A Single Tie Of Long Hair Seals A Lifelong Commitment - Chapter 11

It was the transition point between late autumn and early winter. A blanket of white snow covered the entire city of Shangyong, and the cold snap had arrived.

Chen Liangyu recalled her past days in the Northern Territories. It often snowed heavily in the depths of winter, coating the city in white. Chen Linjun would take her out hunting, and they would always catch many rarely seen prey.

On a busy main street stood a tailor shop. The owner, busy working, immediately put down his task when he saw Chen Liangyu enter. “Oh, it’s you! I was blind not to recognize you that day. I later found out you are the young general from the Marquis of Xuanping’s household. Guzi, hurry and greet the noble guest.”

The young boy who had been knocked over by Zhang Jialing’s horse that day hobbled over. Since he had landed face-first, the bruise above his eyebrow had not yet faded. “Greetings, General.”

Chen Liangyu blushed slightly. “I’m not a general yet.”

“You will be,” the owner said. “Are you here for new clothes, my lady?”

Chen Liangyu tossed a sample garment onto the counter. “I want several sets of clothes for the four seasons made according to this style, but the pattern must be attractive.”

The young women in Shangyong all wore beautiful, elaborate brocades, yet her own attire was either military uniform or court dress, the style never changing. Her mother had once tailored two decent outfits for her, but they were so complex they took an entire stick of incense to put on. The time was secondary; the main issue was that they were restrictive. She preferred simple, light clothing for daily wear, but she was tired of the drab, dark colors.

The owner nodded repeatedly, spreading the garment out to examine it. “This outfit is too masculine and the style is outdated. The color also doesn’t suit you. We should modify the style slightly and add some simple silk thread embellishments. Is that acceptable?”

That was perfect; she was tired of the monotonous style of her original plain clothes. Chen Liangyu said, “Please, do as you wish.”

“A family like the Marquis’s house attends many functions, so all your clothes can’t be one color. Tailoring has been my trade for decades, and many officials trust my craftsmanship. Please, take my advice and let me use a few different materials. I just received some excellent new bolts of silk that aren’t too bright in color. I think you’ll like them.”

The owner’s wife chimed in, directing two capable apprentices to carry out a large chest from the back.

“Take a look, my lady. These are all top-quality tribute silks. We don’t bring them out unless a very noble guest comes to the shop.”

Chen Liangyu glanced at them and nodded, taking out her purse to pay the deposit. While taking her measurements, the owner said, “Don’t worry. I’m the best tailor in Shangyong. I’ll have them delivered to your residence when they are finished.”

This section of the main street was a bustling, chaotic market. Just as she turned the corner one street past the tailor shop, she ran into Xie Yuan emerging from an alley. Xie Yuan was wrapped in a heavy cloak and was about to board his carriage. He was clearly surprised to see her there and was momentarily stunned, forgetting to speak.

“Greetings, Your Highness Prince Shen,” Chen Liangyu’s clear voice brought him back to reality.

“Between you and me, there’s no need for such formality.”

He wasn’t wearing common clothes; his attire suggested a court banquet or receiving a guest on behalf of the Emperor as an envoy. He must have official business. The direction he had come from led deeper into the common residential area. What kind of official business would require an imperial prince to come here?

“What brings Your Highness here?”

Xie Yuan replied, “The Northern Yong hostage has arrived in Shangyong. Father instructed me to go to the posthouse to receive him and arrange his living situation. This matter was originally meant for the Second Imperial Brother, but Father ordered an investigation into Yao Chongshan, Consort De was confined, and the Prince of Qi is still under house arrest. Father temporarily asked me to take over.”

After the Yao family barely escaped the corruption in office case, the Crown Prince pressed hard on the embezzlement case at the Yanzhishan temporary palace, uncovering a massive discrepancy in the accounts. The Xuanyuan Emperor, enraged, sealed Consort De’s palace doors, confined the Prince of Qi to his residence, and dismissed many Yao family members serving in the court. The Xuanyuan Emperor could tolerate the theft of common people’s money, but stealing from the Emperor was equivalent to disturbing the sleeping tiger.

“The Northern Yong hostage?” Chen Liangyu asked.

Seeing her confusion, Xie Yuan explained, “Because of the previous incident where those Northern Yong soldiers kidnapped Jiangning, the Northern Yong Emperor was at fault. To show sincerity for peace talks, he agreed to send the Northern Yong Second Prince to Lin Dynasty as a hostage.”

Hostages sent to another country were usually received and arranged by the Ministry of Rites. To demonstrate their sincerity in the peace talks, Northern Yong sent a Prince and several chests of treasures and animal hides. The Xuanyuan Emperor also dispatched an Imperial Prince to receive him and returned the few barely-alive Northern Yong soldiers to the Northern Yong envoy. The envoy immediately executed those men on the spot. With everything completed, both sides smiled and laughed cordially.

Chen Liangyu looked slightly disappointed.

She had spared those men’s lives, hoping to use them as leverage to make Northern Yong cede another city during negotiations. Instead, she had only received a useless hostage.

Wait, who? Which prince?

“The Second Prince? Zhai Ji?”

Xie Yuan said, “Exactly. Do you know him?”

The cold wind stirred her hair. The girl before him was so radiant, with a composed and restrained demeanor, as if she were merely passing through the world. “Your Highness has also had a brief encounter with him.”

Xie Yuan thought for a moment, then realized. “Is it him?”

The braided young man in the painting, whom Chen Liangyu had beaten until his clothes were tattered and he was covered in blood.

No wonder he looked somewhat familiar.

Chen Liangyu frowned in thought, utterly perplexed. “Why would the Northern Yong Emperor send him?”

Xie Yuan said, “I heard that this Second Prince is not particularly outstanding among the Northern Yong princes, so he was sent here as a hostage.”

After saying this, Xie Yuan felt a deep sadness. If Lin Dynasty had been defeated today, he would likely be the one sent to the enemy country as a hostage.

Chen Liangyu pinched the bridge of her nose.

Not outstanding? Among the useless lot born to the Northern Yong Emperor, only Zhai Ji fully inherited his strategic talent. He was the only decent radish in the barrel, even if he came with a bit of dirt. Yet, the Emperor had sent him to another country as a hostage?

This Emperor was doing a great job. The demise of his country was just around the corner.

The subtle hint of apprehension in Chen Liangyu’s guarded expression was caught by Xie Yuan. He asked, “Do you have a personal grudge against him?”

“Grudge is an understatement. I have an irreconcilable feud with him.”

Chen Liangyu wasn’t exaggerating. She and Zhai Ji were seriously pondering hundreds of ways to kill each other horribly.

Xie Yuan smiled faintly. Perhaps he didn’t even notice that his lips unconsciously curved up every time he spoke to Chen Liangyu. “It’s rare to hear you crack a joke. The weather is severe. Do you have official business today?”

“I’m taking care of some private matters.”

The two walked side-by-side for a distance, their carriages following behind. The eunuchs and guards serving the royal family were very discreet, keeping a good distance to ensure they couldn’t hear what their master was discussing.

Xie Yuan said, “The day you left the Ministry of Justice, a censor from the Censorate named Zhao Xingli impeached Qiu Renshan. This man is upright and fears offending no one.”

Chen Liangyu kept her head down and said nothing. She had also submitted a memorial about the state of the people. However, with the official corruption case and the Yanzhishan embezzlement case erupting, the Xuanyuan Emperor was overwhelmed. Presenting a memorial at this time to impeach a family for taking a concubine was ill-timed. The issue of official conduct and moral integrity was a major concern during peaceful times, but it seemed insignificant in the face of urgent court affairs. Her memorial and Zhao Xingli’s were both tossed onto a pile of useless petitions to gather dust.

She felt indebted to the girl named Zhou Pei. Just one more step, and she could have delivered justice. But at the most critical moment, she was taken by the Ministry of Justice and confined for a few days. Just a few days, and everything was beyond remedy.

Even the sedan chair adorned with a single cluster of red silk flowers for the concubine on that day—she had ridden her horse like the wind to intercept it, but she was too late.

“The oppressive power in the court must not exist; it must be rectified,” Xie Yuan stated.

Chen Liangyu, however, gently shook her head. “Does Your Highness know the Old Princess Consort of the Eastern Residence?”

“Yes, I do. I heard that Madam He was educated under the Old Princess Consort for a time.”

The Madam He Xie Yuan mentioned was Chen Liangyu’s mother, Lady He. He did not use the subordinate title “Ling Tang” (Your Mother), honoring her as Madam He, which showed a measure of respect for He Yunzhou herself.

“Exactly. The Old Princess Consort was known for her virtue when she was young. My mother lived with her for a few months. The Old Princess Consort’s virtue was renowned far and wide, inspiring countless noble young women to emulate her. At that time, aristocratic families used being taught by the Old Princess Consort as a criterion for selecting a new bride. But the origin of that reputation for virtue is what I find confusing.”

Chen Liangyu scoffed, one side of her mouth twitching in apparent displeasure. “The Old Princess Consort originally had a sweetheart, but she lost her personal embroidered handkerchief, which was found by the Old Prince, who had returned to the capital that year for a performance review. At that time, the Old Prince was merely a city guard and had not yet been enfeoffed. Her family was naturally unhappy with the proposed marriage and intended to decline. Unexpectedly, the Old Prince arrived at their residence with the lost embroidered handkerchief to propose. A personal item found in the hands of an outside man would inevitably lead to rumors of private engagement and harm the reputation of the family’s other daughters. To maintain the reputation of ‘strict family discipline,’ they agreed to the marriage.”

“Everyone praised her, saying that even though she married below her station, she did not put on airs after entering the family, was filial to her in-laws, and served her husband. Unable to bear children herself, she arranged for several respectable concubines for the Old Prince. She was neither competitive nor jealous and treated the concubines’ children as her own, teaching them diligently. As a result, the Old Prince’s children respected her more than their birth mothers.”

“Just because of an unintentional mistake, the Old Princess Consort sacrificed her entire life. Was the reason for this also the powerful oppressing the weak? No, it was the oppression of society, the foolishness of women whose minds were clouded. All one needed to do was invoke the word ‘chastity,’ and it could confine a woman for life.”

Unknowingly, the two had walked a long distance. Xie Yuan listened to her quietly. This perspective was one he had never heard. The same event, viewed by different people from different angles, could appear so vastly different.

Chen Liangyu seemed to have a whole basket of words saved up for today and continued, “But the foolishness of women is the fault of the world, not their own sin. Miss Zhou, though frail, has a fierce temperament, and she risked everything just to seek justice. Yet, even if she had obtained justice, the only path left for her would be to become a nun on the mountain. Society allows her no other choice. All these injustices arise because the status of women is low. Women are looked down upon because the place that speaks the loudest in this world—the Imperial Court—has no place for women. As a result, policies and laws become unknowingly biased.”

“I only wish that one day, everyone in the world, regardless of gender, noble or commoner, can study and understand principles. That there will eventually be a day when women can be free from restraint, can enter the Imperial Academy, take the imperial examinations, become officials, engage in business, practice medicine, join the military… do everything men can do. Only by not depending on others can they find their vast world.”

Xie Yuan pondered, looking at the young woman before him. Her unique insight rendered him speechless; he had never considered this angle. Chen Liangyu was unique. The first day he met her, he saw her methodically arranging troops. Although she only had twenty soldiers, she successfully led the Northern Yong Second Prince into a trap, like an invitation to enter the jar. That was the first time an Imperial Prince, who grew up in the Imperial City, had personally witnessed the lively implementation of textbook military strategies.

He felt even more strongly now that this girl was different from others.

When she stopped speaking, he followed up, “Perhaps one day, there will be a wise and open-minded sovereign who carves out such a world.”

Chen Liangyu suddenly stopped walking. Xie Yuan took a step before noticing she hadn’t followed and turned to wait for her.

The carriage following them also halted, stopping at a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

In the cool breeze, the girl’s eyes were clear. She looked earnestly at Xie Yuan and asked, word by word, “Is Your Highness willing to be that wise and open-minded sovereign?”