The Commandery Princess Yong'an, who was staying not far from the door out of concern for Tianmiao, soon witnessed the Emperor coming out looking relieved.
What exactly happened?
Then the Emperor, in a hurry and flustered, said he needed to return to the palace to handle state affairs, presenting an image of being diligent and caring for the people, which left the Commandery Princess Yong'an stunned. What was going on?
The Commandery Princess Yong'an watched as Tianmiao lazily walked out, feeling hesitant to speak. She really wanted to ask what had made the Emperor leave the Duke Mansion as if fleeing, but she ultimately did not speak up.
Tianmiao, of course, was too lazy to explain and instead headed directly to the practice arena in the back courtyard. Behind the Dingguo Mansion, there was a spacious practice arena where Xiao Anning practiced martial arts every morning. Watching him practice was also a pleasing sight.
By the time Tianmiao arrived, she saw that Xiao Anning had finished practicing with the long spear and had switched to a sword. Back in the day, when the Dingguo Duke went on campaigns across the land, the weapon he used was a long spear, and Xiao Shengsheng also amassed great military achievements with a long spear. Naturally, father and son taught Xiao Anning martial arts starting with the long spear. As for Xiao Anning's sword skills, that was thanks to the Commandery Princess Yong'an.
The Commandery Princess Yong'an excelled in the whip and sword and naturally taught Xiao Anning the art of the sword.
Therefore, despite Xiao Anning's blindness, his exceptional martial skills were not merely empty boasts.
Tianmiao sat in a rocking chair under the eaves, leisurely watching Xiao Anning practice with the sword.
In the center of the practice arena, Xiao Anning, dressed in a black, tight-fitting outfit, had a face like jade and a posture as steady as pine, graceful like a startled swan, and elegant like a swimming dragon.
The wind rose, causing his clothes to flutter and the sword's shadow to leave traces.
Then Tianmiao heard two servants in the distance speaking softly.
"Such an outstanding person as the young marquis, yet he cannot see. Heaven is truly unfair."
"Yes, no matter what the young marquis does, he has to put in many times the effort compared to others. It's truly moving to see. How can Heaven be so heartless to him?"
"Hush, stop talking, the Commandery Princess is coming."
The two servants scurried away.
The Commandery Princess Yong'an slowly approached and sat down next to Tianmiao, a smile playing on her lips as she watched Xiao Anning sheathing his sword.
"Commandery Princess," Tianmiao suddenly spoke.
"Huh? Miss Tian, what's the matter?" the Commandery Princess asked, puzzled.
"Have you ever blamed Heaven for the young marquis's blindness?" Tianmiao stopped rocking the chair, settled down, and turned to look at the Commandery Princess Yong'an.
The Commandery Princess Yong'an was momentarily stunned, evidently not expecting Tianmiao to ask such a question. Then a gentle smile emerged on her face, she shook her head lightly and said softly, "How could I blame? I am deeply grateful to Heaven for giving me this treasure. Ning'er is the most precious treasure of my life. I thank Heaven for bringing him to my side."
Tianmiao observed the gentle smile on the Commandery Princess Yong'an's face and smiled meaningfully.
After Xiao Anning sheathed his sword, he came over to greet them. The Commandery Princess Yong'an stood up to wipe the sweat from his forehead, then instructed him to quickly go shower and change his clothes.
"Miss Tian, the day after tomorrow, the Crown Princess Consort is hosting a banquet and has invited our family and also you. Are you going?" the Commandery Princess Yong'an asked. In fact, this banquet was arranged by the Empress. It not only invited people from the Duke Mansion but also included those from the Prime Minister's Mansion. The intention was for Xiao Anning and Ji Liruo to have a chance encounter and perhaps foster some affection.
Besides that, it was also an opportunity for the young men and women of noble families in the capital to get to know each other, essentially a matchmaking event. This was to avoid the Emperor issuing marriage decrees that mismatched couples.
The Dingguo Duke agreed to it, intending for Xiao Anning to have a closer look at Ji Liruo. If it truly seemed unsuitable, the arranged marriage could be quietly canceled. Of course, these private intentions wouldn't be disclosed to the Crown Princess Consort and others.