After my father was sent to marry into the princess's household, I became the darling of the en

The following day, news came from the palace.

The Imperial Astronomical Bureau has set the auspicious date for the Princess's wedding as the sixth day of the second lunar month after the New Year.

The eunuch who delivered the message specifically mentioned that the eldest princess could bring her newly appointed consort and daughter to the palace to pay their respects ahead of time.

Shen Jingque shook her head like a rattle drum.

"Mother, I don't want to go to the palace!"

Xiao Mingyue asked疑惑地, "I thought you would be quite curious about the palace, why don't you want to go?"

Shen Jingque chuckled: "I'm just shy. There are so many rules in the palace. If I accidentally bump into some noble person's gift of a flowerpot, I don't want to end up in Dali Temple."

Xiao Mingyue was amused by her appearance and shook her head, but ultimately did not insist.

On the day of the palace banquet, Xiao Mingyue wore a light blue palace dress with a phoenix hairpin in her hair, exuding a commanding presence.

She brought Xiao Changgeng into the palace with a very formal entourage.

Shen Jingque, wrapped in a cotton-padded coat and wearing a rabbit fur cloak over it, stood chubby on the steps of the mansion gate and waved to the carriage: "Mother, drive carefully, don't drink too much at the palace banquet, and eldest brother, be careful not to catch a cold!"

The carriage curtain was lifted slightly, revealing half of Xiao Changgeng's profile. He nodded slightly to her, a faint smile appearing in his eyes.

The carriage rumbled away into the distance, and Shen Jingque watched until it disappeared from sight at the street corner. Then she turned around and raised her fists high.

Successfully avoided the male lead's storyline.

Cool!

She was jumping around in celebration when she heard the sound of sunflower seeds being cracked behind her.

Xiao Changqi leaned against a vermilion pillar, dressed in a sapphire blue brocade fox fur coat, which was quite flamboyant.

"What's the point of that kind of lousy banquet? A bunch of people putting on airs and faking smiles at each other, and they can't even get a full meal."

He slapped the sunflower seed shells off his hands.

"Come on! Second brother will take you to Baihelou, and we'll have our New Year's Eve dinner by ourselves."

Shen Jingque's eyes lit up instantly: "Really?"

"When has your second brother ever compromised his word?"

Shen Jingque turned to look at Shen Yan.

Shen Yan was supposed to enter the palace with Xiao Mingyue, but since they were not yet married, he was worried about causing trouble.

These days have been exhausting with all the formalities of wedding preparations, but hearing the name "Baihelou" instantly lifted my spirits.

Shen Jingque cheered and, pulling Lü'e along, dashed towards Xiling Residence, shouting as she ran, "Second Brother is the best!"

Ji Qianshang shook his head helplessly behind her: "That mischievous monkey."

He then walked towards the door alone. Xiao Changqi asked curiously, "Qian Shang, where are you going?"

Ji Qianshang turned around and raised an eyebrow in an extremely flamboyant manner: "Naturally, I'm going to see my confidante."

He even jokingly remarked, "Unlike you, I haven't managed to win you over after three years."

Xiao Changqi: ? ? ?

Hey, what did he do to deserve this?!

Half an hour later, the group left the mansion in a small entourage.

Shen Jingque changed into a bright red ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), looking exactly like a walking little lantern.

Xiao Changqi produced a giant string of candied hawthorns from who-knows-where and shoved it into her hand; the rock sugar coating on the hawthorns glistened in the twilight.

Shen Jingque took a bite, her cheeks bulging, and asked indistinctly, "Second brother, there's something I've been wanting to ask you."

"ask."

"Where is my third brother, whom I've never met? Why isn't he coming home for the New Year this year?"

Xiao Changqi tapped his folding fan twice in his palm, and the carefree smile on his face disappeared for the first time.

"The third prince, who holds military power over the three northwestern towns, is not allowed to leave his post without being ordered to report on his duties, according to the laws of the Great Yong Dynasty."

"Otherwise, it would be a heinous crime involving the confiscation of property and the extermination of the entire clan."

Shen Jingque frowned and whispered, "Third brother is so pitiful, he can't come back every year?"

Xiao Changqi: "It's not every year; in the past, I could come back once every two years."

He sighed and pointed to the northwest direction with his folding fan.

"But the Northwest is not peaceful this year. Since the beginning of winter, there has been continuous snow and wind. The barbarians in the North are short of food and medicine. In years like this, they rush south like starving wolves. The third brother can't leave."

Shen Jingque suddenly felt like the plot had gone awry.

The hawthorns in my mouth no longer taste sweet.

wrong.

No, no, no.

In the original story, the Northern Di's large-scale invasion of the south was clearly scheduled for the following autumn, after the autumn harvest, when the granaries of the Dayong Dynasty were full and they would plunder.

But Xiao Changqi said that things were already starting to stir this winter.

It was done a full six months ahead of schedule.

Her first thought was that Xiao Jingchen was behind it.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't recall any connection between Xiao Jingchen and the Northern Di.

Shen Jingque bit the bamboo skewer of the candied hawthorn, her brows furrowed.

Xiao Changqi glanced at her miserable little face and assumed that the girl was frightened by the war.

He smeared his large hand on her head, ruffling her hair until it was all messy and crooked.

"What are you afraid of? Our Northwest Army is awe-inspiring in all directions. Even if the Northern Barbarians had three heads and six arms, they would still get slapped a few times before they had to roll back."

He released his grip, unfolded the folding fan with a snap, and pointed it towards the brightly lit restaurant in the distance.

"The sky won't fall down. Tonight, you just eat, drink, and have fun. Your brothers will take care of everything else."

Shen Jingque swallowed the hawthorn, suppressing her unease for the time being, and forced a smile at him.

"Okay, then second brother, you can't restrict what I order tonight."

"I wouldn't even feel bad if you ate all the food in the kitchen of Baihelou Restaurant."

The White Crane Tower was adorned with red gauze lanterns, and warm light leaked through the carved windows, turning the snow in front of the gate into a festive orange-red hue.

When the restaurant owner saw that it was Young Master Xiao from Qiyun Money Shop who had come, he personally led the way.

"Second Master Xiao, your private room is ready, with charcoal, tea, and snacks all provided. Please come upstairs."

Just as everyone was chatting and laughing as they reached the corner of the stairs, Shen Jingque suddenly looked up.

A group of people walked down towards us.

Her clothes were luxurious, with brocade robes and jade crowns, and she was adorned with a dazzling array of fragrant sachets and jewelry.

The boy in the middle wore a long robe of turquoise brocade, with a wild and unruly look in his eyes and a leisurely gait, exuding a composure beyond his years.

Shen Jingque stopped halfway through biting into the candied hawthorn and mumbled, "Huh?"

Xiao Changqi followed her gaze and looked up. He chuckled as the folding fan in his hand tapped against his palm.

"What a coincidence, I've run into this person again."

It was none other than Young Master Rong, who had spoken up for Shen Jingque at the Flower Appreciation Festival.