There's Something Wrong With My Little White Flower - Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Princess of a Weak Nation in a Peace Marriage X Barbarian General

Ruan Jiyun’s eyelashes fluttered as she poked the fire: “It’s fine.”

However, the person beside her did not move. Her gaze remained fixed on Ruan Jiyun’s face as if it were tangible.

“It really is fine…” Ruan Jiyun finally succumbed to the pressure of that gaze and extended her right hand in a gesture of surrender. “It’s just a tiny little scratch…”

She couldn’t finish her sentence because Jiang Peifeng had lowered her head and gently blew on Ruan Jiyun’s palm.

The puff of air was incredibly gentle, an action akin to soothing a child. The current of air fell softly and lightly on Ruan Jiyun’s palm, like an invisible small hand giving her a soft tickle.

Ruan Jiyun’s heart jumped in surprise. She hadn’t expected her to do that. Subconsciously, she tried to pull her hand back, but the movement was too hasty, causing her palm to press directly against Jiang Peifeng’s lips.

Her beautiful eyes widened. It was inappropriate to withdraw her hand now, but remaining still felt even more awkward. She simply froze in place.

Jiang Peifeng’s lips were very soft, carrying the warmth of the firelight. They rested against her tender palm, seemingly capable of melting the skin of her hand. And the other person seemed to smile, then gently dipped her head and kissed her palm.

Ruan Jiyun felt like her entire being had been stunned by the black wind. A “boom” echoed in her mind, igniting a blazing fire.

She was utterly dumbfounded by the gesture. Her petal-soft lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but she didn’t know how to speak.

Just now… she didn’t actually kiss me, did she? I must be too nervous, which is why I misunderstood. Ruan Jiyun’s face was completely flushed. She desperately suppressed the surging thoughts, forcing a pretense of composure as she looked up.

The moment she raised her eyelids, she met those clear, phoenix eyes. Ruan Jiyun’s mind heated up again, and she forgot what she was going to say.

Jiang Peifeng held her hand loosely, gazing at her quietly with her eyes lowered. The campfire cast a warm glow, giving a soft halo to her long, dense eyelashes, making her appear exceptionally gentle at that moment.

A thought suddenly rose uncontrollably in Ruan Jiyun’s heart, as if she had been familiar with these eyes for a very long time.

She didn’t understand why she had such a feeling. She shouldn’t be thinking this way. Once the journey was over, she would put on a wedding dress, marry this person’s father, and become one of the countless dim shadows in the deep palace.

They would not, and should never have, any further entanglement.

A jumble of thoughts flooded her mind, fermenting into a cloud of sour melancholy. Ruan Jiyun blinked, hiding that sudden pang of sadness.

Jiang Peifeng gently stroked the top of her head.

“I’ve sent people to find materials to fix your carriage,” she calmly stroked her soft hair, one gentle sweep after another. “My little princess must enter the city beautifully.”

The eyelashes of the person before her fluttered again.

Xiji Royal Capital — Qingcheng

The Shenle Festival was one of Xiji’s most important celebrations, a day for offering sacrifices, praying for blessings, and invoking peace. Early in the morning, elaborately dressed boys and girls brought out musical instruments to play and sing by the Mirror Lake.

By the lake was an altar pulled by elephants, where shamanesses wearing golden masks danced and sang to the rhythm of the drums. The gold bells on their ankles jingled crisply, spreading the auspicious blessings of the Witch God to the crowds.

This year’s Shenle Festival was particularly lively because Xiji Royal Daughter Peifeng had decisively defeated the Heshui tribe, and the distant Jing Dynasty across the desert had also extended an olive branch, specifically sending a Princess for a peace marriage, making the public, who rarely had contact with Jing Dynasty culture, extremely excited.

People crowded both sides of the long street, vying for the best viewing spots.

“Is the Jing Dynasty Princess beautiful? I heard that there, grain ears can grow just by sticking them in the ground to grow food.”

“What’s food? Their rivers flow with fine wine, and people don’t need to migrate with the seasons; they live in magnificent towers like palaces in the sky!”

“Doesn’t that make the Princess a fairy?”

The cheerful noise gradually amplified. Someone was the first to shout, “They’re here, they’re here,” gathering everyone’s attention like a tide.

This was the first time Ruan Jiyun had ever encountered such a grand occasion.

She sat in the newly repaired nanmu scented carriage, her hands clasped tightly in her lap from nervousness, her palms nearly sweating.

Jiang Peifeng rode her horse ahead of the carriage. She was clearly very popular with the public. Many young boys and girls called her name, scrambling to throw fresh flowers toward her.

Even the shaft of Ruan Jiyun’s carriage was piled high with flowers, fragrant and revealing passionate enthusiasm.

However, from the moment she entered the city, her heart felt heavy.

The closer they got to the Xiji Royal Capital, the closer the time came for her to separate from Jiang Peifeng.

Although this peace marriage was not what she wanted, she didn’t have a favored Concubine Mother like Princess Zhaoming, who could influence her Imperial Father’s decision. Her only hope was that her obedience might lead to her birth mother having a slightly better life.

As for herself… she glanced through the carriage curtain, her eyes gently falling on Jiang Peifeng’s back. If I marry her father, perhaps we will still have a chance to meet in the future?

To be able to see this person from afar—the only person in the world who had carefully attended to her feelings and treated her gently.

Ruan Jiyun was overwhelmed with thoughts, completely unaware of how she traversed the long street and entered the Royal Palace, until the long-drawn voice of the Ceremony Officer read out the imperial decree of peace marriage. She suppressed the sorrow in her heart and knelt on the golden bricks.

Forget it all, starting now.

Her eyes were filled with warmth. The sounds around her gradually became muffled. In a trance, she seemed to hear someone call her name.

“Princess Muyuan?” The Xiji Old Wolf King on the throne seemed slightly younger than her Imperial Father. He repeated, “That name is quite awkward. Do you have another name?”

Ruan Jiyun hadn’t expected this to be his first question. She bowed respectfully: “Reporting to the Great Lord, my name is Jiyun.”

Princess Muyuan… her Imperial Father had hastily given her this title when he realized that his unfavored daughter did not have a proper title at the time of the arranged marriage.

The Old Wolf King repeated: “Jiyun. Good. The things your motherland sent are very good. I also wish for harmony between our two nations to last forever, with no more conflict. You may step down.”

Ruan Jiyun performed the required salute, then her breathing hitched.

Step down? Go where?

Before she could react, two aunties dressed like female officials stepped forward and gently helped her up.

“Princess Xiali, the daughter of the Heshui Tribe’s Great Chief, brings a dowry of thirty yaks and thirty colts…” The long-drawn voice of the Ceremony Officer sounded again.

Only then did Ruan Jiyun realize that she was not the only one in the peace marriage. She was led out of the Great Hall by the female officials in a daze. Before she had walked a few steps, she saw a person standing in front.

Jiang Peifeng smiled at her. She had changed into a more richly patterned white robe, standing tall and straight in the sunlight, appearing exceptionally heroic and spirited.

“Is the ceremony over? I’ve come to take you back,” she said calmly.

Ruan Jiyun was stunned by this sudden change. She asked foolishly: “Take me back where?”

Her stupefied look made Jiang Peifeng want to laugh even more. She couldn’t help but gently ruffle the top of her hair again: “Back to my residence, of course. Peace Marriage Princesses don’t live in the Royal Capital; they are free to establish their own residences. I told my father that I wanted you to help me make medicine, so I invited you over.”

“…I don’t need to live here?” Ruan Jiyun was half-surprised and half-incredulous. “Then the peace marriage…?”

“Originally, the peace marriage was to unite the surrounding tribes. The entire Xiyoer Grassland is home to nomadic peoples. My father wanted to unite them and establish a nation that no longer needed to migrate. But there are too many tribes and too many princesses, and my father dislikes taking concubines, so he came up with this idea.”

Jiang Peifeng explained as they walked: “A princess who enters into a peace marriage in Xiji can freely choose her residence and lifestyle. As long as she doesn’t cause trouble, she can do anything she wants. For example, the largest wrestling arena here is run by the younger sister of the Tutan Tribe’s Great Chief.”

She paused here and looked at Ruan Jiyun doubtfully: “Do you want to stay here and serve my father, then?”

Ruan Jiyun was anxious and embarrassed. She grasped Jiang Peifeng’s hand: “No! If that’s the case… I am certainly willing to be with you. Making herbal medicine is fine, and I can learn other jobs too! But… but won’t this be defying the imperial decree?”

She was here to enter into a marriage alliance, but now she seemed to have suddenly gained the right to live freely. What was going on?

Jiang Peifeng saw her doubts and smiled: “As long as you are in Xiji, you have already fulfilled the alliance between the two parties. As for how my father chooses to arrange you, I believe even the Jing Dynasty Emperor cannot interfere, so you don’t need to worry.”

Ruan Jiyun thought, So there is such a way to enter a peace marriage in this world, and a King who is not enthusiastic about taking concubines or indulging in pleasure. Her Imperial Father had over a hundred concubines and consorts in his harem, and selected new maidens every so often, spending a stream of silver on constantly filling the harem.

In any case, this result made Ruan Jiyun incredibly relieved. She secretly sighed and followed Jiang Peifeng out of the Royal Capital.

Jiang Peifeng’s residence was not far from the Royal Capital. The estate was large, but because she was often away with the military, there weren’t many servants, apart from a few sweepers and general laborers.

Ruan Jiyun was settled in the back garden. Calling it a back garden was really just a large, leveled open space. Most Xiji commoners lived in felt tents, which were convenient for following the water and grass for grazing, and only nobles built houses with stones quarried from the salt lake.

Ruan Jiyun’s room had a small study partitioned off. Walking further inside across the soft Persian carpet was the actual bedroom. The room was scented with spices, and the walls were adorned with exotic decorations, clearly having been thoughtfully prepared.

Fearing she would be unattended, Jiang Peifeng specifically found two young maidservants from the residence. The first thing these two maidservants did was fetch a large barrel of hot water and invite Ruan Jiyun to bathe.

After half a month of arduous travel, it was the first time she could bathe without distraction, especially since the bathwater contained some essential oil whose rich floral fragrance was soothing to both body and mind.

After the bath, the two maidservants brought out a set of Xiji clothing, smiling as they invited Ruan Jiyun to change.

Xiji’s dresses were completely different from those of the Jing Dynasty. After changing, Ruan Jiyun herself felt a sense of novelty. Just as she was about to get up to look in the mirror, she saw Jiang Peifeng’s figure walking through the courtyard.

“Peifeng!” Ignoring everything else, she joyfully lifted her skirt and ran to the door. “Look at this dress I’m wearing—”

Jiang Peifeng looked up at the sound, and her eyes slightly narrowed the moment she saw Ruan Jiyun.

She had not expected that the little white flower would be so… stunning, dressed in Xiji clothing.

Her skin was much fairer and more delicate than the honeyed complexion of Xiji girls, who received abundant sun exposure. Highlighted by the light blue long dress, her skin appeared to glow like snow. The long dress was cinched narrowly at the waist with a jeweled belt, but the hem flared out, draping down to her feet like rippling water. Looking further up, the thin layers of sheer fabric at the bust revealed a subtle hint of her figure, like a moon shadow swaying beneath the lake.

Jiang Peifeng subtly averted her gaze, hearing a trace of barely concealed pleasure in her own voice.

“It is very beautiful, my lovely little princess.”

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