Chapter 341 Extra Chapter 1: The Crown Prince
The evening wind was bleak, and the snow finally fell.
Crown Prince Qin Zhao sat alone in the imperial study until the hour of Yin (3-5 AM).
On his desk were piles of military reports from the northern border, memorials on the canal transport in Jiangnan, budget items from the Ministry of Revenue for the coming year, and the ceremonial procedures for the spring sacrifice to Heaven drafted by the Ministry of Rites.
The vermilion brush hovered in mid-air, the ink about to drip, before finally landing on the character "准" (zhun), but it was three times heavier than usual, almost seeping through the back of the paper.
After finishing grading the last book, he put down his pen, his fingertips icy cold.
The silver charcoal inside the hall was burning brightly, but it couldn't dispel the chill that seeped into one's very bones.
It's not that my body is cold, it's that my heart is empty.
When the eunuch tiptoed in to serve the third cup of tea, he finally couldn't help but whisper a word of advice:
"Your Highness, it is already early morning. There is an early morning court session tomorrow. You must take good care of your health."
Qin Zhao hummed in response, paused in his writing, and looked towards the door.
Almost at the same time the eunuch withdrew, there was a very light knock on the door, and a dark figure carrying a chill flashed in—it was Jiang Yi.
Only the master and servant remained in the hall.
The charcoal fire crackled and popped, sending up a few sparks.
"Has the person been delivered?" Qin Zhao's voice was flat, revealing no emotion.
Jiang Yi knelt on one knee, the snow on his shoulder melting quickly in the warm air, leaving dark water stains: "Your Highness, the person has been safely delivered."
Qin Zhao paused, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, as if he wanted to ask something but found it difficult to speak.
He lowered his eyes, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the Yunnan Baiyao bottle in his sleeve; the action, accumulated over the years, had become a habit.
The bottle is smooth, and the label is worn and illegible, leaving only a faint tactile reminder of that memory that belonged only to the two of them.
"Is she...happy?"
Jiang Yi had followed him for many years and was almost half of his shadow, always understanding his thoughts.
As the night deepened, the woman threw herself into the arms of the man she had lost and found, and the light in her eyes almost burned the eyes of the onlookers in the shadows.
Looking at the Crown Prince's thin and lonely profile in the candlelight, the usually resolute and decisive commander of the guards lied for the first time.
He lowered his head, avoiding his master's gaze, and said in a stiff voice, "It was dark and the snow was heavy. I... couldn't see clearly."
Upon hearing this, Qin Zhao gave a very slight laugh.
The smile didn't reach his eyes; instead, it brought out a deeper weariness and understanding.
"She should be happy."
He seemed to be talking to himself, his gaze fixed on the flickering candlelight, as if he could see further beyond the flames.
"When she learned of her brother's death, she even suspected that I was the one who did it, and she didn't even give Ji Wensheng a kind look. She even said such treasonous things to his face."
She didn't believe him.
Perhaps, in her heart, she had already equated him with those cold-blooded people who would stop at nothing to gain power and position.
They met first, so why did things turn out this way?
He paused, his voice lowering to blend into the silence of the empty palace: "They all think that it was because I couldn't tolerate my brother that I did it."
Jiang Yi's heart tightened, and he wanted to say something, but he choked up.
There are some things that the Crown Prince doesn't need to explain, nor can he offer any comfort.
That game of chess is too big; once a move is made, there's no going back.
Winning the supreme throne comes at the cost of suspicion and betrayal, and the biting cold wind at this desolate peak.
But from beginning to end, no one ever asked him whether he, the pawn, was willing.
Well then, the pieces have no choice.
"My brother is gone, Cheng Fang is guarding the northern pass, and Zhao Jingxing has gone to the south of the Yangtze River... This capital city suddenly feels much emptier."
Qin Zhao stood up, walked slowly to the window, and pushed it open a crack.
A biting wind, carrying snowflakes, swept in instantly, causing his robes to billow and the candlelight to flicker violently.
He gazed at the palaces and pavilions outside, covered in snow. They stood silently under the dark blue night sky, vast, majestic, and utterly lonely.
"We're one step closer to the lonely person she's been calling out for..."
These words were spoken so softly that they were almost swallowed up by the sound of the wind and snow.
But it was like a cold needle, silently piercing the softest corner of my heart.
Now, he has already tasted the flavor of that position before he has actually taken it.
Ultimately, you can't have your cake and eat it too.
He was the crown prince of the Great Yu Dynasty. From birth, he was destined to have many things, and also destined to lose many things.
His heart was filled with the world and all its people; against this backdrop, a woman's voice, appearance, and smile became less important.
Ultimately, it was something I owed her.
It's a good thing if one more person in this world can be happy.
The snow fell heavier and heavier, turning the world into a vast expanse of white.
The faint sound of a wooden clapper could be heard in the distance; it was already the hour of Yin (3-5 AM).
Qin Zhao slowly closed the window, shutting out the wind, snow, and the boundless night.
The hall was once again enveloped in warmth and silence, yet it felt even more suffocating than before.
He walked back to the desk, picked up the bottle of cold Yunnan Baiyao, and held it in his palm for a long time.
Then, he opened the drawer, gently placed it inside, and closed it.
There are countless memorials on my desk waiting to be approved or rejected.
Taxes in Jiangnan, military farms in the Northwest, performance evaluations by the Ministry of Personnel, troop rotations on the border...
The vast land and its countless people now rest on his shoulders.
He is no longer a pawn.
He was sitting in the chess player's seat.
But this place is so cold and so isolated.
Looking around, those who once stood shoulder to shoulder with me are either dead, far away, or their hearts have turned to ashes.
He suddenly chuckled very softly, almost inaudibly.
"Brother," he murmured to himself, facing the empty hall.
"Look, I'll continue this game."
From then on, however, he would place his hand very heavily with every move.
Because beneath the chessboard lies the flesh and blood of loved ones, the departure of dearest friends, and the eternally silent silhouette of a woman turning away.
He will spend the rest of his life alone in this game of chess from which he can no longer escape.
"Change your clothes." He turned to Jiang Yidao, who was standing to the side, his voice no longer as calm and cold as usual, "Prepare for the morning court session."
As dawn breaks, the snow's light shines through the window.
A new day begins, and it's still the same routine of submitting memorials, holding court discussions, weighing options, and making decisions.
The door to the Imperial Study opened and closed again, and the footsteps gradually faded into the depths of the palace.
Only the dying lamp on the desk and the silent snow falling outside the window witnessed how, on this snowy night, a young crown prince personally buried the last faint spark of his heart into the eternal night.
From then on, he traversed thousands of miles of mountains and rivers, and walked alone to the heavens.
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