Tang Daiyu approached the banquet hall and noticed Helian Taiqiang waiting for her. Upon seeing her, his eyes widened, slack-jawed.

In his late mother's dress with her hair and makeup all done up beautifully, she looked like a goddess from Heaven. Her eyes highlighted with some au natural eyeshadow, focusing on the ground, flicked up at him alluringly. A soft, attractive smile spread across her crimson red lips.

Bowing ever so slightly, she greeted him. "Your Highness."

He reached out to help her straighten. "Ms. Tang, there's no need for such formalities. Surely after our long journey together we aren't still strangers?"

She blushed and agreed. "No, we're friends."

He smiled at her and turned to face the banquet hall.

"Shall we go in?"

She nodded, and they entered together. As they walked to their seats far down the aisle, close to the Emperor, everyone from the lowest minister to the Emperor himself all stared and watched Tang Daiyu, dumbfounded. Feeling the gaze of everyone on her, she straightened her back even further, increasing her height ever so slightly.

I was once the Empress of Heping. I'll show them all what it means to be royal.

Her beauty did indeed amaze all of them. Soon, murmurs began to stir.

"She's so beautiful."

"Much prettier than some of the girls we have here in Great Xia."

"It's because she's from Chang. I've heard that Chang has produced many beauties."

"I wish I looked like her. I'm so plain compared to her."

"She has stolen the show from all of us. How dare she?! She's just an outsider. We're princesses of Great Xia. How can a nobody from Chang be more beautiful than us?"

The praises and criticisms didn't even seem to crack Tang Daiyu's impenetrable barrier. She continued forward with Helian Taiqiang.

"Second Brother really is lucky! He's found such a goddess for his wife."

Upon hearing that, Helian Taiqiang nearly stopped dead in his tracks. Tang Daiyu reached out and tugged lightly on his sleeve to propel him forward. At last, they arrived at the base of the dais upon which the throne and Emperor Heichen sat.

They bowed respectfully.

"Greetings to Royal Father."

"Greetings to His Majesty."

Even her soft, syrupy-sweet, innocent tone of voice was enough to make any man, married or unmarried, utterly entranced by her.

Emperor Heichen nodded, extremely pleased. "Welcome, Taiqiang, Ms. Tang."

They bowed again and went over to their seats. Tang Daiyu sat close to one of the princesses who had just previously scorned her.

"Greetings to Third Princess."

"Humph!"

Helian Yaobai, the Third Princess of Great Xia, turned away from her arrogantly. Unfazed, Tang Daiyu leaned towards Helian Taiqiang.

"Your sister seems very proud."

He eyed his younger sister. "She always has been pampered by our father. It's made her very arrogant."

"She reminds me a lot of Liu Ling, the Fifth Princess of Chang that I once served."

"Oh really?"

Tang Daiyu nodded. "They're both proud and hotheaded and refuse to be outshone by anyone, let alone another woman."

Helian Taiqiang chuckled, "Yes, then it seems they are quite similar."

"Second Brother!"

His attention was drawn away, and he started to converse with a few of his younger brothers. But soon, the conversation turned into an argument.

"You're always the lucky one!"

"How so?"

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"First, you make friends with a martial arts master. Then, next thing anyone knows, you've become the Crown Prince of Great Xia! Now, you've come home from the south with an eye-catching beauty on your arm!"

"Ms. Tang and I are just friends."

"Really? Prove it."

"I don't have to prove anything. My words are the truth."

Not wanting Helian Taiqiang to get in trouble because of her, she loudly (and rudely) cleared her throat.

"What Helian Taiqiang is saying is the truth. He's just doing my ge ge a favor to repay him. It's not like he's proposing marriage or anything like that."

"And who would be your ge ge?"

Tang Daiyu's eyes blazed as she declared proudly, "Master Liang of Swift Breeze Sect."

The other princes choked, and their eyes bugged. Even Emperor Heichen was shocked. They all stared at her.

"You- you can't be serious!"

"That... what? How?"

"Impossible!"

Not deigning to vocally respond, instead she held up a white jade name token. On it read, Master of Swift Breeze Sect. With the indisputable proof in her hand, no one dared to offend her again.

All of the princesses were soon fawning over her, and the princes treated Helian Taiqiang well. The rest of the banquet went by smoothly.

~~~

Later that night, as Tang Daiyu was roaming the palace with Jiu Pang, she walked past Fourth Prince's residence. Voices carried outside, and their words made her pause. She got up close to the door and listened.

"Miss," Jiu Pang, a few steps away, whispered. "We should be heading back."

"Shh!" Tang Daiyu murmured.

From inside, there was a commotion.

"Are you sure about this? First Brother, what if this goes wrong? Royal Father will punish all of us!"

"We won't get it wrong. And, Taiqiang doesn't even want to be the Crown Prince! One of us would be more suited for it."

"First Brother, you're so smart. But tell us,, how should we go about kidnapping that Chang woman?"

Alarmed, Tang Daiyu reeled back from the door.

"The spy I have posted at her door hasn't reported that she's returned yet. Once she does, we'll snatch her."

"And then what, First Brother?"

"We'll use her against Second Brother. They say they're just protector and protectee, but do you really believe them? They've probably already married back in Chang! How can we stand by and let an outsider sit on the throne of Great Xia as Empress in the future?"

Tang Daiyu's fists clenched with anger.

You really think I'll allow myself to be anyone's pawn again? Think twice!

She listened for the rest of the plan, and just as the other princes were about to break up for the night, she fled with Jiu Pang at her heels.

"Miss, where are we going?"

Not knowing if she could trust Jiu Pang, she didn't answer.

Instead, she wound her way around the palace and at some point lost Jiu Pang. She didn't stop searching until she found the residence she was looking for. At the door, she knocked hurriedly. Soon, the door opened to reveal a very shocked Helian Taiqiang.

"Ms. Tang? What are you doing out at this hour? It's already the beginning of the last shichen of the day."

Forgoing propriety, she blurted, "Taiqiang, there's something you should know."

His eyebrows furrowed with concern, and he quickly ushered her inside. Once they had sat down at the table, she told him everything she had heard.

"They want to start another war with you. I- I just happened by and heard them discussing this."

A dark look crossed his face as he said, "It's fine if they want to take up troubles against me; it's a family dispute. But they're roping you into this. That, I cannot tolerate."

"Should we go to the Emperor?"

Helian Taiqiang shook his head. "If we can resolve this without him knowing, then that's for the best. They already hate that I'm close to our Royal Father. They'll just hate me more if we involve him."

"So what should we do?"

He sighed. "First things first, you cannot go back to your residence tonight. You can stay here. I'll sleep in the chair."

"No! I don't want to be a burden. I know you have to protect me because you promised Zhou-ge, but that doesn't mean you have to give me your bed."

"How else will I be able to protect you? As long as you're here, I can make sure no one tries to hurt you."

Tang Daiyu looked away, embarrassed and ashamed.

If only I could use my martial arts. Then, no one would have to protect me any longer.

She hated that she couldn't deal with things on her own.

Mother, Father, Baobao, I'm so sorry. I'm such an unfilial child. I don't deserve to bear the Tang surname.

Her eyes watered, and she bowed her head, not wanting him to see her tears.

"Ms. Tang?" His voice was soft and gentle. He squatted down in front of her and gently raised her chin. "What's wrong?"

"How much do you know about me, Your Highness? What did Zhou-ge tell you?"

"I know everything. But earlier today, you never did say why your family was killed. You just mentioned it."

Tang Daiyu's eyes met his. "Zhou-ge doesn't even know."

"What happened, Ms. Tang?"

She shook her head. All she divulged to him was, "It's all my fault."