Li Wanming tightened and then loosened her fists. Frowning, she asked, "Elder sister, what on earth do you see in him?"
This was what puzzled her the most.
In her opinion, Zhao Yanke was absurd, dissolute, eccentric in his actions, and irresponsible. He was by no means a suitable match for a woman. Even if her elder sister wanted to remarry, there was no need to choose such an unreliable person...
Wanxin's cheeks blushed again. Unconsciously, she pinched her handkerchief with her fingertips. "I think... His Majesty needs me..."
"Ah?" Li Wanming was taken aback.
But Wanxin turned her face away, looking out of the window at the swaying tree shadows and the floating clouds in the sky. Her voice was so soft that it almost faded away in the wind.
"That day on Dayi Mountain, His Majesty killed those two Anluo people to save us... After killing them, he knelt on the ground on one knee. His eyes were full of shock, pain, and confusion. He was like a panicked child, looking so pitiful and helpless..."
"Although he is the Son of Heaven, at that moment, he was so..." Unconsciously, Wanxin's fingertips rubbed the handkerchief. There was a smile on the corner of her mouth. "So lonely. I thought that if he needed me, I must go to his side..."
Before she could finish speaking, the tips of her ears were already as red as if they were bleeding.
Li Wanming suddenly felt a sense of powerlessness.
It turned out that in her elder sister's eyes, all of Zhao Yanke's absurdity and clumsiness had turned into the fragility that needed to be cared for.
Li Wanming looked at her sister's blushing earlobes and suddenly remembered that when they were young, Wanxin was just like this. Although she was afraid of the dark herself, she always gave the lantern to her and Wanmo. Although she wanted to eat candied fruits herself, she always said with a smile that she didn't like sweet things.
Her elder sister was just so kind...
The weaker, the more pitiful, and the more broken a person was, the more it would touch her heart.
Zhao Yanke lost his mother when he was a teenager and then his father. He had to struggle to survive under the authority of his stepmother and also take care of the country and the world... The first half of this absurd king's life was just like walking on the edge of a cliff.
So, it was not strange at all that Wanxin would fall in love with Zhao Yanke.
Li Wanming slumped back onto the couch dejectedly.
...
The convoy traveled for half a day and then stopped at a shady place to make a fire and cook.
Of course, Zhao Yanke rushed over again, holding a bamboo flute that he had whittled at some point like a treasure.
"Wanxin, look. This is what I just whittled. Didn't you say that you often made flutes with bamboo from the mountains when you were a child? Take a look at this one I made. How is it?"
He put the bamboo flute to his lips and clumsily blew out a strange sound, which made Wanxin cover her mouth and smile gently. There were shallow dimples on the corners of her mouth.
Li Wanming glanced at them and got off the carriage listlessly.
"How about it?" Xiao Jingnan walked over quietly and stood beside her.
Li Wanming didn't say a word. She just stopped and looked back.
The sunlight flowed on them, turning all the majesty of the emperor into the spirit of a young man. There was no longer the pain of the past on the woman's face. Instead, it was full of bright spring.
"Forget it." Li Wanming sighed softly. "Let them be..."
The summer wind swept across the treetops and scattered her sigh among the shadows on the ground.
Perhaps a truly suitable match has never been about family background, social status, or age. Nor is it about being well-matched in the eyes of the world. Instead, it is about the peace of mind that allows each other to take off all their disguises.
————————
The convoy passed through Yeyang and Dingzhou in great numbers. After traveling for about four or five days, they finally arrived at the foot of the capital city.
Under the city tower, the vermilion city gates were wide open. The royal guards on both sides stood with golden halberds in their hands. Their dark armor reflected the morning glow, and the cold light was as hard as iron.
In the middle of the imperial road, Grand Tutor Lü stood against the wind in a purple and gold python robe. This veteran of two dynasties had white hair and beard. The figure of him holding an ivory tablet still faintly showed an air of immortality.
Fang Xiang beside him was wearing a red robe and a jade belt. His face was as calm as an ancient well without waves. Only the golden fish pouch around his waist was shining brightly in the morning light.
Behind them, the civil and military officials were divided into two rows. The scarlet official robes fluttered in the morning wind. The jade belts and gold clasps complemented each other. From a distance, they looked like a long and colorful dragon.
"We ministers—welcome Your Majesty's triumphant return!"
The mountainous shouts suddenly rang out. All the officials knelt down together, and the sound wave was like a tide.
In front of the carriage, the curtain embroidered with gold thread was lifted high by the attendant, revealing Zhao Yanke's high-spirited face.
The morning light poured in, gilding his eyebrows. Even the small cinnabar mole at the corner of his eye seemed extremely vivid.
"All of you, rise."
He waved his wide sleeves, and the red-gold dragon patterns on his arms seemed to come to life immediately, as if they were about to break through the air at any time.
The young emperor's voice was as clear as jade colliding, with the clarity after the wind and rain. "During the days when I left the capital to lead the army on a personal expedition, I relied on all of you, my important ministers, to hold the fort in the court. Only then could I have no worries about the rear. You all have really worked hard!"
Grand Tutor Lü trembled forward. His white hair and beard fluttered gently in the wind.
"Congratulations to Your Majesty!"
His old voice had the unique cadence of an old pedant.
"This time, when the royal army went on a southern expedition, wherever the flags pointed, there were frequent reports of victory. Six cities in the southern border were recovered in one fell swoop. This is truly the blessing of heaven on our Great Sheng Empire. Our divine might has spread far and wide! In the past, it was said in the 'Book of History' that 'Heaven has no favorites; it only helps the virtuous.' Now, seeing Your Majesty's strategic planning and virtue matching that of heaven and earth, you were able to defeat the enemy and expand the territory! I, your humble servant, think that the victory of this battle not only shows the favor of heaven but also demonstrates the wisdom of the Holy Lord. It is truly a blessing for the country and a fortune for the people!"
His words were full of archaic expressions, slow and long. They made Li Wanming wrinkle her little face.
She quietly approached Xiao Jingnan and whispered, "Is he Grand Tutor Lü? The father of Lü Songyuan? Why does he look... a bit old?"
"Grand Tutor Lü is an old minister from the previous emperor's time. He is now in his sixties. He has three sons and two daughters in total. Lü Songyuan is his youngest daughter, so she is the most favored."
Xiao Jingnan smiled slightly and then added, "Grand Tutor Lü is very knowledgeable and highly respects the ancient system. This air of an otherworldly expert is exactly the bearing he deliberately cultivated."
After a long time, Grand Tutor Lü finally finished his congratulatory speech. He stepped to the side slightly, and immediately a little palace attendant brought a roll of bright yellow scroll.
"This is the reward plan personally drafted by the Empress Dowager. Please have a look, Your Majesty."
Zhao Yanke lowered his eyes slightly and tapped his fingertips on the gilded armrest. There was an undercurrent surging in his eyes.
"Why be so polite, Grand Tutor?" He suddenly laughed loudly and casually threw the jade pendant around his waist. The sound of the pearls colliding was clear and pleasant. "Since it is the will of the Empress Dowager, you can just read it out directly."
After saying that, he leaned back lazily. The dragon robe embroidered with the twelve symbols spread out on the cushion, looking just like a slowly coiling dragon.
Grand Tutor Lü's Adam's apple twitched slightly. He seemed a bit hesitant.
But Zhao Yanke stared at him intently, with a smile on the corner of his mouth, but he didn't move at all while sitting in the carriage.
Helplessly, Grand Tutor Lü still unfurled the bright yellow scroll in his hand.
His old and slow voice finally began to ring out under the city tower.