the truth
The curtain was lifted, and Zhu Liji stepped inside.
He was still dressed in a black casual suit, with a hint of weariness from handling official business between his brows.
Zhu Liji's cold gaze swept across the room, first landing on Cheng Yuzhi. He nodded slightly, his tone calmer than Zhiwei had ever heard before: "Yuzhi."
Then, his gaze turned to Zhiwei, who was sitting on the bed. His eyes were still deep, but they seemed to have lost some of the sharpness they had on the battlefield.
It seems like there's something else... Is it an investigation? Or... Zhiwei can't quite tell right now.
Cheng Yuzhi stepped forward, a gentle smile on her face, and naturally took over the conversation: "My husband is back. Lady Yan helped me a lot as soon as she woke up."
"Just now, Sheng'er refused to eat the vegetable soup, but Madam Yan came up with a brilliant idea that actually made the child eat it obediently." She turned to the side so that Zhu Liji could see Zhu Sheng happily eating from his bowl.
Zhu Liji's gaze lingered on his son's satisfied little face for only a moment before turning to Cheng Yuzhi, his tone seemingly softening: "Thank you for your hard work."
He raised his hand and naturally brushed away the stray hairs at Cheng Yuzhi's temples, his movements practiced and intimate.
Husband, Yuzhi, thank you for your hard work?
These words struck like a thunderclap, and Zhiwei, like a weasel in a melon patch, lifted her already weary eyelids a little.
But she quickly realized that it was true; Zhu Liji was an adult, so it was normal for him to have seven, eight, nine, or ten children. However, Zhiwei lowered her eyes, and the brief and fragile moment of being together in the cave, the touch of her fingertips brushing against his sweaty forehead, really felt like a dream.
"Thank goodness," Zhiwei thought. Fortunately, neither she nor Zhu Liji looked down on each other. She was innocent and upright, and she secretly thought to herself that she should stay away from this married man in the future.
——
The days flew by in the quiet convalescence at the Zhu residence.
Zhiwei's spirits gradually recovered, and the deep-seated weakness receded like the tide. During this period of recuperation, Zhiwei had some free time and finally understood her current state.
While she was in a coma, Zhu Mingyu, despite his illness, quelled the rebellion, while his father, the Marquis of Jiping, who was the younger brother of the late emperor, also triumphed in the capital, defeating the rebellious Crown Prince's forces and about to ascend the throne with the support of the people.
However, none of this had much to do with Zhiwei. The only thing that surprised her was that Zhu Mingyu and Zhu Liji were actually brothers from the same father and mother.
Marquis Jiping has two sons and one daughter. Currently, one of his sons has been appointed as a general and given the title of Ding, becoming the Prince of Ding. The other has been promoted from heir apparent to crown prince, both enjoying immense prestige.
Yeah, right.
Zhiwei would never let Zhu Mingyu get ahead of her.
Speaking of which, Zhu Mingyu visited Zhiwei almost every day, often carrying the dust and grime from his time in the military camp or the Ministry of Works, sometimes mixed with the smell of mud and sweat.
Upon inquiry, it was learned that the traces left by the war of the previous dynasty were still significant, and Zhu Mingyu took over the work of repairing the palace, keeping him busy day and night.
"After some time, when the palace is repaired, Father ascends the throne, and the imperial city is functioning normally, then the Great Zhao will truly be transformed." Zhu Mingyu had repeated this sentence to Zhiwei countless times.
After about ten times, Zhiwei finally couldn't hold back anymore.
She leaned against the soft couch by the window, and before Zhu Mingyu could even open his mouth, she eagerly tossed him the fine ginseng root she was holding.
"Hey, General Zhu, I've never seen you so diligent back in Lingnan. You were always looking for food as soon as you opened your eyes, and you broke countless pots and pans."
Zhiwei glanced at Zhu Mingyu. He had taken off his outer soft armor and was only wearing a neat short shirt, which made him look much more refined than he had in Lingnan.
These past few days, Zhiwei has been constantly thinking about how she first found Zhu Mingyu. He said he had amnesia and didn't remember his home, and Zhiwei told him, but what happened? He was faking it!
After pretending for half a year, even if there were reasons for it, the feeling of not being believed by anyone was unbearable for Zhiwei no matter how she tried to understand it.
"Back in Lingnan, you were quite good at pretending to have amnesia, weren't you?" Zhiwei picked a mulberry from the best mulberries that Zhu Mingyu had specially brought and tossed it back to him.
"Ahem." Zhu Mingyu scratched his head, stopped a few steps away from the bed, his eyes darting around. "I had no choice. I was framed. If I told you, I was afraid I would drag you into the mess as well."
“Besides, it’s true that I was injured.” Zhu Mingyu lifted his hair, revealing brown scars on his scalp. “I really, really hit my head. My initial memory was indeed hazy.”
"Feeling dazed? That's quite different from amnesia. After all, who would be so lucky as to bump into someone and remember their name perfectly?"
Zhiwei raised an eyebrow and pointed at him with her finger: "Tell me honestly, are you afraid I'll realize you're a noble person and start pestering you for money and food?"
"No!" Zhu Mingyu suddenly looked up and retorted urgently, his voice rising.
"How could I think of you like that! I... I was afraid..." Zhu Mingyu paused, looking at Zhiwei's teasing yet inquisitive eyes, as if he had made up his mind, his voice lowered, carrying an unprecedented seriousness.
“I’m afraid that if you knew who I was, you would find it troublesome and think I was a hot potato.”
"I'm afraid that if you get involved with me, you'll never be able to live the peaceful life you want again. Haven't you always said that you just want to open a small restaurant and live a quiet life?"
Zhu Mingyu remembers every dream Zhiwei had in the Lingnan courtyard, and the gleam in her eyes when she started running "Yanji Restaurant".
So he was afraid. He was afraid that his complicated identity, potential enemies, and unavoidable vortex would become a giant wave that would disrupt her peaceful life, causing her to kick him out without hesitation.
He didn't want to leave, at least not in this way.
The air seemed to freeze for a moment. Yan Zhiwei stopped chewing the mulberry, and the sweetness in her mouth seemed to have changed.
It's a little sour, a little bloated, and has a feeling that's hard to describe.
This fool was actually afraid of ruining her tiny bit of "peace and quiet".
"Who says that being associated with you means I'll never have a peaceful day? In any case, honesty is the most basic thing between people, especially in our relationship..."
The words were burning her throat as she spoke. Zhiwei turned her face away, looking at the swaying bamboo shadows outside the window, her throat tightening slightly: "Fine, I forgive you."
"Really!" The tension in Zhu Mingyu's eyes faded, replaced by an astonishingly bright light, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up.
"After you get better, will you still open a restaurant?" His voice was filled with excitement. "I've inquired around. The East Market in the capital is bustling, the West Market is elegant, the South Market is cheap, and the North Market is luxurious."
"Where do you want to open a shop? I'll pay for the shop! Consider it repayment for the meals and lodging you paid for taking me in in Lingnan."
"Or you could stay by my side, enter the palace, become a lady-in-waiting, and have the opportunity to be in charge of meals and become the first imperial chef."
Zhu Mingyu's face was sullen, as if he had made a lot of decisions before saying these words.
His eyes were expectant, but Zhiwei jumped up from the couch.
"Stop!" Zhiwei immediately raised her hand, looking disgusted. "Don't give me that! You want to overwhelm me with money? No problem, the more the better."
"But if you want me to become a lady-in-waiting in the palace, you might as well kill me." Even being a cook in the army is not easy, let alone in the palace. Zhiwei knows that with her personality, she wouldn't even survive the opening credits of a palace drama.
May you live to be a hundred years old and make a fortune every day.
As for money, diligence leads to wealth, and unexpected good fortune is also a good thing.
"You said it, not a penny less."
We decided to do it right away. Suddenly, our boring days had a purpose.
The mulberry in her hand regained its sweetness. Zhiwei tossed the translucent purplish-red gem into the air. After hovering for a moment, the mulberry was gripped tightly and crushed, its juice gushing out and splashing onto her elegant clothes.
.
Wang Miaoxiao crushed the finest mulberries in her hand, gently inhaling the fragrance of the crushed, purplish-red berries.
In early spring, the teahouse stands were bustling with people.
"Kyoto is truly dazzling, with all sorts of beautiful sights. The women on the streets are all elegant and wealthy, no less so than the pretty young ladies of Shu County," Wang Miaoxiao remarked.
Wang Miaoxiao held a bone fan in his left hand, covering most of the not-so-thin scar between his eyebrows, so that it was no longer noticeable that he had a broken eyebrow.
He raised his hand, displaying the long robe he was wearing, sewn with silk and decorated with gold thread, and laughed ostentatiously.
"The things of the rich are really useful. This robe is so light, yet I don't feel cold at all. Brother Zhu, no, Your Highness, I truly envy your life!"
Wang Miaoxiao said, "However, my handcrafted fan is in no way inferior. The handle is made of tiger bone, and the fan surface—"
Wang Miaoxiao shook the fan he was playing with. The fan surface was smooth, softer than silk, warmer than jade, and as thin as a cicada's wing. If you looked closely, there were some fine red lines on the clean white surface.
"Made of human skin, not bad, right? I have a few more at home." Wang Miaoxiao pushed the fan in front of Zhu Liji, who looked away and picked up a cup from the coffee table.
What a gentle and refined appearance! Who could have imagined that beneath this ascetic facade lay a heart set on inciting rebellion?
As a companion to the late emperor, she sowed discord between him and the crown prince, instigated the Wild Wolves Rebellion, used the trip to Lingnan to eliminate the crown prince's hidden troops, and seized the opportune moment to use the flames of war in Shu County to ignite her own power, thus helping her father to ascend the throne smoothly and achieve great honor.
“Your Highness is indeed a master strategist, especially regarding the enemy attack on Shu County.” Wang Miaoxiao put away his bone fan. “I thought I could save you, after all, I waited for you at the bottom of the valley for a long time as you instructed.”
"It seems there are still people we can trust more."
Wang Miaoxiao smiled and said, "There were rumors that His Majesty favored his younger brother and that your position as Crown Prince was in jeopardy. But now it seems that Your Highness is still Your Highness. How can a puppy with only affection defeat a wolf king who snatches food from the tiger's mouth?"
Wang Miaoxiao stared into Zhu Liji's eyes, trying to find a trace of ambition in his dark pupils, but Zhu Liji remained indifferent, his eyes showing nothing.
This is the future crown prince of the Great Zhao Dynasty. A born monarch, unfathomable and without any flaws.
Zhu Liji lazily raised his eyes.
"I've done everything I promised you," Zhu Liji said calmly, taking out several large silver notes from his pocket.
"You wanted to escape the lowly status of being a royal servant, and you wanted to escape the fate of being a martyr. Now you have both."
"Find a place to hide, but never leave the capital. I will send someone to find you when I need you."
This is clearly a form of abandonment laced with threats, a different kind of house arrest.
But for some reason, the beastly nature in his bones made Wang Miaoxiao's whole body boil. More than fear, he was excited. He knew that this was the lord he had dreamed of serving.
"Yes." Wang Miaoxiao bowed.
There will always be another chance.
He only needs to wait for the right opportunity. He will become the monarch's inseparable, poisoned blade. He will obtain the wealth and power he desires, and will eventually witness the rise of a hegemon.
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