Chapter 70: A-Yuan Will Become the Crown Prince's Consort of Huaiyang
Princess Yuzhang helped up the jade cup on Su Chan's table and asked with a smile, "Is the Princess drunk before even drinking any wine?"
Su Chan sighed softly, "I am indeed drunk."
"I must say, the scenery of Shanglin Garden, the singing and dancing, and all the beauties on this boat are all intoxicating," Princess Huaiyang interjected with a smile.
Princess Yuzhang's eyes flashed, and she smiled, "Your Highness, were you so captivated by the beautiful scenery and the singing and dancing on the ship's deck that you arrived so late?"
Su Chan raised the corners of her lips: "Actually, I came too early today. I first enjoyed the beautiful scenery from the top of the ship, drank a few cups of wine, and rested for a while. I didn't expect that I couldn't hold my liquor, and it was already sunset. I almost missed the grand feast downstairs."
She picked up the wine cup that the maid had refilled and toasted the Princess of Yuzhang: "If it weren't for my aunt's hearty laughter that shook the floorboards, I'm afraid I would still be resting upstairs and wouldn't have made it to the very end of this banquet."
"Oh, Princess, who are you drinking with? Are you drinking alone? Is something troubling you, Princess?"
Princess Yuzhang picked up her cup in response, but did not drink it immediately:
"I arrived in Chang'an two days ago, intending to meet with relatives and friends in the capital. I sent a visiting card to the Princess's residence, but the steward said that the Princess had been ill for quite some time and could not see anyone. I was quite worried. I heard from many people that on the day His Majesty's decree of investiture arrived at the residence, the Princess herself came out to greet him, and she was in good health..."
Princess Yuzhang, having said this, turned to Princess Huaiyang, who looked utterly bewildered, and explained, “Oh, such a royal procession was quite impressive, and many people saw it. Everyone said that the princess was as beautiful as a fairy, comparable to the peony, so she must have been in excellent health. How could she have suddenly fallen ill after that day?”
She slowly sipped her wine, her words carrying a hidden meaning, "I am worried, is it a physical ailment or a mental one? Physical ailments heal quickly, but mental ailments are much harder to cure."
Princess Huaiyang was puzzled as to why Princess Yuzhang was so oblivious, always bringing up topics that were best left unsaid.
She hissed almost imperceptibly, then turned and pulled Lin Yuan aside, warmly recounting her experiences on the journey from Huaiyang to Chang'an.
In fact, the imperial edict to attend the banquet came from Chang'an, and the Princess of Huaiyang naturally assumed it was for the Emperor and Empress's wedding.
The Prince of Huaiyang had the same idea, and for this reason, he made special preparations for the ceremony in a hurry, which delayed him for several days.
The news that the Grand Princess and the daughter of Prime Minister Su had been granted official titles by imperial decree was announced throughout the land and reached Huaiyang, but it was not very clear to everyone.
Whether she was a princess or an empress, many people have different opinions, each with their own detailed and convincing accounts.
Upon hearing the news that she would be made a princess, Xiao Jin repeatedly exclaimed, "How could that be?"
"Ha, 'Phoenix, phoenix, still not finished,' if this were a few years ago, who in Chang'an wouldn't know it?"
As he spoke, his breath hitched, as if he had choked on it, "Wait, does that mean she's been added to the royal register and returned to the princess's residence next to Weiyang Palace???"
When the princess entered Chang'an, she overheard some witty people whispering and laughing about Princess Anping in the streets and alleys.
It is also said that Prime Minister Su refused to let the crowd of people who came to offer their congratulations out of the door, citing the inconvenience.
Princess Huaiyang, still listening intently to the conversation between Princess Yuzhang and Princess Anping, laughed heartily as she recounted to Lin Yuan the many specialties she had brought from Huaiyang to the capital. These included millet, wheat, rice, sorghum, fish, pigs, cattails, bamboo, and several baskets of fresh Sichuan peppercorns, each one carefully selected from the first harvest of spring.
Lin Yuan responded casually, but couldn't help turning her head to glance at Xiao Xun.
Xiao Xun was listening to his maternal aunt, the Lady of Yan'en Marquis, happily introducing his two cousins whom he had never met before. He heard the two of them give toasts in turn and bestow many gold and jade trinkets upon him.
He swirled the wine glass in his hand, but didn't take a sip for a long time, his thoughts seemingly wandering over the table to his left.
Su Chan finished her drink: "I just caught a cold in early spring."
"As long as it's not a mental illness, that's good."
Princess Yuzhang smiled reassuringly, then adopted the demeanor of an elder, saying with concern, "However, Your Highness has just recovered from a cold and should not drink alcohol. What could be so important that you'd harm yourself by drinking alone?"
"Princess Anping has recovered from her illness and came today to express her gratitude. We reminisced about the past and drank quite a bit of wine together." Xiao Xun interrupted them, "Is the Princess Consort of Yuzhang implying that I haven't cared enough for my elder sister, Princess Anping?"
He smiled and asked, but his eyes were sharp and cold.
"How dare I? I'm talking nonsense."
Princess Yuzhang suddenly heard Xiao Xun's voice, turned around, looked up, and the cup in her hand wobbled, splashing wine onto the back of her hand.
"Is the princess also drunk?"
Xiao Xun asked casually, and even the Princess Consort of Yuzhang, who was usually oblivious to social cues, realized from that glare that she had offended someone she shouldn't have at the banquet.
"Ah, yes, yes."
"In that case, it's getting late, let's end the banquet here."
Princess Yuzhang trembled like a leaf, repeatedly agreeing, having long forgotten about her younger sister.
Xiao Xun dispatched the Imperial Guards to escort all the ladies of the royal family and young noblewomen who had come from afar to the Fuli Palace in Shanglin Garden.
Lin Yuan leaned against the gunwale alone.
Just as everyone had taken their leave and the cabin was empty, she also got up to say goodbye when Xiao Xun whispered in her ear, "It's not over yet."
Lin Yuan looked at the darkening sun and asked blankly, "Didn't His Majesty say it was over?"
"After the banquet, when the guests have left, I don't want you to feel disappointed." Xiao Xun smiled. "Wait for me here."
Lin Yuan watched him leave.
The glow of dusk replaced the shadows of people, spreading across the empty seats.
The wind was calm, the boat drifted away with the wind, and Lin Yuan looked down and saw her own face in the water of Kunming Pool.
As I looked at it, its eyebrows, eyes, nose, and lips all changed.
Her eyebrows were like distant, dark mountains, longer and reaching into her temples; her eyes were like ripples on water, but much calmer.
Her face was as bright as the moon, but even thinner.
She lifted the corners of her lips, and that smile was different too.
Very different.
When she smiles, her eyebrows and eyes curve into crescent moons, revealing her pearly white teeth.
The person in the water, the person in the mirror, was wrinkled by the wind and blurred by the light. So, their lips parted slightly, revealing a hint of a smile, as if some sorrow was stuck there, so thick that it could not be dispelled.
She couldn't quite describe her feelings, and let out a soft sigh.
Princess Consort of Huaiyang returned.
She found Lin Yuan, all smiles, and said that last time Lin Yuan left the palace early in the morning, she left her clothes and jewelry in the west wing of the East Garden. Knowing that it would be inconvenient for them to travel on horseback, she had them packed and brought to Chang'an this time.
“How can imperial gifts remain in the Prince’s residence? Those things are still in my carriage,” the Princess said with a smile.
"Huh? A royal gift?" Lin Yuan asked in surprise.
"Of course." The princess was also somewhat surprised. "Oh, that blue phoenix hairpin was a gift from me, and I brought it with me. If you still like it, you can keep it and wear it."
Lin Yuan quickly thanked her.
Before he could even kneel down and bow, the princess helped him up.
"That won't do. That won't do."
The princess smiled and said, "We've known each other for so long in the Prince of Huaiyang's residence, I've long considered you family. Since we're family, why bother with these formalities?"
Lin Yuan opened her mouth as if to say something more.
"By the way, should your brother take those cosmetics and jewelry home later?" the princess pondered. "If you stay in the palace, you might need them..."
Upon hearing the word "brother," Lin Yuan's eyes lit up. "Brother, did you come to Shanglin Garden with the Princess?"
She disembarked from the ship with the princess.
Lin Yu, as a personal attendant of the Princess of Huaiyang, entered the capital with the Princess and was waiting at the Sima Gate of Shanglin Garden.
Lin Yuan was both surprised and delighted. Many words were on the tip of her tongue, but she hesitated and didn't know where to begin. Thinking of her promise to Xiao Xun, she didn't know how long she would have to wait. The Crane Cry Boat was empty, so she simply pulled Lin Yu onto the boat.
The pavilion on the boat is like a high platform in the lake. From here, the lake surface is even more open, and the scenery of Shanglin Garden can be seen in its entirety.
A pot of peach blossom wine was placed on the table.
She had just had a glass of it during the meal; it was refreshingly sweet.
Lin Yuan poured two cups, handing one to Lin Yu. Leaning against the window, she pointed to the lush green mountains in front of her and said, "That's the Tiger Enclosure Temple, there's the Elephant Observation Temple, and there's the Bear Shooting Hall."
"Are you very familiar with Shanglin Garden?" Lin Yu asked with a smile, swirling the fine wine in her glass as she watched her speak with such excitement.
Lin Yuan pursed her lips: "I stayed there for a while."
"You went to Zhaotai Palace with the deposed empress?"
Lin Yuan took a sip of wine, shook her head, and said softly, "Not there. It's another villa. It's on that mountain—" She pointed eastward, where the green mountains were faintly visible and the clear water was tranquil. She smiled and said, "The mountain is too high and the forest is too dense. I couldn't even see that there was a courtyard up there. It's not far from Zhaotai Palace, though."
Lin Yu paused for a moment.
Five months before Lin Yuan left the palace, Qu Qingchuan's rebellion had just begun. At that time, rumors were rampant, and opinions on the battle situation varied. Xiao Xun actually sent her to Shanglin Garden, to a villa next to Zhaotai Palace.
The twilight light fell into the wine glass, suddenly dazzling. His heart was bright, and he tilted his head back to drink the wine in the glass. Taking the opportunity to refill the glass, he turned around and returned to the table, his back to Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan changed the subject: "Brother, why did you return from Huaiyang this time?"
"Miss you."
He poured the wine, but his mind was elsewhere.
"Then why did you happen to come with the Princess of Huaiyang? After you returned to Huaiyang, did you go to the Huaiyang Prince's residence again? Were you still teaching the Crown Prince...?"
Lin Yuan's questions came in one after another.
Lin Yu didn't know how to answer, so she simply hummed in response, her thoughts flowing freely.
“…Ayu, now that you’ve returned to Huaiyang, don’t go back to Chang’an. This is also what your father wants.”
Xiao Jin pondered and said, "Xiao Xun is a man of deep thoughts. This time, he sent you to persuade my father and made you lead the army as a general, all to use you. First, he used you to eliminate the Yan Kingdom and take over the Huaiyang Kingdom, and then he killed you without making a sound."
As he spoke, his voice grew increasingly agitated: "On the battlefield, swords and spears have no eyes. A single sniper shot or a hidden arrow can eliminate you. Besides, he also gains a reputation for valuing talent, employing people without being bound by convention, and promoting ordinary people."
Lin Yu's expression remained calm: "He knows who I am. If he is truly determined to kill me, wouldn't you and your father have to use the entire Huaiyang Kingdom, tens of thousands of soldiers, and the lives of millions of people to protect me alone?"
"If he doesn't touch you, Huaiyang Kingdom won't rebel."
Xiao Jin stared at him intently. "Qu Qingchuan's rebellion and the turmoil on the Xiongnu border have just been quelled. The national treasury is empty, the court's troops are exhausted, and the generals have been replaced. That's why he needs you, to use Huaiyang to restrain Yan, or even destroy Yan. If Huaiyang rebels, even if the court wins, it will inevitably result in millions of corpses and bloodshed for miles around, threatening Xiao Xun's empire. Xiao Xun knows what's more important."
Lin Yu looked at him for a long time, then raised the corners of her lips: "Your Highness has made a lot of progress. You haven't studied Zuo Qiuming for nothing."
Xiao Jin ignored his joking, stepped forward, and grabbed Lin Yu's arm: "Marry A Yuan to me."
Lin Yu suddenly felt a sharp pain: "Your Highness, what did you say?"
“Ayu, you have concerns, you’re worried about your family, aren’t you? Marry Ayuan to me, that way, your whole family can come to Huaiyang Kingdom, to the Royal Palace. Your parents, and Master Cheng. I will protect Ayuan, protect your whole family, protect everyone you care about. Me, and my father. That way, Xiao Xun will no longer be able to threaten you with your family.”
Lin Yu shook off his hand: "How can I let A Yuan waste her whole life for me in such a muddled way?"
"Marrying me means sacrificing your entire life."
Xiao Jin spoke earnestly and urgently, "You know, I love A Yuan, my father, my mother, and everyone in the household loves A Yuan. I will make A Yuan my heir apparent's wife, and she will be the queen of Huaiyang Kingdom in the future."
"Your Highness..."
"This is the best way," Xiao Jin said urgently, not allowing any interruption. "I'll go find Father and Mother right now and have them send someone to Chang'an immediately to propose marriage to your parents. Once the proposal is made, A-Yuan, your parents will be part of the Huaiyang Prince's household. If Xiao Xun dares to lay a finger on them, we in Huaiyang will have a reason to rise up! By the way, Xiao Xun has issued an edict ordering all the princes and nobles to send their wives to the capital for a banquet. The edict has just arrived in Huaiyang, and Father is certain that summoning people to the capital at this time is just Xiao Xun using the pretext of the princes and nobles offering their daughters to the palace to send women from various countries to the capital as hostages. He wants Mother to feign illness, but no matter what, Mother has to go, and it's a good opportunity for her to go in person—"
"Xiao Jin!"
It felt as if something shot straight to the top of Lin Yu's head, and the wine cup in his hand fell onto the table.
I miss you too.
Lin Yuan sighed and took a sip of wine.
The peach blossom wine tasted even sweeter than what we had at the banquet.
She was a little thirsty, so she held the cup and sipped while muttering:
“While you were gone, no one spoke up for me when Mother scolded me. By the way, I need to learn the art of speaking from you. Why doesn't Father and Mother ever mention you when you don't get married…”
"But my mother always tells me..."
"You want me to...marry you..."
"marry……"
"……you……"
Lin Yu watched as her lips opened and closed, a little bit of pink peach blossom wine dappling her lips.
"Not here..."
"But...you're not here..."
That drop of wine kept magnifying in his eyes.
I'm so close to him, getting closer and closer.
A faint, indistinct melody drifted from somewhere.
Like Lin Yuan's voice, it was clear, melodious, and lingering.
Yu Guangzhong: Gradually, the carved beams and embroidered pillars in the cabin disappeared, merging with the light of dusk to form a crimson veil.
The veil of rosy clouds enveloped her, A-Yuan.
Wrapped up, Xiao Yu.
Crimson gauze.
Vermilion fire.
An indescribable fire burned within him, quickly reaching his fingertips.
He reached out his hand towards those crimson lips.
It seems like that time at the Music Bureau in Huaiyang.
The candlelight flickered, the music ended, and the guests dispersed.
He got up and gently strummed two notes on an empty violin, but his fingers changed the two notes in that piece.
"You played so well. Young master, you must have someone you love." Hongxiu's voice rang in his ears, "But you can't have her, you toss and turn in bed, longing for her endlessly."
Upon hearing this, his fingertips faltered, and the string snapped.
"Smack."
The wine cup in Lin Yuan's hand fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.
"Ah Yuan, there's medicine in this wine," Lin Yu said, panting heavily.
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