Chasing Rainbows

Chapter 1

Chasing Rainbows

Author: Jiangnan Muyu

Chapter One: Choosing a Son-in-Law

They've come to urge me again about choosing a son-in-law.

Ever since my mother and father took over their seclusion, I've been in their hands.

They are my many older brothers and uncles.

Anyway, ever since I spent a year away from home and then stayed back for half a year, my fourth uncle, cousin, my handsome father, Xuan-ge, and Yuan-ge have all been asking about my marriage. My sad story has been brought up again and again. I originally wanted to stay home and lick my wounds, but now, this shameful and hurtful thing keeps being brought up. How can I forget it? My mother, father, and brother, however, found out about it, asked a few questions, offered a few words of comfort, and then let it go.

Xuan-ge was actually already thinking of handing over the reins to Yuan-ge, but his last task was to marry me off in a grand manner. Otherwise, it would be a disgrace to the royal family. In his own words, "My only sister can't get married before she turns eighteen?" However, I won't turn eighteen until next April, and he doesn't want to be emperor this summer.

Eighteen is a limit I set for myself.

My greatest wish is to roam the martial world and marry a peerless hero. Perhaps you've noticed, these two wishes are essentially the same: to find a peerless hero to marry while roaming the martial world. Like my father, for example, even if he doesn't often travel the martial world, he's still a hidden emperor of the martial world.

In short, my biggest wish is to get married.

I only revealed this wish to He Lanqian and Shen Yimei. Qianqian is my cousin, and Yimei is two years older than me. She is the eldest daughter of the head of Baiyantang, and her second uncle is my mother's close friend.

Both of them were considered to be from the martial arts world, and Yi Mei was especially skilled in gossip about the martial arts world, with a heart full of heroic tales of chivalry. However, they did not laugh at me after hearing my wish.

Qianqian said, "Women of the martial arts world always have to get married. Those who can't get married, no matter how high their martial arts skills are, are pitiful. Besides, you are just a half-baked woman of the martial arts world. If you can't get married, I don't know how many people in Beidi Yunyang will be worried."

Yi Mei, however, thought further ahead: getting married before eighteen, that should be fine, the problem is finding a perfect husband. The perfect husbands recorded in the Hundred Words Hall are all old, and they all come from your family. The new ones haven't even appeared yet!

I said, I'm looking for someone with the potential to be a peerless hero. Potential, do you understand?

Yi Mei nodded, "Then I'll keep an eye out for you and dig around."

Qianqian teased, "When did the Hall of a Hundred Words become a matchmaking agency?"

That year, I was sixteen. Not long after saying that, I went off to explore the world on my own. My mother was also around that age when she left Xuefeng Mountain.

I wasn't early, of course. My brother went down the mountain two years ago; he was fourteen that year. Mother and Father said he was destined to inherit the title of Prince Huaiyi (in fact, he was born Prince Huaiyi), so he had to train early—heaven entrusts great responsibilities to those who are capable. When he went down the mountain, I followed behind him, warning him to be careful, otherwise, it wouldn't be meaningful if heaven entrusted great responsibilities to the dead. Granny Mei pulled me back, saying, "Pah, pah, children's words are innocent! You little devil! How could your mother, with her personality, give birth to a child like you?"

Hmm, am I still a virgin?

My personality is such that I don't follow my mother, but I also don't follow my father. According to Grandma Mei, when I was little, I was quite naive and easy to fool, and I couldn't speak clearly. My mother was worried about what would happen to this child in the future.

As a result, the beautiful father solved the problem.

So my brother's godfather said, "It's not about who gave birth to the child, but who raised the child. With my godfather around, how could he not raise a clever person?"

But the beautiful father was very unhappy and argued, "It was clearly raised by me, so how can it be attributed to him?"

Seeing that I have so many fathers, you must think that my mother is an unparalleled beauty who skillfully manages to win over so many men, right?

Actually, according to my father, my mother is the most dull woman in the world. She only looks like a woman; otherwise, she's nothing like one. She doesn't like to dress up, doesn't like to act coquettishly, and has no special talents, only great strength.

As for my many fathers, I should introduce them properly.

The only father I know as far back as I can remember is Uncle Kun. Actually, he was our stepfather, the biological father of Yan'er and Xu'er. The title "Uncle Kun" was supposedly given to us by my brother and me, and Mother never made us change it. We both had our own biological fathers, but they were just a portrait and a memorial tablet in the study. In terms of appearance, I resemble my biological father, but my godfather from the Prince Huaiyi's Mansion and Granny Liu both said I looked like my grandmother. My brother, on the other hand, resembled my mother more, but their mannerisms and expressions were said to be exactly like my biological father's.

Then there's my "beautiful father," which is what I call him. He was my mother's former boss, but he considered himself my godfather and always took it upon himself to educate me. Every year, he would tirelessly pull me away from my mother and father to raise me for a while before releasing me back. So, from a very young age, I was accustomed to two completely different ways of being raised. He taught me most of my clothing, makeup, musical skills, poetry, and literature.

As for my brother's godfather, he is actually our fourth paternal uncle. To be precise, he is the fourth paternal uncle of Yan'er and Xu'er. He wasn't our fourth paternal uncle when he recognized my brother as his godson.

I know what they're thinking, but they may not know what I'm thinking.

I returned to the capital feeling utterly devastated. My brother wasn't there either, and I was all alone in the vast palace. When my brothers Xuan and Yuan saw me like this, they took me into the palace. In any case, my Qingxin Palace had always been preserved for me there.

I didn't have much to do in the palace, mostly just practicing martial arts and watching how my sister-in-law dealt with the endless tricks of the concubines vying for favor. Xuan-ge didn't have many concubines, just a few he actually needed. His empress was someone he chose himself; she was the fifth princess of Yunyang, who, by relation, was my cousin, though not from the same mother as my uncle. That's how relationships are in the palace, all sorts of connections. Xuan-ge and his sister-in-law were very much in love, and he was planning to hand over the reins to Yuan-ge and travel the world with her. To put his mind at ease, he was particularly attentive to my marriage prospects.

Since I returned to the palace two or three months ago, Brother Xuan has been spending more time enjoying himself with his ministers. It's springtime, and the palace's exotic flowers and plants are vying for attention, so Brother Xuan holds flower-viewing banquets and poetry gatherings every few days. While inviting the male relatives of his ministers and talented young men, he says to me, "Wu Bao, we don't have many people in our family. Could you help your brother see if there are any capable men?" I rest my chin on my hand and say, "Brother, I used to understand romance, chivalry, and the ways of the martial world. Now I don't even understand romance anymore; all I understand is chivalry and the ways of the martial world. Do you want me to help you choose assassins?"

Xuan Ge's lips twitched, then he returned to normal and said, "Martial arts can stabilize the country, that's true. But literature can bring peace to the country. Let's see if there's anyone who can bring peace to the country. Scholars are meticulous, understanding, and stable, how about that?"

I've never known before that Brother Xuan was such a literary enthusiast; it seems he's about to capture all the literary stars of the Northern Barbarians. However, I haven't memorized the appearance of any of those Northern Barbarian literary stars. I was sitting admiring the flowers, watching them pass by, listening to the poetry being recited, the poems seemingly floating in the clouds. Brother Xuan turned around with a smile, wanting my opinion, but I yawned several times in a row. He had no choice but to have someone escort me back to Qingxin Palace.

Later, these kinds of flower banquets subsided a bit, probably because the flowers in the Imperial Garden had almost finished blooming.

But Xuan-ge hadn't given up on marrying me off. One day, I overheard him saying to Yuan-ge, "Wu-bao doesn't even look at these talented young men. It seems that in her heart, a man should be like Uncle back then, following Uncle and Aunt in their martial arts. Are we going to hold a martial arts contest to find a husband?"

They always called my mother "aunt." It is said that my mother was picked up and raised in the mansion by my biological father. She was originally a child bride.

Yuan Ge said, "With Wu Bao like this, it probably won't work for her to speak out loudly. Isn't it time to hold a martial arts exam this year? After the exam, select some students with some literary talent from the martial arts exam, and then let Wu Bao take a look. I think she should be good at both literature and martial arts, like her father."

Xuan Ge clicked his tongue and said, "That's difficult. A talent like Young Master Qingyu is one in a hundred years. If there is such a person, I would be happy for Wu Bao to marry him, so that we can leave a talent for the Northern Di."

I'm in pain—toothache, headache, heartache, all sorts of pain.

There is only one Kun's father in the world, but there are others like him, and Bai Yifei might also be considered one. I thought he would be my hero, and I once thought that we could be together. Unfortunately, I was just being delusional. He wavered for a moment, but still chose another woman.

So the martial arts exams started in a grand and exciting manner, and my place became quiet for a while.

The martial arts selection was over, and it was almost Dragon Boat Festival. The top martial arts champion, as always, rode through the streets on horseback, adorned with flowers, and then thanked the emperor in the Qiankun Palace. Brother Xuan hosted another banquet, and my sister-in-law invited me, but I was too bored and lazily declined.

Unexpectedly, Brother Xuan was excitedly insisting on taking my sister-in-law and me to watch the dragon boat race the next day. He said that this year's race was unusually large, with members of the imperial family, military officers, and civil officials all participating, and a high platform had been erected along the Jing River. He also mentioned that my brother had returned, and the Prince Huaiyi's residence had sent a boat. I really wanted to go see that; at least I should cheer on Qilong, right?

That day, I followed my sister-in-law and brothers Xuan and Yuan to the high platform to watch the thousands of oars flying and hundreds of boats racing on the Jing River. Each family's dragon boat was decorated brilliantly, and the oarsmen were either shirtless or dressed in colorful clothes, all very eye-catching. Only the boat from the Huaiyi Prince's Mansion was unique, with a black dragon body, a red and black dragon head, and golden scales that shimmered in the sunlight. The oarsmen on that boat were also dressed in black, wearing vests that exposed their muscular shoulders.

The drums of each household thundered, and amidst the drumming, the dragon boat of the Prince of Huaiyi's Mansion carved a path through the crowded river, charging ahead towards the Jingshui Bridge. When it was still three zhang away, the elder brother leaped from his boat and plucked the colorful ball hanging beneath the bridge. The throngs of spectators along the riverbanks roared with cheers and applause. Xuan-ge said, "Hmm, Little Dragon's boat is still the most impressive. The second best will be the Martial Arts Champion's boat."

I have excellent eyesight and could see clearly what was happening on my brother's boat, and I could also see the second boat not far away. The leader of that boat was a young man in his early twenties, with a handsome appearance and sharp eyes; he seemed to be a formidable figure.

After the competition, Brother Xuan summoned the winners to receive their rewards. Since the Prince of Huaiyi's Mansion had won, Brother Xuan had Qi Long bring several rowers up to receive their prizes. Qi Long went up on the stage, while the four rowers with him stood below. The second-place winner was the Martial Arts Champion's boat, and the third-place winner was from the General of Dingbei's Mansion; Brother Xuan also called them up. The Empress Dowager said, "Sister Wu, what do you think of the second young master of the General of Dingbei's Mansion and this year's Martial Arts Champion?"

I knew it wasn't that simple when they called me here.

But Xuan-ge, Yuan-ge, and Qi-long all heard me, and now they're staring at me expectantly. I can't pretend I didn't hear them. I know their good intentions, and I can't bear to offend them again. Qi-long used to ignore my messy affairs, but now he's involved. Oh well, the person in my heart can't be taken away anyway, and he can't possibly choose me, so it doesn't matter who I choose.

So, it turns out I'm the lucky winner today?

I forced a smile and said, "Royal brother and sister-in-law, are you asking me to choose for myself? It doesn't matter who I choose?"

Seeing that I had changed my mind, Brother Xuan nodded vigorously and said, "Of course, of course, Your Highness can choose anyone, Your Highness can arrange a marriage for you."

The ministers who had been specially summoned up on the stage all stared intently at me. It seemed that besides the second son of the General of Dingbei and the martial arts champion, there were quite a few young masters from prominent families standing below the stage.

I then scanned the people on and off the stage, and casually pointed to the man in black holding a colorful ball at the front of the stage, saying, "That's him!"

The stage was completely silent. I turned around and saw a group of frozen faces.

After a long silence, Brother Xuan finally asked, "Who is that?"

Qi Long said, "They are guards from my brother's residence."

I turned to him and asked, "What, is that not allowed? Does he have a wife?"

Qi Long said, "No, but Wu'er, you don't even know who he is or what his name is?"

I said, slightly impatiently, "You all said it's up to me to choose." Then I asked the person in the audience, "So, what's your name?"

The man's voice was somewhat cold, yet very calm. He bowed and replied, "Your Highness, this humble one is Yi Ge."

Chapter Two: Old Feelings

I've never actually seen Yi Ge standing next to my brother.

Qi Long later said that Yi Ge was trained by Uncle Mo Qi, who was under Kun's father's command, and had been with him for more than two years. He had previously been in the fiefdom of the Prince of Huaiyi in Duanzhou, and this was the first time he had brought him back to the Prince's Mansion in Shangjing.

It has been more than three years since Qi Long came down the mountain. I have only been to the Huaiyi Prince's Mansion in Duanzhou twice, and only Uncle Yu was there. Not counting this time, I have only seen Qi Long twice in the past three years, and I really can't remember whether Yi Ge was with him or not.

After returning to the palace, my three elder brothers summoned me to Chengxin Hall.

Xuan said, "Wu Bao, are you blaming us for me getting involved too much? Why did you just point to someone so casually?"

I shook my head: "No. Of course I know my brothers are doing this for my own good. I've thought it through honestly, and I can't possibly fall in love with anyone anymore, so it doesn't matter who I marry. There's no real difference between a prince and a guard. He's a guard, so it's a bit more peaceful, without so many entanglements."

Brother Xuan said, "Wu Bao, even if you really won't like anyone else again, at least find someone who likes you and treats you well, right? This guard..."

I laughed: "Yes, I don't know if he'll like me, but what does it matter? Do you think those scions of noble families would actually like me, and not just because I'm a princess?"

Yuan Ge continued, "But Wu Bao, you are a princess, and this Yi Ge has no official rank or title. He is really not a good match for you. There is no one with the surname Yi in the court. We can find him a relative."

Qi Long said, "You can ask Uncle Mo about Yi Ge's background. Wu'er, you're just making do now because you're cold-hearted, but what if you find someone you like in the future, or Yi Ge has someone in his heart? I don't want a prince consort to have three wives and four concubines."

His words reminded me of something: "That's true. I just randomly pointed someone out, and I don't know if they'd be willing or if they have someone in their heart. If they do, then it's just a waste of my time. I don't want to ruin someone's marriage, after all, I didn't marry him because I liked him. Why don't you go and ask him, brother?"

After thinking for a moment, Brother Yuan said, "Alright, although Wu Bao just pointed at him randomly, Yi Ge is quite handsome. If Wu Bao doesn't like him in the future, she can divorce him and find someone else. But if he wrongs Wu Bao, then he can't be let off lightly."

A day later, Qi Long brought news that Yi Ge didn't have a sweetheart and had expressed his willingness to become the prince consort.

Later, Eunuch Qiu, who was standing next to Xuan, pursed his lips and said, "How could he not be willing? There are plenty of princes and noblemen outside who are willing, but this guy was lucky enough to be spotted by the princess and skipped over a whole bunch of people."

I returned to my Qingxin Palace with a smile on my face, but a sense of desolation lingered in my heart. I could indeed marry myself off before I turned eighteen, but the image of a peerless hero had become a joke.

Bai Yifei, you've made me forget how to love.

At the end of last year, my attempt to get married failed, and I returned to the Prince Huaiyi's Mansion in Duanzhou.

At that time, the rulers of the Northern Di and Yunyang kingdoms happened to be meeting in Duanzhou, a place jointly governed by the two kingdoms, to discuss state affairs. My mother and father, who were inspecting their own property, also returned to Duanzhou. As a result, my disheveled appearance was seen by all my family members.

I cried in my mother's arms. My mother said, "It's alright. If he can betray you, it means he doesn't love you that much. If he's gone, he's gone. There will be someone better."

My father hugged me and said, "Little Wu'er, you still have feelings for him, that's why you're in so much pain. Why don't we go and take him back? I have some connections with White Horse Manor. Aren't they supposed to get married in January?"

I shook my head: "No, he doesn't know I'm your daughter. Besides, he can't treat me wholeheartedly, so I don't want him!"

Saying "I don't want it anymore" is like my heart is being slowly tortured; just mentioning those two names feels like being cut. It's truly impossible for me to not have him in my heart.

My father stroked my hair and said, "No, no more. There are plenty of fine men to choose from in the Yunyang and Beidi kingdoms. Our Wu'er has backbone, much more backbone than your father."

I knew a little about how my father pursued my mother relentlessly, even after she had my biological father. So when I said that, my mother glared at my father and said, "You still have time to save your breath."

Kun's father said sternly, "Mu'er, I already have you, what need do you have for backbone?"

I couldn't help but burst into laughter through my tears.

The beautiful father soon found out as well, because he came to Jinchun Garden.

I feel like he's in even more agony than I am.

At that moment, he circled around me several times, his charming brows furrowed as he said, "Wu Bao, you're even prettier than your mother, and your clothes and appearance are impeccable. You're also gentle and generous in your dealings with others, not the type to throw tantrums. In terms of martial arts, you're one of the best in your generation. That Bai fellow actually knows how to play the pipa in secret? I saw how enthusiastic he was towards you that time, and I was worried you'd get married too early."

Yeah, I want to know why too? Maybe it's just because Nan Ya is prettier and more outgoing than me?

Indeed, He Lanqian once said that I was just a half-baked woman of the martial arts world, while Nan Ya was the real woman of the martial arts world.

The beautiful father then asked, "Their alliance between White Horse Manor and South Wind Fortress is naturally for the sake of the martial arts world. But wouldn't it be more reliable to form an alliance with the Hidden Emperor?"

I bit my lip and said, "He doesn't know about my family background. When I came down from the mountain, my mother said that I was only going into the martial world for training and experience, and that I should not reveal my family background." I don't want him to like me because of my family background.