Li Qingxun rolled her eyes. "Being picked like a piece of merchandise—why should I be happy about that? There’s nothing to celebrate."
She had no intention of becoming some man’s decorative accessory.
Tuoba Yu looked at her with admiration. "The Qing State is weak. As a helpless woman, what right do you have to refuse? Wait obediently. I’ll soon bring you into my household."
Li Qingxun turned her horse around and rode off without a backward glance.
...
...
With the peace treaty signed, Li Qingxun began her journey back with the delegation. When they reached the southern regions, two imperial edicts arrived from Yanjing City.
Emperor Qing had decreed that the Sixth Princess would be sent to the Yue Kingdom for a political marriage, while the Seventh Princess would be sent to the Yelang Kingdom.
The chief eunuch delivered the edict with cold indifference. After reading it aloud, he handed the scroll to Li Qingxun. "Seventh Princess, the bridal procession has already arrived. Please prepare to depart at once."
Li Qingxun raised an eyebrow. "Since when was I the Seventh Princess?"
She was clearly the sixth in line.
Yet the imperial edict twisted the truth, labeling her as the "Seventh Princess."
The chief eunuch offered a hollow smile. "My apologies, Seventh Princess. This is the will of His Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress. I am merely following orders."
Li Qingxun accepted the edict.
After questioning her maid, Yuan'er, she learned the full story. Following the treaty signing in Liangzhou City, Tuoba Yu, the crown prince of Yue, had decided to marry the Sixth Princess of Qing.
When news reached the palace in Yanjing City, the emperor and empress were stunned. They never expected Tuoba Yu to take an interest in Li Qingxun, who had only been sent as an afterthought.
The empress wept uncontrollably. If Li Qingxun married into Yue, then Li Qingling—the daughter she cherished most—would have to wed the king of Yelang. The empress couldn’t bear the thought of her precious child being sent so far away.
She pleaded with the emperor.
The emperor, who also doted on Li Qingling, secretly manipulated the records, swapping the titles of the Sixth and Seventh Princesses—even altering the imperial genealogy.
In the end, the princess bound for Yelang was Li Qingxun.
"What a brilliant scheme," Li Qingxun remarked dryly, tossing the edict aside before heading upstairs to sleep.
While Li Qingxun remained indifferent, Li Qingling was tormented by guilt. Unable to bear it, she sought out her sister.
With red-rimmed eyes, Li Qingling grasped Li Qingxun’s hands. "What Father and Mother did was wrong... I’m so sorry. But as women, our fates are in their hands. There’s nothing we can do."
"I’ll give you half of my dowry—all the silver I’ve saved over the years. Sixth Sister, please forgive me."
Li Qingling hung her head in shame.
The king of Yelang was a decadent old man in his sixties. If Li Qingxun married him, her life would be cut short.
Li Qingxun stroked her chin. "How much silver have you saved?"
Li Qingling blinked in surprise.
At a time like this, she was worried about money?
When Li Qingling revealed the sum, Li Qingxun’s eyes gleamed. As expected of Qing’s most favored princess—her wealth at just seventeen or eighteen was staggering.
With a pleased smile, Li Qingxun accepted the silver and dowry, then assembled her bridal party and set off for the south.
Yelang was far, and the journey was fraught with dangers—floods, wild beasts, and barbarian tribes. To ensure the marriage alliance proceeded smoothly, the court assigned Zhang He'an, the prime minister, as her escort.
...
...
Once the bridal procession left Qing territory, they traveled through desolate wilderness. The group—comprising guards and servants—numbered nearly fifty.
Most of the servants assigned to the journey came from impoverished backgrounds and held little status in the palace. Li Qingxun knew better than to treat them as mere lowly attendants.
She and Zhang He'an played good cop and bad cop, using a mix of rewards, punishments, and silver to keep the escort party in line.
The road was long—reaching Yelang would take over half a year. To pass the time, Li Qingxun often summoned Zhang He'an to her carriage.
Yuan'er, who was also part of the procession, watched in shock as the prime minister entered the princess’s carriage—only to emerge over an hour later, his robes disheveled.
Dumbfounded, she cautiously approached Li Qingxun. "Princess... we’re on our way to a political marriage in Yelang. How can you and Prime Minister Zhang... behave so improperly?"
Li Qingxun rubbed her sore waist. "The road is long. With such a handsome man at my side, why not indulge?"
Yuan'er: "..."
Eventually, Yuan'er grew numb to the sight of Zhang He'an and Li Qingxun entangled in each other’s arms.
Far from the emperor’s watchful eye, the princess was the undisputed leader of the group.
If the princess wanted something, so be it.
For those bound to Yelang, there was no turning back.
What Yuan'er couldn’t fathom was how Zhang He'an—a man known for his noble bearing and restraint—could willingly submit to the princess. A mere glance from Li Qingxun, and he would eagerly obey.
It was baffling.
As the procession pressed southward, they encountered numerous barbarian tribes. To ensure their safety, Li Qingxun sketched designs for compact compound bows and distilled medicinal herbs for healing.
Even delicate Yuan'er could wield the bows with ease.
Though they faced several tribal ambushes, the group suffered minimal losses.
Inside the carriage, Li Qingxun hunched over a small desk, brush in hand as she drafted weapon blueprints. Zhang He'an ground ink beside her, his dark eyes scanning the designs with quiet curiosity.
"Ah-Xun, where did you learn to craft weapons?" he asked.
Without looking up, she replied, "Don’t ask. I won’t answer."
Zhang He'an dared not press further.
If he pried too deeply, he’d be kicked out of her bed that night. Li Qingxun was that kind of woman—bold, unrestrained, a blazing sun unto herself.
He gazed at her, utterly entranced.
Helplessly ensnared by her charm.
Once she finished modifying the crossbow design, Li Qingxun lifted the carriage curtain and summoned the head guard. "Cut down trees ahead and craft these new weapons as instructed."
The guard accepted the blueprint with reverence.
After hours of drawing, Li Qingxun’s neck ached. She lazily sprawled across Zhang He'an’s lap as he massaged her shoulders, his touch coaxing a contented sigh from her.
Eyes half-lidded, she murmured, "This life isn’t so bad. No worries about food or shelter, weapons at hand, and a beautiful man to warm my bed at night."
Zhang He'an: "Mm."
She stretched languidly. "They say Yelang is rich in resources—its shores teem with rubies. I’d love to see them... and seize all those mines for myself."
Zhang He'an: "As you wish."
Li Qingxun chuckled. "You agree to everything I say. Are you some kind of puppet?"
His voice deepened. "What’s a puppet?"
She propped herself up, tracing his jaw with a fingertip. "I can’t explain what a puppet is... but I do know there are other things a man can be..."
Just as she was about to pounce, Yuan'er’s panicked cry interrupted them. "Princess! Lord Zhang! Barbarians are blocking the road ahead!"
Instantly snapping out of her daze, Li Qingxun pushed Zhang He'an aside and stepped out of the carriage.
The men and women of the procession had already armed themselves, poised for battle. As dusk fell, the tribesmen crept closer with cautious steps.
They carried no weapons.
Speaking words Li Qingxun couldn’t understand, they gestured wildly with their hands, eventually even kneeling before her.
It seemed they were pleading for help.
Zhang He’an stepped down from the carriage and draped a cloak over Li Qingxun’s shoulders. She tightened the collar and sent a guard to negotiate.
After some animated exchanges with the tribal people, the guard jogged back and reported, "Your Highness, the chieftain of this tribe appears to be in trouble and is seeking our aid."
Li Qingxun pondered for a moment.
Zhang He’an said, "I’ll go assess the situation."
Li Qingxun pressed a hand on his arm. "No need. Stay here and rest."
Instead, she took a few of her most skilled guards, armed with weapons and poison, and followed the tribesmen into their settlement.
Inside the largest tent, the metallic tang of blood hung thick in the air. The chieftain’s wife was struggling through a difficult childbirth, with no skilled midwife in the tribe. Desperate, the chieftain had turned to Li Qingxun’s passing entourage for help.
Li Qingxun summoned the physician from her retinue to assist the woman.
Soon, the child was safely delivered.
Going the extra mile, Li Qingxun left behind medicinal herbs and had the physician sketch common medicinal plants on a piece of parchment. When she presented these to the chieftain, the sun-weathered man babbled effusive gratitude, showering her with gifts of fine furs and sturdy horses.
Li Qingxun accepted them all without hesitation.
This was far from the first tribe she had aided on her journey, and the tributes she received were plentiful.
It was all part of her strategy.
Her marriage alliance to Yelang Kingdom would not be smooth sailing. If danger befell her there, these very tribes—now indebted to her—would serve as her lifeline on the return journey.
...
The bridal procession pressed onward.
Through countless trials, men and women alike had grown into their roles, becoming Li Qingxun’s most loyal followers.
After half a year of travel, they finally reached a remote border town of Yelang Kingdom. Though sparsely populated, it boasted proper buildings.
Li Qingxun presented Qing State’s travel documents and diplomatic missive, prompting the magistrate to rush to the gates to welcome them. At the sight of the travel-worn procession, his jaw nearly dropped.
This was a bridal party?
Every last one of them, regardless of gender, carried the rough-edged aura of hardened mercenaries.
Fortunately, Qing State’s Chancellor Zhang, with his refined demeanor and eloquent speech—along with the officially sealed documents—convinced the magistrate of their legitimacy.
The magistrate hosted them lavishly, lodging them in the luxurious county office complex.
After the grueling journey, the entourage finally had a chance to unwind. They feasted on meat and wine, reveling in the rare respite.
A sumptuous banquet was laid out, and Li Qingxun was surprised that a magistrate of such a remote town could procure such delicacies.
While the townsfolk lived in hardship, the magistrate dined like royalty.
As Li Qingxun lifted a glistening piece of braised pork to her lips, a sudden wave of nausea hit her. She covered her mouth, suppressing a dry heave.
After barely picking at her meal, she sent Yuan’er to fetch the physician.
After taking her pulse, the man’s expression turned uneasy. Trembling, he knelt and said, "Your Highness… you are with child."