The rushing water was splashing, the shade under the locust dense and green, and the weeping willows stirred and tossed in the gentle breeze.
A carriage drove across the river, over the long bridge, stopping in front of the river bank. The guards retreated. Zheng Biyu lifted the curtain, eyes scanning around before indicating that Li Xuanzhen could get off.
Li Xuanzhen's head was wrapped in a flat cloth turban, and he wore a worn narrow-sleeved cloth robe. He jumped out of the carriage. A soldier brought a horse with an arrow quiver and a bundle of other things hanging off the side of the saddle.
Zheng Biyu did not get off. Sitting in the carriage, she faintly said: "Your Highness, I can only send you here."
Li Xuanzhen turned back to look at her, "Yu Niang, thank you."
Zheng Biyu smiled: "Your Highness doesn't need to thank me. I am just returning the favor."
Li Xuanzhen remembered that man, stunned.
The wind was strong by the bridge. Zheng Biyu raised her hand to brush back the hair on her temples that was blown astray by the wind: "Dalang, for not killing Zheng Wu back then, I am very grateful to you."
...
Zheng Wu was the Zheng family's servant who later became Zheng Biyu's guard. In her first marriage, Zheng Wu sent her to marry and watched her and her husband enter the green tent, bridal room and ornamented candles.
Zheng Biyu never looked at Zheng Wu. She was the di daughter of an influential family, with noble birth. With virtue and reputation spread far and war, she was destined to marry into a high family as the matriarch. How could she belittle herself and pity the family's slaves?
The day after her wedding, Zheng Wu left.
He went to the battlefield, following a son of the Zheng family. Starting from the lowest common soldier, he accumulated military achievements little by little. He killed the enemy bravely and was soon promoted, but there were too many people like him in this chaotic world. But, he was only a servant of the Zheng family after all. No matter how hard he fought, he ended up being a mere small lieutenant beside the Zheng family's son.
Zheng Biyu's first husband died at the hands of the Li family. A few days before the city broke down, Zheng Wu came to her.
"Miss... The Zhao family is not a match for the Li family... The Wei army will conquer the city in a few days."
He carried a sword and stood at the bottom of the steps. Covered in blood, looking rushed, his shining black eyes looked straight at Zheng Biyu.
Finally, he summoned up the courage to say the words, "Come with me. I'll take Miss away and be good to Miss for the rest of my life."
Since she was young, Zheng Biyu had familiarized herself with the female teachings and followed the rules, never stepping a single toe out of line.
That night, she didn't know where she got the determination from. Lifting her skirt and descending the stone steps one by one, she walked to Zheng Wu.
Zheng Wu's heart blossomed.
They didn't say a word and looked at each other for a while.
Just when Zheng Wu wanted to open his mouth to say something, the sound of footsteps suddenly rang out. A person sent by the Zheng family snuck into the Zhao mansion, found his way over, and knelt down at Zheng Biyu's feet, "Miss, a distant branch of our family is now serving under the Great General of Wei County, and is quite trusted. The Langjun has sent his servant to inform Miss that the Wei army is coming unobstructed and that the Zhao family has reached a dead end. He says that Miss need not be frightened. The Great General of Wei County, General Li, has already sent down his orders. The Wei army will not offend Miss."
As if a gust of wind had blown through, the fire that had just been lit in Zheng Biyu's heart immediately extinguished.
She would stay with the Zhao family and wait for her clansmen to come pick her up.
Without saying a word, Zheng Wu turned around and left.
Soon after, the Zhao family was destroyed and the Li family sent someone to their door to ask Zheng Biyu to marry Li Xuanzhen.
The night of their wedding, she sat in the green tent, gentle and dignified. Li Xuanzhen sat beside her, handsome and calm. Both of them were detached, almost indifferent, not showing any joy. The congratulation Furen could not help but feel embarrassed and did not dare to speak out of turn to tease them.
In the middle of the night, the red candles burned high. The guests had all left, and Zheng Biyu looked at the flickering candlelight and did not know why her eyes suddenly turned red.
Li Xuanzhen glanced at her, stood up, and said, "You should settle down first."
Zheng Biyu froze.
At that moment, a scuffle and clamor came from behind the courtyard wall. Someone shouted that there was an assassin.
Li Xuanzhen lifted the curtain and went out.
Not long after, Zheng Wu was tied up and delivered in a bundle before Li Xuanzhen. The guards had questioned him, but he did not say a word.
Li Xuanzhen raised his sword.
Zheng Biyu, who was in the tent, felt something in her heart and looked out. Recognizing Zheng Wu, her breath caught in her throat.
Zheng Wu saw her and his eyes looked straight at her.
Zheng Biyu stiffened, but she did not open her mouth to stop Li Xuanzhen.
As the long blade fell, she firmly clenched her teeth and did not utter a word.
Zheng Wu didn't make a sound either.
He didn't die. That blade only sliced off a few strands of his hair.
Zheng Biyu's tears flowed down her face.
Li Xuanzhen signaled the others to stand down, untied Zheng Wu's binding, and looked back at Zheng Biyu.
"You two can go."
Zheng Biyu's eyes filled with tears as she walked step by step to Li Xuanzhen and bowed down towards him.
"Then what should Shizi do?"
Li Xuanzhen carried his sword, neither anger nor loathing on his face, and calmly said, "It is enough for my wife to be a di daughter of the Zheng clan. Yu Niang, I am not a good husband. If Yu Niang only seeks the honor of being Shizi Furen, I promise to respect you and treat you well, but otherwise, I cannot give it. Since Yu Niang has a love in her heart, you should not wrong yourself. I will take care of the aftermath. Your father will not send anyone after you.
"I will have Qin Fei escort you away. You can go to Southern Chu first to avoid the storm. In the future, I will marry another Zheng clan daughter; the Zheng clan will still be a prosperous family."
Zheng Biyu cried softly. Zheng Wu was overjoyed at the turn of events, took her hand, and led her away.
No worries, no pursuers, no guilt that she may have implicated the family... Everything that Zheng Biyu worried about would not happen. She could put down all her burdens and leave with Zheng Wu.
But the moment she stepped out of the courtyard door, she stopped in her tracks.
Zheng Wu stopped and looked down at her. The look on his face went from ecstasy to doubt, to bewilderment, shock, anger, disappointment, and finally, as if his heart had broken.
He knew Zheng Biyu too well. She was born an unfeeling and cold-hearted woman, rational and restrained.
She was an influential family's daughter. Abandoning her identity and leaving with him, how would the two of them live in the future? How would they face the world's finger-pointing?
If she married Li Xuanzhen, she would be the Li family's Shizi Furen. She might even become the Crown Princess later on, or perhaps, even the mother of the country by virtue of her husband's honor. How could she be willing to give up all these things for a humble servant?
Zheng Wu smiled to himself and gently let go of Zheng Biyu's hand.
"There is an order of superior and subordinate. These bounds should not be overstepped. The servant is delusional, so I hope that Shizi and Shizi Furen will forgive me."
Zheng Biyu watched his back disappear into the darkness of the night, brushed away the tears from the corners of her eyes, returned to the green tent, and sat withered all night.
A few years later, Zheng Biyu overheard some sad news. Zheng Wu had died.
Zheng Biyu was expressionless. With a faint 'oh', she continued to talk and laugh with the women at the banquet. Back in the inner courtyard, she held her son, coaxing him to eat hot millet soup, a smile still fixed on her face.
She smiled the whole day until the middle of the night when she was suddenly roused from her dreams and called out Zheng Wu's name.
A handkerchief appeared in front of her. Li Xuanzhen looked at her, without a trace of mocking or contempt in his phoenix eyes, and said, "Yu Niang, I am sorry for your loss."
Zheng Biyu silently wept.