Thousand Miles of Bright Moonlight

Chapter 27: Replacement

Back then, when Li De kept his promise to marry Xie Manyuan, Tang Ying suddenly appeared and made a scene at the wedding reception.

　　Li De, dressed in military attire, glanced at Tang Ying, who had a face determined to severe relations, then glanced at his men who had followed him faithfully at the front of the hall, and his face showed hesitation.

　　The military advisor appeared beside him and whispered, "General, the alliance between Li and Xie families has been made."

　　Li De closed his eyes, remembering the tens of thousands of Wei soldiers who died in battle because of his recklessness, remembering his younger cousin who violently died under the sword to escort him out of the siege, remembering the malnourished, starving soldiers and the Xie family's storehouses full of grain.

　　"A mere woman."

　　He murmured, turning to take Xie Manyuan's hand.

　　As a young man, Li De was proud and arrogant and thought he could handle the inner residences's disputes.

　　In the past, Liu Xun, Emperor Xuan of the Han dynasty, had deep affection for his wife and offended Huo Guang. His first wife Xu Pingjun died tragically at the hands of Huo furen. Although he later sat on the imperial throne and avenged Xu Pingjun, he could never get back his wife who had been with him for so long.

Li De was confident that he would not become Liu Xun.

　　Tang Ying was even less likely to become the second Xu Pingjun.

　　He could use the noble families to grow in strength while protecting his wife and son well. Progressively weakening the noble families, when he ascended the throne, the empress must be Tang Ying.

　　To be an official, you must be upright, to marry a wife, you must marry Yin Lihua.

　　Yin Lihua waited for seventeen years and became Empress, the mother of the world.

　　But Tang Ying did not wait until the day Li De ascended the throne, dying in a fire.

　　She left a final letter, the words sharp, so forceful that she cut through the back of the paper: My husband above, this concubine's body worships you thrice. Today I sever all relationships. In all our lifetimes, all corners of the world and the Yellow Springs, never see each other again!

　　The smoke coiled in front of the beast's head incense burner, the incense fragrant.

Li De slowly unfolded a memorial page, a bitter smile surfacing on his lips.

　　That day's pain that felt like his heart and bones were gouged out after seeing the letter, once again flooded his heart.

　　He should have realized it before. Tang Ying was of unyielding nature, how could she have Yin Lihua's understanding and sensibility, enduring and accompanying him for more than ten years?

　　When she found out that he had married another Xie shi, she had already wanted to leave him. The reason why she stayed by his side and suffered in silence was entirely for Li Xuanzhen.

　　It was also for Li Xuanzhen that she burned herself to death, burning the child in her womb.

　　Mother and child. One corpse, two lives.

　　Li De's thoughts wandered for a moment, "Zhang Nu, national affairs are first. You are the crown prince of a nation, you must bear in mind your identity."

　　Li Xuanzhen was unmoved and sneered, "Your Majesty, you adopted Yun niang, indulged her, exploited her. She spoiled your grand plan, but it was you who had it coming."