Prince Ning mobilized government troops to capture Ling Xiao, and it was difficult for Princess Zhang Jin not to know about this. Naturally, she also knew that Zhang Xin had gone to Qingfeng Pavilion to cause trouble, and that she had also heard about the problems between Zhang Xin and Xia Mingzhe. Actually, she hadn't paid much attention to anything special about Zhang Xin and Xia Mingzhe's relationship in the past, but now, she could see some clues.
As the eldest sister of the emperor, with Empress Dowager Feng absent from the palace, the emperor unable to attend to others, and Prince Ning preoccupied with his own affairs, Zhang Jin felt it was her responsibility to comfort Zhang Xin. She invited Zhang Xin to her princess residence and accompanied her to enjoy flowers and opera.
Zhang Xin was unaware of Zhang Jin's thoughts. However, upon returning to the Princess's residence, she discovered that the young men serving her elder sister had been replaced by unfamiliar faces. Recalling the male prostitutes she had seen at Qingfeng Pavilion, Zhang Xin thought that the ones kept in her elder sister's residence were far more attractive.
When this thought popped into her mind, her inexplicably low mood immediately improved. Before Zhang Jin could ask her if she had anything bothering her lately, Zhang Xin said, "Elder Sister, I really think I'm quite stupid."
Zhang Jin looked puzzled. Zhang Xin continued, "With my emperor brother, my elder sister, and my tenth brother protecting me, if I wanted a consort, wouldn't I be able to choose any talented young man I wanted? So why should I care..." She stopped abruptly and didn't continue.
Zhang Jin suddenly laughed and asked her, "Who are you worried about? Who made you unhappy? Tell me."
"I didn't care about anyone, and no one made me unhappy. It's just that I suddenly realized that people who find me troublesome must not be sincere to me. And you guys are so good to me, I don't care about anyone else. If he's unhappy, I'm even less happy."
"In Aunt Ling's words, why give up an entire forest for a crooked tree? That's the point! Because of my status, no one dares to bully me." Zhang Xin spoke very lightly, as if she had truly let go of her pent-up frustration.
After dismissing the servants, Zhang Jin looked at Zhang Xin and asked, "Are you talking about Lord Xia? He's not willing to be your consort? What did you tell him?" Since this matter hadn't been formally discussed, it was naturally Zhang Xin herself who brought it up with Xia Mingzhe. Zhang Jin didn't see it as a problem. "His intentions are nothing special. If you truly like him, His Majesty can issue an imperial decree, and he won't have a chance to object."
"I don't want to." Zhang Xin smiled. "Forced love is never sweet. Besides, I don't like him that much. I just think he's better than others, and he's saved me several times. I thought he didn't find me troublesome, but it turns out he didn't. He saved me every time just because he couldn't explain it to my brother, the emperor. It's all because of his status. So, forget it."
"But it's also my own fault for being too stupid. If only I had understood sooner. I even made several things by hand as a thank you gift for saving me each time. Now that I think about it, perhaps gold, silver, jade and other precious treasures would have been more to other people's liking. Not to mention that I'm clumsy with my hands. Anything I make is crooked and ugly. Others would find it disgusting. I pricked my hands with needles countless times for nothing. It would have been better not to waste that effort."
Zhang Jin listened and then asked her, "What have you given as gifts?" Zhang Xin thought for a moment before answering, "At first I gave her a sword tassel, then a sachet, and then a longevity thread..." As she spoke of these, she felt a little embarrassed, remembering that she hadn't given any to her brother the emperor or her elder sister.
"Elder sister, please don't blame me for not remembering you all and only sending things to others. You know, before, when Mother had nannies teach me these things, I wished I could hide so no one could find me, and I always asked them to help me keep it a secret. Even if I did make them, they looked terrible and were not presentable at all. It was because he was injured that I felt I should put more effort into it, thinking that the sentiment was more important. It can be seen that the sentiment is important, but it also depends on the person. It's naturally not bad to you, but it's different to others."
“Since you’ve thought it through, I’m relieved. I was worried you might be feeling down, but I’m glad to see you’re alright.” Zhang Jin said with a smile, then added, “Since we’ve been talking, try this freshly made persimmon cake. If you like it, I’ll have someone write down the recipe and take it to your little kitchen to make it.” Her gaze, however, drifted behind the screen, momentarily concealing the smile on her lips.
Zhang Jin deliberately steered Zhang Xin to speak her mind, only because Xia Mingzhe happened to be standing behind the screen. Xia Mingzhe, having heard Zhang Xin's words, had a deep look in his eyes and suppressed a slight smile. Afterwards, Zhang Jin and Zhang Xin mostly chatted about everyday matters. He stood there for a while longer before leaving.
Having had a wonderful time at the Princess's residence, Zhang Xin was in a good mood as she rode back to the palace in a carriage. Upon reaching the palace gates, she transferred to a sedan chair to go to Yongle Palace, where she saw Xia Mingzhe leaning against the blue brick wall. Zhang Xin didn't want to acknowledge him at that moment, so she looked away and walked towards the sedan chair about ten paces away. Xia Mingzhe, however, walked forward on his own. Zhang Xin didn't understand why he was so fast; before she even got into the sedan chair, he was already in front of her.
Xia Mingzhe bowed to her, and Zhang Xin felt it wouldn't be right to ignore him, but she declined his bow and said nothing more. Then she suddenly heard Xia Mingzhe say, "Your Highness, are you free right now? I have something to discuss with you." Zhang Xin turned to look at him and saw that he was staring at her with deep eyes. Not really wanting to talk to him, she said, "I'm very tired now and want to go back and rest. Let's talk about it another time."
“This is something that can’t be put off until tomorrow.” Xia Mingzhe stared at Zhang Xin. Zhang Xin hesitated for a moment, still somewhat reluctant. “Is it that important?” Xia Mingzhe didn’t speak. Zhang Xin felt a little irritated, but she still patiently said, “Okay, but it will only take up a quarter of an hour at most. Let’s talk about it here.”
“We can’t talk about this here.” Xia Mingzhe glanced around and pulled Zhang Xin away to another place. The palace servants all lowered their eyes and didn’t dare to look any longer. Zhang Xin followed him closely, but she was angry and puffed up her cheeks. She was quite unhappy with his decision-making without regard for her opinion.
She quickly broke free from Xia Mingzhe's grip and said, "We can say what we need to say here."
They had just walked to the foot of a banyan tree, and the last rays of the setting sun were filtering through the leaves. Xia Mingzhe turned around and saw Zhang Xin staring at him with her clear black and white eyes, looking slightly displeased, despite still being quite young.
He initially thought she was oblivious, perhaps mistaking gratitude for affection for love, which was why she said she wanted to make do with him. But what she said to the Princess Consort didn't seem to reflect that. This place wasn't particularly convenient, but it was better than the previous one. Xia Mingzhe nodded and said, "Okay." He agreed but then hesitated to say anything further.
Zhang Xin looked down at the ants carrying broken leaves past her feet. After waiting a while without hearing Xia Mingzhe speak, she looked up at him again. Seeing that Xia Mingzhe was still staring at her with his deep eyes, she felt inexplicably flustered and didn't want to speak. She started drawing circles with her toes.
"What happened last time was my fault. I have never found Her Highness the Little Princess troublesome..."
Xia Mingzhe had just opened his mouth when Zhang Xin interrupted him, "I didn't go out to play because of you, and you don't need to apologize. I didn't take those words to heart, and I don't like you that much. I'm not so heartbroken or unable to eat because of you, so you don't need to feel bad. If this is what's important to you, then there's nothing special to say. I'm really tired after playing at my elder sister's place all day, so I'm going back to rest."
After finishing her sentence, Zhang Xin left without looking back, appearing extremely carefree, leaving Xia Mingzhe standing there alone, watching her retreating figure, his eyes suddenly dimming.
·
Thinking that everything was clear and her relationship with Xia Mingzhe was settled, and that there was no need for any further entanglement, Zhang Xin was completely baffled when Xia Mingzhe appeared before her even more attentive than before. She wanted to seek advice from Ling Xiao, but couldn't find him, which only made her more frustrated.
Returning to Yongle Palace from the Imperial Hospital, a palace servant brought over some novelties, saying they were a gift from Lord Xia. Zhang Xin showed no interest, glanced at them, and waved them away. She felt this couldn't go on; she was indeed foolish and didn't understand what this person meant. She pondered for a long time, still deciding that she should either ignore him or make her point clearer.
Finally, for some reason, Zhang Xin decided to go to Xia Mingzhe's residence and have a proper talk with him. Xia Mingzhe's courtyard had a gate connecting to the main street. Zhang Xin got off the carriage there, entered the gate, and arrived at Xia Mingzhe's courtyard without having to meet the rest of the Xia family.
When she came in, Xia Mingzhe was practicing his sword. He seemed to be in a bad mood, and every move he made seemed to be a form of venting. The blade scraped against a clump of low trees nearby, and in an instant, broken leaves fluttered down.
He was tall and long-legged, with long, slender fingers gripping the longsword, its hilt adorned with a sapphire blue tassel that swayed with each swing. Zhang Xin recognized it as something she had made herself to give to Xia Mingzhe in the past, and couldn't help but pout.
Xia Mingzhe noticed Zhang Xin's arrival and immediately stopped what he was doing. A servant came up and took the longsword he had been handed to him, then left. Only then did he walk towards Zhang Xin, a look of surprise and delight on his face.
Seeing his expression, and noticing that he might not actually be disgusted by her poor cooking skills, Zhang Xin's words caught in her throat. She puffed out her cheeks slightly, glared at Xia Mingzhe, and walked over to the clump of shrubs that Xia Mingzhe had ruined to take a look.
"Why has Your Highness come to my humble abode?" Xia Mingzhe asked Zhang Xin, following behind her. Zhang Xin brushed aside the now somewhat bare branches protruding from the bushes, remaining silent. Xia Mingzhe then asked her again, "Does Your Highness like those little trinkets?"
Zhang Xin glanced at him, muttering with dissatisfaction, "I'm not a child anymore, why did you give me those things?" Although she only glanced at them, she could see that they were a rabbit carved from yellow jade, a bird carved from green jade, and a deer carved from white jade. Actually, they weren't entirely trinkets, since the materials were of high quality and they were quite substantial, plus the carving was exceptionally exquisite, so they were definitely not something that had been found or taken out casually.
Xia Mingzhe smiled. "If you don't like these, I'll find something else next time." Zhang Xin thought to herself, "Looking for something else?" Then she came to her senses and realized that she had come to him to say something, to tell him not to do this again. So she turned to face Xia Mingzhe, tilted her head slightly to look at him, and said, "No need to look for anything else, I don't want it."
"Is there anything Your Highness desires?"
"No..." Xia Mingzhe suddenly pressed closer, and Zhang Xin subconsciously took a step back, stammering as she answered. Realizing she couldn't back down, she quickly said, "No, I don't want anything. If it's yours, I don't want it. I lack nothing, and I can have whatever I want. I don't need anyone else to go through all that trouble." As she was speaking, a small dog ran towards Zhang Xin from a distance, ran to her legs, and rubbed against her skirt affectionately.
It was the puppy Xia Mingzhe had given her before. Some time ago, Zhang Xin had it returned to him, having grown considerably. Unexpectedly, the puppy recognized her immediately and looked even more beautiful and adorable than before. Although she and the puppy were very close, and Zhang Xin had always adored the puppy's beauty and cuteness, the thought that it was a gift from Xia Mingzhe made her reluctant to accept it. When the puppy was sent away, it whimpered pitifully, and she almost couldn't bear to part with it.
Upon seeing it, Zhang Xin's face flashed with surprise, which she quickly suppressed. Although she really wanted to hug it, she restrained herself. Xia Mingzhe, watching from the side, said, "It's gotten so plump from raising it all this time. It'll be perfect for the little princess to see it one last time. Since you don't want it anymore, and I can't keep it anyway, why don't you have the kitchen slaughter it and stew it? It'll be very nourishing."
When Zhang Xin heard Xia Mingzhe say he was going to slaughter the puppy and stew it, she was terrified. Knowing that this man wasn't even afraid of tigers, she had no doubt he could do something so cruel. She immediately picked up the puppy from the ground, looked at Xia Mingzhe warily, and said, "No! Are you a beast? How can you eat even your pet?"
The puppy, held upright in Zhang Xin's arms, couldn't understand their conversation, only pawing and licking her cheek with its tongue. Even though she understood the puppy was being affectionate, Zhang Xin couldn't resist the ticklish sensation and giggled. She quickly made the puppy stop and called for someone to rescue her. Xia Mingzhe watched for a while, then picked up the puppy and took it away, calling for someone to take it downstairs.
Zhang Xin laughed for a while, not expecting anyone to be standing in front of her. When she realized who it was, she immediately straightened her face, stopped laughing, and hummed twice, inwardly cursing herself for being pathetic and embarrassing. Xia Mingzhe looked on helplessly. Seeing that half of her face was still covered in puppy drool, he offered to take her to wash up. Zhang Xin was reluctant to agree, but the sticky feeling on her face was uncomfortable, and thinking it wasn't a big deal, she went with Xia Mingzhe anyway.
After washing her face and hands, Xia Mingzhe had tea and snacks prepared in the study and invited Zhang Xin to sit down and discuss matters at a leisurely pace. Thinking of what she wanted to say but hadn't yet, Zhang Xin reluctantly sat down.
She didn't touch the tea or look at the snacks. She faced Xia Mingzhe squarely and said in an unusually serious tone, "Actually, I came here today to tell you that you don't need to send me those little trinkets anymore. I don't want to accept them, and I'm not very interested in them. You're just wasting your time doing these things."
Xia Mingzhe nodded and said, "Okay." Seeing that he agreed, Zhang Xin continued, "I'm not very bright, I don't understand your intricacies, and I don't really want to understand. Actually, we don't have a very deep relationship. I think you're good, but there are so many good young officials out there. I can choose whichever one I want, and I can choose several. Anyway, you never really liked me before, and I don't know why you suddenly did those things, but I didn't feel particularly happy."
Zhang Xin waited for Xia Mingzhe to agree again and promise not to bother her anymore, but he didn't speak for a long time. She stared at him for a while, and just when she was feeling tired, she heard Xia Mingzhe ask, "Is this all that Your Highness wanted to say?"
Zhang Xin felt that something was wrong with what he said, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. After hesitating, she nodded, and then she heard Xia Mingzhe say, "Actually, it's not like that." Zhang Xin thought to herself, "It's not like that at all." Xia Mingzhe then said, "I still... quite like Her Highness the Little Princess."
"I still...quite like Her Highness the Little Princess..." Zhang Xin's head buzzed, completely consumed by those words. She thought and thought, but still didn't quite understand what the person sitting opposite her meant. What did it mean? She stared blankly at Xia Mingzhe, her face filled with astonishment, surprise, and disbelief. Her already slow-witted mind seemed to have completely stopped working.