Marriage to the Royal Prince's Uncle

C54. Brushstrokes and Desire.

Chapter 54

On the day Li Xian departed from Beijing with King Li, the morning dawned with rain.

It was mid-June, and the frequent rain had discouraged many from attending the ceremony of King Li's departure to the feudal clan due to travel inconveniences.

Having spent the previous night at the palace with King Li, Li Xian had no opportunity to return home that day.

Meng Shi took her daughter and daughter-in-law out of the city early to await the sight of her son again.

The gentle rain had turned the once smooth official road into mud, soiling the skirts of the three ladies and muddying the soles of their shoes.

Finally, King Li's ceremonial guard emerged from the city gate, flanked by guards to the front, back, left, and right, with several carriages in between.

In the first carriage sat Li Xian, together with King Li.

As they approached the three mothers, the carriage came to a halt.

At King Li's prompting, Li Xian alighted from the carriage. King Li gazed at the weeping female relatives on the roadside through the raised curtain and nodded surreptitiously. In an instant, the curtain descended, signifying his lack of interest in engaging with the female relatives of Duke Ningguo. Conveying greetings held no importance. Should this news reach the palace, it would only bring further trouble upon Duke Ning's residence.

"Mother, sister-in-law, sister."

Li Xian walked over in the drizzle and addressed each in turn.

Yunzhu had already shifted the umbrella over her brother's head. She remained silent as she embraced her brother tightly.

Had it been her elder brother, she might not have been so anxious. Yet, at fifteen years old, no matter how tall he grew, in her eyes, he was but a child.

Yunzhu knew that many children of military attache families would embark on practice missions in their youth. For instance, Cao Xun ventured to the border at sixteen, and Xie Lang similarly joined the military camp at a comparable age.

Yunzhu still recalled the discussions about Xie Lang's departure from Beijing amongst their peers. Cao Shao was envious and yearned for a similar opportunity, as Pan had refused to allow him to venture to such a perilous place. Sun Yurong was impressed yet worried, fearing that Xie Lang might sustain battle injuries and lose his limbs. At the time, Yunzhu didn't feel much. At most, she simply yearned for Xie Lang's safe return due to their friendship.

Now, it was her brother's turn, and Yunzhu truly understood the significance of being closely related by blood and caring for one another.

Yunzhu's heart was weighed down by the thought of her younger brother falling ill with no family around, and of him enduring mistreatment and oppression by local officials who vied for Emperor Qianxing's favor while following King Li.

Li Xian embraced his slightly shorter sister and jested, "If I had known my sister would cry, I wouldn't have left the carriage."

Amidst the emotional moment, Yunzhu rested her head on her brother's shoulder, wishing to linger in the embrace a while longer.

Li Xian murmured, "Sister, await my return with tranquility. There will come a day when you and I reunite in Beijing."

Unless peace prevails between Xia Dynasty and neighboring nations, there will always be occasions when the royal family must depend on the men of the Li family.

The elder brother is a natural-born military leader, and Li Xian is no less capable than him.

He guided his sister's hand and placed it on his shoulder, conveying his growth from the once thin and delicate child he had been.