Two letters

Chapter 74, Two Letters

I racked my brains, and with the chirping of birds as my companion, I finally managed to painstakingly craft the letter for the kite.

It was extremely difficult.

The most important reason is that I don't know what tone to use to write this letter.

Simply relaying her uncle's request seems inappropriate; mentioning the picture book she gave him as a final gift—something about that is also wrong.

After writing and writing, "Zhi Zha" became extremely impatient and fell asleep on the desk. I moved its head slightly, afraid that the monkey would fall asleep and drool like a person, ruining my hard-won letter.

I had a sudden inspiration: why not use "squeaking" as a starting point?

Without much reminiscing about the past, I included my uncle's suggestion in the letter, and also mentioned that I would bring "Zhizha" with me. This is probably the most appropriate and sincere expression of affection I can give her now.

After I finished writing it, I looked at it again. "Zhi Zha" woke up at some point and came over, pretending to look at the letter with his head shaking. We both decided that there was no problem with the letter.

Just as I was about to leave with the letter to hand it to my uncle, I almost bumped into Mr. Tao, who was about to knock on the door.

Mr. Tao was wearing a slightly worn blue cloth long gown. Compared to his haggard appearance from overwork a few days ago, his complexion was rosier now, and the weariness in his eyes had faded considerably. His slightly furrowed brows were relaxed, and although he still carried a hint of aloofness, he had regained his usual calm and peaceful demeanor.

Even more coincidentally, he also had a letter in his hand.

“Zhao… Xi’er…” Mr. Tao looked a little embarrassed when he addressed me, as if he was still not used to treating me as one of his own.

"Mr. Tao, who are you going to give this letter to?" I deliberately ignored his discomfort and asked directly.

When I asked, Mr. Tao's gaze fell on the letter in my hand. His brows furrowed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure, held up the letter with both hands, and handed it to me, saying solemnly, "Princess, please pass this letter on to Her Majesty the Queen."

I looked at Mr. Tao's solemn face, blinked, and let out an "Ah," filling my eyes with all my doubts and confusion.

Seeing my reaction, Mr. Tao was also a little taken aback and asked cautiously, "Is it inconvenient?"

“No, no,” I shook my head, waving the letter in my hand, and said, “That’s perfect, I was just about to see my uncle, Mr. Tao, why don’t you come along too.”

Mr. Tao's expression changed slightly, and a bitter smile appeared on his lips. He lowered his eyes and said to me, "Xi'er, I... cannot go to see Her Majesty the Empress, so I have to trouble you."

"Why?" A bad feeling rose in my heart, and I unconsciously reached out to grab Mr. Tao's sleeve. "What can't you see your uncle? You can come with me."

He gently shook his head, raised his hand and slowly pushed my hand away. His smile was still there, but it was bitter: "I am a sinner of Dongchu, how can I have the face to see that noble person?" Before I could speak, Mr. Tao's next sentence stunned me on the spot, "Moreover... I am already packing my bags and preparing to leave here today."

"Leave?" I repeated those two words in disbelief. "Where are you going? Aren't you waiting for your big brother to return in triumph?"

I clearly glimpsed a fleeting, barely concealed pain in Mr. Tao's eyes, like a shooting star streaking across the night sky, gone in an instant.

He quickly lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes casting a light shadow beneath them. His tone returned to its previous calm, even carrying a hint of relief: "No. I have already accomplished what the Prince entrusted to me back then—to find a way to subdue the 'medicine people.' As long as we use those arrows coated with the medicinal juice on the battlefield, we will surely win this battle."

“But…” I wanted to say more to persuade him, but the words caught in my throat as I met Mr. Tao’s gaze—the earnestness and pleading hidden in his eyes felt like soft needles pricking my heart, rendering me speechless. I could only nod silently, reaching out to take the letter he handed me, feeling its weight.

Seeing this, Mr. Tao let out a long sigh of relief, a faint smile appearing on his face. He bowed deeply to me, almost bending over, then turned and walked away unhurriedly, his figure gradually becoming thinner in the light and shadow under the corridor.

I watched him disappear into the distance, a bittersweet feeling welling up inside me. Although I didn't know why Mr. Tao had left in such a hurry, the deep reluctance and helplessness hidden within his resolute departure lingered in my heart like a thin mist, leaving me inexplicably melancholy.

I pressed the two letters tightly to my chest until Mr. Tao's figure completely disappeared around the corner. Only then did I take a deep breath, pull myself together, and turn to walk towards the side hall where my uncle was.

The guards at the side hall entrance, seeing it was me, did not stop me, but simply nodded slightly to let me pass. I lifted the curtain and entered, just in time to see my uncle and Aunt Xian sitting opposite each other talking. When Aunt Xian saw me come in, she smiled, stood up, gently patted my head, and without saying much, turned and quietly left.

My uncle gestured for me to sit down, and I quickly handed him the two letters in my hand. As I spoke about Mr. Tao, my tone betrayed my regret: "Mr. Tao is a really good person. He probably felt that since he had different stances from Dong Chu in the past, and now that he has such a master, he was ashamed to come and see you. But he has genuinely helped us a lot and even found a way to counteract the medicine man. He is truly a good person."

As I rambled on, my uncle had already silently finished reading both letters. After I finished speaking, he gently placed the letters on the table, pressed them down with his palm, and suddenly looked up at me with a smile: "You don't need to worry about Tao Siyuan. I already know about his affairs. By the way, Xiaoxi, your letter is well written, and your handwriting has improved a lot. It's clear that forcing you to practice so hard back then wasn't in vain."

Huh? How did the topic veer towards my words?

I gave an awkward smile, and was about to press Mr. Tao for details when my uncle waved his hand and gently ushered me out: "Xiao Xi, go back and get ready. We'll meet Princess Tuoluo as early as tomorrow, or at the latest the day after, if all goes well. I have other things to take care of, so I won't keep you any longer. You should spend more time with your mother."

Reluctantly, I got up to say goodbye to my uncle and went to find my mother. I learned that Aunt Xian had also been acting strangely these past few days, often disappearing without a trace. Thinking about how I had just seen Aunt Xian at my uncle's place, and remembering that Aunt Xian was said to be doing things in secret, I seemed to understand how my uncle would send the message.

When my mother heard me mention that I was going to see Princess Tuluo with my uncle, a look of worry instantly appeared on her face, and her eyes were filled with concern. Seeing this, I immediately leaned forward, gently rested my head on her shoulder, and said in a playful and coquettish tone, "Mother, don't you trust Uncle? With him by my side to protect me, let alone just seeing Princess Tuluo, even if we encounter ten Tuluo wolves, they won't be able to get close to me!"

My mother gently stroked my hair, her fingers warm with familiar touch. She looked at me with loving eyes and remained silent for a while before speaking slowly, her voice soft yet tinged with emotion: "You've grown up. You have your own opinions now, and it's time for you to do your own things."

At dusk the next day, as I was talking with my mother, my uncle sent someone to inform me that I had to set off early the next morning to meet with the envoy from the Kingdom of Tuluo.

Upon hearing this, my mother immediately got up and went to the inner room, where she personally chose an elegant, moon-white dress for me. The collar of the dress was embroidered with delicate silver orchids, neither dignified nor ostentatious. She carefully folded it and placed it on the bedside table, repeatedly instructing me: "Tomorrow you will be meeting foreign envoys, so your words and actions must be proper. Get some rest early tonight and be well-rested so you can deal with them effectively."

I nodded in agreement, but lying in bed, I tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. As night deepened, the room was so quiet that I could hear the chirping of insects outside the window, but my thoughts surged like waves, disturbing my peace.

Thinking of Lan Feiyu, my eyes welled up with tears, which fell without my noticing. Afraid of disturbing others with my crying in the middle of the night, I could only bite the corner of the blanket tightly, letting my tears silently soak the blanket and pillow. My heart was filled with worry and sorrow, wondering if she was doing well on the front lines, and when we would be able to meet again.

Just as she was about to drift off to sleep, there was a very soft knock on the door, followed by a maid's gentle voice: "Princess, it's almost dawn. May I come in to help you with your washing and dressing?"

I snapped back to reality and scrambled out of bed, my fingertips instinctively rubbing the red and swollen corners of my eyes—I'd cried half the night, and the red marks under my eyes were probably impossible to hide. I took a deep breath, suppressing the lingering sadness in my heart, and replied in a low voice, "Come in."

At this moment, I can no longer be that young lady in her boudoir, weeping and wailing over my longing; instead, I must accompany my uncle to see the envoy from Turpan.

As arranged by my uncle, we set off promptly at 3:45 AM.

Contrary to my expectations, the carriage was not surrounded by a large army. Accompanying me were only a few dozen elite guards, each with a tall and solemn figure. My elder brother had not mobilized a large army to press on the border; it seemed that he had concealed his forces along the way, keeping a low profile while ensuring absolute safety.

Today, my uncle had also changed out of his usual plain robes, donning a dark purple brocade robe with dark gold cloud patterns embroidered on the collar and cuffs, and a jade belt around his waist. Although he was not wearing armor, his noble air, accustomed to his high position, and the imposing presence of someone who had been through countless battles still emanated from him, making it impossible to look directly at him. He sat comfortably inside the carriage, even holding a hand warmer in his hand, his expression as relaxed as if he were simply going to the countryside to enjoy the snow and relax, rather than attending a meeting concerning the safety of the border, a meeting with the princess of an enemy country, or resolving a tense and deadly situation.

I sat opposite "Zhi Zha" and I, behaving ourselves and not daring to breathe too loudly.

The carriage drove out of the city gate and headed up the winding mountain road. After traveling for about an hour, the surrounding fog gradually thickened, covering the mountains and forests in a white mist. The rustling sound of the wheels rolling over dry branches and fallen leaves was particularly clear in the silent valley, echoing back and forth.

"We've arrived," the uncle said softly, his tone calm and even. He stood up first, lifted the carriage curtain, and stepped out steadily.

I quickly pulled up the "Zhi Zha" and jumped off the car.

Before you lies a wide, flat area carved into the edge of a cliff. Further ahead, a solitary stone pavilion stands against the mountain, the three characters "Wangyun Pavilion" on its plaque faintly visible in the mist. The terrain here is extremely precipitous, surrounded by green mountains on three sides and bordering a bottomless abyss on the other. The mountain wind howls past, stirring up clouds and mist, giving one a disorienting feeling of being on the clouds with nothing beneath one's feet.

At this moment, the atmosphere on the flat ground was so cold it was almost freezing.

Outside the Wangyun Pavilion, two rows of warriors clad in exotic leather armor stood solemnly. Each of them was burly, their hands on their curved swords at their waists, their eyes fierce like hungry wolves, staring intently at us, fully on guard. In the stone pavilion behind the warriors, a dazzling red figure stood with his back to us, hands behind his back, silently gazing at the surging sea of ​​clouds below the cliff.

It's a kite.

But she wasn't exactly the same kite I knew.

She was no longer the sharp-fitting, short-sleeved woman she used to be; instead, she wore an elaborate and magnificent Tuluo palace gown. The scarlet robe was embroidered with ferocious golden totems, the gold threads gleaming coldly in the mist. Her hair was adorned with colorful beads and gold ornaments, which jingled in the mountain breeze, giving her an air of unapproachable chill.

Hearing our noise, she slowly turned around.