Chapter 89 Marrying her... Her fate was already intertwined with mine...
The sound was indistinguishable, its uplifting tone carrying a lightness, like a leaping wind.
There will be no one else but Xiao Chengyan.
Yu Nie turned around, her gaze meeting that familiar figure.
Seeing that it really was Xiao Chengyan, her gaze fell on Xu Cai.
Although she didn't realize that Xu Cai's words were just an excuse, she had some suspicions in her mind.
If Xiao Chengyan really sent him, why would he bother to show up in person in the blink of an eye?
Having vaguely guessed the reason behind it, she quickly came up with a solution.
As Xiao Chengyan drew closer, Langxi and Ahui composed themselves, their bodies tense, almost instinctively wanting to protect her behind them.
These two Taoists were complete strangers to the inn, and Xiao Chengyan would surely inquire about them upon seeing them. They were afraid of needlessly causing her trouble.
She first gave the people behind her a reassuring look, then shook hands with Langxi and Ahui, and again signaled to them with her eyes to put their minds at ease.
She wiped away her tears and turned to greet him.
Xiao Chengyan wasn't particularly perceptive, but the red-rimmed eyes of the person in front of him, even if deliberately concealed, couldn't escape his notice.
His heart suddenly tightened, as if it had been violently twisted, and he involuntarily quickened his pace, walking briskly forward:
"What's wrong with Qiqi? What happened? Why are you crying?"
Song Ai, who had just finished sorting out the accounts in the building and followed along, was also taken aback. Looking at the scene before her, she was completely bewildered.
Just as she was about to ask Cuiwei what was going on, Yu Nie wiped away the remaining tear stains from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, and looked up to explain to Xiao Chengyan:
“It’s an old friend who was kind to me in Shuoyang. They had been traveling and only recently arrived in Jian’an. We haven’t seen each other for a long time, and we were so overwhelmed with emotion that we couldn’t help but shed tears.”
Xiao Chengyan's gaze lingered on the corners of her reddened eyes, then swept over Lang Xi and the other person behind her, as well as Xu Cai.
After saying that, she introduced Ah Hui and Lang Xi to them: "Master Shen, Master Zhou, this is His Highness Prince Guangning."
Langxi and Ahui did not look directly at Xiao Chengyan, but stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Prince Guangning."
Xiao Chengyan waved his hand: "Since you two Daoist priests are Qiqi's benefactors, then you are my benefactors as well. There is no need for such formalities."
He then looked at Xu Cai.
Fearing he might ask, Yu Nie pretended to be calm and added, "Xu Zhige happens to be an old friend of the two Taoist priests, and kindly brought them here."
Fortunately, Sui En wasn't there, which gave her room to spout nonsense.
After she finished speaking, Xiao Chengyan finally looked like he understood.
"So that's why Xu Zhige was here."
He said, "Since you are Qiqi's benefactors who have come from afar, we should treat you well. I will have someone fetch some fine wine from my residence. We cannot neglect the two Daoist masters."
As he spoke, he turned to give instructions to Han Jie.
Yu Nie quickly waved his hand: "No need to trouble you, cousin. The tea and refreshments in the restaurant are always readily available. However..."
She paused, lowered her eyes, and looked troubled: "I made an appointment with Hua Shu and Hua Ru a couple of days ago to go see a puppet show with my cousin, but I'm afraid I'll have to postpone it today."
"This is all my fault, I'm so sorry."
“There’s no rush to watch the puppet show, no matter how urgent it is.” Xiao Chengyan said, “Don’t worry, I’ll send someone to talk to Hua Ruo and Hua Shu when the time comes.”
Judging from his tone, he seemed to be considering staying.
But Yu Nie wanted to catch up with Lang Xi and the others, and she couldn't just let Xiao Chengyan leave, nor could she ask him to leave.
She felt guilty and hesitated for a moment, her lips moving as if she had something stuck in her throat.
Xiao Chengyan noticed the hesitation in her expression and leaned down to ask, "Qiqi, do you feel there's something wrong?"
She remained silent, then nodded in agreement.
After a moment's hesitation, she slowly spoke, her voice tinged with caution:
"I was afraid that if I spoke too late, Hua Ruo and the others would have to make a wasted trip, and I was also worried that the servants might not have relayed the message properly, which could have caused some unnecessary trouble."
As she said this, her eyes were lowered, and she felt really bad for Xiao Chengyan. She admitted that she said this because of her own selfish reasons, and that she was troubling him with all this trouble.
She thought to herself that she should pick out a nice gift for him in a couple of days.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Chengyan didn't think too much about it, simply assuming she was being thoughtful. He immediately said loudly, "What's so difficult about that? I'll go myself. Qiqi, just keep the two benefactors company and talk to them properly. Don't worry about the other trivial matters."
After saying that, he didn't wait for her to speak and turned to leave.
Seeing this, Song Ai respectfully said, "This servant will have someone make tea."
After Yu Nie hummed in agreement, Song Ai also left.
Watching Xiao Chengyan's departing figure, Lang Xi said, "This Prince Guangning seems to be much better in temperament than Zhao Shuhuai, who is also of royal lineage. He seems to treat you quite well, Qiqi."
At this point, she realized something and then asked, "How...how did he know your childhood nickname, Qiqi?"
“It’s from the Imperial Family.” Yu Nie explained to her in detail how she had accidentally revealed her childhood name due to her nervousness, and how Xiao Chengyan knew it.
That's not important. Yu Nie stepped forward, grabbing Lang Xi with one hand and A Hui with the other, and then looked at Xu Cai beside him.
"Today I finally get to see my senior sister, senior brother, and Brother Xu. I'll have the kitchen prepare some good food for us later, and we'll have a good drink together."
In the past, Xu Cai would have readily accepted such an invitation. However, considering her status, it was inevitable that he, an official from outside the capital, would be criticized if he stayed too long.
He had already taken a risk by impersonating Xiao Chengyan to enter the hall, not to mention that the Wuwei Camp had always been at odds with the people of the Imperial Horse Administration. He had heard that Gu Xiangzhi was still in the hall, so he thought it best to avoid trouble for now.
He said, "The Martial Guard has important matters to attend to, and I cannot stay here any longer."
He glanced at Langxi, then his gaze returned to Yu Nie: "Axi and Ahui can stay here. I must go ahead."
The Wuwei Camp was originally the Imperial Guard, and besides, what he said made sense, so Yu Nie didn't insist on keeping him any longer. He smiled and said, "Since Brother Xu has important matters to attend to, I naturally can't stop you. After you've finished with this, let's find some time to get together properly."
Xu Cai nodded in agreement, paused briefly, and then turned to walk up to Lang Xi.
His gaze softened: "Axi, I will have someone carefully pack up your and Ahui's belongings at the inn and send them to my residence. You and Ahui can stay here at Qiqi's for a few days, and I will send someone to pick you up later."
He had previously suggested to them that they didn't need to stay at inns while they were in the military camp, but Langxi didn't agree at the time, always afraid of troubling him.
On the way to Hongzheng Pavilion today, he brought up the matter again. After much persuasion, he finally managed to convince the man by saying that "if Xu Jingyang sends any letters, staying at his place will allow him to notify them in time."
Perhaps fearing she might change her mind, he immediately sent his entourage to the inn to fetch the items as soon as she agreed.
Having said everything that needed to be said, Xu Cai looked into the eyes of the person in front of her, her fingers twitching almost imperceptibly at her sides.
Just as he was about to make up his mind to leave, Langxi reminded him, "If your brother writes, be sure to let me know."
Xu Cai hummed in agreement, as if solemnly accepting the matter. After glancing at her, he turned and left Xianliuxuan.
Yu Nie ordered Cui Wei to go and see him off.
She had overheard their entire conversation and couldn't help but feel a surge of curiosity.
She walked up to Lang Xi and asked in confusion, "Junior Sister, you've been in Jian'an for the past two days, haven't you met Brother Jingyang yet?"
Langxi sighed and recounted the whole story.
These days, she's been so busy cancelling the marriage alliance that she's completely unaware of what's happening in the court.
However, since she heard that Xu Jingyang had gone to Xuzhou on official business, she didn't suspect anything.
She put her hand on Langxi's shoulder and comforted him, "Since Brother Jingyang has been gone for a few days, he may be back soon. Junior Sister will definitely see him."
Langxi listened to her words, a slight smile playing on his lips, and nodded gently.
Although she didn't show it, Yu Nie and A Hui could sense that these things were still on her mind.
But the two exchanged a glance, and neither of them dared to break through that thin veil.
*
Having finally met, Yu Nie had the kitchen prepare a feast and held a banquet in the bedroom.
They drank with Langxi and Ahui for a while. Ahui had a very low alcohol tolerance and could only drink some plum soup.
During the banquet, Yu Nie recounted the whole story of what had happened to her during this period.
Aside from concealing the fact that she was injured, she told them everything else without missing a single detail.
When Langxi and Ahui heard that she had fallen into the river to save Zhao Huayan and Nie Lanting, their hearts tightened.
When they heard her say that Zijing was Huan Xun, they were even more astonished, their hearts filled with mixed feelings.
Speaking of Huan Xun's disguise in Huaiyuan, Langxi couldn't help but think of the war in the northern frontier.
She told Yu Nie, "Some people from the northern frontier have fled to Huaiyuan. Master and Aunt Liu have been giving alms and helping the disaster victims. Rong Dajia has also contributed a lot of money to buy rice."
"Master ordered Ah Hui and me to take you back as soon as possible so that we can help more disaster victims."
Speaking of going back, Yu Nie is now facing a major headache.
She hasn't found a good opportunity to shed her identity as "Shunhe." This is likely even more difficult to accomplish than sabotaging the marriage alliance. Langxi and the others also know that, given the current situation, it will be difficult for them to leave Jian'an.
Langxi said, "Qiqi, you are now a princess. If you want to leave Jian'an and completely get rid of this identity, we must plan carefully and not be rash."
Ah Hui looked at her and echoed her.
Yu Nie shared the same thought, saying, "I understand what Senior Sister and Senior Brother are saying. But who knows how long we'll be staying here? Won't Auntie be worried?"
"You don't need to worry about that. When I learned of your whereabouts, I wrote a letter and sent it to my master by carrier pigeon, so that she can rest assured for the time being."
Yu Nie looked at her, then at A Hui.
"The mess I made has dragged you all into it, I..."
"Why are you saying that?" Lang Xi pressed down on the back of her hand. "We are fellow disciples, we are family. Do you want to treat us like strangers?"
Ah Hui agreed with Lang Xi's words, smiling and gesturing to reassure her:
"It would be good to stay a few more days, so I can see more of the capital. Brother Wenji said earlier that he would take me to the palace."
With Langxi standing nearby, Ahui naturally couldn't speak frankly. He only mentioned wanting to go to the palace because he was afraid Langxi would be anxious, and he wanted her to rest assured and wait for Xu Jingyang to return.
He could only nod vaguely in agreement.
When Yu Nie saw him nod, he immediately became beaming and said excitedly, "What's so difficult about that? Since you want to see it, there's a star-gazing banquet in the palace in a couple of days. There's no need to trouble Brother Xu. I'll take you there myself."
A smile appeared in Ah Hui's eyes, and she raised her hand to give a "good" sign.
When the dinner party ended, dusk had not yet soaked the sky.
Yu Nie was in high spirits and dragged the two of them around the Hongzheng Pavilion, eager to show them all the good things he had seen.
Ah Hui and Lang Xi couldn't help but sigh at the extravagance of Hongzheng Pavilion. Even the greedy and gluttonous official He Renzhi, who built his mansion in an extremely luxurious manner, had to pale in comparison to the grandeur of Hongzheng Pavilion.
It's incomparable.
After enjoying the sights, it was already quite late.
Yu Nie sent Cuiwei to fetch all sorts of treasures bestowed by the emperor, including pearl flowers, gold hairpins, hair ornaments, and other rare and precious items, which were all laid out for them to choose from.
Looking at the dazzling array of antiques, artifacts, and gold ornaments before him, Langxi picked up a hairpin.
They spoke with a sense of wonder about what they had seen along the way.
She said that beggars are everywhere in the Tongzhou area, and when asked, they all say that their land has been seized.
Although Jincheng County was not affected by the breach of the dike, it suffered from disasters due to continuous torrential rains, and the people were displaced. The relief grain allocated by the imperial court was far from enough.
What's even more chilling is that local powerful families had mountains of rice in their granaries, yet they were openly selling it at exorbitant prices. Some of the rice bags even bore the imperial court's insignia.
“In this world…” Langxi sighed, “How are those disaster-stricken people supposed to survive?”
After hearing this, Yu Nie advised them to take more:
"Junior Sister and Junior Brother, take whatever you want. Anyway, those royal relatives and aristocratic families all live extravagant and decadent lives. We can exchange these things for some money to help the suffering people."
"There's no reason for us not to do something like this, where we rob the rich to help the poor."
Langxi and Ahui listened and thought what he said made sense.
Without hesitation, they accepted some valuable items, intending to donate them to the Tongshan Association so that they could help disaster victims and the poor.
The leader of the Tong Shan Association has a renowned reputation and is known for not embezzling funds, so they can trust him.
Yu Nie rummaged through the bottom of the box and took out a gold hairpin with filigree mandarin ducks, which she inserted into Lang Xi's hair. She also picked out a Hetian jade belt and tied it around A Hui's waist.
She said with a smile, "Don't sell these two items. I specially saved them for my junior sister and junior brother. My senior brother and sister should also enjoy the good things in this world."
Langxi and Ahui were about to refuse, but she grabbed their wrists and stopped them, half-jokingly and half-seriously: "This is a token of my heart that I've been saving for a long time. If you don't accept it, it means you think I have bad taste."
Not wanting to disappoint her, they had no choice but to accept it.
After selecting their items, they chatted for a while until it was time to go to bed.
Ah Hui is, after all, a man, and should not live in the inner courtyard.
Yu Nie picked out a house with excellent natural light for him on the east side of the front yard and let him stay there.
When I returned from the front yard, it was already past the end of the Xu hour (7-9 PM).
When passing by the west wing, there was still no sign of Gu Xiangzhi.
She couldn't help but wonder what was happening in the palace.
*
As night deepened, the candlelight inside the Jiheng Mansion, which bore the inscription "Twelve Chapters," shone as brightly as day.
Huan Xun, sitting behind his desk, had already flipped through more than half of the copy of "Han Feizi" in his hand.
In fact, he had little interest in the book.
In his early years, when he was studying under his adoptive father Yan Yue in the military academy, his teacher had already explained the entire text word by word, and the arguments still remain in his memory.
Back then, his adoptive father always said that what made a noble family a noble family was never solely based on the power and official positions accumulated over generations. The rare books and manuscripts in those aristocratic families' libraries were even more abundant than the Emperor's own collection in the Tianlu Pavilion.
Therefore, he could not only learn archery and horsemanship and be proficient in warfare, but also read extensively from ancient books. He could not act solely by brute force, but also by using his mind.
He agreed with this. In his view, the human world is different from that of animals. It is not enough to simply have great strength to succeed and achieve one's goals.
Furthermore, we must apply what we learn, know ourselves and our enemy, and we will never be defeated.
This copy of "Han Feizi" was one of the classics that the emperor always kept on his desk, alongside the copy of "Spring and Autumn Annals" that he held in his hand when he was punished in the East Hall last night.
From this book, he could glimpse the kind of domineering and kingly tactics that the emperor would employ.
Lu Jinshi watched the figure behind the desk working for a long time, and hesitated whether he should go up and persuade him to take a break.
Suddenly, with a soft creak, the study door was pushed open from the outside.
The woman who entered was an elderly woman, leaning on a cane, followed by a young maid carrying a wooden tray with a steaming bowl of soup on it.
The old woman's hair was as white as frost and snow, her back was slightly hunched, and she moved with a bit of slowness.
As soon as she entered the room, Huan Xun, who was behind the desk, put down the book he was holding, got up, walked around the desk, and reached out to help her.
"It's late and the dew is heavy, why isn't Aunt Wu resting yet?"
The old woman he called "Aunt Wu" was the military household woman who saved his life when he was trapped in the mountains and on the verge of death after escaping Jian'an.
At that time, the imperial court was conscripting soldiers. Her son had died in battle years earlier, and her husband was bedridden, so they were simply unable to enlist. However, the officials who were conscripting soldiers were extremely harsh. If they could not go to war, they had to pay a hundred taels of silver as military expenses. For Aunt Wu, who was penniless, this was tantamount to being forced to commit suicide.
Huan Xun, who was recuperating on the earthen bed at the time, heard all of this.
He had already intended to enlist, and immediately decided to take her family's place in the conscription. Later, Aunt Wu's family suffered a series of misfortunes, and in the end, she was left all alone and destitute.
He continued to bring her to Jian'an after he achieved great success, allowing her to enjoy her later years in peace, a situation she still maintains to this day.
During this period, apart from one time when he was seriously injured and returned to Jian'an Residence to recuperate, this was the longest they had ever spent together.
Aunt Wu looked at him with loving eyes and a hint of reproach in her voice: "Yesterday you were punished in the palace. Attendant Lu said you knelt in front of the East Pavilion all night. You only returned home at noon today."
"It's time to sleep and you're still staying up. You really don't take your health seriously at all." Huan Xun listened to her rambling, a faint smile always on his face.
As Aunt Wu spoke, she gestured for the maid behind her to bring the soup to him: "If you really can't sleep, drink this calming soup. This is a prescription I specially obtained from the Imperial Medical Bureau, and I guarantee it will work."
Huan Xun glanced at the bowl of warm medicine, took it without saying a word, and drank it all in one gulp.
Lu Jinshi, the attendant, stood silently to the side, observing this interaction between grandfather and grandson.
After finishing his drink, Huan Xun grinned at Aunt Wu: "Now, Aunt Wu should be relieved, right?"
"I'm relieved, I'm relieved..." Aunt Wu repeatedly told her to "get some rest" before slowly leaving with her maid.
He escorted the two of them to the door of the study, and Aunt Wu's hunched back swayed slightly in the glow of the lantern.
He watched their figures gradually disappear into the courtyard until they were out of sight, at which point the smile on his face faded and his eyes returned to calm.
Lu Jinshi was not surprised at all by his appearance, as if this was how he was supposed to be.
Looking in the direction Aunt Wu had left, Attendant Lu lowered his voice and asked, "My lord, are you not going to make a move yet?"
Huan Xun let out a soft scoff, his voice tinged with a cold sarcasm: "After I take action, who will deliver a message to the Emperor for me, so that he can be sure of my loyalty?"
Upon hearing this, Attendant Lu fell silent.
Ever since he returned to Jian'an, the emperor has tested him more than once, trying to draw a chasm between him and Yan Yue.
Since the start of the war in the northern border region a few days ago, the Chinese forces have been almost undefeated, and have won more battles than they have lost against the Xiutu Khanate.
The Xiutu Khanate was Yan Yue's strongest opponent, and fighting it was not too difficult; other small countries were even less of a threat.
The enemy is defeated, and Beiye is victorious. This is the scene the emperor wants to see, and also the scene he fears.
The more victories the Beiya Army wins, the stronger Yan Yue's power and the higher his prestige will become.
No emperor would not worry if he had a minister who held great military power.
When the late emperor supported Yan Yue, he was also afraid of raising a tiger that would become a threat, so he placed many of his own people in the military affairs of the northwest, and Duan Tingxian was one of them.
As the most talented young man among the imperial relatives, Duan Tingxian was not only valued by the late emperor, but also by the current emperor.
Originally, Duan Tingxian was a mid-level general in the Beiya Army, but later he was transferred to the Xuanze Army and became Huan Xun's deputy general.
The Emperor's intention in handing over the Xuan Ce Army to Duan Tingxian was quite clear.
By removing Huan Xun's command, he not only weakened the power of Yan Yue's faction but also gained his own loyal army in the Northwest.
This would also allow Huan Xun to be transferred to Beiya Army in the future, and gradually take over Yan Yue's military power under the guise of "inheriting his father's business".
Everyone thought that the emperor's plan to recall Huan Xun to Jian'an was just a routine hostage arrangement, but little did they know that the person on the dragon throne saw much further ahead.
He was a veteran general with a large army and many military achievements. He had also served as Grand Tutor. He was shrewd and calculating, and had a very deep foundation in the army.
He was young, with limited political experience, and held some prestige in the military, but it was not deeply entrenched.
The emperor knew that the latter was easier to control than the former.
Huan Xun was that latter.
Therefore, the emperor wanted to win him over, keep him around, and test his loyalty to see if he was truly worth using.
Is it truly possible to bow one's head, submit to imperial power, and willingly offer everything for the sake of imperial power?
Huan Xun also realized this.
Therefore, he had to put on a good show and create some illusions for this unworthy emperor who indiscriminately killed innocent people.
Trust, loyalty, and never betraying—these things can all be acted out.
Upon hearing this, Attendant Lu hesitated and asked tentatively, "My lord... do you really intend to marry Rong Yunie?"
Huan Xun suddenly recalled that pretty, bright smiling face, covered in dirt while making the paint.
This face was the same face that had appeared in his dreams. This was a very strange thing for him.
In recent years, apart from those old images buried deep in his memory, no one has entered his dreams anymore.
He could have chosen someone else to complete the play, but it seems he never considered anyone else.
He paused for a moment, then began, "It was I who dragged her into this mess, starting with that one in the deep palace who realized she was a bargaining chip to control me..."
"Her fate has long been intertwined with mine."
As soon as he finished speaking, he walked into the study and instructed his attendant, Lu, "Prepare brush, ink, paper, and inkstone."
"Who is the adult writing a letter to so late at night?"
Huan Xun glanced sideways: "If you're going to act, you have to act with real emotion. If your son is going to get married, as his father, even if he's just a godfather, you should at least let him know."
His gaze fell on the calligraphy and paintings hanging on the wall. The style was rough, and the paintings depicted reed marshes in autumn.
The seal on the lower right of the painting faintly reveals the character "严" (Yan).
"Such happy events will always please him."
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Author's note: I've finally finished writing what I missed yesterday! [starry-eyed]
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