Chapter 82: The Past

Li Yanhe said to Li Zheng, "Miao Miao is an outsider. She can do whatever she wants, since the Emperor would never suspect her."

Li Zheng heard Yanhe's words and said nothing, but his expression revealed his doubts. After all, Li Zheng couldn't help but be suspicious of Yanhe's actions.

Meeting Li Zheng's questioning gaze, Yanhe replied in a calm voice, "I fight blood-soaked battles at the border, yet they send assassins after me."

"This injury might have been an accident, but I must avenge myself. The Crown Prince must pay a price as well."

Upon hearing this, Li Zheng understood at once why Yanhe had never acted before—this was...

Lin Miao Miao, listening to Yanhe, smiled without saying a word and turned to leave.

Yanhe watched Miao Miao's departing figure, his eyes filled with loneliness. As Miao Miao stepped outside, her heart roiled like stormy waves.

So Yanhe had his own hand in these matters. Miao Miao had always believed Yanhe simply stayed at home nursing his wounds quietly. She sighed.

Li Zheng set down the imperial edict and hurried off. Miao Miao watched his retreating figure, saying nothing.

Yanhe sat in the study; Miao Miao neither spoke nor did Yanhe. They each busied themselves in silence.

After a long pause, Yanhe let out a heavy sigh and said, "I know it was wrong to do these things behind your back. Next time—"

Miao Miao, hearing Yanhe speak, raised her head and looked at him seriously. "Do you want to be Emperor?"

Yanhe was startled by her audacious question and shook his head. "Mother always said being Emperor is exhausting."

Miao Miao was surprised; Yanhe rarely spoke of his mother. She remained silent and listened quietly.

Yanhe saw the young girl's earnest face, listening intently. He smiled and patted the soft couch beside him.

Miao Miao sat in the small space next to Yanhe, crossed her legs, and listened to him with utmost seriousness.

Yanhe, seeing how much Miao Miao relied on him and let down her guard, couldn't help but let out a sigh.

He said to Miao Miao, "I don't want to be Emperor. I was recuperating at your house because the Third Prince and Crown Prince were at odds, and I was stabbed."

"My father knew about this, but he pretended not to."

When Miao Miao realized the Emperor—Yanhe's father—knew about the incident, she suddenly felt Yanhe was pitiful.

She looked up at Yanhe and asked, "And then?"

Yanhe sighed, "My situation dates back six years."

Six years ago, the military power at Daanko was in the hands of General Yuan Sihan. At that time, my father decreed to marry my mother.

Back then, no one in the palace had children easily. Only the Empress and my mother were pregnant at the same time.

I suppose that even in the womb, I began competing with the Crown Prince. The Empress, wanting to give birth to the eldest prince, chose to take medicine.

On the day the Crown Prince was born, the Empress lost her ability to bear children. Luckily, she had the eldest prince, which pleased my father greatly.

He named the Crown Prince Li Hanwen. The very next day, I was born. Only one day apart from the Crown Prince, and my father's joy was boundless.

At that time, the Emperor could finally defend against the southern barbarians, keeping them outside Daanko. So he named me Yanhe.

Yanhe sighed again and continued, "The situation at Daanko improved, and I, still a child, was given great expectations."

Back then, I only knew my mother wore a look of disappointment when she saw my father. Finally, when I turned fourteen, a decree arrived, making me a general with authority over a million troops.

At that time, my uncle—former General Yuan Sihan—became the supervising officer. The day I left, my mother donned white clothing.

I saw her standing at the palace gates, watching me. I knew that from then on, I had no home, for the decree said, 'Without summons, do not enter the palace.'

Not long after I left, the news arrived that the Noble Consort passed away. I then knew my mother had finally acted.

Yanhe paused and continued, "The reason my mother clashed with the Empress was because the Empress's family instigated it."

He finished and a sardonic smile curled on his lips. Miao Miao, seeing Yanhe like this, felt a pang of sadness.

She embraced Yanhe, who, held by the girl, showed a gentle curve at his lips. Miao Miao looked up at him and asked, "And then?"

Yanhe smiled at her, "The first year I took over military command at Daanko, the winter was especially harsh. The northern tribes began attacking the city gates."

That year, I became known as the Iron-Blooded General. Uncle Yuan Sihan was quickly summoned back to the capital, while lavish rewards from the palace flowed steadily to Daanko.

The battlefield is a good place—it offers heroes a path forward. After I made a name for myself, my father bestowed upon me the title 'Prince of Shengxuan'.

At fourteen, I was granted a princely title, though not through a formal investiture; it was merely a name in an imperial decree. Compared to the Crown Prince and Third Prince, I became the first prince with real power.

This stirred up the capital, and many began to speculate whether His Majesty intended for me to inherit the throne.

But only I knew, whenever this investiture began, I would be the royal prince with genuine authority.

"Later, news of the Noble Consort's family letters spread," Yanhe closed his eyes and said to Miao Miao, "Every time my mother wrote a letter home, General Yuan Sihan would be made a useless official in the Ministry of War."

He sighed deeply, and Miao Miao saw him lying on the couch, his face mournful.

"It's said the family letters of the Noble Consort are more effective than the Emperor's decrees. But they don't realize it's not the letters themselves, it's simply the Emperor's will."

Yanhe fell silent, and Miao Miao suddenly felt he was truly pitiful, and so was his mother.

She hugged Yanhe, who felt a warmth in his heart, and said, "I was meant to return to the capital this year."

"My father hasn't seen me for years. He needs to see his son to be at ease."

"But if I brought you to the capital, I might not be able to protect you. So I used a small trick to delay it until next March."

Yanhe finished and sighed, then said to Miao Miao, "When you enter the capital, I must petition my father for a favor on your behalf."

He gave a bitter smile. If I satisfy my father, perhaps I can bring you back to Daanko again.

He sighed heavily and continued, "If he's not satisfied, you'll end up like Mother..."

Miao Miao shivered at these words, and Yanhe hugged her. "I hope this little trick works."

She looked at Yanhe seriously, "If that trick doesn't work, what then?"

Yanhe smiled bitterly, "Then I must go to the capital. After all, Father wants to see me—I have no right to refuse."

Miao Miao said nothing, and after a long silence, sighed. Just then, Cui Liu reported from outside. Miao Miao said to Yanhe, "Enough of these troubling matters. Let's go eat."

She pulled Yanhe out of the room, and he followed her to dinner.

Li Zheng, riding past the imperial mausoleum, said to his subordinate, "I'm going in to visit an old friend."

He entered the mausoleum. In his memory, the Third Prince was still the elegant young man, but now, no longer clad in noble robes.

Seeing Li Tai'an, the Third Prince, Li Zheng sighed and said, "Someone feared you'd be bored and sent this."

Tai'an saw the chessboard and frowned. Li Zheng placed the banknote Miao Miao had given him before Tai'an.

As he left, Li Zheng said, back turned, "She said, if you weren't born royalty, you could let the scenery of Jiangnan fill your poetry."

"She said, you'd probably have been a poet, a free-spirited literary wanderer."

Tai'an heard this and the corners of his lips twitched, but he said nothing.

After Li Zheng left, Tai'an silently stared at the banknote for a long time before accepting it.

A bitter smile crossed his lips. A poet? Not born in royalty?

Life offers no 'ifs'. People like them have no 'ifs'.

As Li Zheng departed, he wondered why Yanhe had agreed to let Miao Miao send the banknote.

He thought for a moment and shook his head. "Perhaps because Miao Miao is an outsider!"

Yanhe's wound healed day by day. Miao Miao watched as the weather grew colder, knowing they wouldn't travel to the capital this year.

She eyed Jiang Luohan with some curiosity about his identity; he'd once said he came from Hundred Flowers Valley.

Though curious, Miao Miao saw no need to pry into others' secrets.

The fifteenth year of Yongchang passed in a flash. It was a year of hardship for Yanhe; others continued their lives as usual.

Things proceeded along their destined paths. Miao Miao's staff housing was nearly finished, and the impoverished families now had places to live.

The homes Miao Miao bought weren't expensive; the poorer families paid a little each month, exchanging their previous homes for the new ones.

Some handed over their old houses to her, and Miao Miao converted the value into silver according to the local land price.

Most staff only needed to work for two or three years, and the house would become theirs. Other employees' homes were still under construction.

Since some workers traded their old houses, Miao Miao had enough land to build new ones.

Her factory remained prosperous; everyone recognized Lin's clothing and products.

Lin Langluan and Lin Langze, once mischievous children, had grown up. They no longer ran off to play all day—they understood how hard their sister worked and started studying diligently.

Miao Miao, watching them, felt a sense of pride and could empathize with a mother's feelings.

She also grew watermelons on her land in Han City, turning some into juice, which sold well.

Because of watermelon cultivation, Han City's people found new sources of income, greatly improving the local economy.

Miao Miao was pleased and named her land "Lin's Orchard."

The Lin Processing Factory's business was booming. Many merchants came to Daanko to open factories, and Miao Miao didn't exclude them.

Thus, the economies of the fifteen border cities improved greatly. Watching the changes around her, Miao Miao felt genuinely happy.