The gongs and drums of the champion parade were beating loudly. Shen Qingci looked through the carved window lattice at the figure of the angry horse in bright clothes outside the window, feeling that there was no reason for the noise.
She is a sickly beauty known to everyone in the capital. She has to take three breaks to make a cup of tea. The decoction, accompanied by the aroma of golden nanmu, has filled her more than ten years.
Her engagement with the prime minister's eldest son, Gu Yanzhi, was even more envied by everyone in the capital. She was a childhood sweetheart, well matched, a talented man and a beautiful woman.
But she didn't expect that the sudden glimpse that day would become the beginning of half a lifetime of disaster for her.
Lu Zhiheng, the new number one scholar, is a noble boy from a poor family who came from a remote village. He has a proud body and sharp eyes.
On the imperial street, he was riding a tall horse, accepting the worship of all the people, but his eyes penetrated the sea of people and fell directly on the green-curtained carriage that was slowly passing by.
A corner of the car curtain was lifted by the wind, revealing Shen Qingci's pale face and eyes as pale as an ink painting.
With just one glance, Lu Zhiheng lost his mind.
In the Jinluan Palace, the emperor smiled and bestowed countless rewards. Amidst the congratulations of the officials, Lu Zhiheng suddenly knelt on the ground and said loudly: "I have nothing else to ask for. I only hope that your majesty will grant you a marriage. I want to marry Shen Qingci, the legitimate daughter of the Shen family!"
The whole hall was in an uproar.
The smile on the emperor's face froze, and he paused while twirling the beads. After a while, he sighed: "Lu Aiqing, Shen and Gu Shizi have been engaged for a long time. They are childhood sweethearts and have a deep friendship. I'm afraid this is inappropriate. There are still several talented and beautiful princesses in my palace. Aiqing, you might as well..."
"I won't marry Miss Shen unless I'm married." Lu Zhiheng raised his eyes, with a bit of paranoid madness hidden in his eyes, "Your Majesty, she is the only one I want in this life."
The emperor looked troubled, but he politely refused.
When Lu Zhiheng thanked En and stepped back, his back was straight, but the eyes that fell on Gu Yanzhi were as cold as ice.
He remembered this embarrassment, and even more so, the gentle look in Gu Yanzhi's eyes when he looked at Shen Qingci.
Three months later, Shen Qing resigned from Fengguan Xiale and married into the prime minister's house.
The red candle swayed, Gu Yanzhi held her hand and whispered: "Qing Ci, I will protect you from now on."
Shen Qingci looked at his gentle brows and nodded slightly, his pale face finally stained with some blood.
She thought that this was the beginning of peaceful times.
But she forgot that within the red walls of the capital, there was never just romance.
Lu Zhiheng entered the Hanlin Academy and rose through the ranks with his talent. Within two years, he became a celebrity in front of the emperor.
He was ruthless and fierce in his actions, and gradually gained the momentum to compete with the Prime Minister in the court.
Finally, on a snowy night, there was a sudden thunder.
The memorial presented by Lu Zhiheng listed the irrefutable evidence that the Prime Minister had collaborated with the enemy and treason. Long Yan was furious, and under an imperial edict, the entire prime minister's house was ransacked. Gu Yanzhi was imprisoned and sentenced to death.
Overnight, everything turned upside down.
Shen Qingci knelt in the snow for three days and three nights. His knees were bleeding and his throat was hoarse from crying, but he didn't even see Gu Yanzhi's face.
Until Lu Zhiheng came walking through the snow, his black official robe was covered with snow, he stood in front of her, looked at her condescendingly, his tone was calm, but with unquestionable strength: "Shen Qingci, please beg me."
Shen Qingci raised his head and looked at him with tears in his eyes, his eyes full of hatred: "It's you... It's you who harmed the Prime Minister and Yan Zhi!"
"So what?" Lu Zhiheng knelt down and gently brushed her cold-purple cheeks with his fingertips, his movements showing a bit of pity.
"All I want is you. As long as you follow me, Gu Yanzhi can survive."
He paused and added: "Not only can he survive, but he can also leave the capital unharmed, remain anonymous, and live a stable life."
Shen Qingci trembled all over.
She knew that Lu Zhiheng kept his word, that he had the ability and the ruthlessness to do so.
For Gu Yanzhi, she had no choice.
The moment she nodded, Lu Zhiheng's eyes finally revealed an almost paranoid smile.
She moved into Lu Zhiheng's mansion and became his wife, but she never smiled at him.
She still looked that sickly, and she kept taking medicine, but the light in her eyes gradually dimmed.
Lu Zhiheng treated her very well. The best medicinal materials in the capital were flown into the house, and the warehouses were filled with rare supplements. He even gave up all social activities for her and stayed by her side every day, reading medical books with her, basking in the sun with her, and drinking the unpalatable soup with her.
He would hold her hand stubbornly and say over and over again: "Qingci, I will be good to you, so good that you will forget Gu Yanzhi."
Shen Qingci is always silent.
She thought she would hate him forever.
Until that day, she occasionally felt cold and had a high fever that didn't go away, and she was in a coma for three days and nights.
When I woke up, the first thing I saw was Lu Zhiheng standing beside the bed. His eyes were red and bloodshot, and there was green stubble on his chin. He looked very haggard.
He held her hand tightly and his voice was hoarse: "Qingci, you're awake. If you don't wake up, I will demolish the entire hospital."
At that moment, Shen Qingci's heart actually moved slightly.
As the days passed, Lu Zhiheng's kindness was like boiling a frog in warm water, soaking into her already numb heart bit by bit.
He would remember all her hobbies, pat her back awkwardly when she coughed badly, and whisper to her the hard days of his youth at nights when she couldn't sleep.
He said: "I used to think that fame, wealth and power are the ultimate goals in life. It wasn't until I saw you on the Royal Street that day that I realized that all the glory and wealth in this world are not worth a glance of you."
Shen Qingci listened in silence, and the ice in his heart gradually melted unconsciously.
Later, she received a letter from Gu Yanzhi.
The letter said that he was well in Jiangnan, married to a gentle woman, had a pair of children, and lived a peaceful and stable life. He also said that there is no need to worry about each other and that everyone will be well.
Shen Qingci held the letter and tears fell silently.
This time, it wasn't from sadness, but from relief.
As the sun set, Lu Zhiheng hugged her gently from behind, resting his chin on the top of her hair. His voice was so gentle that he said, "Qing Ci, you will have me in the future."
Shen Qingci didn't look back, but gave a soft "hmm".
The evening breeze blew through the courtyard, picking up the fallen flowers all over the courtyard and blowing away the past grudges and resentments.
After all, the years are too long, but one person's love is as deep as the sea, and he will guard her paranoidly for half his life.
Intention: Love is separated by mountains and seas, mountains and seas cannot be leveled