Chapter 214: [Khan’s Story 6] I don’t hate him
Chu Jiao stepped on the stirrup and exerted a bit of strength in her hands.
Not mentioning that the original owner had already learned about the six etiquettes1Six etiquettes refer to the whole process of marriage. 1.Proposal 2. Birth Date Matching 3. Betrothal Letter 4. Exchanging Wedding Gifts 5. Arranging the Marriage 6. The Wedding Ceremony. The phrase is usually referred to as 三書六禮(Three Letters and Six Etiquettes) and the whole chinese wedding customs can be explained in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEeKobHJP00&fbclid=IwAR2tcHXQXPv_g2bi2bJSd1ttS5nuhai9AP58tXPm0r_TCDJHx26NPt7Kx3E when she was younger and that Chu Jiao had successfully defended herself against the wild beasts in the cultivation world, riding a horse was simply beneath her.
However, this time, she deliberately struggled for a long time but still couldn’t get on.
“Beardie, don’t you know how to lend a hand to this princess!”
Seeing the man merely cross his arms and watch coldly at the side, Chu Jiao called him out in exasperation.
Hu Luoyan raised a brow but ultimately didn’t move a muscle. This girl made him concede defeat several times now, so this time, he wanted to see how she would make a fool out of herself.
Getting no response from the hard-headed man, Chu Jiao turned her head away in seething anger and suddenly pointed to a soldier standing beside Hu Luoyan, “Hey you, come and help this princess get on the horse.”
The soldier was only 18 or 19 years of age. His face was young and tan, and upon hearing her command, his pair of eyes brightened in an instant. While travelling with the group, he had already harbored deep admiration for this fairy-like princess, and now that the princess has ordered him to approach her, it simply felt like a gargantuan honor to him.
“As the princess commands!” His face had quickly turned into a deep shade of red as he got off his horse and ran towards Chu Jiao’s side, intending to come to her aid.
But, in the next moment, an ice-cold armor came out of nowhere and blocked him.
“I’ll do it.” Hu Luoyan only said these three words and the soldier didn’t dare make any more moves, obediently withdrawing back to his original place.
The young girl’s slim waist was completely covered with one of his hands, and without Hu Luoyan needing to get down from his horse, he simply bent his arm and lifted her up, helping Chu Jiao sit onto the filly.
“You even dare order my people!” His finger couldn’t help but slightly stroke her waist before retracting his hand.
“Jia!”2The sound that people make when they’re commanding their horse to start moving.
Chu Jiao didn’t even give this juvenile man a look, swinging one foot over the horse’s rear before forcefully pulling on the reins and running forward.
“There’s no need to accompany us,” Hu Luoyan turned his head and firmly instructed his subordinates while moving ahead, “This general will protect the princess.”
Great Chu’s Ministry Official initially wanted to stop him but didn’t dare do so. He only prayed in his heart that the spoiled princess wouldn’t cause any more trouble and watched as the princess’s figure went farther and farther away, the fierce Xianbei general quickly catching up to her and riding along with her.
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“Beardie, what kind of place is Outer Mongolia?”
Chu Jiao spurred her horse to create several meters of distance between the group before gradually pulling the reins back, allowing the horse to slow down its pace.
They were currently within the borders of the river and were passing through a peaceful plain, surrounded by forests that were verdant and lush, flowers blooming, birds chirping, making it look as though they were in the Land of Peach Blossoms3A heaven of peace and happiness..
“Outer Mongolia ah…” Hu Luoyan rode beside Chu Jiao and thought of the prosperous towns in Great Chu, his eyes growing dim, “The desert is cold and desolate, while the grasslands are vast and hazy. There’s nothing interesting there, and you’ll suffer a lot.”
As of today, he no longer regretted choosing this particular princess to serve as the queen by his side. The simple thought of being together with her inexplicably lifted his spirits without his awareness. However, seeing her pretty little face, Hu Luoyan suddenly thought that bringing her back to Outer Mongolia wouldn’t make the best home for her.
This kind of beautiful canary belonged in the most sumptuous cage, drinking the freshest dew and eating the most exquisite food there was.
Of which his Outer Mongolia wouldn’t be able to provide for her.
“Cold and desolate desert, vast and hazy grasslands…” Chu Jiao repeated Hu Luoyan’s words, lost in thought, “If it’s that hard, then he must’ve suffered in that place for 30 more years than I have.”
Her tone was light and insipid, but it carried a wisp of concern and distress in its undertone.
Hu Luoyan instantly knew who Chu jiao was referring to as ‘he.’ It was none other than himself!
Ever since before, when he was ruthlessly bullied by his brothers to the point where he was badly bruised all over, nobody had ever shown the least bit of concern for him. Even when the servants looked down on him and didn’t serve him enough food, nobody cared for him. And, now that he had finally stepped on a mountain of corpses to assume his throne alone, everybody feared him without a second thought.
He was regarded as the most ruthless wolfking of the land, but not a single person knew that in the very beginning, what he desired for the most was to merely receive the slightest hint of warmth.
His whole life had been ice-cold, and later on, the only sensation of warmth he had learned was from freshly spilt blood.
All his life, Hu Luoyan never imagined that after living for 36 years, he would receive a twinge of warmth from a princess of an enemy kingdom.
And at this moment, Chu Jiao not only thought of the bitter hardships he had suffered the past 30 years.
But, also how each time she transmigrated into another world, she would be well-protected by these strong male leads. Yet, before she had transmigrated, how much suffering did this man go through while waiting for her?
Thinking of this, her heart started to ache for the male lead.
“Cough, you’re an unwilling party in this marriage. How could you speak on his behalf?… Do you not hate him?” Hu Luoyan didn’t know what Chu Jiao was pondering about. And as such, he could only continue pretending to be his younger brother in embarrassment and ask casually.
“Hate him for what?” Chu Jiao slowly lifted her head to look at him, smiling brightly, “Everyone has their own calling. As a princess of Great Chu, my kingdom needs me to marry the khan and that shall be my calling.”
“Just like you… Just like your brother, as Xianbei Khan, his people need him to expand his campaigns and grow his influence to be able to secure more food to eat and warmth. That is his calling.”
“I don’t hate him just as I don’t hate myself.”
I only hope that he would be able to love me as I love him.
But, Chu Jiao didn’t utter these words, because she knew that it still wasn’t the right time yet.
Right at this moment, in Hu Luoyan’s heart, Chu Jiao’s casual yet serious response evoked a significant ripple, his heart skipping a beat.
He was wrong. His princess was not a canary.
But a swan.
Beautiful and noble, bright and warm.
[Completed]