The princess was ordained by Heaven.

The emperor and empress couldn't persuade him otherwise, so they didn't say anything more.

Zheng Xun was having a good time in the martial arts training ground, thinking that the rest of the day was hers to enjoy, but the Second Prince found her despite being covered in injuries.

Zheng Xun nervously checked him over, and only when he saw that he was just pale and in relatively good spirits did he finally relax: "Second brother, your injuries haven't been treated yet, why did you come here?"

"Second brother has something to ask you."

Zheng Xun took the handkerchief Zhi Chun handed him and wiped the sweat from his forehead: "Second Brother, please speak."

"You can tell fortunes. My second brother wants to ask you to find someone."

Zheng Xun understood somewhat.

"who?"

"She's the girl I like, her name is... Xiu Nian, but that name might be fake."

To avoid arousing suspicion, he described Xiu Nian's appearance in detail.

Zheng Xun pretended to do some calculations for a while. To be honest, she now had a lot of experience pretending to be a charlatan, and at first glance, she actually looked quite convincing.

After a moment's hesitation, she sighed softly, "Do we really have to look for it?"

The second prince nodded: "Don't worry, I won't do anything. I just have something I want to say to her."

Zheng Xun nodded: "You two have a daughter."

The second prince blurted out, "You actually said it!"

Didn't she not want to tell him?

"Hmm? What does this 'surprisingly' mean?"

The second prince quickly tried to smooth things over: "Speaking so bluntly, won't that reveal a secret of heaven? Will it have any impact on you?"

Zheng Xun looked at him suspiciously for a moment, then gently shook his head: "It's nothing."

She just thought about it and realized that as the child's father, her second brother had the right to know about it.

"Second brother, go to Hidden Sword Manor and find the manor lord, Shen Canglan. That's the person you're looking for."

Hidden Sword Manor is located in Wuzhou, northwest of Dayong, neither too far nor too close to the capital.

It's good that he went to see Shen Canglan. Sending him away for a while would allow his father to calm down and prevent the two from having another falling out.

……

On the night before Zheng Jiao left, she set up a banquet, and the Crown Prince, who was under house arrest, and the Sixth Prince, who was in poor health, all came to attend his farewell banquet.

There was no complicated process; we simply set out a table of dishes and served some wine in a very ordinary way.

But what's most suitable to accompany alcohol is the myriad emotions of the world.

Zheng Jiao raised his glass and drank it all down his throat. After finishing the drink, he started crying again. After he finished crying, he pulled people aside and gave them instructions one by one.

"Zheng Jin! Take good care of my father and mother. Also, you are still young, don't be easily deceived by men."

“I won’t,” Zheng Jin said, both amused and exasperated. “Just take care of yourself, don’t get hurt too much, and don’t leave too many scars.”

Then wait for her, wait for her to draw up the map, and together they will deliver a heavy blow to the Brown Kingdom.

"Big brother! Take good care of your sister-in-law. You need to be more decisive. You're a father now. Hesitating won't protect your wife and children. If you feel tired, you can trust your other brothers and sisters more."

Although the wine Zheng Jiao prepared was strong, the Crown Prince did not get drunk. However, his emotions were so intense that he seemed to be slightly tipsy.

"Jiaojiao, your older brother is incompetent..."

"My brother is the best brother in the world, it has nothing to do with what kind of person you are."

"Second brother, call me 'sister' so I can hear it~"

Second Prince: Why is it different when it comes to me?

He turned his face away: "I won't call you that."

"Hmm... Second brother, don't make Father and Mother angry."

"Third Brother, if you feel nervous when you're confronting someone, be sure to ask others for help. Don't keep everything bottled up inside."

The Third Prince, having drunk a bit too much, asked, "Jiaojiao, how long will this trip take?"

"I don't know when the Brown Kingdom will be conquered, that's when I'll come back."

The Third Prince gently hugged her: "Come back safe and sound. I'll miss you."

Zheng Jiao waved his hand reassuringly: "Don't worry, I'm very lucky, and I've always been lucky."

"Sixth brother, take good care of yourself. I'll go to Liaozhou to hunt the biggest deer for you and make you clothes, so you won't be afraid of the cold."

"Yuanjia, take good care of yourself. If any bad people try to hurt you, don't be afraid. Your sister will always be there for you."

Zheng Xun didn't drink. She looked up at Zheng Jiao's drunken yet earnest eyes and slowly nodded: "I'll wait for you to come back, big sister."

The next day, the weather was fine and sunny, with clear skies and gentle breezes.

Zheng Jiao, accompanied by a squad of personal guards assigned to her by the emperor, left the city in two carriages.

There was no grand farewell; at a pavilion on the outskirts of Beijing, a few of her brothers and sisters saw her off.

Parting is often not so dramatic; it's just a peaceful day when you watch someone leave, and the remaining people gaze wistfully for a moment before turning in another direction, each going their own way to their own lives.

"It's cold in Liaozhou, so please wear more clothes. Also, write to me often."

“I understand,” Zheng Jiao said, dressed in a smart outfit with her hair slicked back, looking dashing. “No need to see me off.”

Her voice was gentler than ever before, yet it contained a vibrant energy.

The others watched her ride away on horseback, their usual smiles instantly vanishing.

Zheng Jin sighed, "With one person missing, I always feel a void in my heart."

The Crown Prince, finally released from the Eastern Palace, had no attempt to hide his worry: "Liaozhou is bitterly cold. I don't know if Jiaojiao will be able to endure it after she goes there."

The second prince pursed his lips, lowered his head, and said sullenly, "Why do you care so much? She's not a child anymore; she knows her limits."

The crown prince observed his expression with surprise: "Why are you speaking so harshly?"

Zheng Xun shook his head helplessly at the somewhat awkward atmosphere between them.

This is why the emperor was so angry; some words, once spoken, can easily create rifts.

The second prince himself would feel uncomfortable, and the crown prince would inevitably harbor resentment after finding out.

In that instant, Zheng Xun seemed to see a crack suddenly appear in the peaceful world, with the two brothers standing at opposite ends of the crack, each in silence.

……

Two days later, at the morning court session, Zheng Xun turned on the live stream as soon as he stepped into the main hall.

After seeing Zheng Jiao off, the Second Prince took a special leave of absence, preparing to set off to find Shen Canglan.

Because he didn't want the emperor and empress to disturb them, he only left them a message.

But it doesn't matter, with Zheng Xun as a bug, he can't hide it from anyone.

The second prince in the light screen was dressed in clean clothes, his hair was neatly combed, and he put on a golden crown and a jade pendant. He did the whole process meticulously and with utmost seriousness.

After being groomed, he no longer looked tired from his journey and appeared vibrant and handsome.

However, not just anyone can enter Hidden Sword Manor.

He was stopped at the gate.

He tried to explain to the gatekeeper, "I am the biological father of your master's daughter."

The disciple looked him up and down a few times: "Young master, since our young lady was born, at least eight or ten people have come to say the same thing."

Another disciple nodded in agreement: "Good brother, our manor lord is a god-like figure, not someone just anyone can associate with."