Chapter 43.1
A wave of shock washed over Zhao Heng, leaving her momentarily stunned into silence.
In the unsettling stillness, a sharp crack echoed through the air.
Li Wenjian, his face expressionless, lowered his gaze. The porcelain cup clutched in his hand shattered into fragments.
"Your Highness, what has happened?" Lin Mama, alerted by the sound, hurried in from outside. Upon noticing the blood on Li Wenjian's hand, she gasped, "Oh dear! How did Your Highness hurt your hand?"
Zhao Heng pushed herself up and looked towards Li Wenjian across the room, with Lin Mama standing beside him. Lin Mama noticed the stunned look on Zhao Heng's face as she stood by the bed, and then glanced at Li Wenjian, whose lips were tightly pursed and his expression stern.
She had a feeling that something was not quite right between these two. Just as she was about to say something, Li Wenjian took the handkerchief she handed him and slowly wiped the blood off his fingertips. "Leave," he said.
Lin Mama felt a strange sensation she had never experienced before. The Crown Prince had never spoken to her in such a stern manner, except perhaps when General Wei had just died. She hesitated, looking at Zhao Heng.
Zhao Heng nodded. "Lin Mama, you should leave first."
Lin Mama carried the tray of medicine and left to find the Lian Zhou outside.
Lian Zhou was sitting on the steps in a daze. Lin Mama lowered her voice and asked her, "Are they fighting?"
Lian Zhou glanced worriedly in the direction of the inner chamber and whispered, "I'm not sure."
Lin Mama placed a hand on Lian Zhou's shoulder and sat down beside her, puzzled. "It's been a long time since I've seen the Crown Prince like this."
It was midsummer, and there was an ice mirror in the inner chamber, emitting a cold air. Li Wenjian walked straight to the desk and sat down behind it. Zhao Heng's back felt as cold as the ice. She got up and followed him to the desk.
When she had jumped off the Fengming Terrace, she had brushed through the grass, leaving many green stains on her light purple dress. She hadn't changed her clothes yet, nor had she had time to freshen up. Sweat glistened on her brow, and her damp hair clung tightly to her temples, almost transparent with its icy skin.
Li Wenjian's expression was unreadable as his sharp gaze fell heavily on Zhao Heng's face.
Neither of them spoke.
As the ice slowly melted in the heat, drops of water fell into the mirror, occasionally making a tinkling sound.
The feeling of frustration, urgency, and discomfort was unbearable. She had thought that dealing with Ruo Zhen would put an end to this unpleasant matter once and for all. She didn't expect Li Wenjian to find out. She didn't know where she had gone wrong.
Her eyelashes trembled slightly as she whispered, "I have no affair with Ruo Zhen."
"What were you doing with him there?" Li Wenjian bit his lip lightly, his gaze penetrating into Zhao Heng's eyes.
Zhao Heng lowered her gaze, unsure of how to broach the subject that was so difficult to talk about.
She looked at the tea cup on the table. Her throat was too dry, as if it was about to crack.
Li Wenjian watched her standing in front of him hesitatingly, and he remembered how she had lied to him with a smile when they met in the palace. An inexplicable anger surged in his chest.
Li Wenjian restrained his anger.
"If you can't say it, let Lian Zhou come in," Li Wenjian suddenly stood up.
He had many ways to find out what had happened at the Fengming Terrace today, but he didn't want to know about Zhao Heng from any other source. He wanted to hear it from her mouth.
"No need," Zhao Heng frowned, her voice muffled.
Why did it have to be her feeling embarrassed? It was Ruo Zhen who was being unreasonable and harassing her from the start. Why did she feel ashamed and unable to speak?
"Ruo Zhen has harassed me several times, asking me to go to the Yue Tribe with him," Zhao Heng hesitated before meeting Li Wenjian's eyes. "I didn't want to go to the Yue Tribe."
"Do you know what kind of person Ruo Zhen really is?" Li Wenjian asked in a deep voice.
Zhao Heng sighed silently. She knew that Ruo Zhen was the Prince of the Yue Tribe, an ally of Dongli, and a sought-after ally for the Crown Prince.
And it was precisely because of this that she had not, and dare not, let Ruo Zhen make a big deal out of this matter.
"The King of the Yue Tribe has a total of thirty-two sons. He killed eleven of them to ascend to the position of Crown Prince. He is cunning, ruthless, and kills without hesitation." Li Wenjian stared into Zhao Heng's eyes, his anger suppressed. "Where did you find the courage to meet him alone at the Fengming Terrace?"
If she had another choice.
Would she do it?
No. No one does not value their own life.
But she simply had no other way.
From the moment when Wei Wanyu had pushed her in front of Ruo Zhen, she had no choice. She had also hoped that Li Wenjian would intervene on her behalf, but she learned of his grand ambitions and saw his devotion to his country.
She didn't dare to bet on the slightest possibility of him backing her up.
She had known since she was young that she had no one to rely on and that many things had to be fought for by herself.
Nobody helped her.
She only had herself.
Zhao Heng looked at Li Wenjian, giving him a faint smile. "When people are pushed to the brink, they always find a little more courage. Fortunately, everything turned out fine."
An invisible pressure descended upon Li Wenjian like a mountain. Zhao Heng's hand on her skirt slowly clenched the fabric as she forced herself to not show fear, to not avoid eye contact, and to meet Li Wenjian's gaze.
Her voice lowered with a hint of pleading, "Your Highness, I have resolved this matter. Can you... not send me to him?"
Something seemed to explode in Li Wenjian's chest.
Send Zhao Heng to Ruo Zhen?
What did she take herself for?
Li Wenjian looked up at her. "Do you even know what you're saying?"
He stood up, approaching Zhao Heng step by step.
His entire being exuded an overwhelming pressure that forced Zhao Heng to take a half step back, her back against the tall table behind her. A basin filled with lotus flowers on the table swayed slightly, splashing a few drops of water onto the back of her hand.
For some reason, Zhao Heng felt a hint of panic at that moment. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and said, "Your Highness, I will go out of the Eastern Palace less in the future, and I will never cause such trouble for you again. Please... don't make me go to the Yue Tribe."
"Zhao Heng," Li Wenjian's voice turned colder. "In your eyes, what kind of incompetent person am I? So incompetent that I would give my woman to an allied nation? Why didn't you come to me after this happened?"
In a daze, Zhao Heng's horrified gaze became confused and fell on the dirty crease of Li Wenjian's arm - which had picked up grass stains when he had held her. She gripped her skirt tighter, her fingertips and knuckles turning white, and she said softly, "I asked you. You told me about your ambitions for your country. You said you would spare no effort for it."
"Why are Your Majesty and Your Highness so tolerant and lenient towards that arrogant Ruo Zhen?"
"Even if you were to trade with the most precious thing, you wouldn't mind?"
"For the grand cause of our country, nothing is spared."
Li Wenjian stared at her with a deep gaze, exuding the innate aristocratic demeanor that momentarily made Zhao Heng unable to meet his eyes, forcing her to step back until her entire back was pressed against the tall table.
And before she could even regain her balance, everything went dark, and Li Wenjian lowered his head, fiercely kissing her.
Startled, Zhao Heng stood there in shock, never expecting him to make such a sudden move.
How could this be happening?
What should she do?
She was completely at a loss, with all the blood rushing to her head.
The intense and unfamiliar contact was like a trap, leaving her with no escape. She couldn't hear anything, couldn't see anything, the only sensation being the burning heat of their lips.
For a long time, she had no idea how to respond, only standing still, passively enduring his kiss. Suddenly, a chill ran down her back as the basin on the table overturned, splashing her clothes with water.
She tried to push him gently, but his large hand tightly gripped her delicate waist, rendering her powerless to move an inch. Eventually, she was left without strength, leaning weakly against him as he almost ruthlessly dominated her.
There was a sense of vengeance in the kiss, mixed with brutality, as if he wanted to crush her, reduce her to dust.
After a long time, Li Wenjian finally released her.
Gasping for breath, Zhao Heng, at such a close distance, looked into his deep, unfathomable eyes, seeing an unusual crimson shade in them.
Li Wenjian's hand still clutched her slender waist, delicate as a willow, as if it could break her in half with a slight twist.
He raised her chin with his other hand, the warmth from his palm pressing against her.
Zhao Heng recalled the first time she had met him on that cold night.
He had forced her motionless in the same rough manner that day, his eyes devoid of light and tinged with red.
She breathed slightly and furrowed her brows as she stared at him.
There was a sudden surge of moisture in her eyes, she was scared, this version of Li Wenjian made her afraid.
"Zhao Heng," Li Wenjian gritted his teeth, staring into her eyes, and after enduring, he finally spoke, "Would I kiss an object like this?"
Li Wenjian locked eyes with Zhao Heng. "You are a person, not a vase, not a precious gemstone, certainly not livestock. You are not lifeless like a plant, you have blood, flesh, and emotions. You are a human being! Not a mere object! How could I possibly use you for gain?"
In an instant, a mix of horror, confusion, and astonishment flooded Zhao Heng's heart. Slowly lifting her gaze to his crimson eyes, she whispered, "But isn't the Yue Tribe an important ally to Dongli?"
"What is an ally? It's when both parties use and rely on each other to seek the greatest benefit. Forming an alliance with the Yue Tribe is of great significance for our foothold in the Western Regions. However, similarly, Dongli is also an important link for the Yue Tribe's expansion to the east and south for trade." Li Wenjian's voice was solemn. "We are on equal footing with the Yue Tribe, that's why we sealed our alliance with blood. It doesn't mean we are unilaterally dependent on them. I am willing to accommodate and satisfy them within reasonable limits, but that does not mean I will tolerate them unprincipled and without limits. What kind of incapable man would offer his own wife to please others in such a ridiculous manner! In your eyes, it seems I am such despicable and shameless person."
"No, no." Zhao Heng furrowed her brows, instinctively clutching his sleeve, but when she opened her mouth, she didn't know what to say. Her clothes soaked through, clinging tightly to her back, making her already cold back shiver, her teeth slightly trembling.
Li Wenjian released the hand holding Zhao Heng's chin. "My ambition and grandeur rely on fists, on strength, to stand firm in this world, to maintain lasting peace, not by sacrificing women from Central Plains, using them as gifts to please others, to further my ambitions. I disdain such behavior, and I am ashamed of it."
With that said, he turned around, forcefully pulling open the door behind him, stepping from the cool chamber into the scorching sun.
And he left without looking back.
Watching his retreating figure, Zhao Heng felt a hint of panic, tears shimmering in her clear eyes. She raised her head, closed her eyes for a moment, holding back the tears.
Lin Mama and Lian Zhou saw Li Wenjian leave with a dark expression.
He had always been a calm and composed person, humility almost ingrained in his bones. Lin Mama rarely saw him so full of anger, worrying for Zhao Heng, she quickly turned and entered the chamber.
She stood numbly beside the table, the water in the basin spilled most of it, dripping down her wet clothes. The lotus flowers in the basin drooped on the edge, a petal snapped by Zhao Heng's touch.
Lin Mama let out a breath.
Thank goodness, it only looked a bit disheveled. Quarrels between couples were common, even His Majesty and the Empress had arguments after decades of love, sometimes with flushed faces and raised voices.
"My Lady, don't be angry, it's normal for couples to argue in life." Lin Mama comforted her.
"I know." Zhao Heng looked at Lin Mama, smiling gently with evident moisture in her eyes. "It's okay, you can go out first, I want to rest for a while."
Lin Mama walked to the bed, lowered the canopy, and tidied the bed again, saying, "Rest first, I will call you for a meal later."
Taking off her soaked clothes, Zhao Heng crawled into bed. Despite the scorching heat, she felt so cold, a chill seeping from her back, making her teeth chatter. Wrapping herself tightly in the blanket, she managed to chase away the chill.