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Marquis Xuanping stepped out of the imperial palace and was surprised to find a familiar carriage parked nearby.
It was Princess Xinyang's carriage.
He furrowed his brow, unsure if the person inside the carriage had entered the imperial palace and for what reason. In any case, if she weren't there to see him, he saw no need to invite unnecessary trouble.
Just as he was thinking this, the curtains of Princess Xinyang's carriage were drawn open from inside.
Yu Jin stepped down from the carriage and approached Marquis Xuanping.
"Lord Marquis." Yu Jin respectfully bowed, "The Princess wishes to see you."
Well, that was rather unusual.
In the many years since they had been married, the days when Princess Xinyang came to seek him out were few and far between.
He hardly went to find her either. Ever since their wedding night when she had made her request to make their relationship nominal, he had maintained only a superficial relationship with her.
Marquis Xuanping contemplated briefly and then decided to board Princess Xinyang's carriage.
Marquis Xuanping's carriage was also luxurious, but it lacked the meticulous attention to detail that Princess Xinyang's carriage displayed. Her carriage was clearly meant for a woman, fragrant and exceptionally delicate.
If this were twenty years ago, Marquis Xuanping might have struggled to find a place to sit.
However, he was now no longer the boorish man he used to be. He had refined his tastes, exuding an air of elegance and grace. Well… At least on the surface.
Marquis Xuanping sat on the seat beside Princess Xinyang and glanced at her. "What the matter?"
Princess Xinyang opened her mouth, a hint of hesitation crossing her brow.
Marquis Xuanping didn't rush her, casually picking up an orange and playing with it in his hand.
After a while, Princess Xinyang finally spoke, "When did you find out that there was something wrong with my Dragon Shadow Guards?"
Marquis Xuanping asked, "Is that why you came to see me?"
Princess Xinyang said, "Just answer me."
"Shortly after Xiao Qing's incident." Marquis Xuanping replied truthfully.
"Did you find something?" Princess Xinyang asked.
Marquis Xuanping shook his head, "No, on the contrary, I didn't find anything, which is why I found it strange. Your Dragon Shadow Guards have always been in the shadows, but..."
Princess Xinyang sighed bitterly, "But you knew all along."
"Yeah." Marquis Xuanping didn't deny it.
From the very first day Princess Xinyang entered the estate, he sensed some unusual presence lurking in the shadows.
He had once felt a similar aura in the Dragon Shadow Guards serving the Emperor, so he suspected that she also had her own Dragon Shadow Guards.
However, he only confirmed their identity on the night of Xiao Qing's incident.
When he discovered that both children had been poisoned, he immediately went to find an antidote. At the time, the Emperor possessed an antidote from the State of Yan, reputed to cure all poisons.
Unfortunately, there was only one dose.
Xiao Heng's mother, in her desperation to secure the antidote and save her son, kidnapped Xiao Qing.
However, she almost mistakenly entered Princess Xinyang's room during the abduction, and that was when one of the Dragon Shadow Guards confronted her.
"At that time, you..." Princess Xinyang's voice interrupted Marquis Xuanping's thoughts, but she seemed hesitant to continue her words.
Marquis Xuanping weighed the orange in his hand and said, "If you have questions, just ask. You don't need to consider whether I want to answer or not. If I don't want to answer, I'll tell you straight."
Princess Xinyang asked, "After you confirmed that the Dragon Shadow Guards were responsible for Xiao Qing's death, did you ever consider seeking revenge?"
Marquis Xuanping gave a faint smile, "Would you believe me if I say I didn't?"
Princess Xinyang pursed her lips, "Then why didn't you seek revenge?"
Marquis Xuanping spoke earnestly, "Firstly, they were just executioners. The one who gave the order was the late Emperor."
Only two people could command these Dragon Shadow Guards: the late Emperor and Princess Xinyang. It was inconceivable that Princess Xinyang would have ordered the killing of her own son.
Reaching this conclusion wasn’t difficult for him, but accepting it was the real challenge.
Marquis Xuanping let out a chuckle and said, "Every injustice has its perpetrator. If I were to seek revenge, it would be against the late Emperor. Why bother troubling a few executioners who only know to follow orders? Not seeking the master and venting frustration on his subordinates–– only cowards would do such a thing.”
Such an arrogant tone sounded very much like Marquis Xuanping.
Princess Xinyang asked, "Is that the only reason?"
Marquis Xuanping looked at her strangely, a hint of a smile playing on his lips, "What are you expecting to hear, Qin Fengwan? Are you hoping I'll tell you that I kept them because you still need them, and that's why I endured it? Qin Fengwan, I don't have as much affection for you as you think."
"Good, that's what I prefer." Princess Xinyang breathed a sigh of relief, ever so slightly.
Marquis Xuanping looked at her with an amused and slightly mocking expression, narrowing his eyes. Suddenly, he leaned over, one hand resting by her side, as if he was pinning her to the carriage wall. "Qin Fengwan, you seem disappointed?"
Princess Xinyang turned her face away, saying, "I'm not."
Marquis Xuanping nonchalantly smiled and said with a hint of coldness and sarcasm,, "It's too late to be disappointed now. It was you who rejected this Marquis in the first place. Even if you were to humble yourself and beg me now, this Marquis will no longer be moved by you."
With that, he coldly returned to his original seat.
"Then, did you ever have feelings for me?" Princess Xinyang asked.
Marquis Xuanping's smile froze.
"No." He replied.
"That's for the best." Princess Xinyang said, "Don't like me. I... won't like you either."
Marquis Xuanping's expression turned icy, "Qin Fengwan, am I really that bad?"
Princess Xinyang lowered her gaze, her hands beneath her wide sleeves tightly gripping a handkerchief. "It's not your fault; it's mine.”
I can't develop feelings for any man.
Marquis Xuanping got off the carriage wearing a cold look on his face.
It wasn't until he had walked some distance away that Yu Jin finally got into the carriage.
For Princess Xinyang, being alone in this confined space with a man, even if it was her husband of many years, was an extremely difficult thing.
She concealed her emotions well, but she had already punctured several holes in her handkerchief.
"Princess, are you alright?" Yu Jin asked with concern.
Princess Xinyang had applied a thick layer of powder on her face to hide her pale complexion; otherwise, she would have given herself away long ago.
"I'm fine." She said, taking a deep breath.
She said she was fine, but her body had started to tremble lightly.
Yu Jin had always known about the princess's unspoken condition——she couldn't have normal contact with men, especially in tight spaces, as it could even cause her to suffocate at worst.
The reason it had gone unnoticed for so long was mainly due to her identity as an imperial princess. With her honorable status, it was normal for her to keep people at a distance, and others couldn't approach her at will.
Additionally, she was skilled at disguising her discomfort. If Yu Jin hadn't witnessed her fainting in the carriage once, she might never have known her secret.
Over the years, aside from the Little Marquis, only Long Yi had been allowed to be close to her. Even the other four Dragon Shadow Guards weren't permitted to get too close to her.
In fact, her condition had improved considerably over the years. The last time she was in a carriage with Marquis Xuanping, there hadn't been any issues.
But this time...
Could it be that Marquis Xuanping had acted inappropriately towards the princess?
Raz P.'s Thoughts
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