Taiji Palace, Liangyi Hall.
In just a few decades, the capital had changed hands several times. The palace halls and pavilions had been in disrepair for a long time, with several burned down. It no longer had its original imposing magnificence; the palace walls were patchy, the corridors and pillars everywhere had visible traces left from being burned.
Li Xuanzhen followed behind the little eunuch, slowly stepping up the long steps.
The first rays of sunlight poured through the thin clouds on the empty corridors and halls, vermillion wooden brackets, painted flying eaves and turquoise glazed tiles glimmering with sparkling light.
Li De was in the inner hall having a private talk with the high officials of the Hall of Political Affairs.
The rulers and ministers deliberated official business so all the inner attendants retired to the corridor of the outer hall. A dozen people stood in front of the window threshold for quite a while, but not even a cough was heard.
Li Xuanzhen waited for a moment before the sound of heavy footsteps came from the inner hall.
Although you could not see the person, Commander-in-Chief Pei's loud voice transmitted out first: "His Majesty risked attacking the Arun clan in order to deter the other nine tribes through military force, not to send the princess to marry! If she wants to marry, marry! The farther she marries away, the better! Three thousand Wei troops were buried in the ice river to get a chance to negotiate with those barbarians, and she ruined it all!"
A few old and gentle voices interrupted Commander-in-Chief Pei's complaints and whispered to him to calm down.
Soon after, several elderly men in purple official robes came out, each with a grave face.
The one walking in the front was Prime Minister Zheng Yu.
He saw Li Xuanzhen at first glance with eyes that were black and blue. He sighed and stopped, gesturing for the others to go first.
Commander-in-Chief Pei cursed as he stepped out of the threshold, and noticed Li Xuanzhen out of the corner of his eye. Seeing his haggard face and wrinkled clothes, he knew that he had been locked up all night for Zhu Luyun before being released, and opened his mouth.
"Dalang, you-"
Just before he could curse a few words, the bystanders guessed his intention and immediately grasped his arm and dragged him away.
Prime Minister Zheng stood in front of the corridor, waiting for Commander-in-Chief Pei and his group to go far away, then glanced at Li Xuanzhen, his eyes gentle and deep.
"Your Highness, Princess Fukang is arrogant and willful. You are the crown prince, you should not have any more involvement with her in the future."
He spoke in a mild tone, as if chatting about domestic family matters, but had a kind of solemn imposingness that has been honed by the years.
Li Xuanzhen did not speak.
The minister shook his head with a smile that wasn't a smile, and stepped down the steps unhurriedly.
The inner attendant invited Li Xuanzhen to enter the hall.
The brilliant sunlight shone into the inner hall from the half-opened vibrant green row of windows. The gap between the casually gathered brocade curtains sprinkled half-light and half-dark shadows. A gilt mythical beast head incense burner sat in front of the dragon table, puffing clouds of mist, diffusing a faint green silk tulip fragrance into the air.
YOU ARE READING
Thousand Miles of Bright Moonlight
Romantika"Thousand Miles Bright Moonlight" will be adapted to chinese drama soon. Yaoying transmigrated into a novel. In the chaotic and troubled times, many nations were at war. Her father happened to be the most powerful of those vying for supremacy, her...
