Chapter 30

I'll pick up directly from the eve of parting in the previous chapter and write Chapter 30: departure at dawn, a farewell escort stretching ten li, a tearful separation, and promises across the distance, with a flowing plot full of heartache and sweetness.

The Aloof Crown Prince's Nemesis (Chapter 30)

The night passed peacefully, candlelight flickering until the first pale light of dawn.

Shen Zhiwei was awakened by the faint rustle of wind outside the window.

Xiao Heng's outer robe still covered her shoulders, carrying his distinctive cool, crisp scent. She opened her eyes slightly, still drowsy, yet immediately sensed the chill beside her-

He was already gone.

Her heart tightened, and she abruptly sat up.

The room was silent and empty. The other side of the bed had long since cooled; only the faint scent of Dragon's Breath Incense on the pillow proved that he had indeed kept her company for half the night.

On the table, the unfinished Peace Pouch had been carefully straightened, with a note in sharp, elegant handwriting weighted down beside it.

The few words were written with a steady hand, yet held all his tenderness.

"I must muster the troops at the drill ground before dawn. I couldn't bear to wake you. There is no need to rush the pouch. When I return, fasten it on me yourself. Take good care of yourself as you await our wedding, and wait for my triumphant return. -Heng"

Shen Zhiwei brushed her fingertips over the writing, and an aching sorrow instantly welled up in her heart.

He was the crown prince, the commander about to depart for the battlefield, and had likely barely slept that night. Military affairs, battle formations, supplies and provisions-everything rested on his shoulders, yet he had still looked after her sleep, unwilling to disturb her in the slightest.

She quickly rose, washed, and dressed in a simple, plain outfit, then carefully tucked the still-unfinished Peace Pouch into her sleeve. Even if it lacked its final few stitches, she would deliver it into his hands herself.

Today was the day Xiao Heng marched to the Northern Frontier.

Dawn had only just broken, but the long streets of Capital City were already steeped in solemnity.

Outside the palace's Meridian Gate, tens of thousands of elite cavalry stood in formation, their armor gleaming coldly and their banners snapping in the wind. The gusts swept through the battle standards, their thunderous flapping echoing along the streets, filling the city with the grim air of an army departing for war.

Every civil and military official was present, standing on either side with solemn expressions.

The emperor stood on a high platform, his imperial gaze grave as he saw the heir to the throne off to war.

Xiao Heng wore silver-white battle armor, a long sword at his waist and his black hair bound high, his bearing as straight and tall as a green pine. All the gentleness that usually softened his features had vanished, leaving only the iron resolve of the battlefield and the majesty of the crown prince.

After hearing the emperor's spoken decree, he accepted the tiger tally authorizing his command and knelt on one knee, his ringing voice resounding between heaven and earth:

"I will defend the mountains and rivers of the Northern Frontier. Until I sweep away the dust of the Hu invaders, I swear not to return to court!"

"Good!" The emperor was moved. "I shall await my son's triumphant return!"

The ceremony concluded, and the officials offered their congratulations and farewells in unison.

Amid the press of the crowd, Xiao Heng's gaze pierced through the ranks of soldiers and courtiers and landed unerringly on a slender figure not far away.

Shen Zhiwei stood at the street corner in pale clothing, watching him quietly.

People surged around her, and carriages and horses crowded the streets, yet from beginning to end, her eyes held only him.

The instant their eyes met, all the solemnity of the court and iron-blooded majesty melted into tenderness soft enough to wind around a finger.

Ignoring everyone's stares, Xiao Heng strode through the ranks and went straight to her.

His armor clinked, untouched as yet by the dust of the road, but his eyes were already filled with reluctance to part.

"Why did you come? It's cold, and the dew is heavy. Why didn't you wait in the palace?"

Shen Zhiwei lifted her eyes to him, tears shimmering in them, though she stubbornly refused to let them fall. She raised her hand, took the mostly embroidered Peace Pouch from her sleeve, and placed it in his palm.

"There were only a few stitches left. I finished them during the night."

Last night, he had watched over her until she slept soundly. She had awakened in the latter half of the night and sat alone by candlelight, completing the final motif of peace and safety, stitch by stitch.

Gold thread on a blue-green ground, a wish for safety and smooth passage.

Xiao Heng tightly clasped the warm pouch in his palm, his thumb stroking its delicate stitches as his heart burned.

"Zhiwei..."

"Your Highness." She gently interrupted him, her voice tender but firm. "The battlefield is perilous, and blades have no eyes. I don't need you to win glory or make your name known across the four seas. All I want is for you-to come back safely."

"I'll keep watch in Capital City and wait in the Eastern Palace. Just protect yourself, and protect the mountains and rivers of Great Jiang."

Xiao Heng lowered his gaze, looking at the sorrow she struggled to hold back, his throat shifting slightly.

Before others, he was the composed, stern crown prince who bore the weight of his country and its people.

In private, he was only Xiao Heng, unable to bear leaving her, unable to let her go.

He raised his hand, heedless of his cold armor and the watching officials, and gently stroked her cheek. His voice dropped so low that only the two of them could hear.

"I promise you."

"This is my pledge for life. I will never fail you."

"Once I have subdued the Hu Raiders at the Northern Frontier, I will return to Capital City at once. Our wedding will proceed, with ten li of crimson bridal splendor and a sedan carried by eight bearers. I will marry you and never fail you for the rest of my life."

With that, he leaned down and placed an exceedingly light, swift kiss on her forehead.

Brief, precious, and filled with a thousand shades of reluctance.

Then he turned away and did not look back.

He feared that one more glance would leave him unable to go.

"All troops, assemble-march!"

At his command, horns blared, their long notes shaking the clouds.

Hooves struck the ground, and a thunderous rumble swept along the street.

The vast torrent of armored riders poured through the gates of Capital City, dust billowing and banners streaming as they rode toward the border passes of the Northern Frontier, a thousand li away.

Shen Zhiwei remained where she was, quietly watching the column recede until it vanished at the edge of the sky.

The wind lifted the hem of her clothes, and at last, two trails of clear tears slowly slipped from her eyes.

Mountains and rivers stretched far between them; the road to war was long.

In Capital City, she waited for her young crown prince to return in triumph.

After this parting, there was no telling how many springs and autumns would pass.

But she trusted him, and she would wait for him.

The rest of their lives stretched long ahead; her only wish was that he remain safe.