Chapter 301: Child of Destiny, One Move Short

The official report submitted to the court regarding Prince Wei’s incident stated that he was kidnapped by mountain bandits.

But the truth was a scheme serendipitously devised by Xu Nianqing. After his hopes of using Prince Wei to confirm his status as a relative of the Empress had been dashed, he suddenly heard news of King Xian and came up with a plan.

At the time, he had not yet become King Xian’s strategist through the tiger-catching incident. However, using his wits and a bit of luck, he discovered a connection between King Xian and Duan Ji. He then altered their correspondence, manipulating them into moving against Prince Wei simultaneously.

Duan Ji was one of the Empress’s men, so the Silver Armor Guards trusted him implicitly. When he sent people over, the guards naturally let their own guard down.

This was the primary reason the Silver Armor Guards suffered such heavy losses.

After Duan Ji and King Xian made their moves, Xu Nianqing sent messages to both sides, getting them to agree to pin the blame on the bandit nest, Tianhu Village.

Xu Nianqing wanted Prince Wei to be in peril. He used others to do his dirty work, eliminating Tianhu Village, which had repeatedly caused him trouble. At the same time, he planned to "rescue" Prince Wei, lead him on a counter-offensive, and use the prince’s influence to expose and thwart Duan Ji’s and King Xian’s conspiracy.

In this way, he would kill several birds with one stone, ultimately winning Prince Wei’s complete trust.

Even if Prince Wei still didn’t trust or help him, he would have made a name for himself. Once the court officials heard the news, they would surely investigate his identity and background. When his status as a relative of the Empress was exposed, his path to the Capital City would be wide open.

Unfortunately, the best-laid plans often go awry. He had calculated everything perfectly, and even fate seemed to be on his side. But then Niu Jiahua appeared out of nowhere, dragging Prince Wei deep into the mountains where no one could find them.

Instead, it was Xu Nianqing who, due to a small mistake, caught Duan Ji’s attention.

Duan Ji was no saint. To evade him, Xu Nianqing had no choice but to reveal himself to King Xian, establishing himself as a strategist while secretly sending men to search for Prince Wei.

In the end, the self-proclaimed man of destiny was outmaneuvered. King Xian died, and Xu Nianqing himself became a hunted man. Ironically, by a strange twist of fate, his own actions had allowed Prince Wei to return to the Empress’s side, safe and sound.

Xiao Li had known the truth for a long time. The people who deserved to die were mostly dead already. It was a case that couldn’t be clearly adjudicated, so she didn’t intend to pursue it publicly. As long as she knew the truth, that was enough.

As for Niu Jiahua.

Xiao Li had possessed her body, but she had also saved her. From the moment Xiao Li left, their connection was severed.

Or perhaps, they never had a connection to begin with.

Xiao Li wouldn’t view Niu Jiahua through some rose-tinted lens because of those few fantastical days, much less bring the matter up herself.

So she treated her as a stranger. As for Niu Jiahua saving Xiao Jingyi, he was a grown man. How he chose to repay and settle matters with his own savior was his business.

Niu Jiahua had stormed off in a huff, but she hadn’t actually gone far. When they came out after their meal, she was waiting outside. With a long face, she swung herself onto her horse and continued to follow them.

This time, Xiao Jingyi didn’t rush to stay close to Xiao Li, instead falling back to ride alongside Niu Jiahua.

Niu Jiahua snorted coldly, expressing her displeasure.

Xiao Jingyi said, "I will be returning with my Imperial Sister and will serve her from now on. You saved my life, and I will naturally repay you. Ask for whatever you want. As long as it is within my power, I will not refuse."

Niu Jiahua immediately flared up. "What do you mean by that? Did I save you just so you could repay me?"

Xiao Jingyi asked calmly, "Then what would you have me do?"

Niu Jiahua fell silent for a moment, then suddenly let out a cold laugh. "You’ve found your family, so now you’re in a hurry to get rid of me, is that it?"

Niu Jiahua’s voice rose as she challenged him, "Don’t you forget who carried you on their back when you were injured and running for your life! Who found herbs to treat your wounds! Who helped you evade the assassins time and time again!"

"Xiao Jingyi, I’ve done so much for you! I didn’t even have time to worry about my own missing father! And this is how you treat me?"

Xiao Jingyi was silent for a long while. After some time, he asked, as if in concession, "I am safe now. So, is there something I can do for you?"

Niu Jiahua gripped the reins tightly, tears welling in her eyes. A thousand words were left unsaid, but in the end, she managed one sentence: "I want to find my father."

Xiao Jingyi replied, "I will have my men find him."

He immediately followed up, "In which city would you like to settle?"

Niu Jiahua didn’t answer, so Xiao Jingyi explained, "Pick any city you’d like to live in. I will set you up with a large residence, buy you servants, and a few shops. You will be free from worry for the rest of your life. I will also do everything in my power to find your father, and I’ll reunite you with him the moment he is found."

When he finished and heard no reply, Xiao Jingyi turned his head, only to see Niu Jiahua staring at him, crying silently, her expression utterly heartbroken.

"Xiao Jingyi, is it because you think I’m ugly?"

Xiao Jingyi shook his head. "Not at all."

’I’m trying to repay her for saving my life,’ he thought. ’What does her appearance have to do with anything?’

Niu Jiahua looked into Xiao Jingyi’s calm and indifferent eyes, unable to find a trace of affection for her. When he looked at the Empress, his smile was so radiant, his eyes full of light. But when he looked at her, his expression was always placid; he rarely even smiled.

She had never seen him smile at her with the same brilliance he showed the Empress. In fact, most of the time, he didn’t even seem willing to acknowledge her.

She knew he was of noble birth and impossibly handsome, like a celestial being from the heavens. If he hadn’t met with misfortune, she would never have even been worthy of speaking to him.

These past two months were stolen time, she knew, but she had given her all. How could he remain so unmoved?

"Xiao Jingyi, I don’t want your money. You’re safe now, and I have to go find my father."

With that, she wrenched her horse’s head around, cracked the whip, and galloped off in the opposite direction.

No one at the front turned back, no matter how loudly the two remaining in the rear spoke.

In the end, the only one who engaged with Xiao Jingyi was the bored Cen An.

"Surely Prince Wei could see that she doesn’t want money. She wants you to pledge yourself to her."

The next moment, Xiao Jingyi slapped Cen An’s horse. "Mind your own business!"

Though Xiao Li hadn’t turned back, she had basically witnessed the whole drama. ’How to put it?’

’It was both aggravating and boring.’

’A woman saves an injured man and gives him her heart. She scorns his offer of money because she has high moral character, uncorrupted by wealth. But if the man doesn’t marry her, he’s ungrateful. If he does marry her but doesn’t love her, he’s heartless, because what she wants is love, not a marriage born from a sense of duty.’

’The perfect ending for this kind of story is for the rescued man to fall in love with his savior. Despite their vast difference in status, the man stands firm, breaking through class barriers for the sake of true love. Then he helps the woman put all those who looked down on her in their place. In the end, they live happily ever after, the envy of all.’

’It’s all just a tired old cliché from stories.’

’But what’s really cliché isn’t the story itself, but the fact that so many people actually think this way.’

’You save someone, find them attractive, and fall in love. Therefore, they are obligated to love you back out of gratitude. If they don’t, they’re heartless and ungrateful. Repayment with money doesn’t count as repayment; only love is an acceptable form of gratitude.’

’Ugh...’

Xiao Li couldn’t comprehend it, so she passed no judgment.

She would simply respect the way others chose to live their lives.