Musician (II)
Everyone in the court knew the princess's fate. No matter how favored she was, a princess would inevitably become a tool for the monarch to consolidate his rule.
Kinship politics is the most reliable arm of imperial power.
In recent days, the most talked about topic among civil and military officials is a small country called Fu Jue next to Kui Xi. It has been restless recently, and all the ministers are worried about it.
Most of the Fujue people are cavalrymen, brave and good at fighting, and good at taming beasts. If they fight head-on, even Kuixi's elite soldiers will end up in a lose-lose situation.
Now, information about unrest on the border is constantly being sent to the capital, causing great distress to the emperor.
The ministers in the court were talking in chaos, and the emperor was so angry that he held his forehead.
At this moment, a voice came from his ear: "Your Majesty, I have a plan."
The Emperor suddenly raised his head upon hearing this and immediately asked, "What is the plan, Prime Minister?"
This person was none other than the Prime Minister of the current dynasty, Wang Xuhan. He was extremely powerful, second only to the emperor and above everyone else. All officials knew that he had long been able to dominate the narrow corners that the imperial power could not cover.
Wang Xuhan bowed and continued, "Your Majesty, why don't you try the marriage proposal?"
The emperor was shocked by his sudden proposal, but also provoked, and flew into a rage: "Does my great empire still need women to rule its territory? As the prime minister of a country, you actually say such words!"
However, Wang Xuhan showed no sign of relenting. Instead, he analyzed the situation for the emperor: "Your Majesty, please consider carefully for a moment. Fujue's soldiers are excellent cavalrymen. It will be difficult for our army to win this battle. In addition, there are reports of disasters in various places. If we want to go to war, our army must march to Fujue's territory. The military pay may be just enough to feed them, but what if the war drags on? The soldiers will starve, while Fujue has an ample supply of food. In this case, our army will surely be defeated. Therefore, sending troops to attack now is undoubtedly a death wish."
After hearing this, the emperor gradually calmed down and thought about what Wang Xuhan said, which might make sense.
"But a marriage alliance is different. I've already sent people to inquire. Prince Fujue is a rough and straightforward man. I think they're just trying to curry favor with him. We'll send the noble princess over, along with some jewelry and books. If we give him enough face, he'll be content."
"I believe that no matter how impulsive Prince Fujue is, he will not fail to consider that our dynasty can send troops. Although we do not have the advantage, we can still fight them to a mutual defeat with the attack of the entire dynasty. Therefore, we should respond with the method of marriage, and quell the unrest without fighting."
After listening to Wang Xuhan's advice, the emperor frowned and stroked his beard with his fingers.
He naturally felt embarrassed. He was unwilling to sacrifice his reputation and rely on women for stability, but he also knew that with the current national strength, if he really sent troops to attack, he would definitely get an unsatisfactory result.
Wang Xuhan sensed the emperor's doubts and quickly spoke up: "Your Majesty, the situation on this frontier is getting worse day by day. I urge Your Majesty to make a decision soon and not miss the opportunity and cause a serious mistake!"
After being pressed like this, the emperor gasped and asked reluctantly, "What do you think of the daughter of King Ling?"
"Your Majesty, I dare to suggest that the person chosen for the marriage should be of your bloodline!"
The emperor was unwilling to accept the marriage proposal, and was further annoyed by Wang Xuhan's words: "Tell me, which of my princesses do you like?"
"Your Majesty, I believe that Princess Nianyin is of marriageable age, is sensible, and has been well-read since childhood. She is the perfect choice for a marriage alliance."
"No! Chiyin is the Queen Mother's favorite princess. How can I explain this to the Queen Mother if you marry her to Fujue?"
Even though he was scolded by the emperor, Wang Xuhan still maintained a righteous and awe-inspiring appearance, but his soft lips uttered a few cold words: "I know, but Prince Fujue is cunning. If he knew that Your Majesty had chosen a woman at random and handed her over to him, he would be furious. The whole world would be in ruins!"
"Chiyin, she is my daughter!"
"Your Majesty, please prioritize the fate of the nation!"
None of the officials dared to speak out on this matter, for fear that raising any objection would make them an enemy of the prime minister and put their official positions at risk.
With a sigh, the emperor finally had no choice but to issue an order to send the fourth princess Li Chiyin to Fujue and present her to King Fujue as a token of his sincerity in seeking peace.
After leaving the court, Wang Xuhan strode through the palace. His companion, Mr. Bai, followed him at a leisurely pace and asked in a low voice, "Why did your Excellency choose the Fourth Princess?"
Wang Xuhan's lips curled up in disdain as he replied calmly, "Everyone knows that the Fourth Princess is on good terms with the Queen Mother. Since I've eliminated Zhang Yi and the others, who are such a thorn in my side, wouldn't the Queen Mother, as the Zhang family's backer, be resentful of us?"
"There's no such thing as true love in such a vast palace. She's so devoted to the Fourth Princess, I'm afraid she's trying to gain the Emperor's trust. If that's the case, I'm going to destroy all her connections, leaving her isolated and helpless in the palace, unable to build up her own power. Only then can I secure my position as Prime Minister and truly wield power."
Mr. Bai hurriedly bowed and congratulated Wang Xuhan, constantly praising him, "Your Excellency is so great," acting like a running dog.
But unlike Wang Xuhan, when the empress dowager learned about the marriage, she became furious and smashed the bowls and cups at hand to pieces.
Her eyes widened, her brows raised, and the purple robe embroidered with golden python patterns fluttered in the wind, her pearl necklace swaying violently across her chest. "Damn Wang Xuhan! He abolished my faction's power back then, and he still hasn't stopped! I struggled to keep my position as Queen Mother, and now he's trying to isolate me! What a treacherous and cunning slave!"
The eunuchs serving beside the Empress Dowager were all silent, wishing they could bury their heads in the ground.
Wang Xuhan's plan was to remove the firewood from under the cauldron.
Naturally, the same was true for Li Chiyin.
After receiving the order, she was shocked and stumbled out of the palace.
As she ran, tears fell from the corners of her eyes and somehow landed on her cheeks.
She rushed to the back garden, her eyes already wet.
There was no piano music in the back garden at this time. She only saw Jiang Yu sitting on the grass without saying a word.
Li Chiyin stumbled forward, the bitterness in her heart suddenly reaching its peak. She pinched her tightly closed throat and uttered a few words: "Ah... I... I..."
Ever since Jiang Yu heard Li Chiyin's voice, he could no longer suppress the pain in his heart.
Tears burst out and he lowered his head, hoping that by lowering his head, he would not see Li Chiyin's face and would not lose his composure.
"Ah, I beg you... I don't want to go to the marriage... I beg you to take me away... I'm willing to work as a handyman for you... Ah, I beg you..."
Jiang Yu couldn't bear to hear Li Chiyin's crying. On his way into the palace, he heard that Li Chiyin had been chosen to marry a foreign prince.
He was unwilling to believe it, but had to accept the fact from Li Chiyin's mouth.
But he did not obey her as he had done before. He knew very well that if he took Li Chiyin away, his family and the country would be in chaos.
"I can't... hold the sound... I can't do this..." Jiang Yu bit his lips and uttered a few words.
"Why……"
"I can't ruin your reputation, destroy your innocence..."
For a long time, neither of them said a word, but the silence could not calm the waves in their hearts.
"Ah's friend, you're really slow..." Li Chiyin sighed, his eyes already red and swollen. "Eight years of companionship, eight years of love. It's no longer your piano music that I love. The only thing I want to see is you..."
Jiang Yu: “…”
Li Chiyin continued, "Chinese New Year will be here soon. Every time you come to the palace during this time, you'll bring me some Li's pastries and some street-style window decorations. You said the streets were bustling and you wanted me to experience the hustle and bustle, so you brought the hustle and bustle of life into the palace. You also said you wished me a happy and healthy year ahead... Ah-Yun, are you going to break your promise this year?"
As soon as these words were spoken, Jiang Yu's heart felt as if it had been cut into pieces and thrown into acid water, eventually becoming rotten.
How could he not know?
Her love was as scorching as fireworks, existing in every eye that looked at him.
But he didn't dare to look. He was afraid that even if he accepted this love, he would not be able to give her the life he wanted to give her.
Her nobility and his humility are engraved in their bones and blood, and are an unavoidable grudge between them.
Seeing that Jiang Yu had not yet responded, Li Chiyin also had the answer in his heart.
She swallowed back her tears, gave a bitter smile, and finally asked, "Jiang Yu, this princess will ask you one last time, are you willing to take me out of the palace?"
Jiang Yu clenched his fists and subconsciously said, "The princess and I are worlds apart..."
The repeated rejections completely shattered Li Chiyin's last bit of dignity. She stepped forward without hesitation and slapped Jiang Yu hard.
Afterwards, Li Chiyin left sobbing, leaving Jiang Yu alone struggling in the wind.
It was the middle of winter, the grass and trees were withered, and the wind was biting and cold. The window that the little palace maid had failed to close properly opened a back door for the cold wind to enter, making the entire hall always have a hint of chill.
But the physical coldness was far less than the heartbreak. Li Chiyin's mind had become empty. She followed the nanny's arrangements without a care in the world, studying Fujue characters every day and touching those ancient books that she loved so much. However, the clear characters could not give her a clear life.
In the following two months, Li Chiyin learned Fujue's language, etiquette and customs day after day, but every time she thought about it, she would feel an indescribable fear in her heart.
She could not help imagining her loneliness at night when she had no one to talk to, her desolation when she was alone during the holidays, and her grief when she would never be able to be with her lover again.
During this period, Jiang Yu never dared to see Li Chiyin again. He repeatedly avoided Li Chiyin's gaze, and his heart was in pain.
The winter snow falls from the branches of the plum blossoms, and the footsteps of spring arrive quietly. The wind with a little chill blows over the winter jasmine on the roadside. It also raises its delicate face, growing in the bushes like fallen stars, announcing the arrival of spring to the earth.
This day was the day when Li Chiyin set out on his journey.
She was accompanied by boxes of treasures and books, all of which she was going to take to Fujue to show the sincerity of the Kuixi royal family.
In addition, the emperor also assigned her a number of attendants.
But she still couldn't find Jiang Yu among this group of people.
Never mind, he won't come.
With the help of the palace maid, she put on her heavy wedding dress and walked out of the hall with the help of the palace maids.
She gently lifted her veil and took one last look at the scenery of the imperial city, which she engraved in her heart and bid farewell to her homeland forever.
"This is what she wrote in the suicide note she left me. It is her last impression of Kui Xi." Jiang Yu stroked his zither, plucked one of the strings, and looked indifferent.
Indeed, in the lonely night, Jiang Yu had already regretted a thousand times when facing Li Chiyin's suicide note, and all the tears he should have shed had long since dried up.
But Xiao Lin was different. She was sensitive by nature, and after hearing about their past, she burst into tears.
It is mentioned in history textbooks that princesses who married into foreign countries brought advanced production methods to the frontier and made great contributions to cultural integration.
But no one mentioned how they reluctantly left their hometown, how they faced people with very different customs, and how they were separated from their loved ones.
They dug up civilization, but also buried their homeland.
They did praise their greatness, but they also concealed their suffering.
Xiao Lin cried uncontrollably, hesitating to say something but unable to utter it.
Mu You felt heartbroken when he saw this, so he had to bite his lower lip and wipe her tears with his sleeve.
Jiang Yu seemed to understand her thoughts, but he just looked at her and smiled gently.
After a while, Xiao Lin finally calmed down, pushed Mu You's arm away, puffed out his chest, and said righteously: "Okay, we will help you. You want us to go back in time and kill you with our own hands, right?"
For a moment, Chu Mo and Jiang Yu were amused by her words and repeatedly denied it: "It's just a joke, how could you commit suicide?"
"What do you mean?"
"I would like to ask you two, no matter what means you use, please allow me to go with the princess."
Only then did Xiao Lin understand Jiang Yu's intention. She asked back, "I understand. Whether it's beating or tying you up, I'm going to force you to accompany the princess to a distant land, right?"
"Yes, and not only that." Jiang Yu's tone was still gentle, "What I want to ask you to do more is to go to Fujue and find out the truth about the princess's death."
What's the truth behind the princess's death? What does it mean? Didn't the princess, overwhelmed by the burden, commit suicide? What does Jiang Yu mean by this?
However, before Xiao Lin and Mu You could speak, Jiang Yu explained the whole story: "The Princess Nian Yin I know is the most courageous and strong woman in the world. There is no way she would commit suicide."
"so……"
"So, there must be something fishy going on."
Looking at Jiang Yu's sharp eyes, Xiao Lin couldn't help but shudder.
Just as they were looking at each other in silence, Chu Mo's voice came over: "What? Do you want to answer it?"
At this time, Xiao Lin's empty eyes regained color and turned to look at Chu Mo.
"This time, it's the easiest story." Chu Mo emphasized.
Indeed, if one wants to change the ending of the story of Jiang Yu and Li Chiyin, one can simply tie the former Jiang Yu to the carriage of the marriage team. Compared with the previous two stories, this is much easier.
If that's the case, what reason do they have not to intervene?
"Answer it!" Xiao Lin was about to speak, but Mu You saw through her thoughts and shouted first, "Of course I'll answer it!"
At this moment, Jiang Yu smiled, and so did Chu Mo.
"But how do we go back to the past?"
"We'll go back the same way we came back from Wu County."
No way? Another spinning windmill?
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