Chapter 157: Thoughts upon Leaving Southern Zhao

In the 49th year of Great Wu legitimacy, the New Year of the second year of Great Zhao Shenwu, Ding Suian spent it in Yunzhou.

After the New Year, on the 18th day of the first lunar month, Emperor Zhao abdicated, and the regent, Prince of Nanshun, ascended the throne and changed the era name to Xingshi.

The Shenwu era name lasted only one year.

The State of Wu delegation took the opportunity to attend the new emperor’s coronation ceremony.

After Prince of Nanshun officially ascended the throne, peace negotiations between the two countries advanced rapidly.

The repatriation of prisoners of war and the indemnity from the State of Wu were all agreed upon.

However, the two countries haggled for over half a month on the issue of titles.

Southern Zhao’s transition from kingdom to empire was a fait accompli. The final result of the deliberations was that the relationship between the State of Wu and Southern Zhao was changed from the original father-son nation to a brotherly nation.

The State of Wu was the elder brother, and Southern Zhao was the younger brother.

Considering the Emperor of the State of Wu was already over eighty, Southern Zhao calling itself the younger brother really wasn’t a loss.

As for the indemnity, five million in the first year, and one million annually thereafter.

Of course, the two countries had different terms; the State of Wu called it ‘Bestowed Years,’ while Southern Zhao called it ‘Indemnity.’

In short, after months of time, a peace treaty was finally reached that both sides had minor complaints about but could barely accept.

On the ninth day of the second lunar month, spring rain drizzled.

With the delegation’s return to the north imminent, the new emperor held a farewell banquet at the Daqing Pavilion in the imperial city.

Accompanying them were high-ranking officials and young talents of Southern Zhao.

At the beginning of the You hour, near dusk.

Ding Suian and his party arrived at the Daqing Pavilion.

The focus of Southern Zhao’s high-ranking officials was naturally on Li Qiushi, Daoist Master, and the others; no one cared about a small fry like Head Ding.

He was happy to be idle and wandered around the Daqing Pavilion at will.

The Daqing Pavilion was built on a high platform with an excellent view, overlooking the green mountains, fresh greenery, and the grassy scenery in the mist beyond the city walls amidst the drizzling rain.

Turning a corner, he suddenly saw a slender figure standing by the railing.

She wore a bright red palace gown embroidered with golden Phoenix patterns and wide sleeves, and a complex and luxurious nine-pheasant and four-Phoenix crown on her head. Looking into the distance while leaning on the railing, she added a sense of aloofness and detachment that was hard to reach.

Adu~

Ding Suian took the initiative to greet her.

They hadn’t seen each other for over a month since they parted before the New Year.

Yi Yiyi did not turn back, still looking at the distant mountains. Her voice was flat and cold, like jade beads falling on a plate, without any temperature. ‘Head Ding, it’s better to address me as Princess.’

With Prince of Nanshun ascending the throne, she was now a proper Princess.

…

The spring rain was fine and dense, tapping on the eaves of the Daqing Pavilion, making a rustling sound.

A breeze blew, and the fine gold tassels of the Phoenix crown swayed slightly in front of her clear forehead.

Her chin was slightly raised, holding herself with pride.

She truly had the majestic demeanor of a Princess now.

Greetings, Princess.

Ding Suian’s originally enthusiastic tone also faded.

I heard that you are leaving for your country tomorrow, Head Ding?

Yi Yiyi’s tone was unhurried, with no special emotion, like an insignificant pleasantry. Ding Suian put his hands behind his back and looked at the green mountains with her. ‘Yes, leaving tomorrow.’

Hehe~ Yi Yiyi gave a very official, faint smile. ‘How is the scenery of my Southern Zhao?’

Good. The scenery of Southern Zhao is the most beautiful in the world. Ding Suian’s answer was also very official.

Hehe, thousands of miles away, perhaps you will never be able to come to my Great Zhao again in this life, Head Ding. Do you have any unfulfilled wishes?

I do.

What wish?

I want to take someone with me.

Who?

A young lady.

A young lady?

She asked lightly, but if one listened carefully, one could detect a slight, subtle hesitation in the tail of her voice.

Yes, the young lady who traveled over the mountains with me back then.

…

There was finally a change in her frosty eyes. Yi Yiyi was silent for a long time before she finally turned her head slightly to meet his gaze, saying in a very light, almost sigh-like tone: ‘Then, Head Ding, why can’t you stay for that young lady?’

In Central Heaven, there are ties.

Hearing this, the ripple in Yi Yiyi’s frosty eyes gradually calmed down. She turned her head back to look at the misty mountains and water. ‘Head Ding has ties. Presumably, that young lady also has ties in Yunzhou.’

Yes.

Ding Suian’s voice also lightened unconsciously. ‘We each have our ties, unable to act on our own.’

It sounded like a summary, and also like a farewell.

Yi Yiyi’s eyelashes trembled slightly, then returned to calm. She tried to raise the corners of her lips, creating a proper and slightly indifferent smile that befitted her status as a Princess. ‘Then I wish you a safe journey, Head Ding.’

Just as she finished speaking, a flurry of footsteps approached from far to near.

I just saw him! He came this way!

Fellow students, this time we absolutely cannot let him escape again!

Right! Although Prince Rui plotted rebellion, that Wu person publicly humiliated Dui Gu at the stone factory back then, which was a humiliation to all the men of our Southern Zhao. Since the Martial Artists dare not settle the score, it is naturally up to us scholars!

…

About seven or eight young men dressed as scholars pushed aside the curtains in the corridor and were all stunned.

The Ding Suian they were looking for was indeed ‘hiding’ here, but to everyone’s surprise, the high-cold flower of Great Zhao, the only Bloodline of Your Majesty, the usually low-key Princess Zhao Ning, was standing side by side with this scoundrel by the railing.

Xie Wuxia and Sun Yun, who were in the lead, immediately felt a strong sense of bitterness and frustration in their hearts.

There were rumors outside that Princess Zhao Ning and the Wu Dutou Ding Suian had a private relationship. They originally didn’t believe it, but last time they went to Dasheng County, they saw with their own eyes that he was catching mice in the Princess’s bedroom.

This time, it was the two of them hiding here, appreciating the scenery side by side.

Wu scoundrel!

Not only did he hurt our Great Zhao warriors, but he also actually wants to pluck our Great Zhao’s flower!

Fight you to the death!

At this moment, they heard a sharp shout from the attendant in the pavilion: ‘Your Majesty has arrived~’

Welcome Your Majesty~

Inside the Daqing Pavilion, there was a chorus of cheers.

The hour of You.

…The war between the two countries brings no benefit to the country and causes harm to the people…

After Prince of Nanshun gave a high-level speech, the banquet began.

The sound of strings and bamboo started, and cups were exchanged, appearing harmonious on the surface.

After three rounds of wine, the atmosphere in the banquet gradually loosened. Sun Yun and other Southern Zhao talents couldn’t help but let their gazes drift towards Zhao Ning. She sat upright below Your Majesty, with a dignified demeanor, looking straight ahead, as if everything around her had nothing to do with her. That aloofness was even more captivating.

Subsequently, Sun Yun and others couldn’t help but look at Ding Suian sitting in the distance.

Xie Wuxia and Sun Yun exchanged a glance. Although they considered themselves competitors, in the face of an outsider like Ding Suian, they were very willing to join forces to make the other party lose face.

Xie Wuxia took the lead in standing up, holding a wine cup, bowing towards the imperial throne, and said loudly: ‘Your Majesty, the reconciliation between the two countries is truly a blessing for the people. On this auspicious occasion, it happens that Literature Institute attendant Head Ding is here. Why not ask him to present a poem, singing about the spring scenery of our Great Zhao, and celebrating the brotherly friendship between the two countries?’

Today’s banquet used a separate dining system, with each person having a seat. Ding Suian’s position was almost at the very back.

The officials turned their heads to look over in unison.

But they saw him pouring and drinking by himself, seemingly not having heard the content of Xie Wuxia’s words.

Sun Yun stood up at the right time, bowed to the crowd with great demeanor, and said loudly: ‘Could it be that Head Ding looks down on our Great Zhao’s literary circle? If so, I will compose a poem first, to express my ambition, to throw a brick to attract jade, and ask Your Majesty and everyone to critique it.’

Granted.

Prince of Nanshun smiled slightly, and his gaze unconsciously looked at Zhao Ning below. The latter seemed to have no interest in what was happening in the arena, just raising her sleeve to cover her face and drinking from her cup.

On the side, attendants quickly moved several six-foot-long wooden boards and stood them up in the arena.

They were waiting for the masterpiece to be recited so that it could be copied onto them for everyone to critique.

Sun Yun cleared his throat, walked to the middle, smiling, and looked straight at Ding Suian’s direction.

‘Bu Suan Zi. Wind and rain wash away the dust, standing alone on the steep green mountain. Naturally, it is the first branch of the Southern Kingdom, not laughing with idle flowers. The roots are firmly in the Southern Frontier, how can it wither towards the north wind? Let you be crazy from east to west, south to north, integrity facing the sky proudly!’

Good!

Masterpiece!

Inside the Daqing Pavilion, cheers erupted.

The Southern Zhao officials at the banquet had probably heard some rumors and all understood the deep meaning in this poem, so they couldn’t help but clap and laugh softly.

Sun Yun was even more proud, looking at Ding Suian with playful eyes.

‘Standing alone on the steep green mountain, the first branch of the Southern Kingdom’ – who is it talking about? There is no need to guess.

Just in terms of appearance, it’s too subjective to evaluate; but in terms of nobility, who can compare to Princess Zhao Ning now?

The ‘idle flowers’ in ‘not laughing with idle flowers’ can only be the grassroots Ding Suian.

‘The roots are firmly in the Southern Frontier, how can it wither towards the north wind?’ is even more straightforward.

It openly declares that the Princess belongs to Great Zhao and will never submit to forces from the north.

The final ‘integrity facing the sky proudly’ both flattered Zhao Ning and implied that Ding Suian was wishing for the impossible.

Even Prince of Nanshun nodded repeatedly. He knew about the matter between Zhao Ning and Ding Suian, but if his daughter had inexplicably lost her virginity to a small Dutou of Wu, it was impossible for him to have no resentment in his heart.

Upon learning that Ding Suian insisted on returning to his country, this resentment turned into dissatisfaction.

Having Sun Yun compose the poem could be considered venting some anger for Prince of Nanshun.

However, Zhao Ning below still showed no reaction, just drinking wine cup after cup, her porcelain-white face already flushed.

Over there, Li Qiushi saw Sun Yun make a move and had quietly moved to Ding Suian’s side.

‘Nephew, can you write? If you can write, come up with one. If you can’t, pretend to be drunk. After all, it concerns national dignity.’

As soon as Li Qiushi finished speaking, he saw Ding Suian grab the wine pot and pour it directly into his mouth.

…

Li Qiushi immediately understood. Little Ding wanted to get himself drunk so he wouldn’t have to embarrass himself in public.

But what he could think of, others could too.

‘Hahaha, is Head Ding trying to pretend to be drunk with wine?’

‘Hahaha.’

As soon as Xie Wuxia spoke, a burst of coordinated laughter sounded around them.

But they saw Ding Suian drink the whole pot of wine in one breath and hiccup. ‘Official Li, please write for me~’

‘Ah? Still okay like this?’

Before the two could discuss it, Xie Wuxia, Sun Yun, and others swarmed over. They were worried that Li Qiushi would ghostwrite for Ding Suian.

Seeing it had come to this, Li Qiushi could only bite the bullet and let the attendant send pen and ink.

Ding Suian recited a sentence, and he wrote a sentence.

In a moment, the noise and snickering of the many Southern Zhao scholars around him gradually disappeared, becoming quieter and quieter, and their expressions became more and more solemn.

Prince of Nanshun and the Southern Zhao officials above saw this strange scene, not knowing what had happened, and couldn’t help but urge anxiously: ‘What’s wrong? If it’s written, copy it to the word board quickly.’

A moment later, the attendant who was close to Ding Suian ran back.

Dipping the brush in ink and writing.

‘Die Lian Hua. Thoughts upon leaving the Southern Kingdom. Standing alone on the dangerous building, the wind is fine. Looking to the extreme, spring sorrow, gloomily born on the horizon. Grass colors and misty light in the setting sun. Silently, who understands the intention of leaning on the railing. Planning to take wild madness to be drunk once. Facing wine and singing, forced joy is still tasteless. The clothes become looser and looser without regret, for Yi, I am haggard.’

…

The arena was silent for a moment.

It made Li Qiushi’s restrained but arrogant low laughter sound even more harsh and annoying.

Although literature has no first place, the Concept of this Die Lian Hua was far above Bu Suan Zi.

If one insisted that Sun Yun beat Ding Suian, it would be a bit shameless.

A famous scholar in the arena read it over and over again, as if he had suddenly discovered a new continent, and suddenly called out: ‘Hahaha, Literature Institute attendant of the Wu State? Just this? There is a typo! Just this sentence ‘the clothes become looser and looser without regret, for Yi, I am haggard.’ If it was the ‘Yi’ (she) of ‘Yi Ren’, it would make sense, but Head Ding used the ‘Yi’ (beautiful/virtuous) of ‘Yi Mei’. Hahaha. Mr. Wrong Character!’

…

This scholar did not get the expected echo.

Turning his head to look, everyone was looking at Princess Zhao Ning.

The ‘first branch of the Southern Kingdom’ with a slightly red face was holding a bronze cup, her expression still aloof, and there was nothing unusual.

But the next moment, a line of clear tears rolled down from the corner of her eyes without warning.

The clear tears slid across her cheeks, stained with a little rouge and powder, turning into amber color.

Yi Yiyi probably didn’t realize she had shed tears in public until her face felt slightly itchy. She quickly raised her bright red wide sleeves to cover it.

But… everyone had already seen it.

Prince of Nanshun sighed silently.

That night, Zhao Ning was dead drunk.