He sighed, but Lu Tianzhuo was already dead. Even if he hated and blamed Lu Tianzhuo more, what use would it be?!
Li Zhijie pressed the wound on his shoulder, speaking hoarsely: “Go fetch the bird’s nest porridge prepared for the princess. This prince will personally deliver it to the princess…”
“Yes!” The maid quickly scrambled up and retreated outside.
When Li Zhijie entered carrying the bird’s nest porridge, he saw Li Tianfu’s reddened eyes glaring at him fiercely, like a young beast cornered in desperation.
He had everyone watching Li Tianfu leave, slowly walking to the bedside. His gaze fell on the horrifying mark on Li Tianfu’s neck, knowing she wasn’t putting on an act – she truly wanted to die.
He spoke softly: “I know you’re grieving over A’Zhuo’s death and want to follow him, but have you considered that A’Zhuo’s great revenge remains unavenged – he cannot rest in peace?”
Li Tianfu opened her mouth… but her injured throat couldn’t make a sound. Angrily, she kicked over the bird’s nest porridge Li Zhijie had placed by the bed to express her fury.
Li Zhijie wasn’t annoyed. He shook off the porridge that had splashed on his robe hem: “You probably don’t know A’Zhuo’s true identity.”
Li Zhijie looked at Li Tianfu’s glaring eyes, seeing tears streaming down her face. He pulled a handkerchief from his sleeve and offered it to Li Tianfu: “A’Zhuo was the adopted son of Shu’s Great General Pang Pingguo. The reason he castrated himself to enter Xiliang’s Imperial Palace was to avenge his adoptive father Pang Pingguo. For A’Zhuo, nothing was more important than avenging his adoptive father.”
Li Tianfu was stunned, her tears seeming to freeze in her eyes.
“You were probably the greatest accident of his life!” Li Zhijie’s gaze was profound. “He used everyone, including me, but never used you! If he wanted to use you, he should have encouraged you to approach Jin’s Emperor, become Jin Emperor’s favored consort, then… have you whisper in Jin Emperor’s ear, using Jin Emperor’s hand to kill Bai Qingyan and exterminate the entire Bai family! After all, you obeyed his every word, but he didn’t do this!”
Lu Tianzhuo could use him, Li Zhijie, and Li Zhijie could likewise use Lu Tianzhuo to persuade Li Tianfu.
“He… used my hand to arrange a meeting with Bai Qingyan, intending to kill Bai Qingyan. But Princess… I am Xiliang’s Prince Yan. I cannot watch Bai Qingyan die in the post house – we Xiliang can no longer afford another war.”
Seeing Li Tianfu wouldn’t take his handkerchief, he raised his hand to wipe the tears from her face: “If you truly don’t want to live without A’Zhuo, why not help A’Zhuo fulfill his wish? Once you become Jin Emperor’s favored consort… or the future Emperor’s favored consort, killing Bai Qingyan and exterminating Bai Qingyan’s nine generations to avenge A’Zhuo – wouldn’t that be effortless?”
Li Tianfu tightly gripped the earrings in her hand, biting her lower lip as she glared at Li Zhijie.
“Is the princess thinking that I’m only saying this to trick you into serving Xiliang?” Li Zhijie sighed. “I, Li Zhijie, swear by Xiliang’s Heaven God that regarding A’Zhuo… not a single word is false! If you can become the Jin Emperor’s or the future Emperor’s favored consort, yes, it benefits Xiliang, but we are Xiliang people – seeking benefits for Xiliang is our duty. This has no conflict with you avenging A’Zhuo.”
Li Zhijie’s voice remained gentle and measured: “The princess can carefully consider my words. If you’re willing, change into your dance costume and use your dancing to conquer Jin’s imperial family at the palace banquet. If you’re unwilling, I absolutely won’t stop you!”
After speaking, Li Zhijie rose, bowed respectfully to Li Tianfu, and left her chamber, ordering people to enter and clean up the bird’s nest porridge Li Tianfu had knocked over.
Li Tianfu curled up in bed, gazing at the pair of earrings in her hands. Only when morning light illuminated her window, then evening’s remaining glow shone through the window and fell beside her bed, did Li Tianfu – who hadn’t eaten for a night and a day – finally seem to make some decision, putting on the earrings and rising.
Li Zhijie stood at Li Tianfu’s door, gazing at the western sunset that hadn’t completely fallen, lost in thought. If Li Tianfu remained listless and refused to attend the banquet, he would claim that yesterday, Lu Tianzhuo had injured Li Tianfu!
After the accompanying envoys urged him for the third time, Li Zhijie finally turned and pushed open Li Tianfu’s door.
Li Tianfu, dressed in a magnificent fire-red dance dress, sat upright before her dressing table, applying a flower ornament to her forehead center in the bronze mirror.
Warm orange sunset light streamed through the half-open window, its gentle rays illuminating her bright and captivating, delicate features – skin like jade, flame-red lips, and especially those eyes that were pure as a maiden’s yet carried soul-stealing allure, pure yet seductive, like magnificently blooming datura flowers.
“Princess…” Li Zhijie stood respectfully at the doorway and bowed.
Li Tianfu revealed a brilliant, dazzling smile in the bronze mirror, then put on her veil and rose, saying hoarsely: “Let’s go…”
·
Due to Jin’s great victory in the southern frontier, this year’s birthday banquet for Jin’s Emperor was more grand and luxurious than in previous years.
Ladies of each household dressed magnificently according to their ranks, while marriageable noble daughters wore brocade clothes and ornate attire with careful grooming.
Before the Emperor and Empress arrived, familiar noble daughters gathered in groups of three to five. Some discussed how Great Liang’s Fourth Prince Wei Qiheng had entered the palace last night to request marriage to Nandu County Princess Liu Ruofu, while others talked about how Princess Zhenguo Bai Qingyan had stormed into the post house yesterday, forcing Xiliang’s Prince Yan to hand over the second son of the Bai family, and killing one of Prince Yan’s subordinates.
“Last time when Great Liang’s Fourth Prince rode into the capital, I happened to be drinking tea at Yanque Tower. That Fourth Prince of Great Liang is truly handsome! Nandu County Princess is our Great Jin’s foremost beauty – they’re a perfect match made in heaven!”
“That’s right! I heard that yesterday, the Fourth Prince of Great Liang saw Nandu County Princess somewhere and entered the palace overnight to petition His Majesty for marriage. Later, His Majesty summoned Nandu County Princess’s father, the current sole surviving prince of a different surname in Jin, Idle Prince, into the palace. Great Liang’s Fourth Prince didn’t hesitate to kneel before Idle Prince in request, and only then did Idle Prince relent.”
“Really?! He knelt before Idle Prince?” A noble daughter covered her surprised mouth with her fan, full of envy. “Then, when Nandu County Princess marries Great Liang’s Fourth Prince in the future, won’t the Fourth Prince treasure Nandu County Princess in his palm!”
Lu Baohua, daughter of Supreme Court Minister Lu Jin, entered under palace servants’ guidance together with Nandu County Princess Liu Ruofu. Liu Ruofu, arriving in magnificent attire, instantly became the focus of attention.
Liu Ruofu’s beauty could perfectly be described as having the grace of autumn waters and lotus flowers – skin like snow porcelain, small crystalline red lips, and water-bright eyes with distinct black and white like cool glass beads. Her moon-white embroidered dress with intricate and exquisite details swayed as she walked without revealing her feet, her bearing elegant and dignified.
After taking her seat, Lu Baohua covered her lips with her fan, joy evident in her brows and eyes. She lowered her voice to speak with Liu Ruofu: “Look, there isn’t a single noble daughter in the entire capital who doesn’t envy you! I heard… Great Liang’s Fourth Prince fell in love at first sight and even swore to Idle Prince that if he could marry you… He would never take secondary consorts or concubines. Is this true?”