Zhou Yangling and Liu Chu arranged to have tea together to discuss matters between them. Scholar Zhou Tan, whether out of personal or public interest, wanted to marry his daughter to Prince Chen. Prince Chen naturally admired his daughter, but her attitude remained ambiguous. Zhou Tan had always doted on his daughter, pitying her frail health and granting her many privileges. Yet, he couldn’t understand what Zhou Yangling was thinking.
He didn’t understand, but Liu Chu did.
After bidding farewell to the Lu couple, Zhou Yangling, not wanting too much attention on her beauty, and with Luo Lingwei eager to help her with a male disguise, left the Lu residence dressed as a dashing young man instead of the stunning woman she was.
Prince Chen walked with her in silence.
The coachman waiting at the entrance of Wuyi Alley to take the young lady home was stunned by her appearance, feeling a mix of emotions. Trembling, he said, “Miss, why are you dressed as a man again? Your father will scold you if he finds out.”
Before Zhou Yangling could respond, the elegant young man beside her softly spoke, “I will walk with your lady for a while before sending her home.”
The coachman naturally agreed, not daring to defy Prince Chen. Even a mere coachman knew that the old emperor had fallen, and the court now belonged to Prince Chen. Liu Chu and Zhou Yangling walked away, the dim light of the night casting a cold glow on the stone path, with the walls and trees on either side looming starkly. They walked slowly, and for a long time, Prince Chen remained silent.
Zhou Yangling’s face grew warm, feeling the awkwardness of walking with Prince Chen after her identity had been revealed. She glanced at the young man beside her, his features cold yet refined, his gaze fixed ahead. To break the silence, she awkwardly said, “Even my servant says it’s not good for me to dress as a man. Does Your Highness think so too?”
Prince Chen was surprised, pausing before replying, “No.”
He continued walking calmly, speaking slowly, “You are a talented woman. Confining you to the inner chambers would be unfair.”
Zhou Yangling was taken aback, lowering her eyes. “Is that so? Since I revealed my true identity, the gentlemen who once discussed politics with me are now all seeking my hand in marriage. They no longer talk about those topics, only praising my beauty. I feel lost, powerless.”
Liu Chu said softly, “If I were to marry you, I would not bind you with?? conventions or demand anything from you. I fell in love with your talent, not your beauty. At that time, I thought… the person in my heart, whether Zhou Yangling or Zhou Zibo, was someone of great talent. You should do what you love. Even if you marry me, I would still support you dressing as a man and moving among the people. I would never doubt or confine you. And the troubles behind you, I would resolve them for you. You can rest assured.”
“Even if… I attain that position, I would still find a way to help you, without forcing you.”
He thought to himself that Lu Xuechen could dress as a woman to please Luo Lingwei, so his wife dressing as a man was a much better outcome compared to the initial suspicion of his supposed fondness for men.
Zhou Yangling stopped walking, staring at his profile in surprise. She whispered, “The conflict between the royal family and the nobility is growing. To balance the two and appease the commoners, it’s best to bring them into the fold. For the sake of maintaining this political balance, marrying you is the best choice. Only by marrying you can the commoners feel at ease, serve you wholeheartedly, and gain the status they desire.”
“Since I met Lu Sanlang in Yicheng last year, I knew I could only marry you.”
Liu Chu’s eyelashes fluttered slightly. He stopped walking and turned to look down at her.
Zhou Yangling’s eyes were as clear as autumn springs, calm and cool. Her youthful face bore a heroic air. Who would have thought that such a delicate and refined girl harbored such ambitions? She smiled faintly, “I feel unwilling, but there’s no other way… To this day, I’m grateful that you didn’t send anyone to the dock to meet me that day, giving me the chance to dress as a man.”
Liu Chu’s face warmed, slightly embarrassed. “I…”
Zhou Yangling continued, “Now that I’ve come to terms with it, you’ve come to provoke me again…”
She thought for a moment, her gaze flickering, avoiding the young man’s intense stare. Her cheeks flushed as she turned her face slightly. The young lady whispered, “I’m willing…”
Liu Chu interrupted, “Before that, I must tell you a secret. After you know it, you can decide.”
Zhou Yangling was surprised but nodded gently.
Liu Chu looked at her for a long time before slowly saying, “Do you know how long I practiced to say this so fluently?”
Zhou Yangling: “…”
Liu Chu said indifferently, “Ninety-nine times, not one less. Just to stand here and say these words to you, to express my feelings without faltering or making you dislike me.”
Zhou Yangling faintly realized something, her expression changing slightly. “Your Highness!”
Liu Chu remained unmoved, continuing, “Do you think my usual stutter when speaking to you is just because I admire you too much, my heart too excited?”
Zhou Yangling: “Stop talking!”
—Don’t say these things! Don’t expose the secret!
Liu Chu gave a bitter smile.
He looked down at her gently, quietly saying, “When I was young, I fell ill after saving someone from drowning, leaving me with a lifelong stutter. If people knew, I would never have a chance at the throne. I never sought the throne, but I never gave up on that power either. I’ve hidden it from the world, letting no one know… I’ve kept this secret for over a decade, almost twenty years.”
“This secret is my greatest secret.”
Zhou Yangling was stunned, her eyes shimmering as she met his moist, dark gaze.
He continued, “Do you know how I got this illness? Saving someone from drowning… Do you know who I saved? It was Lu Xuechen. Do you know why he fell into the water? It was my design. He was just a child then, new to Jianye, unfamiliar with the place. He was sensitive and lonely, with no friends… I schemed against him, only to suffer the consequences, leaving me with a lifelong flaw. Fate is fair.”
“I don’t owe him. I’ve treated him well all these years, and I will continue to do so. I’ve given him everything I have. But I’ve also been left with this stutter. I’m not a good person, but I’m not entirely bad either.”
Zhou Yangling’s face paled slightly. After a long time, she asked, “Why tell me this? Wouldn’t it be better to hide it forever?”
Liu Chu: “I thought about hiding it from you, letting you marry me in ignorance, accepting everything about me later. Once the marriage between the commoners and me is sealed, there’s no turning back. I admire you deeply, and once I have you, you’ll never escape me. But you are such an outstanding person… I feel so inferior before you.”
He paused, his face pale. He looked at her again, smiling slowly, “All my life, I’ve done everything for gain. I’m the kind of person who doesn’t act without benefit. But even though I’m so calculating, I fell in love with you at first sight, never able to forget you…”
Zhou Yangling: “Your Highness!”
Liu Chu whispered, “Disgusting, isn’t it? You were dressed as a young man then, yet I harbored such feelings for you. I thought about giving up, but seeing you, I couldn’t bear to. In all my life, I’ve never liked anything, but you are the only one who made ‘liking’ feel so close. I competed with Lu San for you, with Luo Lingwei for you… I like you so much. I don’t want my feelings for you to be tainted by even a speck of dust.”
Zhou Yangling listened quietly, her initial shock turning to heartache. Liu Chu could have kept this from her; he had hidden it from the world, he could have deceived her. But he told her his greatest secret, giving her his lifeline. If he ever wronged her, she could ruin him. This unexpected confession moved her deeply, stirring the waters of her heart.
The night breeze brushed her face, carrying the fragrance of the world.
After his self-deprecating confession, Liu Chu closed his eyes, awaiting Zhou Yangling’s final judgment—to condemn him, to reject him. He didn’t know that Zhou Yangling was smiling at him. She reached out, took his hand, and placed a cool object in his palm.
Liu Chu opened his eyes to see a jade pendant in his hand. The pendant was adorned with tassels, a lady’s accessory.
Zhou Yangling: “A gentleman never parts with his jade without reason. Once given, it will not be taken back.”
Liu Chu: “…!”
His voice trembled, “You… you still accept me?”
Zhou Yangling: “Why not? You like me so much… I admire you greatly… Ah!”
Suddenly, he pulled her into his arms. The slender young lady was held in his embrace for the first time, though he had dreamed of it countless times. He liked her too much, was too nervous about her, and thus felt both joy and fear. The weight in his heart lifted, replaced by tears of happiness.
Heaven still favored him.
…
Prince Chen and Zhou Yangling became engaged in August. The old emperor, in a daze, wanted to stop it but couldn’t speak, only glaring at Prince Chen. But Liu Chu didn’t care. In mid-August, the former Prince Zhao, Liu Huai, made a desperate counterattack, rallying forces lingering at the border or hiding in the south, aiming to strike Jianye.
Yue Zihan, a northerner, personally went to root out these unstable elements hidden in the south.
Liu Mu cooperated, and after a month of struggle, Liu Huai finally died by Liu Mu’s sword.
Liu Mu and Yue Zihan returned triumphant to Jianye to receive their rewards. Without the emperor’s interference, even though everyone knew Prince Hengyang had once escaped from prison, Prince Chen declared his merits and demerits balanced. With the court now under Prince Chen’s control, who dared to oppose? Liu Mu openly returned to Jianye, first visiting Prince Chen’s residence to discuss matters, then entering the Taichu Palace under Prince Chen’s guidance to meet his mother, the current Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager, tears streaming down her face, clung to her youngest son, unable to let go, repeatedly apologizing. The elderly woman, her hair white, wept bitterly, “I didn’t want to abandon you. Master Kong was found by me for you, remember? I have so many children, but you are the youngest, and your father and I loved you the most… Mu’er, Mu’er, I couldn’t bear to part with you!”
Liu Mu’s eyes reddened. He hadn’t seen his mother in a long time, and he only wanted to ask why. As his mother hugged him and cried, Liu Mu softly said, “You loved me the most, but you cared most about another son’s throne. You knew the emperor’s edict named me, yet you didn’t even give me a message…”
The Empress Dowager’s expression grew slightly uneasy. She nervously glanced at the young man standing under the maple tree outside the hall. His imposing figure was that of the current power holder, Prince Chen. The Empress Dowager scolded her youngest son in a low voice, “Such treasonous words must not be spoken. There was no edict before your father’s death. How can you believe such rumors?”
Liu Mu slowly raised his head, his eyes bright with tears but also a cold, bone-chilling resolve.
He wanted to ask, “If there was no edict, were you afraid Prince Chen would trouble me, or were you simply favoring another son?”
But as he looked at his mother’s face, he suddenly felt extremely tired, not wanting to ask anymore. Let it be. Why insist on knowing the answer, on being hurt again?
There was indeed an edict, even Prince Chen knew of it. Liu Chu had let him leave the capital, not killing Prince Zhao but allowing him to leave, all to root out the northern spies hiding in the south who were in contact with Prince Zhao. The day after Liu Mu met Prince Zhao, Prince Chen’s men had come to his door. Liu Mu knew exactly what Liu Chu meant.
He told no one, sitting with the edict all night before finally burning it.
Liu Chu was a man of deep schemes, always had been since their school days. He rarely spoke or brought things up, but he always had a plan. If Liu Mu didn’t want to rebel, it was better to eliminate such a risk. Moreover, he was grateful to Liu Chu for saving him. This political rival had treated him more sincerely than his own brother and mother. At least, he hadn’t deceived him or coaxed him to his death.
Disappointed, Liu Mu left the Empress Dowager’s palace and walked with Liu Chu under the maple trees. Liu Mu was deep in thought, silent. The young man, having shed his former??, now stood tall and resolute, like a drawn sword shining brightly. If used well, he could be a????. Such a talent, feared and constantly targeted by the old emperor… Liu Chu truly felt it was a waste.
Liu Chu asked, “Will you go see Father?”
The old emperor had suffered a stroke and could no longer govern. A ruler who couldn’t govern was useless to the state. Besides, the scholar-officials had never held much regard for imperial authority. The court had repeatedly suggested that Prince Chen ascend the throne, but he continued to refuse. It was merely the pretense of a crown prince, refusing twice before finally accepting on the third request, giving the emperor enough face.
As for the old emperor, he spent his days in his palace, merely recuperating.
Liu Mu slowly shook his head, “I don’t want to see him.”
Betrayed and abandoned, his own sons cared nothing for him—one called him “the old fool,” while the other slowly killed him… Liu Mu felt pity for him, finding him laughable. His resentment faded as he learned of the old emperor’s miserable state.
Let it be.
…
Liu Mu left Jianye after being appointed a general by Prince Chen, heading to the border.
In October, after repeated requests from the court officials, the old emperor abdicated, retiring to the palace of the retired emperor, and Prince Chen Liu Chu ascended the throne. After becoming emperor, Liu Chu adjusted the court positions. Lu Sanlang, who had always been on good terms with Prince Chen, was promoted to the position of??, a nominal prime minister. This was expected by all.
In the same month, Lu San’s wife, Luo Lingwei, was diagnosed with pregnancy. The Lu family was overjoyed, eagerly asking the court physician whether the child would be a boy or a girl. At such an early stage, the physician couldn’t say, so he avoided the Lu family. The entire household was filled with anticipation, and even the old marquis in Jiaozhou sent a longevity lock, saying it was for his unborn great-granddaughter. Lu San remained calm and composed, while Luo Lingwei, for the first time, found herself the center of attention. With everyone watching her belly, especially Lady Lu eagerly sharing her experiences of carrying Lu Qingyi, Luo Lingwei felt immense pressure, realizing how desperately the Lu family longed for a daughter.
In November, the emperor married Zhou Yangling, the daughter of the commoner leader Zhou Tan, marking the official entry of commoners into the southern court’s political stage.
In the first month of the new year, during the Lantern Festival, the empress also became pregnant.
The new emperor, overjoyed, changed the era name and held a grand lantern festival. He also distributed Kongming lanterns to the people of Jianye, allowing them to join in the celebration and pray for good weather, peace, and prosperity.
On the night of the Lantern Festival, after attending the palace banquet, Lu Yun and Luo Lingwei climbed the tower to watch the Kongming lanterns rise into the dark sky alongside the emperor and others. Liu Chu accompanied his empress, seriously discussing their wishes, while Lu Yun and Luo Lingwei passed by, catching a glimpse of the words “eternal joy” on their lantern.
As they passed Lu Xian and his wife Liu Tang, the couple was also earnestly contemplating their hopes for the southern kingdom’s future, finally writing “flourishing prosperity” on their lantern. Fireworks occasionally lit up the sky, and the young couple, leaning against each other, spoke softly, their affection evident.
Further on, they saw Luo Yunhua. As Luo Lingwei’s younger sister and the??’s sister-in-law, Luo Yunhua naturally had the privilege to attend the palace feast. She held a lantern, writing on the attached slip of paper. She turned to her newly acquired attendant, Yue Zihan, speaking playfully, though the young man remained silent, only standing quietly. Luo Yunhua pouted at him.
The new emperor’s grand feast included even General Liu Mu, Prince Hengyang, who had been invited back. Lu Yun and Luo Lingwei walked hand in hand, passing by everyone. On one side were the lanterns in the sky, on the other, the lanterns rising from the ground. Their elegant figures drew everyone’s gaze. Liu Mu also looked over, and when Lu Yun glanced at him, Liu Mu nodded slightly before turning away. He leaned on the tower’s railing, holding a wine cup, drinking alone, finding his own peace.
Luo Lingwei whispered, “Everyone is doing well.”
Supported by Lu Yun, she climbed the tower, and the two stood at the front, watching the fireworks for a while. Their Kongming lantern was brought to them. The emperor wanted the entire city to pray for blessings, and such a grand occasion naturally included Lu San and his wife. After writing their prayers for the nation, Luo Lingwei had an idea and asked for another lantern.
Though only three or four months pregnant, her figure remained graceful. As she held the lantern, her wide sleeves and flowing ribbons made her look like a celestial being, captivating the young man behind her.
Lu Yun, standing beside her, leaned on the railing, his clear and serene expression also drawing the attention of the young ladies.
Luo Lingwei turned her head and called out, “Brother Xuechen, do you know my greatest wish?”
Lu Yun raised an eyebrow.
He looked at her.
Casually, he said, “I know.”
Luo Lingwei’s eyes sparkled with a soft, beautiful light. She blinked and smiled, “Oh, do you really know? Brother is always so confident. Let’s see how much you know.”
Lu Yun’s eyes lifted slightly, a hint of a smile appearing. “Then let’s each say a line and see if they match.”
Luo Lingwei: “Deal. What if you lose?”
Lu Yun: “I’ll accept any punishment from you. But if I win, I won’t ask for anything. I only hope your heart remains unchanged for life.”
Luo Lingwei pouted, teasing him, “So arrogant!”
Without further ado, the couple stood together, each taking a lantern and writing on the attached silk. The emperor, empress, Lu Xian and his wife, Luo Yunhua, and Liu Mu, all intrigued by the couple’s playful interaction, gathered to watch.
Two lanterns flew from their hands.
Lu Yun and Luo Lingwei looked up, watching the lanterns rise. The crowd also looked up, trying to read the words on the silk strips. When they made out the words, they sighed softly—
On the left was the lady’s elegant handwriting: “A promise for a thousand years.”
On the right was the gentleman’s bold cursive: “May love stand firm as a mountain.”
They gazed upward, watching for a long time.
…
Under the fireworks, their vision rose higher and higher.
The couple standing hand in hand on the palace wall looked like immortals. They, along with everyone else, looked up at the yellow Kongming lanterns carrying their wishes, rising higher and higher. More and more lanterns gathered, lighting up the night like day. The Lantern Festival was lively, and the sky was as bright as a night market.
Thousands of lanterns spanned the sky, far from the earthly noise. The lanterns, from dots to lines, from lines to surfaces, resembled winding rivers and surging seas. The entire night sky of Jianye was filled with a galaxy of lanterns.
Like the vast Milky Way, like the hopes in people’s hearts.
…
A promise for a thousand years, may love stand firm as a mountain.
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