Chapter 107: Separation
Sun Wei's luggage has been packed.
A day later, she took Aju and several attendants and left the palace in a carriage.
It was just dawn and the dock was not very busy.
The palace's boat was parked on the shore, and Sima Jun had already arrived here.
Sun Wei didn't expect that Sima Jun was not there to see her off.
Besides Sun Wei's boat, there was also Sima Jun's. He was going to Kuaiji and actually left with her.
Unlike Sun Wei, he had set out on his journey in secret. He traveled light and simply, with only his belongings packed. If one didn't look closely, one would have thought he was there to see Sun Wei off.
"Is the prince going to Kuaiji like this?" Sun Wei asked.
"To act in secret means to choose a time when no one knows about it." Sima Jun disagreed. "If it weren't for seeing my wife off, I would have left last night."
Sun Wei thought, it turns out I’m also to blame.
Unexpectedly, she met Xie Xiao.
He led a horse and when he saw Sun Wei, he walked forward and saluted with a smile.
"Changxuan is still injured, so please don't be so polite." Sun Wei said.
Xie Xiao smiled and said, "Sister, I think you said something too harsh to the princess. My injury is no longer a problem. I just have medicine on my body. Sister dislikes my strong smell and doesn't want to take me out."
"Really?" Sun Wei asked suspiciously.
"I never lie." He said, jumping up and down on the spot, "Today I am not only here to see the princess off, but also to accompany the prince on a long journey!"
Sun Wei was stunned: "Young General is going to Kuaiji?"
Xie Xiao quickly signaled for silence: "The prince said it must not be publicized."
"We're all family here, so it's no problem." Sun Wei then asked, "Young General, have you informed your family about your upcoming trip? Have they agreed?"
Xie Xiao scratched his head embarrassedly: "I have informed you, but not everyone."
"What do you mean?"
"I told my uncle and mother that I was going to Jingkou."
She just knew...
"Don't worry, Princess. I've already written a letter to Jingkou and informed Brother Chu. He won't let anything slip."
At this point, Sun Wei was helpless.
She looked around, looking for Sima Jun, only to see him and Deng Lian standing on the shore, seemingly looking at a ship that was getting farther and farther away in the distance.
Sun Wei walked over and asked, "That boat looks so impressive, whose is it?"
"Jingzhou's ship," Sima Jun said, "it must be the Huan clan's ship."
"Huan Yi is gone?" Sun Wei asked.
"I heard they're still in Jiankang," Sima Jun said. "The people on that boat are all family members. They came to the capital to celebrate the Empress Dowager's birthday, and now that the celebration is over, they're heading back."
Sun Wei nodded: "I just met Changxuan. Is the prince going to take him to Kuaiji?"
"He said he had nothing to do and couldn't take up his post in Jiangzhou, so he wanted to work with me. I asked him to temporarily replace Deng Lian."
"What about Deng Sima?"
"Go with Madam to Xunyang Palace. He will be at Madam's disposal from now on."
Sun Wei: “…”
After all, he still had to have a spy. Could it be that even if she promised to write a letter, it wouldn't reassure him?
"Deng Lian has always been the prince's attendant and has never left his side," she said.
"Not entirely," Sima Jun said. "He's been with Madam since we went to the East China Sea. Madam was very happy to have him around, wasn't he?"
Sun Wei: “…”
"It's settled." Sima Jun brooked no refusal. "It's getting late, Madam, please board the ship."
Since he has already made up his mind, Sun Wei can't say anything more.
"Please lend me a hand and talk for a moment, Your Highness." As she spoke, she invited Sima Jun to the side.
She pulled out a brocade bag from her sleeve and said, "Here is the amulet I've remade. The journey to Kuaiji is fraught with danger, so please be sure to take it with you, my lord."
Sima Jun looked a little surprised.
He took the amulet and looked at it.
Just when Sun Wei thought he was going to be picky again and find excuses to refuse it, she saw him stuff the amulet into his arms.
"Anything else?" he asked.
"No more." Sun Wei said, "I will take my leave now. Take care, my lord."
After saying that, she turned and left.
Although the weather was good, there was some wind on the river.
Waves hit the river bank again and again, and the boat swayed.
Sun Wei was not good at swimming and did not like riding a boat. After finally getting on the boat, he had no choice but to hold on to the railing and slowly move forward, which made Aju laugh.
She was about to go to the boathouse when she heard someone on the shore exclaim, "Prince!"
Turning around, he saw Sima Jun quickly stepping onto the plank that was being folded up and jumping onto the boat.
Then, he walked quickly towards Sun Wei.
Sun Wei was startled, and the boat shook again, and she almost couldn't stand.
A strong hand supported her.
Sima Jun looked at her with burning eyes.
"Madam, would you like to go to Kuaiji with me?" he asked.
Sun Wei was stunned.
He looked at her, the morning sun pierced through the clouds, and its gentle and brilliant light fell between his handsome eyebrows.
"Why?"
His eyes seemed uncertain, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.
After a moment, he said, "Madam, you are very resourceful. If you and I work together, we will surely be able to capture Kuaiji as soon as possible."
Sun Wei was puzzled: "Your Highness has Ruan Zhongqing's help, so why worry about not being able to take it down?"
"Ruan Zhongqing is Ruan Zhongqing, and my wife is my wife," he said. "How can he replace my wife?"
Sun Wei was stunned again and couldn't help but smile.
"Thank you, Your Highness," she said, "but I'm sorry I can't agree to your request."
Sima Jun's expression froze.
"Why? Because of the Queen Mother?"
"It is indeed because of the Queen Mother. I am the successor of Prince Yuzhang, and I must obey the Queen Mother's orders."
Sima Jun looked deeply.
"If the Empress Dowager wants you to stay in Xunyang Palace for the rest of your life, will you accept your fate?" he asked.
"Given the current situation, I can only accept my fate." Sun Wei said softly, "I am a nobody, and I have no say in what to do. But if the prince can control the situation, everything will be different. Therefore, I will leave it all to the prince."
Sima Jun stared into her eyes and did not speak for a long time.
"I understand." His eyes were deep.
"I'm leaving now. Take care, ma'am."
After he said that, he bowed and walked away without looking back.
Sun Wei stood there, watching his back as he got off the boat, and put away her smile.
There seemed to be some residual warmth from his palm on her arm.
The boat started moving slowly. Sun Wei watched Sima Jun get on the horse and leave without looking back.
His boat was a mile away, so he must have been heading that way.
"It's windy here, let's go in." Aju said.
Hot tea is ready in the boat house.
"What happened to the prince just now?" A'ru said, closing the door. "Why did he suddenly say that the princess should go to Kuaiji? Could it be that he couldn't bear to leave the princess?"
"Don't talk nonsense, or something bad will happen." Sun Wei's expression suddenly became serious. "If anyone asks you, just say that the prince values my divination skills. Don't say anything else. Got it?"
"I understand. It was just a joke. How could I say such nonsense?" A'ru stuck out her tongue and said, "Wouldn't it be good for the princess to go to Kuaiji with the prince? That messy place would allow the princess to show her skills. It's better than just eating vegetarian food and chanting Buddhist scriptures all day long."
Sun Wei picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea: "There is a lot of knowledge in eating vegetarian food and chanting Buddhist scriptures."
A'ru looked at her and suddenly realized, "I was wondering, ever since the princess knew she was going to Xunyang Palace, why hasn't she thought of any solution, or complained at all? It's as if her heart has died. This is not like you at all. Could it be that the princess wants to go too?"
Sun smiled but did not answer.
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