Because Jin Lang already had someone he loved and was not entirely satisfied with the marriage, he sent someone else to fetch her. The young man who rode to meet her was not Jin Lang, but Lou Zhao.
Perhaps after Xue Guo saw Yue Ji off, he suddenly realized that the fortune teller had said she was a person blessed with good fortune.
So, after taking only two steps, he ordered Yueji to be brought back, unilaterally breaking the contract. This angered the Li Kingdom; the emperor felt he had been mocked and was furious. Yueji's entourage was still lingering at the border when the two countries went to war again.
The battle was extremely fierce.
What happened in between is unknown, but it is known that after the battle, Lou Zhao had a girl named A Zhao by his side, and Yue Ji never returned to the country.
Then, as Yan Bai had described at the time: at a banquet after a victory, Lou Zhao presented A Zhao to Jin Lang; then in the Battle of Yanmen County, Jin Lang died in battle, and A Zhao committed suicide for love.
The Emperor deliberately glossed over the core plot points, leaving me feeling that many details needed further examination. There were so many ambiguous details that I wanted to delve deeper, but I didn't know which one to examine first.
I asked, "Was Jin Lang's death because Lou Zhao sent troops to his aid too late, or was there another hidden reason?"
The Emperor fixed his gaze on a rose bush in the corner of the courtyard. After a long while, he sighed, "Lianji is right. I did indeed stab her in the back."
I wanted to investigate further.
The Emperor rubbed his forehead, unable to hide his weariness. "This matter happened a long time ago, and I do not wish to mention it again."
A palace attendant approached, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, the guest you have placed in the North Garden requests an audience."
The Emperor waved his hand, indicating, "Bring him over."
He pondered for a moment, then asked me, "Have you thought through the conditions I proposed to you yesterday?"
I paused for a moment, then said, "If I were to become a princess, would His Majesty grant me the antidote for wolfsbane?"
The Emperor nodded and said, "I will never break my promise."
[53] The Shifting Sands (Part 4)
Lou Xiyue looked at me quietly, roses bloomed on the hem of his robe, and the clouds were tinged with a smoky red.
I took his fan out of my sleeve and handed it to him, saying, "You left your peach blossom fan at the inn."
He paused slightly, closed his fan, and asked in a low voice, "You've already made up your mind, haven't you?"
I turned my face away, as if something was stuck in my throat, pressing heavily on my heart.
Lou Xiyue walked up to me, lifted my chin with her fingertip, and looked straight at me. "No matter what I do, it's useless, huh?"
I froze, looked up at him, and after a long while, I heard myself whisper, "Yes."
The voice was so soft, so soft that I hoped he wouldn't hear it.
He seemed to pause for a moment, then said, "Qi Xiang, you once said that everything in the world is interconnected and mutually restraining. I will go with you to find it, whether it's the Eastern Lands, the Northern Frontier, or the Western Regions, we will find the antidote eventually."
I took a step back and whispered, "I don't know how long my master can hold on? The antidote is right in front of us... I don't want to wait any longer."
Lou Xiyue was silent for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Is there absolutely no room for maneuver?"
I couldn't speak; every word felt so heavy. I could only look up at him.
I tried to see him more clearly, but he gradually became blurry, and even his outline faded away.
Lou Xiyue looked at me for a long time before asking, "What if I don't let you succeed to the throne?"
I raised my hand to wipe away my tears, and said with difficulty, "Don't force me. I..."
He chuckled very softly, his eyes darkening slightly. "If I insist on forcing you, what will you do?"
I don't know what to say. I've never felt so bad before. It's like falling into an endless dark night, with clusters of ice flowers blooming all around, and sharp icicles seeming to pierce my heart. I can hear the sound of them shattering.
Lou Xiyue continued to look at me quietly, a hint of sadness in her brows.
The flower branches swayed in the cold wind, the pixiu carvings on the corridor pillars looked ferocious, and the lanterns at the corners of the hall suddenly swayed open.
I took a long breath. "Lou Xiyue, I must save my master. I've had no family since I was little, only Qi Xiao. She's my twin sister. When we were wandering Yangzhou, when I stole and was beaten, I was afraid that my sister wouldn't have enough to eat, and that she would worry if she didn't see me return. I don't know why Qi Xiao has become like this, but if I could go back, I would rather be here as Lian Ji. When the poison took effect, it was my master who saved me. At that time, he was the person I thought I could rely on most in the world. My master, my third uncle, and I lived in Medicine King Valley for three years. They were the closest people to me. My master protected me and protected me, and once risked his life to save me. Don't even mention becoming the princess; I would gladly exchange my life for his."
I paused, looking at him through teary eyes, "Even if it's Lianji, even if she did something wrong, Qi Xiao is still my sister. Last night I dreamt that if it were five years ago, when I went back to the East with her, things might not be like this now. Your third uncle's death and your master's poisoning are both my responsibility. I can't get rid of it, I can't escape it."
Lou Xiyue paused slightly, leaned down a little, and whispered, "You said that when you were poisoned, it was Xia Jingnan who saved you?"
I wiped away my tears and turned my head away. "You know, the person I love is my master. I've longed for him... for a long time."
The surroundings were completely empty.
A magpie perched on a branch, flapped its wings, and a few new leaves fell down.
The sky was shrouded in a hazy twilight, as if a layer of ashes had settled, and this moment of deathly silence lasted for so long.
He forced a smile. "Qi Xiang, what you're doing is incredibly foolish. Even if you get the antidote and heal him, how can you, as a princess, stay with him?"
After a long pause, I managed to say, "I don't expect to stay with him; I just want to heal him."
He continued to look at me, his eyes as dark as ink, and said softly, "I have never seen such a foolish girl in my life."
He chuckled softly. "So, from beginning to end, I've always been an outsider. You won't change anything because of me, and I can't do anything for you. Qi Xiang, you've never cared about me, have you?"
He looked at me like that, and I still couldn't give him an answer.
I think we should say something harsh right now. At times like this, we must make things clear and thorough to put an end to any lingering thoughts, right?
Perhaps I am a selfish person by nature, and I hesitated to say the next sentence.
If I don't say anything, can we stop here?