Chapter LXXIII - The First Letter
The departure day arrived beneath endless snowfall.
White covered the capital.
White covered the palace roofs.
White covered the roads leading north.
As though heaven itself wished to hide the coming bloodshed.
Yet everyone knew:
War had begun.
—
Prince Rui stood at the head of twenty thousand soldiers.
Black armor.
Silver wolf banners.
A war horse pawing impatiently at frozen ground.
The terrifying general had returned.
The Prince Rui who made kingdoms tremble.
The Prince Rui who belonged to battlefields.
Yet today—
his attention remained entirely elsewhere.
Dangerous man.
Very dangerous man.
Because across the crowded departure grounds—
Shen Li stood waiting.
White cloak. Crimson plum blossom embroidery. Snowflakes resting softly in her dark hair.
Beautiful enough to hurt.
Prince Rui looked at her for far too long.
His generals looked away.
His guards looked away.
The soldiers looked away.
Everyone understood.
Their commander was suffering.
Hopelessly.
—
The Emperor personally attended the departure ceremony.
The Crown Prince stood beside him.
Even the Empress Dowager appeared.
Political theater.
Necessary theater.
Yet Prince Rui heard almost none of it.
Because every moment passing brought him closer to leaving Shen Li behind.
The realization felt unbearable.
Then finally—
the departure drums sounded.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
The northern army would move.
Now.
Prince Rui's hands tightened around the reins.
And for the first time in years—
he wished war would wait.
Just one more day.
One more hour.
One more moment.
Dangerous thought.
Then Shen Li stepped forward.
The crowd quieted instantly.
Because everyone wanted to see this farewell.
The empire's most dangerous couple.
The couple who had shaken the palace.
The couple everyone whispered about.
Prince Rui dismounted immediately.
Without hesitation.
Without dignity.
The Emperor visibly sighed.
The Crown Prince looked amused.
Meanwhile Prince Rui walked directly toward Shen Li.
Nothing else existed.
Not soldiers.
Not nobles.
Not politics.
Only her.
—
They stopped beneath falling snow.
Close.
Too close for public propriety.
Neither cared.
Then softly Shen Li said:
"Your Highness must be careful."
Prince Rui almost laughed.
Of all the things she could say—
she chose that.
As though he wasn't already planning to survive purely because she existed.
Then quietly:
"Princess Rui must also be careful."
Shen Li smiled faintly.
"This daughter knows."
Prince Rui looked unconvinced.
Entirely unconvinced.
Hopeless.
Then suddenly he removed something from his wrist.
A black jade bracelet.
Simple.
Elegant.
Worn smooth from years of use.
The object stunned several nearby nobles instantly.
Because everyone recognized it.
Prince Rui never removed it.
Never.
The bracelet had accompanied him through:
campaigns,
victories,
injuries,
seven years of war.
And now—
he held it out toward Shen Li.
The entire departure ground fell silent.
Then quietly he said:
"Keep this."
Shen Li froze.
Because she understood immediately.
This wasn't jewelry.
It was trust.
Memory.
Home.
Prince Rui's voice lowered further.
Only for her.
"If Princess Rui misses this prince..."
"Look at it."
The tenderness inside the words nearly shattered her.
Dangerous man.
Very dangerous man.
Then Shen Li accepted the bracelet carefully.
And for one dangerous second—
Prince Rui visibly relaxed.
As though leaving part of himself behind with her eased the separation slightly.
—
The drums sounded again.
Louder this time.
Final warning.
Departure.
Prince Rui looked toward the army.
Then back toward Shen Li.
And suddenly—
something broke.
Not visibly.
Not completely.
Just enough.
Then quietly:
"This prince will write."
Shen Li nodded.
"This daughter will reply."
Silence.
Then Prince Rui stepped closer.
Too close.
The entire capital stopped breathing.
Then softly—
before anyone could react—
he kissed her forehead.
Warm.
Lingering.
Completely shameless.
Gasps erupted instantly.
The Emperor covered his eyes.
The Crown Prince laughed.
Several ministers nearly died.
Meanwhile Prince Rui remained entirely unconcerned.
Because he was leaving.
And suddenly—
he no longer cared what the capital thought.
—
Then he mounted his horse.
The general returned.
The commander returned.
The battlefield prince returned.
Yet before turning away—
he looked back one final time.
And found Shen Li immediately.
Always immediately.
Their eyes met across the snow.
Across soldiers.
Across distance already forming.
Then Prince Rui smiled.
Small.
Warm.
Entirely hers.
And finally rode north.
—
The army disappeared by sunset.
The capital felt emptier afterward.
Colder.
Quieter.
Inside Prince Rui's estate—
the silence felt unbearable.
For the first time since marriage—
his chambers stood empty.
His study stood empty.
His seat at dinner remained untouched.
Shen Li sat alone beneath lantern light that evening.
The black jade bracelet rested against her wrist now.
Heavy.
Warm somehow.
Then a servant arrived hurriedly.
"Princess Consort!"
Shen Li looked up.
The servant held a folded letter.
Confused.
Breathless.
"This arrived from His Highness."
Silence.
Everyone froze.
The army had left only hours ago.
How?
Shen Li opened the letter immediately.
Inside, in Prince Rui's familiar handwriting:
Princess Rui,
This prince has traveled exactly three hours.
This prince already misses you.
The journey is miserable.
Return this prince's feelings immediately.
— Rui
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Then Shen Li laughed.
Actually laughed.
The first genuine laugh since morning.
Meanwhile every servant nearby looked emotionally exhausted.
Because apparently—
their terrifying war prince managed to send a love letter before even reaching the first military camp.
Hopeless.
Absolutely hopeless.
And thus—
the War Arc truly began. ????