Chapter 141: Preparing a Feint Attack
(1) Eryue He (Chinese: 二月河), was a Chinese historical fiction writer. He is best known for writing biographical novels of three Qing dynasty emperors (Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong), all of which have been adapted into award-winning television series.
The news of a betrothal between Mo Bei’s Fourth Prince and the di-born daughter of the Nan An marquisate spread quickly. People called the two of them the beauty and the hero and said that they complemented each other well. However, many others began to spread another story that Mo Bei’s Fourth Prince was quite taken with the third Xiaojie of Prime Minister Li’s household, the brilliant and well-known Anping Xianzhu. It was said that the Fourth Prince of Mo Bei was very good-looking. Furthermore, he was well versed in both literary and military affairs, as well as a strong contender for Mo Bei’s throne. Anping Xianzhu was not easy to marry because of her excessively overwhelming reputation. Therefore, she wanted to take advantage of the currents to push the boat towards Mo Bei and become the influential and distinguished Fourth imperial concubine. It was even possible that she could take the position of Mo Bei’s empress in the future. Who would have thought that as soon as the emperor had agreed to the marriage, Ji Xiang Palace had caught fire. The emperor felt it was inauspicious and cancelled the marriage. Instead, he asked the old Marquis of Nan An to pick up a readily available son-in-law.
However, now that eyes were on the earthquake, His Majesty likely felt that it wasn’t appropriate to set any other plans into motion. Moreover, the Fourth Prince of Mo Bei clearly didn’t think much of the Nan An marquisate’s Xiaojie, but was contrarily running over to Prime Minister Li’s residence quite diligently. The gifts came like running water, which greatly displayed the wealth of Mo Bei’s royal family, and it was clear to see that he was unwilling to give up. However, he failed to move Li Wei Yang, but made countless noble ladies in the capital jealous to no end. They had started out thinking that Mo Bei was a place of desolation. How could it compare with the prosperity of the capital? For that reason, no one was willing to be married off there in the past. But now, they saw boxes upon boxes of gifts delivered to Prime Minister Li’s residence, and their eyes were pinned to them. They discovered that they had completely missed out on an ideal son-in-law.
Five days ago, an alms booth was opened in front of the Li manor gates. As a result, someone deliberately caused trouble and almost caused Anping Xianzhu to be injured. It just so happened that Mo Bei’s Fourth Prince was there, and by chance, the hero saved the beauty. Thus, it seemed that the unmoved Li Wei Yang no longer put on a stiff face that would repel people for thousands of miles. As a result, the Fourth Prince made another application, and asked the emperor to exchange his marriage partner. However, at that time, the emperor was hard-pressed by the earthquake situation and was not willing to change his mind so casually. The Fourth Prince of Mo Bei went to the imperial palace three times a day. The emperor was so vexed that he simply gave the Third Prince, Tuoba Zhen, full authority to handle the matter.
However, Tuoba Zhen naturally also refused to change the marriage partner, so after a good bout of tai chi, he firmly blocked the Fourth Prince’s harassment. However, when the Fourth Prince declared that Li Wei Yang also tacitly agreed to marry him, Tuoba Zhen’s face changed.
Tuoba Zhen came out of the Empress’ Kun Ning Palace and had just reached Yong An gate, when he encountered a person he did not expect to meet.
The flawless smile on his lips immediately hardened into an inflexible stiffness—
Li Wei Yang!
Li Wei Yang lifted the corners of her lips slightly and regarded him coldly: "Your Highness."
Tuoba Zhen smiled. It was still his usual gentle smile that gave people the impression of a refreshing spring breeze: "Why has Anping Xianzhu come into the palace today?" Yes, ever since she had rejected his feelings three times, mutual fighting was like an inescapable fate—but he would make her understand that he would be the final victor. She would have to depend on him to survive.
Not intending to answer his question, Li Wei Yang merely greeted him coolly and walked past him. On the long palace road, there was only the sound of Li Wei Yang’s unhurried footsteps as she walked by. Their sound gradually dispersed, knocking one by one against his heart.
"Anping Xianzhu."
Li Wei Yang halted her steps, her beautiful light blue skirt fluttering with the wind.
"Perhaps you still owe me an explanation?" Tuoba Zhen could no longer restrain the throbbing of his heart. His ice-cold voice brought with it ample mockery, "I thought you were unwilling to marry Mo Bei’s Fourth Prince, so when there was a fire at Ji Xiang Palace I was not surprised. But now, what’s this all about?"
Li Wei Yang turned back coldly, but saw Tuoba Zhen. She did not know when he had ended up behind her. The faint incense on his body was interspersed between layers of brocade satin robes, making her take half a step back in disgust.
"Are you so afraid of me?" Tuoba Zhen waved his hand, and the palace maids and court eunuchs tactfully retreated. Seeing that no one else was present, the venomous and gloomy smile deepened, "I actually forgot! Who are you afraid of now? A single Anping Xianzhu—tricking the Mo Bei prince into going around in circles! No, or perhaps you are even playing all of us! Everyone outside is saying that the Fourth Prince has been bewitched by you until his soul and spirit had flipped upside down. Even the wife that the emperor bestowed on him has been pushed to the back of his mind. All day long, gifts are sent to the Prime Minister's manor. I hear rumors about the hustle and bustle every day! It seems that I have never seen through you. Double-crossing, back-stabbing and shameless—this is your true nature!"
Li Wei Yang regarded him coldly, as if looking at a freak. Tuoba Zhen's uncontrollable shouting is entirely different from the usual suppressed and calm tone, as if he is already on the verge of losing control.
She smiled coldly: "Your Highness, originally I was not satisfied with this marriage, but now I feel that the Fourth Prince of Mo Bei is quite good. Say nothing of his good looks, he puts me first in everything. Are you satisfied with this answer?"
"Are you crazy?!" Tuoba Zhen's pupils contracted sharply and shouted subconsciously.
Li Wei Yang seemed to be completely unaware of his mood, but just smiled and said, "What does it have to do with you?"
What does it have to do with him? Right, what was Li Wei Yang to him? What relation did her actions have to do with him? Even if she hated Li Yuan Heng at first and now she was going back on that, it was all her own business, and it wasn’t his, Tuoba Zhen’s matter to care about! She was neither his wife nor his lover, so what was he feeling so indignant for! Tuoba Zhen knew this and had admonished himself countless times, but his reason and feelings were separated. He could not get rid of this intense feeling of humiliation in his heart. Li Wei Yang would rather choose an insignificant fourth prince of Mo Bei rather than choose him! For what reason!
His heart trembled violently, and he took a step forward, almost heard each other breathing. He looked straight at her and did his utmost to say calmly: "Li Wei Yang, first you refused to marry, and after that, you got so close to that guy. What the hell are you trying to do?"
Under normal circumstances, he would have accurately discerned Li Wei Yang’s true intentions. However, while he was immersed in extreme resentment and jealousy, he had no way to make an accurate judgment. Now he didn’t even know what Li Wei Yang wanted to do!
Li Wei Yang smiled and said, "Didn’t I already say that I have a good impression of Li Yuan Heng? Because even though he also uses the same ruthless means to kill people like flies, at least he’s a real villain, not a hypocrite. Your Highness, as for what I’m going to do, you might as well wait a bit more. Perhaps you will understand quite soon."
"Li Wei Yang—" Tuoba Zhen smiled through gritted teeth, drawing near her desperately. Towering above her, he confined her between his arms, almost sticking to the wall behind, "I will not let father emperor alter the marriage partner. Even if you regret it, it will be the same. Mo Bei’s Fourth Prince cannot genuinely take you as his wife!"
This was what she was waiting for! Li Wei Yang suppressed the sneer in her heart, but her face remained unmoved: "Do you think I care about this kind of fake reputation? Your Highness, not everyone in the world is wrapped around your finger."
It was still this kind of insufferable arrogance. Why was she never willing to bow her head to him! Even if he said some sweet words, there was no need for him to rack his brains because he couldn’t get her, and so, he would rather destroy her! He hated that he would never catch her attention and hated that she always looked at him with such cold eyes even more!
Tuoba Zhen’s gaze was electric, like the edge of a blade, as he fixed his attention on Li Wei Yang. He knew that she could put on an act, and knows that her speech and words all concealed her twisting thoughts even more. How much contempt and scorn were concealed in these seemingly pure and innocent eyes!
When his mind buzzing, he grasped her chin between his fingers and leaned down—
"Tuoba Zhen!" Li Wei Yang’s lips hooked upwards. Her voice was soft but cold as frost. "In this place, at this moment—you—the always noble and unflappable Third Prince, are you going to dishonour the Anping Xianzhu?"
As if struck by lightning,Tuoba Zhen’s movement completely stopped. His knuckles became cold and stiff. He felt that it would only take one small movement for his bones to rattle.
Li Wei Yang knew him too well! He really couldn’t do it! Because of his great undertaking that he constantly reminded himself about! There could be no moment of carelessness because of a woman! He slowly let go and lowered his hands weakly. He exhaled in defeat—Li Wei Yang, clearly you anticipated my actions, but still forced me to lose control. You are really too vicious!
Li Wei Yang lightly dusted off her shoulders and gave him a contemptuous smile: "I take my leave."
Tuoba Zhen stared blankly as Li Wei Yang walked off, as the palace maid standing a ways off hurried to keep up. Li Wei Yang's back gradually disappeared from the end of the alleyway.
Why, why could you firmly control everyone's minds! When you didn’t like Li Yuan Heng, you dared to set fire to the palace in order to reject the marriage. Now that you’ve taken a shine to him, you are ready to go back on your words and marry him! Where would there be such an easy thing! I absolutely will not let this marriage have any complications whatsoever. You—Li Wei Yang, will never be married to Li Yuan Heng! Tuoba Zhen clenched his fists, his face was terrifyingly sinister: One day, you will definitely be mine!
After exiting the palace gates, Li Wei Yang let out a sigh of relief. When dealing with Tuoba Zhen, every expression must be considered, and every sentence must be weighed in advance. If there was any oversight, it would be seized by the other party and used against her, allowing him to guess her true intentions.
So why wouldn’t she prepare in advance? It seemed as if she had said many things, but in fact, every sentence was intended to mislead him into thinking that she was charmed by Li Yuan Heng. To be charmed by the Fourth Prince of Mo Bei—this line was enough to trick outsiders. However, to deceive Tuoba Zhen was not easy. Only by making it hard to tell what was real or a lie, preparing a feint attack, could he be convinced. After all, her acting skills were not good and she needed to continue to hone them.
In the carriage at the palace gates, a young boy in brocade robes was sitting at the front of the carriage waiting for her, looking as if he had been waiting for ages. She came to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager today and did not bring her yatou into the palace. She wanted to get on the carriage on her own, but after moving, she sharply inhaled in pain. The wound on her foot still hadn’t healed, but she had been enduring it the whole time.
Li Min De's eyes flashed slightly, and he reached out to catch her at lightning speed. With very little strength, he supported her by the waist into the carriage.
She became all the more stunned. When she looked up, she saw his attractive side profile and couldn’t help but sigh. "I said before that I’d be fine entering the palace alone. Why did you need to follow and wait for me?" she asked softly.
Li Min De didn't speak and only ordered the coachman to return to Li manor. Arriving at the manor gates, Zhao Yue immediately greeted them and helped Li Wei Yang all the way back to her yard. But just as she entered her own yard, there was the high door threshold that caused people to shrink back. Li Wei Yang held back the pain in her foot so that she could step across. Who would have thought that her entire person would suddenly be hanging in midair. She was completely shocked—someone who had been standing silently behind her this whole time had suddenly picked her up.
"Zhao Yue, close the door." He dropped a sentence. Zhao Yue was given a fright and quickly shut the courtyard door. Tsk tsk, her young master was just too daring and was not afraid to let others see.
Li Min De strode, bypassing the corridor, and entered the inner room.
"Let me down," Li Wei Yang said hurriedly, not knowing why her face suddenly felt hot.
But he ignored her, and a voice came from the front——
"Xiaojie..." It was Bai Zhi who greeted her.
His steps paused slightly, but he continued to move forward again, walking around the speaker with large strides and instructed in a low voice, "Go find the doctor."
Bai Zhi seemed to be accustomed to the sight. Without the least bit of reaction, she made a sound of agreement as if this was all to be expected, so much that it didn’t seem like there was the intention to save her family’s Xiaojie from hell or high water.
Li Wei Yang was enraged and almost yelled at him to quickly put her down.
Li Min De suddenly lowered his eyes and gave her a look. Looking into that pair of amber eyes and at the distress buried deep within them, she suddenly lost her voice.
When he reached the chaise longue, he stopped suddenly and put her down, and his lips moved slightly: "It's probably serious, right?"
Li Wei Yang gritted her teeth and said, "I'm fine."
He lifted his brows and said in a cool, ruthless tone: "You really dare to press your luck. Are you not afraid of crippling your foot?" Looking at her left foot that didn't dare to touch the ground, his face changed again, "Does it really hurt?"
She frowned. Just as she was about to speak, he suddenly crouched down and held her ankle in his hand and took off her shoes, revealing her swollen left ankle.
He stared at it for a while, then forcefully pressed down on it with his palm. She obviously wanted to endure the pain, but she cried out by accident. He stood up and whispered: "Not bad."
She hurriedly responded: "I told you everything is fine!"
Li Min De frowned, a face that rarely showed displeasure or gloominess: "And I told you that you don’t have to try so hard to put on an act. It’s fine to just spread some rumors!"
Li Wei Yang looked at him and whispered: "Tuoba Zhen wouldn't believe it. Today I was in the palace and bumped into him coincidentally. I put a lot of thought into it, so hopefully I was able to deceive him by some degree." Tuoba Zhen is a person with serious paranoia. If one wanted to deceive him, then she must say it with her own mouth.
Bai Zhi came in with the medicine box: "Xiaojie, the doctor will be here soon. Please apply some medicinal oil first."
Li Wei Yang knit her brows and said, "I said that there is no need to involve so many people!" But after glancing at Li Min De's face, she refrained from saying her next words and compromised, "Fine, I still need to attend a banquet this evening. Don’t smear on too much. The smell is too strong."
Li Min De listened and couldn't help saying: "Are there still banquets in the capital now?"
Li Wei Yang laughed and said, "Naturally there are, and it’s impossible not to attend. Now that the disaster victims in the capital have calmed down temporarily, Princess Yong Ning is specially holding a feast to invite the noble madams and young ladies of the capital. The purpose is to get them to donate money. This is the Empress’ intention, and moreover, she also made a point of mentioning it to me today. How can I not attend?"
Li Min De contemplated intently for a moment and raised his voice: "Zhao Nan, you will accompany Third Xiaojie there tonight."
Ninth Princess was also going to attend today’s banquet. More than that, for the sake of expressing caution, she specifically chose a roundabout way to come pick up Li Wei Yang. For the princess's imperial carriage to personally receive her, this kind of privilege was definitely not something that ordinary noble misses could enjoy. Li Wei Yang did not show any surprised delight, but instead caused Second Furen to become green with envy. By the time they reached Cheng Nan residence of Princess Yong Ning in the city, night had already fallen, and the cyan palace lanterns swaying outside the courtyard of the residence created a very simple and unadorned atmosphere. The last time she came, the treetops were covered in colored ribbons, and the pavilion balconies were all lit up. This time it was clear to see that things were more plain. It could clearly be seen that with the recent disaster, the princess had no choice but to exercise restraint.
Because it was Princess Yong Ning who personally sent the invites, all the high-ranking individuals in the empire with titles came. There were even many noble young misses, but they all stood far away looking at them enviously because Ninth Princess Jiu stood next to Li Wei Yang the entire time, so no one dared to go up and make conversation.
Ninth Princess looked at the lively banquet, but from her mouth came: "Third gongzi... he’s well, I take it."
Li Wei Yang stilled, then stopping the wine cup in her hand, she laughed and said, "Why does the princess ask?"
Ninth Princess’ eyes were inexplicably a little watery: "Father emperor is granting me a marriage."
Li Wei Yang's eyes rested on Ninth Princess’s body. These days, she had grown taller by a lot, and her figure also displayed a young woman’s sweetness and beauty. However, there was a hint of worry on her face. She lowered her eyes and looked at the amber within the wine cup, as if she saw that man's eyes. There was a tinge of regret in her words: "Getting married, the princess is also at that marriageable age."
"When my imperial mother spoke about this matter, I was crying and throwing a fit. Just like a child." Princess Jiu suddenly laughed, but there was no mirth in her eyes. The cup of wine in her grasp went from one cup to another.
Li Wei Yang leaned over to confiscate the wine in her hand and smiled: "You’ve probably had enough."
Ninth Princess lowered her head, conveniently resting it on her shoulders, unconcerned about the looks people were giving them. She squinted and staring off into space, she said softly: "I haven’t drunk too much. If I did, I could just not care about anything and go see him. Today, I haven’t even passed through the door of marriage—" The ending of this sentence dragged for a particularly long time.
Li Wei Yang glanced at her young face out of the corner of her eye, and suddenly there was a bit of complication that she couldn’t speak of.
"You don't know how much I like him... even if he never placed me in his heart, I miss him day and night, thinking about him—" Unsure whether it was from drinking too much, Ninth Princess's eyes were misty. Li Wei Yang sighed.
There was a sudden laughter at the banquet opposite to them. It was not known which young miss had brought up some amusing topic. Li Wei Yang looked over, only to find that among the brightly coloured faces on the opposite side, surprisingly it was Mo Bei’s Princess He Chang. Suddenly, her mood was like the unsteady light and shadow. What kind of things would happen again tonight...
－－－－－－Digression－－－－－－－
Editor: I can't understand what the heroine is trying to do.
Xiao Qin: Today is the foreshadowing, tomorrow is small **, the day after tomorrow is big **
Editor: In other people's stories, it’s all kissy kissy between the female and male leads. In your story, people will die, ah Qin.
Xiao Qin: Please call me “the one who kills people like scything flax” Qin, thank you!
PS: This story is unfounded, and the babies who pester me excessively for details, don’t ask me. I’m not Er Yuehe (1). What I’m writing is not a historical novel, and if you ask me various things such as why Duke Furen sticks up her weakness, why the Jiang family can still attend all kinds of banquets and those kinds of questions, even Er Yuehe won’t read it, go read Records of the Grand Historian (2). Although it is clear that many plots do not comply with the customs of ancient times, it must be written in this way to be enjoyable. If you write in strictly according to the rules and logic of ancient times, then all the ancient female leads would have sunk into the river, without the slightest hesitation. If you still come to ask me for the particulars, come to ask me details, you can also drown me in a river, you have to….
(2) According to wikipedia, Records of the Grand Historian, also known by its Chinese name Shiji, is a monumental history of ancient China and the world finished around 94 BC by the Han dynasty official Sima Qian.
The news of a betrothal between Mo Bei’s Fourth Prince and the di-born daughter of the Nan An marquisate spread quickly. People called the two of them the beauty and the hero and said that they complemented each other well. However, many others began to spread another story that Mo Bei’s Fourth Prince was quite taken with the third Xiaojie of Prime Minister Li’s household, the brilliant and well-known Anping Xianzhu. It was said that the Fourth Prince of Mo Bei was very good-looking. Furthermore, he was well versed in both literary and military affairs, as well as a strong contender for Mo Bei’s throne. Anping Xianzhu was not easy to marry because of her excessively overwhelming reputation. Therefore, she wanted to take advantage of the currents to push the boat towards Mo Bei and become the influential and distinguished Fourth imperial concubine. It was even possible that she could take the position of Mo Bei’s empress in the future. Who would have thought that as soon as the emperor had agreed to the marriage, Ji Xiang Palace had caught fire. The emperor felt it was inauspicious and cancelled the marriage. Instead, he asked the old Marquis of Nan An to pick up a readily available son-in-law.
However, now that eyes were on the earthquake, His Majesty likely felt that it wasn’t appropriate to set any other plans into motion. Moreover, the Fourth Prince of Mo Bei clearly didn’t think much of the Nan An marquisate’s Xiaojie, but was contrarily running over to Prime Minister Li’s residence quite diligently. The gifts came like running water, which greatly displayed the wealth of Mo Bei’s royal family, and it was clear to see that he was unwilling to give up. However, he failed to move Li Wei Yang, but made countless noble ladies in the capital jealous to no end. They had started out thinking that Mo Bei was a place of desolation. How could it compare with the prosperity of the capital? For that reason, no one was willing to be married off there in the past. But now, they saw boxes upon boxes of gifts delivered to Prime Minister Li’s residence, and their eyes were pinned to them. They discovered that they had completely missed out on an ideal son-in-law.
Five days ago, an alms booth was opened in front of the Li manor gates. As a result, someone deliberately caused trouble and almost caused Anping Xianzhu to be injured. It just so happened that Mo Bei’s Fourth Prince was there, and by chance, the hero saved the beauty. Thus, it seemed that the unmoved Li Wei Yang no longer put on a stiff face that would repel people for thousands of miles. As a result, the Fourth Prince made another application, and asked the emperor to exchange his marriage partner. However, at that time, the emperor was hard-pressed by the earthquake situation and was not willing to change his mind so casually. The Fourth Prince of Mo Bei went to the imperial palace three times a day. The emperor was so vexed that he simply gave the Third Prince, Tuoba Zhen, full authority to handle the matter.
However, Tuoba Zhen naturally also refused to change the marriage partner, so after a good bout of tai chi, he firmly blocked the Fourth Prince’s harassment. However, when the Fourth Prince declared that Li Wei Yang also tacitly agreed to marry him, Tuoba Zhen’s face changed.
Tuoba Zhen came out of the Empress’ Kun Ning Palace and had just reached Yong An gate, when he encountered a person he did not expect to meet.
The flawless smile on his lips immediately hardened into an inflexible stiffness—
Li Wei Yang!
Li Wei Yang lifted the corners of her lips slightly and regarded him coldly: "Your Highness."
Tuoba Zhen smiled. It was still his usual gentle smile that gave people the impression of a refreshing spring breeze: "Why has Anping Xianzhu come into the palace today?" Yes, ever since she had rejected his feelings three times, mutual fighting was like an inescapable fate—but he would make her understand that he would be the final victor. She would have to depend on him to survive.
Not intending to answer his question, Li Wei Yang merely greeted him coolly and walked past him. On the long palace road, there was only the sound of Li Wei Yang’s unhurried footsteps as she walked by. Their sound gradually dispersed, knocking one by one against his heart.
"Anping Xianzhu."
Li Wei Yang halted her steps, her beautiful light blue skirt fluttering with the wind.
"Perhaps you still owe me an explanation?" Tuoba Zhen could no longer restrain the throbbing of his heart. His ice-cold voice brought with it ample mockery, "I thought you were unwilling to marry Mo Bei’s Fourth Prince, so when there was a fire at Ji Xiang Palace I was not surprised. But now, what’s this all about?"
Li Wei Yang turned back coldly, but saw Tuoba Zhen. She did not know when he had ended up behind her. The faint incense on his body was interspersed between layers of brocade satin robes, making her take half a step back in disgust.
"Are you so afraid of me?" Tuoba Zhen waved his hand, and the palace maids and court eunuchs tactfully retreated. Seeing that no one else was present, the venomous and gloomy smile deepened, "I actually forgot! Who are you afraid of now? A single Anping Xianzhu—tricking the Mo Bei prince into going around in circles! No, or perhaps you are even playing all of us! Everyone outside is saying that the Fourth Prince has been bewitched by you until his soul and spirit had flipped upside down. Even the wife that the emperor bestowed on him has been pushed to the back of his mind. All day long, gifts are sent to the Prime Minister's manor. I hear rumors about the hustle and bustle every day! It seems that I have never seen through you. Double-crossing, back-stabbing and shameless—this is your true nature!"
Li Wei Yang regarded him coldly, as if looking at a freak. Tuoba Zhen's uncontrollable shouting is entirely different from the usual suppressed and calm tone, as if he is already on the verge of losing control.
She smiled coldly: "Your Highness, originally I was not satisfied with this marriage, but now I feel that the Fourth Prince of Mo Bei is quite good. Say nothing of his good looks, he puts me first in everything. Are you satisfied with this answer?"
"Are you crazy?!" Tuoba Zhen's pupils contracted sharply and shouted subconsciously.
Li Wei Yang seemed to be completely unaware of his mood, but just smiled and said, "What does it have to do with you?"
What does it have to do with him? Right, what was Li Wei Yang to him? What relation did her actions have to do with him? Even if she hated Li Yuan Heng at first and now she was going back on that, it was all her own business, and it wasn’t his, Tuoba Zhen’s matter to care about! She was neither his wife nor his lover, so what was he feeling so indignant for! Tuoba Zhen knew this and had admonished himself countless times, but his reason and feelings were separated. He could not get rid of this intense feeling of humiliation in his heart. Li Wei Yang would rather choose an insignificant fourth prince of Mo Bei rather than choose him! For what reason!
His heart trembled violently, and he took a step forward, almost heard each other breathing. He looked straight at her and did his utmost to say calmly: "Li Wei Yang, first you refused to marry, and after that, you got so close to that guy. What the hell are you trying to do?"
Under normal circumstances, he would have accurately discerned Li Wei Yang’s true intentions. However, while he was immersed in extreme resentment and jealousy, he had no way to make an accurate judgment. Now he didn’t even know what Li Wei Yang wanted to do!
Li Wei Yang smiled and said, "Didn’t I already say that I have a good impression of Li Yuan Heng? Because even though he also uses the same ruthless means to kill people like flies, at least he’s a real villain, not a hypocrite. Your Highness, as for what I’m going to do, you might as well wait a bit more. Perhaps you will understand quite soon."
"Li Wei Yang—" Tuoba Zhen smiled through gritted teeth, drawing near her desperately. Towering above her, he confined her between his arms, almost sticking to the wall behind, "I will not let father emperor alter the marriage partner. Even if you regret it, it will be the same. Mo Bei’s Fourth Prince cannot genuinely take you as his wife!"
This was what she was waiting for! Li Wei Yang suppressed the sneer in her heart, but her face remained unmoved: "Do you think I care about this kind of fake reputation? Your Highness, not everyone in the world is wrapped around your finger."
It was still this kind of insufferable arrogance. Why was she never willing to bow her head to him! Even if he said some sweet words, there was no need for him to rack his brains because he couldn’t get her, and so, he would rather destroy her! He hated that he would never catch her attention and hated that she always looked at him with such cold eyes even more!
Tuoba Zhen’s gaze was electric, like the edge of a blade, as he fixed his attention on Li Wei Yang. He knew that she could put on an act, and knows that her speech and words all concealed her twisting thoughts even more. How much contempt and scorn were concealed in these seemingly pure and innocent eyes!
When his mind buzzing, he grasped her chin between his fingers and leaned down—
"Tuoba Zhen!" Li Wei Yang’s lips hooked upwards. Her voice was soft but cold as frost. "In this place, at this moment—you—the always noble and unflappable Third Prince, are you going to dishonour the Anping Xianzhu?"
As if struck by lightning,Tuoba Zhen’s movement completely stopped. His knuckles became cold and stiff. He felt that it would only take one small movement for his bones to rattle.
Li Wei Yang knew him too well! He really couldn’t do it! Because of his great undertaking that he constantly reminded himself about! There could be no moment of carelessness because of a woman! He slowly let go and lowered his hands weakly. He exhaled in defeat—Li Wei Yang, clearly you anticipated my actions, but still forced me to lose control. You are really too vicious!
Li Wei Yang lightly dusted off her shoulders and gave him a contemptuous smile: "I take my leave."
Tuoba Zhen stared blankly as Li Wei Yang walked off, as the palace maid standing a ways off hurried to keep up. Li Wei Yang's back gradually disappeared from the end of the alleyway.
Why, why could you firmly control everyone's minds! When you didn’t like Li Yuan Heng, you dared to set fire to the palace in order to reject the marriage. Now that you’ve taken a shine to him, you are ready to go back on your words and marry him! Where would there be such an easy thing! I absolutely will not let this marriage have any complications whatsoever. You—Li Wei Yang, will never be married to Li Yuan Heng! Tuoba Zhen clenched his fists, his face was terrifyingly sinister: One day, you will definitely be mine!
After exiting the palace gates, Li Wei Yang let out a sigh of relief. When dealing with Tuoba Zhen, every expression must be considered, and every sentence must be weighed in advance. If there was any oversight, it would be seized by the other party and used against her, allowing him to guess her true intentions.
So why wouldn’t she prepare in advance? It seemed as if she had said many things, but in fact, every sentence was intended to mislead him into thinking that she was charmed by Li Yuan Heng. To be charmed by the Fourth Prince of Mo Bei—this line was enough to trick outsiders. However, to deceive Tuoba Zhen was not easy. Only by making it hard to tell what was real or a lie, preparing a feint attack, could he be convinced. After all, her acting skills were not good and she needed to continue to hone them.
In the carriage at the palace gates, a young boy in brocade robes was sitting at the front of the carriage waiting for her, looking as if he had been waiting for ages. She came to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager today and did not bring her yatou into the palace. She wanted to get on the carriage on her own, but after moving, she sharply inhaled in pain. The wound on her foot still hadn’t healed, but she had been enduring it the whole time.
Li Min De's eyes flashed slightly, and he reached out to catch her at lightning speed. With very little strength, he supported her by the waist into the carriage.
She became all the more stunned. When she looked up, she saw his attractive side profile and couldn’t help but sigh. "I said before that I’d be fine entering the palace alone. Why did you need to follow and wait for me?" she asked softly.
Li Min De didn't speak and only ordered the coachman to return to Li manor. Arriving at the manor gates, Zhao Yue immediately greeted them and helped Li Wei Yang all the way back to her yard. But just as she entered her own yard, there was the high door threshold that caused people to shrink back. Li Wei Yang held back the pain in her foot so that she could step across. Who would have thought that her entire person would suddenly be hanging in midair. She was completely shocked—someone who had been standing silently behind her this whole time had suddenly picked her up.
"Zhao Yue, close the door." He dropped a sentence. Zhao Yue was given a fright and quickly shut the courtyard door. Tsk tsk, her young master was just too daring and was not afraid to let others see.
Li Min De strode, bypassing the corridor, and entered the inner room.
"Let me down," Li Wei Yang said hurriedly, not knowing why her face suddenly felt hot.
But he ignored her, and a voice came from the front——
"Xiaojie..." It was Bai Zhi who greeted her.
His steps paused slightly, but he continued to move forward again, walking around the speaker with large strides and instructed in a low voice, "Go find the doctor."
Bai Zhi seemed to be accustomed to the sight. Without the least bit of reaction, she made a sound of agreement as if this was all to be expected, so much that it didn’t seem like there was the intention to save her family’s Xiaojie from hell or high water.
Li Wei Yang was enraged and almost yelled at him to quickly put her down.
Li Min De suddenly lowered his eyes and gave her a look. Looking into that pair of amber eyes and at the distress buried deep within them, she suddenly lost her voice.
When he reached the chaise longue, he stopped suddenly and put her down, and his lips moved slightly: "It's probably serious, right?"
Li Wei Yang gritted her teeth and said, "I'm fine."
He lifted his brows and said in a cool, ruthless tone: "You really dare to press your luck. Are you not afraid of crippling your foot?" Looking at her left foot that didn't dare to touch the ground, his face changed again, "Does it really hurt?"
She frowned. Just as she was about to speak, he suddenly crouched down and held her ankle in his hand and took off her shoes, revealing her swollen left ankle.
He stared at it for a while, then forcefully pressed down on it with his palm. She obviously wanted to endure the pain, but she cried out by accident. He stood up and whispered: "Not bad."
She hurriedly responded: "I told you everything is fine!"
Li Min De frowned, a face that rarely showed displeasure or gloominess: "And I told you that you don’t have to try so hard to put on an act. It’s fine to just spread some rumors!"
Li Wei Yang looked at him and whispered: "Tuoba Zhen wouldn't believe it. Today I was in the palace and bumped into him coincidentally. I put a lot of thought into it, so hopefully I was able to deceive him by some degree." Tuoba Zhen is a person with serious paranoia. If one wanted to deceive him, then she must say it with her own mouth.
Bai Zhi came in with the medicine box: "Xiaojie, the doctor will be here soon. Please apply some medicinal oil first."
Li Wei Yang knit her brows and said, "I said that there is no need to involve so many people!" But after glancing at Li Min De's face, she refrained from saying her next words and compromised, "Fine, I still need to attend a banquet this evening. Don’t smear on too much. The smell is too strong."
Li Min De listened and couldn't help saying: "Are there still banquets in the capital now?"
Li Wei Yang laughed and said, "Naturally there are, and it’s impossible not to attend. Now that the disaster victims in the capital have calmed down temporarily, Princess Yong Ning is specially holding a feast to invite the noble madams and young ladies of the capital. The purpose is to get them to donate money. This is the Empress’ intention, and moreover, she also made a point of mentioning it to me today. How can I not attend?"
Li Min De contemplated intently for a moment and raised his voice: "Zhao Nan, you will accompany Third Xiaojie there tonight."
Ninth Princess was also going to attend today’s banquet. More than that, for the sake of expressing caution, she specifically chose a roundabout way to come pick up Li Wei Yang. For the princess's imperial carriage to personally receive her, this kind of privilege was definitely not something that ordinary noble misses could enjoy. Li Wei Yang did not show any surprised delight, but instead caused Second Furen to become green with envy. By the time they reached Cheng Nan residence of Princess Yong Ning in the city, night had already fallen, and the cyan palace lanterns swaying outside the courtyard of the residence created a very simple and unadorned atmosphere. The last time she came, the treetops were covered in colored ribbons, and the pavilion balconies were all lit up. This time it was clear to see that things were more plain. It could clearly be seen that with the recent disaster, the princess had no choice but to exercise restraint.
Because it was Princess Yong Ning who personally sent the invites, all the high-ranking individuals in the empire with titles came. There were even many noble young misses, but they all stood far away looking at them enviously because Ninth Princess Jiu stood next to Li Wei Yang the entire time, so no one dared to go up and make conversation.
Ninth Princess looked at the lively banquet, but from her mouth came: "Third gongzi... he’s well, I take it."
Li Wei Yang stilled, then stopping the wine cup in her hand, she laughed and said, "Why does the princess ask?"
Ninth Princess’ eyes were inexplicably a little watery: "Father emperor is granting me a marriage."
Li Wei Yang's eyes rested on Ninth Princess’s body. These days, she had grown taller by a lot, and her figure also displayed a young woman’s sweetness and beauty. However, there was a hint of worry on her face. She lowered her eyes and looked at the amber within the wine cup, as if she saw that man's eyes. There was a tinge of regret in her words: "Getting married, the princess is also at that marriageable age."
"When my imperial mother spoke about this matter, I was crying and throwing a fit. Just like a child." Princess Jiu suddenly laughed, but there was no mirth in her eyes. The cup of wine in her grasp went from one cup to another.
Li Wei Yang leaned over to confiscate the wine in her hand and smiled: "You’ve probably had enough."
Ninth Princess lowered her head, conveniently resting it on her shoulders, unconcerned about the looks people were giving them. She squinted and staring off into space, she said softly: "I haven’t drunk too much. If I did, I could just not care about anything and go see him. Today, I haven’t even passed through the door of marriage—" The ending of this sentence dragged for a particularly long time.
Li Wei Yang glanced at her young face out of the corner of her eye, and suddenly there was a bit of complication that she couldn’t speak of.
"You don't know how much I like him... even if he never placed me in his heart, I miss him day and night, thinking about him—" Unsure whether it was from drinking too much, Ninth Princess's eyes were misty. Li Wei Yang sighed.
There was a sudden laughter at the banquet opposite to them. It was not known which young miss had brought up some amusing topic. Li Wei Yang looked over, only to find that among the brightly coloured faces on the opposite side, surprisingly it was Mo Bei’s Princess He Chang. Suddenly, her mood was like the unsteady light and shadow. What kind of things would happen again tonight...
－－－－－－Digression－－－－－－－
Editor: I can't understand what the heroine is trying to do.
Xiao Qin: Today is the foreshadowing, tomorrow is small **, the day after tomorrow is big **
Editor: In other people's stories, it’s all kissy kissy between the female and male leads. In your story, people will die, ah Qin.
Xiao Qin: Please call me “the one who kills people like scything flax” Qin, thank you!
PS: This story is unfounded, and the babies who pester me excessively for details, don’t ask me. I’m not Er Yuehe (1). What I’m writing is not a historical novel, and if you ask me various things such as why Duke Furen sticks up her weakness, why the Jiang family can still attend all kinds of banquets and those kinds of questions, even Er Yuehe won’t read it, go read Records of the Grand Historian (2). Although it is clear that many plots do not comply with the customs of ancient times, it must be written in this way to be enjoyable. If you write in strictly according to the rules and logic of ancient times, then all the ancient female leads would have sunk into the river, without the slightest hesitation. If you still come to ask me for the particulars, come to ask me details, you can also drown me in a river, you have to….
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Translator: joeyburbz
Editor: joeyburbz
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