"I can't understand it. Knowing that flowers easily wither, yet Father insists on marrying me off. What is the reason?" Ruo'cheng whispered, the sound of lament in her voice evident. "Am I really that unimportant to him?"
In the outer hall, Consort Mu's anger hadn't subsided. The servants throughout the palace knelt before her, listening to her loud curses.
Inside the inner room, only Ruo'cheng and Huai'an remained. The two childhood friends, who had grown up together, were now silent, facing each other without a word.
Perhaps having been scolded by Huan Sui a few days prior had its effect. Besides the gentle breeze, a faint fragrance of laurel leaves and red sandalwood wafted through Ruo'cheng's room, refreshing and elegant.
Huai'an opened her mouth several times, but still couldn't utter a single word. Finally, she sighed softly, opened her arms, and embraced Ruo'cheng, turning her unspoken words into a warm hug.
Ruo'cheng stiffened in her arms for a long while before raising her head to rest it on Huai'an's shoulder, reaching out to return the embrace.
Huai'an felt the trembling body in her arms, desperately trying to restrain itself.
"Cry if you want to."
Hearing this, Ruo'cheng's tear ducts, which had been tense for so long, finally broke. Her shoulders trembled slightly as she sobbed softly, saying, "Huai'an, do you know, although I was indeed caught off guard when I first heard about the marriage alliance, after lamenting the ruthlessness of fate, I gradually accepted it. But... but..."
Huai'an gently patted Ruo'cheng's back, softly saying, "I know, I know."
"Father... Father... didn't even say a word of apology to me. When he told me about this, I didn't question him, didn't act spoiled, didn't cry. I was virtuous, dignified, and obedient. But... but why! In his eyes, am I just a tool to stabilize the country?
"Why does he have to avoid it? He's always avoiding it. If he feels sorry for me in his heart, then he should tell me! Don't make me guess! Don't make me feel like he doesn't love me!
"I know, I know, he just loves Elder Sister Ruo'xuan more. Because Elder Sister is dignified and virtuous, because Elder Sister understands the greater good and sacrifices herself for the family, so he raised an army for Elder Sister, and toiled tirelessly for years without complaint. I am too! I can't fight like my elder brothers to share his burdens. I know my marriage will become his weapon, so I learned poetry, learned the zither, learned tea ceremony, learned painting, learned the philosophies, learned to observe the affairs of the world. I just hoped that one day I could hear him say, 'Father is proud of you.' That's all."
Huai'an held Ruo'cheng, listening to her soft sobs and lamentations. She heard light footsteps approaching and turned her head slightly. It was Huan Sui, who had already calmed Consort Mu and entered the inner room.
Huan Sui looked at her, silently mouthing: Are you alright?
Huai'an nodded at him, then held Ruo'cheng, letting her cry for a good while before gently pulling away, cupping her palms and asking, "Are you feeling any better?"
Ruo'cheng sniffled, her voice hoarse as she replied, "Huai'an, you smelled so fragrant just now, but now I can't smell it anymore."
Huai'an chuckled, pinching Ruo'cheng's nose. "Cried so much, with so much snot, it would be strange if you could still smell it."
Huan Sui went to the side to fetch a handkerchief and handed it to Ruo'cheng. Ruo'cheng took it and pouted at Huai'an, saying, "I feel wronged." Her eyes, which had been黯淡無光, now gradually flickered with a glimmer of light after the emotional release, a hint of her former lively and cunning spirit visible in that light.
"Wronged... because you can't feel your parents' love?"
Ruo'cheng was taken aback, tilting her head. "Seems like it?"
Hearing this, Huan Sui, who was about to sit down on a nearby armchair, couldn't hold back his laughter, which escaped before he could fully sit. "So, a little girl starved for love? What's the big deal?"
"You don't understand," Ruo'cheng glared at her third brother.
Huai'an also straightened her expression and said, "You don't understand." When it came to the influence of parents on children, she definitely had the qualifications to make some remarks, although the Ping family parents had been nothing but good to her, but Gu An'an's life had been...
Huai'an didn't continue to think about it, because she knew that as soon as she started to recall, the bitterness would linger in her heart for a long time.
"Oh, I understand perfectly," Huan Sui said, his smile fading as he lowered his shoulders and sat on the chair, speaking softly.
Ruo'cheng's face darkened. "Is that so? Third Brother is so intelligent and brave, outstanding," she nodded her head as she recounted the praises others had given Huan Sui, "extraordinary, with both talent and virtue," she gave a thumbs up, "such a young hero who deeply pleases Father, how could he doubt his parents' love for him?"
This time, it was Huan Sui's face that darkened. He tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Clearly words of praise, how come they sound different coming from your mouth?"
Ruo'cheng made a face at him, then stopped teasing him. She hugged her knees, rested her head on them, and looked up at Huai'an.
"How can we understand His Majesty's heart?" Huai'an murmured, her eyes rolling around as she clicked her tongue, unable to come up with an answer after thinking for a long time.
Huan Sui chuckled softly. "The imperial heart is unfathomable. How can we mortals窥見 it?"
Huai'an raised an eyebrow, a hint of disagreement in her expression. "No matter how high their position, they are still fathers."
Ruo'cheng shook her head. "Don't think about it. I reckon even if I really died in a foreign land today, he wouldn't even utter half a word."
Huai'an wanted to say something comforting, words about children being the apple of their parents' eyes, but suddenly clapped her hands and exclaimed, "Aha!"
Ruo'cheng flinched. "Didn't Brother Yan warn you not to shout randomly?"
Huai'an's lips curled into a smile. "Have you guys heard of a fake death drug?" In the short exchange of words, a plan had quietly emerged in her mind. If this plan succeeded, it could even kill two birds with one stone.
"Fake death drug?" Huan Sui narrowed his eyes.
Huai'an nodded, beginning to explain her plan.
First, they would find a drug called a 'fake death drug', and have Ruo'cheng take it to feign death. Then, under the cover of darkness, they would secretly dig Ruo'cheng out of her grave. (Ruo'cheng: Sigh, with digging? Sounds very unlucky.)
If the emperor looked haggard and heartbroken due to the loss of his beloved daughter, then they would confess, telling him that Ruo'cheng was still alive. If the emperor looked as if nothing had happened, then such a father wasn't worth staying by. It would be better to roam the world freely, going wherever she pleased, and also conveniently avoid the fate of the marriage alliance.
This plan was inspired by the story of Romeo and Juliet, where Juliet drank a 'fake death drug' given by the friar to avoid marriage. Although the ending was a tragedy, they just needed to avoid the tragedy. It was also to avoid marriage!
Ruo'cheng listened intently, her eyes wide, nodding as she listened. After hearing it, she clapped her hands and exclaimed, "Huai'an, I always thought you were a rigid person, but today's words have changed my view. You truly have a clever and adaptable mind." Thinking that she might see her father's panicked appearance, Ruo'cheng felt inexplicably excited.
Huai'an showed a hint of dissatisfaction. How could she be called rigid! Her mind had always been extremely quick... uh, sometimes it seemed... indeed... there was a bit of seriousness...
Huan Sui crossed his arms, not saying a word, before finally speaking after a long while, "Then..."
Huai'an nodded, uh-huh, she knew, it was about where to get the fake death drug, this... she wasn't clear on.
Huan Sui continued, "How do we avoid Father's thunderous rage?"
"Huh?" Huai'an was taken aback. "Shouldn't the primary question be: how to obtain the 'fake death drug'?"
Huan Sui waved his hand. "That's not a problem. I know where to find it."
"Huh?" Huai'an was even more confused. "Where?"
"There are several wandering doctors who often prescribe such medicine." He paused. "Mostly used by young ladies in their chambers to avoid marriage."
Oh, look at this guy, quite a few connections, huh?
"The problem is, if Father finds out about all this, how do you plan to handle the aftermath?"
Ah, right, this was an autocratic era. The monarch was heaven, able to turn his hand to clouds or rain, shaking mountains and rivers with earth-shattering changes. Not some ordinary father who could be deceived and forgive as long as his daughter was recovered. This was the emperor!
Huai'an frowned, unsure how to answer for a moment.
However, Ruo'cheng had a different idea. "That's simple. There are only two paths anyway. Either Father never finds out I'm still alive, or... if Father values me so much, then when I come back to life and plead with him, things should just blow over."
Huan Sui shook his head. "Father's temper is known to be mild, but as the Son of Heaven, there are still untouchable bottom lines, such as rebellion and deceiving the emperor."
Yes... if the emperor discovered such an earth-shattering scheme of switching the living for the dead right under his nose, even the most good-tempered person, as the emperor, would absolutely not tolerate such a thing.
Huai'an wore a troubled expression.
Huan Sui sighed. "There are a thousand ways to confirm how much Father values Ruo'cheng, yet you insist on taking this dangerous gamble."
Huai'an smiled awkwardly, opening her mouth to say something, but Huan Sui continued:
"But it's not a bad idea."
Ruo'cheng and Huai'an couldn't help but hold their breath, waiting for him to elaborate.
Huan Sui then meticulously listed the details of the plan and the parts that could be improved.
First, since there were only two paths, one where the emperor would never know everything, then things would remain as they were, which would also allow Ruo'cheng to see things clearly.
The solution for the other path was: it happened that Crown Prince Xiao Yan of Southern Qi was personally leading an envoy to Zheng. They could fabricate a reason, stating that this action was to take advantage of Ruo'cheng's demise, allowing Ruo'cheng to secretly visit the Crown Prince (Huan Sui had a past friendship with Xiao Yan, so arrangements could be made) to observe his character, his words and actions, and to determine if their personalities were compatible before reporting back to the court. This could also eliminate the Crown Prince's concerns about Princess Ruo'cheng's status preventing him from truly showing himself, thus avoiding friction after marriage.
The key point of this solution was: first, if Ruo'cheng confirmed the extent of the emperor's regard for her, then whether or not she married the Crown Prince of Qi wouldn't matter. She could simply meet with him casually. And once the emperor saw his beloved daughter come back to life and that the marriage alliance was not hindered, his immense anger would naturally dissipate into nothingness.
After Huan Sui finished speaking, he didn't say anything more. For a moment, the room was silent, with only the rustling of the curtains in the breeze and the soft crackling of the incense burner.
Ruo'cheng slightly opened her mouth, stunned for a long while without responding, admiration in her eyes. She had always felt distant from this third brother, but hadn't expected him to rack his brains for her, devising such a comprehensive plan in such a short time.
Huai'an had originally wanted to ask Huan Sui how he knew about the Crown Prince of Qi's visit to Zheng, but then considered that first, her official rank was low and she didn't attend court sessions, and second, Huan Sui had said he knew the Crown Prince, so she dropped the question. At the same time, she couldn't help but feel admiration. Huan Sui was talented and virtuous, and his reputation for intelligence was truly well-deserved.
After a moment, Huai'an took the lead in applauding, and Ruo'cheng, disregarding her weakened state, followed suit, standing up and bowing to Huan Sui. "Thank you, Third Brother."
"The heart of a king isn't that hard to fathom!" Huai'an smiled.
Then Ruo'cheng suddenly thought of a problem. "However... after this, although it might finally make me willing, if we really take the second path, I'm afraid I still won't be able to avoid a scolding. I'll be married off, but you guys..."
Huan Sui nodded. "I will take responsibility. Even if Father wants to blame someone, he can't possibly kill his own son, can he?"
"I'm afraid you'll lose His Majesty's trust."
Huai'an clearly understood how important the emperor's trust was to a prince. Although the current crown prince was in his prime, had accumulated great merit, and had never shown any ambition, the future was uncertain. If Huan Sui lost the emperor's favor over such a seemingly small matter, it would likely ruin all the reputation and merit he had accumulated.
However, Huan Sui looked completely unconcerned, his tone casual, like drifting clouds. "It doesn't matter."
Seeing this, Huai'an couldn't help but feel moved. For such a seemingly insignificant matter, Huan Sui hadn't complained about the trouble at all from beginning to end. He had just listened attentively to their thoughts, seriously considered them, and offered more thoughtful suggestions and plans, not even minding if it harmed his own interests.
As she thought, Huai'an felt a strange sensation budding in her chest.
Then Huan Sui added another sentence, "We can't let my little princess consort suffer, can we?"
Huai'an smiled, okay, whatever strange feeling was emerging, she suppressed it all.
At this time, they had completely overlooked the fatal flaw in their plan.
Time moved to the present, after the successful grave robbery (?) and Ruo'cheng's awakening.
"Awake?" Huan Sui was stirred by rustling sounds, opened his eyelids, rubbed them, and asked with a yawn.
"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?" Ruo'cheng chuckled. How could he be so unconcerned about such an earth-shattering event?
"Tired. You're heavy," Huan Sui rotated his shoulders, stretching his arms. "My arms are really sore."
Ruo'cheng's face darkened, and she turned her head away, not wanting to look at her third brother.
Huai'an laughed. Thanks to this little drama between the two siblings, the originally heavy and serious atmosphere turned light and joyful.
"Huai'an?" Ruo'cheng asked Huai'an, she was really too curious about her father's reaction.
Huai'an immediately understood Ruo'cheng's question. "His Majesty did show signs of grief."
Ruo'cheng was taken aback. "Really?"
Huai'an nodded.
Ruo'cheng gently lowered her head. It was clearly something to be happy about, yet she didn't know why she couldn't smile. There was a stone-like weight in her heart, a mix of complex emotions. On one hand, she was happy that her father valued her, but on the other hand, she couldn't help but resent why he only showed such a trace of emotion after she died, even though that was the original intention of the plan. But she still...
Huai'an didn't quite understand the contradiction in Ruo'cheng's heart, but she simply opened her arms and hugged her again. Hey, hugs were really a useful solution for comfort!
"I'll go check on Mother again," Huan Sui said after a pause. "And I'll also arrange the meeting with Xiao Yan."
Oh, Xiao Yan! A thought suddenly flashed through Huai'an's mind. She opened her mouth to say something, but the thought vanished in an instant, almost unseen. She narrowed her eyes. Hmm, since she had forgotten it, it must not have been very important.
After Ruo'cheng had recovered somewhat, Huai'an took her for a walk around the small house. The house had been unoccupied for a long time. Although her trusted aides had cleaned it inside and out the day before, there was still a thin layer of dust on the furniture, chests, and stove. Every step they took stirred up a small cloud of dust. They sneezed as they toured the place. Although small, the house was fully equipped.
This small house was a property that Ping Yan had settled on Huai'an before the new year, saying it was to congratulate her on her graduation from the martial arts academy. Huai'an remembered complaining disdainfully at the time: the location was cheap, the house was small, it was difficult to get around, and the surrounding area was densely forested with no other houses in sight. Second Brother, for a great general, wasn't he being too stingy?
At that time, Ping Yan had indignantly replied: Wasn't it that cunning old merchant from the East Market who had insisted on foisting this place on me, saying how great it was? (He spat out a curse.) Just watch me skin that fox.
Who would have thought that the small house, which had been deemed utterly worthless back then, would now play such a significant role, allowing her to easily deceive the heavens and hide her beauty?
Huai'an and Ruo'cheng exchanged a few words of caution, such as: don't run too far, don't go out to play for too long, if you need to go out, remember to inform the maid and bring two guards with you...
"Got it, got it, Huai'an, just relax."
The servants arranged to take care of Ruo'cheng were all trusted confidantes of Huai'an. Before leaving, Huai'an called them over again and gave them a few instructions, only then feeling somewhat relieved as she and Huan Sui left the small house.
Before leaving, Huai'an and Ruo'cheng hugged each other and bid farewell.
Huan Sui stood aside with his arms crossed, quietly watching them without saying a word.
...
Before the Crown Prince of Qi arrived, the court officials had already split into two factions. Every two or three days during the early morning court sessions, the two factions would voice their opposing views, reaching a stalemate.
One faction advocated for war, believing that since the Southern Qi royal family dared to send their crown prince, they should naturally seize the opportunity to detain the crown prince as a hostage and launch an attack on Southern Qi in one fell swoop. With the crown prince in their hands, Southern Qi would surely be constrained by fear for his safety. "This is a great opportunity for Great Zheng to unify the world! We must seize it!" General Wang Yunnuo, the leader of the pro-war faction, said this. Like Huai'an, she was a female general, and her words were forceful and resounding.
Wang Yunnuo had been stationed in the northern desert for many years, and the affairs of the southern border originally had nothing to do with her. However, this General Wang had a penchant for expressing her opinions on any potential war, always speaking passionately and not without reason, so the court officials would always patiently listen to her views.
The other faction advocated for peace, led by Qu Jin, the current Grand Councillor of the Chancellery. He stated that Great Zheng, as a nation of propriety, had clearly stipulated in the previously established alliance that Zheng and Qi would form a marriage alliance and establish eternal kinship. However, now that the emperor's only princess had died of illness, they had already lost credibility. If they were to resort to such a despicable act as detaining a hostage, they would surely be reviled by the world and lose the support of the people. The current plan was to choose a woman from the imperial clan to be adopted as an imperial princess, then marry her to Southern Qi with the honors due to a senior princess, while also doubling the dowry to properly appease Southern Qi.
Upon hearing this, Wang Yunnuo snorted disdainfully. "How can such important matters be handled with a substitute? If Southern Qi discovers it, wouldn't our Great Zheng lose face again? Rather than that, it's better to strike first!"
"General Wang, as a military official, naturally thinks only of fighting and killing. But our Great Zheng has only been established for a few years, the people's hearts are unstable, and His Majesty has even proclaimed to the world that the country should be governed with Confucian propriety. In confrontations between two nations, detaining envoys is most taboo. If we follow General's thinking and attack a friendly nation at the slightest disagreement, wouldn't our Great Zheng become a laughingstock in the world?"
"It's because of you cowardly and complacent Confucian scholars that our Great Zheng is still confined to the northern border!" Zhao Hui, the Censor-in-Chief, another official of the pro-war faction, joined the fray.
Seeing Zhao Hui say this, the officials suddenly fell silent, because the Censor-in-Chief Zhao Hui himself was a typical pedantic scholar who had entered the bureaucracy through the imperial examinations. Such words coming from his mouth seemed somehow wrong.
But they quickly showed expressions of understanding, because they remembered that Zhao Hui was the husband of the heroic General Wang Yunnuo. Looking at Censor Zhao's face, which seemed to say, 'My wife is the best,' the officials couldn't help but secretly roll their eyes. They also wondered how their renowned General Wang, who guarded the northern frontier, had fallen for this weak scholar.
The officials continued to argue back and forth, while the two most relevant figures, Ping Yan, the Grand Protector of Jing Province and the Generalissimo of the West, and Huan Sui, the Grand Protector of Henan Province and the Commander of the Southern Border, both remained silent, standing aside and observing the situation.
The emperor coughed and asked Ping Yan for his opinion. Ping Yan scratched his ears, his head, and his cheeks, and after a long while, finally squeezed out a sentence, "Your humble servant will only follow Your Majesty's orders."
The emperor turned to Huan Sui. Huan Sui replied similarly, "Your son agrees as well. Whether to fight or make peace, we will only follow Father's decision."
The emperor nodded. "This matter still requires my deliberation. The urgent task is to first properly entertain the Crown Prince of Qi. Yongci, you have been stationed on the southern border for many years and should know more about the affairs of Southern Qi than all the officials present. The task of receiving the Crown Prince of Qi will be entrusted to you."
Huan Sui received the order and knelt down to accept it.
The emperor then continued, "Minister Liang, as a senior official of the Ministry of Rites, I will trouble you to assist from the side."
Liang Songhe, the Minister of Rites, was an old minister in his seventies who had experienced three dynastic changes in the northern border. He was well-versed in all etiquette. Although elderly, his body was still robust. He respectfully bowed and accepted the order, "Your old servant obeys."
Huai'an stood outside the main hall, listening to the vague sounds of the discussions inside. Her mood was truly somewhat subtle and complex. Today's argument was originally unnecessary. It was all her fault. If she hadn't orchestrated this scheme to deceive the heavens, the emperor would probably have already ordered the Ministry of Rites to prepare for the grand wedding ceremony of the marriage alliance.
She had also heard that in the regular court sessions, the early morning court sessions, and the smaller court sessions, everyone was arguing fiercely and reaching a stalemate over the visit of the Crown Prince of Qi. There were even rumors that a Grand Secretary in the Three Provinces had collapsed and died halfway through an incense stick due to being too agitated during a debate.
After the court session adjourned, Huai'an saw Huan Sui give her a quick greeting before turning and walking into the corridor leading to the inner court. She raised an eyebrow, hesitating whether to stay in the palace to wait for him, when she saw her second brother, Ping Yan, walking towards her.
Ping Yan put an arm around Huai'an's shoulder and looked in the direction Huai'an was looking, grinning. "Little one, longing for him?"
Huai'an shrugged off her second brother's heavy arm and tsked, not replying.
Ping Yan didn't mind. He poked Huai'an's cheek with his index finger, trying to make her smile. "Smile? I haven't seen you smile since Ruo'cheng left."
Huai'an's heart jumped in surprise. She thought, 'That's right.' These past few days, she had been busy managing this grand scheme to deceive the heavens, leaving the mansion before dawn and returning after nightfall, let alone laughing and joking in front of her family. They must have been worried. Even so, she still didn't plan to reveal everything, just not wanting to involve them.
So she tugged at the corner of her mouth, wrinkled her nose, then lowered her shoulders and sighed. "How can I smile?"
Ping Yan looked understanding and raised his chin. "Let's go, Brother will take you to have some fun."
Huai'an obediently followed behind Ping Yan, leaving the palace gate. At this moment, if she had known what Ping Yan meant by 'have some fun', she definitely wouldn't have agreed.