Chapter Thirty-Six: The Message from Emperor Yongchang

Li Zheng gazed at Lin Miaomiao and Li Yanhe not far off and sighed. Li Yanhe's status was a delicate matter, caught in an awkward position. If Li Yanhe were to be made a prince too soon, the third prince and the crown prince would certainly be dissatisfied, and the second prince’s situation would become precarious. Moreover, the militia reforms at the Ankou border relied on Li Yanhe’s leadership—should anything happen to him now...

Li Zheng was not just a merchant; by this time, he understood Emperor Yongchang’s concerns. The marriage of the Prince of Shengxuan could not be with a great family. A prince with military power would always be a source of anxiety for the emperor, but with Lin Miaomiao’s appearance, the situation became less fraught. After all, Lin Miaomiao was a commoner, her parents long dead. If Li Yanhe truly fell for her, he would have to exchange his merits for the emperor’s consent. In this way, Emperor Yongchang could maintain the balance of power between the three major branches. Any other prince with designs on the throne would have to measure themselves against these three. This truly was the art of moderation.

Li Zheng could feel a sense of danger looming—his intuition was rarely wrong. Watching Emperor Yongchang ride away, Li Zheng sighed again; so this was the chill of royal kinship.

After spending quite some time with Lin Miaomiao, Li Yanhe finally asked An Qi to escort her home. On her way, she encountered that odd old man once again.

“Well, what a coincidence, old sir! Here we meet again. Fate must really have its designs for us.” Lin Miaomiao greeted the white-haired elder with a cheerful smile. She felt that this man, perched atop his horse, was no ordinary person.

“How strange indeed. There are many in this world who would rather not be so entangled with me—like the one behind you, for instance, isn’t that so?”

Lin Miaomiao glanced curiously at An Qi, who was visibly trembling, deepening her confusion about the old man’s identity.

As An Qi was about to kneel, the old man behind her continued, “No need for ceremony when out and about. Young miss, you are rather clever.”

An Qi realized the first part was addressed to her, the latter to Lin Miaomiao. The emperor must want her to report their conversation to her master. An Qi silently prayed, hoping Miss Lin wouldn’t provoke His Majesty—otherwise, not even her master could save her.

Lin Miaomiao nodded and said to Emperor Yongchang, “I’ve always been clever. Which aspect do you mean?”

Hearing this, sweat beaded on An Qi’s brow—this was terribly disrespectful!

Yet Emperor Yongchang was not angered; he smiled and replied, “When the kidnapper carried you off, you were quick-witted enough to leave a trail with candy. But honestly, what is your relationship with that man of yours?”

Lin Miaomiao pinched her chin in thought, then replied, “Two men carried me earlier. One was the kidnapper, who wanted to take me away and sell me. The second was Brother Li. Are you asking about the kidnapper or about Brother Li?”

The emperor was momentarily taken aback; he had not expected such a quick response. Most would never ask him whom he wanted to know about. This girl was indeed clever—with just a few words, she offered him two choices.

He shook his head and said, “So, it’s your Brother Li?”

Lin Miaomiao nodded solemnly. “I’m his child bride, which means I’m Brother Li’s wife.”

Emperor Yongchang narrowed his eyes as Lin Miaomiao asked, “Uncle, why are you so curious about my relationship with Brother Li? What are you really after?”

An Qi was drenched in sweat—Miss Lin, what are you doing? Usually so sharp, why are you turning the questions on him now?

If Lin Miaomiao were truly a six-year-old child, she would have been too intimidated by adults to conceal anything. But she was not—she was twenty and had picked up a thing or two about counter-surveillance online. So she was testing the emperor herself, though her skills were uneven, and her small child’s body made her appear clever and endearing.

Emperor Yongchang laughed. “Such a clever girl—are you betrothed already? If not, I could marry you to my son.”

Lin Miaomiao’s eyes went wide. “Uncle, how old is your son? Wouldn’t there be too great an age gap?”

He smiled. “Little girl, not so much; you’re perfectly suitable.”

Lin Miaomiao shook her head. “No, Uncle, you’re mistaken. Your son and I are not right for each other. Only Brother Li is right for me.”

At this, Emperor Yongchang burst out laughing. “Little girl, I must take my leave now.”

Lin Miaomiao nodded. “Travel is tiring, so please take care of yourself. Don’t take any shortcuts just to hurry home—it wouldn’t be safe.”

Hearing her childish warning, Emperor Yongchang nodded with good humor, then asked, “You said wheat can be planted twice a year—is that really true?”

She nodded earnestly. “Old sir, how could you not believe me? I may not be the most reliable person, but that is absolutely true.”

Emperor Yongchang laughed heartily and said, “Little girl, perhaps we’ll meet again.”

With that, he rode away. Lin Miaomiao watched him go, muttering, “So what if you can ride? All I get is a mouthful of dust.”

An Qi, following behind, glanced at her in silence. Once back at the courtyard, Lin Miaomiao set about her great endeavor—drawing maps. An Qi returned to the county office, knelt before Li Yanhe, and reported, “Master, the emperor visited today. In fact, a few days ago, Miss Lin encountered a peculiar old man. I thought little of it at first, but today I sensed the presence of Shadow Dragon behind him. Only the true master of Shadow Dragon could command it.”

Li Yanhe listened, leaning against his chair, eyes narrowed. “Tell me everything that happened today, from start to finish.”

An Qi recounted the exchange between Emperor Yongchang and Lin Miaomiao in detail. Li Yanhe shook his head with a bitter smile. “Father truly hopes I will take Miaomiao as my wife.”

He waved An Qi away. Yuan Sihan, puzzled, asked, “Why do you say so, Your Highness?”

Li Yanhe leaned back, massaging his temples, and looked to his uncle. “Uncle, do you not see? Father met with Miaomiao yesterday, and even An Qi failed to notice—he is truly eager for Miaomiao to become my wife.”

“With the new policies in motion, Father is in a bind over how to reward me. If he grants me a title, I’d become a prince at a young age—unprecedented in the Dayong dynasty. And now I’m of age to be given a bride. If my wife’s family were powerful, Father would worry that our house would overshadow the crown prince and the third prince.”

Rubbing his brow, Li Yanhe continued, “The emperor could grant me a wife from a less powerful family, but that would still not suffice. The royal dignity would never allow it. The best option is for me to request a commoner girl as my wife—a woman without family influence, a commoner, someone completely out of place in the palace. And for her to marry me, I would have to exchange something valuable in return.”

He sighed heavily. “Uncle, I simply don’t want Miaomiao’s life to be entangled with mine. She’s still so young; her life is only just beginning.”

Li Yanhe felt deeply weary. Yuan Sihan looked at his nephew—the boy who had taken up arms at fourteen to defend the border.

That evening, Li Yanhe returned to find Lin Miaomiao had prepared a great many dishes for him. Sitting at the table, he asked, “Miaomiao, if one day you are dragged into darkness because of me, would you hate me?”

She looked at him in confusion. “Li Second, why are you speaking so strangely today?”

“There’s no such thing as an utterly dark place. Where there’s darkness, there is also light. Besides, a husband and wife are one, after all. I am your child bride—even if I never become your wife, as long as I am your child bride, we must face hardships together.”

Li Yanhe gazed at her for a long moment before laying his large hand atop her head.

She looked up at him and said, “You really don’t need to look so glum. When the boat reaches the bridge, it will straighten out.”

“When the boat reaches the bridge, it will straighten out?” he echoed.

She nodded. “Day in and day out, don’t be so melodramatic. Now eat.”

Looking at her, Li Yanhe felt the gloom in his heart suddenly lift. Sovereign and subject—what more was there to it?