Jinyu was already waiting outside with a carriage and horses. Yan Xi bid Huo Jinyu good morning and, with the help of a maid from the Emerald Fragrance House, boarded the carriage. Huo Jinyu swung herself onto a tall horse, and the procession slowly made its way out of the city. A few men from inside the Emerald Fragrance House had secretly followed them out. Seeing Yan Xi get into Huo Jinyu's carriage, and seeing that Huo Jinyu was as elegant as a jade tree in the wind, handsome and dashing, and not someone they could compare to, they gave up their last shred of hope.

Once the procession was out of the city, the light cavalry was still waiting in formation. A guard captain came to report on the Second Prince's injuries from the previous day. The Second Prince's wounds were not severe; the men in black had failed to take his life. They had merely severed the tendons in his right hand. It was estimated that after recovery, he would barely be able to write, but he would never be able to wield a sword with his right hand again. It wasn't a huge issue, though; he could still use his left hand. With diligence and hard work, taking up the sword again was not impossible. But would the thirteen-year-old Second Prince have that kind of willpower? Starting over from scratch would not be easy. Hearing this news, Huo Jinyu wanted to clap her hands in delight. She didn't know who did it, but that sword strike was perfect! There will be rewards when I return! Generous rewards for all! Of course, the reward money will be deducted from the national treasury.

The journey back to the imperial palace was exceptionally smooth. At one point, Huo Jinyu slipped into the carriage to ride with Yan Xi. Propriety dictated that men and women should keep their distance, but Yan Xi said nothing, merely giving Huo Jinyu a faint smile before falling silent again. Though it was a careless smile, it still stunned Huo Jinyu.

They traveled the rest of the way in silence. The imperial city was now in sight. They were about to return to the palace.

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