Songshui Lake lay at the foot of West Mountain, not far from the western slope where the two armies had clashed earlier. A river running north to south flowed through the lake. The channel was not wide, unsuitable for large warships, but small boats and pleasure barges could pass.
As evening approached, the setting sun melted into gold, laying a pale golden sheen over the river and lake surface. The water in the center rippled lightly, shimmering with glints of gold.
Suddenly, three or four small boats approached from the north and south, breaking through the shimmering gold.
Li Chanxiu rode only a single small boat. Besides him, there were Lu Zhi, Guard Yu, Zhou Kai, and several other guards.
Because he needed to keep this from Li Xuan, he had to remain low-key. The boat he chose was an ordinary one, dull and gray, nothing special. In fact, he hadn’t even intended to bring so many people, it was only because General Yan was too worried and insisted he bring them, otherwise he would report the matter to Li Xuan.
That tactic worked very well on Li Chanxiu, so he had no choice but to agree.
As they reached the lakeshore, they could already see from afar that two boats were anchored in the middle of the lake. Drawing closer, they discovered they were actually two pleasure barges.
Especially the leading one, it was tall and beautiful, even two stories high. The entire structure was made of red wood, with upturned eaves and exquisite craftsmanship. The doors, windows, and pillars were carved with intricate patterns, and eight-sided lanterns embroidered with gold bamboo hung from the eaves. Even the windows and doors were draped with light gauze.
By comparison, the small boat Li Chanxiu was riding suddenly seemed extremely shabby.
Seeing these two barges, everyone on the small boat fell silent.
Lu Zhi’s brow twitched as he thought: Is he here to fetch a bride?
Zhou Kai, Guard Yu, and the others ground their teeth: We’ve lost, completely lost!
The Shizi is truly cunning, trying to overwhelm our prince with the grandeur of his barge. If we had known, we should have persuaded His Highness to borrow a luxurious wedding barge from a wealthy family in the city before coming.
Li Chanxiu also paused slightly, his expression stiffening, until, from the opposing barge, a long, strong hand lifted the gauze curtain, and a cold, stern figure stepped out.
The man wore black armor, his figure tall and upright, with sharp brows and bright eyes, like a grim general about to charge into a bloody battle.
Li Chanxiu couldn’t help but let out a breath of relief. Good, it was a normal scene. But this barge was really… perhaps Pei Zhen hadn’t been able to find a suitable boat and had simply rented one at random?
Steadying himself and suppressing his surprise, he cupped his hands slightly and said in a voice like shattered jade, cool yet carrying a faint smile, “General Pei, long time no see.”
As he spoke, the palm he held clenched was faintly damp with sweat. Compared to the title “Shizi,” in his dreams he had been more accustomed to calling the other “General.”
Though they were clearly the same person, after Pei Er became Pei Zhen, he felt a trace of nervousness.
Partly from guilt, and partly because he was finally seeing the person he had long wanted to meet in his dreams. Still, he concealed it well, his face carrying a light smile as always.
When Pei Zhen saw him, he too paused slightly.
Today, Li Chanxiu wore ordinary clothing, still dressed as a man. He was clad in a white brocade robe embroidered with cloud patterns, wide sleeves and a narrow waist outlining a slender figure like green bamboo in snow. His features were as elegant as distant mountains, lips red and skin fair. When he looked over with a faint smile, he seemed carved from ice and jade, so beautiful it was breathtaking.
The princess looked this good even in men’s clothing.
Pei Zhen thought this silently, then noticed the white cotton cloak draped over Li Chanxiu. A ring of white fur at the collar covered his long neck, even partially shading his jaw, making “her” features appear even more radiant, with an icy, ethereal beauty, truly… irresistibly adorable.
Pei Zhen’s fingers twitched slightly, suppressing the urge to smooth down that circle of fur for him. He guessed Li Chanxiu must be sensitive to the cold, and with the wind and moisture on the lake, had dressed this way deliberately.
He suddenly felt a bit of regret, he shouldn’t have chosen such a damp, chilly place.
But since they had already come… he immediately cupped his hands in return, suppressing his emotions, and said, “Greetings, Your Highness,” thinking that this should not be improper.
His voice was low and slightly hoarse, like metal striking stone, pleasant to the ear. Combined with his courteous demeanor and lack of any arrogance, it surprised Zhou Kai and the others somewhat.
After returning the greeting, Pei Zhen looked again at Li Chanxiu, and out of the corner of his eye noticed the people accompanying him, Lu Zhi was among them.
He too wore a wide-sleeved brocade robe, in shades of lotus green and white. Though not entirely white, the color was somewhat similar…
Standing behind Li Chanxiu, Lu Zhi appeared refined and jade-like. Seeing Pei Zhen’s gaze, he even smiled and cupped his hands in greeting.
Pei Zhen: “…”
He felt slightly choked, then looked back at Li Chanxiu and, without showing it, invited, “Would Your Highness be willing to come aboard the barge for a conversation?”
Li Chanxiu had been intending just that. After all, he had come in a small boat for discretion, and with so many people aboard, it was not suitable for conversation.
So seeing that Pei Zhen had brought two boats, he had actually felt relieved. But before he could agree, Zhou Kai and Yu Xingfan immediately objected.
“No, Your Highness. There may be a trap.”
Pei Zhen glanced at the two and said, “I am the only one on this barge; my attendants are all on the other vessel. Please rest assured. If you are still uneasy, you may first board my boat to inspect it.”
“This…” Seeing his openness, Zhou Kai and the others suppressed some of their suspicion. But Li Chanxiu’s status was extraordinary, so they still did not dare be careless.
At this moment, Li Chanxiu frowned and said, “No need.”
He trusted Pei Zhen. The other was upright and aboveboard, with the bearing of a gentleman, he would not do such a thing. Moreover, he had lived with him for over a month; how could he not know the other’s abilities? If Pei Zhen truly wished him harm, there would be no need to trick him onto a boat.
Zhou Kai and the others hesitated. “But Your Highness’s safety is of utmost importance…”
At this moment, Lu Zhi spoke up: “How about I go check?”
After all, he and Pei Zhen were old acquaintances. If he went, it would neither offend nor compromise Li Chanxiu’s safety.
Unexpectedly, the moment he said this, Pei Zhen’s expression darkened slightly. Instead, he said to Zhou Kai and Yu Xingfan, “You two will suffice.”
Hearing this, Zhou Kai and Yu Xingfan clasped their fists and said, “Forgive the offense,” then nimbly stepped onto the barge.
Li Chanxiu felt slightly embarrassed and gave Pei Zhen an apologetic smile.
Lu Zhi grew thoughtful. Was it just his imagination, or did Pei Zhen seem to harbor some hostility toward him?
But aside from refusing to let him board just now, Pei Zhen had already withdrawn his gaze and was looking only at Li Chanxiu, as if there were no extra emotion or expression.
Lu Zhi thought to himself, Could it be that I’m mistaken?
Zhou Kai and the others quickly finished their inspection and returned, once again clasping their fists toward Pei Zhen. “We offended earlier. Please forgive us, General Pei.”
Pei Zhen nodded, saying lightly, “It’s nothing,” then his clear eyes turned toward Li Chanxiu again as he smiled and invited once more, “Please, Your Highness, come aboard the barge for a talk.”
Li Chanxiu nodded lightly and stepped onto the barge. A sudden cold wind blew across the lake, rippling the water, and the boat swayed slightly.
With one foot on each boat, as the vessels shifted, Li Chanxiu’s body swayed as well.
Lu Zhi and Zhou Kai, seeing this, were about to step forward, but Pei Zhen was faster. He raised a hand and grasped Li Chanxiu’s wrist, pulling him easily toward himself and bringing him into his arms.
Caught off guard, Li Chanxiu stumbled into his embrace. His nose struck painfully against the armor, it was truly… too hard. Tears nearly sprang from the impact.
Pei Zhen, however, felt the supple body suddenly in his arms, a sense of fullness long missed, and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. His arm unconsciously wrapped around the other’s waist, barely restraining the urge to pull him tightly into his embrace.
Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Lu Zhi still standing on the small boat. His brow lifted almost imperceptibly. Only when he felt Li Chanxiu lightly push him did he release his hold without a trace, his gaze deep as he said calmly, “I was presumptuous. Please forgive me, Your Highness.”
Then he raised his hand and invited Li Chanxiu inside.
Li Chanxiu did not think much of it, since it appeared to be merely an accident. He nodded slightly and followed Pei Zhen inside.
On the small boat, Lu Zhi frowned, then turned to Zhou Kai and said, “Just now, both Commander Zhou and I reached out, but did General Pei only glare at me?”
Zhou Kai: “Huh? Did he glare at us?”
Lu Zhi: “…”
“But the furnishings in that barge are truly exquisite and valuable. Could the Shizi have embezzled funds? Coming to war and bringing such luxurious things,” Zhou Kai added.
Lu Zhi: “…” Forget it, perhaps he was overthinking.
Inside the barge, Li Chanxiu stepped onto the soft, plush carpet and looked at the interior decorations, secretly surprised.
But he had not come to admire the boat. After sitting down with Pei Zhen at a table, he began considering how to speak.
Pei Zhen, however, poured him a cup of hot tea first, then pushed several plates of preserved fruits and snacks toward him. His gaze fell on Li Chanxiu’s ears, slightly reddened by the wind, and he said softly, “It’s cold on the lake. Your Highness should drink some hot tea to warm yourself.”
Li Chanxiu paused, then subtly let out a breath of relief.
Now that it was just the two of them, Pei Zhen was still smiling and courteous, he did not seem that angry.
Thinking this, the tension he had carried on the way here eased slightly, and some of his unease and apprehension began to dissipate.
Holding the teacup in both hands, he looked at the curling white smoke rising from the incense burner on the table. The ring of white fur at his cloak’s collar covered his throat, softening even the sharp lines from his earlobes to his jaw, leaving only his fair and delicate face visible.
Taking a few sips of tea and finally feeling warmth return to his body, Li Chanxiu looked at Pei Zhen and spoke again, his voice slightly hoarse: “General Pei…”
“By the way, I still don’t know Your Highness’s given name,” Pei Zhen said at the same time.
As if not expecting to speak simultaneously, Pei Zhen paused slightly after finishing.
Li Chanxiu was also momentarily startled, then smiled faintly. “My surname is Li, my given name is Chanxiu. Mm… I don’t yet have a courtesy name, you may simply call me by my name.”
As he spoke, he dipped his finger in tea and wrote the characters “Chanxiu” on the table. His fingers were slender and pale, but not weak; he wrote each stroke with great care.
Pei Zhen’s gaze followed the movement of his fingertips, silently repeating in his mind: Chanxiu, Li Chanxiu… even the name sounds pleasing…
Only when Li Chanxiu withdrew his hand did he come back to himself. Looking at him softly, he said, “My name is Pei Zhen, courtesy name Jianzhi. Your Highness may call me Jianzhi.”
As he spoke, he too dipped his finger in tea and wrote it on the table, right beside the characters “Chanxiu.”
Though they had long since been married, it was only now that they exchanged their true names. Both felt a strange sensation in their hearts.
Pei Zhen remained composed, but beneath that unfamiliar feeling, there was also a hidden joy.
Li Chanxiu also silently repeated “Jianzhi” in his heart. When he came back to himself, he realized he had repeated it more than once, and couldn’t help but feel his ears grow slightly warm. He gave a light cough.
“Jian…” he began, then hesitated, finding himself not yet used to the address. He changed it back to “General Pei” and said, “Regarding everything in Yongfeng Town, I would like to apologize to you first.”
At these words, Pei Zhen’s gaze froze instantly. The hand holding his teacup also paused. After a moment, he asked calmly, “Why do you say that?”
Hearing Li Chanxiu’s words, his heart sank uncontrollably. He had a sense that what the other was about to say was not something he wanted to hear. The joy of their reunion diminished by more than half, though none of it showed on his face.
Li Chanxiu did not notice. Looking at him with sincere, gentle eyes, he said, “Now that you already know my identity, I believe you can also guess that I borrowed Shen Xiu’s identity to escape Luoyang. It’s just that…”
As he spoke, he recounted one by one how his father’s old subordinates had failed to find him in time, forcing him to follow the exile convoy to the frontier, and then, because of the “marriage order” and the need to avoid Centurion Jiang, he had to find someone to marry…
“At that time, you had just lost your memory. I didn’t know your identity, so I discussed with you a fake marriage. Who would have thought that later you went to the battlefield, and after injuring your head again, you forgot that our marriage was fake. At first I explained it to you, but you didn’t believe me. Later…”
His voice paused. He lowered his head, very ashamed, and said, “Later, I discovered that Yang Yuan… that is, the general by your side, was investigating Xuanping and the others’ salt trafficking and troop recruitment. I was worried it would implicate my identity, so I tacitly accepted your misunderstanding, letting you think we were truly husband and wife, so that you would help cover this matter for me…”
At this point, his ears grew even redder.
Regarding the fake marriage, he had a clear conscience at the beginning, it had been agreed upon with the other. But in those final days, not only had he silently gone along with it, he and Pei Zhen had… shared a bed many times, even kissed intimately.
Originally, he had thought it would only be for two or three days, and wouldn’t cause the other much harm. But who would have expected that what followed would spiral beyond his control?
Now that Pei Zhen had resumed command, he must have recovered his memory. No, perhaps he had already recovered during the time he was being hunted by Jiang He. Now that he knew the person he had come to like, the one he had shared a bed with and even had intimate moments with, was actually a man, and moreover, an enemy, he would… he would surely be very angry, right?
At this thought, Li Chanxiu’s long lashes trembled slightly. He raised his eyes to look at the other, and the unease and apprehension from earlier once again filled his heart.
After hearing all this, Pei Zhen sat frozen like a stone statue. Only when he noticed Li Chanxiu’s uneasy gaze did he finally come back to himself. His voice was hoarse and hesitant: “You…”
He paused, as if it took a long time to find his words again, and said hoarsely, “If that is the case, then… then it’s not entirely your fault. I… I also have my faults. At the beginning, it was agreed upon by both of us. I shouldn’t have forgotten. As for later… you, you…”
He paused for a long while before finally continuing, “At that time, you suddenly realized your identity might be exposed, and it concerned life and death. It’s understandable that you acted that way out of fear. Moreover… you were young, carrying secrets, constantly anxious, it must not have been easy. Instead, it was I who frightened you with Yang Yuanyi…”
Though he appeared calm, his mind had already gone stiff and blank. He didn’t even know what he was saying. After a pause, he suddenly looked at Li Chanxiu again, his gaze fixed, still unable to believe it as he asked, “Was our marriage really fake?”
Why did he feel in his heart that it wasn’t? Even if, in those final days, the princess had only been acting with him to conceal her identity, before he recovered his memory, hadn’t he already been intimate with him? Especially that time at the mountain stronghold…
“Could it be that at the beginning we said it was a fake marriage, but later it became real…” that feelings had developed?
Pei Zhen suddenly asked, his gaze burning. And the more he thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed, and his heart felt suddenly unblocked, as if, subconsciously, he had always believed this.
Li Chanxiu was startled upon hearing this. For some reason, panic rose instinctively, and his voice even stumbled slightly: “No, no, there wasn’t.”
There wasn’t. There really shouldn’t have been. Aside from those last few days of acting, everything before had been accidents, once because of a drug, once because of drinking deer blood wine… How could it have turned from false to real?
He denied it instinctively, but deep inside, for some reason, he felt a sudden, inexplicable fluster.
Hearing this, Pei Zhen immediately felt a sense of loss. But very quickly, he noticed Li Chanxiu’s panic and instantly became certain, the princess was lying.
At this moment, Li Chanxiu had already regained his composure and hurriedly changed the subject: “Why do you ask that? You… you haven’t fully recovered your memory, have you?”
Pei Zhen responded absentmindedly with an “Mm,” but in his heart he was thinking: Why won’t the princess admit it? It really does seem that their false act had become real.
Perhaps it was because their identities now stood opposed, their positions in conflict?
Thinking this, Pei Zhen immediately understood and fell silent.
For the moment, he could not think of a way to resolve this situation perfectly. Since that was the case, before resolving it, he could not make any promises lightly.
Li Chanxiu, unaware of his thoughts, asked again, “Then what have you forgotten? And what do you still remember?”
Pei Zhen came back to himself and considered before answering, “Aside from what Your Highness mentioned about the fake marriage and such, I remember most of everything else.”
Li Chanxiu: “…”
“So… you recovered your memory when Jiang He was hunting you down?” he probed.
Pei Zhen nodded lightly, looking at him. “Speaking of which, I also owe Your Highness an apology. During those later days, I concealed my identity from you as well.”
Li Chanxiu fell silent. After a moment, he smiled and said, “Then let’s cancel each other out.”
That way, it could be considered settled. Yet for some reason, there was a faint sense of melancholy in his heart.
Clearly, this outcome was already far better than he had expected. He and Pei Zhen had not fallen out, and their conversation had even gone rather smoothly.
He turned to look out at the shimmering water beyond the window, his thoughts drifting for a moment. When he came back to himself, he remembered something else.
“Oh, right.” He suddenly took out a small bundle from his sleeve and placed it on the table, gently pushing it forward with his fingertips. Meeting Pei Zhen’s gaze, he explained, “These are the jade bracelet and hairpin you bought for me when you were Pei Er. I think… since everything has now been explained clearly, they should be returned to their rightful owner.”
He tried to smile lightly as he said this.
But after hearing this, Pei Zhen thought: The princess let something slip. Since he had bought these for him, if there had been no feelings, why would he have done so? And now, why deliberately return them?
It seemed he hadn’t guessed wrong, they really had turned false into real.
Only now, with their identities opposed and their positions at odds, the princess was unwilling to admit it. And he could not force anything.
But something he had given, he also could not take back.
“Since they were given to Your Highness, they belong to Your Highness. How could I take them back? Besides, they are women’s ornaments, Your Highness should keep them,” he said as evenly as he could, not wanting to reveal the bitterness in his heart.
Li Chanxiu was slightly stunned upon hearing this. Why, just because they were women’s ornaments, should he keep them?
Soon, he assumed that Pei Zhen simply did not want to see those items again. After all, they had originally been meant for a wife, who would have thought they had actually been given to a man? Seeing them again would likely only bring discomfort.
Li Chanxiu silently thought to himself, guessing that Pei Zhen probably still minded it in his heart; it was just that the other party was upright and reasonable, and felt that both sides had faults in this matter, so one side alone should not be harshly blamed.
But with this kind of thing, no matter how clearly one understood it rationally, emotionally it was still very difficult to truly not mind it at all. After all, he had been deceived, and by a man at that…
Li Chanxiu’s fingertips paused slightly as he silently withdrew the sachet. After thinking for a moment, he carefully began again: “By the way, I wonder if you still remember, back when Jiang He was chasing you down, before you set out for battle, you asked me for a string of Buddhist prayer beads for protection…”
Pei Zhen’s heart tightened, his gaze suddenly shooting toward him.
Perhaps his look had been too abrupt and somewhat shocked; Li Chanxiu couldn’t help but give a light cough, but still braced himself and continued, “After you came back, I don’t know if you forgot, but you never returned them to me. If… those prayer beads are still around, could you return them to me?”
His tone in the final sentence was measured, and he looked at the other with a hint of expectation. Though he felt conflicted, remembering that his father had specifically asked about it last night, he still spoke up to request them.
Pei Zhen felt as if he had instantly fallen into the lake outside, chilled to the bone. Even the prayer beads had to be taken back? He hadn’t even asked for the jade bracelet in return.
Even if their positions were opposed, could he not be allowed to keep even a small memento?
He silently pressed at the right side of his chest, where the prayer beads and the lock of hair tied together were kept. Lifting his head to meet Li Chanxiu’s expectant and apologetic gaze, he gritted his teeth and told a lie.
“I didn’t bring them with me.” His eyes flickered slightly as he avoided the other’s gaze. After a pause, he added softly, “I’m sorry, I don’t know where they were put either.”
Li Chanxiu was slightly stunned upon hearing this, clearly disappointed, but quickly composed himself and forced a smile. “I see. It’s nothing, really, if they’re lost, then so be it.”
Yet he couldn’t help the wave of regret in his heart, and the hand resting on the table unconsciously tightened into a fist.
Pei Zhen let out an almost imperceptible breath of relief. Glancing at him again from the corner of his eye, he happened to notice that on Li Chanxiu’s slender, jade-like right wrist, there was a new string of prayer beads, made of warm white jade, the lustrous beads complementing his pale wrist beautifully.
The heart that had just relaxed was suddenly blocked again: the new prayer beads, who had given them?
The cabin fell into silence for a time; neither of them spoke.
Suddenly, a boat approached from outside, and then someone hurried aboard.
Li Chanxiu instinctively raised his head, a look of confusion on his face. Pei Zhen also frowned slightly.
At that moment, the person who had boarded knocked on the window and spoke urgently: “General, Young General Yang has sent someone to urge you to return at once.”
Pei Zhen frowned and was about to ask, “What matter is it?” when suddenly, Zhou Kai’s voice came from outside the boat: “Your Highness, General Yan has sent someone, requesting that you return at once.”
Li Chanxiu paused and lifted his eyes, meeting Pei Zhen’s gaze.
Instinctively, both felt that something serious might have happened, and immediately stood up.
As they walked out of the cabin, Pei Zhen saw Lu Zhi standing with his hands behind his back on the small boat opposite. Suddenly, he asked, “By the way, may I ask Your Highness something, regarding Lu Zhi and the others’ salt trading, where exactly was it being sold? Did it cause any harm to Great Zhou?”
Since they had said that aside from private matters, there were also official ones, then naturally they should discuss some official business as well, he thought.
Li Chanxiu was briefly taken aback, then quickly replied, “General, please rest assured, it was definitely not sold to the Northern Hu.”
Pei Zhen nodded. He hadn’t really suspected it, but it was better to ask for peace of mind.
Just as they were about to part, Pei Zhen hesitated, then asked, “By the way, Your Highness, if I wish to contact you again in the future, could I have Little Black deliver a message?”
Li Chanxiu was slightly startled upon hearing this.
Pei Zhen quickly explained, “I think positions are positions, but in the northwest, Your Highness once saved my life. Outside of positions, I think… we should still be considered friends?”
As he spoke, he looked at the other with a hint of anticipation.
Li Chanxiu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly smiled, his eyes seeming to hold the glow of the evening dawn. He nodded and said, “Of course.”
Pei Zhen let out an almost imperceptible sigh of relief, then watched him leave.
Standing at the bow, Li Chanxiu also turned his head to glance back at him from afar.
Pei Zhen waved lightly, and only after the small boat had gone far enough to disappear from sight did he finally turn back and say to the soldier who had come to report, “Return to camp.”
Then he asked, “Did Young General Yang say what the matter was?”
The soldier paused, then quickly replied respectfully, “It seems someone has come from Luoyang.”
Pei Zhen frowned: Luoyang?
Upon returning to the military camp, Yang Yuanyi was already waiting anxiously at the camp gate.
As soon as he saw Pei Zhen’s figure appear, he immediately stepped forward, grabbed his arm, and pulled him quickly back into the camp, urging, “Quick, quick.”
Pei Zhen frowned. After entering the central command tent, before he had time to ask anything, he heard Yang Yuanyi suddenly lower his voice and speak rapidly: “Jianzhi, something’s happened, the Emperor has been captured.”
Pei Zhen: “Hm?”
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