After a moment of silence, Fu Yu said, "As a friend, you are hateful. But as a general, you were very respectable in the past. You were an invaluable talent for the court and the people."
These words were truly unexpected, and Wei Tianze was shocked, looking at him in surprise.
The two foxes knew each other very well; they could discern the truth from each other's expressions and eyes. He hesitated for a moment, "Let bygones be bygones?"
Fu Yu twitched the corner of his mouth. "In the imperial court, past grievances should not be held against each other."
Wei Tianze was stunned.
Fu Yu continued, “I am determined to take the people of Suizhou. To the south we have Fu Zhang of Jianchang, to the north we have Zhao Yanzhi of Jingzhou, and to the east we have the capital. Once we join forces, we will surely succeed in taking Suizhou. Even if the Wei family defends the pass to the death, it will only be a delaying tactic. You should know this very well.”
Wei Tianze remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.
Fu Yu's expression darkened slightly. "But that would be a waste of military strength, a drain on the people and resources, which is not what I desire."
“It’s not what I wanted either,” Wei Tianze said in a low voice.
Even many of the things he did before were not what he wanted. He had simply fallen into a quagmire in his youth, sinking deeper and deeper, with no way to undo his regrets. If he could continue to guard the border and protect the people, perhaps the immense weight on his heart could slowly be lifted. Compared to struggling against his original intentions in Wei Jian's quagmire, what was wrong with being able to do what he had wanted to do since childhood with dignity and integrity?
After a moment's thought, Wei Tianze actually showed a relaxed smile.
"Are you planning... a coordinated attack from within?"
"If you value the people, I will spare Wei Jian's life."
"No need." Wei Tianze mounted his horse. "I will explain to you."
Having said that, he shook the reins and spurred his horse away quickly.
...
Given Wei Tianze's skills and his status as the crown prince, killing Wei Jian would not be difficult.
That night, Wei Jian died suddenly in his tent.
As the news spread and the generals were in an uproar, Wei Tianze opened the city gates and welcomed Fu Yu inside. Eagle Beak Pass fell without a fight, and the battle that had begun in early May came to a halt with this test of morale. All that remained was to purge Wei Jian's supporters and stabilize public sentiment.
Without Wei Jian and the natural barrier of Yingzui Pass, and with Wei Tianze still around, taking Suizhou would be a piece of cake.
On the day the matter was accomplished, Fu Yu ordered someone to take over the administration of Suizhou, and then sent Wei Tianze with 20,000 troops to the western border.
Accompanying Wei Tianze was one of Fu Yu's confidants, who carried a secret edict.
The secret edict was written by Fu Yu himself, and its contents were extremely simple—
More than twenty years ago, Wei Jian had used false military intelligence to deceive the court into granting him a title of prince from a different surname. This time, the court returned the title in full, both to make Wei Tianze understand the true nature of people and to spare the people from the ravages of war. The 20,000 troops were used to expand the border garrison to prevent enemy invasion, reminding Wei Tianze to remember the past and not forget his original intentions.
Fu Yu no longer needed to speculate on Wei Tianze's reaction after seeing the secret edict.
Suizhou has been recovered, and the old generals who insisted on following Wei Jian in rebellion have been eliminated. The court has sent Zhu Xun to guard the area, controlling several key passes. With Zhao Yanzhi and Fu Zhang protecting the north and south, the area is safe.
His only concern now is the capital.
...
July had arrived, the height of summer, the most unbearable time of the year. Aside from the brief respite before sunrise and sunset, the daytime heat was unbearable, making it impossible to go outside. Fortunately, the weather had been sunny for days, with hardly a cloud in sight, let alone rain. You Tong could only stay indoors to escape the heat, venturing out at night to watch the fireflies flicker in the decaying grass, calculating Fu Yu's return date, hoping he would be safe and sound.
With her due date approaching, You Tong's body had become very heavy, and she needed someone to help her every time she went out.
Outside Fengyang Palace, there were endless rows of palaces, which became less interesting after a while, so I turned north and strolled near Taiye Pond, enjoying the cool night breeze and moisture. When I got tired, I sat down in a pavilion to rest.
Behind them, palace lanterns stretched out, all waiting a dozen steps away on orders.
Lady Wei stayed by her side, talking to her daughter to keep her company. You Tong stroked her high, swollen belly, occasionally gazing westward. With the emperor personally leading the expedition, the affairs of the court were temporarily taken over by the retired Emperor Fu Deqing, who had specially come from Qizhou. Over the past half month, battle reports from that side had been delivered daily.
According to Fu Deqing, the situation in Suizhou has been stabilized, and Fu Yu will soon return to Beijing.
That way, perhaps he could still make it in time for the child to be born.
A gentle movement stirred in her womb; the little one must be turning over. Through her thin summer robe, You Tong gently stroked her belly, carefully reassuring her not to be naughty, assuring her father would be back soon. Gradually, however, she sensed something was amiss. Not daring to delay, she quickly set off for Fengyang Palace. Soon after arriving, the labor pains began.
The entire Fengyang Palace was immediately thrown into chaos.
Dozens of miles away, Fu Yu was riding alone, speeding through the night.
The army that he personally led was victorious and returned to the capital. He should have accompanied the generals, but how could he wait?
Although the campaign went smoothly, it still took quite a while. It took several days longer than he had anticipated to regroup the remnants of the Wei family's army. Before leaving the capital, You Tong had said that childbirth was like walking through the gates of hell for a woman, and she hoped he would be there with her, otherwise she would be afraid. Although it was just a vague remark made in the middle of the night, Fu Yu remembered it clearly.
If he continued to travel slowly with the main army, the child would likely have already been born by the time he reached the capital. He decided to leave the main army behind, changed into inconspicuous clothing, and, accompanied by a few bodyguards, sped towards the capital.
By the time they entered the palace, it was almost the end of the hour of Chou (1-3 AM).
Perhaps it was due to the speed of the ride, or perhaps it was a telepathic connection, but when Fu Yu dismounted and sped toward Fengyang Palace, his heart was pounding.
Upon arriving at the other side, the door was half-closed, and hurried footsteps could be heard from inside, interspersed with heart-wrenching cries of pain.
The palace was brightly lit, several imperial physicians waited in the corridor, and palace servants hurriedly brought clean hot water. Lady Wei stood guard at the door, helping You Tong keep watch. When she saw Fu Yu running back covered in sweat, Lady Wei was both surprised and delighted. After stopping Fu Yu from rushing into the delivery room, she quickly turned around and went into the room to tell You Tong the news.
This offered some comfort to You Tong, who could only grit her teeth and exert herself, enduring the pain and working hard.
The pain was long and intense, almost excruciating. Separated by the door, one person was frantic with worry, while the other was drenched in sweat.
It wasn't until dawn, when the first light of day appeared on the horizon, that a loud cry of a newborn baby pierced the deep, inky night sky.
The moment the door was pulled open from the inside, Fu Yu rushed in and pounced on the bed.
Bright candles shone, wax dripped, and You Tong lay on the couch, her hair disheveled, her face covered in sweat, exhausted and weak.
Their eyes met by the bedside. She saw the beads of sweat on Fu Yu's forehead and his slightly sunken eyes, and forced a smile.
Where are the children?
"The child..." Fu Yu glanced back and saw Yu Zan holding the baby in front of him. The infant was entirely red, somewhat ugly, with legs like lotus roots. Fu Yu simply couldn't imagine such a large person being born from a womb. He grasped You Tong's hand, his lips twitching with a mixture of heartache and excitement, "It's a boy. Our eldest prince."
"Um."
"It must have hurt terribly." Fu Yu wiped her sweat, his fingertips trembling slightly as he recalled the agonizing torment that felt like half a lifetime.
You Tong's lips twitched slightly, her voice low and soft, "I know you're outside."
Knowing that he was there, we had nothing to fear.
Just as when he charged into the enemy ranks, knowing she was waiting for him, he was invincible.
With a heart at peace and a body utterly exhausted, You Tong closed her eyes, letting Fu Yu hold her hand, and drifted off to sleep.
...
When I woke up, I was in the inner chamber of the main hall, nestled in a thick, soft mattress. Because there was a fan in the side room blowing cool air, I didn't feel stuffy.
The long curtains hung down, blocking out the glaring sunlight, while beside them, there was the sound of long, warm breaths.
For a moment, You Tong was dazed. She rolled over and snuggled closer to Fu Yu. The heavy burden on her abdomen seemed to disappear, and she was slightly startled. Only when the pain in her lower abdomen came did she remember that the baby had been born. When she opened her eyes, she saw Fu Yu's sleeping face. His eyebrows were cold and his features were strong. He had stubble on his chin, and he stretched out an arm for her to rest her head on.
He rarely slacks off during the day, so it's likely he's been traveling day and night without rest these past two days.
As if sensing her gaze, Fu Yu also opened his eyes. The couple looked at each other from a distance of only a few feet, and finally You Tong couldn't help but laugh, "I was giving birth inside, so why are you the one sweating so much?"
"It's too hot outside." Fu Yu, who was always composed and calm, refused to admit that he was nervous.
The only response he received was the rumbling sound from You Tong's stomach.
He then ordered a meal to be prepared.
The rich, fragrant broth and soft pastries were incredibly tempting. You Tong, afraid of the pain, dared not move, so Fu Yu helped her recline against the soft pillows, wiping her face and rinsing her mouth before feeding her the soup. After she finished eating, he called the wet nurse to bring the baby. The infant in the swaddling clothes was cleaned, wrapped in soft silk, and sleeping soundly. After being tidied up, the baby didn't look so bad anymore.
The more you look at her, the more attractive her flushed face becomes.
Fu Yu lowered his head to kiss him, which startled You Tong, who quickly stopped him, saying, "The child is still young, don't do anything reckless."
These words were more effective than an imperial edict, and Fu Yu indeed shut up, carefully placing the swaddled baby next to her.
The family of three lay in bed, the quilt soft and the food warm and fragrant—a world apart from the exhaustion of their previous campaigns. Fu Yu turned to his side, unable to kiss his child, and stole a kiss from You Tong—she had become fuller after becoming pregnant, her face soft to the touch. The pleasures of the bedchamber, the joys of domestic life, along with the delicious food and beautiful scenery beside her, were his greatest pleasures outside of state affairs.
However, she was pregnant at the time and had to restrain herself and suppress her anger.
Now that the baby is born, she can do whatever she wants again after her postpartum period.
Fu Yulong was overjoyed, teasing her earlobe with his fingers. You Tong laughed and dodged to the side, pushing against his chest. "The child is still here. By the way—you should tell me his name now, right?"
When she was pregnant, the two had discussed that if it was a princess, the mother, You Tong, would name the child. If it was a prince, the father would name the child. However, Fu Yu was being mysterious, not revealing his plans until he saw something, which made her very curious.
Now, there's no escaping it.
Fu Yu turned his head and glanced at his son with a smile, "He is our eldest son, and his name is Fu Bojun."
"Bojun?"
"If the eldest brother takes the lead, then have a few more children in the future, so that the brothers, uncles, and youngest brothers can be complete."
This is what he longs for: to have more children. In his youth, Fu Yu was immersed in military strategy and warfare, possessing a proud, arrogant, and ruthless nature, and his surroundings were always aloof. Now, however, he yearns for the joy of having children around him.
You Tong smiled and leaned against his chest. "Where's Jun?"
“The weight of the world is determined by the weight of the stone, and the trust of the people is established.” Fu Yu held her soft, boneless hand. “The matter of naming cannot be taken lightly. I deliberated for many days before choosing this character.”
You Tong teased, "So serious?"
"That's right. A slight oversight in naming might just backfire—like the Wenchang Emperor back then."
The man, who was always solemn, resolute, and decisive, had now learned to tell lame jokes with a straight face. You Tong glanced at him with a smile, and after laughing, he still shamelessly sighed, "The name He Luan Yong Yong, Wan Fu You Tong, is indeed prescient. It's just that he didn't expect that the phoenix would perch on the phoenix tree of the Fu family, rather than on the Xu family's empire."
I guessed the ending, but I didn't know the twists and turns in between.
Just as everyone in this world arrives at the same destination through different paths, who can guess the reasons, fates, love, hate, separations and reunions in between?
You Tong suddenly became mischievous and teased in a low voice—
“If we had divorced back then, I would have hated your initial arrogance and disdain, and you would have followed someone else out of spite. In that case, this name would have been useless.”
"If you dare marry someone else, I'll lead an army to take you away." Fu Yu gripped her waist, gritting his teeth and threatening her, "You've even considered that?"
You Tong looked into his eyes, smiled, and gently shook her head.
Before the divorce, she was alone and powerless, the Fu family situation was complicated, and Fu Yu's thoughts were unpredictable. She really didn't have the courage to take a gamble and stay in the Fu family for him, forcing herself to fit in. But when he wrote the divorce papers and defended her, the woman who had heartlessly abandoned him, in front of everyone in the Fu family, she knew that this man was worth her all-consuming love.
Love, if it cannot be expressed in words, is often silently poured into actions.
Many people missed their chance in silence, becoming strangers to each other.
Fortunately, both she and Fu Yu were lucky enough not to miss each other, and they cherished each other even more because they had lost each other and then regained each other.
You Tong's lips curved into a smile, and as Fu Yu leaned in to kiss her, she wrapped her arms around his neck and tilted her head back to meet his kiss. (Public WeChat Account: A Leisurely Moment of Reading)
(End of article)