After several light rains, the flowers and trees in the courtyard grew more exuberantly. In the blink of an eye, it was the day of the Chancellor's estate's spring banquet.
With Li Zhongqian about to depart for battle, Li Yaoying was busy preparing his belongings and did not attend the banquet.
The Chancellor's estate was filled with incense and draped curtains, bustling with guests.
Young ladies from various families, adorned with pearls and emeralds and dressed in splendid attire, expressed regret upon hearing that the Seventh Princess would not attend. Secretly, however, they breathed a sigh of relief: if the Seventh Princess were to come, who would have the heart to look at them?
Li Zhongqian remembered his promise to Yaoying at the end of the previous year to go horseback riding with her at Qujiang. After finishing his military preparations, the siblings, accompanied by only a few attendants and traveling incognito, rode to Qujiang for a few rounds.
On the day before his departure, Li Zhongqian entered the palace to visit Xie Guifei.
Xie Guifei sat by the railing, watching palace maids play on the swings.
Fragrant grass surrounded the steps, and the sunlight was warm. Without makeup and dressed in plain clothes, she smiled and chatted with the palace maids beside her, her expression serene.
Li Zhongqian approached closer.
Just then, he heard Xie Guifei beckon a young eunuch: "Erlang, your hair is messy. Come here, let Mother comb it for you."
The young eunuch laughed and responded. As he walked under the corridor, he bumped into Li Zhongqian, whose face was dark and gloomy. The eunuch paled, stepped back, and knelt on the ground.
"Your Highness, forgive my offense!"
The young eunuch did not dare to look up, trembling with fear.
Xie Guifei often mistook people, frequently confusing the palace maid Awei with the Seventh Princess and the young eunuch with the Second Prince in his youth. If they did not respond, Xie Guifei would become panicked and frightened.
Later, the imperial physician instructed the young eunuch and Awei to humor Xie Guifei, pretending to be the young prince and princess. The Seventh Princess also reassured them, saying she would not blame them. Only then did the eunuch dare to respond to Xie Guifei's call of "Erlang" despite his lowly status.
Li Zhongqian remained silent.
Xie Guifei waited for a while but did not see the young eunuch. She looked over, her face puzzled.
Li Zhongqian and his mother locked eyes for a moment.
Xie Guifei's expression was blank.
Li Zhongqian averted his gaze and said calmly, "It's nothing. The Noble Consort is calling you. Go ahead."
The young eunuch let out a long sigh of relief, stood up, and scurried away.
Xie Guifei called out to him with a smile, "Erlang, walk slowly. Don't fall."
Li Zhongqian stood in the corner for a long while before turning to leave.
Awei escorted him to the palace gate. Seeing his cold expression, she could not help but explain, "Your Highness, please do not blame the Noble Consort..."
Li Zhongqian interrupted her calmly, "I do not blame Mother."
He understood that his mother was ill, which was why she acted this way.
His guards waited outside the palace gate with his horse. Li Zhongqian took the reins but suddenly paused.
"I have a question for you. Answer truthfully, without the slightest concealment."
His tone was icy and authoritative.
Awei quickly replied respectfully, "Your Highness, please ask. This servant would not dare to hide anything."
Li Zhongqian asked, "In the past few months, has Seventh Lady vomited blood again like last year?"
Awei was taken aback, thought for a moment, and shook her head.
"Your Highness, the Princess has been taking the Concentrated Dew Pill and has not vomited blood."
Li Yaoying had been frail and sickly since childhood. Even though her health had improved over the past two years, she had never stopped taking medicine. The medicine was a pill called the Concentrated Dew Pill, formulated by the imperial physician using dozens of rare herbs.
Li Zhongqian said nothing, his expression relaxing slightly.
Last year, Li Yaoying had suddenly convulsed and vomited blood, her life hanging by a thread. The imperial physician was at a loss.
Li Zhongqian felt that his sister's illness was strange and stayed by her side for several days.
Yaoying, however, was nonchalant, saying she had only eaten raw fish and had an upset stomach.
Li Zhongqian had seen her suffering when she vomited blood and, of course, did not believe her.When questioned, the imperial physician couldn't provide a clear explanation.
Soon after, Yaoying made a full recovery, appearing radiant and energetic, with no trace of having been seriously ill.
Li Zhongqian had no choice but to suppress his suspicions.
He mounted his horse, letting out a soft sigh as he faced the deepening twilight.
Whatever Yaoying was hiding from him, as long as she was safe and well, that was all that mattered.
Half an hour later, Li Zhongqian returned to the princely residence.
The front courtyard was bustling with people, filled with laughter and chatter. A dense crowd packed the area inside and outside the main hall.
The chief steward led Li Zhongqian around the front courtyard, smiling as he explained, "Your Highness, rewards are being distributed in the front courtyard."
Li Zhongqian's lips curved slightly. "On Seventh Sister's orders?"
The steward nodded in confirmation. Whenever the Second Prince went to battle or returned victorious, the Seventh Princess would order the stewards to distribute rewards to all the servants inside and outside the residence.
While the front courtyard buzzed with noise and excitement, the inner courtyard was also a scene of busy activity. The corridors were piled with opened trunks and cases, and maids hurried in and out carrying boxes and trays, their footsteps creating a chaotic rhythm.
Yaoying stood at the doorway, directing the maids.
The brilliant evening light filtered through layers of blooming branches, softly enveloping her.
Amid the shimmering flower shadows, she stood at the steps, her figure graceful, her lips red and teeth like pomegranate seeds. When she turned and saw Li Zhongqian approaching, her eyes curved into a smile.
She was born with captivating eyes that seemed to hold autumn waters, her thick lashes fluttering, a ripple of springtime charm in her gaze.
"Elder Brother."
She called to him softly, her smile bright and beautiful.
As if awed by her dazzling beauty, the flowering branches in the courtyard trembled gently in the intoxicating evening breeze.
Li Zhongqian grinned, reaching out to brush a fallen apricot petal from Yaoying's dark hair.
The sister he had protected and cherished had grown up.
Yaoying nudged Li Zhongqian into the room. "You're heading to battle tomorrow, so you should rest early tonight. No matter who sends an invitation, you are not to go out drinking!"
Drinking could lead to trouble. Once, he had set off for battle completely drunk, drawing sidelong glances from all the officials seeing him off.
Li Zhongqian raised his thick brows slightly, drawing out his words, "Understood, little taskmaster!"
Yaoying shot him a playful glare.
She busied herself with preparations, checking the luggage, and didn't retire until late at night.
Perhaps due to overthinking these past few days, Yaoying slept restlessly.
She had a dream.
In the dream, a torrential rain poured down. She was trapped beneath piles of corpses, unable to breathe or move.
Dead bodies were everywhere. She was soaked in rainwater stained red with blood, her entire body cold.
"Little Seven! Little Seven!"
A voice called her name anxiously.
It was a young boy of only eleven, his voice clear and crisp but trembling as he called out repeatedly, "Little Seven!"
In the relentless downpour, he shouted until his voice grew hoarse, kneeling rigidly before the heap of bodies, his hands torn and bleeding as he turned over and identified one rotting corpse after another.
"Don't be afraid..."
"Elder Brother is here..."
"Little Seven, don't be afraid..."
Yaoying wanted to call out to him, but her throat was choked, and no sound came out.
The long, rainy night passed, but the rain continued. The boy persisted in his desperate search.
After what felt like an eternity, the body of the guard pinning Yaoying down was moved aside, and bright light poured over her.
Eleven-year-old Li Zhongqian knelt before her, his eyes bloodshot.
Seeing his face, Yaoying could no longer hold back her fear, and tears streamed down her cheeks. "Elder Brother... I'm scared..."
Li Zhongqian's lips trembled, his entire body shaking as he held her tightly.
"Little Seven, don't be afraid. Elder Brother is here to take you home."
Yaoying clutched his lapel tightly and burst into tears.The next moment, the eleven-year-old boy vanished into the distance, and Yaoying found herself standing in a patch of barren sand.
A fierce wind howled past her ears, the vast sky stretched endlessly above, and yellow sand filled the air.
A light black steed shot down the slope like an arrow released from its bow. The young man on its back was robust and upright, with sharp eyebrows and phoenix-like eyes, clad in dazzling golden armor. His helmet gleamed brilliantly under the scorching sun.
War drums thundered as a troop of cavalry in black armor suddenly surged from the shadows, swooping toward him like a great net.
The young man laughed heartily, his phoenix eyes gleaming with a bloodthirsty chill. Brandishing a pair of golden war hammers, he charged forward fearlessly, his snow-white cloak flapping wildly in the wind.
Yaoying stumbled toward him.
"Brother!"
She screamed desperately, her throat raw with pain. "Brother! Turn back! It's a trap!"
Li Zhongqian heard nothing, swinging his hammers as he pressed onward.
Sinister whistling sounds pierced the air as arrows rained down like locusts, darkening half the sky with their dense swarm.
Glimmering arrowheads pierced his chest armor, one after another, embedding themselves all over his body.
He was knocked from his horse by over a dozen spears, rolled on the ground, then rose again, standing firm at the slope’s edge. His mangled hands lifted the hammers once more.
Yaoying pushed him, beat him, weeping and cursing him.
Li Zhongqian stood motionless, drenched in blood, his robes in tatters. The fierce light in his phoenix eyes slowly dimmed.
Circling vultures swooped down, their dark brown, sharp beaks tearing at his flesh.
Yaoying threw herself forward, frantically driving the vultures away.
"Let go of my brother! Let him go!"
The vultures beat their wings and pecked viciously at Yaoying, covering her in wounds. Clutching Li Zhongqian tightly, she was left battered and bruised.
...
"Brother!"
Yaoying jolted awake from the dream, wiping her eyes to find her fingertips damp.
She had had another nightmare.
A maidservant lifted the bed curtain, holding a candle to illuminate Yaoying’s face.
"Your Highness, did you have a bad dream?"
Drenched in cold sweat, her clothes clinging uncomfortably to her skin, Yaoying murmured absently in reply, her hands still trembling.
She often had this dream, but none had ever felt as vivid and real as this one, as if it had truly happened.
Moonlight streamed through the window, and the world outside was as still as tranquil water.
Groping around, Yaoying found the jade box beside her pillow. Opening the lid, the pigeon-egg-sized Bright Moon Pearl emitted a soft, gentle glow.
Clutching the pearl, her thoughts in turmoil from the dream, she rose, draped a robe over her shoulders, and left the courtyard, heading toward the northern quarters where Li Zhongqian resided.
Confident in his martial prowess, Li Zhongqian had relegated his personal guards to the outer courtyard, leaving only two young servants in the northern quarters for errands.
Yaoying walked straight in—the guards dared not stop her.
The two servants were dozing back-to-back. Startled by her arrival, they stared blankly, mistaking her for a celestial maiden in a dream, before abruptly snapping awake.
Yaoying gestured for silence, tiptoed inside, and stood outside the screen. Lifting the silk curtain, she peered in.
She didn’t want to wake Li Zhongqian—just a glance to confirm he was still alive and well would suffice.
The bed was empty.
Yaoying froze.
A low chuckle sounded beside her ear: "What are you looking for in the dark, Little Seven?"
Yaoying shrieked in fright and instinctively hurled the object in her hand toward the voice.No sooner had he released her than she realized what had happened and lunged forward, only to slip suddenly underfoot. Losing her balance, she tumbled headfirst toward the screen.
"Watch out!"
Li Zhongqian was also startled. He hooked an arm around Yaoying's waist, steadying her.
With a clatter, the Bright Moon Pearl rolled to the floor.
Yaoying’s heart ached at the sight. She bent to pick it up, but as soon as she took a step, a sharp pain shot through her ankle.
She must have twisted her foot when she lunged forward.
She hissed through her teeth, wincing in pain.
Li Zhongqian frowned slightly and called for a servant to light the lamp. He then lifted Yaoying and carried her to the couch in the eastern room.
He had heard her the moment she entered the courtyard. Unable to sleep, he had risen and waited for her to come looking for him.
The room was unlit, so she hadn’t noticed him standing in the shadows. She had pulled aside the bed curtain and peered inside.
On a whim, he had deliberately startled her with a sound.
Who would have thought she’d be frightened like this?
Yaoying stared intently at the faint glimmer in the corner. "Wait, pick up the Bright Moon Pearl first. Don’t let it break."
Li Zhongqian frowned, his voice low. "Let’s check if you’ve sprained your ankle first."
Yaoying leaned back on the couch, testing her right foot with a twist. She sighed in relief. "It’s nothing, just a twist. It’ll be fine in a moment."
Li Zhongqian said nothing. He removed her silk sock, took the lamp from the servant, and examined her foot carefully.
Only after confirming that her right foot was merely sprained, with no internal injury, did he help her put the sock back on. He then rose, walked to the screen, picked up the Bright Moon Pearl, and placed it in her hand.
"It’s not some rare treasure. If it breaks, it breaks. I’ll find you a better one," Li Zhongqian said sternly.
The screen in his room was a large floor-standing one inlaid with mica. If she had really fallen against it, she would have ended up with a bloody head—no joking matter!
Yaoying cradled the Bright Moon Pearl, blowing off the dust. She smiled and said, "Elder Brother, I like this one."
She made no mention of his mischief frightening her, appearing gentle and obedient.
Li Zhongqian sighed helplessly. Noticing the cold sweat on Yaoying’s forehead, he asked softly, "Did you have another nightmare?"
Remembering the dreams, Yaoying’s chest tightened. She nodded and lifted her face, her eyes fixed unblinkingly on Li Zhongqian.
Her expression was tense, as if afraid he might vanish if she so much as blinked.
Li Zhongqian didn’t press further. Gently, he said, "It’s all right. Those were just dreams."
Yaoying lowered her gaze and murmured in agreement.
She had already repeated her warnings too many times; there was no need to say them again.
Li Zhongqian sighed, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Little Seven, your brother promises you—I will come back alive. If I’m defeated in battle, I’ll surrender to the enemy. No matter how they humiliate me, even if they make me kneel and kowtow before the ranks, it doesn’t matter. I will come back alive."
Yaoying looked up, her eyes wide with disbelief as she stared at Li Zhongqian.
As a son of the Li family, with the prestigious Xie clan as his maternal relatives, Li Zhongqian was a man of immense pride. How could he utter such dispirited, unheroic words?
In the book, surrounded by enemy cavalry, he had fought to the last breath without showing a trace of fear, cutting down several horsemen before breathing his last.
Her brother must be saying this to comfort her, afraid she would worry.
Yaoying’s heart swelled with a bittersweet ache, her eyes reddening.
Li Zhongqian reached out and tapped the tip of her nose, a warm smile in his eyes. "Your brother always keeps his word."
Yaoying had always believed he still carried some of the Xie family’s noble integrity—that he was upright, fought for his country, and would rather die than yield.
He dared not let her know that he had long since changed.What did the Li family have to do with him?
What did Great Wei have to do with him?
What did the lives of common people have to do with him?
All this talk of the common folk under heaven, the chaos of these troubled times, grand century-spanning plans, internal strife and external threats... he didn't give a damn about any of it!
All he wanted was Xiaoqi's safety and happiness.
Moonlight flowed like water, casting silvery radiance across the floor before the screen.
Li Zhongqian lifted Yaoying onto his back and carried her to her room.
After talking with him for a while, Yaoying felt somewhat reassured. She obediently rested against his back, arms wrapped around his neck, and said: "Elder brother, I'll wait for your return."
Li Zhongqian responded with a laugh.
"When you return, it'll be late summer." Yaoying calculated the time. "I want to go hunting at the Western Park."
Li Zhongqian smiled: "Alright."
"Every year at the Eastern Capital they hold dragon boat races. Let's take Mother to stay in the Eastern Capital for a few days."
"Alright."
No matter what requests Yaoying made, Li Zhongqian agreed to them all.
Her speech grew increasingly indistinct.
Li Zhongqian turned his head and found Yaoying had fallen asleep on his back, her luminous cheek resting against his shoulder, right hand clenched in a fist—even in sleep she kept tight hold of that Bright Moon Pearl.
He smiled.
She had been bustling about all these days—she must be utterly exhausted.
...
The next morning, Yaoying saw Li Zhongqian off to war.
She stood atop the city walls, not wearing her veil hat, hands resting on the battlements as she watched the army march south.
Li Zhongqian sat astride his noble steed, turning back to wave the pair of golden hammers in his hand toward her direction. Clad in golden armor over white robes, he cut a figure of magnificent vitality.
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