Принцесса Сянси

Глава 37

Zhang Weiyi raised an eyebrow slightly, then suddenly smiled gently: "Brother, do you remember that day outside the warm pavilion, Father told me to walk back by myself, and if I couldn't walk, to crawl back? He never used that kind of arrogance on matters of state."

The crown prince remained silent.

The Northern Yuan suddenly sent an envoy, seeking a marriage alliance with the Central Plains Dynasty by sending their princess to marry into the imperial family. There were still princes of marriageable age who were not yet married, and choosing either prince would be a royal favor for both sides. The Northern Yuan people were brave and skilled in battle, and they greatly admired heroes. The current Sixth Prince, Zhu Youhan, had led his troops to several victories against the Northern Yuan army and was enfeoffed as the Prince of Xiangxiao upon his return. He was the most suitable candidate, and was specifically mentioned. The current emperor readily agreed, and at a court banquet, he betrothed the Northern Yuan princess to this prince as his principal wife.

Zhang Weiyi somehow learned of the news beforehand. Coincidentally, someone at the court banquet mentioned the severe drought in the Northwest this year and the suffering of the people. He actually pointed to the sky and swore that if he could bring a hundred years of peace to the Northwest, he would never establish a principal wife for the rest of his life.

The emperor was so angry that he turned and left. The court banquet ended unhappily.

Before Zhang Weiyi had even left the palace, he was summoned back. As soon as he entered the warm pavilion, he was covered in memorials and documents.

If he had just apologized and calmed the Emperor down, that would have been fine. But he stood there silently, clearly determined to defy the Emperor.

The emperor was even angrier. He slammed his fist on the table and ordered him to get out of the warm chamber and kneel outside for a full hour, with no one allowed to plead for him.

Zhang Weiyi actually went out and knelt upright in the snow.

The punishment had been given, the scolding had been done, and the emperor's anger had subsided considerably, so he ordered someone to help him inside. Zhang Weiyi was dressed in thin clothes and had been kneeling in the snow for an hour, his lips turning white from the cold.

After all, he was still his own flesh and blood, and the emperor felt some pity for him, asking, "Do you know your mistake?"

Everyone knows they should back down gracefully. Admitting a mistake won't hurt them, especially in a place like the palace where people can say whatever they want to people.

The Crown Prince was standing by that day and couldn't tell whether his usually shrewd younger brother had gone mad or what, but he actually heard him retort, "Your Majesty, I am not fortunate enough to receive this royal favor. Besides, there are many unmarried younger brothers, so it doesn't matter which one you choose."

The emperor, who had just calmed down, exploded again, pointing at him and saying harshly, "No one is allowed to help him today. This unfilial son will have to walk back to his residence by himself. If he can't walk, he can crawl back!"

Zhang Weiyi staggered back to the palace step by step, the white snow stinging his eyes slightly.

When the imperial physician came to the residence to examine the patient, he said that the patient originally had a good constitution, otherwise both legs would have been ruined.

Zhang Weiyi rested for two days, but was turned away when he tried to go to the palace to pay New Year's respects. He knew he had caused a big fuss, so he packed up and went to Qingshou Temple to avoid trouble for two days.

The Crown Prince took another sip of tea, sighed, and said, "No matter how much you struggle, you're only hurting yourself. Why make things so difficult for yourself? Besides, you've endured so much, planning every step of the way, how could you suddenly..."

Zhang Weiyi lay half-reclined on the cushion, slightly lost in thought. "I don't know what's wrong with me, I keep thinking about random things." He turned his head to look out the window and said softly, "...I guess I'm bewitched." In the quiet night, he could always see her face when he closed his eyes. She said, "That night I wanted to tell you that you are the only one for me in this life, and I will never forget you."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, soft but somewhat urgent.

Zhang Weiyi sat up and asked, "What is it?"

Mo Yunzhi's voice was somewhat tense: "Your Highness, Your Highness, the outside is surrounded by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot. They say that a criminal has escaped to Qingshou Temple. Just now, Your Highness's attendant went out to argue with them, but before he could even get out, he was shot to death by arrows."

Zhang Weiyi frowned slightly, casually pulled off the outer robe hanging on the screen, put it on, and opened the door, saying, "Brother Mo, when I lead the people to the main gate, you will protect the Emperor and help him exit through the side gate." He turned to look at the Crown Prince and said half-jokingly, "Brother, my life is in your hands, so please be careful."

The Crown Prince nodded, his smile calm: "You should also be careful, and don't be reckless." He knew that the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot's talk of pursuing the imperial criminal was just a pretext; Wan Shi was simply trying to eliminate them.

Zhang Weiyi walked along the corridor to the main hall, where he saw his shadow guards waiting there, showing no fear whatsoever. He pushed open the door to the main hall, and the night wind was biting cold, almost freezing him to the bone.

Zhang Weiyi turned to look at the shadow guards accompanying him, his tone arrogant: "The number of Imperial Guards and the Imperial Eunuchs outside far exceeds ours, but how can Huaying Tower be compared to these good-for-nothings? Tonight, we'll teach them a lesson." Huaying Tower, after years of lying low, suddenly became famous throughout the world, but in the blink of an eye, it has reached a critical moment of life and death.

He drew his sword, its tip lowered, and walked out of Qingshou Temple.

Outside the main gate, flames soared into the sky, and gleaming arrows were pointed directly inside...

Winter of the 22nd year of the Chenghua reign.

Xu Lianning, wrapped in a mink shawl and holding an oil-paper umbrella, followed behind the crowd of people going up the mountain to offer incense.

Years have passed, and her expression has become more serene, with the vermilion dot between her brows still as red as ever.

The snow fell heavily overhead, one burst after another, leaving a shallow footprint with every step.

Yu Shaowen took over Lingxuan Palace and managed everything in an orderly manner. After she left, she opened a clinic in Hangzhou Prefecture and personally tended a medicinal herb garden, cultivating many suitable and rare medicinal plants.

Standing under the Bodhi tree, the countless marriage plaques on the tree clinked softly against each other. She squinted slightly as she looked at one of the plaques, which had two names painted in red paint, some with clumsy handwriting and others with elegant strokes.

She wondered if this wooden sign could truly bring two people who were originally unrelated together. She remembered that one day, she and that person wrote a sign and hung it on the Bodhi tree.

It's just that some things in life are so unpredictable that they are beyond our control.

She slowly turned around, and in the bustling crowd, she immediately spotted that familiar figure. The person also saw her, quickly walked over, and smiled brightly, a slight smile curving their eyes: "What a coincidence, you're here to offer incense too?"

Xu Lianning smiled faintly and said, "Yes."

"I originally planned to find you after I came down from Lingyin Temple to fulfill my promise, but I didn't expect you to come to me on your own."

Xu Lianning chuckled slightly: "I will definitely keep my promise. Sister Ling, you underestimate me too much."

Su Ling reached out and took her arm. Xing'er's eyes shone as she looked at the tightly folded fortune slip in her hand: "What fortune slip did you draw?"

"Looking for someone."

Su Ling smiled slightly and said, "It is said that the fortune sticks here are very accurate, nine out of ten are correct."

Xu Lianning smiled and said, "Is that so?"

A gust of wind blew in, causing hair and clothes to flutter loosely, and the snow-white petals of the plum blossoms in the courtyard to be scattered and fall to the ground.

Perhaps it was because this year had been too peaceful that a major event occurred in the capital—it happened at the beginning of the year, and she didn't hear about it until after the start of summer, still somewhat bewildered when she did. A wanted criminal was being held in Qingshou Temple. The Imperial Guards and the Eastern Depot surrounded the royal temple completely. Prince Xiangxiao, who happened to be among them, was also there. After a chaotic battle, he disappeared without a trace, presumably trapped and killed inside. The once-famous Huaying Tower collapsed overnight, its glory vanished.

She slowly opened the fortune slip, and saw two characters written in red ink that read "extremely unlucky".

Su Ling glanced at it and said, "But it's common for predictions to be inaccurate."

Xu Lianning stood facing the wind, slowly turning his head and saying, "A tree that stands out in the wind is easily broken. Even the wind will not be satisfied until it is broken by the tree that stands out in the forest."

Scattered plum blossom petals dance wildly in the wind, their cool fragrance drifting in suddenly, clinging like a shadow.

In the snow, there seemed to be a faint figure holding an umbrella, coming towards the wind, dressed in a green robe, exuding elegance and grace.

In the blink of an eye, it's the beginning of another year.

--over--

Linfengchun

From Now On (Part 1)

"Three qian of Codonopsis pilosula."

While looking down at the ledger, Xu Lianning casually recited the names of the herbs.

"Three qian of Angelica sinensis."

Dipping his purple bamboo sheep's hair brush in ink, he added a few strokes to the account book.

"Two qian of Atractylodes macrocephala." She suddenly put down her pen, flipped the ledger two pages forward, and said casually, "Half a qian too much."

"A little more of this kind of health-preserving formula is fine, it's good to have more supplements," Zhang Weiyi said nonchalantly. "I saw you prescribe this formula to that uncle on the street corner yesterday. The next ingredient is peony, right?"

Xu Lianning gently closed the ledger, her tone still indifferent: "Anyway, this medicine is for you to drink. If you think a little more won't hurt, then it's fine." She picked up a sieve containing fresh herbs, lifted the curtain and walked into the inner room. When she looked back, she saw him take out the extra Atractylodes macrocephala and weigh it again, still not entirely at ease.

Xu Lianning turned around, a smile involuntarily appearing on her lips.

After settling down in Hangzhou, she rented a shop and opened a clinic. Her residence and clinic were connected, making it convenient to care for patients. However, hiring workers, buying medicine, and paying off debts quickly depleted her savings, and she began practicing medicine. Her medical skills were quite good, and after a while, she had no shortage of patients seeking her treatment.

The courtyard was sunny, the sunlight dazzling and clear. She raised her sleeve to wipe the thin layer of sweat from her neck, then tidied her long hair. She suddenly realized that she was still dressed as an unmarried woman, which seemed a little inappropriate. Lost in thought, she heard footsteps behind her. Although her martial arts had been crippled, her keen senses had been honed since childhood, and she could still recognize the person's footsteps. In fact, she knew something else: even when her martial arts were intact, she couldn't really tell the difference in his footsteps; he had just deliberately made them louder.

She heard him ask in a low voice behind her, "Are there still some herbs left to grind today? Why don't we grind them together for tomorrow's batch?" His voice was deep and pleasant to listen to. Xu Lianning turned her body and suddenly reached out to grab his wrist, but couldn't think of what to say at that moment.

She remembered that the snow was incredibly heavy that day. He walked slowly towards her, holding an oil-paper umbrella, his face pale and haggard, yet still smiling. He remained silent, as if waiting to see how she would respond. She gently grasped his hand holding the umbrella and realized it was trembling. He was probably too nervous to speak.

She used to be so lazy and unambitious, which is why she was always teased.

Xu Lianning thought for a moment and said, "The clinic will not be open tomorrow. There is no need to grind any leftovers from today or any portions for tomorrow."

Zhang Weiyi smiled slightly, looking down: "If we could also skip that bowl of medicine..." Xu Lianning wrapped her arms around his neck, pulled him down a little, and kissed him on the corner of his mouth: "What did you mean by that bowl of medicine earlier?"

"I'll remember to drink it the day after tomorrow."

She looked at him with a smile, then slowly moved closer to him: "Then, won't it fall out when I'm not looking?"

After a moment, Zhang Weiyi said, "I didn't expect it to be so hot here even though it's autumn."

Xu Lianning turned around and looked at the sky: "That's about enough for today. I'll tell the staff to go home." Her clothes fluttered as she walked to the door, then she turned back: "Although it's still very hot these days, I think it will cool down soon. When it gets cooler, the guest rooms on the north side aren't as comfortable as the main room. Why don't you move to a different spot?"

Without waiting for his response, she lifted the curtain to call the workers outside to finish work. Before she could take that step, she suddenly felt a tightness around her waist, her back pressed firmly against his chest. Zhang Weiyi lowered his head and found her lips, kissing them softly for a while, then whispered, "I can't wait until it gets cold. It's best to move right away."

Xu Lianning pushed his hand away and smiled slightly, "Whatever makes you happy, but you still can't skip a single bowl of medicine." To be honest, it was impossible for her not to be angry at all. In the end, Zhang Weiyi really showed off his ability to be flexible and adaptable to the fullest in front of her. No wonder even the shrewd Master Liu was fooled by him.

He had just settled down in Hangzhou, spending his days at the clinic and his nights at the mansion. Su Ling couldn't bear seeing his face all the time, so she abandoned her and went off to travel elsewhere. After two and a half months of this, Xu Lianning felt that his comings and goings during the day were one thing, but his behavior at night was too indecent, embarrassing her both times. So she let him occupy a guest room.

Not long after Zhang Weiyi moved in, he wanted to help out at the clinic. He had no medical background whatsoever, so all he could do was grind medicine and move things around. Xu Lianning hesitated. His right hand was weak, and being a noble young master, he felt that odd jobs were not really his thing, and it would be too much of a waste of his talent.

While she was tending to the medicinal herbs, he took it upon himself to move the cabinet she had been wanting to move for a long time, and tidied up all the drawers. When they returned to the house behind the clinic, he began to act all weak and vulnerable. Xu Lianning was even more exasperated. Why hadn't he been so vulnerable when he moved that heavy cabinet before?

More than half a month passed, and the staff at the clinic became familiar with him, starting to call him brother and tell him dirty jokes. Since they all avoided talking to her, she pretended not to hear. But less than ten days later, the little girl next door, who was in the prime of her youth, came running over and righteously scolded her for being so mean to her older brother.

What does a little kid know? Zhang Weiyi has done so many bad things that it's impossible to count them all. Compared to him, she's not even a fraction of his level.

Besides, Zhang Weiyi has this ability. No matter how cold she is, he can still talk and laugh freely, and show concern for her well-being, leaving her unable to vent her anger. Over time, he wears her down and makes her lose her temper.

Now, they've actually allowed him to enter their home.

Xu Lianning wrote the last entry in the ledger, slowly put down the pen, and turned to see Zhang Weiyi leaning against the bed, his outer robe loose, the front of his inner garment not yet zipped up. She had already made up her mind, but seeing him like this reminded her of that time they had been intimate, a night that had been unbearable for her, and just thinking about it made her scalp tingle.

Xu Lianning glanced at the chaise lounge on the side and was wondering if she should spend the night there when suddenly a light flashed outside the window, and a bolt of lightning streaked across the vast night. It seemed that there would be a heavy rain tonight.

She had just reached out and closed the window halfway when she heard Zhang Weiyi say behind her, "Judging from this, it looks like there's going to be a thunderstorm soon."

Xu Lianning immediately understood the implication in his words and said in a lukewarm tone, "I'm not afraid of thunder."

Zhang Weiyi chuckled softly, "But I'm afraid."

He didn't even blink when his right arm was chopped off. It's obvious that this isn't true.

He slowly extended his hand and said in a deep voice, "Lian Ning, come here."

Xu Lianning thought for a moment, realizing that she could actually be considered a wife. However, she still didn't know exactly what it meant to be a wife. When she was younger, her parents naturally wouldn't tell her these things, and as she grew older, she was surrounded by women who had never been wives before, or whose families had been destroyed and who no longer wanted to be wives, so naturally, no one would offer her any guidance.

She had only read about this in the book "Admonitions for Women," which stated that when a husband is aroused, the wife should gently push him away. As for whether this push was a feigned refusal or a genuine rejection, she didn't continue reading because the book was too boring.

She slowly walked to the bedside and was gently pulled to his side. Zhang Weiyi looked at her, his eyes calm and still: "What are you thinking about?"

Xu Lianning frankly said, "I'm thinking about the book 'Precepts for Women'."

Zhang Weiyi seemed to chuckle, then slowly put his arm around her waist: "What about this book?"

Xu Lianning pursed her lips and remained silent.

"Hmm, I understand a little..." He pressed down and said in a low voice, "I like playing hard to get, but I'd be even happier if you took the initiative."

Xu Lianning couldn't help but laugh: "I thought you had changed your ways, but you're still just as shameless as ever."

When he lowered his head, strands of hair slipped down his back, landing on her neck and cheeks. With a slight movement, they tickled her. "Lian Ning, now you're all I have left." She vaguely felt that something was off about those words, but couldn't quite put her finger on it. Plus, his voice was so low and pleasant, so she mumbled a soft "Mmm" and hugged his back.