Spring Remains the Same - Chapter 66

Wei Xiu’s skin was like fine cream, her eyes like drops of lacquer. She was already born with a refined and handsome appearance, which, combined with her ethereal disposition, made her a perfect match for the hairpin. The moment Puyang’s words fell, Wei Xiu glanced at her with a smile. She said neither yes nor no, but her cool expression gained a touch of warmth.

The shopkeeper had an excellent eye. He had already seen them as a beautiful couple, and his eyes lit up at the sight. However, seeing the young master seated in a wheelchair, with limited mobility, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret. Without this flaw, they would truly be a divine couple.

But he soon discovered that the imperfection brought by the flaw was merely superficial.

As they left the shop together, a servant pushed the wheelchair from behind while the two walked side by side. The princess casually rested a hand on the back of the chair. Wei Xiu tilted her head up, as if saying something to her. The princess lowered her head slightly to meet her gaze, a faint smile gradually appearing on her lips. They seemed oblivious to everyone around them. The slight regret brought by the flaw suddenly vanished completely; they were, in a word, an indescribably perfect match.

The shopkeeper saw his customers to the door, his eyes fixed on the two as they departed, as if no one else in the world could be so intimately close.

After leaving the shop, the two continued on their way.

Luoyang was truly worthy of being the capital. The deeper they went, the more prosperous the market districts became. The streets were wide enough for four carriages to ride abreast, yet as far as the eye could see, they were packed shoulder to shoulder with a sea of people, making the wide avenues feel narrow.

Snow still lingered on the rooftops, and one could see their breath in the cold air, yet here, no one seemed to feel the biting chill.

Both were in high spirits, looking at the shops all around. There were even foreigners among the crowd, and the passersby paid them no mind, as if it were a common sight.

This was already a scene of a prosperous age.

A look of satisfaction appeared on Puyang’s face. This was different from the delight she felt in the shop when she had Wei Xiu wear the jade hairpin she had gifted her; this was another kind of satisfaction, one of pride and gratification.

“Luoyang originally had ninety-three wards. As the nation has become well-governed, the capital has grown ever more prosperous. In recent years, ten more wards have been added, and there are already signs of insufficient land. His Majesty wishes to expand the capital, but the matter is still under discussion in the court,” Puyang explained to Wei Xiu.

This was the largest of the market districts. The pedestrians around them were all dressed in thick clothing, not shivering in the biting winter cold, which showed that their homes were surely well-stocked with food and clothing.

As Puyang watched, a faint layer of warmth filled her eyes, rejoicing in this era of peace and prosperity.

But seeing the current prosperity of Luoyang, she couldn’t help but recall the calamity this city had suffered many years ago. Puyang said in a low voice, “Eighty years ago, a rebel army broke into Luoyang. After burning, killing, and looting, they set the city ablaze. The fire raged for days on end, ultimately leaving it a field of ruins. The foundations of the state were overturned, the ancestral temples burned and lost. At that time, the flames of war blazed across the land. The common people had not enough food to eat nor clothes to cover their bodies. The Central Plains were filled with people who had starved or died in battle.”

Puyang’s tone grew heavy. Wei Xiu turned to look at her. “It has only been eighty years, and already it has regained the air of a prosperous age. Why doesn’t Your Highness look forward?”

History was inevitably painful. It was better to take a longer view and focus on what was within one’s power to change.

Puyang met her clear, translucent eyes, and the trace of pain in them gradually faded. She relaxed her brow, her beautiful face becoming vibrant. “It is as you say, Sir. Although dangers still lurk within the realm, there will come a day when the seas are calm and the rivers are clear. I truly wish to witness that day together with you, Sir.”

Both cared for the common people, but Chen Du secluded himself in a dark room, refusing to go out, merely lamenting the state of the world. The Princess, however, was willing to navigate a difficult path step by step, moving bit by bit toward the peaceful era she longed for.

They were surrounded by a ceaseless flow of people, flanked by rows of shops, the low, chaotic hum of voices constantly filling their ears. The princess’s free-spirited and resolute face was exceptionally moving. Wei Xiu’s defenses crumbled, and a wave of sorrow washed over her heart. She said, “That day will surely come.”

The great tide of history dictates that what has long been divided must unite. The day of calm seas and clear rivers would come sooner or later. She would not live to see it, nor had she ever cared. But what of the Princess? She yearned for it so earnestly—to extinguish the smoke signals of war, to halt the clash of weapons, to transform one Luoyang into thousands upon thousands of Luoyangs, spread across the nine provinces.

They were, in the end, on opposing sides. This opposition grew sharper the deeper her heart sank.

Wei Xiu looked up at Puyang and noticed that the tie on her cloak’s collar had loosened. A tender feeling arose in her heart, and she raised her hand to tie it for her. Puyang understood and turned slightly. Wei Xiu’s fair, slender fingers picked up the tie. Puyang, no longer as free-spirited and resolute as before, blushed slightly and finally gave a shy smile. Wei Xiu looked up and met her bashful, sweet eyes. Her hands paused. At least for now, she thought, her goal and the Princess’s were the same.

Her heart eased, as if she had found relief, or perhaps an excuse to continue her descent.

Her knuckles bent slightly, and she quickly tied a new knot. Wei Xiu withdrew her hand and smiled at Puyang. “An open collar lets in the wind and makes one most susceptible to cold. Your Highness should take care of your health.”

Puyang pursed her lips and smiled. “Fortunately, I have you, Sir.”

The two continued on, unaware that from a teahouse on the side of the street, someone had just witnessed the entire scene.

“Your Highness.” An attendant approached. “The Royal Tutor is looking for you everywhere. Should Your Highness return to the post house?”

The Prince of Yuzhang stood by the window, watching the two people on the street below walk further and further away. His hand on the windowsill tightened until his fingertips turned white from the force. His face was twisted, as if he had suffered a great humiliation.

The attendant waited for a moment, but receiving no reply, he could only call out again in a timid, low voice, “Your Highness?”

“What are you shouting for!” The Prince of Yuzhang suddenly exploded in fury, whirling around to glare at the attendant. The attendant immediately fell to his knees, kowtowing and begging for mercy. Still fuming, the Prince of Yuzhang walked over and kicked him to vent his anger.

He had put his full force into the kick, and the attendant was knocked to the ground. Yet the man dared not make a sound. He scrambled back up, knelt again, and kowtowed heavily, trembling. “Your Highness, forgive me! Your Highness, forgive me! It is the Royal Tutor who is looking for Your Highness and ordered this servant to report.”

“The Royal Tutor?” The Prince of Yuzhang’s mouth twisted in anger, his eyes blazing with fury. “Excellent. I have something to discuss with him!”

Princess Puyang already had someone in her heart. If that was the case, why hadn’t the Wei Emperor stated it plainly? Was he intentionally trying to humiliate him?

The Prince of Yuzhang stormed off toward the post house, replaying the scene he had just witnessed over and over in his mind.

The first time he saw Puyang, he was stunned by her beauty and had resolved in his heart to marry her. But what was this now? If the princess had taken a fancy to some other talented man, he would have had nothing to say. But she had chosen a cripple with broken legs!

This was simply too insulting!

When he reached the post house, he saw the Royal Tutor waiting anxiously at the door. Upon seeing him, the Tutor rushed forward without even bothering to salute. “Where did Your Highness go? This subject has been searching everywhere for you!” Noticing the Prince of Yuzhang’s foul expression, he added urgently, “Let’s put other matters aside for now. The Emperor of Wei has summoned you. Your Highness, quickly go inside and change your clothes!”

The Wei Emperor had summoned him? Perfect!

The Prince of Yuzhang had been about to discuss this matter with the Royal Tutor, but since the Wei Emperor was summoning him, it would be better to take it up with the Emperor face-to-face. What kind of hospitality was this from the state of Wei! He changed into his court robes and boarded a carriage with the Royal Tutor, heading for the imperial city.

Within the capital city, the roads were naturally smooth. The carriage traveled steadily, without the slightest hardship of a bumpy ride.

On the way back from the teahouse, and after changing his clothes and boarding the carriage, the Prince of Yuzhang slowly calmed down. The anger that had surged from seeing the intimate scene between the princess and that cripple gradually subsided.

Seeing the Royal Tutor’s solemn face as he tirelessly reminded him of things to pay attention to, the Prince of Yuzhang finally remembered that this was the Wei capital, not the Qi capital, and he could not act recklessly. Princess Puyang was the Wei Emperor’s beloved daughter. If he were to shout about what he had seen, making it known to all and ruining the princess’s reputation and damaging the imperial family’s dignity, the Wei Emperor would likely fly into a thunderous rage.

He finally felt a sense of fear, but he simply could not swallow his indignation. The Prince of Yuzhang interrupted the Royal Tutor, saying resentfully, “Royal Tutor, please hear me out. I’m afraid we won’t be able to marry Princess Puyang!”

The Royal Tutor frowned, also quite displeased, but the situation was urgent, and he couldn’t dwell on it for now. He tried to console him, “If we can’t marry her, then so be it. The matter of the alliance is what’s important. This morning, a letter arrived from the capital. The Song Emperor has already mobilized his troops. We cannot delay forming an alliance with Wei.”

Seeing the anger on the Prince of Yuzhang’s face grow instead of subsiding, the Royal Tutor immediately advised, “If Your Highness wants a virtuous lady, where can you not find a good woman? Why must you get entangled in this and ruin the greater cause?” He had been the Prince of Yuzhang’s teacher since childhood and naturally knew his character. With one sentence, he got to the root of the matter.

The Prince of Yuzhang snorted coldly. “What virtuous lady? From what I see, that Princess Puyang is nothing special!” Looking back now, when that cripple had praised him in front of the princess, it was clearly the two of them being jealous!

And he had been so smug, thinking he could let the princess see his good qualities. The thought made his liver ache with anger!

He couldn’t just let this go! The Prince of Yuzhang was petty and hot-tempered, his mind full of schemes. In a flash, he thought of a plan. What he couldn’t have, no one else would either!

Wei Xiu and Puyang had no idea that a casual action of theirs had so enraged someone.

As night approached, the weather turned bitterly cold, and the two returned to the residence together.

Throughout their outing, only that jade hairpin had caught their eye; everything else was common.

Dinner had already been prepared at the residence, and Puyang invited Wei Xiu to dine with her. The magnificent dishes were fragrant and appetizing, making one’s mouth water.

Since Wei Xiu did not drink, there was no wine at the banquet. Puyang had the kitchen prepare a lamb soup. Its color was as white as milk, the water and fat blended together, its texture pure, its flavor rich and savory, neither gamy nor greasy. The first taste was smooth, soft, and refreshing.

Lamb could drive away the cold, and it was even better at dispelling the chill from their bodies. They each had a bowl, and a warmth spread from their stomachs, slowly filling their entire bodies until they no longer felt cold at all.

After dinner, the Chief Scribe came in to report on some matters.

They were not major issues, or he wouldn’t have waited until so late. It was simply that Puyang was accustomed to finishing the day’s business on the same day, and the Chief Scribe, knowing her preference, intended to report everything before retiring.

“The Song Emperor has mobilized his troops and dispatched skilled generals to the border. It seems this battle is inevitable,” the Chief Scribe said.

Puyang smiled noncommittally, and Wei Xiu did the same. The Song Emperor was tyrannical and also notoriously fickle, known for changing his orders overnight. Let alone just mobilizing troops and generals, he could change his mind at any moment, even if the war drums were already beating on the battlefield.

Seeing their reactions, the Chief Scribe continued, “The Prince of Yuzhang was summoned by His Majesty. They spoke for a long time, and he has still not left the palace.”

With Song mobilizing its troops, the alliance between Qi and Wei was a matter of great urgency. If Wei had no intention of supporting the Prince of Yuzhang, they would drive a hard bargain and try to extract more benefits. However, now that they had this plan, they had to first give the Prince of Yuzhang some face, so that he could achieve a great merit and use it to gain power upon returning to his country.

The Emperor keeping him for a meal was most likely to secure him and forge another secret pact with him. Not many people knew of this matter. Puyang raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Wei Xiu.

Wei Xiu nodded slightly. For him to have remained in the palace this long, the matter was most likely settled.

Puyang’s face brightened. Seeing that the Chief Scribe had nothing else to report, she dismissed him.

The Prince of Yuzhang, whom they had just been discussing, was at that very moment stepping out of the palace gates. Unlike when he had arrived, his dark eyes now held a faintly discernible gleam of ambition, and his spirited face was filled with confidence and aspiration.

The Royal Tutor had left the palace first and was waiting for him outside. Seeing his expression, he knew the alliance was a success and hurried forward to congratulate him. “Achieving this great deed will surely make the court look at you in a new light.”

When the Qi Emperor had sent him as an envoy, many ministers in the court had opposed it, especially the Crown Prince, who was the most vehement, believing him to be more likely to fail than succeed.

A smile slowly spread across the Prince of Yuzhang’s lips. Recalling what the Wei Emperor had secretly told him, he sneered, “Why bother with them? They’re in for a surprise!”

The Royal Tutor merely thought he was talking about how those ministers would regret their words upon his return, so he smiled. “How could they know Your Highness’s brilliance?”

The Prince of Yuzhang was pleased and, with the help of an attendant, boarded his carriage. As he lifted the door curtain, he suddenly paused and looked back at the magnificent and imposing imperial palace.

Today’s visit to the Wei palace had been very fruitful. The only regret was that when he told the Emperor about the princess and that cripple, he hadn’t flown into a rage.