Chapter 259: "I hope you all take care as well."...
Wen Yu, still recovering from a serious illness and unfit for long journeys, temporarily remained in Gole City to recuperate.
With Li Xun and Zhou Sui present, numerous complex and important matters were discussed and drafted into proposals by them before being submitted to Wen Yu for review.
Chen Wei was ordered to lead thirty thousand troops, escorting He Yi's coffin and a group of Surrendered Xiling Generals to the Xiling royal palace, bringing final closure to this war.
The twenty thousand Elite Northern Cavalry led by Song Qin rushed from the heart of Great Liang to Tiger Gorge Pass, only to learn upon arrival that the war had already ended. They then hurried to Gole City, finally catching the tail end of the campaign against Xiling.
Xiling, which had been barely holding on, completely lost the will to fight upon seeing He Yi's corpse and the Surrendered Xiling Generals.
Before the Lunar New Year, Wen Yu received the surrender letter personally drafted by the King of Xiling.
Both Liang and Chen had been exhausted by years of warfare, and Wen Yu had no intention of continuing the fight. She summoned her ministers to discuss peace terms. When she had formed an alliance with the Sixteen Tribes of the Great Desert at the royal court, she had promised to help them reclaim the territories occupied by Xiling.
However, urgent reports soon arrived from the front lines: after Xiling proposed peace talks, the Liang army and the Sixteen Tribes had indeed ceased hostilities, but were then ambushed by Xiling forces at night, suffering heavy casualties.
Enraged, the Liang army and the Sixteen Tribes, believing Xiling had deceived them, stormed into the Xiling royal palace, only to discover the King of Xiling already dead in the royal palace, a Liang-made Battle Blade plunged into his abdomen.
The Queen of Xiling, who had fled the royal palace, falsely accused the Liang army and the Sixteen Tribes of launching a night assault after the peace proposal and brutally killing the King of Xiling, claiming that Great Liang and the Sixteen Tribes had no intention of negotiating peace.
The various Xiling tribes, which had lost their will to fight, rose up again to resist the Liang army and the Sixteen Tribes.
After reading the urgent report, Wen Yu knew that a decisive battle was inevitable and said only four words: "Swift and decisive."
Thirty thousand Liang troops and the forces of the Sixteen Tribes of the Great Desert began sweeping through Xiling.
By the end of the first lunar month, another victory report arrived from the front lines.
Xiling, at the end of its strength, finally collapsed under this thunderous assault.
The various tribes originally under Xiling's rule broke away, killing the Queen of Xiling as a pledge of allegiance, and declared their willingness to surrender to Great Liang, offering annual tribute. The territories they had occupied from the Sixteen Tribes of the Great Desert were returned in detail, along with compensation.
Perhaps fearing that the various Xiling tribes, with Great Liang as their backer, would pose a threat in the future, the Sixteen Tribes of the Great Desert also declared their willingness to become vassal tribes of Great Liang.
When the army returned victorious, Wen Yu signed the Documents of Allegiance and Documents of Mutual Trade with the tribal leaders in Gole City.
When the news reached Liang and Chen, the ministers could hardly believe it was true. After repeatedly confirming its accuracy, they were moved to tears of joy.
The common people were also ecstatic, spreading the news far and wide. The city streets remained brightly lit and bustling for several days and nights.
By mid-February, Wen Yu led the triumphant return to the Chen royal court.
While the army was still over ten li from the city gates, common people had already lined the streets to welcome them, eagerly calling out "Princess" as they followed Wen Yu's carriage. Joy was evident on every face.
Using thirty thousand troops to repel one hundred twenty thousand strong enemies, and ultimately destroying Xiling, which had harassed Chen's borders for years—this was the greatest victory Chen had achieved since retreating beyond the passes.
The shadow of conscription and taxes brought by years of warfare was completely lifted from the people.Empress Dowager Jiang personally led the officials who had remained in the royal court to wait at the city gates. Watching the common people gathered there eagerly anticipating the army's return, she momentarily lost herself in thought. Gazing at the distant official road where the triumphant army was yet to be seen, she remarked, "It's been many years since the royal court has been this lively, hasn't it?"
The elderly matron attending her was about to respond when shadows of the army appeared on the official road ahead. The banners of the Liang, Chen, and Xiao battalions fluttered in the cold wind, exuding an aura of stern solemnity.
Empress Dowager Jiang and her accompanying officials straightened slightly, assuming more formal postures. Meanwhile, the common people at the city gates erupted into thunderous cheers: "The army has returned victorious!"
"Princess Han Yang has returned to court!"
The cheers surged wave after wave. Had guards not been stationed along both sides of the official road in advance, the crowd would have surged forward to stop the procession.
Even so, the guards blocking the sides were nearly pushed off their feet.
As the army advanced slowly, the lead carriage arrived at the city gates. The Azure Guard lifted the carriage curtain, and Wen Yu, dressed in magnificent wide-sleeved robes, stepped out with Zhao Bai's support. The cheers from the common people grew even louder, while the officials at the gates bowed deeply in unison: "We humbly welcome Princess Han Yang's victorious return!"
Amid the sea of people, echoes seemed to reverberate from all directions.
Wen Yu, holding Zhao Bai's hand, descended from the carriage and approached Qi Simiao. She personally helped him rise, saying, "Chancellor, please rise quickly. During my absence from the royal court, I am indebted to you and Empress Dowager Jiang for managing court affairs."
Her gaze then shifted to Empress Dowager Jiang. Her eyes were calm, and in those young, gentle yet potentially stormy depths, Empress Dowager Jiang saw the reflection of her own silver-streaked hair.
So, she had grown this old.
After Qi Simiao stood and uttered, "It was merely my duty," and Wen Yu gestured for the other bowing officials to rise, Empress Dowager Jiang remained dazed for a moment before speaking slowly: "You have suffered in Gole City. Seeing you return victorious brings me great joy. The journey must have been arduous—please return to the palace and rest."
The procession then resumed its journey, with cries of "Princess Han Yang!" echoing along the way.
Even after Wen Yu's carriage entered the royal palace of King Chen, the common people lingered in the streets, reluctant to disperse.
The sound of carriage wheels was distinct in the narrow palace pathways. Empress Dowager Jiang leaned against the carriage wall, watching the curtain sway gently in the cold wind, occasionally revealing new green buds on branches beyond the palace walls. The distant cheers, though muffled by multiple palace gates, were still faintly audible.
"Your Majesty?" the elderly matron called softly, noticing her fixed gaze on the scenery through the carriage curtain.
Empress Dowager Jiang only sighed and said, "Spring has arrived. Everything in the royal court feels so new."
The matron was puzzled, but Empress Dowager Jiang fell silent.
Throughout her return to the palace, she slowly reflected on her life—from being selected as a consort to becoming queen and then empress dowager. Suddenly, she felt the weight of the pearls and hair ornaments in her hair bearing down on her.
—
After returning to Zhaohua Palace to change into simpler attire, Wen Yu went to Lingxi Palace, where she was informed that Empress Dowager Jiang was feeding fish in the lakeside pavilion.
Winter in the Chen Kingdom ended early. Though the wind still carried a chill, the green willows by the lake had already sprouted new buds.Wen Yu entered the pavilion with Zhao Bai and saw the Empress Dowager dressed in plain clothes, taking fish food from a small jade bowl and scattering it bit by bit to the red and white koi gathered in the lake, as if unaware of their arrival.
Wen Yu said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for what happened on the day of the incident at Zhaohua Palace."
She was referring to the time when King Chen stormed into Zhaohua Palace intending to harm A Li.
At that time, the war at Gole City was intense. Tong Que, fearing that Wen Yu would worry about A Li amid the enemy's pressure, had temporarily omitted the matter from his reports.
Later, when the victory report from Gole City reached the royal court and King Chen's death no longer needed to be concealed, the Azure Guard stationed at the royal court promptly informed Wen Yu of the day's events in a letter.
Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager Jiang's hand, which had been about to take more fish food, paused slightly.
The pain of losing a son remained a scar on Empress Dowager Jiang's heart, especially since King Chen had taken his own life in such a resolute manner before her eyes.
The initial anger and stubbornness, like the winter rain and snow of the royal court, had melted away, leaving only traces of rust. Then, the sorrow that surfaced in midnight dreams slowly seeped through the rust, accumulating over time.
After a long while, Empress Dowager Jiang said, "I did it for the sake of Chen Kingdom."
She tossed a few more grains of fish food into the lake. "You once said you found a quiet place for me to practice Buddhism. Now that you've returned, I've handed the royal court back to you intact. I've grown weary of staying in this royal palace and wish to go to Chan Mountain sooner to enjoy peace."
Upon hearing this, the old matron hurriedly knelt down and cried out mournfully, "Your Majesty..."
Wen Yu paused for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, there is no need for this..."
Empress Dowager Jiang continued feeding the koi in the lake but said, "I am truly weary."
She turned to look at Wen Yu. "Make the arrangements for me."
This time, Wen Yu did not refuse.
After Wen Yu left, the old matron knelt prostrate at Empress Dowager Jiang's feet, weeping sorrowfully. "Your Majesty, why must you do this..."
Empress Dowager Jiang threw the last of the fish food into the lake and gazed at the red walls and green tiles of King Chen's palace in the distance. Her eyes held nothing but exhaustion and boundless desolation. "Here, I have bid farewell to my husband, nephew, siblings, and finally, my son..."
"Zhi Fang, I am tired. The old royal court is gone. Why should we still cling to this place?"
The old matron seemed to understand something in her daze and sobbed even more bitterly.
The edict of mourning for King Chen's passing had been issued even before Wen Yu returned to the royal court. However, the entire nation was immersed in the joy of victory in the war, so the national mourning failed to stir any waves among the people.
In fact, due to King Chen's various absurd behaviors during his lifetime—especially his attempt to use his own son's blood to refine the Immortality Elixir even in death—the historians of Chen Kingdom, skilled as they were in embellishment, found themselves at a loss for how to record his passing in the annals.
It was the Empress Dowager, whether for her son's sake or to preserve the dignity of Chen Kingdom, who ordered the historians to write that King Chen had died from a illness brought on by worry over the border war, coughing up blood in his final moments.
However, the common people scoffed at this explanation. King Chen's notorious reputation was already well-known, and his act of binding Wen Yu and offering surrender the moment Xiao Li besieged the city had exposed his cowardice. Even three-year-old children in the streets did not believe King Chen had died from concern for his country.
For a time, speculation about the true cause of King Chen's death ran rampant among the people. Some said he died from excessive indulgence in pleasures, others claimed it was from overdosing on elixirs, and there were even those who insisted he had been frightened to death by the 120,000-strong army from Western Mausoleum pressing at the borders.Wen Yu was unaware of all this. In order to arrange various matters in the Chen Kingdom before returning to Liang, she had been working tirelessly day and night recently.
The Empress Dowager no longer wished to involve herself in any affairs of the Chen royal palace. With King Chen dead, there would be no new King of Chen in the future. It was even uncertain whether the Chen royal palace would be preserved. The concubines in the palace needed to be properly settled.
Wen Yu sent people to the residences of these concubines, respecting their own wishes. Those willing to leave the palace were granted generous funds for their departure, while those with nowhere to go were settled in the detached palaces for support.
Additionally, she needed to select a group of officials to accompany her back to Liang, as well as choose trustworthy ministers to remain in Chen and oversee the situation.
Incense burned in the Boshan censer, its smoke spreading layer upon layer like a precious canopy, filling the entire imperial study with the lingering fragrance of agarwood.
Seated behind the desk, Wen Yu rubbed her throbbing temples for what felt like the umpteenth time.
Fearing that Gole City might not hold, she had previously selected a group of Chen officials to accompany Tong Que and A Li back to Liang.
Unexpectedly, complications arose later. During the Yan faction's rebellion, some aristocratic families and royal relatives who had cautiously remained neutral ended up taking the spots meant for those officials, moving their entire clans to Liang with their families in tow.
Qi Simiao was originally among the officials scheduled to move to Liang, but he chose to stay behind to stabilize the overall situation in the Chen Kingdom.
Despite the headaches, since that incident, both the common people and the middle-to-lower-level officials in the court seemed to have completely lost hope in the aristocratic families and royal relatives of the Chen Kingdom. Therefore, after Wen Yu returned to court, everyone regarded her as the true master of the Chen Kingdom.
One by one, the Chen officials whose names Wen Yu had written on the list were summoned to the imperial study. After being questioned by her, they would leave the study, wiping their tears with their sleeves—some due to the sorrow of parting, others out of gratitude for her recognition.
But after today, the entire Chen Kingdom would no longer bear the name Chen; it would now bear the name Wen.
As the prime minister, Qi Simiao was the last Chen official summoned by Wen Yu.
After being called in by Eunuch Li, he entered the imperial study and saw Wen Yu concentrating on writing something with a brush behind the desk. He bowed first: "This old minister, Qi Simiao, pays his respects to Your Highness."
"Prime Minister, there is no need for such formalities." Wen Yu set down the brush in her hand and looked at Qi Simiao below, saying, "I have summoned the Prime Minister today to ask: in the past, to continue the legacy of the Chen Kingdom, you were willing to go to Great Liang. Now that the situation has stabilized, I still wish to invite the Prime Minister to accompany me to Liang and continue to assist me. Is the Prime Minister willing?"
Qi Simiao's lips moved several times before he finally clasped his hands and replied, "I am deeply honored that Your Highness does not discard this old minister. These old bones are not yet ready to be buried, and I am willing to be driven by Your Highness. However... this old minister has an impertinent question to ask Your Highness."
Wen Yu said, "Prime Minister, speak freely."
"Dare I ask Your Highness... what is your relationship with the Xiao Army of the Northern Border?"
Wen Yu looked at the elderly minister before her, her gaze calm yet leaving no room for negotiation, and said, "Great Liang and the Xiao Army of the Northern Border will form a marriage alliance."
Since neither Wen Yu nor Xiao Li had any collateral relatives, the meaning behind the words "marriage alliance" was self-evident.
But this was also the best strategy to quickly unify the realm.
Qi Simiao knew that after the battle of Gole City, their Chen Kingdom no longer had the right to demand anything from Wen Yu, yet he still asked with difficulty, "Then what about the young princess..."Wen Yu said, "A Li being established as the crown prince—this will not change."
Qi Simiao, feeling ashamed, bowed his head and saluted Wen Yu once more: "This old minister... thanks the princess."
After Qi Simiao departed, Wen Yu picked up her brush to annotate the memorial but first pressed her throbbing temples, the ache growing more pronounced from fatigue.
She understood why Qi Simiao had asked those two questions.
He had selflessly served the people of Chen all his life, and this single act of personal consideration could be seen as his final duty to the Chen royal family, whom he had loyally served for decades, or as a safeguard for all the people of Chen.
After all, during her reign, she had convinced the officials of Chen that she would treat all subjects fairly—but what of the future crown prince?
Each ruler brings their own court; there will always be distinctions between closeness and distance.
Only a crown prince with the bloodline of the Chen royal family ascending the throne would ensure both regions continued to be treated equally in the future.
Xiao Li entered carrying the tonic Wen Yu took daily. Seeing her headache seemed to have flared up again, he directly took the brush from her hand, closed the memorial, and handed her the medicine bowl, saying, "You can read it later. Drink your medicine first."
When Wen Yu was busy, skipping meals was common, let alone taking tonics.
As the master, her subordinates could only plead with her helplessly. Now, with Xiao Li keeping watch, Zhao Bai and the Azure Guard felt much more at ease.
Not only did he unfailingly brew and personally deliver her daily tonic after meals, ensuring she drank it, but he also never missed the twice-daily medicinal compresses.
Thanks to this, Wen Yu’s health had largely recovered even before returning to the royal court.
Her thoughts still tangled with the affairs in the memorial, Wen Yu frowned slightly, massaging her temples as she said, "I’m almost finished."
Normally, if the Azure Guard saw her frown, they wouldn’t dare oppose her. But Xiao Li simply gathered all the piled-up memorials from her desk and moved them aside before sitting in an armchair nearby, crossing his arms and fixing her with a stare as he uttered two words: "Drink it."
Wen Yu had no choice but to set aside her intention to continue working. She picked up the medicine bowl, closed her eyes, and gulped it down in a few swallows. Yet, from the base of her tongue to her throat, the bitterness instantly spread, so intense it left a numb sensation and even brought involuntary moisture to her eyes.
Xiao Li had already passed her the pickled sour plums from the box. Wen Yu ate several in a row before barely suppressing the bitter taste in her mouth.
Whether it was because her taste buds had become more sensitive after her illness or the new prescription from the imperial physician was simply more bitter, drinking this medicine had become quite an ordeal for Wen Yu.
Compounding the issue was her dislike for sweets, leaving her with only sour dried fruits to counteract the medicine’s taste each time.
After finishing the plums, the furrow in Wen Yu’s brow eased slightly. She said to Xiao Li, "I’ve mostly recovered. Tell the imperial physician to stop this medicine."
"Good medicine tastes bitter. I’ve asked—the physician said you need to take it for at least another half month before stopping." Xiao Li refused outright.
When it came to her recuperation and medication, he was always firm.
The moisture still lingered in Wen Yu’s eyes, tinged with a faint redness from the physical reaction. Suddenly, she crooked a finger, signaling Xiao Li to come closer.
Though wary, Xiao Li’s body moved almost involuntarily toward her.
Wen Yu hooked her arms around his neck and kissed him, pressing her lips to his. In the meeting of their mouths, she vengefully transferred the clear, bitter taste of the medicine to him.
Having succeeded in her mischief, she released her hold on his neck and started to pull away. But before she could, a large hand pressed against the back of her neck, abruptly pulling her down again.Her lips collided with his once more, with a force that allowed no struggle.
Before she could react, her breath was completely stolen from her.
Tangling, sweeping, swallowing.
The bitter taste of medicine still lingered between their lips and teeth, mingling with another kind of damp heat and suffocation that spread through the curling smoke of the Boshan censer.
Wen Yu couldn't catch her breath. In her confusion, she felt herself being lifted onto the long desk. The sound of numerous documents being swept to the floor echoed from the far end of the desk. Xiao Li still held her chin firmly, kissing her deeply, devouring the last trace of bitterness from between her teeth.
Gasping for air, she could only clutch helplessly at the fabric on his shoulders and arms.
The scorching kisses trailed down her neck, sharp teeth tearing open her clothes, revealing half a pale shoulder covered in marks of varying depths.
Struggling to regain her senses amidst Xiao Li's chaotic kisses, Wen Yu raised a hand to stop him.
Xiao Li's breathing was already heavy. When he looked at her, his gaze remained clear, but the whites of his eyes were tinged with red.
Her breath unsteady, Wen Yu said, "I've also summoned Chen Wei. He's waiting in the Qining Hall."
As she spoke, she tried to jump down from the desk but was held back by his grip on her waist.
Xiao Li braced his long arms on either side of the desk, easily trapping her between his arms and chest. His handsome, well-defined face was flushed at the corners of his eyes, his thick, dark lashes half-covering his gaze as he looked down. "You started this," he said.
Wen Yu looked up at him, their breaths intertwining in the confined space. "Then what should we do?" she asked.
Her eyes held both laughter and innocence.
Xiao Li stared at her, his Adam's apple slowly moving. Bowing his head, he continued kissing her in that position.
More memorials were pushed off the desk in the struggle, and all unspoken words were swallowed between their lips and teeth.
When Chen Wei was summoned to the imperial study, he happened to encounter Xiao Li emerging with an empty medicine bowl. He paused and called out, "Xiao Jun."
Xiao Li nodded and continued on his way, the dark collar of his robe just covering a fresh bite mark on his neck.
Unaware, Chen Wei entered to find Wen Yu sitting behind the desk, one hand pressed to her neck as if weary, the corners of her eyes still slightly red. Thinking of Xiao Li leaving with the medicine bowl, he assumed Wen Yu had been overworking herself with political affairs and her health was suffering again.
They had all witnessed how much she had exhausted herself back at the border.
For a moment, Chen Wei felt a mix of emotions. Lowering his eyes, he bowed to Wen Yu. "Your subject... pays respects to the Princess."
Wen Yu's fingertips rested on the decree that would determine Chen Wei's assignment. She lifted her gaze and said, "Lord Chen, you've arrived."
Chen Wei stood respectfully below, waiting for her to continue.
"The matters in Chen have been settled. I will soon depart for Liang. Although Xiling and the desert tribes have now made peace, as a precaution, we must leave a general I trust to guard the border. I intend to assign you to remain in Chen. What are your thoughts?"
Realizing what Wen Yu meant, Chen Wei immediately knelt. "Your subject... is overwhelmed with gratitude, but how could I... be worthy of such a responsibility?"Wen Yu said, "Your Excellency need not be overly modest. Even when my royal father was still alive, he always spoke highly of you. During the three years when Bandit Pei brought calamity to Liang, you supported Pingzhou and the entire Southern Border, truly deserving the praise of having toiled and achieved greatly. Now, having traveled thousands of miles to rescue the throne in Southern Chen, and with the merit of pacifying the Western Mausoleum, there is no one more suitable than Your Excellency. Only with Your Excellency guarding the Chen territory on my behalf can I feel at ease in Liang."
Upon hearing these words, Chen Wei’s eyes were already reddened. Knowing he could no longer decline, he bowed to Wen Yu and said, "Your subject... Chen Wei, will defend the territory for my lord unto death, and will surely not fail in this mission!"
When the time came to withdraw, likely thinking that with mountains and rivers now separating them, it would be difficult for sovereign and subject to meet again, he ultimately could not hold back his tears. Once more, he bowed deeply to Wen Yu and said, "I only pray that Your Highness, upon returning to Liang, will take utmost care of yourself!"
Having spoken, perhaps fearing he might become even more distraught in Wen Yu's presence, he followed the example of the previous officials and hastily wiped his eyes with his sleeve before quickly withdrawing.
Wen Yu, covering the bite mark on her neck left by Xiao Li, realized that Chen Wei might have misunderstood something.
But with this parting, separated by thousands of miles between north and south, it was indeed uncertain when sovereign and subject would meet again.
Her heart filled with complex emotions, she watched Chen Wei's retreating figure descend the stone steps of the imperial study and slowly said, "I hope all of you will also take good care."
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