The weather on the fifth day in November was cloudless and sunny, making everybody a.s.sume that the weather the next day surely would be quite good too.

However, n.o.body expected that it would snow that night.

In the morning on the sixth day, by the time Empress Su got up, the window in the hall had opened a fraction. The chilly wind coming directly at them was mixed with the snowflakes and icicles surprisingly. As the wind blew past the face, people felt it painful as if their faces had been pierced by a knife.

“As the saying goes, a fall of seasonable snow gives the promise of a fruitful year. Rarely has it snowed since the beginning of the winter this year. I hear that all the officials in the court are concerned that the spring plowing will be affected!” As the eldest palace maid, Fangyu, saw the look on Empress Su's face became dull, she added in a hurry, “However, when the happy day comes when Her Highness Princess Changxing gets married, it snows immediately, indicating clearly that Her Highness Princess Changxing is gifted with profound luck. That's the reason why such a peculiar heavenly situation has fallen upon the world!”

“It's nothing but snowing, which is quite common in winter.” Although Empress Su said so, the look on her face was indeed much gentler. She added, “It's not a peculiar heavenly situation at all. If you say so, the outsiders will make fun of you!”

Fangyu replied with a smile, “Your Majesty, I said the wrong words because of feeling happy for Her Highness… However, I did hear of a saying that if a girl gets married on the first day when it snows in the year, her marriage will be said to be a 'perfect marriage granted by G.o.d that promises a long life together'!”

Instead of blaming Fangyu, Empress Su smiled happily and said, “Really?”

“Your Majesty, I dare not deceive you.” Fangyu said vividly, “Unfortunately, there are few girls who are that lucky. Unlike Her Highness…”

The palace maid's crispy voice faded away gradually amid the snowstorm.

Snow danced freely in the boundless world, rustling in the whole North.

Amid the same snowy weather, in a place thousands of miles away from the imperial capital.

By the side of an imperial path, which was less than one hundred miles away from Youzhou, in a pavilion used to serve the pa.s.sers-by coming and going, Pei Yourui took over the hot tea handed over by the servant and gave it to her father, Pei He, first.

As Pei Yourui saw the look on Pei He's face changed from a pale one into somewhat rosy, she felt relieved and thought in secret, “As expected, it is the right decision to leave the imperial capital. Although Father isn't fully recovered now, it seems he is getting better and better as time goes by!”

As for the possibility that she probably would have to marry a so-called “talent” in the countryside after leaving the imperial capital where the handsome and young talents showed up one after another and she might never enter the imperial building which was the most prosperous one in the current world all her life, Pei Yourui was not reluctant at all. After experiencing the pain and fear caused by the fact she had almost lost her father, she would be content as long as both her father and she were safe and sound and worry-free.

“Why were you there? Come over here!” After serving her father with hot tea, Pei Yourui took a sip of hot tea and felt warm. As the north wind swirled across the pavilion outside, a flood of snowy fog was lifted out of the thick snow, which was of several feet' depth on the imperial path. As the snowy fog howled and came at the pavilion, the servants surrounding them formed into a wall immediately, offering protection and shelter for the Pei Family.

As Pei Yourui saw the scene, she pulled the fox-skin robe together tighter for her father and moved her body to the direction where the wind was coming from. She glimpsed and saw the little beggar she had taken in a few days ago dressing in a lined robe dragging to his instep, walking to the draught s.h.i.+veringly. Frowning, she rebuked him in a low voice, “You just got recovered from your cold. Do you intend to stand in the ice wind? Do you want to die?”

“Your ladys.h.i.+p, without you and the Old Master, I would have been dead early.” The litter beggar was no more than seven or eight years old. After being brought to the front of Pei Yourui, he even replied somewhat reluctantly, “I am young and don't have any talents at all. So I am not capable of paying back your kindness. All I can do is to keep the wind out of you and show my grat.i.tude!”

“Look at your feeble body! Keeping the wind out?” As Pei Yourui heard of his words, she burst into laughter, stretched her hands out, stroked his head, and signaled the maid by her side to open the pouch and give him a piece of cake, “Eat more. Let's talk about it when you are tall, strong, and capable of doing many things!”

Holding the cake at his hands, where there was some remaining body warmth from the maid, the little beggar looked back on how he had been well-fed and well-clothed in the past few days, which he had never enjoyed before. As his eyes became watery and his lips trembled slightly, he said subconsciously, “Your ladys.h.i.+p, you are so kind. You surely can have a long life together with your future husband and give birth to a lovely son in the future!” The little beggar had heard of these words previously, which were all blessings for a young girl.

The smiling look on Pei Yourui's face froze in an instant!

All the servants surrounding them changed the looks on their faces dramatically one after another. However, instead of looking at Pei Yourui, they all looked at Pei He!

At that time, the north wind was howling and the weather was snowy, the situation inside the pavilion would explode at any time!

In the imperial capital thousands of miles away from the pavilion, the beating of the drums celebrating the princess's wedding pierced through the howling of the storm. The Emperor and the Empress, who were both dressed magnificently, sat on the royal court gravely. As the animal charcoal was burning heatedly in the surrounding, the royal court was as warm as what it had been in spring.

Below the court, Princess Changxing, who was dressed in flowery hairpins and highest-cla.s.s formal dress, walked in gracefully and slowly.

On her towering and high bun, there were nine hairpins and nine floral twinkles, whose bodies were all solid-gold colored and whose remaining parts were all made up of layering silk. Moreover, they were all embroidered with treasures and jades, looking extraordinarily magnificent and dazzling.

Amid the beating of the drum, Princess Changxing bowed and knelt down again and again. Against the light and the flowing of the treasures and jades, watery radiance flew on her delicate ninth-cla.s.s formal dress.

“Father, Mother, as your daughter, not only have I never thought of repaying you for your cultivation and breeding, but I have disappointed you many times upon thinking of my behavior and words in the past!” Princess Changxing followed the rules and bowed to the Emperor and the Empress as a salutation for four times. Originally, she should have knelt down and listened to her parents' advice. However, before the Emperor and the Empress spoke, she frowned and choked with sobs while tears rolled down from her eyes in succession, “Today, I will leave you. In the future, I can't pay my respects to you in the morning and evening. Nor can I serve by your side all the time. I am so unfilial for doing that!”

As Empress Su heard her words, she said emotionally, “Changxing, since you said so, I am quite satisfied!”

As she spoke, it seemed that she couldn't put up with parting with her daughter anymore. Tilting her head slightly, she turned to Emperor Xianjia, pressed on the corner of her eyes quietly with her fingers, and wiped the water stain away.

Below the court, Princess Changxing was sobbing on the ground and said, “Mother, the more affectionate you are, the more unfilial I think I am!”

Emperor Xianjia stared at his only eldest legitimate daughter kneeling on the ground for a long time, who seemed to be sobbing incessantly as her body trembled slightly. Behind the 12 pearls on the crown, the clear smile on his face was replaced by pity gradually. He said, “Changxing, since you are young, of course, we, your parents, should be lenient with you. I sincerely hope you can reflect upon yourself frequently from now on, respect the seniors, and take care of the juniors. Never should you forget your responsibility of being a daughter-in-law, a wife, and a mother!”

Princess Changxing kowtowed solemnly and said, “Father, I will always keep your glorious words in my mind!”

Empress Su put down her hands, turned her head, and stared at her beloved daughter below the court. She forced a smile and said, “Your parents-in-law are your seniors. Speaking of their seniority and social status, they are above you! After you get married, do as your father said. Respect and serve your parents-in-law obediently, encourage your husband, and act as a good wife and virtuous daughter-in-law. Never should you do anything against the rules in the palace!”

Princess Changxing kowtowed again as she said, “Mother, I surely will abide by your kind words!”

It wasn't until she stood up that the palace maids reminded her, “It's late now. Your Highness, time to be on the royal carriage now! Otherwise, you may miss the blessed time!”

After that, Princess Changxing retreated and went out of the court. As she was about to descend the stairs, she turned around all of a sudden and threw herself below the court as she exclaimed in a loud voice, “Father…”

At the same time, thousands of miles away, Pei Yourui was also calling her father hysterically.

Pei He was not angry about the little beggar's words at all, which might be due to the fact that they had left the sad place. Instead, he asked the servant to give him a cup of hot tea and said, “Thanks for your kind words, kid!”

As the servants surrounding saw this scene, they were relieved. Pei Yourui, who was still concerned, planned to check on her father's situation. Waving his hands and asking the servants to stay away from them, Pei He held his daughter's hands and said amiably, “All the way here, seeing that you have been busy taking care of all the ch.o.r.es by yourself besides taking care of me, I figure out one thing, that is, among various men across the world, the men in Youzhou have been well-known for their boldness, masculinity, and frankness since the ancient times! After you go back home, you may find someone to your liking to be your husband. In that case, I don't need to be moody anymore. Otherwise, I will only make you worry about me!”

Pei Yourui felt astounded. Beads of teardrops poured out of her eyes one after another. She cried out of happiness as she said, “Father, as long as you are healthy and long-lived, I don't have any other aspirations in my life!”

“What kind of nonsense you were talking about!” After Pei He figured out the situation, he became chipper again. Standing up, he waved his hands as he said, “Before I am old and dizzy, I want to choose a suitable husband for you. After that, I will hold a grand wedding and celebrate your marriage in a glorifying manner!”

Although Pei He, who had been tall and strongly-built originally, became skinny due to his sickness, after standing up, he still looked above the crowd, gazed afar at the stretching imperial path outside the pavilion. He said happily, “Youzhou City isn't far away from here. Our clan has been living inside Youzhou City across different generations. As the saying goes, the family name of nine out of ten persons there is Pei. Our clan has been a grand one locally since the ancient times! Although our branch self-claims that we have been living in the imperial capital since the era of your grandfather and we haven't come back here for many years, we still belong to the Pei Clan. After we settle down in Youzhou, they surely will visit us frequently. In that case, you can't be lazy as you did in the imperial capital!”

“It'd be better for us to live a noisy life!” After breaking off her marital engagement with Jian Yiyou, it was the first time that Pei Yourui saw her father saying so many words at one time! Feeling excited as well as happy, she supported him in a hurry and said, “None of my four senior brothers are by your side beside me, Father. We surely will be lonely! If our members in the same clan visit us frequently, it'll be a good thing!”

Pei He agreed with her words and decided that they should stop resting here and set out immediately, “Let's go back home early and see our members of the same clan as early as possible!”

Since the Old Master's heart had been unlocked, all the servants in the team obeyed his words, packed up their stuff, got the carriage and horse ready, intending to set out again.

Of course, Pei He and Pei Yourui didn't have to attend to these ch.o.r.es by themselves. They still sat inside the pavilion, chatting and waiting, as several servants kept the wind out of them.

A moment later, seeing that the carriage stopped on the imperial path nearby, Pei Yourui planned to stand up and support her father. A peculiar sound rang above her head all of a sudden!

The girl, who was indulged in the imagination of her future, didn't realize where the sound had come from at all. Instead, as the little beggar heard the sound, who had been living a wandering life and got used to the ragged household since his childhood, the look on his face changed! He, who didn't have time to speak, clenched at her sleeves and intended to pull her outside!

The litter beggar's motion made Pei Yourui stagger and feel surprised. Pei He, who had been a third-rank official once, came to his senses. The look in his eyes, which was dispirited at first, became as sharp as a knife all of a sudden. He took a big stride, raised his hands, and s.n.a.t.c.hed his daughter's sleeves from the little beggar's hands!

Thinking that Pei He was doubting he would do something bad to Pei Yourui, the little beggar explained in a hurry, “Dangerous!” However, Pei He, who didn't bother with the little beggar, clenched at Pei Yourui's sleeves, pulled his daughter into his arms conveniently and hugged her forcibly. After that, it was unknown why he, who had been confined in bed for several months and who could only stand up and walk a few steps in recent days, became powerful suddenly. He carried Pei Yourui, who was still confused, in his arms, lifted her up, and threw her into the snowfield across the chairs in the pavilion!

The next moment, the top of the pavilion, which was out of repair, collapsed all of a sudden amid the weight of thick and acc.u.mulated snow!

Rolling twice consecutively in the soft snowfield, Pei Yourui was held up by the scrambling servants. Turning her head back confusedly, Pei Yourui was almost frightened out of her wits, exclaiming in a voice as grievous as that of a ghost, “Father…!”

Below the golden court, their daughter's calling, which was filled with attachment and reluctance, seemed to be lingering around the Emperor and the Empress's ears. In the faraway place, the gates of the palace opened one after another. Most of the guards of honor leading Princess Changxing's carriage had gone out of the gates of the palace.

Staring at the empty and vast hall, Emperor Xianjia turned his head and looked at the Empress by his side, who was covering her face with her sleeves and sobbing in a low voice. All of a sudden, he felt that they would live on each other from now on.

Thunderous cheers and exclamations rang vaguely from the Ninefold Gates. Ordinary people in the imperial capital must be chasing after Princess Changxing's royal parade lively and noisily.

Even though the acc.u.mulated snow submerged their ankles and the wind was chilly to their bones, nothing could stop them from being enthusiastic.

Even the Emperor and the Empress could imagine how prosperous and lively Princess Changxing's mansion would be tonight, which was built beside that of Jinguo Grand Princess.

Even in the hall inside the palace where the wedding party was held, it should have been crowded with distinguished guests so far.

However, at this moment, all the liveliness wasn't within their reach.

They only had each other right now.

Emperor Xianjia, who had once killed all of his half brothers and sisters, wouldn't necessarily be soft-hearted. However, at this moment, after seeing his eldest daughter saying goodbye and hearing his wife's sobbing, he said involuntarily, “Since Prince of Zhao also grows up, let him find a position in Six Ministries after the New Year Holiday is over!”

As Empress Su, who seemed to be sad about her daughter's getting married, heard the Emperor's words, she responded in a low voice a while later. A smile crept upon her red lips, which were covered by the wide sleeves of her formal dress. She thought in secret, “It turns out you still feel guilty about me and my children!”

“In that case, I will take advantage of your guilt, make it strong and grow up prosperously so that I can pave a way to the Eastern Palace for my son!”

As a legitimate son at the Intermediate Palace, Prince of Zhao should be the future master of this world!

Just like how Emperor Xianjia had done before.