Chapter 72 The Princess's Marriage.

As dusk fell, the snow-covered walls of Dai County gleamed with a cold, eerie light, while the city itself was ablaze with lights. Every few dozen feet along the towering city walls, soldiers lit bamboo lanterns over ten feet tall.

The market was adorned with a variety of lanterns, making the entire city bustling with activity. There were various performances, children running around with pottery pig lanterns, and the streets were illuminated as if it were daytime. The thousands of lanterns were almost blinding, and the air was filled with the noisy sounds of laughter and play.

Huiyin led Suiyang down the street, the two blending into the crowd, followed by several plainly dressed guards. The air was filled with the warm fragrance emanating from a young woman's clothes, the aroma of freshly baked flatbread, and the lively, bustling atmosphere of the crowd.

"The freshly cooked rice dumplings are irresistibly sweet!"

"Excuse me, excuse me! Don't knock over my rabbit lantern!"

Huiyin led Suiyang to a stall selling various performances. Suiyang's eyes were filled with excitement. She had never seen such a lively market lantern festival since she was born. Usually, she would attend banquets and watch song and dance performances in the palace. This was her first time participating in a folk lantern festival, and she was extremely excited.

"Sister, I love it here!"

Huiyin turned to look at Suiyang, suppressing the melancholy in her heart, and said happily, "I guess you've never seen these before."

Sui Yang shook his head, gazing at the lanterns that stretched across the sky, his eyes sparkling like stars: "I saw them once when I was very young. My mother took me out of the palace for a short stay. Lady Wang and Prince Shao were also there. He was the one who took me there."

Huiyin didn't want to dredge up Suiyang's painful past, so she pulled her along, introducing her to the customs of Dai County. After walking around for a while, Suiyang looked a little tired, so Huiyin led her to a nearby restaurant to rest.

Huiyin ordered a table of Daijun's specialties, including Qiangzhu and Mozhi. Qiangzhu is a copper pot hot pot where fresh venison and mutton are quickly cooked in boiling broth. Mozhi is a whole roasted lamb or pig with a crispy and fragrant skin and tender meat inside.

In addition, there is a dish of lamb ribs with black bean sauce. The succulent lamb ribs are simmered in a clay pot with a thick black bean sauce, resulting in a savory and delicious dish.

"Try it, you can't get these in Chang'an."

The two were having their meal on the second floor of the restaurant when a sudden, even louder cheer erupted from the street, drowning out all the other noise. Huiyin peeked out and saw that the city's parade was approaching.

This is a custom in Dai County. On New Year's Eve, the streets are paraded, and the people leading the way are not soldiers, but the Eight Immortals on stilts, each carrying a giant lantern with a figure, shining brightly, followed by a crowd of onlookers.

Among the crowd, two handsome young men strolled leisurely, attracting the attention of passing young women who stole glances. However, they were followed by several robust servants, dressed in luxurious clothes and accessories, clearly from well-to-do families. The women could only steal glances and dared not approach.

The two men were Wang Huan and Prince Shao, who had just arrived in the capital of Dai County. Wang Huan noticed that Prince Shao was sullen and listless, and upon hearing that there was a lantern festival today, he thought of taking him out to cheer him up.

Moreover, he had received news that Huiyin had also brought Suiyang out today. He didn't deliberately inquire about their whereabouts, thinking he would just take Prince Shao for a stroll in the city, and if they ran into each other, it would be fate.

As Wang Zishao listened to the laughter and chatter around him, the bitterness in his heart intensified. He looked up with a wry smile, and his gaze suddenly froze. In the restaurant on the second floor not far away, a familiar figure was sitting.

The man was dressed in a royal blue blouse with a curved hem. His hair was tied up with a tortoiseshell comb and a plain-colored handkerchief. Two exquisite jade beads hung from his ears, and a ring of soft white lamb's wool peeked out from the edge of his collar.

She was still the same as before, with a round face that smiled even before she spoke, her cheeks flushed, making one want to gently pinch them. Her eyebrows were curved, her eyes naturally cheerful, and those eyes were the most captivating.

Perhaps she had been teased too much, because she puffed out her cheeks, turned her head away, and her feigned anger made her even more adorably childish than when she was smiling.

Seeing that Prince Shao remained motionless for a long time, Wang Huan followed his gaze and a faint smile appeared on his lips. What a coincidence!

He asked, "Shall we go over there?"

Wang Zishao took a step forward, then suddenly stopped, a struggle flashing in his eyes. He knew that what he should do now was to stay away from Suiyang and prevent her from seeing him again, so as not to remind her of those painful memories. Moreover, the marriage alliance was inevitable, and his repeated appearances would only stir up Suiyang's heart and make her suffer more and more.

Wang Zishao forced himself to turn around, and he shook his head through gritted teeth: "I won't disturb her. Let her spend these last few days in peace."

Wang Huan sighed softly, a look of reluctance flashing in his eyes, but in the end there was nothing he could do. He and Huiyin had done their best in this matter, and the rest was up to them.

The two intended to turn away as if they had met, but the guards from Suiyang arrived first and blocked their way. "His Highness said that meeting is fate, please come forward and have a chat."

Wang Huan looked thoughtfully towards the restaurant. The two people sitting by the window were gone, replaced by two unfamiliar young men. He looked away and noticed two young women walking towards him in the distance.

Suiyang's attire was somewhat different from before; perhaps because it was cold outside, she was wearing a dark blue plain lambskin cloak over her shoulders.

Beside her, Huiyin wore a light green diamond-patterned silk skirt, over which she wore a moon-white fox fur half-sleeved garment. It was unusual for her to be dressed up so elaborately today; a vermilion dot adorned her forehead, making her resemble the only red plum blossom in the snow.

Her eyebrows were beautifully shaped, naturally dark without being drawn, like distant mountains after the rain. Her nose was straight and elegant, with lines as fine as a traditional Chinese ink painting. Her lips were a pale cherry pink, always slightly pursed, as if locking away countless unspoken thoughts.

A string of small, round pearls was wrapped around her hair, and a hair ornament adorned with kingfisher feathers was inserted diagonally. A few strands of hair fell down her side, making her neck appear even longer. A pair of pearl earrings on her earlobes remained still, only turning their heads slightly to reveal a warm, moonlit glow.

Wang Huan's heart stirred slightly. He had long known of Huiyin's stunning beauty, but after the Song family's misfortune, she was in mourning and dressed simply, without makeup. Seeing her like this today, he was even slightly stunned.

Huiyin and Suiyang paused at the expressions of Wang Huan and Suiyang. Wang Huan lowered his eyes somewhat in a loss of composure, and after calming his breathing, he bowed to Suiyang with his hands clasped.

Suiyang didn't look at him, but instead looked at Prince Shao, who was silently bowing to the side, and after a long while replied, "Get up."

Seeing the silence, Huiyin spoke up to break the ice: "Since we've run into each other, let's take a stroll together. The lantern festival in Dai County is a bit different from that in Chang'an."

The other three had no objections, so the four of them headed towards the bustling area together, with Huiyin and Suiyang walking in front, and Wang Huan and Wang Zishao lagging behind.

Huiyin looked at Suiyang, who fell silent upon seeing Prince Shao, and then at Prince Shao, whose gaze had never left Suiyang the entire time. She felt a headache coming on.

She had originally planned to take Suiyang on a tour of Daijun City during these last few days, hoping that she would be able to rest easy after no longer seeing Wang Zishao. Unexpectedly, Suiyang became completely captivated by Wang Zishao, leaving her with no choice but to let her be. She simply couldn't bring herself to refuse Suiyang.

Along the way, only Huiyin and Wang Huan occasionally exchanged a few words, while the other two remained silent. Huiyin sighed inwardly, then turned her gaze and pulled Suiyang to a stop, smiling as she said, "Since it's a lantern festival, of course we have to guess lantern riddles."

At the most bustling intersection in the east of the city, beneath a massive lantern tower, colorful paper strips hung in abundance. This was the lantern riddle contest set up by the largest restaurant in Dai County. Under the eaves of the second floor, exquisite lanterns hung one after another.

One of the lamps features a mythical beast, its top adorned with a bronze-cast Vermilion Bird with outstretched wings, a beautiful and exquisite design that sways gently in the breeze.

The restaurant owner, seeing the four men's distinguished bearing and appearance, guessed they were nobles from Chang'an who had come with the marriage procession. He quickly stepped forward with a smile, "Greetings, young master and lady. Are you interested in these riddles?"

Seeing that Suiyang was staring intently at the lantern, Huiyin knew that she liked it very much, and asked, "Boss, how can I take these lanterns away?"

Restaurant owner: "You can solve five riddles in a row!"

Huiyin glanced at the riddles on the wooden sign and knew what they were, but she looked back at the pale-faced Prince Shao and ultimately did not speak.

Suiyang couldn't contain himself and stepped forward to take a wooden plaque, softly reading aloud: "The bright moon hangs high in the sky, everyone looks up to it, guess a character."

She tilted her head, lost in thought. Prince Shao, who was standing to the side, finally stepped forward, slowly took the wooden plaque from Sui Yang's hand, and replied, "Yes."

The restaurant owner clapped his hands and said, "You got it right! This young man looks quite young, but he is very knowledgeable. Please continue with the next question."

Suiyang's eyelashes trembled slightly, but she didn't reject his approach. She slowly moved her hand away and took down another wooden plaque. One read aloud, the other answered.

"One has words but cannot speak, and one has ears but listens only to one side."

"Ah."

"One side is green, the other is red; one side rejoices in the rain, the other in the wind."

"Autumn."

"Go from the top to the bottom, from the bottom to the top, from both ends to the middle, and from the middle to both ends."

"to."

...

Soon, all five riddles were answered correctly. The restaurant owner, with a smile, pointed to the lanterns and said to Suiyang, "Young lady, you can now choose a lantern."

Sui Yang glanced at Wang Zishao, bit her lower lip lightly, and a glint seemed to flicker in her eyes. "You choose for me."

Wang Zishao stepped forward and pointed to the auspicious beast lantern. Suiyang took the lantern from the restaurant owner and cherished it dearly. She knew that Wang Zishao would definitely choose the one she liked.

Huiyin breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Suiyang finally smile. She had taken Suiyang out for a walk to cheer her up, and it wouldn't be good if she made her even more unhappy.

Suiyang turned to look at Huiyin, his amber eyes seeming to speak volumes. Huiyin nodded slightly, watching Suiyang and Wang Zishao slowly walk away.

Suddenly, she felt a small warm sensation near her ear. Wang Huan leaned closer and asked, "Do you have a lamp you like? I'll get it for you."

Huiyin frowned slightly, wanting to take two steps back, but Wang Huan pressed her shoulder, gesturing for her to look to the side.

A figure stood outside the blazing lights, dressed in a dark silk robe with intricate kui dragon patterns embroidered in dark gold thread along the collar, appearing and disappearing in the shifting light and shadow. His eyebrows were deep-set, his nose high and straight, and the darkness in his eyes was like unyielding ink.

Huiyin calmly withdrew her gaze, her foot that was about to push him away did not move. She turned to look at Wang Huan and said with a smile, "Okay, I want that Luoshu Nine Palaces Lamp."

Her eyebrows curved into crescents, her eyes seemingly capturing the city lights and the stars in the sky, shimmering and breathtakingly bright. Her smile was radiant and captivating, like a peony that could topple kingdoms; in an instant, all the surrounding light and sound paled in comparison, leaving only her smiling face.

Wang Huan was once again caught off guard and stunned. He looked away somewhat awkwardly, his Adam's apple bobbing, "...Okay."

These riddles were a piece of cake for Wang Huan. Soon, he presented the Luoshu Nine Palaces Grid Lantern to Huiyin.

Huiyin looked down at the lantern in Wang Huan's hand. The lantern was a standard nine-square grid, with a black lacquered wood frame. Each square was covered with a thin, rotatable piece of ox bone, and dots from one to nine were carved on the bone using the yin-yang carving technique.

She was about to reach out and take it when she was interrupted by footsteps behind her. Huiyin and Wang Huan looked over at the same time and saw Pei Yu holding a lotus lantern, standing in front of them.

The lotus lantern in his hand was crudely made, its shape no different from an ordinary pale pink lotus flower. In this lantern festival, it was utterly ordinary, let alone compared to the Luoshu Nine Palaces Lantern.

When Wang Huan saw Pei Yu arrive, he tightened his grip on the lamp and asked sharply, "General Pei, why are you here?"

Pei Yu glanced at Wang Huan and replied expressionlessly, "If you can be here, why can't I?"

Wang Huan chuckled, but didn't ask anything. Instead, he handed the lantern to Huiyin, but was stopped halfway there.

Pei Yu ignored Wang Huan and looked at Huiyin slowly, saying, "In this Dai County, there is a custom that if a man or woman has someone they admire, they can give the other person a lantern. If the other person accepts it, it is equivalent to accepting the admiration of the person who gave the lantern."

After he finished speaking, he raised the rough lotus lamp in his hand, pursed his lips and said, "I made this myself. Although it is a bit simple, I will learn more about it in the future."

He paused, glanced at the Luoshu Nine Palaces Lamp in Wang Huan's hand, and solemnly said, "I will give you another lamp in the future, and it will certainly not be inferior to this one."

Wang Huan had never imagined that sending lanterns had such a background, but since Pei Yu had already revealed the inside story, he naturally wouldn't back down.

Both of them held up their lanterns and presented them to Huiyin, waiting for her to choose. They stared at her intently, their hearts pounding with nervousness.

Huiyin lowered her eyes. The lamp was poorly made. Perhaps the person who made it didn't know how to do such delicate work. Making such a lamp was already the best they could do.

Her gaze swept over the tiny scratches on Pei Yu's hand, and she slowly raised her hand to take the cup from Wang Huan, smiling as she said, "I really like this cup, thank you."

Although Huiyin accepted Wang Huan's lantern, she felt no joy or pleasure. Wang Huan looked at Pei Yu's pale face and felt helpless; Huiyin's actions were clearly aimed at Pei Yu.

"It's getting late, let's go back."

After saying this, Huiyin didn't even glance at Pei Yu before leaving side by side with Wang Huan.

Pei Yu watched the two figures, who looked unusually well-matched, and slowly crushed the lotus lantern in his hand. Sharp bamboo thorns pierced his palm, causing blood to flow freely. His fingers were connected to his heart, but he could not feel the pain.

Pei Yu stared intently in the direction the two had left, his heart feeling as if a gaping hole had been torn open, letting in drafts that seemed to rip his soul apart. He didn't mind Yan Yunzhang, because Huiyin's marriage to Yan Yunzhang wasn't out of love for him, but rather for the sake of the Song family.

But Wang Huan was different; Huiyin liked him.

——

The north wind swirled snowflakes, sweeping across the mottled city walls of Dai County. On this day, there was no drumming, no clamor, only a heavy silence.

The wedding procession, like a dark river, stood silently at the open city gate. The guards stood with their halberds at their sides, their armor frosted with dew. Their faces, etched like stone in the morning light, gazed at the vast northern plains, not daring to look at the magnificent four-horse carriage.

The carriage curtain was slowly lifted by a pale white hand.

Zhao Yang, whose title was Suiyang, slowly appeared before the people. She was not wearing elaborate auspicious robes, but only a dark blue blouse with wide sleeves that fluttered in the wind.

She didn't look at the vast Han Dynasty behind her; her gaze slowly swept over the officials and soldiers seeing her off. On the faces of those weathered border soldiers, there was a complex expression she had never seen in Chang'an—a mixture of pity, admiration, and shame.

Huiyin's carriage stopped not far from the city gate. She and Pei Yu could only see her off at the border, where the people of the Court of State Ceremonial escorted the princess to the heart of the grasslands to complete her wedding ceremony with the Xiongnu Chanyu.

She sat inside the carriage, the midday sun warming her. The weather was exceptionally fine that day, bright and sunny. Gazing at the princess's ceremonial carriage, her heart sank. This departure from Suiyang might be her last, perhaps the last time she would ever return. This might be their final farewell.

Huiyin looked at Suiyang's forced smile on the ceremonial stand and couldn't bear to watch any longer. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a familiar face in the crowd not far away—it was Prince Shao.

He drifted along with the crowd, but his eyes remained fixed on Suiyang's figure, as if he wanted to etch her face into his heart.

Soon, the officials of the Court of State Ceremonial ordered preparations to be made and they were ready to depart. Huiyin saw Pei Yu ride up to Suiyang's carriage. After whispering a few words to Suiyang, Suiyang peeked in her direction, then waved goodbye to Huiyin.

Huiyin couldn't hold back her tears and leaned out of the carriage to wave to her. The people who had come to see her off also witnessed this scene and surged towards the carriage, shouting, "Your Highness, take care!"

They all knew in their hearts that the princess's marriage was for the sake of border stability. She had shielded them from the Xiongnu's iron cavalry, saving them from the tragedy of being separated from their families and losing their homes.

Sitting in the car, Sui Yang listened to the reluctant farewells outside, tears streaming down her face. If she had felt a little reluctant just now, hearing the words of farewell from outside, she completely let go of her personal feelings. She had grown up being worshipped and admired by the people, and now it was time for her to repay them. She would sacrifice herself to bring temporary peace to her country and people; this was her mission.

Huiyin didn't let anyone follow the carriage out of the city. She gazed at the long line in the distance, tears falling with the wind. Many times, many things are beyond one's control.

"What are you looking at? Get out of here!"

A shout interrupted Huiyin's thoughts. She frowned and looked down. A group of people walked by on the street beside her. The two leaders were well-dressed and held long whips, whipping those behind them. Behind them were a group of people bound by ropes and dressed in rags.

Their hair was disheveled and their faces were obscured, but there were men and women, old and young, who looked like slave traders on the border.

Two more braids were whipped, and the woman on the far left was struck to the ground, crying out in pain. Behind her, a young man threw himself on top of her, shielding her from the next two lashes, his clear eyes glaring fiercely at the slave trader.

The slave trader rubbed his hands together and spat fiercely, "What are you looking at? Look again and I'll gouge your eyes out! That's a princess's entourage, not something you can even dream of!"

Huiyin frowned. The woman lying on the ground was dressed in tattered clothes, with large areas of skin exposed, which had already attracted the blatant stares of many men around her.

The slave trader brandished his braid twice and shouted angrily, "Get up now! If you delay my money-making, I'll whip you to death!"

As they passed by, Huiyin knocked on the car window and called out to stop them, "How much are these? I'll buy them."

The slave trader scoffed, "Where did this woman come from with such a big mouth?"

He looked up and saw a stunningly beautiful and elegant young woman sitting in a magnificent two-horse carriage in front of him, surrounded by several imposing guards.

Realizing he had truly met a distinguished person, the slave leader quickly slapped himself in the face and begged for forgiveness, saying, "I was blind to your greatness and offended you, young lady. Please forgive me."

Huiyin's expression remained unchanged as she repeated, "How much silver do you people have?"

The slave trader rubbed his hands together, smiled ingratiatingly, and made a five-pointed star gesture.

Upon seeing this, Yan Niang asked, "Hardware?"

The slave trader grinned, revealing a tooth. "No way, it's fifty gold coins."

Yan Niang frowned immediately. These people were sallow and thin, covered in wounds. If she bought them, she would have to treat their injuries and teach them manners. Noble families would look down on such slaves. Let alone fifty taels of gold, she would think even five taels was too expensive.

She turned to look at Huiyin, her face full of disapproval. "Young lady, we are about to return to Jingzhou. These slaves are of no use to us."

Huiyin knew what was going on. She raised her hand to stop Yanniang's persuasion and pointed to the guards with swords in front of the carriage, saying to the slave trader, "I know you are also in business, but your price is too high. I will buy all your servants at the market price and save you the trouble of hawking your wares today. What do you say?"

The slave trader quickly exchanged a glance with his companions behind him. Their goods were already of inferior quality, and even at the lowest price, there was no guarantee of anyone buying them. Not to mention that he hadn't sold any of the older slaves for a month, and they had also wasted a lot of his food rations.

Now that someone was willing to buy them all, he was naturally willing, but he also wanted to make a little more profit. The slave trader tentatively asked, "How about twenty gold pieces?"

Huiyin smiled gently and pulled down the carriage curtain. "I don't want it anymore."

"No, wait, young lady, wait!" the slave trader hurriedly called out to Huiyin. "Do as you say."

After the handover was completed, Huiyin looked at the silent, wounded people and sighed. She wasn't really short of servants, but seeing Suiyang in distress and witnessing these people suffering, she couldn't help but feel compassion.

"If any of you wish to leave, then leave. If you have nowhere to go, would you like to follow me south?"

As soon as she said this, the slaves looked at each other in disbelief.

Huiyin repeated herself, and the man and woman who had just been whipped and fallen to the ground helped each other forward, saying they were going to seek refuge with relatives.

Huiyin only felt that these two were somewhat different from the others, their features seemed more profound. She didn't pursue it further, and let Yan Niang leave after giving them some money.

Seeing this, the others also stepped forward to say they wanted to leave. In the end, only an elderly blind man and a little girl with a disfigured face had nowhere to go, so Huiyin took them back to the prefect's mansion.

After returning, she instructed Yan Niang to pack her bags, and planned to take her leave once Pei Yu returned.

Wang Huan and Prince Shao were also heading back to Chang'an, and since they were going in the same direction as her, they could look after each other along the way.