Love Lock

Chapter 367 Extra: Hua Tianyou and Zhao Ling'er

September is usually a time of clear skies and bright sunshine. But the atmosphere inside the Duke of Heng's mansion was as oppressive as the deathly stillness before a blizzard.

Hua Tianyou paced irritably in his study, wearing the fine carpet almost until it had a hole in it.

He suddenly stopped and looked at his father, Duke Heng, who was sitting in the grand chair with a furrowed brow, and his mother who was sighing incessantly beside him.

"Father, Mother, when are we going to get to the first day of the third month? Such a beautiful day! And now, all of that is ruined by the rumor of 'national mourning'!" Hua Tianyou's voice was filled with barely suppressed anger. "Ling'er is already twenty-one! If we delay another year, she'll be twenty-two! How many years of a woman's youth can she withstand being wasted like this?"

Duke Heng glanced at him, sighed heavily, his eyebrows drooping: "Tianyou, I understand your feelings. Your mother and I also want to see you settle down and marry Ling'er in style as soon as possible. But it's a national mourning period! The whole country is grieving, and weddings and celebrations are forbidden for a year. This is an ancestral rule! It's an ironclad law! His Majesty... although he hasn't officially announced the death, the Empress has been dead for several months. Who would believe it? Who dares to break the silence?"

“Yes, You’er,” Duchess Lin said worriedly, “His Majesty has changed drastically. Everyone in the court knows that he is obsessed with repairing that… jade pendant, hoping to use the ice chamber to protect the Empress and wait for her to wake up. Just hearing about this thought sends chills down one’s spine. If you force the marriage now, wouldn’t that be openly defying His Majesty’s will and slapping him in the face?”

"Slap him in the face?" Hua Tianyou laughed angrily. "Does Zhao Zun still have any shame? For someone who is... who is no longer here, he's made the whole capital lifeless! He's sentimental, he's nostalgic, I admire that! But he can't drag everyone down with him! He is the emperor, that's true, but he's also Zhao Zun! He's my brother, Hua Tianyou, whom I grew up with! And now, because of his absurd thoughts, he's even going to delay my life's most important event?"

He became more and more agitated as he spoke, his chest heaving violently.

He pictured Zhao Ling'er's eyes, which always held a gentle smile, now showing a hint of subtle melancholy.

Zhao Ling'er never complained; instead, she comforted him, telling him to calm down. But the more understanding she was, the more Hua Tianyou felt a sharp pain in his heart.

Hua Tianyou had been a scoundrel for over a decade. He had finally settled down and found someone he wanted to spend his life with, but now he was being held back by this inexplicable thing.

"No! I can't wait any longer!" Hua Tianyou strode out. "I must find out! If the Empress is merely 'resting quietly' and it's not a national mourning period, then my Hengguo Duke's mansion holding a wedding shouldn't be against the rules, right?"

"Nonsense!" Duke Hengguo stood up abruptly. "Tianyou, have you gone mad! That's His Majesty! He's the sovereign! There's a distinction between ruler and subject. How dare you be so presumptuous? You went to question His Majesty and the Empress about their life and death? You're touching a tiger's tail, provoking its Achilles' heel! Do you know what the consequences will be?"

"Consequences?" Hua Tianyou turned around, his face showing a resolute determination. "At worst, I'll be stripped of my title and official position, and get a beating! Anyway, I, Hua Tianyou, used to be a playboy. Apart from my life, I have nothing to be afraid of losing. For Ling'er, I'm going to risk this! It's better than sitting here cowardly and watching Ling'er's youth be wasted!"

He looked intently at his parents: "Father, Mother, your son knows what's important. But I also know that some things must be done. I'm no longer the Hua Tianyou who only knew how to eat, drink, and have fun. In the Beiguan military camp and on the Cangzhou construction site, your son learned to take responsibility. Now, that responsibility is right in front of me, and I can't run away from it."

Duke Heng looked at the rare sharpness and determination in his son's eyes, a brilliance that had been tempered after his experience in Cangzhou, completely different from his youthful recklessness.

He remained silent for a long time, and finally let out a long sigh, slowly sitting back in his chair. He waved his hand and closed his eyes wearily.

"Go ahead! Perhaps... you're right. Just be careful in everything you do, and watch your words carefully."

Hua Tianyou took a deep breath, straightened his robes, and then turned and strode out. The resolute look in his back carried a sense of tragic grandeur, like the line from the poem "The wind howls, the Yi River is cold."

Imperial Palace, Imperial Study Room.

Zhao Zun sat behind his large imperial desk, a memorial lying open before him, his vermilion brush beside him. The bright yellow dragon robe made his face appear somewhat pale, his eyes deep yet unfocused, as if his mind had already wandered to another world.

"Your Majesty, Hua Tianyou, the heir apparent of the Duke of Heng, is requesting an audience." Li Zhongxin's voice broke the silence.

Zhao Zun snapped out of his reverie, a fleeting glint of emotion flashing in his eyes before his expression returned to its usual calm. "Summon."

Hua Tianyou stepped into the imperial study and bowed respectfully: "Your subject, Hua Tianyou, pays respects to Your Majesty."

"Get up!" Zhao Zun's voice was calm, revealing neither joy nor anger. "Tianyou, what brings you to the palace today?"

He did not look up, but picked up the vermilion pen to write down his instructions on the memorial.

Hua Tianyou stood up and looked at his former friend, whose eyes were now sunken, and felt a mix of emotions.

He composed himself and got straight to the point: "Your Majesty, I have come today to inquire about the date of my marriage to Her Highness the Princess."

Zhao Zun finally raised his eyelids, glanced at Hua Tianyou, and showed no surprise in his eyes: "Haven't your wedding with Ling'er been in preparation for a long time? Just proceed as planned, why are you asking me?"

These words, spoken casually, ignited Hua Tianyou's anger.

As usual? How can it be as usual? Who in the entire capital doesn't know that the Empress has "passed away"? Who would dare to hold a celebratory event with gongs and drums during the national mourning period?

He suppressed his anger and tried to keep his voice steady: "Your Majesty, Her Majesty the Empress's health... how is it? Several months have passed, and rumors are rampant. My father and mother, and I are truly uneasy. If Her Majesty is only slightly ill, our Duke of Heng's mansion will naturally be overjoyed to prepare to marry the princess; if... if it is truly a national mourning, we would not dare to do such a disloyal and unjust thing and offend the Emperor. Please enlighten us, Your Majesty!"

Hua Tianyou spoke the last four words with particular weight, almost uttering each word slowly and deliberately.

A deathly silence fell over the imperial study. Li Zhongxin was already holding his breath in fear; his eyes darted around, and he wished he could shrink into the ground.

Zhao Zun put down his brush and slowly leaned back against the back of the dragon throne.

He stared at Hua Tianyou with a sharp, eagle-like gaze, carrying the pressure of an emperor. But strangely, there was no fury as Hua Tianyou had expected; instead, there was a bottomless weariness.

“Heavenly Blessing,” Zhao Zun spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable power, “Don’t you understand what I’m saying? The Empress is merely suffering from excessive shock and her mind is disturbed; she needs to rest and recuperate. I have ordered the Ministry of Works to build an ice chamber to help her calm her mind and spirit. She will wake up.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Hua Tianyou's tense face, and added, "Therefore, there is no such thing as a 'national mourning.' Your marriage to Zhao Ling'er can proceed whenever it is scheduled. There's no need to pay attention to the palace, much less to those baseless rumors."

"Nonsense rumors?" Hua Tianyou finally couldn't hold back any longer. The anxiety, worry, and dissatisfaction that had been building up for months finally broke through the dam of reason at this moment.

He glanced around, and seeing no one else present, stepped forward, disregarding all formalities between ruler and subject, his voice rising several decibels: "Zhao Zun! How long are you going to keep deceiving yourself?! Han Lei has already..."

"Shut up!" Zhao Zun interrupted him sharply, his eyes instantly turning icy. "Hua Tianyou, mind your place!"

"Identity? I'm not speaking to you as a subject! I'm asking you as your childhood brother!" Hua Tianyou retorted, his neck stiff. "Tell me, is Han Lei still alive? You've been making all that ice, repairing that ice chamber, and fiddling with that broken jade pendant fragment all day. What are you trying to do? Do you think you can keep her here? How absurd! Wake up!"

“Absurd?” Zhao Zun laughed, but there was no warmth in his smile, only a chilling coldness. “I think that if the Lock of Love can bring her here, it can also bring her back. It’s not absurd at all. Tianyou, you haven’t experienced it, you don’t understand.”

"I don't understand!" Hua Tianyou roared, his anger blazing. "I don't understand why you're trapping yourself in this delusional fantasy! You won't admit she's dead, fine, even if she's not, then tell me, when will she wake up? A year? Ten years? Or a lifetime? Does she mean I, Hua Tianyou, will be a bachelor for life if she never wakes up? Zhao Zun, you're married now, you have children, but have you ever considered how I feel? I'm still single! Ling'er can't wait either! Don't you think this is the behavior of a tyrant?" These words were like the sharpest thorns, precisely piercing the most painful and untouchable part of Zhao Zun's heart. His face instantly darkened, and a terrifyingly oppressive aura emanated from him.

"Hua Tianyou!" Zhao Zun slammed his hand on the imperial desk and stood up abruptly, his dragon robe swaying slightly with his movement. "Don't push your luck! My family affairs, my personal matters, when did it become your place to interfere? Did I stop you from getting married? I said, proceed as planned! It's your own timidity and being hampered by rumors that have nothing to do with me!"

He looked down at Hua Tianyou, his eyes filled with the wrath of an offended emperor, and a sense of utter desolation born from being misunderstood by his closest confidant: "You call me a tyrant? Since my ascension to the throne, have I ever neglected state affairs for a single day? Have I ever allowed the Great Jing dynasty to falter in the slightest? The Northern Pass is secure, Cangzhou is prosperous, the national treasury is full, and the people live in peace. All I wanted was to keep my wife. What did I do wrong? How did I become the tyrant you speak of?!"

“You haven’t neglected state affairs! But right now, all you can think about is your dead…” Hua Tianyou swallowed the words “dead empress” and changed his words to, “only the people in the ice chamber! You have one face in front of all the officials, but another face when you return to Weiyang Palace and face the ice block! Do you know what people outside are saying? They say Han Lei is a demon… that she used evil magic to bewitch you, which is why you are behaving so strangely and abnormally! You’ve only been on the throne for a short time. Do you want to live with this kind of reputation for the rest of your life?”

"Bewitching?" Zhao Zun scoffed, his laughter filled with desolation and irony. "Han Lei, why would she need to bewitch me? It is I, Zhao Zun, who willingly allow myself to be trapped by her, finding it sweet!"

He took a deep breath, pointed to the door of the imperial study, and said in an icy tone, "Hua Tianyou, listen to me clearly! I have my own plans regarding the Empress, and you have no right to interfere. Your marriage is approved! You can hold it whenever you want! Now, get out!"

Hua Tianyou looked at Zhao Zun, who was both familiar and unfamiliar, and saw the unquestionable stubbornness and cold refusal to communicate in his eyes. His heart sank little by little.

He knew that continuing to talk would be pointless.

This man has completely shut himself off, shutting himself in the world where Han Lei exists, refusing to accept any external reality.

A deep sense of powerlessness gripped him. He felt sorrow for Zhao Zun, anger for his own marriage, and despair at the stalemate.

"Good! Good! Your subject obeys the decree!" Hua Tianyou squeezed out these words through gritted teeth, bowed heavily, and almost swept away by a gust of wind, turned and strode out of the imperial study.

The heavy palace door closed behind him, separating two worlds that were once intimately connected but now seemed to be separated by thousands of miles.

Hua Tianyou was seething with anger. His face was ashen, and he hurried through the palace corridors, wishing he could leave this suffocating place immediately.

But as soon as he reached the vicinity of the Imperial Garden, a familiar figure blocked his way.

It's Zhao Ling'er.

She stood amidst blooming chrysanthemums, dressed in a snow-white, elaborate palace gown, her eyes filled with worry and urgency.

"Tianyou!" She hurried to meet him, and seeing his pale face, she understood. "I knew it... you and your brother had a fight, didn't you?"

When Hua Tianyou saw Zhao Ling'er, his anger and frustration seemed to find an outlet, but he forcibly suppressed it, not wanting her to worry.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his expression: "It's okay."

"How could nothing be wrong?" Zhao Ling'er reached out and gently took his clenched fist, trying to soothe his tension. "I heard everything. You went to the Imperial Study. Mother Empress had already warned me that my brother is currently... burdened with deep-seated issues, especially regarding my sister-in-law. It's a bottom line that absolutely cannot be crossed. Even Mother Empress doesn't dare to ask too many questions. Why would you risk that?"

Her voice was gentle as water, carrying a comforting power: "Our marriage... it's alright to wait a little longer. I believe that my brother will... get over it someday."

"Wait? Wait until how long?" Hua Tianyou grasped her slightly cool hand in return, his tone becoming agitated. "The way he looked, did he think he could get out of this? He had essentially locked himself away from a pile of ice, a piece of broken jade! He doesn't care about time, but I do! Ling'er, do you care? Do you really want to wait until you're old and faded before marrying me?"

Zhao Ling'er was taken aback by his question, a blush rising to her cheeks. She gave him a reproachful look and said, "What nonsense are you talking about! Who...who wants to marry you!" But Hua Tianyou still caught the fleeting sadness in the depths of her eyes.

How could she not care? It's just that she's better at being patient and doesn't want to put him in a difficult position.

Seeing her like that, Hua Tianyou's heart ached even more. He softened his voice, "Ling'er, there's no need to wait anymore. His Majesty has already personally agreed that our marriage will proceed as planned, and he will not interfere."

Zhao Ling'er's eyes widened in surprise: "My brother... he really said that?"

“Yes! He said it himself.” Hua Tianyou nodded, then added angrily, “I’m not angry about that! I’m angry about his attitude! He clearly… clearly knows the truth, yet he insists on dragging everyone into his fantasy! It’s one thing for him to be infatuated and twisted, but he’s the emperor now! He makes the whole world tremble with fear and live in a deathly atmosphere! It’s simply…”

He couldn't find the right words to describe it, and turned his head away in anger.

Zhao Ling'er was silent for a moment, then gently leaned into his arms and whispered, "My brother... he's just too deeply in love. So deeply that he can't accept reality. Brother Tianyou, let's... let's try to understand. Since he's agreed, let's do it!"

Feeling the woman's gentleness and tenderness in his arms, Hua Tianyou's anger was gradually replaced by a complex mix of heartache and a sense of responsibility.

He held Zhao Ling'er tightly, his chin resting on the top of her head, and said in a deep voice, "Alright, I'll do as you say. We'll do it, we'll do it in style. I'll go back and have my parents choose a new auspicious date and send out invitations immediately. This time, no one can stop me from marrying you."

The news brought back by Hua Tianyou was like a stone thrown into stagnant water, immediately stirring up huge waves in the Duke of Heng's mansion.

Worry and fear still linger, but there is more of a sense of relief and an eager elation.

"His Majesty really agreed personally?" Duke Heng could hardly believe his ears, repeatedly confirming. He knew that many ministers in the court had offered their advice, but His Majesty had rejected them all.

“Absolutely true! He said himself that we should get married whenever it’s time, and there’s no need to worry about the Empress ‘resting’.” Hua Tianyou answered confidently, but omitted the heated argument that had taken place in the Imperial Study.

"That's wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!" The Duchess smiled, her eyes crinkling. "I'll go get the almanac right away, and we'll pick an auspicious day immediately! We can't delay any longer!"

The entire Duke Heng's mansion instantly came back to life from its previous gloom, and the servants' eyes lit up again. All the preparations for the wedding were already in place, and now, like a wound-up machine, they quickly and efficiently resumed operation.

The invitations, which had been prepared in advance, flew out of the Duke of Heng's mansion like snowflakes, heading to the residences of various nobles and officials in the capital.

The families who received the invitations reacted in various ways. Some were genuinely happy for Hua Tianyou and Zhao Ling'er, such as some long-time friends of both families.

Some were secretly astonished and admired the audacity of the Duke of Heng's mansion. Many others remained hesitant, observing the palace's attitude and wondering whether to attend the banquet.

However, this marriage, overshadowed by the "national mourning" period, has finally been put back on the agenda.

Hua Tianyou used a risky, defiant act to forcibly carve out a path forward for himself and the woman he loved.

Thank you so much for the generous donation, Half-Eyebrows! Love you!