Chapter 53.2
The memory of his brother's unwavering support, forever frozen in a wartime farewell, brought a wave of relief â at least he hadn't returned to Beijing, spared from witnessing the inevitable disappointment, even disgust, in his brother's eyes.
His voice became lighter, almost teasing. "Marry me. You, with no formal ceremony, no blessings from your family, and no recognition from mine. Do you still dare?"
Fu Yu, unfazed, lifted her chin and met his gaze, her voice unwavering, "I'm not afraid."
Li Yicheng studied her, taking in her eyes and the way the snow and wind had painted a rosy flush on her nose. A smile touched his lips. "My brother hates me. He won't forgive me, might even kill me someday. A life of constant fear â are you still not afraid?"
"I'm not afraid," she repeated, her voice firm.
Li Yicheng's smile brought a spark to his eyes, yet a pang of worry tugged at Fu Yu's heart. Reaching out, she gently smoothed the furrow in his brow. "General," she said softly, "I'm not afraid."
He met her gaze, his own clear and searching. The girl's eyes, brimming with determination, held a delicate beauty.
"Alright then," he finally declared, a hint of amusement in his voice. "We have a deal. A wedding tomorrow." He gently reached up and ruffled her wind-tousled hair.
*
Under the Cloak of Night, Flickering Lights Cast Shadows in Yunshuijian
"The entrenched power of Jiangnan's aristocratic clans, spanning centuries, will pose formidable challenges to your implementation of new policies in the south," Li Wenzhen cautioned.
Liang Xingyan held a jade tablet in his hand. Carved from pure sheep's fat jade, it was immaculate white, warm to the touch. The tablet was devoid of elaborate ornamentation, save for a dangling white jade lotus flower bead at its head and a single engraved character on its surface.
"With this token, I can walk with my head held high," Liang Xingyan remarked, examining the character etched in the tablet's center. "This jade tablet looks familiar; I think I've seen it before."
"It was the year of Xuanhe Yuan, the year your father drowned. Your father was commissioned by the Emperor to travel south to implement new policies, and the Emperor bestowed this jade tablet upon him."
Li Wenjian lifted a wine goblet from the table to his lips and took a gentle sip. "Now, I bestow my jade tablet upon you, entrusting you with your father's legacy to carry out the 'Xuanhe New Policies' in the south. I hope you will achieve resounding success."
The Xuanhe New Policies, formulated based on the lessons learned from the 'Qingchun New Policies' aimed at Jiangnan aristocrats proposed by Crown Prince Wuyou in the waning years of the previous dynasty, combined An Xuzhi's observations and insights during his travels. It was a sweeping reform that sought to weaken the power of the aristocrats by addressing matters such as talent selection and taxation, breaking down the barriers between commoners and aristocratic families.
The challenges Liang Xingyan faced were evident, as the reforms directly threatened the interests of the aristocrats.
As the night deepened, Yunshuijian fell silent, save for the crackling of candles on the table.
"Your Highness, do you believe I can succeed?" Liang Xingyan turned to Li Wenjian.
Li Wenjian looked at him and said, "We met when we were eight years old, and for sixteen years, we've been through thick and thin together. Zhaoye, I naturally trust you."
Feeling a warmth in his eyes, Liang Xingyan lifted his wine glass. Images of more than ten years ago flashed in his mind - a spring day when the four of them rode horses outside the city.
"Over a decade ago, we were like leaves tightly connected on the same tree at the An family's school. We rode horses in spring, hunted in autumn, swam in lakes in summer, and played in the snow in winter. We were as close as one person. But now, with Wei's elder brother falling in battle in the North and Ziren showing signs of rebellion, as I prepare to head south, and you stay in the capital, we will drift apart, and there will be no reunion in this lifetime." Liang Xingyan raised his glass to him, saying slowly and sincerely, "As a child, I didn't understand why Grandpa said that life was full of separations. Now, I do. I toast to your peace and success."
However, Li Wenjian smiled calmly, with no trace of sorrow in his clear eyes, only sincerity. He touched their glasses gently, then drank from his first.
"I also wish for you to carry on your father's aspirations like a pine tree enduring the frost. May this journey bring clarity and light," Li Wenjian responded.
Liang Xingyan smiled and agreed, "I will inherit the will of the ancestors and do my part for the people." Then, he finished the drink in his cup, placed it down, bowed in farewell, and left.
Sitting on a stool, Li Wenjian pondered for a while, feeling lost and melancholic. It wasn't until he heard the footsteps of Mu Gui returning from outside that he looked down at the cup in his hand, placed it on the table, and continued on his way to the sleeping quarters.
Inside the sleeping quarters, the room was quiet, illuminated by several candles casting warm light around.
Zhao Heng was reclined against the pillow, reading a book. When Li Wenjian entered, she set the book down and approached him, "Your Highness."
Li Wenjian, with a faint hint of alcohol on him, accepted the glass of water from her and said, "I had a few drinks with Zhaoye ahead of his new policy implementation tomorrow."
Zhao Heng helped him loosen his attire, smiling gently, "Your relationship with Lord Liang is truly remarkable."
"He came to the capital at the age of eight from his hometown, and we played together since then," Li Wenjian said, pausing before adding, "Along with Wei's elder brother and Ziren."
As Zhao Heng hesitated in helping him undress, Li Wenjian grasped her hand, stopping her.
She lifted her head to meet his gaze.
"It's cool tonight. You get into bed first, and I'll go wash up," Li Wenjian said.
"Alright..." Zhao Heng responded and crawled back into bed, giving a slight kick to the bedside footstool.
Soon, Li Wenjian washed up, returned to the bed, removed his shoes and socks, tucked himself in beside her under the covers, feeling a warmth enveloping him.
However, he couldn't sleep, tossing and turning restlessly.
Hearing him shifting in bed, Zhao Heng turned to look at him with half-closed eyes, noticing the furrowed brow, she asked softly, "Your Highness, is something bothering you?"
Li Wenjian met her gaze and replied, "Are you also having trouble sleeping?"
Zhao Heng nodded.
Turning his head to look at the book on the table, Li Wenjian asked, "What are you reading?"
"'The Chronicles of the Northern Residence'," Zhaoye answered.
Li Wenjian sat up and said, "This book has many obscure words. Would you like me to explain them to you?"
"Sure," Zhao Heng sat up as well.
Li Wenjian lifted the covers, got out of bed, draped a cloak from the stool over her back, and then picked up the book to explain the words to her.
"Why did you suddenly decide to read this book?"
Zhao Heng wrapped the cloak tightly around her, leaning towards him. "It's much older than the other books. I wanted to see what makes it special, worth you almost tearing through its pages."
As Li Wenjian's slender fingers flipped through the pages, he said, "My younger brother and my best friend are both in there."
The first page of the book displayed a folded map, and Li Wenjian pointed to a border area, saying, "This is Luo Jia."
Zhao Heng looked at where his finger indicated, "Connecting with the eighteen cities of the Northern Border."
"Right," Li Wenjian's finger moved across the map, pointing to a grassland, "This is the Wutu Grasslands. Wei Zhan once drove the Northern barbarian troops like a pack of dogs into this area."
He chuckled, "To prevent a Northern retaliation, I established the Northern Residence, stationed guards at Luo Jia's watchtowers, cultivated farmlands, and stationed troops to defend the border."
Listening to him, Zhao Heng shifted her gaze from the book to his face and asked, "The book says that the Northern Border is barren, with winter lasting for most of the year and no grass growing during the freezing cold. How do you maintain a garrison there?"
"I don't know either," Li Wenjian smiled, "But he managed it. With him guarding the Northern Border for five years, it's been peaceful there."
His eyes remained on the book, "I also wonder how he managed to survive there. But due to my status, I never had the chance to visit."
"Doesn't he need to report back to the capital?" Zhaoye wondered.
In order to prevent border generals from becoming too powerful and out of reach of the court's influence, the imperial court had a rule that border generals had to return to the capital for a report every two years.
"He resents that I exiled him to the Northern Border and refuses to return. He even committed absurd acts in the North, leading to numerous complaints and accusations from the court officials. Some want me to imprison him for life, and others urge me to execute him," Li Wenjian explained.
"Then..." Before Zhao Heng could respond, she suddenly looked up at his face. She thought back to what Ning Wanzhi had said about the Second Prince refusing to return to the capital with an army. "Do you not believe that he is responsible for what's happening?" she asked, feeling like she understood him better than before.
Li Wenjian lowered his head, a soft smile playing on his lips, "He is my brother. Because of him, Wei Zhan died at the hands of the Northern barbarians. I was indeed angry at the time and left him in the Northern Border. But later, I realized that knowing his temperament, even if he wasn't my brother but just a commoner, he would have made the same choices. Ziren was a bit rebellious as a child, stirring up trouble, and every time he made a mistake, he would come to me to clean up the mess. But I don't believe the accusations of mass killings and rebellion leveled against him."
Zhao Heng looked beyond his shoulder, towards the candle at the head of the bed, the light reflecting off his face in a forced smile. She pulled up his thin cloak, covering his lean body.
"If you don't believe it, then don't." Zhao Heng turned her face sideways, leaning her head gently on his arm. "If His Highness is sincere towards him, he will definitely sense it."
Li Wenjian shook his head, his long fingers closing the book in his hand. "Ah Heng, it seems like someone is stirring up trouble around me."
Zhao Heng felt uneasy, sensing something strange.
"Could it be related to the person who poisoned you in your drink before?"
Li Wenjian shook his head with his finger gently resting on the book cover. "I don't know."
Zhao Heng's lips quivered slightly.
Li Wenjian reached out and touched her hand, holding it in his palm. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this whirlpool..."
"We had an agreement," Zhao Heng interrupted him, turning her face and cupping his cheek. "No apologies."
Li Wenjian, surprised by her actions, asked, "When did we agree on that?"
The lie exposed, Zhao Heng didn't feel embarrassed. She turned his face towards her, their eyes meeting. "Just now."
Li Wenjian met her gaze, her dark hair falling in front of her, her eyes fixed on him.
Without warning, he kissed her.
His breath brushed against her face, leaving her momentarily stunned. She didn't pull away, but instead lifted her chin slightly, meeting his kiss.
Sensing her compliance, he almost stiffened for a moment.
Just when Zhao Heng thought he would act as recklessly as before, he suddenly decreased the intensity of his kiss. However, he remained close, lowering his head to rest his forehead against her brow, his eyes fixed on her slightly flushed face, leaving a light mark on her forehead.
Suppressing his breath, he said, "Go to sleep, Ah Heng."
This kiss came inexplicably and ended abruptly, leaving Zhao Heng somewhat dazed. She removed her cloak and lay down slowly.
As the night deepened, Li Wenjian dropped the curtains, shutting out the night breeze and dim light.
As drowsiness crept in, Zhao Heng closed her eyes and yawned before falling asleep soon after.
Li Wenjian placed the book about the Northern border under his pillow and lay down, turning to look at her peaceful sleeping face. He slipped his arm under her neck, embracing her from behind.
The next morning, when Zhao Heng woke up in Li Wenjian's embrace, she was a bit taken aback.
Meeting Li Wenjian's clear eyes when she raised her head, her cheeks flushed a bit. She sat up abruptly.
"Your Highness, aren't you going to the morning court session today?" she asked softly.
Sitting up, Li Wenjian touched her hair. "I had a drink last night, feeling a bit of a headache today, so I'm not going."
"In that case, rest for a while. I will warm up your breakfast on the stove," Zhao Heng said quietly.
Li Wenjian replied, "I can't sleep now. Go to the study and bring my books. I'll read for a while."
"Okay." Zhao Heng got up, dressed quickly, and went to the study.
Watching her leave, Li Wenjian's gaze was heavy, and he coughed softly in the wind.
The morning sky painted a colorful picture, the sunlight shining brightly on the palace's golden roofs, dazzling the eyes.
Wind chimes hung on the eaves swayed gently in the morning breeze, creating a soft sound. Walking to the study with crisp steps, Zhao Heng pushed open the door.
The sunlight filtered through the carved door, casting a gentle glow inside, with dust particles dancing in the light. The sound seemed to echo, as the tassels on An Xuzhi's crimson official robes rustled, and the jade pendant at his waist swayed slightly.