The carriage had already reached the outskirts, where the cold wind bit sharply. At Liu Cheng's words, Sima Yu, Prince of Kuaiji, instinctively froze for a moment. Then this regent prince, long renowned for never letting joy or anger show on his face, suddenly burst into laughter behind his wife's funeral carriage.
He laughed with utter abandon, with utter release.
For a moment, people in the other carriages turned to look. Unexpectedly, few of them seemed surprised, and no one commented. They merely glanced over a few times, then turned away as the laughter gradually subsided.
When Sima Yu finished laughing, he wiped away tears-whether brought on by laughter or the cold wind, he could not tell-and shook his head. "Yulong, oh, Yulong. Secretary Xun and I will each have to lose a bolt of silk to Jili and Wendu."
"Indeed." Liu Cheng smiled too. "With Jili and Wendu in the General Who Pacifies the Army's Residence, how could Your Highness not know where I wanted to go?"
"But before setting out today, I still held out some hope that you might be willing to serve as Danyang Governor." Sima Yu composed himself and spoke seriously. "After all, the next few years will mostly be a stalemate. The Northern Expedition will mean hardship, with no guarantee of progress. Spend these years as Danyang Governor, and both your reputation and your experience could rise another step. When you go north of the Yangtze afterward, finding a position will be easier... As for me, it would also be excellent if you could continue pushing forward the gradual implementation of Tuduan while serving as Danyang Governor."
Liu Cheng considered this, then seized on the key point. "So this is one reason Your Highness hoped I would stay? Would it be difficult to find