"Is the princess serious?" Zhi Yawen asked Xiana. "She cannot go to the Su Empire. I will talk to Prince Licheng and find another way to convince him," he asserted, looking at Xiana.
"Zhi Yawen, there is no use talking to Prince Licheng. He is here for me and I must leave. In the hardest times, he helped us and it is the time I should repay his favor," Xiana said. She held Zhi Yawen's hands and continued, "I want you to forget about me. I will do the same." She didn't let the pain show on her face while saying such words to him.
"Don't say that," Zhi Yawen said while furrowing his brows together. "I will not let Princess Xiana leave," he asserted.
"You cannot stop me anymore. I am afraid I cannot walk along with you on the journey of life," Xiana's eyes turned misty and she gradually moved her hands to his arms. "Forgive me, Zhi Yawen. I did not expect this to come," she muttered.
Su Licheng laughed a little to hear their conversation and came to the front from behind the pillar. Both Yu Xiana and Zhi Yawen looked at him with bewildered expressions. "If your overwhelming session of conveying feelings has ended, then should we leave?" He asked.
Zhi Yawen could not stop himself and marched to Su Licheng. He grabbed him by the robes and glared into his eyes.
"Yawen!" Xiana lifted her heavy wedding dress and walked toward them.
"How dare you laugh at us?" Zhi Yawen asked him with fury. Xiana held his arm and asked her to step back.
"Princess Xiana should stay back," Zhi Yawen said while beaming at Licheng. "If you want to take her away then that will happen over my dead body," he stated.
Licheng snickered and gazed at Xiana. "Your lover may not stand before me. Do you want me to cover my hands in his blood?" He asked.
"Look at me, Licheng!" Zhi Yawen grabbed his attention by tightly pulling on his robes. "Talkative people are considered cowards," he said.
"Zhi Yawen, I request you to stop," Xiana held his hands this time and tried to pull them off Licheng's robes. Finally, she managed to pull him away and stood in front of him.
"Don't react recklessly, Yawen. Prince Licheng has helped us. Don't you understand this? If you truly love me, then forget about me. You have to," Xiana said and saw him open his mouth to speak. "No. I will not hear anything from you. Follow my order as you always did and forget me. That is best for both of us and our kingdom," she stated.
Zhi Yawen frowned and looked at Licheng, who was smiling. He clenched his fists and decided to stay calm for Xiana's sake.
Xiana lowered her arms and then took a step back. She held her tears back and smiled at him for the last time. "Yawen, it was good to have a friend like you. I truly wish for your happiness ahead in life," she said.
She turned around and looked at Licheng for a brief moment before walking past him.
"I hope you listen to your princess," Licheng said and went behind Xiana.
Xiana stopped in the corridor and turned around. "Will you wait for me in the carriage? Don't follow me around. It annoys me," Xiana said, glaring at him.
"I was waiting for you in the carriage only. However, you first met your father, mother, then elder brother, and a moment ago, your lover. You didn't even change this dress. That is why I again had to come inside to check on you," Licheng affirmed.
"I hate you," Xiana said.
Licheng stopped blinking for a second. He didn't expect this to come from her mouth with such randomness.
"Now, leave my sight. I am still the princess and you are in my territory," Xiana ordered him.
"Sure. It can be my territory in a blink of an eye. You know it well," Licheng stated and smiled at her. He walked ahead of her and again stopped to say, "Show yourself in the next ten minutes in an outfit other than red."
"I will make you regret taking me with you," Xiana muttered and headed to her chamber. She dismissed the servants from her chamber and went to the dressing room.
She looked at herself in the mirror and tears rolled down her cheek. Xiana wiped them and inhaled deeply. "There is no use in crying," she told herself and lifted her hand. Taking out the hairpins from her hair, she removed the buyao at the end. She placed it on the dressing table and removed the remaining accessories.
Xiana unbuttoned her wedding robe from her shoulder and took it off. She opened the cupboard and checked for the normal handy dress when her eyes fell on the red one with tiny white flowers embroidered on it.
'I hate red, Xiana.'
Licheng's words rang in her head like a bell and she took out the same color hanfu dress. She changed into it and then combed her long black hair. She clipped a few of her hair strands and again took a look at herself. Her eyes landed on the red lip color and she put it on her lips to make them look bright red.
Xiana tilted her head and looked at the sword which was on the wooden stand. She picked it up and scanned her eyes over it.
She wore simple shoes and then came out of the dressing room.
"Xiana!" Her mother hugged her tightly. "Don't leave, Xiana. Your father and I will beg Prince Su Licheng again. If he refuses to listen to us, we will go to the Su Empire. But do not leave like this. Your father is with Prince Licheng," Queen Yu Shumin said while crying.
Xiana gradually pulled away and then wiped the tears from her mother's eyes. "Prince Licheng will not listen to anyone here. Mother, I will surely return soon. I am not someone who will submit herself easily. Mother knows me well," she said and forced a smile on her lips.
Yu Shumin shook her head and began to cry profusely. The court ladies and the servants behind her were crying too.
"How will your mother survive, Xiana?" Yu Shumin asked her and hugged her again.
"Mother, consider it as a trip for me to the Su Empire. Now, don't cry anymore. It will make me cry too. Mother always taught me to be truthful to my words. I followed her teachings only. I am only fulfilling my words given to Prince Licheng. If he hadn't helped us, many of us today would not be alive. Please understand, Mother."
Yu Shumin stopped crying and sniffled. She looked into Xiana's eyes and then placed her hand on her cheek. "You have to repay because of that. I never imagined such a day would come. I will wait for your return. Your father will contact the Su Emperor regarding the same," Yu Shumin said and kissed Xiana's forehead.
Xiana felt the excruciating pain in her heart. She never saw her mother crying this much. However, she could do nothing for her mother's tears to stop after she would leave. She felt terribly upset about it.