CH 68

Chapter 68: Choice

Xiao Susu’s tone was very indifferent and her words correspond perfectly to etiquette while being concise. She didn’t look at the ninth prince as she spoke these words in a mild tone.

“Susu.” Old Madame Xiao was shocked. She had been worried that her precious granddaughter would be hurt.

It must be known that in Hundred Flowers Nation, it was the women that reigned. It had always been women taking men in marriage. When had a woman ever been embarrassed in such a manner?

Xiao Susu’s smile deepened when she saw Old Madame Xiao’s concerned look and she shook her head. “Grandma, it’s fine.”

As she stood there in the center of the hall, her figure emitted unyielding pride like a plum tree that stood tall in the middle of bitter snow.

Her simple white dress complemented her slender figure.

The Ninth Prince heard this elegant voice before he even looked back. The voice was lofty but clear as the cry of an oriole.

Susu…

It was the girl betrothed to him fifteen years ago.

Although he tried to make himself remain calm, he couldn’t help but stiffen. He had gotten news that the youngest miss of the Xiao family was dumb and had never spoken before.

Then, who was this woman standing beside him right now?

When Old Madame Xiao saw the unyielding look in Xiao Susu’s eyes, she decided to remain silent.

She was aware that she couldn’t make the decision for Xiao Susu.

She could tell just from that gaze.

She didn’t sigh. Instead, her heart filled with joy.

Xiao Susu, her granddaughter was in no way inferior to her. She seemed to even surpass her.

The ninth prince was silent as he looked at the carved phoenix pendant offered to him by a pair of slender hands. He was still holding the carved dragon pendant up as well, but for a moment, he was too stunned to react.

However, Xiao Susu didn’t give him much time to consider things and just dropped the phoenix pendant in his hand before taking the dragon pendant. “Ninth Prince, greetings. Let us meet again if there’s fate.”

Then she turned and left.

Nangong Mo stared after Xiao Susu incredulously.

He couldn’t believe that this woman was the Xiao family’s granddaughter. Although he didn’t see her face, that imposing aura was already enough to stun him.

That calmness in the face of honor and disgrace, that natural grace was something that countless men would flurry to admire.

Even the lofty female emperor of Hundred Flowers Nation fell short of this.

As Xiao Susu vanished from sight, Nangong Mo actually felt a little lost as if they had missed an opportunity.

It took a while for the Ninth Prince to recover. He bowed politely, “Then this prince will stop disturbing Old Madame Xiao.”

He suddenly felt that he hadn’t shamed the Xiao family, it was him that was just trampled on by that girl.

He felt very conflicted as he left the Xiao residence with the carved dragon pendant.

Xiao Susu smiled coldly. She had been worrying over how to break off the engagement when they came along and helped her out.

With this, although she would become a laughingstock, she wouldn’t be accused of disrespecting the imperial decree.

The Xiao family wouldn’t be implicated due to this matter either.

Meanwhile, the moment the ninth prince, Baili Mo, and Nangong Mo left the Xiao residence, they headed back to the imperial household’s garden.

“Was that really the fool, Xiao Susu?” asked the Ninth Prince disbelievingly as he sat down on a chair.

Nangong Mo was also puzzled over the same matter. He had examined her carefully earlier. That aura, that way of holding herself and the way she spoke was nothing like that of a someone who had been a fool for fifteen years.

Could it be that the rumors were wrong?

Then…

“Based on what I saw, that wasn’t Xiao Susu at all.” Nangong Mo recalled the information they had obtained since coming to Hundred Flowers Nation. Everyone said that the youngest miss of the Xiao family was a fool.

This news couldn’t be wrong.

When the Ninth Prince heard this, he smiled. “True. For a moment, this prince really thought that was Xiao Susu. If she had such unyielding character, then even if she was a fool, this prince would’ve taken her as wife.”

Then he shook his head. “It’s just a pity that a fool wouldn’t be like this.”

Nangong Mo nodded. “Indeed. The Xiao family had probably felt too humiliated and found someone to pretend to be Xiao Susu so that Ninth Prince would feel humiliated.”

He then clenched his fist. “You’re aware as well that Xiao Mi isn’t just an ordinary old fox. The fact that she was able to keep control over half of Hundred Flowers Nation’s military force for so many years show that she has effective means.”

Back then, when the proposal from the Unyielding Clouds Nation’s imperial household was rejected by the Xiao family, it was already a slap to their face. Now they were promising a fool in marriage, this was clearly dealing a slap to their other cheek.

This time, Baili Mo intended to return all of this to the Xiao family and slap their face hard.

“Indeed.” Baili Mo’s fox-like eyes narrowed. “So based on this, what would you do?”

Since they’ve already come to Hundred Flowers Nation, there was no reason to return empty-handed. This time, they definitely had to make the Xiao family become the laughingstock of the world.

In order to overturn that earlier insult.

Although Nangong Mo was Baili Mo’s guard in name, in reality, they were very good friends.

That’s why they always addressed each other as brothers and didn’t bother with etiquette when they weren’t in front of others.

“Jasper Flower Banquet.”

After a moment of thought, Nangong Mo smirked. “A fool is a fool. I’d like to see how the Xiao family can pull out a substitute at that time.”

Baili Mo clapped with a laugh. “Then that’s settled.”

As he spoke, he got up. “I’ll head to the palace right now and request that the emperor makes Xiao Susu attend the banquet.”

It was a vicious method.

Once the imperial decree was issued, there’s no way the Xiao family would dare to disobey. Even if Xiao Susu was a fool, she would still have to participate in the banquet.

The Xiao family was livid when they heard that the ninth prince had broken off the engagement.

Xiao Yan and Xiao Zhu expressed strong discontent and cursed that the members of the Unyielding Clouds Nation’s imperial household were blind and couldn’t recognize talent. Of course, this was because with things like this, Xiao Susu would now be given a portion of the Xiao family’s possessions.

Everything they had said earlier about things being too late were just words of self-comfort. The actual thing they were relying on was the fact that Xiao Susu had to leave the Xiao family.

However, that tiny bit of hope was destroyed just like this.

Meanwhile, the three brothers of the Xiao family now had even more hope for Xiao Susu.

In this situation, it was quite clear that Xiao Susu would be the future master of the Xiao family.

After all, she was young. Everything was possible.

The imperial household of Hundred Flowers Nation was currently lacking talented field commanders. If Xiao Susu had this talent, her prospects were endless.

Since Xiao Susu had just woken up, Old Madame Xiao didn’t pressure her. Even though the family’s hopes were placed on her, things still had to come step by step.

It was impossible to ascend to Heaven in one stride.

The days passed one by one, and soon, it had already been a month since Xiao Susu had woken up. The breaking off of the engagement didn’t affect her mood one bit. On the contrary, her facial color just improved by the day.

She gradually started smiling more as well.

The Xiao family gradually became united because she wasn’t arrogant and didn’t have a bad temper. Although her personality was a bit cold, she still obtained the entire residence’s respect.

In this lifetime, Su Qiqi vowed to live a life more brilliant than anyone else’s.

Just as the people of the Xiao family thought that things would pass just like this, an imperial decree destroyed the tranquil atmosphere.

Old Madame Xiao, Xiao Yan, and Xiao Zhu gathered.

“The emperor had personally invited Xiao Susu to participate in the annual Jasper Flower Banquet? Isn’t this clearly trying to make our Xiao family lose face?” Xiao Yan had a pretty bad temper and immediately shouted this angrily.

Xiao Zhu’s expression was also concerned. “Although Susu has woken up and her face is even more beautiful than Third Sister’s, but the Jasper Flower Banquet emphasizes talent. There’s only a month left, what could Susu possibly learn? Poetry and song or the four arts? Just one is better than nothing.”

Old Madame Xiao’s face was just as solemn.

Because the court had been busy over certain matters this past period of time, she hadn’t been able to visit Xiao Susu every day in the past. Although she seemed very interested whenever they discussed the four arts and was able to converse about it well, in comparison with the other talented sons and daughters of the three nations, she’d probably be only a laughingstock.

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Credits: Translated by Chiyomira