“Shang Guang is not only one of my clansmen, but he has been by my side for so long that I have long regarded him as my younger brother.”
"For the Xie family to continue, it must select a new leader."
She had considered Xie Ying and Xie Shangguang, both of whom had the potential to become the next Xie Master.
Si Xitong said, "Aren't you thinking about this too early?"
"I think it's too late." Xie Lanzhi put down her teacup, turned around and stepped out of the palace gate, intending to go see Yelü Qiqi.
A message quickly came from outside the palace: "Princess Yelü requests an audience!"
Xie Shangguang was still munching on a sweet potato when he heard Qiqi arrive. He hurriedly stuffed the sweet potato into his mouth, swallowed it down, and then it got stuck in his neck. He then downed a large cup of orange tea, wiped his mouth casually, and stood up to greet Qiqi.
Yelü Qiqi's face was haggard, and her lips were somewhat pale: "Greetings, Marshal Sister, greetings, Princess Sister."
Xie Lanzhi led her in.
Si Xitong pulled her to sit down on the stool. She reached out and touched her forehead, finding it a little cold, so she immediately poured her a cup of hot tea.
"Qiqi, are you hungry? I'll have someone make you some porridge."
Yelü Qiqi forced a smile: "Sister, I'm not hungry."
Xie Shangguang watched from the side, his heart aching with heartache. Just as he was about to speak, Yelü Qiqi suddenly looked at him, her eyes filled with a hint of inquiry, followed by struggle, and finally, resignation. Xie Shangguang caught that fleeting moment of emotional turmoil.
Xie Lanzhi looked at his mouth, which was covered in soot, like a black-mouthed dog. It was obvious that he hadn't wiped his mouth after eating roasted sweet potatoes.
She said, "Shang Guang, go wash your face first."
Xie Shangguang hesitated for a moment, glancing back several times as he went. He then washed his face and came in without drying it. Water droplets still clung to his thick eyebrows, and his clothes were soaked. He paid no attention to his appearance whatsoever.
Even Yelü Qiqi sighed, "Brother Shangguang, be careful not to catch a cold."
The silly boy didn't understand and thought he was being concerned about him. He chuckled and said, "It's alright, I'm in good health."
Xie Lanzhi twitched her lips, trying to remind herself that this was the boy she had her eye on, and she mustn't act impulsively. She handed him a handkerchief, and Xie Shangguang wiped his face, then gave Yelü Qiqi a silly smile.
At that moment, Yelü Qiqi suddenly began to envy Xie Shangguang. He was able to smile freely. He always seemed cheerful, truly deserving of the title "sunny boy."
She didn't know that the boy would only smile so foolishly at her. So relaxed. Even if he was smiling like a fool in front of the girl he liked.
Xie Lanzhi turned and walked out of Lanzhang Palace. Si Xitong followed her out.
Both of them knew what Qiqi meant; she wanted to talk to Shang Guang alone.
Shortly afterward, Xie Shangguang's booming voice echoed from inside the hall: "You, how could you do this?!"
"I'm so disappointed in you!"
Xie Shangguang walked out of Lanzhang Palace with a mix of confusion and sadness, and hurriedly headed out of the palace.
Xie Lanzhi roughly guessed what Qi Qi had said. She must have gotten straight to the point about marriage. What should have been a happy occasion had been twisted into something else entirely by the silly boy.
When Yelü Qiqi came out, she also looked incredulous, then touched her face, somewhat doubting herself.
Her mind was filled with the silly boy's three consecutive questions: "Why does Qiqi want to marry me?!"
Am I really that good?
"I don't believe you, you're lying to me!"
"I never expected you to be the kind of woman who succumbs to reality. I, Xie Shangguang, will never yield to the Marshal's tyranny!"
Yelü Qiqi found it strange. What did this have to do with the Marshal? It was clearly her own decision.
When Yelü Qiqi relayed Xie Shangguang's exact words to Xie Lanzhi, she herself was completely bewildered, unsure of his true intentions.
Xie Lanzhi, on the contrary, started to have a headache.
This silly boy treated her as an elder, and under the strong pressure from the matriarch, he developed a rebellious attitude towards her!
A street in Tianjing had been swept clean, and even the locals were urging Xie Guang and his family of three to hurry back home, as it would soon be dark.
Having fallen on hard times, Xie Guang had lost all his airs.
He took his wife and daughter home, borrowed some money to buy a piece of meat and a pot of wine, intending to have a drink with his daughter.
Madam Wang cooked two dishes, said nothing, ate them herself, and went back to her room. She wanted the father and daughter to have a proper talk.
Xie Guang poured his daughter a glass of wine: "Ying'er, I heard from Lord Hai that you've been performing well lately. I believe you'll be able to complete your labor service in less than two years. Then I'll introduce you to..."
“Father, you don’t need to beg others. I won’t go either,” Xie Ying refused. “I’m not a child anymore.”
Yes, she's eighteen this year. She's no longer the impulsive young general who led troops to attack Jin for her sister's sake. She's just an ordinary citizen now.
Seeing his daughter's resigned expression, Xie Guang couldn't help but feel his eyes redden. He lowered his head and blamed himself, saying, "It's all my fault as her father. If I hadn't taken that step back then, I wouldn't have ruined your future."
"Having a father like me is a real sin."
Xie Ying drank it all in one gulp. She poured a cup for her father as well. After putting down the wine pot, she looked up and smiled, "Father, how could your daughter blame you?"
“You weren’t born a great general; you climbed to that position through hardship.”
"I know better than anyone what kind of wolves and tigers are in the tribe."
The Xie family needs a hothead to sit in the position of Grand General; only in this way can the position of the Xie lord not be easily challenged, and only then can the Xie family rest easy.
What they needed was never a great general, but someone who could stand in front of the marshal and act as their mouthpiece.
"Father, I've admired you since I was little," Xie Ying said. "That will never change."
"Please don't say anymore. I understand." Xie Ying lowered her head again, her shoulders slumped and her back bent, clearly accepting her fate.
She was no longer the mad dog-like little general who charged into battle, but a laborer who collected manure and cleaned ditches on the street.
Xie Guang looked at his daughter and saw that she had lost all her composure and even her last bit of pride.
For some reason, a surge of anger welled up inside him, a feeling of disappointment and frustration. He wanted to scold her, but the words wouldn't come out.
Frustrated, Xie Guang picked up the wine jug and gulped down the wine, emptying the jug in one go. He had no money to buy another. At this moment, he didn't even have the right to be drunk.
Xie Guangmo was suddenly filled with anger. He picked up the wine jug and smashed it on the ground, then got up and took his daughter's hand: "Let's go!"
With a defiant look on her face, she declared: "As the daughter of Xie Guang, the young general of the former general's family, and the mad dog in the mouths of my clan, how can I be defeated by a mere marriage certificate!"
"I, Xie Guang, cannot afford to lose face like this!"
"My daughter should be born without knowing what retreat is. As long as there is a road to walk on, even if it is a dead end, we will forge a way out!"
Xie Ying buried her face in her chest and remained silent.
Xie Guang also wanted to encourage his daughter.
Xie Ying suddenly knelt down and kowtowed heavily to her: "I, Xie Ying, can never repay the kindness of my parents in this lifetime."
"Father, you don't need to blame yourself. You've really done a great job."
“Next…” This time she looked up, her eyes filled with determination: “Our daughter will not let you down.”
Xie Guang then let go, expressing his relief.
Meanwhile, late at night, Xie Shangguang sneaked out of the palace to find Xie Ying.
Xie Lanzhi received the message and had no choice but to let him go. Of the three juniors, she originally thought Qiqi would be more troublesome, while Shang Guang was the easiest to handle.
Now it's the other way around. This truly proves the saying: life is unpredictable.
Xie Lanzhi lay in bed, but she, who usually slept well, was having trouble sleeping tonight.
The person in his arms could sense her emotions.
She said, "Lanzhi, you don't need to worry about them too much."
“This is no longer just about romantic love.” Xie Lanzhi rubbed her hair and said with some worry, “If it’s not handled properly, it could cost us our lives.”
Si Xitong said, "Since they are both willing, they should be let go."
"Letting them go would only harm them," Xie Lanzhi said cautiously. "Xie Ying is not capable of protecting her now."
Her situation was more dire than anyone imagined. A pawn discarded by the Xie family, no one was willing to pay such a high price to support her.
Xie Lanzhi could have helped Xie Ying and supported her, but could she support her for a lifetime?
One was her friend's sister, and the other was a member of her clan. Both out of compassion and reason, she was unwilling to throw Xie Ying, who still had potential, into a vortex where she could lose her life at any moment.
As for Qiqi, Xie Lanzhi had many ways to deal with Bei Luo's arranged marriage. She could give her security, but not happiness.
Xie Ying may be able to give Qi Qi happiness, but she doesn't have the power to protect her safety right now.
The only person who could achieve both goals was Xie Shangguang.
Xie Shangguang is still growing and may seem unreliable, but he has the advantage of a powerful grandmother behind him, and the entire Xie family is nurturing him. He has strong support and the potential to grow, he just needs time.
From any perspective, Xie Shangguang is the most suitable candidate so far.
“Hey, Little Phoenix, do you think it’s a bad time for them to fall in love?” Xie Lanzhi said, giving an example: “If they could have met earlier, at the right time, when Xie Guang was still a general, perhaps they would have been able to get together in terms of status.”
Si Xitong could sense that she valued her two children very much. That's why she was conflicted all night.
She said, "That's right. No matter when, you should try to win over the right person."
"Just like us."
She paused, then said with unwavering determination, "If I had met you first, I still wouldn't have given up. I would have done everything in my power to be with you."
Xie Lanzhi felt a warmth in her heart, and she finally smiled: "This road may be difficult, but it is the only right road."
"Luckily, I caught you first."
That evening, Xie Shangguang went to see Xie Ying, but she refused to see him. Xie Shangguang assumed she was angry with him and that's why she didn't want to see him. He rushed to explain, but someone covered his mouth from behind and pressed a sharpened chopstick against his neck.
"No matter what you say, I won't believe you." The person behind me said in a cold yet firm tone, "Until I see her and get her answer from her own mouth, I won't listen to anyone."
Xie Shangguang: ? ? ?
That bastard Xie Ying!
Ugh. He was in a hurry to say that he had refused and hadn't agreed at all, but the next second everything went black and Xie Ying knocked him unconscious.
Then Xie Ying poured the last half-cup of wine in the house onto Xie Shangguang. At the same time, Xie Guang returned from outside and threw Xie Bing's armor over the ditch.
The father and daughter worked in perfect harmony, but it was Xie Shangguang, lying on the ground, who suffered the most.
Xie Ying put on her armor and bowed deeply to Xie Guang: "Father, I'm leaving."
Xie Guang waved his hand and said, "Go! How can my daughter, Xie Guang's daughter, have her fighting spirit dampened because of her status!"
At this moment, in his eyes, nothing was more important than his dog Ying, nor any talk of gender segregation or social hierarchy! He, Xie Guang, had enjoyed wealth and honor, and now he had genuine human affection all around him; he had nothing left to lose.