Chapter 26.2
Over the years, Li Wenjian had seen all sorts of women, most of whom were noble ladies from prominent families. They had been born with silk and satin, living a life of luxury and comfort.
The biggest misfortune in their lives was probably a quarrel with their sisters, or the hairpins and jewelry they wanted were sold out... They called these hardships and wrote poems and lyrics expressing their sorrow and lamenting the passing of spring and autumn for him to review.
In the dimly lit chamber, a profound silence enveloped the two figures seated across from each other. The flickering candlelight cast dancing shadows upon their faces, accentuating the stark contrast between their expressions.
As for those truly burdened by pain, theirs is a silent symphony, a chorus of suffering they can never voice. No hand has ever reached to understand the depths of their experience, for they have never been given the power to speak their own truth.
A flickering candle cast an uneven glow on Li Wenjian's face, etching sharp lines that spoke of a deeper sorrow.
Zhao Heng, catching the sudden shift in his expression, stammered, "Your Highness, did I offend you?"
"Ten years of war," Li Wenjian's voice dropped to a low growl, "a decade of seeing lives uprooted, futures shattered, and a nation reduced to a husk of its former glory. And it is the powerless, the likes of you, who bear the brunt of such a storm." A flicker of rage, long suppressed, ignited in his eyes.
His eyes flashed with a barely contained fury, a reflection of the deep-seated resentment that gnawed at his soul.
If only Zhao Heng had lived in a time of peace and prosperity, a time when the government cared for its people, providing solace to the orphaned and the destitute, she would not have been forced to sell herself to work with a stranger, driven to such desperate measures by the cruel hand of fate.
"In the end," he concluded, his voice laced with bitterness, "it is this wretched, corrupt world we must blame."
Zhao Heng watched him, her heart filled with a mixture of empathy and understanding. She knew the depths of his pain, the scars that ran deep within his soul, etched by the injustices he had witnessed and endured.
Taking a deep breath, she carefully chose her words, her voice soft and soothing.
"Yes," she acknowledged, her voice tinged with sadness, "those were dark times, when the tyrant of the previous dynasty ruled with an iron fist, leaving the people to bear the brunt of his insatiable greed and cruelty. But things have changed," she assured him, her voice gaining strength and conviction.
"Our ancestors, the Founding Emperor and the current Emperor, laid the foundation for Dongli with unwavering determination and unwavering faith in a brighter future. I believe that in the future under your leadership, Dongli will rise to even greater heights, where officials serve the people, merchants conduct business with integrity, and farmers till their lands with peace of mind. In such a world, our people will no longer suffer."
As the night deepened, the candlelight flickered in the gentle breeze, casting an ethereal glow upon the room. Li Wenjian raised his gaze to meet hers, his eyes searching hers for a glimmer of hope, then closed them again.
The river is clear and the sea is calm, with peace and prosperity in every season - this is his lifelong wish as a crown prince.
However, for now, he couldn't muster the enthusiasm to share his aspirations with her.
Therefore, he could only remain silent.
*
Li Wenjian had a restless night's sleep, and Zhao Heng suspected it was due to the pain from his wounds. How could it not hurt with such a long arrow piercing through his flesh and blood?
So she went to the imperial physician to have some calming herbs added to his medicine, had it prepared in the medicinal room, and instructed the palace maid to feed it to Li Wenjian.
Before going to bed, she thought about waking up late this morning, secretly resolving to wake up early tomorrow and not to sleep late again, as it was simply improper.
The long night stretched on, with the lights extinguishing one by one, except for the gentle flickering lamp by the bedside.
With the recent heavy rains, the sound of raindrops on the glazed tiles was annoying as it began in the evening.
Li Wenjian was once again awakened in the night by Zhao Heng's cries.
Why does she cry incessantly like a cat?
He opened his eyes, looking at her trembling figure on the soft pallet, and slowly sat up, supported by his arms.
Braving the pain, he moved closer to her, expertly finding and massaging the acupoint behind her neck.
The woman's furrowed brows relaxed, and her sleeping face was peaceful.
He gently brushed her forehead with his pale, thin fingers, and Li Wenjian murmured slowly, "I don't know if it's you who owe me in the past life, or if it's me who owe you."
A faint smile crept up on his lips as he yawned.
*
When Zhao Heng woke up, a ray of sunlight shone in through the window, blinding her eyes.
Seeing the sun, she realized it was not early.
Dammit, she had been having trouble sleeping lately, yet she managed to oversleep whenever she was in the presence of the Crown Prince.
She frowned and looked across the room, where Li Wenjian was still asleep on the pallet, with the blanket slipping down to his waist. The sleep-inducing herbs from last night were still effective, and he had not yet woken up.
Zhao Heng hesitated whether to wake him up, but thinking about his lack of rest yesterday, she silently walked to the bedside, pulled up the blanket to cover his back.
She put on her shoes in the outer room, and walked out of the sleeping quarters.
After having her breakfast, Zhao Heng was about to check if Li Wenjian had woken up when the Princess Ping, accompanied by several palace maids, arrived.
Zhao Heng went to greet her, and the Princess brought a pot of flowers with her, saying, "In the morning, Qing Lan and others were arranging flowers, and I arranged a set with green eucalyptus flowers, specifically to present to you all to appreciate. The eucalyptus flower signifies elegance and strength, and also wishes for the Crown Prince's early recovery."
The eucalyptus blossom was seventy percent in bloom, its light green flowers quietly nestled among the green leaves, exuding a sense of humility and charm. Zhao Heng looked at the slanting shadows of the flowers and sighed, "It's beautiful."
She invited the Princess Ping to come inside for a brief rest, but the Princess declined for the time being, saying, "Mother has invited the abbot from the Guardian Temple to perform a ritual in the palace, and I need to visit the Changming Palace."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Heng raised her eyebrows, "A ritual?"
The Princess Ping sighed, "It has been a troublesome autumn in the palace this year. Recently, a palace maid by the Empress' side accidentally drowned, and the Crown Prince was also attacked at the Imperial Tomb. So, the Empress Dowager wants to perform a ritual to dispel evil and misfortune."
She then complained, furrowing her brow, "Mother has never believed in ghosts and gods before, but suddenly she believes in such things."
Zhao Heng smiled gently, "It is better to believe than to deny, the Empress is also doing it for the good of everyone."
She watched as Princess Ping's figure disappeared at the end of the palace road, then turned back to the Chengming Hall.
*
"Miss Wei, please stop, the Prince is resting, Miss..."
In the palace, Wei Wanyu hurriedly walked, ignoring the Yuezhi Envoys' objections, and walked straight inside. When she reached Ruo Zhen's door, she pushed it open forcefully.
The glaring sunlight streamed in, causing Ruo Zhen to shut his eyes tightly. He had a splitting headache, as if something was pounding in his head. He furrowed his brow and looked towards the door, where Wei Wanyu stood, her face filled with anger.
On the bed, two snowy-white figures whimpered and cowered in fear at the sight.
Wei Wanyu was well aware of the barbaric and debauched ways of the Mancjus, where naked revelry and dancing were common among young men and women.
However, witnessing her fiancé embracing two young women on a bed, she was still speechless with rage!
"Ruo Zhen, you have the courage to be so licentious!" Wei Wanyu exclaimed angrily.
Ruo Zhen propped himself up from the bed, recalling the absurdity of the previous night. He glanced at Wei Wanyu without showing any signs of panic, and leisurely got up, pulling up the blanket as he stood.
Wei Wanyu's face flushed red, and she turned abruptly.
Ruo Zhen picked up his clothes scattered on the floor nonchalantly, draped them over himself, then asked, "Why are you here so early?"
Furious, Wei Wanyu said, "I didn't know you were so debauched! I want to enter the palace! I want the Emperor to cancel our engagement."
"Go ahead," Ruo Zhen replied indifferently. He sat at the table and poured himself a glass of water. Still suffering from last night's excessive drinking, his head was still throbbing. "When you see the Emperor, you better tell him everything in detailâwhere you found these beauties and how you taught them to seduce me."
Wei Wanyu looked incredulously at the two women on the bed.
They were naked, trembling under the bedsheet, vigorously shaking their heads at Wei Wanyu.
"All these little tricks of yours are old news to me," Ruo Zhen said with a hint of a smile.
As soon as the two women approached him last night, he knew why they had come. Since they were gifts from Wei Wanyu, he simply accepted them without refusal, welcoming the beauties willingly.
"Your Emperor needs the support of the Yue Tribe to stabilize the Northern Frontier. So, don't think that using two prostitutes will make him revoke his orders. Even if he ordered you and the prostitutes to serve me together, he will never retract that decision." Ruo Zhen looked at her pale face, chuckling joyously, "You know you don't like me, and I don't like unromantic women like you. It's too dull. But our marriage affects the relations between two countries. Can't you calm down a bit? You've been sending people to accuse me, using such despicable means to frame me. Why bother? Can't we just live peacefully together? If you feel lonely, go find ten or eight handsome young men, I won't interfere with you, and you don't interfere with me. We're people of the grasslands, not so narrow-minded!"
Wei Wanyu's cheeks burned with humiliation as she endured his crude and vulgar words. Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined such brazen audacity.
What on earth had possessed her to provoke this man?
Her voice trembled with indignation as she demanded, "What will it take for you to let me go?"
Ruo Zhen regarded her with an expression that bordered on pity. "You've heard me repeatedly, yet you seem to grasp nothing. I have no interest in your wealth. My goal is to establish diplomatic relations with Dongli and foster mutual trade, ensuring an unending stream of riches for the Moon Tribe."
"Ruo Zhen," Wei Wanyu pleaded, her voice laced with desperation as she realized his resolve was unwavering. Her hands clasped together tightly, the prospect of a life in the Yue Tribe filled her with dread. With no one else willing to intervene, her only hope lay in self-preservation.
"Do you not desire beauty?" she proposed, her mind racing for a solution. "I shall find a beautiful woman to take my place."
Ruo Zhen raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What kind of beauty? As you know, my standards are quite high. You've presented me with countless women, but only those from last night were even remotely passable."
Wei Wanyu declared, "A woman with alabaster skin, a jade-like complexion, and a beauty that surpasses all others. How could those common, unremarkable women from last night even compare?"
Ruo Zhen's eyes lit up at her description.