Chapter 5, Farewell

Indeed? Ruo Wei was also at a loss, gazing intently at Sun Jingzhi, hoping he could unravel the mystery for her

If Ruo Wei nodded slightly and said: "Father, am I really going to accompany the princess in her studies? It won't be like those Korean beauties who serve the old emperor..." Ruo Wei stuck out her tongue and said, "It shouldn't be, right?"

Sun Jingzhi was filled with sorrow and had no outlet for it. He could not comfort his wife. Since the moment their daughter was born, there had been jesting remarks that such a delicate and beautiful girl would surely one day reside in the palace. However, he never expected that this day would come so soon

"Wei Er!" Sun Jingzhi's face tightened as he glanced around, and could not help but reprimand in a low voice: "With your temperament, once you enter the palace, you must not speak your mind freely. In the face of events, do not be hasty; take your time to decide, only then will it be appropriate. Do you understand?"

Every inch of soft intestines, tears like delicate powder, do not approach the perilous railing of the tall building.

Sun Jingzhi gently brushed his daughter's dark hair and nodded slightly

If Wei did not cry, from the moment she received the news until the day of farewell, she did not shed a single tear. Instead, she seemed to transform into a different person, meticulously arranging everything for herself, from clothing, accessories, and various trinkets, to poetry books, musical instruments, and dance costumes, packing and boxing each item in an orderly manner

Ah? Ruowei could not help but be astonished: "Isn't the current emperor nearly fifty years old? Why is he still selecting a consort for himself?"

"The beautiful women of Korea?" Ruo Wei's eyes sparkled with liveliness as she asked, "Father, who are the beautiful women of Korea chosen for?"

In the past two days, there has been a continuous stream of visitors at the Sun family's doorstep, all of whom are there to offer their congratulations. However, for the Sun family, this matter cannot be regarded as a cause for celebration.

"Father, how much farther do we have to go?" After being jostled in the car all day, Ruo Wei finally grew a bit impatient

Seeing her like this, it is hard to tell whether it is true or false, and Sun Jingzhi felt even more anxious

Gradually moving further away, home has already faded from sight, becoming an indelible shadow in my heart

Sun Jingzhi displayed a look of hesitation on his face, and after a moment of deliberation, he said: "It is for the current Emperor, to select renowned noblewomen from Korea as candidates for the imperial harem, as dispatched by the Ministry of Rites"

The night before last, Ruo Wei quietly entered her father's study and saw him lost in thought while gazing at a painting. She looked closely, and the painting depicted an extraordinarily beautiful woman, with a slender waist and a well-proportioned figure, exuding grace and elegance, calm and composed. As Ruo Wei observed more intently, she realized that the woman was not her mother. She was slightly taken aback and couldn't help but let out a soft "Oh".

Nonsense! Sun Jingzhi laughed and scolded, "Ziyan has been serving by your side since she was young, her temperament is steady and clever. With her by your side, your mother and I can be somewhat at ease; otherwise, with your temperament in the palace, we would truly be unable to eat or sleep peacefully!

Sun Jingzhi nodded, and at that moment, Ruo Wei picked up the embroidery frame and ran over excitedly: "Mother, do you think this embroidery of mine looks decent?" Su Su did not pay attention to the embroidery but instead took her daughter's hand, gently turned it over, and indeed, on the tips of her ten fingers, there were tiny needle holes. Unable to contain herself, Su Su turned away, tears streaming down her face

If Wei knew that her mother was heartbroken for her, she still wanted to personally embroider a handkerchief for each family member before leaving, as a keepsake. She wanted to comfort her mother but did not know how to express it. When she raised her eyes and saw her stepbrother standing at the door, she immediately smiled and said: "Jizong, come here and take a look at the handkerchief I embroidered."

Ziyan! Sun Jingzhi stopped her, and Ziyan immediately swallowed the words that followed. However, Ruowei had already understood; she looked up at her father and asked, "Father, are you going to betroth me to the imperial grandson?"

If Wei nodded slightly, she took Jizong's hand: "Brother, I have never called you brother carefully before, but now that I am leaving, I ask you to take good care of our parents and also of Jiming. He is too young and may not even know that he has an older sister like me in the future. You should protect him like you used to protect me, play with him, teach him to strive for progress, and supervise his studies, alright?"

Yet Ruowei seemed oblivious, diligently embroidering flowers at the kang table, each stitch precise. Yes, she was embroidering. Susu and Sun Jingzhi, witnessing this scene, could not help but feel a pang of sorrow. Susu leaned against her husband, her eyes brimming with tears, "Husband, is our Ruowei really going to leave home, really going to enter the palace?"

In a state of helplessness, Sun Jingzhi could only say: "Very well, if I do not clarify this with you, I fear you may not understand the gravity of the situation and only stir up trouble. The wife of the Duke of Pengcheng is originally from the Zhao Ping family, which has historically been on good terms with our Sun family. Her husband, the Duke of Pengcheng, is from Yongcheng, and during my father's tenure as the chief clerk in Yongcheng, he often visited there. The current Crown Princess is from her family, and the Crown Princess..." Upon mentioning the Crown Princess, Sun Jingzhi's expression paused, revealing a hint of discomfort.

If Wei Dun felt disappointed, she smiled gently and said, "Father need not be so, for the palace is the most prosperous and affluent place in the world, and the royal grandson is a dragon among men. I do not feel wronged at all; rather, I am very happy!"

Sun Jingzhi heard the noise and immediately rolled up the scroll. Chong Ruowei waved his hand and said, "Weier, come here, come to your father."

If Wei nodded slightly: "It's just a pity for that girl Ziyan, who also has to accompany me to the palace. It would be better to leave her behind; I can go alone!"

Father!" Ruo Wei leaned against Sun Jingzhi's embrace and said somewhat coquettishly, "How about we quietly set off early tomorrow morning? Let’s not have Mother, Grandfather, and Yizong see us off; I cannot bear the sorrow and desolation of parting!

Ji Zong walked over, took the embroidered piece, and gently brushed it with his hand. He did not understand the quality of the embroidery, but having watched his mother and Ziyan's embroidery since childhood, he knew that his own work was far inferior in comparison. However, at that moment, he said nothing and simply tucked it into his bosom, saying, "Please give this to me as a gift"

Sun Jingzhi was both angry and anxious, unsure of how to speak to her. He remarked that she had been clever since childhood, but after all, she was still a child. At this moment, Ziyan interjected: "I heard that the one who came to our residence to deliver the imperial edict was a servant of the Lady of Pengcheng. Master, who is this Lady of Pengcheng? What is her connection to our young lady? Why did the old master instruct that on the day of our arrival in the capital, we must take the young lady to pay a visit to the Lady of Pengcheng?"

"Mother, please go back!" Ruo Wei held a silk handkerchief, waving it high, striving to leave them with a lovely smile, while beside her, Zi Yan was already teary-eyed. Not wanting to feel the sorrow of parting, yet in this moment, who can truly escape the customs of emotion

Sun Jingzhi sighed deeply, holding his wife, and said helplessly: "It is merely to serve as a companion for the princess, not to be selected as a palace maid or a采女. After two or three years, when the princess is married off, perhaps she can return.

He did not inform his wife that, in fact, two years ago, their daughter was almost taken away by Yao Guangxiao. At that time, he had refused, but this time it was her mother, Zhang Yan, the once-renowned talented woman of Yongcheng, who was just a step away from becoming his consort. Her mother, Lady Pengcheng, came with the imperial decree, summoning Ruo Wei to the palace to serve as a companion to the princess. In this regard, the Sun family had no grounds to decline.

Sun Jingzhi embraced both his wife and daughter in his arms, saying nothing at all

Sun Jingzhi looked at Ruowei, noncommittal, and simply said: "Nothing has been finalized yet"

If Wei felt suspicious in her heart, she carefully observed her father's expression, only to find it somewhat strange. Meanwhile, Ziyan seemed to have a sudden realization: "I understand now, the crown princess must be looking to select a suitable candidate from her hometown for her son..."

The wheels rolled on, and she felt utterly exhausted from the constant jolting. Although she was very drowsy and wished to drift off to sleep, she was always held back by some lingering concern. Thus, she reached out to open the curtain and saw her father's figure on horseback, which made her heart ache.

If Wei smiled slightly: "Father, is that woman your confidante?"

Everything seemed the same as in the past, but on her originally youthful face, there was a composure and scheming that was incongruous with her age. In this regard, Sun Jingzhi could no longer discern whether it was joy or sorrow, yet the deep concern and unease lingered in his heart for a long time, difficult to calm.

The plum blossoms at the pavilion are withered, the willows by the stream are slender, the grass is fragrant and the warm breeze sways the reins of the carriage

Su Su's eyes were misty with tears, forcing a smile: "Really?"

Sun Jingzhi stroked his beard in silence, gazing at Ruowei, his heart slightly struggling with the decision of whether to reveal this secret to her. Looking at her innocent and youthful smile, Sun Jingzhi resolutely decided to say nothing. Perhaps, like a child, remaining blissfully unaware would allow one to maintain their integrity in such a palace. He made up his mind and casually asked, "Is everything prepared?"

"Ruowei!" Jizong shouted from outside the house

Ji Zong nodded, then suddenly shook off Ruo Wei's hand: "I do not agree. Grandfather said it would only take two or three years. When the princess is married, you will be able to return. By then, Ji Ming will also understand things, and you can teach him yourself. We will wait for you, you must come back!" After saying this, Ji Zong ran away without looking back, and Su Su, witnessing this scene, could not help but transition from a low sob to an uncontrollable cry.

The sorrow of parting gradually fades into infinity, endlessly flowing like spring water

"It will be soon, in just two more days, we will arrive in Dengzhou. At that time, together with the beautiful women from Korea, we will take the water route to the capital, and we won't have to endure such hardships anymore!" Sun Jingzhi looked at his daughter, his eyes filled with tenderness.

At the end of the flat and barren land lies the spring mountains, while travelers are still outside the spring mountains