Chongfei Manual [II]

Chapter 129.1

But, why was Yang Zhen there?

While Wei Luo was feeling puzzled, Zhao Liuli had already jumped down from the carriage.

This carriage was rather ordinary. It wasn't comparable to the ostentatious carriage that Zhao Liuli usually rode in. It had a bluish green front curtain that was half new and half old and there was only one place servant girl inside the carriage. Zhao Liuli was normally followed by a group of young and old female servants when she was traveling, so the current situation today was rather strange.

Wei Luo chose to stay inside the carriage and wait to see how the situation would develop.

Zhao Liuli didn't have the spare thoughts to be concerned about this. With red eyes, she asked him, "Are you going to leave today?"

Yang Zhen's body was stiff as he nodded.

Zhao Liuli's red and teary eyes look very much like a rabbit's. She tightly grasped Yang Zhen's clothes and said, "Older brother Yang Zhen, why didn't you listen to me? I don't want you to go. I'll talk things through with imperial mother. She loves me dearly. She'll definitely agree to let me marry you. Guang Dong is so dangerous. What will I do if something happens to you? I don't want you to die. I don't want you to go..." As she said this, tears streamed down.

Yang Zhen lifted his head and gently wiped at the corners of her eyes. Every time she shed a tear, he would patiently wipe it away. "Didn't we already agree to this? Your Highness, I can't wrong you, much less let you suffer with me. If you marry me now, you would only be lowering your status. I can't give you a life of luxury or a high rank." He smiled. This was the first time he said words like these.

His gaze was full of soft gentleness as he said, "I want to obtain achievements and return triumphant. I'll be worthy of you at that time."

Zhao Liuli wept, "When will you come back?"

Yang Zhen thought for a moment before saying, "I don't know for sure. At minimum, it'll be a few months. At most, it could be a year or two." He looked at Zhao Liuli and asked hopefully, "Your Highness, are you willing to wait for me?"

Zhao Liuli inwardly let out a sigh of relief. She was angry at his hastiness and being too sure of himself, so she deliberately said, "I'm not sure. Imperial mother has recently been looking for a good marriage for me. She also has me looking at court officials' sons and members of the imperial family. If older brother Yang Zhen comes back too late, I might not be able to bear the pressure from imperial father and mother and marry someone else."

Yang Zhen knew that Empress Chen was looking for a husband for Zhao Liuli. But, Empress Chen wasn't an inflexible person. Although the matchmaker introduced potential marriage partners and parents made the final decision, Empress Chen still placed a huge importance on what her daughter wanted. Empress Chen had summoned sons from aristocratic families to Zhao Yang Hall many times so that Zhao Liuli could look at these men from behind a twelve piece red sandalwood divider with paintings of beauties.

In order to evade marriage, Zhao Liuli would either criticize them for being too tall, too large, or too scheming. In short, she wasn't satisfied with any of them

One time, the prime minster's heir, Count Zhou Ying, coincidentally met Zhao Liuli as he was leaving Zhao Yang Hall and she was coming back from outside. The two of them met on the outside steps leading into the hall. Because Count Zhou Ying had liked Zhao Liuli for a long time, he offended her in a moment of impulse. Afterwards, Zhao Liuli told Empress Chen about this matter. Not only did Empress Chen firmly admonish the prime minster, she also gave up on the idea of marrying Zhao Liuli to Count Zhou Ying. Moreover, a few days later, there was news that Count Zhou Ying was ambushed on the way home and severely injured. The prime minister still hadn't found out who was responsible for that attack to this day.