Chapter 3 — The North Wind Knows My Heart

The Emperor’s brows instantly relaxed, the tension vanishing from his face as if smoothed away by an invisible hand.

"Why? Are you not afraid of marrying that God of Slaughter?"

I shook my head, then hesitated and gave a slight nod. "I am afraid," I confessed. "But before I entered the palace, my father and my mother both instructed me repeatedly that the princess is a precious branch of gold and jade, and that it is my duty to shoulder whatever burdens fall upon her. Currently, all the glory bestowed upon the estate of the Earl of Rongxiang is owed to His Majesty and the princess. If she does not wish to marry, then I shall take her place."

The Emperor studied me for a long time in silence. Then, a faint smile graced his lips. "You are truly a child who understands the weight of gratitude," he remarked. "Very well, I grant your request."

With those words, he turned and stepped back into the grand hall, leaving behind only a final, cryptic sentence: "It is your turn to find a fated union."

I had no capacity left to ponder the deeper meaning of his words. I hurriedly bowed, my forehead pressing against the icy, polished stone of the courtyard floor. A sudden, profound sense of relief washed over me. I did not tell him that Shen Yu had also often urged me to pay closer attention to the welfare of the Ninth Princess. Now that I was taking her place to marry into the Northern Frontier, he would surely be delighted. After all, besides myself, he was the only other person who had ever wept for my mother. Fulfilling his wishes and those of the Ninth Princess was, perhaps, the ultimate way to repay his kindness. My mother had once said that one should not harbor vain delusions, for they only bring harm to oneself and others. My obsession with Shen Yu should have been severed long ago.

The rain had ceased, and the sky began to clear. I had not walked far before the eunuch Hai caught up to me in a haste. He informed me that the Emperor had granted me a special day of leave to settle my affairs regarding the cancellation of my own engagements. He whispered, with a grave expression, that the Prince of Northern Pacification would enter the capital tomorrow to receive his honors. At the banquet held in his honor, the Emperor would bestow upon me the title of Princess, and subsequently, grant my hand in marriage to the Prince. He lowered his voice, his tone deathly serious, warning me that under no circumstances must I let this news slip before the appointed time.

I quickly pledged my compliance. It was clear the Emperor intended to present a surrogate princess to the Northern Prince before all the civil and military officials, effectively forcing the warrior into a position where he would have no choice but to accept the union. In doing so, the Ninth Princess would remain safe and sound. A bitter smile touched my lips. The Emperor was, if nothing else, a devoted father.

"What are you smiling about?"

Shen Yu stood nearby, his hand pressed to his waist, limping toward me. A smudge of blood still stained the corner of his mouth, and his eyes searched mine with intense, nervous anticipation. "How did it go? Did you manage to persuade the Emperor? Will he no longer force the Ninth Princess to marry that butcher?"

I looked toward his back. His robe was torn to shreds, marred by jagged stains of blood. Habitually, I asked, "Did they use the cane on you? How many strikes? Does it still hurt?"

He waved a dismissive hand. "It is nothing of consequence. Just tell me—did you convince the Emperor?"

I stood frozen. Memories surfaced of a past hunting excursion where he had shielded the Ninth Princess from an incoming arrow. The shaft had pierced his shoulder, yet he had bitten his lip and refused to let out a single moan as I dressed the wound, even silencing me when I tried to call for the royal physician, fearing the princess would feel guilty. If that wound had meant nothing to him, then the pain of today was surely trivial. What, then, was there left for me to worry about? A myriad of emotions surged through my heart before settling into a hollow calm. I forced a smile. "The Ninth Princess no longer needs to marry into the Northern Frontier."

"Truly?"

His eyes lit up with brilliant radiance. In the next heartbeat, he hoisted me into the air and spun me around. "You are wonderful, Wanyuan! You are truly a good girl! What gift do you want? I will bring it for you when I am on duty tomorrow."

I stood momentarily dazed, though a genuine smile bloomed on my face. "You see? As long as I abandon my delusions, Shen Yu and I could return to how things were—able to converse with ease and peace."

"I want a set of winter robes," I replied, looking at him.

He furrowed his brow, perplexed. "You want winter robes in the middle of summer?"

I nodded. "I want them, and they must be ready by tomorrow."

It was said the Northern Frontier was bitter with frost all year round. Once the Prince of Northern Pacification arrived in the capital, I would follow him north to marry. It was only sensible to prepare for the cold. He had always brought gifts for the Ninth Princess; this time, letting him provide me with a set of winter robes would serve as his wedding gift to me.

The corners of his mouth curled upward. "Done! Last year I hunted a snow fox. That fur would make the most beautiful collar for your winter robes."

I shook my head repeatedly. "No, that is too precious."

He placed his hands on his hips, lifting his chin with a confident grin. "You have done a great service for the Ninth Princess. Do not talk to me of mere winter robes. Even if you asked for the stars in the sky, I would pluck them down for you."

His dramatic flair made me laugh, my eyes curving into crescents. "Can you really pluck stars for me?"

His throat bobbed as he swallowed, his expression softening into a daze. "Wanyuan... it has been a long time since I saw you smile like that."

I stiffened. "Hm?"

He regained his composure, reaching out to pat my hair. "You should learn from the Ninth Princess," he said softly. "Live without worry. If you are sad, cry; if you are happy, laugh. Do not always look so grim and melancholic. No one likes that—especially not my mother."

Madam Shen had never cared for me, but since I would not be marrying into the Shen household, her opinion no longer held weight. I did not wish to argue, so I simply nodded. "Very well."

"Ah, that reminds me," he said, frowning again. "How exactly did you persuade the Emperor? I knelt outside the Hall of Cultivating Heart for an entire night to no avail. How did you manage to find a better way?"

The eunuch Hai had warned me that the news of the replacement marriage must remain a secret. Even from Shen Yu. So, I offered a vague, practiced excuse: "I told you, the Emperor could not bear to see the princess married so far away..."

Before I could finish, Shen Yu waved me off and began to limp away in a hurry. He shouted that he had to go deliver the good news to the Ninth Princess, who had been fasting for a day and a night and must surely be starving by now.