Murong Yan's right hand held up his body, and he slowly exerted force, "He ordered minister Bi here, because he intended to ignore it from the get go. As for the grace of this edict......" he turned around, looking at Zuo Canglang, asking, "What do you think the grace of this edict means?"
Zuo Canglang thought it over a while, before Murong Yan said, "Express your thoughts."
Zuo Canglang said, "His highness ordered minister Bi to come last night, was first to force your highness to submit to his decision. Following this, of course he will want to appease you. No matter whether it is to appease your highness, or the various old officials in court that still remember their old debts to consort Rong, he still has to make the motions. But if his gift is too great, it will cause the crown prince to look bad, and would also let people have the impression that he is feeling guilty. But if his gift is too small, it would also be difficult to appease your highness's anger. So he will first put forth some gracious gift that is neither too light nor too heavy. And after your highness feels that this matter will just be like this, and when the court officials all slowly shut their mouths, then he will probably send out the real compensation gift. That way, your highness will probably turn from anger to joy, and the others will because of the surprise, become satisfied with the result, as for the matter on the crown prince's side..... it also won't look too bad."
Murong Yan rested his body against the table, and waved at Wang Yunzhao, dismissing them, and when it was just the two of them left, he asked Zuo Canglang, "Then based on what you have seen, the bigger reward that father king plans on offering, what will it end up being?"
Zuo Canglang lowered her head, a long while later, saying, "This subject is not familiar with the situation within court, and cannot guess the royal intent."
Murong Yan nodded, saying, "Right now in court, the heir has already been established, and all the officials are in favor of him, nothing but father king and the crown prince. The politics aren't complicated. Bi Chengjing this person is impartial, and is not particularly close to either side, and is a rare, virtuous official. Wenqi is also groomed especially by father king, and can be counted on as being entirely loyal to father king, as for the others, whether it is the queen, the princess, the crown prince, he doesn't take orders from anyone else. That is why father king places such heavy dependence on him."
Zuo Canglang said, "Your highness is saying, that his highness will assign you to enter Marshal Wen's camp?" Murong Yan didn't deny it, and Zuo Canglang continued questioning, "But your highness, your marriage arrangement with miss Jiang......"
Murong Yan said, "You can't see it even now? Father king will definitely send me away from the capital of Yan, otherwise that elder brother of mine, how would he be able to marry his younger brother's bride?"
Zuo Canglang was startled, and outside, there was a sudden announcement, so Murong Yan turned his head, seriously asking, "What is it?"
A servant girl wearing a yellow dress rushed in from the outside, kneeling before Murong Yan, saying, "Second highness!"
Murong Yan's forehead creased, "Hui Yun. What are you so flustered over?"
That servant girl that was named Hui Yun knelt on the ground, looking at Murong Yan, and she also took a look at Zuo Canglang, her words seemingly stuck in her throat. Murong Yan said, "There's only insiders, so you have no need to be secretive."
At this, Hui Yun finally knelt on the ground, "Second highness, our family's miss wanted this servant to secretly come to see you, and wanted you to meet with her no matter what." Saying thus, she sent up a handkerchief. Murong Yan lifted his hand, accepting the handkerchief, atop it was two rows of little words sewn in, the letters were long and soft, and by the bottom, there was sewn a lotus flower, still lightly fragrant.
He said, "Answer your family's miss, I will definitely arrive on time." Hui Yun knelt again, kowtowing, and finally retreated.
Zuo Canglang lightly said, "That is...... miss Jiang's servant girl?"
Murong Yan mutter an affirmation, and finally put the handkerchief into his breast pocket, saying, "Accompany me out on a trip."
To the north of Jinyang city, there was Gu She mountain, and at the foot of the mountain, there was a stable. Jiang Bilan invited Murong Yan to meet there. She wore a white linen dress, her form was covered by a flowery screen, and wore a jade ornament at her waist, she was fresh like the first blade of grass after the winter frost.
Seeing Murong Yan, her eyes instantly grew wet, and let out a deep sigh, "Big brother Yan!" She ran over to Murong Yan, burying her whole body in his embrace.
Murong Yan slowly hugged her, his black eyes looked at her with a deep expression, like the depths of the ocean without any light.
Zuo Canglang knew to give them their privacy, so she retreated underneath a peach blossom, to avoid this couple in the center of the field, her gaze even avoiding that area. That really was a cluster of grapes that hanged too high in the tree; it wasn't something she did not know.
"That day...... it wasn't something where I consented! It was crown prince and my father, them...... boo hoo ......" She couldn't make a sound, and Murong Yan's chin lightly rested atop her head, saying, "I know, I know."
Jiang Bilan's tears were like water beads, dripping upon the edge of her lashes. She lifted her head, asking, "Would you dislike me?" Murong Yan's body froze, saying, "I won't." By the side, there were some reddish horses that passed by; and Jiang Bilan's gaze followed that horse, saying, "I still remember, when we were small, big brother Yan also taught me to ride horses." She lightly bit her lips, that red lip was plump and soft, as though it would blossom flowers.
When they were young...... Murong Yan also seemed like he was recollecting something, saying, "Mmm, when we were young, mother consort was very strict in her discipline, and every time I taught you to ride horses, I would always have to face mother consort's scolding when I returned."
He lightly said, his voice carrying a tinge of bitterness, as of course it wasn't just one small scolding. That woman's face would distort in his memory, and after he recovered his senses, he could only say something with a sorrowful face. She wanted him to give in, to cry and weep, to plead for mercy, to grow up as she wished.
She crushed his self-esteem and pride, scattering them on the ground, and then trampled them into mud.
Jiang Bilan's two eyes were light bright drops of water, "That time...... I didn't know better. Big brother Yan also never spoke of it, so I had always thought...... it was only a few words of scolding." And then coincidentally saw some of your wounds, saw some of the clothes that were soaked with blood. Her eyes became even more moist, "and then, my father locked me up for a long time, and when I got out, you no longer visited often."
Murong Yan had almost forgotten, that time he was truly silly, huh. Or perhaps...... beginning from that time, he had already started loving? That girl from small was like a flower that would cause people to be mesmerized, he would come time after time, was it because he liked seeing her smile, and hearing her voice?
The feelings from youth, were slowly being lifted by the wend, like small grains of sand come from one side. It turns out, that even at that time, he still had something beautiful and good.
He helped Jiang Bilan onto a horse, his expression had slowly melted from the icy expression it was, saying, "We ultimately, still have to grow up."
Jiang Bilan's face was red like a cherry, and Murong Yan flipped himself onto the horse, sitting behind her, helping her guide the horse. His strong and muscled arms crossed around her hands, and his bulging muscles making others blush, their heartbeats quickening. The whiskers of his beard brushed against her ear, and Jiang Bilan was too nervous to take a look, her face turning hot.
Murong Yan rode the horse forward, guiding the horse around in circles. The wind ran counter to them, brushing against the grass, bringing a bitter but fresh breath. The warm and fragrant body was held in his tight embrace, and once he shook the bridle, the strong horse began galloping. Her long hair brushed against his face, lightly bright.
A long time later, she suddenly said, "Big brother Yan......you... marry me. Or, bring me away; how about we leave here, and go somewhere, a place where there is only us two." Her face was flushed red, and her eyes were moist, and then lowered. Her voice was soft and honeyed, stuck in the wind.
Murong Yan lowered his head, and one only saw the breeze blow by, and amidst the golden rays of sunlight, she finally raised her face, her eyes full of tears, but her face extremely beautiful. Those slowly descending tears, could melt the heart of any man.
"Don't cry." He raised his hand, wiping aside her tears, which were burning hot. Don't cry, if I was to be king, you must be queen. As long as the mountains and the seas don't shed tears, I will never fail this oath.
Zuo Canglang stood far away, beneath the cherry blossoms, her body still like a wooden statue, like the best bodyguard, not observing the conduct of her master. The sun slowly set in the west, and the fallen flower blossoms melted into the endless grass.