The Beauties of the Song Dynasty - Chapter 141
Volume Six: The Rise and Fall of the Song Dynasty, Chapter 119: The Moon Rises Silently (2)
When Wanlan returned to the manor, Zehua told her that Zhao Dezhao had already gone back.
"go back?"
"Yes, he went back to the Prince of Yan's residence. He said he'd been bothering us long enough."
"You're letting him go?" Wanlan stared at him in astonishment. What if he did something rash and ran into the palace? Wouldn't all my efforts to keep him here have been wasted? Zehua, didn't you want to save him?"
Zhao Defang lowered his eyes and didn't look at her, but simply put his arm around her shoulder and headed towards Ziyun Pavilion.
"Whether to save him or not depends on whether my brother wants to. Wanlan, don't worry about this."
Wanlan pursed her lips and remained silent.
Did Zehua discuss this matter with Zhao Dezhao? Did Zhao Dezhao refuse their help? But in Zhuozhou, that man told her that he would give her an answer. Could his answer be that he told her through Zehua that he didn't need her help?
He reached up and pressed his hand to his chest, where Zehua's token was hidden.
For the past month, she has been carrying this item with her at all times, fearing that she might not be able to save herself in case of an emergency.
But now... is it really unnecessary?
"Wanlan, let's leave in a few days."
Wanlan bit her lower lip and snuggled tightly into his arms.
Should we leave?
Is it really possible to never come back this time?
September 17th, the fourth year of the Taiping Xingguo era.
When Prince Zhao Dezhao of Wugong entered the palace to meet the emperor, he requested that the emperor reward the meritorious soldiers for their victory in the battle of Taiyuan, but his request was refused.
Hearing that the Emperor roared like thunder in the Chongde Hall that day, everyone guessed that the Prince of Yan had been too presumptuous this time, thus provoking the Emperor's anger, and would probably be punished.
On that day, Wanlan, upon hearing that Zhao Dezhao had entered the palace, hurriedly pulled Zehua to follow him in, but they only had time to greet Zhao Dezhao as he walked out of Chongde Hall with a faint smile.
The sunlight that day was exceptionally bright, and Wanlan could barely open her eyes, yet she stubbornly squinted and stared intently at Zhao Dezhao, who was smiling warmly at her.
"Lan'er".
In front of Zehua, he called her that, "Could you give me a day?"
Wanlan listened but didn't understand. She just blinked blankly and turned her head to look at Zehua.
Zehua wore his usual smile, but Wanlan suddenly felt that there seemed to be something else in his smile.
He said, "Wanlan, would you like to keep my elder brother company today? I need to talk to my uncle about something."
Before she could figure out what was going on, Zehua personally placed her hand in Zhao Dezhao's outstretched palm, then strode towards Chongde Hall without looking back.
“Ze—”
"Lan'er".
Zhao Dezhao held her hand tightly, a smile playing on his lips, and pulled her away from the palace. They boarded a carriage in front of Xuande Tower to return to the Prince of Yan's residence.
"What are you guys up to?"
Zhao Dezhao kept staring at the two clasped hands.
This time, she didn't shake him off.
Maybe she just forgot.
"What's your name?" he suddenly asked.
Wanlan stared in astonishment, "Zhao Dezhao, what's wrong with you?"
He suddenly raised his eyes and gazed intently at her, "What was your name in that world?"
Why are you suddenly asking this?
"Zhao Dezhao? What's wrong?"
In the cramped carriage, she almost instinctively reached out to touch his forehead, but the next moment her eyes widened in shock as her free finger pointed at the tip of his nose.
"You...you agreed, didn't you?"
Zhao Dezhao's lips curved into a half-smile, "Agree to what?"
"You promised to leave here using my method, right?" Wanlan was overjoyed. Zehua must have guessed wrong this time.
His smiling eyes lowered slightly as he asked in a low voice, determined to find out her name, "What was your name in that world?"
"Jiaolan".
Wanlan beamed with joy. As long as Zhao Dezhao didn't die, Zehua could finally relax, right? She would also feel less guilty, as long as he didn't die.
"The character '皎' means bright and clear, and the character '澜' means calm and undisturbed."
“Jiaolan… Lan’er…” he murmured her name softly, then suddenly chuckled, “So from the very beginning, I didn’t call you by the wrong name, you are also Lan’er…”
What was it like in the beginning?
She was startled by him, and pointed at him in astonishment, shouting "Zhao Dezhao." Later, unable to break free from him, she even bit him.