Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Arrangement
Prince Zhongshun's Palace, Main Courtyard
The night was as dark as ink, and lights were on in the courtyard. However, in this quiet environment, the candlelight seemed tired, only occasionally dancing on the candlestick, casting a halo of light.
Since sending Daiyu back to the Jia Mansion, Wu Tianyue and Princess Zhongshun have been sitting here, but neither of them spoke.
Watching the light and shadow on the candlestick slowly move, Wu Tianyue pursed his lips and was about to speak when he heard Princess Zhongshun say, "Have you really decided?"
She seemed to be asking casually, not looking up at Wu Tianyue, nor waiting for his answer. Then, in a calm tone, as if advising her son on his study trip, she said, "The north is bitterly cold, and injuries on the battlefield are inevitable. I've had various pills and hemostatic powder prepared. Have Lan Ye pick them up tomorrow."
Seeing his mother's face calm, yet unconsciously stroking the tea bowl, Wu Tianyue suddenly felt a little guilty and stood up to pour her a cup of tea: "Thank you for your concern, mother."
Princess Zhongshun took the tea bowl and took a sip. She said solemnly, "Yue'er, the emperor may seem to have given you a way out, but you must know that if you actually use the jade pendant to find the governor, you'll always carry the reputation of a deserter upon your return. Forget about ever returning to the court. You'll only be able to live a life of idleness and wealth."
Wu Tianyue already knew this and nodded, "I understand, son."
"Your father has already reported to His Majesty, and the military arrangements have been made. Feiyan is skilled in martial arts and a clever man, and he will go north with you." Hearing his firm answer, Princess Zhongshun slowly put down her tea bowl and looked over, her eyes neither sad nor happy, as if she were suppressing all emotions. "Although there are no major battles on the border for the time being, conflicts are constant. You must remember that 'there are people beyond people, and there are mountains beyond mountains'. Don't be greedy and reckless. If there is something you can't solve, don't force it. Take the jade pendant and go find Jin Lang, the governor of the Northern Frontier. Yu'er and I are waiting for you at home."
Wu Tianyue bowed deeply and said, "I will remember your teachings, mother."
Princess Zhongshun looked at her son's tall figure for a long time before nodding slightly: "It's almost time, you should go down and rest."
Wu Tianyue didn't stand up or leave, but maintained his posture of greeting and said, "My son needs help from my mother."
"What is it?"
Wu Tianyue stood up and said, "I would like to ask Mother to postpone the request for an imperial decree to grant the marriage."
Princess Zhongshun frowned and pondered for a long time after hearing this, then nodded and said, "You and the Crown Prince have just been reprimanded by the Emperor, and you are about to leave the capital. Asking for an imperial decree to grant a marriage is bound to lead to some small-time people spreading rumors to Yu'er. It would be better to wait until you return from the Northern Frontier before getting engaged."
"There's one more thing." Wu Tianyue seemed a little embarrassed to speak, but thinking of Daiyu, he said, "I hope that mother will hold more poetry gatherings and flower appreciation gatherings in the future, inviting all the men and women of marriageable age in the capital. It would be best if the men can understand the difficulties faced by women, and their literary talent cannot be bad either. If there are none, mother, please look for more opportunities elsewhere."
Princess Zhongshun was startled by the tone of his instructions for his funeral: "What are you going to do?"
Wu Tianyue ignored her shock and continued, "If you really can't find a suitable one, mother must not interfere in Yu'er's marriage. Whether to get married or not, and with whom to marry, must be her own decision."
"Have you forgotten your promise not to act rashly?" Princess Zhongshun, no longer able to maintain her composure, shouted, "What do you mean by that? Should I be prepared for you not to come back?"
"I will be extremely careful." Wu Tianyue knew his words were too harsh, so he lowered his head and said, "But if something goes wrong, mother, if you don't agree, I will be worried about Yu'er all the time, and it will be easy to be distracted. You know that multitasking is the worst thing to do on the battlefield."
This was a blatant threat, but since he was about to go to the battlefield and was putting his life on the line, Princess Zhongshun couldn't bring herself to scold him. She was angry for a moment, but when she saw that he was still insisting, she said helplessly, "Don't worry, I will take care of Yu'er's affairs."
"Thank you, Mother." Wu Tianyue said, taking out a contract from his sleeve, "I hope you will keep your promise."
"What do you mean?" Princess Zhongshun was furious. "Don't you believe me?"
"I know that Mother treats Yu'er like her own daughter, so she naturally wouldn't force her." Wu Tianyue said seriously, "But I don't know when I'll be back. I might not be able to come back at all, so I have to leave some security to make myself feel at ease."
When Princess Zhongshun heard what he said, she wanted to scold him for being unfilial, but she was so sad that tears welled up in her eyes and she couldn't say a word.
Wu Tianyue knelt down quickly and kowtowed, saying, "I am unfilial and have caused Mother to worry."
Princess Zhongshun said nothing. She took the handkerchief Xia Jin handed her and wiped her tears. She suppressed her reluctance and fear. She looked up and saw her son still kneeling on the ground, as if he would not get up unless she agreed. In the end, she could not resist and said through gritted teeth, "Give it to me. I'll sign it."
Xia Jin hurriedly took the contract and handed it over. Princess Zhongshun picked up the pen, signed it, and threw it at Wu Tianyue: "Get out."
"I am an unfilial son." Wu Tianyue put away the contract and kowtowed deeply, saying, "Mother, please take care of yourself."
Princess Zhongshun ignored him. After he bowed, he didn't say anything and got up to return to his own courtyard.
It was late at night, and Wu Tianyue sat alone in the room after washing and changing his clothes.
It would be time to leave soon. Wu Tianyue looked through the letters he had exchanged with Daiyu over the years, as well as the poems they had written. He seemed to see that frail, eccentric, and sharp-tongued girl saying, "Wu Tianyue, if you write poems like this, don't tell anyone that I taught you."
Wu Tianyue chuckled softly, feeling even more reluctant to leave. Suddenly, he calmed down and took out a red sandalwood box from the secret compartment of his desk. He called out, "Lan Ye."
Lan Yecai got the news that she had to go to Princess Zhongshun's courtyard to get various medicines. After instructing someone to pack the other clothes that Wu Tianyue needed to take with him, she rummaged through the outer room for the medicines that Wu Tianyue usually used. When she heard him calling her, she thought he wanted tea, so she brought it in personally.
"Here are all the properties under my name. Find a safe time in a few days to transfer all of these things to Yu'er." Wu Tianyue opened the box and pushed it over. Inside was a thick stack of land deeds and business documents. "Be sure to keep it secret. Don't let anyone else in the mansion know, and don't tell her for the time being."
His tone was light, but it frightened Lan Ye so much that she almost couldn't hold her tea bowl: "Prince, all of it?"
"Yu'er looks like she's covered in thorns, and she's always aggressive in her words. But she's the type who keeps things bottled up inside. Although Mother dotes on her, besides handling matters at home, she also has to go to the palace frequently. With so much going on, she might not be able to attend to her side." Wu Tianyue nodded. "Everyone in the Jia family has been spoiled by wealth and nobility, and there are no rules. There are so many servants who look down on others, and there's no telling when they might neglect her. This only gives her some confidence."
Lan Ye saw that he was thoughtful and said nothing. She put down her tea bowl and said, "In that case, I'll find an excuse to go out and do it in a few days."
"Thank you for your hard work, sister." Wu Tianyue smiled and thanked him, then added, "After I leave, you will make your own decisions about the affairs of the courtyard, but there is one thing I hope you must promise me - take good care of her for me. The Jia family is large, but the resources are limited. The masters fight, and the servants fight. I hope you will go there often to watch over her and ensure that she is safe and well."
"Don't worry, my lord." This wasn't a difficult task, so Lan Ye promised, "I will visit you from time to time and will never let you suffer any injustice."
Seeing her agree, Wu Tianyue stood up and thanked her again, and then said: "We will pack those things tomorrow, sister, you should rest early."
"Yes." Lan Ye put away the box and agreed to go down.
In the following days, the palace was secretly arranging the affairs of Wu Tianyue's trip to the northern border. Wu Tianyue went to the palace and after some mutual testing with the emperor, the emperor was slightly relieved about him, so he was free.
That day, Wu Tianyue finished his martial arts training and knew that Lan Ye had finished her work. He was about to go find Chang Jian when he saw Chang Jian secretly coming over and saying, "Sir, everything is ready."
Wu Tianyue took the thing handed to him by Chang Jian and looked through it. It contained everything including name, age, place of origin, major life experiences, travel permit, and military letter signed with the government.
Finding nothing wrong, Wu Tianyue closed the document and asked, "Has anyone in the government noticed anything?"
"This is all our own business. It has nothing to do with the Royal Palace or the Crown Prince's Palace. This person does exist and was summoned to the Northern Frontier. However, he fell seriously ill and died before he could report to the authorities. He was alone and had no relatives or friends, so he wouldn't be found out."
Chang Jian replied, then said worriedly, "Your Highness, are you really going north alone? The battlefield is full of dangers, and there's no one to protect you..."
"Since I've decided to hide my identity, I don't need anyone to protect me." Wu Tianyue raised his hand to interrupt him. "You don't have to worry. I'm capable of saving my life. You just need to keep it a secret for me."
His aura had grown stronger in recent days, and Chang Jian didn't dare to say much, so he could only say, "Yes."
Seeing that he agreed, Wu Tianyue ordered again: "Have someone keep an eye on the Jia Mansion at all times, and don't let the young lady suffer any injustice. If there is any secret letter that cannot be resolved, tell me."
After saying that, he collected all the receipts and returned to his room.
Late at night, when everyone in the palace was asleep, Wu Tianyue quietly got up, took the documents, money, medicine and clothes he had secretly packed, left a letter, dodged the patrolling guards, and quietly left the palace.
After turning the main street, he arrived at the place where the horses were hidden. Just as he was about to mount the horse, he thought for a moment and turned back to go to Rongguo Mansion.
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The author has something to say: I've been a bit busy recently, so I'll temporarily update every other day. I'll resume updating daily during the National Day holiday.
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