The Hostage Girl - Chapter 66-Part 1
Chapter 66—Part 1
At least being able to go out for a bit of relaxation was good.
However, Cao Xi couldn’t help but wonder what illness Concubine Tian had that left her bedridden and unable to recover.
As she tidied the stray hairs around her temples in front of the bronze mirror, a sudden thought struck her—could it be that Concubine Tian was avoiding others because she was pregnant?
When she finally saw Concubine Yao, her concerns were not completely dispelled.
Testing the waters, she decided to subtly ask Concubine Yao about it.
However, Jiang Xiurun knew a little more than Cao Xi.
Concubine Tian had given the Crown Prince such a grievous dishonor; was the Crown Prince someone to be trifled with?
Keeping her under house arrest was already a merciful act.
It was said that Han state, caught between Great Qi and Liang, had grown increasingly adept at playing both sides.
Their ambiguous stance on Great Qi’s canal construction project was particularly noteworthy.
If Han state refused to support the canal passing through its territory, all the Crown Prince’s prior efforts would be wasted.
The half-dug canals would be nothing more than giant, useless ditches.
But of course, Jiang Xiurun had no intention of sharing any of this with Cao Xi.
Since she now played the role of Concubine Yao, she kept her mind blissfully empty, focusing only on enjoying herself and looking beautiful.
When she had previously disguised herself as a man, the cold weather had been manageable, but in the heat, the bandages were suffocating.
Thus, Young Master Jiang increasingly avoided meeting people. Returning to her role as Concubine Yao, she dressed in a light silk bellyband and gauzy skirt, finding the relief both physically and mentally refreshing.
She felt a renewed sense of ease and coolness.
After brushing off Cao Xi with a few perfunctory remarks, she climbed into a carriage to attend a banquet at the Qin residence.
The Qin family was a prominent clan in Luo’an, and the wedding of their eldest grandson was naturally a grand affair.
For Jiang Xiurun to be invited as an honored guest in this life was an unexpected development.
However, the groom, Qin Zhao, did not appear particularly joyous.
Even when the Crown Prince arrived with two new concubines to offer congratulations, Qin Zhao did not glance at the beautiful woman trailing behind the Crown Prince.
After a few polite words of congratulations to General Qin, the Crown Prince took his seat at the head table with Concubine Yao and Concubine Cao, awaiting the ceremony to begin.
When the bride, Miss Xu, appeared shyly in her wedding attire, Jiang Xiurun was momentarily lost in thought.
After all, in her previous life, it was Miss Xu who had stormed into her private residence with a group of people and captured her.
Seeing her now unexpectedly brought back those tragic memories, filling Jiang Xiurun with a mix of sorrow and hatred.
To steady herself, Jiang Xiurun picked up a wine cup and drained it in one gulp, only to catch the Crown Prince giving her a sidelong glance. “Why are you drinking so hastily? Planning to get drunk at General Qin’s banquet?”
the Crown Prince said with a frown, reaching out to stop her from pouring more.
Jiang Xiurun, rare in her desire to drink, grew annoyed when Feng Liwu interfered after just a few cups.
She shot him a quick, sidelong glance.
If it had been anyone else, that glance might have been interpreted as a rolling of the eyes.
But Jiang Xiurun’s natural beauty and the charm in her gaze made it seem as though she was captivating souls with a bewitching look.
Qin Zhao, who had just completed the marriage ceremony and turned back, took note of the scene without revealing his emotions.
His heart ached.
Lately, he had been having recurring dreams, ones that left him feeling uneasy.
In the dreams, he was infatuated with a weak and helpless woman from a subjugated state.
Due to his father’s opposition, he could only keep her in an outer residence despite his deep affection.
While he was away at the borders, news came that the woman had accidentally fallen into the water and drowned.
Heartbroken, he rushed back to Luo’an after the war, only to find her grave already overgrown with grass.
In the dream, he trembled as he tried to claw away the soil, hoping to see her beautiful face once more and erect a tombstone inscribed with the words “Beloved Wife.”
But a cold and unyielding man blocked his way, shoving him to the ground.
“If you couldn’t protect her in life, stop clinging to her in death. From this moment on, she has nothing more to do with you.”
In the dream, Qin Zhao shouted, “No!” and woke up in a panic, realizing it was all just a dream.
But the grief of losing someone he loved lingered, blurring the lines between dream and reality.
It felt just like now: amidst the congratulatory atmosphere, he was mechanically marrying a woman he did not care for, while the one he truly loved sat at the banquet table, casting flirtatious glances at another man.
Qin Zhao took a deep breath and lowered his head, quietly whispering the word “No,” just as he had in the dream.
Dreams were dreams, after all.
He refused to believe in the karma of a past life.
This life was long, and he was determined to win the woman he loved through his own efforts.
Until he gained enough strength, he would bide his time.
One day, he would overturn the cold and unyielding man and take back what should have been his.
With that thought, his expression returned to its former calm and numb state.
He took Miss Xu by the hand, holding the red silk that symbolized their union, and led her into the bridal chamber.
Jiang Xiurun thought attending a wedding banquet was supposed to bring good fortune.
But this banquet left her uncomfortable.
The groom was unlikable, the bride was her mortal enemy in a past life, and yet she had to feign the composure of a prince’s concubine, offering congratulatory words one after another.
Her self-discipline was shallow, and she truly struggled to maintain it. Sitting at the banquet felt like being on pins and needles.
To the Crown Prince, however, Jiang Xiurun’s gloom appeared as though she was upset about a former admirer marrying someone else.
When they returned from the banquet, the Crown Prince uncharacteristically went to a secluded garden and cornered Concubine Yao in her room.
Jiang Xiurun, slightly tipsy and feeling warm, had been too lazy to change back into her male disguise. She had planned to rest briefly in Concubine Yao’s room before returning to the her courtyard.
But unexpectedly, the Crown Prince arrived, looking as though he wanted to pick a fight.
When the Crown Prince asked why she seemed unhappy with a tensed face, Jiang Xiurun, lying sprawled on the couch with her eyes closed, casually retorted without missing a beat.
“Only after witnessing the Qin family’s grand wedding, with its vibrant decorations, drums, and festivities, did I realize that Great Qi has such lavish marriage customs. Not just a simple sedan entering through a side gate. Seeing such a formal ceremony, I couldn’t help but feel for Concubine Yao.”
The Crown Prince thought the little girl had indeed drunk too much, daring to say whatever came to her mind!
But he did indeed feel that his frugal approach to his own marriage had given petty women something to gossip about.
He reached out to lift the still-drowsy Jiang Xiurun, using a handkerchief to wipe her face as he said, “If you’re unhappy, I’ll make it up to you in the future…”
Jiang Xiurun thought to herself, “What’s there to make up for me? It was Concubine Yao who married him, not me!”
But the alcohol had dulled her energy, and she didn’t feel like arguing. She simply closed her eyes, enjoying the coolness of the handkerchief, then rolled away from the Crown Prince’s embrace and fell asleep on the soft couch.
The Crown Prince, now also slightly drunk, held Jiang Xiurun and dozed off for a while.
