Remarriage

Upon hearing this, Li Yin closed her eyes. Her voice had been lower that day, but now that she was facing this person, if she didn't lower her voice, Wen Youqing might recognize her.

She lowered her eyes, but still shook her head slightly in her heart. There are many similar people in the world, and she didn't quite believe that Wen Youqing would be so certain.

Although Wen Youqing was temporarily blind, with her eyes covered by a strip of white cloth, she seemed to be staring straight in Li Yin's direction, whether by coincidence or not.

She raised her head slightly, but suddenly felt herself meet Wen Youqing's eyes. A chill ran down her spine, and unease welled up in her heart.

Wen Youqing was very angry, and Li Yin didn't know why he had this thought.

She lowered her eyes, then raised her head again. She found Wen Youqing strange, or rather, this person was strange to her.

Strangely enough, she would feel joy because of his happiness and sorrow because of his sadness, not out of sympathy, but out of an emotion that even Li Yin himself could not explain.

For her, the word "like" means not disliking, being able to accept, feeling joy upon seeing, and so on... What exactly is it? Deep down, she may not have a truly definite answer.

Thinking of this, she smiled softly to herself, a faint smile like the autumn wind, carrying a sense of desolation and sadness, yet she did not regret being entangled with it. The vexation in her heart was relieved, and she stopped thinking about it, for the more she thought about it, the more confused she became.

Wen Youmo's hand, hidden in his sleeve, clenched into a fist, but he smiled outwardly.

In the high hall, Wen Lan looked at Wen Youqing and saw that the person suddenly smiled, and her eyebrows, as dark as mountains, furrowed slightly.

As if the mountain had become steep and difficult, her expression also became somewhat troubled. She turned her head and glanced at Emperor Yingzong sitting beside her. The man remained calm and composed, his brows and eyes unfurrowed, taking it all in stride.

Seeing this, Wen Lan steadied herself. She lowered her eyes, her hands on her lap gripping the hem of her skirt tightly. When no one was watching, she sighed softly.

Li Changde laughed and said, "Oh, wouldn't it be better to just arrest that person and torture him a little? Are there any people in the capital that the Wen family can't handle?"

Upon hearing this, Wen Youqing said, "What Eunuch Li said makes sense. In my opinion, Eunuch Li knows better than the Wen family how to judge people. I will have to invite you to the Wen residence sometime and offer some suggestions."

Upon hearing this, Li Changde's expression changed, turning slightly pale. He then smiled awkwardly and said, "No, it's just a small scheme. How can it compare to Young Master Wen's ideas?"

He spoke with utmost humility, bowing slightly as if he were giving Wen Youqing a half-bow. Li Yin, seeing this, was somewhat curious as to why this Grand Steward Li would behave so respectfully in front of Emperor Ming Yingzong.

Wen Youqing said, "Eunuch Li is too modest. Haven't you always wanted to visit the Wen family's Nine Nether Platform?"

Upon hearing this, Li Changde's face paled even more. He raised his hand and gently wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, saying, "Young Master Wen, you flatter me. How could I dare to go to such a place?"

Wen Youqing remained silent, her smile fading, and turned to Emperor Yingzong, saying, "Your Majesty, why did you summon me here today?"

Emperor Yingzong coughed lightly, his brows furrowing slightly before relaxing. He said, "The envoy from the Western Frontier is approaching."

Upon hearing this, Wen Youqing raised an eyebrow and said, "The people of the Western Frontier are often beautiful." As he spoke, he raised his hand and gently touched the white cloth covering his eyes. He tapped it lightly with his well-defined knuckles, and then continued unhurriedly, "It's just a pity that I can't see with my eyes open."

Emperor Yingzong laughed upon hearing this, and said, "I do have an idea, what do you think, my dear minister?"

Wen Youqing turned around and looked in the direction of Emperor Yingzong. Seeing that there was a chance, Emperor Yingzong said, "This envoy from the Western Frontier has come with the expectations of both countries. This person should be kept. How about Wen Aiqing marries this envoy?"

Upon hearing this, Wen Youqing frowned slightly. He said, "Your Majesty, my wife died in a fire in the prison. She has only been gone for three days. I cannot..."

Emperor Yingzong of Ming added, "This envoy from the Western Frontier is handsome, and his figure and age are very similar to that of a man named Li Yin."

They looked remarkably alike. When he first saw them, he was somewhat stunned. However, the difference between the two was too great. People from the Western Frontier had deep-set features, which was something that people from the Central Plains did not have.

But the people of the Central Plains possess a temperament as steadfast as pine and bamboo, which the people of the Western Frontier lack. They are calm and composed, with a nature as pure as chrysanthemums. However, not all people of the Central Plains possess this quality. Emperor Yingzong may not know about others, but at least he does not have it.

Wen Youqing tilted his head slightly and said, "Since Your Majesty is so kind to advise me, then I will respectfully comply."

Upon hearing this, Li Yin looked at Emperor Yingzong, but Emperor Yingzong did not look at Li Yin at all; his gaze was entirely on Wen Youqing.

Santiago's face showed signs of annoyance. He frowned and glared fiercely at Emperor Yingzong. They were, after all, envoys from the Western Frontier. Although there were not many of them, they had done their best. But the King of the Central Plains acted as if he didn't see them at all and didn't take them seriously.

He chuckled softly, even letting out a laugh, which caught Wen Youqing's attention. He turned his head slightly to look at Li Yin, or more precisely, at the person behind Li Yin, Santiago.

He frowned slightly, a movement so subtle it was almost imperceptible. He immediately asked, "Your Majesty, did someone laugh just now? Could it be that they are dissatisfied with Your Majesty's decision?"

Upon hearing this, the hall fell silent, but all eyes turned to Sandiag.

Wen Youqing was preparing to make things difficult for this person, but Li Yin spoke first. Wen Youqing couldn't see clearly through the white cloth, but she could vaguely see Li Yin's lips, which were still bright red in the sunlight.

But the words that came out of her slightly parted lips were not what he wanted to hear.

Li Yin said, "Your Majesty, he is still young and does not understand the customs of the Central Plains in Dayuan. I hope Your Majesty will forgive him."

Her words were well said, giving Da Yuan face without disrespecting Xi Jiang, and they were reasonable. However, Sangyager was still young and unfamiliar with Da Yuan's etiquette.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Yingzong frowned slightly. He spoke with a slightly interrogative tone, his voice a little deep, and asked, "Why did you laugh just now?"

Santiago was already furious. He said, "Why should I laugh?" But just as he was about to speak, a hand gently patted his wrist, signaling him not to act impulsively.

This scene was so familiar. His sister loved to gently remind him like this, whether in their father's tent or when they were riding horses and cracking their whips.

He abruptly changed the subject, saying, "I laugh, this is... a good thing."

He spoke the last two words very softly, as if he didn't want to say them aloud, but was just going through the motions.

Li Yin pulled Sandiagra behind him, and Wen Youqing's hand, hidden in her sleeve, gripped him even tighter. He said, "Why do I feel like this person is saying things against their will? Does he think I'm not good enough for him?"

Li Yin said, "Young Master Wen, what are you saying? It is I who am unworthy of you. I have been on horseback since I was a child, and I am completely ignorant of etiquette and manners."

Wen Youqing nodded upon hearing this and said, "These etiquette things can be learned later; there's no need to rush."

Li Yinxin already knew Emperor Yingzong's attitude towards this marriage: he was determined to make her marry Wen Youqing, and his attitude was as stubborn as a rock.

Li Yin remained silent, and Emperor Yingzong then said, "Since the marriage is settled, let's call it a day."

After saying this, everyone got up and, led by the palace servants, went to different places.

Only after everyone had left did Emperor Yingzong stand up. He looked at Wen Lan beside him and asked, "Are you sure Wen Youqing doesn't know about what happened back then?"

Wen Lan nodded and said, "Of course he doesn't know, Your Majesty can rest assured."

Emperor Yingzong laughed upon hearing this, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world. He chuckled and said, "Don't worry, how can I not worry? The events of that year are still like a knife hanging over my head."

Upon hearing this, Wen Lan lowered her eyes slightly, but this small gesture touched Emperor Ming Yingzong's sore spot. He suddenly grabbed Wen Lan's neck and lifted her chin, raising her head.

He asked again, "Does he really not know?"

Wen Lan nodded firmly, and seeing this, Emperor Yingzong released her. However, his movements were rough, and Wen Lan was thrown to the ground. She raised her hand to cover her neck, where it was already red.

She lowered her eyes gently, the shadow of the pillar falling on her face, obscuring her expression and making it impossible to see. She lowered her head and smiled faintly.

It happened so quietly that even Emperor Yingzong of Ming did not notice.

Li Changde was used to seeing this kind of scene. He skillfully stepped forward, walked to Wen Lanshi's side, bent down, reached out to support Wen Lanshi, and said, "Your Majesty, you have been frightened."

Wen Lan merely glanced at Emperor Yingzong of Ming, and then, supported by Li Changde, walked out.

In a courtyard of the palace.

With a soft "thump," followed by the rustling of leaves in the wind, the first clear sound came from Sandiag punching a tree. He asked angrily, "Sandych, why should we swallow our anger? What do they take us for?"

Sangdiqi gently raised his hand and patted his shoulder, saying, "This is the rule of Dayuan. When Xijiang becomes stronger in the future, we can take the rules of Xijiang as our rule."

Upon hearing this, Santiago fell silent. After thinking for a while, he looked up at Li Yin beside him and asked seriously, "Are you willing to stay here? If not, you can come back to Western Xinjiang with us."

Upon hearing this, Sandiqi looked at Santiago, a hint of confusion in his eyes. He couldn't understand why His Highness Santiago, who usually kept things separate, had suddenly become so confused.

He said, “Sandyag, this is Ramu’s will, and neither you nor I can disobey it.”

Upon hearing this, Santiago looked at Sandiqi and said weakly, "My elder sister is dead. The elder sister now is..."

He didn't finish his sentence because he didn't know Li Yin's identity, but he had a strange sense of dependence on Li Yin, as if she were his older sister.

It might be because Li Yin's demeanor and movements were so similar, or it might stem from an unexpected stirring in his heart.

He lowered his eyes, somewhat afraid to think about it, or more accurately, afraid that someone would discover his thoughts.