A Single Tie Of Long Hair Seals A Lifelong Commitment - Chapter 18.2

Xie Wenjun’s knees were still touching the ground, but she straightened her posture and retorted, “If we speak of power, Prime Minister Zhang is far greater than the Marquis of Xuanping. Imperial Brother, if you wish to eliminate powerful ministers, why do you seek to protect Prime Minister Zhang? Is it merely because the Zhang family supports Imperial Brother?”

“Jiangning, you are becoming increasingly presumptuous!”

“Your servant sister believes that the Marquis of Xuanping spent his life in military service, fighting south and north for Da Lin, engaging in fierce battles. He should not be subjected to such false accusations and framing.”

“When in a high position, the virtue of benevolence must not be abused!”

“If those in power cannot distinguish between right and wrong, between the loyal and the treacherous, I fear it will chill the hearts of scholars across the land. How can one speak of clean governance and harmonious people? Peaceful times and good harvests, a solid foundation for the nation—none should be built upon framing the innocent as thieves or maliciously distorting the law…”

“Jiangning!”

“Everything Imperial Brother has taught your servant sister, she dares not forget even in her sleep. But Imperial Brother’s current actions are not the deeds of a true gentleman!”

“Guards!”

The Crown Prince had been working tirelessly day and night for many days without food or water. Xie Wenjun’s verbal contradiction instantly made him dizzy and faint. He steadied himself by grasping the back of a wooden chair.

“Take the Princess back and confine her to meditate on her mistakes.”

“Your servant sister refuses to accept this.”

Xie Wenjun lowered her eyes and could not see the Crown Prince bending his back, calling out “refuses to accept this” without losing his composure or appearing distressed. However, her stubborn nature was not strong enough. She could not break free from the grasp of the Eastern Palace Guards and could only allow herself to be led away.

Wei Rongjun, the Eastern Palace Commandant, helped the Crown Prince sit down and poured him tea. The Crown Prince took a sip, leaned back, and smoothed his chest to steady his breath.

Rongjun bowed and waited, saying, “Your Highness, perhaps we should summon the Imperial Physician.”

The Crown Prince waved his hand, signaling no need.

He repeatedly thought about Xie Wenjun’s words. Thinking about it, he actually started to laugh to himself.

“Those were the words my teacher taught me, and I in turn taught them to Jiangning. Now, it’s her turn to use those very words to lecture me,” the Crown Prince’s eyes flickered, feeling infinitely relieved.

“If she were in that position, one day she would also do what I have done today. A pure heart is only for the young to discuss.”

On the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, Chen Linjun’s wedding day.

The wedding procession was magnificent, with red silk stretching across the street. One glance couldn’t even see the end.

Yan Nian was dragged out of the city’s south porridge dispensary by Yan Baizhang and placed into the sedan chair.

At that moment, she was wearing the bridal robes gifted by Emperor Xuanyuan, wielding a large iron ladle to scrape porridge from a wooden bucket. The sound of the wedding gongs and drums could already be faintly heard. Seeing the time had come, she donned the phoenix coronet, had the large red silk cover placed over her, and boldly climbed into the joyous sedan chair.

The deafening sound of gongs and drums did not entirely mask some unkind voices, solely because Yan Nian lacked striking beauty.

People found it hard to understand why Chen Linjun, a man among men, would marry Yan Nian, who came from a modest background and possessed only mediocre looks. They expressed deep regret, saying a divine gentleman was being paired with a mortal woman, which was a waste of a good thing.

Listening to the harsh chatter outside, Yan Nian lifted her red veil, pulled out a dark crossbow from somewhere, and used her large red sleeve to wipe it, meticulously adjusting it.

Rouzhe walked beside the sedan chair. Hearing the familiar “click, clack” from inside the joyous sedan, she tapped on the carriage body and advised, “Young Madam, these are just common people. You can’t shoot them with a crossbow.”

Yan Nian took out some sandpaper from her sleeve pocket and “shh-shhed” as she polished the crossbow body. “What they said isn’t wrong. If I didn’t have the advantage of being a childhood sweetheart, Chen Linjun wouldn’t have fallen into my hands.”

People were always fixated on handsome men matching beautiful women, and talented men matching fine ladies. Chen Linjun, a paragon of virtue, paired with an unknown woman, was indeed a travesty in their eyes.

Chen Linjun’s subordinate brothers, who spontaneously came to welcome the bride, were the first to lose patience. They lit a string of firecrackers and threw them at the feet of the talkative women and men. Fearing they might be startled and cause trouble, a few soldiers immediately stepped forward with beaming smiles to distribute wedding candies and fruit to the crowd. When those few individuals reached out to take them, the soldiers deliberately avoided them as if they hadn’t seen them, continuing to distribute candied fruits to the surrounding people. After the sedan chair had traveled a certain distance, they jogged to catch up, leaving the gossips stamping their feet in anger.

After polishing the crossbow body, Yan Nian aimed at a floral pattern on the sedan door. A dark bone nail “thwacked” out and firmly lodged in the center of the lifelike flower stamen carved on the sedan body. Yan Nian said, “It’s always just a little off.”

Rouzhe complained, “Young Madam, on your wedding day, please stop messing with these weapons and objects. It’s quite unlucky.”

Yan Nian paid no attention, continuing to stare at the crossbow head in thought.

It was an object she had personally created—small, easy to handle, and perfectly suited for women’s self-defense.

The women of Shangyong were all frail and delicate. If they encountered danger, they would have absolutely no ability to protect themselves. This realization sparked an idea, and she created this dark crossbow. Worn wrapped around the forearm and concealed by the sleeve, turning a gear in an emergency could shoot out a dark bone nail. It wouldn’t kill anyone, but the intense pain of a bone nail hitting the body would take a quarter of an hour to subside. Shooting it when in danger would buy a person a window of opportunity to escape.

The overall structure of the dark crossbow was complete, but the accuracy was slightly off by a few degrees. For people like them who frequently practiced archery and swordplay, it was no problem, but it wouldn’t work for those delicate women. If it missed, wouldn’t the situation be even more perilous?

Chen Liangyu leaped onto the high roof ridge, following the procession route, taking a circuitous path, and vigilantly looking down.

She had been restless since the procession left the house, unsettled for half a day. Unable to bear the anxiety, she chased after the wedding party. Nothing bad happened until they returned, but she remained tense, daring not to relax for a moment.

Only one intersection and two turns remained before the procession reached the Marquis’s Residence. She faintly sensed a murderous intent lurking somewhere.

She clung to the eaves, searching for the source of the unsettling power, scanning every face by the roadside. When her gaze fixed on a person wearing a straight-collared crane cloak, she finally knew where the anxiety came from.

The Emperor, in plain clothes, was hidden in the crowd, even accepting a piece of candied fruit distributed by a follower.

After a slight pause, the drumming in her heart intensified.

Chen Liangyu flew down from the eaves, using the roof of the joyful sedan chair as a foothold, carried by a strong wind.

Before she could rapidly descend to the ground, a black shadow rushed towards Emperor Xuanyuan with even greater speed. The person held a three-inch blade, emanating chilling intent, aiming to slit the Emperor’s throat.

The speed was astonishing; she hadn’t even clearly seen where this person suddenly appeared from.

Chen Liangyu “shua” pulled out the short knife from her waist and spun the blade, throwing it directly at the assassin. The sharp edge sliced through the air, accompanied by a nail-like object that struck the assassin. The blade in the assassin’s hand was “clanged” to the ground. Chen Liangyu shouted loudly toward the crowd, “Protect the Emperor!”

The plain-clothed Imperial Guards hidden in the crowd instantly drew their swords, firmly protecting Emperor Xuanyuan.

The crowd was alarmed, scattering like tangled hemp ropes.

The assassin’s movements were strange, unlike a human, but more like a snarling, grinning ape or beast. After being struck down, it used all four limbs to flash away rapidly, vanishing like a wisp of black smoke.

Chen Liangyu gripped her sword, looking around. The murderous intent was still present.

That thing hadn’t gone far.

Yan Nian jumped out of the sedan chair, standing back-to-back with Chen Liangyu, looking around with her crossbow raised.

Rouzhe rushed to stop her. “Young Madam, you cannot get out of the sedan chair! It’s unlucky!”

“There aren’t so many taboos. You find a place to hide. I can’t look after you right now.”

That thing dove down from above again, aiming straight for Chen Liangyu and Yan Nian. Chen Liangyu shielded Yan Nian, swinging her sword to engage in combat. Her offensive grew faster. “Sister-in-law, it’s not good at prolonged fighting!”

Yan Nian held her breath and fired several dark bone nails. The thing cried out in pain, its eyes splitting with fury, and it turned to attack Yan Nian.

The dark crossbow was raised again, aimed at the thing’s brow.

The bone nails fired simultaneously, striking the thing’s eyes. Yan Nian took a blow, and her phoenix coronet “clang” fell to the ground.

Chen Liangyu flashed in pursuit, a diagonal cut from her blade, and blood splattered a foot high.

The thing finally collapsed to the ground, motionless.

Hot, pungent blood splashed onto the large red wedding robe, staining it with a few dark spots.

A person carrying a gray banner sign, with the words “Fortune Teller” written crudely and boldly, squeezed through the crowd and muttered to himself, “The phoenix coronet falls to the ground, the bridal robes are stained red, blood is spilled before the sedan chair. This is a ghost or god blocking the sedan! A sign of great misfortune!”

“Shut your mouth, you stinky Daoist.”

Yan Nian picked up the Imperial-bestowed phoenix coronet that was covered in dirt, brushed off the dust, and placed it back on her head.

The Daoist was so startled he quickly retreated, running away while muttering, “Fierce woman, you scared this old man to death! Scared this old man to death!”