Plan for yourself
As the scorching summer sky fills the sky and the sun sets, the cicadas' chirping begins to filter through the emerald screens. The courtyard of Xuehan Palace has transformed. Shaded by green leaves, cool shadows replace the sparse spring sunshine.
Several pomegranate trees are in full bloom with flaming flowers, swaying gently in the breeze. There is lush moss in the cracks of the stone slabs, and the air is filled with the warm fragrance of steaming grass and trees, as well as a faint scent of mugwort.
Ning Lingyi was leaning on the bamboo couch by the window, wearing a plain moon-white gauze dress. On the low table in front of her was a white jade chessboard with black and white clouds scattered on it.
Sitting opposite was the little palace maid Fang'er, biting her lip, frowning, staring at the chessboard, thinking hard.
"Your Highness, I lost again." Fang'er finally gave up and admitted defeat.
Ning Lingyi smiled, picked up a chilled cherry and put it into her mouth, the cool sweetness melted on her tongue.
"It's okay. The key to playing chess is to calm your mind. Just practice more." Her voice had a hint of summer laziness, but her eyes were clear. She swept across the chessboard, pointing out several noteworthy points.
Fang'er nodded repeatedly after hearing this, her eyes full of admiration.
The palace is quiet, with only the chirping of cicadas outside the window and the occasional crisp sound of chess pieces falling on the chessboard, which paints a picture of a leisurely summer in the palace.
"Your Highness," Luqiao's voice broke the silence.
She walked in briskly, a thin layer of sweat on her forehead, holding a red lacquer tray in her hand. "There's a message from His Majesty."
Ning Lingyi looked up.
"This servant has brought the summer sachet that Your Highness personally sewn to His Majesty," Lu Qiao said briskly. "Your Majesty stroked the stitching on the sachet and looked at it for a long time, his expression deeply moved."
"Look, His Majesty has sent a reward, saying it's to help Your Highness cool down and beat the summer heat."
On the tray were some pieces of cool-to-the-touch fine brocade, a few boxes of exquisite Jiangnan dim sum, a box of seasonal fruits, and a set of rare and single-copy medical books.
Ning Lingyi's eyes swept across the rewards and finally landed on the set of medical books.
She gently picked up a book and ran her fingertips across the edge of the page. She understood her father's painstaking efforts.
"Got it." Ning Lingyi put down the medical book and said calmly, "Share the snacks with everyone."
She looked back at the chessboard. "Fang'er, another game?"
Seeing that she looked normal, Luqiao restrained her joy, replied "yes", handed the tray to other palace maids, and quietly stepped aside to stand by.
The hall returned to its previous tranquility, with only the sound of chess pieces falling on the board and the even more noisy chirping of cicadas outside the window.
Before the chess game was halfway through, a voice came from outside the palace: "Princess Zhaoyang is here for a visit!"
Ning Lingyi put down the chess piece and stood up to greet him.
Princess Zhaoyang, dressed in a goose yellow palace dress, looked radiant and gorgeous. She walked in with her personal maid and held a scroll in her hand.
"Lingyi looks so free," Zhaoyang said, smiling as he approached, his eyes scanning the chessboard. "Are you studying chess again? I wouldn't dare play against you."
"Sister Zhaoyang, you're joking. I'm just killing time." Ning Lingyi asked her to sit down and ordered someone to serve her iced sour plum soup.
Zhaoyang just smiled without saying anything and handed the scroll in his hand to Ning Lingyi.
Ning Lingyi unfolded it and saw that it was an ink scroll depicting the new look of the Mingzhou Canal. The brushstrokes were delicate, and the newly planted weeping willows on the river bank, the sturdy stone embankment, and the ships coming and going were all vividly portrayed on the paper. The signature was a clear and elegant character "Su".
It’s Su Qingfan.
"It was sent to the palace from Mingzhou," Zhaoyang explained. "I guess Shen Qingyan knew you were concerned about the Mingzhou river works, so he drew this picture specifically to say that the new dike had safely passed the spring flood and would handle the summer flood with ease, so you can rest assured."
Ning Lingyi's fingertips gently brushed across the familiar brushstrokes on the scroll, and her heart was moved as she looked at the familiar word "Su".
"This is not the work of Shen Qingyan. It was painted by another close friend of mine, Su Qingfan." Ning Lingyi said.
The vibrant canal in the scroll was completely different from the deep palace courtyard she was in. She stared at it for a moment before carefully rolling up the scroll and placing it on the desk beside her.
"Thank you, sister. Mingzhou is safe and sound. That's really good news."
Zhaoyang looked at Ning Lingyi's actions, and a hint of understanding flashed across his eyes.
She held the cold bowl in her hands, remained silent for a moment, and suddenly whispered, "Lingyi, my marriage is settled."
Ning Lingyi looked at her: "Has it been decided? Which company?"
"Zhang Yu, the grandson of Minister of Personnel Zhang Ge Lao." Zhaoyang's voice was very soft, with a barely perceptible hint of confusion.
"He is a capable and important official of the Crown Prince's faction. My mother personally promised me this, saying it would strengthen our relationship and stabilize the Eastern Palace."
"Minister of Personnel, Lord Zhang?" Ning Lingyi pondered. This old minister had many students and old friends throughout the court and the country. He was indeed the mainstay of the prince's camp. By marrying the most favored princess into the Zhang family, it seemed that the queen also understood that the Eastern Palace was unstable.
"Has the date been set?"
"It will be at the end of autumn." Zhao Yang lowered his head. "My mother said that it would be better to settle it sooner rather than later. The Crown Prince also needs this help."
She raised her head and looked at Ning Lingyi, looking at Mingzhu trapped in Xuehan Palace, and said, "How can a woman in the deep palace decide her own marriage? People like you and me can't decide for ourselves. I can share the worries of my brother the Crown Prince and relieve the burden of my mother, so I have fulfilled my duty."
Ning Lingyi looked at Zhaoyang. She was always virtuous and never made mistakes.
She is the queen's legitimate daughter, and her status is more noble than her, the pearl, but when it comes to marriage, she is also helpless and becomes a pawn on the chessboard to consolidate power.
"Zhaoyang," Ning Lingyi's voice softened. "Duty shouldn't be a lifelong shackle. If you truly love the young master of the Zhang family, then it's naturally a good match. But if you're willing to sacrifice yourself, who will care about you?"
She paused, looking directly into Zhaoyang's eyes. "If you're unwilling and feel wronged, then don't give in so quickly. Try to plan for yourself and see if there's room for change? Even if it's just a chance to get to know him a little better? After all, that's the person you'll be with for the rest of your life."
Zhaoyang was stunned, with a hint of surprise in his eyes.
"Planning for myself?" she murmured, her eyes gradually becoming complicated.
"Yes," Ning Lingyi nodded, "Everything depends on human effort. You are the only legitimate princess born to our father, the emperor, and our mother, the empress, and the crown prince's most beloved sister. Your wishes may not be without weight. The key lies in how you think and how you act."
Zhaoyang was silent for a long time. In the end, she did not express her opinion clearly, but just nodded: "I'll make a note of it. Thank you, Mingzhu."
She stood up and said, "It's been a while since I last came out. It's time to go back."
Ning Lingyi walked her to the palace gate and watched the light yellow gradually fade away under the thick green shade of the trees.
The palace door was closed, blocking out the heat outside. Ning Lingyi stood alone in the palace. Even Princess Zhaoyang, the queen's legitimate daughter, had to entrust her life to a political marriage.
And what about Ning Lingyi? A captive princess with a pearl, what was the significance of this pearl?
She slowly walked back to her desk, her eyes sweeping across the scroll depicting the free river of Mingzhou, finally settling on the unfinished chess game. The entanglement of black and white clouds resembled the dilemma she faced.
Zhaoyang is still unable to control herself. If Ning Lingyi wants to break free from this predetermined fate, she must possess a stronger power. She picked up a white piece and the piece fell on a corner of the chessboard. In an instant, the situation changed and the dead piece came alive.
It was late at night, inside the Zichen Palace.
The candlelight was deliberately dimmed, barely illuminating the area around the dragon couch. The emperor reclined on a soft, bright yellow pillow, one leg wrapped in a thick brocade quilt and resting on a specially made cushion.
An accident a few months ago broke the thigh of the former Horse Emperor. Despite careful recuperation, the bone injury has healed extremely slowly and he still needs a cane to walk. This long recuperation period has drained the emperor's energy and also nurtured an unspeakable haze.
The palace door opened and the prince walked in with steady steps. He was dressed in apricot-yellow casual clothes, with just the right amount of worry between his brows.
"Father, it's time to use the medicine." He approached the dragon bed, knelt respectfully in front of the emperor, and held the bowl of steaming medicine steadily in his hands.
The emperor's gaze fell on his son, then slowly moved to the bowl of medicine. The palace servants serving in the hall had long been dismissed, and now only the father and son were there.
"Yes." The emperor responded and stretched out his hand.
The prince took two steps on his knees and handed the medicine bowl steadily to the emperor.
"The Imperial Physician said this medicine is extremely beneficial for strengthening bones and muscles. Father must take it on time."
The Crown Prince raised his head, his eyes earnest, "I hope your Majesty will recover soon. There are many matters at court that I feel I am unable to handle. There are many key points that require your Majesty's wise judgment and guidance."
The emperor held the medicine bowl and could feel the warm medicinal vapor on his fingertips. He lowered his eyes to look at the dark brown liquid in the bowl and paused almost imperceptibly.
Was it an illusion? Or had my suspicions grown after these past few months of bedridden illness? This illness wouldn't heal, and as I drank bowl after bowl of medicine, the doubts in my heart stretched and flickered like a shadow under a candle.
He raised his eyes to look at the prince kneeling in front of him. The prince's eyes were clear and open, full of admiration.
The emperor's doubts were somewhat alleviated. Perhaps he was just being overly suspicious? As one aged and became ill for a long time, one's heart became sensitive and suspicious. The crown prince was the one he had personally groomed as the heir to the throne. Even if, even if he was a little impatient, he wouldn't...
The emperor concealed the complexity in his eyes, and finally put the bowl to his lips and drank it all in one gulp. He handed the empty bowl back to the prince.
"Your Highness is thoughtful." The emperor's voice softened. "You are gradually improving your handling of state affairs. However, the art of governing an emperor takes time to develop. It will take practice. I will be watching you closely."
The last sentence was spoken in a slightly deep tone, carrying a certain profound meaning.
The Crown Prince took the empty bowl with both hands and placed it respectfully on a low table beside him. He did not stand up, but remained kneeling. "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your teachings. I will certainly work diligently. I only wish Your Majesty a speedy recovery, which will be a blessing for the country and a blessing for you."
The emperor nodded, his gaze fixed on the dark night outside the window. After a moment, he suddenly spoke, his tone carrying a subtle softness: "I miss Mingzhu a little."
The prince raised his head slightly.
The emperor said, "She has been imprisoned in Xuehan Palace for a long time. She has never suffered any injustice since she was a child. It is time to release her."
The prince's eyes flickered slightly, and he pondered for a moment before saying, "Father, you are kind-hearted. Sister Mingzhu has a rather hot temper, but after what happened, I'm sure she'll learn to restrain herself. Besides..."
He changed the subject, "I recently received a secret report from the northern border that the internal strife in the Beishuo royal court is nearing its end. Tuoba Hong's brothers have been fighting each other to a standstill. Judging from the current situation, if nothing unexpected happens, Tuoba Hong's succession to the Khan throne is a foregone conclusion."
He paused, observing the emperor's expression, before continuing, "Once Beishuo's political situation stabilizes and Tuoba Hong ascends to power, it will be a golden opportunity for our dynasty to consolidate its northern border. Now that Beishuo is about to change hands, if Tuoba Hong takes the initiative to show goodwill, our dynasty might as well follow suit. Release Mingzhu from her confinement and allow her to marry into Beishuo, thus bringing peace to both nations. What do you think, father?"
"Prepare for marriage?" the emperor repeated, looking sharply at the prince.
Was the Crown Prince thinking about Mingzhu? Or was he preparing for his own ascension to the throne? Was he eager to facilitate a major event that would highlight his achievements as crown prince?
The Crown Prince calmly met his father's scrutiny, his eyes still respectful. "Of course, the details still require the Emperor's judgment."
The emperor was silent for a long time and took a deep breath. The familiar smell of medicine mixed with ambergris made him feel heavy and tired.
He waved his hand, his voice filled with lingering weariness: "Well, now that the time has come, let her out. We can discuss her marriage later."
"Your son obeys your order." The prince bowed deeply.
The candlelight flickered, casting the shadows of the father and son on the huge screen, making them look hazy.
The candlelight sways in the deep hall, and clouds of doubt cover the nine layers.
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