Chapter 77: A Thousand Li Away, Love Transmitted

Chapter 77: A Thousand Miles of Affection

After settling Rong'er in the cabin to sleep, the two brothers finally had a chance to talk properly. Zhu Yunxuan glanced out the window and saw that their ship was followed by four or five warships for protection. The spectacle was impressive, so he couldn't help but ask Zhu Yunjing, "Didn't I tell you it wasn't necessary to send so many people? And yet, here you are personally."

Zhu Yunjing replied, "It's better to be cautious. If not for the martial law currently enforced in Quanzhou, preparing for any potential enemy invasion, I would have brought even more."

Zhu Yunxuan frowned upon hearing this. "The news of my return must remain unknown for now."

"Rest assured. These men were personally trained by He Huailing; they would never dare to disclose the Emperor's whereabouts without permission."

Zhu Yunxuan nodded. "How is the situation in Quanzhou?"

Zhu Yunjing chuckled softly. "As expected, some are beginning to make moves. But don't worry, they're just insignificant ants. The remnants of the Chen family have been out of the Central Plains for over two hundred years; how many capable individuals could they still have? The one from the Liang residence was an unexpected occurrence. The rest are nobodies. I already have a list of names, waiting for His Majesty's judgment when he returns."

Pausing for a moment, Zhu Yunjing asked hesitantly, "As for... what exactly do you plan to do with Zhu Yunqiong?"

Zhu Yunxuan was momentarily at a loss for words. "Has anyone tried to approach him lately?"

"Of course, they did. Those people probably didn't expect you to bring Zhu Yunqiong along to the south, which inadvertently gave them an opportunity. However, I've kept an eye on him, and those individuals haven't been able to get close. He should be unaware of his true identity."

Zhu Yunxuan sighed, "Not to mention him, even the Cheng Guifei might not know. That woman only had her heart set on becoming the Empress Dowager. She almost succeeded too... Forget it. I didn't kill Zhu Yunqiong back then, so why should I now? If he knows nothing, he can live quietly in the future. He's just a sickly member of the royal family, and I can support him."

Zhu Yunjing disagreed and reminded him, "Considering the chaos during the succession and his awkward background, Your Majesty shouldn't show mercy. You should decisively eliminate the root of the problem."

Zhu Yunxuan shook his head. "That day at the temple fair, he threw himself forward without regard for his safety to try to retrieve Rong'er. He was kicked to the ground and couldn't get up. Just for that, I can't bear to take his life. There is karma in this world. If it were to come back to me, so be it. But I can't risk it with Rong'er. When I released him from the cold palace, I did it with the intention of accumulating blessings for Rong'er. How could I go back on that decision?"

"Besides," Zhu Yunxuan's gaze dimmed as he spoke softly, "He's powerless and has no influence. It's uncertain if he'll even survive to adulthood. If I consider someone like him a major threat, I'd be a failure as an emperor. Since I've spared his life, I naturally won't give him the chance to harbor improper intentions again."

"Alright, as long as you have your reasons," Zhu Yunjing said. After all, Zhu Yunqiong was just a pawn used by others. He didn't bother persuading further. "Let's not talk about Zhu Yunqiong. Let's discuss Liang Zhen. You've already let Rong'er acknowledge him? What are your thoughts?"

Zhu Yunxuan was taken aback but soon wore a faint smile. He countered Zhu Yunjing, "Brother, have you been happy with Duke Ding all these years?"

Zhu Yunjing grumbled, "Why are you bringing me into this? This is different..."

"There's no difference. I didn't agree with you and Duke Ding being together back then, but aren't you two doing well now? If you two can make it work, perhaps so can I with him. I like him, and he likes me. That's enough. In the past, I overthought things and hesitated. It's better not to think too much. Live for the moment. As long as he doesn't disappoint me one day, I'll treat him well that day. Besides, we have Rong'er. Even though his birth wasn't my wish, I can't bear to part with him now."

Zhu Yunjing was momentarily speechless, "…He abducted you and Rong'er directly. That was rather reckless, even if he didn't have malicious intent."

"Yes," Zhu Yunxuan nodded with a smile. "If not for him, we wouldn't have known about Zhu Yunqiong's background or the remnants of the previous dynasty lurking within the court. He may act boldly and aggressively, but he truly has my best interests at heart."

Zhu Yunjing: "..."

The day after Zhu Yunxuan was abducted, Liang Zhen dispatched a messenger to the General's Mansion, outlining his plan in detail. Since they couldn't locate the pirates' hideout, he intended to lure them out and capture them all at once. By abducting the emperor and intentionally spreading news of his disappearance, the pirates, in collusion with foreign tribes, would seize the opportunity to invade Great Yan. As long as the Great Yan naval forces gained the upper hand, victory was assured, and they could also use Zhu Yunqiong's identity to expose any remaining traitors from the previous dynasty serving as spies within the court. It was a two-pronged strategy.

As for Liang Zhen himself, he planned to use the captured emperor as bait to infiltrate the alliance between the foreign tribes and the pirates. At the crucial moment, he would turn against them, catching them off guard.

The idea was sound but somewhat audacious. Zhu Yunjing, He Huailing, and the others didn't trust Liang Zhen at all. They only reluctantly followed his plan after receiving Zhu Yunxuan's reply, delivered by a falconer, in which the emperor personally endorsed Liang Zhen's strategy. Now, upon learning that the enemy would soon attack, Zhu Yunxuan finally sent word to have someone come and fetch him.

Given Zhu Yunxuan's current state, he wouldn't tolerate anyone speaking ill of Liang Zhen. Zhu Yunjing, wisely sensing this, decided to remain silent. As Zhu Yunxuan had said, it was all his own choice, good or bad. There was no point overthinking it. The current Zhu Yunxuan was no longer someone Liang Zhen could manipulate easily. Therefore, it was best to let them proceed with their plans. Why bother worrying about unnecessary matters and risk attracting displeasure?

"As long as you can come to terms with it, I won't press the matter further. But you still need to consider how to address the court officials."

Zhu Yunxuan smiled. "I already have a plan in mind."

After arriving in Quanzhou, Zhu Yunxuan didn't leave the general's residence and only met with a few high-ranking officials who had accompanied him on the journey. The emperor's disappearance was kept from them, and upon seeing Zhu Yunxuan again, these elder statesmen wept with emotion. After repeated warnings from Zhu Yunxuan, they managed to conceal their true feelings from outsiders.

Zhu Yunxuan had been gone for over half a month, during which time the capital experienced some unrest. However, with three years of wielding significant power, he had built up a formidable reputation, and no major chaos erupted within such a short time. Upon returning to Quanzhou, he immediately wrote a secret edict and dispatched it to the cabinet ministers left in the capital, quelling any potential intrigues.

Despite not being able to make public appearances, Zhu Yunxuan continued to handle the mountainous backlog of state affairs each day. He also discussed the impending naval battle with He Huailing. They were thoroughly prepared, secretly recalling most of the naval forces stationed at other ports, awaiting the pirates to fall into their trap.

One afternoon, after waking from a nap, Rong'er was led by his nanny to Zhu Yunxuan's quarters. Zhu Yunxuan was in the process of removing a letter from the leg of a returning falcon.

The falcon, upon seeing Rong'er, flew down from the windowsill and landed on the ground, looking up at the child with its head held high. The little one approached, crouched down, and affectionately stroked the bird's feathers while giggling.

Zhu Yunxuan didn't interfere, instead focusing on the letter in his hand. Liang Zhen's handwriting was always as graceful as a dragon dancing across the page, bold and magnificent. The letter succinctly conveyed the intelligence he had gathered, including when the enemy planned to march, how many ships and soldiers they would send, what equipment they carried, and from which direction they would attack. Zhu Yunxuan had no doubt; Liang Zhen would not have shared this information without verifying its authenticity.

At the end of the letter, the tone shifted, and a flirtatious message read, "My thoughts yearn for you, my body even more." Zhu Yunxuan couldn't help but chuckle softly, muttering, "Such shamelessness."

He didn't write a reply. Instead, he plucked an unidentifiable summer flower that had reached into his window and placed it in a bamboo tube. Calling Rong'er over, he asked, "Good boy, the little bird is going to help Daddy deliver something to your father. Do you want to give him anything?"

The child pondered for a moment, then took a candy from his pocket and offered it to Zhu Yunxuan, saying generously, "My candy, for Father."

Zhu Yunxuan chuckled. Rong'er had a sweet tooth, and Zhu Yunjing allowed him to eat no more than two candies a day. The child cherished these sweets immensely, having received them only twice from him – once as an apology the day after they met, and another time when he was sick, with his obedient son placing two candies by his pillow to wish for his swift recovery. Now, however, he was willing to part with one for Liang Zhen.

"Really for Father?"

The toddler nodded earnestly, "Rong'er isn't stingy."

Zhu Yunxuan smiled and tickled his nose, "Good boy."

Pushing the sugar into the bamboo tube, Zhu Yunxuan reattached it to the falcon's leg and watched it soar through the window, vanishing into the horizon in the blink of an eye. He closed his eyes gently and smiled silently.

As night fell, Liang Zhen had just returned to his room when he heard a "whoosh" sound. The falcon descended from the sky and perched on the windowsill, looking down its nose at him with arrogance.

Liang Zhen approached with a smile, carefully untying the bamboo tube. The falcon pecked his hand lightly, and he endured it with a laugh. "If you peck me again, I'll ask A Xuan to cook you."

The falcon gave him a disdainful glance before flying off. Liang Zhen didn't mind; instead, he stared at the two items that poured out of the tube, falling silent before chuckling softly.

When they first met at Duke Ding's country estate, Rong'er had mentioned giving him candy. It was unexpected that the promise would finally be fulfilled today.

He too had once plucked a flower for Zhu Yunxuan during their most strained period. Zhu Yunxuan hadn't even glanced at it, and eventually, Liang Zhen himself had thrown it away. Now, Zhu Yunxuan had taken the initiative to send him a flower he had picked, traveling a great distance to do so.

Under the moonlit night, Liang Zhen's eyes shone brighter than the stars, filled with a radiant smile.

Only when someone came to remind him softly that it was time to depart did he place the two items back into the bamboo tube, tucking them securely in his chest alongside the jade pendant Zhu Yunxuan had given him. With that, he pushed open the door.