"What ceremony?" Shen Changyin asked.
Xie Yu replied, "It's a secret. But you'll come, right?"
Her eyes were shining. Shen Changyin thought for a moment and nodded.
"Alright."
Xie Yu, still uneasy, added,
"If I said it's a secret, it's a secret. Don't try to investigate."
Shen Changyin smiled.
"I promise I won't be curious."
They held hands a while longer. Seeing that Shen Changyin was still somewhat fatigued after her illness, Xie Yu left her to rest and returned to her own room.
She first took out the love letter that still contained only four words, spread it on the desk, and racked her brain. She swore she would finish it today—she was going to read a love letter during the proposal!
Two hours later, she silently put the letter—still only four words—back where it belonged.
Her literary ability was as deep as the Mariana Trench. She was gradually becoming self-aware.
It didn't matter. If she couldn't be a genius with words, she could be a giant in action.
She took out a blank sheet of paper and neatly wrote five large characters across it: "Operation Grand Proposal."
Then she began drafting her plan with bold strokes.
She wrote until the early hours of the next morning. Looking at the sky outside the window slowly fading from dark blue to pale, she yawned, put down her brush, and rolled into bed.
She slept straight through until noon.
As soon as she woke, she sent someone to summon Jiang Fang to the residence.
She also had lunch with Shen Changyin.
At noon, there were fresh water caltrops to eat—small, dark-brown ones just in season. After boiling, they had been chilled in cold water and arranged on a white porcelain plate.
Xie Yu picked one up, pressing the two pointed ends between her fingers. With a firm squeeze, the shell cracked open, revealing the tender white flesh inside.
At her age, she had not yet developed an appreciation for foods that were neither sour nor sweet nor salty nor spicy. After eating just two, she stopped and focused on battling the many-boned shad fish.
A small pile of translucent fish bones gradually accumulated before her. She mixed the deboned fish meat with half a bowl of rice, poured two spoonfuls of braised sauce over it, and devoured it in large, satisfied bites. When she finished, she rubbed her stomach contentedly.
The rice in Shen Changyin's bowl was barely touched. She hadn't eaten much of the other dishes either. She was fully focused on peeling water caltrops.
Yet beside her, there were only a pitiful few discarded shells.
The water chestnut shells were too hard. Shen Changyin struggled to crack them open; the veins on her pale hand nearly stood out, yet she still couldn't break through the stubborn shell.
After another failed attempt, she let out a breath, picked up the bowl beside her, and prepared to use its base as a hammer.
A white, tender water chestnut—already peeled—was tossed into her bowl.
When she looked up, Xie Yu was already peeling the next one.
Not until more than half the plate was empty did Shen Changyin repeatedly wave her hand, signaling that she was full. Only then did Xie Yu stop and go to the basin inside the room to wash her hands.
Just then, Jiang Fang arrived as invited. The moment she entered, she laughed. "You're eating water chestnuts too? I had the same thing for lunch."
"They're in season," Xie Yu replied casually, drying her hands with a towel. "Let's go."
She nodded to Shen Changyin. "We have something to take care of."
Shen Changyin asked, "Is it related to that secret ceremony?"
She didn't expect an answer. After speaking, she took a sip of tea.
Xie Yu smiled. As she and Jiang Fang reached the threshold, she suddenly turned back. "You really don't want to know where we're going? Don't you want to know what I'm doing?"
Shen Changyin set down her teacup, looking perfectly at ease. "I promised you. I won't be curious."
Xie Yu nodded. "That's for the best."
Then she left the residence with Jiang Fang.
Once they were seated in the carriage, Xie Yu instructed the driver to head to the Seventh Ward—the most prosperous district in the capital. She then turned to Jiang Fang and explained her plan to propose.
Jiang Fang couldn't understand it at all. "But you're already married."
"That's different," Xie Yu said. "Our betrothal happened because she seized me by force. Our marriage was a political alliance. That's not the same."
Jiang Fang didn't see the difference. Many legendary couples throughout history had marriages arranged by their families and still spent their lives in harmony.
But since Xie Yu insisted, as her friend and subordinate, she would of course support her.
"So what are we doing today?"
"Picking a ring," Xie Yu said. "I'm choosing a ring as the symbol of our engagement."
Jiang Fang immediately looked disdainful. "Isn't that a bit stingy? Even small merchants in the capital send a whole set of hair ornaments to the other family when they get engaged."
Xie Yu, thinking like a modern person, had chosen a ring as the symbol and completely forgotten that in this era there was no custom of giving rings at betrothal.
Still, she insisted.
She was the one proposing to Shen Changyin. Her intention mattered most.
They arrived at the largest jewelry house in the capital. After stepping down from the carriage, they saw a crowd packed tightly inside. Countless people were browsing ornaments.
With Xie Yu's fighting ability, she tried squeezing in twice—only to be pushed back out by the crowd both times.
Finally, she snapped. Turning to Jiang Fang with grave solemnity, she said, "I'm about to violate my principles."
Jiang Fang hadn't even figured out what she meant when Xie Yu suddenly shouted, "Where's the owner? I need to see the owner! I have urgent business!"
Her voice was booming, completely unafraid of embarrassment. Soon a manager came out to drive her away, her expression stern.
"If you want to buy something, you have to line up. Shouting won't help. Our shop prides itself on fairness."
Xie Yu flashed her Crown Princess token.
The manager immediately raised her hand respectfully. "Honored guest, please come inside!"
The first and second floors were packed. The manager quickly led them up to a quiet third floor, politely inviting them to sit. Incense was lit, ice was brought in, and a pot of tea was served.
Jiang Fang took a sip and widened her eyes in surprise. "This tea is of tribute-level quality. Just how deep are the foundations of these wealthy capital merchants?"
"No wonder every faction likes squeezing money out of them."
After commenting, she smiled. "This might be the first time you've used your identity as Crown Princess to gain an advantage. How does it feel?"
From the moment she sat down on the third floor, Xie Yu had been restlessly looking around. She replied absentmindedly, "Not bad."
Before Jiang Fang could ask further, the manager had servants carry in a wooden cabinet and place it on the table.
From a hidden inner pocket, the manager took out a small key and unlocked the cabinet. Inside were twelve shelves. Each shelf was lined with dark silk, and something atop it shimmered with flowing light.
The manager pulled out all the shelves and laid them flat across the large table. Only then did they realize that each shelf held twenty-four rings arranged in four rows and six columns. Twelve shelves—over a hundred rings—were now displayed before them.
Dazzling. Dense. Overwhelming.
A scene capable of instantly killing anyone with decision paralysis.
Xie Yu's breath stopped for a moment. Then she began breathing rapidly, as if on the verge of a panic attack.
"What's wrong?" Jiang Fang asked quickly.
Xie Yu's gaze lingered over every ring in turn. "How can one ring have so many styles?"
"Do different styles have different meanings? Which style is suitable for a proposal? What if I choose the wrong one—will she still say yes?"
"Worse—what if she agrees on the spot for the sake of our past feelings, but secretly dislikes the ring? For the next few decades, every time she sees it, she'll remember my terrible taste and my lack of understanding, and start regretting—"
"Then we'll become a resentful couple for decades. Living under the same roof but never speaking. Even the neighbor's children won't come ask for New Year sweets because they'll think we're a pair of strange old witches—"
The more she talked, the more frantic she became, as if the whole world didn't have enough air.
"Stop!" Jiang Fang cut her off.
"Calm down!"
Xie Yu looked at her.
"Don't think about picking the best ring. Right now, just eliminate the ones you don't want. That's much simpler, right?"
The process of elimination?
That would work.
Xie Yu let out a long breath.
She swept her gaze across the table and first removed all the pure metal rings—especially gold and copper ones.
Most of these were wide bands with intricate carvings, mysterious and luxurious. Not unattractive—but they emphasized status and identity more than love.
After eliminating over a hundred rings, many gemstone rings remained.
Here, gemstones were prized for their rich, vivid colors—deep green, dark blue, pigeon-blood red. Beautiful, yes—but too intense.
Neither Xie Yu nor Shen Changyin matched that style.
She eliminated another large batch, leaving just over thirty rings in softer, lighter hues.
Now she truly couldn't choose.
She was on the verge of another panic attack, and only under Jiang Fang's constant reassurance did she calm down enough to think about what she really wanted.
When she thought of a ring, the first image that came to mind was modern television advertisements—a slim silver band, a brilliant diamond clasped atop long, slender fingers.
She looked up at the manager. "Do you have any diamond rings?"
"Diamond" was the ancient term for what later generations called a diamond.
The manager shook her head apologetically. "We don't produce them locally. Diamonds come from foreign lands. They're rare and difficult to cut and polish. We don't have any made into rings."
So that was that.
Xie Yu picked up a gemstone ring that looked the most like a diamond and held it up. "When you see this, do you feel moved?"
Jiang Fang tilted her head in confusion.
Xie Yu clicked her tongue, swapped it for another ring, and held it up. "What about this?"
Jiang Fang finally realized she was being used as a test subject.
She laughed in exasperation. "I like full sets of hair ornaments. I'm not going to be moved by a shabby little ring. You picked the wrong person."
Helpless, Xie Yu stuffed a ring into her hand. "Hold it up facing me."
Jiang Fang raised her hand.
Xie Yu studied it thoughtfully, then shook her head. "I'm not very moved by that either."
Jiang Fang rolled her eyes dramatically. "I used to think your political marriage with Shen Changyin wasn't so bad—very convenient for expanding power. Now I really wish you were single."
Xie Yu pouted and shoved another ring into her hand. "Hurry up. Hold it up."
After half a day of choosing, Xie Yu ultimately picked a pale ice-blue gemstone ring—the one that most resembled a diamond.
She had originally wanted a matching pair, but there was no second ring in that exact shade. She could only settle for a slightly darker blue one for herself.
The jewelry house placed the pair of rings into a small silver box and handed it to Xie Yu.
She tucked the box into her money pouch at her waist and left in high spirits.
The first major task of the proposal—the ring—was complete.
It had only taken three hours. Six hours in total if counted generously. Excellent efficiency. A promising future ahead.
By the time they left, the western sky was tinged with orange clouds. Street food stalls were beginning to send fragrant aromas into the air.
Xie Yu's nose twitched. "Red bean rice cakes."
Jiang Fang glanced around the stalls. "There aren't any."
Xie Yu lowered her head and pointed into the distance. "That direction."
Jiang Fang was speechless. "What kind of nose do you have? You can smell that?"
Out of ten thousand aromas, she could pinpoint red bean rice cakes with deadly accuracy.
Xie Yu lifted her chin proudly. "Shen Changyin likes them. I'll bring some back for her."
Jiang Fang looked at her quietly. "I really don't like you like this. Can't you go back to being the woman who said 'I'd rather die than marry'?"
As they walked, Xie Yu replied lightly, "Then can you go back to being Jiang Fang who wasn't dating Zhang Changge?"
Jiang Fang's expression changed. "How did you know?"
Xie Yu sneered. "If you add my intelligence to Shen Changyin's, it's more than triple yours and Zhang the physician's combined. We figured it out long ago."
Jiang Fang hurried after her, unconvinced. "So Shen Changyin's intelligence is five times mine and Old Zhang's combined, and when you add yourself it becomes only triple?"
Xie Yu raised a brow. "Oh? Openly insulting your superior's intelligence? You've got guts."
They bought red bean cakes at a stall. Just as they turned around, a young girl suddenly bumped into Xie Yu.
Xie Yu was sturdy and strong. She braced her feet and didn't budge at all. The other girl ran off without even apologizing.
Xie Yu was still thinking youth was wonderful—so full of energy—when she instinctively touched her waist.
Empty.
Her money pouch was gone. The rings were inside!
Her expression changed instantly. She took off running.
Seeing her chase, the thief ran even faster. They weaved through the crowd in pursuit.
The thief darted onto a bridge. Uphill, she wasn't as fast as Xie Yu. In moments, Xie Yu caught her by the shoulder. "Little thief! Give it back!"
The thief gritted her teeth, lifted her hand, and flung the pouch into the river.
"!"
Xie Yu rushed to the bridge railing and reached out—but the pouch slipped past her fingertips and fell into the water. A ripple spread across the surface, and then it was gone.
The arrogant little thief didn't even try to run now. She smirked. "I didn't steal anything. I don't have your stuff on me."
Xie Yu laughed in anger. She twisted the thief's arms behind her back and kicked her knee, forcing her to kneel properly on the stone bridge.
Jiang Fang arrived, panting. Seeing the scene, she quickly pulled off the sash from her sky-blue outer robe and handed it to Xie Yu.
Xie Yu tied the thief's hands together. "You wait here. I'll deal with you later."
Then she returned to the railing and stared down helplessly.
The water flowed gently. Ripples shimmered, reflecting the orange clouds in the sky—but there was no trace of her pouch.
She slapped the railing and clenched her teeth, wanting to curse.
Jiang Fang came up beside her. "What do we do?"
"It's already late. Even if we hire professional river workers to dredge it, by the time they arrive it'll be dark. We won't see a thing."
Xie Yu shot the thief a vicious look. "Just you wait."
Then she recalled the arc of the throw and estimated roughly where the pouch might have landed.
There was metal inside. It was heavy. It wouldn't be carried far by the current in such a short time. If she searched now, the chances were highest.
Gritting her teeth, she braced her hands on the railing, vaulted over—
"Hey! What are you doing?!" Jiang Fang shrieked—
—and jumped.
Underwater, Xie Yu forced her eyes open and searched everywhere. Weeds tangled across the riverbed, making it difficult.
Very soon, the air in her lungs ran out. She surfaced for a deep breath, then dove back down.
It took nearly half an hour.
At last, she found the indigo pouch. In her excitement she swallowed a mouthful of water, hurriedly shut her mouth, suppressed the urge to cough, and grabbed it.
When she climbed ashore, she was drenched and covered in mud.
Jiang Fang stared at her in alarm. "Why are your eyes so red?"
Xie Yu didn't realize. She rubbed them. "Probably from holding my breath too long. And the water wasn't exactly clean."
Then she suddenly said, out of nowhere, "I need to take these rings to be engraved—with my name and Shen Changyin's."
Jiang Fang was speechless. "Can you care about your eyes first? They're really red!"
Xie Yu didn't think much of it. "Where's the thief? You didn't send her to the authorities, did you?"
Jiang Fang shook her head. "Of course not. If the magistrate finds out she stole from you, beating her to death would be considered lenient."
Xie Yu spat out a few mouthfuls of river water and nodded. "Fine. Keep an eye on her for now. I'll deal with her in a couple of days."
After all that, neither of them felt like strolling anymore. They quickly boarded the carriage and returned to the residence.
—
Back at the residence, Shen Changyin was reading documents.
When Xie Yu left at noon, she had indeed been curious.
Investigating Xie Yu's whereabouts and keeping track of her movements had almost become an instinct for Shen Changyin.
Even Xie Yu knew about this habit—that was why she had deliberately asked whether she wanted to know.
Shen Changyin had said no.
After Xie Yu left, the room felt empty. She decided to pass the time by handling official business.
It wasn't that she absolutely needed to know where Xie Yu was.
She sat at her desk. A small mountain of documents was piled there. She randomly picked one up, spread it open, and began grinding ink as she read. Just as she was about to write—
She noticed it had already been reviewed.
The handwriting was Xie Yu's.
Xie Yu's script was completely different from Shen Changyin's—different from most people's, really. It wasn't ugly, but her force and structure had distinct personal habits.
Shen Changyin read carefully. The decisions were sound. She closed it and picked up another.
Also handled by Xie Yu.
She grabbed five or six in a row—all reviewed by Xie Yu. Many even had notes left in the margins specifically for her.
Xie Yu had practically finished all the documents in advance. Even if Shen Changyin did not work for the next ten days, it wouldn't matter.
With nothing left to do, Shen Changyin felt oddly dazed.
She looked out the window. Xie Yu still hadn't returned. She was somewhere unknown, doing something unknown.
Shen Changyin exhaled softly and pressed her lips together. Instead of writing, she simply began reading through the documents one by one.
Or rather—she was reading Xie Yu's comments.
She knew how much Xie Yu detested work. From subtle changes in handwriting, she could even tell what mood Xie Yu had been in while reviewing each document.
Old Jin had told her that during her long coma, Xie Yu had moved her desk beside the bed to work there.
Gradually, through those strokes of ink, the scenes she had missed while unconscious formed in her imagination.
Serious Xie Yu. Exhausted Xie Yu. Xie Yu smudged with ink while grinding it. Xie Yu so overwhelmed that she bumped her forehead against the desk in frustration.
All of it surfaced vividly.
Among the vast sea of paperwork, she even found Xie Yu's complaints.
Cursing heaven and earth. Cursing local officials. Cursing wealthy landowners who seized farmland. Fierce and irritable—completely unlike her usual gentle demeanor.
Shen Changyin read while smiling, treating it almost like light reading. Xie Yu's voice alone was enough to fill an entire lively book.
When she finished reading all the reviews and looked up—
The courtyard was still empty.
Xie Yu had not returned.
A flicker of loss brushed her heart like a feather.
Restlessness slowly rose. She opened her palm, then closed it again. The feeling of having nothing in her grasp was unpleasant.
She stood, paced the courtyard twice, then returned to sit at the desk and wait.
Fortunately, just after dusk, Xie Yu and Jiang Fang came back.
Hearing footsteps, Shen Changyin looked up—and her eyes widened.
Xie Yu was covered in mud. Even her face was dirty. She looked like she had crawled out of a swamp. Yet she grinned, waving a packet of red bean cakes.
Had she been out causing trouble—or begging to support the household?
Shen Changyin immediately rose to meet her. "What happened?"
Xie Yu smiled and said nothing. She handed over the cakes. "Secret. I'm going to bathe."
After bathing, she sat in the main hall. Shen Changyin sat beside her. A maid had already arranged the red bean cakes onto a plate and set them back on the table.
Amid the fragrance of red bean rice cakes, Xie Yu asked, "How does it feel not knowing my whereabouts? Can you handle it?"
Shen Changyin slowly ate a piece. "Of course. I don't need to know your movements at all times."
Xie Yu nodded. "Good. I'm going out again tomorrow. Don't ask too many questions."
Shen Changyin took a large bite and chewed for a long time.
—
Early the next morning, Xie Yu sent the rings back to the jewelry house to have them engraved.
After delivering them, she didn't hurry home.
The rings were only the first step in her proposal plan.
If she wanted the proposal to go smoothly, she needed to understand Shen Changyin's preferences better.
Honestly, they hadn't known each other long—four or five months at most. For much of that time, they had been in a political marriage with little room for discussing personal likes and dislikes.
She only knew three things: Shen Changyin liked ancient texts, disliked bitterness, and had the same refined taste in food as she did.
Beyond that—nothing.
She needed to ask someone.
The first name that came to mind was Old Jin.
Old Jin's full name was Jin Shiliang. She was old enough to be a mother to both Xie Yu and Shen Changyin, and she had stayed by Shen Changyin's side for many years.
Surely she understood her best.
So Xie Yu went to find her.
Recently, Jin Shiliang had rented a small standalone courtyard in the capital. It happened to be her day off. Xie Yu had expected to find her resting leisurely.
Instead, the courtyard was bustling.
Clothes hung drying on every rack. Several pairs of shoes soaked in basins. And Jin Shiliang was at the table in the main hall, writing something with growing irritation.
Just as Xie Yu entered, she crumpled a sheet of paper and threw it to the floor.
Xie Yu stepped inside. "What are you doing?"
Seeing her, Jin Shiliang stood and gave a respectful nod. "Third Princess. What brings you here?"
Xie Yu looked at the paper on her table, densely covered with writing.
"I have some questions about Shen Changyin that I want to ask you. But you seem really busy—what are you doing?"
Old Jin was practically on the verge of collapse, propping her forehead up with one hand.
"My wife is coming to the capital. She'll arrive tomorrow."
Xie Yu didn't understand.
"That's a good thing, isn't it? And then?"
Old Jin said, "My wife is a teacher. She's the one who taught me how to read and write. Without her, I'd be illiterate."
"She used to be in the northwest. She wrote to me assigning homework and told me I absolutely had to finish it on time."
Xie Yu raised a hand. "Alright, say no more. I understand."
Who hasn't experienced the agony of the last day of winter or summer break?
Come to think of it, renting this standalone courtyard and washing so many clothes in advance—it was all to prepare for her wife's arrival in the capital.
Old Jin said in despair, "I really can't finish it."
Xie Yu patiently waited for her to calm down before speaking.
"I really do sympathize with you. But could you spare a little time to answer a few questions?"
To make Old Jin take her seriously, she simply laid everything out:
"I want to propose to Shen Changyin. A formal proposal. Start over properly. So I want to know what she likes. Can you tell me?"
Old Jin suddenly looked up. After a pause, her eyes flickered.
"Your Highness Third Princess, you're asking me to reveal Lady Shen's confidential intelligence."
"Do you think I'm the kind of general with such weak vigilance? I would never casually betray military secrets."
Xie Yu said, "No—… we're already married! Married!"
Old Jin stared at her with bright, unwavering eyes.
"That's Lady Shen—the one who led me all the way from the northwest to the capital."
Got it.
Xie Yu's chest deflated.
"Fine. How much homework do I need to do?"
Old Jin immediately beamed and pushed more than half of the homework onto Xie Yu.
"Once Your Highness finishes all this, I'll tell you everything I know. No holding back."
As she took the homework, Xie Yu complained, "Have you considered that our handwriting is different? What if your wife notices?"
She glanced down at the handwriting on the papers—clearly Old Jin's.
"Never mind. I'll just write with my left hand."
There was just… too much homework.
Xie Yu wrote the entire day. By nightfall, she still hadn't finished.
She had someone deliver a message to the Princess's Manor, saying she wouldn't be returning tonight.
She needed one person, one brush, one candle, one night—to create a miracle.
As she kept writing, she even grew angry.
"How much homework did you even accumulate?! Did you do any after coming to the capital?"
Because writing homework was so inefficient, Old Jin had given up and was now carrying water to scrub the marble floors. She looked up with a smile.
"No."
Xie Yu was filled with bitter resentment.
The news that she wouldn't return that night was delivered to the manor and relayed by the steward to Shen Changyin.
Shen Changyin had nothing to do all day. There were no official documents to handle, and she had already finished reading the little jokes Xie Yu had scribbled in the margins of past paperwork. She could only take out the ancient texts she had previously collected.
But she soon finished that one too. There were even more obscure and difficult ancient books in the chest, but she had lost interest in reading.
So she lay on the bed, staring at the snow-white bed curtains, her mind blank.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded in the courtyard. She immediately sat up, tidied her hair, and went out to the main hall.
But it was only the steward standing outside, head respectfully lowered.
"Lady Shen, Her Highness the Third Princess sent word that she has matters to attend to tonight and will not return."
Shen Changyin froze for a moment. After a while, she waved her hand.
"Alright. I understand. You may go."
She paced around the house, from one room to another, for a long time. When there was nowhere left to walk, she returned to the bed and closed her eyes.
After a while, she opened them again and let out a deep sigh. She pushed open the door to Xie Yu's bedroom, lay down on her bed, and closed her eyes.
Meanwhile, Xie Yu didn't finish Old Jin's homework until the early hours of the morning.
Old Jin had finally scrubbed the entire house until it shone.
The two of them sat down again. Old Jin poured her a pot of tea.
"Your Highness, what would you like to ask?"
"What does Shen Changyin like?" Xie Yu was exhausted and didn't bother beating around the bush.
Old Jin was stunned by the question.
Xie Yu gritted her teeth.
"You'd better not tell me you don't know."
Old Jin quickly waved her hand.
"No, it's just that you asked so suddenly—I don't have a ready answer."
She thought for a moment.
"Doesn't Lady Shen's biggest hobby involve ancient texts? Oh, and she quite likes good food too."
Xie Yu waved her hand dismissively.
"I know that. But that's too broad. I need specifics. Something I can incorporate into a proposal ceremony."
"You lived with her in the northwest for three years. Didn't you notice anything she particularly liked?"
Old Jin hesitated.
"Lady Shen quite likes publicly beheading corrupt officials… Does that count?"
Xie Yu nodded.
"Yes, that counts. I was planning to hold a bloody proposal ceremony."
"Can you be serious?!" she burst out in frustration.
"For example, does she have a favorite fruit? Favorite pastime? Flowers? Plants? Does she have a favorite flower? Iris? Lotus? Peony?"
Old Jin suddenly realized something.
"There is one."
"She really likes a crooked-neck willow tree in the Gobi desert."
"…What?" Xie Yu couldn't believe it.
Old Jin nodded solemnly.
"Don't doubt it. Lady Shen truly likes that crooked willow. Back then, the military camp was set up right beside it. She specifically told us that even if we ran short on firewood, we were not to touch that willow tree."
"She would often go sit beneath it to clear her mind."
Xie Yu drew in a sharp breath, still finding it hard to believe.
It's normal for someone to have a favorite plant—but a crooked willow tree? That was… oddly specific.
Never mind. As long as she knew what Shen Changyin liked!
She would find a place with a crooked willow tree and use it as the proposal site.
She asked many more random questions. Old Jin could answer a few, but most of the time she couldn't.
By dawn, Old Jin immediately ordered her out.
"Your Highness, please leave quickly. I have to welcome my wife."
Xie Yu sneered.
"Burn the bridge after crossing it, huh? I just finished your homework and now you're kicking me out—to go see your wife. Choosing beauty over friendship. That's an added crime."
Old Jin sighed helplessly.
"What would you have me do?"
Xie Yu grinned and immediately blackmailed her into promising to serve as free labor for the proposal ceremony over the next two days.
Only then did she leave, humming a tune.
Old Jin's answers hadn't been very satisfying, so she decided to find a second person—Zhu Ting. Strictly speaking, Zhu Ting and her mother.
People in the military camp said Zhu Ting was also on leave today and had gone to a farm in the southern suburbs.
Not long ago, Zhu Ting's cousin had sent her and her mother some piglets. She stayed in the capital afterward and married a young woman from the outskirts.
After discussing it, the Zhu family realized they would likely settle in the capital permanently. So they bought a small farm in the southern suburbs and moved in together. Zhu Ting's cousin was in charge of raising pigs there.
When Xie Yu arrived, Zhu Ting was sitting under the veranda in the sunlight, holding a plump white piglet in her arms.
Xie Yu casually sat down beside her and started complaining.
"I'm planning to propose to Shen Changyin, so I went to ask Old Jin a few questions about her."
Sunlight spilled across Zhu Ting's delicate face as she nodded.
"Mhm."
"Not only does she barely know anything, she made me do her homework before she'd tell me. So mean."
Zhu Ting had just finished breakfast at the farm and was full, lazily nodding.
"Aunt Jin can be like that sometimes."
She was an upright young woman.
"Even though I don't know much, if there's anything you want to ask, you can just ask me directly."
Xie Yu was deeply moved.
"Do you know if Shen Changyin has anything she especially likes?"
Zhu Ting was thinking when her cousin suddenly rushed in.
"This is bad! The pigsty's been broken open! The pigs have run into the fields!"
Zhu Ting immediately stood up. Then she seemed to think of something and looked at Xie Yu—guilty yet bright-eyed.
Xie Yu let out a weary sigh.
"Fine. How many pigs do I have to catch for this to count?"
Zhu Ting grinned, her teeth dazzlingly white.
"Not many. Just a few dozen. Once they're all caught, that's enough."
Pigs—especially the well-fed, sturdy pigs raised by Zhu Ting's family—were not easy to catch.
And they had to be caught without injuring them.
Xie Yu worked together with everyone at the farm. Because she moved quickly and was strong, she soon became the main force in pig-catching, charging in head-on.
Several times she was dragged into a wild sprint by a pig.
By the time they finally caught them all, it was already afternoon.
Zhu Ting's cousin warmly invited her to stay for a feast of freshly butchered pork—specifically, the pig that had broken the pen.
Xie Yu agreed and sat back down under the veranda with Zhu Ting.
"Now can you answer me?"
Zhu Ting's reply was more serious this time.
"I think General Shen likes all good things."
"The winds in the northwest are harsh. General Shen quite liked the fine face creams confiscated from the prefectural offices. She likes fine silk, good cooks, and quality incense."
"Of course, everyone likes good things. But compared to those of us who never had them before, General Shen seems used to such things. When she doesn't have them, she endures it worse than we do."
Xie Yu nodded thoughtfully.
That was true. Shen Changyin did care about quality of life. That was why Xie Yu had once thought she was born into nobility, raised in luxury from childhood.
She asked again, "Then is there anything she's especially passionate about?"
Zhu Ting said, "Does confiscating people's property count? I feel like General Shen especially enjoys raiding other people's homes."
She covered the piglet's ears in her arms and whispered, "And torture."
"It seems like General Shen particularly enjoys those bloody scenes."
Xie Yu fell into prolonged silence.
Just then, Zhu Ting's mother—the same woman who had once been a small supervisor in the Hall of Diligent Governance, serving meals to Xie Yu and her sisters—walked past carrying two slabs of pork belly. She cheerfully declared, "General Shen's favorite thing is clearly beating up landowners!"
"General Shen distributed land to us!"
Xie Yu had gone numb.
After these past two days, it wasn't as though she had gained nothing—but it was barely worth mentioning.
She was truly at her wit's end. That evening, when Old Jin and her wife were invited over to eat the pork feast, she simply staged a confrontation.
She gathered Old Jin, Zhu Ting, and Zhu Ting's mother together, planted her hands on her hips, and ordered them to brainstorm. If they couldn't come up with a reasonable answer today, no one was allowed to leave.
The three of them muttered among themselves for a while before hesitantly offering a unified answer.
Zhu Ting was pushed forward. She said sincerely, "The thing General Shen likes most… should be you."
Xie Yu couldn't help laughing, then quickly forced herself to straighten her face, exasperated.
"Don't try to be clever!"
Zhu Ting replied, "I'm serious. General Shen often reads your intelligence reports. She also really likes sending us to follow you."
Old Jin nodded. "Did you know that every single pastry you ate at the morning market before—Lady Shen has records of them?"
Xie Yu didn't know. She had a rough guess about Shen Changyin's style, but she hadn't realized it had gone this far.
She muttered to herself, "What a pervert…"
"And every steward and maid currently in your manor was personally selected by Lady Shen," Old Jin added.
"Control freak…"
Xie Yu once again felt Shen Changyin's style in a very real way.
She also admitted her failure in the matter of "figuring out Shen Changyin's preferences." The only useful clue left was that crooked-neck willow tree.
She could only give up. After a lively pork feast at the farm, she set off back to the Princess's Manor.
Hearing her footsteps enter the courtyard, Shen Changyin—who had been rereading her past intelligence reports—calmly slipped the papers into a wooden box and locked it.
"You're back?"
She leaned out from the study, looking toward the main hall.
Xie Yu had specially packed some freshly cooked pork dishes to bring home.
"Mm! Come try it. The pig was slaughtered this afternoon."
Shen Changyin took a few bites. "Very good. The seasoning is just right."
Xie Yu looked pleased. "I know their cooking runs heavy on flavor, so I specifically asked them to season it in two stages. After the first round of seasoning, I had them pack this portion for you."
Shen Changyin's eyes curved with a smile. "Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Little Xie."
"I'd like to show some concern for you too. When you came back yesterday, your eyes were red. Are they better now?"
Xie Yu nodded. "I rinsed them with clean water. They don't sting today, so I probably didn't get anything dirty in them."
Shen Changyin said, "That's good. How did they get so red? It was worrying."
Xie Yu replied, "Nothing, just river water—"
She stopped and smiled. "General Shen, are you trying to trick me into talking?"
Shen Changyin said calmly, "Not at all. I'm not curious."
Xie Yu smiled and didn't pursue the topic further.
They chatted idly for a while. Xie Yu felt certain that Shen Changyin was trying to extract information from her the entire time, but she was careful and didn't reveal a single detail.
Night soon deepened, and the two of them fell asleep.
Starting on the third day, Xie Yu set out to search for a suitable proposal location.
The one hard requirement: there had to be a crooked-neck willow tree.
Finding such a place took far more time than she had expected. She ran all over the mountains and waters around the capital. The travel alone took up much of the day—at most she could visit two locations in a day.
And it was summer now. In several deep forested areas, the mosquitoes were absolutely relentless.
That very day, Xie Yu returned to the manor covered in mosquito bites.
When Shen Changyin saw her, she was genuinely angry. As she applied medicine to the bites, she said, "I may not be curious about other things, but at the very least, you shouldn't let yourself end up like this."
Xie Yu knew she was in the wrong and could only laugh it off vaguely.
On the fourth day, she left the manor again to search for a suitable location.
Shen Changyin watched her figure disappear beyond the courtyard gate. After waiting a moment, she raised her hand.
Several spies who had long been waiting silently appeared before her.
"Go follow her," Shen Changyin said.
All that talk about "I'm not curious" and "I don't need to know Xie Yu's whereabouts" had been lies.
She was her wife. Why shouldn't she know where she was?
Shen Changyin thought quietly—it was Xie Yu's fault.
Why didn't Xie Yu want to know her whereabouts?
Xie Yu always called her a "control freak," but wasn't the real issue that she herself wasn't possessive enough?
Not long after leaving, Xie Yu discovered the tail behind her.
Shen Changyin's spies had truly improved—but Xie Yu had grown too.
It took her considerable effort to shake them off before she went to inspect the third and fourth locations on her list.
Even though she could lose them, the spies still created inconvenience.
Fortunately, she had started dreaming again these past two days.
They were the kind of dreams where she traveled to a "parallel world."
Previously, she had relied on those dreams—where everything matched reality except that Shen Changyin didn't exist—to train militia forces and experiment with ways to counter Shen Changyin.
Later, when she no longer needed to oppose Shen Changyin, the dreams became less frequent. But occasionally, they still occurred.
Now, the frequency had increased again. Perfect timing—she could search for suitable locations within her dreams.
Time flowed much slower in the dream world than in reality. In her dreams, she spent half a month exploring nearly the entire capital and even several nearby cities. She also tested many of the elements she planned to include in the proposal setup before finally waking.
On the seventh day, combining dream and reality, she finally found the perfect venue.
It was a garden nestled against mountains and water, with beautiful scenery. Though secluded, the roads were well built and convenient.
Its greatest advantage: in the largest courtyard, there was a pool of flowing water—and beside it stood a crooked-neck willow tree.
No one had lived in the garden for a long time. She hurriedly hired many artisans for urgent repairs, which took another full day.
On the eighth day, she invited Old Jin, Zhu Ting, Zhu Ting's mother, Jiang Fang, and Doctor Zhang to help arrange the site. They would also rehearse the ceremony and walk through the entire process to see whether it made sense.
She also brought two children herself. One was the maid little Wan, who had sworn countless times that she absolutely would not leak secrets. The other was a former little beggar she had met while disguised as a beggar; she had later thrown her into the military camp. Now, she looked every bit like a proper young general.
Xie Yu assigned the two children to climb onto the roof and watch the surroundings for any spies Shen Changyin might have sent.
She was extremely serious.
"Absolutely do not lose focus! Absolutely do not miss anyone suspicious! Better to wrongfully eliminate than to let one slip by!"
"Absolutely!!"
Her lips and cheek muscles were taut; her shoulders were tight as well.
The adults exchanged glances, all slightly worried.
Jiang Fang whispered, "Don't you think she's a little too tense right now? It's practically anxiety."
They all nodded.
Old Jin sighed. "It's not exactly abnormal. Everyone gets tense at this stage. She's just a bit more obvious about it."
"What are you all saying?" The two little scouts Xie Yu had repeatedly instructed turned around to look at them.
The group immediately dispersed. Jiang Fang said, "We were encouraging each other. We're determined to help you set everything up perfectly today."
Xie Yu nodded with satisfaction.
"I don't accept flaws. I want perfection. I want a perfect venue. Do you understand? Do you have confidence?!"
They fell silent for a second, then answered in unison:
"Yes!!"
They immediately got to work.
Xie Yu's arrangement for the site was simple and elegant, yet rich in content.
Her understanding of a proposal was this: at the proposal site, she would express her love to Shen Changyin. At the same time, the site should serve as a form of restraint upon herself.
If someone isn't prepared to restrain herself, isn't prepared to uphold her promises, yet rashly proposes or leads another person into marriage, then no matter how much she claims to love them, she lacks morality.
So Xie Yu prepared two parts.
The more ancient-style portion was meant to suit Shen Changyin's tastes. The more modern elements—like rings—were a ritual for herself. After all, she was still a modern person at heart.
The ancient portion included various dried fruits with auspicious meanings, as well as expensive fabrics, tea, hair ornaments, and ceremonial pastries traditionally used in marriage proposals.
The modern portion focused on the proposal process itself and the ring.
She also planned to make a cake. Although cake-making was more Western and modern, she believed Shen Changyin would like it.
Soon, everyone was assigned tasks and got busy.
One important task was baking a chiffon cake.
Xie Yu had baked it in the modern world before. The problem was that in ancient times, there was no oven with temperature markings. How large a fire to use and for how long could only be determined through testing.
Moreover, the cake had to be baked on the very day of the ceremony, right before it began. The weather was hot, and the cake spoiled easily. It would need to be baked fresh and stored in a chest with ice to keep cool.
They couldn't find cream, but at the time they could use the clarified butter sent from the grasslands as a substitute for butter, whip up some buttercream, and use it to decorate the cake.
These were all problems for the day of the ceremony itself.
Today's task was this: three people, each watching over a small stove, testing how strong the fire should be and how long to bake in order to produce a perfect chiffon cake.
This task took the longest.
The first batch of cakes came out of the oven. Everyone gathered around to test them. They all agreed the cake was delicious—far lighter than the dense pastries common in ancient times—but the quality still didn't satisfy Xie Yu.
They had no choice but to redo it.
Xie Yu was anxious about the cake's texture while also running back and forth, adjusting decorations—changing angles, shifting placements, hesitating, rearranging again and again.
She had planned to set up a small pedestal to hold the ring, but no matter where she placed it, it looked wrong. She kept moving it around.
She found another possible spot near the water. She stepped back a few paces to observe.
Still not satisfied.
When she turned her head, she saw Jiang Fang and Doctor Zhang feeding each other bites of chiffon cake.
She exploded immediately.
"Bake the cake! Focus on baking the cake! Is this the time for you two to show off your affection?!"
"No slacking off to flirt!"
Caught red-handed, Jiang Fang and Doctor Zhang hurried back to their respective stoves.
Xie Yu threw herself back into her own tasks.
Jiang Fang pressed a hand to her chest. "I respect her deeply, but she's terrifying. My boss is monster-level."
Doctor Zhang giggled.
At last, everything was almost ready—when suddenly, from the rooftop, the two children sounded an alarm by imitating bird calls.
Coo-coo-coo-coo-coo—! Coo-coo-coo-coo-coo—!
The "little beggar" jumped down. "Someone's coming."
Xie Yu asked urgently, "How many?"
Little Wan jumped down as well. "One. But… it's General Shen."
Xie Yu's expression changed instantly.
She immediately signaled everyone to stay quiet, then rushed out of the courtyard, shut the gate behind her, and waited at the entrance.
Shen Changyin walked toward her at an unhurried pace, her gaze passing over Xie Yu to the closed gate behind her.
Xie Yu smiled. "Generally Shen, didn't we agree you wouldn't be curious?"
Shen Changyin replied calmly, "Do you think that's possible?"
Xie Yu spoke earnestly. "General Shen, I've been diligently reviewing official documents just so you wouldn't have to handle anything these past two days. So you could have a small vacation."
"Shouldn't you be enjoying yourself at the manor right now?"
Shen Changyin said nothing.
Xie Yu pressed herself against the gate. "Promise me—just enjoy yourself. Don't be a control freak, alright?"
"So you're determined not to let me see it today?" Shen Changyin asked.
Xie Yu nodded. "Mm."
Shen Changyin said frankly, "I'm unhappy. Little Xie, if you won't let me see, I'm unhappy."
That was exactly what Xie Yu had feared.
She didn't understand why Shen Changyin would be unhappy over this. And she didn't believe that letting Shen Changyin truly control every aspect of her life was the right solution.
She pressed her lips together. "I'm sorry. I really can't let you see this. But I can tell you—it's something you'll like. Is that enough?"
The tail of Shen Changyin's brows still drooped slightly. Xie Yu could tell she still wanted to know.
But in the end, Shen Changyin restrained herself.
She glanced at Xie Yu and said softly, "Then… Can I have a hug?"
Xie Yu immediately gave her a warm embrace.
"Go back, alright? Just endure it a little longer."
Shen Changyin gradually walked away. Only when her figure disappeared at the end of the road did Xie Yu let out a long breath and turn back into the courtyard.
Everyone inside was waiting for her.
Xie Yu took a deep breath. "The decorations are almost done, right? Let's run through the process."
As soon as she finished speaking, a few bird calls sounded from the nearby woods.
Old Jin smiled. "Magpies calling. A good omen."
Xie Yu relaxed slightly—then immediately tensed up again.
She took out the ring she had retrieved from the Treasure Pavilion and placed it on her wooden pedestal. The pedestal was lined with cotton and silk padding, perfect for holding the ring.
"In a moment, Little Wan will temporarily take General Shen's place and be led in. Everyone follow the process."
She set down the ring and admired how it gleamed brightly in the sunlight.
Then she walked to her designated position.
According to the plan, Old Jin would be responsible for leading Shen Changyin in.
Old Jin knocked on the door. Zhu Ting opened it from inside. Little Wan, playing Shen Changyin's role, stepped forward.
Xie Yu held a bouquet and took a step forward, swallowing nervously.
Suddenly, a shadow swept overhead. A sharp caw cut through the air. The shadow dove straight toward the ring.
A pitch-black crow snatched the ring in its beak.
Xie Yu's eyes widened instantly. Her heart pounded violently. She didn't dare move—she was afraid that if she did, the crow would fly off.
Everyone in the courtyard stood frozen like wooden statues.
The crow perched on the pedestal, cawed once, spread its wings—
—and took off.
Chaos erupted.
Xie Yu immediately hurled the bouquet in her hand, trying to knock the crow down.
Zhu Ting grabbed a nearby long pole and swung it fiercely, attempting to strike the bird.
The bouquet missed.
The pole missed as well, the crow easily dodging it. But the pole's momentum carried it forward until, as it struck the ground, it knocked into one of the cake stoves.
Hot coals tumbled out, igniting the dry grass. The flames spread more than a dozen centimeters in an instant, catching onto the carpet and the dried flower petals scattered across it.
The entire courtyard burst into flames.
A new wave of frantic chaos ensued.
Everyone scrambled to put out the fire. Fortunately, there was water nearby. The flames were extinguished quickly.
But the courtyard was left in a complete mess.
Worst of all, a large patch of bark on the crooked-neck willow tree had been scorched black.
Everyone stopped and looked at Xie Yu.
She stood there blankly. Her expression was unreadable. Her eyelashes cast heavy shadows on her skin. Her lips were pressed tightly together. Every muscle in her body was strained uselessly tight.
Everyone feared she would explode.
But Xie Yu simply picked up a stack of bowls without a word and walked into the house.
Soon, they heard the sound of bowls smashing violently against the floor, shattering—along with faint, furious shouting.
Xie Yu was a considerate person. She wouldn't smash bowls in front of everyone—that would make them feel as if she were directing her anger at them. But she did have emotions to vent, so she went inside.
Everyone understood that and exchanged worried glances.
After a long while, Xie Yu emerged.
Two thin cuts marked her forehead—caused by flying shards of porcelain.
She said quietly, "Sorry for wasting everyone's time."
"You should all go. I'll handle the rest."
She looked calm. But everyone knew she was on the verge of breaking down.
No one moved to leave.
Jiang Fang comforted her. "It's fine. This place can be restored quickly. We'll redecorate. The willow bark is a bit tricky, but it's not a big problem—we can cover it with some beautiful gauze."
Doctor Zhang added, "Yes. If it really doesn't work, we can switch locations."
They offered suggestions one after another.
But Xie Yu only sat down silently under the veranda and said softly, "It won't be the same. Whether we fix it or change the location—it won't be perfect anymore."
"I wanted to give her a perfect proposal."
Everyone fell silent.
But Jiang Fang suddenly asked, "Why do you have to give her a perfect proposal?"
Xie Yu looked up in confusion. "Huh?"
Jiang Fang repeated, "I'm asking—why must it be perfect?"
"And not the usual meaning of doing your best. I've seen many people propose. They're nervous too. But not like you. You're tense, anxious. In this world, things always go wrong. Why are you chasing this so-called perfection so desperately?"
"You know she'll say yes."
Xie Yu lowered her eyes and said nothing.
Jiang Fang pressed on. "You can't not answer me. You have to answer."
Old Jin tugged at her. "Alright, that's enough."
Jiang Fang shook her off. "Enough of what? It can't be enough. You've all seen it too—does this look normal?"
"Xie Yu. Answer me."
She used her name directly.
Perhaps being called by name worked.
Xie Yu suddenly sniffed.
She let out a long breath. "I want a perfect proposal because I want to tell her that I truly like her. Very, very much. The kind of love where she doesn't have to worry anymore."
Jiang Fang froze, exchanged glances with the others, and continued, "Why is that so important? You only need to tell her you like her. Why emphasize 'very,' 'doesn't have to worry,' 'perfect'?"
Xie Yu raised her head. "She's always worried that I'll leave."
The deeper meaning was this: Shen Changyin felt insecure about Xie Yu. That insecurity had grown into a powerful need for control, which in turn had bred negative emotions.
On the day of the military upheaval, Xie Yu had apologized to Shen Changyin. She had said: I'm sorry. I didn't give you a clear answer for such a long time. That's why you were so uneasy. That's why you felt you had to do what you did.
Those weren't pretty words. She truly understood Shen Changyin's insecurity. She truly felt guilty.
The stronger Shen Changyin's possessiveness became, the more Xie Yu felt it was wrong.
A healthy relationship shouldn't be like that.
She had a responsibility to give Shen Changyin enough security, didn't she?
She had been wrong before. She needed to make up for it through this proposal ceremony. She wanted to give Shen Changyin all the security she could possibly give her.
Jiang Fang sighed and sat quietly beside her. "First, don't take everything onto yourself. You need to understand—this woman surnamed Shen might have had her own issues even before she met you."
Old Jin and Zhu Ting glared at her, but they didn't dare say anything.
Jiang Fang smiled. "You're my boss. Of course I'll defend you first."
"Second, although I understand what you're saying—even if I don't understand why Lady Shen is like this—I'm absolutely certain this is not your fault."
"This time I'm not blindly supporting you. I'm truly certain it wasn't your fault. You're practically the least likely person in the world to make mistakes in this regard."
Old Jin and Zhu Ting exchanged a look, feeling a bit sour, but neither refuted her. They agreed with Jiang Fang.
Jiang Fang's expression turned stern. "But you did make one mistake."
Xie Yu looked uneasy. "What?"
Jiang Fang said, "You like taking all the blame onto yourself too much. So much so that you never found the real reason Lady Shen feels uneasy."
Xie Yu asked, "What is it?"
Everyone shook their heads.
Doctor Zhang said, "We won't know. You're the one who understands her best in the world. The most important person to her. You're the one who knows the answer."
Old Jin nodded. "Only you know."
"Go look for it."
Xie Yu gazed at the charred, crooked willow tree and nodded.
After that, no one saw her again for the rest of the day.
After she left the courtyard, she didn't even return to the princess residence. When Shen Changyin sent someone to ask about her, everyone covered for her.
—
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