Chapter 113.2
Sitting beside Zhao Heng at the main seat, Chen Ke instinctively shifted over, creating space for Li Wenjian.
Li Wenjian surveyed the decor in the carriage, the walls wrapped in pink silk brocade, cozy and secure. The cushions were filled with fine cotton, soft and comfortable. On a tray sat a pair of rouge-flecked cups, with a treasure-filled incense burner beside, emitting a faint white smoke. The carriage exuded a delicate fragrance.
Everything displayed reflected the deliberate effort of a young man trying to please Ah Heng.
They arrived at the private estate after the journey.
Upon hearing that Li Wenjian would be arriving that night, the steward of the private estate swiftly prepared a warm room for their stay. He stood at the door to welcome Li Wenjian and Zhao Heng, noticing Zhao Heng shivering from the cold. He quickly ushered her inside where hot water and a charcoal fire were ready.
Li Wenjian bid farewell to Chen Ke at the door.
"As there are still guests at the manor, I won't keep you any longer," Li Wenjian said with a hint of a smile.
As the night grew late, Li Wenjian couldn't help but worry about going back alone with the coachmen. So, he sent for Mu Gui to escort him back. In the meantime, he casually chatted with Chen Ke.
"I know the rules at your manor are strict," Li Wenjian remarked. "Your father is a pillar of integrity, so I assume he must be very strict in controlling your actions."
"Yes, my father has high expectations of me, being his only son. Even though I was raised in a monastery, he often writes letters to guide my every move," Chen Ke explained earnestly.
Li Wenjian casually asked, "Does he also oversee your friendships?"
Chen Ke hesitated, realizing the implication.
"He does inquire," Chen Ke carefully responded. "But I have very few friends. After coming to the capital, I spend most of my time in the Guanghua Hall, where I have good relationships with a few other young scholars. Besides them, there's only Ah Heng. Despite being a woman, Ah Heng is warm-hearted, brave, and has helped me several times when I faced difficulties. I... am very grateful to her."
Li Wenjian gently patted his shoulder, "Ah Heng has always been a good child from a young age, kind-hearted and helpful. Many in the palace appreciate her. She is open-hearted and forgiving, so you don't have to worry too much. If she's willing to help you and be friends with you, it means you're a good person too."
Chen Ke, feeling confused, awkwardly thanked him.
"Due to being raised in the palace since a young age, Ah Heng is used to the dullness and boredom of daily life there, so she enjoys going out whenever she has the chance," Li Wenjian remarked with a smile. "She doesn't know how treacherous people can be outside. Sometimes, I worry that she might fall into traps. In the future, I hope you can also keep an eye on her."
"Well, actually..." Chen Ke explained, "Ah Heng is very sensible. I invited her to leave the palace several times before, but she never agreed. It was only after Miss Wei insisted a few times that she finally accepted."
Li Wenjian chuckled.
Chen Ke looked at him unexpectedly, only to find that he couldn't understand the smile on Li Wenjian's face. There was a faint sense of ease and pleasure in the lifted corners of his mouth.
As they spoke, Mu Gui finally arrived.
Chen Ke walked over to the carriage, with Li Wenjian following suit. He instructed Mu Gui, "This is the heir to the Dongyang Marquisate. Ensure his safe return to the manor."
Chen Ke hesitated, "There's really no need to troubleâ"
"Chen Ke," Li Wenjian's hand rested on the carriage frame as he looked at Chen Ke seriously, "You are Ah Heng's good friend and a future pillar of the country. It's my responsibility, both publicly and privately, to ensure your safety."
Chen Ke expressed his sincere gratitude.
Li Wenjian's gaze fell on the jade pendant around Chen Ke's waist. Before leaving, he praised it with a good mood, "This jade pendant's design is exquisite."
Looking down at it, the young man ran his fingers over the smooth jade, a smile playing on his lips. "Ah Heng gave it to me. She said she carved it herself."
For a brief moment, Li Wenjian's smile froze on his lips, but it passed so quickly that Chen Ke almost thought he had imagined it.
Soon, Li Wenjian was all smiles again. "Ah Heng has always been skillful and quick-witted since childhood. After learning carving with me a few years ago, she fell in love with sculpting jade. She's too embarrassed to gift it to others due to her inferior skills, so she rewards the palace maids instead, and many of them have received her carved jade tokens over time."
Chen Ke knew he was speaking the truth; he had once seen a similar jade ring on Wei Wanyu.
"Ah Heng is someone I've raised myself, she has a kind heart, always good to everyone," Li Wenjian remarked. "To everyone."
Chen Ke nodded in agreement.
Indeed, Ah Heng was always kind to everyone.
"Her personality makes her very likable. None of the elders or friends around me dislike her," Li Wenjian said with a mixture of joy and slight concern. "But it can also be a downside, as it may lead some people without boundaries to misunderstand her kindness as something else."
Chen Ke remained silent, saying nothing.
"Sorry for mentioning her so much. I won't keep you any longer. Take care," Li Wenjian smiled.
Chen Ke bid him farewell and got into the carriage.
As the carriage disappeared into the night, the smile vanished from Li Wenjian's face, his mind in disarray.
He knew why his emotions were so tumultuous.
Back in her room, Zhao Heng's maid had prepared hot water as she was shivering from the cold. Zhao Heng soaked in a bath to warm up her stiff muscles, feeling the fatigue and chill dissipate.
"There are two beds made in case you feel cold. If you need anything, just call me. I'll be in the next room," the maid said as she combed Zhao Heng's hair, speaking in a gentle tone.
Before Zhao Heng could respond, a sound from outside caught their attention. The maid turned to see Li Wenjian approaching, and Zhao Heng also turned to look, hesitantly watching him approach.
Li Wenjian instructed the maid to leave and took a towel from the shelf to help Zhao Heng dry her hair. However, Zhao Heng only glanced at his hand, then silently turned her head away, using the towel left by the maid to dab the water from her hair.
"Still mad?" Li Wenjian leaned in, smiling.
His breath extended, penetrating her body, seeping into the warm pores and coursing through her veins.
Unwilling to be in close contact with him, Zhao Heng remained silent, moving to the dressing table.
"Aren't you going back?" Zhao Heng said. "I want to sleep."
"If I hadn't come out, would you be able to sleep now?" Li Wenjian asked calmly.
The night was quiet, with only the faint sound of burning candles in the room. Zhao Heng lowered her head, gazing at her hands, and slowly said, "What's it to you whether you come out or not? There is no reason for me to speak to you just because you tell me to. That's not how things work in this world."
"You get impatient after two sentences with me," Li Wenjian remarked. "You chat and laugh with others, even daring to stay out all night without telling Ying Que and the others."
Li Wenjian patiently waited for a moment, seeing no response from Zhao Heng, he asked, "Do you have something to say?"
Zhao Heng blurted out, "I don't need you to control me. We have no relationship, so I don't need to tell you anything."
Li Wenjian looked at her in astonishment, "We have no relationship?"
"That's right." Zhao Heng turned to look at the reflection of the seventeen-year-old girl in the mirror; she was at the most beautiful age, delicate like a newly bloomed peony.
Behind her stood Li Wenjian, equally young and handsome, distinguished and yet infuriating.
Thinking about the months of sadness and grief she had accumulated due to his broken promises since her womanhood ceremony, she raised her neck slightly, imitating his usual casual demeanor, and said lightly, "I'm just a stranger you picked up, no different from those cats and dogs you picked up. The only major difference is that they are animals; you throw them in the menagerie, while I am a person who you keep by your side. That's all."
Li Wenjian frowned, "That's all?"
"Cats and dogs in the menagerie, you can remember to pet and play with them, forget about them at will, and they won't complain. I'm not the same; I am a living person. You should get used to that," Zhao Heng stated.
"Get used to what?" Li Wenjian looked at her, not getting angry at her blunt words, with a slight smile playing on his lips.
Zhao Heng glanced at him, feeling even more irritated by his smile.
"I won't always be waiting for you in the Western Pavilion," Zhao Heng said cheerfully. "Get used to the idea that one day I will marry and leave the palace, staying out every night."
The moonlight penetrated through the dense tree canopy in the courtyard, casting swaying shadows from outside the window. Li Wenjian stood amidst the shifting light and shadows, his figure frozen for a moment.
The soft and charming voice of the young girl echoed in the warm yellow night.
Li Wenjian turned his face, his eyes darkening as his gaze fell upon her face.
Zhao Heng raised her eyes, in the quiet snow night, she saw Li Wenjian's usually warm eyes gradually frost over. She felt a sense of unease but maintained her composure, "Of course, there are many other things. Like bearing children for other men and managing the household."
"Zhao Heng."
As Zhao Heng put down the comb and was about to get up, Li Wenjian suddenly grabbed her hand tightly. The strength of an adult man far exceeded hers, effortlessly restraining her.
She made a muffled sound, tilting her face up, feeling his excited breath.
Zhao Heng spoke first.
"Is there something wrong?"
A sudden gust of wind caused the candle without a lampshade to flicker, and after a moment, the candlelight extinguished.
The abrupt darkness covered many things, including each other's faces and expressions, making it impossible to glimpse each other's emotions. However, the skin-to-skin contact in the darkness revealed many underlying tensions â her suppressed trembling voice and his heated breath.
Zhao Heng couldn't express her current anger.
Not only had he stood her up for her womanhood ceremony, but more importantly, she had glimpsed the chasm that lay between them during the ceremony.
Zhao Heng's womanhood ceremony was simple yet solemn, with only a few respected noblewomen invited to witness.
Before her womanhood ceremony, the autumn rain had persisted for several days.
The next morning, the palace maid reported to Zhao Heng that the maple leaves on the spring mountain had turned red, painting the mountains in a fiery hue.
On the day of her womanhood ceremony, Zhao Heng, accompanied by the Empress and other courtiers, ascended the mountain to appreciate the scenery.
The magnificent mountain view filled Zhao Heng with joy, as she walked up the winding path in her sheepskin boots, supporting the Empress.
The mountain path, muddy and slippery from the recent autumn rain, proved challenging to traverse.
Upon reaching a mountain palace, the Empress noticed Zhao Heng's exquisite dress covered in mud and gifted her a new gown to change into in her chambers.
Back in her room, Ying Que bent down to help Zhao Heng change and apply makeup, smiling, "Did you see Miss Xie just now? She's the chosen Crown Princess for the Crown Prince, truly a celestial beauty."
Confused, Zhao Heng asked, "Crown Princess?"
Ying Que pushed the slightly open window further and pointed, "Look, that's her."
Zhao Heng looked out the window.
A graceful figure moved along the veranda, seeing the open window here, she smiled invitingly at Zhao Heng, with dark hair, red lips, and bright eyes.
Ying Que proceeded to explain in detail to Zhao Heng.
This girl hailed from the Xie family in Jinling, with a lineage that had produced three generations of prime ministers, making them the foremost Southern noble family.
Since the Emperor's ascension, the complex and intertwined network of Southern noble families had hindered the effectiveness of governance in the Northern regions.
And now, the Xie family took the initiative to send their eldest daughter to the capital, clearly showing their intention to seek a good marriage alliance.
Once the Xie family girl arrived in the capital, she quickly received the Empress's praise as the "golden peony."
A golden peony, a national beauty, exuding elegance and grace.
The Empress's praise almost explicitly indicated her as a potential future Crown Princess.
Today, the Empress personally appointed her to accompany her on the maple-viewing trip, causing speculation among the courtiers about the Empress's favor towards this potential future daughter-in-law.
Zhao Heng watched the graceful departure of the Xie family girl, her brow furrowing lightly.
The girl had an ethereal beauty, serene and elegant, truly as graceful and elegant as the peony flower.
At that moment, Ying Que leaned in again and chuckled in her ear, "Will the young lady be going to watch the men's archery this afternoon? Today, the Empress has specifically invited many young men from noble families to accompany her. Take a look and see if any catch your eye. You've reached womanhood now, you can't stay in the palace forever. You've always been independent, so it's time to plan for yourself."
Zhao Heng bit her lip.
Ying Que hesitated, but ultimately spoke her mind, "Even though the Crown Prince has been kind to you all these years, it wouldn't be appropriate for you to continue staying in the palace after his marriage."
Having grown up together, Ying Que and Zhao Heng shared a bond closer than that of just mistress and servant, more like sisters. Despite feeling bold, Ying Que bluntly pointed out to Zhao Heng, "Even if His Highness, out of all the years of friendship, were to appoint you as a concubine, with no one in the harem to rival you, you would still face challenges in the palace. It's better to plan ahead for yourself."