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Chapter 133: Came to Attack Again
For the sake of confirming with his own eyes that Princess Jiahui was alright, not long later, He Lianying came to attack the city again. He gazed for a long while at Princess Jiahui who was standing on the wall as always.
Suddenly, he smiled. His smile was filled with joy and relief.
Princess Jiahui looked at He Lianying with surprise. This man, this demon-like man, can also smile this way? The twisted and cruel man she knew would never have smiled this way.
What was he smiling about? Could it be that he's gone crazy from disappointment upon finding out that she wasn't dead?
Princess Jiahui touched the whip at her waist and coldly commanded, "Release the arrows."
Duan Xinghui watched her. Princess Jiahui seemed even more dignified and noble now, and there was a slight feeling as if she had gone through a rebirth. She no longer gave off the cold indifference from before, but when she pursed her lips, she gave off more of a regal presence.
Her aura had changed again. Duan Xinghui felt completely muddled by Princess Jiahui's many changes. Before, Princess Jiahui would look at him with an icy cold gaze. She seemed capable of seeing through everything that was hidden in his heart and her gaze always contained scorn and ridicule.
The current Princess Jiahui had looked at him with a strange gaze that contained a bit of relief and gladness. Following that, she simply looked at him as if he was a stranger.
Duan Xinghui: …
His heart seemed to crack. As he gazed at Jiahui's back, he felt like he had lost something important forever. His heart felt uncomfortably empty.
This battle continued until the start of spring. When the snow started to melt, He Lianying led what was left of his troops back to the plains. Before he left, he looked back at Princess Jiahui one last time with a lingering gaze.
Princess Jiahui laughed scornfully. She was no longer that pitiful woman from her dream. She would forever be the most respected Princess Jiahui of Great Yong.
They returned to court in triumph. When Princess Jiahui saw Li Wen, she couldn't help but tear up. In this world, Imperial Older Brother was the only family she had left.
Li Wen actually gazed at Princess Jiahui with gratitude. After quite a while, he asked, "You've changed again?"
"What?" Princess Jiahui was confused.
Li Wen gave the decree allowing Princess Jiahui to be buried in the imperial tomb after a hundred years and forever enjoy the worship of the people. This was an extremely great honor. No princess in history had ever received such an honor.
Although the princess was the emperor's younger sister, she was still a woman, and once she got married she would belong to another family. The idea of giving a woman an honor like this was making all the ministers restless.
Li Wen didn't say anything and directly sent the ministers that opposed it the most to the border.
Those who enjoyed the luxurious life of the capital and kept making criticisms without ever contributing anything themselves were also sent to the border.
Following that, when it was time to evaluate military merit and bestow rewards, when it was Duan Xinghui's turn, Li Wen looked towards Princess Jiahui. Princess Jiahui said mildly, "Just bestow based on his achievements. Imperial Older Brother doesn't need to worry about this sister-subject."
When Duan Xinghui found out that he had been promoted to a formal second rank general, his feelings were very mixed. He looked towards Princess Jiahui who was sitting at the front of the large hall and his emotions became even more complicated.
Duan Xinghui practically moved at turtle speed as he headed back to his residence. He didn't feel any rush at all and his heart felt inexplicably heavy. He couldn't deny it any longer, he felt great regret.
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Chapter 134: A Scarlet Beauty Mark
The entrance to Duan Residence was very lively. Duan Xinghui returned grandly in a full body of armor. Upon seeing her son, Madame Duan was so happy she cried. She remarked in a tone full of heartache that he had gotten tanned, that had gotten skinny.
Duan Xinghui's gaze swept past Yuan Dong to land on Er Ya. She was wearing a lake-blue silk garment with a hairpin inserted in her hair. She seemed very happy and was smiling widely with joy. However, a moment later, she felt that it was inappropriate behavior and immediately closed her mouth.
Very soon, she gave Duan Xinghui a closed-lips smile, not knowing that this kind of smile made her seem very timid and inferior. After just a winter, Er Ya had lost the simple freedom and beauty that Duan Xinghui had once been enchanted by.
The current Er Ya's every movement was awkward like that of a wooden puppet.
When Duan Xinghui saw her smile, Princess Jiahui's face appeared in his mind. She could even lick the blood from the corner of her mouth in a way that was filled with dark charm.
Duan Xinghui married Er Ya, which made Er Ya overjoyed. During the wine banquet, Duan Xinghui drank a lot, and even cried. Perhaps he was mourning the past, or perhaps he felt regret.
Duan Xinghui and Er Ya's life did not turn out that well. Duan Xinghui gave Er Ya the position of main wife, but he didn't keep the promise of being faithful only to her for this entire lifetime. There were other women by his side. Now that Princess Jiahui was gone, Duan Xinghui didn't care about any other women, or did he care about how many women were by his side.
He no longer saw any joy in life. Er Ya couldn't accept it, but she also had no choice but to endure the fact that her man was sleeping with other women even though it stabbed at her heart.
As of now, Princess Jiahui had already become the bright moonlight in Duan Xinghui's heart, a scarlet beauty mark. Things that were out of reach were always the most beautiful. Duan Xinghui would never be able to obtain Princess Jiahui again in this lifetime, so she became something like a inviolable goddess in his heart.
>The scarlet beauty mark mark is a phrase from Eileen Chang's novel "Red Rose, White Rose". The first paragraph on talks about the origin of the 'mark' and about the red rose and white rose. In addition, the scarlet beauty mark also refers to the dot of cinnabar placed on the arms of young woman to prove their chastity.<
After the war was over, North Mongolia sent an envoy and agreed to sign the non-aggression treaty that would last for a hundred years. However, there was one condition, which was that Princess Jiahui would get married with the second prince of North Mongolia, He Lianying.
Those wolves' ambitions still haven't died. Princess Jiahui laughed. She would die before she'd step foot in North Mongolia. This time, Li Wen refused before Princess Jiahui even said anything.
After the North Mongolian delegation left, Princess Jiahui told Li Wen that she was willing to go and guard the border. She was even willing to never marry in this lifetime and devote her life to the cause of defending against the North Mongolian Tartars.
Princess Jiahui stated directly that there was no man in this world that could match up to her. Li Wen asked jokingly, "You won't get married even if you encounter a man as outstanding as Imperial Older Brother?"
Princess Jiahui smiled. "There exists no other man like Imperial Older Brother in the world."
When Duan Xinghui who was also in the great hall heard Princess Jiahui say this, he recalled that, a very long time ago, Princess Jiahui had said that he was the best man in the world. However, it was hard for him to even appear in Princess Jiahui's eyes now.
That very night, Princess Jiahui returned to the border and patrolled the city walls with her female troops. The row of Tartar corpses were no longer covered by ice and snow so their original appearances were revealed.
Their faces had contorted expressions of agony and their corpses had become dried. Cai Sang said to Princess Jiahui, "The Tartars don't even dare to look at these corpses anymore, and the Tartars that come to the city to trade no longer dare to act arrogant. The citizens here call Princess the Goddess of War. I heard that they even plan to erect a statue and long life memorial tablet for you, Princess."
Princess Jiahui smiled a little without saying anything. However, not long later, an enormous statue was erected in the city. It was a statue of Princess Jiahui in full armor. Her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, her gaze was solemn and dignified, and at her waist hung a whip.
When Princess Jiahui saw this statue, tears fell from her eyes. She was the respected princess of Great Yong, the Princess Jiahui whom everyone revered, never again a disgrace.