Jiangshan as betrothal
She had always wanted to take her younger sister to the palace to see their two interesting friends, but her mother wouldn't allow it, calling her sister a vixen. As she grew older, she understood what those words meant and, for the first time, defied her mother.
She never thought of her sister as a nine-tailed fox, and even if she were, she was still her sister.
While her family was busy preparing for the Mid-Autumn Festival family banquet, she took her younger sister with her when she visited her aunt. Her aunt was very kind to her, but her expression changed when she saw her sister. She made her put on a veil and began to compare the two women's appearances, saying that Lu Yunchu looked like a lady from a respectable family, while her younger sister, Lu Yuezhao, looked like she came from a brothel.
The younger sister lowered her head, her eyes reddening. Lu Yunchu gently put her arm around her sister's shoulder. When she was little, she was ignorant and always liked to tease her sister, but now that she was grown up, all she wanted to do was protect her. Her sister looked so frail, and everyone disliked her; she was truly pitiful.
"Aunt, please don't talk about my sister like that. Why do you always have to be so hard on her?"
Looking at her aunt's somewhat harsh face, she felt an unprecedented sense of estrangement.
Aunt took a sip of tea and sighed slowly, "To have such a bewitching charm at such a young age, what kind of good person could she be? And for a little girl, her name contains such a sharp character as 'Zhao,' and her brother didn't even think to change it... She really is a devil!"
Lu Yunchu didn't know what to say, so she gently patted her younger sister's back. Her sister was indeed beautiful, but her pale face was bloodless, making her look even more pitiful. But what did that have to do with being a demon?
Auntie started rambling on again, saying that Lu Yunchu's marriage to the Crown Prince should be moved forward, and that they should quickly have a big, healthy son who would also become the Crown Prince in the future, bringing glory to the Lu family.
She looked Lu Yunchu up and down, as if she were appraising merchandise. Lu Yunchu involuntarily took a step back; that gaze frightened her.
She looked around the spacious but cold room, gazing at the well-maintained but decaying woman in front of her. Suddenly, the world before her began to blur. She seemed to see her own future, the real lives of her mother, Aunt Xue, Aunt Liu, and her aunt.
"Marry a dog, follow the dog"... She's already married a dog, why should she marry a human? If she can't even keep a dog, how can she keep a man of such high status and power as the Crown Prince?
As usual, the aunt started scolding the women in the palace, especially Consort Xiao, and her seemingly stupid niece.
"Xiao Qiuhe... Ha... She pretends to be so kind, but she's the most shameless one. We all advised the emperor not to take those three brothel sluts as concubines, but Xiao Qiuhe still serves them. What's the difference between her and the brothel girls? And her stupid niece, what right does she have to call herself Xi Ke? She wants to compete for the Crown Princess? That child is even younger than Xiao Wu, and she's already scheming!"
Lu Yunchu couldn't help but shiver, as if she saw herself in her aunt's eyes. It was many years later, an aging woman whose life force had been drained early, trapped in the deep palace, wandering in this tomb with other women who had no way out.
The weight of their crowns suffocated them; their lives were confined to the narrow confines of the palace, limited by their limited perspectives, scrambling for scraps discarded by the nobility, hoping their sons would one day rise to prominence. But most had no sons, and even those who did often perished in the struggles…
She remembered the little doll her brother had brought back from the Western Regions, and the wind that could blow everything away. She longed to see a bigger world, but she could no longer.
She lowered her head and sobbed softly, oblivious to her aunt's continued instruction on how to fight with the women. Her younger sister looked at her with concern and gently took her cold hand.
Just then, the curtain was pushed open, and a bright yellow robe appeared before them.
She looked up and saw a man with a handsome face, but his eyes were so dark and dull. He was clearly only in his twenties, but he seemed to have been through a lot and had no vitality or vigor.
The man paused for a moment, then chuckled softly, his voice exceptionally pleasant: "The sisters are here?"
Auntie was stunned for a moment, then shielded Lu Yuezhao behind her and pushed Lu Yunchu forward: "Why did you come so soon? It's all my fault, I forgot about this!"
The Crown Prince's smile looked kind, and coupled with his handsome face, it was indeed unforgettable. Even so, Lu Yun Chu still felt a jolt in her heart and subconsciously went to look for her sister.
The man in front of her frightened her. He was not the chubby boy she remembered at all. His eyes were too heavy, hiding too many unreadable emotions.
Her aunt asked her to say a few words to the Crown Prince, but she kept her head down and couldn't make a sound. After a long time, she finally saw him leave.
"Ah Yun, what's wrong with you today? You're usually so lively."
Her aunt combed her loose hair with displeasure, saying that the marriage would proceed as scheduled and the Crown Prince would soon take a concubine. She should be smart and not let others take the lead.
She listened blankly, but couldn't absorb a single word. Even after leaving the palace, she remained absent-minded.
She looked up at the azure sky, so vast yet surrounded by towering palace walls. Suddenly, she understood why Chu Ling always looked up at the sky.
Her younger sister had been holding her hand ever since they left the palace. Seeing that she was still silent, she asked softly, "Sister, everyone says that becoming the Crown Princess is a glorious thing for the family, but you are not happy. They don't understand, but I do. You don't like it here... You said you wanted to take me to the border, so we could ride horses together and see all the beautiful landscapes. Do you remember?"
The promise they made in their youth still echoed in her ears, yet now it seemed ever more distant. She sighed softly and shook her head: "We can't get out. That year I took it as a joke, but it resulted in you being locked in the boudoir, and everyone smearing you. I won't drag you down like I did before..."
She hadn't expected much when she said those words; it was just a casual joke. She never imagined her sister would remember them. But these promises were destined to remain unfulfilled, never to be kept.
Lu Yuezhao looked at her, his gaze deep and unwavering: "I don't think it was just a joke, nor do I think you took our promise as a joke. Sister, we will definitely leave this place!"
Lu Yun Chu did not answer. She went to see the two princesses with her sister, but halfway there, her sister said that she had something to do at home and had to go back with her maid. She could not stop her and watched her small figure disappear into the depths of the corridor.
She had never seen her sister's eyes so determined before, and she suddenly felt flustered, but she couldn't figure it out for a moment.
Chu Qin and Chu Ling were studying the map as usual. Seeing the two of them made her feel even heavier: "I should go home to prepare for my marriage. I'll be going to the Crown Prince's residence from now on, and I won't be able to come see you anymore..."
Chu Ling nodded and told her to take care. Chu Qin held her hand tightly: "Are you really going to marry him? Just because he's the crown prince? But he's going to be the emperor. Look at all of Father Emperor's women, how many of them ended up well! You even said you wanted to be my general..."
Chu Ling stopped her from continuing, saying, "These are things we can't decide ourselves. Our lives aren't in our own hands, so there's nothing Sister Lu can do."
Looking at her former companions, Lu Yunchu felt that saying anything would be futile. Chu Ling told her not to overthink it, that it was good to live a life of luxury here, and that they could meet again at future palace banquets.
Chu Qin remained silent until she was about to get up and go home, when suddenly a long sword was handed to her.
"Take it. Perhaps one day you will pick it up."
Chu Qin's gaze was so focused as she took the sword and looked at the phoenix pattern on the scabbard.
As if guided by some unseen force, she nodded. The sword was heavy, like the fate hanging over her head, but perhaps one day, she would be able to lift it with ease.
Chu Qin leaned closer to her and whispered, "When you get married, I will watch you from the highest point in the capital. You can see me when you look up. I hope you can see me at the highest point that day."
As she turned away, the usually proud princess's eyes welled up with tears. Lu Yunchu watched her retreating figure, recalling a youthful, impetuous joke: "Qinmei, with your courage and vision, no one else could compare to marrying you! Why don't you work hard, conquer this empire, and use it as your dowry to marry all the girls in the world? That way, no girl will need to get married, no girl will need to be trapped under someone else's roof for the rest of her life!"
I had only mentioned it casually, but she looked so serious, so serious that she swore an oath with a high five.
Chu Ling laughed at first, but quickly said seriously, "That's perfect. I'll destroy your kingdom, and from now on, the world will belong to everyone, to all the girls!"
She still clearly remembers the expressions on their faces: Chu Qin laughed heartily, and Chu Ling laughed slyly. But she knew that these wishes were ultimately just empty dreams.
She waited quietly at home for her wedding, and sometimes she would make some pastries. The maids always said that she always remembered the young master's preferences.
She just smiled and said nothing. Just then, there was a knock at the door outside the courtyard, and her father told her to go to the front yard.
The hall was quiet, with only a few women present. The air was heavy, and she could hardly breathe.
After everyone was seated, the father carefully spoke, "A-Yun... the eldest prince is steady and reliable, truly a good match. The emperor is also keen to bring them together, so let's choose an auspicious day..."
Her father's words seemed to come from afar and then near, and she felt only astonishment, but more than astonishment, she understood. Perhaps this was how fate was in the hands of others; even when choosing a master, one had no say in the matter.
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