There's Something Wrong With My Little White Flower - Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Princess of a Weak Nation in a Peace Marriage X Barbarian General

The place Jiang Peifeng took Ruan Jiyun was an ordinary little shop located in a quiet street. The shop was small but extremely clean. On the wooden tabletop sat a rough clay vase holding a bunch of tender, yellow winter jasmine flowers.

The cake shop was run by an elderly couple. Jiang Peifeng greeted them familiarly, and the old woman squinted her eyes and smiled: “I figured the General would be coming. I specially saved you the Spring Equinox cakes and corn congee.”

Jiang Peifeng asked Ruan Jiyun to sit down first and personally ran to the stove to retrieve the food, making the old woman repeatedly insist that she just sit. Seeing Jiang Peifeng laugh and pay no mind, the old woman added a few extra side dishes to her plate with some embarrassment.

The tray held a stack of freshly steamed wheat cakes, emitting the sweet aroma of grains and looking light and fluffy. Spring Equinox Cake was a festive snack, where the wheat cake was used to wrap fresh spring vegetables: prickly ash sprouts, toon sprouts, shepherd’s purse sprouts, etc., and eaten with an egg-fried paste. Biting into it was incredibly fragrant, like taking a mouthful of spring.

Jiang Peifeng then scooped a bowl of corn congee for Ruan Jiyun: “Their congee is made by grinding the corn before cooking, so it tastes especially fragrant.”

The golden-yellow congee looked fine and lustrous. The corn had been fully mashed into a creamy consistency. It tasted sweet and smooth. Ruan Jiyun’s eyes curved in pleasure: “It’s delicious.”

She ate the spring cake with puffed cheeks and then remembered Jiang Peifeng’s earlier words: “What good news did you have for me?”

Jiang Peifeng said: “Take a guess, Your Highness.”

Ruan Jiyun looked at her blankly. Finding her appearance truly adorable, Jiang Peifeng couldn’t help but laugh: “Xiji plans to open a trade market with Great Jing. The Great Jing envoy delegation is already en route and should arrive in the capital in about ten days. You will certainly attend the banquet, and you can prepare a letter for your Imperial Concubine Mother to take back.”

Hearing this, Ruan Jiyun’s eyes brightened: “So soon!” She grew excited. “I’ve been away from the palace for almost a year. I wonder if my Imperial Concubine Mother is doing better in the palace? She always suffers from coughs in the winter. I wonder how she is now…”

Jiang Peifeng gently comforted her: “Don’t worry. You can ask about her condition when the delegation arrives. For now, why don’t you think about what you can send back to her? That way you won’t be rushed later.”

Comforted by her words, Ruan Jiyun temporarily calmed her anxious heart and discussed with Jiang Peifeng what gifts she should prepare.

The Great Jing envoy delegation arrived in the capital, Qingcheng, as spring was drawing to a close. Since the purpose of this visit was to negotiate the timing and scope of the trade market, the delegation was mostly composed of officials from the Transport and Storage Department. The person leading the delegation was the Emperor’s seventh younger brother—Prince Kangping—who was also Ruan Jiyun’s uncle.

The Xiji Wolf King hosted a grand banquet to welcome the delegation. Jiang Peifeng brought Ruan Jiyun along to the feast. Ruan Jiyun had been waiting for the delegation’s arrival for several days and could hardly contain her excitement, dressing up early for the event.

To express the goodwill of trade between the two nations, the banquet was very grand. Yet, despite this, Prince Kangping still felt the Xiji people were somewhat neglectful.

The capital’s banquet only had sixty-eight dishes? The palace maidservants serving the dishes were far less graceful and delicate than those in the Great Jing palace. He took a sip of wine sullenly, casting his gaze around the hall—only the singing and dancing were somewhat lively.

He was scanning the room with boredom when he suddenly saw two young women enter through the doorway. The one in front was tall and slender but wore a long robe like a man, revealing none of her figure. The one behind her looked more delicate.

But… Prince Kangping rubbed his eyes. The two young women had already walked up to him. One of them performed the Great Jing wanfu salute and said: “Seventh Imperial Uncle.”

“You are… Jiyun?” It took Prince Kangping a moment to recognize the girl in the Xiji long dress as the Princess sent for a peace marriage last year. He was quite surprised.

In his memory, his niece was not favored, rarely appeared at court banquets, and the few times he saw her, she was always mournful, with her head lowered. She looked quite different now.

Ruan Jiyun, standing before him, was not only wearing beautiful, luxurious clothes, but her complexion was also increasingly vibrant. At first glance, he had almost failed to recognize her.

“It seems you are… favored by the Xiji King here?” His eyes fell on Ruan Jiyun’s maiden braids, and he grew hesitant. If Ruan Jiyun was a favored concubine now, her attire didn’t quite match the role?

An official nearby heard the Prince’s words and quickly leaned over to whisper: “Your Highness, the Princess did not enter the palace to become a concubine! Their peace marriage is a little different from ours…”

After listening to the official’s explanation, Prince Kangping frowned: “So, their so-called peace marriage was just to get some dowry? And the person is just left alone? This Xiji King… is a bit too wasteful.”

The official muttered inwardly that the King was focused purely on developing national power, not on indulging in the beauty of the inner palace. But on the surface, he could only continue respectfully: “They say customs change every ten li. Xiji customs must naturally be even more different from ours.”

Prince Kangping maintained his aloof demeanor and continued to question his niece: “What exactly do you do in Xiji now?”

Ruan Jiyun replied: “To answer Imperial Uncle, I am taken care of by the Xiji Royal Daughter and currently reside in her residence. I assist with various affairs at the Witch Hospital on a daily basis.”

“Your Royal Uncle must speak frankly with you…” Prince Kangping strongly disagreed. “You are a girl, your priority should be marrying and serving your husband. Why run off to a place like the Witch Hospital?”

He looked at Ruan Jiyun as if disappointed in her for failing to live up to expectations, then lowered his voice: “The Emperor sent you for a peace marriage for the sake of good relations between the two nations. What use is it to follow a Royal Daughter every day? Although the Xiji people say they won’t marry the peace Princess, how can men not be drawn to beauty? You should spend more effort in this area. If you can enter the palace as a concubine and give birth to a son or daughter, that is the duty a woman should fulfill!”

Not only Ruan Jiyun, but even Jiang Peifeng beside her was stunned by these words.

Setting aside the fact that he knew the King would never truly marry a peace Princess, this straightforward and condescending attitude of treating a woman like an object was offensive enough. She sneered inwardly, reaching out to pull Ruan Jiyun closer to her side.

“Prince, our Xiji wine is quite good. You must honor us by drinking a little more later,” she smiled, preventing the two from continuing the conversation, and turned to signal the maidservants to bring the wine.

Prince Kangping didn’t pay much attention to her, but the other officials nearby had long heard of General Peifeng’s great reputation and were terrified that their Prince would say anything further. If they angered this Snow Cavalry General, their mission would be for nothing!

“Your Highness, the General is right! Let’s drink first, drink! As the saying goes, lessons are given privately… you’ll have plenty of chances to meet with the Princess later. Come, let’s not talk about this today.” A young official from the Transport and Storage Department led the charge, raising his wine cup first.

The maidservants, following Jiang Peifeng’s instructions, had already brought up the ready-made Gan Quan wine. This wine had a very high alcohol content. It initially tasted mellow and sweet, hence the name, but if one was careless and drank a few too many cups, they would surely be drunk into oblivion.

The banquet once again became lively. Jiang Peifeng pulled Ruan Jiyun to their seats and personally served her a piece of Jiasha meat.

“Don’t take the words of others to heart. You just focus on doing what you want, and I will take care of everything else.” She found the little white flower’s hand under the table and gently held it in hers.

Ruan Jiyun shook her head faintly: “Actually, I don’t really care about what Imperial Uncle said.”

She was just somewhat frustrated. The delegation she had finally looked forward to didn’t care if she was doing well here, but instead criticized her for not fulfilling her duty… and even shamelessly told her how to seduce Jiang Peifeng’s father right in front of Jiang Peifeng?

She felt deeply ashamed of her Imperial Uncle’s words and felt somewhat unable to face Jiang Peifeng.

Jiang Peifeng comforted her: “If he made you angry, I will naturally deal with him.”

Hearing this, Ruan Jiyun immediately grabbed her sleeve anxiously: “Imperial Uncle is an envoy, after all. You absolutely cannot act rashly!” She wanted to say more, but at that moment, a young official from the delegation walked over and smiled, bowing to them.

“Little Princess, I am Xing Yude, the Chief Eunuch of the Inner Court. Does Your Highness still remember me?” The person spoke with a slightly high-pitched voice, clearly an eunuch. He smiled and said, “I was fortunate enough to receive kindness from the Princess at the Imperial Hospital many years ago.”

Ruan Jiyun looked at the person’s appearance and slowly recalled: “Chief Eunuch Xing… are you the little eunuch who was sick and kept in the woodshed of the Imperial Hospital? So you are in the delegation now!”

Xing Yude was humble: “I’m grateful that Your Highness remembers. I have now been promoted to the front court and was granted the Emperor’s favor to join the delegation. When I was just a little eunuch, I must thank Your Highness for disregarding your status and finding medicine for my cold, otherwise, we might not have had the chance to meet again today.”

Seeing his sincere words, Ruan Jiyun repeatedly said: “It was only a small matter. You don’t need to take it to heart so much, Chief Eunuch. I am very happy to see that everything is well with you now.”

Xing Yude continued: “I have nothing to repay Your Highness with, but knowing you are far away in a foreign land, I specially went to visit Consort He before leaving. The Consort entrusted me to bring some things for the Princess, and I hope to request an audience with Your Highness.”

Ruan Jiyun hadn’t expected him to bring news from her Imperial Concubine Mother and was instantly moved: “Thank you for your trouble, Chief Eunuch. You are certainly welcome to visit me.”

This was not a good time for a detailed discussion. Xing Yude first left his contact information at the inn and then politely took his leave. Jiang Peifeng watched him return to his seat and smiled: “It seems there are still people who care about you.”

She kept her attention on the Great Jing delegation. Seeing that Prince Kangping had already been convinced by the others to enthusiastically drink several rounds of the Gan Quan wine, she curled her lips and continued to serve food to the little white flower.

Because she was concerned about her Imperial Concubine Mother’s situation, Ruan Jiyun invited Xing Yude to the General’s residence as a guest the day after the welcoming banquet. Xing Yude gladly accepted the invitation and was accompanied by another young official.

“His Highness the Prince was delighted yesterday and accidentally drank a little too much. He is currently still confined to bed,” the official bowed to Ruan Jiyun. “I am Cheng Zhibi, the Deputy Envoy of the Transport and Storage Department.”

Ruan Jiyun returned the bow. As a former female member of the inner court, she rarely had the chance to interact with court officials. But since arriving in Xiji, she had first dealt with the people at the Witch Hospital, and the Great Witch Doctor’s wife and other royal ladies often invited her over. She was much more confident in handling people now.

Cheng Zhibi was also a perceptive and generous person. After Ruan Jiyun inquired about her mother’s situation, she proactively asked: “Deputy Envoy Cheng, do you have something you need to discuss with me?”

Hearing this, Cheng Zhibi couldn’t help but feel a touch of admiration. Ruan Jiyun was truly intelligent. He bowed again and said: “I dare not deceive the Princess. I do indeed have a request for assistance on this trip.”

He explained the situation to Ruan Jiyun. It turned out that there were currently two factions within the court regarding the opening of the trade markets. The faction led by Prince Kangping advocated for trading more luxury items like gold, silver, jewels, and precious curiosities. In contrast, the younger generation of officials were more pragmatic and wanted to negotiate better terms for agricultural products such as grains and livestock.

“I have discussed this matter with the Prince many times, but he does not take these matters seriously,” Cheng Zhibi said helplessly. “We cannot bypass the Prince and unilaterally add items to the register. We can only watch as this opportunity slips away…”

He wasn’t sure how much this Princess, who lived a life of luxury, knew about the common people’s situation. He felt a bit discouraged after explaining. For high-ranking noble relatives, asking for help over the price of a cow or a load of grain was probably an incomprehensible thing, right?

Cheng Zhibi was about to add a few more polite remarks when he heard Ruan Jiyun speak.

“I will help you,” she said seriously.

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