Chapter 39 Apology: May my wife live a long and happy life, free from illness and worry.
"good."
Songji didn't ask why; the princess must have her reasons for saying that.
Li Yunru stopped there and didn't say anything more. She forced herself to eat two more bites of chestnut cake before going back to her room.
She's been feeling extremely tired lately and has no energy for anything.
After that, these matters were all handled by Songji and Shuyun.
The two had been busy for days. First, they checked the contents of the storeroom with the accountant, and then they checked the various income and expenditure accounts of the mansion during this period. After that, they took out a portion of the money and silk and distributed it to most of the servants. By the seventh day of the new year, apart from two people who cleaned the courtyard and two cooks, there was only an accountant and a steward left in the princess's mansion.
She doesn't plan to sell or rent this house.
This is a memento left to her by her father. Back then, no effort was spared in building this princess's residence. Every blade of grass and every tree here is a manifestation of the love her parents and relatives have for her.
Even if I'm gone, I should still keep it.
So she left a few people behind to guard the yard.
They didn't take anything else with them, only some easily portable luxury items and a change of clothes.
However, when it came to the incense, Shu Yun frowned, looking somewhat troubled. She gazed at the green bamboo porcelain bottle inside the sandalwood and asked, "Princess, would you like to take this with you?"
Li Yunru glanced over and saw it was the first gift Yan Ning had given her not long after their marriage.
She said it was worthless, but she used it for almost a year. If it weren't for the incident with Cui Wan that disappointed her so much, she probably would have continued using it.
She gave up at first because she was unsure of Yan Ning's feelings, but now that he treats her with some care, this is a small keepsake. After all, it's the only thing in this mansion that belongs to him.
"Take it with you."
After all, we were husband and wife. Even though we are no longer destined to be together, it is good to leave something behind as a memento.
Li Yunru was preparing to leave Jiankang, while Yan Ning, after several days of reflection, had gradually calmed down.
What he did that day was indeed ill-considered. Now that she is in a difficult situation and has more to worry about, he shouldn't have acted so recklessly and hurt her feelings.
She hasn't been feeling well lately and has lost a lot of weight. If he were to worry or grieve over this, it would truly be his fault.
Thinking of how thin and frail he looked that day, he felt uneasy and couldn't sit still for a moment. He hurriedly came to the front of the county magistrate's mansion.
However, they were turned away and not only did they not see anyone, they were also unable to enter the gate.
This continued for several days in a row.
He tried a different approach, following the etiquette of social interactions among prominent families. He first sent a letter to pay his respects, then visited the place in person, but still received no reply.
It seems she's really angry this time.
Time flies, and the Lantern Festival arrives.
The streets were ablaze with colorful lights, a dazzling display of lights, and a lively atmosphere. The sky was filled with Kongming lanterns, illuminating the dark night as if it were daytime, and each lantern was inscribed with auspicious wishes.
Yan Ning wasn't really interested in the lantern festival, but when she saw the Kongming lanterns in the sky, an idea came to her.
He bid farewell to his friends, descended from Fanlou, and together with Chen Jingsheng bought many Kongming lanterns before returning to the county magistrate's residence.
...
After Li Yunru finished packing, her health improved somewhat, and she was not as weak as she had been in the past few days. She should have gone out for a stroll today, since it was her last night in Jiankang and it was a festive occasion, so she should have made some memories. However, thinking about what had happened the other day, she lost the will to go out and did not go out. After dinner, she sat in the courtyard.
To keep her entertained, Shu Yun and Song Ji specially invited some opera troupes and entertainers to come over, making the mansion unusually lively.
As the music and dance reached their peak, a Kongming lantern rose into the air. First one, then another, and so on, countless in number. Each lantern was adorned with a painting of two people, a man and a woman, some standing, some kneeling, some playing the zither, and some with the woman raising her hand as if to strike someone. The paintings were not detailed, just a few strokes outlining the figures, but they were extremely charming and adorable. Next to each lantern painting was a corresponding phrase.
It's very straightforward and simple. The gist of each one is roughly the same: admit your mistakes, ask for forgiveness, and accept whatever rewards, punishments, or scolding you may receive.
The painting concludes with the inscription: "May my wife enjoy a thousand years of joy, free from illness and worry, and may her husband live long and remain with her."
“It’s the Prince Consort,” Shu Yun said.
Her voice was quite excited, but in reality, as Li Yunru watched the Kongming lanterns slowly rise into the sky and light up the heavens, she was also moved.
These days, he has come to see her almost every day, and he is very proper and polite, just like he would with relatives and friends. He even sent her a visiting card, but she did not see him. She pretended that he was not there and had someone send him away.
Firstly, the two had just had a conflict and developed a rift, making it awkward for them to meet. Li Yunru didn't know what to say to him. Secondly, even if they apologized and made up, what difference would it make? She had always said that the problem between her and Yan Ning was not between the two of them.
She didn't want to pressure him anymore, or ask for that unrealistic answer.
So it's unnecessary.
Who would have thought he was so persistent and dedicated, with so many lights, paintings, and inscriptions...
It goes without saying how much effort he put in.
"Princess, shall we go and invite someone in?"
Shu Yun noticed that the person seemed somewhat moved, less resolute than before, and boldly asked a question.
Li Yunru remained silent for a moment, but still denied it.
"No need. Go out and tell him that you have received his kind intentions, and that he should stop doing these thankless tasks in the future."
well.
Shu Yun's face fell slightly, and she replied, "Yes."
After this experience, Li Yunru suddenly lost interest in listening to music and watching dances, so she got up, left her seat, and went back to her room.
But when the lamp is lit and the shadow is dim, it is easiest to recall the past.
Since marrying into the Yan family, she has spent most of her time in the Princess's residence, as has Yan Ning. The two often spend their days together there; he reads intently by the glass window, and she helps him with his makeup at the dressing table...
It seems that any random object can be used to find memories related to him.
Many things that had been deliberately forgotten suddenly became clear again.
She felt neither sleepy nor tired, so she asked someone to bring over two cups of aged wine, intending to have another drink.
The wine was personally delivered by Songji, and she simply asked someone to leave it there.
"Have a few drinks with me."
She poured a glass of wine and handed it to someone. Song Ji took it without any hesitation, sat down, and drank the wine in one gulp.
It was probably because it was the Lantern Festival tonight, with lights shining in every household, that she couldn't help but think about the past.
The man laughed and said, "I remember when you first arrived in the capital, you didn't even know how to drink. You would only touch a little wine and your cheeks would turn red, completely unaware of what was happening. But now, you can drink like those martial arts heroes without your face turning red or your heart skipping a beat."
Her first meeting with Songji was at a palace banquet. She sat on a high platform, enjoying the adulation of thousands. She was a musician performing, and her elegant appearance made her stand out among the crowd.
Li Yunru remembered him.
However, she wasn't the only one who remembered him.
In the latter half of the banquet, the Emperor and Empress left. Without their masters present, everyone became a little more relaxed and natural. One of the officials drank too much and lost his manners, shouting for him to serve him and forcing him to drink.
That vice minister was from the Xie family.
Back then, the Xie family wasn't in such an awkward position as it is today; among the aristocratic families, their situation was even more precarious than that of the Yan family.
Besides, hiring a musician to entertain is a common thing, and no one criticizes it. Everyone cheers and urges him to drink.
Song Ji was unwilling, and in the process of declining, the wine was spilled all over him, and the originally lively and noisy banquet immediately quieted down.
The vice minister's expression changed, and he said, "What a man of integrity!"
He picked up the man's hands that had been playing the zither and exclaimed, "These hands are beautiful too, like jade porcelain, smooth and fragrant. I like them, I'll keep them."
After saying this, the Vice Minister exchanged a glance with the servant beside him and then escorted Song Ji out. Just as the knife was about to fall, Li Yunru dropped a hairpin at the banquet and led her men back.
That's how they saved the person.
The official, frustrated by the lack of results, stormed off the table midway through the match.
Her father and mother said she had caused trouble and offended the Xie family, which would likely bring her trouble in the future.
At that time, she didn't understand the concept of offending others.
A little girl of only eight or nine years old, she only knew that her hands were important, and her life was important too.
When she was in the countryside, she had seen many such things: the knife fell, blood was everywhere, people were gone, relatives cried their hearts out, and a good family was torn apart.
She and her older sisters and brothers also faced life-or-death situations several times.
She didn't want to see that scene, so she thought about it and then did it.
The two men said this, but they did not blame her much. They tacitly approved of her actions and even specially bestowed him upon them to be their tutor.
From then on, Songji stayed by her side.
He and Shu Yun entered the mansion around the same time. If he hadn't asked to leave the capital a few years ago, he would have been one of her dowry maids and come to Jiankang with her.
If that were the case, her life that year would have been a little easier, at least she would have had familiar people around her, people she could talk to, cry, and make a fuss with.
Like it is now.
She suddenly sighed, "If only you hadn't left that day."
Songji gazed at her, the dim light illuminating the girl's slightly flushed face, and his memories drifted back to a distant past.
He had once been wealthy and powerful, born into the imperial clan, though from a collateral branch, he still shared in the glory. As the eldest son of the family, he was deeply loved and had everything he wanted. But one day, the world changed, and this nobleman became dust in the hands of others.
I'm not reconciled!
He hated the new master; if he hadn't caused trouble, things wouldn't be like this today.
After several transfers, he was sent to the palace. At the palace banquet, he had an idea, but before he could make a move, Emperor Xuan left, and he fell into the hands of a powerful family.
He was well aware that the powerful and wealthy loved to keep concubines and male prostitutes, and what he saw and heard made him immediately realize his situation.
Just when he thought his life would end there, the person in front of him appeared.
She was dressed in a red dress, as dazzling as a flamingo. She walked up to him, glanced down at him, and said arrogantly to the others, "I like him. I want him."
He was taken away just like that.
She saved him, but he wasn't grateful to her at all.
If it weren't for her father, the emperor, he wouldn't have had the chance to be the good person. To him, her salvation felt more like an insult.
His staying by someone's side, his obsequious flattery, was nothing more than a pretext to find an opportunity to strike decisively.
But has this opportunity never come?
Actually, that's not the case. He had many opportunities... but he himself didn't realize when his mindset changed.
Whether it was when she repeatedly asked him to play the zither for her amusement, or when she shamelessly said that if he flattered her, she would arrange an official position for him; or when she cried and complained that the lessons assigned by the teacher were too difficult, forcing him to write them for others; or when she had a deep father-daughter relationship with Emperor Xuan, and they played and joked around, all of these subtly influenced him.
I can't tell the difference.
Time flies like an arrow; years may seem long, but they pass in the blink of an eye.
He began to forget why he stayed by her side and started to have some unrealistic hopes. But he dared not say it. He knew that once he made it clear, he might never have such an opportunity again. He could only secretly sketch out a future that did not belong to him in his heart through the gossip of the people.
He thought life would continue like this, but one day, Emperor Xuan and Empress Zhenyuan found him.
Tell him that the situation is about to change, and that he has found a husband for the princess. The man is a handsome and virtuous young man from a prestigious family, with a beautiful appearance and upright character. He is the perfect match for the princess and can ensure her safety.
“We all understand your feelings for Liyang, so I think you would also hope that she would have a smooth and carefree life.”
His presence will affect her marriage and her reputation.
No noble young man could tolerate his future wife being so close to another man, let alone having such rumors spread.
"Sir, you should understand better than anyone the impact of this upheaval. Even men cannot protect themselves, let alone a woman."
Only then did he realize that the emperor and empress were not as foolish as he had thought, nor were they people who sought wealth and status by clinging to powerful families.
My hidden schemes over the years have long been known, but out of kindness, I haven't exposed them.
He didn't try to do anything, and knew it was pointless. He agreed and resigned with Li Yunru the next day.
That night, the two drank together again. She drank a lot and became so drunk that she was barely conscious. She hugged him and cried, saying, "Songji, please don't go. I promise I will never bully you again. I will never ask you to do my homework again. I will not be lazy anymore. I will study the piano properly. Please don't go."
She said a lot, but she didn't have any other thoughts about him.
He then realized that all these years had been nothing but a one-man show. The princess, with her youthful heart, treated him with the same affection she showed to Shu Yun and others. But if he developed other feelings, he would ruin her marriage.
Empress Zhenyuan was right. He understood the impact of the political upheaval better than anyone else. He did not want Liyang to go through what he had gone through.
He didn't respond and left. Six months later, news came that she had married the eldest son of the Yan family.
In fact, Songji didn't tell her that he was also there on the day she got married. He was on a high building, watching her and her husband stroll through the ten-mile-long flower street.
The princess was bright and charming, as beautiful as a peony, while the prince consort was handsome and dashing. The two were a perfect match, a man of talent and beauty.
They had calculated everything perfectly, but they overlooked the princess's thoughts and underestimated her temperament.
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Author's Note: The next chapter will be released at 11 PM Thursday.
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