Chapter 77
Rare good weather for a day, the snow on the palace eaves melted under the sun, dripping down the corridors like a gentle spring rain.
Li Wenjian sat by the window, one hand resting on the desk, silently observing the account book on the table. It documented the financial transactions of Xiyuan in recent years, including several people Li Wenjian knew.
Whether these individuals who purchased Western barbarian slaves and arranged the assassination were related to the remnants of the previous dynasty, further investigation was needed.
The tea water boiled in the silver pot, swirling tumultuously, while Li Wenjian's fingertips were as cold as snow. Expressionless, he lifted the handle of the pot, poured a cup of tea, and took a sip.
The faint fragrance of the tea cleared his mind slightly. He raised his head to see a man sitting across from him, his face cold and stern with a scar, exuding a chilling aura when not smiling.
"These past few months, Mr. An has been investigating this item, sneaking into Xiyuan multiple times. I saw them..." Xilin's voice was equally cold.
The Western barbarians had their own written language, and his speech in the Central Plains dialect wasn't fluent, making listeners uncomfortable with each pause. "That day at Marquis Xie's mansion, the guards almost intercepted. I let them go."
"Yes, I know." Li Wenjian glanced at the rain dripping outside, the gloomy sky casting a shadow on his pale profile. He pursed his lips, his expression bland. "Fei Yu said that you stayed by Xie Jining's side for revenge. You are his most trusted guard, with countless opportunities to kill him. Why wait until today?"
Xilin pondered while cupping the tea bowl, then spoke, "Why do you call us Western barbarians?"
Li Wenjian fell silent for a moment.
"My homeland is called Suoriwu, translated in your Central Plains language as the 'Country of Ten Thousand Mountains.'" Amidst the light rain, Xilin's solemn voice sounded. "My people are hospitable and live a peaceful life amidst the mountains. It is the wars with you and the Northern Di that have forced us to flee and struggle. Why in the end are we labeled as 'barbarians'?"
Li Wenjian's hand holding the account book trembled slightly. Hearing the term Western barbarian, he had been perplexed as well before.
Why were they burdened with the name of barbarians when they had done nothing?
Later, he understood that any form of plundering needed a reputable justification, and they were given the label to legitimize their cruel acts.
Xilin sighed heavily, then turned to Li Wenjian. "I've come to you not to ask for an explanation or seek vengeance."
Li Wenjian naturally understood that Xilin, with his martial prowess, had been Xie Jining's right-hand man under deliberate closeness over the years. If he wanted an explanation, revenge for his blood kin, Xie Jining wouldn't have safely lived up to this day.
And the reason Xilin endured humiliation and lurked by Xie Jining's side was for another purpose.
"What do you seek then?" Li Wenjian asked.
A cold wind lightly tapped on the window frames, a few sparks flickered from the charcoal fire in the room, and Xilin raised his gaze. The rain curtain outside the window reflected the coldness in his eyes. "I seek a future path for my people."
His people enjoyed the protection of the mountains, but they were also confined by them.
For Suoriwu, this was not a good situation.
Thirty-five years ago, a sudden drought had proven this.
Being cornered did not enhance Suoriwu's ability to confront risks; instead, it made them subject to the whims of nature.
Ten years ago, Dongli issued a decree prohibiting the trading of Western barbarian slaves. Xilin thought this would end his people's tragic fate of being bought and sold, allowing them to retreat back to the mountains and live peacefully.
But five years ago, when his sister was deceived and taken from the mountains, innocently killed, he understood the meaning of "a man might be blameless, yet bear the sins of others."
Suoriwu had no foundation in the world, and the common people of Suoriwu couldn't fundamentally escape their fate of being treated as lowly as pigs and dogs.
Having already come into the world, retreating completely was not possible. The surrounding countries all coveted Suoriwu in the mountains, wanting a piece of the pie. Instead of waiting to die, it was better to take the initiative, open the doors to Suoriwu, and establish a foothold in the world.
"I would like you to open a trading market at the border for trade between Suoriwu and Dongli," Xilin's expression turned solemn.
"Trading with a tribe that can't even be considered a nation has never been done," Li Wenjian stared at Xilin for a moment before suddenly saying, "If I refuse, what will you do?"
"I will go to the Northern Di and negotiate with them," Xilin's voice was stern and cold. "The Northern Di and Dongli have longstanding enmity. If the Northern Di open trade with Suoriwu, it will lead neighboring countries to believe that the Northern Di have the support of the fierce and skilled people of Suoriwu. When they go to war with Dongli, this will sway the opinions and decisions of other countries. The Northern Di were heavily injured by Dongli many years ago, and they urgently need to gather various forces."
With Xilin's words, Li Wenjian indeed furrowed his brow.
How could he not understand the enormous danger posed by the Western barbarian slaves, who can easily overpower others and hand them over to the Northern Di?
"The Northern Di are brutal and ruthless. If Dongli is defeated, they will undoubtedly strike back at Suoriwu, to ensure their absolute rule. The fate of the Country of Ten Thousand Mountains not included in the Northern Di's territory is self-evident." Xilin took a few sips from the porcelain cup, then raised his head to meet Li Wenjian's gaze, his voice carrying more weight. "I know you are a smart person. A smart person will surely agree to my proposal."
During his time in Dongli, he listened to the people's livelihoods, heard their sentiments, and glimpsed a fraction of the iceberg of this widely-known prince from Xie Jining's words, from the mouths of the common folk, and from those who secretly visited Xiyuan numerous times.
But others' words were not enough for him to entrust the future of his entire clan to them.
It wasn't until the day he attended Marquis Xie's banquet to cover for An Xuzhi, that he truly made up his mind.
The sudden strong wind could be used for tracking. He sprinkled powder on Fei Yu and An Xuzhi, and the bird of prey followed them day and night.
After obtaining the account book, he found Fei Yu with the bird's guidance.
"I am well aware that if you join forces with the Northern Di, it will pose a huge threat to us. However, Suoriwu is after all unowned territory. If I open a trading market for mutual trade with you at the border, we will face condemnation from neighboring countries. All beings are born equal, so I am willing to help you overcome your predicament."
As Li Wenjian spoke, he lifted the slightly cold tea cup on the table and took a sip. "Even my father, faced with the hardships of your people in the past, only issued a decree prohibiting the buying and selling of Western barbarian slaves. And now, you are asking me to open the door wide for you, to resist the pressures from all sides, it is not an easy task."
Li Wenjian paused for a moment before continuing, "You have hidden by Xie Jining's side for many years and yet still stand before me alive, offering this account book. I know you are not an ordinary person. If you have the intention to lead your people on an extraordinary path, then I can also help you. But you must agree to two things."
"I can use the heads of my own people as evidence. As long as I am alive, my people will not turn to the Northern Di, and there will be no war between Suoriwu and Dongli," even without Li Wenjian saying anything, Xilin met his gaze with clarity.
"Agreed," Li Wenjian readily agreed.
Xilin could hardly contain his excitement, his fingers subtly clenched and then relaxed. "What is the other thing?" he asked.
The warm yellow light in the study fell on Li Wenjian's profile as he took out a scroll from the desk and handed it to Xilin. With a puzzled expression, Xilin unfolded the scroll and saw a portrait of a beautiful woman on the paper, turning to look at him in surprise.
Li Wenjian explained, "Her name is Wei Wanyu, a diplomatic beauty from Dongli and the Yuezhi. She should be among the refugees heading to Luojia now. I want you to go to Luojia immediately and find her."
Without hesitation, Xilin replied, "Alright."
Luojia was Subin's territory, and Wang Yanhe and the others were afraid of entering the city and alerting Subin's spies, so they did not dare to enter.
After searching the surrounding area for several days, they still could not find any trace of Wei Wanyu, suspecting she might have blended in with the refugees during the chaos and entered Luojia.
The people beside him couldn't go in, but Xilin could.
Hopefully, she would have a stroke of luck and wait for Xilin to find her.
*
Zhao Heng sat at the table, looking up at the misty rain curtain. The melting snow fell silently in the courtyard.
"Master, have some food," Lian Zhou brought a bowl of plum snow soup and some pastries.
The lunch had already been served on the table, but Li Wenjian was still in the study, meeting with the guard from the Xiehou Mansion. She sat at the table for a while, unable to eat anything, and the food soon went cold, so she had it removed.
Zhao Heng took the bowl of porridge from Lian Zhou, took a few sips, and felt a bit of warmth return to her body, which had become somewhat stiff. Suddenly, she saw Li Nanxi running in with a letter in hand through the pouring rain curtain.
"Sister Ah Heng." The little girl almost threw herself into her arms, waving the envelope excitedly. "Xiao Ning has written a letter."
Zhao Heng turned her head, placed the bowl aside, hugged her and sat back against the soft pillow to open the letter.
The letter from Ning Wanzhi was written in a messy manner, jumping from one topic to another, mentioning the meat pies from Meizhou in the morning, then suddenly talking about the heavy snow here...making Zhao Heng can't help but chuckle.
They slowly read the letter, catching a glimpse of a vast world beyond the palace walls from Ning Wanzhi's words.
A faint smile played on Zhao Heng's lips as she read the letter to the end, suddenly noticing that Wei Wanyu was missing, and her father had sent troops to search for her under the guise of border defense, with a small team of cavalry searching for two days in the snowy wilderness.
"Ah, Wanyu is in trouble," Li Nanxi tugged at Zhao Heng's sleeve and looked up at her face, asking, "Will she die?"
Lost in thought, Zhao Heng gave a light response, her eyes gazing at the dripping rain curtain under the eaves.
*
Li Wenjian pushed open the door and entered, the hall was dimly lit, with only a few lamps flickering. The windows were tightly closed, and silence filled the room.
He lifted the pearl curtains and walked into the inner hall, where he could vaguely see someone sitting on the bed reading a book. She coughed a few times, moved slightly inside, perhaps hearing the sound of the pearl curtains, she turned her head and looked at him through the thin curtains.
Approaching the bed, he realized that she wasn't holding a book, but a map of the Northern border.
"Why are you looking at the map?" Li Wenjian's tone carried a hint of indifference.
Zhao Heng nestled in the blankets, beckoning him over, "Your Highness, come here."
He remained silent, only leaning towards her. She pointed to a black dot on the map and told him, "This is Meizhou."
Li Wenjian's slender fingers curved as he unbuttoned his white jade robe. The muscles on the back of his hand tensed slightly as he unbuttoned each button, taking off his damp outer robe, prompting Zhao Heng to pull back the covers to invite him in.
He climbed onto the warm bed, pulling her into his embrace, resting his chin on her neck without speaking, but with a slight smile on his lips.
A soft acknowledgment.
"Are you happy today?"
Zhao Heng nodded, "Xiao Ning wrote me a letter."
He remained silent, just smiling lightly at her words.
"She is doing well now, and I am happy for her." Zhao Heng snuggled into his embrace, "Meizhou seems to be a lovely place in her letter, but unfortunately, I may never have the chance to go there in this lifetime..."
Her voice abruptly stopped as he took the map from her hands with his long, fair fingers.
"What's wrong?"
"It's not impossible." His voice held a hint of a faint smile.
Zhao Heng blinked, turning her head to look at him with a puzzled expression, "Is there still a chance?"
"Of course." Li Wenjian pressed his lips together, pulling her shoulder and drawing her into his embrace.
"What chance..."
Zhao Heng's words were abruptly silenced by the heat of his lips against hers. His unexpected kiss sent a thrill through her, leaving her breathless. She felt a jolt of surprise, her heart pounding against her chest as his lips moved against hers with a gentle, insistent rhythm.
A flush crept across Zhao Heng's cheeks as he whispered softly in her ear, his voice barely above a breath. His words were lost in the intoxicating haze of their kiss, but she could feel the warmth of his breath against her skin, and the gentle pressure of his hand on her waist.
"When the child is older and I pass the throne to him, I will be able to take you on a journey around the world during my free time."
He spoke with a deep desire in his voice.
The world seemed to fade away as they surrendered to the moment, their bodies moving in perfect harmony.
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Author's Note:
Li Gouzi: First of all, we need to have a child.