Three days later, as evening approached, Xue Zi Ning and her party arrived at Xue Ling Pass, the border town adjacent to the Snow Country.
Upon hearing of their arrival, the veteran general hurried out to pay his respects.
Xue Zi Ning quickly stepped forward and helped the veteran general to his feet.
She unexpectedly saw Chu Ling Er.
Chu Ling Er curtsied towards her, "Greetings, Your Majesty."
"Ling Er," Xue Zi Ning stepped forward and took Chu Ling Er's hand.
Chu Ling Er instinctively pulled her hand back. Xue Zi Ning frowned at this but said nothing.
After meeting Xue Zi Ning, Chu Ling Er returned to her tent and did not come out again.
However, Deputy General Chu appeared quite helpless. "Your Majesty, please do not take offense. Ling Er's disposition has changed greatly since that incident. She is unwilling to speak, unwilling to converse with anyone, and stays in her tent all the time. She refuses to return to the city even when asked."
Xue Zi Ning nodded, then suddenly asked, "Has Xue Yuan Zhao not returned since?"
Mentioning Xue Yuan Zhao, Deputy General Chu's expression grew subtly displeased. "General Yuan is already the First Prince of the Snow Country. Ling Er is not worthy of His Highness,"
Xue Zi Ning was about to say something more when Xue Jing Yun tugged at her hand, and she fell silent.
The veteran general had the camp cooks prepare fine wine and roasted meat. The soldiers drank heartily.
With the world unified, no one was happier than these soldiers. They no longer had to live in fear, waiting for battle every day.
These were the most beautiful of times.
The veteran general held onto Xue Jing Yun, unwilling to let go. Xue Zi Ning was the Empress, and the veteran general was hesitant. But Xue Jing Yun was different; he had fought alongside the veteran general and shared drinks with him as a comrade.
Xue Zi Ning excused herself, claiming fatigue and a need to rest in her tent. She did not ask Xue Yan to accompany her, and walked out alone.
Soldiers she encountered along the way saluted her. She arrived outside Chu Ling Er's tent. She had intended to announce her arrival, but instead, she heard Chu Ling Er's crying from within.
She lifted the tent flap. Chu Ling Er could never have imagined anyone would come to her tent, especially since the soldiers were all singing and drinking merrily at this hour. Who would bother to care for her?
But when she saw who had arrived, she was utterly surprised.
She quickly wiped the tears from her face and stood up to salute, "Greetings, Your Majesty."
Xue Zi Ning walked forward and helped Chu Ling Er up. "Why aren't you eating?"
Chu Ling Er startled, bit her lower lip, and said, "Your Majesty, I did not wish to go."
"Why?" Xue Zi Ning asked.
Chu Ling Er lowered her gaze, remaining silent.
Xue Zi Ning sat down beside her. Perhaps no one had ever been so close to her, and she felt a little uncomfortable.
Xue Zi Ning, sensing Chu Ling Er's discomfort, sighed. "Ling Er, you were not like this before."
She still remembered meeting Chu Ling Er for the first time; she was a lively girl, carrying an air of innocence in her every move. Had so much changed in such a short time?
Chu Ling Er gave a wry smile. "You were not the Empress before, and I, your humble servant, had no reservations. But now you are the sole Empress of Chang Ning, and things are different."
Xue Zi Ning was taken aback. She said slowly, "I never considered that."
Chu Ling Er's gaze was somewhat dim, as if looking beyond the tent, or perhaps through the tent towards a distant point. After a long while, she said, "You see, your status has changed, and his status has changed as well. Only I, your humble servant..."
She remained rooted in place.
"Ling Er, are you complaining about your current status?" Xue Zi Ning finally understood. Chu Ling Er felt a sense of disparity.
"Yes and no. But what does it matter? In the end, it is but the moon in the mirror, the flower in the water, not worth mentioning."
"Ling Er, what are your plans for the future?"
Chu Ling Er looked up with a smile upon hearing this, her eyes filled with sorrow. "What other plans could I possibly have?"
"You are getting older. Deputy General Chu is a man after all. He cannot accompany you forever."
"Then I shall live alone. That would be quite good," Chu Ling Er said with a smile.
Xue Zi Ning frowned and asked, "What about Yuan Zhao? Aren't you going to be with him?"
She felt Chu Ling Er tremble all over, and then her eyes turned red. "Before, when he was still General Yuan, perhaps I could have pursued him. But now he is the esteemed Prince. What right do I have to stand shoulder to shoulder with him? Your Majesty, I am not worthy!"
Xue Zi Ning didn't know how she had left Chu Ling Er's room. It would be a lie to say she was not moved.
"Your Majesty, you seem unhappy." Xue Yan, who had walked in from outside, noticed the change in her expression.
She looked at Xue Yan and said, "It's nothing."
Xue Yan stepped forward. "Did Miss Chu say something to Your Majesty?"
"Do you know about Xue Yuan Zhao and Chu Ling Er's situation?"
Xue Yan nodded. "After parting ways with Your Majesty, this servant stayed in the Snow Country by the Prince's side. Back then, His Highness wanted to arrange a marriage between Prince Yuan Zhao and Miss Chu, but Prince Yuan Zhao refused."
"There was such a thing?" Xue Zi Ning asked.
Xue Yan replied, "Yes."
Footsteps sounded outside. Xue Yan said, "His Highness has arrived. This servant shall take her leave."
After Xue Yan departed, the tent flap was lifted, and a tall, slender figure entered.
His clean, handsome face was flushed, clearly having consumed a fair amount of wine.
His eyes, as brilliant as stars, now shone like the Milky Way, glittering resplendently.
He took a step closer, and Xue Zi Ning's heart suddenly skipped a beat. She instinctively took a step back.
He reached out and encircled her waist, whispering, "A Ning, are you angry?"
The scent of alcohol on him was not strong; instead, a crisp, clean aroma masked some of the wine's pungency.
Still, she pushed him away.
"If A Ning dislikes it, I shall refrain from drinking in the future." He spoke with utmost sincerity, without any hint of deception.
This made her feel somewhat unreasonable. "I didn't say I disliked it."
His eyes gleamed, brighter than the stars. "Does A Ning like it?"
"I have something to ask you," Xue Zi Ning said.
Seeing her solemn expression, Xue Jing Yun's smile faded. "A Ning, just ask whatever you wish."
"I heard you once wanted to arrange a marriage between Xue Yuan Zhao and Chu Ling Er?"
Upon hearing this, Xue Jing Yun nodded immediately. "That is true. Why does A Ning bring this up?"
"And why did it come to nothing?"
Xue Jing Yun's gaze grew distant upon hearing this. He then looked at her with a hint of helplessness. "A Ning, you are asking what you already know."
"How am I asking what I already know? I simply felt they were very well-matched, and arranging a marriage would have been good." Da Feng Novel Network.
"A Ning, Yuan Zhao likes you. You cannot be unaware of this, can you?"
Xue Zi Ning trembled all over. "That was a long time ago. He..."
Xue Jing Yun embraced her, whispering, "A Ning, you do not know, but we of the Xue clan are all deeply devoted. Once we set our minds on someone, we do not let go."
Xue Zi Ning fell silent. She knew Yan Zhao would not lie to her. "Yan Zhao, Ling Er truly loves Yuan Zhao."