Chapter Twenty-Seven: A Short Letter, Deep Affection
To His Highness the Seventh Prince:
Seeing this letter is like seeing you in person, my dear friend Yunji. In the capital city in late spring, willows are shrouded in mist, and catkins dance in the air. The crabapple blossoms outside the window are in full bloom, just as they were when Your Highness left the capital several years ago. Only, the boy who broke off a branch for me under the eaves back then has now spread his wings and soared over the northern grasslands, achieving great things.
Having known Your Highness for five years, from being companions in the palace to exchanging letters, I always feel as if Your Highness is still before me whenever I read your letters. The trade policies you described in your letter are progressing smoothly, and the border markets are becoming increasingly prosperous. Hearing this, Huairou is greatly gratified.
Your Highness's praise of Huairou in your letter is truly undeserved. Though I possess some worldly wisdom, I am ultimately not adept at eloquence and diplomacy. Even with a thousand thoughts, it requires Your Highness's seasoned approach to life to transform theoretical discussions into tangible results. Trade between our people and the various tribes of the grasslands is now taking shape, the war has subsided, and morale is high—all thanks to Your Highness. My father and elder brother have repeatedly mentioned Your Highness in their letters home, regarding you as a comrade-in-arms who would share life and death with us; such affection and friendship are truly precious.
In the stillness of the night, I often recall the wonderful times spent reading and practicing calligraphy with Your Highness in the palace. Your Highness always complained that ink and brush lacked expression, but I loved finding answers within them. Now, Your Highness roams freely across the grasslands, surely no longer accustomed to the toil of paperwork. Yet, life is full of unexpected twists and turns; Your Highness's former "unaccustomedness" has precisely led to your current "effortless mastery." If this journey ever ends, I hope to sit with Your Highness again in the study, not discussing state affairs, but simply sipping tea and discussing poetry, reliving those old dreams.
I've heard that Your Highness has established schools on the grasslands, and they are packed with students, nobles, princes, and even servants and their wives—a truly benevolent act. Besides reading and writing, women can learn the skills of Central Plains tailoring and cooking, while men can learn leatherwork and furniture making. This aligns perfectly with our past discussions under the lamplight: educating the people, teaching them how to fish, and simultaneously boosting supply and demand. With the people of the frontier busy with production and enjoying the benefits of peace, they will naturally gradually abandon their obsession with conquest and plunder. You see, the time spent with Your Highness in Huairou is far more than just dreaming of admiring flowers by the lake and conversing under the moon; our ideals for our country are being gradually brought to reality through Your Highness's hands. Whenever I think of this, I feel fortunate to have met such a like-minded friend as Your Highness.
Your Highness mentioned in your letter that King Sutan of the Steppes wished to betroth his beloved daughter to Your Highness as his queen. After much deliberation, Huairou believes Your Highness should consider meeting this pearl of the Steppes. King Sutan is a powerful figure on the Steppes, and his tribe wields considerable influence. A marriage alliance with him is not merely a matter of personal affection, but also signifies the consolidation of the tribal alliance. Since ancient times, marriage alliances have served as a means of reconciliation, turning hostility into friendship and ensuring centuries of peace on the borders. Your Highness, with your lofty ambitions, should understand the profound meaning behind this.
Huairou knew that Yunji harbored some attachment to her throughout her life, but she avoided mentioning it. She didn't even tell him about her chance encounter with her uncle. That would mean revealing her longing for Yunji—who could fall ill when you left? Who could truly say that this longing came from a mother deeply devoted to her child? Huairou knew that Yunji had worked tirelessly on the grasslands for years, not only to serve the country but also to gain a legitimate voice before the Emperor and his court. And this power, in turn, likely included…her. Huairou thought with heartache. To completely sever Yunji's hopes, she regained her composure and calmly said, "If this woman is truly in love with you, why not?"
The handwriting regained its usual calm and upright style.
Then, with a touch of protectiveness, she wrote: "However, Your Highness, please rest assured. Whether to marry or not is entirely up to Your Highness's will. Things are different now than before. Even though Your Highness is in a vassal state on the border, you are already thriving and your foundation is gradually stabilizing. A marriage alliance is merely icing on the cake. In all matters, you must prioritize your own heart and be happy." Between the lines, that unique concern and favoritism still unconsciously revealed herself.
There is a long pause at this point in the letter, as if the writer needs to gather courage.
There is more good news to share with Your Highness. The Prime Minister's Office has officially sent matchmakers to the Guo family to propose marriage. Lu Binghui, the young master of the Lu family, was my daughter's classmate in the past. He is a kind and generous man with profound knowledge, and has taken great care of me over the years. Now, by His Majesty's grace, he has been promoted to Governor of Ganzhou, and his future is promising. My father and Prime Minister Lu are both delighted with this. A marriage between a general and a prime minister will also benefit the long-term stability of our dynasty and the peace of the court.
The ink mark here seems to be diffused by an invisible drop of water, but it is quickly and carefully outlined.
If our wedding date is set, I wish to share this joy with Your Highness. I imagine that by then, the northern border will be lush with water and grass, and cattle and sheep will graze freely. If Your Highness is too busy with official duties to attend, Huairou will understand. I imagine that Your Highness will be soaring like an eagle across the vast sky, and I can simply offer my blessings from afar. There is no need for daily worries; just knowing that your loved ones in the capital are well is enough.
The winds and sandstorms rage beyond the Great Wall, and the climate is bitterly cold. I hope Your Highness will take good care of yourself and eat well. In your leisure time, do not forget to read and cultivate your character, and keep a low profile.
Words cannot fully express my feelings.
Huairou handwritten letter
"Seeing this letter is like seeing you in person, my dear friend Yunji..."
The opening was delivered in the same calm and gentle tone, like a gentle stream, soothing Yunji's anxiety of the past few days. She was pleased with her achievements at the border, recalled her time studying in the palace, and praised his foresight in establishing schools... everything was as it always had been.
However, when he read about the proposed marriage alliance with King Sutan, his heart began to race. Her suggestion was rational and well-considered: "Why not meet this princess of the steppes... Since ancient times, marriage alliances have ensured peace on the borders for centuries."
He could almost picture her calm, slightly detached expression as she wrote those words. But then, her pen seemed to pause for a moment, the ink darkening slightly, and then he saw the sentence that carried a hint of approval:
If this woman is in love with you, why not?
Then, her tone shifted lightly, revealing her unique protectiveness and concern: "But Your Highness, rest assured, whether to marry or not is entirely up to Your Highness... Just be happy."
The letter's ending, with its announcement of the Prime Minister's marriage proposal and her engagement to Lu Binghui, was like a final blow, shattering the last glimmer of hope in his heart.
"...We wish to share in Your Highness's joy on your wedding day. If Your Highness is busy with official duties...we will only offer our blessings from afar, and need not worry about you every day."
"There's no need to... worry about it every day."
Those few words, though seemingly light, carried a weight of a thousand pounds. Yunji's fingers trembled slightly. He understood; she was using this method to sever his hopes and push him toward the path that was "best" for everyone.
The letter slipped from his limp hand, like a butterfly suddenly dying, drifting and finally settling silently on the ground. The feelings hidden deep within his heart, never truly spoken, yet never extinguished, now shattered like a broken glass, the fragments scattering, piercing his very core with a sharp pain. He stood there, stunned, the sounds of the wind outside the tent, the distant hoofbeats, the footsteps of the patrolling soldiers all becoming blurred and distant. After a long while, a faint smile slowly crept onto his lips.
"Ha..." he murmured to himself, his voice filled with endless self-mockery and sorrow, "Yes, I was never capable of giving you happiness, yet I selfishly wanted to be with you forever."
He slowly bent down, his movements somewhat stiff, and picked up the letter from the ground, which carried too much weight. He carefully smoothed out the wrinkles, folded it again, and tucked it close to his body. It was as if it wasn't a letter, but rather the broken heart he had just picked up and carefully hidden away.
He turned, walked out of the tent, and looked south again. The night sky was vast, the Milky Way hung low, and the capital city lay in the distant, unreachable distance.
The night breeze caressed his slightly thin figure, his voice so soft it seemed to dissipate in the wind, yet it carried a calm that had settled the dust, and a deep-seated, undying tenderness:
"Huairou, if you marry Yuanya, then I can... come back to see you."
The night on the grassland embraces all silent sighs and emotions destined to be buried deep. The wind howls, like a low, melodious "Slowly, Slowly," slowly dissipating in the boundless darkness.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com