Chapter 2 Entering the Palace

  The horse carriage moved forward, she was dozing off in the car, her head hung down and her body swayed back and forth with the rhythm of the carriage ride, it was quite comfortable. Just as she was sleeping soundly, she was suddenly thrown up by a great force, followed by a pain in her buttocks, and she opened her eyes abruptly but her mind was still dazed.

  The curtain was lifted by a hand, and the outside light shone in. She rubbed her eyes with a bewildered expression.

  Sitting on the ground with one hand covering his buttocks and the other rubbing his eyes...

  Jing Chu almost burst out laughing, rarely seeing the usually composed Fourth Miss in such a disheveled state. However, thinking of her usual behavior, he quickly looked down and said in a flat tone, "Please get off the carriage, Fourth Miss."

  With a muddled head and brain, he stood up, and as soon as he lifted his head, it heavily bumped against the top of the carriage again.

  Jing Chu was shocked and stared at her blankly for half a day without reacting.

  She wanted to reach out and rub her sore spot, but realized the person opposite her had seen her embarrassment. Her face turned bright red instantly. She awkwardly touched her hair with one hand, smiled embarrassingly, and quickly got off the carriage.

  Jing Chu was completely stunned, as if he had been struck by a mysterious force that left him dazed and confused, unable to remember what to do next. Shocked and perplexed, he couldn't find the words to describe his emotions at this moment. This...this really is Fourth Miss?! She just smiled at me, a genuine and lovely smile, pure and shy...how is this possible?!

  She bent down to measure the distance from the carriage shaft to the ground, and then jumped down lightly with her skirt in hand. Her feet landed steadily on the ground. Perfect! She was very satisfied with her own lightness, and she glanced at the big boy who had lifted the curtain for her with a proud look in the corner of her eye, but what she saw was his shocked face and copper bell-like staring eyes.

  "This is Miyagi, mind your appearance, lest you regret it later." A faint voice came, somewhat ethereal, without any emotion, just a simple reminder.

  Jingchu gave her a sympathetic glance and walked forward to lead away Xiaoyang's white horse, leading the other guards to wait at their designated places in various estates.

  Not far ahead, a white figure stood quietly, her smile instantly turned into nothingness. For a moment, except for the guards at each place, only she and that cold back were left in front of the huge palace gate. He walked forward without looking back, and she was stunned for a moment before hurrying to follow.

  He is her elder brother Xia Yang, who was appointed as a young general before the age of twenty due to his military achievements. Every time Feng Lian mentions him, she speaks with a tone full of praise. It's understandable, after all, even if he were placed in modern times, he would still be considered a rare military genius.

  He was very tall. She followed him quietly, comparing her height to his. His back was straight, his steps were steady, and the silver camellia embroidered on his white robe shone brightly in the sunlight. He should be proud and confident, he should be full of vigor and vitality, he should be living a life of glory and splendor, but she felt that there was a hint of inexplicable loneliness and desolation in his back. It seemed as if nothing could enter his eyes or ears, he had his own world, and it was a world that others could not enter.

  Xia Yang furrowed his brow, and although he didn't turn around, he clearly felt her gaze.

  After sizing him up for a moment, her gaze was drawn to the surrounding architectural scenery. She was like Liu Jia Jia entering the Grand View Garden, finding everything fresh and curious. Having grown accustomed to the cold high-rises of the big city, she suddenly found herself amidst elegant classical pavilions and felt as though she too had become refined and elegant.

  As the two of them walked into the Changzhen Hall, one in front and one behind, there were already many courtiers waiting here. Xiaoyang deliberately slowed down his pace to keep up with her. The originally slightly noisy hall gradually became quiet, and pairs of eyes that were either curious, or scrutinizing, or admiring, or contemptuous all coincidentally focused on them.

  When had she ever seen such a scene, so many pairs of eyes, so many people. She didn't understand what they were looking at, and even less did she understand why they all stared at her in unison. Had they discovered her "difference"? Or was it that her outfit today was too strange? Jingfen... suddenly broke out in a cold sweat, would her seemingly gentle and beautiful sister-in-law have intentionally dressed her up like a monster?! She regretted it a bit, if only she had looked in the mirror before leaving the house. But what to do now? She was so nervous that her hands and feet were icy, almost suffocating under all these gazes. Unconsciously, she grasped Xiaoyang's hand, subconsciously wanting to find some support.

  A small, cool hand grasped his own, and Xia Yang's arm stiffened for a moment, instinctively wanting to shake it off. But thinking of his father's serious entrustment and the fact that she was after all his younger sister, he took a deep breath and forcibly restrained himself from doing so. Although he didn't like her overbearing and arrogant behavior on ordinary days, he had always been clear in his heart why she would be this way. He too had lost his mother, and he understood the kind of lonely desolation that came with having no one to care for or love you, and even more clearly understood that her spoiled and willful nature was merely a cry for attention, wanting their father to love and dote on her more.

  That small hand was icy cold, tightly grasping him, full of dependence. His heart softened, he turned his hand over and held hers.

  The warmth from his fingertips soothed her heart, and the firm grip made her feel at ease instantly. Lifting her head, she saw a pair of clear and clean eyes. His slender sword-like eyebrows flew into his temples, his straight nose was like a mountain, and his face was full of heroic spirit, towering above all else. She stared blankly for a moment, gazing at him in a daze.

  Xia Yang was stunned, puzzled and inquiring, wanting to see into the depths of those lively and clear eyes. He had never known, or he had never seriously looked at this younger sister before, that she had such a pair of vivid eyes.

  Something was quietly surging in his chest, making his heart even softer. Smiling and nodding at her, he just wanted to dispel the fear and unease in those eyes, and even imagined how they would shine with carefree joy and radiant spirit.

  He's smiling! She was taken aback. This smile was too important to her at this moment, like a warm spring breeze dispelling the cold of winter, a bright lamp illuminating the darkness of night. Her heart suddenly warmed up, she tightly held his hand and showed a radiant smile full of trust and gratitude, even feeling that having an older brother wasn't bad either!

  Although they were siblings, after all, there was a distinction between men and women. The two of them holding hands in front of others was indeed not proper. However, Xiaoyang had always been carefree, and she didn't have any awareness of this aspect at all. Both of them had smiles in their eyes, enjoying themselves, completely disregarding the gazes of others, and walked towards their father, Xia Jingting, with big strides and great joy.