Chapter 639 My Life
The clinking of hairpins and the clatter of shoes on the bricks of the city wall echoed behind her. In the moonlight, the Grand Princess, dressed in red, emerged from the shadows. Illuminated by the fireworks, her face bore an unusual look.
Xuan Ting's tightly furrowed brows did not relax, and his eyes showed undisguised surprise: "Grandmother?"
Recalling that those treasonous words had just come from his great-aunt, Xuan Ting felt a sense of absurdity. Everyone knew that his great-aunt's support had been invaluable when his father ascended the throne. It could be said that without her, the fate of the empire might have been different. What did his great-aunt mean by this?
The Grand Princess walked to the edge of the city wall and looked down, saying, "Such a grand event was not even seen during my coronation ceremony."
Xuan Ting clenched his fists, remaining silent but frowning as he looked at the Grand Princess.
The Grand Princess suddenly lowered her head to look at Xuan Ting, her voice tinged with reminiscence: "In my life, I have experienced three such expeditions."
In a daze, her voice sounded like a sigh: "Without exception, as soon as this battle song sounds, he will surely win before long. This is the tacit understanding of everyone in the capital."
Actually, it's not surprising that he was a thorn in the emperor's side, a thorn in his flesh, don't you agree, Xuan Ting?
Xuan Ting met the Grand Princess's eyes and narrowed his own: "What exactly does Grand Aunt want to say?"
The Grand Princess met Xuan Ting's wary gaze, then suddenly tugged at the corner of her mouth, squatted down, and looked at him earnestly: "Your great-aunt wants to tell you that a general is just a general, and as long as you are a general, you should be loyal to the emperor. No matter how talented or loyal you are, you are just a sharp blade in the emperor's hand. However, your father always wanted to shatter the blade in his hand, but he was accidentally wounded by it."
Ultimately, it's because he lacks that kind of magnanimity.
The Grand Princess lowered her eyes with a hint of melancholy as she spoke: "Xuanting, your great-aunt hopes you can use this weapon well. Our royal family has become increasingly weak in recent years. In the court, the Imperial Preceptor's Mansion, Xiao Yuanshan, the Prince's Mansion—your father dares not provoke any of them. Now, your father's health is failing, Xuanting, you are our last hope. Remember, as long as you use it well, whether it's people, things, or various families, everything will become a weapon in your hands. Don't be foolish, don't trap yourself, don't cut off your own wings. That would be a great loss."
As she spoke, the Grand Princess turned her gaze to the Emperor's still-lit bedchamber, a mocking smile playing on her lips.
If he hadn't been so intolerant of Li Rong back then, why would he be forced into this situation by Xiao Yuanshan now?
Xuan Ting's eyes flickered.
Can everything be used as a weapon?
Who is being described as someone who has created their own trap and suffered more losses than gains?
"Your Majesty, the Grand Princess and His Highness the Crown Prince are talking on the city wall."
Eunuch Li entered the room emanating a chill from his body. He dared not approach the Emperor, first shaking off the cold air from his clothes before finally speaking to him.
The Emperor didn't even lift his eyelids, but simply looked out the window: "Li Quan, listen. How familiar this singing is! It's like I've returned to my youth."
Li Quan looked up and saw the emperor's thin, sunken cheeks and dark circles under his eyes. In a daze, he recalled that before the Li family was destroyed, the emperor was often sick, but he always had a humble smile on his lips.
Speaking of which, the Emperor was kind-hearted as a child. Perhaps due to his frail health, he was especially compassionate towards the poor and elderly. He rarely spoke to people and loved to sit on the veranda with a little white kitten he had found, sometimes talking to the cat for hours on end. It wasn't until the Empress Dowager personally killed the kitten the Emperor had raised, teaching him that he must not have any weaknesses, that the Emperor became even more taciturn.
Looking back on the past and then at the emperor's ashen face, Li Quan felt a sudden pang of sadness, and for a moment he couldn't bear to tell him what the Grand Princess and the Crown Prince had said.
"Your Majesty, it's late at night, and the wind is strong outside. Shall I close some of the windows?"
The Emperor, however, picked up his cup and listlessly raised it towards the window.
"In my entire life, I will likely never be as good as him. He can fight the enemy honorably and openly, and use his outstanding military achievements to tell everyone and the world that this battle is indispensable."
Li Quan's heart tightened as he watched, and he kept stepping forward to advise, "Your Majesty, wine is harmful to your health. Who is this heartless bastard who dared to pour wine for Your Majesty? Your Majesty, you cannot drink this."
"Alright, I can't drink now, and I'm afraid I won't have the chance again." The Emperor said, pouring himself another cup. "He probably wants to tell me that if I lose him, I lose the whole world. If I gain him, I gain the whole world."
"Your Majesty," Li Quan was speechless for a long time.
"The drums thundered, and the banners fluttered."
The Emperor muttered something to himself, then slowly poured himself another cup: "This is the last cup, I'm sending you off."
"Ah Rong, this parting is forever. We, ruler and subject, will likely meet again on the road to the Yellow Springs."
Under the same dazzling sky, Jiang Nuanzhi put her night clothes back on, which she had only recently put off. Now, sitting atop the high wall, she posed a profound question to Dongzang beside her.
"How long are the soldiers going to sing?"
"Won't their voices get damaged if they keep singing like this?"
Jiang Nuanzhi was initially shocked when she heard it. Although she is still shocked now, how long has she been singing like this? Doesn't she get tired?
As a doctor, she had to be concerned about the soldiers' throat problems.
Dongzang was taken aback by the question. He blinked his clear eyes twice before saying, "I don't think so. After all, each person only sings it two or three times."
"Hmm?" Jiang Nuanzhi looked over.
"But how many people are there? Each battalion sings once, then the whole army sings again. Tens of thousands of people are waiting for the general's inspection, so it will inevitably take a while. By the time all three armies have been inspected, it will probably be dawn."
Jiang Nuanzhi was taken aback, but then, recalling modern military parades, she understood somewhat: "Oh, okay."
Then, with a hint of displeasure, she frowned at Dongzang: "Tsk, if you're going to talk, just talk, don't delay the action. Hurry up and jump up. Luckily, the singing is masking everything, no one can hear anything. Nobody will notice us."
Dongzang swallowed hard. "No, Madam, are we really going to sneak into the Imperial Preceptor's residence at night? Well, we haven't gone in yet. We can still go back now."
She really wanted to slap herself for wandering around the courtyard in the middle of the night instead of sleeping. She never expected to be caught by the Madam and dragged here to the Imperial Preceptor's residence!
She just felt a strong urge to sneak a peek at the camp while the three armies were singing their war songs; she figured she'd be in the wrong place. Who knew she'd run into the lady of the house like that?
Seeing the lady narrow her eyes impatiently, Dongzang swallowed hard, gritted his teeth, and leaped onto the wall. He then leaned over the high wall of the Imperial Preceptor's residence and peered inside.
(End of this chapter)
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