Impératrice douairière Xiaoxuan

Chapitre 163

Zhao Yu said softly to Mo Yan, "Xiao Qi, stop thinking nonsense. If everyone in the world thought like you, then everyone's death could be attributed to a murderer. For example, if the oil seller dies, everyone who bought oil from him would think, 'If I hadn't bought oil, the oil seller wouldn't have died, so the oil seller's death is all my fault.' Tell me, is that right or wrong?"

Mo Yan was stunned for a moment, then realized it made sense: "That doesn't seem right."

“Of course that’s wrong!” Ning Jin interjected.

"Don't think about it anymore. Go back and get some sleep. You'll understand when you wake up tomorrow," Zhao Yu said with a smile.

"oh."

Volume 3, Chapter 9

After the banquet, Zhao Yu returned to her room. After washing up, she sent her maid to bed and sat alone by the lamp, thinking about Mo Yan's words and the various events that had happened since she arrived in Liao. She sat alone for a long time without feeling sleepy.

Is this truly my fate?

Although he had tried to persuade Mo Yan, there was another layer of reasoning that even she couldn't understand. Mo Yan had lost Zhan Zhao, but she hadn't resigned herself to her fate. And he…

During her three years in the Liao Kingdom, she and Yelü Hongji rarely met. Even when they did, it was merely a matter of formalities. She could already foresee that even if they went through the formalities of marriage and she truly became his wife, it would be nothing more than that. Given the current power of the Xiao clan in the Liao Kingdom, and the fact that the Xiao clan would succeed to the throne, Yelü Hongji would certainly marry a woman from the Xiao clan. Even thinking deeper, even if she didn't strive for anything, what about her children? A daughter would be fine, but if it was a son, should she also let him live a mediocre life, dependent on others, without ever striving for anything?

While her marriage was indeed her father's way of ensuring peace between the Song and Liao dynasties, how long could this sincerity last? Perhaps the Liao people had already received and accepted her by the time she arrived. And now, she was merely a discarded gift—what could she possibly do?

She had also read the Book of Han, which recounted how, during the Han Dynasty's wars with the Xiongnu, whenever the Xiongnu suffered a defeat, the Chanyu (ruler) would return to his camp and whip his wife, who had been married off to him. Although she knew that at worst she would still die, she couldn't help but wonder if she was truly only worth as a gift.

The candle wax dripped down, the night deepened, and the branches outside swayed in the wind, casting lonely shadows on the windowpanes.

The next morning, Ning Jin had just woken up when he faintly heard the sound of swords cutting through the air. He complained to himself, "That clueless brat, doesn't he know that I, the Prince of Ning, am still asleep?"

He lazily got up to wash and dress, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Wu Zichu come in. He asked, "Which brat is making such a fuss outside? I was finally able to get some sleep, and it woke me up."

“It’s Officer Mo practicing his sword,” Wu Zichu replied. “This Datong Inn is small, unlike the ones in the capital. And this is a back room, right next to the back garden, so there’s nothing we can do about it.”

Upon hearing that it was Mo Yan, Ning Jin muttered under his breath, "That girl, she's up early." As he spoke, he had a slight smile on his face, showing no sign of annoyance. He didn't even put on his boots, but simply draped a fox fur coat over his shoulders and stepped out the door.

In the back garden, Mo Yan wore only a waist-cinching garment, and a silver sword moved nimbly like a snake in her hand.

Ning Jin didn't call out to her, but stood quietly to the side. He was a layman when it came to martial arts and didn't know whether she was good or not. He was just watching the show.

"How was her performance?" he asked Wu Zichu beside him in a low voice, turning his head to the side.

"This..." Wu Zichu smiled, his evaluation not high, "It's alright, I guess."

As soon as she finished speaking, Mo Yan stopped her swordplay, looked in their direction, and rolled her eyes at Wu Zichu: "Of course I can't compare to you, but it's not like I'm a street performer. What do you mean by 'not bad'?"

"Don't be unconvinced. Zichu has high standards; ordinary street performers don't even catch his eye," Ning Jin laughed, noticing her flushed face and panting breath, clearly much more energetic than yesterday. "You're up so early in the morning, making a racket here, don't you let people get any sleep?"

“Those who practice martial arts must practice diligently every day without fail. If they miss a day, they will regress by several days. You wouldn’t understand this principle even if I explained it to you.” Mo Yan wiped the sweat from her forehead, picked up the robe next to her and put it on, saying nonchalantly.

Ning Jin snorted coldly: "That's easy to say. I didn't see you take a sword during those days on the journey."

Mo Yan said matter-of-factly, "That's precisely why we need to catch up now."

"You really do always have a point."

Knowing that she was used to this, Ning Jin naturally didn't bother arguing with her.

As the two were talking, a maidservant turned around the artificial hill and walked towards Ning Jin. She bowed and reported, "Lord Yelü sent someone to inquire that he will be setting off for Guangpingdian with His Highness in three days. He asked if the princess could come along so that he could prepare the carriages and horses."

Without a second thought, Ning Jin replied, "Of course the princess will accompany us."

"Your Highness," Wu Zichu said softly, "shouldn't we ask the princess what she thinks?"

"No need, Xiao Yu'er wouldn't disobey me." Ning Jin waved his hand and walked away, muttering to himself, "I'm actually a little hungry. I wonder how the breakfast here compares to that in the capital."

Mo Yan and Wu Zichu behind him exchanged glances for a moment, both feeling a little strange: Ning Jin usually maintained a certain air of authority, but it was rare to see him make such a domineering decision for someone as he did today, especially since that person was a princess.

Ning Jin was well aware of their thoughts. Ever since he saw Zhao Yu alone in Zhongjing, while Yelü Hongji and other members of the royal family were in Guangpingdian, he had felt somewhat displeased. Therefore, one of the reasons for his decision was something he couldn't openly discuss with Zichu and the others.

"Your little uncle said I have to go too?!"

Zhao Yu hesitated upon hearing this. After a moment's thought, he said, "I'm still not well, so it's better not to go. Staying here to recuperate is better than staying in Guangpingdian."

“I’m afraid Lord Yelü has already prepared your carriage.” Mo Yan scratched her ear. “I think His Highness Prince Ning may have his reasons for doing this.”

Zhao Yu barely heard the second half of the sentence; she was stunned after only hearing the first half: "Lord Yelü? So, he was the one who went to collect the tribute this time?"

Mo Yan nodded.

"Then he..." Zhao Yu didn't really know what she wanted to ask, and the words caught in her throat halfway through. "Hmm?"

Since the fish feast in early spring, it had been more than half a year since she had seen him, Zhao Yu thought wistfully. Three years ago, after learning from Zhan Zhao of Yelü Pusa Nu's special identity, she never spoke to him much in front of others, fearing it would arouse suspicion and bring him danger. Perhaps for the same reason, Yelü Pusa Nu remained the same, always cold and aloof. Even in the rare moments when they were alone, he was still the same. She had never seen the look in his eyes again during the time he was healing her wounds.

Sometimes Zhao Yu would have a strange feeling, and she couldn't help but think that the man who treated her wounds in Yanxie Town might actually be someone else, someone she could never find again.

"Princess, Princess..."

Seeing Zhao Yu in a daze, Mo Yan was puzzled and asked curiously, "What business do you have with Lord Yelü?" She still did not know the true identity of Yelü Pusa Nu, and judging from Zhao Yu's expression, she thought that Zhao Yu had a grudge against him and therefore did not want to travel with him.

Zhao Yu was taken aback by these words, misunderstanding Mo Yan's meaning. Her face flushed involuntarily, and she quickly said, "We rarely even meet, so there's nothing going on."

“Oh…” Mo Yan remembered something and asked, “By the way, has Lord Yelü injured his leg or foot in the past few years?” She was still puzzled by Yelü Pusa Nu’s habit of using his left leg to walk. After thinking about it, she figured that he would only change his habit because of a leg injury, hence her question.

Zhao Yu shook her head: "I'm not really sure either, I don't think so."

"No."

Mo Yan frowned, still deep in thought.

Author's Note: Transition, transition...