Quand l'amour approche, c'est comme la neige - Chapitre 112
The black horse neighed, and Feng Yangxi spurred his horse away, his laughter carried on the wind: "Until we meet again!"
"A term, my foot!" Yongye wiped the sweat from her face, staring blankly at the city gate for a long time. The tall city walls stood majestically in the sunlight. From then on, Xinghun would no longer exist in the world. She no longer had to fear Youli Valley, no longer had to kill for them.
The eternal night is pleasant. Being a normal person is truly pleasant.
She forgot that a normal eighteen-year-old girl is supposed to get married. And if she marries someone she doesn't like, she won't be happy.
100-day wedding
"Who are you! Why are you standing at the city gate?" The soldiers guarding the city gate saw Yongye staring blankly at the city gate tower and laughing, and a group of people rushed over.
Yongye was in a very good mood and said with a grin, "I am from the Prince Duan's residence."
Her shabby clothes and disheveled hair couldn't conceal her air of authority. The city gate soldiers dared not act rashly; upon hearing that she was from the Prince Duan's residence, they were startled and quickly sent someone to inform her.
Less than half an hour later, the sound of horses' hooves echoed within the city. A troop of soldiers escorted a carriage drawn by eight horses straight out of the city gate.
Yongye stood quietly at the city gate. Before the carriage had even come to a complete stop, Princess Duan's tear-streaked face appeared before her. She cursed inwardly at the cunning old fox, fearing she would seek revenge, and thus had pushed her mother forward as a shield. But her heart softened suddenly when she saw the princess's expectant eyes.
"Yongye!" The princess practically jumped off the carriage, rushed forward, and hugged Yongye tightly in her arms, crying so hard she almost fainted.
The soldiers at the city gate then realized that the young man before them was none other than the Marquis of Yong'an, who had been missing for over a month. They all knelt down in unison, offering their congratulations.
The princess's attendants quickly distributed the reward money, and jubilation filled the area inside and outside the city gates.
Yongye half-embraced and half-carried the princess into the carriage. Only then did he realize that the most difficult thing to deal with in the world is a woman's tears, especially those of someone you care about.
Before the carriage started moving, she called over a guard and whispered a few words to him before nestling back into the princess's arms, satisfied.
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Emperor Yujia passed away, and the new emperor ascended the throne only six or seven days later. According to the customs of Anguo, there is a period of mourning of forty-nine days, during which singing, dancing, and drinking are prohibited.
Kyoto was desolate.
A long mourning tent for all the officials was erected outside the Longyi Hall. Zhang Xiang was old and had a deep affection for the late emperor. Upon hearing the news of the death, he wept so much that he had to ask for leave to recuperate at home after only two days.
Li Tianyou ascended the throne, changing the era name to Youqing. His previously restrained ambitions were unleashed; relying on his youth and vigor, he personally oversaw all official affairs, working tirelessly day and night with the assistance of the Six Ministries, yet managing everything in an orderly manner. Coupled with the late emperor's edict, the prestige of Prince Duan Zhang, and the confirmation by the palace eunuchs, the crown prince was executed. Ministers and officials, filled with respect, accepted this change of imperial power.
Minister of Rites Chen Zijing was a kind and honest man with a meticulous mind. Normally, aside from dealing with envoys from various countries, the Ministry of Rites was relatively quiet. However, after the late emperor's death, the Ministry of Rites suddenly became the busiest department.
Having just settled the affairs of mourning and keeping vigil for the late emperor, Chen Zijing hurriedly began preparations for the new emperor's enthronement ceremony forty-nine days later. The initial days of chaos had barely subsided when news arrived that envoys from various countries would be arriving in the capital to congratulate the new emperor. Chen Zijing calculated that even if the envoys arrived in the capital, it would be a month from now. There were quite a few people coming to offer their congratulations, so he could afford to wait. However, no sooner had he breathed a sigh of relief than Prince Duan and Minister Li of the Imperial Observatory entered the Ministry of Rites' tent.
Minister Chen's forehead was covered in sweat. After listening to Prince Duan's words, he stammered, "I am aware of the Third Prince's marriage, and the Ministry of Rites has already made preparations. It's not impossible to hasten the wedding of the Third Imperial Consort within a hundred days. However, to have the Emperor also... my Ministry of Rites is simply too busy, Your Highness!" He couldn't help but wipe his sweat again.
"Who can manage all this?" Prince Duan sat down irritably. The late emperor and empress had passed away, a new emperor had been enthroned, the capital was being garrisoned, the Crown Prince's faction was being investigated, the remnants of Youli Valley were being apprehended, Li Yannian was being hunted down… His heart ached. For the past seven days, he hadn't dared to think of Yongye. He was convinced of only one thing: Li Yannian wouldn't kill her easily, but would use Yongye to extort the greatest benefit. He was so busy he hadn't even returned to his palace. Unable to find Li Yannian, he could only wait for him to come to him. Remembering the late emperor's last wish, Prince Duan forcibly suppressed his thoughts of Yongye and smiled calmly: "A country cannot be at peace without an empress. Must the new emperor wait three years before appointing an empress?"
The Imperial Observatory official, Li, sighed and said, "Yesterday, Prime Minister Zhang and the three dukes, including the Imperial Uncle, also expressed the same idea. A country cannot function without an empress, and the Emperor must establish one during the hundred-day mourning period. I believe it would be best if the new Emperor's enthronement ceremony and the establishment of the empress were held at the same time."
"Your Highness and Lord Li are absolutely right! But..." Minister Chen counted on his fingers for a long time, his face turning red with anxiety, "His Majesty has not yet decided which lady to marry! The six rites for His Majesty to establish an Empress cannot be abolished. If the four rites of betrothal, name inquiry, auspicious date selection, and gift presentation are not completed within a hundred days... Your Highness, you have put me in a very difficult position!"
Lord Li was taken aback and looked at Prince Duan.
Prince Duan smiled wryly. Both the late Emperor and the newly enthroned Emperor Youqing were tight-lipped about their future empress. Recalling the words the late Emperor spoke on the night of his death, Prince Duan wished he could arrange Li Tianyou's marriage immediately. He took a sip of tea and frowned: "The Empress Dowager and the Grand Empress Dowager seem to be following the Emperor's wishes. I'll go and inquire. Minister Chen, you should hurry up and make preparations here. The Third Prince should arrive in the capital today. We'll discuss the Third Imperial Consort's matter after his mourning ceremony. The overall situation is paramount."
Lord Chen was taken aback. Seeing that Prince Duan had lost a lot of weight, he realized he couldn't continue to complain about his difficulties. He bowed deeply and saw Prince Duan off.
Just as he left the mourning hall at the Ministry of Rites, Princess Duan sent someone with a message saying that Yongye had returned home safely. Prince Duan was both surprised and delighted; delighted that Yongye was safe, but surprised that Li Yannian had disappeared without a trace.
Seeing the uncertain expression on his face, the guard quickly added, "Lan Cui was captured in the valley, and His Majesty has ordered her to be imprisoned in the imperial prison."
"The new emperor has grasped the situation outside the palace so quickly? Tianyou is indeed a talented man." Prince Duan smiled, thought for a moment, and ordered three hundred personal guards of the Prince's residence to guard the residence. He also sent a message to the newly appointed Prefect of the capital, Lord Wang, to impose martial law throughout the city and intensify the search for Li Yannian.
After finishing all this, he looked at the Imperial Study not far away and sighed. Even the Empress Dowager and the Grand Empress Dowager didn't know who would be the new empress, yet they both said that the Emperor's will be the final word. It seemed that the late Emperor had left instructions before his death.
Intermarriage within the same clan and lineage is forbidden in this dynasty, yet he did not wish for Yongye to become empress. No one knew his daughter's origins better than him.
Growing up in Youli Valley, he possessed exceptional martial arts skills and was still the one who struck fear into the hearts of Kyoto… He shook his head. Youli Valley had withdrawn all his overt and covert sentries in Kyoto at the last moment, barely affecting the change of the throne. A big fish had clearly swum into the net, but it slipped away the instant you pulled it in.
The Peony Garden in Kyoto has been sealed off, and images of Li Yannian's resurrected spirit, the Jade Prince, have been distributed throughout Anguo for capture, with a hefty reward offered. While it may seem that Youli Valley has no place in Kyoto, Prince Duan knows in his heart that the very foundation of Youli Valley remains unshaken.
According to reports from spies in Chen and Qi, the Peony Courtyard in Zeya, the capital of Chen, and the capital of Qi, were deserted overnight. After the battle, even the hideout of Youli Valley was nowhere to be found. The mysterious Lord of Youli Valley and his assassins seemed to have vanished like water flowing into the sea.
Prince Duan had to admire the person in charge of Youli Valley. Youli Valley had been arrogant for decades, openly opening the Peony Courtyard to collect money and accept missions. Now, it had also sensed that the emperor could not tolerate its existence, and decisively went from the open to the covert, preserving its power as much as possible.
Once Yongye enters the palace as Empress, Youli Valley will seize the opportunity to blackmail her. If they refuse, they will publicize Yongye's past, and the civil and military officials will not care about her status; those censors will seize this opportunity to remonstrate to the death. Yongye will have no standing, neither legally nor morally, and neither he nor Emperor Youqing can protect her.
Yongye could prove her innocence with death, even if it was a faked one. However, Prince Duan did not want to see Yongye live in anonymity from then on. A woman who had married the emperor could never marry another, even if she wandered the world. If she changed her identity and entered the palace again, would she be expected to become a concubine and be at the mercy of the new emperor and empress? Prince Duan had considered these things long ago, and no matter how much Emperor Yujia wanted to fight for Tianyou's future on his deathbed, he resolutely refused.
The newly enthroned Emperor Youqing's abilities exceeded his expectations. He had noticed the new emperor's fondness for Yongye from the start, which made Prince Duan somewhat uneasy. However, thinking of the imperial decree he had obtained for Yongye, he felt slightly relieved.
Lost in thought, he had already reached the outside of the Imperial Study, and the eunuch at the door quickly went in to announce his arrival.
Prince Duan straightened his robes, a smile appearing on his face, and stepped inside, saying, "Your subject greets Your Majesty."
Before he could kneel and pay his respects, Tianyou had already helped him up and said with a smile, "Uncle, please rise. Please take a seat!"
Prince Duan thanked him and sat on the brocade stool, saying, "The Third Prince should arrive in the capital today. When he left the capital, he had not yet established his own government office or residence. Will he stay in the palace or find another residence outside? A place for the Third Prince to stay has also been prepared outside the palace."
Li Tianyou smiled and said, "Of course he will still live in the palace. My third brother has been away for many years, and Consort Zhang misses him very much. He will stay in his original place, and I have already instructed the eunuchs to clean and serve him."
"Very well. There is one more thing. Before the late Emperor passed away, he instructed that the marriage between the Third Prince and the Fourth Miss of the An family should be arranged during the hundred-day mourning period, otherwise it would be delayed for three years. Consort Zhang is also aware of this." Prince Duan smiled amiably. He secretly observed Tianyou, pondering how to bring up the matter of establishing an empress.
The bright yellow dragon robe added a touch of majesty to Tianyou's handsome face, and a white mourning sash was still tied around his waist. Prince Duan suddenly felt that Tianyou looked remarkably like the late emperor, with the same gentle appearance and the same profound thoughts. In just a few days, he had completely adapted and exuded the demeanor of an emperor, and his every move was no longer that of the respectful nephew who had once treated him.
Tianyou stood with his hands behind his back, and for the first time, Prince Duan felt uneasy, fearing that Tianyou would ask Yongye for her hand in marriage.
The silence felt like an eternity. Just as Prince Duan was about to take his leave, Tianyou sighed softly: "My third brother must marry within a hundred days. The country cannot be without an heir. What does Lord Li of the Imperial Observatory say?"