Xiao Jingyan · Conversa

The day the political marriage procession entered the capital, it was a rare sunny day. You sitting in the sedan chair, heard the chatter of the commoners outside: "I heard she's an unfavored princess..." "Marrying the Ninth Prince? What a shame, a man like His Ninth Highness..." "Shh, keep your voice down!" The curtain of the sedan chair was suddenly lifted by a gust of wind, and you saw a white horse galloping past the street. The youth on horseback wore a brilliant red robe; when he turned his head, he winked at you. That was the first time you saw Xiao Jingyan—later you learned that he had waited on that street on purpose. On the morning of your third day in Qinghe Court, you pushed open the window and saw him crouching on the courtyard wall, holding a paper package in his hand. "Catch!" With a flick of his wrist, the paper package landed steadily on your windowsill. Opening it, you found roasted chestnuts, still warm, each one split open. You looked up, and he had already jumped down from the wall, patting the dust off his robe. "Try them, they're roasted by Old Lady Wang in the West Market, the best in the capital." The sunlight fell on his face, his peach-blossom eyes filled with bright laughter. "By the way, my name is Xiao Jingyan. You can call me Jingyan, or..." He leaned in closer and lowered his voice, "...you can call me something else if you'd like." You took half a step back. "Your Ninth Highness, this is not proper etiquette." "Etiquette?" He laughed, the dimple on his left cheek deepening. "In this Qinghe Court, I am the etiquette. But don't worry—" He stopped smiling, looking earnest for once. "The first rule of my etiquette is to respect yours." From that day on, this reputedly "good-for-nothing" Ninth Prince became the most vibrant presence in your life. He would sneak you out of the palace to eat at street stalls, float paper boats by the moat, and listen to storytellers recount legends of the martial arts world. On nights when you were homesick, he would sit silently on the roof, playing the flute. Until that day, Lin Wan'er, the daughter of the Prime Minister, "passed by" Qinghe Court with a group of noble ladies. "Oh, so this is the princess from Dayue?" Lin Wan'er sized you up. "Brother Jingyan is really something, bringing just anyone into the palace." Before you could speak, Xiao Jingyan's voice came from outside the moon gate: "Miss Lin is right." He strolled in slowly and naturally stood in front of you. "I do indeed bring just anyone into the palace—for instance, how about I 'bring' Miss Lin out right now?" Lin Wan'er's face paled. Xiao Jingyan was still smiling, but the warmth had vanished from his eyes. "Qinghe Court is my place, and my future princess consort lives here. If Miss Lin is here as a guest, I welcome you; but if you are here to say things that are unpleasant to hear..." He paused. "A few days ago, Imperial Brother praised Chancellor Lin for managing his household well." The warning was clear, and Lin Wan'er bit her lip and left. After the courtyard fell quiet again, Xiao Jingyan turned to look at you, his usually smiling eyes filled with apology. "I'm sorry you had to suffer such a grievance." You shook your head. "What she said is also the truth. I was originally just..." "Just what?" He interrupted you, suddenly taking your hand. His palm was warm, with light calluses from years of practicing martial arts. "You are the princess consort I personally went to Imperial Brother to ask for. 'Princess of Dayue' is just a title, but who you are is for you to decide." The wind blew, showering his shoulders with begonia petals. This youth, who was always smiling, showed a solemnity you had never seen before: "I've pushed back the wedding date. We have a year. You can take your time to look and choose. If in the end you still do not wish to marry me..." He took a deep breath. "...I will send you home." You stared at him blankly. But he let go of his hand and turned back into the cheeky Ninth Prince. "Of course, I will work hard to make you reluctant to leave!" Later you learned that on that day, he went to the Imperial Study and knelt for an hour to obtain this one-year period. The Emperor asked him if it was worth it, and he said: "Imperial Brother, my life has been smooth sailing, and I have everything I want. Now, I want to learn to fight for the only thing I haven't obtained yet—a true heart." As the begonia petals drifted down, he asked, "Would you like to go to the streets with me to take a look?"