Chapter 4 — The Fox Spirit Grand Preceptor Comes to Repay His Debt

On the eve of my departure for the ceremonial marriage alliance, I forced my way into the imperial study. Ye Tianmiao sat quietly beside the Emperor, holding in his hand a silk handkerchief I had once discarded in anger. A flash of bitter irony crossed my eyes. Even at this late hour, this man still sat there playing sentimental games with remnants of the past. I slowly knelt upon the polished floor and offered a formal bow to my Imperial Father.

You may send me to the distant barbarians for this alliance, but you must command Qin Baichuan to escort my carriage.

My father frowned, remaining silent. I had always been his most cherished daughter, but in the face of state power and imperial dominion, human affection was no more than dust in the wind. The history between Qin Baichuan and me was a scandal known to every corner of the capital, yet I was now demanding that he lead the guard of honor.

Your Majesty, if you truly harbor doubts, this subject is more than willing to accompany the princess.

Ye Tianmiao suddenly broke the silence from the side.

True to his reputation as my father's most trusted confidant, the Emperor immediately smiled in agreement, declaring that with the Grand Preceptor present, he could finally sleep in peace. Ye Tianmiao lowered his gaze, veiling his expression from scrutiny. As I walked out of the imperial study alongside him, I noted that after all these years, he remained as strikingly handsome as ever, his appearance entirely untouched by the passage of time. Perhaps my father had long since perceived his otherworldly nature and guessed his true identity, yet chose to keep him close regardless. After all, everyone was merely a pawn waiting to be utilized. To demonstrate the sincerity of the Great Tian Dynasty, my dowry was extraordinarily lavish. Countless treasures of gold and jade, skilled artisans, and bolts of the finest silk—whatever the Central Plains possessed, my father ordered the procession to carry.

Before I boarded the carriage, my birth mother fainted by the palace gates in an agony of tears. My father and the Crown Prince stood at the very front of the crowd. They were the most revered men in the entire realm, yet they now found themselves relying on a woman to safeguard their throne. The Crown Prince looked at me with undisguised contempt. Just before departure, he leaned in to whisper maliciously in my ear:

What use is all that reading of yours? In the end, you are still just being traded away for an alliance.

My father heard the remark clearly, yet his face remained completely devoid of emotion. But Ye Tianmiao abruptly intervened from the side:

Your Highness, a woman without talent may still choose a fine husband, but the same cannot be said for Your Highness the Crown Prince.

The underlying meaning was painfully clear: a ruler devoid of capability could only await the ruin of his country and the destruction of his family. The Crown Prince's complexion instantly turned ashen, and a heavy shadow fell across my father's face as well. When an entire dynasty requires its women to secure its survival, its doom cannot be far off.

Seated within the swaying carriage of departure, I cast one last, lingering look at the imperial capital that had nurtured me through the years. Today, I was finally leaving it all behind. Throughout the long journey, I refused to exchange a single word with Ye Tianmiao. Instead, midway through the expedition, a drunken Qin Baichuan forced his way into my private tent. I had just finished bathing and cried out in alarm, hastily pulling a outer robe over my shoulders to conceal myself. His eyes were glazed with alcohol, his steps unsteady, and he clutched a jar of wine in his hand.

Little Chu, I have returned.

In my earliest memories, Qin Baichuan and I used to play house, pretending to be husband and wife. It was then that he had first called me Little Chu. I stood rooted to the spot in silence, hesitating whether to summon the guards to cast him out. Yet before I could act, the wine-scented Qin Baichuan suddenly pulled me into a tight embrace. My body stiffened, and for a long moment, my mind went entirely blank as a sudden, reckless speculation bloomed in my chest.

Little Chu, I regret everything. Shall I run away with you now?

His warm breath brushed against my ear. At last, I had received the answer I had so desperately sought by the moat all those years ago. But the scenery had changed and people were no longer the same; I was no longer that carefree, innocent maiden. I was now a princess of peace, bearing a heavy burden upon my shoulders. Behind me stood the countless subjects of the Heavenly Dynasty, and I could not allow my fleeting personal desires to bring catastrophe upon their heads.

Qin Baichuan waited in vain, receiving no reply from me, and deep down he understood that the roles had reversed—this time, it was my turn to reject him.

General Qin, you are drunk.

He slowly released me. Once rejected, the alcohol in his veins seemed to sober by half.

Your Highness, this subject was presumptuous.

A heavy silence settled inside the tent. By then, I had managed to gather my scattered thoughts.

The hour is late, General Qin. Please take your leave.

I issued the dismissal. Qin Baichuan looked as though he wanted to say more, but swallowed the words. As he stepped out into the night, a youthful, familiar voice drifted in from the darkness outside:

Actually, on the day the Grand Princess confessed her affection for me, I was overjoyed. I merely felt that I was unworthy of her.

The sound of footsteps gradually faded into the distance. When the stillness of the night swallowed every last echo, I could finally hold back no longer, collapsing onto the cold earth as I wept in bitter anguish. Everything had simply come too late.