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

Capítulo 125

He slowly approached her, opened his arms, and hugged her tightly from behind.

Volume 3, Dayu Chapter 109: The Imperial Marriage

He gently leaned against her neck, breathing in her delicate fragrance. "Zijun, tell your second brother, what kind of man do you like?" His lips brushed against the back of her neck, and he recalled how he had kissed her back that day.

Wei Zijun was startled when she was suddenly embraced. The heat spraying on the back of her neck made her panic. This was a rare sight of Li Tianqi. He was always gentle and polite, so how could he do something so contrary to etiquette?

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty..." she called softly, turning her head to try and wake the person behind her.

"Call me Second Brother," Li Tianqi whispered, his heart overflowing with deep love. Chun, who was covering her neck, opened his mouth and bit her snow-white nape.

The kisses and nibbles continued unabated, from the back of her neck to below her ears. Then, he turned Wei Zijun's face and brought it to her red lips.

Wei Zijun panicked and pressed her long finger against his lips. Their hot breaths mingled between their faces. The handsome face in front of her was filled with warmth as he leaned forward forcefully, forcing Wei Zijun to lean back repeatedly.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her fingertip as Li Tianqi opened his mouth and bit her finger. She pulled away in pain, and just then, the assailant leaned in to bite her lip.

Wei Zijun's heart pounded wildly, and in a moment of panic, she reached out and pushed backward with all her might.

There was a loud "thump".

The current emperor fell straight backward and plunged into the pond without any warning.

Wei Zijun turned her head in surprise and looked at the water, somewhat astonished.

Then Li Tianqi stood up from the pond, trembling, with two wisps of green grass on his head. With a "plop," he squeezed out a mouthful of water. He paused thoughtfully for a moment, then reached into his robes and pulled out a goldfish.

Wei Zijun could no longer hold back and burst into laughter. It was such unrestrained laughter that she bent over with laughter.

Seeing her smile, Li Tianqi felt it was all worthwhile. How long had it been since he'd seen her smile so brightly?

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Note: ①Helong. The area in present-day Hexi Corridor of Gansu Province was formerly known as Hexi Longgu, or simply Helong.

②Late Yellow Dragon Robe. This article does not mention bright yellow dragon robe, in case readers are confused about the color of yellow robe. To explain, only the emperors of the Qing Dynasty regarded bright yellow as the most noble color, while the emperors of the Tang Dynasty wore vermilion or reddish-yellow. In the early Tang Dynasty, only vermilion yellow was forbidden for commoners; bright yellow clothing was allowed for ordinary people.

Volume 3, Dayu Chapter 110: Exposure

Having just returned to the capital in triumph, she should have been resting for a few days and enjoying time with her family. Unexpectedly, the very next day, Wei Zijun was summoned to the palace again.

Upon arriving at Chongde Hall, an eunuch came to serve, saying, "Your Highness, His Majesty says you should wait for him in the inner palace."

Wei Zijun followed the eunuch to the rear chamber of Chongde Hall.

The rear chamber of Chongde Hall was Li Tianqi's bedroom. He did not move to Ganlu Hall, but lived here alone, simply because it was convenient for him to govern and attend court.

It must be admitted that Li Tianqi was a diligent emperor. In fact, emperors of this era only held court on the first and fifteenth of each month, but he changed it to hold court every day.

Although it was hard work, it allowed him to promptly understand the voices of the people and from all directions, and to resolve these issues more quickly. His diligence brought a period of peace and prosperity to Dayu Baisheng.

Upon entering, Wei Zijun saw four large characters on a yellow background with black lettering: “Cheng Xin Zheng Xing” (澄心正性). On either side was a couplet: “Wind and rain harmonize the six scenes, starry clouds and auspicious omens reflect the three steps.”

To her surprise, the interior was not luxurious, but rather simple and elegant. Passing through two carved nanmu wood doorways, she came to see Li Tianqi's bed. The three large characters above the bed, "Renewed Every Day," were exceptionally eye-catching.

After wandering around the room twice, Wei Zijun suddenly felt bored, so she went out of the back bedroom to get some fresh air.

As soon as she stepped out of Chongde Hall, she saw someone walking towards her along the stone path. Upon closer inspection, Wei Zijun realized that the person was Zhang Shi.

Zhang Shi showed no surprise upon seeing her. The two simply smiled at each other and gazed at each other in silence for a long time.

"Khan, when will you return my Xiaoyue?" Zhang Shi said, and the two of them burst into laughter.

“Sir, you destroyed my Turkic people. I only killed your Xiaoyue. Don’t you think I should be asking you for something?” Wei Zijun still couldn’t help but laugh.

“But for Zhang Shi, my Xiaoyue is far more important than the Khan’s Turks.” Zhang Shi pursed his lips, a smile spreading across his face.

Wei Zijun suppressed a laugh and said, "Sir, you are truly devoted to Xiaoyue. Actually, I didn't eat Xiaoyue." Seeing Zhang Shi's bright eyes, Wei Zijun continued, "It's true that I stepped on her twice."

"Khan, you..."

I've never seen this usually aloof person get angry; it's quite endearing.

Wei Zijun looked at him with a smile, "Alright, sir, you destroyed my Turkic people, and I killed your Xiaoyue. We're even now. You're not allowed to ask me for Xiaoyue again." Then she murmured, "It seems like I'm the one who's at a disadvantage no matter how you look at it."

Zhang Shi suppressed a laugh. "The Khan said it's even, but Zhang Shi doesn't agree. Has the Khan really forgotten the promise he made to Zhang Shi that day?"

"Uh? I'm so sorry, sir, I really don't remember making any promises." Wei Zijun really didn't remember anything, she just vaguely remembered that Li Tianqi scolded her for eating someone else's saliva, and then ignored her because of this. Presumably, she had done something bad again, but she didn't know anything at the time, so does that count?

"The Khan not only made a promise, but also did some things. How could the Khan forget those things?" Looking at Wei Zijun's innocent appearance, Zhang Shi sighed, took her hand, gently lifted his sleeve, and stroked her arm. "There really is no scar left. Not a trace at all. It's as if it never happened. The traces have faded away, and everything from that day has faded away."

Sensing the sadness in his voice, Wei Zijun suddenly felt a pang of guilt. "Sir, have I done anything to upset you?"

"No, no, it's Zhang Shi's own fault." Zhang Shi lowered his eyes, no longer smiling, and just gently stroked her arm again and again.

Wei Zijun suddenly felt very sad. She knew he was hurt and felt his heart. The person who always smiled faintly was no longer smiling.

She felt a pang of helpless sorrow...

Li Tianqi had never felt that the morning court session was so long. After leaving the Taiji Hall, he rushed to the Chongde Hall, almost knocking over a little palace maid carrying dirty clothes on the way.

This longing, for some reason, was incredibly intense, piercing to the bone. From the moment she left yesterday, he had missed her terribly, a longing that throbbed with an unbearable pain. So, disregarding her recent return from battle, he selfishly summoned her to the palace. He imagined she hadn't slept well, and he wanted her to sleep there, just like this, watching her sleep while he reviewed memorials. Thinking of this, a smile curved his handsome lips.

As soon as he stepped onto the stone outside Chongde Hall, he saw the two people holding hands, and he seemed to hear the sound of his own blood flowing.

This time, there was no roar; he tried his best to suppress his anger, afraid of hurting her again. However, Wei Zijun was still dragged into Chongde Hall by him like a little chick.

As soon as he entered the hall, before he could even glare at her with fiery eyes, a report came from outside. "Your Majesty, Princess Shangluo knows that the Wind King is here and wishes to see him."

Upon hearing the announcement, Li Tianqi took a deep breath and sighed, a pang of pain rising in his heart. Of all the emotions in the world, unrequited love is indeed the most painful. Si Yi's illness stems entirely from lovesickness. No matter how the imperial physicians treat her, it not only doesn't improve but actually worsens. The one who tied the knot must untie it; perhaps he can cure her. "Zijun, go see her."

Located in a corner of the palace, the Jin Yun Pavilion was exquisitely elegant. Even before entering, the strong smell of herbs filled the air. The person on the bed was deathly pale, their sickly body curled up, their sunken eyes gazing longingly towards the door until the figure they had been yearning for appeared in their sight. Li Siyi burst into tears.

“Princess—” Wei Zijun called softly. Her infatuation pained her heart, and she gently stroked her face with her long fingers, wiping away her tears. “What virtue or ability does Wei Feng possess to deserve such concern from the princess? Gongsheng, please do not continue like this, otherwise you will ruin your health, and Wei Feng will become a sinner for all time.”

"Wind King—" Li Siyi threw herself into Wei Zijun's arms, sobbing uncontrollably, "Wind King, you only need to marry me... it doesn't matter if you don't love me... just marry me..."

Wei Zijun sighed, her eyes welling up with tears. "Princess, why are you doing this? Wei Feng doesn't want to harm you. Please stop thinking about Wei Feng. He can't bring you happiness."

“No, Si Yi doesn’t need happiness. Si Yi will be happy as long as she stays with the Wind King. Wind King, will you marry Si Yi?” Seeing that Wei Zijun did not answer for a long time, Li Si Yi asked sobbingly, “Will you marry Si Yi?”

Wei Zijun remained silent for a long time, then said, "No!"

Upon hearing this, Li Siyi's body stiffened, and a spurt of blood spilled from her mouth, staining her chest red.

"Princess—" Wei Zijun exclaimed softly, glancing at the palace maid beside her who was terrified and unsure what to do. "Quickly, go and fetch the imperial physician—"

“Wind King, the imperial physicians cannot cure me.” Li Siyi clutched Wei Zijun’s clothes. “If the Wind King does not agree, Siyi will leave this world with regrets. I’m afraid Siyi’s days are numbered.”

“Princess, what should Wei Feng do?!” Wei Zijun was anxious and didn’t know what to do. “Princess, don’t be so persistent. Wei Feng has his reasons. Remember, it’s not that Wei Feng doesn’t want you, but that he can’t have you.”

“What’s wrong with the Wind King? With His Majesty’s favor towards the Wind King, what’s wrong with him?” Li Siyi stared intently at Wei Zijun.

"Even if I were to take you, it would be a betrayal of you. Wei Feng cannot accept your affection." Wei Zijun was truly at a loss for what to do at this moment.

"Why! Wind King—" Si Yi cried again.

"Si Yi, don't cry." She sighed deeply. "I can't say it. To say it would be a crime of deceiving the emperor, and I can't implicate my parents!"

"The crime of deceiving the king? King Feng, please speak freely. Si Yi swears to keep it a secret for you."

“Si Yi, I cannot say, not because I am afraid of taking the blame, but because I cannot let my mother be in danger.” Wei Zijun picked up a handkerchief and wiped away the bloodstains for her. “Wei Feng told you all this just to tell you that Wei Feng is not a heartless person, but Wei Feng had no choice. So, Princess, you should open your heart and stop thinking about Wei Feng.”

Li Siyi gazed at Wei Zijun for a long time, muttering, "The crime of deceiving the emperor? The crime of deceiving the emperor?" Suddenly, her almond-shaped eyes widened, and she looked Wei Zijun up and down, her gaze lingering on her neck before settling on her chest. "King Feng, could it be... could it be..."

Wei Zijun was startled. Had she guessed? This secret shouldn't have been known to her. If she were extremely disappointed and became vengeful, her parents would be accused of deceiving the emperor.

But now, it's clear she's already guessed it.

"Is it because the Wind King is the same as Si Yi?" Li Si Yi said, reaching for Wei Zijun's chest. Wei Zijun was stunned. In that moment of hesitation, she directly pulled open Wei Zijun's collar and slipped her hand inside her skin. The soft touch made her freeze instantly. Although she had prepared herself for this, the reality still made her feel instantly empty inside.

Wei Zijun was startled and reached out to grab her arm. "Does Si Yi know that if outsiders find out about this, it will plunge Wei Feng into utter ruin?"

Li Siyi looked shocked. "Siyi knows! This matter will remain buried in Siyi's heart and will never be mentioned again."

“In that case, thank you very much, Si Yi. But I am ashamed and have let you down.” Wei Zijun slowly withdrew her arm. “Now that you know I am a woman, Si Yi, you should no longer have any feelings of love for me.”

The words had barely left her lips when the sound of shattering dishes came from outside the door. Xinhe stared blankly at the broken teacup on the floor. He was a woman? The person she had been longing for was, in fact, a woman.

Hearing the noise, Wei Zijun got up and went outside, where she saw Xinhe standing there in a daze. At the same time, she noticed an eunuch walking past the window.

Could someone else have overheard something?

...

Leaving Ziyun Pavilion, Wei Zijun was filled with anxiety the entire way. She believed the princess wouldn't reveal anything, after all, she had saved her life. As for Xinhe, she also believed she wouldn't speak, but she was truly worried that if she accidentally let something slip, her parents would be accused of deceiving the emperor.

How worrying! If she hadn't been so persistent with the princess that she couldn't bear it, she wouldn't have spoken so bluntly. But could a moment of compassion ruin everything? It's too late to regret it now.

Never before had I felt such anxiety. This matter was constantly on my mind, and I lost my bearings, somehow getting lost in this vast palace. I wanted to find a palace servant to guide me, but there wasn't a soul in sight.