Reunion
Even though Lin Xu had lived through two lifetimes and prided himself on having long since mastered the ability to remain calm in the face of adversity, he couldn't help but freeze in place when he arrived at the front yard.
The reception hall was bustling with people, including dozens of servants dressed in red, and a steady stream of people carrying red lacquered wooden boxes from the main entrance into the hall.
Inside the hall was an elderly woman with gray hair, but a very kind face. Upon seeing Gao Youyi and Lin Xu, she calmly bowed and said:
"Your Excellency has long admired your daughter, and today you present this letter of betrothal with six rites to show your sincerity."
This must be the official matchmaker who came to propose marriage.
Lin Xu stared blankly at the things that were almost overflowing in the hall, still unable to come to her senses.
"Is he here to propose marriage to me?"
The state media squinted and nodded kindly.
As they spoke, two servants behind the official media presented gift boxes in turn.
One by one, these exquisite and beautiful boxes were opened.
The first box contained a pair of jade geese; the second box was made of red silk brocade; the third box contained fragrant cakes, lotus seeds, and longans; and the fourth box was covered with a red letter and a marriage certificate. With each box opened, a fragrant aroma filled the air.
Everyone in the hall was astonished.
Lin Xu looked at this group of people who seemed to be taking this so seriously and felt it was utterly absurd.
She married young, and now, though divorced and alone, she raises Mianxue. She's also rumored to be a wicked woman abandoned by the Dou family. In such turbulent times, who would want to marry her?
"Whose family did you receive favors from...?"
Before he could finish speaking, a tall figure stepped across the threshold and strode in from the light.
Lin Xu blushed upon seeing who it was, becoming even more flustered.
Dou Yanxun was dressed in a light silver-gray sable cloak that almost trailed on the ground, with a white jade rhinoceros belt around his waist, black boots on his feet, and a black jade crown on his head. It was rare for him to be dressed so formally.
Just then, Lin Fu, who had been shocked to hear of this, rushed over from his study. Before he could even stand still, he saw Dou Yanxun respectfully bow to him and Gao Youyi, cupping his hands and saying:
"I apologize for disturbing you, Prime Minister Lin. I have long admired your daughter and have come today to propose marriage. I hope to sincerely seek a good relationship between our two families."
Lin Fu stood there stunned, then quickly looked around and saw that the jade geese, red paper, incense cakes, dried fruit, silver ingots, aged tea and other items taken out of the wooden lacquer boxes were all neatly arranged in the hall, even more elaborate and grand than when the two families first got married.
The warm morning light streamed through the window cracks, illuminating the crimson satin with a dazzling, bright luster.
Gao Youyi hesitated for a moment, then quickly shielded Lin Xu behind her:
"Dr. Dou's move was truly quite sudden..."
Dou Yanxun nodded upon hearing this, but his expression remained very solemn:
“Madam Lin is quite right. I had actually planned to do so, but I was too busy with political affairs. I visited last night because I couldn’t wait any longer, so I apologize for bothering you. Please forgive me, Madam.”
Lin Fu put his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on Dou Yanxun's eyes, as if trying to see through his thoughts.
"Lord Dou, are you joking with me? Everyone knows that you once arranged a marriage between you and the Lin family, and even had to carry an eight-bearer sedan chair to marry Xu'er. Why didn't you cherish it back then, and instead ended up in divorce? Do you know... how much suffering Xu'er has endured because of you all these years?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Xu felt a lump in her throat, and even the fingertips hidden in her sleeve trembled slightly.
Their marriage was a carefully orchestrated scheme, meticulously planned by her; he wasn't entirely innocent. The divorce papers that followed were also drafted by her personally. From beginning to end, he was merely being driven by the decisions she made…
Even so, she never expected that Dou Yanxun would come again today.
He even went out of his way to propose marriage to her.
At this moment, he still bowed respectfully to Lin Fu and said:
"What Lin Xiang said is very true. In the past, I was ignorant and ambitious, and I was suspicious of everything and afraid of everything. I never dared to believe that a woman as good as Xuxu would fall in love with me, so I did many foolish things. It was Xuxu who remained faithful to me for three years after our marriage, never abandoning me. Since we separated, whenever I recall the past, I feel only guilt. She is the only one I have ever loved and wronged in this life."
He raised his head, a slight glint in his eyes:
"I know this love is hard to change, and I am willing to give my whole life to ensure Xuxu's peaceful life. I hope that you, Minister Lin, will grant my request."
Lin Xu listened quietly, feeling a dryness in her throat and her eyes gradually blurring.
Lin Fu paced back and forth in the hall for a long time with his hands behind his back before looking at Dou Yanxun and saying, word by word:
"Have you ever considered what would happen if, one day, you betrayed her again...?"
Dou Yanxun raised his eyes, and the scattered light gradually gathered, passing over the figures in the hall until it landed on Lin Xu. He said with utmost solemnity:
"If I have ever wronged Xuxu, I am willing to repay this debt with my own body and never be reborn."
The once bustling hall seemed to fall silent instantly.
She stood there, stunned, until she felt a warmth on her cheeks, and realized that her tears had involuntarily rolled down her cheeks.
He's such a gloomy and fickle person, what nonsense is he spouting now? She doesn't want him to die. She wishes he could live a life of joy and peace for all eternity. She doesn't want him to say such ominous things for no reason!
Their gazes met through the crowd, finally meeting in mid-air. The truths, resentments, and panicked looks she had kept hidden all these days, which she had been unwilling to confront, were now laid bare.
Dou Yanxun looked into her moist eyes, his gaze filled with her reflection. His soft lips moved slightly, as if he were speaking silently to her:
"Xuxu, don't cry."
"I am here."
Actually, I've always been by your side.
In fact, she never knew that this seemingly cold and ruthless man had been in love with her from the very beginning.
As early as when? It seems to have been from the very first time we met.
Or perhaps... it started from the first time she blushed and whispered in his ear the words of her long-held admiration for him.
Or perhaps it was from the day they married, when she stood beside him for the first time, dressed in her wedding gown and veiled in red, her figure trembling slightly. From that moment on, she rightfully became his only wife, his beloved, and the one he least wanted to betray in his life.
He had narrowly escaped death, and struggled on the brink of annihilation several times, never trusting anyone, never believing in divine intervention. Years of loneliness and suffering had instilled in him a nature of quiet forbearance, and he had never spoken of his love. This silence over the years, ironically, caused them to miss each other time and again…
It was his fault that she was only now able to realize his one and only, unwavering true love in this life.
Everyone says that Dou Yanxun is cold-blooded, ruthless, and power-hungry, never lingering in the world. But there is only one person who can make his cold heart grow warm again, filling him with fear, making him hesitate, worry, and retreat, no longer daring to recklessly seek death.
She had the most beautiful eyes imaginable. Those eyes were as dazzling as a galaxy, and when she smiled, they could instantly soothe all his sorrows. Whenever he saw her stubborn, aloof, and incomparably beautiful appearance, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
What could he possibly do to give her the best of everything in the world?
She once looked up at him timidly, time and time again, steadfastly staying by his side, rescuing him from countless abysses, and accompanying him through countless sleepless days and nights.
He owed her far too much. He could only repay her little by little with the rest of his life.
.
March of the nineteenth year of Yuanzhen.
The weather is still chilly despite the changing warmth, and the grass grows and the orioles sing. Lin Xu, daughter of the Prime Minister, and Dou Yanxun, a third-rank official, rekindle their marriage and are forever united in heart.
In the same month, generals He Qijiang and Zhao Qiang led 30,000 troops on a westward expedition against the Ye Dynasty. The two countries were at war, and the conflict continued. In May, He Qijiang was killed in battle, and Princess Kunrou led her troops westward, capturing two cities within a month. At this point, the two countries formally signed a truce agreement. The border was redrawn, and markets were reopened.
Three months later, Crown Prince Wei Yun of Dayu died from an illness caused by his accumulated misdeeds. Emperor Su was devastated and bestowed upon him the title of Crown Prince Renxiao (benevolent and filial).
In September, Emperor Su passed away. In accordance with his will, Princess Kunrou was enthroned as emperor, the reign title was changed to Xuanzhen, his birth mother, Princess Duanhe, was honored as Empress Dowager, his father, Liao Qian, was honored as Emperor Emeritus, and his adopted sister, Lin Xu, was enfeoffed as Princess Zhao'en.
Thus began the era of the first female emperor of Dayu, known in history as Emperor Ming. Emperor Ming successively appointed Jiang Heng as prime minister, made important use of young talents such as Xu Yanqing, reduced taxes, granted a general amnesty, and allowed women to participate in the imperial examinations and serve as officials in the court.
The world is in ruins and needs to be rebuilt; it is thriving and prosperous.
August of the first year of Xuanzhen.
Nineteen tribes of the Dayu frontier colluded with the northern barbarians in a rebellion, capturing three prefectures and bringing disaster to Hecheng. The Liang family of Hecheng fought valiantly against the enemy, temporarily easing the situation. The emperor was furious and summoned all the generals to personally lead a northern expedition. Four members of the Liang family were killed in battle, leaving no one to succeed them.
The Emperor was deeply grieved and defeated the enemy leader, Uro Khan, north of Yanmen Pass. However, he was unfortunately struck in the left shoulder by a stray arrow, his robes stained with blood. In September, the remaining tribes all surrendered.
The emperor ordered the army to return to its camp, buried the three sons of the Liang family on the northern hill of Hecheng, and bestowed upon the entire Liang family the title of "Protecting the Nation Liang Family." He wept incessantly and posthumously honored Liang Suzhi as Duke of Xiaoyong, Liang Zhengyuan as Duke of Zhonglie, Liang Zhengqi as Marquis Zhuangyi, and Liang Zhengze as Marquis Gangyi.
At the beginning of Xuanzhen's second year.
Kunrou's old wounds from the northern expedition had not yet healed, and after the spring chill passed, he could not sleep at night and coughed up blood incessantly. The next day, the officials entered the palace and advised Emperor Ming to follow the celestial signs and abdicate in favor of Prince Xian, the ninth son of the late emperor.
In March, Prince Xian, Wei Yan, ascended the throne, changing the era name to Yonghui, and was historically known as Emperor Xiang. In the same month, the retired Emperor Liao Yan passed away due to illness.
Spring has come again, and the old snow has all melted away.
Officials paid homage to the new emperor upon his ascension to the throne.
The long street was paved with gold, lanterns and decorations were everywhere, and songs and dances filled the market, spreading the word that a prosperous era was about to begin. Those old ministers who had bowed their heads and held their breath during Emperor Ming's reign because they disliked women in power all returned to court one after another, celebrating their new positions.
Soon, almost no one in the court or among the people mentioned the empress's name or that brief period of history anymore.
Rumors circulated that she suffered from a serious illness and died in the Imperial Study, a secret kept hidden. Another version of events also circulated quietly: she abandoned ancestral practices, felt unbearable shame, and shaved her head to enter a nunnery, disappearing into the Jiangnan region.
The various new policies that Emperor Ming and his adopted sister Princess Zhaoen vigorously promoted during his reign, as well as the laws and education system, were all abolished during the Yonghui era. Even the war during the Xuanzhen era was widely criticized by the world for its drain on resources and empty treasury.
Another well-known extraordinary woman, Princess Zhao'en, fell ill with grief after the death of her sworn sister, Emperor Ming, and died within a few months at the young age of twenty-three.
There are few records about this princess. It is only known that she came from a prestigious family, was cunning and unruly, and was not a member of the imperial family. She was granted the title by exception because of her close relationship with the late emperor. Unofficial histories record that she was unrestrained and indulged in debauchery during her lifetime, and had been at odds with Emperor Ming's sisters for many years, thus receiving this punishment.
During the Yonghui era, the new emperor, out of compassion, reduced taxes for three years, allowing the people to live in peace, the borders to be peaceful, and the world to gradually find stability.
No one remembers the endless spring rain that lasted for fifteen years during the reign of Emperor Yuanzhen of the previous dynasty.
——
The End.
It was only in the winter of 25 years ago.
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