Chapter 148
In front of the long bridge, the willow’s shadow caressed the ground.
Li Xuanzhen stood beside his steed and asked, “Yu Niang, have you ever regretted it?”
Zheng Biyu shook her head, “Your Highness, I have never regretted it.”
She knew herself. Even if she were to do it all over again, she would still make the same choice.
“Dalang, I don’t regret it… but every time I think of Zheng Wu, I feel as if there is something missing in my heart. No matter what I do, nothing can fill that void.”
Zheng Biyu looked at Li Xuanzhen and sincerely said, “I no longer have a chance to make up for it. That’s why, once upon a time, no matter how much you and Zhu Luyun messed around, I still hoped that you could spend your life inseparably with the woman you love.”
Li Xuanzhen had not treated her badly these past few years. This was her second marriage and she nearly left with another man on their wedding night. He knew everything about her, understood that what she sought was glory, and had never made fun of or belittled her.
She was grateful to him and pitied him. She was sober and sensible; her heart was already old. As long as the home was stable, she didn’t care at all about the warblers and swallows around him.
He still has the chance to toss for love—how nice!
“Dalang, Princess Wenzhao is still alive. You still have a chance to atone for your crimes. Figure out your heart and don’t let yourself be blinded with hatred. People cannot be brought back after death; don’t leave yourself with regrets.”
Li Xuanzhen was lost in thought for a moment before he mounted his horse.
“Yu Niang, I refused to let Li Zhongqian go all these years. In the end, Ah Yue was forced to enter a marriage alliance. Why did she still risk her life to send her personal soldiers to warn me?”
Zheng Biyu lifted her chin, “Does Your Highness think that the Seventh Princess should harbor a grudge against you, against the entire court, and sit back and watch the Northern Rong sneak up on Great Wei, asking the entire Great Wei and all of its people to follow along?”
She gave a laugh.
“Your Highness, you underestimate people too much.”
Li Xuanzhen pulled up the reins, “Yes, I underestimate people too much. I always told myself that Li De was the Son of Heaven, that he had his own burdens, that the world was not yet unified so I could not kill him because of my own personal vendetta, so I could only start with Li Zhongqian first because the Shzi position was something that Aniang exchanged her life for; no one could take it away.”
He was silent for a long time. The things of his past flashed through his mind one by one.
“Ah Yue gave me a chance… If I could have accepted her goodwill calmly at that time, there would not have been all these things later.”
He was too stubborn.
“What is the difference between Li De and I?”
It was a time of chaos. A man, instead of thinking about restoring the mountains and rivers, pacifying the chaotic world, and rescuing all the people from this inferno, because of his mother’s last wish, could not distinguish right from wrong, muddled. Ah Yue was driven to desperation, yet could still, between personal hatred and righteousness, decisively choose righteousness. He had the ambition to end the chaos, but he was narrow-minded, indulging in his subordinates’ conspiracy against loyal and good people.
If he could not clean his house, how could he clean the world?
He was trapped by the demons in his heart, not at all worthy of being the country’s Crown Prince.
“Yu Niang, you are a good mother.” Li Xuanzhen gently kicked the horse’s belly, “Teach our son well; don’t let him be like me.”
Zheng Biyu nodded, “You can rest assured.”
The steed stepped away and gradually galloped far.
Right at this moment, thunderous hoofbeats came from the direction of the city gates. Dust flew wildly, and dozens of fast horses raced to her.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince–“
Heading the group, Chief Commander Pei let out a roar, “Don’t move!”
Li Xuanzhen did not turn around.
Chief Commander Pei bellowed, “Your Highness, His Majesty has ordered that if Your Highness takes another step forward, we will release our arrows!”
Li Xuanzhen still did not turn around.
As the fast horses rushed onto the bridge, Chief Commander Pei gritted his teeth and said in a heavy voice, “Release the arrows!”
The Jin Wu Wei answered, bending their bows and drawing their strings. Sharp cracking sounds rang out continuously. The feathered arrows were like locusts raining down, covering Li Xuanzhen.
Li Xuanzhen urged his horse westward, his back firm and lonely.
Ah Yue was still alive; he still has a chance to receive her forgiveness. Whether or not Ah Yue would forgive him, he had to go to save her.
The former Li Xuanzhen was dead.
After all, Chief Commander Pei did not dare to kill him, and could only watch as Li Xuanzhen’s figure disappeared into the shade of the willows. He returned to the palace to report.
“Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince is gone.”
The sword wound on Li De’s shoulder had not yet healed. When he heard this, he spat out a mouthful of blood.
The Crown Prince position that Tang Ying traded her life for, Li Xuanzhen really said he didn’t want it.
Half of his life’s work ruined, just like that!
I… I…
Li De actually uses ‘孤家寡人’ which is how an Emperor humbly refers to himself and means a humble, widowed person.
Li De looked at the bright red bloodstains on the memorial seal, his hands trembling.
His most cherished son had also abandoned him.
Smoke rose in spirals from the imperial table.
…
Li Xuanzhen left Chang’an spurring his horse to full speed, eating and drinking on horseback, rushing as fast as possible to Liangzhou.
Liangzhou’s local officials were startled. Li Xuanzhen called the guards and deployed them one by one. The generals heeded his orders.
He changed to a good horse, filled his water pouch, took a few saddle horses that he could switch off to, and embarked on the road to the west.
When the majestic Qilian Mountains appeared on the horizon, he put on a felt hat, changed into a thick fur coat, and rushed day and night without stopping.
Northern Rong’s guard was tight, strictly prohibiting the Han people from entering the Pass. Fortunately, before he set off, he got his personal soldiers’ news and avoided the Northern Rong’s sentry posts and checkpoint on the way, arriving safe and sound in the Helong area. Occasionally, he bumped into a team of patrolling Northern Rong soldiers. When he was questioned by the other party, he would behead them without saying a word, snatch the other party’s horses, and then quickly change his route.
The four directions were vast and boundless. In the whistling wind, no other colors were seen in the sky and earth, as if he was the only one left in the world.
On this day, he hadn’t eaten for three days. Tired, hungry, cold, and thirsty, when he crossed the snow-capped mountain ridge, he suddenly heard a sharp sound.
An iron arrow cut through the wind and snow, sharply shooting at him.
Li Xuanzhen leaned back, dodging the iron arrow, and fell off his horse.
The steed was startled and raised its front hooves, releasing a high-pitched whinny.
A few dark shadows scuttled up from the snow, swooping down to the mountain path, and reining in the frightened horse. One of them walked up to Li Xuanzhen and chopped down with his sword, his actions swift and fierce.
The bitterly cold wind blew away the disheveled hair on the man’s face, revealing a pair of gloomy phoenix eyes.
Li Xuanzhen rolled to avoid the long sword and tore the mask from his face.
The other party recognized him and was momentarily stunned. Then, a burning rage rose in his phoenix eyes. He raised his arm and heaved his sword, his expression sinister.
Li Xuanzhen looked at the other party, not making a move to counterattack, “Li Zhongqian, Ming Yue Nu is still alive.”
He had been sending people to follow Li Zhongqian. Knowing that he was searching for Li Yaoying’s corpse in this area, he came to Helong just to tell Li Zhongqian this piece of news.
Hearing his sister’s name, Li Zhongqian shuddered. Stiffly stopping the long sword in his hand, his phoenix eyes widened angrily as he took a step forward and grabbed Li Xuanzhen’s collar, “What did you say?”
His voice was hoarse, his eyes were bloodshot, and his eyes were gloomy, as if he wanted to eat his flesh and blood alive.
“I didn’t lie to you.” Li Xuanzhen said word by word, “I swear on my life, she is still alive. When the Yelu tribe was destroyed, she was taken captive by Haidu Aling. The news came from the Northern Rong side, absolutely true.”
Li Zhongqian did not say a word. His eyes were so red that they seemed to be dripping blood. The hand that tightly clutched Li Xuanzhen’s coat collar went through a wave of trembling.
He looked at the personal soldier next to him, moving jerkily.
The private soldier fell to his knees, his voice trembling lightly as he nodded toward him: ”Langjun, you are not dreaming! You are not crazy! The Seventh Princess is still alive!”
Li Zhongqian’s blood-red eyes flashed with a few hints of brightness, “Ming Yue Nu is still alive…”
These days he dreamed of Little Seventh over and over again. Dreamed of her crouching in front of his knee and acting like a spoiled child, dreamed of her cheerfully learning to walk on unstable feet, dreamed of her waking up from a coma and seeing his face, her eyes glowing, “Elder brother, you’re still alive!”
He dreamed that she was sitting alone in her tent crying, surrounded by rude Yelu tribesmen. She was crying and calling his name, asking him to save her. He wanted to save her, but he couldn’t move a muscle. He could only watch her suffer.
Every time he woke up from his nightmares, there was only the bleak and vast wilderness in front of him.
One time, he dreamed that he searched and searched, searching for a long time but he couldn’t find her, when suddenly someone tapped him on the shoulder and laughed, “The Seventh Princess is still alive though? What are you looking for?”
The Li Zhongqian in his dream was ecstatic; Yes, he was so stupid, Little Seventh was still alive!
After waking up, he leaned back in the cave dumbfounded, recalling the dream he had just had.
How beautiful the dream was, how heartbreaking the moment of awakening was.
Li Xuanzhen, who was thousands of miles away, suddenly appeared in front of him. He thought it was another bizarre dream.
His personal soldiers knelt at his feet and told him it was not a dream.
Little Seventh was still alive.
Li Zhongqian turned his head and looked straight at Li Xuanzhen. His phoenix eyes flashed with an icy and malicious cold light. With a flash of silver, his long sword fell.
Li Xuanzhen flew backward, dodging the ruthless blade.
“Ming Yue Nu is in the Northern Rong. Li Zhongqian, with these few people of yours, how can you take her away? Even if you can save her from Northern Rong, how will you return to the Central Plains?”
He stood among the snow, his face calm.
“Without a guide, without guidance, how long will it take you to find her? One year? Two years?
“Li Zhongqian, my men are in the Northern Rong main encampment right now. I have a way to reach Yizhou within two months. If you kill me, who will take you to save Ming Yue Nu?”
Li Zhongqian’s pupils dilated and shrunk.
Li Xuanzhen said, “The account between you and me will be settled one day. Right now, I just want to save Ming Yue Nu first.”
Li Zhongxian put away his long sword.
Nothing was more important than Little Seventh’s safety.
Little Seventh, don’t be afraid, wait for elder brother. Elder brother is coming to save you.