Love and choices across time and space

The sky above Chang'an was thick with gloom, and the heavy dark clouds seemed to bear down like lead, immersing the entire city in an oppressive atmosphere. In the palace where Princess Changle lived, the once lively laughter and joy had been replaced by a deathly silence.

The princess's chamber was exquisitely furnished. The carved sandalwood bed exuded a subtle fragrance, and the curtains were made of the finest silk, embroidered with lifelike phoenix patterns. However, Princess Changle had no time to admire any of this. Like a withered flower, she reclined on the chaise longue by the window, her plain white silk dress seeming even more fragile and frail.

The princess's once delicate skin was now as pale as rice paper, devoid of color. Her eyes, once bright and vibrant, were now red and swollen from tears, their gaze hollow and lost, as if she had lost her soul. Her lips were chapped and trembling slightly as she uttered a thin, broken sound: "Yifeng... where are you?"

She clutched the silk handkerchief embroidered with twin lotus flowers, the threads of which had been soaked by her tears and rendered frizzy. She unconsciously rubbed the embroidery with her fingers, her mind reeling back to every moment she had spent with Li Yifeng.

At night, the flickering candlelight in the chamber illuminated the princess's haggard face. She lay in bed, clutching the quilt tightly in her hands, as if it were her only support. Every time she turned over, she could hear the subtle rustling of the quilt, a sound that was especially clear in the silent night.

"Yifeng, are you thinking of me too?" the princess muttered in her sleep, tears streaming down her cheeks, soaking the pillow. In her dream, she reunited with Li Yifeng, strolling through a sea of ​​flowers, their laughter echoing in the air. However, beautiful dreams are always short-lived. When she awoke, she was faced with only the cold reality and endless darkness.

"Why? Why are you separating us?" The princess suddenly sat up, her hair plastered to her face. She cried hysterically, her voice echoing in the empty palace. The maids rushed over and saw the princess in such a state. They all knelt, their eyes filled with heartache and helplessness.

"Princess, please take care of yourself!" The palace maids urged in unison, but the princess seemed not to hear them. She just stared out the window blankly with empty eyes.

Meanwhile, in a remote village outside Chang'an, Li Yifeng's humble thatched cottage crumbled in the wind and rain. Inside, a damp, musty smell filled the air. A tattered wooden bed sat in the corner, its patched bedding hard as a rock.

Li Yifeng sat on the edge of the bed, wearing a coarse cloth gown with countless patches on it. His face was thin, his cheekbones were high and protruding, his chin was covered with stubble, and his eyes were filled with deep fatigue and endless longing.

"Princess, are you doing well?" He murmured to himself, looking out the window at the night sky. The moonlight shone through the dilapidated window onto his face, illuminating his desolate expression.

During the day, Li Yifeng toiled in the fields. The scorching sun baked the earth, and sweat dripped from his forehead. He waved the hoe weakly, but his mind had already flown to the princess.

"The time I spent with the princess was so wonderful." He thought of the princess's sweet smile, and a pang of pain pierced his heart. The villagers passing by the fields looked at his absent-minded appearance and shook their heads and sighed.

"This young man must be possessed by a demon." An old farmer walked by carrying a hoe and muttered softly.

Li Yifeng turned a deaf ear and continued to be immersed in his own thoughts.

At the market, Li Yifeng set up a small stall, trying to sell some crude handicrafts he made. His eyes were dull and he showed no enthusiasm for passers-by.

"Hey young man, your stuff is really unique, but your expression makes people feel scared." A woman in simple clothes stopped in front of the stall and said curiously.

Li Yifeng raised his head and forced a smile: "Thank you for the compliment, madam. It's just that I have something on my mind and it's hard to cheer up."

At night, Li Yifeng sat alone on the dirt slope in front of his thatched cottage, gazing at the bright moon in the sky. The moonlight, like water, sprinkled on him, but it could not warm his cold heart.

"Princess, are you also looking at the same bright moon at this moment?" His voice sounded particularly desolate in the silent night sky.

In the palace, the princess's condition became increasingly worse, which made the palace maids extremely anxious.

"Princess, please have a bite, even if it's just a small one." The palace maid Xiao Cui knelt in front of the princess's bed, holding a bowl of carefully prepared bird's nest porridge, tears welling up in her eyes.

The princess turned her head slightly, looked at Xiao Cui with empty eyes, and said in a voice so weak that it was almost inaudible: "I can't eat it, take it away."

Xiao Cui couldn't help but burst into tears: "Princess, what will happen if you continue like this!"

When the news reached Emperor Taizong, he was furious, but also felt sorry for his daughter.

"How could my daughter be so stubborn!" Taizong personally came to the princess's bedroom and saw his daughter's haggard appearance. He felt angry and helpless.

"Changle, as a princess, you should put the overall situation first. How can you disregard your own body and status for a man?" Taizong shouted.

The princess struggled to sit up from the bed, her eyes gleaming with determination: "Father, my love for Yifeng is deep in my bones. If I can't be with him, I would rather die than live."

Taizong was so angry that he stormed out and said, "You should reflect on yourself!"

Li Yifeng's life outside the city became increasingly difficult, and his body gradually became thinner. He often woke up from dreams, his clothes soaked with cold sweat.

"No, I must see the princess. Even if I can only see her from a distance, I will die without regrets." This thought became stronger and stronger in his mind.

One day, while working in the fields, Li Yifeng overheard a passing merchant talking about a grand banquet that was about to be held at the palace. A thought struck him, and a risky plan gradually took shape in his mind.

To infiltrate the palace, Li Yifeng gathered information and used up all his savings to buy a set of eunuch clothing. In his dilapidated thatched cottage, he repeatedly practiced the eunuch's gait and speaking tone in front of the mirror, fearing that he would reveal any flaws.

On the evening of the banquet, the palace was ablaze with lights and bustling with people. Li Yifeng cautiously followed a group of eunuchs, head bowed, heart pounding.

The princess sat beside Taizong, forcing a smile as she responded to the ministers and noble ladies who came to toast her. However, her eyes kept searching the crowd, hoping to see that familiar figure.

Suddenly, the princess's eyes swept across a corner, and her heartbeat instantly accelerated. At that moment, time seemed to freeze.

"Is it Yifeng?" The princess was not sure and took another closer look.

Li Yifeng also felt the princess's gaze. He raised his head slightly and their eyes met.

However, Li Yifeng's strange behavior attracted the attention of a guard nearby.

"Who are you? How dare you sneak around here!" the guard shouted.

Li Yifeng was so frightened that he turned around and ran away, but the palace was heavily guarded and he was soon surrounded by guards.

When the princess saw this, she rushed over desperately.

"Let him go!" the princess cried, her voice filled with despair and pleading.

Taizong shouted angrily: "Changle, come back to me!"

The princess looked at Taizong with tears in her eyes, "Father, please let Yifeng go."

Li Yifeng looked at the princess, his heart filled with guilt and helplessness: "Princess, it's my fault. I made you suffer."

In the end, Li Yifeng was dragged away roughly by the guards. The princess cried bitterly and collapsed to the ground.

That night, the hearts of the princess and Li Yifeng were broken into countless pieces, and their lovesickness became deeper and deeper, as if there would never be an end.