Chapter 432
**Chapter 430: [Epilogue] Li Qingxun (8)**
In the mountains, time flows unnoticed; what is meant to come will come, and there’s no escaping it.
The Third Prince, Li Ang, sent men to search the mountains for the missing Zhang He'an and Li Qingxun.
Li Qingxun let out a soft sigh, changing into dry clothes to cover the red marks on her neck. Zhang He'an also donned his garments, his dark eyes gazing out of the cave.
It was time to leave.
“Once we return to Yanjing, I will marry you,” Zhang He'an promised slowly.
Li Qingxun smiled, elegantly patting Zhang He'an's handsome face. “No need for you to marry me. I can pretend nothing happened in the mountains.”
Zhang He'an's expression instantly turned cold.
He felt a sense of absurdity, as if he had been toyed with and then discarded.
He had sensed it long before; Li Qingxun’s feelings for him were not deep or sincere. Perhaps to her, he was merely an amusing diversion, something to play with for a month or two before being forgotten.
...
The searching guards found the cave and took Zhang He'an and Li Qingxun to Liangzhou City.
Liangzhou was remote, plagued by constant winds and sands, often invaded by bandits and soldiers from the Yue Kingdom, making life hard for its people. Currently, Liangzhou City was heavily guarded, as the Qing Kingdom and the Yue Kingdom were about to sign a temporary peace agreement to promote trade.
After spending three months in the cave, Li Qingxun returned to the official residence in Liangzhou City and collapsed into a deep sleep, eager to catch up on her rest.
She slept from day until night.
Li Qingling, living next door, was anxious and restless. After dark, she knocked on Li Qingxun's door.
Li Qingxun had already woken up and was lazily sitting at the table, enjoying her dinner. The vegetable dumplings from Liangzhou City were delicious, and she savored every bite.
“You still have the energy to eat? The Yue Prince is coming tomorrow. Our Qing Kingdom has just been established for two generations, and the princess is destined for marriage,” Li Qingling said, sitting on a low stool, her brow furrowed with worry.
Li Qingxun didn’t look up, taking another bite of the dumpling before reaching for another.
After eating wild fruits and rabbits with Zhang He'an in the cave, she was almost sick of it. The simplest vegetable dumplings in Liangzhou, made from flour mixed with greens and steamed, tasted unexpectedly delightful.
Li Qingling had traveled thousands of miles to Liangzhou. Although she often criticized Li Qingxun for her roughness, Li Qingxun was the only person she could talk to.
Over time, Li Qingling even felt a sense of kinship with Li Qingxun.
When Li Qingxun went missing, Li Qingling had secretly worried for a long time.
“Eat slowly. It must have been tough in the mountains; you look like you’ve lost weight,” Li Qingling said, pouring a cup of hot tea and handing it over.
Li Qingxun took the tea and gulped it down.
Seeing her carefree demeanor, Li Qingling felt a twinge of envy. “You really have a good attitude. The Yue Prince will definitely take a liking to me. As for you, I’m afraid you’ll be sent off to the Yelang Kingdom... Sigh, eat more; the Yelang Emperor is already over sixty.”
Li Qingxun set down her teacup. “Is the Yelang Kingdom really that powerful?”
Li Qingling sighed. “I’ve heard the Yelang Emperor is a foolish ruler, but he’s lucky; there are many gems and gold mines within Yelang’s borders, along with some strange minerals.”
Having gold and silver mines means a foolish emperor isn’t much of a problem, at least better than the struggling Qing Kingdom.
Li Qingxun silently noted—Yelang had many mineral resources.
Li Qingling’s gaze swept over Li Qingxun’s collar, noticing the numerous red marks on her neck. She frowned slightly and took out two jars of ointment from her sleeve. “This is mosquito repellent and anti-swelling ointment. There are so many mosquitoes in the mountains; it’s a pity to see you covered in bites.”
Li Qingxun accepted the mosquito repellent. “Thanks—but how did you know they were mosquito bites?”
Li Qingling replied, exasperated, “If they weren’t mosquito bites, then who else would have bitten you? Zhang Chengxiang?”
Li Qingxun raised an eyebrow. “Couldn’t it have been him?”
Li Qingling rolled her eyes.
Zhang He'an was a refined gentleman, a flower on a high peak, untouched by the dust of the world. How could he possibly be interested in someone as rough as Li Qingxun?
No one would believe it if she said it out loud.
After chatting for a while, Li Qingling returned to her own room to rest. Li Qingxun, having slept enough during the day, felt no sleepiness. She loosened her collar, and the copper mirror reflected her neck, marked with red traces.
Her body was covered in red marks.
Zhang He'an, with his handsome appearance and dignified demeanor, was like a wolf in private. Li Qingxun reminisced about that passionate month, still feeling unsatisfied.
She opened the anti-swelling ointment and slowly applied it to the marks on her neck. The door creaked open, and footsteps approached softly. The candlelight flickered brightly, revealing Zhang He'an’s elegant figure in the silver mirror.
He held a jar of ointment in his hand.
Seeing Li Qingxun in a thin undergarment, Zhang He'an opened the ointment jar. “Let me help you.”
Li Qingxun didn’t refuse.
If he was offering to serve her, she wouldn’t turn it down.
Zhang He'an was gentle in his movements, applying the ointment carefully. As they exchanged glances, they naturally shifted to the bed.
Outside, the night deepened, while the candles inside burned late into the night.
The next morning, Li Qingxun woke up feeling sore all over, refreshed, with her clean clothes neatly placed by the bed.
She looked in the mirror and found that many of the red marks on her neck had faded significantly; they were hardly noticeable unless one looked closely. Zhang He'an had left no marks in obvious places.
“He’s quite attentive,” Li Qingxun thought as she changed into a fresh dress and went downstairs for breakfast.
Breakfast was relatively plentiful.
The table was filled with authentic Liangzhou delicacies. Having overexerted herself the night before, Li Qingxun ate heartily.
Li Qingling, unable to swallow, wore a worried expression. Seeing Li Qingxun devouring her food with gusto, she snapped, “Did you tear down the house last night? It was so noisy I almost came to knock on your door.”
Li Qingxun casually replied, “A mouse got into my bed; I was just dealing with it.”
Liangzhou had plenty of mice.
Li Qingling had seen her fair share.
She rested her chin in her hand, sighing, “I really hope we can return to Yanjing soon... I can’t stand this wretched place.”
The Yue envoys would arrive in the afternoon.
Li Qingling had only sipped a couple of bowls of porridge before anxiously heading upstairs. Li Qingxun, intrigued by Liangzhou, decided to ride around the city.
Liangzhou had been ravaged by war for years; the people were gaunt and starving, and the buildings were battered by the wind and sand, in ruins. As Li Qingling rode through, it felt like she was witnessing hell on earth.
She saw starving children on the streets, ragged beggars, and elderly people missing limbs; even the rats were thin.
Li Qingxun felt a pang in her heart.
Born in an era of technological advancement, she was surrounded by well-dressed, respectable people, and even the common folk lived without worry.
When she thought about it, she realized she had been quite lucky in her reincarnation. Although she had become an uncherished princess, at least she had enough to eat and wear.
If she had been less fortunate, becoming a servant or a commoner in a war-torn area, she probably wouldn’t have lived long, destined to become just another casualty of time.
A deep sorrow welled up within her, and she couldn’t help but recite a poem: “If only I could have countless grand houses, to shelter all the common folk and bring them joy, standing firm against the wind and rain.”
The common people couldn’t hear her passionate verses; they were each struggling in their own sea of suffering.
After riding around Liangzhou City, Li Qingxun noticed the sun nearing noon and turned her horse back to the official residence.
The envoys from both countries were set to meet, and she needed to make an appearance. The Yue Prince would surely take a liking to Li Qingling; Li Qingxun was merely there as a backdrop. As she rode, her mind wandered through the uncertainties of the future.
...
...
In the afternoon, the Yue Prince arrived with his envoys to meet the Qing envoys at the official residence in Liangzhou City.
Li Qingxun and Li Qingling both made their appearances.
When the Yue Prince, Tuoba Yu, appeared, Li Qingxun sat at the far end of the table, stealing a glance. The prince seemed to be under thirty, with a handsome face and graceful demeanor.
Tuoba Yu was as his name suggested, like a piece of ancient, beautiful jade.
During the drafting of the alliance agreement, Tuoba Yu and the Third Prince, Li Ang, discussed the specifics, their words laced with hidden meanings.
Li Qingxun rested her chin on her hand, assessing that neither of these two was to be underestimated.
Tuoba Yu was certainly not a foolish man; the rumors about him were merely smokescreens. Likewise, Li Ang was no simple character; despite his youth, he exuded a commanding presence.
The two envoys from their respective countries debated fiercely, while Li Qingxun sat bored at the back, sipping tea. She glanced at Li Ang, then at Tuoba Yu, finally settling her gaze on Zhang He'an.
After looking around, she concluded that Zhang He'an was the most handsome of them all.
No wonder he was the man she had chosen.
Li Qingxun watched the unfolding drama with great interest, and her gaze inadvertently met Tuoba Yu’s. He nodded at her, a friendly smile gracing his face.
Li Qingxun, unsure of what to make of it, returned a perfunctory smile.
This moment was caught by Zhang He'an at the negotiation table.
That night, Zhang He'an, silent and brooding, came to settle the score. Li Qingxun, exhausted and sore, slapped him without hesitation. “Are you a dog?”
Zhang He'an kissed her palm and called her “A Xun,” continuing his work.
...
The negotiations for the alliance lasted for half a month.
Finally, after two weeks, a lengthy agreement was finalized. Li Qingxun packed her belongings, preparing to return to Yanjing.
Just before she left, the envoys from the Yue Kingdom suddenly visited, politely informing Li Qingxun that Prince Tuoba Yu wished to meet her.
Li Qingxun raised an eyebrow.
Outside Liangzhou City, the yellow sand swirled in the air. At the city gate, she met Prince Tuoba Yu. He told her, “The Qing Emperor has sent his two daughters for me to choose from, and I have chosen you.”
Li Qingxun: ...
Tuoba Yu continued, “I’ve heard that women from the Qing Kingdom are pampered, but I didn’t expect your riding skills to be quite impressive.”
Li Qingxun tilted her head, puzzled. “My sister is more beautiful; why not choose her?”
Tuoba Yu replied, “She may be beautiful, but she lacks soul. The other day, while wandering in Liangzhou, I heard the Sixth Princess recite, ‘If only I could have countless grand houses, to shelter all the common folk and bring them joy, standing firm against the wind and rain,’ and I knew she was no ordinary woman.”
Tuoba Yu was genuinely interested in Li Qingxun.
In a world full of beautiful women, a good woman was rare.
A woman skilled in riding and caring for the common people would be an excellent asset as a princess consort.
Tuoba Yu admired Li Qingxun and wished to marry her.
Seeing Li Qingxun’s calm demeanor, he curiously asked, “I wish to marry you; aren’t you happy?”
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