Zanxing

Chapter 93 - Husband and Wife (1)

Gu Baiying let out a muffled groan, taking a while to get back on his feet. The room was engulfed in silence.

Yanxing propped herself up from Gu Baiying's chest, and when she raised her head, she found Princess Lizhu standing in front of them, staring at the two of them with wide eyes and a very complex expression.

Yanxing: "......" This awkward position.

The guards downstairs had heard the noise and someone called out, "Your Highness, is everything all right?"

"It's nothing," Princess Lizhu snapped back to reality, speaking calmly to those outside. "I accidentally knocked over the scrolls. There's no need to come in."

The guards outside quieted down.

Yanxing breathed a sigh of relief, but then heard Gu Baiying's cold voice from beneath her, "Have you lain there long enough?"

She quickly scrambled off of him. Gu Baiying stood up, brushing the dust off his clothes, his glare at her so intense it looked like he wanted to devour her whole.

"Why are you two here?" Princess Lizhu asked in a low voice.

"If I said we accidentally wandered in, would Your Highness believe me?" Yanxing asked with a face full of sincerity.

Princess Lizhu remained silent. Gu Baiying, still frowning, said, "Let's leave before we talk."

With that, Gu Baiying cast an illusion spell that tricked the guards downstairs, and the three of them—Princess Lizhu, Yanxing, and Gu Baiying—quietly left Tianlu Pavilion. Princess Lizhu led them to her private residence.

This private hall was rather unique, lacking the usual white curtains seen elsewhere. The decorations were mostly vibrant shades of red. Animal horns and totem-embroidered tapestries filled the corners, while a leather painting hung directly opposite the seat of honor. Mounted on the walls was a beautifully crafted horn bow, with an oiled whip carefully displayed beside it. Unlike the delicate and refined style of the rest of Li'er Kingdom, this hall radiated a raw and untamed beauty.

"This was where I used to live. After my son ascended the throne, I no longer resided in the palace," Princess Lizhu said as she took a seat in the hall's main chair, instructing her maidservants to prepare tea and snacks. "If it weren't for the recent troubles with the demonic merman, I wouldn't have returned." She then glanced at Yanxing and Gu Baiying, smiling slightly. "However, I did not expect that Immortal Gu and Lady Yang would be Dao companions."

"Hey!" Gu Baiying's face immediately darkened as he shot to his feet. "Just because you're a princess, don't think you can say whatever you want! Who's her Dao companion?"

Yanxing: "...." Gu Baiying's reaction was a bit too much.

"Is that not the case?" Princess Lizhu looked at him in surprise, hesitating before continuing. "I thought you two were avoiding others to go to Tianlu Pavilion for a private conversation."

Seeing Gu Baiying about to explode again, Yanxing quickly jumped in with a laugh. "Your Highness really knows how to joke. My Martial Uncle Gu is my master's brother, practically like a second master to me. 'Once a master, always a father.' How could I ever dare to be disrespectful to my Martial Uncle Gu?"

Gu Baiying shot a glance at Yanxing, finally holding his tongue and sitting back down.

Yanxing took the opportunity to shift the conversation. "Thank you, Princess, for not exposing us at Tianlu Pavilion. May I ask why...?"

"You are cultivators," Princess Lizhu replied, shaking her head. "Even in a royal palace, you can come and go as if it's an empty courtyard. Besides, even if I had exposed you, the king would not dare trouble you. No mortal royal family would risk offending the immortal sects, so why cause unnecessary strife?"

"Your Highness is straightforward," Gu Baiying remarked.

Princess Lizhu smiled. "In Tianlu Pavilion, we keep records of Li'er Kingdom's past rulers. Since you weren't there to... 'talk privately,' you must have been after the records. Why not tell me what you were looking for? I might be able to help."

Since she had made things so clear, there was no point in hiding anymore. Gu Baiying said, "We indeed wish to ask you about someone."

"Who?"

"Your husband, King Shenning."

Princess Lizhu froze.

"Do you still remember him?" Yanxing asked. "It's said that you and the late emperor shared deep affection. If that's true, you must have known him well. Could you tell us what kind of person he was?"

It seemed like no one had asked her this question in a long time. Sitting on the high seat, the princess's gaze grew distant, as though she were looking past the window and seeing someone far away. After a long pause, Princess Lizhu finally said, "He was... a very gentle person."

The Lin Kingdom was a small country.

Unlike Li'er Kingdom, which sat on an island in the western sea and had become prosperous from its coastal trade, Lin Kingdom was located inland on the eastern continent. The land was barren and mountainous. People of the Lin Kingdom lived simple, rugged lives, and many had never seen the ocean.

Years of drought and famine had devastated Lin Kingdom. Just when the situation was at its worst, envoys from Li'er Kingdom arrived, offering a marriage alliance along with a dowry of tens of thousands of pounds of grain. It was enough to alleviate the nation's immediate crisis.

Despite her unwillingness, Princess Lizhu agreed to marry for the sake of saving her people, and traveled thousands of miles to marry into Li'er Kingdom.

"Before arriving in Li'er, I was filled with anxiety, unsure of what kind of person awaited me, or why he wanted to marry into the Lin royal family," Princess Lizhu said. "I imagined he might be a corpulent, lecherous man, or perhaps a white-haired elder. But after we met, I realized how wrong I had been."

Emperor Shenning was a handsome young man.

He was neither old nor ugly. He had a mild temperament. When Princess Lizhu first arrived, concerned that she wouldn't adapt to life in Li'er, he even had the palace kitchens prepare meals to suit her tastes. He was thoughtful and considerate, graceful and elegant. Lin Kingdom was a place of rough manners, and the people there had never encountered such a gentle and refined man. Princess Lizhu quickly found herself falling for his gentle nature.

They had indeed shared a sweet period together, and she had genuinely hoped they would last forever.

Yanxing asked, "But... the late king had a congenital illness, didn't he?"

"That's true," Princess Lizhu replied after sipping her tea. "When I first arrived, I heard about it from the palace staff. However, they also said his health had improved a lot since we married. For a while, I even thought he might fully recover. But then... the demonic merman appeared." She trailed off.

Gu Baiying asked, "What kind of person was he?"

"He was kind, always considerate, and treated me well. I never saw him lose his temper. He might not have looked as strong as the warriors, but the night the demonic merman attacked me, he shielded me with his own body. He had never wielded a sword before, but when facing the merman, he did not hesitate or show fear," Princess Lizhu said with melancholy. "He was a good ruler and a good husband."