"Imperial Brother, I'm sorry."
Xue Xingchen's hand, which was combing her hair, paused. Then he said, "Xingyue, it's all in the past."
Xue Xingyue smiled softly and said, "Yes, it's all in the past."
"Xingyue, do you regret it?" Xue Xingchen suddenly asked.
Xue Xingyue was startled and asked, "Imperial Brother, what do you mean?"
"Returning to the capital, and agreeing to the imperial marriage decree."
Xue Xingyue looked up at Xue Xingchen's pale face and frail body and said, "Imperial Brother, I did all this willingly, and I have never regretted it."
"But I regret it," Xue Xingchen said to her slowly.
Xue Xingyue stiffened. "Imperial Brother, you..."
"Sometimes I wonder, if you hadn't returned to the capital, if you had refused my decree, would things be different now?"
A faint melancholy flickered in Xue Xingchen's brows, reaching deep into his soul.
Xue Xingyue looked at her imperial brother and said word by word, "Imperial Brother, returning to the capital was my own decision. If I hadn't wanted to, even if you had ordered my head to be chopped off, I wouldn't have returned."
"Xingyue, don't talk nonsense... What 'chopped off head'? I would never issue such an decree."
Seeing Xue Xingchen's agitated expression, Xue Xingyue quickly said, "Imperial Brother, I was just speaking metaphorically."
Xue Xingchen sighed. "Xingyue, I don't want to hear such metaphors."
"Imperial Brother, it won't happen again," Xue Xingyue replied.
Xue Xingchen continued to comb her hair. "Xingyue, I hope you can be happy and carefree for the rest of your life."
"Imperial Brother, I will be," she said, looking up at Xue Xingchen, her eyes filled with tenderness.
Xue Xingchen reached out and patted her head, just as he had done when she was a child. "Xingyue, you must be happy."
Xue Xingyue's gaze paused slightly, then she smiled. "Imperial Brother, I will be happy."
"Your Majesty, the time has come!" Wei Gonggong's voice drifted in from outside the door.
Xue Xingchen looked at Xue Xingyue, who was dressed in a red wedding gown, and smiled with satisfaction. "My Xingyue is the most beautiful bride in the world."
"Your Highness, it's time to depart," Wei Gonggong said.
Xue Xingchen stood up and extended his hand. "Xingyue, come, I'll escort you out of the palace."
Xue Xingyue placed her hand in Xue Xingchen's. "Imperial Brother, your hand is as warm as it always was."
Xue Xingchen smiled, his pale face creased with a smile. "Xingyue, let's go!"
With the red veil obscuring her vision, Xue Xingyue could only vaguely see the scenery outside, but her heart was more at peace than ever before.
She didn't even think about what life would be like after the marriage, only wishing that this road could be longer, even longer.
The sounds of gongs and drums grew closer, and Xue Xingyue knew her journey had reached its end.
Xue Xingchen suddenly stopped. He looked at Xue Xingyue, and she looked back at him. "Imperial Brother, what is it?"
Xue Xingchen gazed at her and slowly said, "Xingyue, do you truly have no regrets?"
"Truly no regrets," Xue Xingyue answered word by word.
Seeing this, Xue Xingchen said, "Go, Xingyue."
"Imperial Brother, take care of yourself. Xingyue is leaving." Xue Xingyue curtsied to Xue Xingchen and was escorted out of the palace gate by the palace maids. Xue Xingchen watched the fading red figure and slightly curved his lips. Xingyue, may you be worry-free and safe all your life.
Suddenly, his throat felt a bit bitter. He quickly took out a handkerchief and tried his best to suppress it, but a faint sound still escaped. Xue Xingchen hurried back. He couldn't let Xingyue hear this sound, absolutely not.
Xue Xingyue, who had reached the palace gate, suddenly stopped. The palace maid beside her asked, "Your Highness, what's wrong?"
Xue Xingyue shook her head. She knew that if she turned back now, her imperial brother would truly blame himself. Therefore, she decided to pretend not to know.
Imperial Brother, I hope you will henceforth be free of illness and live long and safely.
"Your Highness."
Xue Xingyue looked up and saw Wei Gonggong. She asked, "What is it, Wei Gonggong?"
Wei Gonggong hesitated, as if he had something to say. Xue Xingyue said, "Wei Gonggong, if you have something to say, just say it!"
Seeing this, Wei Gonggong dismissed the palace maids beside her and stepped forward. "Your Highness, the one coming to escort you is not Young Master Meng."
Xue Xingyue trembled all over and looked at Wei Gonggong. "Wei Gonggong, what do you mean by that? If it's not Young Master Meng, then who is it?"
"Your Highness, Young Master Meng's whereabouts are unknown. It is Young Marquis Ji who has come to escort you in Young Master Meng's stead," Wei Gonggong said urgently.
"Meng Jiangming's whereabouts are unknown?" Xue Xingyue's voice turned cold.
Wei Gonggong nodded. "Yes, that's what Young Marquis Ji said."
For some reason, Wei Gonggong felt a chilling aura emanating from Xue Xingyue.
Wei Gonggong also felt that the Duke of Ning's mansion was going too far. How could they send someone else to replace the groom? Wasn't this a disregard for imperial authority?
Thinking of this, Wei Gonggong said, "Your Highness, this matter is of great importance. Should we report it to His Majesty first?"
Xue Xingyue refused directly. "No, don't tell Imperial Brother."
Her imperial brother was already at the end of his rope preparing for her wedding. If he knew about this, he would likely become extremely agitated. She had just heard his suppressed cough and absolutely could not let her imperial brother be affected any further.
"Your Highness, this is of great importance..."
"Wei Gonggong, you must keep this from Imperial Brother. I don't want to worry him anymore. Imperial Brother cannot withstand any more minor disturbances," Xue Xingyue said.
Upon hearing this, Wei Gonggong sighed. He knew as well as anyone that His Majesty was already exhausted. "But..."
"Wei Gonggong, there are no 'buts'. Since someone has come to escort me, then I will marry," Xue Xingyue stated word by word.
"Your Highness, if you do this, His Majesty will be heartbroken when he finds out," Wei Gonggong said.
"Wei Gonggong, you must keep it from Imperial Brother. Keep it from him for as long as possible!"
Wei Gonggong sighed. "Since Your Highness is insistent, this old servant must obey!"
"Wei Gonggong, take good care of Imperial Brother!" Xue Xingyue said.
Wei Gonggong's voice choked slightly. "Your Highness, please rest assured, this old servant will take good care of His Majesty."
Xue Xingyue walked step by step towards the palace gate. As she looked up, she saw Ji Wuran on horseback, dressed entirely in red.
On his handsome face, his eyes sparkled like stars.
For a moment, Xue Xingyue had the illusion that marrying Ji Wuran might be better than marrying Meng Jiangming.
But she quickly dismissed the thought and walked up to Ji Wuran. "Where is Meng Jiangming?"
Ji Wuran dismounted and approached her, bowing slightly. "Your Highness, I have come to escort you."
"I asked you, where is Meng Jiangming?" Xue Xingyue asked word by word.
Ji Wuran looked up, his dark eyes deep. "Your Highness, do you wish for everyone here to know that it is Ji Wuran escorting Your Highness, and not Meng Jiangming?"