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On the wedding night, a pair of dragon and phoenix candles burned brightly, illuminating the entire room.
Khan Jiexun had drunk too much wine and was flushed with joy, basking in his triumph.
“Great Khan, lift the veil,” Gui Nanny held the ceremonial scale and handed it to Khan Jiexun, smiling widely. “Lifting the princess’s red veil completes the wedding ceremony!”
“Alright, alright, everyone will be rewarded!” Khan Jiexun took the ceremonial scale and eagerly lifted Wu Jingyi’s veil.
The next moment, all the maids and nannies in the room gasped.
Khan Jiexun frowned, turned around, and suspiciously looked at Gui Nanny and others. They all appeared as if they had seen a ghost, filled with fear.
“You…” Khan Jiexun had just spoken two words when suddenly he couldn’t speak anymore, his expression turning as fearful as theirs.
But it wasn’t because he saw Princess Zhaohe’s face. Rather, behind Gui Nanny, there floated a white shadow.
The shadow’s face was covered in blood, its mouth agape and claws extended. In the next instant, her head suddenly detached from her body and flew up.
The head, trailing blood, arced through the air and landed steadily in her own hands.
On the head, her pitch-black eyes had no whites, and her mouth stretched into a wide grin, but her voice was a wailing scream.
The piercing scream shattered eardrums.
“Ahh—” Khan Jiexun went berserk, frantically trying to throw away the bloody head. But the head seemed to be stuck to his hand, refusing to come off no matter how hard he shook it.
However, this scene, viewed by the servants, appeared like a sudden bout of hysteria or delusion.
That night, the Turkic Khan fell ill and couldn’t rise from bed. Physicians from both countries examined him, saying that cold air had entered his body, triggering an acute illness with high fever.
Empress Wu Jingyi temporarily took over the inner palace, while Prince Shu Man handled tribal affairs. The two got along well, treating each other with respect.
Soon, news spread quickly about the old Khan falling into a drunken stupor on the wedding night. After hearing the news, Wu Rui’an and Long Ming tried several times to request an audience, but Wu Jingyi refused every time.
Not only that, Wu Jingyi even quickly issued an edict, ordering Prince Wu and General Long to immediately lead the Xuanwu marriage convoy back home without delay.
Wu Rui’an was baffled. He went to discuss with Long Ming but found him still asleep, utterly exhausted, unable to wake up no matter what.
With no one to consult, during lunchtime, Wu Rui’an asked Di Jiang, “Why is Jingyi so eager for me to leave?”
“Fearing that seeing you once would make her sad again, she decided not to see you at all,” Di Jiang said indifferently.
Her casual remark sounded very convincing to Wu Rui’an, thinking that might be the only reason.
But Wu Rui’an still wouldn’t give up. He sent a message to Wu Jingyi, saying, “If I don’t see you one last time, I won’t return to court.”
Wu Jingyi eventually agreed to his request. On the day before the army departed, Wu Rui’an and Wu Jingyi exchanged a glance through the curtain.
Wu Jingyi weakly extended her hand, wanting to lift the curtain. But as soon as the plum blossom mark on her hand appeared, and she reached out to hold Wu Rui’an’s hand, she couldn’t help herself, pulled back, covered her face, and sobbed quietly.
“Your Highness, it’s better for you to go back… Seeing you only makes the princess cry…” Gui Nanny wiped Wu Jingyi’s tears while sighing.
Wu Rui’an’s hand hung in mid-air for a long time before finally dropping. Then he turned and left the hall.
Although Wu Rui’an desperately wanted to see his sister one last time, staying here any longer might cause him to lose composure, making Jingyi feel even worse.
Thus, this distant farewell might be best for both parties.
...
When Long Ming woke up, the army had already started moving.
Wu Jingyi stood on the high city wall, watching the Xuanwu marriage convoy bathed in morning light, heads held high, brimming with confidence.
The horses in the convoy were colorful, standing tall and proud, rugged yet orderly. The soldiers sitting on the horses were full of joy, contrasting sharply with her sorrow. Naturally, her heart was filled with reluctance.
But no matter how reluctant she was, she had to let go. A short pain was better than a prolonged one.
Long Ming felt the same way. Now that the rice was cooked, he didn’t even have the chance to approach Wu Jingyi, let alone rescue someone unwilling to leave in the heavily guarded Turkic royal palace.
Helpless, Long Ming led the army in saluting towards the distant city wall. Then, the escort troops stepped into the rosy dawn, breathing in the fresh and brisk air of the grasslands, bidding their final farewell to Princess Zhaohe.
“Departure—” the deputy shouted, and the sound of whips echoed endlessly, gradually fading into the distance.
“If life could only stay as our first meeting, who’d know the later changes of heaven and earth? Deeply immersed in love, only to realize the regret of that time…” The person on the city wall opened her mouth and recited a verse.
Her eyes were slightly red, but no more tears fell.
Her face showed only determination and resolve, devoid of past hesitation.
This person was not Wu Jingyi; she was Liu Zhi, who had taken Wu Jingyi’s identity as the peace-bringing princess on the wedding night.
“Sigh... why do you do this?” Gui Nanny’s eyes were full of sorrow, wiping her tears several times. But it wasn’t due to reluctance—it was fear.
“Suppress your fear. From now on, I am your master, the legitimate princess of Xuanwu. You are tied to me now. If discovered, none of us can escape death. Do you understand?” Liu Zhi kept a stern face, showing no trace of fear.
“I understand.” Gui Nanny nodded. Liu Zhi had already told them this last night. After weighing the pros and cons, they knew the stakes involved and naturally dared not say anything.
For now, they could only play along, relying on each other to survive in the Turkic capital.
Sent back with the army was also one of Wu Jingyi’s personal maids, Hong Qiao.
The reason for her return was simple: Hong Qiao couldn’t adapt to the environment, and the princess hoped she could return home, marry, and live happily. Wu Rui’an had no reason to refuse, and the Turks were generous. Besides, Hong Qiao was only average-looking. They didn’t care about losing one maid among the thousand escorts.
The cycle of seasons naturally arrived. This journey had unknowingly brought them to late autumn. The temperature difference between day and night on the prairie was significant. By sunset, the army had to reluctantly set up camp by a winding river and continue the journey the next day.
At this point, only four women remained in the military camp: Di Jiang, Wen Yao, Liu Zhi, and Hong Qiao. Di Jiang and Wen Yao mostly stayed by Wu Rui’an’s side, rarely venturing out. Liu Zhi was still ill, and Long Ming, uninterested in her, assigned two elite soldiers to take care of her. Thus, Hong Qiao’s movements became particularly noteworthy.
After dinner, Hong Qiao requested extra soup and drinks and headed to Liu Zhi’s tent, which puzzled Wu Rui’an and Long Ming greatly.
Di Jiang found it amusing, sipped some tea, and teased, “I heard that Hong Qiao and Liu Zhi were both maids serving Princess Zhaohe since childhood. Ever since Liu Zhi betrayed the princess, they became estranged. The last few times Hong Qiao saw Liu Zhi, she wore a look of disdain. Now, enemies meeting should ignite hatred. Why is Hong Qiao taking care of Liu Zhi?”
Her words struck like thunder in Wu Rui’an and Long Ming’s hearts.
Di Jiang’s words woke them up like a splash of cold water; they suddenly realized everything.
Wu Rui’an and Long Ming rushed into Liu Zhi’s tent. Inside, only Hong Qiao sat by the bedside, silently weeping. On the bed lay not Liu Zhi but the still unconscious Princess Zhaohe, Wu Jingyi, gravely ill.
“I always felt something was off. Jingyi shouldn’t have been so eager to send us away!”
Wu Rui’an’s expression changed rapidly, his eyes red, deeply moved. But joy still crept into his heart. Overjoyed at regaining his lost sister, he couldn’t contain his happiness.
Long Ming’s expression mirrored Wu Rui’an’s excitement. But deep inside, a voice roared louder and louder: “If Wu Jingyi cannot be married off, can Liu Zhi be married instead? Does she hope I’ll come back to save her? If I take her away, she’ll definitely follow me, right?”
He wanted to save both Liu Zhi and Wu Jingyi.
Long Ming didn’t know what had possessed him. After hesitating through the night, just before dawn, when everyone was still resting, he mounted his white horse alone and galloped toward Gaoque City.
But before he had gone two li, he saw a green-clad woman abruptly standing on the high grassland.
She stood against the morning light, alone, seemingly waiting for someone. Around her was an endless expanse of grassland, as if she stood at the end of the heavens and the earth.
“Whoa—”
Long Ming reined in his horse just before her. The horse abruptly stopped its forelegs a zhang away from the woman.
Approaching her, Long Ming realized this woman was Wu Rui’an’s maid, Di Jiang.
“Why are you here, Miss Di?”
“I’m waiting for you,” Di Jiang said calmly, smiling.
Long Ming frowned, not caring why she sought him, and directly said, “It’s quite a distance from the main army. The evening weather is chilly, and wolves prowl at night. It’s dangerous. You should quickly return to the main camp!”
“What about you? Where are you going, General Long?” Di Jiang shook her head, not backing down an inch, but stared straight into his eyes instead and asked.
“Of course, I’m going to save Liu Zhi!”
“Do you really think Liu Zhi needs saving?”
Long Ming frowned, questioning, “What do you mean?”
“Do you really think following Liu Zhi to the Turks is a good thing?” Di Jiang suddenly raised her voice, her gaze intense, leaving Long Ming speechless.
Di Jiang continued, “If you go with her, your fate will inevitably end in death. Not to mention whether the conflict between the Turks and Xuanwu will escalate, just imagine her serving the Turkic Khan while seeing you loitering around every day. Seeing you might only make her suffer more. Are you really doing this for her benefit?”
“...”
Long Ming’s usually taciturn face showed even more confusion. Clearly, he had never considered these questions Di Jiang posed.
After a long while, he harshly exclaimed, “You... step aside! No matter what, I can’t watch her marry such a person!”
“This is the path she chose herself. There’s no turning back now. Why do you still fail to understand how to truly cherish a woman?”
“Before, you mistook Liu Zhi for someone who helped and cared for you. You rejected the Emperor’s arranged marriage, abandoned Wu Jingyi, and married Liu Zhi—this was mistake one. Later, realizing your error, you blamed Liu Zhi entirely, abandoned her in Taiping Prefecture, and ignored her for three years—this was mistake two. Now, if you provoke war between the two countries because of her substitution, it would be compounding mistakes, unforgivable even with ten thousand deaths.”
“What do you know! Move aside!” Long Ming raised his whip, ready to strike Di Jiang.
Di Jiang grabbed the whip, and Long Ming found he couldn’t exert any force with his right hand.
Incredulously, he stared at Di Jiang. The woman in front of him was clearly slender and delicate, yet despite using all his strength, he couldn’t move the whip an inch.
“Who are you?” Long Ming sat on his horse, glaring at her, speaking word by word.
“Who I am doesn’t matter. What matters is that you need to see clearly who you are and how to love someone.”
“You’ve always known that the person you love is the gentle and considerate woman from the lantern festival, regardless of her background. You love Wu Jingyi from beginning to end. Why are you now sympathizing with Liu Zhi?”
“Would you care about her if she hadn’t substituted? For over a month, the words you’ve spoken to her probably haven’t exceeded those spoken by Princess Zhaohe. How dare you talk about love?”
Di Jiang slowly said, “Being gentle and considerate isn’t difficult. What’s difficult is truly considering things from her perspective, sharing her joys and sorrows, rather than unilaterally giving what you believe is deep affection. That’s not love—it’s deprivation and self-gratification.”
“And,” Di Jiang paused, “love isn’t pity either.”
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