Half a month after the Crown Prince’s wedding, the Wei Emperor conferred the title of Prince of Yunzhong on his youngest son and instructed the Ministry of Rites to arrange his marriage to Pei Wenjing, the daughter of the Marquis of Wei.

The following spring, the Wei Emperor passed away, and the Crown Prince succeeded to the throne. Three months later, the new Emperor, citing ancestral precedent, dispatched the Prince of Yunzhong to his fief in Wuding, Yunnan.

Court rumors suggested that the Prince of Yunzhong was disliked by the new Emperor. On the day of his departure, except for Pei Xian and a few others, no one came to see him off.

After months of arduous travel, Xiao Lie and his party finally entered Yunnan and proceeded without delay to his fief in Wuding.

Wuding was then just a chaotic city on the southwestern frontier, having come under the court’s administration only a dozen years earlier. It was far from the prosperity and stability it would achieve decades later. The roads were dilapidated, the people destitute, and bandits operated with impunity. Within just one day of entering the region, they encountered bandits twice on the country paths. The bandits were desperate and vicious, but fortunately, Xiao Lie had been forewarned and stayed vigilantly by Pei Wenjing’s carriage. Before the bandits could approach, they were already slain by him and his guards.

The news that the Prince of Yunzhong had arrived to assume his fief spread rapidly. Bandits fled at the news, and the following days of travel were peaceful.

As the Princess’s carriage was approaching Wuding city, heavy rain caused the bumpy road to become treacherous. A wheel sank into a muddy pothole, breaking the axle and making further progress impossible.

With no village ahead or inn behind, and evening approaching, to avoid spending the night in the wilderness, Pei Wenjing transferred to the carriage carrying their luggage, squeezing into a corner. They finally entered the city before dark and reached the prince’s residence.

The prince’s residence was formerly the local governor’s office. Although spacious, it had been burned during warfare when the court reclaimed the area some dozen years ago, with over half of the buildings damaged. Over the years, there had been no repairs. Entering the main gate, all they saw was decay.

The room where Xiao Lie and Pei Wenjing stayed that night was the best in the residence, but the rain was too heavy. At midnight, the tiled roof in the corner began to leak, water seeped down the walls and accumulated under the bed, flowing into holes in the ground. Rats fled their flooded nests, couldn’t find an exit from the room, and in their panic, climbed up the bed frame onto the canopy, crawling back and forth, squeaking.

The hardships of the journey, the dilapidation of the fief, the uncertainty of the future… none of these could cool the tightly bonded hearts of the two young people. The young man’s energy seemed endless. After one round of intimacy, he still wasn’t satisfied, but seeing his wife truly exhausted, her starry eyes half-open, half-closed, he couldn’t bear to press her further and let her sleep.

Pei Wenjing was just drifting into sleep when she was startled awake by rats crawling above. She cried out, fully awake now, and burrowed into her husband’s embrace, her jade-like arms tightly holding him.

Xiao Lie laughed, kissed her, comforted her, and finally wrapped her body in the blanket. He got out of bed, drew his sword, and chased away the rats, finally driving out these uninvited guests. He lifted the bed curtain and climbed back in, finding her still huddled under the covers. Hearing him return to bed, she peeked out with bright eyes, quickly glancing at the canopy, asking if the rats were gone.

Xiao Lie had originally intended to tease her a bit more, to make her burrow into his arms again, clinging to him and not letting go.

He loved the feeling of being tightly embraced by her, seeking his protection, as if he were her world.

But the moment he met those beautiful eyes, his mood suddenly fell.

She had been the pearl in the palm of the Pei family, like a precious orchid, deserving the most precious care in this world. Yet now she had followed him, far from the prosperous capital, to this southwestern frontier, enduring such hardships.

He was a prince in name, and she was his princess. But he couldn’t even provide her with a room where she could sleep soundly when tired.

The trace of a smile on his lips gradually faded.

“Ajing, I’m sorry for my inadequacy, making you suffer with me…”

He said softly.

Throughout this difficult journey, she, who had been raised in luxury since childhood, hadn’t uttered a single complaint.

His heart grew increasingly remorseful.

Pei Wenjing met his gaze, but her lips slowly curved into a smile.

“I haven’t felt any hardship at all. I am your wife; wherever you go, I will go too. We will be together, never to part.”

Her voice was gentle, but each word conveyed a resilient strength that reached deep into his heart.

The young Prince of Yunzhong gazed at this face that had quietly lingered in his dreams since his youth, slowly moved closer, and held her tightly in his arms, lovingly kissing her as if she were the most precious treasure in the world.

Indeed, she was the most precious treasure in his world.

He had almost lost her, lost her forever, yet tonight she shared his bed. How fortunate he was.

That carefree young prince who knew no sorrow was gone forever.

At this moment, he vowed in his heart that for the rest of his life, he would do his utmost to give her the best of everything he could offer.

……

Three years later, the old Marquis of Wei, who had been dismissed from office and was living in retirement, passed away. Xiao Lie requested permission to return to the capital for the funeral, but Emperor Tianxi refused. Subsequently, Xiao Lie was accused of plotting treason against Emperor Tianxi, followed by the Prince of Shun’an also implicating the newly inherited Marquis Pei Xian in the conspiracy. Emperor Tianxi was furious, imprisoned Pei Xian, stripped Xiao Lie of his princely title, and ordered troops to capture and punish him. Xiao Lie proclaimed the realm, denying the false accusations, stating that for self-preservation, he was taking up arms.

According to the Wei Records, when Emperor Shizong first rose, he had only a few tens of thousands of troops, while the imperial forces numbered in the hundreds of thousands. Everyone said it was like an ant trying to shake a tree, certain to fail. Unexpectedly, Heaven seemed to assist him. The following year, just when Emperor Shizong’s situation was most desperate, news came from the palace that Emperor Tianxi had suddenly died of illness. It was said that before his death, he had passed the throne to the Prince of Shun’an, who had always been dear to the Emperor. The court was in an uproar, with rumors circulating that the Prince of Shun’an had staged a palace coup, harming Emperor Tianxi to seize the throne. Xiao Lie seized the opportunity to win people’s hearts, rose against the odds, gained support from many sides, and three years later, marched into the capital with his army. He was enthroned as Emperor, establishing the reign title Zhaoping, known as Emperor Shizong.

That year, Xiao Lie was only twenty-five years old and already had a son and daughter with Empress Pei, living in happiness and contentment.

On the first Lantern Festival night after his enthronement, he held Empress Pei’s hand as they stood side by side on the high tower of Zhaixing Palace, gazing at the brilliant lights throughout the city, reminiscing about that Lantern Festival night when he was fifteen. They looked at each other and smiled, full of nostalgia.

That night, the Emperor and Empress talked until late, sleepless in the deep night.

In the Emperor’s mind, the dream within a dream from many years ago in the military tent on the frontier appeared once more.

The eyes of that young man in the dream as he gazed at him remained deeply imprinted in his mind, impossible to forget.

He would never forget him in this lifetime.

The man in the dream must have had some connection with him that he didn’t know, a connection so deep it was in his bones, inseparable.

The Emperor’s intuition made him deeply believe this.

He wanted to know who he was and why he had entered his dream, bringing him together with the woman he loved, thereby changing both their destinies.

He especially wanted to know where he was now and what he was doing. In this life, would he ever see him again?

……

The year after Xiao Lie’s enthronement, the first year of Zhaoping, in the coastal city of Quanzhou in the southeast, a wealthy merchant family surnamed Zhen was filled with joy today.

The grandfather of the Zhen patriarch had once done a favor for an official family surnamed Meng. Old Master Meng had married one of his daughters into the Zhen family. The young couple were deeply in love. They had already had a son named Zhen Yaoting, and on this day, Madam Meng gave birth to a daughter. The girl was as fair as snow, clever, and lovely. They named her Jiafu and cherished her like a treasure.

Years passed in the blink of an eye. The Zhen family business grew increasingly prosperous, becoming the wealthiest in Quanzhou. Their daughter also grew more beautiful; at just five or six years old, she was already a budding beauty, loved by all who saw her. This year, Madam Meng took her two children to the Jinxian Temple on South Mountain to pray and make wishes for her husband’s safe voyage—ever since marrying into the Zhen family, such prayers became her devout ritual whenever her husband went to sea.

Jinxian Temple was located on the South Mountain outside the city, an ancient monastery of a thousand years. It was said that a thousand years ago, a monk who was collecting alms to build the temple had attained enlightenment at this site and became an arhat, hence the name Golden Buddha. The mountain featured overlapping peaks and murmuring springs, while the temple was surrounded by green pines and cypresses with birds singing among them—a serene place with a distinct Buddhist atmosphere.

On this day, due to a religious ceremony, Madam Meng completed her devout worship and went to listen to the teachings. At noon, after eating a vegetarian meal, seeing that little Jiafu was tired, Madam Meng took her two children to a quiet room for a nap. She left a maidservant to watch them while she returned to continue listening to the teachings.

Jiafu’s brother Yaoting had been mischievous since childhood—how could he quietly take a nap? After reluctantly closing his eyes for a moment, seeing that his mother had left and the maidservant was not in the room, he quietly woke his sister, leaned to her ear, and said he had discovered an interesting place in the back of the temple that morning and would take her there to play. Little Jiafu was then led by her brother to the back of the temple.

Today the temple was crowded with pilgrims, and with spring’s arrival, peach blossoms were in full bloom, with visitors coming and going without ceasing. Her brother darted through the crowd like a monkey. Little Jiafu, with her short legs, couldn’t keep up, and turning her head, she lost sight of him. Suppressing her panic, she searched for a while, but not only could she not find her brother, but she realized she had unknowingly wandered to a secluded, open area where she couldn’t find her way back, nor could she see anyone. Frightened, she couldn’t help but shed tears.

She wiped her tears while calling for her brother, but he was nowhere to be seen. She seemed to be getting increasingly lost, and finally, afraid to go further, she stopped on the mountain path and began to sob. Amid her heartbroken crying, she suddenly heard a gentle voice: “What’s wrong?”

Jiafu raised her eyes, and through her tear-blurred vision, she saw that under a peach tree by the path, a strange youth was standing there.

He looked about the same age as her brother. His clothes were washed to paleness but were spotlessly clean. In his hand, he held a book, as if he had been reading nearby and had been drawn over by her crying.

He was as slender as bamboo and very handsome, with jet-black eyes so bright that little Jiafu could almost see her reflection in his pupils.

For some reason, the moment she saw him, all her previous panic and fear suddenly vanished.

She felt as if she had seen him somewhere before, but she couldn’t remember where.

Jiafu forgot to cry, staring blankly at the person before her.

“Don’t be afraid. I’ll take you back now.”

The youth put down his book, crouched down, and lovingly used his sleeve to gently wipe away the tears and mucus she had cried, not minding her messiness at all. He also picked a peach blossom for her and handed it to her.

Little Jiafu broke into a smile, accepting the peach blossom he had picked for her. Looking up at this gentle and handsome young boy, she asked, “Who are you? Where do you live?”

The youth looked at the chubby-cheeked little girl looking up at him, and remained silent, with countless gentle lights in the depths of his eyes.

In her previous life, she had sought his help in a desperate situation. After a brief encounter, they had no further interaction, each completing their own life’s journey.

She was eventually buried alive in an underground palace, while he died young in a lonely frontier city.

People said he was endowed with extraordinary talent. Not only was he known as a young prime minister and an official in white robes, but later, as the first meritorious minister, he assisted the emperor to the throne, reaching the highest position among officials.

He was both a Confucian minister and a military leader. In the years before his death, he subjugated the frontier, causing the Hu people to retreat north without daring to turn back. He also educated the people, established medical clinics, pacified the people, and provided relief, with people from all directions submitting to him.

He died from a cup of poisoned wine.

He knew that once he drank the poison, all of his life—all the glory and shame—would abruptly end on that snowy night in the lonely city, buried forever.

But he still drank it.

That cup of poisoned wine had long been within his expectations.

He had prepared for that day.

It wasn’t that he feared the person who wanted to put him to death.

It was that he had no intention of fighting.

In that world, he couldn’t think of any person or thing that still bound him.

Always an extra person, his departure was merely a return to his rightful place.

He went peacefully, but at the moment of his death, somehow, in his mind appeared the image of his cousin whom he had briefly met years ago, her eyes filled with fear and gratitude when she had sought him for help.

After that battle, he had assisted this sister-in-law, who was later said to have unfortunately died at the hands of unruly soldiers, with her body never found, and no news of her afterward.

He had thought he had forgotten her long ago, but it seemed that after all these years, the scene of her rushing to seek his help that day had remained imprinted deep in his mind. He had never forgotten, and just before his death, those beautiful eyes appeared again.

After his death, the people built a temple for him, offering incense to keep his spirit from dissipating. It was only then that he finally learned that she had not died back then but had been hidden in the deep palace, ultimately buried alive underground, her beauty and life extinguished. Her fate was so tragic that even the gods of destiny felt pity, and thus granted her rebirth in a new life.

Fortunately, in her new life, after enduring hardships, she finally achieved a good marriage with the version of himself in that world. That version of himself also achieved fulfillment in life because of her arrival.

While rejoicing in this, in the depths of his heart, he also couldn’t help but envy that self who was fortunate enough to have her companionship day and night.

Even though his spirit remained undissipated after death, even though he lived as long as the heavens, with the blue sea and mountains, day after day, night after night, with his heart having nowhere to belong, how was he any different from a wandering ghost?

There were too many regrets in this life. Whether it was her, his birth parents who gave him life, or the Pei family who raised him, all had encountered twists of fate.

He told the god of destiny that he was willing to sacrifice his undying spirit in exchange for a life without regrets for all these people.

……

The youth pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, “I live here. You can call me Brother You’an.”

“Brother You’an…”

Jiafu earnestly repeated his name, nodded, and said, “I’ll remember.”

She liked this youth named You’an, and smiled at him, her eyes curving into crescent moons.

When the youth led her back to the front, Madam Meng was extremely anxious, having family members and temple monks searching everywhere for her daughter. Suddenly seeing Jiafu running toward her, she embraced her, weeping with joy.

Jiafu, in her mother’s arms, looked back to see the young brother smiling and nodding at her before turning to leave, his figure gradually disappearing into the crowd.

After Madam Meng calmed down, she remembered the youth who had brought her back, and looked around, but could no longer see him.

Judging by the youth’s clothes, he seemed to come from a poor background. Grateful to him for bringing back her daughter, Madam Meng described the youth to a monk from the temple. The monk listened, smiled, and told her that the youth had no father or mother, an orphan who, while still in swaddling clothes, had been brought from outside by his great-uncle, a traveling monk, and raised in the temple. The child had been extraordinarily intelligent since childhood, reading at three, and remembering everything he saw. The monk had originally wanted to take him as his last disciple, but for some unknown reason, later abandoned this plan, gave him the national surname, and named him You’an for his secular name. Two years ago, at his young age, he had been admitted as a scholar, ranking first in the prefecture, which had caused a sensation throughout the prefectural school. The school official personally came to the temple, examined his learning, and wanted to take him to the school, but was politely declined. Now he still lived in a hut on the back mountain, eating gruel, reading books all day, content in poverty and devoted to the Way.

Madam Meng returned and told her husband about this.

Master Zhen had also heard of the talented poor youth at Jinxian Temple. Given this coincidental connection, he went to the temple to visit, saw that the youth, though young, was poised and neither servile nor arrogant, and was greatly pleased. He became convinced that although this youth came from humble origins, he was destined for greatness. After returning, he couldn’t stop thinking about him. One day, while holding his daughter on his knee, he suddenly had the idea of taking the youth as his son-in-law.

Being impulsive, once he thought of it, he immediately told Madam Meng, who naturally agreed. Master Zhen informed his mother, then hurriedly went to Jinxian Temple, found the great-uncle monk who had adopted the youth, and explained his intention.

He anxiously watched the monk, fearing he would refuse, but to his surprise, the monk neither agreed nor disagreed, only took him to the hut where the youth lived and asked if he would be willing to become a son-in-law to the Zhen family.

The youth was sitting behind a table with a book in his hand. He put down the book, stepped outside, and to Master Zhen’s astonishment, knelt properly without any hesitation, kowtowed, and called him father-in-law.

Master Zhen was overjoyed, immediately established a marriage agreement, and from then on, frequently visited, sending rice and clothing, treating the youth as his son.

Thus, time flew like an arrow, from Jiafu’s encounter with him on the back mountain of Jinxian Temple at age six, thousands of days flowed silently past their fingertips like water.

She and her Brother You’an grew up together like childhood sweethearts, in peaceful and beautiful times.

This year was the thirteenth year of Zhaoping. Jiafu had turned thirteen, at the cusp of blossoming youth, her exceptional beauty just beginning to unfold. He had also turned sixteen, growing into a handsome and elegant young man.

She remembered that when she was small, whenever her father brought her to see him, Jiafu loved to follow him around, calling “Brother You’an, Brother You’an.” Wherever he went, she wanted to follow, even if it meant doing nothing but watching him read and write by the window for half a day, never growing tired or wanting to leave.

Later, as she gradually grew up and understood that he would be her future husband, she became shy and no longer sought him out as often as when she was little. But in her heart, she always thought of him. Sometimes when he came to the Zhen household, she would hide and watch him secretly. Even just seeing his figure from afar filled her heart with sweetness, making it sound like a deer.

Her father said that when she came of age, he would arrange for her marriage to Brother You’an, making them husband and wife.

This year, at sixteen, he was to participate in the autumn imperial examinations. Given the importance of this event, Jiafu’s father canceled his planned sea voyage, deciding to stay home until the examinations were over.

What Master Zhen hadn’t anticipated was that this temporary change of plans would save his life.

Several months later, the fleet of another family who had originally agreed to sail with him encountered an unexpected fierce storm and huge waves at a certain point in the open sea. The ships capsized, and in the end, except for a sailor who clung to a mast floating on the sea surface and was fortunately rescued, no one survived.

When the news reached him, Master Zhen, though grieved, also felt fortunate to have escaped such a calamity.

If he had gone to sea at that time, whether he could have returned was truly unknown.

Having escaped disaster, Master Zhen waited until You’an completed the autumn examinations. In November, good news arrived.

He had passed the autumn examinations, becoming the youngest juren (provincial graduate) in Quanzhou’s history.

Congratulatory visitors came continuously, and the Zhen family was filled with joy day after day.

By the following spring, Xiao You’an went to the capital for the metropolitan examination. At that time, after more than a decade of stability, the northern region began to experience unrest again. The Emperor ordered all candidates to write policy essays on this topic. His essay was incisive and well-argued, considered a victorious strategy for the state. The examiners were amazed, marked him for the top rank, and sent it to the Emperor for review. After reading it, the Emperor was greatly pleased and, learning that the author was only seventeen years old, was even more astonished. Eager, he immediately summoned him for an imperial audience.

This year, Xiao Lie had been Emperor for more than a decade and was approaching forty.

At first glance, this young candidate named Xiao You’an, Emperor was stunned.

He recognized at once that this seventeen-year-old youth was the young man who had entered his dream and advised him many years ago.

Although he had not yet grown into the appearance of the young man in the dream, his facial features were already very similar.

Especially those bright, unforgettable eyes, which were the same—he could not be mistaken!

Xiao Lie was extremely shocked. After dismissing court, he summoned the youth alone to the imperial study and questioned him in detail about his life. Learning that he was an orphan raised in a temple since childhood, he sighed deeply and called for Empress Pei.

Empress Pei had long known about her husband’s strange dream from years ago.

Over these years, she too often dreamed of herself with another child. She wanted to see the child clearly, but there was always a fog before her. After waking, deep in her heart, as if missing a piece, she often felt inexplicable regret.

At this moment, seeing this youth, for some reason, her heart gradually developed a feeling both sorrowful and joyful, as if he were the son she had dreamed of who had been lost for many years. Tears uncontrollably sprang from her eyes, and she went to him and helped him up.

Without any dispute, this seventeen-year-old youth was announced as the top scholar in the imperial examinations.

As soon as the results were posted, the whole country knew. The news that the Zhen family’s son-in-law, who had been ridiculed behind his back for marrying into his wife’s family, had become the top scholar quickly reached Quanzhou. The Zhen household became as festive as during the New Year. Master Zhen personally set off firecrackers and hung congratulatory scrolls at the front gate. People came to offer congratulations from morning until night, almost wearing down the threshold of the Zhen family door.

A wife gains status through her husband, and so overnight, she also becomes the most envied person in everyone’s eyes.

However, as the days passed while she waited for his return, rumors gradually began to spread in Quanzhou.

It was said that the Emperor greatly appreciated him, entrusting him with important tasks. Having achieved success at a young age, his prospects were limitless.

It was also said that in the capital, officials with eligible daughters of marriageable age, either through intermediaries or personally, all wanted to take him as a son-in-law.

So people started saying that the young man was no longer the same, having now ascended to high status, while the Zhen family were mere merchants. The young man might look down on the Zhen family’s social status and would never return.

Such rumors grew increasingly prevalent until even the Zhen family knew of them.

His parents were very annoyed and worried their daughter would be heartbroken, but Jiafu dismissed it with a laugh and instead comforted her parents.

From the moment he appeared before her, Jiafu had developed a deep trust in him.

She trusted him completely and firmly believed that even if they were separated by thousands of mountains and rivers, somehow, by destiny, a red thread had tied him to her.

In her sixth year, that red thread had brought him to her side.

Her Brother You’an, whether as a poor scholar in the Jinxian Temple or now as a famous top scholar, would surely return to marry her. Of this, Jiafu had absolute faith.

Her complete trust was rewarded.

In the autumn of that year, the once-poor youth who had lived in the ancient temple returned in glory to his hometown. The news spread, causing a sensation throughout the city. Countless people crowded the streets just to catch a glimpse of the young top scholar’s elegant demeanor. That day, he rode into the city, heading straight for the Zhen residence. While still, a bow shot away, he dismounted and walked, arriving at the Zhen family gate, and respectfully performed the son-in-law’s ceremony to Master Zhen, who had come out to welcome him. All the rumors collapsed without attack. Everyone said that Master Zhen not only did excellent business and had been blessed in his sea voyages for many years, but also had superior judgment in choosing a son-in-law. He had secured the marriage agreement when the youth was poor. Otherwise, given his position today, how could the Zhen family possibly aspire to have him as a son-in-law?

The following year, Jiafu performed her coming-of-age ceremony, and at fifteen, she finally fulfilled her wish and married her Brother You’an.

In the brocade chamber of lotus, fragrance filled the air; before the jade hall, love flowed like water. The wedding candles flickered, illuminating the embracing shadows in the brocade bed.

“Brother You’an, when I first saw you as a child, I felt familiar with you. Have I met you somewhere before?”

The young bride extended her jade-like arm, embracing her beloved young husband’s waist, opening her eyes to curiously ask him.

For a long time, this feeling had puzzled her, and tonight she could finally ask.

He gazed at her beautiful face, still flushed, as a smile gradually welled up in his eyes. He smiled without answering, finally embracing her and silencing her persistent questioning with a kiss.

He had sacrificed all his past life, coming here alone to accompany her as she grew up, waiting for this day.

He wanted to marry her, grow old with her, protect her, and ensure she lived without worry or fear, in happiness for this lifetime.

In another world, he and she were living happily together; in this life, he and she would do the same.

(The End)