Late at night, Li Dafeng sat in the same seat where Qi Yan had sat earlier and listened to Jiang Zhiyi’s decision, then asked for confirmation: “Princess, you’re saying—you want to pretend to agree to the marriage alliance?”
Jiang Zhiyi nodded: “His Majesty doesn’t want war with Xilu and doesn’t want Brother A-Ce to gain more military merit that might overshadow him. Like the previous imperial decree, this marriage alliance is also His Majesty’s test. If Brother A-Ce accepts it, His Majesty will have no reason to move against him. If he refuses, His Majesty is currently suspicious of everyone and will certainly conclude that his eagerness for battle and achievements is for rebellion, and will try to eliminate him before his power grows further. And with me in Chang’an, Brother A-Ce would have no choice but to surrender. So I must first agree to the marriage alliance and leave Chang’an.”
Li Dafeng nodded: “Then does the Princess mean that when the marriage procession heads west and passes through Hexi, you’ll join with the General and raise troops?”
Jiang Zhiyi shook her head: “Not that either. His Majesty will certainly have anticipated the possibility of General Shen intercepting the marriage procession, so while I may leave Chang’an, my uncle and Madam Shen cannot. His Majesty knows I value relationships deeply and would never abandon my uncle. Shen Yuance was also deeply attached to his stepmother, and since His Majesty doesn’t know that Shen Yuance has been replaced, he will similarly keep Madam Shen under close watch.”
“Even if we take a step back and say Brother A-Ce abandons everyone, even Eastern He didn’t dare start a war without cause—they used the drought as an excuse to raise troops. Now, if a young, impetuous general raises an army for ‘love,’ disregarding his mother’s life and breaking the peace treaty between two nations to start a war, who would follow and support him? Those who lose the moral high ground lose support. At that time, the soldiers and civilians of the empire, along with all the court officials, would condemn the Xuance Army. Right now, the Xuance Army has just marched thousands of miles there and back, with many elites wounded and not yet recovered. His Majesty has calculated that if Hexi were to raise troops at this critical moment, the court would have the advantage in both public opinion and military strength. In such a war, how many innocent people would be sacrificed?”
Li Dafeng frowned: “If there’s no plan to raise troops, Princess will still have to marry into Xilu. What do you mean by ‘pretending’ to agree to the marriage alliance?”
“This is why I’m consulting with Doctor Li. I want to ask, does Doctor Li have a formula for feigning death?”
Li Dafeng’s eyes flashed: “Princess wants to escape from Xilu by feigning death?”
Jiang Zhiyi nodded solemnly: “If I, as a princess in a marriage alliance, were to unexpectedly die in Xilu, it would be Xilu’s fault. The initiative in the relationship between the two nations would then be in Great Ye’s hands. Whether Great Ye chooses peace or war, it would be in a position of advantage. As for me, Brother A-Ce will certainly find a way to rescue me.”
She knew Yuance would never abandon her. Even if she agreed to the marriage alliance, he would still fight to the death for her, moving heaven and earth. So until the very last moment, she couldn’t give up either. Even on the verge of death, she would struggle, not failing Great Ye or him.
“The Princess’s plan is indeed feasible, except for one point—this death-feigning formula will certainly damage your body, and if there’s any mishap with the rescue, if it’s delayed too long, it might turn a false death into a real one, and the Princess might never wake up.”
“With Doctor Li here, bodily damage can be nursed back to health slowly. And only in case of unforeseen circumstances would I not wake up. Compared to the certain death of my uncle, Madam Shen, and so many Xuance Army soldiers, this is already the most worthwhile plan, isn’t it?”
Li Dafeng firmly shook his head: “Even so, the General would never agree.”
Jiang Zhiyi smiled gently: “Doctor Li is the best physician in the world. If you say this formula won’t damage the body and poses no threat to life, your General will believe you.”
…No wonder his young lady had laid out so many reasons to persuade him—this was what she had been waiting for.
Li Dafeng raised his hand and slowly pressed it against his forehead.
He thought he had only one fearless madman in his life, but now he realized there were two.
After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the weather gradually cooled, and the court reconvened to discuss the marriage alliance between Great Ye and Xilu.
Early morning, in Yaoguang Pavilion, Jiang Zhiyi stood before the dressing table and gently opened the chest containing her wedding dress.
The fire-red brocade wedding dress was woven with gold thread and embroidered with colorful designs. Each stitch of the dragon and phoenix patterns seemed alive, with threads of light flowing through them.
Behind her, the Duke of Yong’en and Baojia watched as she carefully raised her hand, her fingertips touching the embroidery patterns on the wedding dress, and turned their heads away, unable to bear the sight.
On the night of the Mid-Autumn reunion, she had already told her uncle and sister Baojia about her plan. With Li Dafeng’s promise that he would not harm the Princess in the slightest, her uncle had no better plan and could only agree.
“Jing Zhe, help me put on the wedding dress,” Jiang Zhiyi said softly.
“Princess, you’re…”
“After this journey, Princess Yongying will no longer exist in this world. This final appearance should be magnificent, so that all the court officials will remember today.”
As the phoenix crown and embroidered cape were put on piece by piece, the quiet room gradually filled with the colors of celebration.
Jiang Zhiyi sat before the mirror, applied a flower-shaped decoration to her face and colored her lips, then looked at her reflection and asked: “Sister Baojia, do I look beautiful?”
Baojia looked at her in the mirror—eyebrows like distant mountains, nose like fine jade, red lips and pearl-like teeth, every feature like a painting, her autumn water-like eyes filled with a smile.
“Beautiful. Sister has never seen such a beautiful bride.” Baojia answered, holding back her tears.
Jiang Zhiyi smiled at the bronze mirror.
It was a pity that the man she was to marry would not see her.
“Today is the day Jiang Zhiyi’s name will be recorded in history. No one is allowed to cry.” Jiang Zhiyi smiled, giving both Baojia and Jing Zhe a look, then gazed quietly at the mirror for a while before gently shaking her sleeves, standing up, and walking out with dignified steps.
In the imperial palace, at the Hall of Golden Chimes, more than half the court officials, led by Minister Pei, strongly opposed the marriage alliance. Among the remaining officials, some had discerned the Emperor’s intention and decided to comply, arguing heatedly with Minister Pei and the others until they were red-faced and spittle flew. Some knew that the root of this matter was the conflict between the Emperor and Hexi, and decided to remain neutral, saying nothing. Others were fence-sitters, swaying with the wind.
Below, the arguments continued unabated. Emperor Xingwu rested his hand on his forehead, appearing to have a severe headache.
Qi Yan stood at the very front of the court officials, closing his eyes at the need to repeatedly discuss what should have been an unquestioned decision.
Suddenly, a palace attendant raised his voice: “Princess Yongying arrives—!”
The entire hall instantly fell silent. Emperor Xingwu raised his eyes, and all the court officials abruptly turned around.
In the golden autumn light, the young woman in a wedding dress was as brilliant as red clouds. The trailing hem of her dress swept along as she climbed step by step up the solemn white jade imperial stairs. The golden phoenix crown on her head sparkled with jewels, tassels hanging down, and the seven-colored cloud cape on her shoulders shimmered with flowing light, making her appear like a divine consort, brilliantly dazzling.
For a moment of stunned amazement, everyone seemed to understand the young woman’s intent. In the next moment, the scene before them suddenly shifted, as if they saw the yellow sands of the vast desert, the sound of camel bells, the young woman in a fire-like wedding dress sitting in a bridal sedan chair, facing the wind and frost of the Western Regions, the most desolate bride in the world.
Like a beautiful bronze mirror suddenly shattered, the golden light turned to the setting sun, the wedding dress to bloodstains. At that moment, even those who had agreed to the marriage alliance to please the Emperor were left with nothing but endless sighs in their hearts.
In front, Minister Pei in his purple robe was filled with grief, almost pounding his chest and stamping his feet, regretting his inability, despite his high position, to march to Xilu and cut down the Xilu prince who sought to divide Great Ye.
Qi Yan stared at the bride walking step by step into the great hall, clenching his jaw until his teeth trembled.
Over the years, he had never regretted walking this path. At first, he only wanted to protect himself, to have a voice in the palace, to ensure that he and his mother would no longer be bullied. Later, walking this path, he gradually discovered that Great Ye had many harmful policies, many things that both his Grandfather Emperor and Father Emperor had done wrong, yet no one dared to speak up, no one dared to change them. So he took up the sword and worked even harder to cut through the thorns, wanting to chop away those decaying branches and allow new leaves to grow, so that Great Ye would no longer be chaotic within, with brothers fighting against each other.
Along this path, he had experienced pain and gloom, but never a moment of turning back.
But at this moment, when he looked back for the first time to see the beginning of this path—
If, at the beginning of this path, he had not given up this girl, she would never have been drawn into the struggle between the Emperor and Hexi, would never have become a sacrifice in the political game between the two nations today.
Or if he could have been one step faster, just one step faster, just one more step…
Qi Yan tightly clenched his fists, watching as Jiang Zhiyi walked to the front of the hall under the gaze of countless eyes, placed her hands palms-down together in front of her, and performed a solemn bow: “Your subject’s daughter has dissolved her marriage contract with General Shen, and is now willing, of her own free will, to follow Princess Deqing’s example and journey to Xilu for Great Ye, to establish good relations between our two nations.”
In the eighth month of the eleventh year of Emperor Xingwu’s reign, the Emperor bestowed the title of Princess Yongying upon the Princess of Yongying and decreed that she would be married to Xilu. Led by the Minister of Ceremonies, with a retinue of servants and guards totaling over three hundred people, they would escort the Princess on her mission to the Western Regions that same month.
Three months later, at a desert oasis near Huyang Pass, on the border between Hexi and Xilu.
At dusk, the setting sun was as red as blood, its last rays giving the frozen river a layer of golden-red light. Yellow grass covered with thick frost and snow lined the riverbank, and in the distance, the yellow sand merged with the evening sky into a single line.
In the newly established camp, Minister of Ceremonies Zhou Zheng’an bustled about, urging the guards to quickly get to work, breaking ice to fetch water, setting up tents, and making fires for warmth.
In the middle of winter, travel in the northwest was difficult. The nights brought howling winds and biting snow, chilling to the bone. Every day before sunset, the marriage procession had to stop and rest to prevent the Princess from freezing.
When Zhou Zheng’an first began his mission, he had expected Princess Yongying to be extremely delicate and demanding, complaining all along the way. But after three months of traveling, whether the carriage got stuck in snow, or strong winds damaged the tents, or the journey’s hardships and raging sandstorms, the Princess had never uttered a single complaint. Instead, she often comforted the harried servants and guards, and when decisions needed to be made, she never pushed the responsibility onto them, always saying she would bear any consequences.
When there wasn’t enough charcoal, and the Princess heard that some people had developed fevers from the cold at night, she even shared the charcoal from her tent and had her physician tend to everyone.
At first, everyone performing this difficult duty on imperial orders was reluctant, and they cared for the Princess only because they feared for their own lives if anything happened to her. But later, everyone genuinely cared for the Princess from the bottom of their hearts, not wanting to see her suffer from the cold even for a moment.
Fortunately, the physician with the Princess was extremely skilled. Whenever the Princess had a headache or fever, the physician’s treatment would quickly cure her.
And it seemed that the Hexi region favored the Princess; this year was said to be the warmest winter in Hexi in more than a decade.
As the sky darkened, the charcoal fire burned brightly in the main tent. Jiang Zhiyi had just changed out of her heavy wedding dress and sat on the couch wrapped in quilts, holding a cup of hot tea, while Jing Zhe massaged her throbbing forehead as she absently listened to the howling north wind outside the tent.
Another winter had come. Last year at this time, she had been clinging to Yuance at the academy, never imagining that a year later she would be spending her days in the yellow sands of the northwest.
Outside the tent, voices were clamoring and footsteps hurrying as everyone busied themselves preparing the evening meal.
Smelling the cooking smoke that had accompanied her daily on this journey, Jiang Zhiyi suddenly asked: “Jing Zhe, in one more day, we’ll be leaving Hexi, right?”
“Yes, Princ—Princess.”
Jiang Zhiyi nodded firmly: “He listened to me, then.”
In August, she and Yuance had been separated by nearly two thousand miles, and because of the tense situation, communication was dangerous, so they hadn’t exchanged messages. But she trusted the understanding she and Yuance now shared; he would surely understand her intentions in agreeing to the marriage alliance.
Fortunately, Hexi had indeed shown no unusual movements, and Yuance seemed to have accepted this decision, with everything appearing peaceful and satisfactory.
Later, as she journeyed westward and finally entered Hexi territory, she had Li Dafeng find an opportunity to send a secret message to Guzang, explaining her plan and urging Yuance not to act rashly.
Her kind treatment of those beneath her on this journey was not only because she couldn’t bear to see these people suffer with this unfortunate princess, but also had another purpose—
Only by winning people’s hearts could her plan be successfully implemented after entering Xilu.
Thinking of this, Jiang Zhiyi sighed softly.
Although she was in Hexi, under the vast protection of the Xuance Army, she was a princess in a marriage alliance, and he was a border general. So close yet worlds apart, unable to meet—more painful than being separated by thousands of miles.
And the closer she got to that plan where one move could affect everything, the more uneasy she felt.
Jiang Zhiyi drank her hot tea, and as she thought, she began to feel drowsy.
Around her, it was so quiet that only the howling of the north wind could be heard, making one feel as if in a warm cellar amid a cold winter, causing her eyelids to droop irresistibly.
At that moment, Jiang Zhiyi suddenly jolted awake with a start.
…Wait, wasn’t everyone bustling about preparing the evening meal just now?
Jiang Zhiyi raised her head in confusion: “Jing Zhe, why is it so quiet outside?”
Jing Zhe listened carefully: “Perhaps everyone is being quiet so as not to disturb your rest.”
“But they wouldn’t be this quiet…” Jiang Zhiyi said worriedly, “Go quickly and see what’s happening. I hope nothing has gone wrong, like bandits coming to raid the bridal procession!”
Jing Zhe nodded calmly: “Then I’ll go check.”
Jiang Zhiyi straightened up to watch Jing Zhe leave the tent, but just as her heart was racing with worry, she felt that earlier drowsiness return with force.
Her eyelids drooped heavily, and a vague sense of foreboding rose in her heart.
She was so anxious, yet she still couldn’t stop feeling drowsy. This was…
In her hazy state, Jiang Zhiyi looked at the hot tea she was holding and dimly recalled Jing Zhe’s strange reaction earlier.
If there had been no sounds outside, Jing Zhe should have found it strange before she did. But Jing Zhe had acted as if nothing was amiss.
And in this Hexi territory, with Xuance Army guarding the passes, what bandits would dare to come?
Could it be…
Before Jiang Zhiyi could reach the conclusion, in the next moment, her teacup fell with a clatter, and she slumped forward, only to be caught by someone who appeared in front of her, falling into his warm, solid chest.
As she sank into deep unconsciousness, a man’s voice that she had dreamed of every night for the past three months sounded coldly above her head—
“Back then, when the entire Li family was exiled to the border, I saved their lives. Could Li Dafeng betray me for you?”
“Even if he did betray me, do you think I, Yuan Ce, could bear to be a marriage facilitator for another, letting you pass through my Hexi checkpoint in this wedding dress into Xilu?”
“The Princess is precious as gold and jade, only needing to concern herself with whether her skirt hem is soiled. This madman, your subject will be.”
Jiang Zhiyi desperately tried to speak, desperately tried to stop him, but her strength was gradually fading away, leaving only hot tears streaming down her face.