That year, the spring was glorious and the sun shone brightly.
All the young girls in the capital either stood on the street or leaned on the railing of the tall building. With spring-like looks on their faces, they stared eagerly in the same direction.
"Here he comes, here he comes! The great hero of our Great Yan Dynasty, General Wei Jingzhao of the Wei family, is coming!"
"Let me have a look, let me see!"
"I heard that he won battles at a young age. He is good-looking and so heroic. I wonder if he is married yet."
"Whether he is married or not has nothing to do with you. He is a noble son from a prominent family. The one who can match him must also be a noble lady. We can only take a couple of looks to feast our eyes."
"Alas! That's all we can do!"
At that time, Princess Le'an, Li Huaning, the most noble princess of the Great Yan Dynasty, was dining in an inn.
Hearing this, she couldn't help but feel curious and wanted to see what this Wei Jingzhao looked like.
Although he was a noble son from a prominent family, he had been training on the border all year round. Very few people in the capital had seen him in person. So she was extremely curious. Leaning on the railing, she jostled with a bunch of girls for the chance to feast her eyes.
After a stir, the army led by the Wei family came into the girls' sight.
Under the sun, the leading young man was in silver armor. He held the reins with one hand and a long spear in the other. The red tassel on the spearhead swayed gently in the wind, making the young man look extremely valiant.
The on - looking girls let out a series of excited cries, and their little faces blushed.
Li Huaning was also stunned. Especially when he looked up, his just eyes were as scorching as the sun. Her breath caught in her throat. Like those screaming girls, she also thought, "He is looking at me!"
She couldn't help but lean forward to see more clearly.
Unexpectedly, the crowd surged and pushed her down, over the railing.
Li Huaning's heart skipped a beat and she let out a series of screams. At this moment, she felt that she might die young.
The girls were also extremely frightened and covered their eyes, not daring to look.
Wei Jingzhao threw the long spear into the hands of his deputy general beside him, leaped forward, and firmly caught the terrified girl.
"Are you okay?" Along with the screams and envious sighs of countless girls, the sound rushed in like a storm.
Li Huaning was still in shock. She stared blankly at him with a pale face. "I'm okay."
"Actually, I am. I think I've sprained my ankle."
"Hmm?" Wei Jingzhao looked down at her leg.
She nervously rubbed her leg and felt a bit guilty. Finally, at a loss, she simply pretended to faint.
Wei Jingzhao quickly reached out to support her.
"Princess, Princess!" The personal maid had run herself ragged before finally finding the princess who had gotten separated from her.
Only then did Wei Jingzhao know that the girl he had saved was Princess Le'an. He also learned that the princess had left the palace without permission.
This was how their first encounter went.
It felt like the spring sun that year, warming their hearts.
The next time they met was in the palace. Wei Jingzhao and his father were summoned by the emperor.
Li Huaning, upon learning this, tried every means to create a chance encounter.
"Xiaoxi, do you think this dressing suits me?"
"Princess, your beauty is unparalleled in the world. Even without makeup, you can charm a large number of young talents." If only she didn't walk so impatiently and had a more sedate temper, she would be more like a princess.
However, the princess had already rushed out like the wind, shuttling through the red flowers and green willows, as lively as a sparrow.
At that time, Wei Jingzhao and his father had just come out of the imperial study.
Wei Jingzhao was standing on the steps. In his line of sight, there was a figure like a gust of wind, looking quite comical.
He couldn't help but let out a chuckle and said to his father beside him, "Are all the girls in the capital so lively?". He had thought they were all dignified and gentle.
His father gave him a disdainful look. "Watch your words! Do you think you're still on the border, where you can talk nonsense?" He glanced behind him, thinking that making fun of the emperor's daughter in front of the emperor was just asking for trouble!
"Father is right. Let's go."
Out of the corner of his eye, Wei Jingzhao saw the figure that was running quickly but suddenly stopped in place, looking at a loss.
He knew who she wanted to run towards, but he deliberately played hard - to - get.
Sure enough, because of this missed encounter, Li Huaning missed him for a lifetime.
Later, after many twists and turns, they finally got married.
On their wedding night, Wei Jingzhao still played hard - to - get. Li Huaning finally couldn't bear it anymore and pushed him onto the bed, stripping him clean.
He rested his head on his hands, holding back his laughter as he watched the eager beauty fumble around on him without a clue.
He looked at the anxious and blushing face, which was as eye - catching as the red candles.
Seeing that she was annoyed, he then rolled over on top of her, propping himself up on one hand while using the other to find her sensitive spots, leading her to the clouds and then into the star - filled sea.
That night, the clear laughter of the young girl came from the room, accompanied by a little gasping and begging for mercy.
The maids on night - watch outside blushed.
Later, the princess and the prince consort had a few years of harmonious married life. They also had a big, healthy son named Wei Jinchen.
But then, the situation changed suddenly.
The emperor's critical illness intensified the political intrigue in the court, and a battle for the throne began.
The crown prince was the first to be eliminated in the struggle. The queen was deposed, and her entire family was executed. The imperial edict of succession written before the emperor's illness also disappeared without a trace.
To avenge her elder brother and mother, Li Huaning allied with another prince to try to bring down the new crown prince.
As a result, that prince was badly defeated, and his entire family was eradicated. Li Huaning was exiled to Nanxun for participating in the battle for the throne.
At that time, Wei Jingzhao had already led his troops to war. By the time he returned, the throne had changed hands.
The new emperor was a prince who had grown up in the cold palace, someone he had never met before. But as a subject, he had to be loyal to the emperor, no matter who it was.
It was after Emperor Mingde ascended the throne that Li Huaning was welcomed back to the capital and was honored as the eldest princess. A mansion was also bestowed upon her.
But by now, the eldest princess, who had experienced great ups and downs, had long lost her former elegance and childishness.
The years and experiences had left a deep and painful mark on her heart. Extreme distrust and suspicion had made her perverse and sinister.
She talked less and less, became more and more moody, and even had some rebellious behaviors that were hard for ordinary people to understand.
The only time her emotional outburst was understandable was on the first day she entered the palace. The palace maid asked her to call a man she had never met, who had stolen the throne that should have belonged to her elder brother, "elder brother".
She was dissatisfied that just a few years had passed and people had forgotten the existence of her elder brother.
She was dissatisfied that people could so easily accept the new fate.
Her elder brother, her mother, and so many others had died. Why did people seem to have amnesia? Why did no one mention them? Why!
She hated people for forgetting, so she also took out her anger on this elder brother she had never met.
"Ning'er, the crown prince is dead, and history has changed. You should move on from the past, look at the beautiful rivers and mountains now, look at me and our child."
Wei Jingzhao stroked her head, gently comforting her and wiping away the tears on her face.
"Are you also taking his side? Are you also going to work for him? You are my husband. Why are you standing on his side! Get out, get out!"
Li Huaning drove Wei Jingzhao out of the room.
From then on, the couple lived in separate rooms until that year when there was an emergency on the border. Wei Jingzhao led his troops to war and never came back.
The deputy general who survived by a fluke brought back a wooden puppet, with some blood on it. The puppet was carved so vividly that even outsiders could tell at a glance who the person on it was.