vrcanaries Chapter 1592 The Only Thing to Be Thankful For
Chapter 1592 The Only Thing to Be Thankful For
She stared at Princess Wenshu, a grim smile on her face: "What? You've come to laugh at me too? Or to pity me?"
"Wen Shu, are you feeling quite smug right now? Are you pleased to see me possibly being thrown into the desolate wilderness?"
"After all, you're about to get married in a grand ceremony and become the wife of a Hanlin scholar!"
Every word is piercing, sharp and incisive.
Princess Wenshu was speechless for a moment, overwhelmed by the malice that Princess Yun'an was radiating.
Seeing the undisguised anger in Princess Yun'an's eyes, the few words of comfort she had prepared stuck in her throat.
What could she say?
To say that the Emperor might not choose the Third Sister? Even he himself doesn't believe that.
Princess Wenshu remained silent for a moment, and finally just sighed softly, without trying to explain further, nor could she explain.
Some knots in one's heart have long been deeply rooted.
Some situations cannot be resolved with words alone.
"...Take care, Third Sister."
In the end, Princess Wenshu only said these four words, curtsied, and then turned to walk towards her carriage.
Princess Yun'an watched Princess Wenshu's retreating figure, a fire burning in her chest. But with nowhere to vent her anger, she could only forcefully suppress it.
"Go home!"
The carriage drove away from the palace gate, and the carriage was deathly silent.
Princess Yun'an leaned against the carriage wall, the semblance of dignity she had maintained at the banquet finally crumbling, and tears streamed down her face without warning.
Why her?!
Why her?!
She was just a little spoiled and spoke without thinking. But she was the eldest princess of the Great Zhou Dynasty! She was a princess of noble birth!
How could my brother... how could he just throw her away like a useless thing, sending her to a terrible place to be exchanged for horses?!
Princess Yun'an's cries were mournful and desperate.
The coachman and his attendants outside were terrified, but none of them dared to utter a word of comfort.
Upon returning to the Princess's residence, Princess Yun'an was helped into her bedchamber by her trusted nanny and maids.
She cried so hard that her whole body trembled, her hairpins and jewelry were scattered, and her makeup was ruined. She no longer had any of the demeanor of a princess.
The old nanny was heartbroken and tears streamed down her face: "Princess, please, please don't do this..."
The maid Chunxiao wrung out a hot handkerchief and carefully wiped away the tears from Princess Yun'an's face, comforting her, "Princess, things are not settled yet. His Majesty only said he would consider it. Perhaps... perhaps there is still room for maneuver."
"Ways to turn things around?"
Princess Yun'an sneered, "Can't you see what my brother means? He's tempted by those horses!"
"My brother just wants those Xiongnu to offer more benefits to make this matter seem more respectable. I'm not stupid; I can see through their eyes!"
The nanny and maids were speechless.
They understood perfectly well that everything pointed to the worst possible outcome...
Another maid, Xia Yue, said timidly, "But...but His Majesty is, after all, your elder brother. Perhaps he will consider the bond between blood relatives..."
Princess Yun'an seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world: "Family ties?"
"If I gain favor and satisfy my elder brother as before, he might even select a suitable woman from the imperial clan, bestow upon her the title of princess, and send her to the Xiongnu."
"But what am I now? I'm nothing more than a discarded pawn that my brother finds annoying, that has caused him trouble, and that has lost the emperor's favor."
"Using me, a princess of pure blood, to exchange for warhorses would show more sincerity, wouldn't it?"
Princess Yun'an's words were like knives, cutting into her heart with each stroke...
Several of his trusted confidants turned pale.
They were not only saddened by Princess Yun'an's passing, but also terrified for themselves.
If the eldest princess were to go on a marriage alliance, most of her personal servants would likely accompany her as part of her dowry.
The thought of going to the grasslands where you don't speak the language and the environment is harsh, and possibly never coming back, is enough to scare anyone.
Xia Yue is the youngest and also the most impatient.
As if suddenly remembering something, her eyes lit up, and she lowered her voice, saying, "Your Highness, the Great Zhou currently has two unmarried princesses. Besides you, there is also Princess Wenshu!"
“Her marriage is arranged, but… but what if… what if she gets involved with that Xiongnu Left Wise King, and word gets out…”
"Then her marriage to Bai Hanlin will definitely fall through! In that case, the only one left to go for a political marriage will be..."
Princess Yun'an suddenly raised her hand!
"Snapped--!!!"
A resounding slap landed hard on Xia Yue's face.
Xia Yue was knocked to the side, her cheek instantly turning red and swollen.
She covered her face, her eyes widened, and she knelt down with a thud: "Your Highness, please calm down!"
"This servant...this servant was only thinking of the Princess and lost my mind! This servant deserves to die!"
Princess Yun'an's hands were still trembling slightly.
She looked at Xia Yue kneeling on the ground, her eyes swirling with emotion.
She felt a mixture of anger, contempt, and a hint of... wavering that even she herself was unwilling to admit.
But in the end, that wavering disappeared.
"Shut up!"
"You dare to think such a despicable idea? You dare to say it out loud in front of me?!"
Princess Yun'an took a deep breath and tried to straighten her back: "I have offended my brother and lost the Emperor's favor, and I am afraid to go to such a harsh and cold place. But I have not gone so far as to scheme against my sisters' innocence just to extricate myself!"
"No matter what, Wen Shu is still my sister. I would never stoop to such despicable tactics!"
"I will pretend I didn't hear what you said today. But if it happens again, don't blame me for not showing any mercy to you as master and servant!"
Xia Yue kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "This servant understands!"
"This servant dares not do it again, Your Highness, please calm your anger!"
Princess Yun'an closed her eyes wearily and waved her hand: "Everyone, get out. Let me have some peace and quiet."
"Yes."
The group dared not say anything more, and quickly withdrew, carefully closing the door behind them.
Princess Yun'an was left alone in the bedchamber, and tears silently streamed down her face again.
After an unknown amount of time, Princess Yun'an's emotions finally calmed down somewhat.
An inappropriate image of the Xiongnu Left Wise King from the banquet flashed into her mind.
He was tall and imposing, with bronze skin and deep-set eyes. His voice was loud and clear, and his gaze was sharp. He exuded a rugged aura, completely different from the elegant young men of the capital, belonging to the grasslands and battlefields.
Princess Yun'an gave a self-deprecating laugh.
At least the Left Wise King was not a lewd old man, nor was he very old. He was quite handsome and was very likely to be the next Xiongnu Chanyu.
For her, this was the only thing to be thankful for.
……
Honglu Temple.
In the courtyard prepared specifically for the Xiongnu delegation.
The windows were tightly closed, and a charcoal brazier was burning inside.
Luan Di Yi Tu and several trusted generals sat together, conversing in the Xiongnu language.
"Your Majesty."
A general with a scar on his face, named "Uvi," took a big gulp of wine, wiped his mouth, and said, "In my opinion, the Emperor of Great Zhou has already agreed to seven or eight tenths of the matter."