Prime Minister.

Chapter 300, Page 299: [A Fleeting First Encounter]

For many literati, the night at Slender West Lake is the soul of Yangzhou.

As dusk settles and the city lights begin to twinkle, the picturesque scenery of the lake and mountains, which was beautiful and graceful during the day, is draped in a dazzling, dreamlike cloak of light.

On the lake's surface, countless lights are reflected and ripple with the waves, like a shattered Milky Way cascading into the lake.

In the distance, the Five Pavilion Bridge, outlined by lights, resembles a jade palace lying across the lake, while the White Pagoda exudes a sacred halo in the night. Scenic spots such as Little Gold Mountain are also decorated with colorful lights, creating a hazy, dreamlike scene reminiscent of a fairyland.

The sounds of string and wind instruments, mixed with the laughter of tourists, drifted faintly from various parts of the lake, adding to the bustling and prosperous scene.

Jiang Li was unwilling to make a big fuss, so she only asked Su Erniang to charter a medium-sized double-decker pleasure boat. However, Su Erniang dared not be careless in the slightest. Although even the most shady characters in Yangzhou under Xue Huai's rule dared not swagger around on the streets, and those audacious salt smugglers had been wiped out by Xue Huai, there were still some escaped members of the Xuan Yuan Sect rebels.

Therefore, Su Erniang had five seemingly ordinary pleasure boats chartered, each filled with elite guards from the princess's residence, cleverly surrounding the double-decker boat to prevent uninvited guests from approaching and disturbing it.

The interior of the painted boat is exquisitely furnished, with thick, soft carpets and intricately carved window frames that exude the unique refinement of Yangzhou.

In the private room on the second floor, Jiang Li stood by the window. The evening breeze, carrying the moist scent of the lake, caressed her face, ruffling the stray hairs at her temples and the light hem of her skirt.

Looking at the night view on the lake, she exclaimed, "It truly lives up to its reputation; there is no better night market scene than this, with thousands of lights illuminating the lake."

Xue Huai stood slightly behind her, pointing to the scenery in the distance and gently introducing the stories and legends to her. Jiang Li listened with great interest.

The painted boat moved slowly forward, passing through the arch of the Five Pavilion Bridge. Light and shadow flowed on the stone walls of the arch, creating a dreamlike scene.

"Xue Huai, look over there!"

Jiang Li suddenly pointed to a flower boat that was decorated in an exquisite way not far ahead.

At the bow of the boat, entertainers were performing the gentle and graceful Yangzhou folk songs, while at the stern, several women in elaborate costumes were releasing lotus lanterns. The warm yellow candlelight drifted with the waves, carrying their hazy wishes.

Xue Huai glanced in that direction and explained, "That's the famous Flower Moon Pavilion in Yangzhou, where there are often elegant folk art performances."

Jiang Li watched intently, her eyes filled with curiosity and longing.

Although she was a princess and accustomed to the extravagance of the palace, this kind of folk night tour full of vibrant local life and romantic charm was a completely unfamiliar experience for her.

She couldn't help but turn back to look at Xue Huai, her eyes filled with the joy of a young girl: "Shall we release a lotus lantern too?"

This was the first time Xue Huai had seen Jiang Li look so expectant, and since it wasn't an unreasonable request, he nodded and said, "Okay."

A moment later, two exquisite lotus lanterns were presented to Jiang Li. The lanterns were made of pink silk and shaped like blooming lotus flowers, with a small candle in the center.

"Your Highness, please."

Xue Huai handed one of the cups to her and picked up one for himself.

The two arrived at the stern of the first floor. Jiang Li, imitating what she had just seen, carefully squatted down and gently lowered the lit lotus lantern into the water using a boom. Xue Huai followed suit.

Two pink lotus lanterns, like two small boats nestled together, gently swayed with the ripples, slowly drifting away from the painted boat and gradually merging into the river of lights dotting the lake.

Jiang Li's gaze followed the two lamps as they moved further and further away, until their points of light were almost indistinguishable.

She clasped her hands together in front of her chest, the evening breeze ruffling her hair, her profile breathtakingly beautiful in the lamplight.

Xue Huai stood aside and watched her quietly. He never denied Jiang Li's beauty, but in the past two years, Jiang Li had always been that noble and aristocratic woman in front of him. He could not forget the coldness and disdain on Jiang Li's face when she appeared in front of him at the Green Green Villa.

He wasn't a petty person, but that's how things are; first impressions often leave the deepest memories.

Compared to Jiang Li, Xue Huai and Shen Qingluan's first meeting was a classic example of the talented scholar and beautiful woman in traditional Chinese novels. Even though Xue Huai knew that Shen Qingluan was being so proactive and enthusiastic because of her childhood memories, it was still a good impression.

As their understanding of each other deepened and they went through so many twists and turns together, it was only natural that they developed feelings for each other.

At that moment, Jiang Li opened her eyes and turned to meet Xue Huai's staring gaze.

Their eyes met, and the myriad lights on the lake seemed to fade into the background. The sounds of music and laughter around them blurred and receded, leaving only the reflection of each other in their eyes.

"Xue Huai..."

She called his name softly, her voice low and trembling slightly, as if she had used up all her courage.

Xue Huai's eyes narrowed slightly as he asked, "Your Highness?"

Jiang Li looked at him, a struggle deep in her eyes.

The night was beautiful, the evening breeze was cool, and the surrounding noise was almost inaudible, as if there was only each other in the world.

Jiang Li's hands, hidden in her sleeves, clenched tightly. Reason told her she shouldn't act impulsively, but the torment in her heart felt like a thousand ants gnawing at her.

"if--"

Jiang Li mustered her courage to meet Xue Huai's eyes and asked, word by word, "If I weren't a princess, would things be different between us?"

The moment those words left her lips, she felt the shackles in her heart crack. Perhaps she would feel annoyed and regretful about this question when she woke up tomorrow, but at this moment, she didn't want to deceive herself anymore—love arises without warning, accumulates day by day until it becomes impossible to extricate oneself.

However, for Xue Huai, this question was like a boulder thrown into a lake, creating ripples all over his mind.

When they reunited a few months ago, he noticed a change in Jiang Li's attitude towards him. Her seemingly effortless teasing concealed a girl's clumsiness and trepidation. That's why he accelerated his marriage to Shen Qingluan to avoid any uncontrollable accidents.

This is not only related to Jiang Li's status as a princess, but also to the special alliance between the two. Once emotional entanglements are involved, the situation will become even more complicated.

Therefore, he carefully maintained a distance, ensuring that Jiang Li would not feel embarrassed while also making her understand his difficulties and bottom line.

However, Jiang Li eventually asked the question.

At this moment, the whole world seems to have shrunk to just this corner of the stern, and to just this question that strikes at the heart of the matter.

After a long silence, Xue Huai lowered his eyes slightly, no longer meeting Jiang Li's gaze. He said calmly and restrainedly, "Your Highness—"

"Do not say!"

Jiang Li interrupted abruptly, then forced a smile and said, "You don't need to say anything, I—"

Her words also came to an abrupt halt, because a commotion suddenly arose from the side. The two of them turned their heads at the same time and saw a three-story painted boat with elaborate and gorgeous decorations coming toward them in an extremely arrogant manner, its path blocked by two smaller painted boats.

Those two painted boats were the escort vessels arranged by Su Erniang.

At the bow of the three-story pleasure boat, several men stood in a row, with their entourage behind them. One of them raised his arm and pointed to the two-story pleasure boat where Xue Huai was.

More precisely, it refers to Jiang Li, who is standing next to him.

Although the two rarely appeared in such occasions, they had seen too many spoiled brats and could tell what the other party intended with just a little thought.

The other party clearly didn't take this ordinary double-decker pleasure boat seriously. Upon seeing the graceful Jiang Li from afar, they naturally had a ridiculous idea.

Some offensive and lewd jokes drifted on the night breeze.

A murderous glint appeared on Jiang Li's face. She had traveled incognito not only to avoid making a scene, but also to create a private space for her to spend time with Xue Huai. However, this did not mean that she would ignore those fools who dared to offend her. Moreover, she had just gone through a thrilling decision, and the result did not seem to be very good. She was in a bad mood.

"Second mother!"

Jiang Li called out coldly, and Su Erniang, who had been deliberately avoiding her, appeared and quickly said, "Your Highness, please calm down. I will go and deal with it right away."

She turned and gave orders, and soon two more ordinary pleasure boats headed in that direction, clearly intending to surround the luxurious pleasure boat, board it, and interrogate it.

Jiang Li calmed herself down a bit, turned to look at Xue Huai, and was about to change the subject when she suddenly swayed.

Xue Huai raised his hand to support her arm, his heart suddenly tightening, because at that moment he also felt the boat swaying. Although this double-decker pleasure boat was not exactly as stable as Mount Tai, it should not have been swaying like this on the gently breezy Slender West Lake.

Just as Jiang Li was about to thank her, her eyes suddenly widened, and she said urgently, "Be careful!"

The next moment, three people dressed entirely in black and soaking wet leaped from the stern of the boat using the grappling hooks. Without saying a word or hesitating, they swung their steel knives at Xue Huai and Jiang Li.

Without hesitation, Xue Huai pulled Jiang Li and fled backward. The four maids who had been guarding the stern immediately shouted a warning and drew the daggers hidden at their waists, rushing towards the three assassins.

Almost simultaneously, the people on the three-story pleasure boat drew their weapons and engaged in a fierce battle with the princess's guards who had boarded the ship.

The sounds of fighting instantly shocked the once peaceful and joyful Slender West Lake.

At the stern, four maids rushed forward with a death-defying spirit. However, the three assassins were highly skilled in martial arts. The two on the left and right managed to entangle the four maids, while the one in the middle moved like a ghost, attacking Xue Huai and Jiang Li, who were only a few steps away.

"Your Highness!"

Sensing something was amiss, Su Erniang immediately led her people to rush over.

At this critical moment, Xue Huai turned his head and saw that the assassin was almost within reach. Without hesitation, he pressed his hands on Jiang Li's back and pushed her hard!
The sharp blade came crashing down!
With his strong mental fortitude, Xue Huai remained calm in the face of danger. He pushed off the ground with both feet and used all his strength to give way. Then, he could no longer control his body and staggered towards the side of the boat.

The long sword swung down, grazing past Jiang Li's flowing skirt.

Jiang Li felt herself fall forward and then land in a trembling embrace. Looking up, she saw it was Su Erniang.

At the same time, several experts who came with Su Erniang passed by, and before the assassin could swing his knife again, several long swords had already pierced into his chest.

"thump!"

A huge splash of water suddenly erupted from the side of the boat.

Jiang Li looked around in a panic, but Xue Huai was nowhere to be seen.

Ignoring Su Erniang's attempts to stop her, she walked pale-faced toward the boat, calling out in a panicked and sorrowful voice, "Xue Huai!"

(End of this chapter)