The document is clear to the world

Chapter 123

"You are a concubine of a Han family." A woman's slightly intimidating voice sounded from behind.

I stopped in my tracks, turned around in confusion, and looked at the fierce and handsome Liao woman in front of me. To say she was beautiful was really a stretch.

"You haven't even bowed to our Queen?" The maid behind the shrew glared at me fiercely.

I was still deep in thought, thinking that Xiao was nothing special, that he had chosen such a lowly person.

I smiled slightly, "I only know Han etiquette, not the etiquette of your barbarian tribes."

"You bastard!" the little girl cursed fiercely.

My anger flared up, and I glared back, "How dare you!"

Both of them were startled and speechless in front of me. Then I heard footsteps behind me, and a hurried voice said, "Which wretch is so bold as to throw a tantrum in front of the princess?"

I turned around and saw a graceful woman walking out of the courtyard. She looked to be in her fifties, with not much white hair, but the vicissitudes of life were undeniable in her eyes.

"Mother." That's what I heard the princess say.

I immediately understood. The woman in front of me was Xiao's mother.

"Cangge. Slap him." The Dowager frowned deeply and gave the order to the older nanny behind her.

Before I could even retaliate, I was slapped across the face, leaving me slightly dazed. The fierce princess standing nearby was starting to lose her composure, pleading for me repeatedly. I thought to myself, what kind of world is this? Your husbands are bowing down to my son, and I get slapped in the face. The more I thought about it, the more wrong it seemed. With a slight exertion of my hand, I pushed the old woman down into the flower bushes.

"Aunt Cang!" The princess was startled and rushed to help the person in the flower bushes.

Just as the Dowager Consort was about to unleash her fury, she saw the women clashing at the courtyard entrance. Xiao watched in astonishment.

"My son, is this the woman you made me go to great lengths to beg for?" The Empress Dowager's face was already showing anger.

Xiao glared at me fiercely, then walked up to me with a forced smile, "Mother, this girl is just a country bumpkin. She's just here to give me a taste of something new. She's not worth your concern."

I had already focused my energy in my dantian. The Empress Dowager took a deep breath, stopped looking at me, and was led away by her son and daughter-in-law.

I thought to myself, what's going on here?! It's just a wildflower? Xiao, I'll remember this.

I was locked in the room for three days by this inhuman, domineering man, not allowed to step out. Even my beloved maid was transferred away, leaving me alone to stare at the empty room. The door opened, and a woman of noble beauty walked in. I looked up at her face and recognized her as the princess I had met with unpleasantly that day. The tyrannical man and the fierce woman were indeed a perfect match.

She walked in alone and was somewhat surprised and curious to see me sitting there without any expression.

After a long pause, he finally spoke, “Your temperament is not like that of the gentle and graceful Han people, but rather like the straightforwardness of us Liao people.”

I forced a smile. "I guess it's just a matter of adapting to local customs."

The princess chuckled, "You really are... good-natured."

I looked up at her, eagerly asking, "Your Highness, how did you put up with that man?!"

The princess smiled and raised her fist. "I always solve things this way."

"Oh." I suddenly realized, no wonder, there's always someone who can subdue another. "Do you have many concubines in your household?"

She paused for a moment, then finally said, "I have always been the only woman in this household."

Xiao's devotion was something I hadn't expected at all; I almost couldn't swallow my tea.

"Well, he's good to me because I have too many deadbeat men."

The princess actually laughed, "I misunderstood you that day, because I had never seen any other women in the mansion before, and I was a little unaccustomed to it. But later the master told me that he was a distinguished guest that you invited."

"I don't deserve it." I glanced at her; she was more like a wildflower.

She looked at me and suddenly said, "There's a temple fair on the tenth of the month. You can go and ask Grandpa if you can go. He'll be in his study at that time."

I was quite surprised by her sudden concern, but I wasn't offended. I had to go where there was excitement, so even though I didn't want to see that person, I forced myself to go into his study.

Hearing the summons outside the study, Xiao rushed out in a panic, his brows furrowed. "What are you doing barging in like this? Who gave you permission to run around like that?"

He felt as if a figure had flashed behind him, hiding behind a screen, revealing only a pair of gray-white boots.

I blinked quickly, thinking to myself that even this prince had this problem—hiding men.

"I want to go to the temple fair," I said, looking around listlessly. I noticed a half-finished chessboard on the table; the white pieces moved with a disciplined yet unconventional strategy. The indistinct figure behind the screen piqued my curiosity, the familiar scent of ink in the room aroused my suspicion, and the unique balance of offense and defense on the chessboard was something I could instantly decipher—I had memorized those tactics. I recalled those dawns spent battling him on the chessboard; I understood every move he made better than anyone else.

"No!" He interrupted me before I could finish and kept pushing me toward the door.

My doubts now became certain. No longer hesitant, I pushed aside the flute and strode towards the screen. The figure behind the screen seemed to want to hide, but ultimately didn't take a step, simply standing there motionless.

I pushed the screen aside, my eyes fixed straight ahead.

He wore a simple, unadorned blue robe, his attire understated and elegant. At this moment, I stood before him, yet the distance between us felt immense, almost as if an entire world separated us. How long had it been since I'd even dreamt of him? I dared not dream; to see him in a dream, only to wake and find it all gone, leaving me alone to face the long, cold, lonely night. I dared not experience that feeling even once, only by daring not to experience it, could I survive in this world where he was no longer there. But now, that figure who never even appeared in my dreams was truly standing before me.

In an instant, all the emotions surged up, manifesting only in his hoarse voice: "Do you recognize me?"

His calm gaze met mine, and he nodded slightly.

"You knew I was here all along?"

"yes."

"Very good." I raised my eyebrows, clenched my fists, and felt a sharp pain.

I looked up at his face, but there was not a trace of emotion on his face. He just looked at me calmly, with unchanging composure, as if I were a stranger.

He paused for a moment, then said, "You haven't changed."

I looked up at him but didn't answer. After a long while, he slowly spoke, "You know your son... is about to inherit the throne, and the proposed reign title is Xuanyou."

"I've heard about it." His tone was indifferent.

Unrelated people and unrelated things.

“Very well.” I replied through gritted teeth, then continued, “Do you know that I’ve followed in your footsteps all this way, enduring countless hardships, drying my tears, and making my way to where I am now…”

"I know." He nodded slightly, no longer looking at me.

I struggled to suppress the anger welling up inside me. Countless days and nights I traversed mountains and valleys to see him, waking from countless dreams in tears, each wakefulness a struggle between life and death. Yet he… stood before me unharmed, even hiding beside me for so long, refusing to reveal that he was alright. He knew perfectly well that Xuan's departure was devastating for me, and he should have known I would be plunged back into this terror because of him. But if I hadn't pushed him away today, how long would he have kept this a secret?!

I forced a bitter smile; if I didn't release it through laughter, I might collapse in an instant.

"Very—" The word "good" just wouldn't come out no matter what.

I took a breath, turned to look at Xiao beside me, and pointed at Lu Li with one finger, "Do you know who he is?"

The Third Prince nodded silently.

I gave a cold laugh, then pointed to myself, "And what about me? I should also know my own identity."

He nodded emphatically once again.

Suddenly, I seemed to understand. I stared resolutely into Lu Li's calm, unwavering eyes, "That night it was you—"

Without hesitation or panic, he remained calm and composed, saying, "Yes, it's me."

"Is it human to dress up as another man and rape one's own wife?" I gritted my teeth, showing no mercy.

"sorry."

"Since you know so much..." I forced a smile, "then... do you know that your son has read thousands of books but can't even pronounce the word 'father'?"

His eyes flickered slightly, and he slowly raised his head, staring intently at me.

Meeting those deep, calm eyes, I suddenly became very composed. "...Do you know that Xiao Yi burned his life away for the world you left behind? Fourth Prince is now overworked to the point that his temples are all white. The Empress Dowager cried until she went blind for you. I almost crashed into your tombstone in Xiling. Do you know... how I struggled against fate all this way, searching high and low, just to tell you how much I care about you..."

That face was as serene and cold as jade and snow, like ancient ice.

"But now... I'd rather you be buried in the yellow sand, just like people say..."

"You can think of it that way... just pretend I'm gone." His tone was flat, devoid of any emotion, his deep eyes remaining as still as water. "Isn't this what you wanted? Empress, Empress Dowager...aren't these what you longed for? From the first day you married me, these were things you were destined for. Since you wanted them, I could give them to you...but that position, though not what I desired...all these years, you've always been excellent, managing both the Prince's residence and the harem with impeccable order. I respect you...I respect you as a true Princess Consort, Empress, and in the future, an Empress Dowager whose name will be etched in history. If you wanted, you could have easily changed the name of this empire to 'Rong'...You've fulfilled everything you promised your father. As a descendant of the Rong family, you've completed the trust placed in you by generations...I admire you...I sincerely admire you...for having walked this path with such difficulty and trepidation." …You never got bogged down in the mud, truly an extraordinary woman, each step carefully, steadily, and cautiously taken. You're right, this kind of marriage…needs no love, and cannot be loved…In this respect, you surpass all other women. You actually…don't love me, you love the supreme power in your hands, you love your responsibility as a descendant of the Prince of Huai, you only love the identity of being a wife. If the person who married you that day hadn't been me…you would still be searching for his corpse here today, still weeping and wailing for him for forty-nine days, still nearly crashing into his tomb for him, but that doesn't prove love. Your love was buried underground many years ago with that young man…You can feel pain for me, cry for me, worry about me…but all of that is just your most instinctive reaction as a wife, you have no love…If you had love, you couldn't live in this world…”

Although his words were calm and composed, they stirred up a storm in my heart. I hated that every word he said was reasonable and that not a single word had wronged me.

After a long while, he raised a faint smile, "I am still gratified that you came to see me... In the end, it was that Imperial Seal that bound us, who were originally unrelated people, together, but now that position is no longer something I can control."

I stared at him coldly, my nails digging into my flesh. "It seems our score isn't so easy to settle."

He paused, a look of pity gradually appearing in his dark eyes: "Zhaozhi, what else do you want me to give you?" He sighed and turned his eyes away, looking at the Third Prince, "Brother Xiao, let's make a trip to the reservoir in the south of the city ourselves."

This time... they completely ignored my existence.

I rushed out of the house ahead of him. The sky was overcast; it had finally started raining in the capital.

The rain wasn't cold, but the north wind whipping against my face felt like it could sever everything...

"Are you leaving already?" The Third Prince Xiao stood behind me, watching me pack my bags.

"What else is there to keep?" I didn't have time to pay attention to him and answered impatiently.

Instead, he became very interested and walked straight up to me. “It’s really bad timing for you to come at this time. Losing the emperor is a small matter, but losing your husband is a big deal. My wild sister has been pestering me for days to send your man to her princess’s residence. I thought that you people from the Central Plains would first seek the opinion of the legitimate wife in such matters, so I came to ask you first.”

"You don't need to ask me, this man has nothing to do with me."

He raised his eyebrows. "It seems... the rumors are true."

"What rumor?"

"They say the Emperor and Empress have always been at odds. The Empress not only has an affair with the Regent, but she's also promiscuous." He blinked and leaned closer. "Is that little prince really Lu Li's child?!" Seeing him address Lu Li by his given name, one could tell their relationship was unusual.

"Oh? The rumors have spread this far." I chuckled and waved my hand. "And I've become Zhao Feiyan of the imperial harem, haven't I?" I patted his broad shoulder. "Also... you should be more mature. Don't always take advantage of being the older brother to steal things from your younger brother. Respecting the elderly and caring for the young are traditional virtues. You should love the young, you know? Oh, that's a Confucian classic. You don't study it."

Clearly confused by my lecture, he swallowed hard, then after a long pause, his eyes red, he managed to utter, "What nonsense is this?"

"If you have the chance, come to my territory and see what a prosperous era looks like. I can also give you a little cultural education. You can't just be rough without culture; you need to be both skilled in martial arts and literature to be presentable. Also... the girls at our Qingfeng Tower, Baihua Tower, and Yinfang Residence are not only diverse but also plentiful. If you like girls who are skillful, good at taking care of children, cooking, and serving others, I'll give you a whole bunch to choose from."

I kept rambling on and on, and as he listened, he stared blankly with a gleam in his eyes. "What did you eat to grow up like this? How come you can talk so much? It makes my head hurt just by opening your mouth."

I smiled, wondering what else I should take with me. Seeing the fox fur gloves on the table, I quickly picked them up. "That's great! I'll take these too."

"Are you going to move half of my princely residence?" He finally realized what I was doing and looked at the bundles I had packed.

“Aren’t you Khitans supposed to be quite generous? I’ve come all this way, so I have to bring back some souvenirs. Don’t you think about how I have hundreds of people to take care of back home?” I said, stuffing the fox fur gloves and the tiger-skin shawl from the hanger into the package.

He gave a cold laugh and made a few nibbling sounds.

I walked up to you. "Hey? There's something I need to ask you. From the first time you tried to take liberties with me, was it all to lure me in? And afterwards, you kept causing me trouble because you knew my identity and were afraid I'd get into trouble."

"I'm afraid that after you've wreaked havoc on the Central Plains, you'll come and ravage our Great Liao."

"you--"

He chuckled, his voice casual, "It was Lu Li who told me to wait for you outside the capital so I could abduct you and bring you back to the manor. Now I finally understand Lu Li's worries; you really are no pushover."

I approached him gradually, staring at his silvery eyes with a questioning look. "Does my face say I'm the Empress of the Central Plains?"

"No."

"Then how did you recognize me?"