Chapter: 125.2 out of 171
After Wei Luo finally finished greeting the large group of people, Wei Luo followed Zhao Liuli to Chen Hua Hall to rest for a bit and Zhao Jie went to Lin De Hall to deal with the court officials that had come to congratulate him.
When Wei Luo arrived at Chen Hua Hall, she resisted the urge to immediately fall sleep and said a few sentences with Zhao Liuli before she fell into a deep sleep on the couch.
It wasn’t easy for her to persevere until now. If Zhao Jie hadn’t secretly helped by supporting her waist from behind, she would have already fallen down before now.
Zhao Liuli sat in front of the couch. She had intended to ask Wei Luo what it felt like after getting married, but she changed her mind after seeing Wei Luo’s current appearance. She ordered a palace servant girl to bring a blanket embroidered with birds and clouds and covered Wei Luo with it so that she could sleep more comfortably.
Zhao Liuli supported her cheeks with her hands as she watched Wei Luo. Her heart felt both admiration and sourness. Ah Luo had married her imperial brother, but she still didn’t know what the ending would be for her and Yang Zhen. Lately, Empress Chen had been focused on looking for a suitable marriage partner for her. She had hinted to Empress Chen several times that she temporarily didn’t want to marry anyone. However, Empress Chen didn’t listen to her at all. Zhao Liuli didn’t have any other method except using the excuse that there weren’t any talented youths that would be appropriate for a princess. This was how she delayed things up to now.
Counting their ages, Wei Luo was one year younger than her.
Zhao Liuli looked at that perfectly straight and tall figure outside the window. Seemingly without any reason, she became more disappointed and frustrated. This wasn’t the first time that she considered her future with Yang Zhen. If she told her imperial mother the truth, she probably wouldn’t agree. If she continued to say nothing, she wouldn’t be able to delay much longer. She had to marry someone in the end.
Zhao Liuli crouched on the couch facing the southern window and shouted at the person outside the window, “Older brother Yang Zhen.”
Yang Zhen turned around and approached her. The weather was getting colder, so there was white frost on his valiant eyebrows from standing in the verandah for a long time. At the moment that he saw Zhao Liuli, his eyes became gentler. Separated by the window, he asked, “Your Highness, what is your order?”
Zhao Liuli propped up her chin and faintly smiled, “I heard that a juggling group from Xi Yu has come to the capital and that they’re performing at Rong Chun. I really want to go there to watch.”
After considering, Yang Zhen said, “I’ll go plead with Prince Jing to take you out of the palace.”
Zhao Liuli cheerfully nodded.
Yang Zhen remained standing outside of the window instead of leaving.
A long time later, Zhao Liuli slowly asked, “Older brother Yang Zhen, will you marry me?”
Yang Zhen’s body stiffened. His gaze was fixed on Zhao Liuli. Zhao Liuli didn’t notice that her eyes clearly showed uneasiness. It made him feel worried too. Yang Zhen couldn’t restrain his emotions. He moved his hand to hold the hand that she had placed on the window. He said, “I will. Your Highness, wait for me. I’ll definitely marry you.”
Yang Zhen had already considered this. All the thoughts that Zhao Liuli had considered, he had thought about them too. Right now, the sons of aristocratic families wouldn’t be willing to marry a princess. If they married a princess, they wouldn’t be able to continue advancing in their career. As long as he followed Zhao Jie, accomplished meritorious contributions, and obtained Emperor Chong Zhen’s recognition of his worth, he had hopes that he would be able to marry Liuli.
There was currently a group of roving bandits in the south that were wreaking enough havoc to destroy the tranquility among the citizens. He had decided to follow Da Liang’s troops to the south to quell this disastrous upheaval. But, he still hadn’t mentioned his plan to Zhao Liuli. The troops would be departing in another month. He looked at Zhao Liuli’s clear eyes and finally said, “Your Highness, I have something I want to discuss with you.”
Zhao Liuli was currently feeling jubilant over his previous words. She asked with a smile, “What is it?”
Yang Zhen looked at her obedient appearance and a soft glow appeared in his eyes. “I want to take a trip to the south.”
——–
In another area, Zhao Jie was currently walking back from Lin De Hall. He turned his head to ask Zhu Geng, “Has the matter with Xu Zhou’s southern mountain been settled?”
As Zhu Geng walked, he said, “To respond to Your Highness, it’s been completed. We have information that can be used against Xu Zhou’s prefectural magistrate. He didn’t dare to disobey. Once Prince Ru Yang arrives at the southern mountain, the prefectural magistrate will bring people to arrest him.”
Zhao Jie nodded, “This prince wants this matter handled so that House Li won’t have any leeway to escape.”
Zhu Geng said, “Your Highness, be assured.”
Prince Ru Yang had supported the wrong person and his son, Li Song, had angered His Highness. He wouldn’t have a good ending. His Highness had already given them favor by allowing them to remain free for such a long time. This time, House Li wouldn’t be able to avoid their fate.
People that provoked Zhao Jie generally didn’t have good endings. For example, that Wu Rong’s fourth prince wasn’t able to escape disaster even after returning to his country because he had been disrespectful towards Wei Luo. The people who had ambushed him were people sent by Zhao Jie. It was only that Zhao Jie hadn’t expected that he would take his anger out on Gao Dan Yang and personally cause the death of their unborn child.
Gao Dan Yang was really a pitiful person.
Zhao Jie returned to Chen Hua Hall at noon. He saw Zhao Liuli blankly sitting on the couch facing the southern window and asked, “Where’s Ah Luo?”
Zhao Liuli suddenly returned her senses. Her red eyes indicated that she had recently cried. She pointed towards the inner room, “Ah Luo is sleeping. Imperial brother, you should go inside to look.”
Zhao Jie reached her side in a few steps and said, “Older brother will take care of your matter.”
Then, he didn’t say any more words before heading towards the inner room.
Zhao Liuli looked at his back figure and opened and closed her mouth in surprise. When had he found out about her relationship with Yang Zhen?”
When Zhao Jie arrived at Wei Luo’s side, she was still sleeping. Chen Hua Hall’s ground heating system was put into use earlier than the other halls. Even though autumn had started, the room was comfortably warm. It was so warm that there was a light layer of pink on Wei Luo’s face. Her small mouth was slightly open. Because her little face was surrounded by a blanket, she felt itchy and was rubbing against the pillow. Her action was finicky and laughable, but also cute.
Zhao Jie couldn’t bear to wake her up, so he leaned over, picked her up from the couch, walked out from the inner room, and said to Zhao Liuli, “I’m leaving with your second sister-in-law. If you want to speak with Ah Luo, wait until a few days later to invite her into the palace.”
The implication of these words was to not bother them during the first few days of their marriage.
Zhao Liuli wasn’t a fool. She naturally understood the meaning of his words and blushingly said, “I’ll order people to prepare a carriage.”
Zhao Jie said, “No need. I already had one prepared.”
Zhu Geng had already prepared a carriage that was parked in front of Qing Xi Palace’s entrance. Usually, carriage from the outside couldn’t come into the inner palace, even the carriages that belonged to princes. But, Zhao Jie broke the rule for Wei Luo today. Knowing that he was doing this for Wei Luo, Empress Chen pretended that she didn’t know.
