El amor de un mortal a través de la dinastía Song del Norte

Capítulo 112

Is this life destined to be one of humiliation? It seems like she's always been surrendering, surrendering to the Western Turks and then to the Dayu. Such a surrendered subject is bound to be ridiculed and despised. No matter how outstanding or hardworking she is, how will others view her? This is why she decided not to attend court from the very beginning of negotiating the terms.

"Hahaha—Ziju can be shy too? Why aren't you shy when you're seducing people?"

Wei Zijun raised an eyebrow and glared angrily, then pulled her hand back, only to have it grabbed again.

"You can't think like that in the future, you know? You were only sixteen years old then, just a child. Why did you demand so much of yourself? Even now, you're still not twenty. Besides, everyone knows you did it to save your father, and now you're doing it to save the people from suffering. Who dares to say anything about you? If anyone dares to talk nonsense, I will never let them get away with it."

Wei Zijun sighed softly, "What people say is their business. Let them say what they want. It's not that I can't tolerate these things. Do you think I would pay attention to those false rumors? If I didn't have that kind of magnanimity, how could I have allowed people to misunderstand me to this day?"

Isn't that right? She has been known as the number one male favorite of the Turks to this day, but she just laughs it off. No matter what others say, or how they wrong or ridicule her, she is still herself. She just does what she believes is right, and no one can stop her.

"If you're not afraid of gossip, what can't you face?" He gently stroked the back of her hand with his calloused fingers.

"Because I have done things that have wronged them. Their beloved generals may have died tragically at my hands, or my hands may be stained with the blood of their closest relatives. How can I face this?"

Li Tianqi stared at her intently, his large hand caressing her face. "Zijun, no one is at fault in matters on the battlefield. Don't make things difficult for yourself. Why are you so kind? Don't make things difficult for yourself. I'm here for you."

After offering heartfelt comfort, his hand, which had been covering her face, remained still, but his fingers began to restlessly dab at her earlobe.

Wei Zijun felt a pang of panic. Even if they were the best of brothers, this little action of his was really too much. He hurriedly called out, "Boyuan—" To break the awkward silence, he asked about official business, "Has the breach in the Yellow River been repaired?"

"We've already sent people to repair it, so it should be fine now, but it's hard to solve the root cause. Besides, Xingyang County has been experiencing frequent rainfall recently, so I'm afraid the floods might start again."

Wei Zijun also sighed, "Since ancient times, the Yellow River has frequently breached its banks, causing harm to the people and destroying farmland, which is a great scourge. Due to the accumulation of silt, it has now become a suspended river above ground, and its situation is worrying."

“I am also thinking of long-term solutions, but I have no other choice. If we remove the silt, the foundation of the riverbank will be eroded by the river, and the risk of breaching the dike will be even greater. If we change the course, it will destroy a large area of farmland, causing damage to people's homes. Ziju, do you have any good suggestions?” Li Tianqi gently tugged at her finger.

"If there are no good suggestions, we can only choose the relatively better ones. The siltation is due to the extensive loess soil upstream and the scarcity of forests, which leads to soil erosion. Boyuan needs to stop officials and merchants from cutting down trees to build houses, and instead establish more green spaces and plant more trees to reduce soil erosion. This is a long-term consideration."

"Very well, I will issue an order to handle this matter tomorrow. Anything else?"

"Unstable water volume is also a cause of dike breaches. I suggest building sluice gates and high dams in important river sections, firstly to block sand and secondly to regulate the flow and prevent floods from bursting through the dikes during the flood season."

"Okay, but it's a huge project." Li Tianqi frowned slightly, seemingly lost in thought.

"Yes, not only is the project massive, but the cost is also enormous. So the most urgent task is to build dikes and dams downstream and reinforce dangerous sections. Ideally, we should reinforce and build a large dike as a second barrier in the downstream sections that are prone to breaching. In case of a breach, it will not cause immediate disaster and harm the people."

"Great idea, Ziju, that's wonderful!" Li Tianqi squeezed her hand hard in his excitement.

Wei Zijun winced in pain and shook off his hand. "Another thing is to try to divert the flow at multiple outlets downstream, dredge shallows, and disperse the water and sediment on both banks of the Yellow River. I suggest straightening the bends, as the impact at bends is too great and they are more prone to breaching the dikes."

Li Tianqi nodded approvingly, "Yes, building dikes and dams is a massive undertaking, and it is extremely easy for corruption to breed. I am most afraid that those river workers will pocket our hard-earned money and use inferior materials. Losing our money is a small matter, but if the dikes are not strong, it will harm the lives of the people. We must choose a person who is honest and upright."

Wei Zijun tilted her head and thought for a moment, "Let Zhang Shi do this. He is well-versed in dam construction, and he is honest and respectful. I have often heard him talk about his water management strategies. He is quite talented."

"Zijun doesn't hate him?"

"Hate? These are two different things. How can you abandon talented people because of your own selfishness?" She thought it was foolish to disregard the overall situation because of personal grudges.

“Zijun—you are truly suited to be an emperor.” Li Tianqi gripped her hand tightly. “Is it your second brother’s fault? Who pulled you down from your position?”

Wei Zijun smiled faintly, "I was forced into it all. I was forced to sit in that position, and I was forced to get out of it. It seems fair to me, huh..."

She didn't say whether she hated or not, because she rarely hated anyone. In fact, she didn't really hate anyone; why would she hate? She was sad, though. There was no hatred, only sadness—sadness for the soldiers who died because of this; her heart ached.

...

The Ministry of Personnel was located to the right front of the Taiji Hall in the Daxing Palace. It comprised six ministries: the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and the Ministry of Works, which in turn oversaw twenty-four departments. After the morning court session, some ministers could come directly here to conduct their official business.

When Wei Zijun arrived, Zhang Shi was carefully reviewing the grain transport lists from various regions at his desk.

"Congratulations, sir! You've been promoted to Minister of Works in such a short time. You must have made great contributions to the country!" Wei Zijun said with a smile as she gracefully strolled in.

Upon seeing her, Zhang Shi's eyes lit up, but he didn't show excessive surprise. He simply bowed respectfully. "Thanks to King Feng's blessing."

Wei Zijun turned around and looked around the room. "Oh dear, for someone of your status, isn't this office far too simple? It could almost be called a shabby room."

“Serving the country is not about extravagance or simplicity. Zhang Shi only needs a humble abode to live in; there is no need for anything too luxurious.” The gentle man smiled warmly.

“How can this be? Sir, you endured humiliation and injustice in the Western Turkic Khaganate to gather intelligence on the enemy. You lived a life of constant anxiety! You had to flatter them on the surface and scheme behind their backs. It wasn’t easy being two-faced. How can we not make it up to you?” Wei Zijun sighed deeply, her face full of emotion.

"Did the Khan still hate Zhang Shi after speaking sarcastically to him?"

Wei Zijun turned her head in surprise, "Hate? Why should I hate? Sir, we are both subjects, shouldn't we respect and love each other?"

Zhang Shi smiled and said, "Although the Khan doesn't hate Zhang Shi, Zhang Shi hates the Khan."

"Hmm?" Wei Zijun asked in surprise, "Why?"

"Because the Khan ate my pigeons," Zhang Shi said calmly. "Please, Khan, return my pigeons."

Wei Zijun was both angry and amused. "Does the master know what it means to be arrogant and ignorant? Do you think your pigeon is delicious? There's not an ounce of meat on it, and I had to eat it for half the night and I'm still starving. It's true that things reflect their owners."

A suppressed smile appeared on Zhang Shi's lips. "Although Zhang Shi is ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth, he does know the Khan's physique. It seems that the Khan is not much better off. The Khan seems to be even thinner than Zhang Shi."

Wei Zijun raised a slender eyebrow. "The eagle in the sky and the pigeon in the cage are both birds. Although their shapes are not much different, they fly at different altitudes. Mr. Zhang, do you know what the difference between clouds and mud is?"

"Yes, Khan, Zhang Shi can't fly as high as you."

The two looked at each other, and after a moment, they both burst into laughter again.

“Zhang Shi has a map of the Yellow River’s course, showing the straightness and steepness of the river, the width and depth of the water, and the speed of the flow. It was drawn by Zhang Shi over two years when he was the river embankment inspector of the River Canal Bureau. It is more than ten feet long. If the Khan is interested, he can come to my humble abode to discuss the matter of river management again.”

"Okay." He agreed without hesitation.

It was late afternoon when the two finally left the palace, and the carriage headed straight for Yongtang Ward. The setting sun cast a golden glow on the streets outside the window, dazzling the eyes.

Wei Zijun gazed quietly at the scenery outside, watching the eaves and gray tiles bathed in golden sunlight, and the crowds of people strolling leisurely and happily on the street, almost mesmerized.

As my eyes grew tired and I was about to look away, I noticed something out of place in this beautiful twilight.

A well-dressed man in expensive silk was beating a woman in the street. The woman cried and tried to dodge the blows, while onlookers tried to persuade him to stop, but the man continued to beat her mercilessly, scattering her hairpins all over the ground.

A flicker of anger rose in Wei Zijun's heart. Even when beating her own woman, she wouldn't do it like this. Truly despicable!

Before the driver could even be told to stop, the man jumped down, walked up to the man, lifted the hem of his long robe, and kicked him in the chest. The man stumbled back a few steps and fell to the ground, then coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"Remember, never hit a woman again..." Wei Zijun was coldly reprimanding her when the woman who had been hit earlier suddenly rushed up and pounced on Wei Zijun with unusual courage. "You dare to hit my husband! You vixen!" the woman shouted as she grabbed at Wei Zijun's face. Wei Zijun instinctively reached out to block, and immediately felt a pain in his arm as the woman scratched three bloody marks on his arm.

"Your Highness, the Wind King—" Several guards rushed forward and pushed the assailant away.

The Wind King? So this is the legendary Wind King? His prowess is truly well-deserved. The onlookers were immediately excited and began to discuss among themselves.

Wei Zijun pursed her lips and looked at the guards, "Shouting again!"

She turned and walked towards the carriage. Once inside, she couldn't help but mutter, "You wretched woman!"

Zhang Shi burst into laughter.

From that day on, rumors began to circulate throughout the streets that Prince Dayufeng had been scratched by a woman in the street due to a romantic entanglement. A few days later, the rumors became increasingly outrageous, evolving into the story that Prince Dayufeng had harassed a woman in the street and was scratched by her.

Because of her act of bravery, Zhang Shi laughed all the way, while Wei Zijun snorted the whole way, "Are there any other women in the world as shameless as her? She's a disgrace to women."

Upon arriving at Zhang Shi's residence, the first thing Zhang Shi did was to lift Wei Zijun's sleeve and gently sprinkle external wound medicine onto her wound, his tenderness and meticulousness as if he were treating a precious treasure.

Then, Zhang Shi led Wei Zijun to his study. When she saw the map that occupied almost one wall of the study, she was immediately amazed.

It was a hand-drawn map, about ten feet long and nearly ten feet high, meticulously marking every county and village the Yellow River flowed through, indicating which sections were dangerous, and noting every section of the river that had breached its banks throughout history. Despite the numerous markings, it was orderly and not at all chaotic. In the lower right corner of the map, there was a row of tiny characters, densely packed with plans for controlling the Yellow River. Wei Zijun read them carefully, becoming increasingly excited. These river control strategies surprisingly coincided with his own, and some were clearly more professional and practical than his own.

After carefully examining the map, she turned her head and looked at Zhang Shi with sparkling eyes.

...

The moonlight, like water, permeated the garden, while the summer breeze gently caressed the flowering trees, carrying a wisp of light that flowed softly.

Lanterns swayed, cups and plates were piled up, and the elegant man in the blue robe was already flushed, but he still pulled the beautiful woman with a face like a peach blossom beside him, "Khan, have another drink."

The white-clad youth with rosy cheeks was as gentle and graceful as a peach blossom, his eyes sparkling with a mesmerizing light. "You can't drink too much. Drinking will cause trouble, it will... it will lead to bad things..." With that, he downed the wine in one gulp.

"The Khan... has done something terrible... the Khan killed my Xiaoyue." The man in the blue robe drank another cup.

"Xiaoyue? Who is that?" The white-robed boy's red lips parted slightly, but his head was spinning.

“Look over there…” The man in the blue robe pointed to a small memorial tablet in the pavilion. “That’s my wife… Xiaoyue.”

"Xiaoyue?" Her eyes, filled with a hazy light, looked at the memorial tablet. "Passed away? My condolences, sir. There are plenty of women; you can always remarry."

"Khan, give me back Xiaoyue! You killed my Xiaoyue..."

"I didn't kill him..." The boy shook his head, denying it.

"You ate her! You ate her!" the man in the blue shirt accused in grief and indignation.

"I ate your wife? Nonsense, I don't like eating people. Although I sometimes want to try it, I've never dared to do it."

"Look, these are the last clothes Xiaoyue took off." The man in the blue robe pulled out a pile of white bird feathers.

"Ah—" The young man in white chuckled. Although he was drunk, his wisdom was still beyond that of ordinary people. "That broken bird, what is it? I'll be your wife, I guarantee you'll be satisfied." He even patted his chest with great pride.

"You... you've made a promise! No going back on your word!" The man in the blue robe tugged at the sleeve of the boy in the white robe.

"A man's word is his bond... I refuse to believe that I am no match for a bird with no meat."

“Then… let’s drink the nuptial wine.” The man in the blue robe wrapped his arm around the boy’s.

“Drink… then drink. I’m definitely a better drinker than that bird…”

After a sip of wine, the boy's red lips, now stained with the liquid, appeared even more luscious and alluring. His fair skin glowed in the interplay of moonlight and lantern light, a few strands of hair brushing against his cheeks, and an alluring, almost otherworldly beauty emanated from him…

The man in the blue robe leaned his face toward the boy beside him, and without thinking, pressed his lips to his.

Just as their lips were locked in a passionate embrace, a furious roar erupted from behind.

"What are you doing!"

Volume 3, Dayu Chapter, Chapter 101: Proposal for Marriage

Wei Zijun had never seen Li Tianqi like this before; his roar jolted her half-awake from her drunken stupor.

Then, like a stray dog, he was taken back.

As he was being led away, it was as if a roar echoed in his ear, "Zhang Shi, depart tomorrow for Xingyang County to manage the Yellow River—"

All the way, Li Tianqi glared with fiery eyes, panting heavily, and held Wei Zijun tightly in his arms, desperately wiping her lips.

He felt both hatred and anger, but dared not vent his anger on her too much, for fear of hurting her and causing her to never speak to him again.

When he felt stifled and angry, the only way to vent his frustration was to pull his sleeve over and rub her lips hard, as if he wanted to put all his pent-up anger onto her lips. Finally, when rubbing wasn't enough, he simply used his sleeve to wipe her lips with his own saliva.

Seeing that his sleeve, soaked with saliva, was about to cover her mouth, Wei Zijun shook wildly in his arms and cried out, "Li Tianqi, how dare you disgust me... um..." In the end, she couldn't escape it. With a "splat", a wet piece of cloth was smeared on her mouth.

Until her lips were burning from being rubbed so hard, until the cloth was so stuffy she almost suffocated, Wei Zijun finally gave in, "Okay, stop rubbing, or you'll get no skin left."