Chapter 102 When I am weak and disabled, will I...
The light rain continued for nine days, until the tenth day.
The sky was clear and blue, and the autumn was brilliant.
The north gate of Shengjing was packed with people.
Along the widest central axis road, soldiers and horses stood in neat formation, and the banner bearing the character "Wei" was hung high.
In the front row, a man on a white horse, with a silver saddle and a red shirt, fluttered gently in the breeze.
In the distance, the rising sun shone brightly, reflecting off the man's armor, making it so dazzling that it was impossible to look away.
Six years later, the General Who Crossed the Liao River is about to embark on an expedition.
The sun will soon shine in the North.
People from both sides threw flowers and sachets, offering their congratulations. As long as he returned, he would still be as popular as before.
"Bon Voyage!"
On the tower of Zhaixing, Xue Lanyi leaned on the railing and gazed into the distance, silently saying...
In the past, whenever Wei Xuan went on a campaign, Xue Lanyi would watch him from afar in the pavilion.
In fact, each time the anticipation outweighs the worry.
She knew he would return to the capital safely, bringing her all sorts of novelties from the Western Regions and telling her all sorts of fascinating stories about the Western Regions.
What Xue Lanyi looked forward to most was his triumphant return, and how she would pester him with endless chatter.
However, this time, she might never have the chance to hear him tell her about the wonders and strange sights that awaited her in the northern border, three thousand miles away.
Feeling a pang of sadness, she let out a long sigh and, mimicking her old self, quietly waved to him from afar.
Across the sea of people, the general seemed to sense something.
His gaze quickly swept back, across the chaotic world, and instantly locked onto a corner of the Star-Picking Pavilion.
The area under the eaves was empty; there was nothing there.
That day in the imperial prison, Xue Lanyi said that she was very busy and would not see him off on this expedition.
A look of disappointment appeared in Wei Xuan's eyes.
He had thought of doing what Wei Zhang did, ignoring everything and holding her in his arms forever.
But she liked him because he was the sun.
So, whether he likes it or not, he will be her sun, illuminating her path forward, so that when she looks out into the distance, she sees a beautiful landscape, not a scene of war and chaos.
Wei Xuan smiled with relief as he looked up at the high pavilion and raised the Zhaoyang Sword, the sword of the General Who Crossed the Liao River.
The sun shone on the blade, refracting a silvery light.
At that moment, Xue Lanyi, feeling guilty, bent down and hid under the railing when a bright light dazzled her.
She looked towards the light and saw the general, high on his horse, setting off, his sword held high the entire time.
The boy's voice transcended time, echoing in Xue Lanyi's ears.
"Yiyi, wait for me to come back and marry you!" The young man raised his sword in front of everyone, expressing his love so sincerely.
As the past and present intertwined, Xue Lanyi's eyes welled up with tears.
When they parted ways at the imperial prison that day, Wei Xuan's last question to her was, "Does Yiyi still have me in her heart?"
She said, "Nothing can destroy me, and this life will never change."
He remained silent for a long time, then his brows relaxed. "Then I will always come back to marry you."
If ten years isn't enough, then twenty.
If twenty years isn't enough, there's always thirty.
He never gave up on her; he devoted his life to her.
Xue Lanyi gazed at the sword he resolutely raised, tears welling in her eyes, her thin shoulders trembling slightly in the wind.
A black fox fur cloak was gently draped over her shoulders.
Wei Zhang appeared beside her without her noticing. He hesitated for a moment as he put on his coat, wanting to put his arm around her shoulder, but ultimately gave up.
"It's windy here, let's go down."
He paused for a moment, then let out a barely audible sigh. "Go downstairs and cry."
Xue Lanyi ignored him and quietly watched the Western Expeditionary Army disappear outside the city gate.
After leaving the city, the army sped up its pace.
Generals and commanders galloped on their horses, running freely, disappearing into the vast horizon.
In the evening, Xue Lanyi turned around.
She then realized that the three layers of Wei Zhang's cloak she was wearing were actually quite heavy.
She shifted her shoulders uncomfortably, and her cloak slipped off. Wei Zhang quickly caught it with his hand, managing to put his arm around her shoulder.
His fingertips curled stiffly.
Xue Lanyi's tears dried, and she lowered her eyes without saying a word.
Wei Zhangfang took a deep breath and pulled her into his arms.
Neither of them spoke, as if they were getting used to the embrace again.
Finally, Xue Lanyi murmured, "Thank you."
This morning, she overheard the court officials discussing something and learned that Wei Zhang had not only given General Wei Xuan the order, but also the tiger tally.
The tiger tally can mobilize all the troops guarding Dayong. If Wei Xuan wants, he can come back at any time and kill Wei Zhang.
This time, Wei Zhang entrusted his life and fortune to Wei Xuan.
He is not someone who completely trusts others.
He has already made the greatest concession he could.
"Thank you," Xue Lanyi repeated.
Wei Xuan glanced at the girl whose eyelashes trembled slightly, and remained silent for a long time.
Unbeknownst to her, Wei Xuan had come to see them last night while she was fast asleep in his arms.
On the eve of the expedition, Wei Xuan did not argue about anything further, but simply told Wei Zhang about Xue Lanyi's preferences.
Some of his preferences were correct, while others were merely Xue Lanyi's feigned preferences.
In short, Wei Xuan gave away all his money.
Wei Xuan finally told him, "Don't hurt Yiyi because of your hatred for me."
Wei Zhang grunted in response.
Later, he stood under the porch in the light rain and thought about it all night.
Does he hate Wei Xuan?
Actually, there's no reason to hate.
Wei Xuan, as his elder brother, treated him well. The fact that he was mistakenly adopted into the Prince Qi's mansion in his place was just a twist of fate.
As for who the mother likes, and who Zhou Yu and Xie Qingyun like, it doesn't seem to be Wei Xuan's fault.
Therefore, theoretically speaking, he had no reason to hate Wei Xuan.
When did he begin to unreasonably and arrogantly hate Wei Xuan, even wanting to kill him?
It was around the moment he fell in love with Xue Lanyi from the bottom of his heart.
He hated that he occupied the moon.
Now, with the moon in his arms, he naturally felt no hatred.
As those complex emotions faded, he had to admit that Wei Xuan was a truly upright man.
Even if he gives him the tiger tally, he won't rebel.
"No need for thanks." Wei Zhang looked out at the grassland outside the city and said calmly, "I gave him the tiger tally because the war in the northern border is changing rapidly, and the capital is too far away to intervene. Giving him the tiger tally will help him to recover the lost territory as soon as possible."
Wei Zhang always had many calm and profound truths.
Xue Lanyi knew that even though the late emperor loved Wei Xuan so much, he had never given him a tiger tally.
While he was in the Western Frontier, he possessed exceptional skills, yet he inevitably faced limitations.
Now that Wei Zhang is in charge of the capital, Wei Xuan has the opportunity to fully roam the battlefield.
It was Wei Zhang who brought the Crown Prince's faction back into the light of day.
It was also Wei Zhang who fulfilled A Xuan's ambitions.
Xue Lanyi bit her lip and whispered, "You can let me thank you."
"But I don't need your thanks."
The man's cool voice fell, always so rational.
Xue Lanyi sighed helplessly.
He lowered his gaze and met the girl's hesitant eyes.
Wei Zhangcai suddenly realized that Xue Lanyi was teaching him how to please women.
He didn't need to offer so much rational analysis; he could simply say that he let the others go because of Xue Lanyi's sake.
Wouldn't that make the girl happy?
Wei Zhang's cold expression turned into a smile. "Alright~, it's all for the sake of the lady, everything is for the sake of the lady."
Wei Zhang was not used to saying things that were insincere or sentimental.
However, since she's willing to teach him, it's not impossible for him to learn.
He was cold-hearted for half his life and never walked hand in hand with anyone.
This road is not easy to walk, and it's not a good road to walk either.
But we have to keep going, so let's start learning to walk again with this thank you.
He bent down and picked her up. "Alright, you've cried enough, and you've been taken care of. Now..."
"Wei Zhang, what are you doing?" Xue Lanyi, whose body was suspended in mid-air, hurriedly grabbed his clothes.
The court officials and palace servants who were seeing off the Western Expeditionary Army downstairs were watching.
She struggled desperately with her legs.
The man stood as still as a pine tree.
He carried her down from the Star-Picking Tower, and in full view of everyone, they walked around the palace walls and corridors towards the Xi Cui Palace.
"Now, Madam, you can rest and recuperate so that our child will be healthy and strong when he is born."
"How...how could it be a child? It's not even a thing yet."
Xue Lanyi punched his chest.
The man coughed lightly and smiled, "According to the menstrual cycle, it's the middle of the month, and yesterday was an auspicious day for your pregnancy."
The more they talk, the more absurd it becomes.
The matter of having children is a matter of destiny, and should be left to nature. How can it be predicted accurately?
He's not like a living person; he has to calculate everything.
Xue Lanyi couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time, "Wei Zhang, can everything in this world be within your plans?"
Wei Zhang paused slightly, the words "Of course" lingering on his lips.
He spent half his life scheming and liked to calculate everything, but this one person and this one matter were not in his plans.
However, he was very fortunate that this happened so suddenly.
He looked at the girl who seemed to have fallen from the sky into his arms and smiled.
The setting sun cast its golden rays, illuminating the man's sharply defined features.
He remained aloof, but a gentle smile, one that would never fade, now graced his eyes.
...
Autumn went and spring came, three seasons passed.
It was in the early summer of the first year of Yongxi.
Outside Xi Cui Palace, the once knee-high weeds have been cultivated into a field of lilies.
A gentle breeze blows, and the blooming flowers tremble as they open towards the sun.
In the flower field, the petals of two gardenia trees swayed in the wind, and countless white flowers swirled and danced in the air.
The white lilies scattered on the ground created a charming contrast.
Xue Lanyi sat at the desk by the window, flipping through thick books.
The early morning sunlight slanted across the desk and also fell on her serene profile.
The petals fell gently onto her hand, as if afraid of disturbing her.
The book turned another page, and a hand gently pulled the book away.
"Xie Qingyun's posthumous manuscripts are naturally compiled and edited by historians. Why are you bothering with this?"
Xue Lanyi looked in the direction of the hand and saw a man in a gold-embroidered python robe standing beside her.
Wei Zhang had clearly just finished court; he was still holding the memorial in his hand.
Xue Lanyi stretched and said, "The saying goes that reading history enlightens the mind. By reading more history books and reflecting on oneself, one can see where the mistakes were made in the past and correct them."
Wei Zhang casually flipped through the history book she had just been reading, which contained details about the reforms of various dynasties.
He closed the history book and casually placed it on the desk. "No need for analysis. The reforms of the former crown prince six years ago were bound to fail."
Wei Zhang's eyes were resolute and insightful.
Many years ago, he didn't understand politics and followed Wei Xuan and others in their foolishness, so he naturally couldn't see any loopholes or flaws in their so-called reforms.
Having spent many years immersed in the court, he can now easily discern the root cause of the princelings' utter defeat.
Xue Lanyi, however, did not give up. She tilted her head and smiled brightly at him, "Then please enlighten me, Your Excellency, where exactly did I go wrong back then?"
Wei Zhang sighed, tilting his head like hers. The coldness of court life still lingered in his eyes, but there was a smile in his eyes. "Trying to scheme against me again?"
A few days ago, she pretended to look at Xie Qingyun's manuscript and humbly asked Wei Zhang for advice from time to time.
He lost his appetite and studied diligently all night long.
Wei Zhang, unable to bear it any longer, ordered the historians to begin compiling Xie Qingyun's manuscript.
Wei Zhang was a strict man, and the historians dared not be negligent. In just three months, Xie Qingyun's "Records of Mountains and Rivers," which he had spent half his life writing, was completed.
Xie Qingyun can now rest in peace.
Before things had even calmed down for a few days, she started studying the historical materials about the reforms again. How could Wei Zhang not know what she was trying to do?
He simply sat down and pulled her into his arms, saying, "Other things are fine, but reform is no longer an option."
"Why not?" Xue Lanyi turned her head away, her brows furrowed, her displeasure blatant.
She was the one who used her cunning to force him to comply, but he didn't take her bait, yet she blamed the fish.
Wei Zhang gently pinched her wrinkled nose. "Why should I give up my interests to irrelevant people?"
It should be understood that the so-called reforms, such as stripping away titles and abolishing the status of the lowly, were all aimed at cutting into the interests of those in power.
If the matter is exposed, it will cause the same public outrage and the abandonment of the people as the former crown prince's faction.
Even if the reform succeeds, what will he gain besides the hatred of the aristocratic families?
"You should know that the reform will also harm some innocent people, such as Lord Pei and his childhood sweetheart Zheng Zhilan, Mu Qingyun and Shen Jinglan. If it weren't for the Crown Prince's reform, they could have been an ordinary couple."
"Therefore, the reform six years ago did have shortcomings in its implementation, but that does not mean the reform itself was bad. There are still millions of people oppressed by their lowly status and unable to rise up, who need the court's rescue."
"The imperial examination, the recommendation of virtuous officials, and meritorious service on the battlefield—the court has already provided them with a path to redemption."
“Not everyone is as capable and talented as you, Duke of Wei, who is proficient in both literature and martial arts! Most of them are just ordinary commoners who do not have the ability to achieve success in one fell swoop. Are they destined to be born with lowly status and shackles?”
Xue Lanyi argued louder and louder, her small face flushed red.
Wei Zhang remained silent, staring intently at her puffing cheeks.
After a long silence, he suddenly broke into a laugh, "So, I'm that important to you, Madam?"
"..."
He reached out and stroked her cheeks.
Xue Lanyi waved his hand away and turned her head to the outside, ignoring him.
It was precisely because she turned her head away like this that half of her flushed cheeks were revealed to him.
She was so angry that her breathing became rapid, and even the fine downy hairs on her cheeks rose and fell.
So cute.
Wei Zhang's eyes darkened, and he leaned down to gently peck her cheek.
"Wei Zhang! I'm talking to you about serious matters!" Xue Lanyi pressed against his chest, avoiding his kiss.
He remained leaning down to kiss her, smiling gently, his hot breath spraying onto her face.
Immediately, he picked the person up horizontally, lifted the beaded curtain, and went into the inner room.
The beaded curtain of the lattice door swayed gently, making a crisp sound.
Xue Lanyi immediately raised her alarm, "Wei Zhang! What are you doing in broad daylight?"
"Let's try a different approach and persuade the lady."
She was very stubborn, and they could never reach a consensus on the matter of reform.
It's better not to say anything.
He carefully laid her flat on the couch, flicked his sleeve to pull down the curtains, and his strong body slowly slumped down.
He no longer burns cold rosin.
His clean body only accentuated his burning body temperature.
That warm body temperature penetrated straight into one's pores, making one's limbs weak even before doing anything.
"You, you stop, stop messing around..." Xue Lanyi turned her head away, avoiding the lips that were leaning down to kiss her.
It's always the same; whenever the topic of reform comes up, he uses that as an excuse to brush her off.
Xue Lanyi said sullenly, "At least... come up with a different excuse."
"I don't need many methods, as long as my wife finds them useful." His eyes were calm, with a smile in them, and his waist was positioned between her knees.
"No, stop. The child, the child..." she stammered.
Wei Zhang's gaze then fell on her protruding belly, his slender fingers gently stroking it, his smile deepening.
He did miscalculate this time regarding having children.
Xue Lanyi was already pregnant with his child on the day of the marriage alliance, when he first discovered her deepest secret.
Long before she dressed Wei Xuan in his wedding gown, she was already the mother of his child.
They were meant to be a perfect match.
His gaze softened, and his kisses moved to her neck. "I won't do anything inappropriate, I'll just make you feel good, okay?"
His low, husky voice coaxed and soothed, like he was coaxing a child.
"Goodbye, it's broad daylight."
Despite Xue Lanyi's words, Wei Zhang could already hear her short, rapid breathing.
Having spent nine months together day and night, Wei Zhang had long understood the unspoken meaning in her words.
When she really didn't want to, her attitude wasn't so gentle; she would often send him to the study.
Knowing she was shy, he buried his face in the crook of her neck, his nose gently brushing against hers.
Because her nose was being pressed down, her voice was thick with nasal congestion, and she murmured in a coquettish tone, "Give me a bite, I want to eat Yiyi."
“Wei Zhang! Don’t be shameless…” Xue Lanyi’s hand pressed against the man’s shoulder.
...
They disagreed on many things, but were surprisingly in agreement on this matter.
After the pregnancy was stable, she and he didn't have much restraint, but he always made sure to be careful at the end.
In the heat of the moment, seeing him about to get up again, Xue Lanyi subconsciously grabbed his collar, "Let's... let's leave it at that."
There's no need to avoid having children right now.
She bit her lip so hard it almost bled.
Wei Zhang's expression froze slightly, seemingly with some surprise, but then a barely perceptible glint of something else flashed across his face.
He patted her head, then got up and sat on the edge of the bed with his back to her...
Wei Zhang was not a virtuous man; he had previously influenced many people to become tainted by his influence.
But after saving Wei Xuan, he refused to let his blood touch her body again, for reasons unknown.
Xue Lanyi observed him with surprise, and vaguely caught a glimpse of a hint of sorrow on his profile.
He seemed preoccupied; what had he been thinking during the nine months he'd been with her?
Before Xue Lanyi could figure it out, Wei Zhang quickly caught her lingering gaze.
He turned his head and saw her sitting there, lost in thought.
Her clothes were disheveled, and her undergarments hung loosely around her neck, revealing glimpses of her cleavage.
It was truly vibrant and full of life.
Wei Zhang took this as a temptation and let out a long sigh. “Judging from your appetite, I’m afraid I’ll have to take medicine in thirty days to satisfy you. Please don’t be disgusted then.”
"you!"
Xue Lanyi snapped out of her daze and hurriedly looked away.
"What do you mean, someone in their thirties needs to take medicine?"
She made it sound like she was sexually frustrated.
Embarrassed, Xue Lanyi suddenly grabbed the rabbit from the couch and threw it at him.
He tilted his head, easily dodging her, and instead leaned forward to hug her, deliberately rubbing his stubble against her cheek. "When I'm weak and sick, will you despise me, my lady?"
He rubs against you like a dog, making you feel itchy.
She nudged his shoulder, "Disgusting, utterly disgusting! People dislike you these days, let alone someone in their thirties!"
The man's face stiffened, and his breathing seemed to stop.
The air seemed to freeze for a moment.
Xue Lanyi was puzzled and looked down at him.
She couldn't see his expression, only the lingering flush at the corners of his fair eyes.
He seemed somewhat disappointed.
He's always been confident and decisive in his actions, so why would he take a joke to heart?
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