Chapter 65

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Protagonist:

Yan Qianqian

After returning to the palace, Yan An Yu immediately instructed a maid to send the corresponding silver to Tan Xintong as compensation. But who knew heaven would not cooperate; just at this moment, the Empress suddenly sent someone to summon her, saying there was something to inquire of her. Yan An Yu did not dare be negligent and hurried to the Empress's sleeping palace for an audience.

It turned out that the Empress's summons this time was to find out whether Yan An Yu had any favored young man in mind. Yan An Yu naturally answered respectfully, and the mother and daughter conversed very happily.

Unknowingly, time quietly passed, and by the time Yan An Yu finally took her leave from the Empress, she had long thrown the matter of sending silver to Tan Xintong to the clouds beyond the nine heavens.

It was not until several days later, when a palace maid beside her kindly reminded her, that Yan An Yu suddenly remembered this matter. Thinking that the matter had actually been delayed for so long, she could not help but feel somewhat uneasy in her heart, fearing that this would cause Tan Xintong to misunderstand.

After thinking it over, Yan An Yu finally decided to personally visit to apologize and return the silver.

So, she went all the way to the address Tan Xintong had previously told her. Upon arriving at the destination, she raised her eyes to look, only to see that the residence was not small in scale; one person living there seemed somewhat luxurious, and it must be that he lived there together with his parents.

Yan An Yu walked forward and raised her hand to gently knock on the gate. Not long after, the gate opened, and a servant who looked like a house steward poked his head out. Yan An Yu hurriedly explained her purpose to the other party, saying she was only there to return the silver and it was inconvenient to enter and disturb them.

Hearing this, the servant directly stepped aside to make way and invited Yan An Yu into the residence. Yan An Yu had originally wanted to decline, but seeing the other party's sincere attitude, she thought that if she insisted on not entering, it would instead seem affected, so she could only nod her thanks and step into the residence. Yan An Yu had originally been worried that Tan Xintong's parents being at home would be inconvenient, but upon learning that his parents had both passed away and that only he and a few servants were in this residence, she felt somewhat relieved and stepped into the house. Walking all the way to the front hall, a servant had already gone to announce her arrival; Tan Xintong, upon receiving the news, hurriedly went out to meet her outside the gate.

The Tan Xintong of today wore a set of clothes slightly different from last time, but the overall style was much the same; he still had the noble bearing of a wealthy young master, and his every move displayed an elegant temperament. Yan An Yu could not help but be slightly stunned, and only after a moment did she come back to her senses, hurriedly opening her mouth to explain: "I am truly sorry; because of some matters I was delayed and could not deliver the silver on time. I have come specially to apologize to you." Saying this, she had her maid take out the silver and hand it to Tan Xintong.

Tan Xintong smiled as he accepted the silver and lightly waved his hand, indicating he did not mind: "Miss Yan, you flatter me; it is only a bit of silver, and the hairpin was originally intended as a gift for you, Miss." Seeing the other party be so generous, Yan An Yu felt even more favor toward him in her heart. After returning the silver, she was about to turn and leave when Tan Xintong suddenly spoke to detain her: "Since you have come, how about I accompany you, Miss, to stroll the streets together? When we are tired from strolling, we can go to Tianxiang Building for a meal."

Yan An Yu hesitated slightly, thinking that since there were palace maids accompanying her, there should be no great problem, so she gladly agreed. Afterwards, the two walked side by side, strolling through the bustling streets. Along the way, they chatted and laughed merrily, sharing their experiences and amusing stories; unknowingly, their relationship grew much closer.

By noon, the two entered Tianxiang Building and ordered a table full of sumptuous dishes. Yan An Yu tasted the delicious food and was in an especially pleasant mood; while Tan Xintong stood beside her, watching her satisfied appearance, a gentle smile always hung at the corner of his mouth.

After the meal, Tan Xintong extended an invitation once more, hoping they could dine together again next time. As time passed, through these exchanges, the two hearts gradually drew closer, and finally they both revealed their feelings for each other.

After expressing their feelings, Yan An Yu then confessed to Tan Xintong that she was actually the Sixth Princess under the current emperor's knees. Upon learning this truth, Tan Xintong was stunned for a moment, staring with his mouth open; after coming back to his senses, he said with a troubled expression: "Your Highness the Princess, I am merely a commoner; I truly cannot aspire to someone like you!" After saying this, Tan Xintong actually developed the thought of severing ties with Yan An Yu.

However, how could Yan An Yu easily give up this relationship? She asked anxiously: "Is that all the sincerity you have for me? If you truly love me, are you willing to seek fame and success for my sake?" Facing Yan An Yu's questioning, Tan Xintong could not help but hesitate, but finally he nodded and agreed.

From that day on, Tan Xintong stayed indoors all day, reading only the books of sages, determined to pass the imperial examination to be worthy of the noble princess. Not only that, to better protect Yan An Yu, he specially selected a maid skilled in martial arts to give to her; this girl was named Yue'er. Yue'er not only had extraordinary skills, especially excelling in lightness techniques, she could be described as light as a swallow and coming and going like the wind.

In the days that followed, whenever Yan An Yu left the palace, she brought Yue'er to accompany her. And on ordinary days, if the two exchanged letters, Yue'er was responsible for delivering them. Through this back and forth, their feelings grew ever deeper.

Until one day, Tan Xintong proposed to Yan An Yu that she spend more time accompanying him. He came up with a plan: let Yue'er pretend to be Yan An Yu and stay in the palace, while outwardly claiming the princess was ill and resting in bed. Yan An Yu initially had some misgivings, but in the end she could not withstand Tan Xintong's earnest pleading, and coupled with her longing for him in her heart, she finally softened and agreed.

From then on, as long as Yue'er was by her side to help cover for her, Yan An Yu often stayed out overnight, spending sweet times with Tan Xintong.

Just three or four months ago, this year's spring imperial examination had already ended; if one wanted to take the civil service examination again, one would have to wait another three years. At this time, Tan Xintong made a startling proposal to Yan An Yu—to elope with him, and from then on hide their names and go to the distant Nanliang Guo to start a new life.

It turned out that because Tan Xintong had long traveled between various countries for business, he also owned a residence in Nanliang Guo. Thus, they would not need to wait a full year any longer.

Facing this sudden proposal, Yan An Yu did not give an immediate answer. She only said softly: "This matter is of great importance; I need to return to the palace first and consider it carefully." However, after she returned to the Imperial Palace, her heart could not calm down. When night fell, she lay on the bed tossing and turning, unable to sleep, and the image of Tan Xintong's deep affection and the beautiful future he described kept appearing in her mind.

And the personal maid Yue'er, who had always been by her side, naturally noticed her mistress the princess's unusual state.

So, Yue'er began to advise her earnestly: "Princess, look at how good Master Tan is! Back when he was doing business outside, who knows how many women were infatuated with him, yet he refused them all one by one. Now he can meet a noble and beautiful person like you, and for you he is even willing to give up everything, hide his name, and settle in a foreign land; he also plans to give up his former livelihood and do some small business in Nanliang Guo. Princess, you must cherish this affection!" …