When the news broke that Princess Jinning was choosing a husband, not a single man in the palace was excited. Everyone knew the groom would be the least favored Ninth Prince. After all, I had loved Xie Yuan for ten years. Most disfavored princes were sent to neighboring states as hostages, but Xie Yuan had somehow grown up safely in the palace. And as the only daughter of a prince with a different surname from the emperor, today was my last chance to keep him from being sent to the Xiongnu. But when Xie Yuan passed me, he paused and took the scented sachet from the concubine-born girl behind him. “A Ning, she needs me more than you do.” He lowered his head and nodded to me. “It’s only a marriage alliance. Your status is too high for anyone to dare laugh at you.” The gong rang, and the master of ceremonies called out, “The sachet has chosen, ” Seeing his shoulders relax, I smiled and took the sachet back. But later, when the procession escorting him to marry into the Xiongnu reached its heartland, why did Xie Yuan weep and cling to me, refusing to let go?
