SPRING RIVER FLOWERS AND MOON - CHAPTER 2

SPRING RIVER FLOWERS AND MOON - CHAPTER 2

Translations by: Lily of the Valley


Chapter 2: Li Mu

The one who summoned Gao Luoshen into the palace was the current Empress Dowager, Gao Yongrong, Gao Luoshen's cousin.

After listening to Gao Yongrong's words, Gao Luoshen was stunned, and her heart was filled with confusion.

Gao Yongrong expressed her hope that Gao Luoshen would agree to marry Li Mu.

Li Mu, courtesy name Jingchen, came from a family of high officials and had been conferred the title of county duke due to generations of meritorious service.

During the time of the collapse of the Divine Zhou Dynasty and the migration of the Dahu Imperial Family to the south, Li's ancestors refused to migrate with the flow of people and returned to their ancestral home in Xuyi, northern Huainan.

Since the Imperial Family abandoned the Central Plains and moved south, the border regions between northern and southern Jiangnan became the battleground where both sides wrestled for control. Bandits roamed freely, and it was a time of turmoil. Those who could flee had already left.

After Li Mu's grandfather returned to his hometown, he built fortresses to shelter the homeless and organized troops to resist the raids of Hu people and bandits. At its peak, the Li clan's forces grew to nearly ten thousand.

Li Mu's ancestors, with their own efforts, safeguarded peace in the region on one side while hoping for the return of the Imperial Army to reclaim the Central Plains on the other.

However, after decades of steadfast defense and with no sign of the Imperial Army's return, and with the rise of the northern Jie regime, the Li fortress eventually fell, leading to the death of Li Mu's father over twenty years ago. Li Mu's mother, along with a ten-year-old Li Mu, joined the fleeing refugees, crossed the river, and settled in Jiangnan, specifically Jingkou, where they began a difficult life.

At the age of thirteen, Li Mu enlisted in the army. Starting as a lowly sergeant, he gradually rose through the ranks and eventually became a key figure in the Ying Tian Army.

During these ten years, he led the army on three expeditions into Jiangnan, subduing northern political powers such as Xishu and Nanliang, and gradually recaptured most of Henan, including Yanzhou, driving the Hu people northward.

The Northern Expedition was almost complete, and he became renowned throughout the land. At the mention of his name, the Hu people retreated in fear, and the Han people looked up to him.

Two years ago, while Li Mu, then the governor of Yanzhou and the Grand General of the Garrison Army, was preparing for his fourth and largest planned Northern Expedition, the prominent Xu family, who had ruled Jingzhou for generations, launched a rebellion.

The rebel forces quickly captured Jiankang. To evade the rebels, the then Tai Kang Emperor was forced to flee the palace (note: referring to the place where officials and the palace were located during the Eastern Jin to Southern Dynasties period, located within the capital city of Jiankang). In a state of shock and fear, he soon fell ill and died. Upon hearing the news, Li Mu temporarily suspended his northern campaign and rushed back. After quelling the Xu family rebellion, he brought back the Empress Dowager Gao Yongrong and the four-year-old Crown Prince Xiao Xun, who had been in exile.

That year, Xiao Xun ascended to the throne as Emperor, and Gao Yongrong became the Empress Dowager. Dahu was finally able to regain stability.

However, due to this incident, the court's dynamics underwent significant changes. Those prestigious clans who once held power, with their descendants and proteges spread throughout the land, were ruthlessly purged by Li Mu after the rebellion.

The Xu, Lu, and Zhu clans, which had previously held the reins of power in the Southern Dynasty, were admired by the people. They were severely weakened and began to decline.

Li Mu took their place and held the position of Grand Marshal, commanding both the internal and external military forces, overseeing the Secretariat, and consolidating military and political power. His authority reached the pinnacle of what a subject could attain.

"Sister, this is too sudden. How could you think of this? You know that after my husband's death, I have no intention of remarrying. Besides, I have never had any interaction with General Li Mu. Why would he even consider marrying me if he truly harbors ambitions of seizing power and the throne?"

Gao Luoshen finally regained her composure and spoke.

She was no longer the naive girl who had been cherished by her parents and knew little about the world.

As a high-ranking noblewoman like her, there was never any possibility of her choosing her own marriage. She had always followed the interests of her family.

Many suitors had come forward to propose to her, but the Gao family had never pressured her.

Today, with Gao Yongrong raising this matter, Gao Luoshen couldn't help feeling uneasy.

"Sister, you've misunderstood. General Li Mu and I are complete strangers. Before and after the incident in Xuan Cheng, we never met. He rescued me in Xuan Cheng, but he barely spoke to me, let alone any impropriety. He simply gave a few instructions and didn't say much else. He didn't even look at me. How can you say he has ulterior motives?"

Gao Luoshen shook her head, defending herself.

Gao Yongrong smiled faintly.

"Ah Mi, with your beauty and talents, it's natural that men secretly admire you. He remains unmarried, not due to a lack of proposals or beauty, but he rejected them all, citing the unfinished Northern Expedition and his disinterest in starting a family as reasons. However, a few days ago, I sent someone to inform him of my intention to arrange a marriage between you two, and he accepted."

"What? Sister, you've already spoken to him? Why didn't you inform me earlier?"

Gao Luoshen was shocked.

Gao Yongrong's expression changed from a smile to a serious one.

She stood up, walked to a south-facing window in the palace, stood silently for a moment, and then turned around.

"Ah Mi, from childhood to adulthood, how has your sister treated you?"

Gao Luoshen's parents, Gao Jie and the Long Princess, were not on good terms, and although they cherished their daughter, their emotional relationship was lacking. They only had one daughter.

Although Gao Yongrong was a cousin, she was five years older than Gao Luoshen. Since childhood, she had treated Gao Luoshen like a younger sister. Anything good, whether it was food or clothes, was always chosen first by Gao Luoshen.

All these worldly possessions didn't matter much.




"When Gao Luoshen was eight years old, during an outing, she accidentally disturbed a nest of hornets. As the hornets chased and stung her, Gao Yongrong, without hesitation, shielded her by throwing himself over her and used his own clothes to cover her face. After the servants managed to disperse the hornets and rescue them, Gao Luoshen was unharmed, but Gao Yongrong had suffered severe stings. Upon their return, her forehead was swollen, and she remained unconscious for several days. If not for eventually obtaining effective medicine, she might have lost her life.

How could Gao Luoshen forget the kindness her elder sister had shown her one by one?

"Sister, you are more like a real sister to me. I still remember when I was eight years old, you almost lost your life saving me."

Gao Yongrong stared at Gao Luoshen and suddenly knelt down in front of her.

"Sister, please get up! What are you doing?"

Gao Luoshen was startled and quickly helped Gao Yongrong up.

"A-Mi, I have never asked anything of you, but this time, I'm begging you! Li Mu's achievements in the Northern Expedition have made him extremely renowned in recent years. Two years ago, taking advantage of the Xu family's rebellion, he eliminated many obstacles like Lu and Zhu, using ruthless methods. Now in Da Yu, there's no one left who can control him. If the affairs of the court are entirely in Li Mu's hands, sooner or later, this entire realm will become his."

"Sister... the Grand Marshal wouldn't act that way... If he had intentions of rebellion, he wouldn't have brought you and the Emperor back two years ago..."

Gao Luoshen murmured.

Although she was trying to console Gao Yongrong, her tone was filled with doubt. Perhaps even she had her reservations.

Gao Yongrong sneered.

"A-Mi, you usually live a secluded life. How would you know the intricacies of people's hearts? Do you think he launched multiple Northern Expeditions solely to reclaim our former territories from the barbarians? It's merely to consolidate his power and reputation! Since the Southern Migration of the Emperor Yuan, understanding the hearts of men, he used the pretext of Northern Expeditions to gain reputation and suppress his rivals. Did not the Xu and Lu families, the top-notch aristocratic clans, all engage in such practices? Even the Gao clan, at its height, with our uncle in a high position, renowned throughout the land, wasn't it all due to the heroic deeds of the Gao clan's descendants in the battle against the barbarians?"

"Though Da Yu is currently stable in the South, the Xiao dynasty has continued for two hundred years. In these two hundred years, how many people coveted the throne and sought to usurp it? Be it royal relatives or powerful noble families, have you ever seen anyone succeed? The bloodline of the imperial family, derived from heaven, is not to be mingled with commoners!"

As she spoke, Gao Yongrong straightened her back, her eyes revealing a hint of pride.

"Furthermore, this Li Mu, born of a humble background, was originally nothing more than a nameless warrior from the borderlands. How could he not know that, without accumulating sufficient reputation and power, usurping the throne recklessly would be impossible? Why didn't he immediately attempt such a coup after suppressing the Xu rebellion? Instead, he waited, using various excuses to execute many aristocrats and scholars who opposed him, like Yi'an and others. Wasn't it because of the constraints of Lu and Zhu? Now, regardless of the court's opposition, he insists on taking a reckless path, openly mobilizing the country's forces for another Northern Expedition, staking the fate of Da Yu's dynasty. If my calculations are correct, when he returns victorious, it will be the end for me and my son..."

Tears welled up in Gao Yongrong's eyes as she continued, her voice choked with emotion.

"A-Mi, I beg you, please think of this as helping me and agree to it!"

"Sister... even if I marry him, what can I do for you?"

After a while, Gao Luoshen asked in a low voice, sounding helpless.

"He was able to place the Emperor on the throne; he can also depose the Emperor and proclaim himself. The act of deposition depends entirely on his whim. Think about it, if he admires you, and you marry him, with this marital connection and your influence, you can mediate between us. In the future, even if Li Mu follows Xu's example and attempts to move the throne, my son and I might still find safety and live out our lives peacefully. Otherwise, he won't spare us. I fear that by then, there will be no place for us to even die!"

Gao Luoshen lowered her head, her figure frozen in place, unmoving.

Gao Yongrong watched her in silence, not saying another word.

Suddenly, there was a faint sound of footsteps behind them.

Gao Luoshen turned her head towards the sound and saw her ten-year-old nephew, Xiao Xun, dressed in a small dragon robe, rushing out from the rear hall. He ran to her, knelt down, and said,

"Aunt, if you don't help me, Xuner won't be able to get up!"

The young emperor's voice was childish, and he tightly held onto her dress, looking up at her with wide eyes that blinked rapidly.

One month later, in the late spring of the second year of Longyuan, Gao Luoshen hastily prepared for her wedding with Li Mu, which had been planned for a long time, so that the Northern Expedition could proceed as scheduled.

Undoubtedly, it was a grand wedding that captured the city's attention.

One was a noble daughter with unparalleled beauty. The only poem she had ever written during her time in school, a melancholic piece she had composed with her fellow cousins, was still being copied and circulated in the streets.

The other was the Grand Marshal, representing in the minds of the common people of the Southern Dynasties a war god embodying the blood and glory of the southern people. He was considered superior to all.

After the lengthy wedding ceremony, Gao Luoshen, dressed in her bridal attire, sat alone in the bridal chamber specially prepared for tonight in the Grand Marshal's residence, quietly awaiting the arrival of her second husband.

Translations by: Lily of the Valley