Chapter 719: Wine

The night from many years ago slowly surfaced in Li Liao’s mind. Back then, the old emperor and Crown Prince Li Shu had passed away in quick succession, and Li Yao had ascended the throne.

That banquet was one Li Yao held to celebrate his ascension. All the nobles in the Capital City attended, making for a magnificent affair.

The Crown Princess Consort was still alive then, and Li Liao had hidden her in an unknown location outside the city.

His mind was consumed with how to arrange for the Crown Princess Consort and her unborn child. Lost in his turmoil, he failed to notice when Princess Rouwan disappeared from his side.

When he saw the Commandery Princess again, she looked utterly devastated. Her face was ashen, as if she had suffered a tremendous blow.

But no matter how he questioned her, the Commandery Princess refused to say what had happened, only repeating the same four words over and over—

I want to go home.

Thus, Li Liao made his excuses to leave early and rushed the Commandery Princess out of the palace.

After that, the Commandery Princess was a completely different person.

…

Li Liao gently placed the wine cup back on the table and let out a long, slow breath.

“If I said I didn’t, would you believe me?”

Li Ji stared intently into his eyes, hearing no sound from his heart.

This meant that, at this very moment, he was speaking the truth.

Li Liao’s back had always been ramrod straight, a habit developed from many years in the army.

But now, his back had unconsciously stooped, making him look as if he had aged several years in an instant.

“I truly didn’t know the late Emperor would do such a thing to the Commandery Princess. If I had known she would suffer such a humiliation, I would never have brought her to the palace that night.”

Li Ji’s expression softened slightly, but his question was just as piercing.

“What about after? The Commandery Princess had a sudden, drastic change in temperament after returning home. She even considered getting rid of the child in her womb. Did you never delve into the reason why?”

Another long silence.

Li Liao raised his right hand to cover his eyes and began to speak, his voice strained.

“I did investigate in secret. When I learned the truth, I was furious. I wanted to storm the palace and kill that Dog Emperor, but my rational mind told me not to be impulsive. I had to calm down and think carefully about what to do next.”

Li Ji seized the opportunity to ask, “And so you came up with the substitution scheme?”

Li Liao’s lips trembled. It was a long moment before he could speak.

“My original plan was to bring you into our home after the Commandery Princess gave birth. I would have announced that the Commandery Princess had given birth to twins, letting you and the other child grow up together. But things rarely go as planned. The child died right after it was born. I had no choice but to bury that child in secret and have you take his place. The Dog Emperor didn’t know the truth. He would think you were his and the Commandery Princess’s illegitimate son, and would surely look after you. With his protection, you were certain to grow up safely in the perilous Shangjing City.”

At this, Li Liao’s lips twisted into a derisive sneer.

“My only regret is that the Dog Emperor died too soon. If he were still alive to hear me tell him the truth, can you imagine his fury and regret? I would have loved to see the priceless look on his face in that moment.”

To seize the throne, Li Yao had committed patricide and fratricide, framed loyal officials, and even assaulted a subject’s wife while drunk. Every single one was a crime on his list; he deserved more than death.

Still, Li Ji asked in a low voice.

“Was it worth it?”

Even though Li Yao was dead, the truth was out, and Crown Prince Li Shu’s name had been cleared, the relationship between Li Liao and Princess Rouwan was completely destroyed.

Trading the love of his life for the truth.

Was it really worth it?

Li Liao slowly lowered his hand, revealing his red-rimmed eyes.

“I am the one who failed her.”

He had fulfilled his promise to the Crown Princess Consort and repaid the debt of gratitude he owed Crown Prince Li Shu for his patronage.

He had set the entire imperial court to rights and let the world know of the crimes Li Yao had committed.

He was a loyal minister and a fine general, one whose name would be recorded in the annals of history.

He had a clear conscience before heaven and earth, yet he had failed that one woman alone.

…

「Inside the Duke Zhen Country Mansion.」

Princess Rouwan had cried herself weary, and her mood had finally settled somewhat.

Hua Manman wanted to help her back to her room to rest for a while.

But Princess Rouwan wiped away her tears, her voice hoarse.

“I want to go home.”

Hua Manman paused, slightly taken aback. “Isn’t this your home?”

Princess Rouwan said, “I want to go back to the Commandery Princess Mansion.”

As a Commandery Princess, she naturally had her own mansion. But before she married, she had always lived with her parents in the Princess Mansion. After getting married, she lived with Li Liao in the Duke Zhen Country Mansion.

So that Commandery Princess Mansion had always been vacant; she had never lived there.

Hua Manman understood her mood. She knew the princess wanted to find a quiet place to compose herself.

‘This is for the best.’ The Duke Zhen Country Mansion was filled with memories of the princess and Li Liao. Staying here would only make her constantly dwell on the past, darkening her mood. A change of scenery would help her adjust.

“I’ll take you there.”

The servants quickly packed the luggage.

Princess Rouwan picked a few of her most trusted servants to move with her to the Commandery Princess Mansion.

Before leaving, Hua Manman didn’t forget to have someone send a message to the Regent Prince Mansion, telling Li Ji that she had gone to the Commandery Princess Mansion.

The Commandery Princess Mansion naturally had a steward. He was startled by Princess Rouwan’s sudden arrival and immediately ordered the servants to tidy up the rooms and clean the place.

After all this bustling activity, the sun had already set.

Princess Rouwan asked Manman to stay for dinner.

Hua Manman wanted to keep the Commandery Princess company and talk with her, so she readily agreed.

Princess Rouwan was in low spirits and drank quite a bit of wine. Hua Manman drank a few cups with her in solidarity.

As the wine took effect, they both began to speak without inhibition.

Princess Rouwan slammed her hand on the table and said bitterly.

“All men are the same—not a single one of them is any good! When he was courting me, he said he’d listen to me on everything, that he’d be at my beck and call. He even said if I told him to go east, he’d never dare go west. If I told him to eat a dish, he’d never dare drink the soup. And what happened? His promises were bullshit! All of it was just fucking lies!”

Hua Manman wrapped an arm around her shoulder to comfort her.

“If you can believe a man’s words, then pigs can fly. Don’t be sad. So what if you get a divorce? On to the next one—he’ll be better! Do you know what men are like? They’re like the wine in our cups. If you don’t like the taste, just pour it out and get a different kind.”

After saying this, Hua Manman picked up her wine cup and tossed the contents to the side.

The move was quite dashing and carefree.

However, as she tossed the wine, it landed squarely on a pair of black brocade boots.

Hua Manman’s hand, holding the wine cup, froze.

She slowly raised her head, her gaze traveling up from the black brocade boots until it met a pair of deep, ink-black eyes.

Li Ji was standing two paces away, one hand clasped behind his back, watching her with a faint, enigmatic smile.

He asked, his tone laced with amusement.

“It seems you’re in quite a hurry to move on to the next cup of wine.”

Hua Manman’s scalp prickled. ‘How did this dog of a man suddenly appear here?!’

She immediately shoved the wine cup into Princess Rouwan’s hand and declared with righteous indignation.

“Commandery Princess, even if you don’t like this wine, you can’t just pour it out! It’s a shameful waste!”

Princess Rouwan: ???