Chapter 317: Hello Chang'an
Chapter 317: Only She Deserves to Stand Beside Him (求月票)
“The boy has come.”
The man turned around. His face, though past forty, still bore traces of youthful grace, unmarred by the looseness of age.
His brows and eyes bore a striking resemblance to those of Li Lu — they were father and son indeed.
This man was Prince Rong, Li Yin.
Prince Rong sat at the stone table beneath the ginkgo tree. He lifted the teapot with unhurried grace and poured into two cups. The sound of flowing tea was soft and pleasant; rising steam curled between them as his movements flowed like water — natural, elegant, and composed.
Li Lu stepped forward and, after bowing, sat opposite his father.
The prince poured two full cups before setting the pot down and pushing one cup gently toward his son.
“Thank you, Father.” Li Lu received it respectfully.
By custom, it should have been the son who served tea, but his father never cared for such trivialities.
Having spent many years in the capital before returning to Yizhou the previous year, he seemed unchanged despite the long separation.
In childhood, Li Lu had often thought his father unlike the other imperial princes — freer, more like a wandering swordsman, unconcerned with rank or formality, living above worldly dust.
And if even his own son saw him that way, how much more must others have thought so?
Li Lu took a few sips of tea before speaking. “Father, the noble clans of Luoyang and Xingyang have dispersed, and Cui Jing has been expelled from the Cui family. Now—”
“I already know of these matters,” Prince Rong interrupted softly. “There is no need to dwell on them. Tell me instead about this Ningyuan General.”
He had long been familiar with that young woman’s name.
But it was only after a series of incidents — each overturning his plans — that he began to take her seriously.
Such a person, a mere seventeen-year-old girl who rose out of nowhere and continually changed the course of events… how could she not stir one’s curiosity?
Li Lu inclined his head.
He skipped the tales everyone already knew and began from their first encounter in the capital the previous year.
At Dayun Temple, she tamed the raging sacred elephant.
By the river behind the temple, they first spoke face to face.
Then came the Polo match at the Imperial Academy, the painting contest at Dengtai Tower, and the day she tamed the late Crown Prince’s warhorse in the Hibiscus Garden’s training field.
He proposed marriage at the hibiscus feast — she refused.
Later, when Chang Sui’an was unjustly imprisoned, she declined his offer to work together to save him. Instead, at the Confucian Ceremony in the Temple of Learning, she forced the Holy Emperor to yield through her own design.
And finally —
She pretended to consider his proposal, then on the boat seized him and leapt into the water, escaping with Fan Ou. Using the truth of the Prince of Huainan’s death as leverage, she forced him to spare General Chang Kuo.
Prince Rong set down his cup halfway through, his gaze thoughtful.
“So, that young lady — it seems she can always turn a dead end into life through unthinkable means… and to tame Ah Xiao’s warhorse, that is no small feat.”
“Judging from her character and conduct,” Li Lu said, “when she swore to kill Xu Zhengye within seventy-three days, it was neither boasting nor gambling — she truly believed she could do it.”
Prince Rong’s brow arched slightly. “But…”
As he spoke, a green ginkgo leaf fluttered down from above. Before it could touch the tea, he flicked his sleeve — the leaf drifted aside and landed near Li Lu’s feet.
Trained in martial arts since youth, his perception and reflexes were unmatched.
His thoughts did not pause. “But before last year, she had never once been on the battlefield. From where came such confidence — such absolute conviction that she could kill Xu Zhengye?”
Was she, as the rumors said, a born general?
He had met such people before — with an arrogance born not of ignorance, but of power — like his niece, Li Shang.
Yet even Li Shang had built her fearlessness upon ten years of relentless discipline. None were born invincible.
True confidence comes only from experience — from a record of victories.
So this young woman of the Chang family was far from simple… and perhaps even more peculiar.
“In any case,” he murmured, “such a figure appears once in a century.”
A faint sigh followed. “She should have married into our Rong Prince’s household, to walk the great path beside us. A pity…”
“Father.”
Sensing the murderous intent in his father’s tone, Li Lu quickly interjected, “It was my own misstep. I pressed too hard and provoked her, which caused her resentment and made the marriage impossible.”
“Chang Suining’s displeasure lies only with my manner, not with the Rong Prince’s household itself,” he said earnestly. “Please, Father, give the Chang family another chance.”
Prince Rong poured fresh tea, thinking.
Li Lu continued, “Over these years, most of the capable commanders under the feudal lords have been purged by the Empress. That is why you have long urged me to win over General Chang Kuo.
“But now it seems the Chang family offers not one, but three worth cultivating — General Chang Kuo, his daughter Chang Suining, and his son Chang Sui’an, who also shows great promise. The Chang family is worthy of our patience.”
Prince Rong remained silent, sipping tea.
Li Lu pressed on. “Besides, after the wrongful imprisonment of Chang Sui’an, the rift between the Chang family and the Empress can never be mended. When a ruler suspects and a subject loses trust, loyalty dies. The Changs will not remain without a second allegiance — they must be watching and waiting.”
“When the time comes and the tide turns, if Father extends goodwill, the Chang family will surely align with us.”
He was certain of it. For in the coming upheaval, the Changs would have no better choice.
If they did not submit to the rightful Li clan, would they rebel and crown themselves?
This was still Li family’s empire. For an outsider to revolt without foundation or legitimacy — that would be madness and self-destruction.
Xu Zhengye’s fall was merely one piece removed from the board — the game itself remained unchanged.
This empire was destined to return to the House of Rong.
And she — was destined to be his.
All his life, he desired only what stood at the highest peak — the most useful, the most glorious.
The higher she rose, the more exceptional she appeared; and the more exceptional she became, the stronger his desire grew.
That desire had taken root the moment she shot back his marriage letter — and with each passing day, it deepened.
She never ceased to surprise him; each time he saw her anew, he realized he had underestimated her once more.
And such a woman — only she deserved to stand beside him.
He would never allow his father to kill her.
Prince Rong smiled faintly. “You seem particularly invested in this young lady.”
“Yes,” Li Lu replied calmly. “Because she is worth it. I believe that, should you one day meet her, you will think the same.”
Prince Rong chuckled. “Very well. Let us test her — see how much courage she truly has.”
If she dared to become another Xu Zhengye, then perhaps she could finish what Xu Zhengye could not.
This realm was a feast, and he needed ambitious souls to stir its chaos — only in chaos could a savior emerge.
He had spent ten years preparing to be that savior.
Hearing his father’s consent, Li Lu smiled. “Father, she will not disappoint you.”
Then he raised another matter. “Father, about Cui Jing…”
The affair in Taiyuan had failed, and the recent assassination attempt as well.
“Two failures in short succession — best to remain still for now,” Prince Rong mused. “That man is far from ordinary. We must not underestimate him. But since the Cui clan has now expelled him, we shall first observe how the Empress reacts.”
“Yes,” said Li Lu. “But I fear Cui Jing may already suspect Father’s involvement. If he reveals this to the Cui family, and they learn you once sought his death—”
“Let them know.” Prince Rong laughed softly. “I wished him dead for my own reasons, not against the Cui clan itself. And in any case, there are no eternal enemies in this world. The Cuis would not spurn the Rong Prince’s house over such trifles. Their kind endure a century precisely because they put interest above sentiment.”
Li Lu hesitated, then asked, “And the Empress? Fan Ou is still in Chang Suining’s hands. She is perceptive — if she uncovers our agents and exposes the Rong Prince’s schemes…”
“If she is truly clever,” said Prince Rong with calm amusement, “she will realize that revealing or concealing changes nothing. Xu Zhengye is dead, Li Tong slain — the facts already exist. There is no new value in repeating them.”
Did she really think the Holy Emperor needed her to tell her such things?
The Empress’s suspicion of the Rong Prince’s house had never once waned.
“Would the Holy Emperor truly move against us over rumors that anyone could invent?” he said lightly. “Without irrefutable proof, any rash accusation would only make her look like a tyrant bent on destroying the imperial clan.
“And even if she did strike — times have changed. A single decree cannot kill me now.”
When decrees ceased to command obedience, the emperor’s authority began to crumble.
And that collapse had already begun, unseen.
Would he now meekly enter the capital to face judgment? Ignore all voices calling to restore the Li lineage’s rightful power?
If she forced a confrontation, she would only hasten her own downfall.
No — it was not the Rong Prince’s house that should fear.
“The world is no longer as it once was,” he said gently. “You are safe here with me now. This is no longer the weak, cornered Rong Prince’s estate it once was.”
His eyes softened with rare guilt. “You have suffered much in the capital, my son.”
Li Lu lowered his gaze. “As heir to the Rong Prince’s house, it is my duty to share Father’s burdens.”
The prince nodded approvingly. “When the great endeavor is complete, half the merit shall be yours.”
The two continued their quiet talk over tea for a long while.
Then a young man in blue military garb approached and bowed. “My Lord, Young Master.”
Prince Rong looked up. “Yi Cong, you’ve returned.”
Li Lu rose at once. “It’s getting late; I won’t disturb Father further.”
“Take care of your health,” said the prince. “Remember your medicine and rest early.”
Li Lu bowed and withdrew. Passing by the young man, he paused for a moment.
Yi Cong saluted. “Safe journey, Young Master.”
Li Lu inclined his head and left with his servant.
After several steps, he turned and looked back.
Prince Rong and Yi Cong were walking together toward the study.
Yi Cong was barely seventeen or eighteen — still a youth, though with a steadiness that made him seem older.
It was said he had been with the prince for five years and was much favored, often assisting with military matters.
Watching them disappear into the study, Li Lu turned back. His servant quickly averted his eyes, but Li Lu asked quietly, “What is it? You’ve heard that rumor too?”
The servant paled and bowed hurriedly. “This humble one dares not! I know nothing—”
Li Lu smiled faintly but said nothing more, resuming his steps.
The servant, anxious to recover, offered softly, “The wind is rising, Young Master. You mustn’t catch a chill. Allow me to accompany you back to your quarters.”
Li Lu smiled again and nodded. “Very well.”
As they walked, he slowly turned his hands under his cloak. They were thin, pale, almost sickly — hands that looked incapable of harm.
Once, that frailty had been the perfect disguise in the capital.
But now that he had returned to Yizhou, it was a burden.
His father’s aides often looked at him with silent doubt and pity.
He knew he would not die easily, but in their eyes, his life already burned short. They could not entrust their hopes to one so frail.
He needed something more enduring — something others could see.
By the time he returned to his residence, dusk had fallen. Maids were lighting lamps throughout the courtyard.
At the sound of footsteps, Lan Ying, the maid of his wife Ma Wan, hurried inside to whisper, “My lady — the Young Master has returned!”
Though married into the Rong Prince’s household for half a year, Lan Ying still habitually called her mistress “My lady.”
Ma Wan’s face changed at once. Startled, she hastily rolled up the letter she’d been reading and slipped it into a jade vase by the window.
Moments later, footsteps approached.
She composed herself and curtsied as Li Lu entered. “My lord, you’ve returned.”
Li Lu smiled gently and took her hand. “Wan’er, what were you just doing?”
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