Chapter 8
An Xuzhi originally didn't want to bother with her, nodding perfunctorily and preparing to leave. But just as he lifted his foot, he hesitated and kept it down, his gaze stopping on her cheek as he furrowed his brow and said softly, "You've really gone too far this time."
Wei Wanyu's eyes welled up with heat, but she forcefully held back her emotions and replied shortly, "I know I was wrong."
Wei Wanyu was two years younger than An Xuzhi, and they had always played together as children. Unfortunately, at the age of her first love, something went wrong, and she fell for the crown prince.
At fourteen, the Wei family planned to arrange a marriage for her and asked if she had anyone in mind. She lifted her chin, showcasing the arrogance of a noble daughter, "I like Brother Langshu, and I won't marry anyone else in this lifetime."
But the crown prince had no interest in her. Upon learning of Wei Wanyu's feelings, he rejected her multiple times. However, Wei Wanyu's heart remained set on him, unchanging. Over the past three or four years, she made her feelings public, causing the Wei family a lot of distress.
In October of last year, she once again tried to show affection to the crown prince, only to be politely rejected. Out of frustration, she made a rash decision to actively show interest in the visiting prince of the Mushi Kingdom and convinced him to propose to the emperor on her behalf.
Everyone advised her against it, but in a fit of anger, she went ahead and agreed to the marriage out of spite and to pressure the crown prince. The emperor granted them permission to wed.
Due to his connection to Wei Zhan, the crown prince was quite lenient towards his biological sister from a young age, caring for her like an elder brother. In the past, no matter what trouble she got into, the crown prince would always clean up after her.
Wei Wanyu knew the crown prince would never let her marry away to the Mushi Kingdom, which was why she acted recklessly to pressure him into agreeing to marry her.
An Xuzhi always got a headache whenever he saw Wei Wanyu. During the days when the crown prince refused to see her, she pestered An Xuzhi relentlessly, asking him to speak to the prince on her behalf.
"If you didn't provoke the Mushi Prince first, how could he have proposed to the emperor?" An Xuzhi couldn't help remarking, "Your marriage affects the relationship between two nations, and all the countries are closely monitoring it. If you back out and the emperor agrees, it will surely provoke strong dissatisfaction among the officials."
Wei Wanyu pouted, realizing she hadn't thought things through.
Last year, when she once again professed her love to the prince, only to be rejected, she felt extremely embarrassed. From childhood, the crown prince had always been very fond of her, but her background, appearance, and his status didn't match. Yet, he still refused to marry her.
She had sacrificed her dignity and begged him to keep her by his side, even if as a concubine without any status, but he wouldn't agree. Despite her efforts, he still wouldn't change his mind.
Her dignity took a heavy blow, as she had always gotten everything she wanted growing up, except for him.
So when she heard that the Mushi Prince was visiting the capital, she impulsively threw her handkerchief in front of him, hoping to make the prince jealous and stop her from leaving.
Li Wenjian later found her and advised her to take responsibility for her marriage, warning her to keep her distance from the Mushi Prince.
Seeing Li Wenjian's concern for her, she assumed he would eventually relent, as he had always helped clean up her messes in the past. Presented with an ultimatum - marry her or be ignored - Li Wenjian chose to be ignored.
But as the Mushi Prince and his delegation were discussing the marriage, and completed the six Dongli rituals, including asking for the blessing and exchanging betrothal gifts, the Crown Prince still refused to see her, she began to panic.
But it was too late, as the crown prince had made up his mind not to see her this time.
"What if they're unhappy?" Wei Wanyu sniffled, on the verge of tears.
"In the previous dynasty, the emperor initially agreed to join forces with Nan Zhao to repel the Qiang army, but under the influence of the Rong tribe, he turned against Nan Zhao. When the news spread, the four nations were shocked and stopped supporting the emperor, leading to the downfall of the country."
Wei Wanyu cried out, "What does this have to do with my marriage? The emperor is not the previous emperor!"
An Xuzhi explained, "If the emperor goes back on his word in your marriage, will he also go back on agreements made with the Mushi Kingdom? Will his promises to the four nations be trustworthy?"
At this, An Xuzhi felt pity for the young lady who seemed determined to ruin her own life, and his tone softened, "For this reason, the emperor will not revoke his decision."
Wei Wanyu seemed to understand. In the eyes of those barbarians, there was no difference between the previous and the current emperor; they were all people from the Central Plains. If the emperor broke his promise and called off the wedding, the four nations would view him as untrustworthy, damaging his reputation and hindering his policies.
"The emperor... has always been very kind to me," Wei Wanyu's voice weakened.
An Xuzhi agreed, "Yes, that's why he repeatedly summoned you to the palace and tried to convince you not to agree to the marriage. Everyone has to take responsibility for their actions."
Wei Wanyu's face contorted in despair as she pleaded, "Xiao Silang, please help me. Make sure the crown prince sees me. My parents have given up on me, only he can save me. Please, for the sake of my brother, help me once more. I promise I won't do it again."
An Xuzhi let out a sigh and walked towards Yanshan Residence.
But the maid informed him that he wasn't in the courtyard, as he went for a walk by the lake.
Li Wenjian walked along the lake.
The old Duke didn't like extravagant landscaping, so the garden had remained unchanged for over a decade.
The willow trees they planted together by the lake during their childhood had grown beautifully, their branches budding with new leaves in the spring breeze.
Li Wenjian didn't like spring.
Wei Zhan died in the spring.
While everything else flourished, he gradually decayed and rotted away.
He would never come back.
Over the years, Wei Zhan's face has begun to blur. His spirit and ambition, however, are forever engraved in Li Wenjian's bones.
In their youth, they traveled with his grandfather, roaming through their war-torn homeland, seeing bones exposed in the wilderness, the people displaced and hearts sorrowful for a long time unable to speak.
At night, they drank and talked on the rooftop of an inn.
The stars filled the sky, and young Wei Zhan, under the myriad stars, with one hand on his arm and the other pointing to the vast sky, vowed to drive out the Tartars and bring peace to the world, and bring peace and tranquility to the people.
Years passed, but Wei Zhan's resounding oath still echoed in Li Wenjian's ears from time to time.
With his departure, Li Wenjian naturally took over his lofty aspirations.
An Xuzhi watched from afar as Li Wenjian stood by the lake with his hands behind his back, looking at the weeping willows by the lake, feeling a strong sense of loneliness enveloping him.
"Your Highness," An Xuzhi approached.
Li Wenjian turned around and nodded to him.
Before An Xuzhi could speak, he suddenly noticed Li Wenjian's gaze fixed on his chest. Subconsciously, he glanced down and saw that his jade hairpin was peeking out.
Feeling embarrassed, he quickly tucked the hairpin back into his robe.
Li Wenjian had a moment of realization. An Xuzhi was already nineteen years old, and many men his age were already married and fathers. He was indifferent to marriage matters and naturally overlooked the budding feelings of youth.
After a half-day of gloom, his mood slightly lifted, and he asked, "Have you found someone you like?"
An Xuzhi said, "Xiao Qi picked out a hairpin at Buguzhai and asked me to bring it back for her on my way."
Li Wenjian nodded without further inquiry. The women in the mansion had plenty of jewelry, with various jewelry stores in the capital competing to send them in, so there was no need for him to bring it along on his way.
He advised, "It's about time for you to settle down and start a career. If you've found someone you like, let your grandmother handle it for you."
An Xuzhi's heart warmed slightly, an image of a beautiful woman dancing in his mind, her skirt swaying with lotus steps. The name Zhao Heng surged to his tongue like honey, but ultimately dissolved on his tongue. It was not the time to bring up this matter now.
As the eldest grandson of the An family's first branch, he knew the high expectations his ancestors and His Highness had for him, and how important his marriage was to them. He was about to set off to the south, and if they found out his beloved was a servant girl in the Eastern Palace, it would bring her a lot of trouble.
Without enough confidence to deal with those troubles, he didn't want to involve her in unnecessary conflicts.
When he returned from Jiangnan, when he was successful and had the strength to protect her, he would talk to his family about marrying her.