In the Taiji Palace’s Liangyi Hall, the imperial buildings had changed hands several times over mere decades. The palace buildings and pavilions had long fallen into disrepair and suffered multiple burnings, no longer maintaining their original grandeur. The palace walls were mottled, and burn marks could be seen everywhere between the corridor pillars.
Li Xuanzhen followed the young eunuch, slowly ascending the long steps. The early morning light filtered through thin clouds, pouring between the empty corridors and halls. The vermillion brackets, painted eaves, and jade-colored glazed tiles glimmered with scattered light.
Li De was in the inner hall, engaged in intense discussion with high officials from the Policy Court. During these imperial discussions, the attendants all withdrew to the outer hall’s corridor. More than a dozen people had been standing by the window frames for a long time, without even a cough being heard.
After Li Xuanzhen waited a while, heavy footsteps emerged from the inner hall. Before anyone appeared, Commander Pei’s booming voice came first: “His Majesty risked attacking the Alun clan to intimidate the other nine tribes with military might, not to send a princess for marriage! If she wants to marry, let her! The further away she marries, the better! Three thousand Wei soldiers were buried by the frozen river just to gain a chance to negotiate with those barbarians, and she’s ruined it all!”
Several elderly, gentle voices interrupted Commander Pei’s complaints, quietly urging him to calm down.
Then, several elderly officials in purple robes emerged, each wearing grave expressions. Leading them was Prime Minister Zheng Yu.
Seeing Li Xuanzhen with dark circles under his eyes, he sighed, stopped, and gestured for the others to go ahead.
Commander Pei stomped across the threshold, grumbling. His peripheral vision caught Li Xuanzhen, noting his haggard appearance and wrinkled clothes, knowing he had just been released after being confined overnight because of Zhu Lvyun. His mouth opened.
“Young Master, you—”
Just as he was about to scold him, others guessed his intention and immediately grabbed his arm, pulling him away.
Prime Minister Zheng stood in the corridor. After Commander Pei’s group had gone far enough, he looked at Li Xuanzhen with gentle, profound eyes.
“Your Highness, Princess Fukang is spoiled and capricious, constantly changing her mind. As heir apparent, you should avoid any further entanglement with her.”
His tone was casual, as if making small talk, yet carried an inherent gravity born of years of experience.
Li Xuanzhen remained silent.
Prime Minister Zheng shook his head with an ambiguous smile and unhurriedly descended the steps.
The attendant invited Li Xuanzhen to enter the hall.
Brilliant sunlight streamed through the half-open cyan-colored lattice windows into the inner hall, casting half-light, half-shadow through the light silk curtains. A gilt incense burner with xiezhi beast heads crouched before the dragon desk, breathing clouds of fragrant smoke. A faint scent of green-threaded turmeric permeated the air.
Li Xuanzhen entered and walked to the dragon desk.
Documents and memorials were piled like mountains on the desk. Vermillion brushes, ink stones, brush holders, paperweights, and water vessels were crowded messily in the corners, with document boxes haphazardly stacked, creating a scene of chaos.
Li De held a memorial, reading. The minister’s handwriting was delicate and orderly but tiny, forcing him to squint and lean close to read, crow’s feet creasing at his eyes.
A beam of light cut diagonally across his weather-beaten face, his temples snow-white beneath the black official headwear.
At first glance, the founding emperor of Great Wei looked like an ordinary elderly man, gentle and kind, advanced in years.
When he finished reading the memorial and slowly raised his gaze, for just a moment, all the floating light in the inner hall seemed to concentrate on him.
He sat there, silently watching Li Xuanzhen, saying nothing. His phoenix eyes, black and bottomless, contained a surging radiance that made one unable to meet his gaze.
Li Xuanzhen looked at his father, involuntarily recalling the stories his mother often recounted.
Li De was a concubine’s son of the Li family, born to a servant mother, experiencing hardship in his youth. However, he was blessed with an exceptionally handsome face, with picturesque features exuding refined charm.
People of the time had a saying: “The young master Li of Wei County is unmatched in the world.”
When Li De was twenty-four, he accompanied his elder clan members to a banquet, wearing ordinary white robes. On others, such clothes would appear poor and plain, but on him they made him look like a jade tree in a forest of gems, clear and elegant.
Lady Tang happened to be at the feast. One glance at Li De, and she couldn’t look away.
Years later, when Li De’s forces were utterly defeated and he sought refuge at the Xie family’s door, riding past the plank bridge below Jingnan City in worn plain clothes, disheveled and gaunt, he could still make the Xie family’s legitimate daughter fall in love at first sight.
Both Li Xuanzhen and Li Zhongqian inherited Li De’s phoenix eyes, but in terms of bearing, neither could match the young Li De.
Li De’s cousin once said that while both nephews’ features resembled Li De’s, Li Xuanzhen was too reserved and gloomy, lacking Li De’s commanding presence, while Li Zhongqian was too mercurial and violent, missing Li De’s underlying grace and composure.
She also said that among the Li family children, only Li Yaoying didn’t have phoenix eyes and looked least like a Li, yet her natural beauty most resembled Li De’s youth—that devastating charm that could enter anyone with a single glance.
The young Li De had countless noble ladies admiring him.
Time flew swiftly, and nearly twenty years passed. The years left traces of weathering on his face but didn’t diminish his looks, only polishing him to become more gentle and refined.
Born with features that made it impossible for others to hate him, he was the most cold-hearted and detached.
Father and son gazed at each other for a moment.
Li De asked: “Have you come to your senses?”
Instead of answering, Li Xuanzhen asked: “Has Your Majesty already issued the marriage decree?”
Li De’s eyes flashed with disappointment as he lowered his head to unfurl another scroll: “We cannot break faith with the world. Since Zhu Lvyun insists on marrying, We shall grant her wish.”
Li Xuanzhen clenched his fists: “What if I don’t agree?”
Without looking up, Li De said: “Zhangnü, this concerns state affairs. Don’t be willful.”
Li Xuanzhen said: “It’s both state affairs and family matters.”
Li De raised his head, his phoenix eyes deep, his gaze containing reproach: “State affairs, family matters, matters of the world—which weighs more? Which weighs less? Is a mere woman worth all this?”
Li Xuanzhen was silent for a moment before a bitter smile appeared on his face.
“A mere woman,” he repeated, each word bleeding.
Li De shifted his gaze away.
Years ago, when Li De was keeping his promise to marry Xie Manyan, Tang Ying suddenly appeared and disrupted the wedding.
Li De, dressed in military attire, looked at the resolute Tang Ying, then at his loyal followers in the courtyard, showing hesitation.
His military advisor appeared beside him, whispering: “General, the alliance between the Li and Xie families is already settled.”