"Princess, have breakfast."

  A maid with a cold and indifferent expression, agile movements, said while arranging the dishes on the table. I looked up to see five-spice sauce lamb, braised beef tendon, crystal lung, wood-whiskered meat, rolled pancakes, and warm horse milk. In this desolate and harsh northern land, it's not easy to get such a spread of dishes, which is even more elaborate than when I lived in the official residence in Ye City.

  I won't go on a hunger strike or do anything so childish and futile, which would only make me look foolish and accomplish nothing.

  So every meal they bring, even if I don't have an appetite, I force myself to eat it all up. I don't know what's waiting for me ahead, but keeping my energy up at all times is never wrong.

  This is already the third day I have been living in Dongji Shanghang, three days ago, at Ye Cheng government office, Mr. Dong did not speak again, but still silently insisted on bringing me here, and also refused to listen to any words I said, with a gloomy face that was frightening.

  To be strict, apart from not being free, Dong Ye was actually quite lenient with me. Apart from food, clothing, accommodation and usage which were all the best in the Dongji business, he also specially searched for poetry books, zithers and chess sets and had them sent to my room.

  For a dead prisoner, this treatment is undoubtedly the best.

  Shu Ying didn't stay with me under house arrest. At that time, Dong Ye didn't even look at me, and indifferently said he didn't want to harm her life as well.

  I let out a soft sigh, without saying anything, but still felt a hint of gratitude in my heart.

  I and he both know that at this point, it is absolutely impossible for him to let me and Nan Chengyao go, so separating Xueying from us and not letting her know the beginning and end of things may still be able to save her life.

  Since Piao Ying is no longer by my side, Dong Ye has selected two new maids from the merchant households to attend to me. Both of them are born with elegant features and have nimble movements, but their eyebrows and eyes are forever shrouded in a layer of frost that keeps people at bay. Except for the necessary polite phrases, they don't say an extra word to me, and even my questions fall on deaf ears, let alone getting any responses.

  I knew this must be the intention of Master Dong, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for his meticulous thinking. I didn't even know the names of these two maidservants, so I could only address them uniformly as "young ladies".

  As soon as I put down the bowl and chopsticks, the two maids immediately came forward to clean up with nimble hands and feet. I smiled faintly and said, "Thank you, girls."

  As usual, no response was received.

  Before long they had all been put away, one of them carried out by someone, and another stayed in the room waiting for my orders.

  I casually pulled out a book from the ones Dong Ye sent over to pass the time, and before I had even flipped through a few pages, I heard a flurry of hurried footsteps outside the door, and a slightly familiar voice rang out with a hint of anxiety: "Zhen Yu, come out quickly!"

  I watched as the maid in the house moved slightly, bowed to me and quickly walked out of the door, smiling sweetly and replied: "Master Ming, what's wrong? Look at the sweat on your head!"

  I had never heard her speak in such a soft tone before, and I couldn't help but smile faintly. It turned out that this woman was called Zhen Yu, and beneath her deliberately pretended cold exterior, she also had the gentle thoughts of a young lady.

  The man, however, had no time to heed her delicate thoughts and hastily said: "Quickly help the princess change into these clothes!"

  I had an idea and suddenly got up and went out the door.

  Outside the house, what Zhen Yu held in his hand was actually the brocade dress that I had personally sewn on the day of departure. I clearly remembered leaving it at the official residence in Ye City. Now, Dong Ye has somehow found it again and specifically asked me to change into it, which can only mean one thing: Nan Chengyao is back.

  I looked at the man beside Zhen Yu and smiled slightly: "Dong Ge, it's good to see you again."

  He probably didn't expect me to come out, and even more so, he didn't expect me to say this. His expression was a bit awkward and flustered, and his words became incoherent: "Mu... Princess!"

  The person in front of me is someone I know, the only son of Dong Ye, named Dong Ming. He's just over ten years old and is also traveling with the merchant group this time. Along the way, he took great care of me and Shu Ying.

  I still smiled and opened my mouth: "In the business team, I was taken care of by you all the way. At that time, I had to hide my identity, it's really not intentional, I've been thinking about being able to thank you properly, now I have the opportunity, please accept a courtesy from Murong Qing, Brother Dong."

  As I spoke, Fu went away with perfect courtesy and elegance. Dong Ming immediately reached out to support me with a look of shame on his face.

  I slightly lowered my head, reached out to stroke the hem of the dress in Dong's hand, and my eyelashes trembled like a butterfly's wings making its final dance before death. My voice was also trembling: "Dong brother, considering our past camaraderie, tell me the truth, does Master Dong wanting me to change into this dress mean that I'm going to die?"

  "It's not because I want to, it's because my dad will let me bring this set of clothes over for you to change into... the Dragon Boat Festival is almost here..."

  Dong Ming waved his hand repeatedly, wanting to say something again, but was stopped by Zhen Yu's cold voice: "Master Ming, don't forget what Dong Ye instructed, the three princesses are extremely intelligent, and it's absolutely not allowed to talk to her more than necessary to avoid shaking her mind!"

  Dong Ming was taken aback, gazing deeply at me for a moment before suddenly turning around and striding out of the courtyard with large steps, his voice faintly discernible as he hastily ordered: "Zhen Yu, help the princess change her clothes and then ask her to go to the front hall, Father is waiting there."

  "Please, Your Highness."

  I could only silently sigh in my heart at her exquisite face, which was again chilled by the frosty mist.

  Let her help me dress up, still in that swaying magnificent attire, with a few strands of low-hanging hair, slanting several pearl and jade pins, Dong Ye is a merchant on the run, this business has a few high-end pearl and jade pins, now all used on me, although it can't be compared to those ornaments at home, but wearing them on my head won't make them look cheap, still with an elegant and noble demeanor.

  Zhen Yu led me to the front hall of the merchant's house, where Dong Ye was already waiting. Dong Ming was also there, but he kept his head down and refused to look at me.

  I smiled slightly: "Dong Ye made me dress up like this today, I don't know where he's going to take me?"

  He looked at me for a long time and quietly said: "The city tower of Ye."

  My heart sank, but on the surface, I just smiled calmly and quietly followed him out of the commercial building, got into a sedan chair and headed straight to the city tower of Ye Cheng.

  The wind and snow raged, the clothes on my body were elegant and beautiful, but not warm. Even sitting in this sedan chair, after a while, my body was already chilled to the point of slight trembling.

  When I got off the sedan chair, it was Dong Ming himself who opened the curtain for me. I looked at his outstretched hand and hesitated for a moment before finally not refusing him. My slender fingers lightly rested on his wrist, allowing him to help me down from the sedan chair.

  When I reached the station and wanted to withdraw my hand, I felt a weight in my palm, and then a warmth spread from between my fingers.

  She looked up to see Dong Ming, but he had already walked far away, not even giving her a second glance. Meanwhile, in the palm of her hand, hidden by the loose sleeve of her clothes, was the hand warmer that he had secretly passed to her when helping her down from the sedan chair just now.

  "Your Highness!"

  Dong Ye walked steadily in front of me, his dark and resolute face without a hint of expression.

  I smiled slightly and followed him up onto the city wall of Ye City, my husband would be on the other side of the gate, arriving immediately.

  On the day he left Ye City, I was wearing this magnificent attire to see him off. Now that he has returned triumphantly, I have put on the same clothes again, but unexpectedly, it's a different feeling now.

  When he left, he held my hand, word by word, his voice firm.

  He said, wait for me to come back.

  Now we've waited, but I don't know what kind of ending there will be.

  "Jian Que's fine steed" is the best horse in this world, traveling a thousand miles a day, its speed like flying, and it won't be long before it brings him back to Ye City.

  When he looked at the distant homeland with a triumphant joy, when he saw me in red attire on the city tower of Ye, when he saw the layers of soldiers waiting behind me and the snow-bright knives between their necks, would there be a flash of tension and worry in those dark and cold eyes?

  Still, as always, carefree and nonchalant, calmly and composedly responding to all of this, without leaving any room for doubt, perfectly flawless, just like, having expected all of this from the very beginning.

  Or maybe it is just like that.

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