Chapter 862: Empress, she has no righ (1/2)

t

Long Feiye soaked his hands in the water as he prepared to wash up. Everyone was looking his way. Unless he drank or ate first, none of them dared to follow suit or even smile. All of them had no choice but to sit quietly until he began the meal. Under the scrutiny of everyone present, Long Feiye simply acted as if no one was there at all. He patiently soaked his hands while Xu Donglin broke out into a cold sweat. He wasn’t as calm as His Highness. If the princess didn’t come here this instant, he wouldn’t be able to hold out!

But Han Yunxi really had no idea what Xu Donglin wanted! If Long Feiye wanted to wash his hands, that was his business. What did that have to do with her? Xu Donglin was a martial arts practitioner, so couldn’t he hold a basin of water just fine? Or was she supposed to get a hand towel and wipe Long Feiye’s hands dry?

As she prepared to move, Xu Donglin finally gave out and muttered, “Feiyun, what are you spacing out for? Hurry and serve him!”

Feiyun (飞云)[1] was the pseudonym that Long Feiye had thought up for Han Yunxi. He had taken the Fei (非) from his name and replaced it with the homonym Fei (飞), or “to fly,” and then the Yun (芸) from her name and replaced it with the homonym Yun (云), or “cloud.” Together, they made Feiyun.

“Yes”!

Han Yunxi darted over and prepared to grab the washcloth on Xu Donglin’s shoulders when he muttered, “Wash the hands, wash the hands!”

It wasn’t just Han Yunxi, but Long Feiye who heard him clearly. He looked at his hands with hooded eyes, extremely quiet despite the grin curving up the corners of his lips. Han Yunxi finally understood what was going on. She silently cursed Long Feiye for enjoying himself too immensely. He even needed two people to wait on him when washing his hands! One held the basin while the other helped him scrub. This was no different from those masters in the palaces who lived in high status and comfort!

Very soon, Han Yunxi realized she’d been mistaken. This man was originally a member of the imperial palace rather than a boorish warrior of the battlegrounds. It was all too normal for two people to wait on him when washing his hands. He never liked women waiting on him, so it was more customary for two “guards” like her and Xu Donglin to do the serving instead.

Finally, she enlightened enough to wash his hands within the icy cold water. Carefully, she took one of them in front of the crowd of waiting eyes. Her heart gave a lurch as she touched him, filled with an indescribable feeling. Although they were on intimate terms, holding hands still made her heart beat fast. She unconsciously looked up and met his dark eyes. He was half smiling with an expression as soft as water. She grinned back before ducking her head, afraid to expose herself. She had to restrain herself in front of so many eyes! But who knew that his hands would grip hers as soon as she looked down! Alarmed, she tried stuggling free, but he refused to let go. Fortuantely, the basin was deep enough to hide the view from the rest of the soldiers.

This fellow, that’s really enough from him!

Xu Donglin saw everything. He too, thought that His Highness was too good at fooling around. This was really enough! Everyone here was watching and waiting! If this went on, it’d be impossible not to reveal Han Yunxi! Baili Yuanlong and Baili Mingxiang long knew that Feiyun was Han Yunxi herself, so both father and daughter were keeping their eyes on the pair. Baili Yuanlong was feeling both discontent and resentful. His Highness is simply making trouble! I’m too lazy to stop from from doting on this woman when I can’t do a thing, but this doesn’t mean he can fool around in public!

But Baili Mingxiang only lowered her head in bitter pain. She knew that His Highness wasn’t someone who was going against the limits of propriety. Instead, this was a warning to her father to keep an eye on the lips of his soldiers. Their crowing and cheering for her and His Highness to be an item must have stirred his displeasure. The only reason they dared to voice such things was because her father tacitly permitted it. Otherwise, who would have the guts to say them in front of His Highness? His Highness was no fool though, and had seen through them at first sight. Ever since the princess’s identity was exposed and she’d been accompanying His Highness all this time, her father had began to harbor thoughts of letting her stay long term by His Highness’s side.

“This is absurd! Fine, so His Highness is causing trouble, but she doesn’t even know how to restrain herself! This is our East Qin military barracks!” Baili Yuanlong cursed in a low voice.

“Father!” Baili Mingxiang grabbed his hand in alarm. Fortunately, their table was long enough that the rest of the people were sitting too far to hear them.

Baili Yuanlong glared at her. “You better learn from her example!”

Baili Mingxiang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Father must have been tormented to madness by His Highness. Otherwise, why would he curse the princess in one breath and tell her to learn from the example in another? What was she supposed to learn from the princess, anyways? She could dress like her and learn poison skills, but some things were impossible unless you were born with it!

Baili Mingxiang dropped her voice. “Father, His Highness will only choose the princess and no one else. The princess is this daughter’s lifesaver too, so this daughter…”

“So what? When both sides start fighting in the future, our East Qin must wipe out all factions of West Qin. Even if His Highness keeps her, she’ll be a noble consort at most. It’s impossible for her to be empress!”

There were precedents for enemy princesses becoming imperial concubines, but despite their titles, they were still prisoners of war at best, used to humiliate the enemy nation. Even if His Highness insisted on Han Yunxi without any intention to humiliate her, he could never make her his empress. That was the mother of the nation and the official wife. If she was to mother the nation, then she had to be stainless. In Baili Yuanlong’s eyes, love between a man and a woman didn’t last, nor was it sincere and mutually shared. They could only be equals in status, qualifications, and titles. His own daughter was a much worthier candidate than Han Yunxi.

Without a means to refute her father, Baili Mingxiang dropped her head and fell silent. Meanwhile, Xu Donglin finally had enough and murmured, “Your Highness, the good wine you called for has arrived.”

Long Feiye immediately released his fingers, causing Han Yunxi to exhale in relief. She sneaked a glance at him as she placed the washcloth over his hands and quickly backed away. She wasn’t going to wipe his hands for him! Long Feiye stopped causing her trouble and wiped his hands a couple of times before tossing the washcloth into the basin and gesturing for Xu Donglin to withdraw.

“Go bring over the wine this crown prince had prepared. Today, this crown prince is going to reward the soldiers handsomely with food and drink! Everyone, let’s make a night of it until we’re drunk!”