Chapter 113 Why keep thinking about these insects? Let's go to the east bank of the river...
Li Shimin originally planned to travel to Jinyang together with Li Yuan during Yang Guang's northern tour, as per their original plan. However, his father changed his mind due to worry, and instead sent his second son to his hometown of Puzhou to make connections with powerful families. After his eldest son, Jiancheng, returned to Hedong City with his family, Li Shimin would then travel north to reunite with his father.
Li Shimin and Changsun Qingjing then decided not to take the route through Heyang, but instead to go through Luokou and travel along the Yellow River to Pujindu.
On the morning of the day of departure, Changsun Qingjing unexpectedly received a note from Changsun Anye. Strangely, this time it was not handed over by the Li family's retainers, but was delivered directly to the Li family's Mangshan villa by the Changsun family's retainers on horseback.
"This is Elder Shi, who has served the Changsun family for many years." Changsun Qingjing was in a good mood and specially introduced the old servant to her husband. "When we were young, my father was busy with official duties, so Elder Shi would take my siblings and me to travel around the two capitals. He taught me Turkic. He also taught me the few words of Persian I knew, but I didn't learn them well and never dared to say that I was fluent..."
Li Shimin bowed respectfully to Shi Lao.
"The Fourth Sister has found the right person to rely on. The General must be very pleased in the afterlife." Old Master Shi was so moved that he didn't know what to do when he saw his young master who still remembered him.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Changsun Qingjing instructed Acai to take Shi Lao to collect the reward money.
"You've read so many books and are so studious, you can even speak Turkic. Don't you know a word of Northern language?" Li Shimin asked curiously.
"Why should I, a Luoyang native, learn Northern Mandarin? Will it be useful for writing Yongming poems or for speaking with Southerners?" Changsun Qingjing retorted. "Is it shameful to not be able to speak it?"
"Of course not, I was just asking casually."
The two of them checked the personal belongings they were going to take with them.
"I never expected my half-brother to be so afraid of his wife." Changsun Qingjing instructed the maids to pack her newly collected scrolls into her book box while chatting and laughing with Li Shimin, holding up a letter. "When I saw that Elder Shi personally delivered the letter, I thought something terrible had happened in Luoyang. Such a dramatic reaction is unlike my half-brother's character. He probably hasn't been able to join the royal circle for banquets and entertainment lately, so he can't find out anything and can't help us. He's also afraid that if we suddenly cut off contact, I'll retaliate and expose his affair, so he wrote some strange things to appease me..."
"How perfunctory was it?" Li Shimin asked, leaning closer to read the letter while selecting his sword.
"If we don't count the incident at Luoxingyu, then there shouldn't be any..." Li Shimin said with a smile.
“Guanyinbi,” Li Shimin suddenly unfastened his sword, dismissed the maids, and sat upright facing Changsun Qingjing, pressing her shoulders. “In the past, I was afraid you would misunderstand or be upset, so there was something I never dared to say. Now I’ve decided to be honest with you and tell you everything that happened to me in Luoyang Palace last year.”
"Is it something General White Hawk didn't bring to me?"
"Yes."
Changsun Qingjing gasped, recalling the several vague statements he had made after their marriage: "Go ahead and tell me."
So Li Shimin then revealed all the things that Xiao Ju had coerced him into sending Hulü Xun to Yaoguang Palace in the name of the emperor, that he had broken into Liuli Pavilion out of guilt and depression, that he had mistakenly ingested Hanshi San (a traditional Chinese medicine), that under the influence of the drug he had beaten Yuwen Xiao severely, and that he had rejected the princess who tried to seduce him—things that he had kept hidden in his heart for a long time.
Changsun Qingjing's lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to speak but hesitated. Her eyes, which usually shone with the luster of lapis lazuli, turned dull and lifeless. She trembled uncontrollably, as if bitten by a venomous snake. The venom of lies and fear was invading her internal organs, causing her unbearable pain.
The ribs in his chest, which had been angrily pounded by Changsun Qingjing a few days earlier, began to ache again, with several cracks tearing at him relentlessly. He was utterly dejected, even feeling that in his wife's eyes he was like a condemned prisoner awaiting execution.
The young woman, who had been behaving very respectfully during the mourning period, withdrew her hand from wiping away Li Shimin's tears. Li Shimin thought that everything was now over, and that his own inner conflict had been resolved. There were no more secrets or lies between them.
Unexpectedly, Changsun Qingjing moved even closer to Li Shimin, loosely wrapping her arms around his back, allowing the young man, who was temporarily caught in self-doubt, to lean on her shoulder and sob.
Li Shimin straightened his disheveled posture, faced the mischievous, vibrant face, and couldn't help but chuckle: "She doesn't need another sycophant like me. There's no story of love turning into hate here; she simply dislikes me because of my aloofness and unconventionality, just like Xiao Ju and Yuwen Xiao disliked me for the same reasons..."
Li Shimin only felt that his wife's words were absurd and did not pay any attention to them.
Ultimately, the couple concluded that Changsun Anye's letter was just empty talk, and trying to decipher its deeper meaning would only cause unnecessary trouble.
"Which Qi man came up with this terrible idea? If I run into him, I'll beat him half to death..." Li Shimin laughed and rolled up his sleeves.
"My uncle's friend meant well, thinking I was decent-looking and intelligent enough to even cobble together a few Yongming poems for the emperor. If I were lucky, I could become the next Chen Juan. My uncle wouldn't have had to suffer so much in Zhu Yuan..."
“Your uncle won’t agree…” Li Shimin shook his head and said, “He doesn’t want you to become an exquisite decoration in the deep palace.”
"You were really out of your mind back then! You weren't even willing to wait a few more days for me," Li Shimin complained. "And how did you change your mind later?"
"This man deserves to die!" Li Shimin said, feigning seriousness. "It's a sign of your uncle's good manners that he didn't sever ties with him! You actually started seriously considering his terrible idea? Why didn't you want to go to the palace later, and instead injured him and ran away?"
"I was in a daze for a few days, then suddenly everything became clear!"
"Your 'sudden enlightenment' is that you chose Zhu Yuan between me and the emperor!" Li Shimin chuckled.
The two resolved their differences and no longer had any regrets or doubts about the past.
Thinking back to their first meeting in the fire, their reunion and separation years later, their correspondence abruptly ended, and their wedding preparations were marred by a series of misfortunes, including the demotion of their adoptive father and the passing of their mother. It seemed that whatever bizarre hardships they might encounter on their future path would not be a big deal.
"Why keep thinking about these insects? Let's go to Hedong!" Li Shimin made the final decision and stretched out his hands to Changsun Qingjing.
Author's Note: Erfeng: Luckily I ran fast enough. You actually chose Zhu Yuan between me and Guang Shen! [Angry]
Ah Jing: That makes sense. Between a disgusting exchange of interests and an unreliable love, choosing to protect family and career is the better option. [666]
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