CXD - 94

Beneath the vast azure sky, the steed galloped forth under the blazing golden sun. It crossed through tall grass, leapt over mounds of earth, passed frozen rivers, and headed toward the endless expanse of sandy land, as if determined to ride all the way to the edge of the heavens and the corners of the sea.

The horse’s hooves kicked up yellow sand, while the fierce wind whipped the maiden’s half-unbound black hair and fiery red bridal gown into the air, tangling them with the dark robes of the youth behind her.

Jiang Zhiyi was held tightly in Yuan Ce’s arms on the horse. She felt the real chill of the wind, the real glare of the sun, and the warmth and strength of the arm around her waist. In the moment she confirmed this wasn’t a dream, she blinked back large, scorching tears beneath the dazzling sunlight.

In this fleeting instant of losing and regaining, Jiang Zhiyi’s tear-filled eyes reflected the blue sky and yellow sands, but her mind suddenly flashed back to the streets of Chang’an last winter.

The long street lined with commoners, the cavalry in dark armor clearing the way, the rain of flower petals falling from above—she had leaned out of the carriage window to look down, and he had turned his head on horseback to glance at her from afar. What they thought was their first meeting had, in fact, been a reunion across lifetimes.

Struggling against the howling wind, Jiang Zhiyi forced her eyes open, using her unblinded sight in this life to take in the vibrant colors of the world and the living presence of the person behind her.

“Where are we going?” Jiang Zhiyi shouted over the roaring wind, turning her head.

Yuan Ce flicked the reins, urging the horse onward: “Taking you back to Guzang.”

“Is no one stopping us?”

“The iron cavalry of Hexi’s Xuan Ce Army is here. Who dares to stop us?”

Jiang Zhiyi recalled the military orders she had faintly heard in her drowsy state: “You really killed the second prince of Xiluo? Will Xiluo declare war on us?”

Yuan Ce laughed aloud: “The two princes of Xiluo have been vying for the throne for years. Now that I’ve handed the crown to the eldest prince, if he’s wise, he’ll naturally seek to ally with Daye. If he chooses war instead, he’ll have to weigh the consequences—our three hundred cavalry slaughtered his entire delegation without a single casualty and retreated unscathed. He’ll have to decide whether we’re people he can afford to provoke.”

Without a single casualty, retreating unscathed… Jiang Zhiyi closed her eyes in overwhelming gratitude.

“What about Chang’an?”

“The attendants of your marriage alliance will be ‘taken care of’ by the Xuan Ce Army here. Minister Zhou will bring the second prince’s head to Chang’an to explain the ‘truth.’”

The dead could no longer speak; only the living could tell the truth. Since there was now only one version of the truth left, what truly happened that night no longer mattered. What mattered was what everyone chose to believe—

The eldest prince of Xiluo and the second prince were sworn enemies. To win more hearts and ascend the throne, the eldest prince would naturally want to believe that the fault lay with his younger brother.

Most of the court officials in Chang’an despised the second prince of Xiluo for his wolfish ambitions. They would naturally believe that his death was justified, that Daye acted in self-defense, and that our nation’s honor was upheld.

Thus, even if someone suspected the true mastermind behind this affair, they couldn’t accuse Hexi or Yuan Ce. But…

“But His Majesty won’t believe it. When you return to the capital at year’s end as usual, you might…”

Yuan Ce narrowed his eyes: “That will be a matter between me and His Majesty.”

So his plan was the same as hers—to protect everyone except himself.

“Are you afraid to elope with someone who might die at any moment?” Yuan Ce looked down at her.

Jiang Zhiyi stared firmly at him through her streaming tears and shook her head: “No.”

Even if the road ahead led to death, even if tomorrow was the end of the world, as long as she was with him, she feared nothing.

Jiang Zhiyi and Yuan Ce traveled leisurely, taking in the mountains and rivers along the way. By the time they returned to Guzang, on the other side, Zhou Zheng’an had raced back to Chang’an on horseback.

Though news of the marriage alliance’s mishap had already been delivered to the capital via an urgent eight-hundred-mile dispatch after the incident, when Zhou Zheng’an himself appeared before the emperor on the golden throne, covered in dried blood and carrying the severed head of the second prince of Xiluo, the entire court was still shaken.

At the head of the hall, Emperor Xingwu stared fiercely at the head, gripping the dragon throne so hard that his knuckles turned white.

Zhou Zheng’an recounted the story he had carefully crafted during his journey, pouring out his heart and tears before the emperor and the assembled ministers: “…Daye’s willingness to marry off a princess was already a great gesture of respect to Xiluo. How could we have anticipated such blatant disrespect? This second prince of Xiluo has gone too far—it’s clear he had no regard for our princess or our emperor!”

Someone who noticed the emperor’s suspicion immediately spoke up in rebuttal: “Minister Zhou, how dare you speak so boldly! Even in times of war, envoys are not executed. Was the second prince’s offense really so grave as to warrant his death?”

Zhou Zheng’an sneered: “Lord Ge speaks as though it’s easy for him. What do you mean by ‘merely disrespectful’? Were you there that night? Did you witness how perilous the situation was? Late at night, the guards saw someone drunk attempting to break into the princess’s tent. Their sole intent was to protect her—how could they have known who it was? The intruder ignored warnings and persisted in trying to lift the tent flap despite repeated orders to stop. When the guards drew their swords, where was the fault in that? If they hadn’t drawn their swords, do you know what kind of humiliation the princess—and Daye—would have suffered?”

“How could the second prince of Xiluo, who came to escort the princess, drink and neglect his duties at such a critical moment?”

“The head of the second prince of Xiluo is right here, and his body has already been sent back to Xiluo. A postmortem confirmed that he was indeed heavily intoxicated. Does Lord Ge still suspect I fabricated this story?” Zhou Zheng’an pointed westward, thinking gratefully of how meticulously Shen Yuan Ce had planned everything, even forcing the prince to drink before killing him. “If Lord Ge is so curious about the reasons, why don’t you ask the second prince of Xiluo yourself what he intended that night!”

“You…!”

Lord Ge was left speechless.

Another official glanced at the emperor’s expression and pressed further: “Even so, Minister Zhou, how could you justify slaughtering the entire Xiluo delegation?”

Lord Qu laughed coldly: “How can you twist the facts like this? The second prince of Xiluo disrespected us first—we were merely defending ourselves. It was the Xiluo delegation who refused to back down and insisted on fighting for their prince’s justice. Should we have sat idly by and let them slaughter us? When blades clash, it’s either you die or I die. Just because our delegation emerged victorious, does that mean we should bear the label of ‘slaughter’? Xiluo brought this upon themselves—whom can they blame?”

“Then let me ask you this: the Xiluo delegation numbered over a thousand. How did Minister Zhou manage to defeat them with so few men?”

Zhou Zheng’an sneered: “Our delegation of hundreds fought to the death to defend Daye’s dignity, returning wounded and bleeding. They are now on the brink of death, recovering in the harsh northwest. And yet you still question how we achieved victory against superior numbers? We won with our lives! Or does Lord Qu suspect I brought additional troops into Xiluo? When we entered Xiluo, all our travel documents were in order. The number of people who departed Chang’an matched the number who arrived, and even Xiluo didn’t question it. Why are you so distrustful of your own people?”

“Even so, how did you manage to leave Xiluo’s borders?”

“That night, we hastily retreated with the princess. At the border, we were protected by the Xuan Ce Army. The Xuan Ce Army deployed troops in the dead of night, confronting Xiluo’s border forces. Fearing war with Daye, Xiluo’s border army had no choice but to let us pass. This is clearly understood in Xiluo as well! Forgive my bluntness, Lord Qu, but if you continue to nitpick, you’re simply looking for excuses to pin false charges on me!”

Lord Qu was forced to retreat, his face ashen with frustration.

Zhou Zheng’an had triumphed in his verbal battles, one after another, until no one dared to ask another question.

Taking a deep breath and steadying himself, Zhou Zheng’an bowed toward the dragon throne: “Your Majesty, Xiluo has remained silent for days, surely aware of their wrongdoing. In my humble opinion, Daye should immediately terminate the marriage alliance and negotiate further matters with Xiluo!”

Prime Minister Pei stepped forward, bowing deeply: “Your Majesty, every word Minister Zhou speaks is reasonable. This is the perfect opportunity for Daye to seize the initiative. I beseech Your Majesty to issue an order terminating the marriage alliance—!”

Qi Yan narrowed his eyes and lightly rubbed his fingers together.

Someone noticed Qi Yan’s subtle gesture and immediately spoke up: “I concur! Please, Your Majesty, issue the order to terminate the marriage alliance—!”

“I concur!”

“I also concur!”

“We all concur!”

Emperor Xingwu’s cold gaze lingered on the black gauze hat atop Zhou Zheng’an’s head, remaining silent for a long while.

Under the immense pressure, Zhou Zheng’an’s heart trembled uncontrollably, his suffering evident.

Here he was, battling with words like swords, charging into the fray, while Shen Yuan Ce was likely lounging comfortably with his beloved by his side.

________________________________________

Seven days later, at the Shen Manor in Guzang, Hexi. As the year-end approached, the warm winter sunlight streamed through the window lattice into the heated chamber.

Jiang Zhiyi lay on a chaise lounge, her head resting on Yuan Ce’s lap, holding a storybook in one hand. She flipped a page and opened her mouth upward: “Ah—”

Yuan Ce leaned against the armrest beside her, a peeled orange in his palm. He used one finger to close her mouth: “Not so fast. Wait.”

Jiang Zhiyi shifted her gaze from the book and glanced up at him: “Why does it take so long to peel an orange…?”

“Jiang Zhiyi, use some logic here. Who said there can’t be a single strand of white pith left on these segments?” Yuan Ce extended his other hand, revealing his palm full of the painstakingly removed pith.

Jiang Zhiyi laughed, turning onto her side to face him: “Didn’t you say it? A princess only needs to worry about whether the hem of her dress is dirty—why should she care about logic?”

Yuan Ce glared at her, smirking: “Are these hands meant for wielding guns and swords now reduced to such menial tasks?”

“Last night during dinner, didn’t you use those hands to slice lamb and fish for the hot pot?”

“If I’m slicing anything, it should be human flesh.”

“Oh, stop being annoying!” Jiang Zhiyi frowned. “You’ve ruined my appetite for oranges!”

“Then give it to him ,” Yuan Ce nodded toward the side. “He’s been eyeing it for a while now.”

Jiang Zhiyi turned her head and saw Yuan Tuan drooling on the ground, staring longingly at the orange in Yuan Ce’s hand.

It had been over half a year since she last left Guzang, and Yuan Tuan had grown significantly taller.

A few days ago, when she returned to Guzang with Yuan Ce, she was astonished to find that she could no longer lift Yuan Tuan. Yuan Ce remarked, “Unlike you, who seems to grow lighter the more I hold you,” and thus began feeding her nonstop throughout the day to restore her to her original weight.

“How about we split it? Half for me, half for Yuan Tuan.”

Yuan Ce divided the perfectly peeled orange into two halves, plucked a segment, and fed it into Jiang Zhiyi’s mouth.

Chewing on the orange, Jiang Zhiyi set aside the storybook, wiped her hands, and took the other half of the orange from Yuan Ce. She plucked a segment and tossed it high into the air for Yuan Tuan.

Yuan Tuan leapt up, catching the orange segment precisely in its mouth.

Jiang Zhiyi ate one segment herself, then tossed another to Yuan Tuan. After a few rounds, there was little left of the orange.

Finally, Yuan Ce asked: “After all this peeling, don’t I get a share?”

“Yes, yes, here…” Jiang Zhiyi quickly plucked a segment and tossed it to him, unintentionally sending it soaring high into the air.

Yuan Ce’s quick reflexes kicked in as he tilted his head back and caught it. Slowly lowering his head, he bit down on the segment and raised an eyebrow: “?”

Jiang Zhiyi was momentarily stunned.

“You think I’m—” Yuan Ce mumbled around the orange segment.

Jiang Zhiyi burst out laughing: “Well, didn’t you catch it just fine?”

Yuan Ce lowered his head, pinched open Jiang Zhiyi’s mouth, and fed her the other half of the segment he hadn’t bitten.

The sweet and sour juices burst forth, followed by his lingering lips and tongue. Jiang Zhiyi struggled with muffled protests, while Yuan Tuan stared blankly at the two of them before suddenly leaping onto the couch, swiping a paw directly at Yuan Ce’s chest.

“…” Forced to release Jiang Zhiyi, Yuan Ce looked at the dog now standing between them.

Jiang Zhiyi, seeing Yuan Tuan’s earnest expression of protection, blushed and sat up: “Yuan Tuan’s still young! How could you do such things in front of him!”

Yuan Ce raised an eyebrow: “And what do you call what you do with me at night?”

Jiang Zhiyi hugged Yuan Tuan, using his fur to hide her flaming red face: “It’s broad daylight—don’t talk about such things!”

“Fine. The sun will set eventually.”

Jiang Zhiyi picked up Yuan Tuan’s paw and playfully nudged Yuan Ce’s leg.

As the two of them and the dog were playing around, a sudden knock sounded at the door. Jingzhe entered: “My Lady…”

In recent days, whenever Jiang Zhiyi and Yuan Ce were together, no one had disturbed them.

Hearing Jingzhe’s hesitant tone, Jiang Zhiyi sensed something significant. After a brief silence, she called out: “Come in.”

Jingzhe pushed open the door, glanced at the two of them, and approached with her head bowed: “My Lady, Young General Shen, General Mu has sent word. The marriage alliance entourage stranded at the border has received an imperial decree. His Majesty has ordered the termination of the marriage alliance. My Lady is now free.”

Jiang Zhiyi was originally supposed to remain with the marriage alliance entourage at the border, awaiting further orders. However, given the harsh climate there, and Yuan Ce’s certainty that the marriage alliance would be terminated, he had brought her back to Guzang early.

Jiang Zhiyi felt no great joy at this expected news, just as Jingzhe, despite delivering good tidings, appeared uneasy, not daring to lift her eyes even a fraction.

“Besides this decree?” Jiang Zhiyi’s eyelashes fluttered, and she pressed on with her question.

“The other decree from His Majesty says... that the year-end is approaching, and it is customary for Young General Shen to visit the capital. Thus, he is summoned to the palace to discuss strategies regarding Xiluo.”

Jiang Zhiyi clenched her teeth and closed her eyes.

The emperor, pressured by court officials and the situation between the two nations, had no choice but to terminate the marriage alliance. Yet, he surely knew that the official entourage of Daye could not have carried out such a momentous act.

And the person capable of doing so had already provoked the emperor’s wrath.

Upon receiving the news, the emperor likely grew terrified of Yuan Ce’s audacity and blatant actions, harboring thoughts of eliminating him. The only reason they had stolen this time was the thousand-mile distance between Chang’an and Hexi, which delayed communication.

Fate intertwined relentlessly, leaving no room for struggle.

The day of her freedom would be the day of his death.

Yuan Ce gave a faint smile and told Jingzhe that he understood, dismissing her.

Jiang Zhiyi trembled as she opened her eyes, looking at Yuan Ce.

Yuan Ce raised his hand, pulling her into his embrace: “Haven’t I told you these past days—I won’t let you become a widow before marriage.”

Jiang Zhiyi clung to his waist: “If you want me to believe you, then let us marry before you depart.”

Yuan Ce lowered his head and blinked: “Do you think marriage is like eating a meal? The elders are in Chang’an, and all the wedding preparations are there. How can we marry now?”

“I don’t care about any of that,” Jiang Zhiyi shook her head earnestly, raising her eyes to look at him. “I don’t need witnesses or an elaborate sedan chair. I want you to marry me today. Will you?”