lovenovelstory Chapter 84 Departure in the Future
Chapter 84 Departure in the Future
The eunuch calmly accepted the jade pendant, his previously tense face relaxing slightly. He whispered, "Prince Changning, Her Majesty only instructed you to pay your respects at the palace before you depart. As for the rest... I know nothing more."
After saying this, the eunuch did not linger and turned to leave with the Imperial Guards.
Only when the red figure disappeared outside the palace gate did Yang Yong, who had been in a stiff state, suddenly come to life.
He grabbed Yang Yan's wrist with surprising strength, his face filled with anxiety and panic, and dragged Yang Yan into the study without saying a word.
"Bang!"
The study door was slammed shut.
Yang Yong paced anxiously around the study like a trapped beast, then suddenly stopped in front of Yang Yan, pointing south, his voice trembling:
"Yan'er! What...what should we do? What should we do?!"
"Father sent you to Lingnan, fine, but why is Mother also making things worse? A marriage arranged with a woman from the Xian clan? They're Li Liao! Descendants of Lingnan barbarian chieftains! Even if they have some power, they're ultimately not a people of Chinese etiquette!"
"Our Yang family is royalty! If we force you to marry a barbarian woman as your principal wife, how will you ever hold your head high within the imperial clan? How will you maintain your standing in the court?"
"This has completely ruined you!"
Yang Yong became increasingly agitated as he spoke, his eyes reddening. Though weak and confused, he truly loved this son. In his eyes, this imperial decree of marriage effectively removed his son from the list of potential heirs to the throne.
Yang Yan quietly looked at his flustered father.
If it were the real twenty-year-old Yang Yan from ancient times, he would probably be devastated at this moment, feeling as if the sky had fallen and the earth had collapsed.
But at this moment, Yang Yan's mind was like a high-speed computer, frantically analyzing the pros and cons.
"Father, we are now the imperial family of the Sui Dynasty, not the Yang family of Hongnong. For the sake of the country and the people, the Xian family of Lingnan is the cornerstone of stability in Lingnan, so there is nothing wrong with that!"
Yang Yan walked to the table, poured himself a cup of cold tea, and drank it all in one gulp. The icy tea slid down his throat, instantly calming his chaotic thoughts.
"Please sit down."
Yang Yan put down his teacup, his voice steady and powerful: "Father, you only saw the background of the Xian family woman, but you didn't see what was behind her."
Yang Yan tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, making a rhythmic sound: "The sixty prefectures of Lingnan are far from the capital, with high mountains and fierce people. Although the imperial court has set up offices there, who are the real controllers? It's the Feng family, it's the Xian family!"
"Lady Xian of Qiao State served under three dynasties: Liang, Chen, and Sui. Her prestige was so high that even the emperor's grandfather had to show her respect. As long as she was alive, Lingnan remained; if she rebelled, Lingnan would rebel."
"My grandmother's imperial decree, seemingly ordering me to marry a lowly barbarian woman, has in reality gifted me 100,000 elite troops and won the hearts of the entire Lingnan people!"
Yang Yan turned around, looked at his father, and a helpless smile flashed in his eyes.
This is the limitation of our times.
"Father, so what if they're barbarians? As long as they can help me succeed, I'll marry even a demon!"
"Moreover, the Empress Dowager's decree stated that this girl is 'well-mannered and virtuous.' The Empress Dowager has seen countless people; since she dared to bestow this marriage upon her, this Lady Xian is no ordinary person."
At this point, Yang Yan couldn't help but feel a surge of curiosity.
Xian Hongyu?
This name doesn't seem to be recorded in detail in history books.
However, as a descendant of Lady Xian, being chosen as a marriage partner in this chaotic world suggests that she was not the kind of refined lady who only knew how to embroider.
"only……"
Yang Yan frowned slightly, his fingers gently stroking the scroll of the imperial edict.
"This timeframe is too tight. Ten days..."
The tea was slightly cool, reflecting Yang Yan's calm, deep eyes.
"Father should have learned about this at the morning court session, and His Highness Prince Qin should have received the imperial edict as well."
After some thought, Yang Yan had accepted it. After all, only the timing had changed, and the rest was not too different from what he had imagined.
"His Highness the Prince of Qin should have received the imperial edict by now. He is probably using the pretext of atoning for his crimes to actually govern Lingnan."
"The marriage to Lady Xian was likely initiated by the Empress Dowager and tacitly approved by the Emperor. If the Emperor had a secret edict, it would have been given to her privately before the departure."
Yang Yong sat opposite him, his hands tightly clasped together.
Although he was indecisive and repeatedly lost in political struggles, he had been the crown prince for so many years and was still somewhat aware of the dangers of the mess in Lingnan.
"Then what Father and Mother did..." Yang Yong frowned. Although he was indecisive, he knew the importance of Lingnan.
"If I send you to that desolate land for a forced marriage, and something goes wrong..."
"Father, you're blinded by your own involvement."
"After all, this is only the first step, and whether or not a marriage alliance will take place is still unknown. After all, my official identity is the 'Inspector of Lingnan,' and the marriage alliance with the Xian family should also be intended to conceal this!"
"My grandfather's strategy was naturally to 'show reassurance on the outside while preparing for contingencies on the inside.'"
"My move is a move, and so is the Third Imperial Uncle's move. It's all about stabilizing Li Xian and breaking his alliance with other barbarians."
Seeing Yang Yong's blank expression, Yang Yan sighed inwardly, realizing the difference between his father and his grandfather, the great emperor of all time.
"Using the pretext of marriage alliance, we are trying to win over the Xian family. The provinces of Lingnan are far from the emperor's reach... Who are the real controllers? They are the Feng and Xian families of Gaoliang!" "If the rebel Li Xian of Guizhou can gain the support of the Xian family, he will be like a tiger with wings; if he loses the Xian family, he will lose an arm."
"I suspect that my grandfather will secretly dispatch elite troops south, disguised as merchants or bodyguards, to guard key passes and lay ambushes. We are the bait. Once Li Xian can't restrain himself and dares to rebel, or tries to ambush us, my grandfather can then legitimately attack from both sides and wipe us out in one fell swoop!"
"Without resorting to force or being accused of 'misusing weapons,' the Xian clan could eliminate the threat of rebellion without bloodshed, and simultaneously deal with the restless local tyrants. This was my grandfather's 'killing three birds with one stone' strategy!"
Yang Yan's analysis was like a skilled butcher dissecting an ox, clearly dismantling the seemingly chaotic situation.
Yang Yong was stunned. After a long while, he murmured, "It must be...it must be so...Father's thoughts are so profound."
He looked at his son, who seemed to have grown up overnight, with both relief and worry: "Even so, Lingnan is still extremely dangerous. Swords have no eyes, your journey..."
"Father, rest assured." Yang Yan stood up, his tone resolute. "I am the eldest grandson of the Emperor, and I am going there as the 'Inspector of Lingnan.' I also have the identity of being a matchmaker for Lady Xian. People like Li Xian will certainly not dare to openly harm me. If Lady Xian wants to consolidate her position, she will also need to rely on the court, and she will definitely protect me."
"This marriage is a ladder to heaven that they have been longing for; they can't wait to worship their son."
"In that case, my son, you must be careful. Marriage is a major event. I will consult with the Empress Dowager again when I enter the palace tomorrow. For the sake of the country and its people, the Xian family daughter... alas, my poor son..."
After calming the bewildered Yang Yong, Yang Yan took his leave.
The moment he stepped out of the study, the composure on his face instantly transformed into an irrepressible sense of anticipation.
After all, staying in Daxing City all the time is really boring.
He quickened his pace and returned to his sleeping quarters, Changning Palace.
As soon as he stepped across the threshold, his trusted servant hurried forward, a hint of smug satisfaction on his face, and bowed to report: "Your Highness, the person you requested has been brought and is waiting outside the study."
……
Meanwhile, in the Prince of Jin's residence, in a secret room.
The charcoal fire in the stove was almost extinguished, leaving only a dark red glow that cast an indeterminate light on half of Yang Guang's face.
His fingers unconsciously caressed a warm, smooth jade pendant, but his gaze fell on a bamboo slip that had just been presented to him.
Zhang Heng, the trusted advisor, stood at the lower end of the table and reported in a low voice: "As Your Highness instructed, I have ordered my men to investigate separately. The phrase 'I would eat three hundred lychees a day and not mind being a Lingnan native forever' has no source."
"Nobody knows?" Yang Guang asked calmly.
"Nobody knows." Zhang Heng paused, then added, "This line is nowhere to be found in the records of the Secretariat, the Imperial Academy, or even in the poems and essays circulating in the markets. To be on the safe side, we went through several channels and asked two trusted literary scholars to privately appraise it. They both said that the poem has a natural charm and that if it were not a new work, it would be impossible for it to remain unknown..."
"Heh." Yang Guang let out a very soft, cold laugh, his expression revealing neither joy nor anger.
He pushed aside the bamboo slips, got up, and walked to the window. The garden outside was deserted, with bare, gnarled branches.
"It was not written by anyone before me, nor is it popular today." He seemed to be speaking to Zhang Heng, yet also to himself, "Then it must be his own. A sixteen-year-old boy, raised deep within the palace, yet he developed a deep longing for Lingnan, a place a thousand miles away, that he would gladly spend his life there..."
He turned around, his eyes devoid of the gentle warmth he displayed in court, replaced only by a cold, sharp gaze: "Zhang Heng, do you believe me?"
Zhang Heng dared not answer.
"I don't believe it," Yang Guang said to himself. "If he hadn't pondered for years, if he hadn't harbored deep-seated schemes, how could he have uttered such apt words? His behavior today..."
He walked back to the desk, pressing his fingertips heavily on the blank bamboo slip, as if trying to suppress the figure of the boy who made him feel out of control.
"The examination essays, the drill ground training, the military discussions... and now this poem." Yang Guang spoke slowly and deliberately, "This is no accident, it's the result of careful planning. That good-for-nothing Yang Yong fathered such a son. I underestimated him."
"Your Highness, then perhaps..." Zhang Heng made a subtle gesture.
Yang Guang slowly shook his head, his gaze deep and unfathomable: "Kill him? Killing him now would be too foolish."
"Father sent him to Lingnan, and he died on the way. Do you think Father is old, or do you think Empress Dugu is blind?" He said sarcastically. "Besides, if he was really so secretive, wouldn't he have had a backup plan to save his life? Making a move that alerts the enemy would be counterproductive."
"So, Your Highness means..."
"Let him go..."
"Doesn't he want to go to Lingnan? Doesn't he want to 'make a name for himself'? I'll let him go. What kind of place is Lingnan? It's a land of miasma, a den of barbarians, and a remote, uncivilized place where the imperial decrees are hardest to implement."
"If he really is an incompetent fool, his death there is his own fault; you need to send more men..."
"promise!"