However, Li Qiyu had always been the core figure of the Li family. It seemed that after her marriage, there was much less laughter and joy in the Li family. Even though I was pregnant with Xiaoyu at that time, there were few smiles on everyone's faces.
Including myself, I wasn't happy either.
In the end, Li Qiyu didn't marry Zhou Donglin. Before that, Li Yuanhua had talked to her, saying that as long as she said she wanted to be with Zhou Donglin, the entire Li family was willing to resign from their official positions and retire to the mountains.
But Li Qiyu thought more than anyone else.
"What about after resigning? Will the Emperor feel at ease with the Li family if we resign? Can we feel at ease watching the common people suffer after we resign?"
"But this will sacrifice your happiness."
"Who says Song Jiaye isn't a good match for me? He treats me well now."
Li Qiyu was stubborn, and Li Yuanhua couldn't argue with her, so he had to give up.
But until Li Qiyu returned to her natal home on the third day after her wedding, everyone looked unhappy.
Song Jiaye gave her enough face. After Li Qiyu returned to her natal home, her head was full of hairpins. The tomboy had become a dignified and gentle princess. I was quite shocked when I saw her.
It turned out that Li Qiyu could be so gentle and quiet.
However, as soon as she sat down to chat, she was still that tomboy.
She told us a lot of interesting things, the gossips she'd heard in the Third Prince's Mansion, and the things the Emperor had bestowed on them for their wedding. But the more I listened, the more surprised I became.
"What about the Third Prince? Does he treat you well?"
"What does 'good' and 'bad' mean?" Li Qiyu counter - questioned me.
Her words left me speechless.
What did 'good' mean? On the surface, Song Jiaye had indeed given Li Qiyu everything she deserved. At least on the surface, Li Qiyu had become more magnificent than before, like a noblewoman.
But I always felt that she wasn't very happy. It was like a canary in a cage. No matter how gorgeously dressed, it couldn't have the freedom and ease of soaring freely in the mountains.
Moreover, as a newly - wed couple, she talked about gossips and rewards, but never mentioned her husband. This was really unusual.
Li Qiyu added, "He should treat me quite well. We respect each other like guests. Besides, now that we're married, we have a long life ahead. Over time, we'll surely develop feelings."
When she said this, she looked at me, as if she wanted me to give her the courage to persevere. But when I looked at her, all I could think of were the past days when she and Zhou Donglin played and laughed together.
In terms of time, in this world, no man had spent as much time with Li Qiyu as Zhou Donglin had.
Moreover, Li Qiyu would never have asked such a question when she was with Zhou Donglin.
I could only comfort her weakly, "Maybe. Everything will get better."
Li Qiyu's status kept rising. From a princess, she became the queen. The palace she lived in became bigger and bigger, but the people around her became fewer and fewer.
I could feel that she was gradually starting to care about Song Jiaye.
This was really unfair.
Men's feelings come fiercely but also fade quickly. Few men can develop feelings over time. Most of them fall in love at first sight and then get tired of each other.
Women's feelings come gently but gradually become stronger. Most women will be trapped in the cocoon of love they've woven, developing feelings over time and binding themselves.
I often went into the palace to visit her. Occasionally, I could see Song Jiaye.
It was really appropriate to describe their relationship as "respecting each other like guests". They were really polite, but also quite distant.
Especially Song Jiaye. He seemed to treat everyone like this, keeping a neither - too - close - nor - too - far distance and maintaining a neither - too - affectionate - nor - too - cold smile, making it impossible for anyone to guess what was on his mind.
However, Li Qiyu and I had a common understanding that Song Jiaye hated it when we mentioned Zhou Donglin.
So, Li Qiyu rarely mentioned him later.
Sometimes, seeing Li Qiyu looking unhappy, I could only comfort her, "He's just jealous. It shows that he cares about you."
Li Qiyu rarely smiled. With a calm expression, she said, "I feel like I'm just his possession. He's just declaring his ownership."
I didn't know how to answer.
Every time I came back from the palace, Zhou Donglin would stop me and ask about Li Qiyu's recent situation. Of course, I didn't dare to let him know that Li Qiyu was unhappy, so I always replied with "not bad". Zhou Donglin really knew Li Qiyu well. Not long after, he brought a little kitten and asked me to take it into the palace for Li Qiyu to play with.
It would be good to have a little thing to keep Li Qiyu company.
I took the little kitten into the palace. The kitten was very docile and had been well - trained by Zhou Donglin.
A person could be so caring about another. I was really impressed by Zhou Donglin.
When passing by the Star - Picking Tower, I remembered the rumor that making a wish there was very effective.
I don't really believe in gods and Buddhas. But looking at this couple who clearly had feelings for each other but couldn't be together, facing this dead - end situation, I could only pin my hopes on the gods.
I didn't ask for this life because it was already impossible. I only asked for the next life.
"If the great immortal living in the Star - Picking Tower can hear my words, please help this ill - fated couple. Let them stay away from the troubles of this world, away from the Zhou family and the Li family, and be an ordinary couple who can fall in love freely."
...
I don't know if my wish would work, but Li Qiyu really stayed away from the Li family.
Because Song Jiaye had set his sights on the Li family.
Once the cunning rabbit is dead, the hunting dog is cooked. Since the Li family was no longer useful to Song Jiaye, he naturally started to settle accounts without mercy.
No one expected that it would be Zhou Donglin who came to read the imperial edict to confiscate the Li family's property.
Fortunately, it was Zhou Donglin.
After receiving the news, Zhou Donglin sent someone to deliver a message, telling us to escape quickly.
But where could we escape to?
Zhou Donglin bought bones from the morgue to make up the number of people, hoping to save a few more people. With the reputations of the Zhou and Li families, there was still hope to buy a chance for one or two people. Li Yuanhua told me to take the child and leave quickly, but I didn't want to.
Yu'er was innocent. I asked the maid to take him away and then turned back.
When Li Yuanhua saw me, his eyes were blood - shot.
"Didn't I tell you to leave?!"
"Hubby, do you remember? Back then, my parents forced me to let you take a concubine, and you and Qiyu came to stand up for me."
"Can this be compared? This is a different matter!"
"Yes, because from that moment on, I've already decided that if I don't belong to the Hua family, I'll belong to the Li family. From then on, where there's the Li family, there's me. Now that the Li family is in trouble, I'll never live on in disgrace."
"You're so silly."
I didn't answer Yuanhua anymore.
Wasn't the Li family silly too? If the Li family had launched a rebellion, there would have been a lot of people supporting them. But until this moment, the Li family still had the common people in mind. If there was civil unrest in the Mu Dynasty, the ones who would suffer would still be the common people.
I felt that I would have a good end in this life if I could die in Li Yuanhua's arms.
If there was any regret, it would be worrying about Li Qiyu.
I really hoped that Li Qiyu and Zhou Donglin could finally get together.
I really wanted to see that day with my own eyes.