Chapter 066: The Scent of Conspiracy

At this moment, Qin Xuanxi was dressed in a long azure gown, her face adorned with a faint touch of makeup that only heightened her beauty. Barefoot, she paced before Song Ye.

“Little husband, I truly must apologize. I deceived you before. Qin Xiuyi is not my real name. My father is the Prince of Xiang from the Kingdom of Li, so my true name is Li Qingyu,” she said. “Besides, I have another identity. My mother is the current head of the Solitary Jade Sect, so I am also her direct disciple.”

Qin Xuanxi appeared intent on confessing her true identity to Song Ye. Yet Song Ye knew, of course, that both identities she claimed—“daughter of the Prince of Xiang” and “direct disciple of the Solitary Jade Sect”—were pure fabrications. He did not know what game Qin Xuanxi was playing, but he could sense the shadow of a scheme lurking beneath her words.

But then again, would a woman like Qin Xuanxi, whose powers could move mountains and seas, truly stoop to such petty intrigues? Surely, whatever she desired, she could seize by force.

What made things even stranger was that Qi Shuyi had told him it was the Prince of Xiang who wished to see him, yet he had been led to Qin Xuanxi’s chambers instead. Could it be, then, that the entire Prince of Xiang’s residence was already under her control? Where, then, was the Prince himself? Had he become a mere puppet, utterly subservient to Qin Xuanxi?

“Little husband, what are you thinking about?” Qin Xuanxi’s words pulled Song Ye from his reverie.

“N-nothing,” he replied at once.

Qin Xuanxi smiled gently. “You needn’t be so nervous; whatever my identity may be, it won’t affect the relationship between us.”

She assumed it was her status as a princess that had left this honest and upright young man dumbfounded.

“In truth, I came back this time to fulfill the promise I made you before, to marry you at last,” Qin Xuanxi declared. “Now that I am a princess, and you serve as a magistrate’s assistant—a servant of the court—our wedding cannot be a hasty affair. I will host a grand banquet and invite guests from all directions. I want the world to know that Li Qingyu is marrying Song Ye!”

Her words were passionate, but to Song Ye they seemed almost entirely devoid of truth. After all, it was hardly the first time Qin Xuanxi had lied to him. He had no idea what she had done to the Prince of Xiang, nor why she would go to such lengths to pose as his daughter. Was it merely to use the prince’s power and status to arrange a grand wedding for the two of them? That notion seemed illogical.

Qin Xuanxi undoubtedly had a greater purpose, and for the sake of that purpose, she might commit acts both terrifying and ruthless. Considering she had wiped out all seven thousand members of the Holy Heaven Sect, there was little she would not dare.

The trouble was, if she committed some notorious crime here, she could simply leave and no one could touch her. But Song Ye would not be able to escape—he remained trapped, unable to venture beyond the nearby wards, let alone flee from Yan City. If he were drawn into Qin Xuanxi’s scheme, he might very well end up as her scapegoat.

“Married couples are but birds in the same forest; when disaster strikes, they fly their separate ways.” Moreover, Qin Xuanxi was not truly his wife.

After some thought, Song Ye decided he could not follow Qin Xuanxi’s arrangements. He needed to hold the initiative, act according to circumstances, otherwise he might be sold out by this woman whose lies knew no bounds.

Seeing Song Ye deep in thought, Qin Xuanxi said, “What’s wrong? You don’t wish to marry me? We have a marriage contract. Surely you’re not thinking of backing out?”

“I’m not trying to back out,” Song Ye replied quickly. “I simply want to earn the right to marry you through my own efforts. I want to earn the money myself to hold a grand wedding for you, not rely on the Prince of Xiang’s household funds.”

Qin Xuanxi was taken aback; Song Ye’s response was unexpected. She had not thought this ordinary mortal would possess such backbone.

Yet at this moment, Qin Xuanxi was eager to hold the wedding, hoping to lure the Flute Immortal out. “Little husband, I know you have spirit, but holding a wedding worthy of my identity as a princess would require a great sum. With your modest salary as a magistrate’s assistant, you might never save enough in your lifetime.”

“So why be stubborn? After our marriage, there will be no distinction between us. I am the prince’s only daughter; the household’s wealth will be yours as well.”

Song Ye feigned anger. “So you still look down on my position, thinking I can’t earn the right to marry you through my own abilities!”

“Little husband… that’s not what I meant…”

Qin Xuanxi felt a headache coming on; she hadn’t expected Song Ye to be so obstinate.

But recalling the past—when the north of the Kingdom of Li was engulfed in war, and everyone around them fled south—Song Ye had stubbornly remained in Autumn Whisper Village, waiting for her return. It seemed he had always been a stubborn, persistent soul.

“Little husband, I only want our relationship to be closer, to move forward, which is why I wish to settle the wedding soon. Can’t you oblige me?” Qin Xuanxi spoke as gently as she could.

“In truth, if we wish to deepen our relationship, why bother with marriage?” Song Ye’s gaze drifted to the room’s sole large bed, and he walked a few steps closer to it.

Qin Xuanxi’s brows furrowed slightly; she knew exactly what Song Ye was up to. He wanted to consummate the marriage before the wedding—in other words, to take advantage of her.

But what she had guarded for three hundred years could not be surrendered so easily. What she sought was a grand wedding, not the nuptial night that followed.

With a shy tone, she replied, “Now that I am the prince’s daughter, my reputation is of utmost importance. How could we do such a thing before the ceremony?”

“I agree, it would be most improper,” Song Ye retorted, seizing the initiative.

“In fact, there’s no need to rush our marriage, little lady. I will prove to you that I can earn the money myself for our wedding. Please trust me.”

“It’s still my shift. I must return to my patrol. I’ll be going now!”

With that, Song Ye left the room, closing the door behind him. In this way, he regained control of the marriage, refusing to be led by the nose by Qin Xuanxi, the mistress of lies.

He was keen to see just what Qin Xuanxi hoped to achieve by impersonating the prince’s daughter.