Why My Domineering Prince Regretted Filing for Divorce?

"..."

Shang Ruyi immediately understood.

She had sold herself into slavery from a young age and later became a renowned dancing girl in the Two Capitals. On the surface, it seemed glamorous, but everyone knew the hardships and pains behind it. If she had both parents or a reliable person in the family, she wouldn’t have ended up like this. Moreover, her tone just now seemed to harbor quite a lot of anger towards her "uncle and aunt".

She softly asked, "Were you sold by your uncle and aunt?"

"Hmph!"

Lu Xiao snorted lightly and continued to turn her face to the side. Shang Ruyi watched her for a while, thought for a moment, and said, "If your parents were still alive, they would surely feel heartbroken."

These words were neither comforting nor particularly sympathetic, yet they caused a slight tremor of emotion in Lu Xiao’s heart.

She slowly turned her head to look at Shang Ruyi, the chill in her eyes fading away, replaced by a touch of indescribable fragility. After a long silence, she whispered, "I heard that the Princess also lost her parents at a young age?"

Shang Ruyi nodded, "Yes."

"And you—"

"It was my uncle and aunt who raised me."

"They must have treated you very well."

When mentioning "uncle and aunt" again, Lu Xiao didn’t seem as harsh. Shang Ruyi glanced at her fragile expression and tried to speak as calmly as possible: "Yes, they have always treated me very well."

"How well?"

The question was a bit presumptuous. Even though Shang Ruyi had a good temper, she couldn’t help but furrow her brows. But in the next moment, she saw Lu Xiao’s somewhat dazed expression, as if she hadn’t realized that the previous question might have offended Princess Qin. Instead, she sank deeper into her trance, speaking softly, "As if you were their own daughter?"

Shang Ruyi replied, "Indeed."

"..."

Lu Xiao was silent for a while and then suddenly chuckled, saying, "Actually, it has long been evident that the Princess was raised with love."

"Oh? How so?"

"The Princess has a gentle disposition but is very decisive in her actions. It’s clear that you were treated kindly from a young age, so you’re not afraid of making mistakes, not afraid of errors. Because no matter what mistakes you make, those around you will be forgiving."

"..."

These words left Shang Ruyi momentarily dazed.

She had long since realized the fortune and misfortune of her earlier years. Although her parents had died early, they had shown her immense love while alive. Even though she was a daughter, her father had taken her on travels and broadened her horizons; after her parents passed, she was expelled from the home and ended up homeless, yet her uncle and aunt sheltered and cherished her as she grew up. As Lu Xiao mentioned, her unyielding nature was nurtured by her father’s indulgence in her early years. Under the care of her uncle and aunt, if they did not treat her like their own, how could she have been so unrestrained, even to the point of deciding her own marriage?

Even after marrying, her actions were met with tolerance from both her in-laws and husband.

No wonder, from the moment Lu Xiao saw the affectionate farewell between her and her uncle and aunt, her words carried a hint of envy, perhaps not jealousy but certainly a deep admiration for someone fortunate amidst misfortune.

Shang Ruyi chuckled and said, "There’s truth in what you say. However—"

She tilted her head and looked at Lu Xiao, laughing: "Even without my uncle, aunt, and brother’s love, I would cherish myself."

"Cherish yourself?"

"Indeed,"

Shang Ruyi laughed, "Because only by valuing yourself will you not be betrayed."

"..."

"One could say the only person in the world who won’t betray you is yourself."

"..."

Upon hearing these final words, Lu Xiao seemed somewhat dazed, unclear whether she understood or not. After a while, she turned her face to the side once more, remaining silent.

Shang Ruyi said nothing further, quietly sitting inside the carriage, listening to the raindrops pattering against the roof. The sound inexplicably blurred her senses after prolonged listening, causing her to unintentionally close her eyes.

Just as she was resting her eyes, Lu Xiao lifted a corner of the curtain to look outside for a while, and said, "Why does the Princess bring so few people?"

Shang Ruyi opened her eyes, "Hmm?"

Lu Xiao turned to look at her somewhat dazed expression, realizing she interrupted her rest, showing a hint of apology. Shang Ruyi had already come back to herself, glancing through the small window opening. She could only see Wo Xue riding alongside the carriage, but before and behind the carriage were over twenty guards following, all of whom were the Emperor’s trusted aides from the palace, skilled in martial arts, ensuring their safety along the way.

Shang Ruyi chuckled and said, "Do you think there are too few people?"

Lu Xiao asked, "Isn’t the Princess heading to relieve Xiazhou’s crisis?"

Shang Ruyi laughed, "Didn’t I say, I’m not leading troops to battle. If they gave me an army, I wouldn’t be able to command it."

Seeing her enigmatic expression, Lu Xiao was even more confused but knew Shang Ruyi must have her plans. Having asked multiple times without being told, she decided to stop. Just as fatigue overtook her, she closed her mouth, closed her eyes, and prepared to rest like Shang Ruyi.

Shang Ruyi chuckled again and closed her eyes to rest as well.

They traveled through wind and rain for over half a month, and as they approached Yanmen Pass, Ashina Zhuxie’s forces had camped less than twenty miles north of Xiazhou.

Had they raced from the main Yatai of the Turkic, they would have reached Xiazhou long ago. However, Ashina Zhuxie led his forces leisurely, stopping frequently as if on a pleasure trip. The nearer they got to Xiazhou, the slower they traveled, eventually camping in place, to the surprise of his trusted generals.

But to their questioning, he merely said, "Wait and see what more tricks Aunt Qiancheng might have."

On hearing this title, the group frowned.

The Eastern and Western Turks had been split for decades, and even when united, their bloodline with Princess Qiancheng was distant, akin to a distant cousin in Han terms. Moreover, now that they were at war, there was no need to mention the thin familial ties.

Yet Ashina Zhuxie waved them off, "Alright, all of you go."

Without words, the men left the main tent.

Once they departed, Ashina Zhuxie stepped out as well, turning to another nearby tent, and before he could open the flap, a clear, childish voice inside cried, "Niu Niu!"

Another gentle voice laughed softly, "What are you saying?"

"Niu Niu!"

"You silly child, haha."

The laughter stirred Ashina Zhuxie’s heart, his hand paused mid-air, just inches away from opening the tent’s flap.