A hundred years of suffering and happiness are determined by others
In the imperial garden in late autumn, the flowers are still bright, but they are already drenched in bleakness.
Ning Lingyi held Ning Chengji's hand and walked slowly along the stone path covered with fallen leaves. The prince's face was a little tense, no longer as childish as before. There was a layer of melancholy between his brows that did not belong to his age.
"Chengji," Ning Lingyi paused, bent down and brushed a dead leaf off his shoulder. Her voice was gentle, "Are you still thinking about that policy paper from yesterday?"
Ning Chengji shook his head, his small hand unconsciously clenching around his aunt's fingers. He looked up, his eyes filled with an indelible confusion. "Aunt, the Emperor said that a ruler should know how to choose and what to give up, and understand the importance of things. But can giving up what you desire really bring you complete peace of mind?"
He was asking about policy, but it also seemed like he was asking about something else.
Ning Lingyi felt a little sad and was considering how to comfort this precocious and sensitive child when a burst of hurried footsteps approached from afar, breaking the tranquility of the garden.
A eunuch, his face pale, scrambled forward, then fell to his knees, his voice trembling with fear: "Your Highness, Your Highness! Your Highness, Your Highness! Urgent news from outside the palace! The Beishuo envoys have entered the capital!"
The air suddenly stagnated.
Ning Lingyi felt a chill rushing from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, and her hand holding Cheng Ji tightened unconsciously.
The huge rock that had been hanging above her head for a long time suddenly fell down. She tried her best to remain calm on her face, but her trembling fingers revealed her inner feelings.
"Got it." Her voice sounded unusually calm, even a little indifferent. "Go down."
The eunuch retreated in a hurry as if he had been pardoned.
Ning Chengji suddenly looked up, the blood drained from his little face, and his eyes were filled with great fear.
He held Ning Lingyi's hand tightly, his small body trembling: "Aunt, they, they are coming to take you away?"
Ning Lingyi took a deep breath, suppressed her turbulent emotions, squatted down, and looked straight into her nephew's frightened eyes.
She didn't answer, but gently held him in her arms, resting her chin on the top of his soft head, feeling the slight tremor.
The layered palaces in the distance shone brightly in the autumn sun, dazzling her eyes.
This day has finally arrived.
Inside the Zichen Palace, the strong smell of medicine seemed to be diluted slightly by a more profound exotic scent.
Beneath the throne, several envoys dressed in traditional Beishuo costumes stood solemnly.
The leader was a burly man with a rough face, neatly trimmed beard and eyes as sharp as an eagle. He was none other than the Right Wise King Ashina Lu, a senior official whom Beishuo Khan Tuoba Hong relied on.
Behind him, his followers carried several huge gilded wooden boxes with their lids open, revealing the glittering furs, gems, gold objects and rare treasures inside.
"Your Majesty, I, Ashina Lu, the Right Wise King of Beishuo, have come here on the orders of Great Khan Tuoba Hong to marry Princess Mingzhu and make her my honorable queen of Beishuo!" Ashina Lu's voice was loud and clear, carrying the grandeur of the grassland, as well as an unquestionable toughness.
He performed the Beishuo salute and looked at the pale emperor sitting on the throne with burning eyes.
Before coming here, the Khan had already told him that if he couldn't marry the Queen, he wouldn't go back. He had fought for this opportunity for a long time, and considering the Khan's high regard for the Queen, if he could successfully please her, it would be of great benefit to him.
The emperor leaned back on the dragon throne, his fingers unconsciously stroking the cold armrests, a suppressed cough rolling in the depths of his throat.
His eyes swept over the priceless betrothal gifts and fell on Ashina Lu's face full of ambition. Tuoba Hong did not come in person.
The atmosphere in the hall was solemn, and all civil and military officials held their breath and bowed their heads.
Pan Wei stood behind the throne, holding his sword, his eyes as sharp as knives.
Silence, carrying a heavy burden.
Finally, the emperor spoke slowly, his voice hoarse and filled with an air of authority that brooked no disobedience: "The princess is my jewel in the crown. Her marriage follows the proper rites of the imperial court. Your Excellency, thank you for your journey. Please settle down at the inn and rest for a few days. The auspicious date will be set for the end of October."
He set the time directly without any room for negotiation.
Ashinalü's thick eyebrows frowned slightly.
The Emperor turned to the Minister of Rites and said, "Ministry of Rites, immediately review and prepare the ceremony for the princess's wedding. Ensure it is thorough and there cannot be the slightest mistake!"
"Your Majesty, I obey your order!" The Minister of Rites hurriedly stepped out, bowed his head and accepted the order, with sweat oozing from his forehead.
Ashinalü saw that the emperor was determined and said nothing more.
He suppressed his displeasure and bowed again: "Your Majesty, I will obey the order of the Great Emperor. We will wait for the auspicious date at the end of October!"
The court officials and envoys left one after another, and the hall returned to silence, leaving only the emperor's suppressed breathing.
Suddenly, there was a sound of teacups breaking, and the guards in the hall immediately knelt down, no one dared to make a sound.
absurd!
Since the founding of the Southern Dynasty, there had never been a princess who married off as a foreign princess! Even if she was the Khan's concubine, it would be a disgrace! That was his most beloved daughter, and now, she was being taken away by an outsider in such a forceful way!
The emperor felt depressed and felt more pain in his body. He was really old.
A small foreign race actually bullied us.
A moment later, the palace door opened slightly, and Ning Lingyi walked in holding Ning Chengji's hand.
The emperor looked at his daughter; her face was as calm as a deep pool.
Ning Chengji's little hand tightly grasped his aunt's hand, his face was tense, his lips were pressed into a straight line, and his eyes quickly swept over the remaining items in the hall.
The emperor opened his mouth.
"Father." Ning Lingyi spoke first, her voice so calm that it was almost ethereal.
She didn't look at the boxes, her gaze fell on the emperor's pale face, "Your son understands, state affairs are more important, your son has no complaints."
The word "no resentment" left the emperor speechless. A wave of emotion rolled through his throat, ultimately fading into a heavy sigh. His daughter saw through the undercurrents of the court, the nation's struggles, and the helplessness of his frail body.
At this moment, Ning Chengji, who had been silent all the time, suddenly broke free from Ning Lingyi's hand and took a step forward.
He raised his head, looked straight at the emperor, then turned to Ning Lingyi. His voice was clear, but it carried a weight that was inconsistent with his age:
"Grandpa Emperor, Auntie, don't be sad! I will take you back!"
The tender child's voice penetrated the silence of the hall, and every word was clear.
"Chengji?" Ning Lingyi's voice was so soft as if she was afraid of disturbing something.
Ning Chengji straightened his thin back, and a different light appeared in his eyes that had always relied on her. He said, "In the history of the Han Dynasty, the most foolish strategy was to seek a marriage alliance. The country depends on a wise ruler, and its safety depends on women."
The poem came out of his mouth, and the childish voice was still there.
"I understand this poem. It's wrong to let my aunt marry Beishuo. It's wronging my aunt and insulting the king's responsibility. When I grow up, I will definitely take my aunt home."
Bitterness rushed to her eyes, and Ning Lingyi almost fell to her knees, hugging the little body in her arms.
"Chengji..." Hot tears sank into his nephew's collar.
The emperor's gaze fell on the two people hugging each other, and a barely perceptible wrinkle appeared on their faces, which were exhausted by illness and state affairs.
Fortunately, he still has this grandson.
The Xuehan Palace was shrouded in darkness and was brightly lit.
The hall looked a little messy, contrary to its usual elegance and tranquility.
Several open boxes were placed on the ground, filled with silks, gold and silver jewelry, and rare jades.
Concubine Yu was standing with her back to the palace door, carefully folding a piece of glittering brocade and placing it cautiously into a half-full box.
Her movements were slow and focused.
Ning Lingyi stepped into the hall and saw her mother's thin and busy back.
"Mother..." she called softly.
Concubine Yu paused and did not look back.
Ning Lingyi took a few steps closer and discovered that her mother's thin shoulders were trembling slightly.
She walked around to Concubine Yu. Her usually gentle and quiet face was already covered with tear marks. The tears were dripping onto the gorgeous brocade in her hands, leaving dark marks.
"Mother!" Ning Lingyi felt a sharp pain in her heart.
Concubine Yu raised her tearful eyes, and the sadness that had been pent up for many days finally burst out.
She hugged Ning Lingyi tightly, sobbing uncontrollably: "Yier, my Yier, I'm sorry for you. I'm useless and can't protect you. I let you go to such a far, cold place. My heart is..."
Her crying was mournful, far from the graceful and elegant voice of the past.
Ning Lingyi hugged her mother tightly with her backhand, burying her face in the familiar crook of her neck: "Don't say that, Mother. I don't blame you, I never blame you! This is not your fault. You have done everything you can for your daughter, Mother..."
She tried to calm her breathing, gently stroking her mother's back, and tried to force a comforting smile: "Mother, don't cry. You see, Tuoba Hong has sent important officials to welcome me and has also prepared generous gifts. I think he has some affection for me. I will be fine and will not suffer any injustice."
"Friendship?" Imperial Concubine Yu raised her head, tears streaming down her face. She cupped her daughter's face, her fingertips icy cold. "My Yi'er, you've lived in luxury since you were little. Have you ever suffered even the slightest injustice?"
"But Beishuo is a foreign country, freezing cold, with a language you can't speak and different customs! You don't even have a caring and understanding person around you! Tuoba Hong is the Khan of Beishuo! How much friendship can he have? How long can it last? You're all alone there..."
Her voice choked again, tears bursting out, each drop carrying a heart-wrenching pain: "In the future, how many grievances will I have to swallow, how many tears will I have to shed..."
"Mother knows everything, but Mother can no longer protect you. There is no one left to support you or make decisions for you, my son..."
Ning Lingyi's forced composure instantly collapsed, tears welling up again. Her voice was broken but filled with a firmness that was almost pleading: "No, mother! No! I will take good care of myself! I will learn to be strong! I will write to you often in the future to let you know I'm safe and well..."
"Write a letter?" Imperial Concubine Yu smiled sadly, a smile more heartbreaking than crying. "Silly child, the mountains are high and the rivers are long, and there are barriers between us. How many of your letters can reach your mother? How many times can your mother's letters reach you? From now on, we will part..."
She hugged Ning Lingyi tightly in her arms again, using all her strength.
"Even though we are separated by the world, it will be difficult for us to meet again in this life."
The mother and daughter hugged each other and cried. In this cold night of late autumn, all their identities, dignity and forbearance were thrown away, leaving only the purest blood relationship surging in their tears.
Concubine Yu's trembling hands stroked Ning Lingyi's soft hair again and again, just like when she coaxed her daughter to sleep when she was a child. She held her daughter's tear-stained face, and her eyes traced her daughter's eyebrows, eyes, nose and lips inch by inch. Finally, her fingertips rested on the corners of Ning Lingyi's moist eyes, and hot tears dripped on the back of her daughter's hand. The heart of a loving mother was as heartbroken as ever.
"Don't be a woman in this life..." Concubine Yu's voice broke in sobs.
The flickering candlelight illuminated the gorgeous dowry all over the hall, telling of a fate that even the princess could not control. The cold splendor became the most dazzling decoration of the cage.
A hundred years of joy and sorrow will ultimately be determined by others.
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