9

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Li Mei

I was more than happy to find Jiayi sitting by herself, a small wolf-pup on her lap and nothing else.

This was my chance.

Without hesitation, I made my way over to her to finally meet the girl who most likely would be my future sister-in-law.

"I've never been able to catch you by yourself." The pup began barking as Jiayi craned her head to the side to see me. She leaned forward in a slight bow. "Princess Mei."

I moved to take a seat beside her before giving my attention to the furry creature on her. "He's adorable, have you named him?"

"Not yet, we found him a few days before you arrived."

I nodded at that before petting the pup on its head. "Jiayi, what do you think of my brother?"

She tensed visibly, confusing me as she cleared her throat and shifted over. "What do you mean by that?"

I smiled. "I mean, what do you think about Li Xiao? Would you want to marry him?"

Jiayi let the pup jump off her lap and scurry off somewhere. "I don't think that I should be the one being asked. I heard that he was intending to marry Eldest Sister, wasn't he?"

I raised a brow. "He was?"

She looked at me calmly. "That's what I've been told."

-

"You lied to her, didn't you?"

Wu-Ji reached up and tightened the reigns on his horse before sparing me a glance. "By the orders of the great General Li Xiao of T'ang, yes, I did...didn't have much of a choice though, did I Ah-Xiao?"

I turned to glare at Second Brother before storming up to him. "Why would you do that?"

"I had my reasons."

Huffing in exasperation, I crossed my arms tightly. "And what may those reasons be?"

Li Xiao brushed past me, but not before flicking my forehead lightly. "Reasons, now get inside the palanquin, we have to be back at Chang'An before the end of this week."

I grimaced, still unable to understand why Li Xiao would lie to the person he clearly had shown interest in during our entire stay at Qi Zhao Manor. I also couldn't understand why Wu-Ji would go along with it and why Jiayi would even believe it.

I was positive that I wasn't the only person seeing the blatant picture in front of me...

Was I?

-

As much as Luoyang had been a sight to see for sore eyes, returning to Chang'an was a relief. I had grown too attached to this Capital city to be apart from it for too long, nearly a week was more than enough.

Sister Ang-Bao was more than impatient to hear what I had to say, yet exhaustion had gotten the better of me the night before and my tale of supposed wonder ended with a yawn and goodnight.

Now we all sat together in the main hall, Father and Mother waiting to hear what we had to say on the Zhao daughters...I smiled at Jin as he began to speak first.

"Baba...You sending us to Qi Zhao Manor to find a wife for Ah-Xiao, was there a specific purpose for it?" Father chuckled deeply before nodding. "Both Bixia and I decided it best for Li Xiao not to marry one of the Li house or of Han Royal status. The chaos that would occur from that is more than I want to see." The nine of us children laughed at that, Li Xiao simply huffed his agreement as the reasoning continued.

"Bixia needs a better bond with the Arab and Persian kingdoms from the west. There is no better name out there than that of Zhao Ren Yi when it comes to relations with the Arab and Persian people, his daughters are descended from Royal blood of both kingdoms. Marriage with the Zhao family is nearly as good as a marriage with the daughter of the Muslim Caliph itself...an alliance like this would be indestructible."

Li Xiao nodded his understanding at this, and I could finally have one of my many questions answered.

Father slapped his knee lightly. "So Xiao-er...which of the daughters have you chosen to marry?"

From beside me, Ang-Bao grasped my arm tightly. "Mei...who is it? Is she pretty?" I chuckled softly and put my hand over hers. "Very pretty...beautiful in fact." Little sister didn't press further as Li Xiao cleared his throat at the two of us.

"I would like it to be the middle Zhao daughter...Zhao Jiayi."

Mother's expression brightened significantly as she clapped her hands together; it seemed as though this was what they had hoped for. "Hao-la...Hao-lao, Xiao-er, you've finally made it possible for me to rest peacefully. I wouldn't know what to do if you had picked any of the other girls."

Fifth Brother Li Yu spoke up from his seat. "Why is that Mama? Are the others so terrible?"

She shook her head quickly, paused, then nodded. I laughed to myself as she sighed gently. Mother was too much of a soft woman. Indeed, both Mother and Father were soft in their own way. To prove it, if both of them had not been so mild and soft-spoken, Father would not only have been titled Prince of Ning, but the blessed Emperor Rang...

He was the eldest of the Li brothers, yet gave his position as Crown Prince to his younger sibling. I did not resent him for that, in fact, none of his children did.

The life to be lived as children of the Emperor was not one any of us envied.

"It's not that they are terrible, but...none of them are as well suited for marriage with Li Xiao as she is. Her Bazi matches his perfectly, the letters that Jin-er and Ah-Wu sent only praised her for her words and actions...A nephew of blessed Emperor can't marry just any woman."

I thought on those words for a moment; glancing at my four eldest brothers; Ah-Jin, Ah-Xiao, Xiang, and Zhi...now each of them would be married, leaving the rest of us to follow in their stead.

I would be the first of the daughters to marry, and that thought did not rest well with me at all.

.

Lady Xue, Crown Princess of T'ang

大明宮 (Daming gong)

(This is 3rd person P.O.V, she is not a main character)

It had been nearly four days since she had last been called in by the Crown Prince, she did not know whether it was because he was preoccupied with courtroom and officials or if it was due to something else...or someone else.

That someone being Concubine Wu.

Lady Xue simply sighed at the thought of it, a sigh of dread as she was reminded of that cunning and favored Hui Fei. It was a wonder and a relief that the blessed Emperor had not made her Empress; perhaps his heart still longer for the deceased Empress Wang.

Yes, it was a relief. If Concubine Wu were to wear the phoenix crown and head the harem, there would be no doubt that her and her husband Li Ying would be six feet under.

Lady Xue's thought were interrupted by the servant that walked into the empty hall, bowing to the ground in kowtow and staying there as he spoke.

"Crown Princess Xue...General Li Xiao is here and requesting to speak with you."

A small smile replaced her earlier downcast expression, she arranged herself in her seat and folded her hands over her lap, straightening her posture before responding to let him in. Even before her favorite cousin-in-law, she was still a Crown Princess, and she still had to play the part...

Though sometimes the part seemed to hang like a noose around her neck.

"Princess..." As if it were possible, her expression brightened all the more when Li Xiao entered through the open doors and fell to one knee with a salute. She leaned forward. "Stop standing on ceremony Ah-Xiao, sit."

He nodded and got up, bowing once more before taking his place at the chair specially reserved for whenever he had come to visit. Of all the children of the Emperor's brother; only three had managed to reserve such a place in the Crown Prince's favor, only three had gained his complete trust. Those were Li Jin, Wu-Ji, and Li Xiao.

Lady Xue turned to look at her in-law. "I heard that you just came back from a journey to Luoyang...to find a wife." At Li Xiao's startled expression, she nearly giggled. He rubbed his knees stiffly and took a breath. "Yes...I did."

"Did the mission become successful? I'd like to see you with a wife by your side Ah-Xiao...it would do you well?" Li Xiao stared at her skeptically. "Would it?"

She sat back and nodded; motioning for the only maid in the room to go out and get some wine and tea for her guest. Li Xiao did not pursue the conversation further, she realized this when he glanced around the hall and stared out into the courtyard before making his remark. "It seems as though Da-Ming had been a ghost town lately. Now envoys, no celebrations...nothing."

"An envoy from the Umayyad is meant to visit the day of your marriage. And there has been one from the Silla kingdom who met with Bixia this week."

"How is Crown Prince?" Lady Xue's smile faltered, she bent her head to look at her clasped hands. "I do not know...I haven't seen him in four days." Li Xiao's lip thinned. "I heard that he was sent to visit the army bases...along with Prince Mao."

Her eyes flew upward. "What do you mean he went with Li Mao? Whose idea was it?" Xiao sighed loudly. "Whose suggestion do you think would move the Bixia so much?"

That blasted concubine, and Xiao seemed to read her thoughts. "Don't get so riled up, the Hui Fei had said that it would do Li Mao good to visit as well...experience in the army would help him promote to General."

Lady Xue's hands tightened around each other drastically.

"She just wants him to become crown prince...you know it as well as I do."

Li Xiao

It was pitiful watching the Crown Princess, I honestly felt sorry for her.

From a simple life in the city of PinYing, she was dragged to the cruel world of the Li Family, and luck had been against her since she married my cousin the Crown Prince. The same year of her marriage, Empress Wang had been disposed.

And now she was Crown Princess, with a woman like Concubine Wu as her enemy.

"Certain things are better left unsaid Princess...not even walls are meant to be trusted." She chuckled lightly. "Since when did you become so wise with words Ah-Xiao, a silver tongue was never something you were gifted with."

Rubbing the back of my neck roughly, Beggar-girl was all that could come to mind, and the thought of the proposal about to be carried through.

"Let's just say that it was rubbed off on me."

Lady Xue's smile slowly returned. "This woman must be special then." I raised a brow at that. "What makes you think that I was speaking about a woman?"

She did not respond for a moment, taking the teacup from the maid that had just entered and waiting for me to be served with the wine. "There is no one who rubs off on you Ah-Xiao...the years I had lived as a Li has proven that."

I smirked at the statement but said nothing in response.

...

T'ang Dynasty

七 赵 亮 (qī zhào liàng)

Zhao Jiayi

It was finally happening.

The crates of red boxes and gold decorated gifts lined up in the center of the main hall took me by surprise as I entered that morning. The rest of the family had already huddled around the mass that had been carried in by the servants from Chang'an capital.

"It's the bridal gift from Li Xiao." I turned to look at Zhen-Ting as she walked in behind me, nodding towards the scene before us.

This was actually happening. One of us would really be leaving this life in Luoyang and entering a world we knew nothing about.

My eyes first landed on Eldest sister Ai-Li. The young twins were grabbing on to her arms and gushing over the open crate of pearls and silk dress. If she were the one to have been chosen, would she really be able to survive?

Power attracts hatred...and jealousy, it's as simple as that.

Zhen-Ting's old warning still echoed in my mind as an envoy walked in and greeted us all as well as Father and Grandmother. "Master Zhao...this is sent from Prince Xian in Chang'an for his son's new bride..."

Father's voice sounded hesitant as he cleared his throat. "May I ask who...which of my daughters, is the new bride?"

The envoy stared at us all with helpless confusion.

"I thought you all knew...were you not told that Miss Jiayi is to marry the General?"

Tang Zhen-Ting

It was now just the two of us, cousin Jiayi sat on her bed quietly and drew her knees close to her, hugging them tightly as she rested her chin on them and gazed out the window. I was tempted to tell her how happy I was for her, but she wouldn't relay the same excitement. All she could express was the frustration she had kept hidden since the envoy left.

The gifts were still in the main hall. I sighed.

"Ah-Yi..."

She scoffed to herself. "Why me? Ah-Zhen, answer me that, will you?" I frowned at her despite myself. "Zhao Jiayi...from the very beginning he'd shown his interest in you, why do you turn such a blind eye on things...for the sake of others? At the risk of yourself?"

Jiayi rolled her eyes. "You're making it seem so dramatic." I propped up my foot on the stool before me. "I am simply putting it the same way you are making it seem!"

She groaned before shifting her position to look at me in the eye. "Zhen-Ting, I'm angry. That's what I am. General Wu-Ji told me that it was Ai-Li who General Xiao had picked."

I knew it.

Without interrupting her, I let Jiayi vent on what I had warned Li Wu-Ji would be a great mistake. "And to think Ah-Zhen, to think that I was so excited that Sister would finally be married. I even stopped-."

I raised a brow at her at that, waiting for her to continue. "Ah-Yi...you stopped what?"

.

So here's another chapter, hope you like!

Guys, honestly. 22.2K reads and I feel liek I'm on top of the world. Considering how far and few between my updates are, I don't deserve it from you guys at all.

Thank you.

(Oh, and even if I don't deserve it, I'm gonna ask for another favor. Please check out my new story Suk-Myeong. It's not a historical drama, but it is somewhat similar to this...somewhat.)

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