Extra 10. Baojia × Li Dafeng - Gentle Breeze Comes Slowly · 3

After listening to Baojia’s story, Jiang Zhiyi remained silent for a long while.

If Princess Baojia had truly followed the Li family into exile, it would have been tantamount to publicly severing ties with the royal family. Even if she regretted her decision halfway through, there would be no going back to being a princess. For Doctor Li, this must have been a double-edged sword: on one hand, he feared she might regret it later and have no path to return; on the other, he worried that she might truly remain steadfast, enduring hardship alongside him for thousands of miles over more than a thousand days—any one of which could bring unforeseen danger to her life.

In truth, if Princess Baojia had truly believed Doctor Li’s lies, time would have eventually erased him from her heart. But Doctor Li underestimated her trust in him and undervalued the depth of her feelings.

Jiang Zhiyi vaguely remembered that Princess Baojia had left the palace to establish her estate in the same year Doctor Li departed. From then on, she rarely interacted with the palace again. And it was in the fourth year after Doctor Li’s departure that she began keeping male companions.

The exile period was three years. Although Princess Baojia returned to Chang’an after being rejected by Doctor Li, she still waited for him for three full years.

But in the fourth year, instead of returning, Doctor Li joined the Xuan Ce Army upon completing his sentence—and chose to remain at the border.

Perhaps what hurt Princess Baojia most wasn’t the lie Doctor Li told her that day. After all, if the listener didn’t believe it, a lie ceased to be a lie. What truly broke her heart was that even after regaining his freedom in the fourth year, Doctor Li still didn’t turn back.

Princess Baojia once said, “Who says the one who stays is always the one abandoned? It wasn’t him abandoning me—it was me abandoning him.” From that year onward, Princess Baojia embraced a life of indulgence, becoming the most scandalous princess of Daye.

Each of the male companions in her estate bore some resemblance to Doctor Li—perhaps as proof that what she pined for was merely his handsome appearance. In a world where identical souls were rare, countless similar faces existed. If she could love one, why not ten?

Though Jiang Zhiyi recalled seeing Princess Baojia genuinely happy when she was with those companions, her life these past years hadn’t been entirely miserable. Yet, perhaps such happiness was like watching a dazzling fireworks display: while the spectacle brought genuine delight, the moment it faded, an overwhelming sense of emptiness would wash away the joy.

Though seven years had passed, Jiang Zhiyi wondered if there was still any possibility of reconciliation between Princess Baojia and Doctor Li. Even if there wasn’t, she thought they should at least have an honest conversation to untangle their hearts.

Finally breaking the silence, Jiang Zhiyi said, “Sister, I want to go to the camp to find Brother Shen.”

“Didn’t you say you’d wait for him to come pick you up after lighting the lanterns?”

“I changed my mind. Spending New Year’s Eve alone with just two people isn’t fun. I want to see how they celebrate in the military camp.”

“Alright, I’ll send a carriage for you.”

“No way,” Jiang Zhiyi looped her arm through Baojia’s. “Come with me, Sister.”

Baojia gave her a sidelong glance. “What are you plotting?”

“Well,” Jiang Zhiyi blinked mischievously, “I can’t go to the camp empty-handed. I need to bring some late-night snacks to treat the soldiers. You own such a grand restaurant—why don’t you help me organize some hearty dishes and back me up?”

Half an hour later, inside the main tent of the Xuan Ce Army camp outside the city.

The long table was laden with delicacies from land and sea. Jiang Zhiyi and Baojia sat on one side, while Shen Yuance and Li Dafeng sat on the other. In the center, a hot pot bubbled merrily, its steam filling the tent with a mouthwatering aroma.

Since entering the tent, apart from briefly commenting on whether Shen Yuance ate beef, neither Baojia nor Li Dafeng had spoken further. Only Jiang Zhiyi worked hard to keep the atmosphere lively, alternately asking Shen Yuance to serve her this dish or that.

Eventually, exhausted from trying to liven things up, Jiang Zhiyi gave up. She realized these two wouldn’t speak openly in front of others anyway. So after finishing their meal, she dragged Shen Yuance out for a post-dinner stroll, leaving the tent to Baojia and Li Dafeng alone.

Inside the tent, Baojia sat slightly tipsy from the wine, lazily propping her head on her hand at the edge of the table. Her gaze drifted lightly across the man sitting opposite her.

Three years of exile, four years in the army—and yet he hadn’t become the disheveled, pitiful figure she had imagined. His pristine white robes and calm, unruffled eyes were exactly as they had been seven years ago.

For a fleeting moment, she felt as though it was still seven years prior.

“It’s been a long time, Li—” Baojia paused mid-sentence, then reconsidered. “How should I address you now?”

Li Dafeng inclined his head slightly. “Whatever suits Your Highness.”

“Then I’ll call you Mr. Li,” Baojia said with a faint smile. “All the retainers in my estate call themselves ‘mister.’”

Li Dafeng met her gaze evenly.

“You’ve been stationed at the border for so many years. Is there anything about coming to the capital that doesn’t agree with you?”

“Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. Everything here suits me well.”

“If everything is fine, do you have any intention of staying in the capital long-term?”

“The movements of those in the Xuan Ce Army are determined by General Shen’s orders.”

Baojia tapped her fingertips lightly against the table. “If I were to ask your general for you, do you think he’d let you go?”

Li Dafeng raised his eyes to look at her.

Baojia sighed softly. “It’s been a long time since I brought anyone new into my estate. The old faces have grown tiresome. Mr. Li, if you’re willing, why not come and add some freshness?”

“Don’t worry. If you join me, you’ll undoubtedly become the most favored one.”

Baojia stared intently at Li Dafeng’s face, searching for any trace of emotion beneath his composed expression. “You don’t believe me? You can inquire among the others in my estate. Everyone has been a newcomer at some point, and everyone was treated lavishly when they first arrived.”

She paused, suddenly realizing how awkward her words sounded. “Oh, yes, when a new person arrives, the older ones inevitably lose favor. But don’t worry—I’ll ensure everyone has a proper exit strategy.”

As she spoke, she gestured toward the dishes on the table that came from the restaurant Wind Comes Gently . “Look, this restaurant called Wind Comes Gently is my gift to you. If you agree to join my estate, I’ll transfer it to your name immediately.”

Li Dafeng watched her silently, saying nothing.

“Don’t be nervous—these are all legitimate businesses. I have a retainer named Jin Yue, and I prepared a library for him called ‘River Near the Moon.’ There’s also ‘Pavilion by the Water’ and ‘Cloud Hall.’ Each of my retainers has something under their name. You can take it without hesitation. I don’t believe in vows of eternal love or promises like ‘until the seas run dry and the rocks crumble’—those sound fake to me. Who can live long enough to see the seas dry up? But money will always be useful, even until then. These properties will ensure that even if you lose favor, you’ll still enjoy wealth and comfort for the rest of your life.”

“Isn’t Mr. Li the one who’s supposed to give me wealth and status? Back then, I couldn’t provide it, and I truly apologize for that. Now that you’ve returned to the capital, I thought this would be a good opportunity to make amends. Won’t you consider it?”

Li Dafeng was silent for a long while before finally speaking: “Your Highness is drunk.”

Baojia laughed softly. “Mr. Li still thinks I’m fifteen years old? This little bit of wine won’t get me drunk.”

“If Your Highness isn’t speaking drunkenly, then thank you for your kind offer—but please, give this restaurant to someone else.”

Baojia furrowed her brows, feigning annoyance. “I’ve already named this restaurant. If you refuse it, I’ll have to rename it—or find someone else whose name includes the character ‘wind.’ That’s such a hassle.”

“I apologize for the trouble,” Li Dafeng bowed his head slightly.

Baojia’s smile faded as she fixed her gaze on him. “Mr. Li, are you certain you won’t regret rejecting me today?”

Before he could respond, she added, “Will you not regret it… just as you didn’t regret it back then?”

Li Dafeng stared at the teacup in front of him, seeing his own silent reflection in the water.

Not regret it, just as he hadn’t regretted it back then?

Had he never regretted anything over these years? How could that be?

The day he completed his sentence and walked out of that tower where exiles were held—the first day he heard news of her—was the moment he regretted the most.

That night of their parting, he had only thought: if he hadn’t told that lie, even if he managed to persuade her to return to Chang’an, she would have waited for him there all along. He didn’t want her—a proud princess—to waste her youth waiting for someone with a nine-to-one chance of survival. So he chose to hurt her instead.

He believed that heartbreak would only last temporarily. After all, how could there be lasting grudges between parents and children? She would reconcile with her family eventually, and as a favored daughter of heaven, she deserved everything she was meant to have.

But in the fourth year, when he completed his sentence and learned that she had remained unmarried for three years, cutting ties with the palace during that time—he deeply regretted his arrogance.

By then, however, there was no turning back.

The year the Li family was exiled to Hexi, they encountered an avalanche. It was Yuan Ce—who happened to be surveying the terrain nearby at the time—that saved them all.

Of course, back then, they only knew him as a scout in the Xuan Ce Army and were unaware of his true identity.

Later, while serving hard labor in the penal tower, one day, General Shen arrived, asking him and his father to save someone.

That person was Yuan Ce, critically injured and near death after a reconnaissance mission.

General Shen had many military doctors under his command, but they had all been powerless in this case. Only then did he turn to external physicians.

But why would he seek out this pair of father and son, both convicts?

When they saw Yuan Ce’s face, they finally understood the answer.

It was a face that couldn’t be easily seen by outsiders. It turned out that the Shen family had also produced a pair of twins, a shocking secret hidden for so many years.

General Shen knew the reason behind the Li family’s punishment and trusted their medical ethics. Moreover, Yuan Ce had once saved the entire Li family from the avalanche. Thus, they were the best candidates—not only capable of saving him but also willing to keep the Shen family’s secret.

General Shen said that if they didn’t want to get involved again, they could leave and pretend they hadn’t seen anything that day.

But if it weren’t for Yuan Ce, the entire Li family would have perished in that avalanche. Such a debt demanded repayment, even at the cost of their lives. Without hesitation, father and son used unconventional methods, placing Yuan Ce inside a cow’s abdomen to stop the bleeding, and spared no effort to save him.

However, they inevitably stepped into another murky situation—one that could very well lead them to commit treason again.

So in the fourth year, when he emerged from the penal tower, when he regretted his decision and wanted to return to Chang’an to find her, he looked down and saw the murky waters beneath his feet—

If the truth were ever exposed again, the same pain would repeat itself. And next time, it wouldn’t end with exile—it would mean execution.

As a prince consort, if he became a criminal of Daye, caught between a traitor and the emperor, even a princess wouldn’t escape tragedy.

He was someone who had no right to regret.

Li Dafeng slowly raised his eyes to meet Baojia’s gaze. “Yes, just as I didn’t regret it back then—I don’t regret it now.”