In the eighteenth year of Yuanfeng, Emperor Zhao Yun fell from a cliff and died while escorting the Empress Dowager. The Great Song imperial family was left without an heir. Jiang Qi, citing the needs of the state and the empire, ascended the throne in Bianliang, changing the dynasty's name to "Zhan."
A few days later, in You Prefecture in the north, the "resurrected" Emperor Zhao Yun, under the banner of "Restoring the Great Song," rallied his troops. Together with a million iron cavalry from the northern Great Jin kingdom, they prepared to march south to Bianliang to punish the usurping traitor Jiang Qi.
As supplies were prepared and the army assembled, the small wooden house in the valley where Yang Ruoning and Luo Yuan had been working was also completed.
Before Qingye, Luo Yuan, and Handan Chun led the main army south, Yang Ruoning and Luo Yuan held a simple wedding ceremony in their little wooden house. Their guests, besides a select few close friends, were mostly villagers from the small hamlet in the valley.
On the wedding day, Yang Ruoning, abandoning her usual habit of sleeping in, woke up even earlier than Luo Yuan. It was well known that the bride was the busiest on her wedding day, with every detail of her attire and makeup to attend to. Though she was often unkempt, on this day, she wanted to marry Luo Yuan looking her most beautiful.
The red wedding dress and hair ornaments were personally brought from Bianliang by Susu. Susu knew her best and had chosen designs that were both elegant and delicate, which Yang Ruoning adored.
From the bottom of the backpack Susu had brought, she retrieved the makeup bag Kinsey had prepared for her, items leftover from Kinsey's previous wedding.
Fortunately, the makeup bag was well-stocked with everything needed: foundation, eyeshadow, false eyelashes, perfume, and more. With Susu's help, the process of dressing and adorning herself went smoothly.
As Yang Ruoning applied her makeup in front of the mirror, Luo Yuan stood by her side. With his arms crossed over his chest, he leaned against the doorframe, watching her with a smile. He was so fascinated by everything about her that even the makeup process, which most men found tedious, held his keen interest.
"Don't stare at me, I look terrible when I'm putting on makeup. Wait until I'm done!"
"Terrible? In my eyes, you are beautiful no matter what."
Yang Ruoning finished her preparations and stood up, facing the mirror. The gentle mountain breeze drifted through the wooden house, rustling the crimson, blood-like silk of her dress, causing the jewels on it to chime softly. Standing before the mirror, Yang Ruoning examined herself from every angle, seemingly still not entirely satisfied.
"Are my false eyelashes too overdone? Should I remove some? And my hair, I should have changed my hair color; black would have suited this red dress better."
Luo Yuan walked over and put his arm around her waist. "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, you don't need to change anything. However, you did forget one thing today." He then pointed to his lips.
Ah, the daily kiss she had promised him when he proposed. Yang Ruoning understood immediately, quickly tiptoed, and gently pecked his lips. "Sorry, I forgot when I woke up this morning."
But Luo Yuan was not satisfied. He tightened his hold on her, not wanting to let her go. "This doesn't count. Don't try to get away with it when you've promised me something."
Yang Ruoning looked at him with a hint of a pout. She pointed to a group of children peeking in through the window. "Darling, this is not suitable for children."
Luo Yuan turned his head and, to the children's surprise, ordered them to cover their eyes. Then, he lifted her chin and planted a dizzyingly long kiss on her lips. How could the children obey and close their eyes? They shrieked with laughter, jumped down from the window, and ran down the hillside shouting, "The groom is kissing, the bride is shy!"
After a lively wedding ceremony in the afternoon, everyone gathered in the village square for the feast.
Yang Ruoning, however, had to sit alone and idle in the bedroom because Luo Yuan wouldn't let her drink, and the villagers said the bride shouldn't attend the banquet, but rather the groom should host the guests. Although she disdained such silly "rules," Yang Ruoning complied, as she would be neighbors with these villagers for a long time and didn't want to cause Luo Yuan any trouble.
Still, when no one was looking, she managed to sneak away with a bottle of wine and a bag of peanuts. Susu had been called away to help, leaving her alone in the little wooden house. She sat on the bed, sipping wine while looking at her computer.
Qingye had asked her a question that day: What would be the path of governance for humanity a thousand years from now? After a thousand years, people must surely know more. Yang Ruoning was stumped; the question was too immense, and as an ordinary person, she had never pondered it. But after this battle, Qingye would become a true emperor, and he naturally wanted to know the answer. So, Yang Ruoning asked for some time to thoroughly study thousands of years of history and write her reflections. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
As she browsed through stacks of dense and difficult academic journals and papers in her computer folders, she felt as if she had returned to her university days. Her sole conclusion so far was that human history, at its core, was a process of infinite repetition. Humans foolishly repeated the same mistakes over and over, seemingly never learning from past experiences, or even caring to. Of course, this was a conclusion she could not share with Qingye.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded outside the door, someone was coming up the stairs. It must be Luo Yuan returning! Yang Ruoning quickly closed and put aside her computer, then jumped up from the bed and excitedly ran to the door, opening it. "Darling, you're back?"
Yang Ruoning froze when she saw who was at the door.
It was Qingye. He was looking down, one hand on the doorframe, his body swaying unsteadily. Hearing Yang Ruoning open the door, he managed to lift his head and force a smile. "Ha, Yang Ruoning."
Qingye's strong scent of alcohol made Yang Ruoning frown. For some reason, a drunk Qingye looked rather sad. She glanced outside. "Are you alone? You're drunk, I'll take you back to your room." As she spoke, she went to support Qingye. To her surprise, Qingye leaned heavily against her. His chin rested on her shoulder. "Yang Ruoning, don't leave me."
Yang Ruoning smiled. "I'm married, not running away and never coming back." She cupped Qingye's face with her hands. "Silly child, we are family. It's our inseparable blood ties that brought me into this world. I finally found you, how could I leave you? Now that I'm married, it doesn't mean I'm leaving you. It means we have gained another family member, you have gained another family member, and we will have more family members in the future. Do you understand? Alright, let me take you back to rest." Just as she started to pull her hands away, Qingye firmly gripped her wrist. The myriad thoughts flashing in Qingye's eyes confused Yang Ruoning; she had never seen him like this before.
"Qingye..." she began to say something to comfort him, but he interrupted her.
"Yang Ruoning, I regret it."
"Regret what?" His words were enigmatic, and Yang Ruoning didn't understand what he was referring to.
Qingye stared at her, his words caught in his throat.
Yang Ruoning guessed that perhaps because they would be leading the army south after tonight, he was afraid? Yes, Qingye was still just a 17-year-old boy; he should feel afraid.
So, she comforted him. "Don't worry, everyone is helping you. You are not alone."
Qingye sighed, the grip on her wrist loosened, and he lowered his head. "Yang Ruoning, give me one more hug." As he spoke, he seemed to lose all his strength and leaned against her again. He rested his head on her shoulder and murmured in a voice barely audible, "Oh well, he got you, and I got the world. It's fair."