The mother and son suffered countless injustices. If Xia Meiren hadn't sacrificed her dignity to protect Pei Ji, Pei Ji might not have lived to see the day he was chosen as a hostage to come to the Yu Kingdom.
Therefore, although Pei Ji hated the State of Song to the extreme, he absolutely could not accept the State of Yu annexing the State of Song.
The fate of a concubine who ruled a fallen kingdom is predictable.
Pei Ji had endured humiliation and hardship in the State of Yu for so many years, and his only wish was for his mother, who was far away in his hometown, to be safe and well.
However, I am going to marry Jiang Xuanyan.
The son of someone who had been winning people's hearts and minds and uniting with those who advised against attacking the State of Song for more than a decade.
By doing this, I am undoubtedly telling Pei Ji that I support Prime Minister Jiang.
Support... attacking the State of Song.
I got up, chased away the two sparrows on the windowsill, and closed the window.
The Lantern Festival is here.
Pei Ji left.
Pei Ji, we can no longer celebrate the Lantern Festival together.
I can no longer steal sesame-filled glutinous rice balls from the Lantern Festival feast for you, I can no longer laugh at the black sesame seeds on the corner of your mouth, and I can no longer beg you to share a glutinous rice ball with me.
But I don't regret it.
I will grant you your wish, Pei Ji.
5
Pei Ji has been in the State of Yu for fourteen years. According to the agreement, he was supposed to be taken away by the State of Song next year, which was also supposed to be fifteen years later.
The hostage prince of Song fled, enraging the ruler of Yu. Rumors spread among the people, with two pieces of news emerging one after the other.
One reason is that the State of Song harbors wolfish ambitions and has never given up on avenging the humiliation of the past for more than a decade. As a result, the hostage of the State of Song has been lying low in the State of Yu for many years. The reason why he chose to escape now instead of waiting until next year is that he is provoking and declaring war.
Another piece of news is that Prime Minister Jiang colluded with foreign enemies, embezzled grain supplies, and attempted to sow discord between the State of Yu and other countries.
Jiang Xuanyan, son of Prime Minister Jiang, put aside his own family ties for the greater good, personally went to His Majesty to expose Prime Minister Jiang, and chose the country over his family.
The evidence from Prime Minister Jiang's study was displayed in the court, irrefutable. Among them was a letter to Persia, the contents of which proved that Prime Minister Jiang's advocacy for attacking the Song Dynasty over the years was inseparable from Persia.
Persia, the strongest of the nine kingdoms, attempted to conquer both Yu and Song while they were preoccupied with their own affairs.
His Majesty was deeply disappointed and beheaded Prime Minister Jiang. However, considering Jiang Xuan's meritorious service at the banquet, he granted the Jiang family the privilege of not being implicated by Prime Minister Jiang.
Jiang Xuanyan remained the same arrogant and flamboyant General of the Cavalry.
This is what Jiang Xuanyan promised me.
By stripping Prime Minister Jiang of his power, he was no longer able to incite the court to attack the Song Dynasty.
I just didn't expect that Jiang Xuanyan would directly hand over the evidence of Prime Minister Jiang's treason.
Prime Minister Jiang's power... well, skipping the step of sidelining him, was directly eliminated.
It is true that Prime Minister Jiang betrayed his country, and it is also true that Jiang Xuanyan chose his country over his own.
When Jiang Xuanyan came to find me, I had mixed feelings.
I didn't know how to comfort him. For a moment, I couldn't tell whether he was more heartbroken to discover that his seemingly diligent father, who served the country with all his heart, was a traitor, or more heartbroken to have lost his father.
Jiang Xuanyan gave a wry smile. "Your Highness need not worry. It is a fact that my father betrayed the country. With the greater good of the nation at hand, even if he were my father, I would not protect him."
I fell silent.
Jiang Xuanyan raised his wet eyes and tugged at my sleeve with a somewhat aggrieved expression, "Your Highness, from now on, I will only have Your Highness by my side."
I patted his hand. "I'll protect you."
Not only because I genuinely consider him a friend, but also because he helped me this time.
He did this for me on the condition that I marry him.
Jiang Xuanyan smiled happily.
I smiled happily too.
I think that Father Emperor already knows that it was Persia that wanted to weaken both Yu and Song, so he will definitely no longer have the intention to attack Song.
Pei Ji's mother will be safe and sound.
Pei Ji will not die either.
6
One autumn, Pei Ji told me that his life in the State of Song was not as good as his life in the State of Yu.
In the Song Kingdom, he was merely a prince of humble origins who was not favored.
Pei Ji brushed a golden maple leaf from my hair, then glanced at me sideways.
"It's better in Yu Kingdom, where Your Highness protects me."
I was young then, and I simply thought that since Pei Ji liked my protection so much, I would protect him for the rest of my life.
Pei Ji smiled, like the mist melting at the tip of a snow-capped mountain, and said nothing.
Now that Pei Ji has returned to the State of Song, I am somewhat worried.
Is he doing well in the State of Song?
Will I be bullied?
I put the last stitch on my wedding dress and brought my thoughts back to the present.
So be it. It's better to suffer in the State of Song than to die in a foreign land.
On the table was Jiang Xuanyan's handwritten note, which clearly described the recent situation in the court and the emperor's attitude.
Former Prime Minister Jiang had been inciting my father to attack the Song Dynasty, but my father had never agreed, only because of me.
My father loved me very much. When he first learned that his only daughter had taken a liking to Pei Ji's face, he did not forbid me from befriending the hostage from the enemy country.
But as Pei Ji's fourteen years as a hostage came to an end, his father's heart was gradually moved.
The hostage of the State of Song is in the State of Yu. Due to various reasons, the State of Yu should not take action against the State of Song.
However, Pei Ji is about to be brought back to the State of Song, and the moment he returns will be the best opportunity for the State of Yu to make its move.
So the emperor summoned his ministers and planned to strangle Pei Ji on the eve of his return to the country. He also sent spies to sabotage the operation, to frame the Song state, and to fabricate the story that the Song state killed the hostage and then framed the Yu state.
These were discovered by Jiang Xuanyan by chance in Prime Minister Jiang's study. At the same time, a secret room in the study was also discovered, containing evidence of Prime Minister Jiang's treason.
So Jiang Xuanyan found me and promised to help me sabotage the plan in exchange for saving Pei Ji's life.
The condition was that I marry him.
I agreed.
I had no other choice.
I am Princess Yong'an of the Kingdom of Yu, but I am only Princess Yong'an.
Without the secret assistance of General Jiang Xuanyan, the State of Yu would definitely have attacked the State of Song.
If the Emperor were to order Pei Ji to be strangled, it would be like killing a chicken in a cage—he would surely die.
At that time, not only will Pei Ji die, but the Persian Kingdom, which has been eyeing the area covetously, will also reap the benefits.
I do not want Pei Ji to die, nor do I want the world to be in turmoil.
I placed the handwritten note into the charcoal brazier, and the pale yellow paper was quickly swallowed up.
I don't know how Pei Ji escaped.
The palace was heavily guarded, with the Imperial Guards maintaining a tight watch for twelve hours a day.
Pei Ji was all alone in the State of Yu. I saw him almost every day, yet I had no idea he possessed such abilities.
"It's good to escape."
The flames from the charcoal brazier danced in my eyes. I closed my eyes briefly to gather my thoughts.
Pei Ji,
May you be safe.
7
In the dead of winter, amidst wind and snow, the next news of Pei Ji came when a spy from the Song Kingdom delivered a secret letter.
Pei Ji returned to the country on the Lantern Festival and, through some unknown means, managed to gain control of most of the Song army in just half a month.
Even the old prime minister who had served the Song state for many years immediately sided with Pei Ji.
With an extremely high-profile attitude and ruthless methods, Pei Ji forced the emperor to abdicate and became the new ruler of the State of Song in just two months.
The political landscape of the Song state underwent a major reshuffle, but the secret letter did not mention how Pei Ji subdued those who were unwilling to submit.
It is said that every day at the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), many more corpses would appear in the mass graves on the outskirts of the capital of the Song Kingdom.
The following year, Pei Ji revitalized the Song army and personally led an expedition, using overwhelming superiority to bring the two neighboring countries into the Song territory.
Pei Ji's sudden rise to power made everyone realize that all these years in the Yu Kingdom had been nothing more than playing dumb to outsmart others.
At the same time, Princess Yong'an, who had protected him for ten years, was also caught in the vortex.
"Princess Yong'an has a very good relationship with Pei Ji, who was still a hostage at the time. Does the princess not know anything about this?"
"Your Majesty, I second that. Pei Ji seized the throne in just one month, brutally murdered eight of his elder brothers, and replaced nearly half of the Song court officials. Such methods could not have been developed in a year or two. Is the princess completely unaware of this?"
"Pei Ji has been lying low for fourteen years, living in the State of Yu, yet he has quietly cultivated his own power. Does the princess have anything to say about this?"
"Princess, are you aware that Pei Ji has been a hostage in the Kingdom of Yu for over ten years? Now that Pei Ji has become the new ruler of the Kingdom of Song, this is a great calamity for the Kingdom of Yu!"
The court was in such a state of turmoil that my wedding with Jiang Xuanyan was postponed.
I don't really care, but I feel a little guilty for making Jiang Xuanyan lose face.
My father sat wearily in my palace for a long time. "Yong'an," he said, "do you know about the recent events in court?"
"Your subject understands."
"You truly know nothing of Pei Ji's affairs?"
“Father, I am a princess of the Yu Kingdom. No matter how outrageous I am, I would never joke about the people of the Yu Kingdom.”
My father looked at me for a long time without saying a word, hesitated several times before finally waving his hand silently and leaving.
Jiang Xuanyan stepped out from behind the screen, his expression complex.
I smiled and teased him, "Even a great general has his troubles."
My teasing didn't lighten the mood; instead, it made Jiang Xuanyan even more resolute.
Pei Ji sent a letter to the State of Yu, saying, "Go to war or Yong'an, it's your choice."
The glistening grapes in my hand rolled to the ground, and the clear birdsong outside the window vanished completely.
"Your Highness, rest assured, I will go to see the Emperor today. Pei Ji's forces are formidable, and the Yu Kingdom is not incapable of fighting. Your Highness is the only princess, and His Majesty favors her so much, I will personally lead the troops..."
"Go down."
Jiang Xuanyan was stunned.
"Let me think about it."
8
I sat in Pei Ji's courtyard for a long time that day.
Until the snow fell and my head was covered in white fluff.
I've thought about it a lot.
Thinking back to the first time I met Pei Ji as a child,
I remember in spring I would pester him to fly kites with me.
I remember saying under the peach blossoms that I would only marry him,
I thought of Pei Ji's lonely window shadow.
I will definitely go to the State of Song.
As a princess of a nation, enjoying the offerings of countless people, I must make my own contribution.
Regardless of Pei Ji's reasons for wanting me, I must go for the sake of peace and an end to war.
Moreover, I could clearly feel an unbearable joy welling up inside my aching chest.
Pei Ji still remembers me.
What does Pei Ji mean by this?
I squatted in the yard and built a small snowman. I took one last look at the yard where Pei Ji had lived for more than ten years, then turned and left.
Snowflakes fell on the snowman, gradually covering him.
Does Pei Ji still like me?
You like it, right?
Otherwise, why would they need me under the pretext of starting a war?
I'm sorry to him. I kept bothering him all day long and didn't realize that in a corner I wasn't paying attention to, Pei Ji was pretending to be stupid while secretly being cunning.
If I had known he was this powerful, perhaps I wouldn't have stubbornly gone through the trouble of protecting him by hurting him in this way.
Pei Ji had suffered cold treatment in the Yu Kingdom since childhood, and he was clearly the most insecure person.
It doesn't matter.
I walked back to the palace with a smile, thinking to myself...
When I arrive in the State of Song, I can spend my whole life making it up to him.
9
If war breaks out, the people will suffer and the country will be devastated.
The Emperor was extremely reluctant to part with her, but he also understood the reasons behind it.
After a two-week delay, before I even celebrated the New Year, I embarked on my journey to the State of Song.
The Song state sent its personal guards to wait at the border between the two countries, and Jiang Xuan personally escorted me here.
A servant stepped forward, extremely respectful. He was the one who had always been by Pei Ji's side. "Your Highness, His Majesty has sent this servant to escort you back to the palace."
Wen Li and Fu Zhiming looked at each other, one calm and composed, the other surprised and conflicted.
Fu Zhiming's eyes were filled with shock, guilt, and regret. Wen Li's still beautiful and flamboyant face suddenly reminded Fu Zhiming of how he confessed his feelings to her with a blush on his face in high school.
At that time, he truly loved her very much.
Wen Li felt nauseous looking at that face.
Cheating is disgusting.
Although Wen Li only watched half of it, she knew that these people must have done something to make Zhou Ke go berserk. As for what it was, she could guess the gist of it even with a fool's eye.
The upscale restaurant, which should have been filled with elegant music and people enjoying steak in formal gowns, was now like a chaotic and noisy market.
Suddenly, Wen Li felt no longer resentful.
Isn't it lucky that we got rid of such a scoundrel?
Wen Li glanced at the person opposite her and casually tossed the wine bottle on the ground.
With a "crack," a shard of glass flew to Fu Zhiming's feet.
"haven't seen you for a long time."
There was no aggressiveness as I had imagined, no scolding or arguing as I remembered, only a detached look in his eyes.
Six years later, when they met again, Wen Li seemed to have softened completely, and only gave him four light words.
It's not that she changed, she just didn't want to waste her temper anymore.
Fu Zhiming felt a mix of relief and sadness. He was relieved that she wasn't being unreasonable like before, but he was sad because he knew it was because Wen Li no longer had feelings for him.
The people around Fu Zhiming were also familiar faces; they were all from the same circle. Now that the person who was supposed to be in London had suddenly appeared, no one dared to speak.
What a joke! This is the apple of the eye of the Wen family in the capital. She not only has princess syndrome, but also the life of a princess!
Who dares to mess with her?
Wen Li scoffed inwardly, her expression indifferent: "Don't you recognize me?"
Wen Li was smiling and speaking in a calm tone, seemingly posing no threat, yet the men still sensed a hint of danger in her.
Fu Zhiming murmured, "Lili..."
Wen Li felt nauseous from the shouting, when suddenly a girl rushed out from the side and pushed aside the people around Fu Zhiming.
"Ah Ming, are you alright? I heard there was some trouble, so I came right away..."
The girl was halfway through her sentence when she glanced at Wen Li beside her, seemingly startled, and her hand on Fu Zhilin's arm flinched slightly:
Like a frightened little rabbit, Feng Weiwei glanced at Fu Zhilin furtively and dared not speak again.
She has a small, oval face, soft features, slightly red eyes, and tightly pursed lips.
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