Recklessly Breaking a Delicate Branch - Chapter 43

Jiang Wanshu massaged her temples and looked up at the man. “It was prepared for you.”

Zhou Yan froze instantly. A second later, a wide grin spread across his face, and he crossed his arms arrogantly. “At least you have some sense.”

He had guessed correctly—once a woman knows who her future husband is, her heart unconsciously leans toward him. Even if she currently only loved the man associated with the title “Mageba,” it didn’t matter. They had plenty of time; he would eventually transfer her affection onto his true self.

“Yes, Master.” Yulu was about to head out to buy the clothes when Jiang Wanshu called her back.

Jiang Wanshu said calmly, “Remember, the fabric shouldn’t be too expensive. It should look like something an ordinary commoner would wear—specifically, Central Plains attire.”

“Master, this…?”

The previously noisy environment suddenly fell silent. Seeing Zhou Yan’s face on the verge of exploding, Yulu’s voice trembled.

“Just follow my instructions. You may go now, Yulu.” Having received her orders, Yulu had no choice but to withdraw.

Behind her, she left a room filled with tension.

“You want me to wear old clothes?!” Zhou Yan suppressed his fury.

As expected, Jiang Wanshu was the type to take an inch when given a mile. Now that he had compromised, she wanted to torment him further.

Jiang Wanshu sighed, raising her hand to point at his exotic, tribal-style clothing. “Zhou Yan, look at yourself. Which part of your current outfit suggests you are a child raised by an ordinary couple?”

Only then did Zhou Yan understand her point.

Still, he refused to back down, glaring at her. “That’s because I look noble. It has nothing to do with the clothes.”

“Then let’s just go back to the grasslands,” Jiang Wanshu replied helplessly.

Having seen through his thoughts earlier, she knew he didn’t actually want to return to the grasslands yet. Since he claimed to like her and surely wanted to be her man in earnest, he would naturally prefer to accompany her into the palace.

Even if she was still somewhat displeased with the situation, her excitement at the prospect of seeing her father, mother, and younger brother outweighed his threats. Her joy was not something his intimidation could easily suppress.

Sure enough, Zhou Yan fell silent. She knew he had conceded.

“Can’t we just enter the palace without your… lover?” Zhou Yan’s fire died down, replaced by a dejected slouch.

Jiang Wanshu stepped back from him, her words clear and sharp. “Among the people I know, only he possesses a token that allows free entry and exit from the palace.”

“Couldn’t I just take you in with my identity as a Grassland Special Envoy?” Zhou Yan’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he looked down.

At the mention of this, Jiang Wanshu shook her head violently, waving her hands. “Absolutely not. If you enter as an envoy, my father will definitely suspect our relationship.”

Reluctantly watching the girl fear he wouldn’t follow her lead, Zhou Yan muttered impatiently, “Fine. We’ll do it your way.”

Hearing this, Jiang Wanshu laughed. Seeing his sour face, she teased, “I knew you were someone who understood me.”

There was no denying it—the thought of seeing her long-lost family made her much softer toward Zhou Yan, a change even a rough man like him could sense.

Now, everything was ready; they only lacked the “east wind.”

Once Yulu returned with several sets of men’s clothing, Zhou Yan reluctantly changed. Jiang Wanshu then hailed a carriage. By the time Zhou Yan had packed everything, Jiang Wanshu was already seated inside.

The interior of the carriage was tidy. As a cold wind blew in, lifting a corner of the curtain, Jiang Wanshu looked out. Everything she saw was familiar. It was good to be back in her homeland.

A driver led them toward her destination, while the man rode a black horse to their left. The wind caught the curtain again, and Jiang Wanshu pulled it back to look out once more.

Suddenly, her beautiful dark eyes shook with shock.

Sitting atop the tall horse and dressed in Central Plains attire, the man reminded her vividly of the late Marquis Zhou, who used to guard the borders under imperial command.

Though dressed in a farmer’s rough cloth, Zhou Yan could not hide the powerful aura he radiated—like the iron cavalry galloping across the plains, full of uncompromising courage and wit. And in his handsome face, Jiang Wanshu caught a glimpse of the Old Marquis who had married a foreign wife.

She let the curtain fall, her mind in a whirl.

Zhou Yan had told her he was orphaned and raised by wolves. Now, in Central Plains clothing, he looked like a perfect blend of Lady Yunling and the Old Marquis. Jiang Wanshu felt it was too coincidental. She had never heard of the Old Marquis having a lost child, yet the resemblance was striking.

Halfway through the journey, she realized she couldn’t keep overthinking. She wasn’t the type to reach conclusions without proof. She pressed her palm against her temple to clear her thoughts.

Jiang Wanshu, stop overthinking. Isn’t the situation messy enough already?

Half an hour later, the carriage arrived at the gates of the Far Tranquility Marquis Manor. Jiang Wanshu lifted the curtain slightly to gaze at the estate.

Sweeping eaves and long walls—it was magnificent.

She had heard her mother say that this residence was built specifically by her father for the Zhou family. For generations, the Zhous had been iron-willed men serving the country. When her father ascended the throne, the Old Marquis had been a vital supporter; to the Emperor, Marquis Zhou was both a mentor and a father figure.

Seeing it again after so long, she felt a wave of nostalgia. She was usually kept in the palace and rarely came here, but whenever she did, “Brother Zhou” would always be waiting outside for her, whether he was on duty or not.

Times had changed. She realized now that they hadn’t met in a long time—nearly half a year since she had begged her father for the decree to marry into the grasslands. She didn’t know what this meeting would be like.

The “Princess of Jinyang” was dead in the eyes of the public. She couldn’t guarantee that no one would recognize her face, so she couldn’t risk exposing herself and bringing trouble to Zhou Shuan. She put on a veiled hat she had bought on the street.

She softly called Yulu and lifted the curtain. “Yulu, go and ask the gatekeeper to announce us.”

According to the time, Zhou Shuan should be back at the manor.

However, this request troubled Yulu. She asked cautiously, “What if the gatekeeper refuses to announce us?”

The Far Tranquility Marquis Manor was one of the most respected families in the empire. Even the servants were known to be haughty. Their carriage looked like that of an ordinary family; Yulu feared she might be driven away.

Jiang Wanshu had already anticipated this. She took off a hairpin Maigulaji had bought for her before she left the grasslands and handed it to Yulu.

“Yulu, if they refuse, give them this hairpin. Servants only want money. Once they have enough, they’ll be happy to run the errand. Also, if he agrees to announce us, tell him one more thing for Brother Zhou.”

Given her current situation, she couldn’t meet him openly. She needed Zhou Shuan to know it was her so he could prepare.

Yulu looked up. “Master, what should I say?”

Jiang Wanshu beckoned her closer and whispered a quick sentence. Yulu nodded and ran toward the manor gates.

As the curtain fell, Jiang Wanshu nervously rubbed her fingertips, waiting for the result. She didn’t notice the man on the horse beside her growing increasingly displeased. He stared at where Yulu had run, his mind filled with the image of Jiang Wanshu whispering “secret codes” meant for her lover.

Just as he was about to dismount to demand an explanation, a servant ran to the carriage. “Our young master requests that you enter through the back gate.”

The servant’s attitude was overly respectful, as if someone had given very specific instructions.

Yulu returned to the carriage. Hearing the news, Jiang Wanshu had Yulu get inside and instructed the driver to follow the servant. Zhou Yan, having no reason to stop them, followed on his horse.

They quietly reached the back gate, which was promptly opened. Jiang Wanshu noted that Zhou Shuan was as meticulous as ever, arranging everything perfectly.

The winter air was cold, yet as the moment to dismount approached, Jiang Wanshu’s forehead broke into a sweat.

“Miss, our young master is waiting for you inside.” A clear male voice came from outside the carriage. Jiang Wanshu recognized it as the servant who always followed Zhou Shuan.

Her anxiety spiked. She moved slowly as she stepped down from the carriage, followed by Yulu and Zhou Yan. Wearing her veiled hat, the servant could not recognize her.

Once they entered, the gates were shut. The servants withdrew, leaving them alone.

Under the sunlight reflecting off the white snow, Jiang Wanshu looked up. A figure stood with his back to her, wearing a brocade white robe. The simple crane embroidery on his sleeves accentuated his slender, elegant frame.

Unlike the Old Marquis, Zhou Shuan had studied literature from a young age. Even without seeing his face, one could feel the refined air of a scholar in his posture. He and Zhou Yan were polar opposites.

Jiang Wanshu could hardly contain her emotions; her palms were damp. Her feelings for Zhou Shuan were complicated.

She still remembered her shock when her mother told her that her future husband would be Zhou Shuan. She had always seen him as a brother, and that revelation shattered her perception. Later, they met under her mother’s arrangement, both awkward with the new reality. It was Zhou Shuan who eventually changed his attitude toward her.

Just as she had begun to develop romantic feelings for him, the political marriage proposal arrived. That unspoken, budding crush was completely shattered—partly because of her duty as a princess, and partly because Zhou Shuan had become distant the moment he heard the news.

Now that she was back, she didn’t know how to face him. She steeled her heart, deciding to simply let things unfold as they would.

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