CXD - 45

After delivering his threat, Lord Yong’en stormed out of Yaoguang Pavilion with his guards in tow.

Arriving at the main hall, he saw the tall, broad-shouldered youth standing there dressed in a black robe, hands clasped behind his back. Yuan Ce casually surveyed the furnishings inside as if he were in his own home—

This strikingly handsome face had been tempered on the battlefield, and now carried an air of extraordinary dignity, no wonder it had bewitched his niece so thoroughly...

Lord Yong’en darkly scrutinized him from head to toe. Glancing at the young man in white robes standing beside Yuan Ce, he sneered: “Does Young General Shen realize that this marriage proposal violates propriety? Unable to persuade us, have you brought a negotiator along?”

Yuan Ce turned around, glanced at the group of guards who were clearly there to intimidate, and respectfully saluted Lord Yong’en. He gestured toward Li Dafeng: “This is a physician from my Xuan Ce Army who specializes in treating injuries. He’s here to examine you.”

Lord Yong’en froze, his angry glare flickering slightly. “Examine… me?”

“I noticed that earlier, when you nearly collapsed backward, you broke into a cold sweat, and your guards had to support your lower back. It doesn’t seem like a case of sudden emotional distress—it’s more likely an old injury acting up.”

One came to fight, the other to heal—like punching into cotton, all strength rendered useless.

Lord Yong’en glared for a long while, then awkwardly straightened his sleeves and turned his head away. “...Young General Shen has sharp eyes, but there’s no need to trouble yourself. My injury has already healed!”

“Then why did you return to the capital nearly a month ahead of schedule? If not for your old injury flaring up halfway, how could it take until today for you to arrive?”

According to Jiang Zhiyi’s previous account, her uncle had been delayed by canal construction work and couldn’t make it back for the New Year. But based on the report Mu Xinhong had just delivered, the southern construction project had been suspended well before the end of the year. The letter sent to Jiang Zhiyi claiming he wouldn’t be able to return was actually dispatched from a post station midway.

“You...” Young people spoke so bluntly, without even offering a step down. Lord Yong’en struggled to save face. “Have you told Yiyi about this?”

“Aren’t you the one who didn’t want her to worry?”

Lord Yong’en let out a sigh of relief but felt himself suddenly diminished in Yuan Ce’s presence. Straightening his back, he said, “She’s too close to me. If she knew, she’d cry and nag endlessly—it would be unbearable.”

Yuan Ce smiled faintly. “I understand.”

...Did he really understand her crying and nagging?

Lord Yong’en looked at him suspiciously, both shaken and puzzled.

Yuan Ce: “She simply didn’t notice earlier in her haste. If your injury isn’t treated soon, there’s no guarantee she won’t find out later.”

Lord Yong’en fell silent and glanced at Li Dafeng.

Yuan Ce gestured toward the seat of honor. “Lord, please sit.”

Lord Yong’en reluctantly walked over and sat down, pausing briefly before slowly raising his head.

...Wait, was this still Yong’en Manor or had he wandered into the Shen family estate?

________________________________________

Early the next morning, in the main courtyard of the manor, Lord Yong’en lay face-down on a bed, howling in pain as he endured another round of care from his future nephew-in-law’s appointed physician.

His lower back had been injured when a massive stone from the canal construction accidentally struck him. At the time, his vision went black, and he passed out. Fortunately, luck was on his side, and no vital organs were damaged.

The day before, Physician Li had given his lower back a massage during the examination. Lord Yong’en had cried out in pain so much that his dignity was utterly shattered—he felt as though his life was in someone else’s hands and could no longer put on the airs of an authoritative uncle. After a night’s rest, he had barely managed to recover his composure when, early in the morning, this miraculous healer returned once again.

After the massage ended, Li Dafeng nodded respectfully and excused himself. Before leaving, he advised: “Your injury reached the internal organs, and compared to the damage to your muscles and bones, the internal wounds require more careful attention. Be sure to keep warm and avoid catching colds or wind in the future.”

Lord Yong’en winced, lying face-down, and raised a hand to signal his understanding. Once the physician left, he stretched his now much-relieved muscles and bones, got up, and began dressing.

Just as he finished putting on his clothes, a maid from Yaoguang Pavilion rushed in. “My lord, something terrible has happened—the young mistress has fallen ill!”

________________________________________

In the bedroom of Yaoguang Pavilion, Lord Yong’en sat by the bedside, looking at the pale face, bloodless lips, and tightly closed eyes of the person before him. Startled, he asked urgently: “What happened? Wasn’t she fine last night before going to bed? Has a physician examined her?”

Beside him, Guyu nodded. “Yes, they’ve seen her. They said the young mistress has ‘qi illness’—deficiency of qi, stagnation of qi, reversal of qi, sinking of qi—all combined...”

Lord Yong’en’s eyes widened. “So many illnesses?”

“In summary, her qi is blocked, so she has no strength. Her entire body is weak and blood-deficient...”

“What caused this? How can it be treated? Has a prescription been written?”

“The physician said that medication would only treat the symptoms, not the root cause—writing a prescription would be useless...”

“Nonsense! Isn’t it just a matter of tonifying qi and nourishing blood? Feed her ten doses of decade-old ginseng, and I bet she’ll recover!”

Guyu hastily waved her hands. “Th-that probably won’t work, my lord!”

“...Cough, cough...” The person on the bed let out two weak coughs, opened her eyes slightly, and weakly raised a hand. “Uncle...”

Lord Yong’en quickly took her hand. “I’m here, I’m here.”

Jiang Zhiyi feebly shook her head. “Don’t blame the physician—it’s all part of my fate...”

“How is it your fate? With such a minor illness,调理一下就好了？”

“No, Uncle,” Jiang Zhiyi took a deep breath. “You don’t know... I didn’t have to marry Young General Shen at all. But after having our birth charts matched before the New Year, we learned he’s my lucky star, my destined benefactor. If I leave him, I’ll slowly grow weaker like this...”

“...”

Lord Yong’en’s lips twitched slightly. “Really?”

“Absolutely true, my lord!” Guyu hurriedly retrieved a red paper from the drawer and handed it to Lord Yong’en.

A large character for “auspicious” greeted his eyes. The entire text praised the groom’s virtues as if they were unmatched in heaven or earth.

Lord Yong’en pinched the fortune-telling paper and glanced at Jiang Zhiyi. “This isn’t something you bought with silver to fool me, is it?”

...Didn’t it cost several taels of silver?

“How could it be? You know my birth chart better than anyone. And the groom’s birth chart on this paper—I obtained it last night...” after asking urgently.

“Last night? What happened last night?”

“Last night, I felt my destined benefactor slipping further and further away, and my strength seemed to be fading bit by bit... Sure enough, this morning, I ended up like this...” Jiang Zhiyi clutched Lord Yong’en’s sleeve pitifully. “Uncle, what should I do?”

Lord Yong’en smiled slyly and folded the fortune-telling paper. “What should we do? Perfect timing! I’ll take your birth charts and ask for another divination to see how this fate can be resolved.”

As soon as he left without looking back, Jiang Zhiyi scrambled up from the bed, wiped off the powder covering her face and lips, sighed deeply, and slapped the bedding.

Guyu: “Young Mistress, I told you this plan wouldn’t work. Lord Yong’en isn’t foolish!”

“Of course I know Uncle isn’t foolish,” Jiang Zhiyi pouted. “But since I’ve gone to such lengths, even treating a dead horse as if it might live, Uncle should see my determination and give in!”

“What if Lord Yong’en gets the birth charts read and the result is unfavorable? Wouldn’t that make things worse?”

“Stop being a harbinger of doom,” Jiang Zhiyi interrupted Guyu. “Brother A Ce and I are surely a match made in heaven, inscribed on the Three Lives Stone!”

________________________________________

An hour later, at Taiqing Temple.

Lord Yong’en sat in a small room of the temple, quietly waiting for the Daoist master to interpret the fortunes.

Now that neither of the younger generation was willing to back down, and since he had their birth charts, he decided to consult the heavens when uncertain. This Zhang Daoist of Taiqing Temple was a direct disciple of Jianshi Tianzun, who had been highly trusted by the royal family for prophecy abilities. His disciples also held significant prestige among Chang’an’s nobility, so he had come here specifically.

“Master Zhang, how is it?” Lord Yong’en asked anxiously.

“Does the fortune-seeker want to inquire about the woman’s fate or the man’s?”

“The woman’s.”

Zhang Daoist put down the red paper. “This is not the destined marriage for the female fortune-seeker.”

“Is that so?” Lord Yong’en frowned and nodded. “I said this match wasn’t good... Then where is her destined marriage, and when will it come?”

“The female fortune-seeker’s destined marriage lies far to the extreme west.”

Lord Yong’en was startled. “The extreme west?”

“According to the hexagram, if the female fortune-seeker marries far away, she will never return to her homeland in this lifetime.”

“The extreme west... Never returning to her homeland... Does that refer to the Xiluo clan? How is that possible!” Lord Yong’en felt dizzy and supported his forehead.

Yiyi would never fall for someone from those barbaric lands, nor would she endure living there. If marrying far away means never returning to her homeland, does that mean... a political marriage?

But during the reign of the previous emperor, the Great Ye Dynasty had already sent a princess for a political marriage to the west. Under this matrimonial alliance, the two nations had peacefully coexisted for over a decade without any military conflict. Now, everything is fine—how could another princess possibly be sent? Even if one were to be sent, how could it possibly be an outside-lineage princess?

“Whether to believe or not is up to the fortune-seeker.” Zhang Daoist smiled and nodded.

Lord Yong’en regained his composure. “I’m not doubting you, Master Zhang, but this is too unexpected... Master, this destined marriage must not happen—is there any way to avoid it?”

Zhang Daoist chuckled and pointed to the birth chart in front of him. “Isn’t the solution right before your eyes?”

“Your meaning is—” Lord Yong’en looked at him in astonishment.

“Although this is not the female fortune-seeker’s originally destined marriage, due to the karmic cycle of past lives leading to results in this life, the female fortune-seeker has stumbled upon an opportunity. If she seizes this opportunity, she can avoid her originally destined marriage.”

________________________________________

At the same time, in the eastern courtyard of the Shen residence.

Qingsong entered the study, holding a fortune-telling document with a grave expression. “Master, last night the young mistress exchanged birth charts with you, and Lady Shen went today to match your eight characters together—”

Yuan Ce raised his head from the desk. “She’s using it to appease her uncle—are you people bored?”

“How can this be boredom? Since you and the young mistress are discussing marriage, it’s customary to consult the birth charts according to the rules.” Qingsong handed over the fortune-telling document.

“...Master, you need to be prepared. The result isn’t favorable. Lady Shen consulted about the male fate—it says this marriage harms you—it’s an ominous sign.”

Yuan Ce lifted his eyelids as if he wasn’t surprised at all. “You’re just learning now that she harms me?”

“...This ominous sign on the hexagram isn’t some casual joke—it’s a matter of life and death!”

Though Yuan Ce and his elder brother were twins, because they were born minutes apart, their birth times fell into different hours.

Since the midwife cut the umbilical cord after Yuan Ce was born, to align more closely with the end of childbirth, the publicly known birth chart of the Shen family’s sole heir was calculated based on Yuan Ce’s birth time.

Therefore, the birth chart used now isn’t his elder brother’s but Yuan Ce’s own. So, the young mistress harming Yuan Ce is a foregone conclusion.

Yuan Ce didn’t even glance at the fortune-telling document.

These Daoists—twenty years ago they predicted he would bring calamity to the nation, and now they predict his ominous fate. A single piece of paper attempting to determine the universe and seal his fate.

“My fate is not theirs to decide.” Yuan Ce smirked. “This marriage—I will have it, no matter what.”