A red brocade robe woven with phoenix patterns, cloudlike coiffure and phoenix coronet, a beaded curtain veiling her face; she was resplendent from head to toe, every step graceful. It was a woman, dressed in the attire of a royal princess leaving her boudoir for marriage. Behind her followed a guard, his expression solemn, his brow heavy. The moment he entered the hall, he saw Manyao and froze. His lips moved slightly, yet no words came out.
Manyao was stunned. If that was not Xiao Sha, then who was it? And the woman walking ahead of him was dressed exactly as she had been when she first arrived in the Lintian Kingdom.
“Princess Rongle has come too! His Majesty summoned us to attend the evening banquet—could it be that he intends for Princess Rongle to choose a husband tonight?” someone among the noble young masters seated at the end whispered.
Manyao heard it, and her mind shook violently. She recalled the words she had accidentally overheard between Zongzheng Xiaoren and Lord Yu. It had to be Imperial Brother’s state letter that had made the Emperor of Lintian change his mind and take back the six-month period he had granted her. But who was this woman? Where had she come from? Who had allowed her to enter the palace under Princess Rongle’s name and choose a husband in her stead? And Xiao Sha was even following behind her!
Countless questions flashed through her mind in an instant. Manyao looked at the unfamiliar woman walking toward the seat opposite her and discovered that the woman’s figure was strangely similar to her own—even her gait and posture were exactly the same. If she were not herself, she would have believed that woman truly was Princess Rongle.
An extremely bad premonition swiftly swept into her heart, making it sink to the very bottom. Then she heard someone else say, “If I’d known this, I should have pretended to be ill and not come. Tell me, just how ugly is she? Why is she still wearing that beaded veil even now, not daring to show her face?”
“Her figure looks rather nice. What a pity!”
“Who will she choose? She’d better not choose me. Otherwise, on the wedding night, I’d have to blindfold myself…”
“Hahaha…”
A burst of laughter sounded. They discussed and mocked her so brazenly, simply because the rumors said she was ugly, and every one of them feared being chosen by her. Manyao swept those people with a faint glance, endless mockery at the corners of her lips. She looked at the woman in red sitting upright opposite her, as if she had not heard their ridicule at all, then turned to look at Zongzheng Wuyou. His expression was cold and indifferent as he drank his tea by himself, never once glancing across.
Manyao suddenly wanted to ask, “Why did you refuse the marriage? Was it also because the rumors said she was ugly?” Thinking it, she truly asked it aloud, her voice extremely, extremely soft—so soft she thought perhaps he would not hear.
But he heard, and looked toward her, his gaze profound and unfathomable.
“I did not like it,” Zongzheng Wuyou said lightly, uttering three words.
Manyao curved her lips, faintly mocking herself. What did he not like? Not liking his fate being controlled by others? Not liking marriage being treated as a bargaining chip for politics and peace? Or not liking the idea of spending a lifetime with someone he did not love? He did not like it; she did not like it either! But the difference was, if he did not like it, he could refuse, because no matter what he did, the Emperor of Lintian would not punish him. But she was different. No one gave her that right.
Her gaze gradually darkened, her heart filled with incomparable desolation, yet she asked with a smile, “If… I said if. If I were Princess Rongle, you…” She gazed fixedly into his eyes, the corners of her lips raised, putting on the look of someone joking, while her heart was taut as a drawn string, quietly waiting for his answer.
Zongzheng Wuyou lifted the ends of his eyes slightly, his gaze shifting a little, deep and unreadable. He smiled and said, “If you were Princess Rongle, I would admire your schemes and methods very much.”
Manyao’s body shook. In that single instant, from body to heart, she went cold. As she had expected, he would see everything as her scheme. She laughed soundlessly, with the utmost brilliance, bright as spring light, hiding all mockery and sorrow in the smile brimming at the corners of her lips and deep within her eyes, turning them into boundless bitterness that spread through every corner of her heart.
It was the first time Zongzheng Wuyou had seen such a dazzling smile from her. It looked very beautiful, yet he felt it was too deliberate, as though it were covering something up. He could not help frowning. “Don’t smile like that. I don’t like it!”
Again, he did not like it!
“In life, not everything will be to your liking. Some things, no matter how much you dislike them, you still have to try to accept. Wuyou, life… is still very long.” She sighed faintly.
Life would not always allow one to do as one pleased. The Emperor of Lintian would leave him one day. If he wanted to fulfill the promise made for his mother, after the Crown Prince ascended the throne, would his life still be as smooth as it was now?
Zongzheng Wuyou was startled. She had always been quiet and restrained, yet at this moment, he clearly sensed the helplessness and sorrow that came from the depths of her heart within her words, even though her face looked so calm and indifferent. Life was still very long; even if one did not like something, one had to try to accept it—how could he not know that?
“His Majesty arrives—”
With a loud cry from the inner attendant, everyone knelt and paid respects. Only Zongzheng Wuyou remained seated. From the moment the Emperor of Lintian entered the hall, his gaze had been fixed on him, yet there was no reproach in his eyes.
“Beloved officials, dispense with the formalities and rise! Tonight, sovereign and subjects rejoice together; there is no need to be constrained by ceremony. Sit.”
Everyone thanked him, rose, and took their seats. Fu Chou sat diagonally across from Manyao; whenever she lifted her head, she would always meet his gentle, smiling gaze.
After the lengthy opening rites, the Emperor of Lintian smiled in excellent spirits and said, “The Northern Yi barbarians have harassed our borders for years, and the people have suffered unspeakably. Zhen once said that whoever could remove this affliction from zhen’s heart would be richly rewarded. During the day, zhen already conferred upon Beloved Official Fu the title of ‘Great General Who Guards the State,’ granting him command of the three armies and treatment equal to a king or marquis. Now, zhen further grants Prince Li a fief of five thousand li in Jiangnan, with independent jurisdiction. Henceforth, all matters in Jiangnan need not be reported to the court, but shall be reported directly to Prince Li’s residence.”
A fief of five thousand li, with independent jurisdiction—was that not equivalent to splitting off half the court? The assembled ministers broke into an uproar. The Crown Prince’s expression turned ugly. He glanced at the Minister of Justice, and Lord Yu hurriedly rose and said, “Your Majesty, though Prince Li has merit in repelling the enemy, granting a fief of five thousand li has no precedent in our dynasty. I fear…”
The Emperor of Lintian’s face darkened. His gaze suddenly sharpened and swept coldly toward Lord Yu. Lord Yu’s heart chilled, and he immediately lowered his head, his voice gradually drowned in the icy air.
The Emperor of Lintian said in a deep voice, “Precedents only exist after someone sets them. Today, zhen rewards merit according to achievement. If zhen does not grant a thousand-li fief, zhen truly cannot think of another suitable reward. Beloved Official Fu has been made Great General Who Guards the State, more than three ranks above his original post. But above Prince Li, other than zhen, there remains only the position of Crown Prince… The Crown Prince has been invested for many years. Though he has achieved nothing, he has also committed no grave fault. Surely none of you beloved officials wish for zhen to depose the Crown Prince in order to reward Prince Li? Unless… Beloved Official Yu knows of some recent act by the Crown Prince that violates human ethics, and therefore believes he is no longer fit to be heir?”
Lord Yu was horrified. The Crown Prince’s expression changed drastically as well. He hurriedly stepped out and knelt. “This son has been wronged. I beg Imperial Father to see clearly! This son has always strictly adhered to Imperial Father’s teachings, and has never dared speak or act recklessly…”
“Enough!” the Emperor of Lintian interrupted him in a deep voice, expressionless. “Zhen was only asking casually. Return to your seat. Beloved Official Yu, you may rise as well.”
The Crown Prince and Lord Yu both wiped away cold sweat; even after returning to their seats, their bodies were still trembling.
The Emperor of Lintian swept a stern gaze over all the ministers. Seeing that no one dared oppose him again, he finally smiled in satisfaction.
Zongzheng Wuyou did not offer thanks. The Emperor of Lintian gave Eunuch Chen a look. Eunuch Chen immediately carried the imperial edict to Zongzheng Wuyou. Zongzheng Wuyou accepted it, said nothing, and casually placed this incomparably sacred imperial edict—at least in others’ eyes—onto the table. He glanced at the Emperor of Lintian with a smile that was not quite a smile, the slight curve of his lips carrying mockery and disdain, as if saying, “A thousand-li fief, fame, profit, and power bestowed upon me—will that buy you peace of mind?”
Receiving his gaze, the Emperor of Lintian immediately turned his eyes away, coughed twice, and asked the woman in red opposite Manyao, “Why does the Princess attend with a beaded veil covering her face?”
Hearing this, the woman in red rose and answered respectfully, “Reporting to Your Majesty, it is the custom of our Qiyun Kingdom that when a woman marries, before the wedding rites and bowing ceremony are performed, outsiders may not see her face.”
Her voice was clear and elegant, like music from heaven. Manyao was completely stunned, staring at that woman in disbelief. Even her voice was so similar to hers! Imperial Brother… truly knew how to choose people!
The Emperor of Lintian nodded in understanding and said, “More than two months ago, zhen once granted you a half-year period. But the day before yesterday, zhen received a state letter from the Emperor of Qiyun. The Emperor of Qiyun hopes the marriage alliance can be settled as soon as possible, and zhen also has this wish. Therefore, zhen specially summoned you all into the palace today, wishing to take this opportunity to settle the matter, so that zhen and the Emperor of Qiyun may both have our shared wish fulfilled, and forge a century of friendship between our two nations. What does the Princess think?”
The woman in red said, “Your Majesty speaks most rightly. It is Rongle who was not thoughtful enough.”
The Emperor of Lintian smiled and said, “The Princess is so sensible and reasonable, truly a model among women. Eunuch Chen, why have you not yet guided the Princess and made introductions?”
Eunuch Chen hurriedly accepted the order and led the woman in red around the great hall, introducing each person on the list one by one. Wherever they went, those noble sons all lowered their heads tightly, afraid of being chosen. Only Fu Chou calmly drank a cup of tea. When the woman in red arrived, he smiled and nodded, greeting her politely.
The woman in red froze for a moment and stopped before him. Manyao could not see the woman’s expression, but from her back, she could see the woman’s stiffness. As for why, she did not know. After a long while, the woman bent down, took the delicate porcelain pot in hand, filled Fu Chou’s already empty cup with water, and gracefully offered it to him.
Anyone could understand the meaning behind this. Princess Rongle had chosen the Great General Who Guards the State!
Some rejoiced in relief, some frowned. Manyao smiled mockingly. Giving up the Prince Li who was most favored by the Emperor of Lintian and choosing the general who held military power was only natural, but Manyao could not help feeling sorrow rise in her heart. No wonder she had not received the slightest news before this—because Imperial Brother had never intended for her to know. The Imperial Brother who, in everyone’s mouth, showered her with boundless favor, still regarded her as nothing more than a pawn in politics! A similar figure, the same voice—one such person was hard to find among ten thousand, not something that could be sought in a day or two. Imperial Brother, oh Imperial Brother, was this the way he hoped she would be happy?
Those noble sons all let out a breath of relief at the same time. One by one, they raised their heads and straightened their backs, sitting idly with smiles as they watched how this young famous general, chosen by the “ugly princess,” would respond. A great general holding military power and ranking equal to feudal lords—if he were very pleased to marry an ugly foreign princess, then he must be trying to stabilize his power through it, his ambition obvious; if he were not pleased to marry her, then he would be defying the emperor’s will.
Fu Chou’s handsome face still looked gentle. He did not seem displeased, nor did he seem pleased. Whether from his eyes or his expression, no one could discern the emotions in his heart at this moment. He looked at the teacup in the woman’s hand, then slowly lifted his eyes. His gaze passed over the woman in red and fell, as if unintentionally, on Manyao opposite him. He saw Manyao sitting quietly with lowered eyes, faint mockery flowing over her transcendent face.
The woman in red’s hand remained suspended in midair like that. Fu Chou neither accepted it nor refused.
The atmosphere in the hall instantly became awkward and tense. Everyone’s gaze gathered on the two of them as they secretly thought, Could he also be planning to imitate Prince Li and refuse the marriage? Though he had achieved military merit, defying His Majesty’s decree was still a capital offense! In this world, the only person who could defy an imperial decree without being punished was Prince Li; there would be no second!
“Cough, cough…” Two coughs suddenly sounded from above. The Emperor of Lintian frowned, his gaze deep, already carrying warning. Fu Chou seemed to come back to himself. He paused, lowered his eyes, then when he raised them again, an elegant smile once more appeared at his lips. He stood unhurriedly and bowed to the woman in red in apology, then accepted the cup, lightly supported the woman, and smiled with flawless courtesy. “To trouble the Princess to personally pour tea for this general—this general is overwhelmed by favor. I lost focus for a moment. I ask the Princess to forgive me!”
The woman in red said with a smile, “General, you are too serious. Please!”
Fu Chou raised the cup to his lips, imperceptibly sweeping a glance at Zongzheng Wuyou. Then, with an incomparably gentle smile, he gazed at Manyao across from him and slowly drank the tea that signified his acceptance of Princess Rongle’s choice.
Manyao pressed her lips tightly together, watching Fu Chou’s movements, her heart sinking like water. If she set aside political factors and Imperial Brother’s design, Fu Chou might indeed be a good choice. He was handsome and extraordinary, considerate, refined and gentle, and had saved her twice. A man like him would surely respect her after marriage, would he not? But why was she actually somewhat afraid, unwilling to marry him? Was this not what she had hoped for at the very beginning?
She stared blankly at Fu Chou, her thoughts twisted into a hundred and eighty knots. Sorrow, confusion, and helplessness passed through her eyes one after another, and were caught by Zongzheng Wuyou. Zongzheng Wuyou’s brows unconsciously tightened, and he seized the hand beneath her table.
“You are sad?” he asked in a voice only the two of them could hear, his tone very heavy.
Manyao did not answer. The sorrowful, heavy sense of helplessness pressed down on her heart and would not disperse. She did not notice that the aura of the person beside her had, before she knew it, turned cold, nor that her hand was being clenched tighter and tighter, painfully so. She made no sound.
Even after leaving the palace, her hand was still tightly clutched in his palm. Her heart remained a tangled mess, and in her ears, the imperial decree—“choose the third day from now to complete the marriage”—kept echoing.
Three days. Only three days remained. Did she truly have to obey fate’s arrangement and marry Fu Chou as a political pawn? She was so unwilling!
The night in May still held a trace of chill, seeping straight into the bottom of her heart. The two of them left Yiqing Hall; the carriage was waiting outside the palace gate. Just as they were about to board, a person suddenly rushed toward the carriage from a corner of the palace wall, crying urgently, “Brother Wuyou!”
Manyao was stunned. It was so late—why would Princess Zhaoyun appear here? And hiding in a corner of the wall! With her status, if she wanted to see Zongzheng Wuyou, it should not be difficult for her to enter the palace. Looking again, Zhaoyun’s exquisite face had grown thin and gaunt, her eyes dull and without light, utterly different from the beautiful, lively girl she had been the last time they met. Her eyes were red and swollen; one glance was enough to know she had cried.
Zongzheng Wuyou frowned and retreated two steps. Leng Yan stepped in front of Zhaoyun, blocking her. Zhaoyun was forced to stop. The tears brimming in her eyes suddenly rolled down, and her tone was sorrowful as she said, “Brother Wuyou, I’m going to be married…”
Zongzheng Wuyou said indifferently, “Since you are going to be married, you should stay properly at home. What are you running out for?”
Hearing this, Zhaoyun’s tears fell even more fiercely. She cried, “But I don’t want to marry that person. Brother Wuyou, the only person I want to marry is you!”
In this era, women who dared confess their love so directly were few and far between, especially to such a cold person as Zongzheng Wuyou. Manyao could not help admiring her courage.
Zongzheng Wuyou said, “Ridiculous! Do you think this prince’s wangfei… is a position anyone can take just because they wish to?”
Zhaoyun hurriedly waved her hands, her red, swollen eyes filled with pleading. “I can not be the wangfei. I can be a side consort. Oh no, no… a concubine is fine too. As long as I can stay by Brother Wuyou’s side, I don’t care whether I have a title or not…”
Her feelings were sincere and earnest. Love could humble a person down into the dust. Manyao shook her head and sighed, her heart moved by it, yet she heard Zongzheng Wuyou cut her off. “You do not care, but this prince does! In this life… this prince will have only one wife, and it will not be you!” He looked toward Manyao, and a little warmth slowly emerged from his always cold eyes, scorching to behold.
Manyao stared, slightly stunned, and her heart suddenly trembled several times. Only one wife in his lifetime?
“Brother Wuyou… don’t treat me so cruelly, all right? If I must marry someone else, I… I would rather die!” As Zhaoyun spoke, she threw herself toward the shaft of the carriage.
Manyao was startled. Quick-eyed and quick-handed, she grabbed Zhaoyun, just about to advise her not to treat her life so lightly, when she heard Zongzheng Wuyou say coldly, “If you want to die, go farther away. Don’t block this prince’s carriage. Leng Yan, send her back to the Duke’s residence.”
His voice was cold to the extreme, leaving no room at all. Hearing it, Zhaoyun was heartbroken, her tears like pearls from a broken string. She turned back and glared furiously at Manyao, fiercely flinging away the hand that held her. “Don’t bother with me! Why must even a man like you come and fight me for Brother Wuyou? It’s because of you that Brother Wuyou doesn’t want me! I hate you, I hate you all!”
Zhaoyun ran off crying. Manyao watched the direction in which she disappeared, staring blankly.
“Get in the carriage.” Zongzheng Wuyou extended his hand toward her. Manyao came back to herself and looked at him. Handsome features, noble status, a powerful presence, proud and aloof temperament… such a man was destined to be a calamity for women. And would today’s Zhaoyun be tomorrow’s her? Her hand suddenly became heavy, and no matter what, she could not lift it.
“A’Man?” Seeing that she had not responded for a long time, Zongzheng Wuyou called her once, his hand still held out there.