But even without his telling, Helian Jinli knew.
"Father, Mother, I truly love her. No matter how difficult the pursuit of my wife may be in the future, I will not give up. Therefore, I have decided to stay. As for the kingdom, I ask for your understanding. Once I have married the woman I love, I will return to relieve you of your worries!"
His solemn words left Helian Zhicheng knowing that no matter how much he persuaded or disagreed, he could never change his son's thoughts and decisions.
His son was too stubborn. Whatever he set his mind to, he would not rest until it was accomplished, even if it meant crashing his head against a stone wall until it broke.
After a long silence, he asked, "Jinli, tell your father honestly, will you only marry one woman in your life? Will you take concubines or mistresses?"
Helian Jinli shook his head without hesitation, refusing outright. "I will only marry one woman in my life, a lifelong partner. This is a necessary condition for marrying Yumeng, and I can do it!"
Their worst fears had come true. Duan Yao and Helian Zhicheng saw no surprise in each other's eyes.
After a long pause, Duan Yao let out a long, heavy sigh. "My son is as infatuated as you are. Forget it, let our son go. Even if he doesn't marry Yumeng, he won't regret it!"
At least he tried, and if he couldn't marry her, he wouldn't blame anyone.
Conversely, if they stopped him now, they would be the ones blamed in the end. Therefore, the best choice was to let him go.
Helian Zhicheng understood Duan Yao's thoughts. He himself had only one wife, so he naturally believed his son could too. The chasm between them was the river.
He even had a thought of building a road between Dingbei Liao and the inner city. With a road, there would be more interaction between the two sides, and he could completely hand over the governance of Dingbei Liao to the inner city. Wouldn't that make him a hands-off ruler?
This sudden thought startled him. If that were to happen, wouldn't he be handing over the country on a silver platter?
But why wasn't he worried or heartbroken?
This disturbing thought lingered in his mind for a long time.
The next day, as they were about to leave, Helian Jinli was nowhere to be seen in the procession. Fan Zehao observed meticulously and confirmed his absence before approaching Helian Zhicheng.
"Second Brother, we're ready to depart, but where is Jinli? What is he doing?"
As he spoke, he stared at Helian Zhicheng intently, but his expression was calm, revealing nothing.
Helian Zhicheng smiled and said, "This child left yesterday, saying he wanted to return early to prepare to welcome you both. He was afraid you would have a bad impression if you arrived and found nothing."
His smile was tinged with helplessness. He spread his hands and continued, "I've tried to persuade him multiple times. After all, Dingbei Liao is what it is. No matter how we disguise it, it's only temporary. We can't pretend forever, can we, my brother?"
Fan Zehao nodded. What he said was true; disguises would eventually be exposed, so it was better to remain as they were.
Helian Zhicheng continued with a sigh, "Jinli came to find you last night, but neither you nor your wife were here, so I was asked to inform you today. Please don't mind it, my brother."
Why would he mind? He was just concerned whether the child had returned to Dingbei Liao. But it didn't matter; even if he hadn't returned, he would likely miss Yumeng if he went looking for her now. He was quite confident in the Chief Executive's abilities.
Fan Zehao chuckled. "It's nothing. The child meant well. Shall we set off then? Let's try to reach Deming Prefecture as soon as possible."
Only in Deming Prefecture could they board a ship to leave. Fan Zehao was eager to get there and back.
Helian Zhicheng had successfully managed to fool him. He quickly got into the carriage, and the long procession majestically departed from the prince's mansion.
Zhao Jiaqi and Duan Yao sat in the same carriage. Since their previous conversation, they had found common ground and become close friends. They chatted about everything under the sun, laughing and talking, making the time pass quickly.
Outside Deming Prefecture, the thirty thousand soldiers brought by Helian Zhicheng had vanished, but several large ships were docked by the shore.
Guards in armor stood imposingly by the ships, their sharp, eagle-like eyes scanning in all directions, prepared for any eventuality.
However, in Fan Zehao's eyes, this was all just a show to intimidate children. If they were truly worried, why make such a grand display? They could have simply left quietly with their trusted confidantes.
But perhaps this was just for show, as everyone liked to flaunt their power, even the elderly.
The group boarded the ships, and after half an hour, the vessels set sail, slowly leaving the shore and heading towards the river.
They had expected a long journey, but to their surprise, after just over a day, the ships docked at the nearest port in Dingbei Liao.
This truly astonished the couple. The distance between the two countries was so close. It was all thanks to the river; otherwise, they would have to interact frequently!
After disembarking, they expected the path to be smooth, but the reality was a bumpy, uneven surface. Zhao Jiaqi nearly fell twice within a short distance.
Fan Zehao's face darkened on the spot. He held his wife tightly the entire way, his peripheral vision constantly surveying the road. He couldn't help but complain.
"Second Brother, as the saying goes, 'To get rich, build roads first.' If your roads are not even, how can you make money?"
Helian Zhicheng also noticed. The roads in their inner city were wide and smooth, while the roads in his territory were full of potholes. This was a rather embarrassing situation.
"We will build them. We must build them!" Helian Zhicheng did not reprimand the local officials because the roads were like this before he left.
He had only seen the outside world once and gained experience. Otherwise, he would have thought that the outside world was like this. Therefore, the responsibility did not lie with the local officials but with him, the emperor.
Since Second Brother had said so, it would be excessive for him to continue speaking about it. However, for now, he still needed to take good care of the person in his arms.
Zhao Jiaqi also felt distressed seeing the situation, but she recalled their past. Everything had to be done step by step; one could not become fat in a single bite.
Soon, they reached the main road, which was better, but still bumpy. This time, Helian Zhicheng said nothing, his entire face dark.
Upon arriving at the prefectural city, Zhao Jiaqi absolutely refused to go any further. Everyone assumed she was too delicate to endure the bumpy ride. A few accompanying officials secretly gossiped amongst themselves.
Duan Yao asked her, "Are you not feeling well?"
"No, Second Sister-in-law. I came here to establish workshops. If I returned to the imperial palace with you, my visit here would be meaningless. Don't you agree?"
Hearing this, Duan Yao immediately relaxed. So, she wasn't suffering from culture shock but had genuinely prioritized this task. This truly surprised her.
Fan Zehao looked up at the sky. It was already noon. They should eat first and then find a place to rest.
Lunch was at a renowned local restaurant. The seafood here was indeed incredibly cheap, and the flavors were rather monotonous. After eating several kinds of seafood, they all tasted almost the same. Perhaps a discerning palate could detect the subtle differences, but to Fan Zehao, it was simply bland.
If he were to use more words, it would be "tasteless and flavorless."