Fang Xiang settled herself comfortably across the male lead in his residence, inside his guest room, with a large rectangular table separating them apart.It has been a few days after the banquet, and it was decided that Fang Xiang would be engaged to Huo Beilong.
Both of them only held this present meeting as a pretense since they were now engaged.
Guan Chengyi was of course not satisfied with this arrangement. He even helped Fang Xiang to talk her way out, but it all went down the drain as the emperor was obstinate enough to refute all his words.
"I don"t like you," Huo Beilong immediately expressed his dislike for Fang Xiang on their second meeting.
Fang Xiang chuckled, not feeling offended at all. "I also don"t like Your Highness. It appears that we are at least on the same page." She reached out to one of the pastries on the large table, humming in delight as the sweetness slowly melted inside her mouth.
Fang Xiang could sense the irritation radiating out of Huo Beilong in raging waves. She rolled her eyes at his childishness, "So what is Your Highness" plan?"
Huo Beilong furrowed his eyebrows, raising his right hand to unknot his frowns. "What plan?" He grunted in annoyance.
"Plans to break the engagement, of course. Don"t tell me Your Highness would want to marry me?" Fang Xiang sipped on her jasmine tea, relis.h.i.+ng the bittersweet aftertaste.
"No," Huo Beilong firmly replied. "Aren"t you scared about your ruined reputation by then?"
"My future ruined reputation?" Fang Xiang raised an eyebrow. "What does it have to do with Your Highness?" So what if she was labeled unwanted by the crown prince, and that empire would gossip about it? She"s merely a commoner. There are many commoners out there that the crown prince would never desire to marry. Isn"t it just the same thing? Besides, she could just live in the general"s military compound with the rest of her brothers. She wouldn"t need to worry about whatever expenses as she would have meals provided to her and a roof above her head.
"So you don"t care about it?" Huo Beilong looked straight at Fang Xiang, not understanding her thoughts. After all, in this era, a girl"s reputation weighs more important than her life. So if a girl"s reputation is ruined, she would most likely commit suicide to prove her innocence.
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"Why should I? I"m no one important." Fang Xiang nonchalantly replied. "If my reputation is ruined, then so be it." Who would be stupid enough to want to battle it out with the male lead"s wife and concubines when they get married into his residence? Before Fang Xiang even got the chance to retaliate, they would already sprawl her onto the cold, hard ground! She doesn"t have the protagonist halo, alright. She would most likely get pummelled and die without even comprehending what had transpired. "So, what"s Your Highness" plan?"
Huo Beilong sent Fang Xiang a complicated gaze, not understanding her motive. In his mind, he believed that everyone"s action has a purpose. No matter how big or how small it is, everyone has their own ulterior motives. And females are worse schemers than males.
Huo Beilong shook his head sideways as if telling her that he doesn"t have a plan.
Fang Xiang, overcome with stress, can only vent her anger by stuffing her cheeks with more sweets.
Fang Xiang didn"t have any plans either.
Feeling the odd stares from the crown prince in front of her, Fang Xiang suggested him to taste one of the pastry to diffuse the peculiar atmosphere. "Why not try the lotus cake? It"s tasty."
"Is it your favorite?" Huo Beilong asked, curious.
"Mhm," Fang Xiang nodded as she took another one and munched on it. She had long abandoned her image in front of him. He dislikes her anyway, so it"s all good.
Fang Xiang watched as Huo Beilong consumed one, with much hesitance. She took note that he probably isn"t a fan of sweets due to him furrowing his eyebrows and him narrowing his eyes like he was fighting a deadly battle with his life on the line.
.
Fang Xiang had actually wondered a couple of times why she hadn"t encountered Huo Beilong"s wife and concubines. It is very, very odd.
"Very odd indeed." The system chimed in.
Fang Xiang rolled her eyes at her stalking system. "System, is the female lead already in the capital?"
"Mhm, she"s already been here for a week."
"Oh." Fang Xiang reclined her back on the cemented ground. "Is the female lead very pretty? Is she like the rumored calamitous beauty that can only be found once in a hundred years?"
"What are you on about now?"
"I was just curious, okay? I mean, how come she could just s.n.a.t.c.h every emperor"s heart with just a glimpse at her profile?"
"What you are saying makes sense." The system contemplated.
"That"s right!" Fang Xiang nodded her head to no one.
Before the system could answer her, Fang Xiang heard a voice calling out to her. "My lady!"
Fang Xiang sat up, crossing her legs, flinching as she felt the stinging pain from the still healing wound located on her abdomen. Looking at the female servant who was panting hard, Fang Xiang curiously asked, "What"s wrong?"
"T-there is an invitation," The female servant paused, scrambling for breath. "This," The she politely showed an official-looking letter, sealed with a candle wax which was stamped with an imperial emblem, in her hands, kneeling down as she elevated herself eye-to-eye with her lady. "This is an invitation delivered from the imperial palace. My lady is invited to the n.o.bilities" tea gathering event."
Fang Xiang raised an eyebrow, taking the letter and dismissing her servant at the same time.
"I am still not used to having a residence all to my own." Fang Xiang thought to herself as she strolled back to her private courtyard.
A residence was bestowed to Fang Xiang as a reward from the emperor for her merits during the war. And furthermore, she is to be a future concubine of the prince. So she ought to have at least a residence. The emperor provided all the necessary indentures for the land, and the servants needed. He also transferred all there servants" life deeds in her hands.
Everything was perfectly arranged, and all Fang Xiang had to do was to live in her estate peacefully.
The expenses required for the residence"s runnings and the servant"s monthly salary were all taken care of by the emperor. Fang Xiang"s own wealth, which amounted to almost nothing, was also replenished, all thanks to the emperor.
Fang Xiang wondered, did the emperor perceived that she was going to be the greatest person in the world soon and that was why he was currying favor with her? Fang Xiang laughed at her own thoughts.
The system ached to fling a table at Fang Xiang just to wake her up to face reality. It was wholly for her dowry all right, not that Fang Xiang did not know this. She was just downplaying her current predicament.
But again, Fang Xiang would"ve evaded the flying table and remarked something like, "Reality is already in my hands. What are you going to do?" She would lift her chin haughtily, attaching both of her hands by her waist with her nose pointing to the sky. Her arrogance would even astound the jade emperor. How he even get stuck with this kind of host would forever remain an unfounded mystery.
Fang Xiang"s life in the present, as opposed to the original body"s life before, was as different as heaven and earth.
The original body lost her parents at a young age and had been an independent person ever since. She had to beg and run errands in various shops, doing odd jobs all just for a copper coin. Feeling tired of her arduous days, she signed herself up for the military as men were needed for war.
As a soldier, she would receive free meals and monthly wage, which to the original body was a blessing. Moreover, she wouldn"t need to worry about not having a roof above her head.
Living her life in the barracks in the borders were a dream to her.
And what"s more, there was her idol, the venerable general, Guan Chengyi.
.
Upon reaching her private courtyard where her chamber lies, Fang Xiang sprawled lazily on her bed, unfolding the letter, reading its contents.
It is indeed like what her servant had stated earlier. Fang Xiang was officially invited to the tea gathering event held inside the imperial palace for the youths. In other words, it is a matchmaking event, where youths can find their desired partners.
It is one of the events that allowed both females and males to interact closely with one another.
Fang Xiang is obviously going to attend. She had to try to distract Huo Beilong from interacting with the female lead, as much as she doesn"t like the sound of it. What if he happens to fall in love with the female lead with just a glance? She would inevitably fail her mission.
Well, let"s just hope for the best.