Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Su Ruoxue’s identity had always been mysterious. With Principal Qi as her backing, no one dared to investigate on her; but Qian Wanguan and Jiang Yi knew that she had a very strong background. With the ability to use such a strong secret art like the Purple Charm Divine Light, how could she just be a daughter of an ordinary clan? Jiang Yi, Qian Wanguan, and Zhan Wushuang didn’t expect that she was actually a princess of the Great Xia Kingdom!
This wasn’t important!
The important thing was that she was actually the Crown Prince’s fiancée?
Jiang Yi always had this complex feeling for this beautiful female mentor. He had many experiences with Su Ruoxue. He was a youth who had never fallen in love, but he had met such a beautiful lady who had saved him so many times and even risked her life to enter the Ten-Thousand Dragons Valley just to follow him; it would be a lie to say that Jiang Yi didn’t have any feelings for her.
Had it not been for Su Ruoxue’s lukewarm behavior towards him and that she had been intentionally avoiding him, Jiang Yi might have already confessed to her. It was because of Su Ruoxue’s behavior, the fact that they were in a mentor and cadet relationship, and that Jiang Yi had this inferior complex—that the both of them had maintained this special and ambiguous relationship.
Jiang Yi had guessed that Su Ruoxue had some unspoken difficulties, but he didn’t expect that difficulty was that she had a fiancé. It was even the Crown Prince of the Divine Martial Kingdom!
Something isn’t right!
Jiang Yi’s body suddenly trembled as he abruptly swept a look at Qian Wanguan. Didn’t Qian Wanguan mention that the crown prince had a crown concubine? Wasn’t she from the Zhangsun Clan? Why was it Su Ruoxue that was the fiancée?
What made him gave up hope was when Qian Wanguan shook his head and even made a hand gesture that he would explain to him later on. Jiang Yi had this agonized expression with hanged-down eyes. His hand was clutching tightly while hidden in his sleeve; he didn’t even feel it when his nails had pierced into his palms.
“Huh…”
Su Ruoxue’s delicate body shuddered. She didn’t think that Xia Wuhui would actually reveal her identity and about their betrothal in public. She could feel the sudden response from Jiang Yi’s body, who was by her side. There was a flash of pain in her beautiful eyes under the veil, but it soon restored the lack of regard. Her eyes revealed this trace of determination as she spoke softly, “Your Royal Highness, are you still not going to invite this Princess to take a seat?”
“Haha!”
Xia Wuhui swept a quiet look at Jiang Yi and quickly displayed this smiling expression while extending his hand. Moreover, Su Ruoxue actually didn’t dodge and even allowed him to pull her towards the center of the purple-gold stage.
“Ka-Ka!”
Jiang Yi’s eyes were looking down, but his peripheral vision could see everything. His fingers were clenched so tightly that it was making sounds. As he saw Su Ruoxue taking each step forward, he felt as though he was being forsaken by this world. The palace which was bright like daylight in his eyes had turned dusky without any light. His world had turned pitch black, without a trace of light.
“Hmph!”
Right at this moment, seated at the first seat on the right, a male wearing an eight claw official’s robe suddenly spoke with coldly. He looked at Jiang Yi with askance and said, “Where did this uncivilized barbarian come from? How could you not know any rules? To actually not bow when you see the Crown Prince, this Prince, and Sixth Princess? Didn’t your elders teach you any basic etiquette?”
“Eh…”
A group of people had this change in expression. Which of the people here wasn’t from an aristocratic clan and who didn’t know that Jiang Yi was the illegitimate son of the Western Garrison Liege Lord? Everyone saw the painful expression that Jiang Yi had earlier. They might not know of the actual situation, but they had guessed around 70% or 80% of it. This Third Prince—who had such frigid irony and scorching satire—was actually indirectly cursing Jiang Yi who didn’t have any teachings from his father and mother; wasn’t this too excessive?
Qian Wanguan and Zhan Wushuang exchanged eye contact. They could see a trace of anger and also worry in each other’s eyes. The two of them were fearful that Jiang Yi might go mad and wreak havoc in the Crown Prince’s residence. At this occasion, the two of them naturally didn’t dare to smear the third prince. They had to retain their silence while sending hints for Jiang Yi to keep his cool.
Jiang Yi ignored the hints coming from both of them and looked at the crown prince who was holding onto Su Ruoxue’s hand. The corner of his mouth revealed a trace of mockery and opened his agonized mouth. “That’s correct, I, Jiang Yi, had been an orphan since a young age. I have never been doted on by my father or mother. It must be a joke for everyone! Ke-Ke…”
Jiang Yi’s tonality was rather calm, and his smile wasn’t miserable, too. It was precisely this tone and this smile that made Qian Wanguan and Zhan Wushuang feel upset. Both of their minds had a flash of this saying involuntarily: ‘the silent grieving is worse than feeling apathetic.’
When Su Ruoxue heard this sentence, her delicate body shook a little and stopped in her footsteps. Ultimately, she didn’t turn back and was led onto the purple-gold stage by Crown Prince Xia Wuhui. She kneeled onto a mat and lowered her head. It seemed like she didn’t even dare to look at Jiang Yi.
The Third Prince was rather astonished that Jiang Yi didn’t fly into a rage as he imagined. Since it was such a grand occasion, he didn’t dare to continue provoking and just sent a few indifferent looks at Jiang Yi. Yun Fei and the others were surprised, too, and felt that this temperament wasn’t like Jiang Yi.
“Can I say something?”
Jiang Yi’s expression was getting more peaceful, and he didn’t look at Su Ruoxue anymore. He looked around and asked calmly, “I am also a cadet from the Mt. Spirit Beast College, right? My name is also on the invitation list, too, isn’t it? Can’t I have a seat?”
Xia Wuhui, who had just walked up the purple-gold stage, immediately replied with a smiling face, “Young Master Jiang must be joking. Mt. Spirit Beast College’s no.1 prodigy. Why will Wuhui dare to neglect you? Someone, offer a seat!”
“Forget it. I will just sit there!”
Jiang Yi shrugged his shoulder and walked over to Qian Wanguan. He slapped Qian Wanguan on the back of his head while Qian Wanguan promptly shifted his fat buttocks to give up space and sat to the side. Fortunately, the golden table was long enough and didn’t affect them.
“Boss, endure it!”
Qian Wanguan whispered, “Don’t go provoking the Crown Prince, or you might never be able to do anything in the Divine Martial Kingdom. Yes… the original Crown Concubine had passed away from an illness one and a half year ago. We thought that he would carry on to remarry another lady from the Zhangsun Clan. We didn’t expect for him to be betrothed to Mentor Su!”
Jiang Yi responded with a slight nod and grabbed onto a greasy pork shoulder to munch on, behaving in an extremely vulgar manner. At such an occasion, everyone around was young masters and ladies from prestigious clans. The impression that he was giving everyone was indeed of an unruly and uncivilized barbarian.
“Someone! Play some music and start the dance!”
Xia Wuhui took a quick look over there without a leaving a trace. He smiled slightly, and with a wave of his hand, a group of palace ladies walked into the grand hall. They began to play music and dance, reviving the atmosphere with liveliness again. Every one of them was young masters and ladies that came from great clans and were all rather sophisticated. It was natural for them to spontaneously adjust to the atmosphere.
“Boss, you cannot blame Mentor Su for this. You too know that when the Great Xia Kingdom invaded our kingdom, hundreds of thousands of elite soldiers were slaughtered at the Soul-Severing Valley by your father… by the Western Garrison Liege Lord. Afterward, the Western Garrison Liege Lord took the army and advanced south, nearly killing all the way to the Great Xia Kingdom. Right now, the Great Xia Kingdom is weak and feeble—so much that they fear our kingdom. This is why they purpose this alliance by marriage. Mentor Su is also helpless against her Lord Father’s orders, right?
“Boss. The one you spoke with earlier is the Third Prince, Xia Tian. The one beside him is the Sixth Princess, Xia Feiyu. On the other side is Taishi Wentian, Ying Dao…”
Qian Wanguan constantly explained in a soft voice while Jiang Yi pretended not to hear anything and concentrated on chewing the pork shoulder in his hand. He was savoring it like a hungry ghost, causing the young masters and ladies at the side to sigh. It also made Zhan Wushuang and Qian Wanguan so upset in their hearts; it even made Zhan Lin’er’s tears streamed down.
Since Jiang Yi entered, Zhangsun Wuji had remained silent. When Xia Tian tried to provoke Jiang Yi, he thought that Jiang Yi would act out violently. He didn’t expect for Jiang Yi to actually endure it. After waiting for a moment and seeing Jiang Yi retaining his silence while gnawing on the pork shoulder, he couldn’t hold back anymore. It was extremely rare that such a good opportunity presented itself today.
Once the music stopped, and the dancers backed off. His eyes turned as he suddenly spoke, “Your Third Highness, what you said earlier was extremely true. Some people don’t know how to mind their manners. Isn’t this way of eating too unsightly? What does he treat this banquet at the Crown Prince’s residence as? A marketplace gathering?”
Xia Tian’s mouth was filled with ridicule, and he immediately replied, “It is really different to not be educated! Crown Prince, better not invite such people to another banquet! It will break the atmosphere.”
