Rong Yang rested his hand behind his head, staring blankly at the sky, and murmured these words.
Rong Ning looked up at the sky, watching the clouds drift and gather. No one knew where the clouds would eventually drift to, or when they would turn into spring rain and fall to earth; it was all up to nature.
She watched for a while, then sat down and lay down next to Rong Yang, whispering, "Sister, I'll say it again: if you're willing, I can take you far away from the Southern Dynasty and live a free and unrestrained life. We're already out of the city, and I can take you away anytime you're willing."
"To wander the world?"
This time, Rong Yang didn't immediately refute. Some things, if you haven't seen or felt them, won't cause you much pain even if you don't get them.
But once you've experienced it, delusions will arise in your heart.
Rong Yang slowly sat up, glanced back at the Imperial Guards waiting not far away, and his burgeoning delusions were extinguished.
If she leaves today, these people will inevitably be implicated.
Not only these two hundred imperial guards, but everyone associated with her will be implicated.
Thinking of this, Rong Yang smiled self-deprecatingly and said, "A Ning... I can't be that selfish. Even if I travel the world with you, my heart will not be at peace as long as I think of those who suffer because of me."
Rong Ning listened, looking at her profile, and felt a pang of sadness.
Yes... her older sister isn't as heartless as her; she's kind and gentle, and wouldn't do something like that.
"Sister... I understand you, it's just... I feel sorry for you!"
"There's nothing to feel sorry about..."
Rong Yang shook her head and lay down again, resting her head on Rong Ning's shoulder, and said softly, "Sister, I have been pampered since I was a child. My father dotes on me, my elder brother protects me, and the Imperial Concubine respects me. So, whether in the past or now, no one dares to be presumptuous in front of me. While you were studying martial arts at Linghua Temple, I was living a life of being the center of attention in Nanyang City. Who doesn't know the name of Princess Minghua?"
In these sixteen years... I have never suffered a bit of hardship. Not to mention hardship, I have hardly ever felt wronged.
Ah Ning feels sorry for me now and speaks up for me because I am going to marry far away to Da Jing.
yes…
When I first learned that my father and the court officials were pushing me out to seek peace and security, I was also terrified, I was also afraid, and I couldn't sleep at night.
But there's nothing I can do...
If you send me to marry a foreign ruler, everyone will be happy. Who else would you choose if not me?
Later I told myself that I had heard that the Great Jing Emperor was in his prime and quite handsome. If he weren't the Great Jing Emperor, he would be a good match for me.
Amidst the chaos of war, countless families have been torn apart, lives lost, and people displaced. The number of refugees in Nanyang City is far greater than in previous years; they are poorly clothed and starving—aren't they more pitiful than I am?
Ah Ning... In this world, there are many people who are worse off than me. I am just going to be married off for political reasons. If I am lucky, I will just be able to continue living a life of luxury in another place.
Thinking about it this way, it's not so hard to accept.
Her voice was soft, even carrying a faint smile, as if she wanted to use these words to persuade Rong Ning.
But no, Rong Ning's eyes stung, and her heart felt heavy.
After a long while, Rong Ning composed herself and slowly replied, "Sister is right."
Her calmness startled Rong Yang. He looked up at her, his heart filled with mixed emotions. Finally, he gently patted Rong Ning's head and said, "My Ning... seems to have really matured!"
Rong Ning smiled slightly, "Of course... since my older sister is leaving, if I continue to be immature and cause trouble in the future, there will be no one to clean up my mess."
"Really!" Rong Yang laughed, poking her head with his finger. "Naughty!"
Not wanting to dwell on these things and ruin her mood, Rong Yang hooked her arm around Rong Ning's and asked expectantly, "Ning, is your riding skill really that good, sister?"
Rong Ning nodded, "Hmm...very impressive. I never knew my elder sister was so well-hidden."
“It’s not that I’m hiding it…” Rong Yang raised her chin, showing a bit of a girl’s coquettishness, “It’s just that in Nanyang City, no girl would ride a horse at full speed. Your elder sister is the benchmark of noble ladies, how could she ruin her image?”
Rong Yang rarely acted like this, and Rong Ning found it amusing and laughed.
She laughed, and Rong Yang laughed along with her.
That laughter was melodious and pleasant to hear.
Luo Chuan, standing on the hillside, watched the two women leaning on each other, blending into the beautiful scenery, and a pang of sadness welled up in his heart…
It's sad that life and death are inevitable in this world, and sad that beautiful things are easily lost.
After all, Princess Zhaoqing's marriage to a foreign ruler was an irreversible event.
They lay on that hillside for a long time until the carriages behind them caught up, and then they continued their journey.
Rong Yang refused to ride the horse anymore and returned it to Luo Chuan.
Luo Chuan was somewhat surprised. The image of Rong Yang's smile as he rode his horse at full gallop flashed through his mind. As if possessed, he said, "If Your Highness likes riding horses, we can travel on horseback."
"No... I'm tired..." Rong Yang smiled and stroked the horse's mane, her tone filled with relief. "It should be what it is, that's how it should be."
Luo Chuan opened his mouth... then closed it again, and fell silent.
Rong Yang got into the carriage, and Rong Ning followed her in. A Ying and A Ye prepared some food, and after eating and drinking their fill, they felt sleepy and fell asleep leaning against the railing.
When I woke up again, we had already arrived at our destination.
Linghua Temple is located on Tongshan Mountain. Horse-drawn carriages cannot go up the mountain; they can only stop at the foot of the mountain, and the group climbs up step by step.
By the time they reached the mountain gate, it was already late afternoon. The sun had set, and the afterglow of the setting sun spread across the land, reddening the mountains and rivers, a breathtakingly beautiful sight.
Rong Yang gazed intently.
Rong Ning walked up a few steps, knocked on the door, and after a while the mountain gate slowly opened. A round little head popped out from inside, and seeing the large group of people, she frowned unhappily.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com