After saying that, He Yao didn't care whose tent it was, and went inside by herself.
Wu Hui and Yuan Xiao exchanged a glance, then reluctantly followed them inside.
"I've come today to tell you a secret," He Yao said bluntly after settling down. "It turns out that the Grand Princess's visit this time wasn't just to find a husband for Fuya, but also to choose a girl of noble birth to be Prince Gesang's queen." After she finished speaking, she added mysteriously, "Hey, don't tell anyone. Right now, besides them, only I know about this. If you tell anyone, they'll know that I leaked the secret, and they won't tell me anything in the future."
Since it matched He Caiqiong's guess a few days earlier, Wu Hui was not surprised by this matter. He just responded casually and promised not to tell anyone else.
Just when everyone thought the conversation was over, He Yao asked again, "Do you know who Prince Gesang has taken a fancy to?"
Wu Hui shook her head. She had only caught a glimpse of Gesang in the stands from a distance of several feet on the day of the Fuya selection contest. She hadn't even seen his face clearly, so how could she possibly know which girl he was in love with?
He Yao didn't keep them in suspense and said bluntly, "It's your family's third daughter, Jun Wushuang."
Wu Hui opened her mouth in surprise, and it took her a long time to utter a sound: "But...but Wu Shuang is already engaged."
He Yao said, "Didn't Fuya also take a liking to Chu Yao? It's perfect that the two siblings each get one."
"How can that be!" Wu Hui exclaimed urgently. "Prince Ying is of unparalleled appearance and character, and is one of the most outstanding men in the entire capital. Why should he be forced to marry someone he doesn't want to marry?"
He Yao raised an eyebrow at her and asked indifferently, "Lately, you've been getting along really well with those older sisters. If we're talking about sisterly affection, shouldn't you be worried about Jun Wushuang being forced to marry someone she doesn't want to marry? How come you're suddenly standing up for your future brother-in-law?"
"I..." Wu Hui wanted to explain, but couldn't think of anything particularly compelling. "I just..."
He Yao interrupted her: "You're not having any inappropriate thoughts about Chu Yao, are you? Girls only put in more effort than they would with their own sisters when it comes to protecting the person they love."
Wu Hui blushed instantly when her secret was exposed: "Don't talk nonsense!"
Seeing her reaction, He Yao knew her guess was absolutely right. She had already planned this when she offered her advice to Fuya, scheming to force Wushuang into agreeing to become the Gesang Queen. She came to find Wu Hui to entice her to cooperate with the plan, never expecting to inadvertently learn Wu Hui's secret.
"If people knew that the fourth young lady of the dignified Marquis of Runan's mansion was already infatuated with her brother-in-law before she even reached marriageable age, do you think your entire Jun family would still have any face left?" He Yao said with a grin.
"Don't talk nonsense!" Wu Hui panicked, repeating her previous words, but her momentum had weakened considerably.
"There's no such thing as a free lunch. If you don't want me to tell anyone, you'll have to give me something of sufficient value in return." He Yao became more and more smug as he spoke, forking up a slice of watermelon and slowly eating it.
Wu Hui, now thirteen, was experiencing the sweetness of sisterly harmony for the first time. If He Yao were to spread the word that she secretly admired Chu Yao, not only would she lose face, but her relationship with Wu Shuang, which had only been repaired for less than two months, would also break down again. She really didn't want to face such an outcome.
"Please, don't tell anyone. I'll agree to anything you want in exchange."
She was still young and inexperienced, and was easily intimidated by He Yao and surrendered after just a few words.
“Alright, this is your own choice,” He Yao said. “This evening, take Jun Wushuang to the grove of trees west of the camp. Oh, and by the way, let her ride a horse. Got it?”
Chapter List 98|98a
Chapter Ninety-Eight:
After He Yao left, Wu Hui huddled in a corner of the tent, clutching her pillow, her mind reeling. (Download txt ebook: http://wW/)
Having finally managed to get along well with her sisters, she naturally didn't want to ruin it. However, no matter how willful she had been in the past, she had been raised in a marquis's family and naturally understood the principle that a girl's reputation was more important than her life.
The sister-in-law's affair with her brother-in-law is not only a matter of personal love, but can also be considered a sexual affair. If it were to spread, not only would she lose all face, but the entire Marquis of Runan's mansion and even the Prince of Ying's mansion would be implicated. Prince Ying, Chu Yao, is the Emperor's own nephew. To make him lose face is to make the entire royal family lose face. Even if one's own family tries to protect their own, they will not be able to withstand the Emperor's punishment.
Wu Hui grew increasingly frightened, her whole body trembling, and even her jaw was chattering.
Her mother, Lady He, had met a terrible end, a lesson she had learned the hard way. Despite being divorced by her husband's family, she still met a tragic death upon returning to her parents' home. If even one's own parents suffered such fate, what chance did the emperor have?
"Young lady, are you cold?"
Yuanxiao, who was tidying up the table, stopped what she was doing, looked at Wu Hui with a puzzled expression, and then looked up at the top of the tent.
Summer hadn't yet arrived, and the north was colder than the central plains, but with a large, airtight tent overhead and a brazier burning, it felt no different from being in a grand mansion in the capital. Moreover, she was even feeling a bit warm and slightly sweaty, yet the young woman was shivering with cold—could she be sick?
Being away from home is inconvenient in many ways, and if you get sick, it's much more serious than if you're at home. Yuanxiao immediately put down the tea tray in her hand, went to Wu Hui's side, and reached out to touch her forehead to check her temperature.
Wu Hui was completely absorbed in her thoughts when Yuanxiao suddenly touched her, and her thoughts took a turn.
Even if I follow He Yao's orders this time and lend her a hand, will I be able to rest easy in the future?
Will this incident become her leverage forever, allowing He Yao to use it to blackmail her into doing even worse things at the slightest provocation?
Wouldn't that mean being controlled by others for life, never able to turn things around?
I have no regrets about not being thirteen years old yet. As the years go by, I really don't want to live this kind of life.
Even if she doesn't go, will Wushuang be safe and sound?
Wu Hui knew He Yao too well; he was a man who wouldn't give up until he achieved his goal. Even if she refused to compromise her principles, He Yao would find another way.
No, she had to find a way to save Wushuang.
Prince Ying is such a good person; it's a blessing that Wushuang has accumulated over many lifetimes to marry him. She envied him and sometimes felt jealous, but if Wushuang were framed and forced to marry far away to the desolate grasslands because of this, she might never be able to reunite with her family in this life. How could she face her kind and considerate older sister, Wuxia, in the future?
Having figured it out, Wu Hui didn't hesitate to throw away the pillow, stand up, and run out of the tent.
Yuanxiao was so startled that she jumped up. After regaining her senses, she hurriedly chased after him.
"Young lady, where are you going? Let me go with you, so you won't be without help if anything happens..."
As she spoke, she lifted the tent flap, but the rest of her words caught in her throat—looking around, there was no trace of Wu Hui.
Wu Hui lifted her skirt, disregarding any ladylike demeanor, and ran and asked questions along the way, arriving at the territory where the Lingguang Guard was stationed without daring to delay for even a moment.
The Lingguang Guards were responsible for escorting the Emperor, so the camp was naturally much more strictly managed than that of the officials' families. A circle was drawn around the tents, with a guard every three zhang. Even the Lingguang Guards on duty had to have their waist tags checked before entering the camp, and it was impossible for unauthorized people to enter.
Wu Hui rushed over like a headless fly, but before he even reached the camp area, he was spotted by the guards on duty.
Most of the guards of Lingguang Guard were from noble families. Although they did not know Wu Hui, they could tell from her clothes and headdress that she was a family member of an accompanying official and that her family background was definitely not low.